Sorry for the slow update guys! I've been having end of term exams and have been caught up with school stuff. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's not particularly long, about 2000 words with a slow beginning but action to finish it.
Hope you enjoy! Please leave a comment if you have been enjoying the story so far.
There are definitely limits Harry said, its now just a matter of finding where those limits are.
Arasei agreed.
Harry was walking a little bit behind Brom and Eragon. They were focusing forward so Harry was absentmindedly levitating a small stone in his hand. He was getting good at this sort of thing. Before, Harry would have to focus absolutely on one spell; he couldn't even talk to Arasei through their link, because as soon as he lost focus the spell would stop.
However Harry was determined to get it right. All the spells in the world would be useless if he had to stand still, close his eyes, count to ten before he could cast them. In the thick of battle, a moment's hesitation could cost someone their life.
It was like if a swordsman had the world's sharpest sword, that could cut through steel as it were butter. No matter how good the sword was, it would be useless in a clumsy persons hand.
But now, after several days of practice, where there was nothing but trees and dirt to distract Harry had finally managed to cast a spell whilst simultaneously thinking of something else.
I'm curious Harry said, thoughfully if I can think of two different things at the same time, it would make sense that I can cast two spells at the same time.
Arasei thought for a moment then said, it certainly seems possible, all it should take is a bit of practice.
Harry looked at the floating rock in his palm and tried to bring up a mental image of it bursting in to flames. The rock burnt, floating in the air for a few seconds then both the levitating charm and the fire spell failed and the rock feel into Harry's hand.
Harry swore mentally. It's virtually impossible to maintain both metal images for long.
Arasei hummed thoughtfully. What if I image the rock on fire and you imagine the rock levitating. That way you'll only think about one spell but both will happen at the same time.
Arasei that's brilliant Harry exclaimed. Ready? One… Two… Three!
Harry levitated the rock and saw as soon as the rock was floating suspended in the air it burst spontaneously into flame. Harry's excitement was short lived however. Normally if Harry was casting a fire spell, he wouldn't feel the heat from the flame. But in this case he wasn't the one casting the spell, so the flame's heat affected him. It wasn't particularly hot but the fact that a spell would affect him if Arasei provided the mental image meant that any lethal spells were pretty much useless.
Harry cancelled the spell and frowned. There must be some way to do it.
After trying for several more hours of walking Harry was still unable to cast two spells at the same time.
It's no use Harry said, despairingly and threw the stone at the ground in a hopeless rage.
Arasei remained silent.
Harry didn't bother trying again for the rest of the day; he remained silent, thinking of everything and nothing at all. Eragon and Brom talked about the Varden a little, before joining Harry in silence. When darkness began to creep into the air and the horizon turned a pink and orange Brom stopped them to make came for the night.
Harry rolled out his swag and fell asleep, they didn't light a fire that night, so the night sky was especially dark. Harry lay on his back, listening to Brom and Eragon snore and staring up at the starry sky.
Getting an idea Harry reached for his magic and tried to make a star move. They remained still. Harry sighed. Yeah, Magic had it's limits, but the question was, were the limits the same for everybody?
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Brom stopped suddenly. They had been walking for half a day already. The Sun was at it's peak and the heat was enough to make them sweat. Harry peered over Eragon's shoulder to see why Brom had stopped.
Harry only then took notice of their surroundings. He had been distracted. He had been talking with Arasei, eyes down, not taking really focusing on where they were going.
They were in a field. The grass was relatively low, reaching to their knees. There were no trees for another 20 metres in front and behind them. To their left and right rose steep cliff faces 15 feet high without the faintest trace of a foothold. Rising high above them were the peaks of two enormous mountains.
It was to open. There was no cover. After weeks of tracking through dense forest and thick undergrowth Harry felt… exposed.
Harry saw a flicker of movement in the trees above the cliff and a rustle of bushes in the tree line in front of the. Harry realised with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was the perfect place for an-
"Ambush." Brom said quietly, but both Eragon and Harry heard it loud and clear. Brom didn't turn, he didn't do anything just glanced up at the trees above them and yelled at the top of his voice "RUN!" and Bolted for the cover of the trees.
Harry and Eragon needed no further encouragement they made a beeline for the cover of the trees in front of them. They had taken no more than three steps when Harry saw a creature rise from the cover of the bushes in front of them. The creature was tall with tick arms like tree trunks. It had mottled green skin and upon its were two monstrous horns.
Urgals.
Harry had heard Brom talk of them in his stories to know what the thing was.
Suddenly, as if from thin air, more rose from cover. Some had bows drawn, looking down on them from the cliffs above. Some were in the valley with them, rising from the cover of the grass. Others came out from behind the trees in front and behind them, all baring vicious battle axes.
Brom stopped running and stood stock-still. He glanced around.
"Are they going to kill us?" Eragon asked. He didn't sound afraid. Harry respected him for that. Harry didn't think he would be able to talk at all. His heart was pounding against his ribs and his breathing was fast and uneven.
"If they wanted to kill us we would be dead already." Brom said quietly.
