It was oddly satisfying to chase down the bulk of the Urgals, watching them flee from him in shock or fear. Two actually pissed themselves in fear when he tackled them, using his smaller size to wrestle his body onto their backs and tear into their throats. The delicious reality of their fear was intoxicating. Four of them screeched when he cut them down with his axe. Only one, having been part of a pair, managed to hurt him by a harsh kick to his side and that was only due to having watched his comrade perish. It took him until well past noon to hunt the last of them down, the final of the bloodlust empowered Urgals had made his way back into the town of Yazuac.
"What is that... it doesn't smell like Urgal." On the wind, a scent, new and fresh and delicious crossed his nose. "Maybe it's human? It doesn't quite smell human though..." Curious, he ran back town, just in time to watch as the last Urgal knocked a clearly human boy off of a horse. "There's my target, but who are the others?" He watched as a much older man charged in on a brilliant horse, cleaving at the arrival of a second Urgal with a sword, fighting with ferocity and skilled the Yomir knew he personally lacked.
He sprinted towards them, desperate but cautious to obey his master's orders. Punishment was not something that he wanted to endure.
Within minutes he made it into the edge of the town, axe on hand and ready.
'Stop... this boy... watch him, and the old man. See if they are threats.' Durza's powerful voice lost it's smooth quality, turning harsh and guttural.
The boy ran from the Urgal chasing him, the one that had unseated him with a fierce blow, turning to shoot the Urgal just moments before the beast blocked his attempt at an attack and tackled him. They tumbled in a confused pile, but the boy rose quickly and shot away towards the old man, a vicious look in his eyes. Blood was spilt, from the old man and the Urgal, it's rich headiness was utterly intoxicating and delicious but still he focused on the battle before him.
The boy all but threw himself into an ally, and Yomir saw nothing but still he watched... and then he saw it, brilliant blue fire exploding from within the ally, covering and exploding with such force that it sent Yomir back a step as it rippled through the air.
"In the name of all the hells what was that?"
'Magic... go to the boy and join him. He will need allies if he is to do as I wish... Galbatorix wishes for the boy to live, protect him but pretend to know nothing. I shall return your power to mask your thoughts, do not allow them entrance into your mind. Follow the training the Urgal witch gave you and protect yourself. I will be watching. Make whatever story you have too...'
His vile master's presence faded from his mind and with it, he felt a rare agony crush down upon his mind, like his skin stretching over an impossible distance. Tearing and twisting and expanding until he thought it would tear...but it didn't. Instantly he realized there was a silence in his mind that there wasn't before, as if there had been a constant song before that was now silent.
It was a beautiful thing... and yet he missed the sound.
Realizing the boy was rushing to care for the injured and now barely conscious man, Yomir shot down towards him, an eager but tired smile on his face. His first human since he lost his memories, how utterly excited he was. He made a point to be loud, dramatic in his motions and much to his desire the boy turned to face him.
"Finally, another human... I was hoping to find some life here." With hands raise, Yomir approached the boy, watching as he continued lifted the man off of the horse with hesitance, making sure to be quick so he could defend if it came down to it. "I promise, I am not here to attack you, I only mean to help. He's bleeding fiercely, I can help patch him up."
The boy frowned, an arrow knocking onto his bow immediately. " Are you of this village?" His shaking hands and weary visage only reduced the power of his words.
"Yomir, and no... I hail from elsewhere. I was born a slave and ran, I have been searching for a place to call home. This place seemed a good fit but when I saw the damage I was horrified. I hunted down as many Urgals as I was able, I am sorry to say that these two were my last." He kicked the last of the bodies as he approached the boy, hands still open and raised. "Your friend will bleed out without aid."
"I-"
They both stopped as a massive blue dragon descended from the sky, looking with rage at all things before focusing on him with hate and rage. She was a beautiful creature but he was too terrified to admire that. Her throat unleashed a mighty hiss that left his heart frozen in genuine fear, looking at the beast and praying he was fast enough to outrun it if he needed too.
"Saphira! He's not our foe, he is like us... Please, help me." The man dropped his bow, moving to help the man before him. "Do you know which herbs are healing around here?"
