Page 55 of The Dragon 2

She kept running.

Branches whipped her arms.

The stench of old bark and moss filled her lungs.

And then, all of a sudden, behind her, the forest groaned—and then a new sound came. A terrible, monstrous cracking, like ancient bones snapping beneath a giant's foot.

What is that?

She glanced back and barely saw the man, but she did see trees shattering in succession, one after the other, as if the very earth had grown tired of holding them upright. No axe did this. These were trees screaming—splitting from the inside out, their cores shredded like sinew, their trunks cracking open like bone, under divine weight.

What kind of magic does he have?

Limbs exploded outward, bark rained down like shrapnel, and the cries of splintering trunks filled the air with a violence that didn't belong to any man or beast she knew.

Where is he?

Something massive was coming—ripping through the forest like it had no right to exist within it.

She ran forward, faster than ever before, and then. . .she looked over her shoulder again, and what she saw made her trip and fall to the ground.

Goddess help me!!!

The man was there again, but he was bigger, taller, wider. His monstrous form leapt into the air and his body began to reshape even more.

His body convulsed.

Warped.

Skin split in flashes of molten light.

Muscle surged and bone snapped outward—louder than thunder—as something too old for flesh ripped its way out of him.

His back arched unnaturally.

Bones cracked.

His limbs stretched, distorted.

Black and gold scales erupted across his skin like boiling armor.

This wasn’t a man changing shape.

This was a god remembering himself.

No!!!!!!!!!!!!

His face split wide and ungodly massive jaws shot out from the middle, expanding into a humongous snout.

Dear Goddess!!!

Golden horns curled from his skull.

His eyes—those same burning golden eyes—grew and flared as his body enlarged tenfold in height and then more.

Screaming, she quickly scrambled backward through the dirt, scooting away on her hands and heels.

No. No. No!