The Extinct Ally

Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic, you guys, so if you find anything wrong, I would like to hear your constructive criticism! Read and enjoy!

The air smelled of shaven blood and burnt musk, as Eragon ripped his sword, Brisingr, free from the chest of an Empire soldier, his armor glowing a deep blood red in the gray moonlight. Eragon was tense that night as he recounted all the events as of yet. Murtagh and Thorn had rejoined the Varden just two days ago, as they had changed their true names and freed themselves of Galbatorix's tyrannical rule, yet the Varden was in a dire state now after their rejoining and the fact that their assault on the Imperial city of Belatona was to come within just one week.

"We shall no longer defend our own territory", Eragon harshy whispered to himself as he healed Thorn's clobbered and stabbed leg. "We must begin taking it from the Empire itself".

But that was not all that Eragon was fretting about. The Eldunari of Glaedr had refused to speak to any of them after Thorn had joined, for Thorn was, after all, the one who had killed Glaedr during the successful eleven attack on Gil'ead. And just this afternoon, Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, Thorn, and Arya had been sent on a scouting mission to capture a courier with important documents being sent to Galbatorix himself. However, the courier was already dead by the time they came and they found out it was all just a plot set up by the Empire used to capture the two Riders and their dragons. So it was most obviously not a good time to be with the Varden, to say the very least.

Yet it was an even worse time to be fighting for the Empire, for Ceunon, Feinster, and Gil'ead were already lost and Galbatorix was losing troops by the day.

Eragon?, a distant voice called out from behind him. Eragon swerved around to see it was Saphira who had contacted him. I am quite worried about you, little one. Your thoughts have not been right since Murtagh and Thorn rejoined us. What is wrong with you?

Eragon thought hard as Saphira's question echoed through the walls of his mind. What is wrong with me?, Eragon wondered shortly, but he did not ponder long, for a familiar voice shattered his thoughts.

"Eragon! Why are you merely standing about? Allow me to heal my own dragon! You can help Arya clean up the mess back in the field!", Murtagh shouted as he pulled ou a glowing jade Eldunari from his wool bag.

Eragon sighed as he stepped away from Thorn. Murtagh had almost instantly taken control of the group after, and the most bizarre aspect was that Thorn was not even asked for his opinion of leadership. In fact, Thorn had not spoken at all ever since he and Murtagh had rejoined the Varden. The only thing that Eragon and Saphira knew about Thorn during his time under Galbatorix was that he was mentored by Shruikan and that he had disgorged his Eldunari just before they had escaped from Galbatorix's black citadel.

Remembering the Eldunari, Eragon took off his bag and opened it up. With a faint glow, he could see the golden Eldunari of Glaedr. Taking it out, he felt it, expecting it to be warm, yet it was cold as ice and felt like a common stone from the ground.

"Glaedr? Glaedr, come out already. It is me, Eragon!" No answer. Eragon then decided to do the only thing that would usher Glaedr out:anger him.

"So, you do not wish to come out now, aye, Glaedr? Well, what would I have expected? You are being childish just because Thorn is here? Alright then, stay in your Eldunari, since you are as weak and scared as your stupid rider, Oromis! That dumb elf was just a pathetic old man who was not worthy of being my mentor! You think that-", but Eragon said no more, for he gasped and nearly dropped the Eldunari.

Eragon had come to the field, but not only was Arya not there, but almost all of the dead bodies were missing as well. Four corpses remained, yet they were nothing but skeletons of the dead Imperial soldiers, for the flesh and meat was stripped right off of the bone. As he looked closer, he saw that the bones were cracked open, yet there was no marrow within them, nor was there any coming out. Eragon backed away, horrified by the bloodbath he had just seen. It took awhile for him to realize that he was standing in a massive footprint that was larger than that of any normal creature. However, the mark did not come from Saphira or Thorn, for it was smaller and the dragons had not been so close to the the hills this far.

Eragon, in a state of fear and having the feeling that he was not alone, quickly shoved Glaedr's Eldunari back into his bag before sprinting away from that area as fast he could. Despite the fact that he had the speed of an elf, Eragon now had the sense that he was being followed, and by a quick individual as well, and he turned to see if there was anyone behind him.

However, Eragon was going too fast and he couldn't see what was in front of him, for he had turned his head around to look for anyone behind him. A loud thud echoed clearly as Eragon looked to see that his head had hit a nearby tree. His vision blurred as he began to lose balance, and Eragon suddenly fell into a pond of water, fish flying through the air as he fell in, and his head, neck, and shoulders were submerged. As he lost his breath and consiousness, Eragon managed to throw himself out of the pond as his lungs began to fail.

Gasping for air, he heard Saphira shout, Eragon! Pulling himself to his feet, Eragon ran back to their camp spot, where he saw Murtagh holding a green, oval-shaped object.

Eragon! Murtagh and Thorn managed to steal the green egg with them before they escaped! Isn't that-, but Eragon cut Saphira short.

"I don't care about some stupid dragon egg!", he blurted out as Saphira, Thorn, and Murtagh all turned to look at him strangely.

"What is wrong, Eragon? What is happening? And why are your shoulders and head wet?", Murtagh asked as Eragon recounted what had happened. Managing to find the right words, Eragon stated, "Arya has gone missing! She was not in the field! And there were only four corpses there, and those four are nothing but skeletons now! And the skeletons are all cracked open, with no marrow within them!" He did not mention the mysterious footprint, for he did not wish to scare them any further. Then again, they were most likely not scared, as Eragon was not good at descriptions. It was silent for several long, akward seconds.

Finally, Saphira said, Eragon, maybe you need to get some re-, but she suddenly stopped as they heard a twig snap loudly. Drawing Za'roc from his hilt, Murtagh steped forward cautiously, hoping not to make a sound.

"Who is out there?", he called in a surprisingly weak, scared voice. And there, out the of the woods, came the two creatures Eragon hated more than anything else:a Ra'zac and a Lethrblaka.

So, what do you guys think? R&R, and tell me if there is anything that you like and/or anything I can improve upon! Chapter 2 will be coming soon!