Disclaimer: I don't own The Inheritance Cycle.

Chapter 15: Distance


Jason


A tree branch managed to slap Jason on the face.

But he ignored it. A scratch from a branch is nothing compared to what the strange creature that-currently-chasing them could do to him.

Vico's heavy breath is the only voice Jason could hear besides the sound of the wing beats behind them.

Why that creature chose to chase both of them than the screaming girls, Jason would never know.

"DUCK!" Vico yelled.

Jason obliged. A low thick-branched tree almost knocks Jason out.

Both boys had run deeper and deeper to the forest. They have tried to hide from that creature; hiding in a cave, in a bush, even covering themself with mud. But it seems each time they hide, the smelly monster always find them.

Several times they almost caught and dead. Fortunately their instinct still works, and saving them in the last moment.

The sky was gray. Tiny drops of rain started to fall from the soft-looking clouds above to the hard and harsh ground below. The wind acted like a father who just found out that his daughter had been kidnapped; raging, looking for any places, storming anything that gets in the way.

Jason's and Vico's run slowed down due to the raging wind. Thankfully, the wind was slowing down the flying monster behind them.

A sound of the gurgling river could be heard now. The boys realized that their problems were far from over. They wished for something or someone to burst out from nowhere, and help them with a super power.

Well, real life is different from a movie. The most realistic 'help' in such perilous moment they could get now is coming from their own mind. Yes. They should help themselves.

They were nearing the angry stream of the river when a lightning strikes down a tree.

The half-burned tree finally gave up and fell down to the river.

Vico and Jason exchanged glances. And without any word, they jumped to the rolling log. The wind howls louder and louder, the streams raging back make it difficult for them to have a firm grip on the log.

Jason could not see the difference between the sky and the water anymore. Anything around him seems to move in lightning speed. He can't see clearly.

The cold water splashed harshly on his face.

Vico's panicked face before the stream took him away from his watch.

The monster's nasty screeches before the wind finally tossed it away.

A cracked sound as the log crashed to jagged stone.

Water. Trying to drown him again and again, before a rock looming in front of him, and darkness welcomed him into its peaceful arms.


Eragon


One of the Ra'zac stood a few feet from Eragon. Hiding in the shadows. Sick feeling fills the rider's gut. Terrible smell he had hated for so long emerged from that nasty creature behind the shadow like tidal wave in stormy seas. The curve of its beak opened as its tongue comes in and out, tasting the air while its soul-less eyes stared at Eragon with menacing glint in them. What once a sunny day soon turned to a raging storm. The wind howled. Lightning thundered, tearing his eardrums with such fury. The first raindrop fell to the ground. The clouds blocked the sun. Its rays gone, changed by the cold darkness.

They were alone, just right in front of the Dragon Rider's Hall majestic door. Saphira had gone to save the kids from the Lethrblaka's assault. Some elves had run to the forest, trying to held the monsters from the kids. The other elves attacked the Lethrblaka.

He can't lose. He can't let them get the dragon races' treasures. Futures. Eggs. Eldunari.

..Eldunari..

..Eldunari..

That's it! Maybe he wore no armor, no dragon, no elves companion, but he was not alone. He was never alone.

Eragon tried to reach the Eldunari with his mind as the Ra'zac came out from its hiding place as the sun rays gone. When it comes closer, Eragon realized that this was not like the Ra'zac he had seen before. This one is taller and bulkier. Its beak also bigger, completed with jagged edges. It wore no cloak. Its body only covered by metal-like material that seems to 'grow' from the creature's flesh. Made it seems to wore armor. Its hand kept closing and opening with crunching sound from its joints. While its other hand held a two-bladed sword. The sword drips black substances from its blades to the ground. Which made the dirt sizzled and the grass died. Seithr Oil. Eragon knew it right away. It's impossible to erase that gruesome memory from his mind. Garrow's broken body flash through his mind. Katrina, chained. Sloan's bloodily empty eye sockets. Slaves, chained in the base of Helgrind. Waiting to be eaten. The limb-less priest. Him and Arya, chained, vulnerable, served for the new born Ra'zacs. Arya's slender hand skinned as she tried to break free.

The filthy creature approach Eragon with an agonizing and dreadful, slow pace. Eragon clutched Brisingr until his knuckles gone white. He moved his feet, preparing for an attack.

Alagaesian's safety and future had trusted on his shoulder once. And this time is no difference. He should protect his home. He can't lose here. He can't lose now. He can't let them went through that door. He can't let them went through him. He can't let them touch his home.

He can't let them reach Alagaesia.

Blodhgarm once tried to stand by his side, but, with a flick of its wrist, the Ra'zac threw him back to the forest.

"Well, Rider… It seemsss you are alone now.." The Ra'zac hissed.

"What do you want?" Eragon replied, venom clearly heard from his voice.

"Everything Rider..We were sent here by our leadersss..My kin hass prepared wars for a very long time.. claiming our new territorialss..Tasssting humanss' bloodss.. Too bad they escaped from usss that time..running away to the land of the dragonsss...Now I am here to kill you!"

The Ra'zac lunged.

