Sorry, there is not going to be any Florina/Lifaen fluff. It's something that some of you may have expected. Enjoy. Oh, I did shorten this first part from the book for the sake of what needs to happen. ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle
A Reminder: Bold-italic font is Kuldra-Florina thought and communcation. Bold-Underlined font is Murtagh-Thorn thought and communication.
"Eragon!" Murtagh shouted, his voice amplified by magic. "I see you there, hiding behind Nasuada's skirts. Come fight me, Eragon! It is your destiny! Or are you a coward, Shadeslayer?" Saphira answered by lifting her head and roared louder than Murtagh's speech then discharged a twenty-foot-long jet of crackling blue fire. All the horses bolted. Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and their twelve elves were the only ones left on the embankment. Arya placed a hand on his leg.
Accept this from me, Shur'tugal." He felt a surge of energy flow into him.
"Eka elrun ono." He murmured.
"Be careful, Eragon. I would not want to see you broken by Murtagh." She told him in the ancient language. She seemed to want to say more but moved to stand beside Blödhgarm.
"Fly well, Bjartskular!" The elves sang as Saphira launched herself from the embankment. Eragon linked his mind first with Saphira and then Arya as the sapphire dragon winged her way toward their foe. Through Arya, he linked his mind with the other twelve elves.
He grasped the shield in his left hand while he unsheathed the falchion he had gotten from Fredric, holding it upright so he would not harm Saphira. "I'm glad I took the time last night to reinforce the falchion with magic." He told Saphira and Arya.
"Let us hope your spells hold." Saphira answered in both of their minds.
"Remember, 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." Eragon and Saphira acknowledged. Saphira rose to Thorn's height unhindered by the younger dragon. They both noticed that the red dragon had grown bigger by at least four more feet. He was still barely a hatchling, yet he was nearly as big as Saphira who was almost a year old. Eragon looked at Murtagh. He knew that Murtagh would not show him mercy this time.
"You and Saphira have caused us a great deal of pain, Eragon." He said, his voice lower. "Galbatorix was furious with us for letting you go. And after the two of you killed the Ra'zac, he was so angry, he slew five of his servants and then turned his wrath upon Thorn and me. We have both suffered horribly on your account. We shall not do so again." Murtahg pulled back his arm.
"Wait!" Eragon cried, noticing that Florina would not be able to help him should things go wrong again. "I know of a way you can both be free of Galbatorix, forever."
"You lie!" Murtagh spat." After a moment of convincing and a threat, Eragon revealed that a person's true name was linked to their personalities and if their personalities changed, then so did their true names. After some more words, the fight began. Thorn flapped twice to gain altitude on Saphira and angled himself to bite her at the base of her skull where she would be immobilized. Saphira tilted forward and then spun clockwise, hitting Thorn with her tail as he sailed over her, breaking his left wing in five places. His blood rained down upon Eragon and Saphira. Murtagh healed the injury with a small item from his belt. Guessing it was an imbued object, Saphira dove at the younger dragon. She snapped at his neck and raked his shoulders and chest with her claws. Murtagh opened a three foot gash in the membrane of her right wing after she had clipped him with it. She kicked Thorn away with a hiss and released a jet of fire which passed harmlessly to either side. Eragon prepared to heal Saphira when Arya said they would do it so he could save his strength. Below, a flash of gold was followed by the scent of charred flesh. They fought on.
She could feel Eragon and Saphira fighting with Murtagh and Thorn above them. She was keeping a careful eye on them should Eragon need help against their brother. She concentrated on her fight as well. Most of the three hundred men that Murtagh had brought with him were dead. But Kuldra was burning what bodies remained. She and Florina had come to the conclusion that they could not feel pain and that is why they kept fighting unless their heads were taken or they were burned. Florina checked on her elves. They were all still there, fighting, but keeping their minds linked with hers. They had spent many hours learning each other's minds while waiting for Eragon to return. She cut the head of another soldier when she felt it; Eragon's mind wink out. Kuldra took to the air and flew towards Saphira. Florina breathed a sigh of relief when it was apparent that Eragon had only fainted because of a spell. She and Kuldra looked and saw Thorn running down a hill while Murtagh healed him. "Keep up!" She told the elves and Kuldra flew at Thorn, roaring a challenge. The red dragon turned and met their attack. She felt Lifaen's mind grow farther away and knew he had gotten swept into a fight. She let go of his mind. She could not be worried with his safety while she fought another Rider. She didn't let her nerves show. She had never fought another Rider before, except for Oromis. But that was training. This was the real deal. She took a deep breath and got a better grip on her sword and shield.
Kuldra dipped down before shooting upwards, blowing past Thorn and raking her claws over his wing. It affected his flight and they all knew it. But they did not give up. Thorn flew at her, ignoring his injury and the dragons collided. Florina turned to face the Rider on his back. She saw only anger in his eyes. She snarled and struck first. He blocked with Zar'roc.
"Galbatorix was quite happy when I told him who your mother was. That you and I are siblings." He laughed at her as he stabbed at her side. She blocked with her shield and returned the blow.
