The black seam split wider, and the creature came through shoulder first.
Its body hit the outer slope with a crack like a dropped bottle. The shell across its back looked like smoked glass, but there was no shine in it. Blue fire moved beneath the dark plates, lighting ribs that seemed too long for its frame. Its foreclaws dug into the scorched grass. The ward flashed red above it, then went dim.
“Archers, loose!” Han called.
The first volley struck the shell and skipped away. Arrows clattered down the stones. The beast raised its head. A thin jaw opened below a glassy brow, and a blue glow shone in the gap.
“Again. Aim for the joints.”
The next arrows hit under its foreleg. One point stuck between plates. The beast jerked and swept its arm across the slope. A spear team ducked behind the low wall as the claws sheared through the top row of stones.
Yan was already moving when Han signaled him forward. The reserve line opened to let him pass. He ran down the incline, hammer held low so he would not catch it on the railing. The creature turned toward him. It was taller than the station gate, with a narrow waist and long arms that dragged close to the ground.
