Chapter 22: Fate Unconquerable

Eragon lunged at Link, who dodged around Wyrda expertly and swung at Eragon in counterattack. Eragon parried and swung at Link's neck. Link ducked under the swung and rolled forward closer to Eragon, stretching out his sword at the last second.

Eragon leapt away and jumped into the air, sword raised high above his head. Link parried, but the blow brought him to one knee. He knew he wouldn't be able to get out of this with strength, so he rolled out of the awkward position he was in. Eragon's sword scraped across Link's, and Eragon's weight was still being pushed toward the ground, so he stumbled. Link took advantage of this and swiped at Eragon. He felt his sword make light contact with Eragon's clothing. Eragon quickly steadied himself before Link could attack again. Link was quick enough that Eragon had no time to attack.

Link swung three, four, five times in different directions toward Eragon, who parried them all. Link swung a sixth time, but Eragon leaped high into the air and landed behind him. Link quickly rolled forward to avoid the attack. Eragon's sword struck grass and dirt, nothing more. Slightly angered, he advanced toward Link, who turned around just in time to parry a massive blow. Link used the momentum from the blow to bring his own sword around with excessive force. Eragon ducked under it and countered with his own attack. Their feet unmoving, they exchanged strike for strike for a moment until Link was able to swing Wyrda out of Eragon's hand. Eragon instantly cartwheeled away from Link and picked up his sword before landing completely. Link charged on Eragon and became a whirlwind of steel, and Eragon barely had time to parry the unyielding swings of the Master Sword. One of them came so fast that it knocked him off balance, and he stumbled backwards. Link quickly lunged forward and took advantage of Eragon's sudden unsteadiness. He delivered a series of heavy blows that continuously knocked Eragon off balance until he was knocked to the ground. Link seized the opportunity and held his sword to Eragon's throat.

"Yield," he said. Eragon shook his head.

"Yield!" Link repeated.

"Thrysta vindr!" Eragon cried. Link was thrown backward off Eragon. Eragon used another spell to quickly draw Wyrda into his hand. Link leaped to his feet.

"Thrysta deloi!" Link cried. Suddenly, a huge chunk of earth rose from the ground and hurtled in Eragon's direction. He leaped and rolled out of the way just in time.

Jhönen was fascinated by every second of it. Once they started casting spells, it only got better.

"Brisingr!" Link cried. His sword ignited with green flame. Eragon did the same to his, only with blue flame. Their swords then clashed, sending multicolored sparks flying everywhere. Their swords then clanged against each other at mile-a-minute speed. Sparks were flying everywhere, and Link feared that the surrounding field would catch fire. Luckily for them, it didn't.

Link swung at Eragon's head. Eragon ducked under the swing and came back up in time to parry an overhead vertical swing. Link then brought his sword around at Eragon's hip, which was blocked again.

"Jierda!" Link cried. Eragon flew backward as if he had been hit by something. Link rushed forward to meet Eragon on the ground. He wasn't quick enough, for Eragon countered with the same spell that had knocked him to the ground. Link did not hit the ground hard, however. He expertly somersaulted in the air and landed on his feet, skidding backward slightly. He put his hand on the ground to keep balance. Once he attained stability, he rushed forward again and met Eragon with a huge clash. Their swords grinded against each other like a rockslide of steel.

Link quickly overpowered Eragon. Eragon's sword was knocked far from his reach, and Link fortified his mind to make sure that Eragon would not be able to use magic on him again.

"Thrysta vindr!" Eragon cried. Link felt the force of the compressed wind blow right past him.

"Yield," Link said again. Eragon had no choice. He had to defer.

The surrounding elves were shocked. They figured that since Eragon had more experience that he would be the victor.

Link helped Eragon to his feet.

"Good match, Eragon," said Link. Eragon nodded with a smile that looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth. Without a word, he went over to Saphira and climbed on. Link was about to speak, but Saphira flew away and they were off to the dragon roost.

"Good job, Link," said an elf. "We didn't expect that."

"That was amazing!" cried Jhönen. "Great job! A spectacular show."

"Thanks, Jhönen," said Link.

To Link's distaste, Arya approached him.

"Link," she said. "This is incredible. Never has any Rider showed such great skill in such a little amount of time."

"Never?" Link asked, partially interested.

"Never," Arya repeated. "Neither elf nor human."

Link nodded. "I'd best be off," he said. Arya started to protest, but Link was in the air on Vanilor's back before she had time.

I know that upset him, said Link.

I'm sure it did too. I am sure you would be bitter if someone who had not been a swordsman as long as you have beat you in a duel, Vanilor pointed out.

Yes, but this is different. I have more experience in fighting than he does. He's only been fighting for a year, but I have for nearly seventeen years.

You are a better fighter, said Vanilor, but I think in Eragon's mind, he is the better fighter because he was a Rider before you were. You crushed him when you beat him like that.

I should talk to him, said Link.

Not yet, said Vanilor. Give him time to think. Just don't do anything else that would make it worse.

Link took that to heart and decided not to head back to the dragon roost, but instead went to a secluded spot in the woods, where he meditated on the implications of what had just occurred at the sparring field.

A/N: How was it? I am dreadfully sorry about the horribly long wait. You see, my computer has been really weird lately, and I just got a new job and that's been taking up a lot of my time, as well as the ever annoying homework. But the next chapter shouldn't be too much of a wait, so just hang on! Hope you all liked it. R&R please!