Welcome everyone to chapter 17!
MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
(again)
I hope you enjoy and let's get right into this!
Eragon wasn't sure what woke him.
He could have sworn he heard someone talking but he could see that Percy, Arya, Murtagh, and their dragons were all still deep asleep. Then he heard it again.
'I miss you Eragon. I will return to you, I promise.'
He gasped; that sounded like Amira! A small voice, barely audible, but it was there.
"Amira?" He called out as he shot upright, waking Percy and Arya. "Amira!"
"Dude. You okay?" Percy's voice was groggy as he rubbed his sea-green eyes, his dark hair a wild mess.
"Never mind." He sighed, thinking it must have been his imagination. "It was… nothing."
"Eragon, what's wrong?" Arya worried. "I know you miss her but Amira is not here."
"I just- I thought I had heard her voice." Eragon explained sadly. "And I do, so much. She's been gone for what feels like so long and I... I keep feeling as though something bad is happening but I do not know if I'm only imagining it out of concern or not."
"Amira is a strong and brave young girl." The elf queen reminded him, reaching over to place a hand on his. "You needn't stress so much."
"Plus she's got a mini-army of powerful half gods on her side," Percy added. Eragon forced a faint smile.
"I know but I still worry."
"There's nothing wrong with worrying but when you wake at who-knows-how-late thinking you heard her voice, that might be a bit too much." Murtagh's voice pointed out grumpily, not having moved his position laying down. Eragon couldn't help the sheepish blush that crept to his cheeks.
"My apologies for waking you all." He apologized.
"You're good." The demigod brushed the apology away, laying back down. "But seriously bro, stop worrying. Amira's perfectly fine."
If only he knew that he was lying.
== Earth ==
Amira didn't want it to go.
The darkness…
It relieved the pain.
She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing. Nothing but black. She couldn't even feel numb. It was as if she didn't exist. She was just... being.
She didn't know how long she was being in that nothingness but it seemed like forever. She had never liked dark before but at that moment she loved it. She loved feeling and knowing nothing.
Then she felt something.
At first, it was a faint tingling sensation, like when your hand falls asleep, but all throughout her body.
Then she felt a rhythmic beating.
Then she heard voices talking, barely audible and distorted, as well as a very slow steady beeping. As she listened, the beeping began to speed up and the voices suddenly got more urgent with more appearing. Then she saw a pinprick of light appear in the center of her vision, slowly growing larger.
Amira's eyes fluttered open.
Her vision was blurred so she blinked several times until it began to clear, wincing as her head pounded painfully. Then the bright light dimmed and her vision started to focus.
Moving just her purple eyes, Amira saw that she was laying on a small cot-like bed, a weird beeping machine-like object to her right with a red line that moved in sync with the beeps.
Moving her eyes to the left she saw Piper, Jason, Annabeth, Hazel, Nico, Frank, and Leo. They were huddled together on several chairs as they quietly talked. The seven all wore worried looks.
Amira winced again when she failed an attempt to sit up. Her quiet groan caught the demigod's attention.
"Amira!" Several voices exclaimed.
"Thank gods you're awake! We were so worried!" Hazel rushed to Amira's side, relief evident in her voice.
"Wh- where... where am I?" Amira muttered quietly, her voice hoarse and throat hurting.
"You're on Olympus in the main infirmary," Annabeth explained. "We had Nico shadow travel you here after you collapsed."
Amira nodded just barely enough to see.
"How long...?" She trailed off, her head still pounding. She felt like she had just sprinted 20 miles while holding 1,000 pounds above her head.
"You've been unconscious for four days, Amira," Piper told her quietly, eyes looking down. "We didn't- we didn't think you were gonna make it…"
"What happened?"
Amira frowned as she realized that she couldn't remember anything. But for some reason, she felt as though there was a hole in her heart.
"We… aren't sure actually," Frank admitted, exchanging glances with his friends. "You were talking about a dragon then you stumbled back and started crying. Then you screamed and blew up the area we were in and then you passed out."
Amira's memories rushed back: her confession of betrayal, Tartarus's warning, Balenda's connection disappearing, destroying the clearing…
Her eyes widened as she remembered what happened, how her connection with Balenda disappeared and she heard her (mental) voice filled with pain. Tartarus had threatened he would kill Balenda if Amira told her friends about his trap.
But she did tell them and he kept good on his threat.
Tears came to Amira's eyes and her hands went to her mouth; Balenda… her dragon, her best friend, her partner of soul and mind. Could she really be gone? She tried reaching her mind out to her dragon and tears fell from her purple eyes when she felt nothing, not even the tiniest whisper left.
