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.