Cerberus lay in a small meadow tucked within the forest, where the wind moved quietly through the trees and loose leaves drifted down around it.
The creature looked like a massive wolf with three heads, its body carrying the dull green tones of grass and moss. A thick collar of wooden vines circled its neck, rough and uneven, as if it had grown there over time.
Its claws, dark and brown, rested against the earth. From a distance, it was hard to tell where the beast ended and the forest began.
Vorgatha and the goblin knights spotted the meadow ahead and moved toward it with caution. She nearly stepped out into the open, her presence on the verge of revealing itself to Cerberus, but the knights quickly stopped her.
Without a word, they urged restraint, making it clear this was not a creature to confront. Keeping low, they slipped behind trees and thick shrubs, moving slowly and carefully.
Each step was measured, each breath controlled, as they passed along the edge of the meadow, careful not to draw the attention of the resting beast.
To Vorgatha's surprise, Cerberus now stood before them. She couldn't understand it—they had nearly passed the creature, yet somehow it was already in their path.
The beast loomed over her and the goblin knights, its three heads rising high above them. A deep roar broke the silence, and the forest reacted. Trees shifted, their roots grinding through the soil as trunks bent and closed in.
Branches wove together, sealing the space into a wide, unbroken ring. In moments, the meadow was gone, replaced by a living arena. Vorgatha and the knights found themselves trapped inside, with Cerberus standing at the center.
Cerberus struck first. Thick vines lashed out from around its body, snapping forward with heavy, whip-like force. Each blow slammed into the goblin knights' shields, the impact sharp and relentless.
The shields began to crack under the pressure, splinters breaking away with every strike. Vorgatha stood behind them, watching, caught in something she had never faced before.
The force of each swing tore through the air, strong enough for her to feel it even from where she stood. She hadn't expected anything like this. For the first time, she was glad the knights were there to take the hits instead of her.
Vorgatha raised her hand and cast her first spell. Final Gravitas - A sudden weight pressed down on Cerberus, forcing its massive frame lower, as if the ground itself had turned against it.
The creature slowed, its movements heavier—but it did not stop. The vines still lashed out, striking with the same force as before.
Her expression tightened. She cast again.
Tyrant's Descent - A meteor tore through the sky and crashed into Cerberus with a violent impact. The earth shook beneath them, the sound echoing through the enclosed forest. For a brief moment, everything stilled.
The beast lay buried under the force of the strike, its body crushed into the ground.
Vorgatha let out a breath, certain it was over.
Then the rubble shifted.
Cerberus rose. Its body was scorched black, torn open in places that should have ended it. The wounds were deep, fatal by any measure—yet it stood, as if refusing to fall.
Cerberus's attacks stopped all at once. For a second, nothing moved. Then the vines shifted, pulling away from its body and driving into the ground around its feet. The forest reacted with them.
The trees that had formed the enclosing walls began to loosen, their trunks shifting back as the arena slowly broke apart.
Vorgatha saw it.
The creature was healing. Not fully—the wounds were still there, burned and torn—but they were closing, pulling themselves together with each passing moment.
The goblin knights noticed it at the same time. As the vines spread through the ground, they stepped in without hesitation, striking low with their swords.
The blades cut through the thick growth wrapped around Cerberus's feet, severing them at the base. The creature lost its footing and crashed down heavily onto the earth.
The cut vines began to twitch, then slowly pulled back toward its body, trying to reattach, but the movement was slow, uneven.
Vorgatha didn't stay to watch. She turned and moved, and the knights followed close behind.
They left the clearing quickly, putting distance between themselves and the creature while it was still struggling to recover.