Chapter Twenty-Five
The Mustering of Resistance
Disclaimer: See Previous Chapter
Author's Note: This Chapter heralds the beginning of the end for this story, which I'll probably rewrite sometime in the future.
Also, Hideout Writer has started a Fanfiction involving Aragon and Thelduin.
This means he's given me a proverbial K-i-t-A to get this chapter done, and explain how that's possible without spoiling any future sequels to this.
I highly recommend you give his new story, 'The Infinatus' a look at.
Aragon lowered Ilumëo as the Chaos Warrior fell headless at his feet.
It had taken the better part of a day, but the city was finally clear of the Chaos vanguard.
He shot a glance at Eragon.
The first free rider in a hundred years was hollow eyed after the horrors of fighting the Chaos warriors and marauders.
The Chaos worshippers had spared neither soldier or civilian in their path, and had taken the heads of many as trophies.
'See what made the traitor's son sick?' Asked Aragon.
Eragon nodded mutely.
Nearby, Arcturor came striding up, with his bolt pistol resting on his shoulder.
'The Chaos scum are no more, we've slain them to the last, although it's cost the Varden lives.' Said the Inquisitor gravely. 'Emperor, give these guys a lasgun each, some proper armour, then let me at any foe you care to name, nothing short of the Emperor himself could stop 'em.' He added impressed.
A mental shout caught Aragon's attention, then another one a few moments later.
Eragon! Saphira! We've got company! Came Hawk's panicked shout.
Then:
Err… Eragon, Saphira? You know those Ra'zac things you said were extinct? You missed a few. Came Telia's voice at nearly the same time.
The three exchanged glances, then Aragon vanished with a crack, and reappeared a hundred feet in the air, where he remained hovering for a full thirty seconds, before he dropped to the ground again, halting his descent at the last moment.
'Those two are right, Arcturor, shit has hit the fan, Kialandì is coming for us, and he's got an army in tow; a grand army, comprised of Beastmen, Skaven, and Chaos warriors, judging by the banners, I made three Hell-pit Abominations, a Screaming Bell, a Shaggoth and a bodyguard of dragon-ogres, and what looked like a squadron of traitor guard with Sentinels and a trio of Leman Russ Vanquishers.' Said Aragon.
Arcturor paled and pulled a radio from his combat webbing, before keying the frequency for Brian King's radio.
'Eragon, I don't know why you'd think the Ra'zac are extinct, and I don't care, there're two hundred plus of the bastards coming from the south, all three stages of development: Man-eaters, Kull-eaters and Lethrblaka.' Aragon said to Eragon.
Eragon went deathly still and Saphira growled low in her throat.
'Get a message out to Nasuada, now, get everyone to gather in the keep, this place is about to become a hot-zone for all things dark and cruel, and I'm about to start calling in the cavalry.' Aragon added as Arcturor put his radio back on his belt.
Without a further word, Eragon nodded, then mounted Saphira and they headed for the keep.
Demons above and below. Swore Saphira as they came above the city.
From the North west came flying a great maroon dragon, and on the ground there came a vast horde, interspersed with creatures from the depths of hell marching on the city.
From the south, in the rising sun were bracketed the vast bat-wings of Lethrblaka, each one with many smaller Ra'zac upon their backs, along with giant Ra'zac that looked capable of preying on Kull and the giant fauna of the Beor mountains.
Aragon wasn't exaggerating, we're in serious trouble, if any one of those threats reach the city, we're doomed. Said Eragon grimly.
Focus up there greenie, just do the job Aragon set you, we'll worry about the triple threat. Said Jarren Miles, he and Infernia were already piling debris at the gate to act as a barricade against the infantry.
With a silent acknowledgement, Saphira angled towards the keep, and Eragon set about devising a way of conveying just how dire things were.
Meanwhile, Aragon was busy.
He aparated back into the sky, then held himself there with wingaurdium leviosa.
Thus free of the danger of falling, Aragon looked to the south, and instructed Telia and her hatchling to get to the ground and head for the keep.
