Disclaimer: You all know the drill, I don't own anything you've seen elsewhere.
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Ryan certainly had to admit that this journey felt as if would stretch on forever. Nearly two weeks had passed since he and Samanya had departed from the Varden camp accompanied by a group of Varden soldiers and Yamula and the long journey had certainly began to take its toll on the small group. The inside of their legs grew sore and raw from the long stretches of riding as Yamula pushed them from sunup to sundown each day, unfortunately for Ryan the discomfort applied double so, as his legs were unaccustomed to the abuse a horse's saddle can inflict. Even with the conditioning his arms had received while at the Varden camp, Ryan's arms felt as if they transformed into jelly due to their constant duty at his horse's reins. The others seemed to fell quite similarly to him, and almost constant griping and cursing could be heard from various individuals as they shifted wrongly in their saddle or something rubbed up against a particularly sore patch of skin. Yamula was the only one who looked unperturbed at their grueling pace, riding with a practiced grace that few could match, bouncing up and down in her saddle in rhythm with her horse's movements. Ryan almost envied her, as she had yet to receive any of the irritating maladies that the rest of them had.
Samanya had continued her explosive growth during their journey; she had even accomplished her first actual flight a few days after they had left. Her length had again doubled. Her body had streamlined to better suit her while in flight. The previously less noticeable lines of muscles grew more prominent, rippling across her lithe form. The link between her and Ryan had continued to grow and deepen, somehow allowing them to communicate even at great distances. Ryan had spoken briefly with Yamula about how they managed to do so, without any satisfactory answer being found to the oddity. Personally, Ryan was overjoyed at the fact that they could still communicate, even when he left her behind each morning to let her catch up each evening, however, they still only spoke sparingly as the energy required to maintain their connection was still quite large.
Still she was currently the only thing that was keeping Ryan sane at the moment, with her attempts at keeping his mind off things through some humor or the occasional game of riddles, which she had apparently picked up through the time she spent with Saphira, or some other form of activity to provide an escape from the routine and irritation that had become their trip. These attempts at keeping him otherwise occupied always made Ryan smile, glad to focus on something else other than his discomfort, if only for a few moments. Ryan was not surprised to find that Samanya was an expert at riddles and also at the fact that he was not very good at it. He could solve the riddles that Samanya came up with fairly easily, however, coming up with the riddles himself was another story entirely. He was slowly getting better though as he started to gain more experience at the game. When they grew bored of riddles they tried several other games Ryan remembered from his youth. Games such as Twenty Questions or even I-Spy were used to ignore the seemingly endless amount of space in front of them.
As to the trip itself, originally the plan was for the group to take the safe route back through the Boer Mountains, then sailing up the Az Ragni to Ceris and then on to Ellesméra. This route was certainly the safest, but it also was the longest. In the end, Yamula had overridden Captain Mariv's previous instructions and taken the group towards Lake Tüdosten. Her plan was to make their way towards and then past the lake along with the town of Furnost, before heading northeast and skirting the edge of the Hadarac Desert, avoiding Urû'Baen in the process. They would then follow the Hadarac's edge to the Ramr River, where they would leave the desert's border and continue north until they arrived at the edge of Du Weldenvarden and the protection of the elven nation within. The trip would certainly take much less time than making their way all the way through the Boers, however, the danger of being in the Empire for most of the journey, even if they were disguised as common folk, was not lost on Ryan and Captain Mariv. Both had argued with Yamula vehemently over the subject before she declared that her mind was made up and that they would take that path whether they liked it or not and, since Nasuada had made her the 'official' head of the group, her word was law. So, begrudgingly, they had followed her instructions, praying to their assorted deities all the while that they were not found. A few close calls had occurred already, between the many villages present in the countryside and the numerous border patrols the Empire had placed between themselves and the approaching Varden, the going was dangerous and oftentimes pure luck was the only thing that saved them from detection.
