Chapter 10: The Devourer in the Dark
The creature's massive, fanged maw crashed into the canyon floor, sending stone and dust exploding into the air.
Kael'thir twisted midair, his wings flaring just enough to shift his trajectory as he narrowly avoided being swallowed whole.
The serpent-like monster—this burrowing devourer—was unlike anything he had hunted before.
Not a beast.
Not an intelligent warrior.
Something else.
Something that had existed beneath the earth for far too long, consuming everything above it.
It had no eyes.
No need for sight.
It could sense him through the vibrations in the stone, through the mana in his veins.
That meant running was pointless.
Good.
Kael'thir had no intention of running.
He would tear it apart.
The serpent lunged again.
This time, Kael'thir did not dodge completely.
Instead, he moved just enough, letting the monster's jaws snap shut inches from his throat before twisting sharply—
And striking.
His claws ripped into its side, dragging across the thick plates of bone-like armor that lined its serpentine body.
A grating screech rang through the canyon as his attack landed—
But his claws did not pierce deep enough.
Too thick.
Too tough.
Kael'thir's mind sharpened.
He needed a weak point.
His tail flicked once.
Then he moved again.
The battle was chaos.
The serpent twisted and coiled, moving with impossible speed for something its size, its massive form lashing across the canyon, reducing stone to dust with every missed strike.
Kael'thir was smaller, faster, sharper.
He ducked beneath sweeping tail strikes, dodged gnashing teeth, countered with razor-sharp claws aimed for any exposed gaps.
Each exchange was deadly.
But it was not enough.
His claws scraped against unbreakable armor.
His fangs sank into solid plating instead of flesh.
His attacks wounded it, but did not cripple it.
That was unacceptable.
Kael'thir's frustration grew.
There had to be a weakness.
Something it could not protect.
His crimson eyes flickered across its shifting form, studying every movement, every shift in its body—
Then he saw it.
The creature had joints.
It was not one solid entity.
Its thick armor was segmented, the plates overlapping where its body bent and curled.
There.
Kael'thir moved without hesitation.
The moment the serpent lashed forward again, he did not dodge fully.
Instead, he rushed toward it.
It was expecting prey to run.
Kael'thir was not prey.
He slipped beneath the serpent's gaping maw, weaving past its snapping jaws as it tried to correct its mistake.
But Kael'thir was already beneath it.
His claws flashed.
They sank deep—right into the exposed joint between its armored plates.
The serpent screeched violently.
Kael'thir did not stop.
He ripped through the gap, his claws tearing into soft, vulnerable flesh.
Blood sprayed across the canyon floor.
The creature thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off, but Kael'thir dug deeper, locking his claws into its wound.
And then, for the first time—
The serpent stopped attacking.
It tried to retreat.
Kael'thir's pupils narrowed.
No.
He did not let prey escape.
He lunged again, his fangs sinking directly into the exposed flesh, his jaw locking around the wound, his tail wrapping tightly around its body to anchor himself.
The serpent convulsed violently.
But Kael'thir held firm.
And then—
He tore.
The canyon shook with the creature's final scream.
Its massive body convulsed, then collapsed, its death throes sending tremors through the land.
Kael'thir did not let go.
Not until it stopped moving.
Not until it had truly died.
Only then did he release his bite, stepping back, his breath slow, controlled.
Blood dripped from his jaws.
His wings twitched.
His tail flicked once.
The creature was dead.
Kael'thir had won.
Again.
But he was not finished.
His claws flexed.
His instincts roared.
It was time to devour.
The moment his fangs sank into the corpse, the mana flooded him.
It was different.
Darker.
Older.
It was not pure mana like before.
This was something twisted.
Something that had lingered in the depths of the earth for far too long.
It rushed through his core, burning through his veins, forcing his body to expand, stretch, evolve.
His wings ached.
His tail felt heavier.
His claws tingled.
The mana was trying to reshape him.
Kael'thir clenched his teeth, his muscles tensing as he endured the burning transformation deep within him.
Then—
A crack.
Not in his bones.
Not in his scales.
But in reality.
For the briefest second, the air around him warped.
Bent.
Time and space shuddered—then snapped back into place.
Kael'thir's crimson eyes widened.
That was new.
He stood over the remains of his prey, his breath slow, measured.
His body had changed again.
Not drastically.
Not fully.
But he could feel it.
The mana from this kill had done something different.
Something… unnatural.
He did not understand it yet.
But he would.
Soon.
Kael'thir flicked his tail, turning his head slightly.
The fox had moved closer.
Not beside him.
Not watching from a distance.
Close.
Her golden eyes were sharp now.
Not amused.
Not unreadable.
She had seen it, too.
Something had changed.
Something important.
And for the first time—
Kael'thir felt like she was no longer just following.
She was waiting.
For him.
For something else.
For what came next.
Kael'thir exhaled.
Then, without another thought, he moved forward.
The world was still too small.
He was still not done growing.
But soon—
He would no longer be bound to the earth.
And when that moment came—
The world would learn what it meant when a dragon rose.