I know, this isn't the next chapter in Resistance, but since I'm listening to The Inheritance Cycle audiobooks at work, this has been in my head. You'll see why later. Anyway, when Reconstruction ended, I said I had several ideas that were taken out of the series, ones that would have bloated the stories even more, or ones that would work as a Chibi skit. This is the first bit. For the bits that were changed or taken out, I'll explain why.
As for why I'm doing this. I've had several great (to me) ideas that just wouldn't fit in the main series for one reason or another. Some are logic, some are definitely 'these are high school and college age person things to do.' Also, it's a bit of a 'behind the scenes' work. Also, I always recommend people don't just sit on ideas and they write them down. If it's not that good, oh well, you actually did something and you probably got a little better.
None of these omakes are related unless otherwise noted.
The sound of Bullhead engines filled the air as Velvet and Yatsu separated. Velvet climbed into her saddle and strapped in. All the dragons stood side by side at the edge of the lake. Vert and Cerise rubbed their heads together, then looked back at the water.
Suddenly the water started swirling. Instead of the normal blue expected from water, it turned purplish-black as it churned. Aaron ran and jumped onto Nalia's back. "It's now or never!" he yelled. "Minds shielded until we set up camp. One at a time through this thing. We'll probably arrive high in the air. Dive as soon as you have your bearings."
Nalia jumped forward into the portal. Instead of making a splash, she just disappeared. Cerise shuffled her feet unsteadily, and Ruby put a hand on the side of her dragon's neck.
Ruby used her other hand to talk into her new Scroll. "Snowflake, you're up. After that, it's Whiskers, Aeiou, Meadow, and Wolf's Bane will bring up the rear."
Weiss' Bullhead creeped forward. "Snowflake going in. Hopefully Jaune doesn't make a mess in the back." The transport nosed down and disappeared into the portal.
"Whiskers approaching-"
"YAHOOOOO!" Nora interrupted Blake over the Scroll. The second Bullhead entered the portal at an angle.
Ruby rolled her eyes and hooked her Scroll to her belt. She turned to the remaining Riders. "The hard part's done. As soon as the dragon before you touches the portal, you jump." Halcyon immediately jumped into the portal. Vert quickly followed with Cerise right on his tail.
Instead of traveling through some weird interspace like Ruby thought would happen, Cerise and she immediately flew over a brown plain with only a few short hills and one larger plateau directly underneath them to break up the flat ground. A dirty river flowed a few miles to their left. She couldn't tell her cardinal directions because of the thick brown smog only a few feet above her head. The smoke itself came from numerous pits in the ground.
On the fields, two armies clashed against each other. Ruby couldn't initially tell who was who. Even with Aaron's teaching, she still wasn't the best at seeing the minute differences in medieval body armor from afar. Then she noticed the red shirts that one side wore under their armor. The other had various shades of grey, brown, and other dark colors. The ones in red vastly outnumbered the others.
"This was unexpected," Aaron said over their comms. "I didn't expect to fight so soon. Keep your minds shielded, everyone. We might get attacked by both sides here."
"Well, here we are," Yang said. "But who do we fight?"
Ruby scanned both armies for any indication of who might be the good guys, if either of them. In her search, she saw a third army coming in from behind them and to the right. The soldiers in that army all looked shorter and better armored than either of the other armies. "I'm seeing… dwarves?"
"I think I see some Urgals too," Pyrrha called. "They're fighting with one of the human armies." Ruby scanned those currently engaged. Sure enough, huge humanoids with curling horns coming out of their heads dotted the dull army. That fit the description that Aaron gave them, except for the fact that they were fighting with humans instead of against them.
Cerise growled beneath Ruby and faced the incoming army. A shining blue dragon approached the dwarves. "We've got Forsworn!" She grabbed Crescent Rose and shifted it to rifle form. "Vladrak is going to attack the…" She paused and lowered her weapon as the blue dragon descended. The dragon was much too small to be a Forsworn's dragon if the time dilation they figured out back on Remnant fit right. That dragon looked younger and smaller than any from Remnant. That and the dragon landed in front of the dwarves, not attacking them. Her Rider jumped off and spoke with the one at the head of that procession. "That's… not a Forsworn dragon."
