Chapter 20 Trident
Character Daemon
"So everyone else gets a fancy assignment and we get stuck with guard duty," Lucifer raged, "K didn't even mention us in his dividing up of DC! What are we just luggage?"
"I for one am happy that we aren't being thrown head first into this assault," Janell commented in a vain attempt to cool Lucifer's temper.
Daemon watched with amusement as his brother paced the wall they were standing on, wings spread like a dark cloud around him and face contorted in a snarl while Janell, Daemon's wife of going on forty years now, was trying to calm Lucifer and was meeting with as much success as a leaf would have trying to stop a hurricane. He too wondered about K's neglect to mention them but he was more interested at how much trouble the Leviathan went through the mention everyone 'except' them. K generally used broad categorizations for the members of DC so for him to use so many specific names... it didn't anger Daemon but it set off red flags that K's master plan was still unfolding and they might be, no most definitely would be doing something incredibly dangerous.
"Penny for your thoughts," Saetan asked as he strode over to Daemon on this cool night.
"I doubt they are worth that much," Daemon replied, "I just think that K has something unique in store for us and I don't like it."
"Like father like son," Saetan remarked, "I was thinking the exact same thing, now we just need to convince those two to stop bickering so we can go ask K what his devious mind has come up with."
"What it's come up with," K interjected as he landed next to them on the wall in his human form having jumped up to the top, "Is that someone has been listening to our conversations and possibly relaying them back to the demon commanders. Now I can't prove that but I believe that one of our undead friends has been compromised and may unwillingly and unknowingly be being used as a listening in point into our conversations."
"So you didn't mention us so we would be off the radar," Lucifer concluded, "Like 141 when they go all black ops on us."
"Right but you all have your own unique sets of powers unlike anything any of us have," K added, "Something unexpected that our enemies won't know how to counter."
"So what the mission then," Janell asked.
"Make your way to the Forest Kingdoms but don't reveal yourselves to the group staying there," K said, "Zar is among them and I want you to observe undetected and see if the demons react to the actions and plans of that group as if they can hear the planning process."
"Basically see if Zar is being used as a bug," Daemon summarized, "I see why you picked us, we can be invisible, vanish any equipment we use, mask our smell, leave no trace of our presence even while we are operating in the area."
"You've got it in one," K replied, "And you might consider taking a break from listening to Price over the next thirty year period where you are are gallivanting around the universes cause that sounded to much like a spec ops commando talking and not the aristocrat that I know."
"Then you don't know him very well," Saetan laughed, "Many times he destroyed whole courts with his deep cover operations."
"Well leave the destroying to Beast," K said, "I left him out of the assignments for a reason. Once you all have identified the bugged individual you can use your powers to trace the link back to the demon listening in then you all and Beast can kill it and cut off their supply of information."
"Sounds like a plan," Lucifer said, "If we are to catch up to them we need to move out now."
"I know," K replied as he pulled four packs out of his cloak and handed each of them one, "Some provisions for the road, it should get you there and back with ease."
"What is it," Daemon asked. K just smiled as he jumped off the wall and disappeared into the city. "I hate it when he does that."
"That makes two of us," Janell added, "Now we need not waste time walking to this castle."
Daemon was about to say no when the world warped around them and they appeared inside a barn in what Daemon assumed was the Castle. Janell was dusting herself off, having landed in a hay-bale, his brother and father had already gone invisible and he and Janell soon followed suit. While invisible the colors of the world were muted and they could see each other because they were all hovering on a gray energy level, were Daemon to drop to a black level then Lucifer would not be able to see him and vice-verse. Next he assigned a portion of his energy to remove any smells that he might leave for sensitive dragon noses and then Daemon cracked open the barn door.
Outside was a stone paved courtyard surrounded by high walls and a shimmering shield dome above the ramparts, Griffen's doing no doubt. Daemon slipped outside followed by the others and they made their way silently to a large wooden door that lead into the castle proper.
"How do we get through that," Daemon though to Saetan.
"We wait, watch and listen," his father thought back, "Or we could slip in behind that rather important looking fellow over there."
