The ground beneath me wasn't soft forest floor anymore.
It was rough, cracked earth, tinged blood-red like scorched lava. Jagged stones jutted from the ground like knives pointed at the sky.
Sulfur hung thick in the air, burning my lungs with every breath.
A mountain zone.
I rolled to my feet, my joints creaking and muscles screaming in protest.
Ahead of me, the drake was struggling to get up. Its wings were tattered, dragging limply along the ground. Its body trembled from the abuse, lightning scars still flashing intermittently along its scaly hide.
It was disoriented. Vulnerable.
I licked the blood trickling down from my cracked lips, the metallic tang sharp on my tongue.
"You really pissed me off, you overgrown lizard."
My voice was low, almost a growl.
I took a deliberate step toward it.
The drake lay sprawled across the cracked, reddish soil, its massive body twitching, broken and battered.
