takes out thopters

Like three hundred hives under threat, sliding portals opened up at every level of all three towers, and the bee-like thopters emptied out to strike at Baan and Bolas’ enemies. Some of these thopters were the size of bees, others the size of horses, most somewhere in between, but all dive-bombed toward the threesome, their buzzing wings practically loud enough in unison to blot out the sounds of the waterfalls and the Sun’s blaze.

***

Those that attacked were easy enough for Chandra to pick off with a few precision bursts of flame. But many did not bother attacking.

***

But the three remaining flying bandar heard its call and sprang into action, each latching onto a horse-sized thopter to take full control of its clockwork mechanisms. Saheeli smiled. “Baan’s not the only one who has prepared for his opponents.”

***

Immediately the trio’s three mounts were back under Baan’s control. They bucked and swerved to dislodge their riders, and it was all Lavinia, Saheeli and Chandra could do to leap off. Lavinia and Saheeli hit the platform rolling. Chandra barely managed to grab its edge and haul herself up onto it in time to raise her arms and fire off three carefully aimed gouts of flame that brought the large thopters down.

***

War of the Spark, Chapter 44