"My... Liege?"
The telepathic voice echoed through Hide's mind, deep and ancient, vibrating with a desperate, overwhelming reverence.
The colossal, teal-furred Calamity Beast pressed its bleeding snout against the cold, filthy stone right in front of Hide's boots, completely submitting itself.
For a second, the cavernous underground hall fell dead silent. Even the rabid, starving beasts chained to the outer pillars seemed to hold their breath.
Hide stood completely frozen. His glowing blue eyes stared down at the broken monstrosity prostrating before him.
Then, a violent, sickening shiver crawled up Hide's spine.
His stomach violently churned. The image of the beast bowing to him didn't invoke a sense of pride or power. It invoked disgust.
These things—these horrific, murderous abominations that spilled out of gates and slaughtered innocent people, the very monsters that killed his mother... how dare it.
