It didn't end with Galbatorix...
After Galbatorix committed suicide, everybody, for some reason, thought it had all ended. But with a reign like his, there are no doubt ripples...
Galbatorix was training a group of assassins called the Artisans. They were all trained with the king's private dragons, and only four others knew of their existence. At the time of his death, there were fifty humans filled with magic and hatred, along with two thousand Elite Ra'zaac, and five hundred thousand soldiers. Two years later, they showed themselves.
It was the one of the bloodiest sieges in the history of Alagaesia. Two hundred Artisans attacked the town of Skeidr, on the outskirts of Alagaesia. The walls and guards were numerous, and were some of the best fortified in Alagaesia. The Artisans hurled fireball, lightning and explosions. The guards were disassembled as the walls were blown down, the buildings ransacked and captured, the flags burnt. This all happened within twelve hours, and the artisans only lost thirty-two men.
War ensued. Huge battles were fought, and many were killed. Our story begins with a certain patrol that was attacked, that had a certain rider in it, one who had never been meant to return to Alagaesia...
Prophecies don't all come true. Especially the one regarding Eragon Shadeslayer. Although, now he wished it had as he dodged an explosive fireball from an Artisan. Saphira, can we go any faster!? He thought as they swooped through the Spire, bolts of magic flying by. I'm going as fast as I can! She thought back. An Artisan jumped onto Saphira, his armored boots clinking on her scales. He ran at Eragon, his sword flashing in the light of the flames."Brisingr!" As he said it, the sword Eragon had crafted burst into blue flames. The Artisan paused, and suddenly had multiple ribs cracked as a stray tree branch caught him in the chest.
Saphira roared in pain as a bolt of lightning struck her wing. She crashed into a forest, sliding finally into a clearing. Eragon rolled beside her. He turned over and immediately had a sword at his throat. "Move, and I stab. That goes for the dragon, too."
They stared into each other's eyes. The Artisan's eyes were cold and filled with malice. His gaze was tempered with steel. "It is the heaven's decision tonight. Whether you live, or die. Gods, should he live, send me a sign within the next minute. If he should die...well, that's obvious. Starting now."
As the next thirty seconds passed, thick with tension, neither of the two noticed the yellowish glowing thing falling from the sky. But Saphira did.
Eragon, look up! His gaze drifted upward, and so did the Artisans, as a giant object started entering the atmosphere. They all went into dragon vision and looked, and they stared at what they saw. Eragon voiced their thoughts.
"That's not a meteor..." he said warily.
No, it was not a meteor. It was the U.N.S.C. Nighthawk, currently on a course for a crash-landing in the Spire. It had taken severe damage in battle, and was carrying a heavy load. Its maximum crew was current crew was 17.
"Lash! Start up the Falcon!" Drake yelled as he ran across the hangar. "What about the others?!" Lash yelled back as the propellers started rotating. "They're staying on ship. SLIVER said that there was 56.275% chance that the ship will survive impact into those mountains. Besides, I don't think Caboose and Griff will stop being complete asses long enough to realize that the ship's going down." He hopped into the right side gunner's seat. "I, however, don't like those odds. Liftoff now!"
The Artisans had a muzzle and chains on Saphira and Eragon as they flew back to Skeidr, now their strongest fortress. They were still wondering about what they had seen, and were still looking back at the thing as it crashed into the spire. Flames spread over the forests as the thing slid down the mountain, soon disappearing from view. They would have to tell their General about this.
The falcon landed in the clearing which the Nighthawk had made. "You think they're ok?" Drake asked. As an answer, they heard over the radio. "Drake, Lash, get down here! We need to take inventory." As Jase spoke, they heard screaming and crashing in the background. "That's Griff and Caboose if I ever heard 'em." Lash said as the falcon began its descent.
Like it? Don't? R&R!