Walking With Death (OPEN)

[Brenton]

A bellow of pure and righteous fury split the still air as swords clashed with thunderous report and boots made of steel kicked up dust. Yet in the center of all of that was one figure who stood a little over six feet tall with a wide chest and broad shoulders, long arms and legs as heavily muscled as a warrior who had trained all of his life for this day. He had a distinct set of features to his face considering the man was blessed with a human's chiseled jawline that led to elven eyes, ears, and nose while his hair, a dark black color and shaggy in a manner that stated rebellion, fell down to cover the ears and eyes just brushing his lip. Under the dark curtain of curly bangs were two glittering gold eyes that made most jump in shock when they noticed that the color was natural.

His jaw was covered in a dark black full beard that was growing long and wild in its days of being untamed since this man had no time for such frivolous behavior. Luckily the beard covered a scar that went from his left jaw to just below his bottom lip on the right side where a dagger had cut him. Covering the man's body was attire that could only be described as menacing but intriguing at the same time. He was in a black leather vest that was untied to show a fully muscled chest and torso while black bands were around his biceps. On his legs were black form fitting leather pants with golden armor covering his arms and legs as well as his torso. On his feet were a pair of softened leather black hunting boots with a deadly surprise in each one, a dagger at the top. Over all of that was a long dark green and black mottled cloak that had a gold dragon clasp holding it closed. The hood was pulled up to hide the fact that a short sword, long sword, and a bow were sticking up over both shoulders. A leaf crown was on his head but that was also hidden by the hood of the cloak.

As said before, this man was in the middle of the group of steel shod boots that were connected to Imperial soldiers that had orders to kill his. For this was the elven king, Brenton Bromsson, who was currently ducking and weaving to avoid all of the swords that came toward him. Each time one would pass him, Brenton would snap an arm and then take the blade that had impaled another soldier to throw it over into a pile. The pile was growing steadily larger and the crowd was growing steadily smaller, that was until their rider stepped out and raised his palm to cast a spell on Brenton. With a sigh, the king cast back his hood and drew the long sword, Undbitr, to cut the man's hand off at the wrist. Next went the arm at the elbow and then at the shoulder before finally Brenton cut his head off and resheathed Undbitr. Now all of the soldiers were dead and the last one standing was Brenton who was walking with Death everywhere he went.

[Quetzal]

"Hey, I can see Brenton," Arlyn said to the young woman on his back.

"I see him too. Do we really want to talk to him, though?" Isrydia responded mentally. The wind was too strong to speak over. Being of the Air Branch, they were using its hidden currents to carry them faster.

Arlyn hesitated. "He's our friend..." he said slowly.

"But all he cares about these days is killing. You've seen him. He's angry all the time. When he's not showing off his strength, he's being miserable about every little detail of his life," Isrydia finished.

"Come on, he's not that bad-"

"What's he doing right now?"

"Killing a load of Empire soldiers," Arlyn said, resigned.

"Exactly. Any normal person would have just run from so many soldiers. I don't know whether it's a need to show off or a desire to kill, but killing that many is just excessive."

"Have you got something against him?" Arlyn tried to defend him.

"The only things I have against Brenton is that he can be an arrogant show-off and he never lets his feelings for me go. This isn't Brenton. His hunger for power, to make himself appear better than everyone else, led him to that damned crystal, and it's made him some angry madman."

Arlyn began descending subtly. "All the more reason to talk to him."

Isrydia was not happy, but the dragon was getting steadily lower and closer to what had been their friend. Brenton was too far gone. Her being there would only make him complain about how she was unwilling to be in a relationship, and that would only make things worse between them. She hated how all he seemed to do these days was fight and complain. She had been sympathetic when his complaints were of difficulties in defending Alagaesia, but now they were all centred on him. He was forever saying how people didn't accept half-elves, which wasn't true, and how people didn't want him to be their king and about what the crystal was doing. She had little sympathy for that seeing as it was all his own doing. Why had he been so stupid as to using that crystal in the first place? It had turned her friend into a ridiculously overpowered unpredictable stranger.

Seeing Brenton these days always put her in a bad mood. Any situation where he was present always ended up having to be about him and his problems, regardless of the problems of anyone else there. She wasn't afraid of him, doubting he would ever try hurting her, but was beyond fed up with his attitude. Her patience was well past its end for his tendency to show off and mope about his troubles, having heard and seen it all many times before. It didn't impress her. She just wanted him to stop being so stupid and look to the future, to actually find a way out of the mess he'd got himself into. "Maybe he's too busy lost in self-pity and anger to think of a solution for himself. Maybe someone needs to help him with that," Arlyn said as his feet touched the ground. She scowled at him. As Brenton's friends, they had put up with him. It was their duty to help him. That was what friends were for... but every time she'd tried suggesting anything, he hadn't taken it on board.

