Lightning exploded from Bel's body.
He blinked.
And the world froze.
Everything was still. He took a step, and the land below shifted. Another step, and another patch of land. A leap, and suddenly, everything was behind him.
He landed lightly on the branch of a thick black tree.
Below him, golden eyes glowed in the shadows.
Then more.
In the bushes, between trees. Creaking branches. Clicking fangs. A growl from the left, a hiss from the right. The forest below moved with snarling shapes.
Storm-Fanged Basilisks. They were scaled, six-legged beasts with long necks, flickering tongues, and tails shaped like bladed whips.
As for the Ruinwood Wardens, they were tall, gnarled, humanoid trees with glowing amber cores inside their chests. Their limbs creaked like old branches, and moss hung from their jaws like beards.
Bel sighed and massaged the wrist of the hand holding his sword.
"... There aren't 2,000 of them here. They're scattered. That means..."