"We may be blood, but we will never be family, Murtagh." She spat. She hadn't said it in the ancient language even though she wished to. She knew that he could change if he wanted. But he had to do it on his own. Snarls were heard from the dragons. Florina and Murtagh exchanged a few more blows before Kuldra pushed Thorn away, a large, but shallow, gash along her left leg. One of the elves healed it. But it gave Murtagh time to heal Thorn who was now level with Kuldra again. The dragons circled each other.
"That is a pity. I was hoping you would be more receptive to me being your family. After all, sooner or later, you are going to be in the castle with me. It would be much easier if you just accepted that."
"The only way I will be happy to be at the castle is when I am there and Galbatorix is dead."
Murtagh bit back his reply. "She truly does not know that she is his child. This will make for interesting living in Urû'baen." Thorn did not reply as Kuldra lunged at them at that same moment. Thorn grabbed for her, but she veered away at the last second and flew upward. "We cannot fail again. The king wants his daughter this time. We shall deliver." Thorn still said nothing and flew after the gold dragon, the oldest of the three. Kuldra turned and dived, catching Thorn in her claws. Florina rained blows down on Murtagh. Even with the help Galbatorix had given him, she was still stronger.
"What do I do?" Kuldra asked as she held Thorn and drove them to the ground.
"Keep forcing him down. We have to capture or kill them before they can do the same to us." Florina noticed they had moved farther north and west from the camp. She reached for Murtagh's mind while keeping her own shielded from all except the elves and Kuldra. She could feel that something was not quite right with him. That his extra strength was coming from elsewhere. She ignored it for the time being and fought on. She barely noticed the change in the man she fought. Kuldra let Thorn go at Florina's command and they circled each other again.
"Well, this is a nice surprise." Murtagh spoke, but it was not Murtagh's voice. This voice was deeper, richer and it echoed slightly. But Florina knew it. She had heard it many times as she had watched him torture her mother.
"Don't try to trick me with honeyed words, Galbatorix." She replied, adjusting in Kuldra's saddle. Now that Galbatorix had entered the mix through Murtagh, she had to be ready for whatever came next. The wards she had placed around herself were nearly gone as was the energy in seven of the twelve topazes on her belt. She used four of the remaining five to boost their flagging strength. If worst came to worst, she had the topaz, diamond, and the dawn-red sapphire around her neck. Murtagh, Galbatorix, grinned and muttered a spell. She felt the elves block first. One by one, Florina felt them die, all eleven of them. Then she and Kuldra put up their own shield against the unseen attack. Without knowing it, they could not block against it. Florina struggled to link her mind to the topaz around her neck. She almost had it when she felt both of their minds black out.
He stood next to Saphira and guarded Eragon while he remained unconscious. He watched Florina a moment before turning to face the battlefield. He had felt Florina sever the link with his mind before she flew too far to maintain it. She had gone after Murtagh. He was confident in her and in her abilities. He knew that she could capture or kill Murtagh and end his misery. She had confided in him that she did not see him as a brother as of yet. She had standards for her family and was picky about who was a part of it. But now he worried. He turned back to face the northwest when he heard Murtagh's voice boom across the way.
"Do not think you have won, Eragon and Saphira! We have what we came for! But we shall meet again and I will be victorious!" He turned and flew north. Lifaen turned his attention to the six elves that approached from the camp. He looked back towards the north, looking for the tell-tale gold that signaled Florina and Kuldra. He didn't see them and cast his mind out for his fellows and the woman he loved. When he could not find them, he signaled for one of Eragon's guards to accompany him. They quickly moved towards the area where the gold dragon had been fighting the red. Lifaen skidded to a stop when he saw the still forms of the elves he had led under Florina. The two elves checked for life and found none.
"They are all dead." The elf said.
"Do you see Kuldra or Florina here? Can you see them?" Lifaen answered.
"No, Lifaen, I cannot. Perhaps they are already back in camp. Perhaps Lady Florina was injured and is unconscious."
"Perhaps that," he suddenly remembered Murtagh's parting words. "No." He whispered and searched for Florina's mind again. Nothing. "NO!" The two elves sprinted back towards the camp. Lifaen returned in time to stop Eragon from leaving the embankment. "Eragon, where is Florina? Has she been injured?"
"What are you talking about, Lifaen?"
"After you fainted, Eragon, Florina took up your fight." Arya answered him before turning to Lifaen. "No, she has not returned. Neither have the other eleven."
"They are dead." Lifaen reported. "I only survived because she severed our link when she went after Murtagh and I got caught in a knot of enemies." Eragon's face paled.
"They have what they came for." He whispered. Lifaen fell to his knees. Eragon looked towards the north. Arya and Nasuada said nothing and only looked in the direction Murtagh and Thorn had fled and had taken Florina and Kuldra.
Hehehehe, you can say it. I am evil. But honestly, who saw that part coming. Hehe. Thanks for reading and please review. Also, I would really appreciate it if would read my other Inheritance Fic, Future of the Empire. It's an AU. Thanks again. Looking forward to reading your reviews.