The forest slowly began to breathe again.
For several long moments after the massive wolf monster disappeared into the depths of the trees, the clearing remained frozen in silence.
Dust drifted lazily through the air.
Sunlight filtered through the broken canopy where several towering trees had been shattered during the battle. Leaves continued falling softly like green snow.
The ground was devastated.
Two enormous craters scarred the earth where the dragon had slammed the Tier-7 predator again and again.
Broken trunks lay scattered everywhere.
And in the center of the battlefield stood the black dragon.
John flexed his claws once, the sharp tips digging slightly into the cracked ground. He stretched his wings slowly, the massive limbs unfolding with a deep rustling sound.
The motion alone caused several nearby elves to instinctively step back.
It wasn't hostility.
It was instinct.
