(A.N.) Sorry about the long wait! Really, I am! I've been a busy with college and work, plus I went to the East Coast for a week and I just got back a few days ago.
Thanks you all for the wonderful reviews! XD
Elvendiath - Haha! Yes yes! A sequel will be made and I've already started on the plot, I'm really excited!
LongLoreLover - Thanks for the notes. I made you fall out of your bed? Lol, glad you thought it was good/funny. I tried my best to wrap everything up, although I feel like I waited a bit too long. Oh well. Thank you, thank you *bows head*, I really did try my best to delve into every character as best as I could, but I think I could have done a better job with Arya, but she's a very complicated character lol. Standing ovation? Oh no, you're too much :D
Dessesrt Maniac -Yeah shemight, probably...most likely...lol. And yes, if I do make her pregnant then she most likely will find out after the final battle.
d-saintsation-b - Oh god, I just watched Dredd the day...lol "Judgment time...".Thanks, I really enjoy writing Saphira's character mainly for her humor, but sometimes the fact that she's almost always right is annoying, haha. Glad you like this that much!
Elemental Dragon Slayer - If you thought the last chapter was epic, just wait until this one. I had the most fun writing this chapter because I absolutely love to write battle scenes. Haha, yeah that's just like Saphria! Lololol (tonight's gonna be a good night!) And yeah, we'll see what happened the to his half-brother. Thanks again bro!
A few things before we begin; Elemental Dragon Slayer has a story up called "Switching Lanes" It's an AU E/A story...and it's really good so if you get the chance you should give it a read!
Next,I would like to thank RaphaeloftheDarkness for Beta reading this chapter!
We start coming to a close here as the final battle will begin in this chapter!
Chapter 18
Eragon
He watched as the sun began to slowly fall from its height in the sky. Eragon felt strangely calm, which seemed ironic since they would be marching on Uru'Baen at first light.
"It's the calm before the storm." Saphira stated.
Eragon released a breath. "I feel so helpless, Saphira."
"Why, little one?"
"I'm clouded by anxiety Saphira. Waiting on the edge of a battle that I can't escape...it's as if...they are ants underneath my skin that I can't be rid of. And this battle is the one that counts. If we fail...I don't even want to think about what will happen." Eragon replied. A surge of adrenaline rushed through his body and he felt his hands begin to shake.
Saphira released a plume of smoke. "Little one, worrying about anything for too long is never a good thing. We have come this far, which is much farther than anyone could have hoped for."
"But is it enough?" Eragon asked.
"You must believe that it is enough. We both know how much everyone is counting on us to end this war, which makes the fear of failing even greater. Do not lose hope Eragon, we all must rise to a task that may seem futile."
Eragon clenched his hands into tight fists.
Releasing another plume of smoke, Saphira continued. "Remember all that we have accomplished...and all that we have lost Eragon, and in that you will find teh strength to do what is neccessary."
Eragon swallowed hard and looked at Saphira, a single tear fell down his face. "I love you Saphria." He said as he hugged her neck tightly.
Saphira released a deep throated grumble and her lips curled as she closed her eyes. "Me too little one, me too."
"We will prevail." Eragon said as he released his arms from around Saphira's neck. "For Brom, and for everyone else that has died from under Galbatorix's rule, we must."
"Well said, little one."
"What are you doing Eragon?"
Eragon turned around to see Arya standing behind him. He smiled and walked over to her. "How did you know I was here?"
Arya's lips twitched into a smile. "Even you cannot hide where you go from your mate."
She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Come let us return to camp, night has fallen and we must take rest."
The smile on Eragon's face slowly faded away and his eyes averted down to their hands. "I don't think I can sleep."
Arya's face turned into a worried frown. "Do not let your mind fall prey to troubled thoughts Eragon, it will do you no good." She released his hand and brought her right up to stroke his cheek. "Come, let us rest. We have a very long day ahead of us."
Eragon weakly nodded in silent agreement as Arya gently took his hand and led him back to the encampment, and to their tent.
Despite laying down with Arya's naked chest pressed up against him, placing him a very comfortable position, Eragon still found it difficult to fall asleep. After what felt like several hours, Eragon absently wondered if Arya was awake before his body succumbed to the tiredness it was overcome by.
"Eragon,Blodgharm is here to see you." Saphira said.
