Chapter 9

An extra chapter to make it clear that I managed to finish all of my neck deep revision.

The beginning of this chapter may seem a little lazy and incomplete, but I can assure all of you that it is going to get better.

Saphira! We're here!

A roar met his ears. A sound he was familiar with enough to know it was one of great happiness.

I am in the town hall. We were pushed back. How far are you from the city? There doesn't seem to be any sort of commotion from outside.

Eragon looked over at the Ramr River. There, just beyond the next hill, lay Ilirea. He hadn't been to the city ever since his leaving of Alagaësia. He set off at a sprint, leaving the rest of the army behind him. From a birds eye view, he guessed, he looked like a random soldier breaking out of the ranks on his own. As he neared the top of the hill, a dreadful sight followed the once beautiful walls of Ilirea. Standing all around the walls of Ilirea were ranks upon ranks of urgals in clad black armour. He looked back at the elves who were unknowingly walking straight into the plains.

He was too late to try and stop them. A line of elves walked over the cover of the hills. He looked back at the urgals a few of whom managed to see them. The blue armour of the elves contrasting against the green of the grass was too high to go unnoticed.

Eragon drew his bow, as did the other elves upon hearing the war horn.

What were you saying about no commotion? Why didn't you tell me that they were camped all around the city? He asked Saphira in a scorn.

He took aim at a stupid urgal that was running towards them. After another second, it became a pincushion. Every elf in the front line had fired at him, and was preparing for anymore that would come at them. The elves slowly advanced further, their bows still aiming at the urgals.

Eragon waited for most of the army to come beyond the hill. He released his arrow at the one in his sights. He received a solid volley of arrows after his own.

The elves soon ran out of arrows, but there was still a steady wall of urgals slowly marching towards them. Were they being supplied with more every minute? If they were, how would they ever kill them all?

'Attack them with your swords!' he heard Du Dröttningu shout to her soldiers.

Each one of them unsheathed their swords. The urgals had the lower ground, so the elves were at a disadvantage. The urgals were organised even better than the humans were when they had laid siege to Ilirea during the time of Galbatorix.

Eragon prepared to jump straight into the urgals and fight them from within, however, the air rippled with a shockwave as the urgals were suddenly sent flying backwards: each one of them flying a minimum distance of about thirty feet.

Fresh wave of urgals came and was again wiped away by the shockwave. The same happened with the third and the fourth, but o the fifth, they all simply dropped dead while running.

Eragon had a feeling Du Dröttningu was the one to make the shockwaves, but he wasn't sure. If she was able to produce that but multiple ties over, they would be inside the gates of the city in literally only a few minutes. The elves were advancing towards the northern gate of the city rapidly, and yet not a drop of blood from any elf. Eragon had not touched a single enemy with a sword, yet Du Dröttningu was amounting to nearly a thousand kills.

As they approached the gates, the elves in the rear brought the ballistae and catapults to the front. This also reminded Eragon of their last encounter in the city.

After a few minutes on the siege engines, Du Dröttningu blasted the gate down. The army flooded in, slaying the urgals as they went. There weren't many so they were only held off for a few moments. Eragon only slew one foe during the entire raid. He ran towards the palace and slammed his palm on the door.

'It's e Eragon!' he bellowed. 'Open the door! The urgals are gone! Where is Saphira? Saphira! Saphira!'

The door opened a marginal amount and he saw a dark green eye peep through the gap.

'Eragon?' a voice called. A sudden rush of memories flooded through his mind, overtaking all reason. He had thought his mate was dead when she was in fact alive. From when they had left the ruins of Du Weldenvarden, he had only found corpses lying around. He hadn't thought it possible for her to have survived among the fifty or less forest elves.

'Arya,' he whispered, failing to contain the longing that was inside him. Her eye was empty of emotion: as if her soul had been ripped out of it, and that all there was left of it was using her body.

The door opened and Eragon saw how many people there were left inside Ilirea. Only the forest elves and four humans. All of his Dragon Riders were still there, but most of them were injured or dead.

'Eragon,' she whispered before embracing him with a tight grip.

Rya walked out of the palace next. Her face was bloodied and she was limping on her right leg. The thing that hurt Eragon the most was that her entire left arm was missing.

'Uncle, this isn't the time for greetings and affection. That was just a scout team. I saw two of them heading to Dras Leona. These urgals want the entire Alagaësia to their selves.'

'That was just a scout team?' he exclaimed in surprise. That was larger than the entire of Galbatorix's army, which had been totally wiped out in a few moments. If it was only a scout team, how large was the army itself?

Du Dröttningu suddenly ran past him and Arya towards Rya.