Luckily, once past Furnost the Empire's vigor and suspicion began to die down and their trip became easier. The group wisely stayed several leagues away from the 'true' beginning of the Hadarac Desert, allowing them to find adequate amounts of food and water for themselves and their horses. The sun also beat less intensely on the already hot and irate group, providing some measure of relief for all present.
Ryan had managed to speak to many of the group around him as they traveled, learning about their lives through the idle banter that plagued the expedition. Captain Mariv, he discovered, with his dark brown eyes, nearly black hair, and tall, grizzled frame, used to be a fairly high ranking captain in the Imperial army before he defected to the Varden after he refused an order to slaughter a town's inhabitants because of rumors of their support of the resistance. He was discharged from the Imperial army soon after the event and, with some assistance, eventually found his way to the Varden where he served in several engagements, from ambushes to the battle of Farthen Dûr. He was a man of few words, but when he did speak, people paid attention. He was a professional, demanding respect form those who served under him and preferred a small unit of men so that he could know each of them intimately. His leadership was tough but fair and he never demanded any under him to do something he would not do himself. Ryan had quickly grown to like the grizzled old veteran, his fatherly demeanor helping to fill some of the hole that losing his own family had left in his heart.
Ryan had even asked Yamula if she would allow him to learn swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat from Mariv, who had agreed to it earlier. Yamula had agreed without much fuss and Ryan found Mariv a much better teacher than Yamula had been. The training was still tough, but Mariv seemed to understand just how to drill the techniques into the young Rider's head and push him until Ryan knew the moves well enough that they flowed from his body without any thought on Ryan's part, all the while doing this with an ease born of hours spent training men for the battlefield. As time passed, Ryan's proficiency with Garjzla grew at a much faster pace, his movements graduating from simple dodging to quick blocks and striking combos.
Ryan often found himself sparing with two other soldiers, whose names were Burell Harkinsson and Pallin Carrelsson. The two both appeared and acted completely opposite the other, with Burell being a tall, muscular man with a knack for sarcasm and the occasional prank, and Pallin, who sported a much smaller stature and was serious and direct in his speech. Both men bickered like brothers; however, they were actually steadfast friends, both coming from the same small farming village inside the Empire. Both sported good tans and multiple callouses from their work on their respective family's farms. Pallin served as the group's main scout as his knack for stealth and the keenness of his senses allowed him to spot things others might miss. Meanwhile, Burell served as Pallin's backup, always keeping his good friend from attempting anything unduly rash and potentially suicidal. All in all, Ryan certainly felt that the trip was quite taxing but was made bearable by the company that was always a few feet away.
"…so then I thought, 'why not, it will certainly liven up this party', so then I preceded to throw one of the torches into one of the barrels of mead only for it to instantly catch fire and spill over", Burell was saying, talking about one of his more damaging pranks while he was stationed at Farthen Dûr, "then the damn stuff got all over the floor and starting alighting the other barrels. So all of the sudden the party changed from a quiet, stuck up formal gathering into a lively party with people really showing some energy as they tried to run out the nearest door."
"What happened afterwards?", Ryan asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"Well, everything remotely flammable in that room went up and it smoked out the entire building for the rest of the day. I got put on clean up duty on that room for the rest of the week and let me tell you that getting soot to come out of stone is a nightmare. I must've scrubbed the same spots ten times over just to be able to see a glimmer of the marble underneath."
"Yeah, and I remember laughing at you the entire time.", Pallin butted in with a knowing smile.
"Yeah, it certainly was not the best idea I've ever had, but what about you? I remember a certain incident where someone was found to have a pair of ladies stockings in his possession.", Burell replied with a smirk.
"I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT!", Pallin yelled at his companion, "You're the idiot who decided to go trapeezing off into the civilian areas to frolic after some infatuation of yours, then you decided to try and frame me after everyone got suspicious! I got latrine duty for a week because of that!"
"And I was laughing at you all the while.", Burell added with a chuckle.
