It occurred to Sonic that the collapsing wall sections were actually falling directly onto of the creatures hammering away at it, and realized the treacherous Custodian was right about one thing: the creatures were dumb.

Effective though, she would give them that.

She clambered up one side of the snow crater and surveyed the approach into the town. Ice covered everything nearby. The road they had traveled to get here, the one that led toward the Common, was blocked with large, gleaming chunks. Abodes on either side had also been smashed to pieces by the cascading hailstorm that followed the ice wall's sundering. She could also see Hepsguard soldiers: the bowmen from the wall, now recovering and regrouping, as well as twenty or more up ahead toward the Common, clambering through the fallen ice. These ones carried long lances, blue fire engulfing the business ends of their weapons. There has to be more guardsmen around! she thought, worried. Her visual stock-take of soldiers was not encouraging. Perhaps the rest of the army lay hidden between the houses or in the wreckages of buildings, preparing for the oncoming horde.

She dropped back into the crater. "Let's roll," she said, grabbing Rusty by his upper arm. He was still patting away at the ice trapped in his wetsuit, and he slipped on the frosty ground as Sonic dragged him forward. He did not fall, however.

"Far out, you are strong!" he exclaimed. Sonic was holding him up with no effort whatsoever.

"Darn straight I am," she replied. "Now can we get moving? And trust me, once you warm up, the ice you got in your suit is gonna melt real fast."

"Uh sure, but what about – " he said, and pointed back with his free hand to the teetering wall behind them. The racket being made by the Gol'ur-Klem was beginning to subside. Maybe they were getting out from under the various bits that were collapsing. Or rather, maybe they had been told to get out from underneath. That seemed more likely.

"I need a vantage point," Sonic said, and tucked the Slammer underneath her free arm. "I'm not gonna shoot at these things indiscriminately. If the butt-head of a magic-man is right, they're just following orders, and for that, they do not deserve to die. Come on."

Three silver-armored Hepsguard, one wearing copper pauldrons, came over the edge of the crater, staggering over the icy aggregate. "Hail, outsiders," the one with the insignia, a woman, called out.

"Er, hail, Hepsguard," Sonic replied, hoping that was the correct response. She thought of the Custodian raising his hand to summon the shield, how it looked like a Nazi salute, and almost giggled out loud. "The Gol'ur-Klem will breached the wall soon. You must use the ice here to your advantage."

The copper-shouldered Hepsguard didn't register her advice. "Where is the Custodian? Was he not on the wall?"

"I don't know where he is," Sonic replied, and that was the truth. She didn't bother to mention how the treacherous fat-head had just given up on the town at the approaching horde.

"General Weylin is seeking him," the Hepsguard continued, "and you as well, outsider."

"Where is the General?"

"Behind us, not far, beyond the Threadsmith," the Hepsguard said, then eyed Sonic carefully. "You will help us fight the Gol'ur-Klem? We heard you have some power about you."

Boy, news does get around fast, Sonic thought, then replied: "I will help you, but allow me to tend to my friend here first." She didn't need to ask the whereabouts of the 'Threadsmith'. The image had formed clearly enough in the Hepsguard's mind. "And beware, the Gol'ur-Klem have a powerful mage with them," she continued, gesturing to the melting ice around them. "It did this, and I'm sure it can do much more."

And with that, she wondered grimly about the creature that caused the explosion... Par for the course in a place of 'magic'. Then something else occurred to her: Why didn't it just blow up this wall like it did with the ice?

"Look out!" someone shouted. There was a terrific bang! from the careening, failing section of wall directly behind them. The two outsiders and the Hepsguard watched as the wall remnant accelerated toward the ground, toward the end of its existence as a barrier to the Hep.

"Oh, this is not good," Sonic said.

The section's collapse was thunderous, a rumbling crescendo, and was accompanied by a vast, thickening dust cloud that spilled into the Hep through the new gap. The group in the snow crater – Sonic, Rusty, and the Hepsguard – all crouched down as the cloud rolled over and covered them, blanketing everything and turning the day into dusty twilight. The blue flames on the Hepsguard's lances glowed eerily, igniting dust particles that flashed brilliantly in the gloom.

There were more cracking, splintering noises, and more rumbles. Other sections of wall were beginning to collapse, and the entry into the Hep would get wider soon.