Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, 18 credit hours along with Forensics doesn't provide nearly as much time to write as I would like, however, I did tell you all that I will finish this story, even if it kills me (which it might, haha). Anyway, thank the Lord for Thanksgiving break and a good dose of inspiration!

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The Original couldn't remember how long it had been since the Hunter had rebelled against him. The takeover had been quick, bloodless, and easy. He had never seen it coming. He never even thought it possible for one side of him to rebel in such a way. Regardless of his previous feelings, however, it happened and now he was locked inside his own mind.

At first he spent his time exploring his surroundings, trying to find some way to escape, however, his efforts proved fruitless. The white chains that held him down remained impregnable and the magical walls around him offered no hope of escape. The Original didn't spend all his time brooding over his situation, however, with so much time on his hands and nothing else to do, His thoughts drifted to his situation in the outside world. Even though he had given freedom to Nasuada as his reason for fighting in the war, he had never truly thought through his predicament and his reasons for doing what he did. Was his involvement truly necessary? Was the suffering of Samanya and himself truly worth it, especially since he knew that things would turn out right in the end? How much more trouble would their interference cause, since he had already managed to destroy the one hope that Eragon and the Varden had?

He didn't have the power to stop Galbatorix, not on his own, and he knew it. With the Eldunarí either in captivity or taken by some unknown group, his options, and hope, grew thin. For once in his time here, he didn't know what to do. He had always had a plan, always an objective, a target, now he had nothing. He was alone, utterly alone, with nothing but his raging thoughts to listen to. He wondered if this was how Vasir had felt while he has been isolated inside the "void" world.

One thing, however, pierced through his prison walls after what felt like an eternity. At first the Original thought them to be hallucinations brought on by the total isolation, however, as they occurred more and more often, Ryan realized that they weren't just a figment of his imagination. They were whispers that came and went like gentle puffs of the wind, drifting through the walls like ghosts. Now, the two voices spoke nearly constantly, speaking in both common and some language that Ryan couldn't understand. The sound was gentle at times, singing a mournful melody that Ryan couldn't help but hum along to. At other times it chanted something, ancient poems and stories of times long gone, which the Original listened to in appreciative silence. But it was the words he could understand that stole his attention.

"What is worth fighting for? A line in the sand? A flag? A man? How much blood are you willing to shed in order to reach your goal?", they asked.

"I…I don't know.", Ryan sighed.

"What is your goal?"

"I don't know!", Ryan yelled in frustration.

"Then what are you fighting for? What is truly worth the sacrifice of so much?" Ryan remained silent as he thought the question through. He could've given so many reasons: returning home, restoring peace, allowing Samanya to live a free and happy life…all were valid reasons, but for some reason they didn't satisfy Ryan. The puzzle irritated him, he knew he had to fight but for what reason? "…Why did you fight?", he asked.

"We fought for something that doesn't change with the passage of time. We fought for something that all life can recognize and appreciate. What does that mean to you?" The answer confused the Original for a bit, as it lost itself in thought over the voices' choice of words. He kept thinking over his answer, even when his thoughts became his voice.

"Something unchanging, something universal…", the Original paused for a moment in contemplation before raising his eyes in answer, "an ideal."

"Correct,", the voices answered, "freedom, justice, truth, all of these and more are buried inside the hearts of life. Society thrives on their foundation and without them one cannot long stand. It is for these that we once fought…and once died." Ryan stared into the black void around him.

"And what led you to fight for them? Why fight at all?", he asked. The voice sighed in aged weariness.

"We needed a purpose.", the two voices softened, "Without one we were lost…aimless and with such power that was bestowed on us…that was dangerous."

"Then what kept you going? Why come back to save a land that left you to die, when you could have simply said that you did your job and drift away?", the voice went silent for the first time in what had seemed to be ages.

"Why indeed? Why intercede to correct a mistake freely made? We ask you this, were we to leave a mistake made in ignorance? Were we to ignore an evil that uses our legacy to create that which we once swore to destroy?"

"Then why not use one of your own?!", Ryan yelled, long-buried feelings of frustration and loss rising to the surface, "Why take me away?! Why not preserve one of your own, one who's trained and prepared for this?!" Silence reigned. One minute…two…three, it still remained.