Ryan smiled at the two as their conversation quickly degraded into another harmless argument, glancing up into the clear, midday sky all the while. He shook his head to try and clear the cobwebs from the long ride, then looked out into the distance, trying to spot any potential dangers ahead, which Yamula and Mariv did nearly constantly, however, Ryan found no harm in making sure. The horizon was clear as far as the eye could see, one empty, flat, dry plain stretching out before them. Ryan huffed in frustration at the complete melancholy of the entire journey, even if trying to dodge Imperial patrols was dangerous at least it was a departure from the normal routine. Sadly no Imperial patrols had been spotted for the past three days and they were nearly to the final village in their path before the Ramr River. Yamula had set out an hour ago to scout out the town, insisting that anyone that accompanied her would just slow her down, but she had yet to report back, which did not surprise Ryan in the slightest. Yamula never would try to contact them before she got back unless there was a problem and, personally, Ryan highly doubted that there was anything Imperial within a hundred leagues of them. Ryan turned back to the horizon, Burell and Pallin's yelling still echoing in the background, his eyes squinting as he tried to spot any small dust cloud that would mark Yamula's return. At first, Ryan saw nothing, but then he swept the horizon one more time he spotted a small brown cloud in the distance.
That must be her. Ryan thought. "Captain Mariv! I think I see her!", he yelled towards the man in question, who was riding at the head of the group.
Mariv turned back for a moment before yelling, "Burell! Pallin! shut your traps before I shut them for you!", his face red and annoyed all the while. The two men quieted in an instant. Mariv then looked over to Ryan and asked, "Now, what did you say, Rider?"
"I said that I think I see Yamula.", Ryan responded, pointing out into the direction of the dust cloud. Mariv instantly spun around and squinted towards where the Rider indicated, carefully scanning for any sign of danger.
"It looks like her all right.", Mariv finally said with certainty. "Judging by her pace I would think that she found nothing amiss."
That's good...but why can't something interesting happen occasionally? Ryan thought with disappointment. It didn't take much longer for Yamula to rejoin the group after they spotted her. Ryan trotted up towards the front, expecting Yamula to want to speak to Mariv and him about what she had found. Ryan pulled his chestnut horse up to Yamula's left with Mariv taking the right side. Yamula, who had changed her appearance to disguise herself as a human, didn't even glance at the two as they approached, instantly starting to give her report.
"The information on our maps was quite accurate. Ragmar is certainly the small trading village that we were led to believe. There's a lightly wooded area to the town's southwest and west, two gates, one on the north side and one on the south side. Small village with only a wooden palisade surrounding a small collection of huts and shops that makes up the place. I did not see any Imperial soldiers in the town, not surprising considering that this is such a remote area. Personally, I doubt that you would see any Imperials around here unless it's for taxation.", she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Good," Mariv began with a small sigh of relief, "we are beginning to run low on supplies and water. We should be able to replenish our stock there without much difficulty."
"That is what I thought as well.", Yamula replied.
Mariv stared off in thought for a moment before speaking again, "We would need to split into several small groups. It's better that way…people ask less questions."
"Then it is agreed, pick your groups and we shall head in." Mariv instantly peeled off and drifted back into the soldiers behind, quickly barking instructions as he went. Meanwhile, Ryan quickly unbuckled Garjzla and his pistol from his belt and hid them in his green army-style duffle bag, then he quickly fastened the bag to his shoulder, wary, incase someone might try to steal it. He then strapped on a fighting knife that Mariv had given him for just this occasion. Meanwhile, the others were quickly strapping on swords and hiding the various paraphernalia that marked them as members of the Varden, even if the desert traders were officially 'indifferent' or 'neutral' they certainly were not above selling out the Varden for a few crowns. They then wordlessly separated into small groups of five, each quickly moving away from the others and a couple even moving to enter the town from the other side. Mariv, Burell, Pallin, and two others joined Ryan and Yamula, making up their group as they pressed onward. The town came into few after another league or two of riding, appearing to be every bit of the small, dusty place that Yamula described. Small ramshackle huts made out of dry, old boards made up most of the settlement with the shingles that made up their roofs peeling up or simply gone in some places. The center of town looked the most lively with a few colored awnings and better kept buildings marking the marketplace. A few whispers of wind began to kick up, throwing small clumps of dust and sand into the air as they approached the southern gate.
