Reversed Life (Eragon fanfic)

Chapter 9

Another chapter everyone! The battle! Hehe. I tried my best to write it well, so I hope you all will like it! The next chapter is halfway done! I don't own Eragon. R&R!

"It has begun!" Bard exclaimed, with an excited expression. Behind Eragon, the troops on the encampment stood alertly with their weapons drawn. Comparatively, he stood silently; patiently watching the tunnel entrance, waiting for them to come bursting through.

Together, he, Saphira and his servants watched the dark mouth of the tunnel from where they stood, thirty feet before the battalion. A minute dragged by, then another . . . and another. Soon the movement behind the rocks became loud enough for normal ears to register. "I hear them!" cried a man. He could feel Finny stiffen beside him as Bard unsheathed his sword. No one moved . . . no one breathed. Somewhere close by, a horse nickered.

Harsh Urgal shouts shattered the air, as dark shapes boiled towards the tunnel's opening. He held his hands up to signal the soldiers to halt in their process of pouring scalding liquid into the tunnel's hungry throat. Then the Urgals emerged, their numbers halting at the sight of him. He recognized the Urgal in the lead, Gashz, who held up his hands to signal his brethren to stop. They did so, presenting a solid wall of bodies to the men and dwarves. Gashz stepped forward, not bothered that he was walking in a pool of oil. He held his head high in a sign of respect. "Lord Gabranth, what is the meaning of this?"

He could hear the Battalion move uneasily behind him. Eragon spoke, his voice possessing power and authority. "Do you and your kin still recognize me as a formidable leader?"

"We do, you have proven to us your strength." Gashz confirmed. Eragon nodded. He gestured towards the tunnel in which they had emerged.

"Then I order you to leave Farthen Dûr, and I grant you your freedom from the Empire." He watched as shock and surprise gripped them, followed by suspicion.

"We have orders from Durza to attack Farthen Dûr and kill every human and dwarf here."

"Think of what you're saying, Gashz," said Eragon. "You follow Durza as your leader, but has he ever won it from you, as is tradition by your kin? No. Instead he takes authority over you and your race without right. I accepted your challenge that was put to me and succeeded. Ushnark has also given me authority over your people, has he not?"

The Urgal nodded. Good, now if you would just fall for it. "Then as your leader, I order you to turn back and leave Farthen Dûr!"

They all stood there, waiting breathlessly as Gashz thought on his decision. Finally, the Urgal raised his head. He let out harsh shouts and to his surprise, some of the Urgals began to turn about, leaving Farthen Dûr.

"Very well, Lord Gabranth, I shall heed your orders. But I think that not all of my kin will leave with me." Eragon nodded and watched as he too left until all movement was gone and a significantly smaller wall of Urgals stood in front of him. One of the Urgals stepped forward, raising his sword.

With a fluid motion, Eragon drew both of his swords, the metal gleaming at his side. "I see you refuse to follow my orders," he whispered. "Insubordination pays a high price." Saphira.

The great sapphire dragon let out a thunderous roar. They will burn. He watched as her jaws opened and a great torrent of flames erupted, yellow with a tinge of blue. Immediately the oil caught fire, burning every Urgal within its hungry mouth. He raised his hand and the soldiers began to pour more hot oil into the mouth of the tunnel.

Immediately, arrows began to fly over them from behind, eating away at the Urgal's numbers. Despite many Urgals having followed Gashz, their force was still large. Eragon did not worry; he had Saphira to burn them away. The Urgal line wavered, threatening to break, but they covered themselves with their shields and weathered the attack.