For Disclaimer, Spoiler Alert, and Warning please look back in chapter 1.

The setting sun was like a burst of flames being extinguished, ending any little hope that the light was able to produce. The darkness of the night brought on a cold and lonely sensation that did nothing to help with the guilt, regret, and anger that Murtagh carried within. He felt guilty for falling into Galbatorix' hands and being forced to fight the Varden and Eragon. He felt regret at not being able to, instead, fight along with the Varden. But anger was the strongest emotion he felt. There was anger at Galbatorix for forcing him to betray Eragon, his own brother. He was angry at Eragon for not saving him in Farthen Dur when the twins captured him. He was angry at Morzan for taking Galbatorix' side. He was even angry at his own mother for choosing Morzan to be his father. He thought that even having Eragon's father as his own would have been better and even felt jealous that Eragon had a different father, a more respectable and noble one.

Murtagh tore a piece of the stale bread he'd picked up in a small village as he and Thorn flew north. He sat against a tree watching the sunset and chewing the bread while he waited for Thorn to return. The red dragon had gone hunting to regain his strength after the long days of traveling almost nonstop.

A few days had already passed since they left Uru'baen and they had managed to reach the edge of what was known to be Alagaesia. They had passed Keuson, Ceunons northern neighbor, a few hours back and were preparing to enter into uncharted territory. They didn't know what they would find, but they thought it would be better than staying where they were known as the hated enemy. Perhaps one day they would go back and take Eragon upon his word and try to mend their relationship as friends and as brothers.

Murtagh stood as he saw the blood red of his dragon flying back to him. When Thorn landed, Murtagh quickly jumped into the saddle and they took off, heading north into the unknown.

After spending another two days in Ellesmera, Eragon and Harry prepared to leave on their journey. They packed dried fruits and nuts, bread, jam, and cheese that would last a while before going bad. Harry was given some elven trousers to his exact fit and two pull-over shirts that were just long enough that he had to tug them into his trousers. He was offered boots as well but he kindly declined them in favor of his dragon hide boots. He packed the clothes he was wearing when he arrived in Alagaesia to take with him as well, pulling his hoody on so he wouldn't freeze while riding on Saphira high up in the sky. He knew Eragon would be able to keep him warm with a magic spell but he'd rather not be a bother if he could help it.

They said brief goodbyes to Arya and the elves who had gathered to see them go and then took flight, headed northwest. Blodhgarm told them the exact location of where he met Nicolas Flamel, near the lake called Tolsten which laid directly North of Ellesmera near the elven city of Haleon, but they decided to instead start their journey at Keuson—the northern neighbor to Ceunon—in order to start tracking the places Flamel visited while in Alagaesia and because it was Eragons decision to seek out Murtagh. He knew that if anyone knew anything about Galbatorix' plans, it was his brother. But he wasn't seeking him out just because he wanted information, he also wanted them to reconcile and become the friends they once were.

"Where exactly is Keuson? Isn't it still part of the empire?" Harry asked loudly over the wind as they flew.

"Kueson lies at the northern edge of Ceunon Lake, and no, it's too far North to be part of the empire. But we'll be cautious just in case Nasuada has sent her soldiers that far," Eragon grabbed on tightly to Harry's waist as Saphira nosedived to dodge a flock of birds.

Sorry about that, Saphira said, not at all sounding sorry. She actually sounded playful.

It's ok, just give a little warning next time. Eragon told her and loosened his hold on the raven in front of him.

Harry shifted in the saddle and blushed as he couldn't find any room to get a little space between Eragon and his back

"Do you think we'll find Murtagh quick?" Harry asked to distract himself.

"I'm not sure, but I know he must have stopped somewhere for supplies. I know he wouldn't stop in any city within the empire, and the closest one that isn't in the empire's borders is Kueson." Eragon pulled out a bag of berries and handed them to Harry who thanked him in return.

