But the other dragons seemed not to hear her. Nephilim rallied around Legion, cackling, grinning, licking their chops; a few were gnawing on Vir Requis limbs. Their wings raised a buzz like a swarm of locust. Tanin and the other dragons flew toward them, and their jets of flame blasted forward. The fire washed over the nephilim, and Legion screamed, wreathed in the inferno.

"No!" Issari cried. She darted forward, soared, and placed herself between the combatants. Dragonfire washed over her, and she screamed and closed her eyes against the horrifying heat. She heard her scales crack.

"Dragons, hold your fire!" Tanin shouted somewhere beyond the inferno. "Issari!"

The flames died, and Issari coughed and shuddered but kept beating her wings. Her silver scales were black with soot.

"Into the Abyss!" she shouted to Tanin and the others. "Leave the nephilim to me. Go! I order you, by the light of Taal and the stars!"

She raised both front feet, and light blasted out from them—the white light of Taal from the amulet embedded into one foot, and the light of Requiem from the star-shard embedded into the other.

"I'll hold them back!" Issari shouted. "Go!"

She spun back toward the nephilim, and her twin lights blazed over them, starlight and godlight. The unholy horde screamed. They covered their eyes. They buzzed and tried to attack but could not fly through the light.

"Go!" Issari shouted over her shoulder.

Tanin nodded and spun back toward the pit. He flew down toward the darkness, and the other dragons followed. One by one, they plunged into the pit, heading into the Abyss.

Issari returned her gaze to the nephilim. The creatures were screaming in pain as her light bathed them. She beat her wings, flew closer, washing them with the light of the gods.

"Back, nephilim!" she shouted. "Leave this place. Away! Away or I'll burn you." Her tears streamed as her son wailed in pain. "Away! Leave!"

Legion screamed, the light washing over him, and his voice sounded almost human to Issari, almost begging, pleading with her for mercy. She thought she could hear words in his cry. Why, Mother? Why do you hurt me? Issari wept but she flew closer, blasting him with the light of Taal and the light of stars. His skin burned.

"Leave, nephilim! Leave this place, Legion!"

They screamed as she herded them away, burning them, burning her son. She drove them from the city, but she could no longer kill them, and when finally the nephilim had fled over the walls, Issari wailed in pain, for she had hurt her son, and she had driven him away from her once more.

JEID

 
JEID

They flew over the sea, twenty dragons carrying men and women on their backs, heading toward the demonic hive.