the sun's rays blinded him slightly. The boy looked down sharply, blinking fiercely. Trying to get rid of the dark spots, he saw something that instantly froze him.
No further than an arm's length away, a pair of bulging eyes stared at the dragon. A triangular head with constantly moving mandibles tilted at a strange angle. Four stick-like limbs ending in two curved claws were raised above the head and attached to a thin, elongated body. The whole thing rested on two disproportionately short legs clinging tightly to the ground. The creature was covered with skin resembling bark covered with lichen.
Draco could only open his mouth when he saw the attacking creature. Fortunately, unlike his rider, the gelding reacted to the threat. The horse reared up violently, neighing loudly. Sharp claws cut through the air. The creature fell onto the path in front of the mount. The monster bent unnaturally, leaning on its two front claws and raising the others to attack. The creature took a breath, inflating the upper half of its torso almost threefold. The screech it let out was blood-curdling and deafening, but the dragon had no time to worry about that. The grey horse was so frightened that it began to dance on its hind legs, threatening to fall over. Draco tried with all his might to stay in the saddle. If he fell now, he would land between the horse's hooves and the monster's claws.
The gelding jerked, causing the dragon to raise his head. The monster's head recoiled, leaving a horseshoe-shaped mark in the middle. The creature's swing missed its target, and its stick-like claws cut the air wildly. The monster puffed up again and had to croak again, but Draco didn't notice. From the first yelp, he heard only a painful, vibrating whistle. The grey horse writhed in pain and began to roll onto its back. The dragon felt his stomach rise to his throat. He gave up trying to stay in the saddle and, trying not to be crushed, quickly swung his leg over the horse's back and bounced off its
