A slimy scaliness whipped around Toka's legs. His battle-ax butchered huge coils but others replaced them with crushing power and great wings pounded him.
Then he saw a coil whip around Roya and a terrible strength surged from his depths. His mighty ax was a screaming viciousness. He was free and leaping for Roya and slashing those coils from her. He snatched her clear and whirled to catalog the battle scene. The surviving dragons were retreating hurriedly into the down-river cavern.
The mysterious gong of Kosanna was instantly exultant. The people began pouring from hiding. Princesses were gathering atop the stairway, and from all Kosannan throats came a great cheer.
But Toka was anxiously eyeing the gore-spattered Roya. "All right now?"
As she restored her sun-gold briefs to flattering modesty, Roya's blue eyes fondly held him. "How about yourself?"
Shifting his own gory briefs aright, Toka grinned. "Looking for a bath."
Elees joined them. "If this crazy place has a bath!"
Turning from the mess of heads, coils and wings strewn down the great stairway, Toka led the way on up.
"Hey!" Rok urged sardonically. "Listen to what those palace girls up yonder are yodeling!"