The rhinoceros-worm charged with the inevitability of an avalanche.
And still, its approach was silent as it could get. The only sound was Ishiki's own ragged breathing and the rustling of golden leaves in a lullaby for the dying.
That massive bulk should have announced its approach with seismic tremors. Instead, the beast moved like a shadow—terrifying precisely because it, shouldn't be possible.
Ishiki dove sideways and was just barely saved, his movements were becoming clumsy with exhaustion. His naked body hit the ground hard, rolling across roots and rocks.
He almost made it.
Almost.
A branch shot from his blind spot and caught his ankle mid-roll. The wooden appendage wrapped around his leg with python strength, jerking him to a halt with force.
Ishiki tumbled across the forest floor in an ungraceful sprawl and came to rest on his back, staring up at the canopy of golden leaves that didn't let him see past.