"Halt!", cried the apparant captain of the gate's guard as his men arrayed themselves to stop their approach, "state your business here or b'gone!"
"We are but weary travelers seeking food and supplies from the market.", Mariv replied as his voice and the rest of the group played the part of tired travelers seamlessly. "We mean to cause no trouble for yourself or your town."
"What of those swords you bear?", the captain asked, pointing at the scabbards obviously attached to every horse's saddle.
"We live in troubled times, do we not?", Mariv said, his tone businesslike.
"True…very well, you may proceed, but I warn you, we have a good stockade that is always looking for more tenants if you catch my meanin'."
"Aye, we understand completely.", Mariv responded before the guards stepped aside and let them inside the settlement. Ryan was immediately struck by the utterly disgusting conditions of the town around him. Trash and refuse lined the street and lay outside of the many huts around them. Ryan had to repress the urge to gag at the smell and eventually settled for breathing as little as possible until his nose grew used to the putrid stench. The town even more worn down and destitute than Ryan had originally thought from his first glimpses of it, many people were wearing little more than rags and the windows of most of the buildings were sealed by either iron bars or wooden planks. Ryan instantly pictured many of the poorer third world countries from his world as he beheld the sight.
As they pushed closer to the marketplace at the center of town, the place took on a much more inviting aura. The buildings here were far better maintained and some attempts at decoration could be found with various faded awnings and the more colorful clothing of the inhabitants. The stench thankfully began to die down as the marketplace came into view. The closely packed ramshackle huts were replaced by the much more pleasant sight of the open air market before them. The sounds of conversation and horse's hooves felt overwhelming. Stalls selling every imaginable type of ware from bread to blankets surrounded them as Mariv led the group forward towards a group of shops selling various types of food appropriate for their journey.
Mariv turned back to the rest of them before speaking, "Burell, Pallin, take the waterskins and get them refilled; the rest of us will get the food we need. Meet back here with us when you are finished." The two soldiers nodded before dismounting and swiftly grabbing everyone's waterskins before disappearing in the direction of the town's large well, which lied in the middle of the town square. Mariv was the next to dismount, quickly grabbing Burell and Pallin's horses and tying them to a nearby post. Ryan and others followed shortly after, matching the captain's movements.
"So what's the plan?", Ryan asked.
"I'm going to head over to those food stalls and get what food I can. I need you four to keep watch over the horses, make sure they are not stolen by some cheap, local thug. Argus, Turan stay with them.", Mariv said with a serious expression. The two soldiers intently nodded in acknowledgement.
"I shall accompany you, Captain, I can be…", Yamula began before Mariv cut her off.
"No…you will only arouse suspicion if you come with me. No offense, Lady Yamula, but you are unfamiliar with our customs and would stick out easily if you tried to barter with someone.", Mariv said in a tone that brokered no argument.
"…Very well then.", Yamula relented, her brows furrowing in frustration.
"Good, stay here until I return.", Mariv added before heading off into the direction of the nearby shops. Yamula sighed before stepping around to lean on the post the horses were tied to. Ryan soon joined her as they looked out into the crowd, trying to disguise their scanning for threats as tired indifference, while the other two began to talk between themselves. They stood there silent for several minutes before Burell and Pallin returned, the group's waterskins strapped around their shoulders, who then mutely joined them by the horses.
Nothing aroused their suspicion and Ryan's mind began to wander and study the throngs of people around him, silently observing how they went about their daily lives. Everyone from the poorest beggar to the richest merchant did not escape his gaze. His mind looked at them all, trying to pass the time by guessing both their social status and profession by observation. Ryan had to admit that it certainly wasn't one of the most entertaining things he had done, but it certainly was better than trying to talk to the wall that was Yamula.
