Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor respect their great works.
In Gil'ead, ten Urgals descend down a flight of stairs that led to Durza's personal chamber and enter to report to their master, who was sitting at his desk awaiting them. Of course, he already knew of their failure at Daret, not to mention Ra'zac's failure to kill Devon and Eragon. The Shade rises up from his seat and slowly walks around the left-side of his desk toward the Urgals.
"Bring the boys to me, I said. Bring me their blood..." Durza says
The Shade stops and faces the Urgal Captain, looking him straight in the eyes.
"...I said. But you... You bring me... nothing." Durza says
Suddenly, the Urgal's heart is ripped out his chest through his back by a gloved hand that had knives on its fingers. The creature stared down at his beating heart with widened eyes and an open mouth and watched in horror as the vital organ was crushed in the hand's grip, gushing with black blood. The hand pulls back out and the Urgal gurgles and falls over to the left, revealing the killer: Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight. The other Urgals backed away fearfully from the evil Keyblade Wielder, scared by his menacing appearance and his forced, eclectic breathing. Durza held an emotionless, yet amused expression.
"Ah, Lord Drazor. I was told you were coming. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Durza says
"Durza. I am here to help resolve your problem." Lord Drazor says
The Shade nods his head.
"The Keyblade Wielder. He and his friends eluded me three times already. First, in Carvahall. Then, in Daret. And just recently, he defeated the Ra'zac, the king's deadliest assassins. Not even they could kill the boy. He may be a chosen wielder of the Keyblade, but he is still just a human." Durza says
"Do not underestimate him. He is more powerful than you realize. No being, other than my master, the Dark Lord, can outmatch his power. Only a Keyblade Wielder can contend with another." Lord Drazor says
Durza scoffs.
"Tch. You mean yourself? From what I've heard, you fought the boy three times and even you couldn't defeat him." Durza says
"Minor setbacks. Whether he is captured or killed, whether he lives or dies here or in another world, it makes no difference. His fate is all but sealed. By his journey's end, the boy will fall right into our trap. The Dark Lord of the Shadows, my supreme master, has seen to it." Lord Drazor says
"Hmm... Perhaps we can find a way to accelerate his demise. But first..." Durza says
The Shade holds up his right-hand and points to an Urgal on his right, who was behind Lord Drazor's left, with his index-finger.
"You!" Durza says
The Urgal that Durza pointed at stepped forward nervously.
"Congratulations. You've just been promoted." Durza says
Upon hearing that, the Urgal let out a sigh of relief.
"Now leave us." Durza says
The four Urgals bowed their heads and exit the room, leaving the two villains alone together.
"I grow tiresome of these failures." Durza grumbles
"You hold the captured the elf princess of Ellesméra, who had possession of the egg. Let her lead our prey to us. She will be the bait that will lure the Keyblade Wielder and the Rider to their doom." Lord Drazor says
"Yes. They won't be able to deny her suffering. They'll come running here to save her." Durza says
"And when they do, we will destroy them." Lord Drazor says
Durza nodded his head in agreement and the two villains leave the room and head down to the dungeons to set their trap for Devon and Eragon.
Now in the dungeons of Gil'ead, Lord Drazor and Durza stand around Arya in her cell, who was still chained on the stone table, as they begin to lay their trap for the heroes. The Shade stretches out his right-hand and extends his index-finger down to the elf princess. He touches Arya's exposed chest near the base of her neck and a dark splotch of poison appears on her skin. Arya gasps in pain as the poison seeps into her body.
Out in the wilderness, the heroes were resting in a woodland area covered in fog, only a few days after their encounter with the Ra'zac. The air was hazy with blue smoke.
In his sleep, Eragon experienced another dream involving Arya. He found himself standing in a beautiful, green, enchanted forest surrounded by trees and bathed in the bright sunlight. Ahead of him was the elf princess, who walked toward him barefoot, wearing only a white silk dress, dancing and spinning around gracefully.
"Tell me your name." 'Arya' says
"Eragon."
"Eragon. I am Arya, Princess of Ellesméra. We are allies with the Varden. You and the Keyblade Wielder are the only ones who can save me."
"But how do we find you?" Eragon asks
"Durza holds me prisoner at Gil'ead." 'Arya' says
After saying that, 'Arya' turns and runs away, disappearing into the forest.
In his dream, Devon found himself standing in the same forest as Eragon. The young teen takes three steps forward and looks around at his surroundings. The green forest had a peaceful, ethereal look to it, yet it was also mysterious.
"Where am I? What is this place?" Devon asks
Suddenly, Devon looks further into the forest and through the trees he saw 'Arya'. Same as she did in Eragon's dream, the elf princess danced and spun around gracefully.
"Greetings. What is your name?" 'Arya' greets
"Devon."
