The first creature crawled into view, its limbs were disgustingly long, its face was split with jagged teeth. Its skin was a stretched taut over its bones, grayish and cracked like leather that is left too long in the sun.
And behind it, another emerged and another. Within moments, the treeline seemed alive with them, dozens at least was hunched and twitching, their hungry eyes were fixed on the three intruders.
Lyra notched an arrow without hesitation and said. "They are not rats." The first beast shrieked, with a piercing, throat ripped cry that echoed through the ravine. And at that signal, the forest erupted.
The Swarm Descends and they came in a tide from the cliffs above, from the trees, from the very earth, the beast swarmed with inhuman speed with claws raking the stone, jaws snapping.
"Hold the line!" Kelvin roared, drawing his blade as the first beast lunged. Steel flashed, and the creature's head separated cleanly from its body, tumbling into the dirt.
