Hello everybody! Circling right back around with chapter 20. Progress, my friends, it's being made! That being said, I hope you all can... appreciate what I'm trying to do in this chapter. I know a lot of you disagreed with me the last time xD.
That being said, I went back and rephrased Eragon's outburst in chapter 18. You can go back and read it if you want, but in short he no longer confesses to love Arya, instead saying something about being unable to leave her alone. Enough of my ramblings, enjoy your chapter!
For those of you still wondering, Eragon's song was inspired by "You don't know me" by Erutan.
Saphira quietly touched down on the edge of the Varden's encampment. It was strange seeing the men and women he'd come to know from afar out of the dark tunnels. After the Urgal attack, however, Brom decided it wasn't safe for the Varden to remain within Tronjheim. Now, understocked and understaffed, the army camped in Surda. Although king Orrin, the leader of Surda, didn't openly support the cause, he… condoned the trespass. Soon, however, they would have to march.
'I will hunt now. The journey has been long and I'm hungry.' She said. Eragon wished her happy hunting and moved into the camp. Thankfully it was dark so instead of a flocking mass, he only got the occasional stare from a sentry. To his pleasant surprise he found a large cat with unusual eyes like his stalking one of the chickens.
'Hello, Solembum.'
'Eragon.' The cat replied, too caught up in his task to notice the rather obvious change in the rider.
'Can you tell me where I might find Angela?'
'Third tent on the left.' He replied, equally distracted as the first time before pouncing on the unfortunate bird. Furiously flapping its wings, it managed to smack the were-cat over the head, stunning him. Indignantly it strutted away. Smiling in amusement Eragon carried on and knocked on the tent post of the third tent to his left.
Sure enough Angela's angry voice shouted. "Just a moment!" Before the witch, clad in nightgown, poked her head out of the tent flap. "Do you have any idea what time- Oh, hello Eragon. I was not aware you had returned."
"I returned a few minutes ago. I know it's late, but if you have the time, I'd like a word." He answered. Angela's eyes briefly glanced to Eragon's wings. She wasn't even surprised and Eragon wasn't even surprised she wasn't surprised.
"Alright, just give me a moment to make myself presentable." Before he had the chance to reply, she had zipped up the tent again. Furious rummaging and the clatter of pots and pans ensued until, eventually, she opened the tent flap fully and waved him inside. Still not quite used to his new… assets, he struck both supports, making the tent wobble dangerously. "Jesus, keep those tucked in, will you? Just look at you, barely five minutes on the ground and you have dragged them through enough dirt to turn the wings black." Angela muttered.
"I would if I knew how." Eragon replied tiredly.
She stepped around and, not even asking for permission, Pushed up against the base of his wings, twisting them in a way he had not put them before. It Hurt!
"Ouch!" He hissed.
"Quit whining. It takes muscle control, if you can't do this, forget about flying. Put some effort into strengthening those wings."
"Angela," Eragon said, turning to her, "He's gone."
"I know. I knew the moment I saw you. Don't presume I didn't know…" She was rambling and doing a bad job at hiding it.
"Angela. Angela!" He yelled, snapping her out of it. "What aren't you telling me."
"Dammit Eragon. You weren't supposed to kill him. Not yet at least. That was the plan, the plan all along." The witch said, flopping down in one of the chairs in the tent.
"You were in on this? To what happened to me?" Eragon asked, anger rising. Angela sensed it, the way the air suddenly began to vibrate with power as rage fought to get the better of him.
"Don't you talk down to me!" She said, rising from the chair. Suddenly his power wasn't the only one filling the air, an eerily similar yet much more powerful one emanating from the witch.
"Well?" Eragon pressed, fully intending to strong-arm her into submission.
Angela and Eragon locked stares, neither appearing to give in until Angela let go and resumed her seated position. "No! Yes… maybe. It's not like that, Eragon. Icarus and I, we go back. Way back."
Eragon's mind was reeling at the possible implications. "How far back?"
"We… served under the same ruler for some time, and-"
"Not buying." Eragon interjected.
