The form behind her is at first shrouded in boughs of pine. The only things visible were the hulking stature of the creature's silhouette and the icey blue pinpricks of glowing eyes peeking through the long, fragrant needles. A snort. The sickly, coppery scent of a predator's breath. Then came the creaking of branches beneath large feet.

For just a moment, the shape of its leathery wings could be seen amid the shadows. Just long enough for the membranes to catch, swallow, and spit back two wings full of air to launch the beast forward. Claws and teeth first, it lunged with a deep, lowing roar, somewhere between a cow and a bear.