Nobody spoke.
The roar had come from deeper within the forest than the boars, yet it had carried clearly across the open ground and through the damaged village walls.
Lucien forced himself to stand despite the protest from every muscle in his body. The pain barely registered anymore because his attention remained fixed on the trees.
A shadow moved behind them.
At first, Lucien could not judge its size because the trunks broke its outline apart. Then the shadow shifted again, and one of the trees bent violently to the side before another snapped beneath the weight of something moving behind it.
Several villagers raised their weapons again.
Lucien almost told them not to bother, but the words never left his mouth.
Something lowered itself behind the tree line.
A massive eye appeared between the branches.
It was golden brown, with a vertical pupil large enough that Lucien could see the reflection of the open field across its surface.
His blood went cold.
