Pillars of Dragonfire Read Online Free Page B

mouth. He was too weary, too hurt, his belly empty of flames.
    Ishtafel charged, and his
spear flashed and drove into Vale's wing. The leathern membrane tore.
    Vale roared and snapped
his jaws, tried to blow fire, but cast out only sparks.
    The spear thrust again,
scraping across his cheek, tearing it open and scattering scales.
    Vale fell, tumbling,
barely clinging to his dragon magic.
    "Grab him!"
Ishtafel shouted, all amusement now gone from his voice. "Hold him
up!"
    Chariots of fire
streamed forth, twenty or more, surrounding Vale. He slammed down onto one.
Others drove into his sides, their fire washing across him. Seraphim stood
within, swinging chains. Grapples drove into Vale's flesh. Chains tightened
around him. The chariots flew higher, trapping him in the chains, stretching
him out, displaying him like a tortured prisoner upon a metal cross.
    Vale thrashed, whipped
his tail, knocked one seraph down. The chariots pulled farther apart,
stretching his chained limbs, driving iron links into his soft underbelly. Vale
roared, stretched so wide his joints nearly dislocated. He hung in the sky,
helpless like the time he'd been nailed onto the ziggurat. As all around in the
sky the dragons and seraphim battled, Vale hung in his chains, roaring and flailing
and unable to free himself, knowing he was going to die.
    I'm sorry, Tash, he thought, grimacing in pain. I'm sorry.
    The memories flashed
before him. Tash and him, traveling through the wilderness to find the Chest of
Plenty. Kissing in the delta. Making love. Laughing together. The light in her
brown eyes, the softness of her hair flowing between his fingers, the warmth of
her smile, her love.
    And then the tears. The
anger. Tash betraying him, betraying Requiem, only to turn back after two
steps—and Vale turning away from her. Leaving her love behind.
    Now, as he faced death,
tears filled his eyes.
    I'm sorry, Tash. I
love you.
    Ishtafel hovered before
him in his chariot.
    "And now, son of
Aeternum, I will kill you. Slowly. I will first carve out your entrails. Then
your liver, then your stomach, then peel off your skin. And still you will
live. I've done this many times, and I know how to keep you alive. Only when
you beg and call me 'master' will I cut out your heart."
    Vale thrashed in his chains,
tossed back his head, and howled. His wings beat. Spurts of fire left his maw.
    No. No! I was meant
to fight for Requiem in a great battle, to save our nation, not this, not this!
    Ishtafel hefted his
lance, smiling. He spread out his swan wings, rose from his chariot, and
hovered in the air. He aimed his lance at Vale's belly, eyes narrowed like a
surgeon examining his patient.
    "Issari!"
Vale cried out. "Issari!"
    "Your gods can't
help you, reptile." Ishtafel grinned. "I am your only god now. We
begin."
    Baring his teeth,
Ishtafel flew forth, lance flashing.
    "Vale, no!"
rose a voice from below.
    Golden scales flashed.
Fire blasted. Crying out, Tash soared, placing herself between Vale and the
thrusting lance.
    "Tash!" Vale
cried.
    Her fire roared out,
slamming against Ishtafel, washing across him, an inferno, a storm, engulfing
the seraph.
    Emerging from the
flames, Ishtafel's lance drove into her chest, cracking her scales, and burst
out of her back.
    "Tash!" Vale
roared.
    Ishtafel screamed,
falling, wings ablaze.
    Seraphim flew downward
after their lord, and Vale thrashed, tearing off the chains.
    "Tash!"
    She stared at him in
the sky, a golden dragon, a lance piercing her, then lost her magic.
    The lance tore free and
tumbled.
    A young woman clad in
silk, Tash fell from the sky.
    Vale pulled his wings
close to his body and plunged after her. Seraphim flew everywhere. Ishtafel was
still screaming somewhere in the distance, and fire flared, and the battle of
countless dragons and chariots stormed all around. Vale dived, reached out his
claws, and grabbed Tash.
    He spread his wings
wide, and they caught the wind. Air whistled through the hole in his right
wing, but he