Angela stared at Eragon for several moments. "Tell me why you are here, or this conversation is over."
The rider knew he had hit a dead end. "His last words were to come find you for tutelage. Now is hardly the time for that. Clearly you have something to grieve. Sorry to have bothered you, I will return tomorrow." Eragon rose, keeping his wings neatly tucked in as she'd shown. He barely made it out of the tent before his quivering muscles released and they dropped back down to the ground.
"Nice wings."
Immediately Eragon's eyes shot back up to see Brom leaning against a tent pole opposite him. "You scared me for a moment there." Eragon replied, shaking it off.
"Come now, you really think anyone can enter or leave my encampment without me knowing it?" Brom grinned.
Eragon shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty much."
Brom truly laughed now. "And you would probably be right. The security around here is an issue I can't seem to get a grip on. Fortunately we don't have much to hide at the moment. One of the sentries told me someone with honest-to-god wings walked into the camp. I threatened to tie him to the flogging pole for wasting my time, but he insisted. It's good to have you back, Eragon."
"Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you? I came to Tronjheim only to find you gone. Missed the army by three days, Hrothgar said. Tell me why you decide to start moving after I stop contacting you on a daily basis? Told me you marched for Surda. I… tried to find you out here in the desert. You know, my way. Although the lizards make for splendid conversational partners, I ended up in Aberon. Lovely fellow, king Orrin. Only insulted me seven times before I could extract the information concerning your whereabouts from him."
Brom visibly shuddered. "Yes, he can be… difficult."
"The king of all understatements." Eragon replied.
"On a more interesting note, how did you manage to suddenly sprout wings? I know the elves change themselves from time to time, but never like this. Not to mention you don't have a grasp on that kind of magic."
"That is a story I will tell you in due time, but not here and not now. I am tired and need to sleep. You don't happen to have a tent and cot that has sufficient size for these?" Eragon said, gesturing towards his wings.
"That depends, how large are we talking?"
"I had a friend of mine pace the wingspan. Twenty-three steps from tip to tip. According to Angela I need to train them more before I try flight, though."
"You know, when you say it like that it almost sounds as if you are compensating for something." Brom jested
"Well, you know what they say about men and their wings…" Eragon retorted. Brom flipped him the bird and Eragon knew all was well in the male world. Sleep, however, only found him briefly that night. As during his travels, it was continuously disturbed by disconcerting dream after nightmare. That had been six weeks ago and the quality of his nights remained… unchanged. Angela, too, made an effort to avoid him wherever possible. Figuring she wasn't ready to talk to him yet, Eragon respected her unexpressed wish for distance. The remainder of the Varden had had… mixed reactions bout his transformation. There were three discernable groups. The first only alienated him further, now convinced there was nothing remotely worldly left in him. The second seemed genuinely accepting and praised the exotic beauty of his white-tipped-with-gold wings. The last group was the most troublesome.
A few of the humans had taken one look at his wings and immediately been stricken with an unhealthy awe. It was only a matter of time before they found each other and started an honest-to-god cult in his honor. Without Icarus about to consult him on the matter he had largely stuck to ignoring them. When they'd begun kidnapping and killing children in his name, however, he'd been forced to step in. Eragon, forced to play the part of messenger of the gods, had laid down a series of firm but fair guidelines to keep them in check. All in all the experience had just been degrading.
In between these… exotic escapades of his fellow humans – if he could still classify himself as a human that is – he had been sent out on small missions. Until Brom managed to get enough support for an actual all-out war, they had been limited to a war of attrition; hit-and-run on Empire supply convoys. A desperate measure to ensure the Varden had breakfast tomorrow, even if Brom wouldn't admit it. A huge mistake in his judgement, but he would not cross Brom so soon after he had taken the role of leader upon himself. And bread from the Empire was way tastier than whatever sour concoction the Varden cooks made out of the desert sand.
Sure, sending a rider on supply raids was a little bit overkill, but it was a guaranteed win without casualties for the Varden. An added benefit for Eragon is that he didn't have to be around others all the time, give him a chance to wind down every once in a while.
