He watched as he passed through the lands of divines and the realms of Oblivion. Some were more desirable than others, but each had its own uniqueness. He had been in some the realms before. Suddenly it all changed, he tried to make sense of what he seeing. But he didn't have the time to do so.
He felt the ground return under him, looking around he noticed that he was no longer in the Forgotten Vale. Upon gazing skyward, he noticed one thing there was only one moon. None of the stars matched the star constellations from Mundus.
Gazing in all directions he caught sight of a large empty plain, covered in scorched earth with fires erupting all over. It almost reminded him of Dagon's Deadlands. He entered the fields and began to look around, seeing a few pieces of scrap metal and bones.
There was a deep roar, and his attention diverted towards the sound and his hand was instantly on the hilt of his sword, there was a dragon was near. It was followed by a blood-curdling scream. One of the fires had been released and some poor sod ended up inside it.
He saw in the distance a large camp, and a horse running in the opposite direction. The horse was without a rider and ran past him. Following the horse with his eyes, turning to follow he saw that it was running into another camp across the plains, which was much larger. 'Once again I stumble into the middle of another war' he mused.
His thoughts were interrupted when an arrow suddenly whizzed past him. Followed by the sounds of several other arrows bouncing off his armor, each with a resounding ping.
Slowly turning to face his aggressors. He called forth the countless dragon souls that resided within him to the surface, causing his eyes to burn bright gold.
Originally his aggressors thought that perhaps it was one of the king's men. But when they saw his eyes, they took several steps back. Even from the distance between them and their target, they could clearly see the glowing eyes. Those eyes were not human.
As he started walking towards them, they prepared another volley of arrows. As he began to increase his pace, they lost their resolve and fired. As they released the arrows he cast an invisibility spell.
The fear rolling of the soldiers increased as he disappeared. Turning in all directions they were trying to find any sign of his whereabouts.
Quickly closing the distance that had remained between them, he grabbed the closest one and covered his mouth and nose. Holding the man until he passed out from the lack of breathing. Letting the man drop to the ground, with a thud. The other soldiers turned around and looked at him, before unsheathing their weapons and charging him.
Leaping forward he punched the closest man in the temple, causing him to be rendered unconscious. Pivoting around another soldier he drew his sword and swung at the man, severing the man's sword arm, before kicking him into another soldier. Turning quickly he blocked an incoming attack and unleashed flames from his other hand, killing the man before turning and impaling another man
At the display of magic, the two remaining soldiers turned and fled towards their camps. Screaming about something called a 'Shade'. Casting an invisibility spell he left the area and found a place to rest and laid down to rest. Waiting to observe the coming battle.
Elsewhere the terrified soldiers run through the camp shouting about a shade. At the news of a possible shade, panic begins to spread through the camp. Drawing the attention of the leaders of the Varden. The two soldiers are brought before the leaders.
"A shade you say." A dark-skinned woman asked the two soldiers from her chair.
"Yes, my lady. We believe it was a shade." One of the soldiers replied, his voice was hoarse from all the shouting.
"Can you describe it then?"
"Yes, lady Nasuada. The armor it wore was black, and within the rivets of the armor, a deep red glow emanated. Spikes protruded from the helmet and the shoulders." The soldier said.
"We shot several arrows at it and they did nothing but bounce harmlessly off. When it turned towards us, we saw its eyes giving off a deep golden glow. When we prepared to fire again it started moving towards us. We shot at it but it vanished before our eyes and reappeared behind and then started attacking. It moved at unreal speeds only an elf or a shade could perform. It showed little mercy as it cut us down. It killed others with magic setting them ablaze." The other soldier continued.
Silence followed as the soldier finished explaining. The possibility of a shade seemed more real after the explanation. The leaders looked at each other then back at the soldiers.
"Thank you. Now go rest for the night we will need you tomorrow." Lady Nasuada spoke. The soldiers bowed and left the tent.
She turned to the other occupants of the room, sighing she spoke, "What do you think? Could we be dealing with a shade?"
"I don't think we are dealing with a shade. But there is still the possibility that whatever it is could be a shade." A woman answered. She had fair skin and long raven-black hair, an angular face with slanting eyebrows, a lithe body frame, piercing forest green eyes and pointed ears. She was an elf.
"Whoever or whatever it is, should it appear during the coming battle, should I attack it?" another voice spoke, though it was male. The male's face was angular and smooth, his skin was pale. He had brown eyes and brown hair and pointed ears.
"Eragon I do not think it would be wise to seek out such an individual." The elf said.
"Arya is right Eragon. Even with all the training, you have done, a shade is no easy task and I need you to remain focused on the rest of the battle." Nasuada paused, "The elves spellcasters can deal with this?" she asked turning her gaze to Arya.
