...Oh.

It's hard to overstate how terrifying that is. It's not that wyverns or their riders are invincible, and in fact they often take significant casualties in internicine conflicts where there enemies know full well their strengths and weaknesses. But a blow this fast, and this total? It'd be surprising from an apostle, even if perhaps not quite unprecedented. Almost as one, all the riders lucky enough to have a position in the flights further back are going to turn around.

It's not going to be that easy. The first strike was their best effort, at the closest range from the best firing conditions with the most work done to prepare, but they were hardly engaging at the limits of their range either. They can cut a bloody swathe in the retreating riders as well, and where it's not lethal they can injure them enough to make any further fighting very ill advised. Round one against these creatures was bad, and now that round two is going their way they're going to ensure there isn't a round three.