BRISINGR.
A/N: I am again sorry about the weird hiatus. I really want the last chapters of this fic to be amazing, so I've really bounced between a lot of versions of not only this chapter, but the next few as well.
I am as always forever humbled by the response this fic gets. Whenever I log onto this hellsite and see ppl keeping up to date with a chapter released back in DECEMBER I'm really just awed.
This fic is so different from the actual eragon.. and I don't even mean that in a self congratulatory way- it's weird! Brisingr took a turn where I really tried to embrace the "fantasy" aspect of this genre and I'm glad you guys seem to enjoy it.
Anyway, not on this chapter (as it seems unfair to do after a big break) but on the NEXT I'll finally unveil my original work.
It's about witches drafted into a conflict analogous with world war 2. It's going to be partially non linear, so the book is presented in a pseudo "script" fashion.
Also I think these chapters will be better than if I had written them earlier tbh, ironically and weirdly I started a BORUTO fanfic and I think my prose has evolved for the better from it.
So yeah.
Anyway. Back to Eragon.
ARYA saw torrents of smoke snake through the air, rising near black rolling clouds and the screams of the Sealed that swarmed from below.
Eragon rushed back to her, Saphira almost silently moving beside him despite her size.
"Murtagh.. He's dead. Alauinel.. she killed him." Eragon said. His voice was quiet- it rasped.
Arya could tell Eragon's mouth was filled with ash and blood.
Anger glowed dimly in his brown eyes, dark chestnut hair crossing his forehead by way of hissing winds.
"There's nothing we can do for him now." Arya said simply. She walked slightly ahead of Eragon and Saphira. Vile, swirling spirits vortexed at the center of the tower's cobbled stone, forming into the shambling six-eyed banshee.
This mana..
The Queen's head thumped as a sharp pain shot from the top of her head to the dip of her bellybutton. Her scars felt almost as if they were being torn anew-
It can't be!
Durza's eyes loomed in the forefront of Arya's subconscious. They stared with emotionless mirth- an ancient gaze, bored of humanity.
Eragon hopped forward, gliding across cobbled rock.
His head swung around for Arya while Saphira ascended from above, shielding the elven Queen.
It's him.. Arya thought cruelly.
She felt herself strapped to Durza's table.
cutting.. burning..
It's him! Silent echoes thrummed within Arya.
The pain still coursed through her body, but now.. it filled her with vigor.
Eragon positioned himself in front of Arya and Saphira's wings, eyes following a blackened specter as it pounced.
The Rider raised his weapon-
Arya's hand clamped down on Eragon's shoulder, holding him in place as she then sped past him and his dragon's webbed gate, sword held at her side like a deadly wing.
Durza leapt forth, his multiple eyes flexing upon the silent, charging Queen.
Durza's sword came crashing for the top of Arya's crown-
She leapt into a turning spin, avoiding the attack to the sound of a wayward strike sparking stone. Durza kicked his sword upwards as he turned, meeting Arya's glare across deadly metals.
Their swords rang throughout the tower. Arya's blade flashed in a flurry about her, muscles pulsing as she slid her blade from Durza's, pulling backward into an overhand strike.
Her weapon crashed down upon the Shade's body. It cleanly cut Durza's mirror-like visage, blood freely spurting from rent glass-
Durza's body fell backwards from the blow.
Arya spun on her heels, hair cascading over a shining crown as another blade swung downwards for her chest. Arya bent her knees, fueling muscles with magic as Durza's multiple eyes peered down upon her.
Their swords hissed as steels embraced.
"You.. the boy..still preserving in life. I've seen it, you know." Durza cooed slowly. As the shade spoke, Absolesret's cries shook old Laen stone.
"By way of her power. I'm linked to her, as all her puppets are. But I kept my mind." Durza's voidless face seemed to smile.
"Arya!" Eragon shouted from behind. Arya didn't look back as she heard Eragon's boots sprint across the tower.
Durza's body shuttered before two shadows fled with terrifying speed. Durza's laughter was carried on the wind as his blade cut through it, almost invisible.
Arya slid herself backward with magic-
Her eyes caught sight of a glimmer that fluttered with inhuman speed.
Arya flipped her sword lengthwise across a raised forearm. The wisp of Durza's dustlike weapon crashed against Arya's defense, sending her flying backward.
Eragon's brows straightened in concentration.
"Asche Verrûeschendën!"
The wind seemed to cackle in delighted surprise.
Particles of stone rose from the cracked upon tower, forming into a fog of swirling rock that clouded around Arya.
Arya narrowed her eyes, hearing the ting of Durza's glimmers meeting Eragon's spell in their deadly pursuit.
The shadows returned.
The two halves of Durza leapt in the air, narrowly avoiding a torrent of Saphira's fire. The dragon continued, roaring while pouncing forward.
Her talons caught one of the shadows-
It erupted in laughing onyx smoke.
Eragon rushed ahead, dark sword held high as he sprinted underneath Saphira.
