Chapter XV
My Wrong Choice
"Amber, Amber!" someone yelled.
I woke up and saw it was Christal who was trying to wake me.
"What?" I yawned.
"Friciey's gone!" she yelped.
I looked at my gedwëy ignasia, it was glowing silver like Saphira's scales.
"Du Arget Garjzla," I muttered under my breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing!" I said in alert that she heard me.
Look who found us, said Ellestygia indicating the strawberry-brown horse in the corner of our camp.
"Tobascco! How did you find us?" I asked.
That's easy, just follow the chaos, she replied.
"Funny, listen, I need Christal to ride you, Ellestygia," I said.
What!
"It's only for half the trip, Ellestygia, and besides it might be fun to teach Christal a thing or two."
"What trip, when?" said Christal.
"The trip back to Ellesméra and now is when."
"But, Amber, how will I ride her, she hasn't got a saddle!" I said, and held out my hand, my palm facing upward. I said a few words in the ancient language, and a brown orb materialized, hovering over my palm. I flicked my hand toward Ellestygia's back, and the orb streamed onto her back, turning into her saddle.
"That's how," I said.
"Whoa, how did you do that?" asked Christal in awe.
"It's kind of complicated."
Christal scrambled onto Ellestygia's back with a leg up. After we had our plans set and Christal was securely on Ellestygia, I told her it was time to go. She bounded off, and I jumped on Tobascco and she galloped off after Ellestygia. When I looked down I saw the sand changing from yellow to deep gold as we went further into the desert.
We rode for hours, endless hours, until I felt the presence of where I wanted to be.
"Tobascco, turn right- now!" I said pulling her into a sharp, on-the-dime turn to the right.
Wha...no...ow! she yelped confused for a second, then, her thoughts caught up with what she was seeing, I don't want to- Amber, what are you thinking!
I don't like this...no...I will not! I want no part in this messed up scheme of yours, and is that, Amber, you can't make me go to…
"You're not going to change my mind, never, it's for someone's own good!" I said before she could say "its" name.
"It" got clearer into view, its dark pillars not even attempting to catch the sun's rays, even thought it was the brightest day yet. I saw Urû'baen.
What are you even thinking about doing here! asked Tobascco in a frightened tone.
"I'm going to save Arya, for crying out loud!" I said annoyed.
How do you even know she's in that forbidden death trap, for all you know it could be a trap!
"Trust me, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
I suddenly felt dizzy and unstable, until I fainted, probably because, like Tobascco said, this was a trap.
I saw Arya in the same cell she was in before. She was laying on the floor barely breathing and twitching in unknown pain. All of a sudden a Shade appeared out of nowhere, blocking Arya from my view. The Shade was a woman, who looked like she could be Durza's sister.
I see she has not long, but who cares, Galbatorix would be pleased to get rid of her for escaping him more than once.
Who are you, I said noticing I was now standing with Arya and the Shade.
I am Arilia, Carsaib's sister.
Who...oh, Durza, I said remembering that before Durza was a Shade he was Carsaib, a boy with no parents. He was found by a person living in the desert, and he always called Carsaib "desert rat" then the man was killed and Carsaib called upon the Spirits, then they turned on him, turning him into a Shade, Durza.
Come if you dare to save her life, but be aware of losing yours. With that she disappeared, leaving me to slowly wake.
When I woke I was mysteriously on the ground, looking up at Tobascco.
"How in the world did I get on the ground?" I exclaimed.
You just fell off of me after you fainted.
She tried to say something else, but I cut her off saying, "There's no time to talk, Arya's in danger of dying. Stay here, and if I'm not back by dusk, try and call Ellestygia or Christal."
You're going into that horrid death hall!
"How many names do you have for Urû'baen... never mind," I said starting to run to Urû'baen.
I ran until I was a dragon's length away, then I stopped.
"Garjzla letta," I whispered so I wouldn't be seen.
