The Wyvern's Spur - Kate Novak [150]
"Don't you snap at me, girl," Drone told her. "You owe me twenty-seven scrolls. You'll work off every one of them, too."
Cat looked at the floor.
"Oh, stop that. Don't mope. I hate it when pretty girls mope. I suppose we're finished. Lleddew should have her scrying spell set up by now. Let's go watch the show. Don't want to miss Giogi beating the stuffing out of the villain." His voice was light, but Olive could see the worry lines in the old man's face tighten as he spoke.
*****
My arms are going to fall off, Giogi thought. Wings, not arms, he corrected himself. The cold wind streaming over his scales whistled in his ears. Behind him he heard Flattery's dragon-shape pumping its leathery wings, and he knew that the undead must still be with him. Undead fly as fast as dragons-and faster than me, he realized.
This has to be far enough, the transformed Wyvernspur thought.
Giogi rolled and banked to the south, then east, back toward Immersea and his pursuers. Flattery climbed, positioning himself for a dive down on Giogi.
He's still silhouetted against the moon, Giogi thought. He hasn't got any instinct for this kind of fighting. Giogi slowed as the attackers closed the gap between them.
The wyvern waited until the dragon and the undead cloud and mist shapes were almost on top of him, then he pulled up, baring his belly and the scarf-wrapped stone to his pursuers.
All right, finder's stone, Giogi thought, squinting his eyes nearly shut, keep those undead from me.
The finder's stone flared into light as bright as daylight. The wraiths and specters flying with Flattery scattered across the night sky like spooked pigeons. Flattery-momentarily blinded-pulled up.
Giogi banked around again. He was below but behind the dragon now. He increased his altitude while Flattery shook off the effects of the bright light. The wyvern positioned himself above the dragon, careful not to cast his own shadow on his prey.
Flattery tried climbing, too, but Giogi was already diving on him. Flattery tried to swerve, but he moved too slowly for the plummeting wyvern.
Giogi's talons closed on the back of the dragon's neck and he stabbed at the dragon's throat with his stinger. It was like striking the pillar in the crypt. Flattery's scales were as hard as stone. Giogi stabbed again and again, uncertain whether he was doing any damage. The dragon did not cry out, so he doubted it.
They lost altitude, then an updraft caught in both their beating wings and they soared, locked in combat. Flattery raked one of his foreclaws back and upward along the wyvern's neck, clawing a gash in Giogi's scales. Pain shot along Giogi's very long neck, and his flesh burned from the cold wind blowing on it. In a rage, the wyvern began stabbing faster at the dragon's neck until his tail muscles twitched.
The dragon had all four claws free to use, while Giogi's two claws were occupied hanging onto his prey. His tail seemed unable to penetrate any scales within its reach. Still, Flattery was in an awkward position for clawing, even though he had managed it. Giogi could not afford to let go, lest Flattery get a hold on him with his mouth facing the wyvern. Dragons could breathe deadly things, not to mention bite and swallow.
Flattery clawed up along Giogi's throat again, and the wyvern began to feel moisture around his neck. He was bleeding. He felt colder than before. In pain and anger, he bit down on Flattery's blue-plated neck.
Shocked by his action, Giogi ceased suddenly. He couldn't bring himself to chew his opponent.
Flattery's back claw caught and tore one of Giogi's beating wings. The pain of the tear drove Giogi to frenzy. He sunk his teeth into Flattery's neck again and shook it, like a dog baiting a bull. One of the blue dragon's neck plate's came loose, and Giogi tasted blood. He pulled his head up and thunked his tail in the spot. He did it again.
Flattery screeched