I do not own any part of the Harry Potter or Eragon universes.
Edit 11-03-25: This Chapter was edited by TheDarkRanger1160, big thank you!
Any mistakes that remain are my own.
The door closed behind him, and Harry felt the wards fall back into place.
He felt the relief flow through his body to finally be able to feel his magic again.
"Well, before we discuss anything, I want to see proof that you're not the king's spy or any danger to the Varden," Dormnad demanded.
In response, Harry raised his right hand and pulled off the black glove he had always carried since Daret.
"Y-You?!" Dormnad stammered, and the next moment, he took a step back in shock.
His body bumped against the locked door, and Dormnad's eyes were fixed on Harry's hand.
The Gedwёy Ignasia shimmered in a silver light.
"You're the one the dragon hatched for? I only ever saw the mark on Brom… Where's your dragon?" Dormnad demanded.
"Safe and where she's not disturbed," Harry replied, slipping the glove back on his hand. Harry didn't feel the need to correct him that Artemis had hatched from a different egg.
Harry sat down on the bed and watched Dormnad pace up and down eagerly.
"We'll need supplies, and we'll have to avoid the soldiers... What routes should we take?" Dormnad mumbled to himself, rubbing his chin, as he continued his rant.
"I need my maps." he was about to leave when he noticed that the door remained firmly shut.
"Would you be so kind as to open the door? We have a lot to do and need to hurry," Dormnad demanded.
He looked over Harry's shoulder, out through the window.
"And preferably without drawing any attention," Dormnad said with a frown.
Harry's jaw tightened and he narrowed his eyes dangerously at him.
"What about the elf?" Harry asked. "Shouldn't we try to rescue her? We can't leave her here!"
Dormnad sighed. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. If what you said about Teirm is true, then the whole Empire is on the lookout for a Dragon Rider. In other words, Soldiers will be everywhere looking for you and your dragon, and it will be a miracle if we reach the Varden unnoticed."
"So, you would just give up without trying? Leave the elf to her fate? Is that how the Varden operate?" Harry snapped.
Dormnad expression darkened. "You have no idea the struggles I went through to stand before you today. I don't have those scars on my face because they look good on me."
He held up his left hand, which was missing two fingers.
"I have fought for the Varden for years, raising my blade to fight for a better future. I have killed in the Varden's name to free Alagaёsia from the king's clutches. I will not be ordered around by a mere boy!"
Harry leaned back. He was tired of everyone thinking they could boss him around.
"Then we have a problem. I'll definitely try to save the elf, even without your help if it comes down to it," Harry declared with a firm voice.
"You want to fight Durza and his troops alone?" Dormnad shook his head. "You are crazy. You will never make it." Dormnad headed for the door before addressing Harry one last time.
"I will give Egor a letter with instructions on how to find the Varden. You will be on your own after that. I didn't live through everything, just to get killed by a shade on a fools' errand," Dormnad grabbed the knob and Harry released his magic. This time he was able to open the door.
"No magic will be able to help you against Durza. He is a monster," Dormnad spat and slammed the door behind him.
"We will see," Harry whispered. He looked down at the trunk he'd pulled out earlier.
"Maybe it is time to give people some hope again."
It's been two days now since he had met Dormnad.
The man kept his word, and Egor gave him a letter containing not only instructions on how to locate the Varden, but also a self-drawn plan of the prison's building.
Perhaps he hasn't given up hope, as he seems to believe.
Harry was sitting by the fire with Artemis next to him.
"Do you have everything for tomorrow?" She asked with interest.
Harry nodded. "Yes, I spent the entire day observing the soldiers and I even saw a few Urgals lurking in the shadows. If everything goes well, we'll leave Gil'ead tomorrow night."
Artemis slapped the ground with her tail.
"I still can't believe that the king would work with the Urgals."
Harry leaned his back against her and closed his eyes in concentration. He still had nightmares of the cold, dead eyes of the people of Yazuac. If it turned out that the king had planned the attack on the village, then Harry would not rest until Galbatorix drew his last breath.
