(A/N) I was able to write another chapter! Therefore, as a gift to everyone I will release it for all to enjoy! Also thanks again to those that review and read this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter.(A/N)


Ky111 – The dark troops will be brought back up after chapter 7, this chapter, and as far as the creatures that attacked Teirm, I will let you guesses keep running wild for a while longer.

rairio – thank you for your review and I hope this chapter satisfies your wait.

winking skeever – I would LOVE to update faster but life is getting a little real for me and that requires more attention. To answer your guess for the creatures that attacked Teirm, you will have to wait a little longer. Finally thank you greatly for pointing out that error, I should have corrected them all by now. I didn't that I clicked the wrong correction when I misspelled them.


Bold – thought talking

Italics – ancient language

Regular – narration/normal talking


Once they were gone, it was just Arya and Eragon left in the room, if you don't count the hundreds of Eldunari lining the walls.

"Well what will you do now Eragon?" Arya asked.

"I think I will take a stroll. I could use the time to fully get my head around this. Would you care to join me?" Eragon responded while looking at Arya with a blush on his face.

"I would love to join you Eragon." Arya responded giggling at his shyness.

The nice loving moment they had was interrupted by a growling sound coming from Eragon's stomach.

Eragon blushed an even deeper shade of red, "Maybe Murtagh's idea of food wasn't such a bad idea after all." Eragon said in embarrassment.

Arya laughed at this and filled Eragon's ears with her sound of laughter.

"Come on oh great leader lets go get you some food." She said while pulling him toward the door.


Nasuada was sitting on her throne room, waiting for her mage to finish the scrying spell so she could contact Roran. Even though Lord Yursef's, the governor of Narda, troops had said that the city was destroyed she wanted to check and see if there was anything they missed and possibly find out what had attacked Teirm.

"It has connected your majesty." the mage said while bowing and backing away.

Nasuada only had to wait a few second for Roran's face to appear in the mirror. Ever since the war had ended and she had granted him the title of earl and all of Palancar Valley as his domain, Roran has had a cheerful disposition whenever she talked to him.

"You needed to speak to me your majesty?" Roran asked with a bow as was proper.

"Yes, but before we begin, have you heard of what happened to Teirm?" Nasuada asked.

"There are a few rumors going around the area that it was attacked." Roran responded.

"Well unfortunately those rumors are true." Nasuada said with a grimace. "That is why I am sending you and some of the empire's forces to investigate the area and see what you can find out." She continued.

If Roran didn't like the orders she gave him it didn't show on his face. She gave him a quick report of what she wanted him to find and what troops she would be sending.

"Remember Roran you are there to investigate, not engage in all-out battles with the forces that might still be there. We still don't know what exactly attacked Teirm, so there is no point sending soldiers into an unknown battle." Nasuada finished.

"I understand your majesty. I will leave as soon as the forces arrive." Roran responded before Nasuada signaled the mage to end the spell.

"I'm counting on you Roran. Besides Eragon you are the only other person who has been able to do the impossible and come back alive." She thought.


Once Nasuada ended the spell Roran stood up and scratched his head wondering what mess he was about to get into.

"Lead a bunch of troops into a city-state that has been destroyed without getting into an all-out battle and find out what happened; Katrina is not going to like this." Roran thought.

Roran walked to the window in his study and looked out. He saw Katrina tending the flowers outside their estate with their sons running around chasing each other.

"No matter how many wars I have to fight in I will protect my family." Roran promised to himself.


Eragon looked at his apprentices once again gathered around him.

"It seems like it as right of me to give them a week off to figure out what they want to do." Eragon said to Saphira.

"Yes, I can see the determination in their eyes and the fire in their sprits." Saphira commented with a bit of pride.

Besides Eragon, Saphira, and his apprentices, Murtagh, Thorn, Arya, and Firnen were also gathered with them in the meeting room surrounded by all the Eldunari.

"A week ago I asked you all to decide whether or not you would want to fight in a war if it so happened." Eragon said addressing his students.

"Well unfortunately war is happening and I fear it will be worse than the fall. So I will ask you again, do you still want to fight? Remember even if you say no or yes your training won't stop and no one will think less of you for your decision." Eragon finished resting his gaze on Ismira.

