The sun blared above, hot and bright. The wind blew gently, the slight coolness forgiving. Somewhere on the swaying branches, a bird dared chirp a weak song.
The earth below was painted in crimson, and among the pile of dead corpses, humans and beasts alike, a half-shredded monster with the face of a crocodile and the body of a humanoid ox crawled on its arms, dragging its insides along the stone pavement, barely alive.
The hooved hind legs had been torn off, lying not far behind, resting against the stone steps.
The stone pavement dented from its claw marks. The creature heaved, sobs gurgling in its throat.
"P-please-!" It screeched like a pitiful maiden when five long claws wrapped around its skull, dragging its body off the ground to face death that towered before it, covering the sun.
Black pupils had thinned into slits against the yellow irises. The eyes wide, unblinking as they stared into the creature's soul.
