Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Escape from Gil'ead
[2,121 words]
Brom turned to look at Eragon behind him, relief flooding his features when he saw that Eragon was unharmed and that Arya was on his shoulder. "Hahaha! Good job, Eragon!" Brom laughed, his voice filled with a mix of pride and satisfaction.
Eragon couldn't help but grin. "Thanks, Brom. You weren't bad yourself."
He gently laid Arya down on Saphira's back and looked at Brom. "She's badly injured. Can you check on her?"
Brom knelt beside Arya, his face etched with concern as he carefully assessed her condition. Eragon, feeling the weight of the situation, rose to his feet and turned his focus inward, reaching out to Saphira with his thoughts. 'How did things go with Durza? Anything unexpected happen?' he asked, his mind tense with anticipation.
Saphira's response came swiftly, her voice a steady presence in his mind. 'We followed the plan precisely. When Durza appeared, we stayed high above, well out of his reach. We didn't engage him. The moment you called for us, we left immediately to come get you.'
A sense of relief washed over Eragon as he absorbed her words. "Good," he murmured aloud, more to himself than anyone else. "Let's keep it that way. I have a bad feeling about that Shade."
As they continued on, Eragon couldn't shake the unease settling in his chest. Durza was a dangerous foe, and now that they completed their mission there was no need to stay any longer and engag the Shade.
He clearly remembered that in the original timeline Eragon's victory over Durza had only been possible due to a surprise attack. Durza had grossly underestimated the kid Eragon and played with him, which eventually had led to his downfall. In a direct confrontation, defeating a Shade would be a monumental challenge. Right now, he wasn't confident he could pull it off.
Swoosh~ Swoosh~
As Saphira's powerful wings beat through the air, Eragon looked back at the fortress. Durza was still on the ground, furiously trying to keep up with them on his horse. Each flap of Saphira's wings carried them further and further away from him. But suddenly, Durza halted his horse and raised his right hand, pointing directly at them. Eragon's heart skipped a beat when he saw the Shade's lips move.
"You are the cowards! Kveykva!" Durza's voice thundered across the city, and in an instant, a bolt of lightning shot from his fingertips, streaking toward Saphira with terrifying speed.
Buzz~ Rumble~
Eragon's eyes widened in horror. The bolt was too fast—there was no time to think. Acting purely on instinct, he thrust Zar'roc into the air, desperately trying to divert the deadly strike away from Saphira. 'If Saphira goes down, we're doomed!'
Eragon realized that relying on his and Saphira's magical wards might very well not be enough to block the powerful lightning, and they might even prevent the lightning from being drawn to his sword. With a swift decision, he mentally dispelled the wards, choosing instead to bear the brunt of the lightning with his own body and Magic Resistance.
His frantic gamble paid off. The lightning veered away from Saphira and struck Zar'roc instead, nearly blasting the sword and himself from Saphira's back.
Bang!
"Grrraaa!" As the searing energy coursed down the blade, The shock was immediate and agonizing. The electricity surged through his body, making every muscle convulse violently. Zar'roc burned hot in his grip, but his Heat Resistance kept his skin from scorching.
[Electrocution Resistance Level 1] Gained. This skill passively increases resistance and counteracts electric shocks, reducing the impact and disrupting the flow of electricity through your body.
[Electrocution Resistance Level 2]
[Electrocution Resistance Level 3]
[Electrocution Resistance Level 4]
[Magic Resistance Level 100]
The entire ordeal lasted only a heartbeat, but the danger made it feel like an eternity. Then, as suddenly as it had struck, the lightning was gone, leaving Eragon gasping for breath.
The sky crackled with remnants of fading energy, and the air hummed with the aftershock of what had just transpired.
"Eragon!" Brom's voice roared through the sky, rough with panic and fear.
'Eragon!!' Simultaneously, an overwhelming surge of emotion slammed into Eragon's mind as Saphira screamed his name through their mental link. Her usually cool, fierce demeanor was replaced by pure, raw terror, her mental voice vibrating with a mix of shock and desperation.
Huff~ Huff~
Eragon, still gripping his sword, felt the heat emanating from the blade. Slowly, he lowered the weapon, his chest rising and falling as he took in a deep breath. The tension drained from his body as he exhaled, letting the surge of adrenaline subside. He turned towards Brom and Saphira, meeting their worried gazes. "I'm okay, I'm not injured." he said, his voice steady, reassuring, but with an undertone that hinted at the toll it had taken on him.
Brom's initial relief turned to fury, his face contorted with anger. "Fool!! What in the name of all hell possessed you to do that, Eragon??" he shouted, his voice sharp. The lines on his face deepened, and his eyes blazed with a mixture of frustration and concern. "Do you have any idea how reckless that was? How stupid??"
Eragon stood his ground, his expression firm as he met Brom's fiery gaze. The older man's anger was palpable, but Eragon remained resolute. "If that lightning had hit Saphira and she fell from the sky, we'd all be as good as dead—or worse, captured," he said, his voice calm but edged with a steely resolve. "I couldn't risk Saphira falling."
Brom's eyes narrowed, still simmering with anger. "Then why didn't you rely on your wards to block the lightning spell?" he demanded, his voice harsh. "Why did you feel the need to put your own body in harm's way?"
Eragon didn't hesitate. "Do you really think the wards—mine or Saphira's—could have stopped that lightning?" he countered, his tone pointed as he stared Brom down.
