Ajani vs. Nayan Beast

Ajani sprang from the foliage and sliced at the meat of the beast’s thigh with his axe, intending to impair it right away. The blow cut cleanly, but he only sliced through the wiry moss that clung to the gargantuan’s fur—he didn’t even pierce its hide. Before he could get in a second blow, the beast lurched around to face him, its feet crushing the earth, and its long tusks swinging in a dangerous arc. Ajani staggered backward just enough to avoid having his feet swept out from under him—or his legs broken.

Ajani recovered his warrior’s stance, brought his axe back, and thrust the weapon into the beast’s shoulder as its tusks whizzed by. The graze broke the rubbery skin, but the beast’s hide was so thick, he saw only the pinkish white of blubber. Again, he had drawn no real blood—only its ire.

***

Alara Unbroken, Chapter 2