I own none of the characters or ideas you may recognize.
Newest part of the Wood-Between-Worlds Crossover Event, and will be the first event in which subtle crossovers are seen, but they are subtle.
As is my norm, I started way before the events of what people care about, since this begins before the Riders even exist, bear with me.
Hope you enjoy
Wood-Between-Worlds
Deciding the water was too cold, Harry moved back into the wood to see if he could find his way back, still not sure exactly why he wanted to return to where he knew he would likely be pummeled, he also kept feeling a nagging that he did need to find a way out of the wood. After a few minutes of walking Harry saw a tree with a Dragon head carved into it. Deciding his curiosity was too great to just ignore the Dragon head carving Harry walked over to it and ran his hand across the carving before vanishing from the wood.
5190 AC, Alalёa
"Eregon, come in here, and meet your brother," A man's voice called from inside a small home in the wooded kingdom elf of Alalёa, on the continent that shared its name.
"Of course, father," A tall faired skinned, but dark-haired man who appeared about 25 said as he entered the home.
"How was your patrol, Eregon?" A woman, who was lying on a bed with an infant in her arms asked as he walked in.
"Good as can be expected, the Urgals and Urgalhai are becoming more vicious in their attacks, word just reached that they just wiped out the city of Ienora, and so there is talks that perhaps we should sail to the east," Eregon said softly.
"If only we had not chosen to experiment on the Urgals, all this could have been avoided," The man who spoke initially said sadly.
"I know father, but for now we must live with our mistakes, mother what is my brother's name?" Eregon asked softly.
"Hadrian," The woman said kindly.
"Named after the great king of our people 3,000 years ago," Eregon said softly.
"Indeed," The woman said lovingly.
5216 AC, Alalёa
"Council, thank you for coming, the threat Urgalhai threat has become too severe for us to simply remain here, they are becoming more zealous, and attacking more often, and our forces are not being able to respond in time to save our people," A tall blonde man said loudly to a group of 12 others.
"Then what would you have us do Ceranthor, we cannot head west for the Urgalhai rule the west, and to the east we have the sea, where should we go?" One of the others asked and got shouts of agreement from others.
"I would suggest we take our boats and go east, for either we risk the sea and maybe hit better ground, or surely die here," Ceranthor said loudly.
"The Urgalhai have proven capable of using fire against us from a range, what is to keep them from doing the same to our ships?" A different member asked.
"I would have us send our women, children, and elders go first, so our fighting aged men can defend, and then they shall go at the end," Ceranthor said firmly.
"And what happens when our weak reach a new land with no one to help them if they are attacked, shall they die, and we arrive only to find our weak dead?" A third voice asked coldly.
"My King, the royal guard and the forces of the first battalion shall stay behind, take then men with the women, children, and elders, we shall stay behind, and destroy what is left of our history, so the Urgalhai cannot follow us, and then we shall follow, or die if the case shall be," A dark haired man with piercing emerald, green eyes said firmly.
"Hadrian, you may be the captain of the guard…" Ceranthor started before he was cut off.
"Aye, that would be the best bet," the third speaker said loudly.
"But this is our strongest force," Ceranthor said incredulously.
"So, they would have the greatest chance of survival, all in favor of the captain's plan say aye," The same voice said, and as one the other eleven agreed.
"It shall be done then council, now we shall prepare for our departure, gather all the records of our people, and leave as little behind as possible," Ceranthor said defeated before the council dispersed.
5217 AC, Shore of Alaёa
"Come with us brother, they won't miss one soldier," Eregon said before he entered a boat.
"Eregon, you may be the captain of the second legion, but my place is at my men's side, for we shall live or die to protect you and our kin, I will do what I can to join you, trust me, but if I don't return to your side stay strong, and protect our kin, we cannot all die," Hadrian said simply.
"I don't like this brother, I am the elder brother, I should be protecting you, not the other way around," Eregon said firmly.
"You will be protecting our legacy, now go, the ships need to depart," Hadrian said giving his brother a hug.
"I will hold you to your promise to try and return to my side," Eregon said firmly.