"Because we were dead…the spell required it.", sadness consumed the voices, "Our Eldunarí…our very life and essence was tethered to its success.", the voices choked for a moment, "It took everything we had to make it successful and those who survived the spell's effects were…empty…hollow, incapable of magic and vulnerable to the world at large. They could not have succeeded with this task. A new life was needed, a new body, new mind, and, most importantly, a new Eldunarí. With our death our options were limited, we needed someone…", even without its presence, Ryan could feel the voice's gaze boring into him as it broke the chains around him, "and you were all we had left…Reclaimer."

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Weeks had passed since Ryan and Samanya had left Vroengard for the towering spires of Urû'baen. The weeks had passed quickly, racing by in lieu of the intensive training regimen Vasir had put them through. It certainly hadn't helped his mood to find a few days later that the Original had somehow escaped its bonds and now roamed free within his mind. To make it all worse was the fact that, since the Original was, well, the original, it made finding him practically impossible.

On the other hand Ryan and Samanya had learned much during their time preparing for their attempt at infiltrating Urû'baen…

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"What is the first thing I must learn, Master?", Ryan asked Vasir as Samanya worked on her explosive fire ball nearby.

"The first and most important lesson you must master is how to properly use and manipulate your armor.", Vasir answered.

"My armor?", Ryan replied, wondering what exactly the elder Neomorph meant.

"A Neomorph's armor is his most important tool and trusted friend. The armor is much more than what appears on the surface. The armor is made of primarily of brightsteel…"

"Brightsteel?", Ryan asked, incredulous, "You mean my armor is made of the same metal as a Rider's sword?"

"Yes," Vasir started to explain, "brightsteel is primarily what makes up a Neomorph's armor, however, it is slightly different than the brightsteel you know. The metal, in reality, is much like a symbiotic organism. The difference is that, instead of feeding off a Neomorphs body, it feeds off the magical Eldunarí that each Neomorph possesses, which gives the metal many properties that the sword brightsteel does not. For example, the metal is capable of softening or hardening on command. It is also capable of configuring itself to match any sort of look and armor configuration that the host desires with the only limit being the amount of brightsteel one wears, which, even then, grows over time. In addition, the metal is much more resistant to magic than that of any other metal. It is also capable of being magically formed into bows, swords, or whatever the host desires, which creates some of the most deadly weapons in existence. It can even change colors if the user so desires. The armor's biggest weakness, however, are the very same weapons that it can create."

"Then where did the Rider's brightsteel come from, considering that there were no Neomorphs in Alagëasia during the Purge and since the source was supposedly a meteorite?", Ryan asked.

"Most likely some of the orbital debris or satellites whose orbit decayed to the point where it fell back into the atmosphere. We often made much of our installations out of brightsteel considering how abundant it was and how easy it was to shape into whatever form was required. The metal was even more useful when magic influenced the metal's properties; strength, conductivity, malleability, all of it could be changed to fit the builder's desires. It is an amazing material really, and much of our quick advancement was due to this metal as we used it in practically everything, from ships to buildings."

"So what am I to do?"

"Stretch your magic to your armor, let it absorb the energy," Ryan did so, "now, feel the armor as it responds to your touch," Ryan could feel the armor as it answered his summons, awakening as if from hibernation, "now imagine the look you wish for your armor to take…then order it to change and harden to fit that image," a simple mental command was all that Ryan gave before he felt the armor respond, the metal contracted and hardened, reshaping itself as metallic clicks softly accompanied the action, "now look at yourself and enjoy your handywork."

As Ryan gazed at himself to find his appearance changed, he marveled at the way such a simple command had changed his appearance. Several of the metal plates had disappeared, revealing the small navy blue scales underneath, while others in more vulnerable areas had grown and thickened, such as around his shoulders, forearms, legs, chest and head. The segmenting of the plates was far more pronounced and although Ryan felt that the metal was far less pliable, the spaces in between plates still granted him a flexibility that was second to none. The metal remained light, astonishingly light in fact, Ryan couldn't be more satisfied with the results.

"So…what's next?", Ryan asked with a fanged smile...

