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Chapter 34, Part One
The black shape advanced towards them, the red melting into its shadows. Salem's mind was screaming, ordering her body to move, move, MOVE!
But now she was frozen, one hand on the wall and the other squeezing Murtagh's hand so tightly her knuckles were white. The black dragon, she thought to herself, feeling the first touches of hysteria coming on. That thing—it's huge—
She took a deep breath, forcing her body to stop shaking. Her knees wobbled, threatening to collapse, but she forced them straight with an iron twist of her will. Finally, she managed to force her lips apart. "Murtagh?"
He didn't answer her. She chanced a quick look at him; he seemed no better off than she was. His eyes were huge; with shock or terror she couldn't tell. He shuddered slightly, closing his eyes, his mouth working as he fought something that she couldn't perceive.
Darkness gathered around them like a thick blanket, smothering them in shadows. They're sparkly, Salem thought giddily, reaching up to touch one. It felt hard to her touch, like diamond. Gem. Scales.
"Thorn…"
The word came like a prayer. Salem's eyes could barely make out Murtagh as he lifted his left hand, patting the scales as he searched for something. "Murtagh?" she asked tentatively.
His head snapped towards her, and even by the dim light she could tell he was startled. "Salem?" he said finally, as if he had forgotten she was there.
She squeezed his hand. "Yes."
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Thorn wasn't there.
Murtagh gritted his teeth and tried again. He could sense his dragon, so close, so near, but he wasn't responding. Not a single flicker of emotion came through, yet there wasn't anything between them anymore. Thorn! Murtagh shouted once more through their link. Thorn, why won't you answer me—!
Don't you know the answer?
The voice was cold, bitter. Murtagh stopped short, his eyes flicking around the cavern of scales that was Shruikan. What do you mean? he answered at last. What happened, Thorn?
Thorn was silent, but emotions began to leech through their link once more. Bitter hatred and self-contempt slipped through the sieve between them and were just as quickly withdrawn. Once again, there was a wall between him and Thorn.
Only this time, Thorn made it.
The ground around them quaked, and Murtagh heard Shruikan's chest rumble with an inner flame. Thorn spoke once more, his voice flat. Shruikan says for you to drop your mental barriers.
He gave no other explanation. Murtagh hesitated for a moment. What was wrong with Thorn? Could he have changed so much in only two days? Are you sure? he asked slowly, hoping to touch the Thorn he knew.
Utter silence. Murtagh took a breath and dropped his barriers and years of training, leaving his mind exposed. Instantly, he heard an echoing, hollow voice in his mind, grinding and sorrowful. Wait.
"Shruikan," Salem whispered from next to him.
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If anybody had stumbled onto the scene, they would have witnessed a strange sight. Shruikan towered like an unmovable boulder, encircling two humans in the hollow between his arm and neck. Like a lost puppy, a tiny red dragon by comparison waited behind him, his red eyes giving away nothing.
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We're waiting for something, Salem thought suddenly.
Besides a shift of his claw to make himself more comfortable, Shruikan hadn't moved an inch. Murtagh was pacing in the small circle of space they had, straining to catch sight of Thorn. The red dragon hung persistently out of view.
The minutes trickled by. Several times, Salem opened her mouth to talk but found herself shutting up because she instinctively sensed that talking, even a whistle or a hum, would aggravate the silence. I'll only make things worse...but this silence, isn't it bad enough?
I wouldn't do that if I were you, a voice said sourly.
Salem's head jerked up in surprise. What, don't you recognize me? the voice snapped. It's Thorn, you idiot. I can read your insipid thoughts clear as day. Don't talk. Don't do anything. Just. Sit. Quietly.
"What!" Salem blurted. Murtagh turned to look at her, clearly startled. More disconcertingly, a huge black eye from the mound that was Shruikan swiveled ever so slightly to focus on her. "Sorry," she whispered. "It was a mistake."
Shruikan's eye turned away, but Murtagh stepped towards her. "What was it?" he whispered quietly, peering intently at her face.
Salem grimaced. "Your stupid dragon," she said softly. "I was thinking about whistling or talking, and he told me not to. And I was just startled, because his voice—it sounds so much different from what I remember."
"He spoke to you?" Murtagh asked, clearly startled. "But why…"
His voice trailed off. "I'm sure it was nothing," she said hurriedly. "I mean, he was telling me off. Not a big deal."
