A/N The end approaches….. please enjoy.
1 DAY TILL ELDEST!
Unless you live in the U.K, us guys over here have to wait 3 more days, god dammit.
Chapter 47- So It Begins…
"Ai-oi! Come Legolas! There are plenty for the both of us! Khazâd ai-mênu!" Gimli gave his great war cry as harsh Urgal shouts shattered the air and dark shapes started to appear in the tunnel's opening.
At a command from Ajihad the cauldrons of boiling pitch were tipped over, pouring down into the tunnel. Screams of Urgals scolded by the scorching liquid could be heard, and a flaming torch was tossed into the mass causing greasy orange flames to leap up in the tunnel's mouth. Similar things were happening at the mouth of the other tunnels either side.
But this only stopped the first wave of Urgals as more came clambering over their burned comrades to swarm out of the tunnels forming a seemingly impenetrable wall of solid bodies lined up facing the men and Dwarves.
Legolas led the archers of his battalion. "Fire!" he cried adding his own arrow along with Eragon's, Arya's and Murtagh's, plus the deadly swarm that hurdled towards the Urgal host. The archers fired again, but for every Urgal that was taken down, another emerged from the tunnel to take the fallen's place.
The Urgals continued forward, charging over those struck down by the volley after volley of arrows. And when they reached the trenches still they did not stop, but kept hurdling on towards the lines of men and Dwarves, using the pile up of bodies impaled on the deadly stakes as a bridge. Still they spilled out of the tunnels; this must be the entire population of Urgals of all species that resided in Alagaësia, all gathering for this battle of battles under Farthen Dûr.
Having over come the trenches, the Urgals now had to get through the lines of pike men that stood ready to repel them and prevent them from getting to the main body of the battalions. But the inevitable clash of both great forces finally came. The Urgals hit like a great tidal wave crashing over the shore. Weapons clashed with fury as they struck, Varden against Galbatorix's force, men and Dwarves against Urgals. War cries of the three different races resounded under the mountain and the ground shook with the thump of stampeding feet.
Gimli swung his axe and hacked a leg from the giant Kull that had been foolish enough to mess with him. It collapsed to the floor howling in agony and Gimli swung his axe high above his head, lobbing off the head in a shower of dark blood. As the head rolled and came to rest at the Dwarf's feet, Gimli spat on it with contempt.
"Duck!" a yell came from behind Legolas who did as he was told by Murtagh, narrowly missing the Urgal blade that had been swung at his head. The Kull soon fell forward as Legolas dodged to the side to hack the legs off one of the Kull that had been engaging him before hand. Murtagh came up next to him atop Tornac, bow in hand. Legolas looked to the Kull that had almost decapitated him to find one of Murtagh's arrows lodged in it's neck.
"Hannon le," Legolas said to Murtagh gratefully.
"Whatever, come on! Arya needs help!" Murtagh grabbed Legolas' arm and the Elf swung up behind him on Tornac.
"How is Eragon?" Legolas asked as he took down a few Kull in rapid succession with arrow after arrow fired at lightning speed. All of them had become separated when the Urgals had broke through to the main body of the battalion.
"See for yourself," replied Murtagh beheading an Urgal as he cut through the confusion of men, Dwarves and Urgals.
Legolas glanced up above him to see Saphira, claws and teeth bared swooping through Urgals on the ground, ripping them to pieces. He saw out of the corner of his eye before turning to cut down an Urgal in his path, as Saphira scooped up an eight foot tall Kull, she flew high above and tore it to pieces using her deadly talons. She dropped the mutilated remains on a group of Urgals surrounding a group of Dwarves, they scattered as the pieces came down, scattering blood and entrails over them while Saphira roared threateningly above them. Legolas was relieved to see Eragon on Saphira's back doing his fair share of hacking and slashing. So, the boy had finally learnt what war meant, Legolas briefly remembered the boy hating him for a short time in the Hadarac Desert when he had kill the bandits ready to sell them to the Empire.
Legolas, having located Arya, found her to be taking down Urgal after Urgal with passionate ferocity, Gimli by her side. He swung down off Tornac to land next to his friend.
"What is your tale so far Gimli?" asked Legolas beheading an Urgal that took a swing at him.