"There's a red one over here too!" Blake called. "Could someone please tell me Morzan's not here?"
Ruby whipped her head to the far side of the red army. A red dragon head peaked out from underneath a ground colored tarp and glared at those in the air. A person completely covered in black plate armor stepped out from the cover as well. "No, that's not his dragon." Aaron sounded a mixture of confused, angry, and hopeful. "We should feel lucky that it's not."
"We're attracting a bit of attention," Velvet said. Ruby faced the armies again. Sections of both armies stopped fighting and stared up at the newcomers. They grew in number and size with every second.
Ruby glanced at the blue dragon. The unknown dragon flew up toward those in the sky. "We're going to have company." Ruby gripped her weapon tighter as she turned toward the native Rider. "Aaron, what's the play?"
"Dragons, touch down on the plateau. Riders, dismount. Bullheads and crews, stay in the air and be ready to assist." Nalia dove for the ground and the other dragons followed. As soon as Cerise touched down, Ruby dismounted and trotted to Nalia's and Aaron's side. Yang and Velvet joined them seconds later.
"What's it going to be?" Yang asked, her voice a bit distorted through her helmet. "Two bouts of two vee two? Dragon versus dragon, Rider versus Rider?"
Aaron faced the blue dragon and shook his head. "No. She and her Rider didn't attack the dwarves. None of the Forsworn would talk to an enemy and the dwarves would never join Galbatorix." He nodded at Ruby. "You and Cerise take those two. See if you can find out for certain whose side they're on. Everyone else, keep your helmets on and follow my lead."
Ruby turned around and faced the incoming blue dragon. She walked away from her friends and to the edge of the cliff. Cerise joined her and they left enough space between themselves at the edge of the plateau for the other dragon to land. As the unknowns approached, Ruby picked out the snarl on the dragon's face, though it looked unsure. Zooming in on her bionic eye, she noticed that the Rider was an elf in chain mail and leather armor. A symbol of a hammer surrounded by a dozen stars was pressed into his helmet. His face was… beautiful for a man, with wood brown eyes and hair, but not drop dead gorgeous like Aaron made elves sound.
The blue dragon landed and growled at Ruby and Cerise. Cerise returned the favor with more intensity than Ruby expected. She put a hand on her dragon's snout. If these two weren't enemies, there was no reason to make them so. The unknown Rider dismounted his dragon wielding a red blade, another unexpected. Aaron said a Rider's blade matched their dragon.
"Who are you?" The other Rider pointed his blade at Ruby. His eyes darted behind Ruby where the sound of the Bullheads' engine come from.
"Easy." Ruby raised a hand from Crescent Rose. "My name is Ruby Rose. This is Cerise Longtail. And you?"
The other Rider hesitated. "I am Eragon Shadeslayer and my dragon is Saphira Brightscales." Saphira growled her agreement at the mention of her name.
Ruby shifted on her feet. Shadeslayer? He's killed a Shade? She held her weapon a little tighter. From what Aaron said, anyone who could kill a Shade and live to tell the tale, and in one piece, was a dangerous person. "I'd say well met but I don't think it's proper when one person has a weapon aimed at the other." Ruby paused. The Ancient Language was the elves native one. He'd understand. "We are here to kill the Traitor and the Forsworn. Do you wish to do the same?"
Eragon's red blade dipped an inch but it raised right back. "The Forsworn are dead. Brom killed the last one over a decade ago. As for Galbatorix, we wish him dead as well."
"Good to hear." Ruby sighed and let her body relax. She reached up and pulled her helmet off. A natural smile came to her face. "We're not here to fight you. We're on the same side."
Eragon and Saphira threw each other a glance but neither of them relaxed. "Who are you? Where have you been?"
