Erma lunges into the breach, black-green bulk filling the gap. Stone splits under his claws as the wind screams through the chamber.

The legion shudders at the sight of him. Drill-crews stumble back, choking on dust, their line broken before it reaches the nest.

But the commander is already shifting away from the crush, forced to abandon the front rank or be smashed under Erma’s weight. The path to the eggs opens for a heartbeat.

The Elder Knight and the Scout Leader brace at the nest’s edge, watching Erma’s body become the wall. The ward holds behind him, and the hatchlings stay hidden.

Every step forward now means pushing through Erma first. The legion must break him to reach the line of eggs, and the first dragon meets them head-on.

Erma’s hand drops like a gate of stone. The Legion Commander is caught under the blow, pinned hard against the broken floor.

Dust bursts up around the impact. The commander’s weapon skitters away, and their formation lurches back from the nest line.

The word lands over the chamber like a verdict. The elder knight tightens his shield, and the scout leader stares through the settling dust at Erma’s planted claws, where black frost crawls brighter along the tips.

Behind Erma, the warded nest glimmers steady. Ahead, the legion’s rear ranks hesitate, blocked by their commander’s fall and by the dragon’s unmoving bulk.

Erma channels the strike down through the pinned commander. Blue-green current snaps across the rubble, and the commander jerks rigid under his claw.

The bolts spider into the shattered floor, lighting the frost on Erma’s talons in a cold glare. The commander’s grasp loosens, weapon gone slack at the side.

The legion’s rear ranks flinch at the flash and give ground. Dust rolls over the broken entrance, where fresh stone and fallen debris now form a hard, ugly wall.

Behind Erma, the warded eggs shimmer once, then settle to a steadier glow. The chamber holds its breath around the commander’s stunned stillness.