Essence surged through my fingers. I launched myself forward with a burst of [Seismic Burst], closing the distance in a blur. The corrupted Silversteel Hawk shrieked and flared its wings, but it was too late—I slammed into its back, both knees crashing down as my momentum drove it toward the ground.
It screeched and thrashed. I gritted my teeth and held on, planting my feet and riding its bucking movements. My fist rose, then came down hard against its spine.
Crack.
It let out a distorted cry. I struck again, then again—each blow backed by Essence, precise and brutal. The feathers along its back were torn, stained with dark blood.
The hawk flared its wings to take off, but I was ready. My hand sparked with raw lightning.
"Stay down," I muttered.
A jolt of lightning surged into its body, dancing across its nerves. The wings spasmed mid-beat, locking up, and the beast crashed back to the earth, feathers and dirt scattering on impact.