Ruby's smile fell from her face. "That's a long story." She faced the sounds of battle. Clashing swords, battle cries… the screams of the dying and the wails of the mourning. Her heart fell into her stomach. "And we don't have time for a long story." She could barely hear her own words.
"And them?" Eragon pointed his sword at the other red dragon.
Ruby made a point to turn her back to Eragon and Saphira. "Judging by where they came from… this will lead to a fight." She paused as she tried to figure out the right words in the Ancient Language to think of her next question, but she couldn't find them. So she asked in Vytalian, "I don't suppose they're double agents?" She glanced back to see confused looks on Eragon's and Saphira's faces. "People who say they're with one side but actually with the other? A kind of spy?"
Eragon shook his head. "I've never seen either of them before."
"Not sure if that's good or bad." Ruby returned her gaze to the conversation on the other side of the plateau. The black armored Rider stood in front of his growling dragon. He had nicked and not entirely straight a hand and a half sword, yet it shone like it was freshly out of the forge. Bad guy or not, Ruby could appreciate good weapon care.
The red dragon behind him looked… off. He was smaller than Saphira, yet his limbs had almost as much obvious muscle as Halcyon. The muscle on his wings were almost as thick around as the center of his tail. His neck and jaw muscles bulged like he'd been chewing on a mountain for a century. He couldn't be even a year old.
Ruby was too far away to hear the conversation but judging from Aaron's and the unknown Rider's body language, it wasn't going good. Both made sharp gestures with their free hands as well as their weapons. Yang, Velvet, and the dragons stood behind Aaron. Yang's fingers clenched and if Velvet's ears weren't under her helmet, they'd be twitching. Halcyon's and Vert's tails twitched while Nalia's was straight as an arrow. Not good.
Faster than Ruby expected, the black armored Rider jumped at Aaron. His sword met Redemption in a shower of sparks. The impact forced Aaron back a step. It must be an elf under all that armor. The dragon jumped at Vert but Halcyon intercepted him, knocking him aside. Then the red dragon pushed at Halcyon and launched him aside like Yang would a Creep. Even with his extra muscles, that shouldn't happen.
Ruby extended Crescent Rose to full scythe form and ran to join the fight. Yang had already joined Aaron. Velvet still hung back, Eld Moi in her right hand and Pyrrha's shield forming in her free hand. The armored Rider pushed Yang away in the best way possible for Ruby. "Springboard!" Yang dropped to her hands and knees. Ruby jumped onto her sister's back and sprung off. She spun around in the air like a tornado as she aimed for her opponent's head. The armored Rider grabbed the scythe's blade, stopping Ruby in place. Ruby pulled her lips back and raised her eyebrows. Her opponent threw the weapon and Ruby away into open space.
When she jumped to her feet, Ruby examined the fight. Velvet and Yang double teamed the evil Rider. Neither of them gained any ground. The dragon fight had taken to the air. All the allied dragons were taking their turn at attacking the rogue dragon. Yet somehow, the smaller red one managed to fight off every one of them. His speed was unnatural, almost as fast as Nalia. He spun around in the air to face new targets before they even started their attacks. That less than a year-old dragon could fight better than most Huntsmen Ruby knew.
The Huntress returned her attention to the unknown Rider. She was about to run into the fight again when her mind fell under attack. Ruby froze in place from the unexpected vicious strike. In her mental training back on Remnant, all the mental attacks she sent and received were focused. This one, it felt like her attacker wanted to be everywhere at once and was succeeding. It took her a moment to realize that was only half true because there were multiple attackers. These two, there was no rhyme or reason to it. The attacks weren't lances either. It felt like random babbling sledgehammers. This wasn't like anything she prepared for and she couldn't defend against something she couldn't understand.
She wasn't the only one under assault. Yang and Velvet froze in place, allowing the armored Rider free shots. He kicked Yang away and slashed at Velvet with his sword. Thankfully her Aura and wards were up so she just flew to the side. Cerise, Halcyon, and Vert all fell to the plateau, all in various stages of control. The Bullheads stayed up with Nalia as if none of them were under attack but their guns and those of their occupants stayed silent.