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Although Vasir passed on many other tricks and skills during their time training, the elder Neomorph didn't know everything, especially when it came to Samanya. It was understandable considering how Samanya was a Reona and how Vasir had very little experience dealing with them. He did, however, teach what he could and that was no small amount. Magical explosives, infiltration, magical defense and offence, ranged combat, concealing one's mind from detection, all of it was covered. Ryan also memorized what few maps and diagrams that they had of the city. Then, finally, Vasir deemed them ready, or as ready as they could be in the small window of time they had. So when the day finally came, both Sundavar and Reona knew the odds were stacked against them, even with what they had learned. They spoke little as they prepared to leave and waited for nightfall.

Getting into the city, Ryan had discovered, was not terribly difficult. Between the nearly hourly influx of refugees and departure of military convoys, traffic made thorough inspection of every cart and container impossible. Ryan had already entered the city through this means before, several times actually, so he could scout for a means of entry into the castle. The castle, unlike the city, was much more difficult to enter. The walls surrounding the structure made climbing difficult since they offered no lip for a grappling hook or climbing apparatus and the regular guard patrols meant such a climb had to be made quickly and quietly. Getting through the gates was also not an option; all traffic in and out of the place was military, small, and, worst of all, every man and piece of cargo was meticulously searched by both soldiers and magicians. The only remaining option was to reattempt entry through the very same tunnel that had been used to steal Saphira's egg before. Ryan had originally assumed that the tunnel was sealed to prevent another occurrence of that night's events. Upon inspection, however, Ryan not only found the tunnel still there, but the structure was also still intact…at least as far as he could tell. It was fairly difficult to find out, considering the multitude of guards and, what he called, "alarm" wards. There was one chance to find out, which came during the shift change that occurred every six hours. Midnight was the best time for obvious reasons. Between the pitch-black shade of his armor along with the physical exhaustion and poor eyesight of the guards, infiltration would be easiest then.

Once in the plan was simple, get into Galbatorix's treasury, steal what he could, destroy what he couldn't, and get clear before the charges blew. The charges weren't much to begin with, consisting of a couple dozen pearls, which he had stolen off some traveling merchants during his training, the size of small marbles and supercharged with as much magical energy as Ryan could stuff into them. A makeshift fuse was crafted into them using a heating spell that would activate upon command, gradually heating up the pearls until their structure became unstable enough that the magical energy would escape…explosively.

The last, and hardest, part was getting out. Ryan would undoubtedly have to deal with several guards to enter the treasury and during his exit, which would certainly alert those within the castle that something was wrong and bring the entire Imperial army on his head. At that point Ryan had two options, escape back through the tunnel with soldiers coming at him from both front and back or get Samanya to pick him up somewhere inside the city. Ryan was more inclined to go with the first option, considering how difficult and dangerous it would be for Samanya to pick him up at the castle, not to mention how obvious a dragon's presence would be. So hopefully all Ryan would need were his weapons, skill, and his whole lifetime supply of luck to pull this off…

"Just another day in the office.", Vasir rumbled as Ryan lay overlooking the tunnel's entrance, which sat a few hundred yards away from the city's walls and hidden inside a rocky outcropping. The outcropping itself was well guarded and separated into two levels. The first contained the majority of the guards and fortifications; wooden stakes, alarm wards, and the like. The second level contained the archer and lookout posts, along with a small stash of food and supplies for the guards while on duty. The trick was getting through the door while soldiers shuffled in and out during the shift change, which was due to begin any minute now, otherwise, at best, he'd have to try again the next night, at worst…

Ryan shrugged off the feeling, thinking of what might be would only distract and discourage him and he needed every bit of concentration and nerve to pull this off. He watched the guards as they completed yet another patrol cycle, readjusting the estimate of the time he had to get to the door as their movement quickened slightly from anticipation of relief. One minute…two, then three metallic clangs came from the tunnel's entrance. One could hear the sighs of relief from the soldiers.

"Alright! Open her up!", ordered the guard captain, a strict but fair man from what Ryan had observed. Two of the soldiers jogged up to the metal reinforced door before one used this side's knocker twice, which, from what Ryan had seen, completed the deactivation of the wards around the door, with the opposite being done to reactivate them. The second then slowly opened the door as it creaked on its hinges. Ryan started moving.

First he climbed up the nearest wooden stake and started leaping from stake to stake as silently as he could, since no one had apparently thought to ward against such a thing. After all, who could jump from stake to stake, at night, and not either touch the ground or alert the guards? Unfortunately for them, Ryan could…somewhat. With magic not being an option due to detection wards placed in the area, he had to go with only his natural ability that, although good, was not infallible.

