Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.
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A black land of fire and ash lay before him. A massive group of inhuman figures marched across the barren wasteland as if a part of some untrained gaggle. Pinpoints of light flew from the side opposite to the beings, cutting down dozens of the strange black silhouettes. The massive tide of bodies, however, could not be stopped, as each one fell, ten took its place.
An inhuman screech sounded out from the throng as they drew close to the source of the light, to be met with a cry of rage and defiance. What looked to be several hundred figures separated from the smaller group, glowing swords appearing in their hands as they stepped forward. The smaller group advanced towards the wall of beings as others continued to fire. The small band quickly grouped themselves into a wedge, their movements displaying their discipline, and drew close together. Another inhuman screech cried out from the living tide as the distance closed to the last few yards. The large throng charged with inhuman speed towards their prey…
Only to fly apart as they met the whirling blades of the wedge. The first lines of the creatures disintegrated and the wedge slowly advanced as the colossal crowd expended themselves on their swords.
Something seemed to draw the Traveler closer to the scene; something felt familiar about the events unfolding before him, yet he could not divine why. The Traveler moved nearer to the wedge of swordsman as the mass of beings around them broke apart and scattered, trying to get around the glowing blades. The wedge pressed on, but a few of them began to fall, buried under the living mass of flesh and bone. Their last cries of defiance mixed in with the screeches and roars of the other combatants as they fell. Over a quarter of the large group of creatures had fallen, their bodies dissected across the land, yet they continued onward toward certain death, seemingly unconcerned with their fate.
Their numbers began to extract a toll on the wedge as they continued to hold off the rush of suicidal beings. Only two-thirds of them remained, the rest buried under the mounds of bodies present on the land. The fight continued as the wedge buckled under the shear mass of enemies and began to bow inward. Over half of the tide had now fallen and the Traveler could now briefly see glimpses of the defiant swordsmen. Their glowing red eyes and black armor shimmered as they slashed and stabbed at their enemy. On their armor's pauldrons rested a symbol with an upside down, white V with a black eagle inside it rested on top of a maroon red shield. Above the symbol stood the words Sic Semper Tyrannis while a group of words below spelled E Pluribus Unum. A banner stretched underneath the last group of words, the letters NDF could be seen spaced evenly across its surface. The warriors bearing this insignia fought like they were possessed. Their strikes fell with great speed and power, annihilating anything unlucky enough to lie in its path. Two figures stood out above the rest. One had glowing blue eyes and a beautiful sapphire armor that seemed to seamlessly flow around its body. The other looked much the same, except it looked feminine and was covered in emerald green armor with green eyes. Their armor glowed as if they were made of the very material after which their color was named. These two acted as if they lead the others around them, barking orders as quickly as the situation demanded.
The battle finally began to die down as the living tide began to recede from the warriors inside the wedge. Small, black shapes drifted down from the sky as those from the victorious group broke away and headed towards them. The two figures with shining armor were the last to leave, but as they finally reached the limit of the Traveler's vision the sapphire one turned and stared straight at the spectator.
The being's voice seemed to radiate with wisdom and power as it said, "This is just the beginning."
Suddenly the Traveler was engulfed in darkness and felt as if he was falling from a great height. A small light appeared after a few moments and the Traveler felt as if were falling faster. The light grew bigger and brighter until…
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Ryan shot up off his bed with a gasp, holding his chest as the shock of the dream began to wear off.
Dream, he thought, more like a nightmare.
Ryan slowly closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. The emotions the dream elicited were pungent and their presence still caused an ache in his chest. The amount of death and the utter devastation of the land he saw astounded him.
What in the world was that whole thing about? he thought as his breathing finally returned to normal. That certainly was one heck of a nightmare, I've never seen anything like it.
A rustle of movement and a slightly worried squeak came from beside him. He turned towards it to find Samanya looking up at him questioningly.
It's alright. I just had a bad dream, that's all, he told her, trying to dispel any of her concerns. His voice did not sound as if it was convinced of its own conclusion as to the dream's origins.