With his above-human eyesight he saw them comply, then tapped into the Wind of Azyr.
Aragon found it grimly ironic that the violent, turbulent and strong winds of the ether present in Fienster at that minute had been caused by the entrance of the Chaos vanguard.
Now it was going to buy them vital time to prepare for the coming storm.
Raising his right arm above his head, Aragon coalesced the winds high in the atmosphere into his hand, then lowered his arm to shoulder height, pointing southward, and with a flicker of thought sent a hurricane-force wind directly at the incoming Ra'zac.
The effect was nearly instantaneous:
The Lethrblaka were buffeted by the wind, and blown backwards by the Wind Blast, dislodging Man-eaters and Kull-eaters alike, and knocking several Lethrblaka out of the sky entirely, dashing them against the earth.
Having thus sent the Ra'zac armada reeling, forcing them to land and wait out the wind-storm, Aragon shifted his attention to the rapidly approaching Forsworn and his corrupted dragon.
To buy himself a couple of minutes so he could find a more effective solution, Aragon sent two spells after the pair:
'Expulso! Flipendo!' Shouted Aragon, gesturing with his staff, and Kialandì's dragon was sent tumbling back through the air.
Thinking quickly, Aragon again summoned a Wind Blast, but held it in check.
This would require his full range of powers and a shitload of luck.
Next, he delved into his ambient powers over the weather, summoning more frigid winds from the stratosphere, before freezing daggers of moisture into razor-sharp hail inside it, and held it in a sphere.
So far, so good. Now for the hard bits.
'Thrysta Vindr.' Said Aragon, compressing a vast quantity of air being syphoned from the stratosphere into a separate ball, this started taxing his strength to maintain, as well as his mind to keep all three air-based spells in check for the moment.
For his fourth resource, Aragon steeled himself and entered the warp.
Clenching his left hand into a claw, Aragon coalesced a portion of the destructive energies of chaos into a hurricane, and fed it with his desire to kill Kialandì.
Aragon bellowed the ancient oath, and summoned the Murderous Hurricane into reality, his breath freezing as it left his mouth, bringing the unnatural storm into existence into a sphere of air a foot across.
This was seriously beginning to tax him now.
Three left. Aragon realised in a detached corner of his mind.
Switching to chanting an ancient rite, that led to a crescendo that struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it below,-except Arcturor, Infernia and Miles, who'd heard done by a Blood Wolf Rune Priest with far more powerful results,-and in the space of a moment, more howling winds and a furious blizzard were contained in another, larger sphere of air.
Aragon was forced to allow the six different forces to enlarge, or risk burning out his mind.
He'd have a killer headache later regardless.
For the final warp-power, Aragon tapped the power of all six separate contained storms, and created a roaring climax, unleashing frost-fingered wind-spirits, which immediately went after Khârn, buying Aragon more time still.
With a savage below which sent him hoarse, Aragon unleashed the six other spells he'd held in check, and sent them directly at Khârn, which sent the corrupted dragon careening through the sky back towards the army following in his wake.
He managed to land, but the army was beset immediately by the furious magical tempests Aragon had summoned, and halted in favour of hunkering down.
Drained, Aragon lowered himself back to the ground, where he was met by Brian King.
'Shit Aragon, that was some fancy spell-work up there.' said the up-and-coming dragonologist.
Aragon smiled weakly, and briefly registered that he had tear-tracks of blood down his cheeks.
'Right, whatever, now get me a paracetamol and a flask of faelnìrv.' Said Aragon hoarsely.
A large shadow blocked the dawn light.
'That was reckless Inquisitor, but effective, I have cast a Time Prison around the Dark horde to the north, so you may gather our forces to meet them, the Silver Host is already at the gate, and the Old One knows of our predicament. He says he shall not fail.' Said the caster of the shadow, a giant of a man in blue-grey power armour with a maroon power-backpack.
He had a massive staff in his right fist, capped with a winged skull with extended canines.
