The ground beneath the galloping hooves of the warhorse cracked open. Captain Alden spurred the massive roan stallion forward as a boulder the size of a wagon smashed into the dirt just yards behind his mount. He kept his body low over the saddle and guided the horse toward the jagged opening of the Northern Cleft. He needed to funnel the raging Iron Scaled Behemoth away from the open plains and into a confined space where its sheer mass became a fatal disadvantage.
Alden risked a glance over his shoulder. The Mythic beast charged through a thick stand of ancient pine trees and splintered the heavy trunks as if they were dry twigs. The monster let out a deafening roar that vibrated the metal plates of Alden's armor. It was fixated entirely on the solitary rider who had dared to strike its