An unfamiliar roar came from behind Ruby. Everything took a blue tint as Saphira jumped over her. Eragon sprinted around her and charged the fight while the armored Rider and Aaron clashed swords. As soon as the red blade met silver, Aaron backed away. He winced and stared up at his dragon. "Ground him!"
After that, Aaron rejoined the fight. He fought slower than normal and with a grimace on his face but he stayed in the scrum. Then again, the armored Rider was much slower too. Eragon… Eragon was fast. He struck once for every three of Aaron's. The armored Rider kept pace with the elf, but barely. The two of them fighting together looked like they were wearing their opponent down. Head slice, torso kick, parry to attack, little by little, it looked like they were gaining the advantage.
One of the minds attacking Ruby pulled out and Aaron lost a step. The unknown Rider jabbed Aaron in the stomach, doubling him over, then smacked an elbow into his face. Eragon pressed his own attack before any more damage could be done. Ruby grit her teeth and tried to push back against her mental assailant. This guy beat down all the Riders that came from Remnant and barely broke a sweat. Someone needed to smack him down.
After several minutes of growling and clashing swords later, Ruby felt the ground shake beneath her. Nalia's tail and wings came into her peripheral vision. Aaron pushed himself off the ground and ran to the downed dragon's side. As soon as Ruby lost sight of him, the attack on her mind stopped. She almost fell forward without needing the concentration to stand up. She shook her head and faced where Nalia held the red dragon down. Aaron's face contorted in pain as he ripped one of the saddlebags off the red dragon. He threw it away from everyone. "Destroy it!"
One of the Bullheads swung to the side. Nora stood in the open doorway with Mangnhild in grenade launcher form. A single grenade flew out of the barrel with a pink trail following behind it. The explosive impacted and detonated with a heart shaped cloud. A larger and expected shockwave blew out from that, as if a missile from the Vytal struck the ground. It blew Ruby off her feet. She had to jab Crescent Rose into the ground to keep herself from blowing away. Both Bullheads shook in the air and wobbled higher. Even the dragons were pushed across the ground a few feet.
The shockwave took about ten seconds to pass. Ruby's feet touched the ground and she stared at where the grenade impacted. Nora's grenades didn't pack that big of a punch. A dragon keened at the spot. Ruby faced the source. Nalia's ears drooped all the way. Her head hung even more. Aaron took off his helmet, also staring at the scorch mark in disbelief. Yang's helmet pointed the spot from where she lay pm the ground and Halcyon's jaw hung open. What did Nora just blow up? At least Eragon and Saphira looked just as confused, though that probably had more to do with grenade than the shockwave.
Ruby shook her head and returned her attention to the unknown Rider. Her opponent struggled to his feet and charged at Aaron. Ruby ran forward with her Semblance and put herself between her teammate and his assailant. The armored Rider just drew his sword back and swung. Ruby caught the blade with her bionic hand. She heard her opponent gasp under his helmet. "You're not the only one who can do that." She gripped the blade harder, denting the metal. Before it could break, she twisted it out of her opponent's grip. She brought her bionic knee up and into her opponent's stomach. The armored Rider left the ground and landed a few feet away with a huge dent in his body armor.
"What… are you?" the armored Rider asked.
"I'm human." Ruby shrugged. "And a Rider, Huntress, hero of the people, Vytal Festival Tournament Champion, and the one who kicked your butt." Eragon walked up to Ruby's side. Ruby cast him a sideways glance. He had a fierce grimace on his face and a flash of recognition in his eyes. "You know this guy?"
"Maybe." Eragon grimaced. "I feel like I've fought him before." He leaned down and pulled the helmet off his opponent. A man with long brown hair and gray eyes lay underneath. The rest of his face looked like it could have been sculpted with marble and hung in a museum. Well… less so than Eragon and another certain someone on her team. A thin line of blood ran down from the Rider's mouth, the only blemish on his face.