He shrugged, and both of them sat there for a moment sharing a length of depressed silence.
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The silence was lulling, punctuated only by the soft sounds of Shruikan's breathing. Murtagh felt Thorn block him again and again, and it was maddening—why? Why would he block him? Thorn, he called, trying again, Thorn, what's wrong?
What's wrong is you, came the snappish reply. Now shut up and sit down!
Salem was right—Thorn's voice was radically different, not so much the sound as the tone. It's so…bitter, Murtagh realized, pain flooding his mind. Something happened…
You're such a genius, Thorn sneered. Can't you just shut up for once? You're starting to sound like Nitwit Girl over there.
'Nitwit girl'…Murtagh looked over at Salem. She sensed his gaze and looked up, her expression wry. "Trouble?" she mouthed at him.
Murtagh shook his head. "No," he answered wordlessly. She nodded ruefully and sighed, the sound echoing off the walls of the cavern.
Oh, look at me, Thorn mocked. I can sigh. I can flutter my hair girlishly and show off my pretty nails. And you know what? Everybody falls over trying to kiss my shadow, and I'm the Homecoming Queen! He laughed, the sound cold and harsh in Murtagh's mind. Godsdamn you, all of you. What the hell does she exist for?
Thorn—Murtagh began, then stopped. All right, he said simply after a moment.
There was a cynical whuff of laughter from somewhere behind Shruikan, but Thorn made no further comment. Dull silence ensued, quiet and thick.
Time slowly trickled by—seconds, minutes, hours—there was no way to measure. Finally, Thorn spoke again. His voice was slow, tired.
If life can shift in a matter of seconds, do you think it's really that impossible to change irrevocably in a day?
He didn't seem to expect an answer, and Murtagh didn't offer one.
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Shruikan finally stirred after what seemed ages, his voice echoing as he spoke. Get up.
Salem jerked out of a listless doze, staring about wildly. Her feet gave way under her as she tried to stand, and Murtagh's arm was welcomed as he helped her up. "Are you all right?" she whispered to him.
"Yes," he answered softly. "Just confused."
She laughed quietly at that, and he looked at her in a startled way. "What's so funny?"
"You're so contradictory," she said, touching his hand lightly. "If a person is lost, how can peace be known?"
His answering look was, if anything, more confused. "My father used to say that whenever any of us tried to play the stoic," she said in explanation. "That was before…before Connac joined the army, though."
He managed a smile and a shrug, but the look in his eyes was faraway and unfocused. Salem sighed for what seemed the umpteenth time, looking wistfully at the scales surrounding them, forming an impenetrable prison. The air was stuffy, sending streaks of sweat down her spine. Escape looks so far away, she thought distantly. I should be panicking, shouldn't I?
…unless I'm resigned to dying. Yep, that's it.
She was jolted out of her depressing thoughts as Shruikan stood, his head scraping the sewer…cavern…whatever…walls. Are we even in the sewer anymore? Something shifted while we were waiting…the ground's not wet anymore, and there's no muck floating past our legs. Even the air doesn't smell that bad. She took an experimental sniff and revised that statement. Maybe it's just because we've gotten used to the stink.
Her head snapped around, catching the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls. Salem felt strangely removed from all of it, as if she were watching it in a show. Or maybe I'm just dead and don't know it yet, she thought giddily. Almost involuntarily, she reached out and took Murtagh's hand. He looked surprised by the contact, but strangely pleased.
Shruikan shifted again, and slowly the great head lowered as he greeted the newcomer. They are here, he said, his voice dull and flat.
A soft laugh, then a clap of the hands brought forth a gleaming light, painful after so long in the dark. Salem yelped, throwing her free hand across her eyes, blinking painfully to see who it was.
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Yes, I suck. But hey, it's an EARLY EARLY update! Besides, you have another 'part' coming on, so just kick back and wait the four days or so it'll take me to type it up. :0 I think you'll like it; it promises to be…um…interesting. –cough- Who could this mysterious man be! –giggles-
And if there is no Homecoming Queen in Alagaesia, whatever. There is now.
So, your official chappie schedule? 34 Part II comes next, then 35, then MAYBE MAYBE a 36 before the Burning Plains chapter/epilogue. After that, an explainer/insanity/random stuff chapter, and that's the End. So, total? Four more updates, five at the most.