The knowledge came to Yomir's mind, his lessons with the Herndall Ryuuga coming to mind quickly. "Yes, I do. I have some on me at all times. Give me a moment." With some practiced hands, and ignoring the glorious richness of the warm blood near his face, Yomir went to work, using his wine skin to clean the blood and some of the herbs in his pouch to pact and wrap the man's arm. " He will be alright, I think. We will need to clean it out better later, but for the time he will not bleed out. Better bandages wouldn't be out the question."
"We need to leave this place, Saphira will take him." The boy, who had still to reveal his name, spoke up as he tied a saddle onto the dragon Saphira. "Let's get him into the Saddle, she will fly him to safety while we ride. Can you ride?"
"I am not sure, I have been walking since I can remember..." He truly did not know if he could ride, cursing Durza once again for stealing so much of his memories. "but that doesn't matter, I am fast enough to keep up. Trust me you will not lose me." He knew it would, later, reveal himself to not be human but that did not matter. It would come out later regardless, might as well control the outcome.
The boy nodded, even as they lifted the man from the ground and placed him onto the Dragon's back, tying him into the saddle. " Thank you, My name is Eragon."
"Yomir as I already said. We need to hurry, your friend needs better care then I have given him."
There was a groan, drawing them to the old man. "Did Saphira make It in- Who are you?" His eyes were wide, even through the blurriness."
"Yomir, and be quiet you need your strength." Soothingly, he approached the man. " I am an ally, I promise. Now we must depart quickly."
The man frowned at him, taking in his appearance and weighing his options. "We will discuss this later... are you sure you want me to ride Saphira, I can ride Snowfire?"
Eragon shook his head. "Not with that arm, this way if you faint you won't fall."
"I am honored." Then with his non-injured arm, he wrapped around the Dragon's neck. The beast flapped once, then twice then rose into the sky and flew off. Eragon quickly tied the horses together and as one they marched away, the horses at a firm trot that Yomir easily kept up with. The Urgals traveled far faster far more often and so this was effortless.
They stopped only once, to refill their skins and let the horses drink at a river, before continuing on the long path forward. The tension that filled the air was fierce, the boy's worry and Yomir's planning for the lies to come made conversation entirely mute at that point. At some point, the silent Eragon turned to him, just as the sun started to set.
"There is a place to rest not far away, we make our way there."
"How do you know that, are you familiar with the area?" he looked skyward, focusing his vision to get a grand vision of Saphira's underbelly. " Or are you able to speak with your Dragon mentally?" At Eragon's panic filled look, Yomir laughed lightly. "I saw the fire Eragon and I know Dragon's are magical, everyone does. I have training to block mental attacks." He closed off his mind, focusing on the pulse of heat he felt in his own chest and the rhythmic beat of his heart, hoping like Herndall Ryuuga taught him, It would be enough. "It was just a good guess."
Eragon just nodded. "I understand... you must have been lucky to find someone to teach you."
"Not exactly… but it helps."
"""
They found their way into a lovely clearing, well hidden in the woods, just as night fell. A smokeless fire already existed when they approached, and the injured man sat poking the fire with a stoic eye. Saphira lay curled near him, raising her head as they approached, looking at Eragon with a fierceness and love that was clear despite the species gap.
He really got his first good, not terrified look at her and she was lovely. Her scales were a variety of blue, not all the same. Her back was covered in various spikes of various sizes. As he had noticed earlier her under scales were a lighter blue almost the color of sky when compared to the dark blue of her back and wings. Even her eyes, slitted downward, were beautiful and blue.
She was a goddess in the form of a dragon.
Not bothering to wait for permission, Yomir took on the role of a healer and approached the other man, kneeling towards him. " I am not an expert medic, I hope my efforts did not cause you greater pain."
The man shook his head. "No, it does not. The herbs numbed most of the pain but I need a new bandage. Thank you for your efforts, Yomir…"
"Not a problem... what is your name, sir?"
"Brom… and it seems I owe you a debt." he turned to Eragon. " Both of you. Let us eat first however, then we can discuss everything that happened while I was unconscious."
