Back to Saphira, and the Shade. HEhehehe
She swung at him faster than he could move. He tried using his sword to block the claw-hand that was aimed for his heart. He barely managed the feet, receiving a scar instead. He backed away and looked at the dragon. She had broken her chains the moment he had stepped into the room. He had gone to check her temperament since the king was busy with menial work that had to be done in order to run a kingdom. He blocked her claw again and headed for the door. Blue fire stopped him. He staggered back due to the heat and turned to look at her.
"You won't escape me." She hissed in her tongue. But he knew it. When he had first startled learning magic, he had learned her language. "You will die now. You had a hand in putting me here. You will be the one to die first." She advanced on him. He backed toward the door only to be stopped by the fire. He knew that the guards had run the moment the fire had appeared.
"This shouldn't be happening. He spelled this room so no magic would work. I helped him place the spell. She shouldn't be able to do magic! I can't even do magic!"
"What's the matter, Shade? Have the spirits finally silenced you?"
"You shouldn't be able to do magic. The king and I both placed the spell. No one should be able to do magic in this room." His voice sounded hysterical to his ears. The dragon only laughed.
"You used a dragon spell, Shade. Did you honestly think that I wouldn't be able to break a spell made by my kin? Magic began with the dragons and it will end with us." She had him corned, a hand on his chest. His pale face went even paler. "Die." She dug her nails into her chest. He screamed in panic and pain. She closed her fist, her nails digging into his heart. His skin turned transparent as he began to howl and she could see the patterns of darkness swirling beneath it. The spirits pulsated, splitting the Shade's skin and freeing themselves. The mass of darkness split into three entities and flew out the tower walls and into the void where they belonged. Saphira dropped her hand and the fire stopped. She stood a moment longer before falling into her cot and let darkness envelope her.
"What do humans of the forest want in mine realm?" The dwarf looked at the two elves, taking in their forest green eyes and black hair. He could tell that they were offended at the use of the word humans applied to them, but he had no other name for them that he knew of. But much had happened within the last few months that he was concerned about their sudden appearance in Tronjheim.
"Majesty," the woman spoke, "we are Fäolin and Arya, Prince and Princess of Du Weldenvarden where the elves live."
"There is no such things as elves. Only the humans who seem to have changed in the course of the years from their ancestors."
"That is because of the magic in the blood of the dragons that has soaked the ground. A dragon was left behind from that time, locked in a cave until she could awaken in this time. She gave us the name of elves and so we are different from the humans of the Empire and Hadarac."
"That still does not answer my question. What are you doing in my realm? And why do you speak of a dragon. The creatures fled because of the Empire's ancestors."
"We come," Fäolin answered, "because we have been called to fight. The dragon my sister spoke of was found by the two of us. She and my sister have bonded in a way that we cannot understand. Several years ago, King Galbatorix, the man who controls the Twisted Flame, captured her from the forest and forced her to serve him. He used the dragon to kill his brother, King Brom, and imprison the other, Prince Morzan. He tried to have her kill the princes, Eragon and Murtagh, but she helped them escape instead. For her acts, she has been imprisoned again. Before she was, she sent a request to Arya. She asked us to rally the peoples of Alagaësia to fight Galbatorix. We have come to ask for your help in this."
"From how you make it sound, Galbatorix does not mean to attack my people."
"Not at first." Arya said. "He will try to attack the elves first. When he cannot get past our spells, he will turn on you and Hadarac and Surda. He will crush the three kingdoms while he siphons magic from the dragon. When he has enough strength, he will come after us. But he will target you first, King Hrothgar. He can compromise with Hadarac and Surda. They have traded with the Empire since the fall of the dragons two thousand years ago. The dwarves have not."
"We have not been bothered by the Empire since the dragons left, that is true. But they have not dared attack us either. Why would they now?"
"Because you once offered sanctuary to the people of the forest, the dragons. Do you mean to say that the dwarves will refuse to offer this same sanctuary again?" Arya stared up at the dwarf. He was on a large carved throne. It was not comfortable looking by any means like the one in Tildarí Hall.
"You ask a great deal of my people, Elf Princess. How did you bond with this dragon? A bond like that is rare if what my ancestors have written is true." Arya blinked away the tears.
"She sent a sapphire jewel with the princes to the forest for me." She touched said gem which she had placed around her neck. "In it were memories, her memories, and her feelings. We have been told that it was through that action, her sharing of memories, that we bonded. She trusts me. And I trust her. What more does there need to be than that?" She blinked away more tears. "Will you help us?"