Daemon looked in the direction his father indicated to see a graying haired man in a regal robe who was making his way over to the gate. Daemon fell instep behind the man who seemed to notice him but didn't make any moves to reveal them. At this distance it was obvious that the man was quite old for a human, seventy at least. His deep red robe helped to offset the age and made him look more defined than elderly. The man had piercing, knowing eyes, and a stubby nose all surrounded by hastily combed hair and beard.
"Ah Master Warlock," one of the two guards at the gate said, "Harald is expecting you, you no doubt have heard of who has returned?"
"Yes Rupert and Julia," The Warlock said, "And I hear they have the most interesting assortment of friends. Dragons, demons, and a dragon-man. Its the only reason I decided to answer the summons."
"Well it seems we are heading into the right place," Janell commented as they followed the Warlock inside. Through the door was a long stone hall, much like at SaDiablo Hall where Daemon and his family resided when they were not with DC. Only here the walls were lit with oil lamps instead of the soft glow that Janell had enchanted into the walls of their home. The burning oil cast flickering shadows across the floor and walls but the acrid smell of burning was strangely absent. Daemon mentioned this to his brother who flicked a wing towards the ceiling where the smoke was gathering than being drawn away from the hallway and out of the castle.
They turned a corner and entered a more decorated section of the castle that had tapestries of the various major events in the castle's history. One even had Hawk and Fisher in it. Daemon didn't get the chance to study the artwork though as the Warlock waved off their guides and strode over to a door in the hall while muttering something about side doors and the castle changing all the time. They ducked through the door and found themselves in a large room with two tall double doors to their right and a large entrance to another hall on their left. From the twin double doors came the distinctive sound of Diablo's grinding, rumbling voice.
"Ok you four you can stop shadowing me," The Warlock said as he turned and looked right at where they were, "I know you are there."
"He knew," Daemon thought.
"Well then we might as well adapt our plan," Saetan replied, "The others, possible demon spies and all don't know why we are here, lets use that to confuse them."
"And stop doing that, It makes my hair stand on end," The Warlock said.
"Well if you've let us tag along this far I guess we might as well be friendly," Saetan said as he dropped the invisibility around him.
Daemon sighed and followed suit as did Janell and Lucifer. The Warlock looked them over and sighed.
"Only four here I thought there were eight of you," the Warlock muttered, "I must be getting old... or you each have some very powerful energy storage that feels like another person."
"Maybe we are each just two people," Lucifer said.
"So who are you," the Warlock asked, "I assume your with Rupert and Julia."
"That's twice now I've heard those names," Janell said, "But we don't know anyone by them. Unless you mean Hawk and Fisher, they are the ones who came with Diablo, Spyro Griffen and the others."
"Hmm... that would be them then," Warlock replied, "Still I'm not letting you in until I know who you are."
"I am Saetan, this is Daemon, Lucifer and Janell," Saetan replied, "And you are?"
"I've many names, High Warlock, Master Warlock, Warlock, Exile, etc., etc.," Warlock replied, "Any of those will do. Now follow me I'll introduce you to the court."
They passed through the double doors into a round chamber where Hawk, Fisher, Diablo, Spyro, and Griffen were debating with an assortment of various nobles while a man on what looked to be the throne was looking quite exasperated at the whole thing.
"Harald," Warlock yelled over the den of noise, "You called?"
The room got real quite real quick at that.
"Ah the SaDiablo clan arrives," Diablo bellowed, "I figured K would send you all along eventually. Do a friend a favor and mute all these jabbering fools for me."
"Wait they can do that," Hawk asked, "That is the best news I've heard all day."
The assembled nobles all started talking at once sending the room back into chaos, which Diablo loved but made Daemon's ears ring.
"Enough!" Janell yelled as Daemon felt a pulse of energy ripple out from her. The nobles were still moving their mouths but no sound was coming out. "Now, lets try to have some order to this madness."
"My thanks whoever you are," said the man on the throne, "Brother I assume they are with you?"
"Aye," Hawk replied, "Saetan, Daemon, Lucifer and Janell, this is Harald my brother and King of this Castle."
"So what are you all doing here," Griffen asked, "Between my army, Spyro's clan, and the Primes I'm pretty sure we could handle a few demons in a forest."
"It's K," Daemon replied, "He just said go here and then here we are."
"Figures," Diablo laughed, "He was always like that."
"So what are we up against," Lucifer asked.
"Right now a rowdy bunch of nobles who's only accomplishment in life was to be born," Fisher remarked sarcastically. "You seem to have them under control though."
