Chapter 8

Kale's eyesight was just as sharp as his companions'' now, as they stood waiting for Garrin. He was moving South toward Surda, spearheading the battalion Galbatorix had dispatched to finish his enemies. The countries only hope was for them to kill Garrin, and the forces before they reached the nation. They'd spotted Garrin leaving his castle the day before, and quickly flew ahead of him. Now they were waiting, directly in his path, for him to arrive.

Kale could see the light beginning to come up over the horizon, the sun was about to rise, just as they had planned. They wanted to fight Garrin in the daylight to steel his advantage. Garrin's dragon was a dark maroon, allowing it to disappear in the dark. In contrast, Dirash, Eíon, and Ellsmer were all brightly colored and would be exposed, Dirash most of all.

With the sun finally up, Kale looked out and could see Garrin as a dot on the horizon. It would take at least a few hours for him to arrive, and the three of them quickly concealed themselves from his view. As they waited, they reinforced their energy, checked their wards, and otherwise prepared themselves for battle.

Finally, when Garrin was close enough Kale could see his facial features, they leapt onto their dragons and used their moment of surprise to cast a spell he wouldn't detect.

Aéron yelled, "Thrysta"

Kale followed with, "Malthinae!"

Aràzàdí finished their spells with, "Letta Garzjla!"

The three dragons all came out of hiding, taking to the air as the spells hit. After a moment, Aràzàdí sagged on her saddle as her spell was blocked by Garrin's own wards. Aéron's and Kale's spells both slipped through however. The sudden thrust forced Garrin's Dragon to drop several hundred feet, while Garrin remained motionless in the saddle, bound by Kale's spell.

A second later, Kale felt the increased drain as Garrin tried to free himself. Accessing the first jewel in his belt, Kale fought to sustain the spell, and stop him from defending himself. Garrin fought hard, however, and as they approached he quickly depleted the first jewel of the energy. Reaching for the second jewel, Kale also called out for help from the rest of them. It took less than ten seconds for Garrin to deplete the second jewel of strength, and Kale was forced to switch to the third. At that instant however Aràzàdí and Aéron added the strength of their energy stores as well. Garrin fought desperately as the distance between them halved. Then a moment later, Aràzàdí and Aéron were both forced to pull back their support as their only stores left were in their pommels, which they would need, for it now seemed inevitable that they would have to fight. As they withdrew Kale also gave up the spell, saddened that his dramatic loss of energy would prove to be in vein.

A second later the dark maroon blade Freohr flashed as Garrin drew it ready to strike. The three dragons pulled up just before reaching him, and pulled into a circle, quickly moving around the traitor and dragon.

iMove us in, we'll hack at him together with our swords!/i Aéron called.

The dragons slowly drew their circle inward closing on the human rider. When he was in range Kale struck out with blistering speed, but the man was just as fast as he was, and blocked the blow, then with profound skill, he smacked Kale's blade and stopped Aràzàdí's blade inches from finding the mark, swiveling himself around so Aéron's blow missed him. As Kale swung back, he moved his sword, which still held Kveykva, around so it was Aràzàdí's sword that stopped Kale's, with a twist, he tangled them up in one of the extra leather straps of his saddle, and turned to face Aéron.

As Kale cut the strap, freeing himself and Aràzàdí, Aéron let out a yell, as Freohr slid straight through his upper leg. Garrin pulled the sword free, and was about to deliver the death blow when Eíon interveand. Spinning around so his belly was up, he clawed ferociously at Garrin's dragon, opening a large gash in the dragon's side. With a quick image of fire, Dirash and Ellsmer both rolled away as well, and then Eíon opened up a torrent of flames, bathing Garron.

Kale felt a surge of magic as Eíon opened his jaws, however it appeared he was too slow as a harsh scream came from Garrin as the flames hit. After a moment, Eíon stopped and pulled away as well.

As he did, Kale gat a chance to see Garrin again, his right arm, lay cradled in his lap, the first three fingers missing, and the rest of the hand blackened from the flames. As he turned to look at Kale, he also saw that his hair on the right side had also disappeared and raw pink flesh was exposed where the fire had touched his face.

iI'm taking him down, he needs to heal his leg./i Eíon called to them, as he slowly descended toward the ground below.

