"Smell it. Smell the blood . . . Come on . . . Come—"

With a shriek, the creature burst out from the hole.

Jeid gasped and nearly stumbled back.

The hole was perhaps no larger than his head, but the creature that emerged unfolded into a massive size. Eight long black legs—each tipped with a claw—spread open like blooming petals around a red center. In this center gaped a round mouth containing a ring of teeth. A tongue unfurled, enclosed in a black shell and tipped with clacking, fast-moving blades. White eyes gleamed upon the creature's bloated head like boils ready to burst.

Jeid thrust his harness up against the creature.

The demon snatched the shaft in its mouth and tugged. Its claws slammed down, wrapping around Jeid. He roared as they cut into him.

"Dorvin! Bryn!"

The two raced into the tunnel and thrust their own harnesses.

"Come on, you bastard!" Dorvin shouted, struggling to wrap his leather noose around a leg. Bryn screamed at the other side, trying to lasso the creature.

"Where do we grab it?" she cried out.

"Anywhere!" Jeid shouted. The claws wrapped around him. One drove into his thigh. The creature's tongue thrust down, lined with moving blades, and Jeid roared and grabbed the writhing strand, holding it inches away from his face. Saliva dripped onto him, and the creature's mouth opened and shut, teeth snapping.

"Get its claws off me!" Jeid roared.

Dorvin and Bryn struggled at his sides, thrusting their harnesses.

"Got him!" Dorvin finally cried. He tugged back, tightening a noose around one of the creature's legs. Dorvin yanked the shaft back, pulling the creature's leg outward.

The demon screeched. It was a horrible sound, too loud for human ears. Pain washed over Jeid. His ears rang, numb, feeling full of water or perhaps blood. He gripped the creature's lashing tongue in one hand, the harness in another.

"I got another leg!" Bryn said. She lassoed one of the long, clawed digits and hauled back.

But the creature had many other legs, and they were still stabbing at Jeid, tearing through his thick fur and leather.

The creature was laughing. A bubbling, deep voice emerged from it.

"I will feast upon your innards, King of Reptiles." Its saliva dripped. "I know your name. I am Golgoloth, a Digger of the Abyss. I serve the Demon Queen. I will drink your—"

Jeid slammed his harness upward, wrapped the lasso around the creature's mouth, and yanked back, tightening the noose. The leather strand squeezed the demon's mouth shut like a string wrapped around a newborn's umbilical cord.

The tongue dangled, twitching. Jeid yanked it like a rope, stepped between the legs, and tugged the demon's head down onto the floor.

Golgoloth, this digger of darkness, lay on the ground, thrashing, lashing out its legs. The Vir Requis stepped back, gripping their shafts, pinning the creature down.