Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else I don't own it.
Hope you all like it! R&R, it's helpful!
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Silence permeated the room as its occupants slowly returned from their shock. Their faces replaced with looks of hard contemplation as they considered the ramifications of this event. The room weighed heavily on their shoulders as they gazed upon the surface of the shining green egg. The presence of one forgotten, abandoned to time and space in the forefront of their minds.
"Is it a Rider egg?", came a hopeful whisper as the speaker glanced over at Captain Mariv.
Mariv responded," That's out of the realm of knowledge of my men, my lord. My group's magician isn't familiar with the spell placed on the eggs and thus cannot tell the difference." Nasuada looked over to the Nighthawk captain.
"Find Arya and bring her here as quickly as you can. I don't care what she's doing at the moment, this surpasses it."
"Yes, my lady.", the man quickly exited the tent, his stomping feet fading away into the distance.
"This changes things", came Jörmundur's voice while he still stared at the egg. "This is a great boon to our cause if Mariv's assumption is correct...and I find no reason to doubt that assumption".
"Why do you say so Jörmundur?", Nasuada replied.
"Think about it. Why would that egg not have hatched by now if it weren't bound by the Riders? I'm not learned in these matters but why wouldn't it have hatched? There is plenty of food nearby for it and, besides the Empire, there aren't many enemies to a full grown dragon".
"I agree.", Nasuada replied, then she looked over to Mariv, "What of the boy you found? How is he?"
"Unconscious, my lady. My magician tried to wake him but he seems to resist the magic somehow, he also foiled our attempts to enter his mind to try and speak with him." A frown played over Nasuada's face as she pondered this.
"How did he resist the magic, Mariv? Did he have wards or other defenses around him? And what do you mean he 'foiled' your attempts to contact him?", Jörmundur asked.
"He had no wards or other defenses around him from what my magician could detect, however, he seemed to absorb the energy that Elmar tried to channel into his spell. Elmar tried to wake him several different ways yet all met with the same result. When we tried to enter the boy's mind, we weren't met with a barrier, we found a disjointed babble of thoughts and images that seemed to ebb and flow as a river current. We simply couldn't find his mind in that mess. Most of the images and sounds were strange to us and we couldn't understand their meaning, he is an enigma to us, my lady.", Mariv stopped and took a deep breath as he continued," We found several other things in his bag as well: a strange water skin (canteen), odd brown packages of food, some clothes and blankets, and we also found this black case." The soldier next to the captain pulled out a small black case and opened it as he placed it on the table. The contents were like nothing Nasuada had seen before. A mid sized, black, T-shaped object was placed within along with five long black tubes with small arrow-like metal things inside them. "The purpose of these things confounded us as well. We have no idea what the function of these devices serve or how to operate them. There is no trace of magic on them, so they weren't created that way and they don't use it in their operation. We decided that it would be best if we just left them as is and ask the boy if he knows their purpose after he awakens." Suddenly the tent flaps parted, revealing the Nighthawk captain with Arya close behind him. Arya walked to the end of the table.
"What do you need Lady Nasuada?", she asked as she nodded to the guard, dismissing him.
"We have something that you may wish to see and I want to know if it is what we suspect.", came Nasuada's quick reply.
"What item do you speak of?"
"This", Nasuada motioned to Captain Mariv. The man obediently opened his bag, revealing its precious contents to Arya. Arya's eyes seemed to widen and glow with shock but quickly regained their composure.
"Give it to me". Mariv looked over to Nasuada for approval. She nodded. He skirted around the table's occupants as he made his way toward Arya, handing the egg over as enthusiastically as a man dropping a heavy pack after a long journey. Arya's eyes closed in concentration, her brow furrowing as she extended her mind toward the egg checking for any trace of magic on it.
"It is a Rider egg; it is female as well.", came the answer to the question that lingered in all their minds. Arya glanced up at them, her eyes seeming to gleam with curiousity. "How did you come by this"?
