Third Rider

Eragon screamed "no!", but his cry of distress was overtaken by the roar of fury of not two, but three great dragons. Korthen became distracted, and turned toward the sound, distinctly different from the roar of one dragon alone, loosening his grasp on the knife, saving murtagh from death, at least temporarily. He turned to the red and blue dragons tearing their way down the corridor, barely able to fit, but moving at speeds unparalleled by any normal beast or being. He laughed at them, and said "what do you plan to do? Roast me? You'll roast the rider too, and if you attack, I'll kill him faster than you can blink!" suddenly, there was a crashing sound through the window to the side. In swooped a green dragon. Duck! Said eragon, into murtagh's thoughts. murtagh struggled, and managed to slide to the right, just as arya, mounted on her dragon, arched forward from her seat, and jabbed her sword, through the back, and into the heart of Korthen. Luckily, because he had slid to the right, the blade only penetrated murtagh's shoulder from behind. Immediately, eragon cast a spell shielding everyone from the shade's curse, and when the blackness that came from the death of the vile being came, it was followed by the voice of a noble elf, saying "thank you." As the echoing sound dissipated, eragon issued a statement. "galbatorix surely knows we've killed his shade, and recovered the last egg. I suggest we take our leave of uru'baen before we are caught with our trousers down, so to speak." Roran suddenly hopped down from arya's dragon, and said "wait, I have to get something." He ran out of the room, and arrived a minute later, carrying a green rider's sword and sheath in his hand. "a proper rider needs a proper blade." He said, and handed it to arya, who looked like she was caught between awe, reverence, wanting to accept the blade that once belonged to vrael, and wanting to put it back, since it felt sinful to take another's blade. Eragon put a hand on her shoulder. "roran's right. You need a sword worthy of your new abilities. Welcome to the club." He turned to her dragon, as did murtagh, each touched their own dragon with their left hand, and held out their right, on which the gedwey ignasia lay. They muttered a few words, and the dragon nodded. several minutes later, they were flying from the dark capital, a new rider in their midst.

"so, how did Beroan grow to mature size so quickly?" asked eragon, as they flew. It seemed as if the green dragon, Beroan, and his rider now carried the same knowledge that eragon received from the vault of souls. Eragon had a feeling it had a lot to do with the magic of the gedwey ignasia, which now apparently did things on its own accord. "I suppose it was the power of the true gedwey ignasia. Since it is the symbol of the dragon god, Eszpiin, it carries his will, and I suppose he is enterested in preserving the dragon race, so he gave me additional power to help." Eragon nodded. it confirmed his assumptions. Although arya had not been granted equivalent strength to his gedwey ignasia's new power, she and beroan had, through the dragon god's eye, learned all that eragon had in the vault of souls. He said nothing, his observations complete, and flew out ahead. It was clear to those around him that something was disturbing his concentration. What is wrong, little one? asked saphira,

it's nothing.

You know you cannot lie to me.

Alright! It's arya. I know I care for her, but in this past day since leaving the vault, I have accepted my responsibility as a rider, and although she, too is now a rider, I cannot drag her into my own personal feuds.

Whatever do you mean?

I know now truly why I fight galbatorix. Since we freed murtagh, everyone I care for has been thrown into this mess. I risk there lives every minute I am not going head to head with galbatorix. Yet, with all the power I have now, I feel inadequate. I know, somehow, that I do not have the power to face galbatorix, alone, or with help. For this reason, I feel I must cut ties with my fellow riders. I must walk a dangerous path, alone, and I know I cannot convince you not to follow, since you are just as much a part of me as I am of you, so I know we walk it together, and yet, I am still alone. just as I know my power is inadequate, I know that, in the end, I must face galbatorix alone.

I suppose it is the blasted foresight your mother had, and now it has been passed on to you.

Whatever it is, there are likely only two ways I can face him alone. either everyone present must die before me, or I must leave them, so that they are no longer threatened. I choose the latter. I need only fulfill my promise to roran first, and then, we leave, to seek a new way to succeed.

There was a long silence, before saphira answered. I see it as you do. I only fear that we will both perish, and the dragon race will die forever. Nonetheless, I go with you.

As the minutes passed slowly by, since they needed to circle around the other side of uru'baen in order to avoid the armies camped there, arya contemplated the look of deep thought upon eragon's face. He is true to you, you know.

What? Said arya, for it was her dragon who had spoken. He is true to you. The bond he and murtagh shared with me was one of the open soul. It essentially was a pledge of absolute trust in me, hoping that I would return the gesture. I have seen into his soul, as I have into his brother in blood's, and I see only dedication, loyalty, and love.

For me?

For all that he cares for, but most especially you. He has grown old inside, little one. And he has seen what the future can show him. He will leave us, if you do not tell him the truth.

What truth? Asked arya, rather defensively. Beroan made a raspy growl in the back of his throat that could only be the laugh of a dragon. The truth your heart now knows, but your mind refuses to accept.