Eragon smirked. "How did you know I was awake?"
Saphira snorted. "You can't hide anything from your partner-of-mind."
Eragon chuckled and gently got out of bed, waking up Arya in the process.
She slowly opened her eyes and turned to him. "Is it time?"
"Yes..." Eragon whispered. He grabbed a grey tunic and threw it on before turning around to face Arya. "Someone is outside waiting for me. I'll be right back."
Arya propped herself up on one elbow while covering her front body with sheets. "Okay." She replied with a whisper.
He gave one more glance at Arya before turning around and walking out of the tent.
"Shadeslayer." Blodgharm greeted Eragon with a bow. "I hope that you were able to get some rest."
Eragon stretched his body and neck. "I managed a few hours." He glanced up at the sky. A hue of orange a red colors mixed in with the blue that covered the vast majority of it. "Are we preparing leave?"
"Nausada and her commanders are rallying their troops, as is King Orrin. She wishes to see you - Lady Arya." Blodgharm turned his gaze behind Eragon as Arya gracefully emerged from their tent.
Eragon turned to see her dressed in a light blue tunic and brown tights with her knee high boots gracing her feet.
"Blodgharm." Arya replied with a kind smile and a curt bow.
All three of them turned to Saphira as she stood up on all fours. "Perhaps we should all go, there is no time to delay."
Eragon nodded. "Let us be off."
As the four descended down the path heading deeper and deeper into the encampment, more and more soldiers bustled around them; and all stood tall to pay their respects to dragon and rider.
"Eragon..." Nasuada greeted him, as well as Blodgharm and Arya as they entered her tent; which was full of soldiers and generals alike. Two large wooden crosses stood side-by-side in a corner of the room; elegant armor covered them mimicking the image of a person.
"That's...my armor..." Eragon gasped as he walked up to his. They sparked in the werelights that were spread out throughout the room.
"You haven't worn it since your last encounter with Murtagh...I thought you might it to be polished and mended. I admit that our efforts are not even comparable to that of the Dwarves or the Elves but..."
"No..." Eragon said as he trailed his right hand over the chest plate, the bright blue color reflecting back in his eyes. "It's amazing, thank you very much." Eragon said as he turned to face Nasuada.
She smiled back at him and then turned to Arya. "I had your armor mended and polished for you as well, and that of Saphira."
"I thank you for your generosity, Lady Nasuada." Arya replied with a curt bow.
"Tell Nasuada that I am in equal gratitude for the repairs she has made to my armor." Saphira said to Eragon.
Eragon smiled and relayed Saphira's thoughts to Nasuada out loud.
"My men are ready to leave at first opportunity, Lady Nasuada." King Orrin said in his usual deep voice.
"That is good to hear, King Orrin. We are making out final preparations and should be leaving soon." Nasuada replied.
Jormundur clapped his hands and sudden several soldiers moved through the room, gently grabbing Eragon and Arya's armor and leaving.
"Your armor will be taken to your tent where you can change in privacy." Nasuada stated. "I left Blodgharm and the other Elven spellcasters in charge of fitting Saphria with her armor, but if you would rather do it yourself..."
"Is that alright with you?" Eragon asked Saphira.
"Of course little one. After all, you can check everything before we leave if you want to." Saphira replied.
Eragon shook his head and glanced at Blodgharm momentarily. "No, the assistance would be much appreciated. I fear that time is not on our side and we must make the most of it."
"Very well then, our forces are lining up to march. I will expect you all at the front lines." Nasuada stated.
With a curt nod, Eragon and Arya left her tent.
Arya
She normally disliked wearing such extravagant and bulky armor, but under the circumstances she found it a necessary discomfort.
"I always thought you looked very pleasing in your Elvin armor."
Arya turned and faced Eragon. Her eyes fell from his and slowly made their way down his body. "I could the same." She replied as smile flashed across her face.
She walked up to him and began to tighten the straps on his sides and grieves.
Eragon met her eyes as she looked up at him. He wore a blank expression, but she knew that his mind was swirling with worry and fear and anxiety. Taking his hand, she gave him a warm smile.
"You are ready for this Eragon, don't be afraid." She squeezed his hand tighter.
Eragon took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "I know." He replied with a smile.