Swinging herself from Arlyn's back, Isrydia walked towards Brenton. She was dressed in boiled leather armour covering much of her body. It wasn't the best armour, but it offered some protection and allowed the quick movements she liked to use in fights. It should stop any arrows that tried to surprise her, and that was the main thing. In close combat, she could just avoid stabs. Slashes would take a while to get through the tough leather.

Brenton, on the other hand, was wearing notoriously terrible armour. Gold was the softest and weakest metal, very malleable - that was why it was used in jewelry. In battle, however, that meant it would just be eaten through straight away by arrows, spears, maces, swords and their like. The leather covering his legs would offer better protection. His chest was bare, worse than pointless. Sure, he may get to show the world his muscled chest (which she for one did not care to see), but it was an easy target for a sword. He would have wards, but as invincible as he liked to think himself, they couldn't last forever. Literally the only reason for going into battle dressed so inappropriately was to show off. It looked quite silly to her to dress in such a way. Liking the way your body looked was perfectly fine, but in battle not covering it up could kill you. She'd seen it before, with women who shaped armour to define their chests. The shape focused the impact of blows to the sternum, increasing their strength to a degree that proved fatal on several occasions.

"Brenton, why did you kill all these soldiers? And you should invest in stronger armour than gold," Isrydia frowned at him.

"Sorry, she'd been in a bad mood about you lately," Arlyn apologised, more friendly than his Rider.

"Not without reason! Brenton, look, this crystal thing has gone too far. You need to find some way to get rid of it before it destroys you completely. You're not even you any more, not really," there was genuine concern in her voice. This new Brenton she might not like, but the old one she still cared about.

[Brenton]

Brenton was busy trying to figure out why his life was getting to where he only killed to enjoy the thrill of it when the wind changed and rain drops started falling onto his face which left trails of dust running down his cheeks. He sighed and looked around, trying to pinpoint his next place to go and then the sound of wing beats reached his ears, much like a hollow boom ever time they went down. That meant that a dragon or another large flying creature was nearby and possibly flying down toward him as these thoughts went through his muddled mind. The land was populated by so many creatures that fit that description so the king cast his mind out to search for the source of the wing beats.

It was a mind, or more of two, that Brenton recognized from his time within the trees of his home that he so vehemently avoided with all of his life. It was Isrydia and Arlyn, two of his former students that he recently trained right before the cruxis crystal was created. But these two were different than Seril, Feanaro, and Konner. Brenton had found Isrydia right after Grazael hatched and seen that Arlyn had just hatched so the two dragons instantly became like brothers while they traveled to Ellesmera. In that trip he learned much and the king fell in love with the female rider, much to her dismay, and even tried to tell her a few times. Yet none of those times led to anything more than her telling him that she didn't like him that way and that he needed to just move on.

Isrydia was his best friend after Feanaro and so when Brenton had learned that she was possessed, the king had gone to her aid even though it spelled the doom for Grazael. That day his golden dragon, the second one he had been able to say hatched for him, died and Brenton had been forced to endure the pain once more. Yet not once did it bother him because it wasn't his friends that had committed the crime of killing his partner of heart and mind. And that was why he felt a slight frustration when he turned and saw the anger in Isrydia's eyes as she looked at him and saw all of the dead bodies. Was nothing he did ever good enough for this girl even when he tried to fight the demons that were within and be good and pure for her?

Brenton fought off those feelings and waved his hand with a muttered spell to see his attire change instantly. He now stood there in his black leather but a white silk shirt was on underneath and his armor was replaced by steel armor that had two dragons, one blue and one gold, battling with each other on the chest plate. The king bowed his head in acknowledgement to Arlyn and then turned his golden eyes to the female rider who was questioning him so harshly. I kill not because I want to but because I have to in most cases. Today I did not lay a finger on any of these soldiers except in self defense. Their wounds were inflicted by their allies while I dodged their attacks so I wouldn't die. As for the rider, yes I killed him but because he was about to cast a spell upon me that would have harmed me if I hadn't acted.

