The Beast Unleashed
The cavern still smelled of ash and scorched bone from Lena’s battle with the Council’s army. Silence hung heavy, broken only by the moans of dying soldiers and the drip of molten stone. For a fleeting heartbeat, Lena thought it was over.
Then came the horn.
A sound so low it vibrated through her marrow, ancient and commanding. The Council’s surviving soldiers fell back, parting their ranks like a tide before a greater storm. Chains rattled. The earth itself seemed to recoil.
From the shadows, they dragged it forward.
The creature was massive, its form stitched from pieces that had no right belonging together. Fur matted with blood and scar tissue. Runes carved into its hide glowed a malignant red. Its jaw was lined with serrated fangs dripping with black ichor. It