"Captain Mariv here, stumbled upon it and a boy while on his patrol.", Nasuada replied as she nodded to the man.
Arya gazed over at him, "You've done Alageasia a great service, captain. You said you found a boy with the egg? What's his condition"?
"He's unconscious at the moment and somehow seems to be resistant to magic even without wards around him. He seems to be in good condition otherwise so I believe that it would be prudent to let him wake on his own."
"I agree. What shall be done with the boy?"
Nasuada motioned for Jörmundur to continue. "We'll place him in a guarded healers tent for now, then speak to him until he awakens. I'm wary of keeping him with the rest of the Varden. We simply don't know anything about him and until we do, he'll be treated as an Imperial prisoner."
Arya nodded, "What of the egg?", she asked while looking at Nasuada.
"I think it would be appropriate to have the Varden try and hatch it first since it's already here. If it doesn't after a month or two we'll send it to the elves, agreed?", came Nasuada's reply.
"Yes, except of the amount of time it will spend here. The Varden isn't a secure place for the egg. We should only keep it here for a week or two, that should be plenty of time after which I'll take it to my people."
"I agree with Arya, my lady. It simply isn't safe here and just keeping it here for a week will be a security nightmare. Once the elven bodyguards Queen Islanzadi sent get here, I'll feel more comfortable. Until then, it will be difficult keep it secure and we would be stretching the Nighthawks thin between you and it.", Jörmundur mentioned.
"Very well. Arya will take charge of the egg's protection and the supervising of any candidates. Is this acceptable to you?", Nasuada asked with a questioning glance directed at the elf.
"Of course, Lady Nasuada". Arya quickly grabbed the egg and hid it inside a boat that she happened to bring along. "Is that all?", she asked.
"Yes, you may go". Arya nodded and quickly exited the tent as another messenger entered. The man bowed and spoke.
"My lady, Chief Fadawar wishes to see you."
"Send him in.", Nasuada sighed as she thought, "What does he want this time."
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Arya dashed through the Varden camp, quickly making her way toward her tent. Some Varden looked oddly at her as she passed, wondering what could cause her to move in such haste. Arya shortly came upon her tent and entered. She rummaged through her belongings, looking for a special magic box that would only open to her command and would alert her if it was removed. She found it. The box was practical, with wood reinforced with multiple steel rings and spells to render it all but impervious to someone attempting to bash it open. The box opened at her silent command and she placed the egg inside, silently replacing it and calmly walking out of her tent.
"Perhaps I should pay this boy a visit. I would certainly be better able to assess his condition than a simple Varden mage." Arya thought as she moved in the direction of the Varden's holding area. One of the on duty soldiers saw her approach and moved towards her.
"Anything I can help you with, ma'am?"
"Yes, could you direct me towards the tent where the boy Captain Mariv found is being held?"
"Of course, ma'am. Follow me." The man motioned for her to follow and proceeded to walk down the rows of tents and enclosures meant for the Varden's prisoners. He stopped in front of a rather large tent.
"A healer's tent if the smell was anything to go by", Arya thought with a frown.
The soldier stopped and pointed towards the entrance, "He's in there ma'am. The healers have been trying to wake him for a couple hours now but have had no success. Good luck, ma'am."
"Thank you, you may return to your post". The soldier nodded and shuffled back to his place, while Arya entered the tent. Only to find four guards and two bickering mages bent over the boy.
"I'm telling you! You're going about it all wrong. You can't just go diving into his mind, all you're doing is getting lost in those images and fumbling around until you give up!"
"Yea! like you're doing any better! Even if your idea works it would take weeks to sort through all those images to find the correct one. At least my idea would produce results before winter!"
"At least I'd find it! A thorough search is the only way to do this. Otherwise, all we won't find anything at all, so shut up and let me do my job!"
"Are you both quite done?", came Arya's sharp tone. The two magicians turned to see the she-elf standing at the entrance and their faces turned from anger into a false neutrality, suspicion glinting in their eyes.
