Bodies with an arm or a leg ripped off, the half-crushed skull of a man, entrails spilling from the stomach of another. The shock of it held him firmly in place and he was only dimly aware of Elith running across the clearing, deftly avoiding it all. A large, lizard-like creature, easily three times the height of any man, stood with one foot crushing the Kith into the ground. Blood covered the lion-creature from head to toe. His body lay limp and Arderi counted him among the dead. On the other side of the monster stood Master Vimith clasping a boy of about ten to his chest. Both stood frozen with fear. Elith reached the monster, her small stick now two paces in length and topped with long, flat blades. She slashed at the creature’s leg, opening a large gash in its thigh. The thing hissed and stumbled backward. Elith did not give it pause. Spinning her staff, she struck again and again, driving the monster further toward the tree line. Each time she slashed, she opened another gaping wound that gushed a dark-red blood.
