Freedom!

"The stomach wall will be very tough, but if you can manage to pierce it then the acid will start to digest the dragon's own flesh. I doubt that it would kill it, but it would be in great pain, and if we were lucky it might cause it to vomit us up."

It seemed like a long shot, but Fred could think of nothing better. Taking as firm a stance as he could manage, with all his strength he thrust down with his sword point-first. It pierced the stomach wall and went in up to the hilt. With an effort, he pulled it free again.

A muffled roar of pain reached them as the sword went in. A short time later the stomach began to convulse. Then they were suddenly forced upwards at great speed. Then it was light again, as they were expelled from the dragon's mouth and flew a considerable distance across its lair.

Fred and Astra dazedly struggled to their feet. Fortunately the dragon was in too much pain to pay them any attention. It was thrashing about in agony, but they were far enough away to be out of range.

In the short time that Fred had been in the dragon's stomach, his armour and sword had been badly corroded, and his exposed skin had acquired a pinkish tinge. Astra had been trapped for much longer and had had no clothes to protect her. The outer layers of her skin had been eaten away, and the layer now exposed had turned a bright red, so that she looked as though she had been boiled. Apart from her eyelashes, she had not a hair left on her body. And she (like Fred) was covered in dragon vomit. Yet he thought that he had never seen so beautiful a woman.

"Are you all right?" he asked her anxiously.

"I think so, though it's not a depilatory treatment that I would recommend to others. My thanks to you, sir knight. You and your sword came along just in time. Won't you tell me you name?"

"I am Lord Fred, from Allaria. You said that your name was Astra. Not the Astra, princess of Aqualaria?"

"The very same...

1. "Now that the dragon is distracted, do you think that you could use your sword to finish the job that you have started?"
2. "Let us find a pool and cleanse ourselves."

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