I only own my own OCs. I don't even need to waste characters on my usual, so please review, people! :)

~Raweru's POV~

The plan was set. Everything was in order. I had created a suit of armor, leather wasn't my favorite, being a vegetarian, but I still was going to need protection. I walked to Argeta, and got into the saddle. I asked her, 'Do you remember the plan?' She snorted and said, 'Of course! Honestly! You'd think I was a hatchling, but you are the one who is only one-hundred eighteen. I may be younger than you, but I am also wiser.' I rolled my eyes and laughed. I hadn't laughed like that since I had raced with Vraela to Meirin's ceremony, but even that was a horrible thought. I had been so happy then, but it had been the start of destruction and pain.

I had seen the amount of horror Vraela now bore, and Meirin could kill and re-kill to no end. It had terrified me to see Vraela like that; eyes glazed, chest bleeding, and one touch had made her gasp with breath again. If Meirin hated Vraela who was kind to all but her worst enemies, how would he treat Eragon, who he had loathed, complaining Eragon was a non-magical being, a human, and wasn't fit to be a Rider, much less Head Rider. I had yelled at him harshly for this, as Riders were to treat all as equals, human, Urgal, or all. A thought suddenly came to mind; what would Meirin do to me? I wasn't trying to be selfish, but I was afraid for myself. Even so, I wouldn't let it keep me from helping my friends." I looked down the hill from where we were posted; and I had a good view of Izlandzadi Plaza, though it looked strange now. Around the edge of the circle, at least one hundred posts were set into the red cobblestone, and in the center, a stone platform, about five feet off the ground, had been set up, and seven stone pillars, one in the middle, two towards the South, two towards the West, and two towards the East, held a granite roof over the platform. And on each pillar, wooden pegs in the stone held up curved swords, and their silver blades didn't look dull, and I doubted they were decoration.

Many Riders, rogue and true, were gathered, the loyal Riders held to the posts along the plaza by enchanted chain, and the rogue Riders were gathered around the platform, a straight line through them leading from the Great Hall to the platform. A sudden horn bellow startled me, and I saw six Urgals coming up the path through the Riders. Two each were holding the chains to a weak figure between them, that the rogue Riders jeered and scorned as they passed. I recognized Orik's leather armor, though rather torn, and Vraela's now grayish silver dress, but the girl with black armor on was unfamiliar to me. I could see even from a distance that she was beautiful, but her beauty was marred by red stains on her face. I resisted the urge to rush down and rescue them, but that was what Meirin expected. We had to wait. Suddenly, behind the three, the rat king himself appeared. He wore the Head Rider's white robes for special occasions, but now, the blue sash that symbolized the equality of Alegasia was replaced by a scarlet cloth, and I could see that it was soaked in blood. Who's, I didn't know.

I was suddenly worried because I caught a glimpse of Arya on the opposite end of the plaza, worrying Meirin might see her, but she was gone in the blink of an eye. I kept my eye on the platform, but when they climbed up the side of the platform, I lost sight of them under the roof, though I heard as Meirin confidently proclaimed, "All of you before me; traitors or loyal, are now going to see the end of the treacherous Rider Age. You traitors to what it means to be a Rider will see this, then be killed. Those who are wise and joined me will live forever, and the ideals of the greatest leader of our millennia." All Riders, Meirin's or otherwise, looked confused and slightly scared. Meirin must have noticed, because he said, "You all look nervous, but don't worry. We are going to recreate the old days, though we will stronger, wiser, and greater in every way. And as every event in history, we must destroy that which blocks our path. And these three will be the first obstacles to fall before us." He motioned to the three figures hidden under the roof. He continued, "For opposing us and attempting to destroy what many worked to create, we will make them suffer. I have found that Arya, the good queen of elves, has been murdered by her own husband, Eragon. Orik was also killed by Vraela here, and the evil Raweru. Will we let them kill Nar Garzhvog, Nasuada, and Grimrr Halfpaw, too? No. For every good soul they've killed, they will die that many times each."