Deciding to make the best out of the situation he had taken to bringing Nemeya with him. Conflict always generated loads of attention. Even if the conflict had more in common with target practice. This was the twelfth raid since his return. Having slaughtered the platoon of escorting soldiers, he and Nemeya had begun rounding up the supplies that had been scattered around during their… intervention. Eragon retrieved three of his arrows from a dead soldier, wincing as he pulled the cut across his chest taut. He had been taken completely by surprise by a stray arrow. One that he had been taught to deflect a thousand times by Icarus, but today he just missed it.
"I think that's the last of it." Nemeya said, sitting down next to him. She had done admirably, her aim having improved substantially since their last meeting. "Still can't get used to the wings though."
"Learning how to fight with my swords again has been rather tricky." Eragon admitted. "But they allow for a lot of moves I couldn't have hoped to do before. Touching his fingers to his chest he saw them come back red. "I should go clean this out. Can you wait for the detail Brom sent to pick up the supples?" She nodded.
"Sure."
"Oh and when they do come, don't do any of the actual hauling yourself. You already did the hard part of this job."
Nemeya smiled her telltale grin. She almost reminded him of Arya. It took a special kind of woman to appear beautiful surrounded by death and blood. 'I saw a stream nearby.' Saphira said as he hopped onto her saddle.
'Well, lead the way.' It was only a short flight, but small brook was clear and surrounded by trees, giving a decent degree of privacy to prying eyes. Somewhat of an essential when you were traveling around with a dragon in hostile land. Eragon knelt down by the stream, gently rinsing the long gash that ran down his chest.
'Does it hurt much?' Saphira asked as she tried to get the remainders of bone out from between her claws.
'No, it's already healing. I was careless.' He replied, splashing some of the cold water on his face.
'Not careless, just distracted.' His dragon corrected. He would argue with her, but she was right. With Icarus gone it was like there was constantly a small army of people nagging for his attention somewhere in the back of his mind. At first they had been nothing but nuisances, but at night they presented themselves in horrid nightmares. Eragon was already used to sleeping very little – even more so than Icarus had changed him at first. Now, the little sleep he did get was always disturbed. In the last six weeks he had slept perhaps twelve hours, and it was starting to show. He was beginning to make mistakes, miss things. The wound across his chest was just one of the many examples.
As Eragon sat on the ground, he found his eyes drifting shut. He found himself in the dark, surrounded by floating lights, gently floating in the air. Sleep deprived as he was Eragon was thankful for the reprieve. As far as he could see there were no malformed monsters, no infernal fire, no detached limbs or heaps of corpses. No Arya being tortured, no excruciating pain. Just… darkness. Behind him he heard light, almost faint breathing. Wondering what he'd be confronted with today, he turned around. On the bed was his late uncle Garrow, just the way he remembered him moments before his death. Except something seemed… off. Not him, please not him. Do not taint my memories of him. Eragon thought as he forced his body to move closer.
Kneeling down next to the bed he waited patiently, knowing what was about to happen. He couldn't measure the time. It could have been seconds or hours. Eventually Garrow's labored breathing leveled and, a moment later stopped. There wasn't supposed to be anything after this, but instead Garrow's body began to shake uncontrollably, lips quivering. With a start, Garrow's unseeing, dull eyes shot open and bored into Eragon's.
"It's cold. So very cold. And dark." Garrow whispered. "Please, Eragon. Where are you?"
"I'm here." Eragon replied.
"I can see gray. A little bit of gray but it's so far away. I need to go so much further to get to it. I don't know if I can."
"He is waiting for you, you know." Eragon looked up to see the woman from the fairth, the one Brom had called Selena and his supposed mother, standing there. Eragon knew none if this was real, but it still felt… dirty.
"What are you?" He asked.
"A guide." Was her simple reply. "I am here to help you aspire to greatness, Eragon. Tell me, do you know what greatness, at its very core, is?"
"Humor me."
