Hello everyone,
So let's start by saying the last chapter was one of the worst that I have written. I have been thinking about it all week, since it was released. The battle went how I wanted it to go, not a whole lot of disappointment in myself there.
But the Elva scene, ohhhh the Elva scene was bad. In my mind it was playing out a completely different way, and it made sense. Then I went and reread it…. Let's just say that I agree with the reviewers on that one. I dropped the ball there. There is A LOT more dialogue and relationship building I should have done before introducing that scene.
That includes the necklace, which is something that could have been a great sub-plot. Instead it was just ...rushed I think. Anyway, I am going to try and salvage something out of both of those embarrassments. I will not go back and edit them because I want them as a reminder, or a lesson to look back on. This fic has always been about me improving as a writer and I don't want to go and delete something that serves as a lesson.
Enough talking, on to the chapter. Authors note at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Since when?"
I looked up to the man in front of me. He was supposed to be an old man with a grey beard hanging to his waist. Instead all I could see was thirty-something year old with a full head of brown hair, with the smallest amount of grey at the temples. . The famous beard had been cut and trimmed close to his face, grey only present near his goatee.
It really is incredible. I thought to myself as I took in the changes of my mentor.
"Since the Battle of Farthen Dur…" I answered somberly.
"Barzul! That was right after we left!" Brom's anger flooded the room. "How long have you known?"
"Today." I responded truthfully. "There were a lot of things missed when Ajihad died, even more so when I took over for Nasuada. I only know because I asked."
"Oh no, old friend." Brom whispered.
Oromis, and now Jeod… I thought as I kept a tally of the important people in Brom's life that are no longer here.
"It's possible he is still alive." I offered weakly, we both knew it was unlikely.
Brom's hands found the edge of the table in front of him, steadying himself. "Am I doomed to lose the ones I love in this life?"
I couldn't be quiet. "People make decisions in this life Brom, decisions have consequences. He chose to stay, against our advice. It's not your fault." I told him, trying to pay him back for all of the wisdom he had imposed on my during our travels.
A pause took control of the conversation as Brom closed his eyes. No tears, no trembling of his lip. A man, too familiar with grief.
"I can feel it. He's alive, somewhere." Brom said after the pause, his eyes opening when he began speaking. He stood up, straightened his back, and puffed his chest out.
This is him in his prime. I realized as I watched him. His body won't get younger, this is what we get.
"Are you planning on going to find him?" I asked, seeing the look in his eyes.
"If I do, it will take me away from the war, away from you and Eragon." He answered. "And if I don't, he might die, in a cell being tortured somewhere."
I understood where he was coming from. In another life I would have risked my life to save the people of Carvahall and get them to safety, fought in a war, killed men, enacted out my revenge for my father, and countless other things in the name of the ones I love. Had things gone the same way in this life, I would have repeated the actions.
Even now, if some of the ones closest to me got into a position that forced me to choose the Varden, or them ...I wouldn't hesitate to step down and go to the ends of the world to get them back.
At least that is the decision I hope I would make. I thought as I doubted myself. Is it a weakness to be willing to watch the world burn for the ones I love?
Weakness? No. But we wouldn't let you do that for us. Shadowcat sounded off in my mind from her position on my bed behind us.
I sent the equivalent of a mental smile and nod to her through our link.
"I won't tell you to go, I need you here. But I won't tell you to stay either. That would be cruel." I told Brom, bringing my attention back to him and snapping him out of his thinking face.
He nodded and turned around to walk out. Before he could pass the threshold I called out to him.
"People make decisions in this life."
"Could your people get into the city, unnoticed?"
Dras-Leona stood before us, resting on the shores of Leona lake. The lake itself stretched across the horizon, beautifully. Dras-Leona was an ugly sight compared to the land it sat on.
"They already are." Halfpaw answered me truthfully in the deadpan tone of voice his kind were so good at. "In fact, I came to tell you of everything we have learned since we set up camp."
I sighed. "Good." I responded to him as I prepared myself to give the order. "I need to find a tunnel, a remnant of an incomplete sewer system that leads into the city. The only problem is that it is rigged with booby traps that would give Galbatorix himself problems." I revealed my back-up plan to him.
"And you need my people to find this tunnel?" Halfpaw asked.
"Yes." I answered without hesitation. "Your kind is smaller and will have a greater chance of searching the walls and surrounding lands without being discovered. And there might be plans within the city, focus on the cathedral. It'll be near there."
