Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) by J. Langland Page B

his strength.  His hand hit jaw bone ; he pulled, and pulled, at the same time trying to gouge his nails into the bone. 
    Suddenly he heard a cracking sound nearby, and felt less resistance against his right hand.  Then the fang was out of his chest, the head rearing back in pain, as part of its jaw hung broken from its mouth.  As the head reared back, Tom noticed what appeared to be a more vulnerable spot, down where the dragon's neck met it's body.  It was about fifty feet away now that the dragon's neck had arched back and up. 
    Tom ran as fast as he could towards the front of the dragon, he used his wings to add to his speed.  This had never worked in practice, he'd always fallen flat on his face, but then he'd never had wings before to help him, he prayed silently that this would work, otherwise he'd be a dragon snack.  When he got to what he felt was the right distance away, he jumped, spinning in midair.  He again tried to use his injured wings as best as possible to aid his flight.  Almost before he could think again, his feet impacted on the spot, doing a double reverse spinning back kick.  His sharp hooves plunged into the dragon's body, just as they had into the ground after his fall from the pillar.  Up to his thighs Tom plowed.  The dragon screamed, if possible, even louder than before.  Quickly before he could be plucked out, Tom began to kick his legs, back and forth inside the dragon, praying that he would disrupt something vital.  Thrashing madly the dragon tried to remove Tom from its body.  It screamed and shrieked, spun and thrashed.  Tom grabbed onto scales to hold on, wincing as his left hand closed, and his arm flexed.  Slower and slower the dragon spun, Tom kicked and kicked, all the time his legs screamed in agony as dragon blood ate away at his skin and muscle.
    Finally, after a small eternity, the dragon's throws subsided; it ceased its screaming.  The thrashes turned to mild rolls, then to rocking and finally it stopped.  When convinced it was done, Tom crawled out of the dragon.  His legs were shriveled and the muscles were partially dissolved almost down to the bone in places.  All over his body scales were missing, dissolved away by the acid breath, and the even more acidic blood.  On the left side of his chest was the gaping hole where the dragon tooth had speared him, green pus oozed from the wound.  Apparently it was what passed for demon blood.  He was still functional, so apparently no important organs were located in that part of his chest.  Tom was exhausted; but, to be safe, he crawled over to the thinnest part of the dragon's neck.  Clumsily, he plunged his fingers in, and began to hack and rip the dragon's head off.  He wanted to make sure, before he slept, that this was one nightmare that was over.

Chapter 12
    Jenn was in charge of leading some of the younger students in search of herbs and other plants needed for healing and magic spells.  Alpert and Rodgier pulled two small wagons behind them and followed Jenn closely through the woods.  Daphne and Siegfrid ran along beside Jenn, darting back and forth between trees looking for the plants she had described to them.  Rupert walked calmly to her left, his eyes carefully scanning the ground around him. 
    Rupert, Jenn thought, was always so serious.  It was perhaps a shame that he couldn't be as happy and playful as Daphne and Siegfrid, who were his own age.  Children should be happy while they could, hard work and serious study came later.  Jenn smiled fondly and remembered back when she was their age, if only she'd known to enjoy things more while she had the chance.  Now it was work and study all the time.  Goddess, she felt old for her seventeen years.  Perhaps it was just tension from the expected siege.
    Rex's rumors had been right.  The very next morning after breakfast, Master Lenamare had called all the students and staff together to announce the fact that Exador had stated that he