Props if you can guess beforehand who dies in this chapter.
WOW I totally missed the one-year mark; it was way back in august! Ah well, I remember that day…I posted the first 6 chapters at once…good times. Back when I didn't have time commitments like I do now, oh! This brings me to my other point: I won't be updating very frequently because high school sucks. Don't really know why I'm saying this, I never update anyway.
Don't even bother protesting the long wait, be grateful I even posted. This story is really hard for me to write; I have no idea why, but the flow of inspiration was lost somewhere after chapter 5. I'm really trying my best to avoid another three-month hiatus….looks at records whoops, my bad, looks like I already screwed THAT up. Anyway, I'm trying, please bear with me. The end is nigh. I think. I am a half-assed writer—why do tomorrow what I could do the day after tomorrow?
I will now proceed to do that which I swore never to do—I will put forth a huge time skip. I'm sorry people, but I need to move the story forward and still be canonical.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except Hadara, Jadzia, Abrienda, Syra, Arnaia, and Emerara. Everything else belongs to Christopher Paolini.
Chapter XIV: Silence is Golden
Winter came and went that year. I don't know how we survived. Hadara was probably fine—it stands to reason the King's Shur'tugal would have heated rooms. In the dungeons though, ice crept over the stones each night.
It had now been five months since we were captured. Emerara kept us updated; it seems Hadara had fully evolved into a servant of the Empire. She was cold and heartless.
But we prisoners refused to fall like she had. And so, as the bruises spread and the blood flowed, we planned.
Abrienda was thinking. And all things considered, her thought process was going relatively well.
Infrequent magic lessons had continued. Abrienda was quite good actually, and if not for the magic-suppressant drug in all her food she would have broken out long beforehand. But that was beside the point—what really mattered was what Murtagh had let slip during one lesson.
The lessons themselves were rather strained, obviously. Hadara wouldn't meet anyone's eye. Murtagh tried to be friendly, but Jadzia still held a grudge against him and Abrienda was often in no mood to talk.
It was actually Galbatorix's fault that she knew this. Crazy man that he was, he'd been muttering to himself, probably complaining about something. Anyway, Murtagh had overheard him and blurted out that he was right, weren't the dragons going to be able to breathe fire soon?
Well! Needless to say, the king wasn't very happy about that little slip. His angry explosion confirmed that what Murtagh said was true.
So Syra would breathe fire soon, would she? Interesting. Very, very interesting.
Not really. Murtagh said they only breathe fire after six months. It's been five.
Abrienda sighed. Syra. At least try to see this as an opportunity?
The dragon snorted. I'm being practical, that's all. You're only angry because you know I'm right.
Well could you at least try to, I don't know, maybe hurry it up a bit? asked Abrienda. Speed up the process, if that's possible?
It's not! said Syra, outraged. Please tell me you aren't serious.
But Galbatorix said sometimes it happens early! Please try, Abrienda pleaded.
Abrienda, I CAN'T! roared Syra.
Famous last words. As the dragon spoke a great burst of flame flew from her mouth. There was a stunned silence, and the Rider recovered first.
Told you so, she said smugly.
Shut up, snapped Syra. I didn't think it was possible. So just shut up. Never mind, don't. Tell me that genius plan you were thinking of.
It's simple, really. You blast open the door which is I fact made of wood. We walk out. Simple. Abrienda looked up expectantly.
Syra paused. What about Jadzia?
Oh…. Abrienda had forgotten. She mentally contacted Jadzia. Jadzia! Arnaia! We're getting out.
WHAT? HOW? Two voices at once crashed into their heads.
Syra can breathe fire, so we're going to try and escape! Abrienda explained hurriedly. We'll come pick you up.
I hope you don't expect this to be all that easy, warned Arnaia.
We don't, Syra assured her. Or at least, I don't. Abrienda's being optimistic; there's no reasoning with her. And with that the dark red dragon took in a deep breath and let fly.
Good work, said Abrienda. Let's go! They stumbled down a long, long hallway and stopped in front of another wooden door. Why did Galbatorix try to keep a dragon behind a wooden door
"Who knows?" said Jadzia as she stepped away from the smoking remains of the door, blinking in the light. "He's just crazy."
"Let's go!" urged Abrienda. The two girls and their dragons hurried towards the main entrance of the castle. "Once we're outside we can fly away," she said as they approached the door.
"You really think so, do you?" said a cold voice. Hadara stepped in front of them, blocking their way. Jadzia and Abrienda froze.
"Um, yes, we really do." Jadzia made a sudden dart past Hadara. The other girl calmly threw out her arm, causing Jadzia to fall to the ground as she ran into it. Abrienda used this momentary distraction to try and make a run for it. She fared slightly better, as Hadara's attention was focused on her current actions—she lifted her foot and slammed it down over Jadzia's throat.
A loud crack rang though the air. Arnaia swayed and fell.
Abrienda's eyes grew wide in horror as she let out a strangled scream. She stumbled backwards, dodging Hadara's fist as she and Syra ran outside. She grabbed blindly onto her dragon's neck.
Hadara rushed outside after her and grabbed her foot as she jumped onto Syra. Abrienda flailed and kicked her in the face. Hadara reeled backwards, clutching her broken nose. Syra extended her wings for the first time and slowly, laboriously took off into the sky.
Meh. I was getting kind of sick of Jadzia. She was becoming a really, really minor character! Well, now she's dead, so I don't have to worry about her anymore.
So….What you just read was the product of my third rewrite of this chapter. Yup, I became quite well acquainted with the backspace button while writing this chapter. Speaking of which, why was it so much easier to write this while listening to President Bush's Address to a Joint Session of Congress on the Terrorist Attacks, made on September 20th, 2001? "We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."
First Gurl Rider: …shut up.
Mystic Archer Horse: huh. Interesting. Sorry, but I already had a plot…
Voldy's Worst Nightmare: kind of ironic now that she's becoming the most evil, right?
alsdssg: ah, well…heh. There's still more time left. Who knows?
I'll tell you people this, though: Jadzia won't be the only one to die. MAJOR props if you can guess who and how!
No clue why that's the chappie title...maybe because my original plan was to have Hadara kill Jadzia because she wouldn't tell where Abrienda was. And, of course, I'm too lazy to change it.
Sweet! I figured out how to make a line break!