Well that idea didn't fly over too well (lol). Thank you for the support. I am surprised on how many responded. GOD I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!
(PS. I hope you like this. It is very graphic and some cute dragon fluff is in here as well)
Chapter 56: House of Flying People
"Father!" Draken shouted over the roar of the fire below. "What do you want me to do?"
"There is a chokepoint to the right," Eragon yelled back on top of Saphira. "I want you to burn the forest in that area. If we are lucky, we could trap them." Draken watched as Thorn swept in to do another strafing run down below. As the fire leapt from his mouth, it splashed violently against the trees and flesh.
Make haste son, Saphira told him. We cannot let them advance. Draken shook his head and banked away to leave his father and mother alone.
"Wait!" he heard Murtagh call. "Let me ride with you. If you hit the wrong spot, we will surly be defeated!" Thorn flew in close to Draken as his rider stood up from his saddle. In one motion, Murtagh leapt from Thorn and landed between the two spikes on Draken's spine. Because he was old enough, the rider's weight did not throw off Draken's balance, but it was still a first for him.
"Head east," Murtagh told him. "When I say, light fire to the forest."
"Very well uncle," Draken replied. He swooped in over the trees and was surprised to see that numerous amounts of arrows were being loosed towards him. Murtagh held on for dear life as Draken rolled and twisted his way through the barrage.
"How did they get so close to our home?" Draken asked, focusing on dodging the arrows below him.
"I think that the elves' power is weaker at the border," Murtagh explained. "We must not talk about this. Swoop in to the west and burn away." Draken roared in acknowledgement and banked swiftly to the right, dropping down once more. He inhaled through his fire lung and let the stream of fire blow out of his mouth, scorching all that it consumed. He snorted with satisfaction as he watched the flames grow larger, igniting all of the trees and underbrush around it.
"Good!" Murtagh exclaimed. "That should keep them warm for awhile." Draken snickered at his uncle's gruesome comment, and climbed upward into the sun.
"Is Stave among them?" Draken asked, as he stared down at the fiery battlefield below.
"I do not think so," Murtagh replied. "I feel that it is only his minions this time."
"Drat" Draken cursed. "I was hopping to see him…and finish him off."
- - - - - - -
"Where is Brother?" Covin'thra whispered to Equinox underneath the blanket. They could hear voices, but were unsure of whose. They only knew that they sounded familiar.
"Should we help?" one voice asked.
"Eragon said wait here," the other said. "If we do this, we will be even. He saved our lives and we save his children's."
"What does he mean?" Equinox whimpered. "Save us?" Covin'thra silently shifted to a more comfortable position.
"I know not sister," Covin'thra said. "Stay here. I will…?"
"No," Equinox interrupted. "Brother said to stay put. Do not disobey his order." Covin'thra growled in a low tone and slowly pushed her head up into the blanket, pushing it off of the bowl. She looked up to see Ebath and Royan standing guard over them with their swords unsheathed and in their hands.
"Stay silent," Royan told her. "Bad things are occurring."
"Where are Mother and Father?" she asked innocently. "Did Brother help?"
"Yes," Ebath stepped in. "You must understand. There is a battle raging that is literally outside of your home. Stay still and quiet. We will guard you."
- - - - - - - - - - -
"How does it look?" Murtagh asked Eragon, as Draken flew alongside his mother.
"They are either dead or retreating," Eragon replied with a faint smile. "Thank you again Murtagh."
"Do not mention it," his brother muttered. "You are lucky that Thorn and I were close." He looked down to see Thorn fly through the smoke to inspect the fires that he, Saphira, and Draken had created.
I see no one, he told them. It is clear.
"No it is not," Draken suddenly replied, craning his neck over to look towards his home. Eragon did the same and gasped. Trudging up the hill to their house was over twenty of Stave's men; ten were already at the front door. "NO!" Before receiving permission, Draken banked away from his family and dove down at record speed. He could see that some of the soldiers had their bows ready to fire at him, but every arrow was easily avoided with a swift roll to the left or right. "I am coming, sisters!" Draken dove lower to the ground and drug his talons along the green turf, cutting many who were below him.
"This is where I get off," Murtagh joked. Draken felt his uncle lift his leg over to where he was sitting sideways on his scaly back. "Get to them, nephew." With that said, Murtagh jumped off and unsheathed his blade. As he came down, he lifted Zar'oc up and brought it down swiftly down the middle of a man's skull, splitting it open like a melon. He quickly withdrew his sword from the bloody corpse and swung away at the five men approaching him. He tossed his blade up to parry a blow and then used his forehead to head-butt his attacker. As the man stumbled, Murtagh thrust Zar'oc into his belly, twisting sideways to widen the hole. Draken continued to fly forward without looking back to check on his uncle. He saw that his sisters were in trouble and he made a vow to his father that his life would be lost in their place. The home was getting closer now and he could hear the fearful cries of the soldiers as he approached. He prepared to launch his liquid flame at them, but he soon realized that the soldiers were too close to his home. If he torched them, his house would go up as well, including his sisters and the two elves guarding them. New plan, he thought to himself. Draken touched down beside the fearful troops and roared in sheer outrage, causing one to drop his sword and run for the burning forest.