Brom opened his mouth to respond but paused, doubt flickering in his eyes as he imagined the lighting strike the wards. Eragon continued, answering his own question. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Blocking that spell with the wards would have been even more dangerous of a gamble, not to mention it would also drain far too much of my energy, leaving me too vulnerable and weak to escape. I knew I had to use Zar'roc as a buffer and rely on my own body instead."
Though still not logical enough, it's not like Eragon could say he have a Magic Resistance skill to help him negate magic spells even better the wards without any cost... So he could only speak half truths.
Brom's face softened, the anger slowly draining as he absorbed Eragon's words. He sighed heavily, the tension easing out of his shoulders. "You may be right, but that doesn't make it any less dangerous," he conceded, his voice quieter now, almost weary. "We need you alive, Eragon—Saphira needs you alive. Don't take such risks lightly."
With one last look, Brom knelt beside Arya once again, examining her injuries.
As they soared away from Gil'ead, the cold wind whipping around them, Eragon could feel Saphira's presence grow more intense in his mind. Her thoughts, usually a comforting warmth, now burned with concern and frustration.
Now that Brom finished to reprimand Eragon, it was Saphira's turn.
'Eragon, what were you thinking?!' Saphira's mental voice thundered through their bond, laced with a mixture of anger and fear. 'You could have been killed! Taking that lightning head-on like that… it was foolish!'
Eragon winced at the intensity of her emotional outburst, but he didn't let it shake him. He held tight to the saddle, feeling the remnants of the electrified energy still tingling across his body. 'I know it was reckless,' he admitted, his voice calm as he reached out to soothe her through their connection. 'But I couldn't let it hit you, no matter what. If it had hit you... you would definitely be grievously injured...'
Saphira's anger softened, but the worry lingered. 'You don't always have to protect me, Eragon. We're in this together, and I can take care of myself.'
'I know you can,' he responded, his thoughts full of conviction. 'But I won't let anything happen to you if I can help it. We're a team, Saphira. We protect each other.'
There was a pause, a brief moment of silence where their thoughts mingled, emotions flowing freely between them. Saphira finally sighed, the tension in her presence easing slightly. 'Just… be more careful next time. I can't lose you, Eragon.'
Eragon smiled faintly, the bond between them pulsing with mutual understanding. 'I promise, I'll be more careful. But don't you worry—I'm tougher than I look. You know that.'
With that reassurance, Saphira let the last of her worry fade, focusing once more on the journey ahead.
As Saphira flew through the sky, her wings beating steadily, Eragon's gaze shifted towards the distant silhouette of the city. He could barely make out Durza's figure amidst the chaos below, but the memory of the Shade's power lingered in his mind.
'A Shade is really something else', he thought, his brow furrowing. 'Even at that far a distance, his magic was still strong enough to almost bring us down.' Eragon's grip tightened around his sword as he considered how lucky he had been.
If not for his formidable physique, comparable to that on an elf, and his Magic Resistance skill, he could have been severely injured. If there had been more strikes, the outcome could have been far worse.
Eragon looked down at his palm, opening it slowly. The metal of his sword had been heated to an almost unbearable temperature, yet his skin remained smooth without any blisters. A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he recognized the value of his Heat Resistance skill once again. 'Although I have no idea how high the temperature I can endure with a Heat Resistance at level 180 is, it's definitely higher than 1,500 Celsius...' he thought, feeling a sense of quiet pride.
Brom's voice cut through his thoughts. "Are you really alright? Lightning is one of the most harmful and destructive spells out there" he asked, his tone softer now, no longer mad and just genuinely concerned. Through their bond, Saphira's worry also still pulsed in his mind, her thoughts echoing Brom's question.
Eragon nodded, giving them both a reassuring look. "I'm fine," he replied, his voice steady. "It looked worse than it actually was."
Eragon glanced towards Arya, who lay motionless between them. "How is she?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.
Brom frowned, looking down at Arya's pale face. "She's hurt badly. And… I think she's also poisoned," he said, worry deepening the lines on his face. "But I can't be certain."
Eragon's mind raced as he recalled the knowledge from his past life. He didn't knew exactly what poison had been used on Arya, just that it's purpose was to suppress and prevent her from using Magic. That, and the fact that it's very deadly of course.
But revealing that knowledge would raise too many questions, and also wouldn't be all that useful. Instead, he nodded and said, "I can try to heal her physical wounds when we land, but what should we do about the poison?"
Brom shook his head, frustration evident in his eyes. "I don't know what poison it is, I can tell though that it's a slow acting poison, but if we don't get her the antidote fast she will die. We need to reach the Varden as quickly as possible and hope for the best. It's our only option."
Eragon nodded in agreement before turning his attention to Saphira. He could feel the strain in her muscles, the effort it took to keep them all aloft. "Saphira, are you okay? Do you need to land and rest?" he asked, his voice gentle, laced with concern.
Saphira's response was immediate, a determined surge of emotion through their bond. 'We're probably being chased right now; I can't afford to land,' she replied, her mental voice resolute. 'The camp is just a few minutes away. I'll manage to reach it, but after that, I won't be able to continue while carrying all three of you.'
Eragon nodded, understanding the weight of her decision. "Don't push yourself too hard, Saphira. If you need to rest, do it. We still have a long journey ahead, and we need you to conserve your strength."
Saphira's only response was a surge of gratitude, and Eragon felt her determination solidify as they pressed on towards safety.
A/N: I'm terrible at choosing skill names, so please go easy on me..
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone