A fraction of her previous size, she tumbled down the wall, momentarily free from the hydragrif's grip. The cavern floor rushed up to meet her. She glimpsed the pillar of stone rising ahead; both Jeid and Oritan still stood upon it, shouting. Tribesmen scattered below, awaiting her crash. The hydragrif swooped from above, beaks opening wide.

An instant before Laira could slam into the floor, she summoned her magic again.

She flew, roaring fire, and skimmed along the cavern floor. Tribesmen fled from her, and she soared higher, rising along the pillar of stone. She shot past Jeid and Oritan on its crest, spun around, and charged toward the hydragrif.

Her tail lashed. Her claws slashed. Her jaws bit.

A hydragrif head tumbled down.

Burn it! screamed a voice inside her. Burn it like you burned the octopus!

She spun back toward the creature, wings churning smoke. It reared before her, its two remaining heads shrieking. The stalk of its left neck was red and dripping. Already a nub was sprouting; soon it would turn into a new head.

Bleeding, so weak she could barely cling to her magic, Laira blasted out her flames. The fire crashed into the creature, cauterizing the stump of its neck. The creature bucked, scratched the air, and wailed in pain.

I hurt it, Laira thought, panting. It can be hurt.

The head would not grow back, and Laira charged, new vigor filling her, and slammed into the creature. They tumbled through the air, dipped, and crashed into the stone pillar. Cracks raced across it. The hydragrif shrieked in pain, trying to bite, to scratch, to knock her off. Laira wouldn't release it. She grabbed another neck, tugged the animal down, and slammed it against the cavern floor.

The chamber shook. The hydragrif whimpered. Blasting smoke through her nostrils, Laira grabbed the creature's foot and dragged the beast across the floor. Tribesmen fled. When she reached the pit whence the hydragrif had emerged, she gave a mighty tug, tossing the creature down into the shadows. It tumbled into the chasm, slammed against a shadowy floor far below, and let out a miserable wail. When it tried to rise again, Laira blasted flames into the pit, and it twisted and fell back down.

A deep voice rose from above. "Slay it! Slay the beast!"

Still in dragon form, Laira raised her eyes. She saw Chieftain Oritan still standing upon his tower, staring down at her.

She shook her head. "I defeated it! I tamed the creature. I will not slay it."

A hundred feet above her, Oritan placed his fingers in his mouth and gave a short, loud whistle. His ptero—the great beast with the painted horn—detached from a wall and flew toward the chieftain. Oritan leaped into the saddle, and man and ptero swooped. They landed on the cave floor before Laira. The ptero stretched its wings wide and hissed, tongue extended. The chieftain stared down from the confines of his ape helm.