The strand of raven-black hair clinging to Rowan's tunic suddenly came to life.
It shot forward, separating itself from the fabric, and transformed into a bright magic circle, shielding Rowan and his family from the undead knight's sword strike.
CLANG!
The pair of green orbs inside the knight's visor flickered for a moment.
His attack was effortlessly stopped… not by the magic circle, but rather the terrifying being that emerged from it.
A portal leading to the vast unknown had formed within the magic circle. From it, a serpentine creature with ominous black scales emerged.
At the moment, the undead knight's great sword had been caught in the razor-sharp jaws of the serpent.
The black snake's topaz eyes gleamed with a predatory light, and the next moment, it ruthlessly snapped the knight's sword into countless pieces.
HIISSSS!!