Amira buried her face in her hands and cried. Balenda couldn't be gone! They had gone through so much together, been together for so many years…
Amira felt like her heart and soul were crumbling.
She didn't bother to look up as someone sat on the edge of her bed, moving their arm around her, but instead turned to bury herself into their embrace.
"Are you okay?" Amira shook her head in response to Leo's quiet question, still crying.
The others exchanged looks and they realized that she needed some time and quietly left the room, leaving the purple-haired teen alone with the Latino.
Amira cried shamelessly as sobs wracked her body. Leo was gently running a hand through her purple hair as she cried but said nothing as he held her. It took a good fifteen minutes before she eventually managed to slow her sobbing. Her purple eyes were ringed red and her breathing was shaky, coming in small gasps.
"You alright?" Leo again asked. Amira again shook her head.
"She is gone." She muttered, barely able to whisper with her hoarse voice. "She is gone and it is all my fault."
"Who is?" He asked, his voice still quiet.
"Balenda, my dragon. He took her from me and now she…" Amira's voice cracked horribly. She leaned her forehead against Leo's chest, feeling his arms around her. "I could not keep her safe. I th- I thought that if I did what he told me then sh- she would be safe. I was wrong and no- now... my best friend..."
Tears again fell down her cheeks.
"I wish I could tell you you'll be okay but I don't know if I'd be lying," He told her softly, his arms still around her.
"Thank you, Leo," Amira thanked after another minute.
"Of course." He replied. "You're gonna end up running out of tears if you keep crying but… even if you do, jus-just know that I'll be here for you the whole time."
Amira pulled back from their hug. Her eyes looked deep into Leo's, purple meeting brown. Their gaze was locked for a long moment before she felt a strange feeling. She wasn't sure what it meant but had a small suspicion and that suspicion scared her.
Not in control of her body's movements, Amira began to lean forward until her lips touched Leo's.
He stiffened as though he was electrocuted.
Her lips were unbelievably soft, her kiss so gentle… Tingles and shivers were sent all throughout Leo's body and his heart pounded crazily in his chest. He felt his temperature rising and focused (as much as he was able) and managed to lower it to a bearable warm. Her kiss was only seconds but it felt like hours to the fire-user.
Even after Amira's soft lips were pulled from his, Leo sat frozen. In other circumstances, Amira would have smiled at his expression but the hole in her heart made her unable to. So she instead just leaned back into his chest.
The fire-user was still stunned silent when their friends again entered the room but he quickly snapped from his shock, not wanting anyone to ask questions.
"Amira? Are you okay?" Hazel asked gently when they came back into the room. The purple-haired teen slowly shook her head, still leaning into Leo's embrace.
"No. I do not think I will ever be okay, not anymore. I no longer have a reason to… to live…" Her confession slipped from her lips slowly but her soprano voice was barely able to hear.
Sadness and pain came to the demigod's faces. Hearing their friend say that felt like a bullet to the chest; Amira's voice lacked any and all emotions and sounded so broken and cracked that they were worried that the smallest tap would shatter her completely.
"I'm really really sorry Amira." Jason apologized a bit awkwardly. "I'm sorry for blaming you, I didn't realize your reason."
"I am too." Piper agreed.
Amira said nothing, violet eyes closed, still leaning into Leo's embrace.
"I'm not sure what had happened," Hazel sighed. "But I hope you know that I'm here for you."
"We all are," Frank added.
Amira nodded once, her purple eyes still closed. The room door opened again and someone new came in. She opened her eyes enough to see they were wearing a long white jacket, probably a medic.
"How's everyone doing?" The person asked. If Amira had to guess, judging from the voice, she would say they were a man about thirty years old.
"Amira, this is Apollo. He's our god of healing." Annabeth introduced. Amira still said nothing.
"So, anyone wanna explain what happened?" Apollo suggested. Amira still said nothing sothe daughter of Athena explained. The god nodded slowly. "That's... quite a story. You're from Alagesha?"
"Alagaesia." Amira corrected quietly.
"And you said you're a Dragon Rider?" He again asked. Amira felt more tears slide her cheeks as another stab of pain in her heart.
"Not anymore." She again corrected, voice shaking with a held-back sob, forcing the words out.
The realization hit the demigods like a slap: why Amira was constantly crying, why she sounded so empty, why she blew up the forest…
"Balenda's your dragon?" Annabeth realized. Amira shook her head.
"Not anymore." She repeated, tears still slipping down her cheeks.
"You said Tartarus had tricked you into helping him," Frank remembered. "He used her against you, didn't he?"
Amira said nothing again, nodding slightly. Leo's arms around her tightened slightly. Apollo then said something Amira didn't hear before leaving. The demigods sat on the couch and chairs in the room, trying to stay together. It was about 5 minutes before anyone said anything.
