Chapter VI

Dawn broke gray and red in the east and grew to gold as the new sun soared free. But Roya's anxious eyes only stared away into the west.

"Hear it!" Rok cried suddenly.

It was like the rolling, rolling, rolling of distant thunder coming, steadily out of the west. The big slick-skin whipped its huge head aloft to blast a mighty roar down the valley. Faint and clear the answer came--a chorus of roaring.

Standing on tiptoe and straining to see, Roya felt the tingles racing through her. "See them coming!"

Far down valley, the monsters were a river of colossal power. They were in many colorings and mottlings, in many forms and sizes--all tearing for this butte. Great trees were mown down like blades of grass before the powerfully racing leaders. Swamps and rivers were as nothing. There was no stopping them--no slowing them. They had heard their human master needed them! They were coming--to the last one!

And now the thundering of their swift coming filled the air and shook the very earth till a person could scarcely stand erect. It swayed the mightiest trees as in a gale. The roaring for battle slammed into the sense, took the breath and beat upon the body. And the grassy butte was swarming with the terrible colossi. Towering above Roya, a mighty armor-plated spike-back rumbled for directions.

Gesturing to the big slick-skin she had been carefully educating during the night, Roya pointed to the black-back and worked her mouth as if talking. The slick-skin began rumbling to the black leader. Instantly facing his impatient fellows massed on the slopes, the black spike-back reared up and began gesturing his huge forelimbs as he roared at them. Anger mounting even higher, the Big Snakes roared to be off for Toka.

At that moment a frantic gonging came faint but clear from the direction of the entrance to Kosanna. Rok instantly deduced the cause. "The Dragon Men must be attacking Kosanna!"

Gesturing the black leader to kneel, Roya was aboard the massive back, one hand clutching to a spike for support. Elees and the men were with her and Roya's voice rang on the jungle air. "Go for Toka!"

The colossus heaved up running. Down the slope it tore with a battle roar. With a combined roaring that filled the air with deafening thunder the mass of Big Snakes swarmed in behind--all the armor-plated ones first. Through the dense jungle as though it were grass the colossal black leader tore the way. He burst clear and shot across the Big Brown in a geysering spray to plunge into the luminous cavern.

The angrily roaring monster's huge head was stretched out low over the deep water--and Roya saw the vicious fish were not present! But the armored monster, as did the others close behind, beat the water to colored foam.

The monstrous spike-back raced around another bend and tore for that grill of green columns--but that massive structure was drawn into the vaulted roof! There was nothing to impede the way!

"Listen to the sounds from Kosanna!" Elees cried.

"The fight's on!" Rok yelled in helpless anxiety.

"Oh, Toka!" Roya prayed.

"Here we come!" Old Ledo chanted.

The cavern opened into Kosanna. The angrily roaring spike-back burst clear and the wild battling spread away in all its detail.

Roya's heart was in her cry. "There's Toka--fighting in the palace entry!"

With a roaring that blasted through the wild din of battle the black colossus was already tearing for Toka. The mass of following Big Snakes swept into the city with a vengeance.

* * * * *

Screaming Dragon Men and their hissing and rattling monsters were a flood trying to down Toka by sheer weight of numbers. The insane Ophid stood on the massive balustrade and urged his crazed subjects on. Toka stood in the concavity of the palace entry and drove his battle-ax with blinding speed. Jagged clubs were as little deterrent to his mighty weapon as were the slimy bodies of the frothing monstrosities that wielded them. But on they and their huge dragons came. And in but another moment....

A mighty roaring suddenly cut through the battle din. Toka spared an instant's glance. The familiar black bulk of an armor-plated Big Snake burst from the up-river cavern and tore into Kosanna!

Perched gracefully atop that spiked back was Roya!

Rok and the others were with her--battle-axes swinging. More Big Snakes thundered into Kosanna--more--roaring viciously and already battling the hordes of Ophid.

But Roya was coming--leading the attack! She still loved him! The exultation surged through Toka. And to his superb strength and speed was added this toxin to drive him to greater fury of a different nature.

Down in Kosanna, Ophid's men and dragons were locked in raging battle with the colossal Big Snakes. Those jagged clubs were as nothing. But those long yellow fangs of Ophid's men and their dragons--the venom they injected as they bit home on unarmored Big Snake anatomy! The ferociously fighting slick-skins dropped in their tracks and sprawled in utter limpness--then immediately began bloating till their colossal bodies burst in a gory explosion!