"Anything to report?", Ryan heard as he just passed the halfway point to the second level.

"Nothing since that hellish screeching an hour ago Commander.", the captain replied as his men formed up behind him. The man he was speaking to commanded the guard detachments for the tunnel and thus was probably going to be dead in the morning…after all, the king hated failure, especially of the magnitude Ryan was seeking to pull off. The captain glanced at his men, some of whom were still noticeably glancing over their shoulders in nervousness. "Some the new bloods are still a bit unsettled, sir."

"And no one has seen anything unusual?"

"No, sir. We haven't seen anything.", the commander grunted in acceptance as Ryan reached the second level, watching as the new batch of guards dragged food, water, and other supplies to restock the post's stash before taking their positions.

"Get your men back inside, Captain, a couple tankards of beer will do them good.", Ryan started crawling slowly towards the entrance, careful to stay out of the guards' torchlight.

"Thank you sir.", the captain nodded before addressing his men, "Alright you sods! get your tails inside!" Ryan crawled within a few feet of the entrance, hidden behind a few weathered rocks.

"SIR YES SIR!", the soldiers yelled with enthusiasm before breaking ranks and heading in. Ryan waited as the men passed his hiding place. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for the last man to enter the tunnel.

Three…two…one…the door started to close…

Ryan dashed for the entrance as quickly, and silently, as he could. Just barely enough space was left in the doorway as Ryan dived towards the opening. Fortunately, there was just enough for the Neomorph to squeeze through before rolling to his feet and hugging the wall, head darting from right to left to make sure he hadn't been detected…

A huge mental sigh of relief answered the tranquil silence of success. Ryan only spent a moment reveling in his triumph before stalking his way forward, trying to catch up to the guard group he had entered with so he could bypass the wards on the other door.

Catching up with them was easy, keeping up while not being detected was much harder. The tunnels were laced with debris and puddles that could give away his position; in addition he had to stay out of the light provided by the soldiers torches, so an alert mind was key. Ryan listened to each step the ones in from of him made, straining to hear a puddle's splash or a kicked rock over the clinking of the soldier's equipment. Ryan breathed a small sigh of relief once they reached the end while still preparing himself to spring through the doorway. The guard captain was the first to approach the doorknocker, with three loud clangs echoing down the tunnel in response to his touch. A few seconds passed before two more answered and the door slid open.

Ryan barely dared to breathe as the soldiers slowly filed out into the courtyard beyond. He stalked quietly behind the final soldier in line, hovering barely three feet from his back as they came closer. Three left…two…as the last man finally stepped outside Ryan made his move. He quietly dashed outside where two torches shone on either side of the doorway, the light shimmering off of his pitch black armor. He hugged the wall to his right before darting behind several crates of supplies that lay further on. A quick glance at his surroundings confirmed that he hadn't attracted any unwanted attention with the guards to busy checking over the returning group to notice him. The area around him provided little cover while the courtyard along held a few dozen guards with another dozen archers posted on the walls around him. Ryan took a few moments to settle his breath, once he had committed to getting to one of the keep's doors, there was no going back. One more glance found the guards still distracted, now was his best chance. Ba Bump! Ba Bump! Ba Bump! Ryan's heart raced as he picked his door and waited one last second to move.

Ryan ran, his pulse and breathing climbing in response to his effort. He dashed from shadow to shadow, avoiding the torchlight that dotted the courtyard. Ten yards…five…Ryan slowed as he readied to open the door to dash through…

Only for the door to creak open on its own. The open space revealed a young man dressed in leather Imperial armor, sword holstered and round shield lowered. The man's eyes could barely widen before the wraith of the night caught him. Ryan's reaction was instant and thoughtless. One hand grabbed the pommel of the man's sword, preventing him from drawing it. Another hand grabbed the man's shoulder and pushed him backwards out of the doorway. A foot stretched out, grabbing the door with its toes and slamming the door shut. Finally, Ryan's head jerked forwards, where his fangs met the man's neck, silencing the man's attempt to scream in a gurgle of blood as they hit the ground. A twitch of a struggle was all that the man could offer before going silent. Ryan's teeth remained while the Neomorph quietly grabbed the body and made his way to his feet.