"It's an honor to meet you, Devon, Keyblade Wielder of Light. I am Arya, princess of Ellesméra, the realm of the elves."
"You're an elf princess?" Devon says surprised
"Yes. I am daughter to my mother, Islanzadí, queen of my people, and my father, King Evandar. The elves have always respected the order of the great Keyblade Wielders. And now that you are here in Alagaësia, I request aid for your help." 'Arya' says
"What's wrong?" Devon asks
"I am being held captive by the evil Shade, Durza. I am his prisoner." 'Arya' says
"Where can I find you?" Devon asks
"Gil'ead, the fortress-city to the north." 'Arya' says
Suddenly, the caws of crows filled the air, causing Devon and 'Arya' to quickly glance up into the tree canopy. Distressed, the elf princess looks back down at Devon, begging him to save her.
"Please... Help me..." 'Arya' says
Having said that, the elf princess turns and runs off into the ethereal forest.
Several miles away at Gil'ead, Durza was using Arya's mind to contact Eragon and Devon through his dream as he held his finger over the elf princess. Soon, the Shade lowers his hand and relinquishes his contact with the heroes.
"It is done." Durza says
"Now we await their arrival." Lord Drazor says
The two villains gaze down at Arya as she shudders painfully.
After experiencing their dreams, Devon and Eragon both wake up and they shared glances with each other. Neither one of them said a word, knowing that they had the same dream and what they had to do. Eragon began grabbing his gear while Devon stood on his right and waited for him. Brom woke up and saw that Eragon was preparing to travel but was confused as to why.
"Where are you going?" Brom asks
"To find Arya." Eragon says
Brom stared at Eragon in surprise.
"How do you know that name?" Brom asks
"She's Durza's prisoner. We're going to free her." Eragon says
"That's out of the question. Gil'ead's in the opposite direction. We can't start going back. We're almost there!" Brom says
The old rider gets up and kneels down to his protege.
"I won't let you two do this. It's too much of a risk. This is obviously a trap." Brom says
"Of course, it is. But we're willing to take that chance, especially if it can help save Arya." Devon says
"Saphira was sent to me. I will decide the risks to take, not you." Eragon says
"Eragon, this is more than just about us." Brom says
"I keep dreaming about her and I feel she's running out of time. Something dreadful might happen. If we don't rescue her, she'll be killed." Eragon says
"Yes. And it's a sacrifice she's happy to make because she values your lives over hers." Brom says
"So, we leave her to suffer at Durza's hands?" Devon asks
"No. I won't let her die." Eragon says
"If she dies, then she will join the countless others who died waiting for you, as the Varden now waits for you! You must understand. It is your lives that is important." Brom says
"I do understand." Eragon says
Devon and Eragon were about to walk toward Saphira when Brom grabs Eragon's left-arm, issuing him a warning.
"One false move, one reckless decision, and everything is lost." Brom warns
Eragon pushes Brom away and walks over to Saphira with Devon. The blue dragoness cranes her head around to look at the boys as they climb up onto her back. Devon was first and Eragon second. Saphira admires their bravery to save Arya, but she had to agree with Brom. Even she could tell that this was a trap.
"It's good to be brave. But... sometimes it's best to be wise." Saphira says
"Eragon, Devon, listen to me!" Brom says
"Your shame is not mine! You have forgotten what it means to be a Dragon Rider. We will save her." Eragon says
The blue dragoness looks back at her rider and tries to sympathize with him.
"Eragon..." Saphira says
"Please don't, Saphira. I'm the Rider, and I say we go!" Eragon says
Loyally obeying her rider, Saphira flies off into the air, leaving Brom behind with his horse. The old man lets out a disgruntled sigh as he watches the trio disappear into the sky.
After flying for several hours back to the north, Devon, Eragon and Saphira arrive at Gil'ead, landing on the outskirts only two miles from the fortress. It was dusk by the time they arrive, and it would have taken them longer to reach their destination on horseback, but thanks to Saphira flying was much faster. The two boys climb up a collection of rocks scattered on the hill, and they peek out over the top to get a better look. They had a good view from their vantage point, and they could see much of the outlying area. Ahead was the fortress-city, standing tall on another hill, looking rough and barbaric. Five miles beyond it was the hazy outline of Lake Isenstar. The one thing that immediately caught their attention was the black stone tower in the center of the fortress.
"There. That must be Gil'ead." Devon says
"Durza's fortress." Eragon says
"Yeah. And whaddya bet that black tower is where they're keeping Arya." Devon says pointing to the tall square-shaped tower with his left-index finger
"I kept seeing Arya in a cell in my dreams, which means there's probably a dungeon somewhere." Eragon says
"And no doubt this place is crawling with guards. Unless we can find a way to disguise ourselves, getting in won't be easy. We'll probably have a better chance sneaking in at night." Devon says
They Keyblade Wielder glances up at the dark blue sky and grey clouds, noting that nighttime was quickly approaching.