"Of course," Hadrian said before Eregon nodded before entering the last boat and aiding in lifting the anchor. Seeing the ships now beginning their journey Hadrian began to sing, the song which he sung, he did not know how he learned it, but he just always would hear it echoing in his mind, and he had seen it give strength to his men in battle, and caused his enemies to shake, and though the words did not ever feel right the tune was where the power resided. Once the ships were out of sight Hadrian stopped singing and turned to his men.
"Captain, where shall we go?" One of the senior officers asked calmly, having been soothed by the song.
"Lieutenant Fanro take your platoon and burn the capital, Lieutenant Otae take your platoon and burn the commerce center, Lieutenant Bildthu burn the farms, Lieutenant Nithi remain here and if no one returns within the week, assume we are all dead set this area ablaze, and take the final ship," Hadrian said sadly each of the named saluting after he had mentioned their name, before they went to follow orders.
"Where will you be going beloved?" The final Lieutenant that he named asked.
"Nithi, my dear, I will take the royal guard, and we will storm the Nest," Hadrian said softly.
"Hadrian, that is a suicide mission, no one has been to the Nest since the critical failure point caused it to be changed into that," Nithi said alarmed.
"I know, but if we want to have any chance of the extermination of the Urgalhai, we must wipe out their birthplace," Hadrian said simply.
"Do your men know?" Nithi asked softly, knowing her mate was unwilling to be changed once he had a plan in mind.
"Yes, those who were not comfortable with taking the risk, have already left with the already departed ships," Hadrian said simply.
"You are a hero, beloved, return to me, you hear, I don't want to live without you," Nithi said sadly.
"Nor I you, my love, but it must be done," Hadrian said simply before going and kissing Nithi before pulling away and with a salute went to join his men.
1 month later.
"Lieutenant Otae, have your sentries seen any approaching forces?" Nithi asked her fellow Lieutenant who had returned two weeks before, with half her initial force.
"No, sadly, my scouts were able to find the remnant of my brother's platoon, the fields were full of Urgalhai, though they also said that as they burned the fields on the shore, they saw a pair of rudimentary ships with Urgals fleeing from a group of attacking Urgalhai, so it seems that the Urgalhai have turned against their weaker kin," Otae said simply.
"So more than likely Fanroe is dead, and we know for sure Bildthu is dead," Nithi said sadly.
"Yeah, my mate is almost assuredly dead, like my brother was seen killed, have your scouts reported anything from the Northern side?" Otae said sadly.
"Yesterday they saw a small company from the capital head that direction," Nithi said softly.
"Well, we have our orders, depart and burn the docks," Otae said simply as she gestured to the boat in the dock.
"I'm not going, I'm going to the Nest, I told Hadrian that I would not live without him, and so I am going to the Nest, and if I perish, I perish, but at least it will be with my sword in hand fighting the same foe who took my mate from me," Nithi said firmly.
"If you are staying, then I will too, perhaps in that company your scout saw, my own mate might be a part," Otae said hopefully.
"Then we go to the Nest, Sergeant Mifofel, Lieutenant Otae and I are going to remain here and guard your departure, you are in charge of the platoons, tell our people that we fought the good fight and died as warriors in the defense of our people and kin," Nithi said after getting the attention of one of the men.
"Of course, Lieutenant, may the ancients keep you safe," The man said before organizing the remaining 100 soldiers that remained of the 300 who had been left, onto the boat before setting sail, watching as they sailed away the dock burning, knowing they would likely never return to those shores.
5315 AC Du Weldenvarden
"I don't think you fully understand what you are asking of me Eregon, I cannot simply let you fly to your death," A woman with light auburn hair said simply.
"My queen, it is not just for my sake that I wish to go west, it is for the sake of our people, they deserve to know what happened to the remainder of the Elves of the First Battalion," Eregon said firmly.
"I understand you want to know whatever happened to your brother, Eregon, but you have a responsibility here now, you are the leader of the Dragon Riders and the one who organized peace between the two races, you cannot simply leave," The woman said exasperated.
"My Queen, I must agree with Eregon on this one, while I understand your hesitance, we do deserve to know, and also eliminate the threat that the Urgalhai are before they come to this continent like the Urgals did," A man at the queen's right said simply.
"Mifofel, how can you suggest such a thing, without the Dragon riders, the Urgals and wild dragons may kill us, the dwarves also hate us," The queen said amazed that her captain of the guard would suggest such a thing.