It's only been a few days since he left. Perhaps he stayed in one place to recuperate from the battle. Saphira said, If we hurry we might be able to catch him before he gets too far.

Because they were in a hurry to catch up to Murtagh they stopped very little, and when they did, usually to relieve themselves, it was a quick stop. To pass the time, Eragon began to recount his story from the moment he found Saphira's egg in the Spine. Harry listened with rapt attention as he had when Glaedre told the story of the riders back when he first arrived in Alagaesia. Again, he was reminded how Eragon like himself had had a hard life because of a deranged dark lord.

After Eragon finished his story Harry was curious and asked if he could teach him the ancient language. It was, after all, imperative that he learn the other language spoken in this world should he ever find himself in a situation where he needed it. Eragon agreed and after Harry learned a few words, even suggested he try to cast a spell.

"It's only logical that it should work. Your being already consists of magic, so if you use the ancient language it should work just as good as your wand." Eragon said and handed harry one of the grapes they had been snacking on. "Here, try lifting this. Concentrate on the grape and feel the magic within yourself. Once you feel like you have a grasp on it say, reisa."

Harry nodded and held the grape in the palm of his hand. He stared at it intently and then searched within himself for the magic. He knew what to look for because he felt it every time he cast a spell with his wand, so it didn't take long for him to find it and take hold of it.

"Reisa!" Harry yelled and the grape slowly lifted off his palm and wobbled a bit unsteady about a foot above his hand. He held it up for a few seconds before he lost hold of the magic and the grape fell back onto his palm. He felt a small amount of energy leaving him as he held the grape up and was a little winded because of it, but just barely.

"Amazing, you're a natural." Eragon said and handed Harry the water-skin to drink from.

"Perhaps because I'm already accustomed to magic, but it still made me tired."

"Yes well, the most important rule when using magic with the ancient language is that it takes as much energy to cast a spell as it would take if you were to do it yourself physically. For example, if you were to lift a boulder, the spell would take a lot more energy from you because that's what it would require from you if you lifted it with your bare hands." Eragon said, "If the spell exceeds the energy you have, then the spell can kill you. That is why you must know your limits and train your body along with your magic skills."

Harry nodded and then tried to lift the grape again, this time trying to hold it up as long as he could.

It was night time when they reached Cuenon, but they didn't stop to rest. Instead they continued north along the lake. They decided they would fly until they reached Kueson where Saphira would wait on the outskirts of the city while Eragon and Harry entered the city. Once they deemed it safe, they would begin looking for traces of Murtagh and Nicolas Flamel.

"We'll probably spend the night in the city so we can rest properly and get more supplies in case we don't find another city close by." Eragon said as they neared Kueson. The sun was beginning to rise by now.

Harry may I ask that you please keep an eye on this one. Saphira said with amusement, Trouble seems to shadow him wherever he goes.

Harry chuckled, "I'll do my best, but just so you know, trouble always seems to find me as well."

Eragon laughed at that and Saphira began mumbling how she was probably going to have to tear down the city again to rescue them, just like she had in Gilead what seemed like ages ago.

"We'll be fine, Saphira, as long as we don't draw too much attention to ourselves." Eragon said and patted her side.

The only problem with that is that you always draw attention to yourself.

They landed about half a league away from the city and waited until the sun rose higher in the sky. Eragon grabbed two of their packs to take with them.

"So we can refill them with supplies and so we don't look too suspicious. Two travelers without horses is bad enough. With the packs, we can at least claim the horses were taken by bandits if they question us." Eragon handed the lightest pack to Harry and shouldered the other one.

"We'll be back before nightfall tomorrow," Eragon told Saphira and then headed towards the city with Harry beside him.

Harry was tired. He didn't get much sleep on Saphiras back, but he wasn't about to complain. They still had the whole day to search for Murtagh and find clues as to where Flamel had traveled. Then they needed to buy some more supplies.

