Loopshard

“You weren’t kidding…” Adam muttered in disbelief as their stolen airship coasted to a stop just outside the boundary of what could be considered Iffenguard.

Twenty metres below where the airship, which they’d discovered was named Thunder Rider, was floating, rose the edge of a dark-grey wall that surrounded an elliptical island covered in stone fortifications. The fortress island itself was impressive enough, but the only thing Adam could focus on was the enormous shape that took up half its area. Its skin was like moss, and cracks in its surface pulsed a neon-green light. Its shape was just like a slug, which surprised him, since he’d expected something more. But it had neither arms nor wings, although tentacles rose from its body at random intervals, swishing through the air.

So, this is Iffen.

Adam wondered how exactly the giant was a threat to anyone, given that his enormous bulk was hemmed in by the stone wall of the fortress island. Somehow his weight, which was distributed across several buildings, like a garrison, tavern, armoury, and houses, was not enough to crush the structures or even damage the stones. It was quite a peculiar sight.

“He should already know we’re here,” Emelia said ominously.

Then there came a loud rumble as two large salamander-like arms sprouted from near the front of the slug’s body, pushing down against the buildings and ground to lift up his massive head. It didn’t have any eyestalks, but there were plenty of large feeler-like tentacles on its head, all of them more or less ringed around a mouth consisting of three large tooth plates positioned diagonally to each other. The plates scraped loudly as though Iffen was chomping at the bits for a snack.

He can shapeshift… That changes things.

It probably wouldn’t be hard for him to make wings and take to the air, I’m guessing.

“He can smell the corpses,” Emelia said, casting a glance to the pile of dead Cloud Skimmers in the middle of their airship’s deck.