Another question came from his scaled companion, this time through their link, and it seemed to ask for assurance from him.
Yes, I'm sure that I'm all right. It was just a dream, nothing to be worried about.
Samanya let out a small sigh before lying back beside him. Soon her humming of contentment filled the air as Ryan finally glanced outside to see bright sunlight outside his tent.
We must have slept longer than we thought. I wonder why Yamula hasn't woken us yet, certainly there must be a few things that have not been done to prepare for our trip to Ellesméra. Two days had passed since Eragon had returned to the Varden and ever since then Yamula had continued to persist in her attempts to annoy Ryan as much as possible. Even though her time and attention was now split between both Ryan and Eragon, she somehow managed to find enough time to make Ryan feel like she never left. She had woken him up at the crack of dawn every morning for the past two days, that she wouldn't do so today seemed odd to Ryan.
Stay here, he told Samanya, I'll go see what's going on.
Samanya barely acknowledged his words and seemed to not care about them as long as she didn't have to leave the comfort of his bed.
You lazy lizard, Ryan thought with a small smile. A small growl came from the bed in response and Ryan chuckled a bit, What? It's true Samanya, whether you like it or not. The growling stopped after a moment and Ryan took one last look at his partner of heart and mind before he left the tent and stepped into the bright, sunny day. It looked to Ryan to be an hour or so before noon as he gazed up at the clear blue sky.
He glanced to his left to make sure the ever-present elven guard was there before asking, "Do you perhaps know where Yamula might be? I thought that she would have woken me up early this morning like the past few days, yet it looks to me to be a little before noon."
The elf gave him a slight smile before answering, "She and the rest of us are with Blödhgarm ëlda and Eragon. We heard that Eragon's cousin, Roran, was having a wedding today so they went to help with the preparations."
If Ryan wasn't standing in front of the elf, he would've facepalmed, How in the world did I forget about that? Eragon, Blödhgarm, and Yamula each told me that they would be helping with the wedding and that I could sleep in.
Ryan silently berated himself for one more moment before replying, "Yes, I remember now, thank you."
"It was my pleasure, Williamsson." Ryan walked away after the elf's words, heading towards the cooking tents to fetch some food for himself and Samanya. Luckily he reached the tents right before the lunch rush came in, so he was able to enter and leave after only a few minutes. As he headed back he spotted a familiar face walking towards him. The dark brown hair and rugged yet boyish features were unmistakable.
"Hey Crane!", he yelled out, trying to be heard over the various sounds of the camp around him. The boy in question glanced around confused for a moment before spotting the source. Crane smiled at Ryan and waved before threading his way next to Ryan.
"Hello, Ryan. I see you missed breakfast this morning.", Crane said, his eyes turning to the small mountain of food the Rider was carrying. "Need some help?"
"That would be great, I'm worried that I may bump into someone and drop this stuff. Samanya gets testy when she hasn't eaten and, personally, I would rather avoid her infantile wrath.", the two boys chuckled at Ryan's comment.
"She certainly seems like a handful, but I suppose that we're all that way at some point, eh?"
"True, but it doesn't make it any less enjoyable when it happens.", Ryan replied sarcastically. "So…how have things been going lately?"
"Maria and Angus are doing alright. There's a rumor going around that we are going to be heading deeper into the Empire in a few days, so they've been reorganizing our things so that we can just pack and leave fairly quickly." Maria and Angus were the two people who had led the Varden spy ring that had been based in his village. The two had adopted Crane after they had returned to the Varden after the village's destruction. Crane sighed, "I just wish that they didn't have to destroy the place to do that though. It looks as if a tornado passed through our tent right now."
"I remember spring cleaning back at my home. During that time we would literally tear the house apart and dispose of anything we didn't need. You'd be surprised at the amount of junk one can find in their home. The stuff from my room took up a couple large bags all on their own."
"Judging by how the cleaning at our place is going…I'm not all that surprised. I'm just glad they let me go after a few hours because I don't think that I could handle doing that all day."
