บท 76: The Ugly Bird

There was no demon like that in Buddhist paintings of hell, nor was there a monster like that in people's nightmares.

It was a giant bird with a narrow neck and without any hair above its chest. Its crinkled skin was covered with countless black dots. The five long crimson feathers on its head were like the tassels that were hung on a general's helmet. Its elongated iron-gray beak was like a steel scissor with rusty spots.

Its eyes were blood red like burning rubies.

The roc did not have many feathers. What few feathers it had were curled and sparsely scattered across its body. The feathers stuck to the body in disorderly manner, which made it look like a spirited but drenched chicken. Only on its wings were there thick feathers, and saber-like quills stuck up from the tip of its wings.