Chapter 28: The Siege Begins

Link awoke in a daze, until he realized that the battle would be taking place today. He sat up quickly. He could see sunlight filtering in through his own private tent. Eragon had gotten his own tent as well. Link had partly removed some of his armor: his breastplate, pauldrons, and greaves. He could hear talking, movement, and the clanking of armor outside. Quickly, Link placed his pauldrons on his shoulders, his breastplate around his chest, and his greaves over his boots.

Link then exited his tent to find that most of the other tents had already been taken down and placed on the pack mules. As soon as Link exited his tent, servants began to take it down. Link was surprised at the level of service. Slightly.

His swords had been hung on a special weapon rack set aside just for him and Eragon. Link did not see Wyrda hanging on it, so he assumed Eragon was with Nasuada and Jörmundur.

Link went over to where Nasuada's tent used to be and found the three of them standing in a circle discussing something.

"Great timing," said Jörmundur. "Call Vanilor over here. We are ready to mobilize on Urû'baen. The soldiers are in such high spirit now; there's no way we can lose."

Saphira thudded to the ground next to Eragon, wearing a full suit of armor. The armor covered every inch of her body, with a large mace at the end of her tail. Link called Vanilor over in the same manner.

I will be there shortly, said Vanilor.

"I would like to apologize for last night, Link," said Jörmundur.

"Both of us would," Nasuada chimed in. "It was wrong of us to forbid you from telling the soldiers. It definitely turned out a lot better than we expected."

Vanilor landed next to Link with a great rumbling of the earth. Link was astonished to see that Vanilor was outfitted in the same way as Saphira. Link climbed aboard his dragon's saddle and turned to the Varden leaders.

"You're forgiven," he said.

Eragon turned to them as well. "Who is to lead the troops?" he asked.

"You are," said Nasuada. "They look to you more than us. It will boost their morale even more to see you and your dragons at the frontlines."

"That sounds fair," said Link. He turned around to see that all the soldiers had fallen in line behind their respective battalion captains. There was a horse for every soldier who needed it.

"We await your orders, O Dragon Riders," said a chief captain.

"Is this a mutual leadership, or should I defer to you, Eragon?" Link jested.

"I think it's safe to say it's mutual," said Eragon.

"You give the orders anyway," said Link. Eragon laughed and drew Wyrda from its scabbard.

"Forward march!" Eragon cried, waving his sword to the north and Urû'baen. Saphira began to walk forward, and Vanilor fell into step with her. Soon, the entire army was leaving the campsite, headed straight for the battle that would change the fate of the world forever.

The march seemed like it would drag on forever. Link had to admit that his nervousness had escalated in the past two nights, but he knew the troops' morale would greatly assist them in battle.

Link felt sorry for those who were pushing the catapults from their campsite to Urû'baen. They would greatly help them access the city, and were a vital asset that they could not afford to lose.

Hours later, Link saw something straight ahead. The only explanation he could think of was a city. There was a large hill directly in front of it, so he couldn't tell the size of it.

"Is that Urû'baen?" Link asked Eragon.

"I can't think of anything else it could be," Eragon replied. "Should we increase the pace?"

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Increase pace!" Eragon cried. Saphira and Vanilor sensed the pace intended from their Riders' minds and acted accordingly. The soldiers and their horses fell into step, and the horizon ahead of them loomed faster.

When they got closer, Link could hear some kind of commotion. It sounded like a large group of people. When they got close enough to the hill that they could see Galbatorix's castle, Link motioned to the army to stop. Eragon gave him a puzzled look but agreed.

"What is it, Link?" Eragon asked.

"I think we should send a scout ahead before we come to the crest of the hill. Tell him to be cautious."

Nasuada then motioned to a soldier near her and whispered in his ear. The soldier gave a few nods as she spoke, and then dismounted from his horse and quietly creeped up to the hill. He slowed to a prone crawl once he neared the top, and came to a halt when he could see into the valley below. Link couldn't see his reaction.

The scout stayed there for a moment, and then retracted back down until he was out of view of whatever was down there. He then sprinted back to the head of the army and stood before the Riders.

"Urû'baen's entire guard is down there, right in front of the walls. There's also a large group of reinforcements," he said. He was clearly stressed.

"What are your estimates?" Jörmundur asked.

"Well, I can say that there are definitely a lot more soldiers down there than you calculated. I would expect that the odds are more like ten to one."

Luckily, the soldiers couldn't hear that. Link was doubtful that another speech would keep the soldiers' morale where it was. But there was no way to hide the look on the scout's face.