She released his hand and she silently watched as he reached for Brisingr and the Belt of Beloth the wise before strapping them both around his waist.
"Are you two ready?" Saphira suddenly asked.
"We are. have you been properly fitted with your armor, Saphira?" Arya asked.
"Indeed I have. It feels a little tight, but I'll manage."
Grabbing the last of their things, Arya and Eragon left their tent to see a fully armored and highly intimidating blue-scaled dragon.
"You look fit for battle." Eragon commented with a grin. "The soldiers of the Empire will think twice before attacking you."
Saphira released a plume of smoke and gently snapped her jaws together. "Indeed they will."
"We should make our way to the head of the column." Arya said as she pointed off to her left.
Eragon followed her finger to the once largely open field, which was now covered by the Varden army and King Orrin's men, just outside the encampment.
"What a site." Eragon commented.
"Yes, it is a beautiful." Arya replied.
They quickly jumped onto Saphira's back, and after strapping themselves in she pushed herself off the ground and flapped hard as she slowly gained altitude. She gracefully landed a few feet away from the front of the army, where Nasuada, King Orrin, Jormundur, Roran, and Marcus were all waiting atop their steeds.
"Good. Now, when we reach the plans outside Uru'Baen, our forces will split and Queen Islanzadi's elves will join our troops respectively." Nasuada said to group. She then turned to Eragon. "I assume that you will be flying above us, but you will join us in the initial battle, or will you place magic of invisibility immediately?"
"It doesn't matter really." Eragon replied. "The elves will create a shadow image of Saphira so the soldiers of the Empire will think we are there no matter what. Our main goal is to draw Murtagh and Thorn out long enough so that we may sneak inside the castle."
Arya watched as Eragon's eyes began to scan the army stretched out across the land. Men and Urgals alike could be seen, as well as battering rams, siege machines and ballista's.
"The journey may take us well into the day." She said, voicing what Eragon was thinking.
"It will be a long march, yes." Nasuada agreed. "But the men have had ample time to rest, I feel that the journey will not be overly tiresome."
"Let us hope not." Eragon whispered.
Nasuada looked at Jormundur and then to Roran. "Sound horn, we march for Uru'Baen."
Roran pulled out a horn that was strapped to the side of his horse' saddle. Putting the curved instrument to his lips, Roran inhaled and then blew into the small opening with as much force as he could; a single high-pitched tone reverberated throughout the surrounding area. A few seconds later, Jormundur pulled out another, slightly larger, horn and blew into the opening with great force; eliciting a single lower pitched tone. The combined tones blended well together, and almost instantly the large mass of unorganized men and Urgals suddenly straightened themselves and prepared to march through the open land.
"Eragon." Nasuada said, quickly catching his attention. He turned and looked at her but said nothing in response. "We should keep in contact with each other, at least every hour. So that we know everything is alright.
"Aye. Saphira can fly well below the clouds every hour so that you can see us. If you can, you should wave a Varden banner in a circle, signaling that you can see us. If you do not wave the banner, then we shall assume that you are in some sort of danger, or that you would like to speak with us. Does that sound acceptable?"
"It does." Nasuada replied, seeming pleased with the plan. "I shall see you in one hour then."
Saphira turned her body and dug her claws into the ground before pushing her body up, and with a strong flap of her wings she lifted her enormous body off the ground and into the sky.
Arya watched over the side of Saphira as the army grew smaller and smaller as they climbed higher and higher.
The first hour passed by relatively quickly and Arya found herself staring down at the large army below them once again. A few seconds later a tall wooden pole bearing the colorful banners of the Varden army was raised up and began to move in a circle until it stopped after a few more seconds.
The second hour past a bit slower than the first, and as they descended down through the clouds the scenery of the land began to change; The Ramr River could now be seen running parallel to them, and the land grew increasingly flatter. All this time Eragon had barely spoke a word to her, which made her concerned. Was he so worried about fighting Galbatorix that the desire to strike up a conversation with her was lost entirely? Or was it that he was so deep in thought that it just hadn't crossed his mind?
She looked down once again to see the Varden banner being moved in a circle, and as Saphira flew back up over the clouds Arya decided not to disturb Eragon and took this opportunity to prepare her mind for the upcoming battle.