He didn't say anything for a few moments.
"And how do you know of this tunnel?" Halfpaw asked me, mind made up.
"You already know the answer to that." I answered him swiftly.
"That I do, traveler, that I do." He responded with mention to my origins into this world. He gave a long 'hmmmm' that sounded oddly like a purr.
"You will have your tunnel."
It looks like a green lightsaber. I thought to myself as I looked onto the scene below me.
Vanir twisted left and then right to avoid the Dauthdaert, it's next strike came from above and his sword rose to parry the legendary spear. He redirected it to stab into the ground where he grabbed the shaft and moved forward.
Carn's laugh echoed across the clearing as he dropped the spear and dodged a swipe from Vanir's sword. His laughter stopped when a fist connected with his jaw. To his credit, he rolled with the punch and landed near the green spear, where he pulled it out of the ground and readied it for the next assault.
I smiled at the scene. Reminds me of simpler times. Feels like a lifetime ago, it's only been months. I told my companion beside me.
"You sound like an old man." Arya responded out loud, causing laughs in the various races around us watching the spar.
"I feel like an old man." I quipped back. "He looks like he is recovering well."
"Between your thorough healing and Saphira's magic, the recovery period was almost non-existent." Arya explained for what felt like the one-hundredth time. "And no, we don't need to check again."
I closed my mouth because that was exactly what I was going to suggest.
We found it. I heard Shadowcat say in my mind.
I immediately knew what it was that she was talking about. I turned to the crowd of elite warriors watching the spar.
"Gear up! We've found it, we'll move soon."
"Any questions?" I asked the faces looking back up to me.
Eragon and his twelve elven spellcasters, Arya, Angela, Brom, Vanir, and Carn all stood before me, geared up.
None.
"No question, more of a statement." Brom spoke up from the group. "You aren't coming."
What? Like hell I'm not. I thought to myself in response to his statement. "Like hell I'm not." I decided to voice my disagreement.
"He's right." Arya agreed with him. "You need to lead the army into the city. If Feinster taught us anything, it's that any of us can die trying to get the gate open."
I looked at all the faces and none of them disagreed with them.
"Then why is Eragon going?" I asked genuinely confused.
"No one can stop me from going, unless they want to argue with a dragon." Eragon responded.
That's the worst excuse I have ever heard. I thought to myself.
That was the first sign that something was off. I started racking my brain trying to figure out what the real reason was.
The last battle? I realized as I noticed the two people who put forth the argument, Arya and Brom. They saw how it affected me when I didn't have the necklace on.
I couldn't argue with their logic, it made sense, but it didn't matter anymore. I have the necklace now.
My hand moved to where I knew it was sitting on my chest. They both know I have it on but they still don't want me exposing myself to its effects? But I am about to go into a war, it won't matter.
I thought about arguing more, arguing that I had the necklace and wouldn't lose my head during the battle, but then I would reveal to everyone else what happened, and that would look weak. Leaders can't look weak.
They're counting on me not arguing. I realized as my eyes narrowed at them. Arya at least had the decency to look a little ashamed.
"Fine." I conceded, knowing I was backed into a corner. "Then that…" I pointed to the Dauthdaert in Carn's hands. "...is how you're going to do it."
I paused for a moment. "It's ward breaking abilities are the best in the world, Carn you lead and you go slow, do you understand? There are traps down there that will burn through wards with sheer momentum. No chances! Something happens, you get out of the way." I looked at everyone individually when I said that.
I got nods in return. "Good! I want to see everyone at the gate safe and sound." I concluded as I turned to walk away.
"Roran." Eragon called out.
I turned back to see him approaching. "Saphira wants to know if you would like to ride her until we get the gates open?"
I was a little taken aback by the question. It's considered the greatest honor. I remembered.
"Plus, Murtagh and Thorn are here. If they come after her, I need someone with her to protect her from Murtagh's magic." He elaborated.
Well when he puts it like that.
"Of course. It would be my honor."
I don't remember the books ever mentioning the torque required to obtain lift off on a dragon. I thought to myself as I almost impaled myself on one of her spikes.
You get used to it. Saphira's voice sounded off in my head, feeling my unease. I was confused at first, as I didn't let her hear that part in our bond since I still have yet to tell them the truth about my origins.
If you say so. I commented wondering of the feel of her mind, the depth and intelligence it had to it.