"...which, fortunately for us, isn't far off." Devon says
Devon and Eragon looked at each other and nodded their heads. Then, the two boys turn and glance back at the blue dragoness.
"Saphira, you'll draw too much attention. We'll wait for night, and me and Devon will go in and save Arya. Once we have her, we'll give you the signal to come pick us up." Eragon says
The Keyblade Wielder and Dragon Rider climb down from the rocks while Saphira backs away, growling worriedly.
"Those walls hold death, young ones." Saphira says
"Not today, not for us. We're going to save Arya. We can do this!" Eragon says
"Our power is greatest when we are together." Saphira says
"We can't truly be together until you and I become as strong as Devon." Eragon says
Devon glances back over his right-shoulder at the top of the hill, then gently taps Eragon's left-shoulder twice with the back of his right-hand, gaining his attention.
"Hey. We'd better get moving. By the time we get down there, it'll be dark." Devon says
Eragon nods his head, and the two boys look up at Saphira.
"Saphira, stay hidden and stay alert. Be ready for a quick getaway." Devon says
Saphira nods her head in understanding and watches as Devon and Eragon head down the hill towards Gil'ead with concern in her sapphire eyes.
The walk to Gil'ead took an hour and a half before the Keyblade Wielder and Dragon Rider approach the entrance to the city. They hide behind some rocks to the left of the gate and peer over the right, watching as two imperial soldiers escort two shirtless men, who were chained by their hands and feet, most likely prisoners, into the fortress, passing two guards, who were standing at their posts outside the open gate.
"Two guards by the gate." Devon says
"We got to get past them." Eragon says
Devon looked down at his right-hand as he came up with an idea. He could use his magic to knock out the guards with a Sleep spell he had just learned but sleeping guards would most likely raise questions and a lot of suspicion for other guards that were probably stationed nearby, so that plan was discarded. He looked up at the walls surrounding the fortress, which were several feet high, thinking maybe they could climb up, but that, too, was risky. There were probably guards patrolling the walls, and there was no guarantee they'd be able to climb up safely since there were no proper grips or footholds to begin with. Their only approach was to disguise themselves and walk through the front gate.
"We can't knock out the guards without raising suspicion and there's no way we can climb the walls. If only we had some disguises..." Devon says
Then, by luck, Devon and Eragon notice two black cloaks draped over two barrels on their left near the walls of the fortress.
"Huh. Well, isn't that convenient." Devon says
The two boys sneak over to the barrels, grab the cloaks, and put them on, keeping their hoods up to hide their faces. Once they felt they were ready, Devon and Eragon started walking toward the entrance of the fortress. The guards saw them as they approached but paid them no mind and simply let the heroes continue onward into Gil'ead. Devon and Eragon walked along the paths of the fortress, proceeding through open yards and tunnels, passing by many suspicious looking characters, who cast glares at them. Keeping their distance, they kept on walking while they heard guards shouting from other parts of the fortress at prisoners, slaves, or themselves. Little did the heroes know that the hooded man, the same one from Daret, was still trailing them. He watched as his two boys go down into a tunnel, then proceeded to follow them.
Devon and Eragon soon come into a circular chamber with fire pits on six sides of the room. Up ahead was a pathway that led into the dungeons. They continued onward and enter a wide hallway lit with torches mounted on the walls.
"Arya's got to be somewhere in here." Eragon says
"Eragon, use Saphira's eyes. See if you can find Arya." Devon says
Eragon nods in agreement and uses his magic, speaking the ancient words.
"Skulblakas Ven." Eragon chants quietly in a whisper
Using Saphira's eyes, Eragon scans the dungeon, looking for any signs of Arya. He soon saw her through the walls of her cell as the elf's body heat revealed her location. He could hear her gasps as they echoed within the stone walls. Looking to his right, Eragon saw light coming from the door to her cell, flickering through the window.
"She's behind the door. Over there." Eragon says
The two boys approached the iron-bound door with a small, barred window in its top half, which was secured tightly. Devon summons his trusted Keyblade: Soul Calibur and Eragon draws his sword, ready to expect trouble. Devon points his Keyblade toward the door and a beam of light shines forth from the tip, unlocking the door. They head inside and approach Arya, who looks over at the heroes as they come in on her left.
"Arya?" Devon says
"Devon... Eragon..." Arya says
The Keyblade Wielder and Dragon Rider looked over the elf princess and were horrified to see scars on her beautiful body, and a scrape along her jaw.
"What'd they do to you?" Devon asks in shock
"You shouldn't have come." Arya says
"But in the woods-" Eragon says
"Leave me here. Go. Now!" Arya says
"It's far too late for that." A sinister voice says
Eragon and Devon quickly turn around, Devon to his left and Eragon to his right, and they saw Durza standing right behind them. The Keyblade Wielder grips his right-hand into a fist when he saw the Shade for the first time, knowing that he was a servant to Galbatorix.
