Ugly Beasts

-Nikolai Volkov:

The dragon's wings beat against the air, creating gusts of wind that whipped through the trees and sent them swaying in rhythm with its descent.

I could feel the rush of wind battering my face, and the familiar, dangerous hum of power that radiated from the creature as it spiraled downward.

My heart raced in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins as we fell, falling faster and faster until the earth seemed to rise to meet us.

The ground shuddered as the dragon's claws scraped across the earth, its massive body finally making contact with the ground with a bone-jarring thud that sent vibrations through my very bones.

The air seemed to freeze in place, the lingering power of the dragon's flight crackling and humming in the air.

The shadows cast by its enormous form seemed to stretch forever, swallowing up everything in their reach.