The Anvil (96 page)

Tom
heard
cracking
below
him
and
knew
the
Ilemites
were
almost
through
the
door
.
He
had
his
men
go
back
down
and
glided
down
also
.
The
Arstanian
infantry
and
cavalry
were
still
attacking
the
archers
and
large
weapons
,
so
it
was
just
the
Anvil
who
would
be
holding
back
the
enemy
forces
,
along
with
some
archers
firing
at
the
Ilemites
.

Tom
told
his
men
to
get
back
as
the
final
bracing
post
broke
and
the
door
swung
open
once
more
.

Then
his
men
stepped
forward
and
filled
the
gap
.
Tom
hovered
behind
and
cast
spells
over
the
Anvil
members
’
heads
.
Alex
ran
passed
him
and
jumped
over
the
Anvil
and
began
fighting
the
Ilemite
cavalry
.

After
a
while
the
cavalry
was
defeated
but
the
infantry
was
almost
to
them
.
Tom
went
in
front
of
his
men
and
started
casting
spells
at
the
approaching
infantry
.
Soon
the
enemy
got
to
them
and
Tom
went
back
behind
his
men
,
knowing
he
would
only
put
himself
in
danger
and
get
in
the
way
.

Alex
stayed
up
front
but
was
slowly
getting
pushed
back
.
Suddenly
an
enemy
infantry
man
slashed
Alex
from
the
side
,
opening
a
long
cut
in
his
armour
and
side
.
Alex
stumbled
passed
the
Anvil
and
fell
,
clutching
his
side
.

Tom
looked
up
as
he
heard
a
deep
roar
,
he
saw
Gontal
on
his
massive
brown
dragon
,
his
flail
swinging
slowly
at
his
side
.
Tom
quickly
looked
to
Alex
and
realized
he
would
have
to
fight
alone
.
The
Anvil
could
handle
themselves
,
along
with
the
other
men
who
attacked
the
fort
.

Tom
turned
as
much
dragon
as
he
knew
how
and
launched
into
the
air
.
A
griffin
rider
broke
away
from
the
Arstanian
line
and
attacked
the
General
,
but
with
a
wave
of
his
hand
Gontal
sent
a
wall
of
fire
at
him
and
next
thing
Tom
knew
the
rider
and
griffin
were
tumbling
down
,
blackened
.

Tom
realized
how
crazy
this
was
but
kept
going
.
The
General
sent
another
wall
of
fire
at
Tom
,
who
blocked
the
attack
.
They
closed
the
distance
between
them
and
the
dragon
spit
fire
at
Tom
,
but
missed
.
Tom
wheeled
around
and
landed
on
the
dragon
’
s
back
.
Gontal
tried
to
turn
,
but
was
fastened
to
the
saddle
.

As
Tom
raised
his
axe
the
dragon
flew
upwards
suddenly
and
Tom
stumbled
.
Tom
struck
the
dragon
in
the
back
and
the
axe
held
.
As
the
dragon
leveled
out
once
again
Tom
unstuck
his
axe
and
jumped
off
.

He
flew
away
from
the
dragon
a
moment
then
turned
again
,
now
flying
at
the
dragon
head
on
.
Alex
lay
on
the
ground
looking
through
a
red
haze
,
he
saw
Tom
fighting
the
dragon
and
Gontal
.
He
smiled
and
was
proud
of
his
apprentice
,
then
his
head
sunk
.

Tom
thought
a
moment
put
his
axe
in
his
belt
and
flexed
his
clawed
hands
.
He
barely
dodged
the
dragon
’
s
mouth
and
dug
his
claws
into
the
head
of
the
dragon
,
using
his
momentum
to
swing
his
tail
and
hit
the
large
frontal
bone
in
the
dragon
’
s
wing
.

The
beast
roared
in
pain
and
tried
to
snap
at
Tom
,
who
was
already
out
of
reach
.
Gontal
helped
his
dragon
descend
and
smiled
smugly
as
Tom
landed
in
front
of
him
.

This
boy
would
be
defeated
easy
,
he
thought
.
Little
did
he
know
that
is
was
Werin
thought
or
that
Tamil
had
dismissed
him
without
a
second
thought
.
The
dragon
suddenly
lunged
forward
and
Tom
began
running
towards
it
.

He
had
no
idea
what
he
was
going
to
do
and
realized
only
some
other
giant
beast
could
hope
to
defeat
a
dragon
.

Suddenly
he
felt
his
arms
growing
heavy
and
himself
changing
.
He
looked
down
and
didn
’
t
see
his
legs
,
but
the
legs
of
a
giant
Stone
Lion
.
He
was
a
shapeshifter
.