"What do you want, elf?", one asked.
"I wish to assess the boy's condition and see if I can't wake him."
"Ha! we've been trying for two hours now and we haven't made any headway at all. The boy absorbs the energy we put into any spell and we can't find his central consciousness to communicate to him. His mind is like nothing we've ever seen, a matter of fact he actually overwhelmed our minds with a huge wall of voices and images when we first tried to enter. Nothing, however, attacked us or attempted to control us, and it simply withdrew after we stopped struggling. What makes you think you break through and reach him!"
Arya's eyes turned cold and deadly, acting as if they could kill the man by their stare alone. "I have far more power and experience than you, human. You would do well to remember that. My fellows are not as merciful as I am and would teach you a lesson for your insolence. Now step aside before I make you." The mages turned as white as ghosts and nodded as they moved away. The soldiers stepped aside as Arya moved through and bent down to look at the boy. "He's young, around seventeen years of age. He looks rather average...brown hair, blue eyes...he physique seems untouched by the scars or toughening of war. Hmm...it makes no sense. How can such a child possess such abilities and yet not show evidence of training? The strength required to overwhelm these magicians should be too much for this mere child to sustain. How can he do this? Why hasn't he been drafted into the Imperial Army? Galbatorix would've most likely whisked him off to serve in the Black Hand or Andlát Datia in an instant had he known of this boy's abilities. Perhaps he has been in hiding? Well, only one way to find out". Arya stretched out her mind toward the boy, cautiously searching for any safeguards or wards around in his mind. Then...it hit her. A massive wall of voices and images bombarded her mind as she struggled to retain her concentration. Pictures of fire and war passed by her as she pushed forward, her teeth gritting together through the pain of repelling them. The flow continued unabated for several minutes as Arya inspected every image she suspected his mind to be hiding in. Until she came upon one picture, the picture displayed a great city surrounded by high walls. Blue sky and green grass surrounded it. The sun glowed brightly in the sky and seemed to beckon to her. She latched onto the image, pushing her mind against it as she sought entry. A large stream of light suddenly emitted from the image grabbing and dragging her inside where it dropped her on a hilltop overlooking the city.
"Finally...I'm not sure how much longer I could've kept that up", the elf mused as she ran down to the city gate and entered. It was quiet...deserted, yet there was no evidence of war or destruction here. "This must be it. All the others are barren wastelands, this is the only image where I could imagine someone staying". She jogged through the city, glancing around and occasionally inspecting the odd architecture of the city's buildings. "I wonder why these building are so tall, some must be hundreds of feet high! …Maybe it's because the mind doesn't necessarily have to conform with reality? But the mind has to have some basis or rationality behind an image...right? Bah! I'm wasting time! The sooner I find him, the sooner I'll have my answers." Arya continued through the deserted streets till she happened upon a beautiful, majestic building. It seemed to be made of excellent quality marble, with a large amount of stairs leading to massive pillars of the same material holding up the overhang over the entrance. A gold dome topped the structure and the statue of an eagle could be seen atop the dome. "This must be a palace of some sort. All the other buildings seemed to be built for practicality, but this one seems to be built with beauty in mind. He must be inside." Arya walked up the steps and reached the entrance. Next to the door was a plaque which said:
Hope
The Capital of All We Are
Hope is never lost. It is just misplaced and forgotten.