But the viciously battling armor-plates were impervious to those striking fangs. They trampled Ophid's men and slammed them to lifeless smears. They caught the flying dragons and ripped the writhing, hissing and striking things to shreds.

The terrace began heaving violently beneath Toka's feet and the colossal black leader with Roya aboard loomed up and exploded into this insane melee. Dragon Men and flying monsters and colossal armor-plated heads and tails whirled in wild battle. The ravenously screaming battle-axes of Rok and Old Ledo--of Roya and Elees--joined Toka's in this desperate finale.

But Toka's fighting heart was abruptly clutched in an icy grip as a club cracked to Roya's ax arm! She dropped her weapon. Red eyes blazing, Ophid leaped atop the black spike-back's neck and was scrambling recklessly up the viciously lashing length. Rok and Old Ledo were desperately occupied with flying monsters. Elees did not see. Yellow fangs dripping venom, Ophid was nearly to Roya now. And she dare not jump--a sea of wildly fighting Dragon Men awaited.

With a fervent prayer Toka snatched at his waist. His arm whipped and his great battle knife streaked away.

But that moment had its price--a pair of fangs sank into Toka's leg. Even as his ravenous knife blade sang through the Dragon Man's neck Toka's senses reeled. His last memory was of Roya screaming, "Toka!"

* * * * *

Toka's mind fought harder and slowly made his weary body come alive, made it want to struggle back there--to Roya. The blackness slowly fell away and Toka looked up into Roya's deep blue eyes. Her lips were warm and sweet.

"Brother!" Rok was observing fervently. "Was that close!"

"One less berry," Old Ledo reflected sagely, "and that venom would have been too much." Indeed, the black fruit had once again demonstrated its healing power.

"No Roya and there would be no anything now," Elees was pointing evenly.

"The Sphere Of All Time," Kolano was assuring easily, "is never wrong."

As Roya drew up from him, Toka sat up. He was on the bed in the bridal suite. The gore-spattered Roya and Elees, Rok and Old Ledo, the sheerly clad Kolano and the black-robed Old Ones, were all circled about him.

Roya faced Kolano. "I don't know whether your Sphere Of All Time is ever wrong or not, but I know your marriage to Toka is not honest." She held her battle-ax ready.

Kolano smiled softly. "And so, Roya, you will kill me if you can--to free your Toka."

Kolano's knowledge momentarily disconcerted Roya--and Toka.

"But I am freeing Toka." Kolano mused in intimate memory. "Now that the element of Toka is in me."

Touching a chair for support, Roya stared starkly at Toka.

Toka leaped from the bed and drilled his angry gaze at Kolano. "That isn't true and you know it!"

"Toka, Roya--please," Kolano smiled. "It is true--but not the way you think."

"I think," Toka warned levelly, "we'd better have a few explanations."

"When Toka and I kissed last night," Kolano explained sincerely, "his spirit--the spirit of a mighty warrior of the Outer World--mingled with my spirit and left something of that warrior spirit in me." She gazed frankly at Roya. "And that is all it was--purely spiritual."

Toka met Roya's relieved gaze.

"So," Kolano continued quietly, "when I next wed one of the men of Kosanna--one who found the spirit to do battle against the hordes of Ophid--our sons shall be worthy of becoming Kosanna's new leaders."

Toka held Kolano's eyes. "What about this marriage of ours?"

Kolano quietly held his gaze. "It is time to proceed to the altar--that our marriage may be dissolved."

The cortege forming the entire party marched for the Hall Of Life--where the final victory over the hordes of Ophid was portrayed in huge scenes. But there remained space there still for many more scenes.

Going down the sacred stairway, Toka glanced to Kolano. "How about the hordes of Ophid?"

"There are no men of Ophid or dragons left alive," Kolano assured.

All Kosanna looking on silently, Toka and Kolano stood on the fore edge of the altar below the gigantic statue of him and, to the anciently quavering chant of the Old Ones, removed each other's ring and placed the brilliant bands on the pillows.

Kolano's smile was unsteady, her silvery eyes misty. "Great Prince Toka and his friends shall be forever revered by Kosanna."

Toka quietly voiced his sincere wish. "May peace dwell forevermore in Kosanna."

As Kosanna broke into beautiful choraling, Toka beckoned to his black spike-back. Mounting the great creature with Roya and the others of his party, Toka headed down the main avenue. The surviving Big Snakes fell in behind with happy eyes and peaceful features. Meeting Roya's eyes, Toka pressed her hand in gentle expression of his feeling. He thrilled as Roya returned the pressure.

The up-river cavern yawned to receive them and the Outer World waited.