"You were the Sargent who led the last 100 weren't you, that is why you understand," Eregon said suddenly remembering that detail.
"Indeed, my greatest failure was leaving and not going to aide any of my brothers who may still be alive," Mifofel said sadly.
"You had your orders, and I know my brother would have had more frustration had you remained. My queen, I offer a compromise, at this point the Dragon Riders number 50, I will lead 14 of my riders and we will go, the other 35 riders will remain here to protect our people," Eregon said simply.
"I won't be able to convince you to remain, will I my love?" The queen asked sadly.
"No, I'm sorry Tarmunora, but I owe it to our people, and all who died," Eregon said kneeling and taking one of her hands in his own.
"You have my blessing, beloved, take with you Mifofel and the others of the 1st battalion who remain, they deserve to aide in the task to find out the fate of their brothers," Tarmunora said softly.
"I will return, and we will have won, having eliminated the threat of the Urgalhai forever, and then we can rest in peace," Eregon said before standing again and moving to gather the riders and the remnant of the 1st battalion who would join with them, which was all of them, now numbering only 27 due to their involvement in Du Fyrn Skulblaka.
2320 AC Du Weldenvarden
"We have returned, with our mission complete, or at least for the most part," Eregon said as he entered the throne room with the rest of his company that he had left with, some a bit worse for wear, but all still alive.
"You say for the most part, what happened?" Tarmunora asked after embracing her mate.
"We wiped out all the Urgalhai and recovered the bodies of 196 members of the First battalion," Eregon said his voice failing him.
"Who were you unable to find?" Tarmunora asked looking to Mifofel who also had tears in his eyes.
"Captain and three of the Lieutenants we recovered Bildthu, the others, they are not there, and the Urgals who we captured and interrogated have no idea," Mifofel said choking on his words.
"The one possibility that an Urgal elder shared was a flash of darkness that erupted from the Nest of the Urgalhai, a week after the fire of the docks, that wiped the Nest from even seemingly existing, which we were able to verify the location is completely baren outside of native plants, but no evidence of a structure ever existing, outside of a circle of our fallen who were around it," A different man said simply.
"So, their gone, and no one knows where the fell, I understand your struggle beloved, remember Otae and Bildthu were my cousins, we shall dedicate a grave for all who have fallen, and may we never forget to ask that perhaps one day they may return," Tarmunora said softly before inviting the company to all join her in the palace until the monument was complete.
Land-Beyond-The-Sea
"Um, father? How did someone else use my music in their world, that is my power, and gifted only to my children," Eru asked as he entered the throne room, after feeling the Music of Ilúvatar come from a different world a few times in a short period of time.
"Wait someone used your music, that's strange since someone used some of my mastery of creation in a world outside of my own," Chaos said entering the room.
"Well, my sons, it seems like Hadrian is defying laws of the Wood-Between-Worlds and somehow remembering different parts from previous areas where he has dwelt," The Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea said simply.
"Oh, so it was Hadrian, I can handle that, I had just been afraid it had been someone else, and that does explain why it was a pull on the mastery of Darkness that was felt," Chaos said simply.
"I agree with, though I am curious on why he would use my music, outside of Eä," Eru said simply.
"Well apparently it causes pain to come to his foes and strength to come to his allies, and before you ask Chaos, he used your power when fighting impossible odds with three others, after the three fell and he was struck a fatal blow, he used your power to wipe out the enemy, and completely wipe the warzone from existence," The Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea said with a smile.
"Whose world was he in to be fighting impossible odds?" Chaos asked eyes wide.
"Eregon's, but now it seems he has finally found the tree that marks his way back to his world, though the symbol that Merlin used is one he would not recognize, being a triangle with a circle in the middle, and a line through the center," The Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea said with a shrug.
"True, but Merlin was always a bit different," Eru said with a smile.
"Indeed, that he was," The Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea said with a smile.
AN: Brownie points for anyone who saw the subtle crossover before I explained them.
The Elves before the dragons, had a longer life but only about 300 years, post the start of the riders it grew to immortal.
Harry will return, but not until after Eregon is gone, sorry for those who wanted more of his story, I don't have it.
Forgive my choice in naming the altered Urgals, I suck at naming things.
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