"As nice as the peace and quite is," Warlock said, "You are going to have to let them talk again."
"Why," Janell asked.
"Because whatever type of magic you use is giving me a headache that is worse than the court yelling at each other," Warlock replied.
"Harald," Janell asked, much to Daemon's disappointment.
"Let them go," Harald said, "It will take long enough as it is to get them out of here, even longer if they can't argue with each other."
"What are they arguing about anyways," Saetan asked as he waved for Janell to hold the spell for a moment longer, "It would seem that the situation is clear enough."
"About whose land is going to get assistance from you all first," Harald replied, "Get ready for a firestorm."
Janell dropped the spell and the shouting began again, Daemon spent the next four hours with his ears plugged by magic so that he didn't get a headache like the Warlock. After the court had dispersed he asked, "So who are we helping then?"
"No one," Janell said angrily, "If this were my court..."
"Not everyone has a choice about which nobles they have to herd," Saetan said.
"And not everyone is capable either," Harald said as he pushed himself out of his throne, "I hate that chair."
"I don't get the feeling that you are incompetent," Daemon said.
"No but he is good at acting incompetent," Warlock added.
"Only way you can get anything done around here," Hawk said, "Let the nobles think they have their say then go and do what you are planning anyway."
"That I understand," Daemon said, "I used that trick to bring down many a ruler."
"Then we are in agreement," Harald said, "I need this court to be brought to its knees if we are to retake my lands. Your partners, K and the others, they will be helpful but I need to get the court behind me to do anything useful including helping you."
"We can't just bully them then," Daemon said, "That would make you look weak, or even a tyrant, we need something that will rally them behind you."
"Like a few demon corpses to hang on the walls," Diablo said, "It would make this dreary castle feel more homey."
"For you maybe," Fisher replied.
"Actually that would work," Daemon said, "We go get you some demon corpses, display them where people can see that these creatures do die, use them to show that you're strong enough to beat back this blight."
"And get the people on my side," Harald finished, "You've been playing this game for a long time then."
"Only three thousand years," Lucifer said.
"That's... what are all of you immortal," Warlock asked.
"We are now," Fisher replied.
"You'll have to tell me about it later," Harald said, "Right now I need a court under control and you all are my ticket to get it."
"Wait all of us," Daemon asked, "What about your own defenses wouldn't you need to keep some of us here?"
"Griffen and his robots will be enough for here," Hawk said, "I'd rather we have as many of us out there as possible anyways."
"It seems we are going to get to test Zar for bugs sooner and easier than we thought," Saetan said.
"I kinda hope that he is bugged," Daemon said, "That way we won't have to travel to any of the other groups and go through this again."
Character
Marion
Hypatia would have been more impressive, Marion decided, if half of it wasn't a rotting forest filled with demons. She and Jinx were riding AuRon as he and Natasha surveyed the land below. After they arrived in the city yesterday the entire empire had started preparing for war, with RuGaard and Nilrasha leading them. NooMauk had fallen into an advisory roll, Tala and DharSii had been set up to lead the human forces since she was a citizen of both the dragon empire and Hypatia, Adam and Riza had started up several factories and were building up an army, AuRel, Irene, Zara and Ace were underground rallying the dwarves, the main construction force, and demen, a strange crab-like hominid that acted as a police force for the empire.
She and Jinx volunteered to help scout the forest cause it sounded more interesting than the politics going down in the city, so she was now cold and damp from the altitude and clouds that they were flying through. Jinx didn't seem to mind the cold or the wet, neither did AuRon, Natasha didn't seem cold but she didn't seem to like the damp.
"Check your gear," AuRon said, "I've got eyes on a whole battalion under us."
"Where are they headed," Jinx asked.
"Looks like they are heading towards the city," AuRon replied.
"We can't let them get to the city yet," Natasha said, "RuGaard has not had enough time to marshal the military."
"Then let's take them out DC style," Marion said as she drew her twin crossbows.
"Always the feisty one," AuRon remarked, "My skin may be hard now thanks to K but I'm not for getting shot at."
"We could drop rocks and such on them," Natasha added.
"Oh just drop me off and I'll kill them," Marion said.