"Hide the body quickly! Someone is sure to investigate the sound of the door!", Vasir urged as Ryan looked for any options. His answer came with a slightly opened doorway a few yards away to his left, revealing some sort of storage closet, and better yet the door had a lock and the key already rested inside the doorway. A split second of listening confirmed that no one stood inside. Blessing his luck and cursing the fact that he couldn't use his mind to sense where the guards stood because of the danger, he quickly dragged the body into the closet, keeping his teeth lodged in the man's neck to prevent any blood from flowing onto the floor. Another few seconds saw the body laid in the closet, the door locked, the key taken and hidden to prevent premature discovery, and a quick dash down a adjoined hallway. Not a second too soon either, as Ryan heard the door open once more as he reached the end of the hall and left the sounds behind.

Ryan's jaw clacked in satisfaction. He had done it. He had gotten inside and had his first kill, his blood reveled in the accomplishment. He could feel the blood as it ran and dried around his lips. He felt satisfaction at the intimidating look it would give him. He tasted the coppery tang of the portion that coated his teeth as he swallowed.

Something strange happened though…Ryan didn't feel any objection from within him, his human half was silent…that stunned him. Even with its imprisonment, the deposed mind let its opinions be felt, that it wouldn't do so now confused the Hunter. Had it given up on its efforts?

A feeling of calm acceptance accompanied the thought. "It was necessary.", came the answer. A brief second of confusion responded to the voice before its presence disappeared entirely, leaving the Hunter alone once more. The confusion lasted a moment more before he shook it off. He needed to focus, any other concern could wait for when he was safe once again.

Ryan continued on, guided by Vasir's direction. From what the elder Neomorph had told him, Galbatorix's treasure room lied in a massive chamber underneath the keep, with the only entrance being guarded by the Red Guard and a few mages from Andlát Datia. An attempt at entry would likely end with a physical confrontation, even Vasir acknowledged that, but hopefully he would be able to whittle down their numbers somewhat before they noticed his presence. He had a few close calls already with passing patrols, but he easily remained undetected by hiding inside the many rooms and crevices that lined the keep's walls. The trip remained uneventful otherwise and Ryan soon found himself at the doorway that led to the treasury's entrance. Drawing a few deep breaths to calm himself first, Ryan slowly stalked towards the door, ears straining to hear the slightest sounds in the dark, torch lit hallways. A second of hesitation followed before Ryan opened the door and peeked through the crack, expecting soldiers to attack him at any moment, however, nothing could've prepared him for what he found behind that door…

What he found was the blood and bodies of the treasury's guards…all of them scattered around the torch lit chamber. Ryan's eyes instantly went wide as they scanned the room for any threats. He found none. A soft click came from Ryan's back as he drew his crossbow, the previously two handed weapon easily manipulated by Ryan's new strength, and placed his sword in the other hand. The door creaked softly as he opened it. Ryan crept into the room, eyes, ears, and nose straining to pick up the slightest trace of a threat. The door closed the same way it had opened as Ryan continued towards the treasury door at the far end of the room. What disturbed Ryan the most was not the bodies, but the complete lack of anything that could help identify the attackers.

"Just like Kuthian.", Vasir whispered. A small huff was his only reply. Caution replaced the assured movements from earlier, confidence replaced by uncertainty and, although the Hunter was loathe to admit it, fear. After all, anything that could slaughter so many of the Empire's best without leaving a shred of evidence could most likely end him before he even realized its presence. The Hunter could feel the Original tap into his thoughts, observing everything that Ryan felt, heard, saw, and smelled. He let the Original be, after all, two sets of eyes were better than one. Unease met the Hunter's fear as the Original spoke.

"We are being watched.", it said. Ryan's guard instantly rose, scanning for the source of the discomfort. He still found nothing. The Hunter huffed at the false alarm.

"What makes you think that?", he asked dismissively.

"Aren't you supposed to use your instincts? I mean, aren't you supposed to be the one who knows them the best? Listen to them, you'll feel it.", the Original replied.

With a sigh of resignation the Hunter did so, calming his mind and letting him body and training tune his senses. He could feel the cause of unease…the heaviness in the air…the blood that masked all but the strongest scent…the darting shadows that danced about the torches light, providing easy places to hide…even the wild magic around him seemed to tense, coiling like a cobra about to strike. It only caused him more unease.

"Why help me?", the Hunter asked. He could feel the Original's stare boring into him as it replied.