Brenton felt like everyone was trying to change him but even the king knew that Isrydia was right when she spoke of how the cruxis crystal had corrupted him. He used to be different and now he had a plan but it required the help of Isrydia and Eragon, especially Isrydia. If I told you I knew a way to fix this all would you help me, even though it would require you doing something you had never thought about before? I don't want to push the matter but I researched the cruxis crystals and there are ways to destroy them but only one way exists that will let you destroy one and live. If I do it then you'll have to be there and...it will require you accept what you don't want to. You'll have to accept that I am different from who I once was but the only thing that is the same is my feelings for you. Arlyn may or may not have told you but when you fell after the witch was banished, I thought you died and so I kissed you and feared you wouldn't return. Something I shouldn't have been able to feel. Then when Eragon was fighting you and we ended up having that fight with Saphone, I felt so embarrassed that I blushed and was forced to look away from you. Once again, I shouldn't have been able to do that. It made no sense until I looked into it and discovered it was because I created the cruxis crystal out of love and there are only a select few I love aside from Vaentr. Grazael makes me feel guilty even though I shouldn't, Eragon makes me feel guilty that I wasn't around, and you...well you make me feel a lot of things. If I'm correct then these feelings should save me when I destroy the crystal but if it doesn't then I'll die on the ground and I want you to take Grazael while Eragon takes Saphira I and Undbitr. Please help me, Isrydia.

[Quetzal]

Regardless of what Brenton had said, there had been many occasions when Brenton had killed unnecessarily that Isrydia had heard about. When an Empire soldier was involved, it was almost as though he forgot they were real individuals like he was. There had been times when there was an alternative way out that would leave the soldiers more chance at growing old and seeing their families, but Brenton tended to kill the soldiers if they were inconveniencing him. Eragon had even told her of a time when he had rather brutally killed guards after they had yielded, no less. Yet here he was, claiming to only kill when he had to.

When he mentioned the Rider, Arlyn snorted in anguish, a puff of black smoke with it. They hadn't known a Rider was involved. They'd been high above and had seen no sign of any dragon. "A spell that would have harmed you? So you killed him? You could have just let the Rider yield. Taken him captive, brought him back to the Varden. Heavens knows they could use more Riders fighting for them." She looked at the corpses strewn about, wondering which had been the Rider. She couldn't see all their hands. Of those she could see, none were showing gedwey ignasias.

"Somewhere out there a poor dragon has been left alone and in pain," Arlyn said, more sad than angry. He couldn't even imagine how devastated he would be should he lose Isrydia. She rested a hand on his neck, and her touch made him feel a little better.

For the umpteenth time, Brenton spoke of how much he loved her. As ever, it changed nothing in the way she felt about him - after all, why should it? His feelings had nothing to do with her own. The whole thing just made her deeply uncomfortable. She wanted them to be friends, but every time that happened, he always did something out of the blue that made her uncomfortable and set back their friendship. It wasn't healthy. He'd clung on, and she'd helped him when he needed help, kept an eye on him because of how he was always doing silly things like this cruxis crystal which got him into trouble. It had been a good thing when she'd left Ellesmera after a little training. Distance was good, especially after seeing him every day. She'd always tried to make him back off and just accept that there was no chance of any romantic relationship between them. Still he'd at times, not so much now, but when he'd been recently crowned and flaunted his position more, seemed to think he some kind of right to Isrydia. He'd never forced her to do anything, although he had kissed her without her wanting it a couple of times, but he'd seemed to have it in his head that sooner or later she had to come to like him. That was so very wrong. Hopefully he'd never thought like that, but he'd acted like it before.

Now he was asking her to take advantage of those feelings. All the times she'd tried to push him off, to let him down gently or otherwise so that he might one day actually get the message and just leave their relationship at friendship. She knew perfectly well how he felt without him making a big confession every now and then. Could there be some other way? She didn't even know how she could help him. He'd said his love for her might help him pull through destroying the crystal. It sounded like something from a cheesy romance novel, except in this situation it was entirely one-sided. Maybe it could work. Great. He hadn't actually told her what he was going to do, or what she should do. "If it means destroying the cruxis crystal, of course. I'd gladly rid you of it. What were you planning? What part do I have in it?"

[Brenton]

Brenton waited for Isyrdia to soak up all of the information that he had just given her, seemingly stunned and disbelieving, but when she did he finally gathered his thoughts and brushed his hair from his eyes while he thought about the best way to tell her what he planned to do. Most people who cared about him wouldn't want the king to go through with a plan that would almost definitely kill him even if Isrydia or Eragon were there. Still it was one of the only ways to truly protect all of the innocent lives of the people who were around whenever Brenton got angry and so it was a necessary risk.

Finally he spoke, slow and halting, trying to get everything through the blocks in his mind and past the lump that was forming in his throat like a dark tumor. The plan is flawed to most people and more than likely I will die from even thinking about attempting such a desperate measure but it is something that I must do for everyone alive. I must travel to Utgard Mountain and within is a forge that was long abandoned by the dragon spirits who used it to craft their weapons that they have used for so many decades. Inside at that forge is an anvil made of metal that I have yet to find a name for but that is said to be stronger than any ever seen by any other race before. Once there I must take the crystal from my palm and place it on the anvil, drawing Undbitr at the same time, and then proceed to attack it with an enchanted blade. Since Undbitr is a rider blade, it can cut through most spells and that is why it is said to be able to destroy a cruxis crystal in a forge of a dragon spirit.

