Damien turned his head slightly and cast his gaze deep into the heart of the forest.
And then he saw it.
The King of the Northern Beast Kingdom stepped into view, smashing trees aside as if they were reeds.
It was a Great Razorback Wyrm.
A grotesque, towering hybrid of dragon and ape, its body was coiled with dense muscle and plated with jagged obsidian scales.
Long, bony wings hung from its back like tattered sails, twitching with barely restrained violence. Its maw split open across a snout lined with metal-hard tusks, and a mane of red-black fur streaked down its spine.
Mana oozed from its body in visible waves… Raw, primal and malevolent.
It was bigger than Damien had expected.
And judging by the cunning glint in its serpentine eyes, smarter, too.
The beast king's golden eyes locked with Damien's, burning with fury and disdain. Its mouth curled into a snarl.
