The beast lurched back, the cut running across its chest. Its many eyes burst black, leaking down its body, but more opened around the wound, rolling and glaring at Asher. It didn't stop moving.
It swung both arms down at once, claws like slabs of stone slamming into the ground. The force cracked the valley floor, sending shockwaves outward. Rocks split and ribs toppled. Asher was already moving, sliding between the two blows as they smashed down. He came up close to its chest and drove the scythe upward again, cutting another deep line across its torso.
The monster roared and dropped its head low, jaws snapping open. All three sections bit toward him at once, hooks of bone rushing down. Asher shoved off with his boots and vaulted back, the teeth slamming shut where he had been a second before. The impact blew dust into the air, shards of stone rattling off his cloak.