"Durza the Shade, I presume." Devon says
The Shade smiles with a sinister laughter.
"Forgive me if I stare. I knew you two were young, but even then, I was expecting someone a little more... well, more." Durza says
"You want more? How about this!" Devon says
Devon quickly lunges Soul Calibur at Durza, who teleports away in a puff of black smoke, reappearing out in the hallway. Devon and Eragon step out and face the Shade as he stood at the far side of the hallway. Durza spreads his hands out and gusts of wind blow through the hall, whipping up his crimson hair. Axes, which were hung up along the sides of the doorway behind him, began to rattle and shake. Soon, Durza attacks the heroes with a spell, speaking the ancient words.
"Morte!" Durza chants
Thrusting his arms forward, Durza launches the axes flying toward Devon and Eragon, but they both roll out of the way, dodging the attack. Then, Durza rips out the weapon mounts snd hurls their pieces at the two boys. Eragon counters with a spell of his own.
"Brisingr!" Eragon yells thrusting his left-hand forward
The splintered wooden pieces disintegrate in blue smoke, but the spell also sapped a little bit of Eragon's strength, causing him to drop his sword, which clatters onto the floor.
"Ah. A young magician. How quaint. Do you already feel it draining your strength?" Durza says
Durza glances down at a spear on the floor and stretches his left-hand toward it, uttering a spell.
"Reisa!" Durza chants
The spear rises up telekinetically in the air until it was in level with Durza's hand. The Shade turns his hand under and points the weapon at Eragon. Darkness envelopes the spear and Durza speaks to the two boys.
"They say as a Dragon Rider draws his last breath... he can hear the dying screams of his dragon." Durza says
Devon gasps slightly in shock, picturing such a horrible moment of Eragon dying and Saphira dying along with him as her pained roar echoes in his mind. He glances over at his fellow Dragon Rider for a brief moment, then shifts his gaze back at Durza, giving him an angry glare and a grow. Devon moves slightly infront of Eragon with his left-arm spread out, ready to defend him, but Durza just smiles with another sinister laugh. Within moments, the spear is launched toward the boys. But just as it was about to reach them, Brom jumps in out of nowhere and moves infront of Devon and Eragon.
"Get out of the way!" Brom shouts
The spear stabs Brom at high velocity, striking hard in the chest, precisely where his heart was. The old man stumbles backwards against the stone wall and collapses onto the floor, groaning in pain. The two boys kneel down to him and stare in utter shock.
"Brom..." Devon gasps
"No!" Eragon yells
Eragon grabs his sword and throws it at Durza with an angry grunt, but the Shade simply blocks it with his right-hand through dark magic.
"You'll have to do much better than that." Durza says
Eragon draws his bow and quickly notches an arrow onto the string. Deftly, he pulls back and releases the arrow, landing a shot into Durza's forehead with precise accuracy. Mist seeps off the Shade and into the air, yet strangely he did not seem to be in agony. Eventually, he vanishes into thin air, leaving no trace of his existence.
Once Durza was gone, Arya sits up and gasps in relief like taking in a breath of fresh air. Devon felt that it was too easy for Durza to be vanquished with just one arrow shot to the head, but they had no time to ponder over Durza's status. Putting those thoughts aside, Devon rushes to Arya and helps free her from her chains while Eragon tends to Brom. The old man groans and removes the spear from his body, which clatters onto the floor.
"Go... Get out!" Brom groans weakly
"No! Not without you." Eragon says
Devon and Eragon pick up Brom by his arms and lift him up off the floor. Devon carried Brom on his right and Eragon on his left.
"C'mon, Brom! C'mon! We're getting out of here!" Devon says
Devon looks over at Arya as she exits her cell and calls her over.
"Arya, could you help Brom?" Devon asks
The elf princess nods her head and takes Brom's arm from under Devon.
"Saphira's waiting for us outside. I'll lead us out and signal her to pick us up." Devon says
Devon moves ahead while Eragon and Arya follow him, carrying Brom out of the dungeons. They make their way out the fire pit chamber and into the courtyard. Then, the group came face-to-face with Lord Drazor, the Dark Knight, who stood ready for them, breathing with his forced, eclectic breath.
"Overconfidence has made you careless. You should've heeded the elf princess and stayed away. Now, because of you, the old man shall pay the ultimate price. He will die for your mistake." Lord Drazor says
Devon looks over at Eragon and Arya on his left as they held Brom, then looks back at Lord Drazor. He knew that they won't be able to escape unless he defeats him. He had considered calling Saphira to get them out, but even that was very risky. He couldn't risk getting her killed by Lord Drazor, knowing well enough how deadly he was. The only way they can escape was through the Dark Knight. And so, putting on a determined expression, Devon steps forward to face the evil Keyblade Wielder.
