Dorian looked up and was bewildered at the legend come to life in front of him, ripped straight out of the tales he'd read as a child, brought to life in flesh and blood, and his eyes sparkled with a newfound belief in the struggle against the empire, this dragon represented the hope of the Varden and all that fought to free AlagaesÃa from Galbatorix's tyranny, and while he may have had a grim view on the world this was a moment he knew he would remember for the rest of his day's.
"Saphira, huh", Dorian stated, "good name, goes with the scales"
"Well she chose it, and as much as she appreciates the compliment, she would like us to hurry up and leave if you don't mind"
"Of course" with that Eragon jumped onto Saphira's outstretched foreleg using it as a step onto the small gap in the spines on her back, a simple yet sleek saddle made of supple leather already there, he buckled the leg straps with a practiced ease, then he placed the elf in front of him and balanced her up against his chest, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment as he tried his best not to react to the beautiful elf's close proximity.
"Help me up" Dorian asked expectantly, but to his dismay he was denied entrance to Saphira's back.
"not enough room, she'll carry you in her claws, just hold on a second"
"You're joking", with a heavy sigh betraying his annoyance, Dorian accepted his lot, crossed his arms and awaited his ride, the look on his face ample evidence of his disposition towards the news
With a powerful downstroke of her deep blue wings, Saphira began the process of gaining altitude, her muscled wings struggling to lift the added weight of two more passengers, the strain evident in the ripple of muscles along her broad shoulders, once a couple of metres off the ground she scooped up Dorian with her powerful claws, their razor sharp edges just one movement away from slicing him to bloody ribbons, however she left his arms free to use his bow, should it be required, and based on how the escape had been going, she was sure he would.
She continued to use her powerful muscles to drive her wings down, their membranes taut with air, all of it being pushed downwards to generate enough lift to get her massive frame airborne, it got easier as she gained momentum and the added speed helped her reach the desired height faster.
Finally she stabilized and balanced for a moment on an updraft, resting for the burst of energy she'd need to get past the walls with her extra burden in tow, her senses looking into the foggy morning, the light mist making it easier to hide herself from the unwary soldiers below.
She tipped her wings forward slightly to gain thrust and with a word of warning to Eragon she began her flight.
With a powerful downstroke of her magnificent wings, the leading edge tipped down to keep herself at a stable altitude, she began to gain speed and flew towards the gate, a few unwary civilians looked up in horror at the swooping dragon above them, surprised and astonished by the mythical beast in their midst. Meanwhile the unsuspecting and countless soldiers guarding the city, unaware of the tons of muscle and flesh currently heading directly toward them like a hawk diving for it's prey, stood oblivious to the threat inside the walls and busied themselves looking out towards the empty fields beyond the towering wall.
Those soldiers were between her and Eragon's freedom, hopefully the extra cargo was worth it, cause she sure as hell was gonna pay for it with blood.
A scowl beset Dorian's face, and he held his bow with a white knuckled grip, he was not going to drop it and have to go find it again, losing it once was enough stress for him.
After what seemed like an eternity he felt Saphira's momentum begin to tip forward and he finally took a look around, his weathered eyes looked towards their destination, and the guards between him and it, as much as he hated to use his bow, and the toll it would take on his body, he knew if he didn't use the weapon in his hands, his newfound allies might get hurt along with the last free rider and the Vardens only hope of victory against the empire.
With a quick motion he drew an arrow from his embellished quiver and laid it against the silvery bowstring, the tip of the arrow glowing in the morning sun, the shaft smooth and cold to the touch, the fletching soft against his worn hands and the strong scent of yew filled his nose, it's magic infused limbs straining with barely contained power just begging to be released, a slight crosswind blew against his face and he naturally compensated, aiming slightly to the left.
