Chapter 14

Editing is at the bottom.

'Dröttningu! You need to do something! They'll kill us all!' Eragon yelled.

Du Dröttningu had her eyes closed and was standing facing the south, the direction where the Riders were coming from. Eragon pulled on his hair in anticipation of a large battle and many deaths, until she started to speak.

'There. I've made a wall. It should hold them off for a while. The Riders need to come quickly or else only five of us will survive,' she whispered.

Dragons from the island cycled as they took humans in turn: when one left, another arrived. Like this, they continued for about an hour.

When all of the humans and most of the dwarves had gone, the invisible wall broke. Riders and foot soldiers alike charged towards them brandishing their weapons in the darkness. Rya and Eragon mounted their dragons. All the elves were gone and only a few humans remained. Eragon signalled for everyone to stop.

'Saphira and Moonstone can carry the rest. Du Dröttningu, Du Ebrithil and I will stay behind. Arya go with Saphira. She gets agitated when someone familiar isn't around her,' he ordered everyone.

'Do you think you're some sort of warlord that you can take on this entire onslaught?' Arya challenged.

Eragon didn't want to argue with her so he walked over to her and lifted her off her feet before carrying the squirming elf over to Saphira. The only thing he cared about right now was the welfare of his daughter and mate. He held her in place while he tightened the straps around her feet. Saphira lifted off immediately before Arya could say anything, towards the shore to pick up the remaining humans. Moonstone followed close behind. Eragon turned back to the oncoming army and unsheathed Brisingr. The three of them slowly walked backwards towards the shore to ensure that they could escape if the heat got out of hand. The first soldier that arrived was armoured in blue iron with a symbol similar to that of Galbatorix's. Du Ebrithil slashed him apart and kicked the body at another soldier to distract him. Eragon just watched as Du Ebrithil hacked at one soldier after another in awe. When he had fought against his master in the cave of the waterfall there had been none of the relentlessness that was currently present inside him. After a few minutes a dragon came hurtling through the sky and attempted to land on him but he threw Brisingr into it, diverting his fall. The Rider fell off and approached Eragon with his sword in his hand. Eragon was unarmed so he pulled his bow from his back and with the efficiency and skill of an elf he pulled another arrow back on it sending the stick straight through the forehead of his opponent before he could react. The dragon roared in the agony of losing its partner and made a dash for Eragon. Eragon rolled to the side as flames crawled over his nape, singing his skin and replacing it. Oromis blurred into his vision and he realised how close he had been t totally losing his normal body.

He turned back around to the dragon and took aim again. He fired but the scales of the dragon deflected the projectile, rendering it harmless. Eragon needed his sword.

'Kausta!' he shouted before grasping his retrieved sword in his right hand. He braced himself to counter the charging dragon, but lost his concentration when his master called to him.

'Eragon! Leave quickly! We can't hold them off!' Eragon nodded and thought of how he would make it to the shore without the dragon killing him in one swipe. Thinking fast, he pulled another arrow back on his bow: aiming for the eye of the beast. Upon release, he ran for the beach. He could walk on the water but if he dropped below the surface of the water he would drown. Without thinking twice he ran straight into the seawater, however, although he knew what would happen, it still amazed him. Underneath him was the sea and it felt disorientating to be standing on something that would usually kill him because of the strength of the tides?

He looked around for Du Ebrithil and Du Dröttningu but couldn't see them. From the bank came a shower of arrows, all targeting him. Eragon ran further out towards the emptiness of the sea, evading the death rain by only a few feet. Eragon took a glance backwards to see an entire horde of dragons following him out to sea.

Arya

The beating of Saphira's wings drowned out all other sounds. Rain fell harder than pellets of hail. The only thought in her mind was that of Eragon. Not even Selena was occupying the large expanse of her elven mind. Thunder struck somewhere to their right. The humans behind her squealed in fright, but to Arya is was nothing but a noise. A few miles ahead of them the peak of a mountain interfered with the endless scape of the sea. Arya slowly shuffled from her place to get a better look at it. The point of the mountain covered a small portion of the ascending moon. The scenery reminded her of the time she had mercilessly broken her mate's core during the Agaetí Blödhren. Arya's heart burned at the thought of how he must have felt and the cruelty of what she had done to him. She shook her head to rid the thoughts from her mind but they kept returning to her every time she looked at the dark sector of the moon.

Arya, we are here, Saphira informed her.

She could feel the depression that resided in the dragon at having to leave her Rider, and didn't care to try and conceal her own.

I understand how you feel for him. I felt the same for Fírnen. We can choose who we want to be with but cannot choose for how long. Besides this you now have a hatchling of your own to take care of. The reason I didn't let you have any say before I took flight was because had already discussed with Eragon regarding you. We had both agreed on making sure you were…

Why? Arya replied sharply. Why shouldn't I be with him? I don't care whether or not there is an infant waiting for me at the island. I would rather let her die than live another day without him.