She walked around him. "One of the most significant moments in human history was when we bonded with Dragons. Not so much what we aspired to become, but the realization we could communicate ceaselessly and completely. Can you imagine what it would be like up there in the inhospitable clouds with no way of talking to each other?"
"Be that as it may, why is Garrow here."
"He will be your training subject. As his successor, you must learn how to communicate with those beyond the grave."
"Why are you here? Why are you doing this to me?" When she only smirked in reply he got up and walked over to her, intent on shaking the answers out of her even if whatever it was that stood there looked like his mother. Yet however hard he tried, his hands couldn't touch her. It was as if an invisible force pushed him back towards the bed.
The entity laughed. "You don't understand, do you? Whatever happens, whatever you do, wherever the world strands. None of that matters. What matters is that we found a way to communicate with our brethren beyond. He is in a place right now where you will never be able to physically reach him anymore. Yet it is a place you would do well to learn as much as you can about. The most important thing is to keep him talking. The moment you lose him, he becomes useless. Don't let him become useless." She said that last part with a malice that revealed killing intent.
Garrow gasped. "Eragon."
The rider turned back to Garrow who was now clearly dead. Grabbing his hand, the skin having turned the rain-cloud shade of the deceased, he said: "I'm here."
"I got to the gray… to the ground. It's so cold."
Eragon shot one look to whatever it was that shared the dream with him, knowing he had to play along or else. "Can you describe where you are?"
"It's more real now… solid, but it's all so grey. A grey sky, grey sand, the gray sea behind me. And the clouds… oh god the clouds are screaming."
"The ocean, tell me what you can see in the ocean."
"Miles and miles of hungry dark, eating at the world. Mustn't go there, so cold…"
"What's in the other direction?" Eragon asked.
"The way… the way I must go. Just the sand, the gray sand forever. Not many bad things to see yet, but there will be more. There will be more soon. I'm gonna start walking now." There was an undeniable truth about the words, like when talking to a small child.
"Garrow, talk to me." Eragon pressed, somewhat distressed.
"No, this is not a place for talking. All the talking was supposed to be done already. I think I better stay quiet now. My voice is all the way up there… with you…"
"Garrow, please tell me what's happening.
"I… I think I have died, I have finally died. The thing ahead, it's expecting me. It has been expecting me since before I even was a fuzzy little thing in my mother's arms. But it feels frighteningly right. He has been expecting me since before my parents, and before theirs. So far back…" After a moment Garrow's mouth quirked in what would have been an awkward smile. "There are other people. They are naked, but I mean… really naked. It's like I can see inside of them, like there are no more walls. Their thoughts and feelings almost hanging around them like ghosts. They are so naked, Eragon."
"So what are all the people doing?"
"Moving."
"Moving where?"
"The center. Just like me. I must keep moving…"
"What happens if you stand still?"'
"I will be stuck here forever…"
Without warning the cold, bony hand of the dead wrapped around his wrist, pulling him forward. Suddenly the person in the bed was no longer Garrow, but Icarus. His wings were shredded, eyes gouged out as maggots crawled through what remained of his once flowing mane of hair. "Just like you!" He said as the floor underneath Eragon turned into water. He was barely able to gasp in a breath before he was pulled under.
Suddenly Icarus's hands weren't the only ones on his body. Clawing, decaying hands reached for whatever part of him they could grab hold of. Some faces were familiar, others weren't, but they all held so much malice. Unrelentingly they carried him down until he was no longer able to hold his breath.
Eragon gasped as the world around him came back into focus. Saphira patiently waited next to him. 'Another nightmare?' She asked. Eragon nodded. He noticed a few spatters of blood remained on his knuckles. Reaching forward once more he continued to rinse them with water. His eyes drifted to the grass where his discarded blades lay. It would be so easy to run them down his wrists, to end this… whatever his existence was before it got worse. After all, he had secured the future. Arya had the egg, would find someone who could do his job; someone who wasn't broken and failing on the most fundamental level. Searching for a glimmer of hope in the dark he had waited for Arya. The first week he had ceaselessly kept watch at night, hoping for her to show. By the second week that hope had withered and by the third it had died.
