Chapter 11
"So, how do we proceed? Our contact have to see my Gedwaÿ Ignasia as a proof I'm a Rider so it'll be best if we disguise ourselves and meet him in person." proposed Eragon.
"With posters of us everywhere, we'll be found in no time, especially in place like this one. Murtagh, do you have a better idea?"
The latter looked at the swordsman with a smile. "I have. I go inside alone, talk with your contact and ask him to meet us outside of the city tomorrow. The Empire want you more than me, I'm not a priority to them for now."
Alex clasped his hands and rubbed them together. "In that case, it is settled. We'll wait for you with a hot meal."
Murtagh nodded and rode in direction of the city.
Hours passed by as the trio waited patiently. Alex looked at the entrance of Gil'ead from time to time with his binoculars until he saw someone leaving in hurry and riding at a fast pace in their direction. He quickly recognized Murtagh but something was wrong if he was riding at this speed.
"Eragon, be ready to pack our things when I tell you to."
The third young man then entered the camp, jumped from his saddle and drew out his sword.
"Did you see someone following me?" he asked, his face turning into a scowl.
"Nope. There was no one who left the town after you. Why?"
"I had the infortune to find myself face to face with someone who might know who I am. I had to flee the city before he could alert anyone but thankfully, it was after meeting our contact who agreed to meet us at sunrise, not far from here."
"Great. Now, we have to wish they're not going to send someone to follow your trail." replied Alex, sarcastically. "If it's the case, we're dead meat and we can say goodbye to the Varden."
«Don't think like that, be a little positive. »
"Saphira, I know we have a chance to find them but we can't exclude the fact there's a possibility something bad happen."
«Maybe. »
After this, they decided to go to bed early.
The young Rider was the first to wake up in the middle of the night, he walked to Murtagh and Alex and woke them up. He put a finger to his lips as a way to tell them to stay quiet.
"I don't know why but it's too quiet and Saphira smelled horses nearby. There's something wrong." he whispered to the other two.
Alex quietly put his gear on and withdrew his assault rifle.
"Whoever you are, we know you're here so show yourselves!"
They heard the sound of rustling leaves and a group of Urgals appeared, surrounding the four of them. A tall man with pale skin and blood-red hair was also here, smirking.
"The three most wanted people in Alagaësia delivered to me on a silver plate. It's not every day something like this happens."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Just who the heck are you?"
"My name don't have any importance. You are my prisoners and you're going to follow me to the city, wherever you like it or not."
A bright flash appeared, quickly followed by the sound of thunder and an Urgal fell to the ground, lifelessly. Blood gushed out of a hole in the middle of his head.
"I think you have your answer. I don't like having someone ordering me around, especially a freak like you so go fornicate yourself."
The young man rushed to the fiend, stopped less than two meters away, did a 360 on himself and gave a roundhouse kick aimed to the head. The red-eyed man stopped the blow with his palm. Before Alex could do anything, he saw a blur coming at him, followed by a sharp pain in the neck and then, darkness.
"Sonavabitch." croaked the man with grey hair, feeling a dull pain in the back of his head.
It took him a few moments but Alex finally stood up from his improvised bed on the ground and decided to observe his actual environment.
He was in a cell. That, was deduced pretty simply by the iron door on one side, a window with bars on the other, a cot and a bucket for personal business. The young man felt a little dizzy and couldn't remember a single word from the Ancient Language which mean one thing: they drugged him. Again.
But for now, the most important question was: in which city was he?
The swordsman shook his head and blinked a few times as a method to wake up completely and grunted. "One-hundred chance I'm in Gil'ead, it's the closest city from our camp."
From his window, he could see a street filled with people and a rampart, not too far.
"Yep. Gil'ead confirmed. I have to escape from this room, find the others and leave."
The sound of metal against stone caught his attention and he walked to the door, curious to know who was doing all this noise. A long column of soldiers was walking by his cell, until there was a hole in the formation. An unconscious woman was carried by two of the guards. She had black hair, was wearing dark leather pants and shirt and knee high boots.
«Who is this girl to have so much soldiers around her? She doesn't look dangerous. »
At the second Alex saw her ears, his eyes widened and he understood the situation.