"Should we wait for Orik?" Nasuada asked the Riders.

"No," said Link and Eragon simultaneously.

"We can't wait for Orik. He could take another day. We have to attack now, while they're not expecting us," said Eragon.

"They have no idea we're here," said Link. "I don't think they're expecting us for another day or two."

"Well how they're expecting us at all is a mystery to me," said Nasuada. "How could Galbatorix have known?"

"Are you really asking that question?" Link asked. "I'm sure you know about scrying?" Suddenly, an idea dawned on him. "Can somebody get me a pail of water?"

Within seconds, a servant came up to the front of the army with a pail of water in his hands.

"Thank you," said Link. He then dismounted Vanilor and sat cross-legged with the pail in between his legs.

"What is he doing?" Jörmundur asked Eragon.

"Watch," said Eragon. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Now that Galbatorix's powers are weakened, he might not be able to block scrying as well."

"Why don't you do it then?" Jörmundur asked.

"I'm not as magically skilled as Link is," Eragon admitted.

"Draumr kópa," said Link, staring into the water with a clear picture of Galbatorix in his mind. The water swirled in his vision, and what he saw… was nothing. Pitch black.

"Agh, I forgot!" Link cried. Eragon realized Link's mistake at the same time.

"What?" Nasuada asked, clearly puzzled.

"You have to have seen the person or place you are trying to scry," said Link. He held his head in his hands.

"Wait, Link," said Eragon. "I can scry Murtagh. He should be with Galbatorix."

"Good idea!" said Link. Eragon dismounted Saphira and Link stepped aside for Eragon.

"Draumr kópa," said Eragon. The water swirled again, and this time there was something to see. Link could not see anything, but Eragon saw Murtagh sitting down on something. The only other thing he saw besides Murtagh was Thorn, Murtagh's red dragon. He had grown substantially; he was roughly Vanilor's size.

Suddenly, Murtagh stood up. He got on Thorn's back and cried something. Thorn and Murtagh flew through the air, but Link could not see anything.

Link looked over at Galbatorix's castle just in time to see the very same thing Eragon was seeing. A large red dragon was flying from a spire in the castle, and Eragon could now see in the pail of water that Murtagh was flying over Urû'baen. He quickly spilled the pail of water and mounted Saphira as Link mounted Vanilor.

They could still have the element of surprise if they hurried.

"Attack!" Eragon cried, waving Wyrda through the air.

Link drew both the Master Sword and Edoc'sil and raised them above his head, screaming in sync with the rest of the army.

Eragon and Saphira leaped off the ground and took to the skies. Vanilor and Link followed suit, and the rest of the soldiers galloped up to the hill and downward.

The Empire soldiers were in a panic. They scrambled to get to their weapons so they could defend themselves. Most of them were too late.

Saphira and Vanilor flew overhead the Empire's ranks and let loose a barrage of flame each, torching tents and weapons and soldiers alike.

Vanilor, Link cried, you breathed fire!

It just came to me, he replied. I wanted to do it, and it happened. Now, let's show these Empire fools what a dragon and his Rider can do!

"Brisingr!" Link cried. A ball of flame shot from his hand and landed on a tent. Seconds later, several soldiers burst out of the opening, all of them aflame.

Link looked up to the crest of the hill they had come down and saw that the catapults had reached their launching spot. One of them had finished, and a large boulder was being loaded into the netting.

The boulder was shortly launched into the air. It tumbled upward, then reached its peak and fell down, quickly reaching terminal velocity and coming down on a large group of Empire soldiers, just shy of Urû'baen's wall. There were some adjustments to be made.

Link continued to focus on the battle at hand. Vanilor swooped down extremely low over the heads of the Empire soldiers. Link lowered his swords and they cut through the necks of at least eight soldiers, decapitating all of them. Already both his swords were red from midpoint to the tip.

Link looked up and saw Thorn diving down in the direction of the Varden troops.

Vanilor! We have to stop him! Link cried.

With pleasure!

Vanilor reared to the left and pounded his wings through the air. Thorn descended toward the Varden, talons outstretched. Vanilor quickly flew under Thorn and breathed flame under his belly. Thorn cried loudly.

"Another Rider!" Murtagh cried. "This should be interesting!"

"Oh, I concur!" Link cried as he slashed through Thorn's side with Edoc'sil. Thorn shrieked loudly.