Eragon
Nearly four hours had passed since they left the main camp, and Eragon knew that Arya was wondering why he had not spoken a word, though he was grateful that she did not question him about it. Right now he just wanted to be with his own thoughts. Even with Brisingr, the energy stored in the belt of Beloth the wise and that of Aren, plus that of Glaedr and Umaroth-elda, would he still be able to defeat Galbatorix after the spell was cast?
He mentally shook his head. What sort of crazy talk was that? Just hearing himself think that made him feel that the odds were overwhelmingly in his favor. But then there was Shruikan...a deadly force not to be trifled with. And there was still the matter of Murtagh and Thorn. Would their shadow selves distract the dragon and rider long enough for him to defeat the mad king, and so release his half-brother from enslavement? Could he truly believe what Nasuada had told them; did Murtagh truly wish to be free?
He no longer felt the anxiety of fighting Murtagh that usually always enslaved his body and mind. Instead he was prepared to face whatever fate had in store for them; such a cruel world to have to fight your one and only sibling.
The sun was now directly above then, and Eragon took this time to pull out a cloth sack that fit in the palm of his hand. Opening it, he emptied out a wide assortment of dried fruit into his free hand. He turned in the saddle and silently offered some to Arya, who smiled and graciously accepted the food. Arya must have finished her food first, because he suddenly felt her hands wrap around his waist and her head fell on his shoulder. Finishing his meal, Eragon took one of her hands and placed it on his knee while he covered her hand with his and interlaced their fingers together. He enjoyed the simple fact that they could convey just how much they loved each other simply by touching one another.
He felt Saphira dip down and he glanced over the side to see a banner being waved as expected, but when Eragon looked ahead he caught his breath; the city of Uru'Baen was now clearly visible and seemed less than a league away.
"No turning back now." He thought to himself.
As they drew nearer to the capitol, a horn suddenly rang out...but it was not from the Varden.
"Look." Arya said as she point low to the ground ahead of them.
Eragon's eyes widened as he saw what she was pointing at. There, less than half a league northeast of their position, was the Elvin army.
Nasuada
"That is no Empire horn!" Jormundur stated.
"I've heard that war horn before. Queen Islanzadi is near." Nasuada replied. Her heart rate quickening.
"The Elves have come already? Are we that close to Uru'Baen?" Roran asked.
"Of course we are!" Marcus snorted. "We've been traveling for the better part of the afternoon. I'd say at least another hour and we'll be a mile from the castle."
"Look!" Roran shouted, ignoring Commander Redbeard's retort. They all looked up at where Roran was pointing to see Saphira dip down below the clouds and fly off ahead of them.
Nasuada watched until Saphira was no longer visible by the naked eye, then she turned to Jormudur and Roran. "Sound the charge, alert the men that we are close."
The two commanders nodded and blew their horns as they had in the morning.
"Forward!" Nasuada yelled as she lightly kicked the sides of her steed.
The plains outside the city of Uru'Baen seemed almost like a wasteland, but not like the Burning Plans, you could still see clearly and the air wasn't so foul; although it did give a sense of uneasiness. Nasuada raised her hand high in the air and slowly came to a stop; with Roran and Jormundur mimicking her movements.
Further down the line she could see King Orrin raising his hand and his troops coming to a halt.
"My Lady."
Nasuada turned her head to see Jormundur pointing to a hill only a mile from their position. A large force of tall and proud, elegantly armored men and women were standing before two figures on steeds and a large blue-scaled dragon.
"Queen Islanzadi..." Nasuada whispered with a smile.
"Jormundur."
"Yes, my lady?"
"You will remain here and take command until I return. If they see us before then, I want you to rally the men and prepare for the attack. I will join you from their end." She said, motioning with her head toward the Elves.
"As you wish, my lady." Jormundur replied with a bow of his head.
"Roran, come with me." She kicked her steed into motion and rode off towards the Elvin Army, with Roran a few paces behind her.
"Lady Nasuada."
Nasuada came to a stop as she approached the Elvin Queen. She sat up straight on her white steed. Proud, elegant, and graceful; everything one would expect to see in an Elvin Queen. Her raven black hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her bangs were held up by a golden circlet. Her very image almost mirrored Arya and she briefly wondered if they were related.
"Queen Islanzadi." She gave a curt bow as she glanced over to Eragon, Arya and Saphira.