I went over my plan in my head as the spell took effect, then, I whispered it aloud. Sneak in, get Arya, look in the treasury for eggs, and get out all without being seen. That ought to be easy, but I don't know, being me and all. I whispered it several times until I made sure I wouldn't do anything wrong, though it would be hard to. I walked on until I meet Urû'baen's doors, but they weren't really doors. It was more of a rectangular hole about thirteen to fifteen feet tall, and eleven feet wide. I cautiously walked through it, my eyes were franticly darting from side to side looking for danger. I was completely visible now that the spell had lost effect. I then noticed all the guards were gone, I wondered were they could be, but finally I gave up the attempt.
After ten minutes, which seemed like an hour, I found cells lined in a row all the way down one corridor.
"Skulblakas ven," I whispered gaining Ellestygia's sight.
I looked down the row of cells, seeing through the cells, I saw a red-yellow figure on the floor. Magic users are usually red-yellow while enemies are red-orange. I knew it was Arya, but I still walked cautiously to the cell. I drew my sword, and, being close enough, I looked through the bars making a window at the top of the door.
"Arya, Arya, please wake up- oh, duh, vankna," I said.
Arya slowly opened her eyes, "Am…ber," she said weakly.
"Yes, it's me, but how do I get you out?" She seemed to gain back her strength fast, considering she was an elf.
"I don't know, but you could try breaking the lock, that might work."
"Why didn't I think of that!"
I drew my ice blade and commanded water and the blade froze. I then touched the lock with my blade's tip. Then, it did something I hadn't seen before, when it touched the lock turned to solid ice. I thrust the blade upward and the iced-over lock shattering it off.
"Arya, hurry!" I said pushing the door open and grabbing her arm, pulling her along. I ran in the direction that Arya was pointing to, the treasury.
Once we entered the treasury I had made a horrible mistake. The giant, evil,black dragon Shruikan laying by the wall to the left of us, but he was sleeping.
"Arya, look," I whispered, "there's a dragon egg."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm going to take it."
"Amber, you can't, it might be a trap."
"But Galbatorix could find the Rider before us."
I cautiously walked to the egg, and bent down to pick it up. I put the egg in my cloth pouch. As soon as it left the ground Shruikan's evil-red eyes opened, it was like Arya had said, and the egg was like a trap. Shruikan rose to all fours, flaring his wings, and looking straight at the wall in front of him. I knew he would soon see me, so I slowly backed away.
"Let's go," I whispered to Arya.
"Oh you've done it now!" she yelled at me.
We both realized that she had attracted Shruikan's attention to us. "No, I think you've done it!" I yelled.
Then, Shruikan let loose a defining roar that made loose dirt fall from the stone ceiling. I took Arya once more by the arm, and ran with her out of the room in to a long hallway leading to the entrance.
We ran down the long hallway, but halfway down it the ceiling crumbled under weight unknown to me. Two flashes sped through the giant hole in the ceiling, one was red, and the other was black tinged with silver. I soon realized, as they landed, the two flashes were dragons. I stopped in my tracks, Arya holding my arm for support, as the red dragon jumped in front of us: It was Thorn, with Murtagh atop him. The black dragon jumped behind us, making us trapped. The black dragon was not Shruikan, for it was too small and it had a single, silver ring around its neck, legs, wings, and tail. Thorn still had scars from his previous encounter with Ellestygia. Thorn reacted quickly, and went to lunge for us.
Oh it's over, I thought.
Just as I finished thinking this a loud roar, followed by a blue flash diving through the hole in the ceiling, tackled Thorn away. Ellestygia replied to my thought, Not while I'm here it's not.
You heard me?
Amber, I always hear your thoughts, even if you are thinking to yourself.
I smiled at her, then realized Murtagh had been thrown from Thorn's back. Thorn's right hip was bleeding again, and while Thorn was immobilized the black dragon acted quickly and threw itself at Arya and I.
DUCK! yelled Ellestygia.