Murtagh bellowed with anger and drew Zar'roc from his belt. Thorn and Vanilor flew right next to each other, and Murtagh hacked to the side in Link's direction. Link parried with ease and answered with a quick counterattack. Murtagh parried in a similar fashion, and they exchanged blows for a while until Vanilor veered off and spun around. Thorn and Vanilor were now blazing toward each other headfirst. They both released a burst of flame at the same time.

Vanilor pulled up out of Thorn's flame and spiraled away. Link turned around and saw that Murtagh was furious. Thorn wheeled around and followed Vanilor.

Get ready, Vanilor, said Link.

I am, he replied.

Vanilor was just about to make a three hundred-sixty degree turn when Saphira fell on top of Thorn with her talons outstretched. Her talons pierced through Thorn's back armor and dug into his flesh.

Murtagh whipped around and slashed through Saphira's right fore talon. Saphira shrieked and pulled back.

"We meet again, brother!" Murtagh cried.

"Don't do this, Murtagh!" Eragon cried back.

"You don't understand, fool! Galbatorix has given me more power than you could dream," he said.

"You're talking about the Vault of Souls then?" Eragon yelled as he swung toward Murtagh's face, all the time flying in circles around him. Murtagh parried and countered.

"How do you know about that?" Murtagh questioned.

"I know that's how you get your power. I also know that it's empty!"

Murtagh roared and sliced horizontally in Eragon's direction. Eragon parried with Wyrda and pinwheeled his sword around, bringing it to Murtagh's pelvis. Murtagh parried again.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Nasuada and Jörmundur were leading the Varden's soldiers to attack the Empire. The Empire never had time to fully assemble any battalions, so it was mostly small groups that had cluttered together to survive.

Jörmundur trampled through four soldiers and swung downward with his sword at an Empire soldier, cutting a red line from his navel to his neck. Blood spurted onto Jörmundur's armor.

Nasuada wielded a short lance and drove it through the hearts of any Empire soldier she saw. One defiant Empire soldier dodged her lance and chopped off the tip with a battle-ax. Nasuada slowed her horse to draw her sword and decapitate the insolent soldier.

The Empire was beginning to organize into battalions near the back of their camp. The soldiers in back hadn't encountered any Varden soldiers yet and were able to prepare for the assault.

Back in the sky, Vanilor and Link had joined the fight against Murtagh, so now it was two on one.

"This is hardly fair, Eragon," said Murtagh. "Afraid to face me alone?"

"You should have prepared for this when you betrayed us!" Eragon cried. "If you would have thought ahead, you would have made a better decision!"

"You are a fool, Eragon!" Murtagh shouted. "I made the best decision! I have been afforded more power than any Rider has ever had!"

"You're the fool!" cried Link. "Eragon and I emptied the Vault just last night! You're no more powerful than me!"

Murtagh's face twisted into an angry snarl. "Thrysta vindr!"

Link had no time to react. He was blown off Vanilor's saddle and sent soaring through the sky. He didn't even have to call for Vanilor; he was back on his saddle within seconds after Vanilor caught him.

Vanilor wheeled around and sped in Thorn's direction. Link could see Eragon and Murtagh fighting with their swords; their strokes got faster and faster. Eragon's anger was starting to get the best of him.

Suddenly, Eragon was sent flying from Saphira's back. Saphira started to fly away to catch him, but Thorn caught her with his talons and ripped through her side. She shrieked in pain and whipped her spiked tail around. The mace on the end landed directly in front of Murtagh, imbedded in his flesh.

Thorn roared in pain. Murtagh hacked at Saphira's tail. After a few blows, her armor was pierced, and another blow made contact with her scales. She screeched loudly and quickly flipped her tail out of Thorn's neck, descending quickly to aid Eragon.

While both dragons were gone, Murtagh and Thorn quickly flew to Galbatorix's castle to retreat.

Vanilor! Link cried. Tell Saphira we're going after Murtagh and to follow us!

Vanilor then hammered through the air to catch Murtagh and fly in to the dragon roost at the top of Galbatorix's castle.

Saphira lowered down close to the ground and caught Eragon mere feet before he hit the ground.

"Cutting it a little close?" Eragon bellowed.

Thorn had me occupied, she said. We have to hurry! Link and Vanilor have followed Murtagh and Thorn into Galbatorix's castle.

A/N: I think that's a pretty good update, don't you? It took a while, but it's long, so I hope it's worth it. I was at a loss for ideas for a while there, and then I watched the Eragon film and it put me in an Eragon mood, so I finished about three fourths of this chapter. Let me know what you think! R&R!