They were quiet most of the way but once they neared the city, Eragon cast a spell on himself that mad his elven features almost vanish. His ears became rounded, his eyes were no longer catlike and his high cheek bones were no longer high and elegant.

"Is that what you looked like before you were changed?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps, I'm not too sure anymore. It's been so long since I last saw my reflection while I was still completely human."

Harry nodded, "Sometimes I wish I could change how I look just to get away from the fame and everything that surrounds me as Harry Potter. This scar," He reached up and touched the scar on his forehead, "sometimes I wish it would disappear, and sometimes I like it because it reminds me of the struggle I went through. It represents everything that I am."

Eragon looked at the boy with curiosity. Who would have thought that someone so small could carry so much pain inside? Although Harry was older than he was, the boy looked almost too fragile to have carried a burden such as saving the world like he had. He looked down at his wrist where he once carried the scar that he got back on the farm many years ago, an accident that involved Roran. Sometimes he too wished he could have the scar returned to him, just so he would have a reminder of the life he once had back when he was a normal farm boy.

"Once we're in the city we'll need to go by different names, just in case Nasuadas soldiers have spread this far, and so nobody recognizes us." Eragon pulled his cloak closer so his sword, Brisingr, was hidden.

"I'll go by Evan."

"Ok, then I'll go by James." Harry decided to use his father's name.

It took them a few minutes to reach the southern entrance to the city and they joined the stream of travelers entering the city. A few of them were stopped by the guards by the entrance but they were allowed entry with no difficulty. Many of the travelers, like them, were on foot.

"That was a lot easier than I imagined it would be." Eragon said as he they headed into the city. It wasn't as big as the city of Cuenon, but it was still a lot of ground to cover in only two days.

"Let's get a room and leave the bags there while we start looking around."

Harry nodded and stuck to following Eragon. He was completely lost and didn't know how Eragon was able to keep track of where they were.

They headed to a small tavern near the entrance of the city. It read the Golden Star on a rotting wooden plaque just above the entrance. The doors,surprisingly, didn't squeak on its hinges.

When they walked inside, it smelled like beer and urine. Harry didn't want to cover his nose without the risk of offending somebody so instead he tried to breathe through his mouth. He noticed a few old men passed out in the corners and it shocked him, it being early morning still. They were either there from the night before or they had nothing better to do than to waste away in beer.

"Harry," Eragon called and he turned to see that Eragon had already paid for a room and was calling him over so they could go upstairs. As Harry walked towards the stairs, where Eragon waited, he glance at the bar keeper and was shocked to see a nasty sneer on his old wrinkled face. He had a large beer belly and a dirty beige shirt with yellow and brown stains.

Eragon noticed the way the bar keeper was looking at Harry and quickly put his hand on Harry's back and motioning him to go up the stairs quickly. He gave a warning look to the old man and quickly followed Harry up. When they reached their room Eragon unlocked it with the key he was given and ushered Harry inside, locking the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as he noticed Eragon's tense back. Eragon's brow was burrowed in a frown.

"It's nothing, just," Eragon put down his bag on the floor, "don't wander around the bar ok? And try not to deal with the bar keeper, there's something about him that…" Eragon walked to the window, "…just avoid him if you can and let me deal with him."

Harry nodded. Even if Eragon hadn't told him to stay away, he would have anyways because the old man gave him the chills too. It's not like he would have gone up to him and purposely started up a friendly conversation of, hello, how's your day? No, Harry was definitely going to stay far away. If it were up to him, he would go to a different place to stay, but they were only staying in there to sleep, and Eragon would be near anyways so he didn't think he should worry too much about the old geezer.

"We should head out before we lose any more daylight." Eragon said as he scanned the city through the dirty window. "Do you think you can manage getting more supplies on your own? This way I can go and start searching for signs of Murtagh and Nicolas Flamel."