Eragon parried the Ra'zac's blows. Each blows sent him shivers down to his toes. It didn't miss his observation that the Ra'zac still held his sword with just one hand. Its other hand had some dangerous sparks jolting from each fingers. And the Ra'zac's mouth never stopped moving. It hissed and muttered unfamiliar language, like casting a spell.

It's easy for him to match the creature's speed, but, if this went too long, Eragon didn't know how long he would last.

He recalled memories from when he was in Helgrind. Sun. Light. That's their weakness. Then, with all his might, he casted "Garjzla!"-light.

A blinding light burst from above Eragon's head, wiping out any shadows there had been. The light touched the Ra'zac's skin. Its eyes shone with fear. Its hands raised in defeat. Eragon feel the corner of his lips turned up with victory.

But then, the creature lowered its hand and nothing happened. Neither burns nor smoke appeared on its flesh. Both rider and Ra'zac stared at each other. Their expression exchanged.

The Ra'zac blows his sword at Eragon again with faster speed. Eragon, feeling the light didn't affect the monster, turned it off, and began to defense himself as he tried to exterminate it.

Eragon could feel the earth shaking as something happened at the furthest left corner of his peripheral vision where the elves attacked by these seemly advanced Ra'zacs. Lightning strikes, summoned by one of the elves. Powers surged from where all of the Eldunari were hidden. Valdr, the oldest among them, touch Eragon's mind. Image of the earth soil cracked while the monster fall into the gap fills his mind. Understanding what the elder tried to tell him, Eragon maneuvered so he stands in the safe zone while trying to avoid the deathly blows.

He made it. Now he stands near one of the pillar that hold the Dragon Rider's Hall. The earth cracked just as his feet left the ground. The crack went too fast. The Ra'zac couldn't jump to a much safer spot.

The Ra'zac fell. It tried to fly, but rocks repeatedly fall to it, blocking its way out.

But, as it fell to the unknown depth, it threw its sword towards Eragon. The sword flew so fast, somehow getting through the rocks that rained down on it.

Eragon didn't see it coming until it's too late. Eragon's vision tunneled as he watched with horror as the blade penetrates his wards effortlessly. He, instinctually, moved his body away from the poison dripping blade. But he was not fast enough. The blade barely missed his heart.

He could hear Saphira's roar. He managed to see the elves running towards him. Then, everything went black.


Saphira


Eragon! Saphira roared. Dread fills her veins as she felt her rider's pain.

Abandoning the filthy-crinkled-flying-monster which still trying to get away from her grasp, she went to where her-soul-and-mind-lifetime-partner lay. His consciousness emanates burning pain. She tried to envelop his mind, protecting him from the pain, as she stormed the storm itself towards her little one. Nothing can stop her.

She arrives just as the elves started to move his body to the hall where the storm couldn't reach them. Her little one lay there, the sword dripped his blood along with the sizzling-black substances. The elves look terrible. Guilt and worry clearly plastered on their faces.

Elf-wolf-like, Blodhgarm, his hand still twisted in an odd way, ignoring his own pain, and started to examined the rider.

With a nod, Blodhgarm leads the elves to sing for the sword to get out from Eragon's body. Just as they did to Saphira months ago.

The sword slid smoothly. Eragon's wound opened. The elves kept singing to close his wounds and cleanse his body from the poison.

The bleeding slowed, but not stopped. His wound still opened. Most of the black-sizzling-substances had flowing out with his blood during the treatment, but a small amount of it still lingered inside his body. Saphira could feel it. The burning pain from her rider's wound, and flashes of something terrifying going inside her rider's mind. Seeing their effort does not heal the rider, the elves stopped singing. One of the elves fetches a clean cloth, and started to tend Eragon's wound. Cleaning it, and bandaging it.

But the blood still seeped through the white linen. Eragon coughed blood. His body covered in sweat.

What happened? Why did you stop singing? Help him! Saphira panicked.

For hours the elves tried every single healing spells and methods they know.

They are not working.

Lifaen, who had examined the black poison for hours, coming towards Saphira. His head bowed.

"Brightscales, we have tried to figure what the poison is, but we failed. We never saw such poison before a-"

What do you mean you don't know what the poison is? It's Seithr Oil!

"Brightscales, it is not Seithr Oil. It looks similar, but, while Seithr Oil burns the victim, this..poison..freezes i-"

Freeze? It sizzled on the ground!

"First, it burns, but it slowly freezes anything it touches. We have cleansed most of it from your rider's body, but there are still no sign he will wake up soon. But, I assure you, Brightscales, he will be fine." Lifaen said with such conviction.

Unfortunately, Saphira had stop listening to him after the word 'freezes'.

Saphira's mind reeled. Her Eragon, her lovely little one, freeze, slowly, and no one available can help him. Not even her.

Saphira feels someone trying to reach her mind. She poured all her rage and grief to build walls after walls, hiding inside her own mind, the safest place. The most disordered, yet the calmest.

Saphira! A voice muffled through her mind's wall.

She ignored it.

Saphira! The voice came again, louder.

Too deep in her sorrows, she ignored it again.

SAPHIRA! This time the voice roared. An angry dragon's roar followed it.