AuRon was about to reply when Jinx dashed to his tail and jumped off. Natasha dived after the falling cat as did AuRon after giving Marion a second to get a good hold on him. They broke the cloud layer and saw that Jinx was shimmering, using the same effect that had kept her and Marion from being crushed after being thrown off of Ravalon back on Serra. Marion shouted for AuRon to pull up, that Jinx would be fine, and he must have not only heard her but relayed the message to Natasha as well for both dragons pulled out of their dives. It was then that a rumbling boom echoed out from Jinx and meteors started to fall from the sky killing the demons which the cat landed among.
"What the," Marion muttered.
"I get the feeling that Jinx is more than just a magical cat," AuRon said, "I mean we heard about her powerful voice but actually seeing it... meteors and fade shifting, that cat is a wizard."
When it was safe to land, after the meteors had finished falling and Jinx had finished burning, freezing, or just sucking the life from the demons with nothing but her voice, Marion dropped off of AuRon and into a horror scene. Dead, mutilated, inhuman figures were scattered everywhere, some burnt others melting, others crushed into pulp and still others locked in their death throes from Jinx's life drain.
"There now we don't have to worry about the demons," Jinx remarked as she walked over and rubbed up against Marion's legs.
"What are you," Marion asked as she picked Jinx up and stroked the cat's back and ears as she continued to survey the carnage.
"What I am is a cat," Jinx replied with a purr, "Albeit a very unique one."
"Your a wizard," AuRon said again.
"No," Jinx corrected, "I was a wizard once, and a warrior, a hero and villain, a friend to the poor and a thief to the rich, but what I was and what I am are unrelated issues."
"I'd bet that your hungry," Marion said, "I know I always am after killing demons."
Jinx closed her eyes and yawned before replying, "Mmm yes some warm milk and a hunk of meat does sound nice."
"Well we can definitely report that the demons are moving our direction," Natasha said, "We might as well get back and tell the rest... wait do you hear something?"
Marion listened but Jinx had already picked up on wherever the sound had come from and jumped out of Marion's arms to pace back and forth on the ground. Then Marion heard it, a strange scraping, sucking, sound that gave her the impression of a snake and a squid at the same time. She checked to make sure her bolt drums were cycling properly and were fully loaded, which they were, before crouching down next to Jinx while AuRon and Natasha were back to back and surveying the area.
"How far away do you think it is," Marion asked.
"Far enough that we could leave now and it not get us," Jinx replied after a soft yowl, "But then it will just make it's way to the city. Now though there are no other demons around it that I can detect so if we want an easy shot at it here is that shot."
"Four on one," AuRon remarked, "That's a sound enough advantage that I'm ok with going after it."
"We have no choice now," Marion said as she placed a hand on the ground, "It's picked up its pace and is heading our direction."
"Incoming," Natasha yelled as she dodged a boulder that was thrown at them. Marion followed the trajectory of the boulder back to its source and saw three boney scythes cut down the trees just in front of them. The massive claws were attached to a demon that was part slime and part bone and scale. It's one massive eye blinked once at them from its inky blackness before an assortment of hard and sharp appendages started lashing out at the four.
"Go, fly," Marion shouted at AuRon and Natasha, "Bring help if you can, Jinx follow me we've got to keep it distracted."
Jinx shouted something and the rushing mass of demon slowed its attacks, in fact everything had slowed down except the four of them. AuRon and Natasha had time to get into the air and even dodge another boulder that the demon hurled at them, Marion had time to grab Jinx and then time resumed it's normal speed and Marion took off along the edge of the woods leading the creature away from the under defended city and it's inhabitants.
"So you have a plan I hope," Jinx said
"Not really," Marion replied as she ducked under a swiping claw-arm. "Generally I just hit monsters hard, harder and fast until they drop."
"Great," Jinx remarked as she jumped out of Marion's arm and started to run along side her. "What could you do if I slowed it down again?"
"Other than put a few bolts into it not much," Marion replied, "that's why I sent the dragons back for help."
"For more fire," Jinx said, "I can breath fire you know."
"But it's fast enough to dodge your fire," Marion said.
"Not if it is distracted," Jinx retorted, "Just keep it busy for a second or two and I'll melt it."