Rimon and Ash were the first pair to speak, since they were the first rider and dragon after Eragon sent out the eggs.

"We will fight for the rider's cause." They both said in union.

Then one after another, each pair repeated the same words until it was time for Ismira and Valdarin to make their decision known.

"What will you do Ismira?" Valdarin asked.

"I am not sure, I want to help but I am still afraid." Ismira responded.

"There is nothing wrong with being afraid Ismira Eragon-ebrithil said so himself. Just know that whatever you choose I will follow you." Valdarin said while sending his love through their mental link.

It was with that Ismira made her decision, "I will fight for the rider's cause!" she shouted. Valdarin gave a mighty roar to go along with her statement and to say he was going.

Eragon gave Ismira an approving nod then to the Eldunari he spoke, "Masters before you are thirteen riders who are ready to once again travel to Alagaesia. Before you are riders who are ready to protect the cause that we were created for. So I ask of you masters do we have your blessings to go to war and ride the land of evil once again?".

All at once as one voice, or feeling for those that didn't talk with their minds, the Eldunari said, "As long as you don't over step your bounds and try to change the ways of the lands without just cause, then you have our blessings.".

"Thank you masters." All the riders and dragons present said together.

Eragon then turned to everyone, "We will leave for Ilirea tomorrow morning. Go pack what you need for the trip.".

All the students bowed one more time to their teachers and masters and left to go get their things ready.

"They are much too young be experiencing war." Arya commented watching them leave.

"True, but going by elven age everybody is too young to go to war, except for the dwarves." Murtagh responded with a chuckle.

Eragon gave a chuckle but stop once he saw Arya glare at him and cleared his throat, "I wasn't that much younger when I started on my journey with Brom and Saphira after she hatched.".

"Yes, but the circumstances were different then and honestly you had no choice." Arya countered.

"We can argue about this all day, but it will still be there choice on what path they take. It is our jobs as teachers to make sure they don't travel down the wrong one." Thorn said.

"Your bursts of wisdom are really getting better." Murtagh joked while earning a face full of smoke from Thorn.

Everybody laughed at their comedic routine and set off for their own rooms to prepare themselves for tomorrow.


The sun was just starting to its mid-morning point when Arami and Kili came to join the rest of their fellow apprentices.

"See told you we wouldn't be late." Arami thought to Kili.

"That doesn't mean that you sleep in late Arami." Kili growled.

"And the last of us apprentices arrives." Dimitrius teased.

"Oh, where are Eragon-ebrithil, Murtagh-ebrithil, and Queen Arya-ebrithil?" Arami asked.

"We don't know, they aren't in their rooms or the central tower from what we can tell." Rimon responded.

"They will arrive when they arrive, but until then we should just wait patiently." Daphne said.

"It is un-natural for us Urgals to be so till and patient." Thalia said already getting impatient.

"I agree with you Thalia, but remember we are riders now and we must lose some of the weaknesses of our races. Besides doesn't Blodhgarm-ebrithil always make you meditate longer because of your impatient nature?" Dimitrius said teasingly.

Everybody got a nice chuckle from Dimitrius and an even better one when Thalia started to chase after him trying to hit him for making fun of her. Everybody was having a good laugh until suddenly they all started to feel a great force press against their minds.

"What is this!?" Ismira screamed while lowing to one knee from the fight going on in her mind.

"Someone is attacking us with their minds, but I have never felt this much mental power." Ceyto said with a grimace on his face.

Esmerelda was starting to get a leg up on her attacker when Pijha, Roland, and Ariadne gave giant roars then laid down in defeat, likely being subdued by the enemy's magic.

"Ariadne are you ok?" Esmerelda yelled. She wanted to reach out with her mind to check on him but she dare not open her mind for the attacker to get in.

All around each rider and dragon lost their mental battle one by one and fell on the ground being bound by some magic. It wasn't until Kili fell and ceased moving that the force stopped the attack and the magic binding everyone disappeared.

"You put up a valiant fight, but in a real magic battle you all would be dead." Murtagh said making himself and Thorn visible to the apprentices.

