Death of the Dragon - Ed Greenwood [154]
"No, Nalavara," the King of Cormyr told her, almost conversationally. "Lord Iliphar bargained with my ancestor, and gave him the power to rule, and rule well. That bargain has come down to me. In some ways, he's the guardian and father of my house."
The Devil Dragon shrieked in utter fury and tried to pounce on the man before her, but her broken wing failed her, and she fell sideways to the earth, crashing down atop many goblins and rolling upright again heedless of how many she crushed.
The thunder of her fall was loud in Ilberd Crownsilver's ears as a goblin sprang up onto his shoulder and tried to slit his throat. The goblin died when Ilberd, surprising himself as much as the goblin, reversed the blade into the little humanoid's own throat. Ilberd let the goblin fall onto a pile of its comrades and knew that even if that goblin had succeeded in killing him, he'd seen the Devil Dragon die, and Cormyr saved.
In truth, though, the dragon was far from dead.
Azoun struck once at the dragon's head, reaching as far as he dared, knowing he might never have so fine a target in this fray again. Hot blood gushed from between the scales a little forward of her right eye, but Nalavarauthatoryl the Red tore herself free and away from him, crushing more goblins heedlessly, and snarling, "Elves do not hold to bargains with murderers of their kin! Iliphar bargained with you, but no soft words will bring back my betrothed. Nigh on fifteen centuries the one I was to marry has been dust, fifteen centuries have I been alone-never to know his arms again, never to have the happiness together that should have been ours. I spit upon your bargain, human-spit fire upon it!"
Flames roared forth again from the dragon's throat, but this time they were dark red, fitful, and came with a spray of much smoking black blood. The dragon shook her head in pain and frustration, even as the flames she'd snarled forth began to blaze in a spreading ring on the hilltop, driving back chittering goblins and leaving the king alone with his foe-and the fallen, including one ash-cloaked royal magician.
Azoun circled slowly sideways, forcing the dragon to turn and follow, until he stood over Vangerdahast. Perhaps he'd able to snatch some bauble of magic or other from his old tutor's body, or…
"I, too, have known loss in this war," the King of Cormyr told the dragon, raising both his sword and the scepter, his blade outermost to protect Iliphar's precious crafting from the swipe of a claw or wing or tail. Unlike a true dragon, Nalavarauthatoryl never seemed to use her tail in a real battle, but forgot it save as something to keep her balance. "Hundreds of my subjects lie dead, fallen before you and the creatures you have whelmed."
"Pah! What are their deaths to me? They're vermin-vermin who must be destroyed or driven out to cleanse these forests for the elves. I will see their fields, stone towers, and all torn up that the trees may once again grow over all."
Nalavara bit down, but winced away as that sharp blade laid open her lip, just at the edge of her scales. Shaking her head with a savage roar, she batted at the lone human with one clawed forefoot. The warsword struck again, and with it-with another burst of golden light, and more searing, numbing pain-the Scepter of Lords.
The Devil Dragon hissed and drew back. Her eyes glittered with hatred as they met Azoun's, but the king looked back at her calmly.
"I, too, have lost a beloved to you," Azoun said. "My daughter Alusair was burned to bones in the fire you gout."
"So what is that to me, human? In what way does a human life equal that of an elf?"
"Both are ended," the king said bleakly. "Both are gone, never to tread this fair land again."
The dragon bit down again but this time wheeled away from the ready blade before being cut-and before actually biting anything.
"And even if they were measured equal, human, why should I care-when humans have raped