Marion nodded her agreement but before she could fire on the demon another monstrosity smashed its way into their path. This creature had four legs two were its main mode of transportation and acted as hands and feet, the other two seemed to only serve the purpose of funneling food into its gaping maw that composed a third of the creatures bulbous body. It had a single glowing orb that seemed to be its eye and two flaps on its body that the creature immediately moved to protect as it and the ooze demon collided.
Marion fired several bolts into the two warring behemoths while Jinx charged up her fire breath. The roaring inferno released from the cat's little jaws was almost as large as the two beasts combined and the ooze demon flailed, sizzled and exploded while the other creature jerked back to keep its vulnerable parts from the blaze. Training her crossbows on the cringing beast Marion unleashed a flurry of bolts three of which pierced the glowing orb causing the newest attacker to start to flail about wildly.
"Looks like you hit the sweet spot," Jinx said, "Here let me finish that off for you." Her fire-breath rushed forth again finishing off the creature. "Now I think we should find somewhere that will be easy for our draconic friends to spot us."
"Agreed and lets try not to attract more demons in the process," Marion remarked.
"Oh its much to late for that," Jinx said, "I can hear the another demon regiment heading this way, probably attracted by the scuffle in the forest with their assault breaker."
"Then we need to find some open ground," Marion replied as she started back the way they had come, "Come on I saw a hill to our west as we ran down this way lets go get up on it."
"This is why I like you," Jinx said, "Your sensible."
"Hey rule number one in a fight is have the high ground," Marion replied as she ducked out of the trees and sprinted across the plain to the hill. "I sure hope that AuRon and Natasha get back here soon."
"And with help," Jinx finished, "The demons are at the forest's edge, how many bolts do you have?"
"Almost two hundred," Marion replied after a quick check, "How many demons do you hear?"
"At least twice that many but probably close to five-hundred," Jinx replied after a few seconds of twitching her ears about. "Any other weapons that you could use?"
"Just my dagger," Marion said after fingering the weapon that Anders had enchanted for her some time back before DC had entered her life and drug her off on this wild adventure.
"You'll see him again," Jinx said softly.
"Am I that easy to read," Marion remarked as the first demons broke through the trees and started to charge the hill. Jinx just purred as she yowled and slowed time down again. Marion started peppering her bolts into the demons with deadly effect. Her bolts didn't last as long as she had hoped, and within ten minutes Marion had drawn and bloodied her dagger. Despite her lack of ammo she and Jinx had dropped between three hundred to three hundred and fifty of these lumbering, club wielding, fat, man-like demons. Jinxirattuholingtonbumin seemed totally unharmed, Marion could feel several wounds throbbing from where she hadn't completely dodged a club or meaty fist but nothing serious, she hoped.
"Incoming," Jinx called as she dropped to the ground from the dying form of a demon she had just sucked the life from. Marion finished off a demon that she was dueling then hit the ground as Riza, Adam, AuRon and Natasha landed around them and started the clean up of the remainders of the demon force.
"Marion, Jinx," Riza called, "I'm glad to see your ok."
"Ok may not be the right term for it but definitely not dead," Marion yelled back with a laugh. The action sent spikes of pain through her chest, causing her to collapse to the ground, "Damnable demons," She gasped as she touched a bruise that was low on her chest, "Broke some ribs."
Jinx crawled over to her and lay down as their friends cleared the area, "Murtagh and Thorn just landed in the city, we can get them to patch you up."
"What no healing breath," Marion joked.
"Not while I'm like this," Jinx replied sadly as the white cat looked her over, "Back before this I could have healed you."
Marion looked into Jinx's eyes and saw the flicker of some emotion before it was buried behind a paw that came up to get washed. It took another five minutes to clear the remaining demons that fled back into the woods, five minutes that Marion spent breathing very carefully so as to not disturb the broken ribs. She suppressed a cry as Adam picked her up but the robotic man carried her all the way back to the city, a two hour walk on foot as he was, without so much as jostling her when he had to jump over a fallen tree or creek. AuRon, Natasha and Riza flew back to tell Murtagh and Thorn about the need for their services, and thus when they entered the Hypatian capital the two were already waiting for them. Murtagh muttered something that Marion didn't catch then she felt an itching racing through her chest along the broken ribs and after it had dissipated she could breath deeply again without the jarring pain.
"Thanks," She said as Adam set her down.
"It was nothing," Thorn replied, "But now we must head back to K. I believe that the trident is ready to be thrust."
