portrait sculpture of a main character in Lance's illustrated short story "The Island and the Portal" ...

... the two creatures faced off and Bullswerth hurled his long tongue towards Sebastian. Sebastian felt a striking force against his chest that knocked him backwards. He softened his body from hitting the ground by folding his wing in a convex shape that caused him to roll and end up back on his talons on the ground. The grotesque tongue came whipping at Sebastian again, but this time was caught by the powerful grip of his talon. Sebastian squeezed hard and the tongue began to recoil back towards its owner. Sebastian let go of the tongue so he would not be drug along the pebbly ground. He spread his wings and lifted off for flight. The devastating tongue came hurling at Sebastian again and a muffled thud came from one of his wings, which felt like it had broken. He continued to climb at an accelerated pace and was soon over the tops of the moonlight trees ...