The apprentices were about to question why the pair had attacked them when another voice spoke up behind them.

"Leaving the fact that they lost the mental battle, it is still sloppy that none of you noticed us approaching or our presence until we attacked. If we were actual enemies then you all would be dead." Arya said also making herself and Firnen visible.

Before any of the riders could offer a rebuttal Kili, Rafael, Pijha, and Ash all jumped toward Arya and Murtagh with a threatening growl.

"Explain yourselves for attacking us!" Rafael growled even as Thorn and Firnen stepped in front of their riders with snarls of their own.

"They attacked because I told them too." Eragon said while walking up with Saphira and Blodhgarm beside him.

"I told them to attack you all because when we enter Alagaesia you will never know when and where you will face an enemy and that enemy might just be way stronger than you." Eragon finished as he stood in front of the angry dragons.

"Don't think that just because we are leaving the island that you training will be put on hold. If anything, us leaving the island will make your training much harder." Eragon added.

"The same goes for the dragons as well. Thorn, Firnen, and myself will also push you to your limits during out leave." Saphira added while gazing at her students.

"Eragon-ebrithil I can understand the need for an increase in our training, but still wasn't such a surprise attack a little much." Arami said trying to sooth Kili's anger.

"You are still as caring as always Arami." Eragon said with a smile. "Yes I do agree that it was a little too much to start with but it wasn't me who choose the method of attack." Eragon finished.

"If it wasn't you then who was it?" Valdarin asked while looking to all the teachers presents.

"It was us that choose the method hatchling." a booming voice said in their head. "And I must say I am a little disappointed in how you all handle yourselves."

"Glaedr-elda to be fair they were being attacked by two of the master riders. If anything I am impressed that they lasted as long as they did." Blodhgarm said defending his students.

"You are way too soft on them Blodhgarm." Umaroth spoke up.

Interrupting their conversation Eragon said, "Well Umaroth-elda and Glaedr-elda, isn't that why you and the other masters will be helping along their training?".

If today hadn't been surprising already then all of the apprentices would have been surprised at Eragon's statement.

"Ebrithils not that we aren't happy to have you all teach us, but how can you when we will be so far away?" Ceyto asked.

"Simple each one of you will be assigned two Eldunari as your instructor along with the three of us." Murtagh added with a grin.

"What Murtagh says is right. I wasn't planning on letting you all train under one of the masters till you raised above apprentices, but circumstances made me change my decision." Eragon said.

"You give us a great honor Ebrithils but what about their safety? From what you have told us in our lesson t Eldunari are extremely fragile and like you said we are still fledglings and can't protect them all the time." Freohr asked.

"A good question young one and to answer it; we will use a spell to hide ourselves in a space behind you. While there we are safe from all physical dangers and at the same time we can still teach without worry." Umaroth explained.

So Eragon began diving out the Eldunari to the apprentices and once they were all divide, the Eldunari cast the spell that Eragon had used so many years ago when he left the vault of souls. Once they were all done everybody checked their things on the dragons to make sure they weren't forgetting anything.

Eragon climbed on Saphira and then turned to Blodhgarm, "I will leave the safety of the eggs and island to you and everybody else.".

"We will protect them well Shadeslayer." Blodhgarm said while giving a bow.

"Come let us be off I wish to get this trip over with quickly." Saphira said while taking off.

Everybody else started to take off after her and when they were all in the air Saphira started to fly toward Alagaesia with everybody following alongside her.

"We are going home Saphira, after 10 years we are finally going home." Eragon thought to Saphira.

Saphira gave a joyous roar as a response even as the students started to groan because of the Eldunari already starting their lessons.

Eragon, Arya, and Murtagh and their dragons started to laugh at the apprentices as they look to the horizon that seemed to shine at the riders as they returned to Alagaesia.


(A/N) Well this chapter is done and the riders are on their way to Alagaesia. Please remember to review. Be it just to say great/terrible chapter, add a suggestion, or ask a question. I will read all reviews and respond to them all in the story, so everybody gets some limelight lol. With that said, thank you for reading!(A/N)