"Yes, I believe that we can deal with this." She said agreeing softly.
"Then I shall see you two tomorrow, hopefully."
Arya and Eragon left the tent, making their way to where Eragon would be resting, passing many individuals who greeted them with "Shadeslayer", "Rider", or "Ambassador".
"I've killed a shade with little magical training. I've been training so I sho-" Eragon began but was cut off by Arya.
"Eragon, while you did kill a shade. You had an opening that was given when he was distracted by me and Saphira. Durza had three spirits that resided within him. If this is a shade they could have even more spirits within them. The elves and I will deal with it and should we need your help, I shall inform you." With that said she left and headed towards her tent to rest while she could.
'If it is another shade hopefully we can kill it before we lose too many soldiers.' She mused to herself as she walked to her tent.
The first rays of sunlight spread across the land, beginning the cycle anew of warming the world. Though such beautiful sights would not be enjoyed on this day.
Cries of battle tore through the air as the two armies clashed. Weapons clashed against one another, others against shields and helms. Ravens and crows circled overhead waiting hungrily for the spoils of war. The metallic smell of iron filled the air with the spilled blood, along with the sweat from the soldiers filled the air as the armies clashed.
Away from the battle the crows and ravens descended onto a dark figure laying on the ground. As they landed they slowly approached the figure. One of the raven's pecked against the figures helmets testing for a reaction. When nothing happened it tried again, getting the same desired effect. The others soon joined and began pecking furiously at the unmoving individual. Making no progress as they tried to get into the armor.
A great roar tore through the battlefield silencing many of the cries of the battling soldiers. The roar jostled the figure awake. Opening his eyes, the Dovahkiin saw that he was covered in crows and ravens. Getting up rather harshly he scared away the winged vermin. He stretched his arms and legs getting the desired pops as he shifted within the armor.
Turning his attention back to the battle taking place before him. He watched as the two armies collided with great ferocity. His eyes drifted to the source of his awakening. The blue dragon in 'Armor?' tore into the ranks of the opposing army biting and clawing at soldiers who tried to wound it. The dragon unleashed a jet of flames blue that consumed dozens of soldiers.
The Dovahkiin sat back down on a mound and watched the battle play out. Hours dragged by and he simply sat there and watched them clash. "While this battle is large. The battle against the Thalmor was much larger much bloodier." He spoke to himself.
As nearing evening, a trumpet sounded and the side with the dragon received reinforcements. Shortly afterward another trumpet was heard from another direction and a boat appeared on the horizon coming up the river which was nearby.
He watched as the dragon took to the skies and flew towards the boat. He watched as the dragon approached the boat and dove from the skies towards it preparing to destroy it. When the dragon suddenly changed course and hovered nearby. After a short time, the dragon flew away from the ship and back to the battle. The boat began to pull over to the side of the river.
The dragon landed on the ground again near the leader of the reinforcements he watched as a man dismounted from the dragon. 'A dragon rider?' he thought to himself. When the dragon, the rider, and along with the reinforcements returned to battle, decimating the ranks of the red-garbed clothing.
Horns began to echo from behind the red-garbed soldiers, the drums soon followed. The battle stopped for a briefing. He watched as the crows and ravens disappeared from the skies, an ominous figure from the skies another dragon, though it was red.
The blue dragon tore into the sky as it flew towards the red dragon. Shifting from his position he stood up and began to move towards the battlefield. He watched as the two dragons clashed together in the skies, ignoring the approaching battle.
The dragons fell from the skies battling as they descended towards the ground. Disengaging their battle to pull back into the skies to continue their battle.
He changed course to go behind the ranks of the red-garbed army, casting an invisibility spell as he walked past the soldiers with ease. Climbing up a hill to get a better look at the dragons and get a better look at the battle.
Stopping to look back at the dragons and riders right in the sky. He watched as one of the riders jumped from the back of his blue dragon in order to wound the other. Only to be caught by his dragon after injuring their target. They were both forced to land shortly afterward.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he a blade struck against his armor from behind. He spun around and punched his attacker who was garbed in red. Grabbed him and threw him to the ground before him, lifted his leg up and brought it down onto the man's face.
From his vantage point, he watched as two bald men cast magic leading the red-garbed soldiers. Though what they didn't notice was a figure approaching them from the side. The figure was unknown to them, he charged them and swung his hammer into the head of one of them, killing the other shortly after in the same way.
He turned his attention back to the dragons, the riders were no longer fighting but appeared to be talking. One of the riders jumped towards the other but was sent back to the ground from a blast of magic. The blue dragon roared and jumped towards the rider, but froze in the air.
