Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

and it was aware.
    It had lain in the ground for years beyond counting, but something had called it up and sent it out to kill again. The ground trembled under its feet, and its hatred thundered on the stinking air.
    'The swords!' cried King John. 'The Infernal Devices! They're our only hope!'
    He scrambled up and over the barricade, with Harald close behind him. The army made as though to follow, but the King waved them back. King John stalked forward to meet the creature, and Harald and Rupert and Julia moved in behind him. The creature's head turned to follow them, the flames in its eye sockets flaring and jumping from the sudden movement. The King came to a sudden halt, glared up at the creature, and then thrust Rockbreaker deep into the ground before him. The earth heaved and tore itself apart, groaning like a wounded animal, but still the creature stood, braced securely on its huge legs and tail. The King withdrew Rockbreaker, and Harald stepped forward and lifted Flarebright above his head.
    Scarlet flames caressed the length of the blade, and then a bloody balefire leaped out from the sword and splashed against the creature's chest. It screamed its rage, but the flames barely marked its dead flesh.
    Julia circled round to the creature's left, Wolfsbane at the ready. The creature moved its head to follow her, and Rupert circled round to its right. He wasn't sure what good he could do against something that was already dead, especially when all the Infernal Devices had done was to anger it, but he had to do something. Flarebright's flame cut off suddenly as Harald lowered the sword, and the creature lurched forward. It reached for Julia with a clawed hand, and Wolfsbane gleamed brightly as it sliced clean through the mummified flesh. The creature snatched back its hand. Even in the dim light, Rupert could see that Wolfsbane had laid the hand open to the bone. There was no blood, but the wound was already corrupt and gangrenous. The creature growled once, and reached for Julia again.
    Harald lifted Flarebright, and vivid crimson balefire forced the creature to a halt. King John thrust Rockbreaker into the ground, and left it there. The sword stood upright, glowing fiercely against the dark, and jagged cracks opened up in the earth, racing away from the sword and towards the creature. Gaping crevasses appeared all around the towering creature, but still it wouldn't fall. Julia ran forward and cut at the creature's legs. It howled with murderous rage, and Julia had to throw herself flat as a huge clawed hand swept viciously through the air where her head had been. It reached for her again, and Rupert moved in behind the creature and hacked clean through its left ankle. The exposed tendon snapped like an overstretched cable, and the creature roared deafeningly as its leg collapsed under it. It lurched backwards, and then fell full length into a gaping crevasse. The loose earth gave way beneath Rupert's feet like shifting sands, and he suddenly found himself sliding into the chasm after the creature. He tossed away his sword, threw himself at the edge, and just made it, hanging on grimly with his one good hand while his legs dangled over the long drop. The crumbling earth started to come apart under his fingers, and Julia grabbed him by the wrist, and held on to him until he could scramble up on to firmer ground.
    King John pulled Rockbreaker out of the ground, and the earth grew still again. Rupert retrieved his sword, and he and Julia helped one another to their feet, leaning on each other as much for comfort as support. And then a long angry roar echoed up out of the earth, and a huge dead-white hand appeared out of the crevasse and sank its claws deep into the earth. The great wedge-shaped head appeared over the edge of the chasm, its balefire eyes glowing brightly as the creature sought to pull itself out of the pit.
    Harald lunged forward and thrust Flarebright deep into the creature's neck. Blood-red flames consumed the creature's flesh, and it howled horribly. It jerked back its head in agony, pulling the sword out of Harald's grasp. Crimson flames roared up about the creature's head, but it wouldn't release its hold on the side of the crevasse. Julia moved forward and plunged Wolfsbane into the creature's throat, all the way to the hilt. The dead-white flesh decayed and rotted before her eyes, and Flarebright's flames surged even higher. The creature released its hold and fell back into the pit, taking