"Devon, son of Shara and Ducar. You show much promise. Much potential. I see now why the Dark Lord shows much interest in you. A pity that your parents could not fare better." Lord Drazor says
"You're wrong. My parents were the greatest Keyblade Wielders there was." Devon says
"So, you have been told." Lord Drazor says
Lord Drazor stretches his right-hand out to his side and summons his Dark Keyblade: Fear's Shadow while Devon grips Soul Calibur tightly with both hands and holds it infront of him, getting into his stance.
The two Keyblade Wielders stared each other down for five seconds until a large rock, the size of a basketball, levitates into the air behind Devon and flies straight toward him. Eragon saw this and shouts out to Devon.
"Devon! Watch out!" Eragon exclaims
Devon sensed the incoming projectile behind him, and he quickly turned around and uses a Fire spell, launching a fireball through his outstretched left-hand and blasting the rock to pieces. Facing forward again, he saw Lord Drazor rushing towards him with his Dark Keyblade raised with both hands over his right-shoulder. Reacting fast, the young teen quickly brings up Soul Calibur and blocks the strike, holding his crystal Keyblade opposite of Lord Drazor's. Continuing his assault, the Dark Knight swings Fear's Shadow with a right slash, an uppercut slash, and downward slash. Devon parries the first blow, leans his body to the left in dodging the second blow, then holds Soul Calibur up horizontally over his head, parrying the third blow. He swings Fear's Shadow around and away to the left, then strikes back at Lord Drazor with some attacks of his own, swinging Soul Calibur with a right slash, a left slash, and a downward slash. Lord Drazor easily parries Devon's attacks and counters with an overhead slash, which Devon blocks, putting the two Keyblade Wielders in a blade lock.
"Indeed, you are strong. Much more than your parents. But you have yet to bear witness my true power." Lord Drazor says
"And you've yet to see mine." Devon says
Breaking off from the clash, the young teen thrusts his left-hand forward and hurls the Dark Knight back with a telekinetic blast, knocking him several feet away to the other side of the courtyard. Lord Drazor catches himself with his left-hand and slides to a stop. He rises back up, pulls his right-hand back, and thrusts Fear's Shadow forward, shooting a dark blue fireball from the tip of his Dark Keyblade with a Dark Firaga spell. Devon leaps into the air with a backflip, dodging the dark fireball, and counters with his own magic, shooting a fireball through the tip of his crystal Keyblade with a Firaga spell. Both of the fireballs hit and cancel each other out in a large explosion, which fill nearly the entire courtyard. Devon shields himself from the smoke with his left-hand, as does Eragon with his left-hand, and Arya with her right. Suddenly, arcs of dark blue lightning streaks through the smoke towards Devon, who immediately holds up Soul Calibur horizontally in defense, absorbing the electric blast with his Keyblade. The smoke clears, revealing the attack came from Lord Drazor, who had his left-hand extended forward with the lightning shooting out from his fingers. Devon continued to block the electric blast until he looked down and saw a pool of darkness under his feet. Looking closely, he saw three red lights rising up toward him and the shadows expanding and getting larger. Instinctively, Devon jumps away just as a cage of dark claws emerges from the pool to grab him.
The young teen lands crouched on the ground and looks up to see Lord Drazor flying toward him with Fear's Shadow raised over his head as he attacks with a leaping strike. Devon quickly jumps up to his feet and leans his body to the left, dodging the Dark Keyblade as it comes down. Lord Drazor takes another swing at Devon with a right slash, only to be blocked as the young teen parries the attack with his crystal Keyblade. Devon strikes back with a downward slash, a left slash, an uppercut slash, but Lord Drazor parries the first two blows, then leaps up over Devon with a flip, dodging the third blow.
Lord Drazor attacks with a thrusting strike lunging forward at Devon, but the young teen dodges the blow, jumping slightly to the left and knocking Fear's Shadow away with a right swing of Soul Calibur. Next, the Dark Knight goes for a right slash, but misses again as Devon quickly ducks down. Then, Lord Drazor spins around with a reverse roundhouse slash, only to miss a third time as Devon leans his body back, the tip of the Dark Keyblade missing his neck by mere inches. Still spinning, Lord Drazor attempts a low sweeping slash aimed at Devon's legs, but the young teen jumps over Fear's Shadow, and counters with a leaping somersault kick, striking him in the back of the head with the heel of his right-foot. Seizing his chance, Devon delivers a reverse roundhouse slash next to the Dark Knight's head. Then, he performs a backflip kick, knocking Lord Drazor upwards into the air. Leaping up after him, Devon finishes with a diving kick using his extended right-foot to Lord Drazor's chest, jumping off with a backflip and sending him back down to the ground. The Dark Knight crashes into the courtyard, kicking up a cloud of dirt. Devon lands crouched down using his left-hand to catch himself and rises up onto his feet.
