The corrupted beak reached the final inch before a pale-gold strike caught the bird across its side.
Its body tore away from Toby, crossed the entire clearing, then smashed through two trees before reaching the ground.
Black feathers smoked around the impact while the creature screamed against the broken roots.
Toby remained frozen with both hands half raised, far too slow to have protected his own face.
Loccy stood in front of him with one arm still extended from the completed swing.
Two Wings of pale-gold light unfolded behind her, forming one complete pair across the green-lit clearing.
A massive hammer rested in her other hand, its metal head larger than her narrow torso.
Gold threads crossed the weapon from handle to edge while her insignia glowed across its central face.
The marking proved evolution had manifested the hammer, since no smith had ever touched the metal.
Loccy lifted the weapon onto one shoulder as if the impossible weight belonged to a wooden spoon.