"We do not know how long the elf has been trapped in there," Artemis spat. Harry breathed in deeply, as her anger swept over through their bond.
He needed to be calm.
" That's true, but there's nothing we can do about the past. We should focus on the here and now. Anything else could cause us to lose sight of our goal."
He could feel her agreement.
"I'm going to sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow," Harry yawned and stretched his arms over his head.
Artemis didn't know why, but she could feel Harry's mood deteriorating. She had known him long enough now to know that when he was in a bad mood, it was best to leave him alone.
Artemis covered him with her wing. She would ask him later.
In her opinion, there was hardly anything that was as exhausting or frustrating, as when Harry was brooding.
The moon shone high above the clouds, casting Gil'ead in a shimmering light.
Harry approached the town, in the darkness, he could make out the lantern lights of the soldiers at the entrance.
One paw at a time until he unhappily stepped into a small puddle.
He stopped, heart pounding.
The soldier in front of him started and waved his lantern around, but he couldn't see anything.
"Probably just a cat," he murmured.
His partner threw a rock at him, which bounced off his armour.
"Sit down, you startled crow! Tell me when your cousin visits Gil'ead again. She had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen!"
Harry breathed a sigh of relief when the soldier turned his back on him.
He slipped out of the shadows of darkness. The muscles in his legs tightened and in one high leap, he jumped over the wall.
Harry stayed on the wall for a moment. His green eyes sparkled in the darkness like emeralds, glancing around quickly.
It was only when he saw no one that he slid down the wall and transformed back. His tail shrank, the grey fur disappeared, and he transformed from wolf back to human in one smooth motion.
Becoming an Animagus had always been a dream, but Harry only made it after spending two years in Alagaёsia.
Harry pulled up the hood of his robes as he approached the prison. He went into the back alley leading to the prison and hid behind a wall when some soldiers came out of the building.
"What I wouldn't give for a little booze and a few women right now," a soldier complained. Harry recognized the voice immediately, it was Gareth.
"Hold your tongue, you idiot. Do you want him to hear you?" Hissed one of his comrades at him.
Gareth just chuckled at him.
"Durza is busy with our dear guest right now. He is preparing her for the king," Gareth dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
"Still, you should be careful." The other soldier shivered. "I would rather die than go through what Durza did to her."
Gareth let out a hearty laugh. "That's precisely why we're loyal to the king, my friend," he replied. Harry's anger grew when he heard the two soldiers. He was just putting his plan into action when he sensed movement behind him.
Harry groaned softly when he saw Kent. The young soldier he met in the Silver Rooster came out of an alley; knife drawn. His face was filled with hatred and entirely focused on Gareth.
Whatever Kent was up to, Harry couldn't let it happen. It would ruin everything he had planned.
In one swift motion, he drew his wand and pointed towards the soldier.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry whispered, and a white light erupted from his wand. It hit Kent, and he fell to the ground like a big rock.
With another flick of his wand, the young soldier floated over to him.
Harry looked up and was relieved to see that none of the soldiers had noticed anything.
Kent's eyes were full of fear and were the only thing that could still move.
Harry kept his wand pointed at him. "I'll release the spell, if you scream for help, I'll kill you before the first words leave your lips, understood?"
Kent nodded fearfully, and Harry lifted the spell.
"Sit up," he instructed, and Kent slowly moved up. His eyes never left the wand before his eyes.
"W-Who are you?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I will tell you that?"
Kent shook his head. "N-No, but it was worth a try."
Harry looked carefully at the young man in front of him.
"Do you understand what you were trying to do?"
The fear in Kent's eyes disappeared and was filled with anger. "Of course, I did! And I would have succeeded if you had not used your magic!"
Harry frowned and loosened the grip on his wand. "If you had killed him, they would have killed you as well. Why would you risk that?"
Kent looked down at where the knife was wedged in the ground.
"You can't understand."
Harry's curiosity was piqued. "Try me."
Kent glared at him, but he took a deep breath. "Gareth is the one responsible for getting my father killed. I wanted revenge!"