An unfamiliar growl came from behind Ruby. She glanced behind herself. Saphira's pupils were slits as she glared at the armored Rider on the ground. Ruby returned her attention to Eragon. "You do know him."
"Murtagh," Eragon breathed. "How? The Urgals killed you."
Murtagh turned his head to the side and spit out a glob of blood. "That's what they wanted you to think."
Ruby sighed. "I've heard this speech a million times. Street Rat, he's talking." Aaron didn't answer. Ruby turned her head back. Aaron and Nalia still stared at the same spot. Nalia barely kept any weight on the rogue dragon. Halcyon and Vert took up the force while Cerise kept her eyes on the battlefield. "Remnant to Street Rat. This guy's talking. You know this place better than the rest of us."
Aaron stepped away from his spot, putting his helmet back on. He stood over Murtagh with his helmet tilting down at the other Rider. "From the Traitor's vault I presume."
"Do you know what you just destroyed?" Murtagh growled.
"I am very well aware." Aaron's voice was strained. Ruby glanced at her teammate. Aaron's clenched fists shook. That explanation could come later. "We don't have time to talk. Considering what you had, you have to work for the Traitor." His shoulders relaxed. "The question is, did you choose to?" Murtagh stayed silent.
Ruby thought she knew where this was going. "This decides what happens to you in the next few seconds. If he forced you and your dragon into serving him, we can help. If not…" She looked over her shoulder. Yang stood right behind her, her helmet nowhere in sight. Dirt and dust covered her hair and her eyes glowed red. "If not, you get to deal with her."
Something past her sister caught Ruby's eye. Thorn's dragon stared at the group of humans, but not with hostile intent. His ears hung at their lowest. Giant red limbs stayed still. His pupils filled his entire eyes, but most importantly, what was in his eyes. The physical pain, the questioning when he would be free, the want to know why he was allowed to be treated that way. Ruby had seen that on too many people, including herself in the mirror.
Ruby turned away from the group of humans and walked toward the pinned dragon. Nalia glanced at the one she held down then snorted at Ruby. They were on the same page. Good to know. The held dragon's pupils thinned and he growled at Ruby. He started struggling against his captors again but they held him tight. The hate in his eyes would have sent a lesser Huntress running for cover. Good thing Ruby was among the best.
The Rider stopped when she stood right by one of the dragon's eyes, not even flinching from the glare. She placed her natural hand right by the eye and gave the dragon a friendly smile. "I know how you feel." The dragon's growl stopped and his pupils widened a hair. "I know how it feels to be scared for your life, not knowing when or if the next meal's coming, wondering if you'll be punished for giving someone a wrong look or an out of place word, losing hope that you'll ever walk free again."
The dragon's eyes widened as Ruby talked. His resistance to being held disappeared. In fact, it looked like he pressed himself further into the ground. "It's something no one should know, let alone share. We can and will help you and we won't separate you from your Rider." The dragon narrowed his eyes but his pupils stayed wide. A light growl rumbled from his throat. Ruby thought she got the meaning. "You're young, but I'm guessing even you know some of the basic rules of the Ancient Language. I can't lie in the language I'm speaking. Trust me, we want to help."
He fell silent again. A mind Ruby never felt before pressed against her own. She had a good idea of who it belonged to. Even if she was wrong, Cerise and other dragons would rush to her aid. She pulled the shields around her mind down just a little bit. When the King finds out about this, our punishment will be severe.
Ruby gave the dragon a light smirk. "Unless he thinks you're dead." She scratched behind one of the dragon's ears. "We've got a way to do that." She pulled away and walked back to the captured Rider. She couldn't hear what was being said but judging from Aaron's and Eragon's body language, things weren't going good.
She stepped past them and knelt by Murtagh's side. "I know what you and your dragon have gone through," Ruby said. "It's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies."
Murtagh glared at Ruby, a little hurt combining with his rage. "How could you possibly know?"
"Your dragon told me without using words. That, and the fact that I've experienced something similar."
