Willy breathed a sigh of relief.
There were no dragons.
There was no sign of a dragon anywhere in that black battle formation.
He tightened his grip on his spear, his knuckles whitening from the force, but at least... he would not have to face the terrifying creatures of legends and stories.
At some point, the sky had grown overcast and heavy. The air had turned clammy, clinging to his skin and making his chest feel tight.
Was it going to rain?
He instinctively looked up.
Before he could make anything out, the sky abruptly darkened.
Then the earth shook violently, and a gale swept toward him, carrying rubble and dust.
Something had slammed down from the sky! The shock wave spread outward!
Willy was thrown off his feet and hit the ground hard.
The soldiers around him staggered and fell. Some cried out, others screamed, their armor clattering.
And that was with Willy's formation sheltered behind a hill, which had shielded them from the direct impact.
He lay facedown, both hands clasped over his head,
listening to the wind howl overhead.
Things hurtled through that wind-armor, weapons, rubble, and screaming people-whizzing over his head and crashing down in the distance.
He heard a dull crash behind him.
He looked back.
A Scorpion had been ripped from its base by the gale, swept into the air, and sent spinning down into their ranks.
Its ironwood limbs smashed two men's heads apart, while its massive body crushed a third man in half at the waist.
Blood and brains splattered the bodies and faces of the soldiers nearby.
Someone began screaming.
Willy opened his mouth wide, trying to shout, but something seemed to have lodged in his throat. He could not make a sound.
His legs were shaking, but he forced himself