"I see. And your father? Do you think he would have liked to see his son being killed?"
Kent tried to get up, but as soon as he put weight on his ankle, he fell to the ground in pain.
"Does it matter what he thinks? He's dead, and soon I will be too, but at least I will take Gareth with me," Kent snarled in pain.
Harry knelt and pointed his wand at Kent's ankle. The young man drew a shaky breath as the spell hit his ankle.
His eyes widened as the pain subsided, and he felt his ankle with his hand. The swelling was gone!
He was amazed by the man in front of him. Kent had only seen Durza's magic until now, and he only used it to kill or torture someone. He had no idea that it can also be used for good.
"I'll help you," Kent said suddenly.
Harry looked at him in bewilderment. "How do you know I'm up to something?"
Kent raised an eyebrow. "No one dares walk the streets at night any more, except the king's soldiers. And you look like you're up to no good."
Harry snorted but quickly glanced towards the soldiers on the street. The two of them were joking around and barely focusing on their task.
"All right. I intend to break someone out of prison."
Kent's eyes widened. "You want to free the elf?"
He firmly grabbed Harry's arm. "Let me help. I know my way around prison, and I know where she is being held."
Harry frowned. "Why? Didn't you just want to take revenge?"
Kent made a face. "What the elf went through is worse than what happened to me. If I could have, I would have freed her, but I'm only one man. I wouldn't stand a chance."
Harry looked at Kent for a few seconds. He knew taking someone he couldn't trust was extremely risky, but it would be good to have help.
"You can come with me, but if I find out you're tricking me..."
Kent's eyes widened as Harry's wand glowed red and he swallowed.
"I understand."
Harry nodded contentedly. "Okay, let's set the mood a little."
He turned away from Kent and cautiously peered around the corner. Harry smirked at what he was about to do.
The last time he saw someone use it against someone, were the Weasley twins in his fifth year. If Fred and George knew what he intended to do with it, he was sure, they would find it highly entertaining.
"What's your plan?" Kent whispered over his shoulder.
"Create a little distraction. As soon as Durza storms out of the prison, we'll go inside," Harry explained.
He took out a small box from the inside of his robes and carefully expanded it in his hands.
The box was all black, while the front featured a large W in fiery red. He tapped the box three times with his wand and threw it in the middle of the street, where it landed in front of the prison.
Nothing happened for a moment and then there was a loud explosion.
BOOM.
A series of bangs heard by every person in town shook the windows in their frames, and the ground shook as myriad creatures made of fire soared into the sky, illuminating the entire town.
Within moments, men, soldiers and to his surprise, even Urgals began pouring out of the prison-fortress as citizens left their homes to witness the phenomenon taking place.
Nobody knew what they should do. The people stared with wide eyes as the magic took place.
However, Harry only had eyes for one person. He waited patiently until that person stormed out of the building. It was Durza.
Now.
Phoenixes, Basilisks, and Thestrals made of fire swarmed the alleys, and were igniting everything they touched.
"What's going on!" Durza barked, but by a quick well-placed Bombarda from Harry, the shade suddenly found himself thrust through the street and ended up in a farmhouse.
Everyone stared in disbelief and in shock. No sane person dared to attack Durza.
"You are mad," Kent whispered, but he shot Harry a smirk. "But I like it, now is our chance!"
"You are right, come!" Harry grabbed his Moke-skin pouch and took his invisibility cloak out.
He covered himself and Kent, and the two vanished from sight.
In the farmhouse where Durza landed, the wood was blasted sideways, revealing a very angry shade. His left eye was twitching with anger.
"Who dares to attack me? ME?! A SHADE?!" Durza screamed in anger.
"If you wanted to piss him off, congratulations, you succeeded," Artemis mentioned to Harry through their bond.
Harry snorted. "He will be busy fighting the fires. And if that's not enough, I've got another surprise for him." Harry held out a stone that had a series of runes engraved on it.
A few minutes earlier
Durza sat on a throne made of bones. With his long fingers he felt the coldness of the bones, and he sighed in satisfaction as he remembered the cold eyes of his slain victims.