The wind bit at the skin on my face as we ascended into the air with a roar from Saphira. The army below us roared in response, getting fired up at the act.
It has been two hours since I sent my infiltration party into the city. Every second saw me worrying about the state of the operation.
They will be fine, they are very powerfully individually, even more so together. Saphira told me as she sensed my worry.
Aye, but this place is unnatural. I responded with a look towards Helgrind as we levelled out about the city.
Another roar sounded out in the sky. My head whipped to the source to see red scales glittering, reflecting the early rays of the morning sun. The red dragon rose into the sky, with a black dot on it's back.
And it begins. I thought as I prepared myself for the aerial combat. I checked the straps holding my legs to the saddle, making sure I would fly off in the middle of the battle.
I slipped myself further into Saphira's mind as we neared our opponent. Another thought and a string of muttered words, melded my wards around her own and connected it to the power inside my necklace.
The wards settled just as they approached. I drew my warhammer out of the sheath as Saphira sent her opening moves to me in the link.
Just as we were about to collide with Murtagh and Thorn, Saphira flipped over in the air with a flap of her wings.
My warhammer swung before I could focus on being upside down. Time slowed as Muragh and I made eye contact. He didn't let it distract him and drew Zar'roc, deflecting Fram from hitting his sternum in one motion.
The warhammer almost flew out of my hands, but my grip was strong in preparation of the conflict.
Time sped back up as we passed the red rider and dragon and flipped back around. Saphira's wings caught air again as she banked to face the opponent again.
Thorn was already facing us when Saphira took a deep breath. Fire shot from her maw to meet the flames sent from Thorn. The dragon fire washed over me and dissipated against my wards, falling around me.
In a flash of inspiration, I connected myself to the magic in my necklace and told Saphira of my plan in our connection.
"Distort hearing." I commanded the world and expected to meet wards against such a thing. The spell took hold just as we made another pass at each other and nothing happened as Thorn sent his tail to hit Saphira. It missed wide and Saphira's mouth reached out and snapped onto it, biting deep into the flesh.
Thorn's roar of pain sounded out in the sky as his limbs flailed to retrieve his tail before Saphira tore it off. We stalled in the air and I looked for a moment to strike, if Thorn got close enough in the tangle. Zar'roc swung towards Saphira's neck and I didn't have to bother deflecting the swipe, since she was simultaneously tearing into the limb while staying far enough for Murtagh to be unable to hit her.
I could see the panic in Thorn as his equilibrium was thrown off while Saphira had a hold of his tail. Almost none of the strikes of his claws connected where he wanted. Instead of finding purpose in her scales, they bounced off because of bad aim.
Finally I felt my magic become strained as Murtagh found the source of Thorn's problem. I cut the magic off before it could become a fight of pure power, not willing to risk my enormous reserve of power.
Thorn reacted immediately and his head snaked around to strike at Saphira's hind leg.
My warhammer sang through the air and struck him on the jaw before he could latch onto her. The blow sent vibrations through the shaft of my warhammer and into my arm. All the while we lost altitude slowly.
Fucking scales and dragon bones. I commented as I sent a command for Saphira to let go and regroup. She did one better and all the work she had been putting into his tail gave way as she ripped out a chunk as she detached.
Another roar of pain split in the sky. Saphira's wings flapped and caught the air once again and I realized just how far we had fallen. Another look and I saw Murtagh and Thorn flying back towards the city, leaking blood all the way. He landed somewhere in the city, and I could see Murtaugh reaching for an object to heal him.
Saphira started to rise into the air again, but did not pursue. I learned why very quickly. Send the army, we're heading towards the gate. I heard Eragon say to his partner.
I acted immediately and my mind reached out to the army, finding the magician who was waiting for this specific mental call. He let me in immediately. Charge the gate, and be ready to breach. I told him and disconnected when I felt him turn to Jormundur who was beside him.
Soon enough, a different type of roar reached my ears, a roar caused by the voices of an army, charging into battle.
At my command, Saphira's wings tucked into her body and we shot straight down towards the city. A streak of red let me know that Thorn and Murtagh were back to cause us trouble. Saphira maneuvered around them and I saw her destination in our minds, not surprised at all.
We landed on the lead cathedral with a roar, rattling the windows of the city and announcing our presence if they hadn't seen us fighting in the air earlier.
Thorn barrelled into Saphira, who in a display worthy of praise, twisted her body and kicked him at the same time, the result was the dragon equivalent of a hip toss. Torn smashed into cathedral ceiling, shaking the structure.