Eragon shook it off. He could never do that to Saphira. He knew the pain she felt when they were apart, had felt it himself also. He couldn't in good conscience sentence her to an eternity of that kind of loneliness. As such, Eragon decided to just get back to washing the blood off him. He was so focused on his task, he completely failed to notice Saphira's departure with a surprisingly green companion. It was not until a slender hand touched his bare shoulder he was pulled out of it with a jolt.
When he turned he was not sure if he was daydreaming or whether he was looking at a mirage. "Arya?" She stood there fidgeting. "You came." He whispered.
"How could I not? After I read your note I had my suspicions it was you, but after my mother told me what you did I was certain. Only you, strong and mysterious, could find a way to undo the damage he did to me. It was almost impossible to find you, you know. I had to go through Brom himself to tell me where you were headed. Your apprentice was rather helpful, though." The coincidental echo of his own words was almost too perfect to be true. "You are hurt." She said, tracing a finger across the edge of the raw gash. "
Eragon smiled wryly. "A simple mistake. It surprises me you didn't bring your lapdog. You seemed rather… close the last time I saw you together."
"He was only there to console me. I know you don't think very highly of Faolin-"
"What I think is irrelevant. You appear to need him around, that's all that matters." He said, turning away from her.
"It's not irrelevant. You have to stop crossing yourself out of the equation all the time."
"It's funny. I though you of all people wouldn't mind that at all."
"Don't tell me what to think." Arya hissed, falling back to her mother tongue. "Eragon if you- no. I didn't come to fight you. But if you keep being selfless to a fault, it will kill you."
It was almost cynical to hear her say those words and he couldn't help but laugh. Replying in the ancient language himself he said: "you can't kill what's already dead, Arya."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Would you like to hear the story of how I came to be? Not even your mother could have told you that, I made her swear to keep it a secret." Arya remained silent, shocked by his outburst. "You killed me."
"Excuse me?"
"When you blitzed Saphira's egg into the spine, you happened to place it right on top of me. Sent wooden shrapnel flying everywhere. A stick, the size of the sword on your back tore right through my abdomen. As I bled in the snow, something miraculous happened."
"Mismatched eyes and white-tipped-gold wings miraculous?"
"Did your mother sing you songs as a child?" Eragon asked.
"I don't see how that applies, but she did."
"Then the name 'Icarus' must mean something to you. A vague memory perhaps, a story that didn't end well." Arya nodded. "He exists. Or rather, existed. Knowing that I was to become Saphira's rider, he weaved his very existence into my own along with twenty-seven other souls. On that field… I don't know what I became, but it alienated me from all I'd ever known."
"Eragon, I-"
The past six weeks, the wounds she tore open time and time again, his perfect façade, it was all beginning to come apart at the seams. "No, you will hear me out. I slaved for months, almost a year. All I knew was Brom, Saphira, Icarus and me. Then one of the spirits within me, a small boy who now no longer is, guides me to you. Tells me to free you. I waged a one-man war that night. The bodies I burned paved the way for your exit. It was the first time I was truly tested in combat. Before it had only been training. Sure, Icarus sliced me up the same as any other enemy would, but there was no real danger. Just pain." Eragon flopped down on the grassy bank, his wings splaying around him like an ocean of feathers.
"To this day I blame myself I wasn't faster. Wasn't fast enough to save all three of you. All I have ever striven to do since I've known you was to keep you from suffering, even when you pushed me away. Just like I blame myself for not being there in time to prevent Durza from hurting you again in Tronjheim. From that day onward, I was reminded of my mistake, my failure every time your back acted up. When I saw you go down in front of your people, I couldn't take it anymore. I killed Icarus to save you. I absorbed him. These wings? A permanent mark to remind me of my sacrifice and his."
