The soldiers didn't know the jungle.
They didn't know that the pretty glowing flowers released clouds of choking spores when disturbed. They didn't know that the vines hanging from the trees could tighten around a man's throat and squeeze the life from him. They didn't know that the ground beneath their feet was alive, and it remembered every step they took.
The forest fought back.
Kaelen watched from a ridge as a squad of soldiers walked directly into a patch of hammerhead titanothere territory. The creatures—massive, six-legged, armored like tanks—didn't appreciate the intrusion. They charged. The soldiers' guns did nothing. The titanothere did everything.
Another squad was swallowed by the forest itself—vines wrapping around their ankles, pulling them into the undergrowth, where the thanators waited. Their screams were brief.
But still the soldiers came. Still the metal birds dropped more. Still the flames spread.
"They're herding us," Seri said suddenly. "Look."
She was right. The soldiers weren't trying to win—they were trying to push the Omaticaya in a specific direction. Away from Hometree. Away from the sacred groves. Toward...
"The floating mountains," Kaelen breathed. "They want to corner us against the cliffs."
"Then we go where they want." Seri's eyes were hard. "And we make them regret it."