AN: I'm so sorry about the 40 day wait for an update. School sucks time away from writing, but I promise to try updating at least once every 15 you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please keep on reviewing.
Chapter 8
Durza paced, thinking of how he would exact his revenge on both the Guardians and Galbatorix. One had bested him and the other had mocked him. He would start with the Guardians, they had bested him and his army even they were outnumbered. The Guardians were a superior fighting force, one of the greatest Riders there was had trained them. They not only fought with sword and shield, but like the Fanghur, with their minds also. Their enemies were either slain, or servants to their will. The only way to defeat such an army would be to demoralize it. If he got rid of the so-called "Master of the Spine," the Guardians would be his for the taking. As for Galbatorix, that would be more difficult. Galbatorix wanted the jewel to gain more power, but he already was the most powerful magician in the land. Whereas the elf wanted it for...what did the elf want it for? Durza knew the elf was a Rider, and he had sensed his dragon's mind on various occasions, but the dragon had yet to show itself. Was the dragon merely hiding? He would have to discover more before he could do anything. But how to go about discovering the whereabouts of the dragon? He called forth Manswica, his trusted servant. He smiled, "Manswica, you will be my spy in the Guardian's camp."
Manswica looked puzzled, "They swear newcomers to do as they wish in the Ancient Language, how will I overcome such an oath?"
Durza smiled, "Swear that you will not let anyone else know what I am about to tell you."
After Manswica did so, Durza instructed him, "When you make the oath saying you shall do as they say, think to yourself, 'but only when I wish to do so.' It is my modified technique of how the elves manipulate the Ancient Language."
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Edhellhach was frustrated, the Guardian's were tired, he had been driving them at a breakneck pace for several days now, but they were nearing Utgard. They could begin to see its peak over the horizon. He looked northward; there lied Palancar Valley, home of Brom. He looked back toward Utgard. Something was off about the path to the mountain. He strained his eyes to look far into the distance. There! It appeared that the Empire had set up camp several miles down the path to Utgard. He estimated that there would be around a thousand soldiers at that camp. "Ohtar!"
Ohtar rode back to Edhellhach, "What is it?"
Edhellhach signaled down the road, "There, the Empire has set up a camp for a thousand soldiers."
Ohtar smiled, "I see nothing, but I trust in your Elvin eyes. Anyway, it is not so bad; we are only outnumbered five to four. We have the advantage in that we also fight with our mind. Besides you, we have three other sorcerers."
Edhellhach frowned, "True, but the Empire is sure to have integrated many more magicians to their ranks. I estimate about a magician for every fifty soldiers."
Ohtar did the math and frowned, "That comes out to around twenty magicians to our four."
Edhellhach nodded, "I alone could defeat maybe three of those magicians at once, with Narlhug and the others maybe withstand ten, but we would be at a stalemate. Then there would be ten others to worry about."
Ohtar tilted his head, "If we lent you the aide of our minds against the magicians, could you hold off all twenty?"
Edhellhach thought, "We could, but then we would lose our main advantage against the Empire, and we would be outnumbered."
Ohtar responded, "It seems that then we will rely on our training to overcome those odds."
Edhellhach responded, "It will have to do for now."
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They had closed the gap between themselves and the Imperial encampment. There only stood a mile between the two armies. The Guardians prepared themselves for the upcoming battle, it would be a long battle and they had to be ready at any moment.
The Imperials began lining up outside their camp, and the Guardians followed suit. An Imperial messenger rode forth, "Surrender now and you will be spared, fight and die as traitors to your homeland."
Edhellhach retorted, "Traitors to the man who killed the peacekeepers of Alagaesia? I would gladly die as such."
The messenger responded, "This is your last chance! Will you change your mind?"
Edhellhach shook his head, "Tell your commanders that we will not surrender to them."
The messenger rode back to his camp and Edhellhach smiled. The battle would begin soon, and then Mir would be within his grasp.
The drums of the Empire began to sound, and their army began to advance.
Edhellhach cried out, "Archers, ready your bows!" Two hundred arrows were nocked to their respective bows. "Aim!" The bows rose up. "Fire!" A storm of arrows landed on the Imperial soldiers and many fell. "Ready...Aim." The bows rose again, "Fire!" An onslaught of arrows devastated the Imperial ranks. Now the Imperials were close enough for sword fighting. With a shout of, "Fire at will!" Edhellhach drew his swords. Then he remembered, he had to take are of the magicians. The Guardians' minds joined with his and together they began to attack the minds of each individual magician. Imperials began to crash into the ranks of the Guardians. Soon, the whirlwind of Edhellhach's blades began to part the tide of Imperial soldiers around him, and his mind began to subjugate the minds of the Imperial magicians. His blades rose up slashing through imperial armor, and he cut through the mind of the magician's. His swords fell, cutting through swords and shields.
Horns blared, and the Imperials began to retreat. As he ordered the Guardians to regroup, he took count of his men. Over half the Guardians had survived the initial wave, but they were not used to fighting opponents who could still think clearly and many had suffered terrible wounds. The Imperials had lost more than half their men, but those who survived were still fit to fight again. Edhellhach sighed, they had gotten rid of almost all the Imperial magician's, but only he was left. The other three had perished when five of the Imperial magicians banded together and attacked the Guardian's magicians.
The Imperial messenger rode forth once again, "I have been asked to invite you to a duel, you against one of us."
Edhellhach nodded, "I accept."