When the crystal shatters it will make me pass out and there are many accounts of people who die in this stage so I need you to be there and to stay with me, never leaving, so that maybe it will help me somehow. All you have to do is be there but I must warn you, if it works then I should be able to feel pain and all other mortal feelings again which includes maddening desire. It is likely I will try to kiss you or even worse do something else that makes me cringe from the thought. That is why I want Eragon there, to stop me if this happens. Please Isrydia, you know everything know, don't get scared and abandon me when I am lying there dying.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia and Arlyn took a moment to think over what Brenton told them. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "It's good that you still have enough of you emotions left to be this determined to do something about that crystal, and to be afraid of the dangers," she observed. His slower speech told her he was at least a little nervous about this, which was better than the angry robot she'd expected him to become. Perhaps if they left it too long, that would happen. She had been worried that with only anger, he'd be unable to recognise that there was a problem with him. In reality, he'd been just as mopey as ever, except with more blunt speech and diminished expressions of emotion. His loss of feeling wasn't complete yet, he still had some left to him.

Her words had mostly been to break a silence while she and Arlyn thought over his plan. Neither of them had ever heard of this supposed forge before. They'd focused more on science than history in their studies, though, and Brenton was specifically searching for a way to destroy cruxis crystals, so the pair took it that Brenton's resource was a reliable one. Not only had he thought of a way to lessen the chances of him dying, but he'd thought of a way to protect her as well when he reacted to that. How courteous of him. Clearly he'd thought this through well.

"Of course we wouldn't abandon you if you lay dying. Anything to stop you becoming this emotionless... thing. I can't say I'd be at all happy or comfortable if you tried anything after, but it's worth it if we can get through this whole ordeal and live to work on getting over those feelings you have for me," it had been going on for far too long now. He had Rella. She would endure it if it really would save his life, but beyond that she had no obligation to put up with any of his advances she was so fed up with.

As for Eragon's part in this, she knew he had no great love of Brenton. He was resentful of what Brom having another son meant, and had complained to her on occasion of Brenton's arrogance and whining. He'd never known Brenton before the cruxis crystal, and while she didn't know the other Rider well enough to say for certain if he'd be willing to help, she knew he would want him to get rid of that thing. "Eragon would probably help, I think," she said. At the very least, he'd be willing to protect her, surely. She could defend herself, of course, but Brenton was quite strong and it would be best if she could leave while another fought him off - he might calm down if she was out of sight.

"I'd like to get this done soon, but the battle for Uru'baen is what, a few days away? We need everyone we can get for this battle, and even if we can get all the way to Utgard and back in that time, you won't be recovered enough to fight. It wouldn't do to have Eragon run off just before a battle, as the Varden's Champion. Plus if we don't get back in time, that's two Riders and one... dragon spirit? - I'm not sure to be honest - Missing just when they're needed most. Eragon and Saphira would never leave the Varden now. Best we wait until after the battle," Arlyn advised.

[Brenton]

Brenton smiled sadly, not feeling the emotion fully but knowing he should, as he thought about the way Eragon was around him. The younger son of Brom was always resentful that Brom had sired another son who was living as king of the elves while he had grown up with him. Yet Brenton harbored no ill feelings toward his young half brother and knew that Brom had done what he thought was right even if it did harm him in some way. So when Isrydia mentioned how Eragon would probably help, it only made Brenton realize that it was unlikely the two would ever be anything more than estranged brothers. Sadly enough the king had to accept that and just go on with his plans for his life even when all seemed to be bent on turning against him.

At that moment Arlyn spoke of how the Varden could hardly afford to have all of them abandon the war just to save Brenton from dark magic that he brought upon himself. In tactical thinking, that was a very reasonable statement to make but it was also a very bad one to make when Brenton thought of all of the things he could do if he got too angry. Times like this were where he had to set aside his own problems and think about the good of the land and the people who resided in said land. So he stepped back, metaphorically speaking, and looked at the situation from a commander and a king's point of view instead of as a desperate man reaching out for any help.