"Go with him," Kale called to Aràzàdí, "His sword hand's been burnt, I can handle it."

Ellsmer quickly descended with Eíon while Dirash came back around at Garrin. As they approached, Garrin began a steady chant in the ancient language trying to hurt Dirash or Kale, most of the spells clanked off his wards or Dirash's magic armor. As they drew near again, Garrin picked up his sword in his left and hoisted it confidently.

iGet me close, and catch me./i Kale said, forming a quick plan.

Dirash's answer was a snort that sent a small jet of flame forward.

Then, when they were almost close enough to begin exchanging blows again, Kale cried, "Malthinae!"

To his pleasure Garrin's arms immediately snapped together. As they did so, Kale jumped up off Dirash's back toward Garrin. As he flew forward, Dirash stuck at Garrin's dragon keeping the beast occupied, while Kale flew overhead. Garrin immediately tried to release himself from the spell, but he didn't seem to have as much energy as before, Kale realized he'd be able to hold him off for the time he needed.

Slowly, Kale approached Garrin, briging his sword down, he cleaved the man across his neck and right shoulder, separating his head and right arm from the rest of his body. As he did so, the strain against him disappeared, and he dropped his own spell. Emerging on the other side of the maroon dragon, Kale felt a bit of uneasiness looking down at the distance between him and the ground.

Then with a rush, the white form of Dirash appeared beneath him, and slowly maneuvered so he fell into the hollow on his back. Once he was securely situated, Kale sheathed Wyrda and turned toward the dragon, who was not flailing wildly. Reaching out with his mind he entered the now unshielded mind of the dragon and with a single word killed the beast.

iShould we take care of the petty force this traitor was bringing./i Dirash asked.

iHold on, let's check Aeron first./i Kale replied, then projecting his thoughts downward toward Aràzàdí asked, i How is he?/i

iThe sword pierced the muscle and bone, he was in a lot of pain, so I put him to sleep. It'll be a difficult wound to heal, but I think he'll be alright. /i Aràzàdí replied.

iHow about everyone else?/i Kale asked

iEíon and myself are fine, Ellsmer had a toe taken off by Garrin's dragon, but she said she'll be fine./i Aràzàdí replied, a tinge of sadness and pain in her voice.

i Dirash and I are going to go take out the rest of these forces. Garrin's dragon is falling toward you now, when it hits, search it for more Eldunarí. /i Kale said.

As he finished, Dirash turned northward, and began to fly after the Empire's forces. Within an hour they came into view, and as they drew overhead, Kale felt the sensation of another probing mind. It was soon joined by several others, and even together the feebleness of their attack amused him. With a thought he pushed them aside, and one-by-one found the magicians and killed them. Then with one more pass, entered the minds of each of the soldiers and killed them at once.

When they arrived back at the scene of the fight, Aràzàdí had already prepared Aéron for movement, and had found thirteen Eldunarya in the saddlebags of Garrin's dragon. Having stored them in her own, the two other dragons rose to meet Dirash and they turned back toward the desert.

When they arrived back at their new base, it took very little time to convince the Eldunarya to speak with them; the things they learned from the others gave them a better ability. The ancient dragons had little more intelligence to add to what they'd already learned, other than that of the many hundred Galbatorix had, he could only control a fraction right now.

Then at the urging of Eíon, several of the dragons helped Aràzàdí tend to Aéron's wound, schooling her in new spells to better heal it. When they finished with that, in a similar fashion to the first set, they reached out and pumped energy out of themselves and into their jewels fully saturating everything they carried.

iNow I ask that, you send those of us who wish it into the void. We have seen the passing of our riders and have been forced to serve the traitors that killed them./i The Eldunarí they'd been conversing with said.

Then a medium sized blue-green one spoke up, iI wish to remain. I seek to atone for my service by staying and fighting with you./i

i We will honor your wishes, all of you/i Kale said.

With a last exchange, Kale targeted the Eldunarya that wished to die, and with the same spell crushed them, leaving only the one Eldunarí, Yivarin.