You hear it in the distance, somewhere ahead of you, the low bass noise among the high whine of insect life and alien bird song high above. Distinct thumping footsteps, muffled by the thick undergrowth of primeval ferns and soft moss.

High above, the bird song falters and stops. A small animal, something like a reptilian mouse, freezes on the bark of a nearby tree, trembling. The thumping stops for a moment, and you hear the loud, hissing intake of air somewhere above you. Breathing, something huge breathing in the thick forest air.

The pounding starts again, noticeably closer, and you shrink back against the leathery surface of one of the planets tall trees, hoping whatever it is won't see you. The breathing gets louder, then suddenly speeds up to sniffing, distinct and moist in the air. A low, rattling growl rips through the air and even the insects are silent now.

The branches now start to tremble around you as a group of small creatures, deer-like and covered in multicolored scales, burst out. Thick claws, close to hooves, crunch down ferns as the small animals pass. The pounding keeps getting closer, making your heart beat in rhythm with it, shaking the leaves on the plants. Each breath is louder, more distinct, sometimes a bit wheezy. Then it all stops suddenly, as if the sounds were never there, the forest dead silent.

Slowly you look up, seeing the head, the same color as the sunlight filtered by the leaves, above you. The eyes, huge (and, as you learned ages ago, have many lenses all covered by a layer of thick skin to protect them) don't seem to be looking anywhere in particular. The nostrils flare wide, and the head angles slightly, regarding you and everything around you.

Huge teeth slowly reveal themselves as the mouth opens, dripping faintly. Your eyes scroll down the furred, muscular neck, to the powerful body that is still mostly hidden by the plant life, seeing small arms and hands with sharp claws.

The beast growls softly, head lowering to be right beside you. Each tooth is five inches long. The eye is the size of your head, maybe bigger, staring blankly at you. You can smell the musty green scent of its fur, the hot wet breath. It blinks slowly, then raises its head. It starts to walk again, one huge leg swinging into view, the dark stripes on the fur a distinct marker in the sunny forest. Huge claws slam into the earth, breaking foliage open with ease. Somewhere behind it, you can hear the long tail brushing against branches.

Slowly, the giant moves on, the tail lingering for a long time, the shaggy fur turning to smooth scales before simply ending.

For a long moment the smell of the beast stays in your mind, the forest sounds coming to life around you once more. The king has come and gone, and left you in his wake.