It was amusing, but after sharing their tales, Brom's heat seemed to rise and not fall. He seemed angry and less proud then he was before.
"Have you used this power before?" he asked Eragon.
"No. Do you know anything about it?"
"A little. You should be proud; Not many can escape unscathed from slaying their first Urgal. " His tone changed. "But the manner in which you did it was very dangerous. You could have destroyed yourself and the whole town."
Eragon's own heat spiked, anger in his eyes. " It's not like I had a choice, The urgals were almost upon me. If I had waited, they would have chopped me into pieces."
The old man chomped hard against the stinking pipe in his mouth. "You didn't have any idea what you were doing."
"Then tell me!"
"Not to be rude, but he makes a valid point." They turned to him, seemingly having forgotten he was there. "I saw much from a distance, your friend here would have been less then dead had he not cast that spell. I know magic enough to know that whatever gift he has was awakened from the fear and near death he experienced. It helps no one to argue about it. He has the gift and needs to be taught. Teach him what you know of the Ancient Language and be done with it."
Brom sneered at him. "What do you know of magic?"
"Enough to know the basic rules, and to know that I cannot use it. I tried but I lack the power to tap into the energy of my self. I know a few words in the language and I know it rings true regardless of what one says."
The man sighed. " You speak the truth... "
Eragon took the moment to speak. " I feel as if I have been thrust into a world with strange rules that no one will explain."
" We might as well sleep. You are welcome to rest with us Yomir, as a thanks for your deeds. As for you Eragon, stop your badgering. This magic- For it is magic- Has rules like the rest of the world. If you break the rules, the penalty is death, without exception. Your deeds are limited by your strength, the words you know and your imagination."
"What do you mean words?"
"He means" Yomir stepped in. "That there is an entire language through which one channels magic and it is that language that you must speak properly to cast spells of merit. I imagine that means you will be learning how to speak this language. What word did you use to cast the spell you did earlier?"
Eragon thought on it. " Brisingr."
That made Brom nod. "I thought so. Brisingr is from an ancient language that all living things used to speak. However it was forgotten over time and went unspoken in Algaseia for eons before the Elves brought it back from over the seas. They taught it to the other races, who used it for making and doing powerful things. Now enough for that, it is time for sleep."
His eyes turned towards Yomir, a clear sign that he did not want to continue this conversation with someone that could over hear it. Someone that he did not trust...
A total stranger...
"This was too abrupt, Lord Durza. They will never trust me... '
The presence of his master appeared in his mind, a thrum of power. 'Then I will have to make it so they will have no choice... but for the time, prove yourself. Make them want to trust you... your a smart boy. Figure it out.'
Sighing, Aaron turned towards the Dragon and bowed. " It is an honor. I know I am a stranger but you have my oath, I will never speak of the Dragon's presence. I can only imagine what would happen if the wrong person found out. I would be willing to cast an oath in the ancient language. I know I was never meant, through your actions, to see her or know the truth." He smiled, kind and humble as he turned to Brom, who nodded. "I am a skilled warrior, and I too have my own secrets... I...I am an experiment by the Shade Durza, while a slave." He saw the shock and awe in their eyes, their distrust and the movement of their hands to their blades. He let out a tear, false though it was. "He... he did things to me, horrible things that have fogged my memory. I search for answers, and with such power perhaps you can help me find them. Please..."
The older man, Brom, frowned at him. "If you accept the oath... then perhaps... perhaps you can journey with us. Should you be truly a powerful warrior then it would be a fools choice to banish you for something beyond your control."
"Thank you..."
He spoke the oath, swearing to secrecy and truth of his loss of memories and search for identity. He even was able, due to his lack of orders, to agree that he had no interest in harming them. It was enough that Brom seemed to calm down, especially when he admitted through said oath to serve himself first and foremost.
It was enough that Brom actually smiled at him.
"Welcome to our little group, Yomir. I am sorry for the lack of warm welcome but trust is not easily given in these hard times."
He waved off the concern. " I more then understand... thank you for giving me a chance. Now I do believe you are right, I for one am exhausted. Let us sleep."
Chapter over, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This is getting hard to write, I hope my inspiration doesn't fizzle out.. .
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.