As he stroked the armrest with his pale hands, his robe slipped, revealing a small scar on his forearm.
His eyes narrowed to the scar he had received in Teirm.
That magic... That power... Durza had to possess it. The farm boy and his dragon were irrelevant. What mattered was finding the young man who wielded that magic.
"If he survived," Durza sighed.
The explosion had been massive and the spell the boy was using had used up all his wards. He was sure that he only survived the impact because he was a shade.
It seemed impossible that the unknown magician should have survived. After all, they found no trace of him.
Durza followed the scar that ran up to his shoulder.
He'd only seen this kind of magic once, and it still made him uneasy when he thought about it.
He witnessed it the first time, when he was born.
Pain swept over him as a memory of his previous life awakened in him.
Green meadows and the wind were blowing the leaves in front of his eyes.
He stood before his family and chanted with focus and pride.
The spirits, they came from everywhere. He screamed and struggled, but it was in vain.
A pair of red eyes twinkled in the distance and vanished in a dark cloud.
When he opened his eyes, his family was dead.
He opened his eyes when he heard the knock on the door. His red eyes flashed from the elf before him to the door.
He was about to turn his attention to the elf, chained in front of him.
"I hope this is important Gareth," Durza murmured.
Gareth stood in front of him, face scared. It amused him deeply how people feared him.
"My lord, w-we are under attack!"
Durza rushed forward in a swift move no human could possibly have done. He grabbed Gareth's neck.
"What did you say?" Durza commanded.
Gareth gasped for air. "S-Something is attacking us. We don't know who or what it is."
Durza's eyes widened when he heard a huge explosion and released the soldier from his grasp.
Gareth fell to the ground, panting, and rubbed his neck.
From the ground, he saw Durza storm out of the dungeon, leaving Gareth alone in the room with the elf.
Harry charmed their footsteps to be silent. He was sure that no one would hear them over the noise, but he wanted to be on the safe side.
He would not want to leave the elf's life up to fate. They entered through the open door that the last of the soldiers left open when they had run outside.
When Harry was finally inside the building, he removed his invisibility cloak from them and looked around. Everything was dimly lit, but they were alone.
Kent waved him forward. "Come, the elf is this way!"
In a swift pace, he followed Kent through the corridors, when they passed a room that was filled with swords and armour.
Weapons obviously too heavy and unwieldy for humans hung from the walls.
Kent stood next to him. "All the weapons are for the Urgals. About a year ago, Durza ordered all the smiths in Gil'ead to forge weapons for them."
He shrugged his shoulders. "They detested the work, but still they had no other choice, but to follow orders. Those who disagreed were killed by the shade… my father was one of them."
Harry nodded but refrained from doing anything. There was simply no time.
He looked inside the armoury and saw a strange bow and an elegant sword, unsheathed, laid in front of him.
The sword was slim and light, with a curved cross guard, the ends of which narrowed into sharp points.
They felt out of place, but he had a feeling they belonged to the elf.
"Take them with you. They took them from the elf when they caught her," Kent revealed.
Harry nodded and took the bow and the sword with him and put them both inside his pouch.
He looked towards the door when he heard another explosion.
'Artemis must have dropped the twins' second surprise box,' Harry thought with a smile.
They made their way back downstairs and went to the second floor below.
He looked into each cell until he finally found the right one.
"Alohomora!" The door burst open with a loud crack.
What he saw made his eyes flash with anger. In front of them was Gareth, and he was about to touch the elf.
He gazed down towards the elf, in a lascivious way.
"Stupefy!" Harry barked. His wand shot forward, and the red light hit Gareth in his surprised face. The spell knocked him off his feet, and he was thrown against the wall, where he lay unconscious.
Harry's gaze shifted towards the person in front of him. A sight he would never forget.
The elf lay unmoving on the table inside, with her arms chained to the wood.
A single beam of moonlight slanted through the window, illuminating the elf's face with a silver light.
