Kael slowly straightened up, his eyes still on the spot where the creature had fallen. The dust from the explosion was beginning to settle, revealing only a crater, fragments of stone and a residual glow that soon dissipated into the damp forest air.
"Good work," repeated Exelia, her voice calmer now, but still with a hint of tension. "But don't let your guard down just yet."
Kael nodded, his senses still sharp, his mana field pulsing around him like a cocoon of tactile perception. He could feel every leaf, every broken branch, even the faltering footsteps of the two survivors who staggered away, trying to escape.
"Two still alive," he said, pointing discreetly with his chin. "They're running east. One of them is limping."
"Let them go," replied Exelia, observing the trail of mana that the fleeing bodies left in the air. "They won't be coming back any time soon. And if they're smart, they'll let the others know that we're not easy prey."
