Chapter 29. Roran's Might
Roran lay beside Katrina kissing her neck. Nausada herself had given him a day off for all his success in the field. "Are you going to lay in bed all day?" Katrina asks.
"Not all day, but most of the morning…" He replies fondling her body.
"I promised Birgit I would help with her sowing…"
"You are just going to have to break that promise…" he says gently biting her ear. Then Roran feels Trianna's mental call, ("Stronghammer…sorry to disturb you, but Nauasada needs you right away…")
("I'll be there momentarily…") He kisses Katrina again, "Trianna just summoned me mentally…Lady Nausada demands my presence…"
She kisses him, "Go and do not linger…"
Roran quickly dresses and as he walks through the camp he is joined by the Elf Syn. When Roran and Syn enter the tent they bow, "Roran…Syn…good morning." King Orin is there as well with Nar Garzvhog.
"We just received word from Cilthri…The castle has infiltrated by Galbatorix's mages…" King Orin says.
"We will send our most powerful mages to take the castle back…You will be leading them…Along with your unit…" Nausada says speaking up.
"We will leave at once…" Roran says saluting. As Roran's troops march out of camp he is joined by Angela. "What brings you here?"
"I like to be where things are happening and decided to join you on your mission…"
"Glad to have you along…" They ride south towards Cilthri. Four miles from the city they are attacked by enemy forces. Because of Roran, Angela, and Syn they are able to defeat the enemy with only two losses. They continue on after resting and tending wounds. They use invisible spells to approach the city. "I sense no trap spells…" Roran says.
"Neither do I…" Angela says.
They scale the wall using magic and travel up the street from shadow to shadow. "I sense the people they are in their homes afraid…" Syn says speaking up.
When they reach the palace they are attacked by the painless ones. As Roran smashes through the ranks with his hammer he is mentally attacked by Kanon. As Roram battles Kanon mentally he physically battles the painless ones. Then he is attacked magically by another mage. "Release me!" Roran whispers in the ancient language. He smashes the hold of the mage who attacked him and kills him with magic overpowering his wards.
Roran runs through the palace with Syn and Angela at his side, they find Kanon in the throne room. "I see you bought friends…and one of them is like us…"
Roran, Angela, and Syn point their hands at Kanon. "LETTA!" All three say at the same time. Kanon just smiles and after receiving a power boost from Galbatorix he smashed their hold on him. Roran throws his hammer, not at Kanon but the ceiling above him. There is a flash and a wave of energy passes through the ceiling and walls. They crumble around Kanon as the hammer returns to Roran's hand.
"Nice trick…" Angela says.
"He may still be alive…" Syn warns. By sunrise the next day the castle is secured and the captives freed.
Roran and his men are preparing to leave the castle and return to the Varden. He is in a room by himself and contacts Katrina, then he contacts Eragon and learns that someone tried to assassinate Eragon. ("Roran!") Kanon calls to him as he lays down.
Roran separates his mind from his body and floats through the castle, his spectral transparent body is blue. Kanon is in the throne room he too has separated his mind from his body, his spectral form is red. "Good you know how to spirit walk…Tenga has taught you well…" Only the most powerful of mages can spirit walk and while walking the mage can only speak in the ancient language. Kanon creates a spirit sword while Roran a hammer. "A hammer really surely you can be more imaginative than that…"
"If you insist…"
Roran throws the spirit hammer and creates a bow and arrow, when Kanon dives out of the way he shoots and catches Kanon on the leg. The hammer splashes against the wall in shower of sparks. As the two fight a few men try to take Roran's body, but he is protected by Wards. They die when they touch his body. Kanon creates throwing stars and as he dodges the arrows he throws the stars at Roran. Kanon leaps over the next arrow turning into a giant spirit ape. Roran becomes a giant lizard, as Kanon slams into him.
When they touch sparks shower from the spectral forms. Kanon tries to split Roran's jaw but he wraps his tail around his throat and slashes him across the chest with his left claw. Kanon backs away and beats his chest with a roar. As he attacks again, Roran becomes a giant scorpion and stings Kanon. His spectral body starts turning blue as he returns to normal form. Then he fades away and returns to his body.
("RORAN!")
Roran can hear Angela and Syn trying to wake him and that is when he notices the sun. In spectral form time means nothing. He flies back to his body and his eyes pop open. "You were spirit walking weren't you?" Syn asks.
"More like Spirit fighting…" Angela says.
Roran smiles sitting up exhausted, while spirit walking magic is boundless, but the rules still apply. He had to rest several hours before they could leave. Before they left Kanon's dead body was found in the wine cellar behind a secret passage way.