Eragon furiously rubbed his eyes. "Icarus served as more than a tutor. He was the only thing between me and the other spirits. For six weeks they have plagued my dreams. For six weeks I have barely slept. It has reached the point where I thought I was hallucinating when I saw you, the point where I make mistakes that cause my chest to be ripped open from side to side. I'm done hiding, Arya. I'm too tired to keep wearing my mask so I will just say it outright, even though I know you don't want to hear it. I have feelings for you, Arya. Feelings beyond friendship and feelings beyond mere lust."
"Please listen-" Arya tried to interject.
"No!" Eragon shouted with a wavering voice, causing the birds in the trees to flutter and fly. "When I walked into your room and saw Fäolin there, holding you, loving you, it fucking destroyed me!"
"Fäolin has nothing to do with this-"
"Fäolin has everything to do with this! He is weak, Arya! Maybe not in body, but his mind lacks even the slightest potential. I'm done just thinking it, I know these are ugly and judgmental words, but he isn't worthy of you! Every night I sat awake, looking north. Hoping you would come back to me-"
Arya's hands wrapped around his arms and yanked him forward, cutting off his words with her lips. For a brief moment, Eragon's world was whole. Then she released him. "I know I shouldn't, but I find myself gravitating towards you more than I ever did to Fäolin. You have proven that you care for me. I shouldn't have been so blind. I should have realized your feelings earlier. That's why I came."
"You feel obligated to repay the debt." Eragon said.
An uncertain look crossed her face. "Eragon, don't take this the wrong way. I don't love you. Not yet, at least. But the potential is there. The world had maimed me over the years, I'm not sure I know how to love anymore. But I figured that after all you put down for me, you at least deserve a chance." He knew it was true. All they had said to each other had been spoken in the ancient language after all.
"So that kiss-"
"I had to find some way to shut you up." She said through half-lidded eyes. When she saw the crestfallen look in Eragon's eyes she added "but that doesn't say I didn't like it." Arya was silent for a few moments. "I should hate you for what you did. Curing me the way you did, that was reckless. I am dispensable, Eragon. You as a rider are worth more than another elf. We can't have you destabilizing on us."
"You were never dispensable for me and from the moment Icarus found me, I was never stable to begin with. Besides, I had the egg. I knew someone could replace me." Eragon whispered.
"I would much rather be your colleague than your replacement." Arya grinned.
"You?" Eragon said in awe. With a wide motion, Arya gestured to the outstretched field beyond. Sure enough Saphira was there, circling around a much smaller but very real green congener. "Why am I not surprised." Eragon said. "Come, I would hold you. I haven't quite convinced myself I'm not dreaming yet." Arya stepped into his embrace as Eragon folded his wings around her.
"I meant to ask you, did something happen to your voice?"
And there you have it. ExA has now been promoted to 'it's complicated'. Happy now? xs.
Elemental Dragon Slayer - More like a mammoth in a china shop, looking back at it actually xS. I appreciate you trying to keep my feelings intact, though. I hope the progression was executed better in this chapter. Thanks for the review and see ya soon!
Watchman1 - You will agree with it once you see what I have in store for you. I don't just kill characters because I feel like it. The gray world has something to do with it, I will tell you that much. I decided that some 80k words in, it was about time to introduce Arya as the next rider, please don't blame me. With The ExI thing, I'm striving to turn it into something between a good working relationship and a friendship, so I hope that's kind of coming together. We have a war to wage in the chapters to come after all! Thanks for your time and see ya 'round!
orca3553 - Roran will be making a reprise soon, and I promise not to have his story suck as much as it did in the books. We can't just leave him hanging after my amazing plot twist, after all. Angela will turn into an amazing wildcard sooner rather than later, but indeed she will always remain shrouded in secrecy. That is, after all, the Angela we all know and love. Indeed it is surprising to see you write more than 'liked it', but it's a welcome change. Please don't fall back into old habits! xD. Thanks for giving me your long-review-ginity I guess and stay shiny!
lockblock - You are on the right track concerning IxA, but also not quite. I have something... planned for those two. Their relationship is only further confirmed by this chapter, but I think I will leave you in the dark just a tit-bit longer ^^. Thanks for the kind words and see ya next time!
