A Memory Of Light: Wheel of Time Book 14 by Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson Page A

They
     huddled like men in the wilderness seeking one another’s warmth on a cold night. Dennel and Guybon had set up the dragons
     in a half-circle bowed outward, pointing toward the center of the city, refugees behind. The Band was now committed to manning
     the dragons; three pairs of hands were needed to operate each weapon. Almost all of the Band had had at least some training.
    The buildings nearby had caught fire, but the light was doing strange things. Why didn’t it reach the streets? Those were
     all too dark. As if they’d been painted. Like…
    He blinked, clearing the tears of pain from his eyes, realization dawning. Trollocs filled the streets like ink flowing toward
     the half-circle of dragons that were pointed at them.
    Something held the Trollocs back for the moment.
They’re waiting until they are all together for a rush,
Talmanes thought.
    Calls and snarls came from behind. Talmanes pivoted, then clutched Melten’s arm as the world lurched. He waited for it to
     steady. The pain… the pain was actually dulling. Like glowing flames running out of fresh coal. It had feasted upon him,
     but there wasn’t much left of him for it to eat.
    As things steadied, Talmanes saw what was creating the snarls. The square they were in adjoined the city wall, but the townspeople
     and soldiers had kept their distance from the wall, for it was coated with Trollocs, like a thick grime. They raised weapons
     in the air and roared down at the people.
    “They throw down spears at anyone who comes too close,” Melten said. “We’d been hoping to reach the wall, then follow it along
     to the gate, but we can’t—not with those things up there raining death upon us. All other routes are cut off.”
    Aludra approached Guybon and Dennel. “Charges, I can set under the dragons,” she said to them; softly, but not as softly as
     she should have. “These charges, they will destroy the weapons. They may hurt the people in an unpleasant way.”
    “Do it,” Guybon said very softly. “What the Trollocs would do is worse, and we cannot allow the dragons to fall into the Shadow’s
     hands. That’s why they’re waiting. Their leaders are hoping that a sudden rush will give them time to overwhelm us and seize
     the weapons.”
    “They’re moving!” a soldier called from beside the dragons. “Light, they’re coming!”
    That dark slime of Shadowspawn bubbled down the streets. Teeth, nails, claws, too-human eyes. The Trollocs came from all sides,
     eager for the kill. Talmanes struggled to draw breath.
    On the walls, the calls grew excited.
We’re surrounded,
Talmanes thought.
Pressed back against the wall, caught in a net. We
…
    Pressed back against the wall.
    “Dennel!” Talmanes shouted over the din. The captain of dragons turned from his line, where men waited with burning punks
     for the call to launch the one volley they’d have.
    Talmanes took a deep breath that made his lungs burn. “You told me that you could level an enemy bulwark in only a few shots.”
    “Of course,” Dennel called. “But we’re not trying to enter…” He trailed off.
    Light,
Talmanes thought.
We’re all so exhausted. We should have seen this.
“You in the middle, Ryden’s dragon squad, about-face!” Talmanes screamed. “The rest of you, stay in position and fire at
     the oncoming Trollocs! Move, move,
move
!”
    The dragoners sprang into motion, Ryden and his men hastily turning their weapons about, wheels creaking. The other dragons
     began to fire a pattern of shot that sprayed through the streets entering the square. The booms were deafening, causing refugees
     to scream and cover their ears. It sounded like the end of the world. Hundreds, thousands of Trollocs went down in pools of
     blood as dragons’ eggs exploded in their midst. The square filled with white smoke that poured from the mouths of the dragons.
    The refugees behind, already terrified by what they had just witnessed, shrieked as Ryden’s dragons turned