Its dragon-like wings started beating and they left the plain behind. Like any takeoff Tom had ever experienced, it was as thrilling as it was terrifying. Tom’s ears filled with wind as they soared into the night sky. For a moment he had forgotten that he was naked and freezing, but now he remembered, and he knew the cold was only going to get worse as they got higher into the atmosphere. The skin of the Elgg, smooth and scaly and vaguely translucent, looked like it would have been cold to the touch, but it was growing warmer by the second, perhaps because of the physical effort of flight. Or, Tom thought, perhaps it sensed that he was cold. How considerate, he thought. A comforting green glow was even starting to spread underneath its translucent scales. Tom hugged it even tighter. He turned his head. The dome of the Wall was receding in the distance, shining brightly now that they were so far away. Was this a bad idea? Gark had said the Ghelm wanted to destroy Crap Kingdom.