"Anyone else care to flee?" Draken asked, attempting to intimidate them. The nine remaining soldiers stuck out their blades and rushed towards the purple dragon. He did a simple sidestep to avoid being impaled and quickly reached down with his teeth to pick up one man and chomp down on him, splitting the soldier in half. The first part fell limply to the ground while Draken held the other half in his mouth. He growled at the soldiers and opened his mouth to let the torso fall out, splattering blood as it hit the ground. Two more soldiers panicked and ran, but six were still left.
"How many people must I tear to pieces before you retreat?" Draken roared with his teeth covered in human blood. "You attempt to destroy my family, yet I am showing compassion for you. Retreat, or fall like your companions."
- - - - - - - -
"That was Brother!" Equinox chirped happily, as she listened to the loud roar outside. "He sounds angry at something."
"Hush," Ebath warned them. "Stave's men are right outside. Your brother is defending us." Suddenly, there was a loud crash near the wall. Ebath looked over to it to see a man crash through the wall and bash his head open on the hardwood floor below. Covin'thra hunkered down in the bowl with Equinox as Ebath and Royan looked on. There came another crash, and one more man came crashing through the wall. They could make out Draken outside and saw that he was tossing them into his home with his tail one at a time.
"Brother?" Covin'thra asked. "How are you…?" She paused to watch him snap his tail back and smash it upwards against the midsection of another soldier, tossing him up and into another wall. This one was more sturdy and did not break as the others did. Draken snorted as he watched the man slide down the dented wall clutching his chest.
"Anyone else?" Draken taunted. "Come! Let me test my accuracy!" The three remaining men gathered around the dragon and pointed their swords at him.
"No!" Covin'thra cried. "He is trapped!" Without even thinking, Covin'thra leapt out of her bowl and rushed to her brother's aid.
"Covy, no!" Draken snapped. "Get away!" But his warning came far too late. The silver dragonet rushed forward to defend him and latched her jaws on one man's ankle. The man screamed in agony as fresh blood poured from his wound.
"You rotten lizard!" the man shouted. Draken watched as the soldier prepared to slice at his sister with his blade.
"NO!" Draken screamed. He ran up to the man and rammed him in his chest with his scaly forehead. The man flew back while Covin'thra held her ground, ripping down the side of his foot.
"Are you a fool?" Draken roared at his sister. "Go back, Covy, and hide with your sister!"
"But…you need me," Covin'thra tried to explain. She watched as Draken smashed his tail into a man's head, breaking his neck instantly. Only one more man was left and he was shaking terribly. Draken slowly leaned his head over to the fearful man and opened his mouth. He inhaled and let out a roar so ferocious that it would have sent shivers down Shruikan's spine.
"Come here again," Draken warned, "and I will make sure that your head is on a pike in my yard." The man squealed like a pig and dropped his weapon. At once, he turned and ran for the charred forest.
"Brother?" Covin'thra asked with hurt eyes. "Did I not help?"
"You did," Draken admitted, "but I do not want you to sacrifice yourself like this."
"Why not?" Covin'thra asked. Draken padded over to her, stepping over the limp forms of those he had killed.
"Covy," Draken explained. "You and your sister are the only females besides our mother. It is vital that you and her stay alive to rebuild our race. If we lose you, then Thorn may never feel the love of a mate or the joy of having a youngling."
"What about you?" Covin'thra asked innocently. "What will you do?"
"I will wait," Draken said proudly. "Go and fetch your sister." Covin'thra bowed and waddled off through one of the demolished walls to get Equinox. Draken looked around at the damage he had created and shook his head. "Father is going to kill me for this."
No I will not, Eragon's voice came in cheerfully. Well done, son!
You saw? Draken asked, as he scanned the sky for his mother and father. In the distance he could see Saphira flying alongside Thorn, and Eragon was walking up the hill with Murtagh at his side.
We saw every moment of it, Saphira chimed in. It was brave of you to face that many…and wise of you to not dispose of them by flame.
Some walls of our home have been damaged, Draken explained. I am sorry.
Do not be, Eragon replied lovingly. You did what was needed of our family. Tell Ebath and Royan that their services are no longer needed.
