Chapter 9 - The Song of the Hatchlings
Before the iron beast could clamp onto Rowan’s throat, a flash of pearlescent light intercepted the leap. Lumi, though small as a falcon, flared her newly purified wings and latched her claws directly into the hound’s sensory optics. Zephyr and Ash joined the fray instantly, biting down on the hound's hydraulic joints and spitting searing embers directly into the creature’s open exhaust ports.
The brass hound screeched, spinning in circles as its internal gears ground to a halt under the intense heat. Suddenly, all three hatchlings threw their heads back in unison. A high-pitched, harmonic resonance erupted from their throats—a psychic song of the ancient roost that Rowan felt in the marrow of his bones. The sound wave struck the surrounding sea cave walls, shattering the brittle basalt stalactites above.
""Rowan, watch out!"" Maren shrieked. A massive shelf of stone gave way above them, triggered by the ultrasonic vibrations. Sylva swept her tail, knocking Rowan, Maren, and the three hatchlings into the dark chasm of the lower grotto just as hundreds of tons of rock crashed down, sealing the entrance behind them with a deafening thud and cutting off the hunters above.