'Oh, you poor thing!' she exclaimed sympathetically. 'You're arm has been totally blown off! Here, let me get that for,' she exclaimed. A few moments later, her arm was replaced with a new one, exactly the same as the first.

Moonstone slowly walked up behind her. Eragon hadn't seen him for over a year now, and was suddenly surprised to find him so large. The poor white dragon had missing scales all over his flank and was bleeding profusely from a large gash in his snout. It looked like they had just managed to get to the throne room in time to keep themselves safe for a short while.

'Dröttningu! Large mass of urgals approaching from the south west! Marching slowly!' one of the elves cried from on top of the fortifications.

A/N yeah sorry about that. It was kinda bad, but now things will get better.

P.S. These authors' notes have been written after the chapter was completed.

Du Dröttningu nodded her head to show her understanding. She then looked back at the Riders and the few humans that were left. She closed her eyes and started whispering something. A green light filled the room and every wound and bruise on anyone was cleared.

'Now, there is an army approaching. It is each of your personal decisions whether or not to stay. If you want to participate in the defence of Ilirea, ready yourselves. I understand that you are Riders, but none of you are to mount your dragons under any circumstances. You will be shot down by their archers within seconds. Do you all understand me?' She was met with a series of affirmative nods.

'Good. Now, is there anyone of you from this small gathering that would like to leave this room and city for their own safety, and leave the rest of us to die or be victorious while you watch?'

She was answered by an eerie silence.

'Perfect! You, and you, you're twins aren't you?' she said pointing at Maximus and Matthias.

'Yes,' Maximus replied.

'I want you at the front gates. I will repair them and fortify them as best I can, but I need you and your dragons to shift as many things as you can over there to create a barricade. Go, quickly. They're approaching fast. I will come and join you in a moment,' she said, ushering the both of them away.

She then gave orders to everyone else in the room in small groups.

By the time Eragon had been sent away, only Arya was left, who had been assigned to him.

At east I'll know if she's safe, he thought.

Elven archers were already lined up on the walls, and Eragon was with them. If the urgals managed to breach, he was to descend to the lower floor and assist the garrison at the lower levels.

'What do you mean it will take longer than that? It took the elves fourteen minutes!'

'I'm sorry. We're not used to getting ready for war. We're a peaceful-'

'Peaceful my foot! You would have been ready to ignite battle between yourselves and the dwarves within seconds had I not been present. You managed to muster an army of two hundred thousand! Two hundred thousand! And in less than a day! You're telling me that it is too hard to send a small battalion, and volley it with a larger mass?'

'I didn't say that, it's just that it has been so long since we have been at war with anyone that is has been removed from our nature Du Ebrithil. The only reason you're still alive is because you are such a great friend to us water elves. Otherwise, the manner with which you are speaking to me with would have had you killed.'

'You'd need an army to kill me,' Du Ebrithil retorted.

'An army is exactly what I have! You will not talk to me like that!' he said fuming. Realising her mistake she immediately covered her mouth.

'I guess you're as stupid as you are selfish. You let that slip so easily. You have an army? Bring it on. You want a challenge? I'll give you one. Where is your army? Hmm?' Du Ebrithil could see Nadia Dröttning fuming in anger. He had just insulted her in possibly the worst way anyone else had in her life.

'Listen to me,' he continued in a dark voice through gritted teeth. 'My friends are probably in battle right now, putting their lives in danger to keep the rest of Alagaësia safe. There are urgals and Riders from other lands invading our homes. Soon enough, they will reach you. Your kingdom, beautiful as it may be, will be a pile of rubble left by these desecrators. If you want to protect what is sacred to you, I need your help. I have already made a pact with the Nuri (flame) elves. They have sent forth a one hundred and fifty thousand strong force to Ilirea, the city of the humans where I know a battle will take place in a few hours. They have probably reached the city by now. I will go and seek help from the dwarves as well, but if you do not go to help, know this: if we are to survive this uprising of evil, you will be forever known as Khaifa (scared). I need to know your choice. If you are to send an army it needs to be quick. You yourself said that there is an army waiting.'

Nadia turned away in shame. 'Leave,' she said, not looking him in the face. 'I will send what I can for now. A more equipped battalion will follow the first.'

'Elrun ono,' Du Ebrithil said before leaving the room.

The air tasted salty. Probably because of how close the city was to the sea. He took a deep Breath of relief. He had been victorious for the second time. Now all he needed to do was contact the dwarves, and then round up as many humans as he could throughout their villages and towns.

'Prepare yourself Eragon. The sun has set and this night will either make us or break us.'