All of the Riders were now muttering, wondering how they could die more than once, when everything went wrong. Arya suddenly stepped out of the her hiding place, and said, "Listen! I am Arya Elvenqueen, and my husband is kind, and would never hurt me. Meirin has been tricking you!" A rogue Rider exclaimed, "You? Arya? Since when is Arya a human?" Arya lost focus, and for a moment, I saw what the Riders saw; a human girl with red hair, but when I blinked, she was Arya again. I cursed silently; Meirin must have put a spell on the Riders so they could see what he wanted them to, and I got the feeling they didn't like to see Arya alive. Meirin must have been able to see her though, because he yelled, "This is another traitor! I believe she was a part of Orik's murder! An accomplice! Take her!" Arya hadn't expected them to attack, and they had tossed magic-blocking chains around her, pinning her arms to her sides, and even when she yelled, "Skölir!" To protect herself, but it failed. I wanted horribly to jump out, but Eragon would be angry if I broke the plan. But then again, Arya had already messed that up.

As I was about to walk out of my hiding place, Eragon beat me to it. He stepped out and screeched angrily, "Let her go!" And the same happened to him, chains quickly and harshly wrapping around him. I was terrified, but it only got worse when Murtagh came out, too. I knew they would be expecting me too, so I figured I might as well face them with Murtagh. I jumped out, and yelled, "Aptr!" The power I put into the word forced the majority of the rogues back, but they still held tight to Arya and Eragon. I drew Arget, and slashed at their chains, but the metals clashed with a shower of sparks, and I suddenly flew back. I managed to land on my feet, but Arget had been blasted about twenty feet in the other direction.

I growled, "Release my friends. Now!" Meirin motioned threateningly to me and said, "You see? They threaten us! We must protect what we want to create! Capture these traitors, and prepare them for the blood ceremony!" The dwarves yelled especially loud, and all attacked harshly. I quickly muttered, "Skölir." Spears flew, swords swung, and arrows shot past me. My wards protected me from most of the projectiles, but Meirin had a trick. A black arrow flew at me, and before I realized what was happening, it passed my wards and impaled itself in my side. I screeched, but kept up my spell, though I could feel the shield weakening. I shot a quick glance at Murtagh, and what I saw wasn't inspiring hope. Murtagh had also put up a shield, but was walking towards Eragon and Arya, so I mimicked him, walking after him. My invisible shield was almost at the breaking point, and as I walked, it took more and more energy to sustain. But once I was next to Murtagh, the shield shattered. I rushed to my sword, but the chains following me got there first.

They wrapped themselves around my shoulders, crossing on my chest, and then pinned my arms behind my back. I smiled, and focused on the metal, feeling the steel's strong material. I had figured out long ago how to bend metal, so this was easy, enchanted metal or not. I watched the metal rip itself apart, and I was suddenly free. I pulled on the remains of the chains, and the dwarves holding it were dragged forward. I stepped forward, planning to bend the chains on Eragon and Arya's chains, but that was ruined when Meirin spoke the Word, and I froze where I was. He nodded at an Urgal, and said, "You know the plan." He had planned all of this. Our arrival, our plan, he had known somehow. The Urgal stepped up, and I watched him drag another chain, but this one was made from... was that thread? I saw the silver chain, and Meirin commented, "Oh, yes. We knew you would try that, so we expanded spider silk, which is quite strong when larger." The Urgal reset the silk over me the same as before, and I couldn't feel it like I could with metals, rock, or gems.

The Urgal dragged me forward, and I saw Murtagh pulling against the chains he had been caged in. I was no longer frozen, but somehow, I still couldn't move, and I was limp as a strip of cloth. I could now see under the roof of the platform, where Orik, Vraela, Arya, Eragon, and the young girl were tied to the pillars. I was tied to the one along the South side, and I saw Eragon in the center, Arya and Vraela in the East, Murtagh being tied next to Orik in the West, and I was next to the young girl, who I could now see was a werecat. She had her eyes closed and was breathing lightly, so I could assume she wasn't doing well. As Murtagh was tethered, Meirin grabbed the curved blade from over Eragon and said savagely, "Now, with the red light of dawn to oversee this ritual, I call the Blood Ceremony into session! Let the traitors die."

Skölir- shield

Aptr- back

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