The Keyblade Wielder looks ahead of him and watches as the dirt cloud dissipates. Lord Drazor was now down on his right-knee, using Fear's Shadow as a crutch to hold himself up. While he was down, Devon looks over at his left at a pile of rocks. He stretches his left-hand toward the largest rock he saw, this one the size of a small boulder, and grabs it with his telekinetic powers. Turning his hand under, Devon lifts the rock up a few feet into the air while Eragon, Arya, and Brom watched in amazement. Then, turning his head toward Lord Drazor, he thrusts his hand forward and hurls the rock at the Dark Knight. The rock smashes into the evil Keyblade Wielder, and into the stone walls of the courtyard, leaving a good size crater with cracks in the sides.
As soon as Lord Drazor was out of the picture, dozens of soldiers swarm into the courtyard from both entrances, surrounding the heroes, armed with swords and shields. Devon backs up to his friends with Soul Calibur held with both hands at his right-side while they move to the center of the courtyard, closer to him.
"Eragon! Take Zar'roc!" Brom says
Eragon releases Brom's arm from his shoulder, grabs the crimson sword, and pulls it out from its sheathe, taking his stand next to Devon on his right, who immediately calls for Saphira.
"Saphira! Now!" Devon calls
Before the soldiers could advance any further on the group, a loud roar pierces the air, and the blue dragoness descends down from the sky, landing onto the courtyard. She swings her tail at two soldiers, knocking them into a pit of fire, then grabs another soldier with her jaws and tosses him aside. Eragon and Arya make their way over to Saphira while Devon quickly deals with the guards behind them, pulling his left-hand back and thrusting it forward to unleash a telekinetic blast, which blows the soldiers away.
"Saphira, can you carry four?" Eragon asks
"Not for very long." Saphira says
Arya carries Brom over to Saphira, and gently sets him down in her claws, while Devon and Eragon fend off the soldiers. Devon cuts down one with right-downward slash from Soul Calibur, while Eragon dispatches another one with a left-uppercut slash. After dealing with the two guards, the two boys look up and they see the hooded man as he suddenly appeared standing at the top of the courtyard walls with his bow drawn and an arrow notched in the string. His right-eye was lined up along the arrow's shaft and it looked as though he was aiming at them, one of them at least, and the two heroes braced themselves. The hooded man soon releases and the arrow flies through the air. It whizzes past between Devon and Eragon, flying over their heads, and hits a soldier behind them. The boys glance back at the guard behind them as he fell, then glances back up at the stranger as he removes his hood, revealing himself to be a young man with locks of long, dark brown hair, fierce gray eyes, and a clean-shaven face with a calm, yet serious expression, who seemed to be three years slightly older than Eragon, and four years older than Devon. They did not know what to make of this newcomer but seeing as he had shot the guard behind them, he must've been someone who, like them, was against the Empire.
"I suggest you leave quickly!" The stranger says
The friendly archer deftly notches another arrow onto his bowstring and releases, shooting at another soldier as he came down a flight of stairs, hitting him in the chest and causing him to fall backwards into the few other soldiers that followed him, which made them all tumble and fall down the stairs. Seeing their chance and cue to escape, Devon, Arya, and Eragon climb up onto Saphira. Devon climbs up first and was immediately followed by Eragon and Arya.
"Let's go!" Devon says
With her three riders onboard, Saphira turns around, swinging her tail at two soldiers that tried to attack her, and takes off into the air with a flap of her wings. As the heroes make their escape, row of imperial archers filed out onto the roof of the tower, took aim at the blue dragoness, and released their arrows upon their captain's command. The arrows whizzed through the sky toward the heroes, but Saphira quickly shifted to the left, avoiding the volley.
"Higher, Saphira! There are soldiers on the roof!" Eragon shouts
"I can't! The weight is too much!" Saphira says
The extra weight on Saphira's back made her drop alarmingly quick. The blue dragoness flew south, leaving the fortress-city of Gil'ead behind, and disappears into the trees of the far distant forests.
Back at the fortress, a black-red light appears in the wall behind the large rock that had smashed into Lord Drazor and cracks of the same color slowly start to form on the rock's surface. Soon, the rock explodes into millions of pieces and the Dark Knight drops down into the courtyard. The Dark Knight glances up at the night sky, knowing the heroes had escaped, and teleports through a dark corridor, reappearing at the top of the black tower and gazes out at the forest where the group had vanished. Durza appears next to the evil Keyblade Wielder on his right and joins him.
