People may hate me at the end, but there is the good surprise in the first few paragraphs and the bad ones later on. Sorry, but very suspenseful.
Chapter 59: Taken
All was black. Equinox remembered hearing unknown voices, but she was far too afraid to open her eyes. She could also hear the hoots of a few owls overhead and realized that she was still in the forest. The same hand was holding her underneath her belly, and its grasp had only loosened slightly. She decided that it was time to face her fate, so she quickly tossed her emerald eyes open.
"Wha…?" she asked, looking around.
"You should know never to run off like that," a familiar voice said behind her. Equinox could not turn her hand to take a glance, but was very glad when her captor crouched down to let her back down to the ground. "Your father and mother should be worried sick." Equinox turned around quickly to see the witch Angela smiling at her with her head cocked slightly.
"Why did you take me?" Equinox asked. "Where am I?"
"Safe," Angela replied, "at least for now. What were you hiding from?" Equinox could tell that she already knew the answer, so she bobbed her head.
"I am not sure what it was," Equinox explained, "but it was very scary. He is after me."
"I know," Angela said. "I figured that Eragon could have held him off, but I guess that it was another miscalculation."
"How far am I from home?" Equinox asked, tucking her wings in to her sides. "Is it safe for me to walk back?"
"No child," Angela replied. "He may capture you before the night, but I will try my hardest to defend you from him."
"But how?" Equinox asked, padding forward to sniff at her shoes. She did have the scent of her home, so she knew that Angela was trustworthy.
"That I know not," Angela replied. "I must try. You and your sister are the dragons' only hope to rebuild. If either one of you are lost, then hope fades as well."
- - - - -
"Equinox!" Eragon shouted through the forest. "Come on, child! Where are you?" He ran forward and tripped over a vine, smashing face-first into a small puddle left over from the rain a few days ago. Eragon slammed his fists down in the mud and swore under the water before picking himself up again.
Any luck, love? Saphira questioned. She was flying overhead to search on her own while Draken stayed behind to watch Covin'thra.
Nothing, Eragon admitted worriedly. I feel that she is gone.
We must find her, Saphira cried. Do not lose hope.
I have failed as a father, Eragon told her. My job is to defend them, and I failed. Equinox could be captured by now…or worse. All of this is my fault.
No it is not, Saphira snapped. Stave has just grown more powerful. We can fetch a new sword from the Elvin Blacksmiths. Do not dishearten, my dear. You have been a wonderful father. Wait…I see something. STAVE!
- - - - - - -
"Where are we going?" Equinox asked, padding beside Angela. She turned to smile at her.
"We are going to meet up with a good friend of mine," she replied. Suddenly, there was a loud rustle from the trees. Equinox whimpered and huddled close to her leg. "Right on time." Solembum, who was in cat form, leapt down from one of the branches and landed on his paws right beside the young dragonet, startling her. Equinox quickly padded away to Angela's other side.
So this is one of Eragon's? Solembum asked. Angela nodded her head. She is rather fearful, is she not?
"She has her reasons," Angela replied. She looked down at Equinox and shifted so she could get a clear view of Solembum. "This is my friend. He is as trustworthy as I am."
If you can call me that, Solembum interjected sarcastically. We must hurry, I caught a glimpse of an odd shadow moving about. Does Eragon know that you have her?
"No," Angela replied. Equinox walked over to him and sniffed his paws curiously. Solembum quickly stepped back and flicked his tail at the young dragon.
You are rather curious about me, are you not? Solembum asked.
"I am," Equinox replied, causing the ware cat to shoot her an even more quizzical look.
So, he said, you speak…human? Equinox chuckled softly and bobbed her head.
"We must move," Angela said quickly. "Time runs short and this demon is upset."
Demon? Solembum asked. What do you mean?
"Do you not remember in Surda?" Angela reminded him. "What happened there?"
Oh, Solembum replied. Is this the same man?
"Yes."
"What are you two talking about?" Equinox nervously interrupted. Angela shook her head.
"Stave has been in Surda," Angela replied. "He showed off a few tricks in order to impress a group to join his 'army for the just' that he calls for some ironic reason. I must admit that he has outstanding power, but there is no good from it."
"Where shall we go?" Equinox asked. Angela shook her head again and turned to Solembum.