My army is just on the edge of the Hadarac at an outpost built by Konnor and his assassins. They wait for commands to come from either myself or from Arya to march to battle with Uru'baen in the crosshairs but I must say that this is folly. We are in desperate need of everyone to be level-headed when they go to battle. Because I agree that we cannot abandon the war at the end then I will gladly wait and I will go against the only other person who is as mad as I. Rerukusu is sure to be riding Avendel into battle with his sister nearby and dragon riders flanking him. This is a time where I need the Varden and Elven riders to join in battle with me. Maybe I can convince Arathale and Skailah to come to war but Kialandi betrayed us and went to the Empire because of Shaelren becoming the Hero.

Brenton paused and thought for a minute or so before he once again spoke to Isrydia about what he had planned. The war is only a week away at most and we have little time to get to where we have to be but I must be able to speak to Eragon first. Do you think Arlyn can keep up if I fly toward the Varden encampment to confer with him? We will obviously not discuss leaving the war for my personal gain but I have some things I have to tell him and to try to convince him I am not as evil as this crystal makes me.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia could see Brenton feeling some sadness at the mention of Eragon, which was good. Hopefully that sadness could be used in the same way as the love - after all, resentfulness and annoyance may not be as poetic as love for saving someone from death, but they were still emotions Brenton could cling onto. They could not afford to do whatever made the best story. They had to use what they had, and Isrydia sorely wanted to be rid of the king's affections. Not having his love for her solely helping his survive would be a good start to achieving that.

It was her and Arlyn's turns to feel a pang of sadness when Reru was mentioned. The two had not been in control of their own bodies when they had stolen that dragon's egg so that the mad Rider might restore Avendel to life, but none the less they felt a huge amount of guilt. If they'd just been a little stronger, their struggling may have been successful and they may have banished the witches from their minds. Reru would have failed to steal the egg and a new hatchling would have lived. Now there was a dragon Rider never made, a dragon never lived. That aside, they saw how Brenton was a good choice for fighting him. Madness against madness, why not? "Rerukusu is more mad than you; he's been at it longer. He's the only guy aside from you I know of who's been twisted far enough to use Nether magic. No one else can match him when he inevitably starts using it. You're the only one who'll know enough about his sort of magic to be able to predict it, know what he's doing, and match him. Everyone else will be powerless, so now I think about it you would be most useful fighting him, protecting everyone else from the Nether magic," she said. She would have used kinder words than the whole 'twisted' thing, but that sort of magic was very dark indeed so 'twisted' did seem the right choice of word, plus she couldn't think of anything else to describe it as she was speaking as fast as she was thinking.

She nodded. "Of course Arlyn can keep up. We're Air Branch, and he's far smaller, lighter and more agile than Vaentr," Vaentr had been around twelve years old while Arlyn was eight months old, so Arlyn was smaller by far. Arlyn was also built more for speed and agility, so while Vaentr's body was stronger, Arlyn's was light and lithe. With the winds of the Air Branch aiding him and with his streamlined, slim body, it was entirely possible Arlyn would be faster than Vaentr - or Brenton's dragon form, rather. When Isrydia spoke, she paused before saying Vaentr's name. It was hard to know what to call Brenton's dragon form. It wasn't quite the same a dragon spirit, or at least that was how it felt. Somehow it felt odd just calling it his 'dragon form' when she knew it was the body of his old dragon as his mind was taken over as well. In that form he was more Vaentr than anyone else, and at his most dangerous. She didn't think she'd seen him in dragon form without being out of his mind.

This was one of Brenton's good days, him being calmer and more rational in thought than usual. Isrydia wasn't sure how often Eragon had seen him like this, but it was rare. They ought to make the most of his current mood. "Of course, seeing Eragon is a good idea. Yet I honestly think it would be foolish to try removing the crystal before the battle. As you said, it's only a week away at most. We're so far from Utgard it would take four or five days at best to get there, and that's flying on dragonback at full speed with barely a stop for eating, drinking and allowing the dragons some rest. Who can say how long we'll take there, either? It will take time to find this forge. Utgard is large, and no doubt these ruins will be too. If this take so much energy it will probably kill you, there's not a chance in the world you'll be fully recovered in a month's time, let alone for a battle. If by some miracle we manage to get there and back faster than physically possible, and you survive, you'll be too weak to fight, will die upon the battlefield, and it'll have all been for nothing. Where will that leave us? Soldiers will lose heart to see someone as strong as you killed as easily as you would were you that weak. Should you die before, either, the elves would fall into chaos lacking a clear ruler again. You can't ask Eragon to desert the battle he's been training for since Saphira hatched just because you can't wait a few extra days. I won't do it, either. You know I'd do whatever it takes to help, but it can wait."