"My army is ready to join yours. Do you require more time to prepare?" Islanzadi asked.
Nasuada shook her head. "No, we are ready to begin the attack."
"Very well." Islanzadi turned and said something to her army in Ancient language, and the Elves suddenly began to move with purpose towards army. They covered the mile in a mere few minutes and began to intertwine themselves into the forces of Roran, Jormundur, Marcus and King Orrin.
Nasuada turned her gaze back to the Queen to see a small force of Elves remaining by her side. "I shall led these warriors. How do you wish to attack the wall?" Islanzadi asked curiously.
"We shall divide our forces up; Roran and Marcus will take our left flank while Jormudur will join you to cover our right. King Orrin and I will attempt to breach the gates. I shall explain in further detail when we join the main army."
Queen Islanzadi gave a curt nod. "Very well, let us join them."
Wordlessly, Nasuada watched as Saphira pushed herself off the ground and flew over to the main army. She kicked her steed and followed in their direction with Queen Islanzadi and her Elves behind her.
Almost the instant when she made it back to her soldiers a loud horn bellowed from ahead of them, it came from Uru'Baen.
"They've spotted us!" Roran yelled through gritted teeth.
"Roran, Marcus. Take your men and cover our left flank. Rally them into formation; send in archers and use the siege machines to clear the wall. If you can get the ladders up fast that will help to speed things up. Once their up we can send in our ground troops." Nasuada ordered. Her heart began to beat faster as adrenaline began to kick into her system, but she didn't have time for anxiety.
Roran and Marcus and quickly began shouting out orders to their men. hundreds of soldiers, Urgals and Elves began to switch more and more to the left, leaving several feet of land between them and the rest of the army. However the two commanders remained by her side.
She quickly turned to Jormundur. "I will need you to join Queen Islanzadi and cover the right wall. Your orders are the same as Roran's and Marcus's.
"Yes, my lady." Jormundur. replied.
A second horn erupted from behind her and she turned her head to face Uru'Baen, a scowl covered her face. Swiftly turning back to the army Nasuada shouted, "Soldiers, soldiers of the Varden, my brothers! Now is hour to fulfill the oaths you have taken! For we shall never bow to a tyrant who's blood runs as cold as ice! Blood shall be spilt, shields shall be broken and a red sun shall rise!" She drew her sword. "For Alagaesia!"
Through the vast plans before the black city, the large mass of soldiers all drew their weapons and shouted. "For Alagaesia!"
Without the need for a command, the Varden war horns were blown signaling their charge. Nasuada turned her steed around and began to move, slowly at first but as the men behind her began to run faster her horse began to pick up the pace until it was galloping at full speed towards the black city.
Eragon
He watched as the first wave of soldiers and siege machines made their way towards the city's high walls.
"So it begins..." He whispered.
"Shadeslayer."
Eragon turned his head to see Blodgharm and the twelve Elvin spellcasters staring back at him. "Shall we create Saphira's shadow image?"
"Are you ready, Saphria?"
She released a plume of smoke. "I'm always ready, little one."
He favored her a sly grin and turned back to Blodgharm. "We are ready. There is a hill not one mile from here. Once we are safely behind it cast the spell and have the shadow Saphira fly out over the army. I shall cast the spell of invisibility and wait for Thorn and Murtagh to come. Once we see them we'll leave and enter the castle. Do your best to keep them occupied, but I understand that the spell cannot be maintained forever. If they discover that the Saphira they are chasing is a fake, then end the spell and try to find a way into the castle yourselves. We shall meet up at some point."
Blodgharm bowed his head. "Shadeslayer."
Eragon gave him a curt nod and flashed a smile before Saphira took off and ducked behind a hill.
He wasted no time and quickly whispered the words of power that would render himself, Arya and Saphira invisible.
"Blodgharm, go ahead." Eragon said to the elf as the spell took its affect.
Eragon watched as the group of Elvin spellcasters worked their magic, and a large shadow-image of Saphira suddenly burst forth from where they were hiding. It was a perfect replica of her and a shadowy image of him on her back. Shadow Saphira soared over the bulk of the army before joining up with the smaller sets of forces that broke off to take down the archers. Blodgharm and the others surprised them when shadow Saphira suddenly opened her massive jaws and released a deafening roar.
"The Elves certainly have the perfect understanding of a dragon." Eragon commented.