Harry nodded, "Yes, I can do that." Although Harry was a little worried about wandering around an unknown city, without his magic, and without Eragon, he promptly made a list of the things he needed to get. It was mostly food, but the most important thing they needed was a map of the country outside of Alagaesia.

After grabbing one of the empty pack they brought with them, Harry followed Eragon out of the inn. As they passed the bar keeper, Harry kept his eyes ahead of him and didn't risk looking at the man. When they reach the outside, Eragon tied his small bag of money to Harry's waist so he could buy their supplies.

"Meet me back here in three hours." Eragon said and Harry nodded. Without further delay, they each headed in opposite directions. Harry was sure to remember that there was a small herb shop near the inn and began mapping out where he was going. The first thing he was getting was the bread which they had eaten through most of what they had already.

After a log while, Harry thought it probably time to meet up with Eragon, but Harry wasn't sure if three hours had past yet. Either way he was done with the list and had nothing better to do so he went back to the inn. He had yet to find someone who had a map but he could look for it later. He managed to get to the inn without getting too lost and found that Eragon hadn't arrived yet. He sat on the curb in front of the inn and waited. The sun was beating down on him and he wished he could wait inside but he was afraid the bar keeper would pick a fight with him for whatever reason, he wasn't sure.

Harry stood and walked over to the herb shop. He decided to look around inside in the shade while he waited. The inside, just as the outside, was covered in green. Plants hung from the walls, Mushrooms grew in their terrariums, and even some sort of algae soaked in jars of water.

Harry didn't see the owner so he continued looking around in the cool shade of the shop.. He walked over behind some plants and lightly ran his fingers through the leaves.

"…but the war is over now, isn't it?" Harry heard a woman say as she walked into the store.

"Of course it is. Didn't you hear the soldiers? The king is dead at last." Another woman said. Harry quickly walked further into the store and hid within the plants.

"I do say that is good news, but then why can't these people just leave? The people from the Empire are still migrated this way and even more so now that the king is dead. Why is that?"

"Aye, I wish them gone too and you know what? I think they are coming even more now because of that rider. He became a traitor did he not? My guess is that they're afraid he is going to go on a mad rampage just like that Galbatorix did."

Harry gasped when he realized that news of Eragon's 'betrayal' had already reached this city so far north. If that was the case, then they could be in danger.

Harry sneaked through the store and waited till the women turned away and quickly snuck out the store. He walked back to the inn and saw that Eragon had yet to show which now began to worry him. They were in danger of being discovered and Harry feared that while they were separated, Eragon had been captured. He walked to the end of the street looking for any sign of the rider and then walked to the opposite end and did the same. He began walking further away from the inn when he noticed three soldiers unlike the soldiers belonging to this city. They were definitely soldiers from Nasuadas army and they were headed in his direction.

Harry turned and began walking in the opposite direction. He could hear them talking behind him and a chill ran down his spine when they sounded a lot closer. He decided he was going back into the herb shop to hide till they passed but just before he reached it someone grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the street and into a small dark space between the tightly compacted houses.

"Shhh…"

Harry felt his heart pounding as he looked up and saw that Eragon had grabbed him. They both watched as the soldiers passed their small hiding place without any notice and Harry sighed in relief. The moment of relief passed however as he realized they were really, really, too close for comfort. Harry's head barely reach Eragon's chin and that only made him self-conscious of his height, not that that was the main issue here. He could feel Eragon's chest moving as he breathed and it made him feel safe yet highly uncomfortable and he didn't understand why. The heat rising to his cheeks only served to confuse him.

"Seems like Nasuada sent them to look for us after all." Eragon said quietly.

"And they spread the rumor that you're a traitor." Harry said and shifted a little so he wasn't face to chest. He slowly peeked around the corner and saw that the soldiers were now turning the street. "They're gone."

They both walked out of their hiding spot and walked towards the inn with caution and then continued up to their room. They waited until they were locked inside their room to talk and Eragon pulled out two sandwiches' he had bought so they could eat.