Ooh, I'm having SO MUCH FUN! –grooves to les mis music- Yes, Les Miserables is awesome:P But honestly, the kid Cosette is SUCH A BRAT. STOP PRETENDING TO BE CUTE! YOU CAN'T SING!
And even though this is a half-chapter, I might as well give review responses anyway...
Ariel32: What! Agh! I did say that I wouldn't kill Salem off, and I never break my promises. –blinks innocently-
And very technically, I didn't leave a cliffie for this chapter because THIS IS ONLY HALF A CHAPTER! AHAHAHA! –laughs insanely-
Alsdssg: Really, I'm kind of pissed because I didn't manage to fit enough Salem/Murtagh fluffiness into this chapter. But there is a little—
-pause-
NOOO! YOU CAN'T SING EITHER! –hacks lousy song to pieces-
Sorry about that. I think I'm on a caffeine rush right now or something very similar; I'm feeling quite jazzy and talkative right now. Typative. Whatever. I may just have coined a new word. O.O
Elemir: I'm hurrying! NO! I CAN'T COPE WITH PRESSURE! TYPE—MUST TYPE CHAPTER—AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Silver sliver: Thorn's not going to think much about anything, poor boy. Man, I hate doing this to my characters. Poor Thorn. –sniff-
He and Murtagh will eventually reconcile, but not before several more things happen…oh, man. –looks at plot and begins to sob- Noo, why do I keep doing this to people! Ominous black clouds hang ahead for them…(haha, Gewher, I stole your pun :P)
And nope, I just remember the puffins! They are so cute when they waddle in the water, it's like waddle waddle waddle and their little butt thingy goes back and forth and back and forth and they look at you and cock their heads and THEY ARE SO CUTE! EEEE!
Aurora: Me, too. I imagine Shruikan's character to be…I don't know, kind of broken I guess. He was ripped away from his true Rider, and I would imagine that to be painful and heartrending…poor old boy would never be the same again, no matter what Galbatorix tries. I hope to put in more of his character next chapter.
K.A.T. Hiwatari: -posts chapter, runs, and hides-
-sticks head out of hole- Are you going to kill me for another cliffie? WELL YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND ME FIRST! Hahaha. I put up this cliffie just to see you squirm. –giggles-
Well, not really. But it's a pleasant side effect :)
And on another note, doesn't it take awfully long to translate a document? Are you using Internet translators? Those things never work, unless they're custom jobs, and then they're expensive…just curious.
Green-eyed-angel: I know, I can't believe it either! Stories almost never reach this far. I'm going to be happy when it's over…maybe start up a career in sculpture…kick back and relax. Ahh.
Mistress-of-Misery: No, I don't mind the off-topicness. Eragon is a snothead at the end of Eldest. So self-righteous and oh-so-mighty-transformed-elf-slash-human-person-thing whose honor is so important and he's so perfect and so wonderful and so noble and so—
Eragon: Hey!
Me: Well, it's true.
Murtagh: Hahaha, she likes me more than you.
Saphira: -hisses and flames-
Me: -sniff- Flames and hissing are the last resort of people with no intelligence. –walks off with nose in air-
And yeah, I checked it up. The CN Tower is taller than the Taipei 101, but oh-so-officially it's classified as a tower because there are no stories in it.
Gewher:
Me: -looks at Connac- Apparently, I'm not allowed to kill you off anymore.
Connac: Wha…! You were going to kill me off in the first place? What do you mean? Wait, am I still going to die?
Me: I plead the Fifth. –looks away piously-
Connac: …
But honestly, I do like Connac too. I hope I won't have to kill him off; he's one of those last details that I'm not too sure how to take care of. His living or dying depends on a lot of things…we'll have to see.
Amantine: Thank you! I baked the cookie myself. Did you have fun taking bytes out of it?
-silence-
Me: Taking bytes! Ahaha! Isn't…that…funny…-sees people staring blankly- Oh, never mind. You people have no sense of humor.
Coffee Grounds: Peanuts? No, peanuts don't dare to attack me. I'm far too fearsome for peanuts. Although, I did get find some coffee beans in my shoes that gave me a blister. Friends of yours? –glare-
REVIEW!