Very well, Draken muttered. I shall see you when you arrive home. Draken snorted and cut off the link between them. "Royan," he called out at the damaged home. "Father says that all is safe now. You may leave." He looked over to the doorway to see the two loyal elves walk out with crimson blood stained cloaks. Their swords were also bloody and had several scratch marks on them.
"It was a joyous battle friend," Ebath said tiredly. "I would enjoy fighting along side you in combat some day soon."
"Let us hope that day does not come for quite some time," Draken replied kindly. "Farewell friends and thank you."
"Quite welcome," Ebath said, inclining his head. "I shall tell the magicians to increase the spells in this region for you and your family's safety."
"Very well," Draken replied, as he turned to pad into his home. Ebath and Royan walked away as Draken stepped inside to inspect the damage. There were a total of seven bodies and their blood had spilled over the floor.
"What a mess," Equinox said, poking her head up from her bowl. They had taken their blanket and pulled it back over to conceal themselves again. "Why are those men leaking red stuff?"
"Sister," Draken said. "Those men are dead. You know the liquid that comes from the deer? That is the same substance."
"You killed them?" she asked wide-eyed. "Can they be eaten?"
"Not by us, youngling," Draken laughed. "We must wait for Father to decide what to do." At that moment, Eragon stepped in with Saphira padding beside him.
Oh dear, Saphira said in amazement. This is…quite a mess, Eragon.
'Tis, he replied with a gentle laugh. The walls can be patched up and I can scrub the blood off of the floor, but what about the bodies? Suddenly, one of the bloody men let out a soft moan.
"He is alive?" Draken asked. "He will not be for long!" He padded over to the wounded soldier, but Eragon stepped in his way.
"I can heal you," he explained to the soldier, "but you must tell me: where is Stave?"
"No," the man murmured. "I cannot. You may save me, but he will send me to the void if I betray him." Eragon crouched down next to the soldier. He was the one that smashed into the sturdy wall earlier and his injuries were going to be the death of him.
"Why did you turn to him?" Eragon asked, as he inspected the S mark on his right palm.
"His promises," the man replied. "He vows to make the weak stronger and the poor richer. In order for him to do this, he needs his dragon. You are the reason that we suffer, not him." Eragon dropped the doomed soldier's hand and turned to Saphira.
"So that is it," he muttered. "Saphira, he is manipulating them into believing that he is salvation."
I should have known, Saphira said with a growl. Why else would they be willing to lay their lives down for a demon?
"Where is he?" Eragon questioned harshly. "Tell me!"
"He is in the…?" the soldier struggled to say. Suddenly a wide smile crossed his face. "He is in the tress, in the lake, and in the mountains. Stave is everything. He has no human form, but that of a god." Eragon fell to his knees and grabbed the man by the collar of his badly wielded armor.
"Do not toy with me," Eragon yelled. He felt a hand placed on his shoulder.
"He speaks the truth," Murtagh said behind him. "I stabbed Stave in the heart during our last battle. Instead of falling over or leaving blood on my sword, the man disappeared into thin air." Eragon cursed and tossed the man away to where he cracked his head on the wall behind him, creating the final injury to end his life.
"So he is a demon," Draken said in wonder. Covin'thra and Equinox cautiously crawled out of their bowl and sniffed at the dead bodies around them. "Eragon," Draken said to his father. "Ebath and Royan will tell the magicians to increase their power in this area to provide safety if he strikes again."
"When would be a better word," Eragon replied. "Take these bodies and stack them into a large pile with the rest of the troops on our property. The best way to get rid of them would be to burn them." Draken nodded and scooped up the bodies aggressively with his forearms. Eragon walked over to Saphira, who was lovingly nudging her younglings.
"Mother," Covin'thra said. "Did you see me? Was I not brave?"
You helped your brother, little one, Saphira replied softly. That is courageous, but it was risky too. I would rather lose one child than have all of them taken from me. Besides, Draken would have been fine on his own. He once battled against seven soldiers in the forest.
"Seven?" Covin'thra asked. "Wow. Brother is very strong, yes?"
You and your sister's time will come soon as well, Saphira comforted. She took another glance around her home and whimpered. It seems that every time that we get comfortable, Stave comes in to ruin everything!
Well it is shorter than some (at 5 pages) but that is still pretty long right? Now I want you lovely readers to tell me if you see any faults to further improve my writing skills. Any review helps (as long as it isn't a flame, but judging by the reviewers I have, I doubt that anyone has a heart cold enough to do that). Your reviews keep me going. Also, I have heard of a few ideas to do the U.S thing after Stave's death. To be honest, I do not want to end this story with the death of someone who is well deserving. We will see what pans out in the future, eh?
PEACE!