As the final touches are being placed upon the monument, four wraiths of snow appear just to the west of the curtain wall. They strike fast and hard - a merchant is slain as the Urns of Work scramble to the defense. The fiends fly overhead, confusing the warriors, while sending the civilians into disarray. In the chaos, Érith and Ézum are separated, forced to defend against separate foes.
Érith Minedtribe is attacked from behind by two of the wraiths of snow as they descend upon him in a surprise attack. He slashes back with his exceptional adamantine shortsword, and manages to destroy one of the horned demons before a lucky strike from the other shatters his left arm. With his shield arm useless, and in great pain, he falls back, parrying blow after blow. The fiend lands another blow upon his leg, breaking the bone and sending him to the ground. The desperate struggle continues - and Érith's left arm is broken again in three more places. Just as he begins to pass out from agony, commander Ézum (who has already slain three of the demons) charges the beast and decapitates it.
As Érith crawls to safety, the commander stands alone in defense of the curtain wall as two more wraiths of snow attack. The fiends swoop down against him and knock him to the ground. The commander scrambles away from the beasts, blocking and dodging blow after blow as they attack. He parries one strike and counterattacks, cleaving one of the demons in two pieces. Nearby, just outside the curtain wall, Érith faints from pain. The commander charges the remaining demon with ferocity, and the battle rages to and fro - until it reaches the base of the curtain wall. Seeing a moment of opportunity, the demon lands a killing blow on the unconscious swordsmaster, goring him in the head and tearing apart his brain with such force that the body is sent flying.
The fiend is dead before the body of Érith "Gearguild" Minedtribe falls back to the slade floor, cut down by Ézum Openeddoors the Robust Stoker of Lances.
The bell tolls for Weatherwires. The only remaining dwarves who can be inducted into the military are about to die of old age. 18 dwarves live to see the completion of the monument, the final task left to them. Only two segments of the aqueduct remain to be deconstructed, and the dwarves can return to the dome and live out their remaining years in relative peace.