"Ryan.", Yamula suddenly whispered, her voice failing to gain a response from the Rider. "Ryan!", she said again. The Rider jumped, startled for a moment, before turning to look over at her.
"What?", he asked, annoyed.
"Do you see that group of men over there?", she asked, pointing at a group of five young men whose faces appeared far more serious than the ones around them and were taking quick glances over in their direction.
"Yeah…what about it?"
"Does something strike you as odd?", Yamula said, her tone changing to one of caution.
"I…", Ryan began before shrugging off his boredom and trying to focus on everything around him. Ryan noticed that the market had emptied considerably from what it was before, yet it was the usual time most people went to the market. Those that remained appeared normal at first glance, but as Ryan looked closer, he noticed the subtle signs of nervousness and fear on their faces, the slight twitch of an eye or the small frown that pulled at their lips. "…something's off. The people here are nervous for some reason."
"Yeah, I noticed it too," Pallin added, "the people at the well were acting unusually courteous to us when we filled our skins, at first I just shrugged it off, but, now that you mention it, it seems odd that a people renowned for their selfishness would act in such a way." The group turned as they heard footsteps, seeing Mariv trotting up to them with a couple small sacks of food in his hand.
"Something is wrong, captain.", Yamula began as Mariv started strapping the food to his saddle, "these people appear nervous and the market is oddly empty for the hour that it is."
Mariv slowly turned his head to them and spoke in a calm tone, "I saw it too. The vendors at the shops were too helpful and several people actually let me go in front of them in line with some very strange expressions on their faces."
"We need to leave…", Yamula began before several arrows suddenly whistled towards them. The group immediately dove to the ground, thinking that they were the targets; they weren't. The arrows passed over them and struck the horses behind them, dropping two instantly and causing the other three to panic as they were struck. Those three only lasted a moment longer before even more arrows flew from seemingly out of nowhere and dropped them. The group, seeing what was occurring, dove behind the corpses as they tried to grab what supplies they could reach without being hit. The streams of arrows stopped soon after, silence reigning before several battle cries rang out in front of them. The group drew their weapons as Ryan chanced a glance above their makeshift cover and spotted the group of suspicious looking figures from before charging them, disguises removed to reveal brandished swords and the leather armor underneath.
"Take the Rider, kill the rest!", a voice suddenly cried before the soldiers were upon them. Yamula quickly took down two of them, quickly blocking and redirecting the soldier's awkward blows before dispatching them with quick slashes to their necks. Mariv took another, pinning the man's blade beneath his own then elbowing the man in the face and slashing his sword to behead him. Burell and Pallin killed the other two, using their enemy's own momentum against them as they redirected their opponent's blows and stabbed through their armor, dropping them.
After dispatching the soldiers they quickly turned to where Ryan had remained crouched behind the dead horses before Mariv yelled, "We need to move!" The other five instantly rushed past Ryan towards the myriad of narrow alleys between the town's buildings as several arrows began to fly towards them.
Ryan seemed frozen in place before Mariv roughly grabbed him and with a yell of, "MOVE!", shoved him off towards the others. Turan cried out before his voice was silenced, cut short by three shafts emerging from his back. The rest of the group didn't even glance back they quickly dashed into the closest alleyway.
"Great! now what are supposed to do?", Burell complained as they ran.
"Burell! Stow your pessimistic crap before I make you!", Mariv snapped. "As to what we are going to do," Mariv began as they slowed to a stop, "we are going to find the other groups, then, Angvard willing, we are going to get out of this god-forsaken village. Do you understand me?"
"Aye, sir.", Burell muttered. Mariv then glanced at the rest of his group. His eyes fell on Ryan, who was leaning, in shock, against a nearby wall.
Mariv quickly walked over to the Rider and violently shook him, "Snap out of it, boy! I don't have time to deal with you having a mental breakdown, so get your arse in gear before I shove my boot up it!" Ryan weakly nodded his head before Mariv relented.
"We must procure replacement horses, otherwise we will have no chance of escaping the Imperial forces.", Yamula said in a matter-of-fact tone. Her body showed no semblance of emotion, only indifference. Ryan stared at the elf as she and Mariv began to discuss what needed to be done.