"We have a job to do, and I will not have anything jeopardize it, not even you.", the Ryan's jaw clicked in acceptance of the answer and, for once, both sides of one mind found themselves in agreement. Their strength combined into one…they became whole once more.

"You are learning.", it was Vasir who spoke approvingly before both the Hunter and Original silenced him and returned to their vigil. Finally Ryan's back touched the surface of the treasury door. He cautiously glanced around one last time before scanning for a way to open the door. To his astonishment, and dread, he found the door's wards stripped away. The treasury lay open to him. Ryan opened the door, holstering his crossbow while still holding his sword…

What he found was everything he hoped there was, dozens of glistening orbs shimmered in a magical light sustained by their essence. For the first time that night, Ryan smiled. The Hunter reveled in the draconic minds that saturated the massive chamber that stretched nearly twenty feet above his head. The orbs layed on glass shelves warded against breakage and thievery. Gold, scrolls, and jewelry of every description lay wherever the shimmering orbs did not with scarlet carpets lining the edge of the room and running through the middle of the isles. He could even see dozens of Rider's swords laying in glass display cases at the end of the room. His eyes drew his body to them, careful not to trigger the wards that protected the cases, as they took in the variety of colors and forms that they took, only for the Original's voice to snap him out of his stupor.

"Something's wrong.", it said.

"What?!", the Hunter snapped in irritation.

"The eggs…they're not here."

"What?!", alarm answered this time as the Hunter checked the Original's statement.

It was true. He could not feel the young emptiness of an unborn dragon. The eggs were gone. A roar of anger began to rip from his throat before the Original silenced it. The anger still simmered, however, at least until Vasir spoke up once more.

"That is incorrect youngling, one egg still remains. It lies on the second shelf on your right, third row, with an emerald color.", Ryan head instantly jerked to the spot Vasir indicated, finding what the elder said to be true. A short trot later found him standing in front of the egg as he examined the presence within. It was a male and, if his supposition was correct, Ryan knew exactly who this egg belonged to. All that was needed now was a way to bypass the wards that protected it. There was always the brute force way, but that would instantly alert whomever the ward connected too. Unfortunately for Ryan, he was only given a few moments of contemplation before his greatest fear came true as he took a step off the scarlet carpet towards the egg…

…an alarm ward went off. It took only a second of shock for Ryan to realize what had occurred and to squelch the alarm, however, the damage had already been done. Soldiers were undoubtedly already on their way. Out of time Ryan did the only thing he could, he cloaked his fist in pure magic and smashed his way through the wards and the glass behind it, snatching the egg from the shelf and stashing it inside a satchel he had brought that had been warded against mental detection. Ryan repeated the process four more times, each time grabbing an Eldunarí and stashing it away in his bag. Finally Ryan distributed the explosive pearls as best he could, while saving a couple for an emergency, before lighting the fuses and making for the door. Suddenly one of the Rider's sword labels caught his eye.

Undbitr the label read. The Hunter stole a glance at the sword for a moment before trying to move on, however, the Original stopped him. A sigh of resignation escaped him as he did as the Original asked, fist smashing through the glass before stashing the sheathed sword in his belt. Ryan wasted no more time, shoving the treasury's door open as he dashed for the exit. A smash on the other end caused his eyes to snap to the other door where two standard soldiers hurriedly ran towards him, swords drawn. Ryan quickly drew his crossbow and fired, the bolt flying true and landing between a man's eyes. A quick mental command saw one of the dead men's swords rise and fly at the other man, where it imbedded itself in his chest. Ryan paid the bodies no heed as he reloaded and continued to run. Then, for just a moment, Ryan dropped his mental cloaking and shouted as far as he could.

"Sword! Sword!", the call, which Samanya would surely pick up, meant for her to approach the castle yet stay at a distance, while being prepared to pick him up when he called for her since the tunnel wouldn't be an option due to the army that would undoubtedly seal the tunnel off. Ryan then swiftly reestablished his mental cloak and continued on, hoping that the rest of the plan wouldn't be too difficult.