"Did you bring my staff?" She asked. Solembum nodded and suddenly climbed back up the same tree. After a few moments, a staff with twin blades on both ends fell down to the ground below. Angela walked over to it and picked it up. "It has been a long time," she sighed, spinning the weapon in her hands. She stopped and watched Solembum jump back down in front of her.
The demon is moving closer, he said cautiously. He could be here within…?
Moments?
- - - - - - - -
Eragon ran through the forest with blinding speed while Saphira flew over him to keep watch ahead.
He has stopped, Saphira explained. Is that…Angela?
I cannot see, Eragon exclaimed, pushing his way through the trees.
Eragon hurry! Saphira cried. Eragon shoved past the final branches and stopped at a clearing. In the middle were Angela and Solembum, with Equinox behind them.
"Eragon!" Angela shouted. "Take your daughter. Hurry!" Eragon rushed forward to them, but was suddenly pushed back by a supernatural force. He flew backwards and crashed into an oak tree.
ERAGON! Saphira screamed, as she swooped down towards him. He slowly climbed to his feet and shook his head.
"Stave," Eragon called. "I have had enough."
"Good," Stave's voice rung through the forest. "Does this mean that you shall surrender your first born?"
"Not quite," Eragon said, stepping over to Angela, who had her battle staff in her hands. "I will die before giving them up." As he finished his sentence, Eragon was pushed back again by Stave's evil spirit.
"Father!" he heard Equinox shout, before he lost consciousness.
Eragon got up again and looked around the forest to see that Angela and Solembum were standing in front of him, but Equinox was gone.
"Where did he…?"
"He took her, Eragon," Angela explained. "As soon as he touched her, they both vanished."
"NO!!"
- - - - - - -
Equinox fluttered her emerald eyes open to see that she was locked inside of a cold metal cage that was hanging just below the ceiling. Judging from the looks on the walls around her, she could tell that she was in some type of cavern, and she also knew that she was taken by Stave.
"Well, well," Stave said, casually walking over to her cage. He placed one of his hands on the cage and spun it around, sliding the poor dragonet from one side to the other as it spun. "You better pray to whatever gods you serve that your father has the sense to trade you for your brother." Equinox whimpered as she stared into his crimson eyes.
"Father will save me," Equinox said nervously. "I trust in him."
"He is rather foolish," Stave pointed out, as he walked away from the cage. "He should recognize this place."
"What do you mean?" Equinox asked, still whimpering.
"This," Stave muttered, "was where the first wild dragon in almost a century was conceived. He has more power in him than even Eragon could understand. Draken symbolizes rage, power, fear, and destruction. He is what I need to rule this country."
Father, Equinox thought. Help me.
- - - - - - - -
"Any luck?" Eragon asked Murtagh, who was flying on Thorn beside him and Saphira.
"I see nothing," Murtagh shot back. "Eragon, I am sorry, but she may be no more."
"Never say that," Eragon snapped. "Take some elves and start up a search party for her. Saphira and I will fly back over to Darat and see what we can come up with."
Find her, Eragon, Thorn replied harshly. Rescue her, and take Stave's head off of his shoulders. I am just glad that Covin'thra has not suffered the same fate.
We must tell Draken, Saphira told Eragon. He must know.
"I cannot," Eragon sighed. "He has too much rage. If he discovers that his sister has been captured, he may fly off like last time. I cannot take that chance."
- - - - - - -
"Where is my sister?" Covin'thra asked worriedly, as she watched Draken pace around the bowl she was lying in.
"I have a very bad feeling, Covy," Draken replied. "She is in trouble, and I know of it."
"What can we do?" Covin'thra asked, flapping her wings and tucking them tighter to her form. "I mean…what can you do? I will only cause more trouble if I come along."
"But you must," Draken exclaimed. "I cannot leave you here."
Brot…? Equinox struggled to say to him. Draken quickly sat on his haunches and listened.
Sister! He exclaimed. Where are you?
He tells me little, she replied weakly. All I know is that Father should recognize it.
Stay strong, Equinox, Draken told her
I am scared, she replied fearfully. He wants you to come, Brother. Do not come alone!
- - - - - -
Equinox's cage spun wildly about as Stave growled in anger.
"You have made a foolish decision!" he exclaimed, smashing his fists against the steel. "Conversing with Draken, eh? Let him come. Let all of them come! I will crush everyone who opposes me, and ride off on his back."
Next one may be the last with Stave (cross your fingers) Sorry that it takes awhile, but I suppose that I will update every two days as opposed to daily.
PEACE!