And those claws being occupied by slashing at twigs and leaves gave Sylvando the opening he needed. Approaching the creature on its now blind side, he brought his sword down hard on its neck. While not as effective as a heavier sword or an ax would have been, it did enough damage to effectively cripple the creature, sending it toppling, and allowing Sylvando to land the finishing blow with a second stroke to the neck.

He stepped back a bit from the fallen creature, watching it a bit warily, just in case it wasn't quite dead. "Score one for the good guys," he said. "Not as neat a finish as I'd like, but with a big, burly thing like this, it can't be helped."