Arlyn nodded. "It's annoying, but the truth. We're all desperate for you to lose the cruxis crystal, but we can be patient. I know it must be hard for you to guess at other's emotions when you barely feel any yourself, but it is folly and beyond all else incredibly selfish to do this now. Your life is important to us, of course. Acting in a way that will without a doubt diminish the Varden's forces, potentially making Eragon himself unavailable, is too selfish for us to agree to. Helping you before the battle could very well mean Rerukusu wipes out many of our best Riders. They may not be able to beat Galbatorix then. Eragon has to be there to fight the king. If we don't kill Galbatorix, then the Empire wins, and... well, you know what happens then. We won't risk an Empire victory just for you. We'll plan this, talk with Eragon, all of that, so long as we don't leave until after the fighting. Clear?" It was a longer explanation than he'd usually give, but sometimes with Brenton it was necessary to repeat things so firmly so that he'd actually get the message. He and Isrydia had kept their tones gentle all the while. They weren't blaming Brenton for anything in the slightest, and they really didn't want to provoke his anger.

[Brenton]

((Sorry for taking so long to post and sorry for the quality.))

Brenton nodded once and changed instantly, one second being a half elf and the next he was a large dark blue dragon. Angling his body, Brenton sped off toward the Varden camp. They had been a half day's ride from the encampment on the ground but dragons flew far faster. So what would've taken 12 hours took only 4 in the air.

As they got closer, Brenton descended and touched down. He straightened his tunic and walked in the camp, already searching for his brother.

The king knew Isrydia would be next to him so he wasn't too worried about people stopping him. If only he could find Eragon in this chaos.

[Quetzal]

i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn250/BirdyBot1000/avatarisrydia.png

((Don't worry, I know the last few days have been tricky for you))

They would be going immediately, it seemed. Isrydia could see no reason to protest, so swung herself up into the light saddle on Arlyn's back. The young dragon made a rumbling sound for no particular reason, then took off after Brenton. Flying had become a lot easier since the Air Branch had been reformed, although it was hard to tell whether it was their connection to that becoming stronger or simply his growing from a hatchling into a mature dragon that was to blame for his ease of flying. Probably a mixture of both. The air currents lent themselves to his wings. He knew instinctively which angles would be best to hit them at for a speed boost, and he never seemed to be flying against the wind. It was always with him if he wanted it to be.

Arlyn never usually flew this fast. He preferred to save the energy unless it was absolutely necessary he got somewhere as soon as possible. In this case, he had to keep up with Brenton. He enjoyed the challenge and loved the feeling on the wind whipping at his face. Isrydia was less pleased. Unused to the faster speed, she wrapped her arms tightly around the spike in front and had her head down the whole time, since every time she lifted her head the wind was too strong for her to open her eyes. Her hair whipped at her face, too, which gave all the more reason not to expose herself to the wind.

When they landed, Isrydia dismounted, trying to rearrange her windswept hair. It was all over the place in tangled waves. She managed to push it all back to more or less its natural position around her head, but it was still hopelessly messed up. Never mind. People generally understood that Riders were hardly going to have perfect hair after flying around as they did. She and Arlyn walked alongside Brenton, looking all around them. They both reached out with their minds for Eragon or Saphira, but there were so many minds around them finding two familiar ones among them was very difficult.

Eragon was in the area since that was where all the Riders had their tents. He was currently in the clearing among the tents which people camped around here used for combat training. The ground was churned mud, tough to move on. He was practising various stances and movements with Brisingr, sweeping it slowly at a dummy before repeating the movement several times until he could manage a complex one quickly enough for it to be effective.

"I can't feel his mind or Saphira's among all these others. It might be easiest just to try finding him the normal way. Shall we go to the places he's most likely to be, look there first and then maybe ask around?" Isrydia suggested.

"His tent, the eating quarters, training grounds, and the meeting tents are all likely candidates," Arlyn added.

[Brenton]

It was simple enough to think that Eragon would likely be in those places, especially when he normally would be. Yet this was the last few days before the war and and rider worth their mettle would be training. So the training grounds was the most likely place to search.

Brenton looked around and saw swords hitting dummies rapidly, some actually taking pieces with them. But the blade he searched for was a blue color, deep and of the same shade as Saphira. Brisingr, the last rider blade to be forged of Brightsteel, was actually so similar to Undbitr that Brenton saw it instantly.

As he picked out the sword of his half brother, Brenton walked slowly forward and bowed his head respectfully. Brother, I see you train hard for the battle that approaches with haste. So I won't hold you long but I need to ask a favor of you as a rider and as your family.