She had midnight-black hair, similar to his own and was dressed in dark leather pants and a dark shirt. Wrapped around her slim waist was a shiny belt, from which hung an empty sheath on her right hip. Knee-high boots covered her calves and small feet.
Her sculpted face was as perfect as a painting. Her round chin, high cheekbones, and long eyelashes gave her an exotic look. The only mar in her beauty was a scrape along her jaw.
Not that Harry would criticize anyone for that. After all, he had enough scars on his own. Nevertheless, she was the fairest woman he had ever seen.
Slowly, she turned to him, and her gaze reminded Harry of his own when he was still living with the Dursleys.
Her face was tense and coiled, ready for whatever punishment would happen next.
She held her head high, with a queen's demeanour. Her eyes, dark green, almost black, and slightly angled like a cat's, lifted to Harry's. A shiver shot through him when she eyed him.
Harry gasped, feeling like he had been struck in the stomach. She was the woman he had been dreaming of for the last few weeks.
Their gaze held for a moment, then the elf trembled and collapsed soundlessly against the table.
With a quick flick of his wand, her chains fell from her wrists.
He cautiously approached and helped her up. She gripped his arm tightly and Harry felt the slightest tremor.
He wasn't surprised at how light she was. She must have been here for weeks, if not months.
Harry looked into her half-closed eyes. She was completely exhausted.
"It will be alright. I'll get you out of here." Harry promised.
"Can you move?" Harry asked.
She shook her head. Her body was trembling, no doubt it was from the pain and hunger she suffered in her captivity, but her eyes were strong?
Harry cursed himself for his lack of foresight and immediately took off his glove. Her eyes grew wide as the Gedwёy Ignasia glowed in the moonlight.
"T-The egg h-hatched for you?" She rasped. Her voice sounded exhausted and scratchy.
She sounded as if she hadn't used her voice for weeks. And yet, Harry found his muscles relaxing when he heard her voice for the first time.
"I will explain everything later," he promised her. "First, we need to get out of here. Can you walk?"
He helped her to stand, but her legs trembled from the exertion.
Harry eyed her, until he finally decided to carry her on his back. He could feel her head resting on his shoulder and her arms wrapped softly around his neck. The scent of freshly crushed pine needles surrounded her.
Harry looked around for Kent, but he was standing, knife drawn, in front of Gareth, who was still unconscious on the ground.
"Are you coming, Kent?" Harry called, but Kent didn't hear him.
Harry walked up to him and kicked the knife out of his hand. It scrambled to the ground, and finally the light returned to Kent's eyes.
"I can't kill him," he murmured in a hollow voice. "After everything he's done, I can't do it."
"You're not a murderer, Kent. Come on, let's get out before the soldiers come."
Besides, with the shade around, Gareth would be tortured and killed for his failure, a fitting punishment for the degenerate human.
With one last look at Gareth, he turned and followed Harry outside.
"Artemis, are you ready?" He asked as they ran down the corridors.
"I'm flying over the city. Is the elf with you?
Harry quickened his pace. "Yes, she is. Everything worked out so far."
Artemis growled in his mind. "You're never going to plan anything again; do you hear me? This is the last time I follow your plans."
Were Harry in a different situation, he would have laughed at her. So far, his plans had always worked, at least after some improvisation.
Kent moved beside him, and together they stopped in front of the door. "I guess I need to go to Surda if I want to survive this. This is where we part ways. I hope to see you again sometime, magician."
"You as well, Kent."
Harry gave him a faint smile and watched him disappear into the thick smoke left by the fireworks.
He carefully stepped outside, where chaos still reigned. The creatures of fire were gone, and the townspeople were busy putting out the fire with water.
He saw Durza in front of him, and he barked orders at his people.
The shade turned his head, and his eyes widened when he saw Harry.
"YOU! I will get you this time, boy!" Durza bellowed.
Harry felt the elf shiver as Durza yelled at them. He tightened his grip around her to reassure her.
"Don't worry. I'll get us out of here," Harry whispered with conviction.
"I believe you," she whispered back. That was all he needed to know that they were going to get out of there.
