The beast was terrifying.
Eight legs, its flesh slick and obsidian black, glistening with some kind of ichor. Spines jutted from its back like broken blades, and a pair of wings that looked like torn banners flared wide before snapping shut again. Its face was a warped mask of teeth and glimmering void, eyes like pits of molten gold.
Rhaea screamed in terror, desperately scrambling back, though she was obviously feeling the effects of the barrier.
Kael stepped forward, the pressure from before fading behind him. If he couldn't get back into the Outer Ring, he'd have to make his stand here.
The thing surged forward, limbs cracking the stone beneath it as it pulled free, towering over them like a living fortress.
Fight.
Kael's instincts kicked in for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few days.
He drew his weapon mid-turn, the fragment flaring to life in his chest, lighting his veins with fire. The sword had formed in his hand within seconds.