The other rider approached pointed his blade at his opponent's neck. He reached down and took the blade from his downed opponent. He moved back to his red dragon, and they disappeared into the skies. Only after the rider was no longer visible, did the rider and dragon begin to move.
Turning his attention he watched the battle continue, he caught sight of a woman fighting multiple soldiers at once. Though she was being overwhelmed and almost surrounded by numerous of the red-garbed soldiers.
Summoning a bound bow. He notched an arrow, pulled back, time seemed to slow as he took aim and focused on his target and released.
The arrow flew true buried itself into the man's chest. Quickly notching another he sent the arrow into the next soldier. This was followed by several other arrows each killing their target and aided the woman.
Horns were blown in the distance, diverting his attention towards the horns to make sure the dragon and its rider were not returning. But when nothing came, and the soldiers in red fled, he concluded that it was the sign to retreat. Dispelling the bow he turned and began to walk down the hill from the direction he came from.
Arya had been fighting tirelessly against Galbatorix's forces. As the battle continued throughout the day she slowly began tire. When another dragon had appeared to battle with Saphira and Eragon, a sense of dread had filled her. Arya had become separated from the rest of the Varden troops and was battling against multiple foes. During which the nearly endless amount of soldiers to fight was starting to bring forth another feeling, hopelessness.
The soldiers had managed to circle around her, all were waiting for someone to make the first move. A soldier behind her fell backward with a misty arrow embedded in his chest. The soldiers that surrounded her looked around confused trying to find their attacker. More soldiers dropped to the ground arrows aimed perfectly to make it kill their target in a single shot.
When the horns blew in the distance and the empire began to retreat, Arya began looking for the archer. She opened her mind to try and find the individual that had helped her. As she explored the minds of others trying to find them, she eventually came across the mind of a wounded soldier looking up at a hill nearby. At the top stood a figure dressed in black armor with glowing red lines, the shade.
She turned towards the hill, from where she stood she could see that the armored individual, the armor defiantly could belong to shade. Though she could not feel the same presence as Durza had given off when she had been around him.
She started to sprint towards the hill, as she ran she alerted Eragon and the other elves of the shade. Though she couldn't find Eragon's mind.
The shade turned and began to leave the battle, she started to pursue it, hoping that the others will be able to arrive soon enough and aid her. Using her elven speed she began to close the distance between her target and herself. Appearing to have noticed her approach, the figure began to run, faster than a man should be able to in heavy armor.
"Letta" she shouted feeling a drain on her magical energies.
The man froze as the spell took effect. As she continued her approach when the spell shattered in a flash of light and the man was running again, albeit faster than before.
Though she still managed to continue to close the distance between them. She was an arm's length away from grabbing, reaching forward about to grab him.
"Wuld…Nah Kest!"
The man shot forward hundreds of feet and continued to run at a quicker pace before vanishing into thin air.
Arya stopped running and kept her eyes in the direction that man disappeared.
The sounds of elves running towards her to help if need be. The other elves appeared shortly after. They were all looking at her expecting some type of explanation as to why she had stopped her pursuit.
After explaining to them what happened when she pursued the man and how he had easily broken free from her spell and had suddenly crossed hundreds of feet and then simply disappeared. They all gave her shocked faces trying to wrap their heads around it.
They decided that it was time to return to camp and not remain in the open for any remnants of the empire to attack the group, they turned back to the Varden camp and started making their way back.
Arya is the last one to turn and leave. As she began to move to catch up with the others, a familiar deafening sound caught her attention. The dull sound had emanated in the direction the man disappeared. For a second, she thought she imagined it. Thud When the sound repeated itself she turned towards the sounds and what she saw froze her in place.
A massive ruby dragon had taken off into the skies.
Arya couldn't put her thoughts together. The colossal size of the dragon, it would suggest that it was from long before the start of the rider's war. As the dragon gained altitude there was a sudden flash of movement on the neck of the dragon, she caught a glimpse of a figure sitting on the dragon's neck. A Rider? She thought.
The great dragon flew off towards the West and disappeared into the horizon.
After she got over her shock, she began to sprint as fast as she could to Nasuada's tent to speak with Eragon, Nasuada, and the others. When she arrived at the tent and pushed her way in, everyone had stopped because of the commotion and looked at her.
"Arya, what's wrong?" Eragon asked the stark white elf.
She was processing too many thoughts, possibilities and emotions, she was full of shock, and fear, while at the same time joy and hope. Another rider, who rode a massive dragon. She could only form a few words in her current mindset.
"I saw another dragon, along with another rider." She spoke softly while having a small fearful yet joyful smile.
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