How can she do it? How can she see a man sliced open, slowly breathing his last breaths without even flinching? Has she just seen that much death or is she just that heartless? Or am I just that weak? Ryan mused, his thoughts displaying the conflict and doubts that his body tried to conceal.
"I am not leaving my men!", Mariv suddenly yelled, snapping Ryan's attention back to the present.
"We may not have a choice in the matter, captain. Your men are most likely all dead by now. Ryan is the priority and I will get him out, with…or without your assistance.", Yamula responded with annoyance.
"Those are my people out there! People who have families, mothers and fathers, children! You are telling me to abandon the very people for whom I am responsible! You are a fool, elf, an arrogant, prideful fool!", Mariv yelled, his face red with rage.
"Very well then…you have left me no choice," Yamula said before she started to mouth a spell under her breath. Her words never left her mind before a fist collided with her face, the blow catching her off guard and knocking her to the ground. Yamula instantly looked up, expecting to see that one of the other soldiers had grown enough courage to strike her, but she did not find what she expected. Ryan stood above her, his face one of pure primal anger, his irises burning a brilliant blue and his fists readied for a fight.
"No, Yamula, you leave me no choice. I will not leave men here to die just because you deem them expendable and weak. I will not have their lives resting on my conscience and if you don't like it, you can go to hell.", Ryan said forcefully, his tone resonating with rage and contempt.
"My duty is to get you to Ellesméra safe, and I will do that, regardless of your petty feelings!", Yamula retorted in anger.
Ryan sighed before kneeling next to her and speaking in a soft tone that only she could hear, "For one that is so knowledgeable and wise, you are quite the fool. You sacrifice lives as if they have no meaning, no significance. What's the point in fighting, Yamula? What is the purpose behind such things if you only become the very thing you struggle to destroy? The Empire gladly throws away lives in much the same way as you are doing now, so what does that make you, hmm?", Ryan's voice rose and continued with an even sharper edge to his voice, "The ends do not justify the means, elf, and I will not allow be convinced otherwise, so either help us or leave us!". Yamula seemed to think for a moment before grunting in acceptance and angrily picking herself off the ground. The other humans in the group stared slack jawed at the Rider, not believing that he had just disrespected and criticized an elf in such a way and gotten away with it. Mariv regained his composure first.
"We must move on, the longer we wait, the tighter the Empire's grip becomes.", Mariv said before darting back into a run, instantly the group started after him, darting through the narrowly alleys and occasionally stopping to listen for any pursuers.
"Where exactly are we going?", Burell asked.
"The north gate, that is where I told the group leaders to assemble if we were discovered, with luck they all wait there for us.", Mariv replied. Burell nodded in response before falling silent. The group continued onward bypassing Imperial soldiers when possible and dispatching them when not. It didn't take them long to arrive at the north gate. They paused for a moment upon arrival as Pallin crept forward to peek around the corner of the alley they were in to check for danger. Pallin turned back to them soon after.
"It looks like a couple of us made it. I saw three of us by the gate, looks like they had a tough fight, judging by the bodies that were laying everywhere.", Pallin said anxiously.
"Well let's join up with them and see what's gone on.", Mariv said, creeping forward. The group followed cautiously, constantly scanning for any sign of danger. Ryan looked over to where the three other Varden stood, their backs turned towards them as they collected anything useful that they could find for their journey. Ryan then noticed that, among the many bodies of dead Imperials, there were several others that wore civilian clothing.
Nothing we can do. Ryan sadly thought. He then quietly started counting the bodies, trying to see if there were any other survivors unaccounted for. Eleven, Twelve, he slowly counted, wait…thirteen, fourteen, fifteen…what the? Ryan jerked his head upwards as he started to shout a warning.
