Rowan's eyes snapped open just as the matriarch's mandibles came down.
With a guttural roar, he slammed his palm into the dirt.
A surge of golden light erupted around him, solidifying into a dome of radiant energy.
The Matriarch's mandibles struck it with a deafening clang, sparks showering as if metal had collided with metal.
The monster screeched, scraping against the barrier, trying to force its way through. Cracks spiderwebbed along the golden surface, but it held.
Rowan grit his teeth, sweat dripping down his brow. "Not… today!"
Wade didn't hesitate.
He surged forward, sword in both hands, and brought it down on one of the creature's legs. The blade cut deep into the joint, ichor spraying as the limb buckled.
The matriarch reared back, its strike disrupted, giving Rowan time to roll out from under its shadow.
His barrier shattered a second later with a sound like breaking glass, but it had done its job.
"That was a close call," Wade panted, circling wide.
