The creature’s dorsal spikes broke the water’s surface. Alexis could see it more clearly now. It was covered in scarlet scales with large, yellow underscales. It had frills on the side of its head like some dragons, but no wings and only one pair of limbs. Its body was long and serpentine, its tail ended in a spear-shaped paddle. Alexis stepped back as the creature surfaced. Grunting, it pulled itself onto the small, underwater shelf with its two clawed fore-limbs.
It opened its jaws in a wide yawn and snapped them shut. The sound echoed off the cave walls. From its position, it studied her with its strange eyes, protected by a clear film. It had an intense, cat-like gaze with small slitted pupils.
The creature’s serpentine body curled over itself, but its head remained perfectly still