With an almost religious reverence he drew the arrow until the soft feathers touched his cheek, the arrow began to grow warm in his hand as he focused on drawing power from his body, his energy seeping into the ancient yew and filling it's taut limbs with extra power, and without warning the tip of the beautiful arrow ignited with a flame of green, it's pale light reflected on Dorian's face, and for just a moment covered his arm with a glowing green bracer, covered in strange runes, protecting his flesh from the ancient and volatile magics imbued in it.
With a roar that echoes through the morning sky he released the arrow and watched it speed towards its target, already knowing his aim was true and with satisfaction he watched it arc, the small flame on the tip growing in size as it speed off through the mist, it's growing flame created a trail of green, that left a blazing wound across the sky.
The people below looked upon the awesome sight with wonder, there faces reflecting the green fire as it continued its journey towards the wall, there amazed faces quickly turned to fear, as the same green fire ballooned outwards in a massive fireball upon impact, consuming the soldiers on the wall killing them instantly, and much to the surprise of the townsfolk, leaving the wall intact.
Unfortunately, Dorian didn't get to revel in his victory as his vision faded and he collapsed, his body exhausted and drained from the effort, his eyes grew heavy and then his vision faded to black.
His eyes opened and once more he was in the guise of the strange warrior, but this time he was intangible and invisible, this time his place was merely as an observer to the events unfolding in front of him.
He saw a heavyset man dressed in robed finery, standing before the king in his spacious throne room, tiny in comparison to the massive vaulted ceiling, and pure black drapes, his voice pitiful next to the king's charismatic and booming one.
The king's voice echoed out from the throne, it's cadence and tone showed the man as a magnificent speaker, it's honeyed tones easy on the ear and bespoke of a certain charisma, this man was the king no doubt about it, however the man in front of him remained a mystery.
"You and your house have served me well Quillius, I would reward you, name your price and it will be yours"
"You honor me, my lord" Quillius spoke," I have but one request, I want to be a Lord under you, to serve you for the rest of my days"
"A noble request" Galbatorix pondered for a moment,"you shall have Hearthkeep, a disgraced house, but I'm sure under your care it will flourish into one of the greatest this kingdom has ever known"
"Thank you my lord, a thousand times thank you" and with that Quillius scurried out of the room as fast as he was able, his footsteps receding into the distance until finally the doors shut, plunging the throne room into silence once more.
"Whilst you may not know it yet there is a method to this madness Dorian" a strange voice spoke from behind him,"your time will come and your decisions will make or break this land, and you will have your vengence"
"Wait I have questions"
"And they will be answered soon enough Dorian of Hearthkeep".
-an hour later, at Brom's campsite-
His eyes cracked open and he blinked rapidly to try and clear the sleep from them, but he hissed in pain as the sun hitting them directly shot lances of agony through his head, causing him to immediately close them again and groan with barely concealed pain, his head throbbed and his arms felt like they were on fire when he moved them to cover his eyes, he gasped and let them fall to the ground forgotten amongst the constant aches of his fatigued body besieging his sore head without end.
"He's awake, one moment Brom", Dorian heard the sound of footsteps approaching and gasped in pain as he moved to an upright position, he stretched his legs out and rested his weight on his arms looking up to see a concerned Eragon looking down at him, blocking his face from the sun's glare and providing a small reprieve from the noonday heat.
"How are you feeling? That was a nice shot, but how did you do it? what words did you use to cast the spell? Are you a mage? What other words do you know? Can you teach me?" A multitude of questions spilled out of Eragon's mouth, and Dorian's head hurt more as he tried to process all of them.
"Give the poor man a break Eragon, he just cast what looked like from here a very draining spell and he doesn't need your curiosity making it worse", Brom chastened Eragon, much to Dorian's pleasure, as he sighed in relief at not having to answer the young riders questions.
"However we do expect some answers soon, once you're rested and we are away from the empire" Brom told Dorian, in a way that showed he didn't really have a say in the matter
AU- Once more I thank you for reading, I'm still working on this story, it's just hard for me to find the time, thank you again for your patience- The Beagle