Stubbsie8 - The language was not passed down like the wings, but you will indeed be seeing more of it in the future. It is after all pointless to make those kinds of plot changes and not have them come back more often in the story other than just to give Eragon something to do during the celebration. Thanks for the review and see ya soon!
xXxGhostRiderxXx - Sorry, it's a thing I do and I couldn't resist xD. I could give you my three postulates concerning the universe if you would like. I bet you would love them. Anyways, thanks for the review and see ya next time!
Sebastiaan Asselbergs - Hey, the grammatical structure was reminiscent of Japanese. Although I'm far from proficcient in the language, I know at least the basics (and no, I didn't learn from Anime. I actually took courses in Japanese). I hope this chapter was good, as I feel it was really a make/break kind of thing I did here. Hoping my readers will say 'make' xD. Anyways, thanks for your time and see ya 'round!
thedemonkid - Run around like a headless chicken of course.
hamid - Islanzadí shared because she is trying to build a friendly relationship with Eragon. Contrary to the books, I actually made Eragon not grovel in submission at her feet. Arya came out of genuine curiosity, but maybe came after him because of something else. I guess you will have to wait to find out. I reply to everyone, so you don't have to thank me for that. As for your... gut feeling. Perhaps it has something to do with how I have punished Eragon at every turn for each but of power he gained. Who knows, perhaps I will not do that this time... perhaps I will...
Anthony - Uh, I guess I will go through them in order xD. 1) yes. 2) you could, but I don't know what you'd wanna hear. 3) On a scale from infant to super-sayan, somewhere between batman and Obama. 3) In a way, but keep reading to find out. 4) 23 paces across. 5) In this chapter. Hope I was of service, but I can't selectively spoiler the whole story for you, now can i? Thanks for your time though! See ya 'round.
rasmusemees - And I wasn't even intending for it to be that deep. Imagine what will happen when I go all out ^^. NOBODY WILL BE SAFE! Saphira did not gain any explicit power from Icarus, though she indirectly became stronger through Eragon of course. When she takes from Eragon, I suppose the reserve of power would be larger than usual. Concerning the update time, I write when I feel like it. I know where the story is going, so there is no writers block, but if I don't want to write at a given time, it reflects in the quality of my work. I need to digest the story, make up little snippets and fragments in my mind, paste those together on paper and then work out the rough edges. Some days it takes longer than others. It's also the reason why update time grows exponentially as I get more stuff on my plate - less time to think and all. It's heartening to hear you are concerned for me, though. Thanks for the kind words and see ya next time!
Vizual-Era - Illium will be very much a part of this story. Blödgharm will be too, but not quite as prominently as our new blue-haired friend. Who knows, maybe Arya even took the two of them with her meaning you will see them next chapter. Icarus... what can be said for Icarus. Tough son-of-a-bitch to kill. Won't say more. You can fanboy all you like, especially since the hero did get the girl... kinda... I hope you didn't think it was overly rushed. At almost 100k words I really wanted to get around to that sooner rather than later, though. Cya!
HomoForElmo - That's just wrong. Though I suppose it can happen from time to time.
Tamerlorde85 - I hope you were reading this on the toilet then. Otherwise that must have been some mess. Hopefully this chapter patched up some of the wounds, but not in a bad way.
ArthurShade - Thank you for the kind words. Next chapter is here now, so the wait is over!
OechsnerC - Almost. Eragon left without her, but she did come after him with a hatched egg. What will happen next, that's the question.
Sir Failure - I worked that confession out, in case you didn't hear at the beginning. I kinda worked in a more elaborate version here instead that hopefully felt more in its place than it did back in chapter 18. Wouldn't want to see any potential future readers fumbling out over there, now would we xD. I actually ripped the name Illium (along with the blue hair) straight from another book, but I won't tell you which. I know Islanzadí feels a lot colder in the books, but that's simply not the way I wish to depict her. It is, after all, not my job to echo Paolini at every turn. I just use his material and shape it the way I wish. Although Eragon got through the transitional stage fast, you will see in future chapters he is far from grown in to his powers/wings, although you do raise a good point! No worries, I'm always open to good criticism, even from non-writers like yourself. Thanks for taking the time to share and see ya 'round!