«An elf. Well, that change everything and answer my question at the same time. What is eluding me is: how was she captured by the Empire? From what Brom told me, they were hiding in Du Weldenvarden and the only one who often left this place was their ambassador. Is it her? »
When the column of soldiers disappeared from his sight, the same tall man from last time was here. He looked into Alex's eyes and smiled, revealing pointed teeth.
The young man frowned. «So this is what a Shade looks like…ugly. I really have to escape and soon. »
During the next hours, he walked in circle in his cell, trying to come up with one or several plans to leave Gil'ead discreetly, without alerting the guards. At one moment, a jailor entered and put a tray of food on the ground. Smelling a rancid perfume coming from the food and water, he deduced it was full of drug but shrugged and ate the stale bread. Since Alex couldn't use magic, he didn't care about it.
The sound of two voices talking in front of his door woke Alex up from his nap. He raised an eyebrow when the red-haired man entered his cell and stopped in the middle of the room.
"Your reputation precedes you. The King want you alive and without a single scratch on you. The Ra'zac think you're a dangerous man and I tend to agree. Two blades, one knife and not less than seven weapons from another world. It looks like you're going to war."
The swordsman quickly stood up, smirking. "Maybe I am. But after what they did to me, anyone would have done the same. And I'll crush anyone who would try to stand on my way. Even a Shade."
"You're a fool to think you stand a chance." replied the man, so sure of himself.
"If Galbatorix ordered to bring me to him as soon as possible, doesn't it mean I'm a more dangerous threat than you think? One only he can take care of? So be careful to not underestimate me."
The Shade's grin widened. "We'll see about that. See you later for your transfer to Urû'baen."
It was on this words the man departed but at the moment he stepped outside, the swordsman talked. "I'm going to give you one chance, let me leave this place tomorrow with my weapons, the Rider and the elf if you don't want to find this fortress covered in blood. You have 24 hours to decide. Oh, and it's useless to drug me, I can't use your petty magic."
He refused to answer the provocation and walked away, leaving the jailor lock the door behind him.
«Operation 'Leave this hole called a city' has officially begun. »
Alex had waited until the day was over to act. He looked through the window of the door and didn't saw a single guard. This was the perfect moment. He lifted the right part of his jeans which covered his leg and unsheathed a pocket knife tied to his calf. The young man put it in the lock and began to move it around to find the unlocked position. There was a faint click and the door opened. Putting his hand at the same place, Alex withdrew a black Walter PPK from its holster.
He stepped outside of his cell, walking as quietly as possible. The adolescent checked all the others rooms but didn't found his friend. Sounds of pain and heavy things dropping to the ground echoed not far from his position. Immediately, he rushed to where it was coming from before stopping in front of a bearded man and Eragon.
Alex raised his right arm and pointed the handgun to the man's heart.
"Wait, it's Murtagh!"
The young man didn't move but this time, he aimed at Murtagh's head. "Get down!"
The other adolescent obeyed and the second after, there was a thundering sound and the body of a soldier fell to the ground.
"Phew, that was close. Come on, let's get out of here."
"There's an elf in this jail, we have to rescue her!"
Murtagh growled but followed the Rider to the cell containing the elf. "We should leave while we can, all the guards stationed here will come to investigate where that sound was coming from."
The trio quickly entered the room and found themselves face-to-face with the woman. They all looked at each other for a few moments before she collapsed. Eragon caught her in time. Since the farmer was too weak for this, Murtagh decided to carry her all by himself and handed Eragon a dagger. At the end of the hall, they reached a staircase and decided to climb to the upper floor.
They arrived in a dining hall and went under a table.
Eragon turned to Murtagh, curious and worried at the same time. "I suppose you have a plan to get out."
"Of course." answered the other boy. "We wait."
"We have to retrieve our weapons. Eragon, stay here with the elf. Murtagh, come with me, I'll need your arms."
"Lead the way."
The two adolescents stood up and walked out of the room, trying to find the armory. They came back a few minutes later, their arms full with guns, swords and a bow.
Alex put his gear on him while Murtagh handed Zar'roc to the Rider. "We have to leave now; there's a Shade here."
Murtagh paled. "Saphira must come right now. We can't stay here." The temperature in the room slightly dropped when they heard a chuckle coming from behind them. The Shade had a pale sword in the hand with a long scratch on the side of the blade.
"Eragon, I'm letting you test him. You know what to do."