"Good," Marion replied, "I've some demons to kill."
Character Eragon/Saphira
After K had dispersed DC he had set the riders and their dragons as the communication lines between the three fronts. He and Saphira were on their way to the Forest Kingdoms to give the all clear to Hawk and Fisher for the attack to begin. As they glided over the terrain he and Saphira picked out various land forms that they recognized from a good five hundred years earlier in their home planet's history. They had spent a good deal of time in this part of the world as they rebuilt the riders, which while now changed, was an order that still endured even in this dragon ruled empire that controlled most of the world.
"It's like the magic of our world has been drained," Saphira commented as they flew over an old tower that used to be a home to the riders.
"Aye," He replied, "Drained... or corrupted. This Dark-wood is proof that magic still exists here, as are those Beings in Haven and the Lavadome."
"True," she agreed, "But here we are so shall we get back to the war and leave the philosophy for later?"
He laughed as they landed inside the castle as Griffen lowered the shields and greeted them with a "How goes the day?"
"Better now that K and his forces have reached their side of the Dark-wood," Eragon replied, "He says to start making your way west to RuGaard's empire."
"We will head out as soon as Hawk and Fisher get done with subduing some unruly nobles," Griffen replied, "Are you two heading out with us or...?"
"K wants us to meet up with him again and serve as advanced scouts as he carves a path through the Dark-wood to the demon gate," Eragon answered, "Only one thing that bothers me about this is the other gates were large but we've flown over the woods and there is no sign of a gate."
"That's cause the gate is an it," Zar said as he, the SaDiablos and Beast walked in from the woods and into the courtyard.
"Turns out our fiery, blue friend here had been bugged," Daemon said, "We took care of that but there was something else out there, it took all of us just to keep it back. I think the gate is housed within a demon."
"I thought I was the fiery, blue friend," Saphira said.
"You certainly have a personality and are blue," Beast rumbled as he stretched and sent bursts of fire out from his body, "But you are not fiery as some of us can claim."
Saphira let loose a gout of blue fire-breath in response before Eragon intervened. "Enough you two. If the gate is a demon then wouldn't killing the demon close the gate?"
"It should," Hawk grunted as he, Fisher, Spyro and Mephisto walked out of the castle, "Unfortunately this particular demon has been killed many times before and still keeps coming back. Last time I killed him myself, only problem is you can't kill something that was never born."
"What," Eragon and Saphira asked.
"The Prince of Darkness was never born, or at least there is no record of him ever being born," Fisher explained, "The first record of him here comes from almost four thousand years ago. Before that they say he ruled a nation on the other side of the mountains to the west, where RuGaard's empire now sits, before that who knows."
"Wait a minute," Eragon said, "This demon is he mostly human?"
"Yeah except for the eyes and the translucent skin," Hawk confirmed.
"You don't think," Saphira thought to him.
"It's possible plus who else would have access to magic that could even hold all of them back," Eragon replied.
"Should we tell the others," Saphira asked.
"Yes," Eragon said, "You take care of that I'll explain it to our friends here." Then to the others who were now looking at them, "We may know who this 'Prince' is. Thousands of years ago, back when we were young, there existed an empire right at the heart of the area that RuGaard's now expands from. Its ruler was a rider named Galbatorix, he had lost his dragon and gone mad but was still cunning and intelligent to trick another rider into betraying the order and stealing for him another dragon which he twisted to his will. After a bloody war he established himself as emperor and ruled with an iron fist while he delved into the workings of magic. Through a long and complicated series of events Saphira and I ended up together and with the help of Murtagh and Arya were able to overthrow the mad king, but not before he learned the name of the language of magic."
Eragon stopped to clear his throat and Saphira picked up. "This name gave him control over reality itself, fortunately Murtagh had been captured by Galbatorix and had also learned this name. When the fight came to a head with the king Murtagh used the name and caused enough of a distraction for Eragon, myself, Murtagh, Thorn and several other dragons who are dead now to pour our memories of what he had done to the riders, the empire, and the land into the emperor's mind finally causing him to snap. We thought him dead, but he may have not died, he could have instead of incinerating himself used the name to teleport himself across the world. The kicker is this all happened about the time that this Dark Prince shows up in the history over in this part of the world."
