The Threian salvage operation proceeded under the constant threat of disturbing an Owlbear's slumber. Workers, clad in their simple armor and the soldiers, silently butchered the carcasses of Laughing Wolves – their fur, already stained crimson, now slick with newly spilled blood. They worked with grim efficiency, their movements precise and economical. A low hum of activity, punctuated by the rhythmic *thunk* of cleavers against bone, filled the air.
Suddenly, a tremor ran through the ground. It wasn't the Owlbear stirring; this was different, sharper, more predatory. From the shadows between the fallen trees erupted a Dargan. Its massive form – a feline silhouette, larger than any horse, with the unmistakable saber-tooth canines of a prehistoric predator – burst into the clearing. Thick, leathery hide, covered in dried blood.
"Dargan!" a Threian soldier yelled, his voice hoarse and cutting through the sudden silence. The warning was too late for several workers.