"Twenty-seven. And what is yours Master Elf?" Gimli replied hacking the arm off a Kull.
"Twenty-nine so far. But I think we may very well better both those scores twice before long!" said Legolas swinging his knife with grace at the torso of an on coming Urgal, cutting it almost in two.
"You two, this is no game!" Arya yelled as she plunged her blade into an Urgal's chest.
"Of course it isn't! This is a contest of strength between two seasoned warriors!" Gimli snapped back.
Arya shook her head and continued fighting with everything she had.
Up above them, Eragon circled the battle on Saphira, taking a short reprieve to regain some of his strength. He had been using magic to kill the Urgals and he now watched as a group of them writhed and withered in the flames he had cast upon them using brisingr.
'Ready to go back?' asked Saphira flexing her blood stained talons.
'I guess. Swoop down to where Murtagh is fighting on Tornac,' replied Eragon.
Saphira swooped down toward the young man, then let out a roar of pain as a cruel Urgal arrow pierced her wing followed by another, then another. She barrel rolled in midair and just managed a safe landing only to find herself surrounded by a group of the enormous Kull.
'SAPHIRA!' Eragon cried. 'Are you all right?'
'I-I, my wings, they hurt. Eragon look out!' Saphira warned as a Kull advanced and made to throw Eragon off Saphira by impaling him on its cruelly wrought blade.
Eragon brought Zar'roc up just in time to block the almost fatal blow, holding his blade tightly with two hands trying to combat the Kull's awesome strength. It was useless so, hurriedly summoning his magic from within and gathering it in his palm he cried, 'BRISINGR!' The Kull burst into bright flames and Eragon hastily kicked it away from him. Though that bit of magic had left him feeling incredibly weak.
Kull were all around them. Saphira reared up on her back legs making Eragon cling to her for dear life as she tried to defend against the Kull. One bold Kull came forward and tried to stab her, but she moved and its blade glided off the dragon armour in a shower of sparks.
Eragon plunged Zar'roc into an Urgal's chest, pulling it out with as much force as he could muster, but the dying Urgal clung onto the part of the blade imbedded in its chest, dragging Eragon off Saphira and onto the floor at the mercy of the surrounding group of its comrades. Eragon, exhausted, tried to pull himself to his feet, wrenching Zar'roc out of the Urgal.
A Kull towered over him, preparing to deliver the death blow. It stopped in mid swing though, a contorted look of pain and surprise on its face as a steely silver blade protruded from its chest. It fell to its knees, dropping its own blade as it clutched at the stab wound as the blade was drawn out from its back it fell forward. Eragon only just managed to scramble out of the way as it hit the ground with a resounding thunk.
In its place stood Angela, clad in outlandish armour enamelled in black and green with a red cap billowing about her. She had a strange two-handed weapon- a long wooden staff with a sword blade attached to each end. Angela winked at Eragon then dashed off, wielding her weapon in the air, cutting down any Urgal that dare invade her path. Close behind her Eragon caught sight of a young shaggy haired boy clutching a small black dagger, his teeth bared in a feral snarl. Eragon recognised him as Solembum in his human form before he jumped on Saphira who struggled to take off with her injured wings.
Eragon suddenly felt someone break into his mind and realised it was the Twins he was meant to be keeping in touch with.
'There are loud noises under Tronjheim. It sounds like Urgals trying to dig into the city! We need you! Hrothgar is also in trouble, he needs help too,' the connection broke abruptly.
'Saphira, Tronjheim is being attacked! We have to gat there, find Arya, we can collapse some more of the tunnels to stop them getting in!' Eragon told the dragon.
'All right, but Eragon, my wings pain me,' said Saphira struggling to make a safe controlled landing near to where Arya fought.
'I know, just please try to hold in there. We can fly to the dragon hold and I can try to heal you there,' said Eragon urgently.
Saphira landed next to where Arya was fighting alongside Legolas, Gimli and Murtagh, dispersing the Urgals around them.
"Hurry! Hrothgar needs help and Tronjheim is being attacked by Urgals!" Eragon said quickly batting away an Urgal blade with Zar'roc.
"We will go and save Tronjheim, Legolas come on!" said Arya and the two Elves swung up onto Saphira.
"We'll take care of Hrothgar won't we lad!" said Gimli swinging his axe up into an Urgal's groin.
