A/N: The Battle for Ilirea, Part Two. Yes, here it is! I hope I haven't been keeping you guys waiting too long… That was a joke, I update every day. So anyways, do remember to read The Hidden God, it will be an amazing story! It's the ciiiiiircle of circles!
And some of you may recognize where I got A LOT of this battle from. Oh yes, I just watched that movie and read the book ;) Oh, and just to paint a nasty image in your mind, remember this…. Orcs reproducing, which is to say for you hatchlings (Get it?) ORC SEX!
Disclaimer: Since I died when I started twirling in a princess-like motion, I'll sing instead! Not mine.
E-R-A-G-O-N
It was midnight; the day after next the Forsworn would come back, and Eragon could finally have his revenge. Hearing Bid'Daum say that they would lose the battle was not surprising, but he didn't say whether Eragon and Murtagh would live or not. Not that he really cared, if he died he would be reunited with his dragon, and all would be peaceful.
But he had to wait a day and a half for his revenge. Revenge. It was the only reason he was living right now. She wouldn't like that; she always told him to live on if she died, and find a purpose. And now he was pretty short of purposes here. If he was to honor his dragon's last request, then he had to find a reason to live.
And when night ended, and dawn came, he walked out of the room and towards the banquet hall. He didn't hear the sounds of war, and no one was in the halls, not even the servants.
Curious as to where they would be, he resumed his walk to the banquet hall. The banquet hall was on the lowest level on the citadel, so any lame (It means crippled) peoples would be able to dine there as well. As he got closer the hall, the sound of laughter could be heard in his ears.
Laughter, who would be laughing? Eragon thought to himself.
So he quickened his pace towards the hall and he soon came upon a merry sight. Six long tables stretched across the entire hall, all of the unparallel to the head table where King Angrenost, his wife, and his children were seated. (Like the Hogwarts Great Hall, but six tables.) The entire hall was probably housing the entire city, and they were all drinking, eating, and telling stories and jokes. Eragon wondered why, when they were all going to die the next day, but then he realized. They were celebrating their life; they wanted to have at least one last happy moment in their lives with their family and friends. The entire concept made a tear roll down his cheek. She was dead, his sister and mother were in Varnalond, and his only brother Murtagh was here with him.
A hand clasped his shoulder, but Eragon did nothing. He knew who it was very well.
"Yes Orik?" Eragon asked without turning around. You could easily tell it was a dwarf, because Eragon could feel the strain in his arm as he reached up to grasp his shoulder because he was so short.
"Argh, that is no way to treat an old friend Eragon." Orik said feigning hurt and anger.
"Ah come here you short clump of dwarf." Eragon said and turned around. Eragon had to lean down slightly to hug the dwarf, but he didn't care. Orik was one of his only friends in the world. In fact, besides four half-breeds in Varnalond, Eragon had only three friends. Orik, Evandar, and Jeod, who was an old friend of Brom's, were his only pure-blood friends. They were the only pure-bloods that knew what he really was actually, well, the only ones that he knew of.
"So Eragon Shadeslayer eh? How did you manage to kill a Shade, only Laetri and Irnstad the Rider killed a Shade? Granted Laetri was a half-elf and he did die right after he stabbed the Shade through the heart because the Shade killed him as well, but still. Should I bow down and kiss the ground before you?" Orik ended with heavy mirth in his voice.
"If you do I will kick your head and send you sprawling across this hall." Eragon said chuckling.
"That I have no doubt of my friend, no doubt indeed. Tell me, where is Murtagh?" Orik asked.
Eragon snorted, "Probably drinking his ass off."
Orik laughed, but it was soon cut off by a horn sounding in the distance. It was soft and melodious.
"That is no human horn." Eragon said.
"Open the gates!" Eragon heard a man shout. With a single nod from each other, they began to run through the halls to the entrance of the citadel. Eragon was running at a slower pace so as for Orik to be able to keep up with him.
"Is it the elves?" The dwarf asked while running.
"Who else could it be? We aren't expecting anyone else to come, and the elves were due to arrive around now anyway. And what other race would that horn sound like?" Eragon asked rhetorically.
Orik crumbled in dwarvish but Eragon didn't catch it.
