As the dust finally settled, a hush fell over the forest, deep and still, as if holding its breath.
The two women, still trembling, gazed ahead, eyes wide and unblinking.
There, looming from the crater, was a massive figure, unlike anything they had ever seen.
The creature's skin was a rugged, deep green, muscles bulging and rippling beneath his flesh like corded steel.
He towered above them, each limb thick and powerful, his chest bare but for the scars criss crossing his torso, marking countless battles.
His face was fierce and angular, with a broad nose and tusks jutting from his lower jaw, teeth glinting like ivory under the pale light.
Dark, fiery eyes smoldered beneath his thick brow, gazing down at them with an intensity that made their blood run cold.
Frozen in place, the women could only stare, breaths shallow, chests heaving.