His warning fell on deaf ears as the three warriors turned, one of them instantly killing Argus, who had approached to speak with them, with a single thrust to the heart. The newcomers threw back their cloaks, revealing them to be covered in excellent quality leather armor bearing the symbol of the Empire, but that was not what caught Ryan's attention the most. What really grabbed his attention was the symbol of two crossed knives with a snarling dragon's head that lay right above where their heart would be…the symbol of Andlát Datia.
"Did you really think you could escape so easily, Rider?", one of the Imperials began, appearing to be the leader, "Hahaha!well, Shade did say that this would be an easy assignment and I certainly have found nothing that would contradict his words. Now…", the man point his sword at Ryan, "would you like to come quietly or will you force us to kill your companions and take you anyway?" Ryan gritted his teeth in anger.
"Never!", he snapped.
The man smiled and shook his head disdainfully before adding, "Why do they always choose the hard way?" The three men then sprung forward, catching the group off guard at their speed. One went for Yamula, who quickly countered and began to duel with the man. Another attacked Burell, Pallin, and Mariv who barely held him off even with three against one. The leader headed straight for Ryan, who quickly dove out of the way of the man's strike. The man was fast…unnaturally fast as he quickly recovered and lashed out at Ryan once more, who barely registered the strike in time to block it with his knife. The man continued his assault relentlessly, continually forcing Ryan back while trying to cause an opening in order to disable the Rider. Ryan desperately tried to assault the man's mind, but where the man's consciousness should be, there was nothing, a black void cloaked the man's mind as he fought.
What the heck! Ryan thought as he barely dodged another strike to his shoulder. Another blow came, Ryan instantly brought up his knife and deflected it with the flat of the blade as he glanced to the others. Burell and Mariv still fought one of the men, with Pallin lying on the ground nearby with a small gash on his cheek. Ryan quickly stretched out his mind towards the man, finding him to only be unconscious. Yamula also continued to fight her own opponent in a battle that was proving far more evenly matched than the others. The elf's strength and experience matched by the strange man's.
This is odd. Ryan thought as he jumped back to avoid another slash. How can they be this fast? No ordinary human can match the strength of an elf without magical augmentation of some sort. Ryan's musing was brought to an abrupt end as his opponent's sword suddenly slipped through his guard and cut into his right arm, the knife falling from his grasp as his damaged muscles rebelled against him. Instantly the man followed his success with a vicious left hook, spinning the Rider around, before bringing his sword back down on Ryan's left leg in a classic hamstringing maneuver. Ryan crashed to the ground as his leg refused to support his weight, a cry escaping his lips as he fell. The man kicked Ryan over onto his back, his smile growing wider by the second.
"Pathetic," he said with disdain, "I don't know why all the weaklings are chosen as Riders, while the strong are left to bemoan their fate. Luckily for you King Galbatorix explicitly ordered for us to bring you and your dragon to him alive, otherwise I would find great pleasure in ending your…" The man was cut off as another slammed into him, forcing him to the ground. Ryan glanced at his savior only to find Captain Mariv standing above him, a snarl painted on his face.
"Not while I still live dog!", Mariv yelled.
"As you wish.", the man calmly replied before beginning his assault.
Ryan quickly took advantage of the distraction as he stretched his mind out to his partner of heart and mind and shouted with all his remaining strength, "Samanya!"
"Ryan!", came a quick response as the connection faded, the Rider's strength fading as exhaustion began to overwhelm him. Ryan wearily turned his head to where Mariv stood as he was forced back by the speed and strength of the Imperial's blows. Beads of sweat attested to the amount of effort it took the Varden captain to hold off the man as he shifted and blocked as fast as he could, his opponent leaving him no chance to retaliate. The duel continued for a couple more seconds as Mariv's moments began to slow while his opponent's strikes continued with the same intensity.
It's only a matter of time… Ryan thought helplessly, glancing around to find Yamula's opponent dead and Yamula herself assisting Burell, who looked to be about as tired as Mariv. Ryan turned his attention back to Mariv, only to watch as the Imperial broke the captain's guard and cut into his sword hand. Mariv wordlessly fell to his knees, sword falling from his grip, then glanced forlornly upward just soon enough to see the final strike that ended his life, which instantly beheaded him.