Harry turned towards Durza, and the shade looked very battered. His blood-red hair was sunk, and his clothes were torn in several places. His eyes widened when he realized who Harry was carrying.
"You are the boy from Teirm, aren't you? Usually I forget about the people that I have killed," Durza said calmly. It was off-putting how calm he suddenly was, despite his appearance.
"I can give you access to knowledge you cannot even dream of. Join me and together we can rule Alagaёsia!" Durza took a step forward and held his fist in the air in triumph.
He closed his eyes as a memory surged through his mind. He stood in front of the Mirror of Erised, and Voldemort was next to him.
Knowledge is power, Harry… Join me
"Harry!" Screamed his partner in his mind.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry could see Artemis fly towards them.
"You look like a bloody idiot, and I will never join you," Harry shouted.
Durza's smile faded, and his eyes darkened with his fury.
"You dare mock me? It seems like your parents didn't teach you any manners. You will beg for forgiveness, when I torture you," Durza whispered, but his voice travelled throughout the town.
The elf tightened her hold on Harry.
Harry smirked at him. "I would love nothing more than to spend more time with you, but I don't swing that way. I will have to decline your offer. NOW!" Harry shouted and shifted his weight. His right arm got free, and he threw the stone engraved with runes towards Durza and ran the other way.
It seemed to be happening in slow motion, as the rock tumbled through the air, a snow-white dragon flew out of the sky and landed in front of Harry. The elf gasped behind him, while he placed the elf in Artemis' saddle, her tail was pushing him up, giving him the momentum needed to sit in the saddle behind the elf.
Artemis raised her wings and flew upwards.
Durza raised his arm and sent an orb of black magic flying towards them, but the magic was intercepted by a massive hand that erupted from the ground.
"What-" Durza was startled as he realized what was standing in front of him. Before his eyes, stood a fifteen-foot-tall Golem made out of sand and stone.
Its body consisted of a torso, a head and limbs connected by the rune. With every movement, sand fell to the ground and new sand travelled up from its feet.
The golem swung its right arm in the direction of Durza, who, surprised by the quick movement, was again slammed into a sturdy brick wall.
"That's the third time I've slammed you into a wall, you bloody bastard!" Harry shouted from high above as the dust slowly settled. Harry had no time to hear a response from the Shade, because Soldiers rallied themselves, and soon the very air was filled with the sound of Arrows.
Durza's yellow eyes shone through the dust. He jumped forward and appeared a few yards away from the golem. "My Master would be very interested in that... Another Dragon Rider and this magic... it reeks of his magic."
Durza shook his head. Whatever had just happened wasn't important. He would have to think on it later.
The golem struck again; it released a bolt of white lightning towards the shade.
"Letta!" Durza shouted in the ancient language and the magic stopped in its place.
"Fram!" The shade screamed yet again in the ancient language.
The magic turned from its hold and fizzled through the air towards the one who caused it in the first place. The lightning impacted the golem and crushed both of its arms.
It was followed with another pulse of magic and with another strike the golem was destroyed. The sand fell to the ground, but it began to move like thousands of ants.
"Fascinating," Durza whispered as he watched the golem start to rebuild itself.
"If I can claim this magic... The Varden… Not even the king would stand a chance against me," he murmured with a greedy smile.
The golem lashed out at him again, but with a quick movement, the shade dodged its attack and appeared in front of the Golem. He raised his sword and pierced the rune in its chest, where the Golem's heart would be.
The magic exploded and Durza was thrown through the air. He landed on his feet with a graceful twist from his body and slowly walked forward. Smoke rose from where the Golem stood mere moments ago, and in the middle was a blackened stone that was broken through the middle of it.
Durza laughed darkly.
This would change everything. Alagaёsia was changing, and he would be the one who would end up sitting on the throne.
He picked up the stone and walked back to his room. It was time to show the Varden once and for all what power the Empire possessed. They have sat in peace for too long, hoping for another chance. They would destroy every single one of them.
He would not rest until every creature knelt before him. Be it human, elf or dwarf.
They were all beneath him.