The sky whale's massive body convulsed, then its maw split wide. A guttural roar shook the heavens, and in an instant the temperature plummeted, ice crystals spiraling out like a blizzard dragged from another world. The beast exhaled, and a torrent of jagged ice lances speared downward, tearing holes through the clouds, each one sharp enough to gut a fortress.
"Move!" Julian barked, his shadows coiling into shields around him. The first barrage shattered against them, but each hit sent shudders down his spine, the sheer force threatening to break through.
Joe snarled, flames detonating around him in violent bursts, vaporizing the ice mid-air, but the whale wasn't done. From its cracked carapace, glowing lines surged with eerie light, and a second roar ripped the skies apart. Its eye glowed like a dying star, then a beam of concentrated energy burst forth, a colossal laser that carved through the storm itself.