"I'm not entirely sure how I survived it either.", the two friend laughed and continued on their way. During their trip their conversation changed between several topics, quickly changing from one subject to the next. One moment they were talking about the rumor of the Varden moving then the next they moved on to Ryan's impending trip to Ellesméra.
"I think it will be amazing to see the elven city. I mean, no human other than Shadeslayer has set foot inside their lands for nigh on a century. I wonder what their cities even look like!", Crane said, curiosity creeping into his voice.
"I heard from Eragon that their cities are literally made from the trees around them. The things are even still living! They shape them with magic and then hollow out the amount of space they want.", Ryan said, recalling the description from the books.
"Hey, that's your tent, right?", Crane asked, pointing at a plain, tan tent with someone standing guard over it. It took a moment for Ryan to realize that the person was an elf and that it was indeed his tent.
"Yes, it is. Thanks for telling me, otherwise I think I might of just passed it."
Crane smiled and responded, "No problem." The two walked up to the tent's entrance. The elven guard giving Crane quick glance before returning to scan the crowd.
Crane stopped at the tent's entrance and Ryan turned to ask, "Come on, it's alright. I promise Samanya won't bite."
"It's not that, it's just that I do not believe that he," Crane's flickered over to the elf for a moment, "would feel very comfortable with me in there with you alone."
Ryan sighed before answering, "Don't worry about it, if anyone gets any complaints about it, it will be me. Come on, besides I need you to put down that stuff you're carrying because I kind of have my hands full."
"Oh…alright.", Crane relented. The two boys entered the tent, only to find that Samanya had yet to move an inch from where Ryan had left her.
Samanya, Ryan began, breakfast is here and I know how hungry you must be so get up. You can't sleep all day."
A yawn met his words as Samanya stretched and looked over at the boy standing next to Ryan curiously. Crane, meanwhile, looked to be frozen in place, looking as if he barely breathed while the hatchling studied him.
"Samanya, this is Crane, he's a friend.", Ryan said.
A happy squeak met his words as Samanya jumped off the bed and bounded towards the food in Crane's hands. The boy looked over questioningly at Ryan when Samanya sat excitedly next to his feet, her tail waving back and forth with the promise of food.
"Go ahead.", Ryan answered. Crane nodded and gradually began to hand scraps of meat into Samanya's ravenous jaws. The entire process took less than five minutes before the last remnant of her breakfast had disappeared down her throat. Ryan had yet to finish his meal and so he watched the two gradually interact, shyly at first because of Samanya's caution and Crane's respect for the tradition of the Riders. After a few more seconds Samanya chirped in acceptance and rubbed up against Crane's outstretched hand. The other boy seemed to marvel at the strange texture of the dragon's scales as Samanya purred under his palm. Ryan took the time to look his dragon over one another time. She was still growing at an incredibly fast pace, soon she wouldn't be able to fit in his hands or on his bed. Ryan wondered how much longer it would be before she could learn to fly. She had already mastered the art of gliding, with Saphira's assistance. Her mind also felt as if it were developing at much the same pace, their mental bond had greatly strengthened over the past few days and her messages to him had grown more complicated, with mental "sentences" replacing the original single image or feeling style that she originally had communicated to him by.
Crane's laughter brought Ryan back to reality, "She certainly is quite something, Ryan.", the boy said, still chuckling. Ryan looked over to find Crane holding out his hand, daring Samanya to be fast enough to grab it before it withdrew. She succeeded a few more times than she failed, her bites being gentle yet strong enough to hold onto Crane's hand.
That'll probably leave a few marks, Ryan thought, holding back a few chuckles at the two's antics, Samanya certainly seems to have taken to him.
Suddenly a single horn could be heard above the sounds of the camp. The Varden instantly went silent at the sound, two more loud horns sounded. The noise from outside greatly intensified from what it was before the sounds. The three inside silently glanced at each other before the elven bodyguard bolted inside the tent.
"Imperial soldiers have been spotted outside the camp! Come, Ryan! we must get you to Blödhgarm and Yamula. They can protect you!"
