Devourer, Part 2

The five pushed against the rocks, sliding down upon the great shields toward the sandy arena. As the wave approached they readied great spears, each one lashed to a cable at his waist. Then the ground gave way. What I saw that day shook my very soul. The body of the great serpent rose from the sands, maw agape, its endless mass blocking out the very sky. But the madmen never faltered. They continued to ride the cliff face, oblivious to the danger. They cried out to their many and varied gods – to Tyr and Ares, to Anhur and Donar – as a cheer went up from the assembled throng. And I realized, that I was screaming, too. Not with the ecstasy of the congregating lunatics, but with a horror beyond comprehension.