"Yes, now get going Eragon! We have Hrothgar covered," said Murtagh dragging Gimli in the direction of a large group of Kull. Hrothgar and his warriors could just be seen through their legs.
Saphira, finding it increasingly to fly, struggled to take off. Suddenly, an Urgal came at her, throwing itself full force at her chest, crushing the armour. She staggered and let out a great roar, flapping her injured wings and rearing up. But the Urgal was soon put paid to by a well aimed arrow by Arya who had just used the last in her quiver.
Saphira eventually managed to heave herself into the air, struggling to gain height, the added weight of Legolas and Arya on her back did not help.
'Eragon, the front of my armour is completely crushed, it's hard to breathe. I can't keep going for much longer, said Saphira grimly.
'Will you be able to make it to the dragon hold?' Eragon asked full of concern.
'I think I might be able to,' Saphira replied as she flew higher.
Eragon turned to Arya and Legolas. "Saphira's hurt, her chest armour is crushed making it difficult for her to breathe, and look at her wings."
"Do not worry Eragon, we can help her once we get to the dragon hold. She will be fine," replied Arya kindly.
When Saphira reached the dragon hold and dropped heavily down to Isidar Mithrim, they scrabble down off her back and Eragon went to assess the damage done by the Kull. Four of her chest plates were crushed together so she could not bend or breathe very well. Legolas and Arya took a wing each. Two arrows protruded from her right wing, one from her left.
"I will stay with her Eragon, you and Legolas go help the Twins," said Arya beginning to remove Saphira's chest plates.
"Come Eragon, Saphira will be fine in Arya's care," said Legolas.
Eragon nodded and the Elf and boy rushed off.
Eragon swore when they came to Vol Turin, the Endless Staircase, the only way down into Tronjheim unless you had a dragon. "Now what do we do?" said Eragon throwing up his hands in exasperation.
Legolas thought for a moment. "What about that?" he pointed to the trough to the right of the stairs which Dwarves used to get down in a hurry. "It is the only quick way down without Saphira."
"All right, come on," said Eragon.
"I cannot follow you that way. I am bigger than you Eragon, that slide was made for Dwarves, you maybe able to though. I shall take the stairs, alone I can move quickly, I will meet you at the bottom."
Eragon nodded and slide down the trough, while Legolas dashed down the stairs.
-:0:-
Murtagh and Gimli charged towards Hrothgar and his besieged Dwarves. Murtagh sent his arrows flying into the Kull's backs, surprising them he managed to take a few down before he ran out of arrows. Catching the Kull by surprise from behind like this gave Hrothgar and his Dwarves time to retaliate, and they plunged forward, hacking at the Kull, rapidly depleting their ranks as they gained the upper hand. Hrothgar was a blur of golden armour as he sung his ancient hammer Volund around him, dispatching any Kull that got in his way, considering he was so old, the Dwarven King still had plenty of fight left in him.
"Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty! Arg, Legolas was right, I will have doubled my count by the time th9is is over- fifty-one!" Gimli cried as he swung his axe up to come down on a Kull that was struggling to get up after being knocked down in the fray.
"No doubt Gimli! No doubt!" Murtagh yelled back cleaving an Urgal head in two.
A/N Yay! Lots of action in that chapter, don't you just love dispatching the bad guys?
Anyways, next chapter shall most definitely be the last, that will be up tomorrow, the day you lucky US fans get you hands on Eldest. To all my fellow Eragon fans in the U.k, only 3 more days! Yay, Eldest is out on the 25th, (thanks for telling me DaAlCh!)
I don't think you are allowed to do individual reviewer responses anymore, so a big thanks to you all: Fell Dragon, Moonyasha, bananadude (thanks for being my 400th reviewer- have an e-cookie!), Alkin, Inwe Nolatari, Rion, Cylliel, DaAlCh, Twilight Unicorn, frodofreak88, Joou Himeko Dah and Belegboy.
Question I get asked a lot which I will happily answer now, YES! I will be doing the Eldest crossover following on from this. And as much as I would like to start posting the next part, I can't get my hands on the book until the 25th, then I go on holiday, so you will all have to wait till September for the next part. But I will be working on it over my holiday!
Laters
Lolly pop