The two boys glanced at each other for a moment before Ryan quickly put on his belt with his sword and pistol before glancing at Crane. They both nodded simultaneously and bolted outside the tent behind the elf. Crane headed off in the direction of his own tent, while Ryan and Samanya ran after the elf in front of them.
Ryan stretched his mind out to the elf and caught a snippet of conversation, orders from Blödhgarm, …meet Shadeslayer andBjartskular at the north entrance.
I understand, came the elf's reply, what of Ryan?
Hide Samanya, then bring him with you. His proficiency in mental combat could be useful. came Blödhgarm's reply.
We shall be there. The elf turned and looked over at Ryan, Is there anyone you can leave Samanya with during the battle?
Ryan didn't respond for a moment lost in the thought that they actually expected him, To participate in the battle!
Young one? the elf asked again.
Oh… Ryan replied, I…I would trust Crane or his family to watch her while I'm gone.
Does she know where he resides?
Ryan turned to his companion and asked, his face frantic, Do you know the way to Crane's tent?
A feeling of acknowledgement met his question.
Good, I want you to head there. Crane can keep you safe while I'm gone. Ryan told Samanya.
Silence reigned from the dragon for a moment before she responded.
Ryan… a voice whispered in his mind, laced with sorrow and worry.
Ryan… the voice said one more time. Ryan was speechless at the voice. The feminine tone sounded so sad and yet it still retained the strength and wisdom that he heard when Saphira spoke.
A few tears left his eyes before he spoke once more, Please, Samanya, I cannot bear the thought of you being in danger. We both know that you cannot properly defend yourself. I beg of you… do it for my sake.
Yes… came her reply, her tone growing even more worried than it was. With one last glance, the hatchling bounded off in the direction of Crane's tent, while Ryan and the elf continued onward. Various Varden scrambled back and forth through the camp, running for weapons and armor or for their family members who were too young or old to fight. Elf and man finally pushed through the ensuing chaos and arrived at the northern entrance to the camp to find the rest of the Varden notables already there.
Nasuada was speaking, "The tide of battle may—" The horn sounded one more time, this time strong enough to cause those assembled to wince with pain from the blast. Suddenly Ryan's eyes were drawn to a patch of willow trees on the far side of the Jiet River. A sparkle of ruby red flashed from behind them and took to the sky.
Murtagh and Thorn, Ryan thought with dread, …I am so not ready for this. This certainly was not my first idea for a possible opponent. The strength of those two is greater than I could definitely handle if they decide to try and rip into me just for fun. Ryan heard a dwarf, Narheim, curse and Arya and King Orrin begin to get into an argument over strategy. The entire conversation was lost on Ryan as he stared up at the gleaming red form of Thorn in the sky.
Are you alright, Fire-Eyes? Saphira asked, breaking Ryan out of his reverie.
Ryan took a deep breath before responding, I…I'll be okay. It's just; of all the people I could've faced first, why them? I don't think that I'm going to be much help against them; their strength is just too great.
Every little bit counts, Fire-Eyes, and that little bit can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Thank you Saphira, I needed that. Ryan smiled up at the dragoness in gratitude. Suddenly another mind joined with his own. It was Samanya.
I always shall stand with you, Ryan, even unto the jaws of death itself. We are one, my Rider, never forget that. Samanya said. Her presence settled into the back of his mind, standing ready to assist when she was needed. Ryan had shared his every secret with her, his origins, his knowledge, even the storyline from the books. Her army easily rivaled his, its raw strength augmented by the tools and knowledge of modern warfare.
Ryan's expression hardened, his eyes glowed once more, Let's do this then, Samanya. Let's show Alagëasia what we can do. The minds of Rider and dragon drew even closer, their link stronger until something seemed to snap into place. Their minds fully merged, their mental armies melded into one. The full might of the modern world stood arrayed inside of them, waiting for the call to battle. Nasuada and the other commanders had given their orders and split to their separate commands leaving only Eragon, Ryan, and the elves standing with the Varden leader.