He was quickly proven wrong as he lost count of the number of soldiers and mages that he nearly stumbled into as they frantically ran throughout the castle looking for him. A few groups he couldn't avoid, luckily though they were all small enough that they could be dispatched without much fuss, however, Ryan had to leave the bodies where they fell due to his haste. Finally, once Ryan thought the hallways would never end, he finally emerged into the keep's courtyard where it seemed that the entire Imperial army waited for him. Squads of soldiers ran to and fro as lieutenants and captains shouted orders at the top of their lungs. The area was a model of organized chaos…and that was just what Ryan needed. A quick glance at the crowd found him a large enough gap to make it through to one of the many stone towers that lay on the walls, which is where Samanya would pick him up…if she could. Ryan paused for a split second to catch his breath before sprinting ahead, again shouting "Sword!" to signal Samanya to come grab him.

Adrenaline raced through his veins…his heart pumped in his ears…the world around him flew by in a blur as he ran. A man stood in his way…a twang of the crossbow removed the problem. Shouts of alarm rang out from those closest to him, however, none could be heard over the confusion that reigned around them. That few seconds of safety was what Ryan counted on, and those few seconds were what Ryan received as he rammed through the tower door and raced up the stairs. Another soldier met him halfway up the steps, however, the man barely had time to blink before he was grabbed and thrown down the steps as Ryan slipped by. He could hear the rising shouts as the Imperials finally began to rally and give chase. One last broken door signaled his freedom as he ran out onto the stone wall, with Imperial arrows either deflecting off his wards or missing entirely as he ran. Finally he stopped near the center of the wall section where a square shaped stone parapet protruded a few yards more outwards towards the rest of the city. He frantically scanned the sky for Samanya as he heard the stomping feet get closer, he spotted her, still as speck in the sky outside the city and too far away to make it before the Imperials closed on him.

A soft laugh spun him around back towards the keep.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?", came a chilling voice as Ryan turned, crossbow up and ready to fire, to behold a man wearing black robes and a hood that covered his eyes with the symbol of Andlát Datia embroidered in red over his heart. Weapons of all sorts decorated the man's figure as a slight breeze blew the robe aside for a moment, revealing the excellent set of leather armor beneath it. "I have to say, you certainly did an excellent job of entering undetected, I didn't even notice your presence until the first guard you killed went silent.", the man continued as more and more men filed out behind him, some with swords, some with bows, some from Andlát Datia, some just ordinary soldiers, they all stood and waited for their commander's orders. "And you even managed to eliminate the treasury's guard without tripping an alarm or even receiving a scratch, now that's impressive…but where are my manners, I am Shade, leader of Andlát Datia…and I must say that my master is quite interested in you.", Shade said as he gave the Neomorph a mocking bow. "Now who might you be?"

"What concern is it of yours?", Ryan snapped. Shade shook his head and chuckled as if dealing with an ignorant child.

"Now, now, now, it is impolite to invite yourself into someone else's home without introducing yourself first. And as I said," a loud draconic roar came from the keep as Shade spoke, a sadistic smile still remaining through it all, "my master would very like to meet you." A flicker a fear passed through Ryan's eyes as he realized what the roar meant.

"Samanya! Wave off!", he cried.

"What!", came the astonished reply.

"Galbatorix and Shruikan are coming out but they don't know you're here yet! Get out of here!"

"What about you?! I'm not leaving you out here to become Shruikan's next meal whenever Galbatorix is through with you!", came the half angry, half anguished reply. Ryan took one step back, then another, until he came to the edge of the wall. He chanced a small glance at the ground below…and he found his salvation.

Directly below him, and boarded up, rested one of the many of the elven water wells that once, and still, serviced the city. Ryan had to force himself to hold back a smile as his eyes turned back to the Imperials that stood before him. The great thing about the elven-built water system in Urû'baen was that it ran to nearly everywhere in the city and, in many cases, even ran outside the city's walls entirely, the only issue being that they didn't run into the keep itself, which was serviced by a far more secure system, however, getting in wasn't Ryan's concern at the moment. A small plan started forming in his mind as he called out to Samanya once more.

"I have a plan."

"What plan?!", Samanya yelled, directly contrasting the calm tone of her Rider. Reassurance flowed from Rider to dragon as Ryan tried to calm her.

"This will work. I'll be fine, but I need you to get out of here before Galbatorix and Shruikan can get out here and start hunting you down.", the Rider's point was punctuated by another loud roar, closer this time. "Please…trust me. I'll meet you back at the Varden, safe and sound. Please, Samanya, I can't bear to lose you.", Ryan pleaded.

