With the chaos of battle and the shouts of my friends echoing in my ears, I urged Fable forward toward the tower housing the Shard of Omniscience. It was more of a cathedral, really, with giant carved statues standing sentinel in shallow alcoves and stained glass windows that had turned black with the dust and ash from the Mana Storm's fallout. The walls and gates had been built much sturdier than those of the city, relying on their sheer mass as much as magic for fortification, so they remained upright even without their protective wards.
But the gates were still barred shut from the inside, and though their enchantments had been stripped, they must have weighed several tons apiece—far beyond the strength of someone like me.