The world started to swirl around him as the world began to fade out of focus. Ryan's head fell back to the ground, hopelessness permeating through his thoughts. An unnatural calm consumed him as the Mariv's killer approached him.
"Well, now that that little annoyance is dealt with, I can…", the man started to say, but then his voice faded out of Ryan's awareness.
Sadness and peace ruled his mind, blocking out anything outside. Ryan felt nothing. A black void consumed him as he drifted aimlessly in a state of bliss, momentarily content with the illusion around him. Then a small feeling returned to him, Ryan listened to his heartbeat as it began to calm.
Suddenly a massive blue orb exploded into being before him, instantly snapping the Rider back to awareness. Ryan's head shot up to find Mariv's killer walking towards him, sword drawn. A primal rage began to consume Ryan as he felt the blue ball surround his consciousness. Ryan touched it and a massive river of energy flowed forth from it, strength instantly filling his weary muscles. Ryan felt the power consume him, felt his consciousness fade away and be replaced by something else…something that felt primal and was so alien yet somehow felt so familiar, like it was an integral part of his being. The energy burned through his veins as he…
No, it was not him who was in control Ryan thought. Ryan sensed his wounds as they disappeared, healed by the massive store of magic that lay at this being's…this instinct's fingertips. Ryan's vision changed from the normal spectrum and morphed to an odd visage of various shades and types of blue auras, except for the people surrounding him, who were surrounded by the red and black of war. Ryan watched as the instinct possessing him followed a familiar aura and stretched out his hand towards it and watched as Garjzla came flying towards him. His body instantly moved to the side and snatched the sword from the air, effortlessly removing it from its scabbard with a grace that Ryan had never before accomplished.
The world then faded back to normal as his body charged towards the Imperial before him. The man started to smile as he approached, but it quickly turned into a scowl as Ryan's sword met his own…and steadily drove it backward. The man quickly twirled away and attempted to strike Ryan. Ryan, however, effortlessly blocked it, pushing the blade to the side as he removed his right hand and, almost faster than Ryan could see, threw a wicked hook into the man's cheek. Ryan felt the bones under his fist crack and give way before his fist. The Imperial staggered back, his nose beginning to bleed as he tried to shake off the effects of the blow.
"I see you still have…", he tried to say before he was instantly interrupted by another strike from Ryan. He barely blocked the blow before he saw one of the Rider's hand leave his sword and the man's own. With cobra-like speed the instinct twisted the man's sword to the side before untangling Garjzla and bringing it down on the man's hands, instantly separating them from their body.
The man stared down at his now missing hands for a moment in shock before looking up one last time. His last sight being of the blue glow of Ryan's eyes before he knew no more…
Ryan finally felt the instinct die down as it slowly relinquished control back to him. He bent over to pick up a small bag that had fallen from the man's back. He stood back up straight for a moment as he stared at the bag, which contained some fairly large, round object. He quickly turned his gaze over to Burell and Yamula, only to find their opponent already dead. A massive wave of fatigue abruptly flowed over him, obscuring his thoughts.
"Ryan!", a voice suddenly yelled in panic, feeling oddly familiar even in the Rider's groggy state.
"Ryan!", it said again, feeling much the same as before. Ryan felt his knees buckle underneath him as he toppled to the ground.
"Ryan.", came a final cry, this one full of love and concern. Ryan finally hit the ground as a shadow passed over him, then he knew no more…
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Shade stood silently by some distance away as he observed the sight before him. He had not expected the Rider and his companions to overcome his men, and he had certainly not expected the young Rider to possess enough skill and power to kill one of them on his own.
Perhaps this may turn out to be interesting after all. Shade thought before retreating back into the dark alleyways behind him, smiling as he contemplated the chance of actually facing a challenge in his mission…
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Man! over seven thousand words, I think I need to calm down a bit! I just couldn't find a good place to stop so...here you go. I hope you all enjoy it!
R&R!