Eragon and Orik soon arrived in the entrance hall, and they were immediately stunned. There were at least a thousand elves, all adorned in golden armor. But Eragon could see outside the gates that there were at least another ten thousand, if not more. Eragon was awestruck, but then he remembered that they would lose the battle, no matter the number.
Then Eragon sighted the one person he wanted to see; King Evandar. Walking forward slowly he stood in front of the elven king and nodded his head.
"Eragon… I am sorry for the loss of your dragon." Evandar said sorrowfully. Eragon knew he would say more, but in a private place. Evandar then turned to King Angrenost who had just marched into the room. "King Angrenost," Evandar said while twisting his hand over his sternum, a sign of respect.
"King Evandar, welcome to Ilirea, although I wish that we could meet under happier circumstances."
"That is my wish as well, but fate's cruel sense of humor has gotten in the way again." Evandar said darkly.
"As you may have been informed, Galbatorix has taken pity on us and gave us a two day respite. All of the wounded have been treated and are ready to fight, and we are grateful that we have another day to prepare," King Angrenost said.
"Yes that is indeed fortunate, although rather strange. From what I hear, it is unlike Galbatorix to offer pity on anybody, much less his enemies. Although from I do know he does not like to kill enemies without them putting up a fight," Evandar said voicing his opinions.
"Come King Evandar, let us have rejoiced, and for this may be the last merry meal we will ever have." King Angrenost responded. "As I am sure you remember, the banquet hall –".
He was interrupted by a loud and deep voice echoing throughout the city; Galbatorix. "It would seem that the elves have joined you. This is quite surprising, as the elves are cowards I expected them to hide from whence they came. And since you have called upon your allies, your respite is over. And Eragon Shadeslayer," all eyes in the hall turned to him. "It would seem that the loss of your father has driven you to do rash things. Do you know how I killed Brom? Of course you do, I did it right before your eyes. I killed after he so foolishly charged me after I killed his dragon. And oh yes, I nearly forgot; your dragon was a brave one indeed, jumping in front of the bolt just to save you. Do you remember her suffering? Oh how I basked in it. The death of the greedy –."
"SHUT UP!" Eragon shouted into the air, but he had now doubt that Galbatorix heard him. "Did you tell everyone your story? About how stupid you were when you and your idiotic dragon ventured into the Spine and razed an entire village of innocent Ulgralgra to the ground? Your filthy excuse for a dragon GOT WHAT SHE DESERVED!" Eragon was seething now; how dare he insult his dragon. He would kill Galbatorix.
"Then it would seem we have reached an impasse. You have lost your dragon, and I lost mine. Have you fully recovered? No doubt your mind and soul are in ruins; your very being is being consumed into nothing. It is quite amazing how -."
But Eragon silenced him again. "Hljödhr!" The Oath-breaker's voice was silenced. He turned to Evandar and said, "Prepare for war."
Half an hour later
Eragon was standing on the wall, watching the six dragons approach and the mass of forty thousand men. Their respite hadn't even lasted twenty four hours, but Eragon didn't care. At least he had a better chance to get his revenge. Galbatorix would die because of what he did to her.
All of the elves were lined up on the wall, and the humans were down below on ground level. Murtagh was on his left and Orik was on his right. Eragon noticed Orik attempting to peer over the edge, but was unable to due to his shortness. Taking pity on the dwarf, he grabbed a nearby box, lifted up the dwarf, and put the box under his feet. Orik didn't look very happy about it, but then nodded his thanks.
He could see the elves fidgeting uneasily. Eragon understood why. Elves were immortal and could be killed by a wound or by an incurable disease, and so they weren't used to being faced by death itself.
Eragon began to speak in the ancient language, "Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none! These are not men, nor elves, nor any other living species. These are monsters; now send these foul beasts back into the abyss!" And the entire group of the elves on the wall burst into cheers and Eragon shouted, "Arrows!" All of the elves drew their bows and nocked their arrows. "Aim!" The Forsworn and the men were closer now; maybe a tenth of a mile, but the elves could easily shoot that distance. When they were a twentieth of a mile away, did Eragon shout, "FIRE!"
A bombard of arrows flew threw the air and as most were aimed towards the Forsworn, most hit. But the ones that missed fell into the enemy army.
