The stories didn't do the shadowmire justice, nothing could have. What startled Miles most of all was the size of the beast, and how quickly its sleek, ebony body moved.
	"You're next, girl!" Miles made a move to push Elayra through the portal. One swift action was all it would have taken for the two Wonderlanders to join Ghent, but the shadowmire had other plans and lunged forward to attack. 
	Cursing loudly, Miles twisted out of the way enough for his coat to take the damage rather than his flesh. Three perfectly spaced tears in the fabric were evidence of the shadowmire making its mark.
	Even though Miles was faster than most his age, speed alone was not enough for him to avoid the second attack. As he prepared to shoot, he felt a sharp, stinging pain go through his arm. The shadowmire's tail acted as a whip, and it succeeded in disarming him.
	"No!" Ignoring the bloody gash across his wrist, Miles dived after the pistol in desperation. The weapon disappeared beneath a dirtied puddle of rain, just out of his reach. 
	Breathing raggedly, Miles had no choice but to crawl towards where he'd last seen the weapon. From his position, he couldn't see Elayra or the portal, and the pulsing of their exit felt weaker than it had. 
	"Where is it?!" Pawing through the water frantically, Miles finally felt the cool steel near the bottom. He removed the pistol and returned his finger to the trigger, fighting to keep his hands steady. 
	As he sat up, Miles narrowly avoided a second hit from the shadowmire's tail. Unlike before, the shadowmire wasn't aiming for him. Its tail flicked to the side as if taunting someone, an evil grin pulling at its lips. 
	While the monster focused on Elayra, Miles knew that was this was the distraction he needed. It was now or never.
	Crouching on one knee, Miles aimed the barrel upwards. "I haven't waited this long to have everything taken away from me now, witch!"
	Keeping both eyes open, he aimed for the shadowmire's head, and shot.