The downed Rider glared at Ruby, then looked past her toward his dragon. His glare softened as he returned his gaze toward Ruby. "We cannot go. Our oaths prevent us from working with the Varden and those allied to them."
Ruby smirked. Aaron prepared the other Riders to speak with the elves with all their half-truths. Ruby looked back at her teammates. "Anyone here know who or what the Varden are?" Eragon opened his mouth to speak but Ruby held up a hand to silence him.
Aaron inclined his head. "Whoever these Varden are, I don't know them. As we just arrived, we have no allies in Alagaësia."
Yang blinked, her eyes turning lilac again. She smirked and crossed her arms. "Considering none of the Headmasters were happy we left, we don't have any allies back on Remnant either."
"Galbatorix will not let us go with you." Murtagh shook his head. "On penalty of death, he will not allow us to cooperate with those he would consider enemies."
Aaron tilted his head up toward one of the Bullheads. "Whiskers, give me a half second burst on the ground next to us. They need some proof." Ruby glanced at him. They did things differently in Alagaësia, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"Copy that," Blake said. "One threat coming right up." One of the Bullheads nosed down and the turret on top rotated to face front. The six barrels spun around themselves then spat hot Dust at the ground. Rock shot up from the ground on the impacts. Little bits of flame appeared with each round as well. As soon as the assault started, it stopped. Murtagh stared at the impact site with mouth open and eyes wide.
"We don't want to use that on you or your dragon," Ruby said in her most soothing voice possible given the circumstances. "Just let us take you away from this war, away from Galbatorix. Let us set you and your dragon free." Murtagh stared at Ruby. A thin layer of fear coated his eyes. There went all that bravado. Then again, Ruby would probably be scared if aliens shot lasers around her head too.
"One last question." Aaron stepped forward. "What is your dragon's name?"
Murtagh looked up at Aaron. "Thorn."
Aaron nodded and turned his head toward Velvet, who stood just behind him. "Jackrabbit, you and Meadow get these two back to Remnant. Take Snowflake as escort. Let your team and the Headmasters know what we're dropping on their laps and get back here as fast as you can."
Ruby stood up and walked away from the group. She stopped at her dragon's side and gazed out over the battle. The two armies kept throwing themselves against each other. It looked like a dead stalemate, neither side gaining nor giving much ground. She wanted to do so much. The urge to cry, puke, rage, fight, and a million others ran through her. They came to Alagaësia for an assassination mission, not a war. One was bad enough, this…
Cerise grunted beside her. Ruby faced her dragon. Cerise' face gave nothing away. She faced the war like it was about as interesting as watching a soldier clean their weapon. Her eyes gave away something else. She liked this situation as much as Ruby.
Something lit up on the ground down below. Ruby turned her head toward the source. Two men hurled balls of magic into the opposing army. At least five people fell with each impact. The magicians behind the act laughed. Ruby grit her teeth and shifted Crescent Rose to rifle form. Orders or not, she couldn't stand by while people were being slaughtered. She sighted up the man on the right. A destroyed shoulder would distract him for a while...
Before she pulled the trigger, she caught sight of a lone soldier sneaking up behind the two magicians. Actually, Ruby didn't know if that man was a soldier. He had no sword, no armor, no colors, only a wooden shield and a simple forge hammer. In other words, he was going to get himself killed. Ruby was going to keep him alive.
The unknown soldier yelled and swung his hammer at the magician on the right and the blow connected with his head. The magician crumpled to the ground. The other one jumped but not far enough away to avoid another swing from that hammer. This one landed square in the magician's face. Ruby blinked and took her head away from the scope. Those two really should have protected themselves.
Ruby heard footsteps come up behind her. She glanced to her right to see Yang stop by her side. Judging by Yang's twitching eyes and lips, she didn't like the situation either, but she didn't want to show it. She faced her little sister. "I don't like this."
"I don't either." Ruby shook her head and stared down at the battle. "Coming here for an assassination mission was bad enough but… this?" She gestured at the armies then let her arms go slack. "No Aura, no Dust, only limited wards for most soldiers… It would be slaughter."
