The sand stirred again in the center.
It didn't rise suddenly. First it sank at a specific point, as if something were pulling from below. The surface opened in an irregular spiral, dragging the material inward. The sound was dry, granular, accompanied by a constant scraping.
A shape pushed from inside.
The tip of something hard emerged first. Curved. Segmented. With overlapping plates that reflected light in opaque tones. A stinger.
It rose slowly, dragging behind a longer appendage. The tail came out complete, thick at the base, covered in dark scales that tensed with each movement. The tip opened in small fissures, as if venom circulated inside.
The rest of the body broke through the surface.
A head appeared... then another.
The first had feline features. Wide jaw, exposed fangs, yellow eyes with vertical pupils. The fur was dense, of a dark reddish tone, with hardened strands as if they had been scorched.