I grabbed Arya, and pulled her to the floor with me as the dragon jumped over us. Ellestygia pivoted, and lashed her tail at the dragon, hitting in the chest. It was flung across the hallway, and hit the opposite wall, crumpling into a heap of black scales on the ground.
Get on! said Ellestygia.
I pulled Arya across the room. Ellestygia crouched down, and I got on, puling Arya up behind me. I grabbed Ellestygia's neck spike, as she jumped into the air, escaping through the gapping hole in the ceiling.
She took us miles from Urû'baen, but only to land feet from Tobascco and Christal.
How long did you think you could trick me for? said Ellestygia when I was dismounting her.
"Shorter than that!" I said still frightened of what could've happened, "Tobascco, it's not even dark yet, why did you call her?"
Because I saw him, she said.
"Who, who did you see ,Tobascco?"
I saw the evil, back-stabbing, Rider-destroying, evil, evil, dark king! she said stomping her hoof into the ground at every adjective.
My eyes widened along with Christal's, Arya's, and Ellestygia's, but I was the one to speak for all of us.
"You saw Galbatorix!" I exclaimed in complete shock.
I-I-I think!
"You think, so did you see him or not!"
I-I-I know it was him, I could just sense it, now that you mention it, but I couldn't hardly see him because of the…
"'The'- what?"
Nothing! she snapped in alarm.
We started to talk, then something came to my front thoughts, "Arya, who was that black dragon?"
"Oh, just Galbatorix's new pets, Zoey and her dragon Cyindr."
"Oh, wonderful, more evil competition, but how did Galbatorix get them?"
"Well, Galbatorix was infuriated that...wait, you're the new Rider, aren't you!"
"Yes, I've been trying to tell you that, that's how I got this sword, it's a Rider's sword, and that is my dragon, Ellestygia."
I'm so glad I can meet you now, Arya Drottningu, I've waited for a while to have the honor.
"Pleased to meet you too, Ellestygia, but the honor is mine. I've personally have been wanting to meet the new Rider and Dragon for a while, too, and who knew it would be Amber, of all people?"
"Hey," said a little offended.
"Not in that way, Amber."
"Can you please tell me more about that story of Zoey and Cyindr?"
"Oh, yes, sorry, Galbatorix was infuriated that there was another Rider on our side, so he wanted one for his own, but it would be too hard to find a Rider without the dragon, so he found one already with a dragon: Zoey. There was one problem though, she lived in Teirm, and her parents hated Galbatorix, to him, they were a threat to his new plan, so, he got rid of them."
"He killed them?" I asked.
"Yes."
Christal gave a small gasp.
"Don't be so surprised, Christal, it's Galbatorix we're talking about, if people are in the way of his plan, he gets rid of them the easiest way."
"Okay, back to the story."
"Sorry, Arya."
"He kept Zoey and, most importantly, her dragon alive, though, because Zoey had been asleep when he killed her family. She didn't know what her parents' worst enemy looked like though, and he told her someone else had killed them. Then told her he would now take care of her, so he took her, made her swear oaths of loyalty to him, unknowingly, and her dragon protectively followed, all the way to Urû'baen."
"So Cyindr was full grown?"
"No, she was still a baby, but she was different."
"How did Galbatorix make Zoey swear oaths, unknowingly?"
"He told her to repeat what he was saying, for her protection, but really they were unbreakable oaths of loyalty."
"That's horrible!" I exclaimed, Christal nodded in agreement, or was it something different, she seemed to understand that kind of action.
"That's a horribly great story," I said, "but we need to get going."
I had a feeling I had just ruined Arya's sense-of-pride moment. We sorted out rides, Arya and I would ride Ellestygia considering she was strong enough now, while Christal would ride Tobascco. Then we would swap, so they could stay away from danger. So we set off for Ellesméra, and Ellestygia flew off in a pace in which Tobascco could keep up, which was fast, flying northwest.
We flew through the night, myself and Arya falling into our waking dreams while Ellestygia kept watch. It was quiet until Ellestygia woke me softly, I think we should switch now, Amber.