Yang sighed. "It's going to be. If I'm right, it's been about a hundred years here. Galbatorix has had time." She hung her head. "Plenty of time to brainwash the people here."
"Taking him out wouldn't do as much as we hoped." Ruby nodded. "War… I can fight Grimm all day long, but… people?" Cerise growled to her left. To anyone who didn't know her, it would have sounded angry. Her Rider knew she was just as upset as her.
Something from earlier sprung into Ruby's mind. "You knew what was in that saddlebag?"
Yang clenched her teeth and shook her head. "I do but, but even if I could tell you, I wouldn't. It's not my place."
"Why can't you tell me?"
"Because Halcyon and I swore to Aaron and Nalia that we wouldn't tell anyone." Yang narrowed her eyes. "All I can tell you is that I hate that Aaron ordered it. At the same time, I don't know what else could have been done." She turned her head away. "At the same time, I don't know if it was such a bad thing.
Nalia roared behind them, sounding the angriest she had been since Kialandí. Ruby spun around and readied Crescent Rose. Nalia glared at Murtagh with ears pressed against her head. Her wings stuck out from her body looking even larger. Aaron held Redemption against Murtagh's neck. For the first time that Ruby knew of, Aaron looked like he wanted to kill someone. Eragon and Saphira stood a little distance away, tense but with no immediate sign of intervention. Velvet grabbed the sword on her belt but didn't approach.
Ruby walked over to the group with a hand raised. "Street Rat, what is going on here?"
Aaron shifted his glare to Ruby. "He is the son of Morzan."
"M… Morzan?" Ruby gripped Crescent Rose tighter. She looked Murtagh over again. He still had a defiant look on his face, but that ran alongside dejection. "How do you know?"
"Because he told me." Aaron held his sword closer to his prisoner's neck. A thin line of blood ran down Murtagh's neck. "Though I should have seen it in his face."
Ruby started to say something but she stopped herself. Aaron was Alagaësian. They had different rules here. The view of traitors was pretty similar on both Remnant and Alagaësia, only on Remnant it typically ended with the traitor themself, not the family, as far as the law was concerned anyway. She didn't like this, but if that's the way things were handled here…
Eragon stepped forward. "I heard you give him your word. Do you break that so easily?"
Aaron turned his glare to Eragon. "Surely you know what Morzan has done. His kin cannot be trusted."
"I have fought alongside Murtagh, most recently at the Battle of Farthen Dûr. He is an excellent fighter and he's one that will keep his word. He was taken by Urgals after the battle. They likely took him to Galbatorix."
That gave Ruby exactly what she needed. "It sounds like the Nevermores to me." Aaron jerked his head back toward Ruby, some of the rage disappearing from his eyes. "You know what they do. The only thing missing is the shock microchips in the brain, though I'm sure there's something else that Galbatorix can do."
Aaron stared at Ruby for a few more seconds before lowering his sword and pushing Murtagh away. "Jackrabbit, Meadow, add that to your message." He turned around and stalked toward Yang on the edge of the plateau.
Ruby followed her teammate to the edge. It looked like portions of the larger army were starting to break away. Ruby dry swallowed and looked at Aaron. "Your mission. Do we fight or do we wait?"
Aaron sheathed Redemption and grabbed his compacted V4. "Find their commanders and magicians. Take them out. Don't know what they wear now so you'll have to look for yourself."
"Got it…" Ruby raised her weapon and started searching the large army. This was going to get really ugly really fast.
This was my original idea for Reversal, going along with the end of Eldest and the rest of the series. While there would have been a few cool events (Yang vs Barst anyone?) but overall, I think Reversal turned out better for having its own storyline. Especially since years later I still can't figure out how to write Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, and the rest of them.
Real life, football's back! Woo! Skol Vikings! We're going to win… the… uh… hmmm… NDSU and Sir Trey Lancelot on October 3rd! Go Bison! Roll Herd!