Arya spared a glance at the words before continuing inside. Only to be met with a large open foyer that stretched to the dome above. The dome itself was covered in paintings of various things. Many paintings could be seen along the walls of the foyer as well. One, however, stood out above all the rest. The painting was placed in the center of the two stairwells to the second floor, bordered with a gold frame laced with sapphire and diamond. The image depicted seven figures, the likes of which Arya had never seen. The figures were all distinct from each other: one was humanoid, another looked like a dwarf crossed with a reptile and had a mask on its face, one was a vicious bird-like figure with feathers growing out of the back of its head, another was a hulking creature with a large shield on one arm and a large opening on the other, one looked like a large ape with two toes and three fingers, another was a reptilian figure with four jaws and hoof-like feet, the last…the leader of them all was a serpentine figure. It was coated with steel grey armor and seemed to scream of its proficiency at war. Its body showed obvious signs of extensive physical training and yet it seemed smooth…graceful in a way. Its navy blue eyes seemed to display sadness, yet determination as it lead its fellows with the setting sun above and a mountain range behind. All of them were armed with strange weapons and heavily armored, with helms covering the faces of all but the leader. Below the painting was another plaque that said:
Iet Sköliar, Iet Sverdar
Arya examined the painting as she passed by up to the second floor. The second floor was much like the first except there were several doors around and it was much less open. "I guess I'll take the first one.", Arya thought as she opened it. She found a long hallway with pillars along the sides and a single door at the end. She continued on, soon coming to the door at the end. She opened it. The room was a medium sized office, with chairs and a table and a large desk with a chair turned away from her. The chair turned…revealing a flickering blue light in the shape of the boy. "This must be him", Arya thought.
"Who are you? Why are you here?", he asked warily.
"I am an elf. Arya is my name. As for why I'm here, I'm trying to get you to wake. You are currently unconscious and are somehow resisting our attempts to wake you."
The boy seemed to think for a moment, "If I could wake, I would, but I don't know how. I didn't even know I was unconscious. Where am I exactly?"
"In a tent within the Varden camp, one of our patrols found you and brought you here. The Varden leader, Nasuada, wishes to know how you got the way we found you."
The boy's eyes went wide at what he'd been told, "I…I don't know. All I remember is a flash of light…and that voice."
"What voice do you speak of child?"
"It spoke right after the light flash…I…I don't exactly recall what it said, but it seemed reverent almost wishful I would say. What's going on?"
"It is alright, young one. What is your name?"
"Ryan. Ryan Williamsson."
"Well, Ryan, listen and do exactly what I tell you to do and you will wake, alright?"
"Alright."
"Now concentrate…look for the boundaries of this world". Ryan nodded, his eyes then furrowed in concentration as he searched for the edge of this section of his mind. After what seemed like several hours, he suddenly stopped and looked up.
"I…I think I found them."
"Now push with all your might against them. Once they break your mind will be restored to you and you shall awaken." The boy fazed back into concentration. He continued at it for another several hours until the sky suddenly turned red and the ground began to shake. A massive portal opened up and consumed the entire city. It grabbed Arya and propelled her mind back into herself.
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Arya shook her head, ridding it of any residual discomfort from her sudden ejection.
"Any luck, elf?", asked one of the mages.
"We'll see in a moment.", she replied as she stared intensely at the boy's form. Suddenly the boy's eyes flickered and opened.
He sprung up from the bed, only Arya's hands keeping him from leaving it entirely. "It's alright, Ryan, welcome back to the land of the living." Ryan turned to look at her, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light in the tent. "How do you feel"?
"Tired", he mumbled.
"Rest for now, restoring one's mind from such an entanglement requires quite an amount of energy."
The boy nodded and promptly fell back to sleep. The two mages looked at her with shocked expressions until one of them looked at the other with a smirk and spoke. "Looks like I won the bet".
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Andlát Datia: Death Mists
Members of Andalat Datia are the shock troops of the Empire. Their supporting magicians are the best in the Empire and the men in each centuria of them (hundred man unit...made it up) have plenty of experience on the battlefield. The group also sports several auxiliary forces that are dedicated to espionage, sabotage, and infiltration. The job of Andalat Datia is the absolute destruction of Galbatorix's enemies, no more, no less.
Iet Sköliar, Iet Sverdar: My shields, My swords
Congrats to whoever can guess what species those seven figures are based on. The first six are pretty obvious, I think. The seventh, however, is a lot harder to figure out and I'll give you a clue. It is from an old horror movie.