"He told me not to tell you."
The demigod's all heads snapped up.
"What was that?" Hazel asked, eager to hear her friend say something.
"His command was to keep our encounters a secret." Amira confessed in a small voice, eyes closed and still leaning into Leo's embrace. "He summoned me through my dreams more than once, telling me what he wanted me to do."
The seven realized Amira was telling them what Tartarus had said and moved a bit closer to listen, sitting where they could.
"He had first ordered me to stop our quest but when I did not, his commands changed and I was then told to bring you all to Hades' Palace." The Alagaesian continued. "Knowing I would obey his words willingly, he captured Balenda from my world and brought us both here to yours. He used her against me, threatening to harm her with poison. I- I could not deny him." Amira's voice was shaking like she was going to cry again so Hazel reached out to slip her hand into her's, squeezing it gently. "When- when one is chosen as an Alagaesian Dragon Rider, they and their dragon form a bond that connects our minds and souls together as one. The bond we share cannot be broken by anything, even death, but somehow he did so and kept true to his threat. The pain that now fills my heart is one that none other shall ever feel in their life. There is an emptiness that will never be filled. Understand that if a Rider is killed, their dragon will die as well but if a Dragon is killed, their Rider will live on without them. Knowing that she is gone… A Rider's life without their dragon is a life that is not worth living-"
Amira couldn't finish. Her tears were again falling.
"I know that things look bleak right now but I'm sure will turn out alright sooner or later." Someone said in an attempt to comfort; Amira didn't bother to try to figure out who.
"I'm actually not so sure about that," Apollo announced, coming back into the room.
"What do you mean? Is something wrong?" Hazel asked the god worriedly. Apollo breathed in deeply, looking as though he didn't know to give out bad news.
"Well… That depends. Look, I don't know how to say this gently so I'll do it bluntly." He took a breath. "Amira… Somehow exerted herself to death." Amira actually opened her eyes as everyone gave the god confused looks. He continued, "You said she used magic to destroy the forest you were in? Well, the amount of energy and strength she used literally killed her body for a short time."
"That's not possible," Nico argued, shaking his head. "She's right here and I can still sense her life-force."
"Well from what's going on with Tartarus in control of the Underworld, I'd say he didn't let her stay dead. I'd say he brought you back after a few minutes." Apollo guessed.
"Why- why would he want me alive?" Said girl wondered. "I have no reason to be." She muttered the last part so only she and Leo could hear and the Latino's arms around her tightened.
"Maybe he thought you would still help him with your magic?" Frank suggested. Apollo shot Amira a surprised look but said nothing.
Amira shrugged, unconvinced. Then a thought then entered her mind and she frowned. She held up her hand and almost started crying again: her Gedwëy Ignasia...
It was gone!
Amira's free hand went to her mouth, tears returning. She didn't believe it, it wasn't possible!
"Garjzla kausta eom pömnuria gedwëy." She muttered, the Ancient Language spell usually causing light to appear on her hand.
(Light come to my palm)
But nothing happened.
Her eyes widened and she tried it again, focusing harder. Still, nothing happened. She shook her head slowly, in total shock as her spell failed. Even after a Rider's dragon died they still had their mark and magic so why didn't she?
"Someone slap me." She muttered.
"What?" Leo asked, not hearing her.
"Someone slap me," Amira said louder.
"What? No! Why would you even ask that?" Hazel denied. She looked surprised by the request.
"Just do it, please!"
"No! We're not going to hit you, Amira."
"Please! I- it has to be a dream or a trick. This cannot be happening!" The purple-haired teen pleaded.
There was a sudden sharp pain on her cheek and Amira's head snapped to the side. She winced from the strength of the blow. She didn't bother to find out who it was and ignored her friends as they broke out into a heated argument. She looked down at her hand but still, there was no mark. The small hope she had that everything was a trick or dream disappeared. She reached for her magic but again felt nothing. A sob passed her lips.
"Amira? What is it?" Nico asked, the argument immediately dying at the sound of her sob.
"My- my magic... It is gone... I cannot- th-there is nothing. I am worth nothing..." The now-former Rider whispered.
She fell to her back on the bed. A minute later she rolled to her side away from the demigods and they took that as their cue and silently got up, reluctantly leaving the room. Leo squeezed her hand before slipping away.
Amira closed her eyes and let her tears fall once more.
And that concludes the sixteenth chapter of A Strange and Different Land!
Thank you all for reading and I hope you chose to continue the story. Please feel free to leave a review. Criticism, advice, compliments or corrections are welcome.
Have a good one and I'll see you later!
