Why exactly do we have to go back to that cursed mountain? Saphira asked exasperated as we flew towards Helgrind.

Because Nasuada has been getting reports of strange sounds coming from the mountain, and there have been disappearances in the area around Helgrind as well. And she's sent the two of us to investigate, I responded, honestly I didn't want to head back to Helgrind any more than Saphira did, but I had to obey Nasuada's orders.

We quickly reached the mountain and Saphira headed right for the hidden opening. She landed inside the main room and I quickly dismounted as she said Something has been in here recently, and whatever that something was it enlarged the openings to all of the tunnels so that now even I could easily fit through them,

I had just noticed the same thing, and added But whatever it is they didn't do anything about the smell. This place still stinks. As the two of us advanced slowly forwards towards the nearest tunnel opening, I drew Brisingr and held it tightly in my left hand leaving my right hand free to be able to use magic at a moment's notice. It quickly grew too dark for even Saphira to be able to see comfortably so I drew on the magic and said "Brisingr Raudr!" and a large blue werelight appeared above my head and remained their hovering, illuminating the area around us. We slowly advanced through the interior of Helgrind I kept my mind open for hostility. Suddenly I stopped and said Saphira hold on a minute.

What's wrong, little one?

I'm feeling something nearby but I can barely feel it and I can't tell how many people there are because at the same time it feels like about a dozen or so and also several hundred minds all at once. Then out loud I said "Kveykva!!" and suddenly the room was lit by white light and we saw about 2 dozen, well the only word was people but they were the strangest looking group of people I had ever seen.

Suddenly they spoke, their voices sending a shiver up my spine because they were flat, emotionless "We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated."

What the hell are they talking about, what are the Borg, I asked Saphira quickly.

I don't know Eragon. I've never heard about these creatures before either, she responded.

Well whatever they are if they want trouble, they've found it I responded tightening my grip on Brisingr, without another word I advanced on the creatures, one took a swing at me, I ducked it and stabbed him through the chest, to my surprise Brisingr went right through him without any resistance. I fought fiercely ducking, slashing and stabbing the creatures and I heard Saphira roar and felt her loose a jet of flame roasting several of the creatures. But no matter how hard we fought their seemed to be no end to them. We continued to fight when suddenly I felt an intense jolt of pain in my neck from Saphira at the same time that she roared in pain, I whirled and saw one of the creatures standing next to her where she had collapsed, I sliced the creature in half and then looked at Saphira she laid limply on the ground and their seemed to be a strange pallor creeping over the flesh visible between her scales. Saphira!!! I called desperately but I got no response. I had forgotten about the creatures over my worry about Saphira, suddenly I felt an impact on the back of my head and I blacked out.

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(Several hours later)

The instant I awoke the first thing on my mind was Saphira, I looked around and saw that I was in a chamber that I assumed was still inside Helgrind, I tried to reach out to Saphira to see if she was alright but I couldn't feel her. Only then did I notice that I was bound with metallic cords around my hands and feet, almost instinctually I reached for magic so I could break the bonds and to my surprise I touched it easily. "Jierda!" I whispered and the cords around my wrists snapped freeing them, I repeated this with my ankles and I rose to my feet, I was surprised to find Brisingr still hanging from my belt, I would have expected my captors to have taken the sword at least. 'Who are these creatures, they don't drug a Rider that they captured, they did something to Saphira and they don't bother to disarm me while I'm unconscious.' I thought to myself as I examined the room, suddenly two of the creatures walked in, I stiffened waiting for them to attack but instead they completely ignored me and instead walked over, picked up one of the metal pipes lying on the ground against one wall and walked back out. I let out the breath I was holding and advanced slowly out of the room with one hand on Brisingr's hilt and my other hand raised palm out ready to blast the creature's back if they attacked, I had been walking through the tunnels for about an hour and a half when I heard a faint roar echo through the tunnels up ahead. I recognized it immediately as Saphira so I took off running through the tunnels, turned a corner and ran smack into a group of people in strange clothing. One of them looked at me and asked what happened.

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We had beamed down in the entrance of the network of tunnels inside the mountain. As we advanced through them we all kept our rifles raised and pointing around every turn the instant we made it. Eventually we heard the roar of some huge creature echo up the tunnels and an instant later we literally ran into a young man dressed in full medieval style armor with a sapphire-blue sword at his waist, I asked him what happened and he responded "I was attacked by a group of creatures calling themselves the Borg, they've captured Saphira. I have to find her!!!" He finished in almost a yell

I placed a hand on his shoulder and said "She's probably already gone or worse, you can't save her. We need to get you out of here."

We heard the roar again and he said "That's Saphira, she's in pain. I MUST FIND HER!!!!!!" he all but yelled.

I increased the pressure on his shoulder and asked "Wait, that monster we've been hearing is the thing that you're looking for?"

To my surprise he reached up, grabbed my hand, and squeezed hard, I felt pain shoot through my hand as he practically hissed "She's not a monster and yes I'm looking for her and I'm not going anywhere until I find her." He released my hand, turned and sprinted off in the direction of the roars.

I turned to Picard and asked "Captain, what do we do? Do we go after him?"

"Yes Commander Worf, we do."

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I fled from the group who had dared to tell me to leave Saphira and then called her a monster. I sprinted through the tunnels following the sounds of Saphira's intermittent roars. Eventually I entered a large room and was shocked to find Saphira lying down in the middle of the room with about 3 dozen of the Borg gathered around her. Her scales seemed, duller and had a grayish pallor, I gasped as I saw strange equipment attached to different parts of her body. I felt intense anger take hold of me, I let loose a shout of anger as I drew Brisingr holding it in my left hand and snarled "Brisingr" igniting my sword and hitting one of the Borg with a fireball I lunged forward and attacked the nearest one, continuing to hack and slash my way towards Saphira, finally I reached her side and said "Come on Saphira, wake up we need to get out of here." She growled softly and I said "Come on, the sooner we get out of here the sooner I can get that stuff off of you."

To my relief she stirred and got to her feet but to my surprise and disbelief she actually took a swing at me, only my armor and my elvish speed saved me from being sliced in half. I leapt backwards, then I stood and stared in stunned disbelief as Saphira, the one who was closer to me than anyone or anything else in the world turned and stalked off deeper into the tunnels. My mind shutdown, I couldn't think, couldn't move all I could do was stand and stare after Saphira as the rest of the Borg advanced upon me. Saphira was gone, she had attacked me…I was ready and waiting for the end when suddenly one of the borg was blasted backward, I dimly noted that the group of people that I had met in the tunnels had caught up with me. One of them came up and I heard a man speaking "Picard to Enterprise get us out of here, away team and one additional person to beam up." And there was a burst of light and the tunnels inside Helgrind vanished but none of it mattered. My mind was still stunned.

Heh, heh, heh. Am I evil or what? Review or she remains Borg forever. and just a tip I'm switching to third person from next chapter onward.

Se onr sverda sitja hvass!