"Enough of the arrows! Come on, bring them to me!" Orik shouted. Eragon smiled at Orik's eagerness for battle. It wasn't the blood and death that the dwarf enjoyed, it was the thrill of the fight. The unknown outcome of weather or not you'll come out alive. Eragon did have to admit, it was rather thrilling. Of course, Eragon fought for revenge, while everyone else sought to maintain their freedom.
Eragon was using his bow and arrow as well, but taking his aim better. Instead of firing blindly in the direction of the Forsworn, he took his shots carefully.
He eyed a rider atop a green dragon, if it could be called a dragon, chanting something, and a dark green emitted from his Gedwey Ignasia, which he did not deserve. When Eragon saw the man's lips stop moving, a great, enormous ball of dark light, much like a Solar Eclipse, except the light surround the moon would've been green.
Eragon didn't know what it was in the first place, so he couldn't stop it. He watched as it hurled its way towards the wall at a probably one-hundred miles an hour. When the ball of dark light finally hit the wall, the entire world seemed to shine brightly, and Eragon did not have time to cover his eyes. An ear shattering BOOM shook the area, and when the horrible light faded, Eragon fell to his knees. The entire north-west side of the wall was utterly decimated, and over a thousand elves dead, because of a single spell.
The elves fired even fast than before, and Eragon did as well. Orik had taken a lead and ran down the stairs to join the men in the courtyard, as did Murtagh. None of the Forsworn had fallen, and Eragon saw that the other four and Galbatorix were chanting the exact same spell that the green dragon rider had been chanting.
"RUN!" Eragon shouted, but it was too late. The balls of dark light were already hurtling their way towards the wall, angling at every single spot. The entire wall would be entirely destroyed. Using the last of his power, he did not jump back like the other elves did, he jumped forward, onto the other side of the city.
He contacted Murtagh with his mind, Murtagh! The wall is destroyed… I am falling. I love you Murtagh, tell Angela and Mother I love them as well, and I will see them in the afterlife, if there is one. Goodbye brother, and one last thing. Run.
He vaguely heard in the back of his mind Murtagh shouting his name, but he shut off the connection just as he landed on the ground. The fall was a sixty foot drop, not one enough to kill him, but enough the damage his leg badly. He rolled to break his fall, and turned around to look at the wall. Large pieces of debris were falling from it, and Eragon's eyes widened. Picking himself off the ground, he began to run, or as best as he could, away from the wall. Pieces fell all around him, and it felt as if there were thousands of earthquakes happening at one time.
He covered his head with his hands and dodged a large piece of debris that would have fallen right on him. When Eragon deemed he was far away enough from all the debris, did he stop and turn around. He was not surprised to see the city aflame, and he could hear shouts and war cries in the city with his advanced hearing. However, he was surprised to see an elf limping slowly away from the carnage. He, for it most definitely was a he, was just out of range of the debris and was walking northeast.
Eragon took pity upon the elf, and began to run and limp at the same time towards him. He was even more surprised to see that it was Evandar.
"Evandar!" Eragon shouted to get his attention.
The elf king immediately looked towards him and smiled, and right after that he collapsed to the ground. Eragon rushed over to the elf and got on his knees before him.
"Evandar! Look at me!" Eragon shouted again. The elf looked straight at him and smiled.
"Eragon, so nice to see you. Now, before I die –."
"You won't die! I can heal you!" Eragon shouted crying.
"I just want you do one last thing for me…" Evandar sputtered weakly.
"Anything." Eragon said.
"Look over my little Arya for me, you have met her before. I have told her the same words I have told you. Watch over her, please, wiol eka." Evandar said.
Eragon swore in the ancient language, "Upon my word as a half-elf I shall watch over her." And then he died in his arms, and Eragon wept silently. But Eragon had a purpose to live again.
The half-elf buried the ancient king, and created a diamond tomb for him. Inscribing upon the grave, he wrote:
Here lies the ancient elf; King Evandar,
Mate to Islanzadi Drottning, and father to Arya Drottningu.
He had a respect for all life,
Even when others did not.
May he lie here forever in peace,
Undisturbed, and in rest.
May his name live on in glory.
Eragon wept, and then placed thousands and thousands of wards around the grave.
Eragon Shadeslayer was not seen again for the next seven years.
A/N: And there it is! Hope you liked it! The epitaph was a little difficult to write, but I hope it was good. Galbatorix really is a bastard isn't he? And remember to read The Hidden God! Lion King spoof song!