Suddenly alert, she recognizes the voice.

Glaedr?

Yes, it is me, Youngling,

Hope rose from Saphira's consciousness,

Master! Please! Help my rider! Help my Eragon! Help him! He is in danger! Please! He will di-

Stop it Saphira! Your rider is not going to die! He will survive! You need to calm down, child. You are being over-reacting.

Bu-

No 'but'. Your rider will recover. He just needs some time. He's in shock. And the wound will take time to be fully healed. Don't make this chaotic time more..chaotic.. Saphira.. You have eggs in your belly, don't you?

Yes, master.

And you should prepare the nest for your younglings soon, Saphira. We, the elves and us-the eldunari, are more than capable to take care of your rider. Now, go. Let your rider rest for a while. The firmness of her master's voice showed her the finality of his words.

There is no way for her to argue with him.

Rest, Little One. I will come back for you. She casted her last thought to her unconscious rider.

With a very heavy heart, she took off to the forest, to the cave.

The storm has calmed down, but the rain still pouring down the earth. She lets the rain washed away her tense muscle, her worries, and her sadness.

Eragon will be fine.

He will be fine.


Arya


Firnen is going to be a father!

She still can't believe what Eragon and Saphira had told her last night. It's so surreal, too good to be true.

She had known that soon, the dragons will be back, and the golden era for dragon riders will come. But this, this.. She get lost at words each time she think about this..miracle.

A smile had etched to her usually blank face since then, and it won't go away no matter how hard she suppressed her excitement.

"-ness had occurred to our trees in Ceris and the east coast near Rona lake. What do you say in this matter, Arya Dröttning?" One of the lords' voices brings her back from her reverie.

She blinked, at loss of what the Lord had said earlier.

Lord Valor said, some sickness had occurred to the trees in the east coast. Really Arya, you should start to pay attention to what the lords said. It seems urgent. The voice of her majestic dragon scolded her.

She sent a silent apology to him.

"What kind of sickness, Lord Valor?" She answered the waiting lord. Lord Valor has worked with her family for hundreds of years. He had known well for his patience.

The said lord's face blank as usual. But, a small crease had formed on his forehead.

"We do not know what kind of sickness it is, Your Highness. The leaves lost its colors, and it became as hard as a glass."

The leaves turned into glass?

"Do you mean, the leaves are turning into glass?"

"Yes, Dröttning."

"It is..weird..indeed. Does anyone here know something useful for this matter?"

No one answered.

"Then, I believed we should ask our best healers for it. For now, this meeting dismissed." She commanded. The meeting had run too long. Since the first ray of the sun touch the ground below, and now, the sun had reached its peak. And the only important matter they'd discussed in that time for her was just the leaves turned into glass. The rest was just the rusty politics.

Arya, after leaving the meeting room, run towards her dragon. Eager to spend the rest of the day flying with him.

Hello there, Tiny Queen..

Arya leapt up from the ground to the saddle behind Firnen's back, hugging him from behind.

Hello to you too, Giant Emerald..

Without any warning, Firnen soared to the sky.

Firnen! Arya screamed, exhilarated.

At the top moment, Firnent stop flapping his wings, and drop himself down to the ground. Making Arya clutched the spike in front of her for dear life.

The sky and the ground became a blur to Arya. She can't focus her eye sight to anything except Firnen's spike, which currently she holds on to. The ground getting closer and closer. Alarm fills her mind.

Firneeeen!

And at the last second before they crunched to the ground, the smug green dragon spread his wings, slowing them down. And started to fly low. Gently, following the wind's current.

That was fun! Firnen boomed,

No, it was not! You almost killed us Firnen!

But, I didn't, so it was fun.

I-

Arya never finished her sentence. She felt something inside her mind. Something familiar. It felt close, yet so far.

Arya? What is it? Firnen worried,

I don't know Firnen, it felt familiar..

The campfire..gilded lily..

The Ramr River.. Her and Eragon telling each other their true names..

True names..

Eragon..

Eragon!

Firnen! It's him! The true names!

Hmm.. if it is really him, if it is the true names, why it bugging your mind now? Why not yesterday? Or before?

Firnen's answer was right, why?

Flashes of a monstrous creature loomed inside her head.

"Everything Rider..We were sent here by our leadersss..My kin hass prepared wars for a very long time.. claiming our new territorialss..Tasssting humanss' bloodss.. Too bad they escaped from usss that time..running away to the land of the dragonsss...Now I am here to kill you!" A hoarse voice ringed in her mind.

The scene shifted, she realized now she was seeing through Eragon's eyes. A crack had formed on the earth soil, the monster's scream echoes through Arya's head.

A glint catches her attention. It moves too fast. It moves towards her. Towards him. Towards Eragon.

And then, blackness.

Eragon!

Arya screamed her thoughts as hard as she could. But to no avail.

The connection lost.


A/N: Hi guys! I'm back! Umm, there's a slight change in the story; the format, etc. And the egg still didn't hatch here, so, maybe, one more chapter.

It's my first fight scene ever! I'm sorry if it was rushed

And, as always: Please tell me what you think guys!