I only own my own OCs. As usual, mental speech in ' ' and ancient language translations at the bottom of the page. Now, enough of my junk, and read, read, read! :)

~Raweru's POV~

I hated how my life went sometimes. Raweru the Rider, Raweru the brilliant, Raweru the half-breed, Raweru Earthholder, blah, blah, blah. I had so many titles, so many different versions, it was hard to tell who was talking to me, and what else was happening. Do you know how hard it is when people say, "Earth!" And could be yelling for me, doing a strange ritual, or just screaming mumbo jumbo. It was rather infuriating. I was riding on Argeta towards the strip of land I had once known as Skulblaka Hjerta, but was now my idiotic student's headquarters, and I knew three things.

1- Two of my friends were in there, and I didn't like that.

2- My yellow-bellied, rotten gutted, trough sniffing, pus faced, maggot infested, canker fetted, mentally challenged, blindly pathetic, and lying wormy scum of a student was was about to die.

3- I was going to enjoy seeing that stupid flea ridden furball screech for mercy at my feet, but I would only end his pitiful existence. Permanently.

I wanted to watch him grovel at my feet, but after all he had done, kidnapping my friends, taking over my home, I couldn't let him continue to plague the world. I wanted to punch a wall, but all I could do was feel the wind caress my face, but its usual warm and kind wisps now ripped over my face like whips. Yet another sign of the rising storm Meirin was summoning. I even saw the werecats, Urgals, and the dwarves armies that approached, and I didn't know what to make of them. The Western Gate rising in the distance, and I knew that whatever happened next was going to affect how Alegasia would live on; the dark country Galbatorix imagined, or the beautiful world I lived in. I had to save it, no matter what. Everything was about to get bloody and destructive. I had tried time and time again to scry on Vraela or Orik time and time again, but every time, I drew a blank. I was scared that I might not be able to scry on them because they were dead, but I wouldn't accept that. I was tired, and after so long of flying, I let myself sleep. But my troubles didn't end there.

I dreamed I was in Du Weldenvarden, walking along the tree rows, and I leapt along the branches, jumping from limb to limb under a silver moon as a shadowy figure approached. I thought of the past night, and I yelled, "Vraela! Is that you?" She said, "Yes, but I don't have much time. My strength fades by the second, and Meirin's torment is taking its toll. Listen to me now. What you heard yesterday was a lie! Don't come for me! It was a... Agh!" Her silvery figure suddenly collapsed to its knees, clutching its head. The shadow of Vraela screamed, "Don't come! He's waiting..." And she faded into the shadows of the forest as I reached to where she had been, asking quietly in vain, "Vraela? Where are you?" The forest suddenly faded, and the abyss was back from the previous night. I didn't want to be here again, but then, Vraela reappeared, and she muttered weakly, "My power diminishes. You must come for me! I will be lost in a few more hours! I have until sunrise, or Meirin will go through with his plans!" I frowned, and asked, "But I thought that you just told me to stay away!" She shook her head and said, "Meirin was using me! He planned for me to be moved, but I've managed to distract them. You have to hurry!"

I asked, "But where are you exactly?" She said, "I'm in the dungeons." And before she could clarify, she suddenly screamed again, and her silver form disappeared. I tried to run after here faded form, but it wasn't enough. She was gone. I suddenly woke up, and found we were already in Skulblaka Hjerta. I asked Argeta, 'Did you see that?' She grunted an agreement, and I said, 'Should I tell Eragon and the others?' She said, 'Well, that is your decision. I cannot help you with all your problems like this, so I have to say that this is your choice. It will not make the largest difference anyway.' That I had to agree on, and it wouldn't help the rescue team's spirits, so why say anything? I asked Arya, who was flying next to me, "Ayra? Are you confident that we can save Alegasia?" She didn't reply, so I decided to take that as she didn't hear me, and we flew towards the blot that was Alfa Hjerta.

~Meirin's POV~

"Ma'mor." The secret passage in the wall slid open as I spoke, and I walked into the dark tunnel. When light finally became visible, I knew I had arrived. The end of the tunnel was the back entrance to the holding center, and I walked until I reached a cell without bars, only stone. A small hole, barely big enough to put a hand in, was at eye level, and I looked in on a tattered young girl. She was the only werecat to be with a dragon, but I was the only one who knew. A dragon had escaped the pens and flew into the Spine, and found her. I brought her back, so she could assist in my battle against the Riders, but she insisted on the losing side of the war. So she was here now, and nothing could stop what I was planning now. I agains said, "Ma'mor." And the stone slid away. I entered, and looked down at the werecat girl. Her shoulder-length raven hair was twined with white olive laurels and splayed around her face, and the black leather she wore was torn and shredded with claw marks. Her face was enough to make any tom think twice about her, but I would resist this urge. I had offered my affection when I first met her, but when she saw my standing against the Riders, she turned against me, and my rage pushed me on. And now, she would join the others at the blood ceremony. I yelled inn dwarvish at some guards, and they put the unconscious girl in chains and dragged her towards the others. I saw two Urgals pulling Orik, and Vraela was again, rather idiotic, as she was struggling in vain, and was quickly subdued. I had cast a spell that allowed me to enter her mind without resistance, but she kept on trying to contact Raweru, and it had worked, but I quickly fixed her mistake.