[Quetzal]

Eragon turned abruptly upon hearing someone walk slowly up to him. He relaxed, seeing it was Brenton, with Isrydia behind and Arlyn standing to one side, the dragon not wanting to get in the way of everyone fighting. He felt less relaxed seeing Isrydia's look of mild concern. Brenton was acting oddly courteous, the kind of effort-fuelled respect that meant he was trying hard to win him over to doing what he asked. That suggested this was a big favour.

He rested Brisingr's end on the ground, sharp point sinking an inch or so. "Brenton, Isrydia, Arlyn, hello. Ask away," he said warily. Of course he was willing to help a fellow Rider and, as much as it discomforted him to share Brom, this man was family too. Knowing Brenton, however, chances were there could be a great risk involved just for some extra power. He'd done exactly that with his cruxis crystal, so he wouldn't put it past him to do the same again. With that crystal, he was never sure how far he could be trusted, either. He meant well most of the time, but often his ideas were crazy or pointlessly violent. He looked at Isrydia. She'd known him before the crystal, and she wasn't losing emotions and going mad like he was.

Isrydia noticed this and took that as her cue to speak. "Hear him out, Eragon. I think it makes sense. You'll see the benefits when he explains it, I'm sure," she said in an attempt to ease his caution. He had a right to be, having only seen Brenton in his angry, crazed, slightly murderous state, but they needed him to listen now.

"Might be best not to have this conversation in the middle of the training grounds!" Arlyn piped up. "Come over here where there's a bit more privacy. No need to call her if you or her don't want to, but you'll want to let Saphira in on this too. Glaedr might give you advice if you're really stuck after hearing it all, provided Brenton is OK with him knowing, of course," he turned that last part into a question, looking at the half-elf as he said so.

"I'm going over there, could do with a sit down anyway." Eragon walked towards Arlyn, Isrydia joining him. He sat down heavily next to the pale dragon, who brought his tail around to prop him up so he could relax more comfortably. It took Eragon no time at all to find Saphira. Her mind rang through that of everyone else in the group. "Brenton, we'll do what we can for family, however stubborn my Rider can be. Do explain."

[Brenton]

Brenton listened to his half brother and then to Arlyn, nodding as he heard what was said. Then came Saphira's turn to speak about how they would do anything for family even if Eragon was reluctant. That last part brought a slight twinge of a memory of a dream to mind in Brenton's head. One of him riding Frost Fire, younger back then, and holding two leaf bladed elven long swords up to the skies while dressed in the armor of elven knights. It confused the rider because he had never been able to find any reason for this dream but back when he was just being crowned he would have the reoccurring dream. Now it was almost like Brenton knew who this figure was but he couldn't find the connection to his mind so he could explain it.

Finally the king shook his head to clear the cobwebs and focused his attention back upon Eragon for a second. As he did though, he suddenly saw a young boy running into Carvahall with Roran and Garrow by his side and happy to be in the village. Yet he shouldn't have known that! Chalk that one up to his madness, Brenton decided, until he realized he was dressed in the armor from his dream with his hair cleaner and tied back into a ponytail down his back.

Why was all of this happening just from a comment from Saphira about family and doing what they could for him? With a shudder, Brenton forced himself to come to terms with the fact that he didn't have time to cast a spell to change his appearance back.

There is a way to destroy the cruxis crystal and return to who I was before I started going mad. Yet I don't know all of the side effects and I don't know how I'll act when I wake up. If it works then I will be able to feel mortal emotions again which includes desire. So I need your help to keep me from harming Isrydia in any way. That is the gist of it and I realize it would have to happen after the war.

[Quetzal]

Eragon noticed Brenton look distant for a moment. He turned to Isrydia, concerned the king was about to have an episode, but she shrugged, knowing this was not a wave of anger that heralded the arrival of one of his violent rampages. He was calm, by the looks of it, even puzzled, a look he had not seen much on the half-elf's face in the time he'd known him. In a flash Brenton returned to them, shaking his head as if to clear it. An odd thing to happen it might be, Eragon chose to ignore it. Brenton had carried on speaking and he didn't want to pry too deeply into his half-brother's thoughts. Whatever had been going on behind his skull was something he was curious about, but he knew it was private and personal. Brenton's not mentioning his thoughts meant it was either unimportant or not something he wanted to share.

Dealing with however Brenton behaved when he woke up and protecting Isrydia was not asking too much of him. Eragon might have been more reluctant to accept had he been asked to help with the process of removing the crystal itself, thinking it very dangerous indeed to dabble even a little in its dark variety of magic. This was an important task, if a relatively small one. "That sounds very reasonable," he said, turning back to Isrydia again. "Not to be rude, but can't you protect yourself? You can fight well, and you've got your dragon," he pointed out, half jokingly.