"They escaped." Durza says
"Now, they shall lead us directly to the Varden. Then, we will destroy them all." Lord Drazor says
"Yes..." Durza says with a sinister smile
In the forests of Du Weldenvarden, the heroes had landed in a clearing at the crest of a hill, only half a league from Gil'ead. Devon and Eragon looked over the hill back at Gil'ead to make sure they weren't followed by the soldiers while Arya sat down on her knees, holding Brom in her arms. When the old man started to groan, and the elf princess called her two saviors.
"Eragon, Devon." Arya calls
Devon and Eragon walk over to Arya and check on Brom, kneeling down to the wounded old man. His breathing was slow and labored.
"Durza... Durza..." Brom says weakly
"Durza's dead." Eragon says
"Did you pierce him through the heart?" Brom asks
Eragon didn't respond and remained silent, remembering that he had shot him in the head, not the heart.
"You can only kill a Shade if you pierce him through the heart." Brom says
Brom groans from his fatal wound. Devon sits down and lets out a sigh.
"We're definitely on Galbatorix' most wanted list now." Devon says
"We must get help." Eragon says
"Where?" Arya asks
"The Varden. It's our only hope." Devon says
"Yes... Go to the Varden." Brom says
Brom holds up Zar'roc, now inside its sheathe, in his hands and slowly offers it with what little strength he had to his protege.
"Take this..." Brom says
Eragon reluctantly takes the sword, gazing down at the weapon before looking back at his mentor.
"Go... without me." Brom says
"No... We need you." Eragon says
"No, Eragon. It's I who's always needed you. You and Devon. You both gave me my life back again." Brom says
The old man gave out a sigh and gazes up at the stars that glittered in the night sky above him.
"After all this time, I still grieve for my dragon... and hate Galbatorix for what he tore from me." Brom says
Glancing back down, Brom turns his head right back to Eragon.
"Eragon, take care of Saphira. Guard her with your life. Without her, you'll find life is hardly worth living." Brom says
The old man turns his head and looks over at Devon on his left.
"Take care of your dragon too, Devon. You are truly lucky to be a Keyblade Wielder and a Dragon Rider. I'm glad to have met you." Brom says
Devon held back his tears and nodded his head to his friend.
"And I'm glad to have met you, Brom." Devon says
Eragon looks over at Devon surprised. Was he actually going to let Brom die? Glancing back at the old man, Eragon shook his head.
"I won't let you die. Not for our mistake." Eragon says
Determined to save his friend and mentor, the young rider looks over at the wound on the left-side of Brom's body, took a deep breath, stretched out his right-hand toward it. Drawing upon the combined power through him and Saphira, Eragon focused it on the ancient words.
"Waíse heill." Eragon chants
Eragon's palm glowed and shined with a blue light as he held it trembling over the wound. Brom's skin flowed together and sealed away the wound as though it had never existed. It was over quickly, lasting no longer than ten seconds. The light vanished and Eragon lowered his hand, feeling sick and panting in exhaustion. The best that Eragon had accomplished was mend the wound on the surface. But he could not fix the damage that was done inside. Brom would still die from internal bleeding.
"You're not strong enough... yet." Arya says
"That's the spirit. One part brave... Three parts fool." Brom says smiling
Desperately trying to hold back his tears, the young rider gave out a sniffle and places his left-hand on his mentor's right-shoulder.
"Forgive me." Eragon apologizes
Devon places his left-hand on Eragon's right-shoulder, offering him comfort.
"You did all you could." Devon says
"Eragon, before I go, will you take my blessing?" Brom says
"You don't have to do this." Eragon says
"It is the way of things... I must. Will you take my blessing?" Brom says
Eragon stares silently at the old man, then nods his head.
"Then I give it to you. May the coming years bring you great happiness." Brom says
Brom motioned for Eragon to bend closer. Very quietly, the old man whispered seven words from the Ancient Language, then even more softly explained what they meant.
"That is all I can give you... Use them only in great need." Brom says
"Good luck on your journey, Devon... I'm sure you will become the greatest Keyblade Master in the history of the world... I have great faith in you." Brom says
A few tears escaped Devon's eyes as he places his right-hand on Brom's left-shoulder.
"Thank you, Brom." Devon sobs with a broken voice
The Keyblade Wielder sniffles and lets out a sigh. Then, he and Eragon heard Saphira's gentle voice as she spoke to them.
"Devon, Eragon. Let him die with pride..." Saphira says
Saphira raises her head and roars mournfully at the night sky, keening her lamentation.
"...as a Dragon Rider." Saphira says
Later that night, Saphira gave Brom a ride on her back across the sky as a final request for the elderly Dragon Rider. Brom laid over Saphira's saddle on his stomach as she flew nice and smooth for him and took in the remarkable view of the stars above him and the surrounding lands that passed around them. Contentment spread across the old man's face. For the longest time in his life, he actually felt happy. A tear slid down the left-cheek of Brom's face. Flying with Saphira reminded him of the good old days when he flew his dragon. Finally, he would see her again.
