Topher glanced up at the sun.
“What time do you think it is, Zorn?”
“I don’t know. Late morning? Why?”
Topher didn’t reply. He just stood there, thinking. Then a sound like thunder echoed in the distance. They heard the missile before it struck, a high-pitched whistle that ended with an explosion just beyond the fortress. Asphalt and metal rained down, and everybody dove to the ground, covering their heads with their hands. The horses reared and panicked, breaking into a frenzied gallop around the inside of the ring, trampling anybody in their way. The barbarians let up a massive cheer. Topher peeked over the top.
A dozen savages appeared the horizon, spread out over the highway, seeming to lean forward into thin air as if struggling against a strong wind. Soon another line of twelve m