"Dwarves do not move quick with their judgments. I must talk with the grimstborith of your words. We do not merely have merchants in the world of the Empire."
Arya opened her mouth to object. Fäolin covered her mouth with his hand. "Thank you, Majesty. We will await your answer in our leafy halls."
"Nay, I bid you stay until we decide. Something like this will have reached our ears by now. A knurla will show you to your rooms." Fäolin bowed, forcing Arya to do the same and Hrothgar dismissed them. Once they were out of the hall and out of earshot, he removed his hand. Arya punched him on the arm.
"What was that for?"
"For stopping me."
"If you had opened your mouth, he would not have talked to his people. I talked to Oromis last night. The chiefs of Hadarac are having a hard time believing him and the princes. They think that it is just some fancy that we have created to war on the Empire and take their land for our own."
"That's ridiculous!"
"I know." They stopped and looked out into the mountain.
"We can't go to Surda." She said. Her voice told him her feelings. His were the same. "They are close with the Empire. They won't believe a word we say. They can hardly even be considered trade partners."
"Oromis thinks the same. We'll just have to disappear into the forests until they see that we are not making this up."
"But for how long? Saphira has already been in his hand for the past several years. How much longer must she stay there?"
She opened her eyes to see the Shade's face sneering down at her. She frowned. "It had been a dream. Damn." She sat up and glared at his sneer. She wasn't going to talk to him. There was nothing to say. Though, she was curious about why he was here to see her. He had not approached her since the day Galbatorix placed the spell blocking magic. Though, he had stupidly used dragon magic and so she had been able to weave a hole in their spell to ensure she still had control in her magic. "I could kill him. It's my job to kill him. I can at least do something right before I die." She stood up and he backed off. Then he was gone. She looked up and saw him entering the room. She growled and broke the chains. He stopped and looked at her, the sneer still on his face. "Coward." She hissed. He had used magic to wake her up so that he didn't get killed himself. Not that the ploy would help him. She had decided it was time for him to die.
Durza looked at her and smiled. "Still a naughty creature. Breaking your chains. Do you hope to escape?" She swung at him faster than he could move. He tried using his sword to block the claw-hand that was aimed for his heart. He barely managed the feat, receiving a scar instead. He backed away and looked at the dragon. One hand was a dragon claw and her eyes appeared fiercer than they had been just moments before. He had gone to check her temperament since the king was busy with menial work that had to be done in order to run a kingdom. He blocked her claw again and headed for the door. Blue fire stopped him. He staggered back due to the heat and turned to look at him.
"You won't escape me." She hissed in her tongue. But he knew it. When he had first startled learning magic, he had learned her language. "You will die now. You had a hand in putting me here. You will be the one to die first." She advanced on him. He backed toward the door only to be stopped by the fire. He knew that the guards had run the moment the fire had appeared. Even if they went to Galbatorix, he doubted the king would be able to save him at this point. Not that the king particularly cared what happened to his best servant now. His mind turned back to the fire and her changed hands.
"This shouldn't be happening. He spelled this room so no magic would work. I helped him place the spell. She shouldn't be able to do magic! I can't even do magic!"
"What's the matter, Shade? Have the spirits finally silenced you?"
"You shouldn't be able to do magic." He finally sputtered. "The king and I both placed the spell. No one should be able to do magic in this room." His voice sounded hysterical to his ears. The dragon only laughed.
"You used a dragon spell, Shade. Did you honestly think that I wouldn't be able to break a spell made by my kin? Magic began with the dragons and it will end with us." She had him corned, a hand on his chest. His pale face went even paler. "Die." She dug her nails into her chest, a vicious snarl on her face. He screamed in panic and pain. She closed her fist, her nails digging into his heart. His skin turned transparent as he began to howl and she could see the patterns of darkness swirling beneath it. The spirits pulsated, splitting the Shade's skin and freeing themselves. The mass of darkness split into three entities and flew out the tower walls and into the void where they belonged. Saphira dropped her hand and the fire stopped. She stood a moment longer before falling into her cot and let darkness envelope her. "One down. One to go. I just have to bide my time. He will be weak without the Shade."
Yes, Durza is finally dead. I know it wasn't much a fight, but it was a fight with a very angry dragon. Thanks for reading and please review!