'Whatever Voinovich, just keep 'em there. All I need is an hour to muster our forces.' Replied Aragon wearily, before taking a swig from the flask Brian offered him, before popping the a pill in his mouth and taking another swig.
'Now, go to it.' Said Aragon, before getting to his feet.
Aragon aparated into the clearing five minutes later to find Sarah and Marinæ sound asleep, along with Solembum and Elva.
'Rise and shine princess,' said Aragon loudly, and Sarah jerked awake, along with her dragon partner.
'The war over already?' Asked Sarah.
'No, it's just starting, we're going with the contingency plan, Kialandì opted for a coup-de-grace decapitating strike at the Varden, we're meeting him outside Fienster, and we're drumming him out of this world once and for all.' Said Aragon, fingering Ilumëo's hilt.
'Alright, we'll see you there, be careful Aragon.' Replied Sarah, before she and Marinæ disaparated.
The gunshot sound awoke Elva and Solembum.
'Wanderer.' Said Elva, inclining her head.
'Seer, werecat, I'm taking you to Vroengard, where you'll be out of harm's way.' Said Aragon.
'Nowhere will be out of harm's way should you fail, and even if you succeed, there will be a high price for you, and much heartache.' Replied Elva.
Aragon gave the witch-child a grim smile.
'Nothing ever comes easily, victory least of all.'
He offered his hand, and Elva accepted it, laying her other hand on Solembum.
They disaparated, and a brief eternity later reappeared in the ruins of Dorú Areaba, next to the head of a vast white dragon.
'Master,' said Aragon respectfully, bowing to the great dragon.
No time for formality Aragon, leave these two here, and awaken Mûnnguldûr and proceed to Fienster, Eragon and I will meet you there, hopefully with an army of shadows in tow. Replied Bid'Daum.
Thus instructed, Aragon left Elva to stare in awe at the dragon of the first rider.
Thelduin felt it in her bones.
Something was very wrong.
Her suspicion was confirmed when Aragon aparated above her and dropped into his saddle next to Elaina.
With no further preambles, Thelduin veered into Thorn, and Aragon disaparated, and they appeared at the Blasted Mountain seconds later.
'Before anyone asks, shit hit the fan and we're picking up the pace a bit, now come on,' Said Aragon, jumping from Thelduin's back to the ground.
'What happened?' Demanded Murtagh.
'Kialandì showed up, with an army of evil at his beck and call, along with every Ra'zac that escaped the Rider's attempted eradication.' Explained Aragon shortly. 'No time to adequately explain, we'll probably be arriving in Fienster at the height of an apocalyptic battle to begin with.' Added Aragon, as he lead the group into a ravine.
Five minutes later, they came to a cave hidden deep in the twisting maze of fire-blasted rock that passed as the valley floor.
'Mûnnguldûr, last of the wild dragons, the land is threatened by the darkest of evils, and you are needed to fight in the land's defence, the Scion and Peacemaker summon you, and I beg you as a friend of old to heed the summons, we're lost without your strength.' Said Aragon in the ancient language.
There came a sound of breaking rock, then a huge head appeared out of the cave mouth.
Mûnnguldûr had grown in the century since Aragon had last seen him, but despite their abrupt reappearance, the ancient dragon merely nodded at their coming.
Thelduin briefly caught him up on the present crisis.
By Ramr's oath. He swore, before regarding Thorn and Murtagh with suspicion.
When this is over, then yes, I will uphold the promise I made you a century ago to show you how to enter the Blessed Realm, but after that, we're going to have to sit down and catch up, obviously much has happened these past hundred years, and you have had many a fine adventure since our last meeting. Said Mûnnguldûr in a voice that suggested he was miffed at the need for such haste so soon after waking up from his sleep, which he'd apparently maintained since the previous mating season.
'Well,' said Elaina, checking to see if the clip in her M4 was full, 'the sooner we get there the better, let's step too.'
'I couldn't have said it better myself.' Said Aragon, and before Thorn or Murtagh could protest, Aragon had disaparated with them all in tow.
So, I'll tie this up in a couple of chapters time.
Keep watching, this'll be interesting to be sure.