"So we are dealing with an ancient, mad, reality bending, ex-dragon rider and king," Mephisto summarized, "Great."
"Yeah sounds like we hit the jackpot," Spyro added, "But if Hawk could beat this guy and you two beat him before then we could do it again."
"Hawk how did you defeat this 'Prince' last time he was here anyway," Beast asked.
"A rainbow sword," Hawk replied, "Struck him down with pure magical force."
"You mean the wild magic," Eragon asked as a cold settled into his gut.
"Yeah what of it," Fisher replied.
"That will have only made him stronger in this incarnation," Saphira said, "Even with his reality bending words he should not have been able to stand against the six of you."
"How powerful is he then," Janell asked, "I threw tons of magical energy against his attacks to stave them off, but neither of us seemed to have a limited reserve."
"Hitting Galbatorix with a pure beam of wild magic," Eragon muttered as he rubbed his temples, "It would be like giving him that rainbow jewel of Janell's both create their own energy. We have to be able to wear him out faster than he can replenish his reserves."
"We can do that," Hawk said, "Fisher and I are immune to magic, I assume this name he has uses quite a lot of energy when he says it. So we get him to use it on us while the rest of you keep him from regenerating with attacks of your own."
"Immune to magic, right from when you fought him the first time," Zar said, "and does he use any other kind of attack?"
"Not that we know of," Hawk said.
"He has training with a sword," Eragon added, "though from the histories he was not the best swordsman in the order."
"The others are now aware of the situation," Saphira thought to Eragon, "Arya says to be cautious. I will keep them informed as we draw up our plan."
Eragon filed Saphira's mind speech away for later as he thought about the implications of Hawk and Fisher's immunity to magic studiously for the first time.
"Even before he transformed," Eragon said, "Galbatorix's main power was getting into the minds of his opponents, that ability however is also magical in nature and may not work on you two. If you would allow me to try to enter your minds we can find out for certain."
Hawk and Fisher looked at each other, Fisher shrugged and Hawk nodded. Eragon first attempted to enter their minds as he would a normal persons but could not. Then Saphira added her strength to his probe and still they could not even feel Hawk and Fisher, it was as if they were a void in the world.
"I can not even detect your minds," Eragon said after a few more attempts from different angles., "it would seem impossible to affect you two with any form of magic, you think you could kill Galbatorix if we can keep the melee off of you?"
"Weapons don't even break the skin of the Prince of Darkness," Fisher said, "We tried that once before."
"What about weapons that have been enchanted with your own resilience to magic by the most skilled magic weaver of the Primes," Mephisto asked offhandedly.
"A weapon that is immune to magic like Hawk and Fisher here would be able to cut right through whatever wards surround Galbatorix," Saphira said, "They could tear him apart."
"And you're saying you can do this," Saetan said to Mephisto, "Can you do it on the move because we need to head out the rest of our company has gathered at the western edge of the castle and are ready to move out."
"That I can," Mephisto replied, "Come on then, we've got some killing to do."
"We will rejoin you when and if we can," Eragon said as he jumped onto Saphira's back landing neatly between her spikes, "K is still depending on us to provide over watch for the trident. If you find Galbatorix, Beast you can just wave us down and we will come."
With that Saphira launched herself into the sky. As they circled above the Castle they could watch the others assemble and then move out. Eragon informed Arya and Murtagh of their position as they made their way through the Dark-wood. Theirs was an easy trail to follow, Beast stood well above even the largest trees. The overall plan was for the three sections of DC to meet up in the middle, or heart, of the woods where the rest would drop in from space to finish off the gate that would most likely be hidden at the heart. As with most plans though the situation soon started to show signs that not everything was as it should be.
The demons, who originally were throwing themselves at DC with their usual enthusiasm, had backed off and started to coalesce into a unified and organized force. Then Murtagh's group got bogged down as flying demons took control of the skies and forced them to move under cover of anti-air fire. Arya then contacted him saying that she had lost all contact with K's ground group. Saphira snorted and Eragon ran his hands through his hair.
"How did we know that this Trident of K's would fall apart," Saphira said.
"Because all our plans do that," Eragon replied, "Lets just worry about Galbatorix and getting to the heart of the forest then we can worry about K and his crew. After all they are plenty capable of dealing with any surprises along the way."