Unexpected Freedom

"It seems that I'm to be the Dragon's prisoner indefinitely," Astra went on, feeling sorry for herself as well as for Fred. "I wonder what he wants me for. Does he view me as part of his hoard, like his jewels and gold? At first I thought that it was lucky that the chains were long enough to let me dodge the fireball, but perhaps I'd have been wiser to let myself be incinerated. At least it would have been quick."

"Wuff, wuff, wuff." Velus was staring at the wall to one side of Astra and seemed even more animated than before. His barking was followed by a "thump". Turning her head, Astra saw that a large lump of rock had fallen away from the wall where the fireball had struck it. Also there was a jigsaw of cracks in the rock spreading out from the area where the lump had fallen. The intense heat had caused the rock to expand, creating fractures. The chains themselves, being magical, were impervious to the heat (and luckily didn't conduct it, or Astra would have had burnt wrists). But it looked like it might now be possible to pull the chains' ends free from the wall.

It was! Two good tugs freed first one arm and then the other. Astra now had about six feet of chain dangling from each wrist. To avoid tripping over them, she wrapped them around her arms as best she could.

1. Then she headed in the direction in which she hoped the exit lay, with Velus tagging along behind.
2. Then, showing perhaps more bravery than wisdom, she headed in search of the Dragon, intending to avenge Fred.

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