"…Alright…I trust you…", Samanya whispered, her voice trying not to display the emotions that consumed her heart. Ryan barely sent a whispered thank you before the connection was cut and he could feel Samanya's mind getting further away again. Finally he turned his attention back to Shade, who only stared at him with a knowing smile.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you that it was rude to ignore someone else when they're talking to you? But perhaps I can make an exception, after all who could hope to come between such a bond as that of a dragon and Rider?", he said, still smiling. "Now as I see it you have two options. First, you give up willingly and we won't have to hurt you, or your dragon when we hunt her down. Second, you resist, in which case I will personally ensure that your stay here is made unnecessarily nasty. Choose wisely." It was Ryan's turn to smile as he clasped his hands behind his back, grabbing the two remaining pearls that lay within the pouch there and lighting their fuse, while pumping energy into the fuses to cause them to destabilize the pearls sooner. Then he started his reply.

"Now, I see a few problems with your options. First, give up willingly? Where's the fun in that?", Ryan chuckled as he felt the pearls began to heat up, "Second, you won't hurt me or my dragon if we give up? I call bullshit on that." Ryan smirked as he saw Shade's expression flicker to one of confusion for a moment at his choice of words, "And finally," Ryan could feel the heat from the pearl's begin to become unbearable, even with his armor, "if you are going to threaten the guy that's got nothing to lose, " Ten, Ryan counted down, "you better make sure that he's got nowhere left to run." Five, Ryan gave one final smirk, "Take this as an example…"

With one swift motion Ryan tossed one of the pearls at the Imperials in front of him before tossing the other at the boarded up well. The resulting explosions were bright and deafening as Ryan jumped into the well below through the hole he had created. Up on the wall the Imperial soldiers lay strewn about where the explosion had tossed them. Some had even been unlucky enough to be blown off the side of the wall to their deaths. Even with the explosive distraction it only took Shade and the other Andlát Datia agents a few seconds to regain their feet and dash to where the Rider had been, only to find the open well that lied beneath.

"Sir! Shall we chase after him?", one of the agents asked.

"No.", Shade stared at the holed well, a small smile growing on his lips.

"But sir!", Shade calmly turned towards the man.

"I said no. The water tunnels is a warrens den of connections that run throughout the city, all of you will only get lost down there and, if this…creature…is as competent as I believe, it will be out of the city long before we can close off the exits to the system.", an acknowledging silence gave his agents' answer to his words. Suddenly one of the agents turned around, but instead of walking away he stopped and gave a rushed bow.

"My king!", he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Rise.", came the reply, embodied in a tone that Shade knew all too well. The man rose before moving to the side, as did the rest of his men. Shade merely waited a few more moments before King Galbatorix stood by his side, observing the smoking hole that had been made below.

"He escaped?", a simple question deserved a simple answer.

"Yes."

"Are you going to pursue?"

"No."

"Why?"

"My men would not be able to find their way inside the many tunnels in the water system. Also the creature would most likely be able to escape before we are able to erect any sort of perimeter around the city. Thus the effort would only be wasted", the king nodded in acceptance.

"I have not doubted you before, Shade, and I shall not now…", the king's expression changed to one of deep thought, "…however, the events of tonight have proven the need to accelerate my plans." Galbatorix turned to stare into where Shade's eyes lied behind his hood, "This includes your training as well."

"If that is what you wish.", Shade replied. The king paused for a moment in thought before moving his hand to touch the cheek of the man that stood before him.

"You are the greatest of my creations.", the king began, "My work on The Name may have been important, but in you I have done something far greater. I have created a new life. A new man.", the king quieted again as his thoughts once again consumed him. "I assume my treasury is safe?"

"Yes, sir."

"And the eggs?"

"All but the four you specified have been taken.", Galbatorix sighed in acceptance.

"It could not be helped, now come, we have much to discuss.", the king finished before removing his hand from Shade's cheek. The movement briefly moved the hood aside, affording a glance at what lied beneath…

…where a pair of shining, golden, draconic, eyes glowed in the early morning light.

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Meanwhile, outside the city, Ryan still ran, moving to put as much distance between himself and the city before dawn bathed the land in light. He still glanced back towards the keep every now and then, ears straining for what he wished to confirm…

…as he waited for the explosions that would never come.

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R&R!