Ky111 - Kiiindaaa gone, but maybe not permanently, maybe ;p. More interesting plot-twists in the future for you! Thanks for the review and see ya!
ghostpost - You humble me, but I'm glad to hear you can appreciate my work over those of others ;p. If I make Eragon too powerful (which I really wasn't planning on and fighting really hard to keep at bay) I can always make Galbatorix more powerful. *oh look, he found a magical RPG launcher!* No problem, it's my pleasure to keep on writing and it's you I have to thank for reading it. See you next time!
jacobdark951 - Funny, putting down the foundation is always the part I struggle with most xD. I'm glad you like the story, though. I hope to keep you entertained for many more chapters to come!
Dragon Junke74 - Veep in my pants? You can be a shiny charizard, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Live for your dreams! More tissue-box moments to come though. I was not planning on relenting for you. Stay Veep!
Iketaylor - I suppose the worst part of any good story for the reader is the ending, now isn't it? I'm sure you will find the time to read sooner or later, don't worry. Thanks for the kind words and see ya next time!
JaYDN78 - It appears he did. He's gone for good now... truly is... Arya does know and you found out in this chapter how she reacted to it. You are, in fact, correct. It was written by Erutan. I'm surprised you know it! Thanks for taking a moment to review and see ya next time!
sprtgln - Anonymity is an illusion. Just like 'him'. Whaddya know, next thing Eragon will be growing a beak and talons to match those wings. At least give me a hint though, are you connected to the mainland? Sicily maybe? I'm hoping to resolve this ExA issue sooner rather than later and I hope to have set the right step in that direction this time. Alas, the reviews will tell, I suppose xD. Stay at it!
Mad hatter - Of course. Emotional Card is my middle name. You will see more of Ellesmèra in the remainder of the story, so no worries about that. I'm not gonna give you that perspective from Arya, simply because it would add very little to the plot. Sure, you could see her celebrate, but what after that? I suppose I could have you go through a day with Eragon from her perspective, maybe add a bit to their relationship that way. Icarus is a though one to kill. Maybe you will see more of him, maybe not. What is certain is that he left Eragon some very big shoes to fill. Anyways, thanks for the review and see ya 'round!
booklover1798 - I know right^^. And then to think I didn't even make it up myself... ;(.
Carnivore Does - I can only feel humbled at your praise. Thank you very much.
Hans - You'd better get that tattoo done in word-art style. It needs to stand out, if you catch my drift. Sooooo... I didn't contact you. Yeah. Exchanging emails does not work through comments like that. Fanfiction has a knack for erasing everything that remotely looks like a link so I never received your adress ;(. Besides, I doubt you want to have it out there for everyone to see. Try PMing, I do believe that works better. You can call me Ryan if you'd like. It's okay if you don't write fanfiction. It's more of a stepping stone for me. I plan to move towards independent work in the nearby future. I can appreciate music of any sort, as long as I like it, but I have to admit you got me interested in the stuff you have collected now. Hope to hear from you soon! Also Toodaloo.
Nat - A little bit of fan service is a good thing. I can't keep promising things and never make them happen, right? Eragon and Arya will continue to drift closer together from now on, though they already crossed the first bridge in this chapter. Now let's get to your questions. 1) No. 2) I have not decided yet, but if the scar is still there, it will not be acting up anymore. 3) I have not decided yet, but even if he doesn't die, he will end in the dirt. Thank you for all the kind words and see ya next time!
hamid - Now now, there is no need to fret. Granted, Icarus may be gone in the form we have all gotten to know and love him in... But this is Icarus we are talking about! I would like to think Icarus cares very little for 'peace', just his own motives. Nobody know Icarus's motives, not even me (that's what makes him so flippin' mysterious ;p). Thank you for the kindness and see ya 'round!