I motioned for the dwarves grasping her chains to hold her still, and they glared at her, pulling the chains taunt on each side of her so she couldn't move. She struggled to get the manacles off her wrists, but that also failed. Typical. I had used my access to her mind to siphon her energy, and now, doubted she could loose a bolt if she wanted to. The dwarves were still vengeful for their "dead king," and so were rather harsh on her, as they tugged the chains and forced her to her knees. I lowered myself to eye level with her, and said, "You've been a bad girl, haven't you? I guess that means I must continue with your punishment. The dwarves will never forget that you and your half of the Riders killed King Orik." Though Vraela was weak, she screamed, "No! I didn't kill Orik! He is my friend! Can't you stupid dwarves see he is right there?" They looked sceptically a towards the Urgals, but they didn't see Orik, thanks to my magic. Vraela saw Orik, while they (my Riders) saw a dwarf who resisted our power.

I scoffed, "That is a dwarf who abandoned the true call of the Riders. He is here for punishment, but it won't be as severe as yours. Dannigan! Bring me the iron. I trust you can handle the dwarf?" The Urgal holding Orik's left arm nodded, and retreated into another corridor, and soon returned with a long, iron pole and a whip. Vraela must have understood what was happening, because her eyes ignited with a green light, but I quickly pulled this energy into myself, and released it offensively back at her. She made no sound, and fell on her back, eyes glazed. Orik was suddenly awake, and when he saw her, he yelled, "You killed her! You killed her!" I rolled my eyes, bent down, and tapped her throat. She suddenly shuddered, and I said, "Eragon was a fool to write down the Word. It's power is magnificent! And you will both die at its hand." Vraela's chest heaved, and she coughed, "You... You won't win..." I softly said, "Oh, but I already have. When Eragon, Arya, and Murtagh arrive, they will realize Nasuada never left Skulblaka Hjerta, and I will have all the leaders in my power." Vraela screeched endless curses, and violent phrases, but when I tired of her rage, I said, "Take her to the square." And the dwarves dragged her away, looking pleased at the thought of Punishment Square. Izlandzadi Plaza had been converted; why should I honor someone who lost? Now, torture devices were everywhere, and she was dragged to a post, and the chains wrapped tightly around the metal.

I took the iron rod from Dannigan, and stepped towards her. I whispered to her, "I'm going to enjoy this." And I cast the rod down, and her screams echoed for hours as this continued.

~Raweru's POV~

"Agh! I had fallen asleep again, but this time, my dream had taken me to Vraela in Skulblaka Hjerta. I had watched her treatment, her short death and revival, and how much Meirin knew. The Word was with him now, and we had no protection against it. Eragon, Arya, and Murtagh knew it, too, but they if they used it, the rogue Riders would think us even worse, and would never join us again. We had landed in a glade just outside Alfa Hjerta to regain strength, and I lay on Argeta's foreleg. She said, 'You should tell them of this dream, little one. The last held no news, but this; they need to know.' I agreed, and walked up to Eragon. He asked, "Did you sleep well?" I grumbled, "No, and I must speak with all of you." Eragon frowned, and called Murtagh and Arya from where they had been chatting. Eragon encouraged me, "So what is it?" I told them the dream, every detail, every word. I knew it wasn't a dream, because Vraela's cries had been so heartbroken, so real, I couldn't have just had a nightmare. That had just happened, and we needed to get to Izlandzadi Plaza as quick as we could. When I was done, Eragon asked, "Are you sure this is true? He found the Word?" I nodded gravely, and Eragon looked down, ashamed. He miserably said, "I was a fool. And we must speak the truth. Raweru, we no longer know the Word." I blinked, confused, and asked, "But you said you heard it from Galbatorix! Did you lie?" Eragon shook his head and said, "We did hear it, but we decided that it was too dangerous. We used a transfer spell, and took the Word from our minds, then planting it on paper. But when we tried to destroy the page, it was indestructible. The Word had influenced the paper, and its power entered the paper, making it impossible to destroy, so we locked it where none would find it." I glared at him and said, "Well, someone did find it, so now, we have to fix this. We have to save Vraela and Orik!" Murtagh put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Raweru, don't be rash. You heard Meirin; he is expecting us. We can't charge in there when he expects us. We would all be killed." I pulled away from his and said, "So what? We let him kill our friends? Maybe Meirin was right! Maybe we aren't what we wanted to become!" Arya interrupted, "But we won't. We just won't rush in. We need a plan." Eragon nodded, and said, "I was thinking about this..." And we were immersed in strategy.