I acted quickly, taking a play out of the books. "Jierda." I spoke while focusing on the structure of the cathedral. The effects were immediate and the ceiling collapsed, Saphira's wings snapped out and beat down on the air in response to my thoughts. Thorn tried his best to mimic the action but his wings got caught on a bunch of debris, and fell down into the building, crushing everything beneath him.
A loud snap could be heard as his wing landed under his mass. That's gotta hurt.
We rose in the air with another few beats of Saphira's wings. She flew around the other end of the tallest spire and that's when I realized she was planning on dropping a spire on top of her fellow dragon.
Ruthless. I thought as I spoke the word of power and focused on the support of cathedral spire. "Jierda."
This time I only broke a few of the beams in the building, lower down on the spire from where she would hit.
And hit it she did, she crashed into it with her hind legs. Physics did the rest. Glass shattered, wooden supports splintered, and metal bent.
Thorn, who had spent the whole time struggling to get up and get out of the way, tensed up and braced himself just as the spire fell on top of him and his rider. If I didn't know they had access to an enormous amount of power and the best wards in the world, I would have been worried for their life, but this would only serve as a setback for them.
Saphira! We both heard Eragon call out and immediately she knew where to go and what to do.
We took off towards the gate where my army was piling up at. On the other side of the gate, my infiltrators fought for their lives against a crowd of soldiers.
That's my stop. I told the dragon underneath me.
Hold on! She commanded as we picked up speed again.
I did the opposite and my hands dropped to the straps holding me in place to the straps and unbuckled them with precise hands. I grabbed my warhammer as I prepared myself for the jarring landing.
Saphira's wings snapped out and grabbed the air just enough to slow down and send a gust down to the soldiers to send them off balance. I took the decrease in momentum as an opportunity and jumped off of her, rolling into a backflip as I fell. I slowed myself down with magic right before I hit the ground.
I landed right behind Arya. "Need help?" I asked cheekily as I deflected a spear and crushed the skull of the man wielding it.
"Why did you do that? We're losing here!" She responded, cutting a man's head off.
In that moment I realized that Thorn had somehow gotten out of the rubble and was on top of us, about to join the fight. That's when I understood the panic in her voice, Thorn was headed straight for Eragon and Saphira wouldn't make it back in time.
Brom took that moment to join us, cutting two men down before speaking. "I've got it."
He stabbed his sword in the ground before him and his right hand reached out to the air.
"Jierda."
An explosion of power emanated out from him, sending a shockwave throughout the city and kicking up dust and debris that cut through the men between us and the gate. The shockwave hit the gate and there was a groan before it too splintered and swung opened in our direction much more gracefully than I had done in Feinster.
He spoke another few words and the dust and debris flew into the air heading in the direction of Leona lake.
"Why do we even bother with a plan if we always use magic in the end!?" I exclaimed as the dust cleared and the men momentarily paused in their fighting.
That broke the nearest man out of his stupor as men started pouring through the gate and he swung at me with a short sword. I dodged and kicked him in the chest, folding his sternum in on itself and sending him flying.
"I don't know, the elves don't even bother with a plan. They just power through the wards." Brom said from beside me.
Seriously?! I thought at the simple brilliancy at the plan.
Dwarves, urgal, and men charged past me to take the city as I heard a womanly grunt behind me. I turned to find Arya getting backed into an alley, twenty men in front of her.
A burning rage filled my body as the first man's head turned into mush under my warhammer. Two more fell to the ground trying to hold their throats together. Trying to get to her, I barrelled my way through the crowd, letting my wards absorb the blows and punched THROUGH the head of the man who had a hold of one of her arms.
He slid off of my arm as she snapped the other man touching her. We both turned back to the crowd in front of us.
She spoke up to them, covered in the blood of countless men. It was dripping off of her. I only had one thought at the sight.
Sexy.
A/N: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The siege for Dras-Leona is well underway and the conclusion of it will be the next chapter. We are getting closer and closer to the end of this fic and I don't know how to feel about it.
Not much to talk about in this chapter, it was very similar to how the books played out, although we don't know what happened in the sewers. Hehehehehehe
Biggest difference was Brom being the one to cast the spell instead of Eragon, and Roran being on the back of Saphira instead of the blue furry elf. And also JEOD IS MISSING/DEAD? What the fuck.
Let's talk about it in the reviews!