Free Riders
Author's Note: Eragon is not mine. Char, Blaster, and Saranya are. Comment as you see fit.
Chapter 52: Death Throws
"I am telling you that, if I got confident and I lost to him, he's dangerous if anyone, especially Eragon, runs into him," Blaster said, having cast a quick healing spell on both him and Char.
"Then why warn me?" Char retorted, cleaving an Urgal in two with her sword. "Warn someone who is more competent than either of us. Warn Arya."
"Good point," Blaster said. As he continued fighting, he extended his reach to find Arya, who was locked in battle against three Urgals at once. Arya, I have something important that you need to hear, but I don't want those traitorous Twins listening in.
It had better be important, Arya responded. She was almost ready to cast a spell when Blaster interrupted her.
Char and I sensed the presence of a Shade, Blaster replied. And not just any Shade. I'm talking about the one that imprisoned you for almost half a year.
Though he couldn't hear her, he knew she was silently cursing. She didn't respond immediately, and ended up flying overhead with Eragon and Saphira, the latter having a large dent in the middle of her chest plate. I've been ordered to help keep the Urgals from tunneling into Tronjheim, Arya finally said. If anything, Durza might be there with them.
Are the Twins in the dragonhold? Blaster asked.
No, Arya responded a few moments later.
Sho'vahs, Blaster muttered. I'll get back to you. He cleaved an Urgal in half out of frustration and shot a fireball the size of a basketball at a small group of them, killing them instantly. He searched and found who he was looking for. Ajihad, he said, knowing the leader of the Varden was about to kill a Kull. The momentary distraction was enough to have Ajihad miss decapitating the Kull, but he did manage to cut through the neck, leaving only a few inches of flesh keeping the head attached.
I am not as learned in this type of communication as the Twins, Ajihad said. Why contact me instead of them?
Because they are letting in Urgals and the Shade Durza into Tronjheim as we speak, Blaster said. The one that was supposed to be in the dragonhold is not there, and he just ordered Eragon and Arya to prevent the Urgals from tunneling in. It sounds like a trap to me.
I would agree, Ajihad said. Do you have proof of this treachery?
Blaster searched for the twin and found him, taking into account where Durza was. The Shade was almost within the same group that the Twin was in. I do. Blaster showed Ajihad what he had seen. Just as he had transferred the information, Brom seemingly appeared out of nowhere and stabbed a Kull in the gut before kicking him down.
"Brom," Char shouted, getting the former Rider's attention. "We have reason to believe that Eragon and Arya are walking into a trap and will fight against a Shade."
"Have you contacted Eragon or Arya?" Brom asked.
"Only Arya," Blaster said. He was in the middle of casting another spell, causing the Urgals to retreat from the spell in fear. They never got out of range as he shouted, "BLAST!" Wind currents and at least one tornado swept up the Urgals, sending them flying and killing more than half of them. Blaster, nearly out of magic, downed one of the energy elixirs Angela had cooked up for him, giving Blaster enough energy to cast some more high-level magic.
"I cannot reach Eragon," Brom said. "I do know where he is, though. He just slid down the trench next to Vol Turin. Arya is trying to remove the damaged segment of armor on Saphira."
Sara roared, as she was surrounded by Urgals on all sides except behind. Blaster cast another quick Bolt spell, killing a good chunk of the enemy, freeing Sara. She charged forward through the empty gap that was made between herself and Blaster.
My throat feels hot, Sara said. A Kull approached ready to strike, but Sara roared. When she did, a jet of white flames erupted from her maw, burning the Kull to a crisp. Blaster smiled.
Now I see why, Blaster replied. He felt some powerful force from within Tronjheim and felt a little uneasy.
"Blaster," Char said, her hand on her helmeted head, "Eragon and Durza have just engaged with each other."
"We must help them," Blaster said.
"We cannot," Brom said. "He will be fine, if what you say is true."
Just as Blaster was about to protest, a Kull seemingly appeared out of nowhere and, with one mighty thrust, stabbed at Brom. The blade hovered for a moment about an inch from the armor, held by an invisible force, before it pierced through Brom's chest. Blaster cast a quick "Brisingr!", causing the Kull to erupt into white-hot flames.
Brom fell to the ground, sword still sticking through him. He gasped for breath as Blaster caused his helmet to collapse back into his armor tried in vain to remove the sword and heal the wound, all the while yelling for Brom to stay with him. Brom looked at Blaster and smiled.
"So, this is how the famous Brom the Storyteller meets his end," Brom said, blood beginning to dribble into his beard. "In the midst of battle while trying to protect the innocent."
"Come on," Blaster said, panicking. "I wish to be bored by more of your lessons before I let you go."
"You're not my father," Brom said, suppressing a laugh that turned into a hacking cough.
"But why not allow me to save you?"
