Pugna: An Eragon Fanfic

16

After countless weeks of uneventful flying, Pugna and I had finally reached the farthest reaches of the Spine. Just the countless flap, flap, flap, of Pugna's wings as she soars over the countryside. She had finally stopped growing at the usual alarming rate, so now Pugna's almost the size of Saphira. By now I've almost forgotten about home dimension. I almost never look in Alydia's bookbag any more, though I've kept the tradition of black eyeliner and added the black lipstick to make myself look more mysterious.

Between all the 'roughing it' in the wilderness and practicing with my white sword Kvaet, I've become much more muscular and all baby fat has been stripped off. I'm tanner than usual as well.

Now, sitting between Pugna's shoulder blades, I gaze out over her massive back to see trees, mountains and smoke. Smoke? Why would there be smoke? I think to myself as we hurtle past.

Pug, turn around, I tell her.

Without asking why, she dips a wing down and circles back.

A tail of curling smoke dissipates in the atmosphere, creating a faint, sooty cloud above us.

Go down, I'll render us invisible so we can investigate.

Alright, she answers, albeit grudgingly because I can tell she wants to continue on our journey.  

I mutter a few words as we sink down below the canopy of leaves. Now it appears as if I'm sitting on thin air. The spell drains me of only a little energy, though I know that it might've killed any other spellcaster to have made all of Pugna invisible.

Thinking quickly, I cast another spell to make us silent. Pugna lands and I jump off, drawing my sword and walking to Pugna's left forepaw. Closing my mind in case of rival spellcasters, I motion Pugna forward and we head in the direction of the pungent smoke.

As we creep closer, I notice that the forest floor beneath us is hardening into a path. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my palm, in the center of my Gedwëy Ignasía, and Pugna and I flicker back to visibility. Pugna's footsteps thud on the ground as I realize all my spells are gone. I try to cast another but can't.

Pug, this is serious magic, be careful, I warn her. Only the best of magicians can cast this kind of ward over such a large area.

We stalk closer towards the source of the smoke, moving as quietly as possible. The path below us widens and in the distance I see a wooden gate with a steel portcullis in front of it.

It must be a city of some sort, theorizes Pugna.

Yes, but that means there are troops. We've come this far, no going back now. If anything, I would like to meet the caster of this protective spell, I reply.

We're about twenty feet away from the gate now... ten... five...

Whooooot. Whooooot. Whooooot.

A horn sounds off from the center of the city.

War horn! I warn Pugna.

We must retreat, Sabri- Pugna's words are cut off as the portcullis slowly grinds upwards. The wooden gate behind slams open and an army of dark figures erupts from the gaping hole. The figures are human shaped, but the shortest of them is about eight feet tall.

Urgals! I shout in our mental link.

Climb on me, now!

I oblige and I begin to climb on.

Faster! She urges.

I'm trying, it doesn't help you're so blasted big! I exclaim. (A/N: hehehehe I had to)

I manage to clamber on her back and look down to see a horrible scene.

At least five hundred Urgals, mostly Kull, surround Pugna. The circle is about two hundred and fifty Urgals long and two deep. Each brandishes either a sword, hammer, axe, or just their bare hands.

"You can not flee, rider! Our skilled archers are stationed within the city walls and they will shoot you down without hesitation! Name yourselves, so we know who it is we have killed!" Shouts what looks to be the leader of the Urgals. He is ten feet tall and speaks with a guttural accent.

"I am Sabrina, and this is Pugna-" I say cautiously.

"Die well, Sabrina and Pugna!"

"Wait! We haven't finished naming ourselves!" I exclaim.

(A/N: hehehehe I did it again and I'm ruining the moment with all these author's notes... K, back to the story... )

"Wait! We haven't finished naming ourselves!" I exclaim.

The Urgal huffs. "Then be done with it!"

"I, Sabrina, have traveled here from another dimension to fulfill a prophecy. If you kill either of us now, the prophecy will not be completed, therefore ensuring your destruction," I say. Better to shock them enough to keep them talking.

It worked. "A far fetched tale," says the Urgal tribe leader. "But one couldn't come up with such tales on the spot, so I am inclined to believe you," he raises his head, a sign of respect.

The other Urgals don't seem to agree with this decision, for they begin to grunt amongst themselves. One even lifts his axe menacingly in our direction. Ignoring his charges, the leader asks if we are affiliated with Eragon.

"Not directly, but we have studied under him. No, Pugna and I are separate from any leader," I answer, and Pugna inclines her snakelike head.

"Good," says the tribe leader. "Come, you must be tired. Join us in a warm bed and good food."

Feeling it would be rude to decline, I say yes and hop off Pugna. As soon as my feet touch the ground however, the Urgal still holding his axe charges. Shouting a few words, the Urgal leader magically drags the axe wielding Urgal back.

"No! They are our guests!" He shouts, adding other words in his native tongue.

He must be tribe leader because of his magical ability, muses Pugna. I mentally nod in response.

After the tribe leader stops talking, all the Urgals shout in anger. The leader looks somewhat frightened as he shouts to us.

"Gahz! Gahz! Go!" He screams as his troops stampede over him, trying to hack at Pugna and I.

I clamber back on Pugna and she lifts her massive wings. As soon as she becomes airborne however, a flock of hornet-like arrows curve out of the city, puncturing her wings. Pugna crashes to the forest floor and Urgals swarm over her, stabbing and slicing.

Both Pugna and I roar with rage and pain. I quickly draw my sword and jump down from Pugna. When I hit the ground, I spin around in a circle, dealing out grave wounds to the surrounding Urgals. Pugna whines and I turn around compulsively.

Pugna!

|•|•|•|

I jolt in pain. Something burns against my chest. I slowly pull on a gold chain around my neck, revealing a gold compass. I slip the chain off my neck and put it in my palm. It burns red hot, but I take the discomfort, because I know that, somewhere, they are feeling the pain much worse than I.

(A/N: sorry for the long update! I hope this chapter made up for it!)