"Alright, then let me tell Tobascco."
Tobascco, you need to stop.
Right.
Ellestygia, you can land now, but do it softly.
Alright.
She started in a dive, and landed softly beside Tobascco. I quietly slid off her back onto the ground.
Amber, what are you doing!
"Keeping them safe, now obey Arya as you would me."
I went over to Tobascco, and softly woke Christal. She was still in a kind of sleep-state when I told her to get on Ellestygia, so that I thought she didn't even know what she was doing. I jumped on Tobascco once Christal was on Ellestygia, and as Ellestygia took flight smoothly, Tobascco followed in a full gallop. I soon fell into my waking dreams after complete silence for at least thirty minutes.
Chapter XVI
We Return to Ellesméra
We only stopped once in the morning to let Ellestygia and Tobascco rest. Then, we were off again, Christal and I ridding Ellestygia and Arya riding Tobascco. About three hours later we came upon Du Weldenvarden, its tall trees beckoning.
"Ellestygia, land, now," I shouted.
Alright.
Ellestygia dove toward the clearing where Tobascco had stopped. Christal, in her fear of diving on dragons, was squeezing my waist so tight that I could've turned around and slapped her arms, but I resisted. Ellestygia landed, her back feet touching first, then her front feet followed softly. I slid off her back.
"Nice landing," I said helping Christal off.
"'Nice'! she exclaimed, "that was petrifying!"
"Home," I said taking a deep breath of fresh air, "but something seems different."
"Maybe it's the fact that we're still in the forest!" said Christal sarcastically.
"No, Christal," I said sarcastically.
"Yes, I sense it too," said Arya walking up.
"I don't like this come on!" I yelled swinging up onto Ellestygia's back.
She flared her wings, jumped into the sky, and bent her wings slightly forward to gain speed. She flew fast toward Ellesméra, but not so fast that I couldn't see the beautiful sights there were to see. The first thing I saw was the beautiful, crystal clear mountain stream that Arya and I had swum in when we were young. Though what shocked me were all the trees that were snapped as if something had slammed straight into them, and when I looked closer I saw they were cover in globs of red, "BLOOD!" I yelped at Ellestygia.
It was all over the trees that were snapped. Something had slammed into them, and either the thing that had slammed into them was already hurt, or was hurt when slamming into the trees. I soon ruled out the thing being hurt by the trees because the first tree had blood on it too.
In seconds my vision jerked from the forest to the first tree-carved houses of Ellesméra that were whizzing by like dragons at full speed. Before I knew it we came upon the house where I lived with Islanzadi and Arya.
"Ellestygia, land!" I said, but she was already in a dive.
In a few minutes I saw through the trees we were diving through, there was a sapphire and red lump on the ground with numerous figures around it. As we landed I realized the lump was Saphira and the numerous figures were Eragon and some of the elves, that were standing around her. Ellestygia landed, and I jumped off her and ran toward Eragon.
"What's going on here?" I asked concerned.
Eragon turned to me, his eyes full of sadness, "Don't you see this?"
He pointed to Saphira. My mouth nearly fell open as I saw Saphira; She was lying in crouch position on the ground, her head resting on the ground and her eyes were shut.
"What happened?" I asked again.
Saphira touched my mind, He needs help healing me, she said softly.
I looked at her again, and saw that the red stripes on her were gashes all over her body.
"I do not!" exclaimed Eragon in defense.
"Eragon Bromsson, do not tell me you don't need help, just look at her!" I yelled at him.
Saphira opened her big, beautiful sapphire eyes to look at Eragon, and as I looked into them I saw the normal joy and cheerfulness in them had turned to pain, discomfort, and hurt. My eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Saphira."
She closed her eyes as if it were to much effort, and faintly let her head fall to the side.
"ERAGON do something! I yelled, " help me heal her or you're going to end up like Brom!"
"Fine," he said heavily, giving in at the sound of his father's name.
