Morthas the Bonebreaker [2]

The beast was fast—he'd already seen that.

But he had to be faster.

The lion sprang into action, a blur of golden fur and rippling muscle, closing the distance between itself and Grey in the blink of an eye.

Its jagged, spiked club arced downward, aimed straight for Grey's head with devastating force.

But Grey had anticipated the move.

His eyes had tracked the lion's subtle movements, and he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.

As the club smashed into the sand, sending dust flying, Grey darted forward, aiming his blade at the lion's throat in a precise counterattack.

To his shock, the lion moved just as swiftly, blocking the strike with a sharp upward motion of its elbow.

The parry threw Grey's arm off course, and before he could recover, the lion's other fist came crashing into his ribs.