down.
"Fidelity!"
he cried.
She
fought above him, crying out, caught in a creature's claws. She beat
her wings and whipped her tail, but she could not free herself, and
her teeth and claws only clattered uselessly against bones. The
skeleton rider on the bonedrake's back hefted its rusty lance,
prepared to thrust the weapon.
Korvin
growled. Hovering several feet above the ground, he reached down and
grabbed a fallen chunk of a limestone column. He beat his wings
mightily, rising higher in the air, roaring with the effort. He could
barely keep hold of the heavy segment of column, barely rise, but
fear for his daughter drove him onward. He ascended to hover by the
skeletal firedrake attacking Fidelity, howled in rage, and swung the
chunk of column.
The
heavy, rounded limestone drove into the creature's ribs with the
force of a god's war hammer. The bones snapped. Shattered ribs flew
through the sky. The bonedrake yowled and crumbled, freeing Fidelity.
She flew backward, then charged forth, screaming, slamming against
it, shattering more ribs.
Korvin
rose higher, still clutching the broken column, until he flew above
the creature.
He
slammed the column down.
The
chunk of limestone, larger than a man, drove against the skeletal
rider, shattering it into fragments, then crashed through the bony
dragon's spine. The creature snapped in two, beat its wings
pathetically, and then its glowing innards burst like an exploding
sun. Light streamed out, searing hot, melting snow. The bonedrake
slammed down in a rain of lifeless bones.
The
second bonedrake, its skull cracked, still thrashed upon the ruins
below. It beat its wings and began to soar.
Korvin
and Fidelity spewed down their dragonfire together.
It
was a blaze so hot it melted snow, ice, and the rocks beneath them.
It bleached the skeleton's bones, seared off the last bits of flesh
and clinging soil, melted the dead paladin's armor. The creature
screamed and crashed back down onto the ruins.
Korvin
and Fidelity kept blowing down their fire. The bonedrake screeched,
unable to rise. Its bones thinned, withered, crumbled, but still it
cried out, beating its wings, struggling to rise. Its jaws opened in
the inferno, and it blasted out a jet of white, searing light.
The
beam crashed against Korvin with the heat and rage of shattering
stars.
He
couldn't even scream.
His
fire died. His chest blazed. His breath died. He tumbled backward in
the sky, emerging from the roaring, rising column of light the
creature below still blasted skyward.
Fidelity
screamed and swooped. She landed on the ruins and swiped her tail,
shattering the bonedrake's ribs. Korvin gasped for breath, head
spinning, not sure if he was alive or dead. He crashed into the snow.
The bonedrake's light still blazed, flowing from the bonedrake's
glowing heart, along its spine, and finally blasting out of its jaws.
It turned its head toward Fidelity, and the light hit her.
The
blue dragon cried out, stumbled backward, and crashed into a column.
The limestone pillar shattered and fell.
Korvin
coughed, barely able to rise, to breathe.
His
magic vanished.
He
crawled forward in human form.
The
bonedrake still lay on the ground, its bones weakened by the fire,
several of its ribs snapped, but still it blasted its light against
Fidelity, pinning her against the ruins, burning her. The creature's
heart blazed like a forge fire as it spewed out its beam.
The
ball of light keeps it alive.
Korvin
rose to his feet, drew his sword, and plunged the blade between the
bonedrake's ribs and into the glowing sphere in its chest.
The
world seemed to drown in light, in sound, in pale searing fleeing
life.
Korvin's
blade withered and disintegrated.
The
light bathed him.
He
fell to the ground, not feeling the pain, and stared as strands of
luminescence coiled upward, rising like smoke, then fading, leaving
only a ringing in his ears, only echoes.
For
a long time--silence. Snow fell. A crow cawed in the
"Fidelity!"
he cried.
She
fought above him, crying out, caught in a creature's claws. She beat
her wings and whipped her tail, but she could not free herself, and
her teeth and claws only clattered uselessly against bones. The
skeleton rider on the bonedrake's back hefted its rusty lance,
prepared to thrust the weapon.
Korvin
growled. Hovering several feet above the ground, he reached down and
grabbed a fallen chunk of a limestone column. He beat his wings
mightily, rising higher in the air, roaring with the effort. He could
barely keep hold of the heavy segment of column, barely rise, but
fear for his daughter drove him onward. He ascended to hover by the
skeletal firedrake attacking Fidelity, howled in rage, and swung the
chunk of column.
The
heavy, rounded limestone drove into the creature's ribs with the
force of a god's war hammer. The bones snapped. Shattered ribs flew
through the sky. The bonedrake yowled and crumbled, freeing Fidelity.
She flew backward, then charged forth, screaming, slamming against
it, shattering more ribs.
Korvin
rose higher, still clutching the broken column, until he flew above
the creature.
He
slammed the column down.
The
chunk of limestone, larger than a man, drove against the skeletal
rider, shattering it into fragments, then crashed through the bony
dragon's spine. The creature snapped in two, beat its wings
pathetically, and then its glowing innards burst like an exploding
sun. Light streamed out, searing hot, melting snow. The bonedrake
slammed down in a rain of lifeless bones.
The
second bonedrake, its skull cracked, still thrashed upon the ruins
below. It beat its wings and began to soar.
Korvin
and Fidelity spewed down their dragonfire together.
It
was a blaze so hot it melted snow, ice, and the rocks beneath them.
It bleached the skeleton's bones, seared off the last bits of flesh
and clinging soil, melted the dead paladin's armor. The creature
screamed and crashed back down onto the ruins.
Korvin
and Fidelity kept blowing down their fire. The bonedrake screeched,
unable to rise. Its bones thinned, withered, crumbled, but still it
cried out, beating its wings, struggling to rise. Its jaws opened in
the inferno, and it blasted out a jet of white, searing light.
The
beam crashed against Korvin with the heat and rage of shattering
stars.
He
couldn't even scream.
His
fire died. His chest blazed. His breath died. He tumbled backward in
the sky, emerging from the roaring, rising column of light the
creature below still blasted skyward.
Fidelity
screamed and swooped. She landed on the ruins and swiped her tail,
shattering the bonedrake's ribs. Korvin gasped for breath, head
spinning, not sure if he was alive or dead. He crashed into the snow.
The bonedrake's light still blazed, flowing from the bonedrake's
glowing heart, along its spine, and finally blasting out of its jaws.
It turned its head toward Fidelity, and the light hit her.
The
blue dragon cried out, stumbled backward, and crashed into a column.
The limestone pillar shattered and fell.
Korvin
coughed, barely able to rise, to breathe.
His
magic vanished.
He
crawled forward in human form.
The
bonedrake still lay on the ground, its bones weakened by the fire,
several of its ribs snapped, but still it blasted its light against
Fidelity, pinning her against the ruins, burning her. The creature's
heart blazed like a forge fire as it spewed out its beam.
The
ball of light keeps it alive.
Korvin
rose to his feet, drew his sword, and plunged the blade between the
bonedrake's ribs and into the glowing sphere in its chest.
The
world seemed to drown in light, in sound, in pale searing fleeing
life.
Korvin's
blade withered and disintegrated.
The
light bathed him.
He
fell to the ground, not feeling the pain, and stared as strands of
luminescence coiled upward, rising like smoke, then fading, leaving
only a ringing in his ears, only echoes.
For
a long time--silence. Snow fell. A crow cawed in the
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