We both said "waíse heill", the same thing happened, and the blue, mist-like magic was now healing Saphira. I was talking to Eragon through my mind.
I know who you are, Eragon, who you really are.
What are you talking about?
You mean he hasn't told you?
Who... hasn't told me... what?
Never mind I'll tell you later.
We finished the magic, and Saphira rose to her feet and flared her wings, I smiled at her grace and beauty.
Amber, thank you for helping Eragon heal me.
"And, Amber, what in the world were you talking about earlier?"
"Let's just say, I found out who my father is."
Saphira jerked her head back as if something had slapped her in the face.
"What, Saphira?" asked Eragon.
Oh, Amber, she said, I know.
"You do?"
Yes, now tell Eragon.
"Eragon, you know how Brom always kept secrets from you?"
"Yes, more than he should."
"Well, he kept one secret from both of us; I'm his daughter."
"Wow, that's… wait WHAT!"
"I'm Brom's daughter."
"Then you're my… my… sister!"
"Yes, Eragon, I was surprised too."
I told Eragon about how I found out we were siblings, and then told him about my two battles with Thorn. Just as I finished, Arya arrived with Christal, both sitting on Tobascco.
"We're finally here because someone thought it would be funny to leave us in the middle of the forest!" said Christal.
"It wasn't for fun it was an emergency!"
Then, Ellestygia returned from her mission to go and get Islanzadí.
"What's going on here?" asked Islanzadí
"I for one, don't know what happened, ask Eragon."
Eragon told us that he had gotten in a battle with Zoey in Cyindr.
"So that's how Saphira got those gashes!" said Christal.
"Well, no duh, how else would she get gashes that big!" I said, "But it doesn't seem right, how could Zoey and Cyindr get good enough to maul Saphira, in at least a week, I mean Thorn never even got that good over... well... never."
Yes, well it might not have been Cyindr, because I never saw any silver rings, said Saphira.
"You mean you fought Shruikan!"
I believe so.
"Whoa, that's incredible, did you see Galbatorix?"
"Amber, think about it, if we fought Galbatorix, I mean I fought him, we'd be dead now, because I would've been killed," said Eragon.
I don't think so, Eragon, you are a great fighter, said Saphira.
"Quit bragging on me, Saphira."
I'm telling the truth, you are a great Rider.
"Well, if you don't mind my cutting in, but now that that's over, Amber, do you mind going and cleaning up, please, you're filthy," said Islanzadí.
"Oh, no, not at all!" I said running up to the house Islanzadí, Arya, and I lived in. After taking a shower, brushing my hair, and putting on a new dress, I went outside to find Arya and Christal talking.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing," said Arya like she was hiding something.
"What are you…"
"Amber!" said Christal cutting me off, "can we see the egg?"
"Yes, Amber, do show us the egg," said Arya sounding relived by Christal's interruption.
"Oh, fine let me go get it."
I walked over to Ellestygia, who was by the cloth pouch with the egg in it. Ellestygia growled at me.
Amber, you're keeping something from me, and I don't know what or why you are, but I know you are.
"Alright, but I won't ever tell you, you won't like me for it."
I ran back over to Christal and Arya. I took the egg out of the pouch, and as soon as I did rainbows shoot all over the place.
"Wow it's beautiful!" exclaimed Christal.
"It's not beautiful, it's gorgeous!" exclaimed Arya, "I've never seen anything like it!"
"Where did you get it?" asked Christal.
"In the treasury in Urû'baen, I thought I told you that."
"Nope."
"Well, now I have."
Sorry to interrupt, but I must go now, said Tobascco walking up to us.
"Okay, thanks for all the help, Tobascco," I said.
Anytime, she said.
"Yes, thank you Tobascco," said Christal.
"I am thankful as well," said Arya.
And thank you all for this wonderful adventure, but I'm sure it won't be the last one, especially with you, Amber.
With that she turned and galloped off into Du Weldenvarden to return to her heard, that had been waiting for her return.