Do you think my Rider is someone who would accept the idea of something as ridiculous as that? I have been with him for a long time and I know that although he can make many mistakes, it doesn't matter. He follows his beliefs. If there is a flaw in something that he decides in then I point it out, however, I never oppose whatever he may propose.

Yes but-

While we were training with Du Ebrithil, on the second day, he asked what was distracting him. Eragon replied that it was you and then Du Ebrithil tried to provoke him to see if there was anything in the world he would die for. It turned out that the only two thing she cared about was you and I. At the time he still hadn't found out about Selena. Do you not think he knows what the consequences of his death will mean on you? I guarantee that he will not give his life for any task unless he is sure he will make it out of the other side alive. He isn't stupid either. He can be silly but never stupid. He values you too much and that is both a risk factor and advantage to him. The risk is that if you die he will be broken beyond the repair any soul in Alagaësia can supply him with. The advantage is that he will fight to his last breath for you because you give him meaning. By now the two of us could have killed that entire battalion but we decided against it for you. I myself care for you princess.

I'm no longer a princess. Or even a queen at that. Only Rhunon, Yaela, Fiolr and the son of Yaela remain of my kingdom. Everyone has died either in the fire of Du Weldenvarden or during the siege. I have lost everything, Arya complained

Or have you? Saphira challenged. You prefer your mate to your first-born and yet you say you've lost everything? Bah! Never have I heard anything more ridiculous. You're placing a higher value on something material while Eragon is what will stay with you until one of you die and since you are Riders you cannot possibly die from age.

Yes but Saphira he will die on the battlefield. If not today then the next time we confront Oathbreaker's lot, she argued.

Not while he has the zeal to protect you and Selena. This is besides the idea of having him under the protection of Oromis. Need be I will insert a thousand gems into him but I will not let my Rider die unless it is absolutely necessary, the dragon reassured.

The humans behind her began to whisper among themselves but Arya paid them no heed. Humans wasted so much time. For an elf time didn't matter but humans had short lives and they couldn't afford to waste it, yet they would always jabber on about things of no consequence.

She moved into a position more comfortable for her and closed her eyes.

Eragon

Forty leagues had been covered by the time Eragon could see the shaded sector of the moon which signified that he was near Edoc'sil deloi. The water hadn't proved to be difficult to cross, but his legs were aching from the trek, but he was still scared that he would drown if he went below the surface.

Eragon had found out that he could manipulate water due to the effect his boots had on him. This had given him the advantage over the opposition. He had sent tidal waves onto the beach which had killed several of them.

Upon arrival at the island beach, he fell on his back panting for breath. The sand stuck to his skin and infiltrated his clothes. Eragon sat up and looked around, absorbing the familiarity of his spot for mourning the loss of Alagaësia and Arya. Those were the only things that Eragon had actually missed during his time on this island. The land he had saved and the elf he had fallen in love with.
Eragon stayed in that position for a while before succumbing to his exhaustion.

A torrent of water from the sea woke him from his peaceful slumber. The morning sun penetrated the dense winter clouds, illuminating the sea with a radiant aura. The biting cold suddenly bit at his body where the water had reached. There was a sun but no heat. Eragon stood up and dusted himself of any sand, but was unsuccessful. After using magic to complete his task, he realised how hungry he was. There was no food around and Eragon didn't eat meat unless it was absolutely necessary. Putting his problems aside, he started to walk. Knowing how far he was from the capital of the island he wanted some company. Eragon unsheathed his sword and slid it through his bare hands. Oromis appeared in his vision while Eragon sheathed his sword again and started to jog at a calm pace.

The island consisted of a mountain range, six plains, four beaches and six dragon cities: one in each plain. The beach had been his favourite area on Edoc'sil deloi because of its solitariness. This had been the place he had spent months upon months crying in. Not only had he left his homeland behind, he had left his heart. This had been his only refuge from insanity. Eragon made a puddle and cast a spell.

'Draumr kópa,' he whispered. The hall of the Riders appeared but it was nothing like what Eragon could remember of it: especially with the dead bodies of dragons and Riders that were on the floor.

The reason my call for help had gone almost unanswered. Most of them were dead…

I have some bad news. This is the last chapter I'm uploading for the next five or six months. My final exams are coming and I can't get my revision done as well as all the homework that my teachers set specifically for me. They realised that I get them done as quickly as I can so I can do my own personal revising and they decided that they should give me a crap tonne more homework than the rest of the class gets, which is sad meaning that there won't be any more updates in quite a long time. There will definitely be an update on the day after my final exam so hopefully I'll be back then.

Also, I will be reading PM's because they come up on my email. If any of you have any suggestions regarding the plot or how I can make it better, please tell me and I'll do my best (once I'm back) to acknowledge it and try to make a few alterations.

Bye! ;)