"I know you have the power, but it is unavailable to you as we still fight," Brom said. "Your energy is low, and, to be honest, I have lived too long. Everything must die, and I should have when Galbatorix took my Saphira from me. Promise me you will not let the same happen to you." Blaster nodded and promised in the ancient language. "Will you take my blessing, and pass on my blessing to Eragon?"
"I will," Blaster said, on the verge of tears.
"Then I give it to you," Brom breathed. He placed a palm on Blaster's brow, and said, "May the coming years bring you great happiness." When Brom was finished, he asked, "Will you stay with me?"
"Atu ga mude ut," Blaster said. "Until the very end."
"Now, then, to the greatest adventure of all." Brom closed his eyes and, a few seconds later, drew his last breath.
Blaster could feel his power increasing as his sobbing turned to a fury. His ears came to points and his eyes turned an eerie gold. For the first time in this universe, Blaster let the power of Darkness course through his body, letting his anger take over the controls. His eyes glowed red for a fraction of a second before his helmet slid back into place.
"Blaster, be careful out there," Char warned, knowing full well what Blaster was about to do.
Blaster nodded and charged at a small group of Kull. He sliced through two before they even registered that he was there. By then, he was firing black and purple fireballs at them and, though they tried to defend, the fires exploded on contact, singeing skin and hair alike. Blaster charged another group and landed in the midst of them, his sword in the ground. Once the blade made contact with dirt, a shockwave blew away anyone within a 10-foot radius. A Kull approached Blaster from behind, blade raised, but a large, shadowy figure erupted from the ground and threw him back.
The creature solidified into a large, muscular humanoid, with a tail instead of feet. Purple cuffs adorned its wrists and a sash of the same color was where the hips would have been. Claws were on the creature's hands in place of human nails. The creature's eyes were as red as the fires, and thick tendrils of hair came out the back of the head. A symbol was emblazoned on its chest: the Ying-Yang.
"Hello, Shadow," Blaster muttered. The creature merely nodded and dove into the midst of battle, absorbing attacks when it could, and dealing out damage to anyone foolish enough to get within arm's reach. Blaster had been plowing through Urgals to release his pent-up rage, and his guardian, whom he only used in emergencies, was whomping through Urgal soldiers quickly.
Another Urgal approached, slipped by Shadow, and was about to get Blaster in a decapitating blow. Just before the Urgal swung, however, Sara appeared, burning the Urgal to a crisp with one quick blast of fire.
Blaster was about to swing and dismember a Kull, but it was his turn to get interrupted. He felt Durza gain the upper hand in his fight with Eragon, and Arya was not going to be able to get to them in time, even on Saphira and breaking through the Isidar Mithrim. He had to stall the Shade enough to allow Arya to attack. He felt the battle within their minds and, with all the fury he could muster into an attack, nudged at Durza's mind. It was enough to distract him and let Eragon gain the upper hand. His lack of attention to the battle, however, nearly turned fatal when an Urgal that had gotten between his guardian's and his dragon's defenses attacked with a giant war-axe.
He felt the great pain in the side of his head as the flat of the weapon hit his helmet, and he saw the Urgal get power-launched into the air by the giant fist of Shadow as the Guardian defended Blaster like a Big Daddy would to his daughter. With his ears ringing, he decided it best to finish this fight on Saranya's back. And it was good news too, since the Durza-Eragon fight had reached its climax and Blaster was involuntarily tuned in and not paying any attention to what he was doing.
Eragon had Durza on the ropes, which was something seeings how Durza should have been much stronger. Then again, for his first time encountering a Shade, Eragon did seem to be holding much more than his own. He was giving it everything he got. Eragon was, however, too preoccupied with his attack on Durza that he never noticed the Shade as he approached, sword raised. With one swing, Durza had turned the tide again, slicing through Eragon's back.
Blaster felt Eragon struggling to get up, could almost hear Durza gloating, then felt the power from Arya as she burst through Isidar Mithrim, Saphira carrying her while spewing blue flames from her maw. Durza was about to launch an attack and kill Saphira and Arya when Eragon moved suddenly, ignoring the pain in his back. With one mighty thrust, and the shout of "Brisingr!" Zar'roc was in the now unfortunate Shade's chest, burning away. To make matters worse for the Shade, Eragon had aimed perfectly at the heart.
Durza clawed at his chest, attempting in vain to pull the sword out of his chest. An unearthly how erupted from the Shade's open mouth as he dropped his own sword to redouble his attempts to extract the lodged sword. Durza's skin turned transparent, showing black smoke and swirling patterns of darkness. One last cry and the Shade split in two, releasing three darkness entities that flew through the walls. One of them, Blaster realized too late, was headed straight for him like a magnet.
The moment the cloud of Darkness hit Blaster, the alien absorbed it involuntarily. The force of the impact came with another force, this time against his mind as the two collided. The force of such an attack was enough to cause Blaster to fall out of his saddle and knocked him out, sending him falling to the ground below.
Will Eragon and Blaster survive these ordeals? The final chapter up next.