"We'll have to be more careful," Eragon said. "Did you find a map?"

"Not yet. Either none exists or no one is willing to sell me one." Harry took a bite of his sandwich and almost moaned as it began to satisfy his ravenous hunger.

"The civilians don't seem very friendly with outsider's." Eragon pointed out as he ate his sandwich.

"They don't want the people of the empire flooding their city," Harry said. "I overheard two women talking and they wanted them to stop coming here and for the ones who have already settled, to leave.

"Hmm," Eragon stared blankly at the floor as he pondered this. "Perhaps no one is willing to sell us a map because they don't want us to head further outside of the empire."

"But what would it matter? So long as the people left their city and went somewhere else, they don't have any business trying to prevent people from venturing further, do they?"

Eragon thought quietly as he finished his sandwich. He stood and walked to the window and stared down at the people walking by the tavern. Harry was about to ask him what they were going to do next when Eragon suddenly turned and headed towards the door.

"Stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes." Eragon promptly unlocked the door walked out and locked the door again. Harry felt just a little irritated that he locked him in but then he thought Eragon might have done it to keep him safe.

Harry sighed and walked to the window to try and see what Eragon had been starring at before leaving so quickly. He gasped when he saw the same three soldiers from before standing just outside the tavern. They looked up and Harry quickly hid against the wall. He peeked out and saw that they were arguing and pointing at the windows of the tavern before stomping inside.

"Crap!" Harry rushed to the door and put his ear up to it to see if he could hear anything.

He was able to catch a few loud voices but he wasn't sure if they were coming from the soldiers or the normal drunks from the tavern. He went back to the window a waited to see if the soldiers left. He heard footsteps stomping up the stairs and quickly grabbed the candle holder off the wall to use as a weapon if he needed it. He was now cursing the fact that Eragon had locked him in.

The heavy footsteps reached his door, and he sighed in relief when they kept going passed his room. He relaxed and kept watch outside, but kept the candle holder in hand. At least twenty minutes passed by before Eragon returned and Harry nearly hit him over the head when he walked in, thinking it was the soldiers coming to get him.

"Eragon!" Harry exhaled in relief and lowered his, probably useless, weapon.

"I'm sorry I scared you." Eragon quickly locked the door again and began gathering their things. "I saw the soldiers and went to make sure the bar keeper kept quiet about us being here."

"And how'd you do that?" Harry asked and began gathering his own pack as Eragon was doing.

"Money, of course. It wasn't till the soldiers came in that I pulled him aside and he told me he had called them himself, claiming we had stopped by for food and then left. He threatened to turn us in if we didn't pay him."

"What an arsehole." Harry sat on the cot as Eragon finished packing. "Any idea why he was glaring at me when we arrived?"

At this, Eragon halted his movements and turned to him. "It turns out…" Eragon faultered, "Harry, you're more in danger than I am."

"What?" Harry was shocked at this. Nobody even knew him, why was he in danger?

"It seems Nasuada spread the rumor that you are capable of bringing Galbatorix back to power. She gave the order to capture me if possible and…to kill you on sight." Eragon sighed and ran a hand down his face in worry.

Harry tried to swallow the lump in his throat and suddenly felt like he had been denied water for days. He realized that he now had very powerful enemies in Alagaesia and thought that perhaps that's the way his life would always play out. He would always have enemies no matter where he went who were after his life in some plot to destroy the world, except this time his enemies thought they were saving the world. But in that case, didn't that make him the bad guy?

An: Thank you all for being so patient with me, I know I've been terrible at updating lately. I will try harder to update faster. I'm going to try to make myself write each day so that I can post each chapter faster. Again thanks for reading this story, even though I'm sort of writing it as I go. Please review and let me know what you think of it so far. Anything you guys might want to see? I will consider it and see if it is possible to incorporate it into the story. :)

:3