A mental cry sounded across the plains, Ah, no, help me! They won't die! Angvard take them, they won't die! As quickly as the voice came, it vanished, the fate of the man behind it leaving nothing to the imagination.
Samanya spoke, her voice dripping with rage, They shall pay for all the suffering they have caused.
Their time shall come, Samanya, their time shall come. Ryan responded, conviction strengthening his words. Their minds began to coil in preparation to either assist the elven spellcasters or to launch an assault of their own. Arya spoke a few last words to Eragon before Ryan and Samanya watched the Rider and dragon take to the sky, gaining quickly gaining altitude to match Thorn's height above the ground. Ryan felt Arya's mind stretched to the other elves one at a time, joining with his last. Ryan could faintly feel Eragon's mind at the end of the link, joined to the rest of them through Arya's mind. The combined power of the thirteen elves and a Shur'tugal was vast indeed.
Remember, Arya said, speaking to Eragon, remain as close to us as you can. The more distance you place between us, the harder it is for us to maintain this bond with you. She stopped speaking for a moment before addressing Ryan, Do not interfere unless we are in danger of losing or Murtagh attacks you first. We need to keep you a secret for as long as possible.
Very well, came the unified response asRyan and Samanya withdrew their minds from the elves. Their mental probes resting just outside the elves' consciousness's, faint enough not to be found, yet strong enough to keep tabs on the battle. Arya's mind seemed startled for a moment by the sound of the two beings acting as one. The other elves, even Yamula, shared Arya's feeling at the united consciousness that the two had created. No Rider and dragon had ever accomplished the feat this early. Arya thought about pressing the matter further for a moment before deciding that the matter at hand was far more important than trying to unravel a mystery that had decided to remain hidden.
Far above the battlefield the two Riders looked to be conversing for a moment as they circled above the battlefield. Ryan and Samanya's minds remained coiled and ready, their true potential hidden behind their barriers. They knew that a Roman army would not stand a chance against the Red Rider, so they had decided that the time had come to see if they truly could make a difference in this world overrun by war. The surrounding elves noticed the pair's peculiar behavior.
Arya spoke up, What are you doing, young ones?
We pray that you do not have to find out, the new Rider and dragon responded. Two roars split the air as the two dragons above them started towards each other, clashing in a contest of fangs and claws. The display of aerial acrobatics looked beautiful to the new Rider's collective consciousness. The graceful yet deadly movements entranced the pair, regardless of the amount of blood they shed. A memory of an airshow Ryan had seen when he was younger sprang to mind.
Saphira could be heard hissing in pain overhead, It looks as if Murtagh cut a hole in her wing. Samanya said. The two huffed in frustration as they watched the fight unfold. A spike of magic came from the elves and, as the two watched, Saphira's wing healed, fusing back into its previously seamless form. The two opponents overhead clashed again; their dragons ramming into each other as the two Riders fought with swords from their backs. The pairs fought for one more moment before separating once more. Saphira broke away for a moment as Thorn followed. The blue dragon darted into a cloud as Thorn soared underneath it, confused as to what the two were doing. Suddenly Saphira darted out of the cloud and seized Thorn's sides, raking him with her claws and teeth. A horrible screech sounded from the red dragon as Saphira tore into him. Ryan suddenly felt the elves tense. He quickly probed their consciousness's to find them assisting Eragon in a mental battle that was undoubtedly raging overhead. The elves energy slowly began to drain away in response to the Blue Rider's call. One elf fell, then another. Ryan could feel their concentration fading from the exertion. The fear of loss struck their combined consciousness.
Not today! they cried in unison, before connecting with Arya's mind and launching themselves against Murtagh and Thorn to buy Eragon and the elves some time to recover. The world when black as their mental assault began and their illusions took over…
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A massive battle took place across an imaginary plain. Eragon stood with the remaining elves as he looked astoundingly at the surrounding world. The plains were filled with soldiers and dragons bearing either blue or red colors, distinguishing themselves to be either a part of Eragon's or Murtagh's forces.