As they rounded the edge of the capital at a relative distance, they saw the scene of war unfold before them. The war was at a dead stop. Both camps had removed their dead, whose numbers now lay in the thousands, and were resting for the night. Eragon realized that if their quest for power and roran's and his vendetta against the ra'zak didn't come to a close soon, the war would end, likely with the side of justice losing. He decided to use what power he had to put a temporary stopper on the violence, until they returned. He called upon the power of the riders present, and that of himself, his sword, the dragons, and all the strength he had stored in his belt, and he cast the largest spell he could, on the enemy side. "weaken the enemy's weapons, that they crack upon impact with our allies' blades!" he felt a wracking blow, as if he had lost his wind, hit him, as the magic left him. He lost his grip, as the magic drained him of his vitality, and his consciousness began to waver. He felt himself passing out, when a bright blue light shot up from far off, near helgrind, so bright it could be seen from such a distance. Far off at the source of the light, a brilliant diamond shimmering and visible clear through the sand. Brom's will was done. The spell eragon cast flew like a strong wind through the enemy ranks, powered by Brom's diamond tomb's stored power. When the aftershock of the spell wore off, all was still once again in the night air. Several words reverberated through the riders' minds, the voice of eragon's first mentor leaving a final message to the world. "follow the light of Ezspiin, and find the last gift of the dragon god. Good luck to you." Eragon was beginning to think that the spirits were guiding him. Regardless of brom's guidance, eragon knew he had put off helping roran save Katrina long enough. he flew up beside murtagh and roran, and said in a difinative tone. "we fly for helgrind. Your lady awaits, stronghammer." Roran nodded his head grimly. "Finally, we face the ra'zak, rescue katrina, and take our revenge for our father's death."

As the three dragons flew over helgrind, eragon signaled for them to go down four miles from the base of the rock, on the other side of it from Dras'leona. They made camp not far from where brom was buried, and, even in the coming dusk, the light still glowed in evening haze upon the dusty ground. Eragon thought in silence, as did roran, as the others contemplated continuing the legacy of the riders, and repopulating the dragon race. He finally spoke up. "in this, roran and I go alone. we must face our enemies, and best them in single combat, and, in so doing, take vengeance for the grief they have brought upon us. I would not have another besides the two of us get involved." With that, he stood, beckoned for roran, and they left camp. Just outside of the camp, eragon called saphira, "we go, my brother, to rescue your love, but afterwards, you must promise me something. When we complete this task, I cannot prevent you from following the other riders, since this is just as much your fight for freedom as it is everyone elses, but I must ask you to not follow me, and do everything else in your power to prevent them from following me. I have seen some of what is to come, and know that I alone must face galbatorix, and if you three stand by my side, you will surely all fall. If anyone must die fighting him, it will be me, at least before the rest of you. Do I have your word?" roran thought on it for several minutes, before shaking his head. "you do not. Over this time you have proved great loyalty to your friends and family. You have proved yourself the leader of the riders, and we can do no more or less than reciprocate, by following you." Eragon simply nodded. he did not think it would come to overpowering their minds, and knocking them unconscious, but if it did, so be it.

Are you going to tell him yet, little one? Tomorrow, he will leave, and he will not permit us to follow. He has the power to stop us, and you know he will. If he faces galbatorix alone, he will die. I too have seen a little of what is to come. If he defeats galbatorix, he will leave this land forever, and you shall lose a second cherished one. Either way you lose him. The question is now, or later, and to death, or life. Do you wish to lose him now, arya? to the doom that follows him?

…no.
then tell him what your heart does tell you, now, before it becomes too late.

As roran re-entered the camp, followed by eragon, arya stopped eragon in his path, and beckoned him back out of the camp, a cross between a pained look and one of determination on her face. When they were out of range of normal hearing, arya said "eragon…" and quickly lost all nerve. "yes?" said eragon. "I… I – we have known each other for around two years now, and we have both matured and grown greatly in that time. I have grown fond of you, and through these past years, we have become friends. Whatever faolin's message to you was, I was not permitted to hear it, when Beroan and I relived your time with the first rider, but I know… I know what my heart tells me. In all this time, I have seen you do great things. I have seen you do dangerous and reckless things, but great nonetheless. I have seen you risk everything for those you care about, and I know your heart is true. What I called an "infatuation" you had for me, I realize now, can only be defined as love. And I… I reciprocate that love." She kissed him, thoroughly surprising them both. When the kiss was broken, they held each other, and arya said "stay… please… do not leave us to face your doom alone. stay… with me." Eragon nodded, and held her tighter.

In his sleep of elation, eragon wept with grief. He was now linked still further with arya, and knew that she loved him. But now, he knew as well that her following him, and her eventual death, was the price he paid. He knew he could not leave, but he sincerely wished he could. On the arrival of dawn, he awoke roran, and they flew for helgrind.