"And now... for the greatest adventure of all..." Brom says weakly
With a smile on his face, Brom closes his eyes, and a whisper of breath escaped his lips as he went stiff, glad to have flown as a Dragon Rider one last time.
The next day, the sun was shining brightly in clear skies as the group finds a good burial site for Brom: a smooth sandstone hilltop. The old man's body was laid out on the stone with his hands resting together on his chest. Devon, Eragon, and Arya stood on Brom's left while Saphira stood behind him. With his gaze fixed on the sandstone, Eragon gestures with his right-hand and casts a spell.
"Moi stenr." Eragon chants
The stone rippled and flowed like water, forming a body-length depression in the hilltop. Molding the sandstone like wet clay, Eragon raised waist-high wall around it. Brom laid inside the unfinished sandstone vault. Eragon stepped back and shaped the stone again with magic. It joined over Brom's motionless face and flowed upwards into a faceted spire. And as a final tribute, Eragon set runes into the stone:
Here lies Brom
Who was a Dragon Rider
And like a Father
To me.
May his name live on in glory.
Once he was done, Eragon bowed his head in mourning, then stepped back as Devon moved forward to pay his respects to Brom. He places his right-hand on the stone tomb for seven seconds, then looks over at the epitaph. The Keyblade Wielder stretches his right-hand toward the runes and a blue light emits from his open palm. His Kingdom Hearts necklace and his Celestial Ring also glowed brightly with their light. In a small flash, the Kingdom Hearts sigil appears engraved in the stone at the top of the epitaph. He then steps back and rejoins Eragon and Arya.
"I can't breathe fire yet, but I can do this for Brom." Saphira says
Saphira lowers down and snaked her head out to the tomb, exhaling her breath onto it. Her sides vibrated as a low humming filled the air. Right before their eyes, the sandstone changed into white diamonds, shimmering like gilded dew, turning clear with dancing silver highlights. Devon, Eragon, and Arya watched in wonder as tendrils of diamond twisted over the tomb's surface in a web of priceless filigree. Sparkling shadows were cast on the ground, reflecting splashes of brilliant colors that shifted dazzlingly as the sandstone continued to change. With a snort, Saphira stepped back and examined her handiwork. The sculpted mausoleum of sandstone had transformed into a sparkling gemstone vault, under which Brom's untouched body was clearly visible.
"Now time cannot ravage him. He can rest in peace for eternity." Saphira says
"Who will remember him?" Eragon asks
"Many people will. Because of you and Devon." Arya says
Devon and Eragon looks over Arya with a slight smile on their faces. Saphira lowers her head in a bow to the fallen Dragon Rider, then she stands up on her hind legs with her wings flared wide open in a noble posture.
Eragon looks down at Zar'roc, which was belted around his waist on his right-side, and stares at the sword. Brom believed he was suited to carry on the Rider's legacy, and he would do his very best to keep that promise. With a determined expression, he tightens the belt closer. From this moment on, he would live by the sword, just like Devon and his Keyblade. He would let the whole world see him for what he was. He had no fear. He was a Rider now, fully and completely.
Devon stares at the blue dragoness with a smile on his face, then glances down at the open palm of his right-hand. He thought about his relationship with Brom and the time they spent together traveling across Alagaësia. Brom, a Dragon Rider, who believed in the Keyblade Wielders and everything that they stood for. Then, he thought about the Keyblade Wielders who came before him. Eraqus. Terra. Ventus. Aqua. His parents: Shara and Ducar. And the many others from countless years ago that came before even them. They were part of an ancient legacy of heroes, and he would ensure that legacy would always live on. With a determined expression, Devon clenches his hand into a fist, adding a new goal to his list: Form a new coalition of Keyblade Wielders, rebuild their order, and ensure that there will always be Keyblade Wielders to guard and protect, to ensure peace and justice in the Universe. Perhaps maybe one day he might have a protege of his own. Someone who he might take under his wing and follow in his footsteps.
Author's Note: Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I know I did, spending time with friends and family. And even though it's a little late, here's my Christmas gift to you all: a new chapter! Devon and Eragon have finally rescued Arya from Durza and Lord Drazor, but at a terrible cost. Brom dies from a fatal wound inflicted by Durza after he sacrifices himself for Devon and Eragon, and he is given a proper funeral. Now, its back on the road to the Varden. Not too far now until Devon finishes his adventure in Alagaësia. Anyone care to guess who the mysterious stranger was that helped our heroes escape from Gil'ead? It might be obvious who it is, but I won't spoil it here. Hard to believe this year went by so fast. And in just a few more days, we'll be coming in to 2022! Anyways, let me know what you think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!