The trail of blood on the floor leading back into the cavern was thick.  If a human had lost that much blood, they would have expired.  But the drake was the size of a few dozen humans, and Allistor had no illusions that it would bleed out soon.  He’d already lost two airmen in this fight, and the longer it went on, the greater the risk of losing more.  Having lost both his spear and sword, Allistor searched his inventory for a weapon that would be effective against this beast.  When he found a particular item, he smiled and withdrew it, gripping it tightly.

Unable to see the drake’s head, as it was currently well above the door opening, he targeted its body and cast Mind Spike again.  The answering roar and rain of blood from above the doorway told him the spell had struck its target.    With a shout of “Cease fire!” for his comrades down the hall, he dove through the door, the still-dripping blood soaking him as he passed through.  He ignored the burning sensation as he drove forward with his legs, pushing back to his feet.

He managed to reach the drake’s chest without being hit by the thrashing head.  Turning to put his back to its chest, he waited until the head bent low to the ground, and cast Restraint again, freezing the head in place.  Knowing he only had a second, he lunged for the neck, bringing his new weapon to bear.  Just as the drake started to move again, he slammed the envenomed fang he’d taken from the giant snake into the monster’s neck right where the rebar spear had opened a wide wound.  The fang sank deeply, and the drake howled in pain, raising its head.

Still holding the fang with one hand, Allistor gripped the spear with the other and held on tightly as the boss monster lifted him off his feet and swung him around.  When its neck made a sort of whiplash motion, even his improved strength couldn’t help him.  He was thrown loose and sent flying twenty feet through the air before impacting the stone wall.

The impact knocked the breath from him and sent his vision fuzzy.  He lay on the ground at the base of the wall, struggling to take a breath.  His vision faded even more as he heard gunfire and the roar of the beast.   Trying to focus on the big red blob in front of him, he cast Mind Spike once more and passed out.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Victory And Death!

Allistor woke to the sensation of a bear cub tongue licking his face.  And the stench of whatever Fuzzy had been snacking on.