The moment the Minotaur's body began to stir, the people of Zordrix held their breath. The air in the floating city of Eryndor was thick with anticipation.
Velros Skybreaker and his Skyclaw Brotherhood had felled the beast, or so they thought.
The mighty Minotaur, its chest pierced by Velros's blade, had collapsed in a thunderous heap, and the Jaldir had erupted in wild celebration.
However, now, as the creature's massive form shifted, as its muscles rippled and reformed, the jubilant cheers were replaced by stunned silence.
On the grand screens, the Minotaur rose.
It wasn't just getting back up; it was transforming.
The creature's already towering frame began to expand, its muscles growing denser, its body swelling to nearly twice its original size.
Its eyes burned with a new ferocity, glowing like embers in a furnace, and its breathing became deeper, more guttural.