Her warm lips found his mouth and the thrill raced through Toka. Kolano
possessed him until his senses reeled as in a wild dream. Kolano's lips
moved thrillingly on his and wanted more of him--insatiably more! He
felt his last resistance going down--until his deepest emotions were
bursting free and beginning to clamor for more of Kolano--more!
A frantic gonging split through Toka's passioned senses. He broke free
of Kolano and read the answer in her suddenly haggard features--the
Dragon Men were winging for Kosanna! The vision of Roya flooded back
into Toka's mind. But Roya was gone forever--was disgusted with him!
And without Roya what was life! Toka whirled for his battle-ax.
Kolano's contralto rang low. "O Great Prince Toka! This is the
hour--use it well!"
Great battle-ax swinging, Toka was into the lounge room. The ceilings
were coming aglow. The new day of Kosanna was dawning--and the last day
of Toka was setting. Racing up the deserted Hall Of Life, he spared a
swift glance for the portrayal of that recent episode in the boudoir.
They'd have another scene soon! Toka was slamming open the huge entry
portals.
The gonging silenced. Kosanna spread away below--deserted. Toka was
alone atop the sacred stairway. Fighting being surging with terrible
power, he poised with his battle-ax a whistling blur around his head.
And from that down-river cavern shot Ophid--astride the neck of a
monstrous dragon. Out streaked more, at least half a hundred--lines of
wild Dragon Men riding each one.
Ophid's lead dragon streaked in low over the city. The swarm behind
spread out and the dragons landed in the avenues. Their riders
leaped off and began flailing their wicked clubs to Kosanna's
buildings--cracking the spheroid structures and smashing in the doors.
Hissing and rattling angrily, the dragons were taking to the air again
to whip their tails around other buildings and tumble them down with
terrible crashings to destroy their occupants.
But here and there the hitherto docile Kosannans were snatching up
knives, sharp tools--anything to try to fight with! The rattlings and
flappings, the hissings and shoutings, the yelling and screaming,
the explosive crashing of stone on stone and the grinding agony of
collapsing structures filled Kosanna and slammed into the ears.
But Ophid and a flight of ten dragons and their riders converged on
Toka. The dragons raced to landings on the great stairway. Their insane
riders leaped clear. The eleven dragons surged again to the air to come
hurtling in for Toka as the horde of Dragon Men came flooding up the
great stairway. Toka backed into the concavity of the palace entrance.
The first dragon shot in with great yellow fangs dripping with
glistening venom. Toka's ax leaped and bit true to split that flat
skull and send the horror crashing in wild convulsions onto the Dragon
Men. It was no deterrent. More flying monsters were hurtling in with
red tongues flicking and huge fangs dripping.
The Dragon Men had gained the stair top now and were rushing for Toka.
With terrible strength and blinding speed Toka powered his mighty
battle-ax in screaming drives. Again and again fangs cracked away and
venom sprayed. Over and over skulls were split and brains showered
wide. Reptilian bodies were cut twain and blood flew as in a rain. The
terrace ran red and was slippery with warm gore.
Toka fought on with the increasing recklessness of a warrior who
only wants to sell his life for the highest price! And Ophid was a
crazed demon standing atop the massive balustrade and ranting for the
destruction of Kosanna!
They came swarming up the gore-drenched stairway, came streaking
through the sound-torn air and were an insane flood raging to inundate
this lone warrior of the Outer World. In but gory split moments the
price of Toka would soon be paid!