The Shade was the first to begin the assault. Eragon blocked the hit but not without some difficulties. He grabbed his sword with both hands and retaliated. The swordsman was on the side, observing intensively the fight while the third young man tried to find a way out for them.
«This bastard is playing with him! He just want to know what Eragon is capable of and can overpower him very easily. »
Alex decided that now was a good time to intervene.
"Eragon, switch!"
The farmer jumped back while his friend rushed in the fight, unsheathing his katana and his broadsword. Sparks erupted from the contact between his swords and the Shade's blade. They exchanged blows, ignoring the ceiling crumbling above them.
Beads of sweat appeared on Alex's forehead, his arms grew heavier and his breathing became loud. The man with red eyes was stronger than expected but the adolescent could keep him at bay. The question was: for how long?
Suddenly, he was kicked in the stomach and pushed back to the others. The swordsman rolled a few times before stopping and ran back at his foe.
"Now I understand why the King wants you alive. You have potential, maybe enough to be the next Rider, even if you're not from here. He'll find a way to make you swear allegiance to him!"
"I'll never join an idiot like him! The Empire can rot in hell for all I care!"
Alex took his Desert Eagle from its holster and fired in the Shade's head. Slowly, his skin turned gray and the moment after, an eerie mist stood in his place.
"Good riddance."
Saphira ripped off what was remaining of the roof and jumped in the middle of the room. After a hug from her rider, she widened her eyes in surprise when she saw the woman. But now, there was a problem. A serious one.
«I can't carry four people to the camp, I'm sorry. »
"So," began Murtagh. "One of us has to stay behind and sacrifice himself for the others. Great."
"Okay, I have thirty bullets for the rifle, eight shells in the shotgun, one magazine for the Desert Eagle, three grenades, two swords and two knifes. If I'm lucky, I can get out of here without using all the ammo I have on me."
The others looked at Alex, with a dumbfounded look on their face. He walked to the middle of the room, facing the staircase and waiting for the soldiers to come.
«So, you're going to do it again? Just like in Dras-Leona? » asked Saphira, her voice filled with…sadness?
"Someone has to. You need time and a bait to escape from here, I fit the job perfectly. Now go, get your scaly ass out of here!"
With some reluctance, the blue dragoness used her powerful legs to propel herself in the air and flew in direction of the nearest forest.
"The Shade failed!" yelled a voice. "Go in and capture them!"
A group of twenty guards, more or less, entered the dining room, finding themselves in front of a single man with grey hair. The swordsman observed them with his icy-blue eyes, smirking.
"You know, at first, I wanted to come in this world in peace. But now that I saw what the Empire is capable of, I don't want to be nice with you anymore. If you're searching for the rider and his dragon, too bad, they've already left."
Alex took his Mossberg 500 out of its holster and held it with both hands. His smile widened as he waited for the massacre to begin. He was in his element right now and nothing could spoil his fun.
"Sooooooooooo, who's first?"
They all unsheathed their swords, yelled and ran at him.
"Pff, idiots."
The young man aimed at them, waited, waited and pulled the trigger at the moment he thought was perfect. Four of them fell to the ground, with bleeding holes in their chests. Alex thanked his brilliant brain for having the idea to use piercing bullet instead of the classical 12 gauge.
«And to say they used this against the bulletproof vest of the cops. They sure are powerful and dangerous to use. »
The others soldiers remained unaffected by the loss of four of their comrades and continued to charge the enemy.
More gunshot coming from the room echoed in the fortress, followed by the sound of blades clashing and shouts of pain.
Saphira arrived in a clearing, and landed quite heavily on the ground. Eragon and Murtagh dismounted her and ran to the horses, but not before putting the woman on Cadoc. They were going to leave when the big lizard turned her head to the city. Her instincts were telling her to go back there, she couldn't abandon him. Not after all he did for them.
«I have to go back. »
Eragon's eyes widened. «What? Saphira, you can't! We're going to be captured again if you do that. Be reasonable. »
«I am. Don't worry, little one. We'll join you later. »
Without another word, she left them. Determined to do what she thought was the best thing.
"What is she doing?!" Murtagh grabbed Eragon's arm and pointed to Saphira. "Is she crazy?"
The farmer ignored him and jumped on Snowfire.
"Come on, let's go before they decide to chase us!"
The two adolescents ran in the dark, to the South. Eragon hoped his dragoness and his friend would catch up with them soon.
