"Arthur!" Liam shouts in shock.
"Julian!" Maeve cries out, terrified.
With the last of his strength, Arthur shoves Julian out of the way, throwing him clear and leaving himself directly in the line of danger.
Julian is knocked aside, stumbles, then twists around just in time to see Arthur about to be trampled.
At the very last second, an incredibly fast bolt of lightning slams into the ground, striking precisely between Arthur and the Dungeon King.
A heartbeat later, thunder follows.
The King freezes.
That lightning didn't miss. It looked like a miss, but the King knows better. It was a deliberate display of power and precision, a warning carved into the earth.
Liam and Maeve don't understand what just happened.
Julian saw it, but his brain refuses to process it.
Even Arthur, standing right there, can't make sense of it.
"What… what just happened?" Julian asks, his voice unsteady, still in shock.
They all saw it clearly.
The Dungeon King charged.
