The Ashmaw obeyed. Its severed tentacle began to dissolve into dark smoke, while six others attacked from different directions. Two swept low toward Liam's legs, three descended from above, and the last drove straight toward his stomach.
Liam's eyes narrowed.
He sprang over the low attacks, twisted in midair, and used the wall to change direction. His sword flashed twice, deflecting the descending tentacles before he slipped through the narrow opening between them. The final appendage grazed his side, tearing through his shirt and opening a long wound beneath his ribs.
He barely reacted.
His golden blood glimmered beneath the torn fabric.
Liam landed close enough to smell the creature's foul breath. He thrust his sword toward the softer tissue beneath its jaw, but the Ashmaw abruptly twisted its head, catching the blade between two armored plates.
For one brief moment, Liam's sword became trapped.
The creature's mouth opened.
A burst of fire exploded from its throat.
