The corrupted beast lumbered through the Ashen Expanse like a drunk nightmare, its hulking frame breaking the ash-crusted ground with every sluggish step.
A wet, gurgling hiss escaped its maw as it sniffed the stagnant air, unaware of the group of humans—and one squirrel—stalking it from the blackened treeline.
Raven crouched low behind a twisted trunk, eyes narrowing as he tracked the beast's uneven gait.
"Cluckles said all the beasts are gathering in one place," he murmured, voice barely louder than the ash drifting around them. "If this thing's moving, it's headed for the crater. We follow it, and we find the lair. The panther should be there."
Jessy leaned against a warped boulder, hands stuffed in her coat pockets as if the corrupted wilderness were a casual stroll. "So we can finally stop tracking gourmet chicken poop? Great. My nose was starting to file complaints."
