Book One – Chapter 5

The arrow, a manifestation of unrestrained power, streaked through the monstrous maw, wreaking havoc upon whatever lay below. An explosion of cataclysmic proportions reverberated through the cavernous space, clashing with the creature’s thunderous rage. The shard dome, unable to withstand the unleashed force, was hurled away by the shockwave, with Yves and Midnight enclosed within. Internal illusions, a blend of firm yet flexible webbing, kept them centered and shielded from the violent impacts as the structure somersaulted through the storm and repeatedly crashed into the ground.

They came to a tumultuous stop within a crater-like depression, distanced from the immediate reach of the monstrous and ever-howling threat. Yves was battered and heavily disoriented. His body had not realised that he had stopped spinning. The ground beneath them trembled, a repercussion of the distant roars echoing through the storm. Dispelling the inner netting of the dome, Yves sought assurance that Midnight was unharmed. However, in his disoriented state, she and everything else still seemed to rotate out of focus. He could not see clearly, but sensing Midnight’s conscious presence and understanding that she detected no imminent threat in their surroundings, Yves scattered the shard dome into countless fragments. Then he vomited up the remnants of his last mashed potatoes meal.

It was a far cry from a glorious escape, not the stuff of tavern tales, but then again, true battles never were. Nothing could have prepared Yves for this colossal subterranean behemoth. He did not even know that a monstrosity of such magnitude existed — bigger than giants, bigger than dragons. He had not even seen all of it. What was it? What had spurred its ascent to the surface? Had he triggered it, awaken it with his shards?