The screech came again.
Louder.
Closer.
The cave trembled.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Kai exchanged a glance with Andre.
Neither looked particularly excited about what was coming.
"Tell me that's normal."
"It isn't."
"Great."
Another screech echoed through the tunnels.
This time it was followed by something else.
Footsteps.
A lot of footsteps.
The sound of panic.
People running.
Then a figure burst around the corner.
One of the bandits.
Or at least Kai assumed he used to be one.
The man's face was pale.
His clothes were soaked in blood.
"RUN!"
The man didn't stop.
He sprinted past them.
Then another followed.
Then another.
The entire group seemed determined to flee from whatever lurked deeper within the cave.
Andre frowned.
"Now that's interesting."
"Interesting?"
Kai pointed toward the fleeing men.
"They look terrified."
"Exactly."
The realization settled over both of them simultaneously.
Whatever was chasing them was worse than the undead.
Much worse.
---
A shadow swept across the tunnel ceiling.
Kai looked up.
Just in time to see something enormous burst through an opening in the rock above.
Stone exploded.
A creature descended into the cavern.
Kai immediately took several steps backward.
"What the hell is that?"
The monster stood nearly twice the height of a horse.
Massive wings.
Sharp talons.
A long reptilian tail.
The head resembled a giant bird.
Its eyes glowed faintly yellow.