The real Durza skipped backwards.
Eragon's spell fell from around Arya. It slowly allowed her to alight to the ground as the sound of battle echoed within her head.
"You can feel it now, can't you?" Durza said, beside and behind Arya. The coldness of his breath gripped both of her ears.
She gasped-
Arya turned into a retreating leap, sword held defensively across her body while mana rushed to shield vital organs..
But Durza didn't attack.
Arya looked to Eragon. His movements became lethargic as well.
Time seemed to be slowing.
Arya's eyes strained- making even the slightest glance cause reverberations of echoing pain that throbbed within her brain.
She coughed.
Is this-
Blood dripped from Arya's strained lips.
"It's.. happening.." Durza's voice seemed almost as if it was in pain as well, almost masked save for a slight hesitation in mocking, hissing cadence.
"This is causality. This is..her. Oh.. woe to this world.. Alauinel's designs.. I saw bits of it. Vignettes of the burning cities, the corpses. The demons and shades that gleefully slay all those who dare to venture past the Weeping King."
You're- you're speaking madness!
Arya realized that she didn't use her mouth then. She had meant to- but for a moment, it was almost as if she had no physical form.
Sound returned in crashing retribution. Arya turned to regard Eragon. He had recovered as well, as had Saphira.
All of them stood silently as Durza simply regarded them, six eyes narrowed in distant humor.
"Your allies arrive. You haven't told the boy, but they found an Eldunari in Feinster. Yes.. Alauinel made sure to fill it with the souls of every single man, woman, and child within that city.. it should be more than efficient.." Durza's visage bowed its head.
"Some will survive, I'm sure. The boy's brother is the King, after all." Durza laughed then as Eragon's shout seemed to even rival Absolearet's echoing moans.
"Roran?!" Eragon screamed. He stepped for Durza as the tower shook.
Arya's eyes narrowed.
Something is wrong..!
It was then Absolesret's cries stopped.
Instantly.
There was no last moan of death. No spell from Thorn.
It was then Arya noticed that Thorn was gone too.
As Durza spoke, his form seemed to fall away.
"She.. abandoned.. that behemoth long ago.. Thorn.. he.." Durza's body fell over, falling to one knee.
"To bring back.. Morzan's firstborn blood..though that too.. as all hopes.. is a deception.." Durza's eyes began to crumble, falling free of the mirror that held them. It spoke more, but its speech was distorted, corrupted and vile as spirits felt the embrace of true stillness.
Silence took the tower. It still shook, but it was then that Arya noticed that the ground around them was shaking. Laen structures in the far distance rippled, stones running free of them as they fell in crashing waves.
"Arya, Saphira.." Eragon's voice began.
Saphira spoke to both of them within their thoughts.
I feel it too. It's almost as if I can taste it. My own death. I see you.. I see the stars above, the buildings falling and the fires burning.. but behind all of that.. I see..
Saphira trailed off.
Arya didn't need her to finish. She understood, as she knew that Eragon did.
The feeling that death itself was perceivable, a tangible reality that was rushing at you as if a violent man leaping to harm you. It was a primal feeling, a cagelike horror.
It was then they saw it. Despite being upon the tower, Arya saw what occurred within her own mind. She saw it from the distance; from on high, but she felt as if she herself stood only inches away from whatever clawed underneath faraway hills.
From the earth, a white tree sprouted, cracking apart hill and rock as it grew. Within its trunk a massive, pulsing orb grew, glowing with a black fire from within.
The orb ruptured-
Smoke rose from it, rising in slow, steady grasps that seemed to twist the air.
Next, blood spilled from the tree's womb. It waterfalled down until it revealed a kneeling figure. The being was feminine. It bore bare breasts, long blonde hair, and a strange onyx fire that covered her lower body. Her feet were in the fashion of hooves, while a tail ending in a long haired man's face gasped as it swayed behind her shoulders.
The figure stood.
It looked up, violet eyes glancing up at Arya.
No..
Arya's eyes widened. Another voice came from her, almost as naturally as if it were her own. It wasn't as if she was possessed- the voice was almost an intrusive ideation, a familiar but unwanted murmur lurking behind the closest parts within her.
She stepped backward as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Eragon ran for her.
"Arya!" He yelled. He rushed to her side, shaking her as Arya sobbed.
Eragon turned to Saphira.
Arya felt Saphira's presence attempt to calm her mind, but it was to no avail.
"Arya, please!" Eragon cried.
"This isn't.. this isn't the end. This isn't fate." He said. Eragon's voice was brave. Powerful. For a moment.. Arya believed. He was a Dragon Rider. The hero of legend, the savior of the world.
Arya broke past Eragon. She lowered her defenses, weakening her body to its lowest point. Eragon screamed for her as Saphira swooped into the air.
Arya propelled herself with magic, launching herself from the tower's pointed battlements and down to the ruined citadel below.
NEXT CHAPTER: FATE OF MORZAN 9/4/2021