Harry! Arasei said through their link, she sounded as scared as he felt.
Don't move Arasei, Harry said They won't kill us, but they won't hold back against a dragon. One hit with a spear from one them and you'll be dead. Tell Saphira the same. Don't do anything till we say!
The one right in front of them looked like the largest and Harry knew by his demeanour that he was their leader. The leader was called the Nar or Warchief. The urgals only followed the strongest. The Nar grunted and snarled. It sounded a bit like some sort of dialect. The other urgals pumped their fist in the air and let out a ferocious battle cry in answer if their leader. The blood curdling sound that was enough to make Harry's hands go clammy and his face pale.
"What do we do?" Eragon asked.
Brom drew his sword and looked at the leader who was drawing his large great sword from his back. "Charge their rank, once we make a gap we call Saphira and Arasei and try and make a quick getaway."
"The Dragons can't carry all three of us." Harry said.
"They'll have to." Brom didn't argue any longer he simply stared down the urgal leader and said. "Wait for the charge…"
Eragon drew his short sword from his belt and Harry pulled his Dagger from his. Harry's hand twitched, getting ready to summon a fireball if he needed. He didn't want to reveal his magic, but if it came to a matter of life and death, he would choose life.
"Wait for it…" Brom said.
The urgal were banging their swords against their shields or hammering the handle of their battle-axes against the ground.
The leader of the urgals then a loud battle cry that was echoed by the others and suddenly they all began running at them.
"Charge!" Brom yelled, raising his own sword and running at the urgals. He was running directly at their leader. Harry knew enough about urgals to know what Brom planned. If they killed the leader, the urgals won't pursue them as they escaped into the forest. Instead they would hold a moot. However, It was not like a human moot. All the urgals went into a circle area marked out by sticks, stones or a line in the dirt. The last urgal inside the circle or the last alive was declared the new Nar.
Harry let out a battle cry of his own as he neared the enemy line which was growing closer and closer with every passing moment.
Harry felt his magic stirring inside him. A warmth that felt as sweet as the summer breeze. Harry let it envelop him. He felt it spread to his fingers and toes.
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and he felt heart slow.
Harry opened his eyes.
The world was in slow motion. Every thing was moving at a quarter of its normal speed. Harry looked in front of him. An urgal was 5 feet away and was swinging down his battle-axe, but it was moving no faster than a falling leaf.
Harry twisted, and the axe passed inches from his face. Harry stabbed his in the urgal in the jugular and blood sprayed through the air.
Harry spun around and dodged the jab of a spear. Harry plunged his dagger through the unlucky urgal's eye and pulled it out in one swift motion.
Two urgals came at him at once. Harry ducked a slice from the first urgal and dodged a spear jab from the second. When the spearman jabbed again Harry grabbed onto the spear and pulled it from his grasp, sending the urgal into the ground with the force of his pull. Harry stabbed the fallen urgal with the spear and the swordsman with it dagger. They didn't die instantly, but were in no state to give Harry anymore trouble.
Harry continued running for the trees.
Another urgal neared Harry, coming from his left this time. Harry used the spear like club and swung the weapon at the urgal at an alarming speed, even in slow motion. The metal head of the spear collided with the creature's temple and made it stumble. Harry then stabbed the urgal in the belly and twisted his blade viciously.
As Harry was nearing edge of the forest he saw out of the corner of his eye an arrow flying toward him at a snails pace. Grinning Harry grabbed it out of mid air and let it fall harmlessly to the ground.
With his spear in his left hand and his dagger in his right Harry finished one last urgal with a sharp jab with the spear. Harry reached the cover of the trees and glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was giving him the chase. They weren't.
Harry was about to run for the hills when he remembered Brom and Eragon. Harry stopped and climbed a tree till he was 15 feet off the ground and had both a good view of the field and good cover form the tree's leaves and branches.
As Harry watched time speed up again.
Eragon and Brom were fighting back to back. Urgals surrounded them at all sides and were making what sounded like jeering snarls and grunts. Harry saw Eragon over balance and get kicked to the ground by an urgal. Another urgal went up to Brom's now exposed back and wrapped his thick, muscly arms around him.
Within seconds Eragon and Brom were bound together and thrown the feet of the Nar. The Nar made strange groaning sound that sounded a bit like a laugh.
Harry realised something and got a horrible feeling his stomach. He knew urgal customs, mostly from horror stories Eragon and Harry used to tell each other late at night when they were kids. As ridicules as the stories were, there was always an element of truth in them. When an urgal took a human captive they would have a tribal dance to celebrate their prize. At exactly midnight, when the moon was the highest, they will sacrifice their captives to their Gods.
'Well Shit' Harry thought, and began formulating a plan I his head.
Nice! Tell me what you think. Was Harry to OP? Was there anything that didn't make sense to you? Leave a comment tell me what you think and keep telling me your opinions.
So I have a 4-day weekend coming up so I'll be able to work on the next chapter a lot then so the next update should come quicker than this one. Please keep reading and I hope you have enjoyed the story so far!