Leon's body went cold as his eyes screwed shut against the realization that he was going to die.
He forced his bones and crossed his arms at his face, the speeding air rumbling around him.
The sharp tips of the birds' claws grazed Leon's back, drawing a line in his back suit. A dome of bright gold light tore free and formed a violent bubble.
The bubble grew larger, then vaporized the first two creatures to ash before his mind could even register what he'd done.
Another three sets of the flying creatures slammed into it and got vaporized, joining the cloud of chitinous ash.
The blast sent the remaining creatures drifting back, but only a few could escape as the dome rose rapidly, capturing fifty of them mid-flight.
The impact of the blast arrested Leon's fall and slowed him just enough. He hit the steep canyon wall in a tumbling, bone-jarring roll.
