Refusing to believe the absurd warning, Caleb Mercer grabbed a sturdy branch from the ground and prodded the thick patch of weeds.
A sharp, piercing hiss erupted from the underbrush. Before he could even register the sound, an unidentified creature shot out from the tall grass and lunged straight for his ankles with its jaws snapped open.
His reaction was purely instinctual. He swung the branch like a baseball bat and swatted the creature out of midair, slamming it hard against the dirt. The strange animal twitched violently for a couple of seconds before falling completely still.
Caleb narrowed his eyes and crouched down to get a better look at his attacker. The creature was entirely crimson and measured roughly two feet from snout to tail. With its long, slender tail and bird-like pos