"What's going on? Why are we suddenly here?", he asked frantically.
"It appears our guest has decided to make an appearance.", Blödhgarm said, a frown set on his face as he watched the battle unfold.
"But what is this place?", Eragon continued.
"This reality is a place only a master of mental combat can accomplish. This battle represents the mental and magical struggle between the strength of ourselves and Murtagh.", Arya answered, "None of us have done this, which means that Ryan and Samanya decided to get themselves involved."
"What! No!", Eragon exclaimed.
Those two cannot handle this fight against Murtagh. His strength is too great and they lack the experience! Saphira added.
"And yet we managed to defeat one of the top elven experts in mental combat on our first try," said a deep, menacing voice behind them. The group turned to be met with a serpentine figure covered in pitch black armor, his predator-like blue eyes glowed as he stared at them.
"The figure from the test…", Blödhgarm said, his face changing to one of astonishment as he beheld the one before him.
"Identify yourself, strange one!", Yamula yelled, tensing for an attack.
"Now, Yamula, is this anyway to treat an old friend?", the figure said, smirking as it spoke. He turned to the rest of the group, "I am Reaper. I am my Commander's first and last line of defense, his tip of the spear. I have come to assist you in any way I can. My forces only await his orders to attack."
"Where is your commander?", Arya asked.
"I see you're making friends already, Reaper. I assume everything is ready to go.", said a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere at once. Suddenly a blue-lighted figure appeared next to Reaper as it awaited his response. The group studied the figure and found it to be an almost exact likeness of the Ryan that they knew.
"Sir, yes sir.", Reaper responded.
"Good," the blue figure glanced over those assembled for a moment before pointing towards the red figures on the battlefield and adding, "I want them gone, commanders. Do whatever you deem necessary to remove them."
"Sir, yes sir!", responded a chorus of voices as six other beings suddenly appeared by Reaper's side. Then the blue figure disappeared.
Reaper touched his ear and spoke into his radio, "Sierra, this is Reaper, we have been granted permission to engage. Bring our forces in, over."
"Roger that, Reaper. I look forward to ripping our enemies apart.", the voice was Samanya's, laced with anger at what had occurred.
"You'll get your chance soon enough, Reaper out." The seven strange figures stepped into a line and each studied the battlefield.
"What are you doing?" Eragon asked, "We cannot let Galbatorix learn of your existence until you are ready!"
Reaper turned at Eragon's voice, "We are certain he already knows. It is just a matter of how much he knows of us. Besides, Rider, we are not defenseless, far from it actually. Yamula already knows this fact well. The might of our people is great, young ones. Beyond even that which you could imagine, but we have judged that it would be better to display our power now, so that this suffering may end all the quicker and so that you may find no basis for distrust." Reaper turned his gaze over to Yamula and glowed with magic for a moment before asking, "Do you remember us now, elf?" Yamula looked stunned for a moment as the memories of her defeat flooded back to her.
"They are coming here… all of them?" she asked, stuttering all the while.
"All of them.", the commander answered before pulling out his rifle, which seemed to materialize out of thin air. The other commanders followed his example, drawing everything from pistols to rocket launchers.
A voice spoke through their radios, "This is Sierra, reinforcements have arrived, prepare for our arrival." Reaper screeched a challenge into the sky as several gray blurs roared a few hundred feet overhead. The shapes zipped overhead in a moment, the sound of their jet engines deafening as they passed and split overtop the battlefield, displaying a few aerial acrobatics for any who wished to see. The whirring of chopper blades could be heard from behind them as the roar of tank engines moved around them. Samanya even made her presence known with a roar of challenge as she soared overhead, her mental form fully grown and heavily armed and armored even if her physical form was not. The Alagëasians, with Yamula being the exception, stared at the metal war machines slack-jawed.
Reaper glanced to each side of him before speaking one last order, "Let's go." The seven started forward, following their forces into towards the sounds of battle below…
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Some secrets can never be hidden it seems!
R&R!