Saphira snorted and a jet of smoke erupted from her nostrils. "It is acceptable."
Eragon chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Eragon, look." Arya said suddenly.
Eragon looked back over at the Varden army, and then at the top of the wall; soldiers of the Empire began to line up with bows and arrows. Behind them large trebuchets were pulled back and large stones were heaved into each open slot.
Eragon heard shouts of commands from Nasuada and the others as the Varden's own catapult machines were readied to counter attack. Everything happened so fast, and Eragon felt completely useless as he watched numerous arrows being sent back and forth, as well as the large stones being sent from the siege machines. Sections of the wall began to break apart from the impact of the catapults and large numbers of men began to fall off the wall, plummeting to their deaths; if they were not dead already.
"Come on...where are you?" Eragon muttered impatiently.
"Peace Eragon...they will come, they must." Glaedr suddenly answered.
"Every second they delay more and more men die that do not have to." Eragon said angrily.
"They would not be here if they did not wish to die, youngling. They knew the risks well before this battle, or any other battle they may have fought it. Remember that we are all here fighting for the same thing; for peace."
Eragon sighed. Glaedr was right. They were all willing to die for their cause, and there was no use in complaining about things that he could not control.
Another loud roar erupted from shadow Saphira, and Eragon watched as it dove down towards the wall until it broke off just before it was close enough to touch anything. The sudden change in behavior, and the thought of the dragon attacking them caused the Empire soldiers to cry out in fear and jump off the wall. Some of them were less fortunate as they jumped off the wrong side and fell to the ground, being killed instantly upon impact.
Eragon grinned. "Now you're just showing off."
Blodgharm didn't reply, but Eragon could feel his amusement.
A large section of the Eastern wall was now empty and a section of the Varden ground troops suddenly broke off and charged the wall while others carried long metal ladders.
"That's Roran's command, is it not?" Arya asked.
Eragon nodded. "Indeed it is, he has proven himself a powerful commander but I feel we have all still greatly underestimated his abilities."
"Indeed." Arya replied.
Three ladders made their way towards the Eastern wall and were quickly raised up while groups of archers continued to clear out room as Empire soldiers suddenly came to fill in the gaps. In minutes Varden soldiers clambered up the ladders and ruthlessly attacked the enemy soldiers. Many fell, but still they prevailed.
Eragon frowned slightly and then turned his attention to the Western wall only to find that Queen Islanzadi and Jormundur's troops had successfully managed to raise a few ladders themselves. His frown deepened; something wasn't right here, this seemed far too easy...didn't it? Had Galbatorix not known that his castle and city was under attack?
Then, suddenly, a deafening roar echoed throughout the land, clearly heard in spite of everything going on. Eragon looked over expecting to see shadow Saphira, but instead say what he had been waiting for all this time.
Thorn and Murtagh had finally come and immediately flew straight for shadow Saphira.
"They bought it!" Eragon cried triumphantly.
But the smile on his face was suddenly wiped away as a loud lurching sound came from the direction of the wall. Eragon and Arya's face grew serious as the front gates of Uru'Baen opened up.
The Royal Army had come to join their dragon and rider in battle.
(A.N.) Okay, I know some of you are probably like, "Noooo! Keep going!" but I had to split the final battle into two parts, and I do apologize for that. If I made it one chapter it would have been waaaaaay too long and I know you guys wouldn't want to sit here and read something that could possibly be another 10K+ on top of this. I really hope the start of the battle was good.
I'm trying to draw off of things i've seen and/or read; i.e. war movies, etc. and create a visual of what their attack might look like in a crucial battle.
The previous battles, i.e.: The battle of Feinster, Belatona and Dras Leona weren't as hard to write because it was much easier to break through the gates (except Dras Leona) and so there really was no need for siege ladders or trebuchets (at least not in my opinion). Think of this battle like the battle of Gondor over Pelanor Fields in The Return of The King. Mordor went all out for that and that's kinda how I see the Varden attacking too (If you want, you can think of the front gates of Uru'Baen like the one's for Gondor...fucking HUGE!)
Anyway, Murtagh and Thorn have finally arrived, as have the Empire Royal Army. Let's hope that the Varden can keep them at bay long enough for Eragon to kill Galbatorix!
- Demonzmagic