His anger vanishes fast as a snuffed out candle when he catches sight of what-is-that approaching him. Too shocked to cry out, Orcelito staggers back through the open doorway and assumes a defensive posture. Had he the presence of mind, he would have slammed the door shut. That shock turns to horror when she speaks.

“S-stay back! Get out, fiend!” His anger comes back in a roar and his hand moves to his left side where his sword should be. It’s not there. Panic strikes. He risks a frantic glance around. Where are his guards?! Honestly, he has no idea how to deal with monsters – the soldiers protect him from creatures like this. And while the royal family is allowed to keep some creatures as guard dogs, they have no experience hunting them in the wild. He didn’t even know some of them could talk.