The beak alone looked capable of biting a man in half.
Andre stared.
"Oh."
Kai looked at him.
"You know what that is?"
"Unfortunately."
Andre cracked his neck.
"Cockatrice."
Kai blinked.
"A what?"
"A giant murder bird."
"That isn't helpful."
"It's accurate."
The cockatrice screeched.
The sound shook the entire cavern.
Then it lunged.
---
The creature moved far faster than its size suggested.
A talon swept toward Kai.
He barely rolled aside.
Stone shattered where he had been standing.
Andre rushed forward.
His fist collided with the creature's side.
The impact echoed through the cave.
The cockatrice staggered.
For approximately half a second.
Then its tail whipped around.
Andre disappeared.
Kai blinked.
One moment Andre was there.
The next he had been launched through a wall.
"ANDRE!"
A pile of rubble shifted.
A hand emerged.
Then a middle finger.
"I'm fine!"
Kai wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or annoyed.
The cockatrice ignored Andre.
Its attention shifted toward Kai.
The glowing eyes narrowed.
Kai suddenly felt very small.
---
The fight quickly turned into a disaster.
Kai landed hits.
Andre landed bigger hits.
Neither seemed to matter.
The cockatrice was simply too durable.
Its scales deflected most attacks.
Its wings generated powerful gusts.
Its talons could carve through stone.