Eragon 3D
by Lhachel and J.W. Cart
Authors' Note: We, the authors, mean no disrespect to Christopher Paolini. We merely wanted to see what would happen if we put our own (slightly sinister) spin on the characters and events of Eragon. We hope you enjoy it- there'll be more coming!
All characters and most events come from the mind of Paolini. Anything you don't recognize is probably ours.
Arya held tightly onto the dragon's egg as she urged her horse into a gallop. Next to her rode the two surviving guards of the egg's resting place- they had barely made it out of the hidden grotto alive. The other guards had stayed behind to give them a chance to escape from the Shade, Durza. The spirit-possessed sorcerer had appeared out of nowhere, smashing their defenses. They'd barely been able to resist long enough for Arya to get out; his command of magic was far stronger than theirs.
They had done the only thing they could do, flee into the night with the egg and hope that they could reach safety before they were caught. The guard on her left let out a cry of warning, and she turned for a split second- it didn't take longer to see what frightened him.
Devouring ground behind them on a smoke-breathing horse was Durza. The Shade's flame-red hair easily identified him, even without his mount. It ran with unnatural speed, causing Arya to spur her own mare harder. They had to run. They had to get away from him.
He laughed behind them. She could hear it, loud and harsh. Taunting them, playing with them- Durza wasn't worried that they would escape.
They had to try. One of the guards slowed briefly to loose an arrow before catching up with them again. Arya didn't know if the arrow hit or not- she wasn't looking behind her anymore, only in front, looking, hoping, for a way to escape.
Escape... from this narrow... box... canyon. She glanced at her companions. They were trapped. Spinning their horses around, the two guards left her side to form a barrier between her and the oncoming Shade.
She steeled herself, knowing that they would give their lives for a chance for her to save the egg. She quickly started to call up words in the ancient language that would send the egg away, away from the canyon and away from Durza.
"What do you think you're doing, pretty elf?" Durza called out as he approached, his horse dancing in the moonlight, sending gouts of smoke into the air. Arya doubted that it was truly alive, at least not anymore, but she pushed that thought out of her mind and concentrated on finding the right words- words of hiding, words of travel. The Shade barked out his own words, just as she finished- words of death. The two guards fell just as a brilliant green light surrounded the egg, taking it away.
"You'll never find the egg now," she replied bravely, trying to hide the quaver in her voice as she looked into his snarling face.
Durza didn't say anything, at least not at first. She waited for him to kill her, staring at him defiantly. Then he hissed something, anger contorting his voice. Arya barely had time to register the word before her body heeded it and fell into darkness.