Isrydia smiled. "Yes, but I know Brenton would best me in a fight. He's stronger with magic, so while Arlyn could put him down in a physical fight there's still that to contend with. Not to mention we don't know what power he'll keep after destroying the cruxis crystal. With his connection to the nether severed, he might lose that creepy dark magic stuff, but he might still be able to turn into Vaentr, which would prove testing for a dragon more than eleven years his junior," she explained.

Eragon nodded. That made sense. "All right, fair enough. A step into the unknown. I'd like to get to meet who you really are, Brenton, so I'm down with this. After the war, I'll make time and come find you. What exactly is the plan?" he asked.

[Brenton]

Brenton had zoned out for a second, remembering a time in Carvahall where merchants would come and young Eragon would run into town with some money to purchase whatever. Then they would normally go back to their farmhouse with Garrow who he shouldn't have even known the name of. Of course Roran would be there and Eragon would have to run errands for him to Katrina. That was one of the last things the king thought he remembered of the rider before him.

Forgive me, Eragon, for changing the subject but my time in Carvahall didn't afford me the luxury of seeing you or Garrow so how do I remember you running around with him and then taking notes to Katrina? I'm sorry if that brings bad memories for you but I am seeing these things in my mind almost as if a dream and in every one of them I'm someone else, Sir Brenton of Ellesmera. It was a dream from when I was crowned where I was not related to you or Arya and the only reason I got the throne was through something that I couldn't remember. Now it appears that I have taken the appearance of the knight in the dreams and the only person who could really help has died.

With a sigh, the king looked over across the land toward Palancar Valley. The plan is to go to Ristvak'baen as soon as the battle is over and everything is settled. Inside is a forge made by the dragon spirits where their elders would craft their swords. The anvils are made of metal that I have yet to come across a name for and they are said to be as strong if not stronger than brightsteel. Inside I must take out the cruxis crystal and draw Undbitr. Because a rider's blade can cut through enchantments it should be strong enough to destroy the crystal. The only issues I know of are that most people who go in there are never seen again and if they do return then they don't return from the process the same. That is why I pinpointed the two people who can still make me feel anything and asked them for help. Isrydia for moral support and you to restrain me if I happen to wake up and do anything stupid. You may not have known me before I created the crystal but stupid moves have always been my forte. Just ask Isrydia about the time I blew myself up to rid Ellesmera of enemies and in the moment crowned another as king in my absence. Or the time when I married someone I just met and right before the wedding nearly lost her because of my stubborn behavior.

[Quetzal]

The memory Brenton described must have been the source of his prior confusion. Eragon frowned and scratched his head. Sir Brenton of Ellesmera? As a prince it was a common thing to become a knight. Now he thought about it, he had never truly enquired much into Brenton's past and as such had no clue if he had been a knight or not. Clearly he thought he had not been, yet was having memories of one. "Hm. Dreams can be strange things, but I dream I'm still the same in appearance and everything, but have a completely different life, all the time. People have recurring dreams often too. If you remembered what you described just now, is it possible you were suddenly remembering a forgotten part of that dream? I don't remember any Sir Brenton, or seeing any half-elves when I was little. I don't see any other explanation aside from a strange dream. The cruxis crystal has been doing weird things to your head, after all." A curious thing to happen indeed, chances were this had no consequence.

Eragon and Saphira both listened to the plan, committing it to memory as they considered every detail. He had half expected some ridiculous proposal that had no chance of working, but this actually sounded like it could work. "That actually sounds sensible," he smiled for a moment. Saphira nodded. "You even thought of what would happen after you go through with this, good on you for including a safety net in this plan."

One thing had raised Eragon's curiosity. He turned to Isrydia with the faint smile of one hoping for a juicy amusing story about someone he sometimes found a pain. "Really? I heard about the marriage, of course, but he blew himself up?"

Isrydia laughed. "Yeah, he's not wrong, he can make some very silly mistakes. People can get really confused around him when stuff he does makes absolutely no sense. It's hard to know what he's thinking when he does ridiculous things like that. Probably one of those choices led to the cruxis crystal. Mostly it ends in him getting in arguments or fights. He can be reckless sometimes, which was why I was wary of this plan of his at first."

[Brenton]

Brenton grinned, a small twitch of his mouth but twinkling in his eyes at the same time, as he listened to what the three of them had to say. While he had thought the plan was feasible, the king hadn't fathomed that Eragon or Isrydia would go for it so quickly. Still it made it easier to plan if he knew they were willing to help in the long run and he didn't have to try to convince them.

Quietly Brenton rubbed at the spot where the crystal was at in his palm and then looked at Isrydia with some curiosity in his gaze. She thought he was reckless? Well that hurt a bit but in retrospect with all the things he did it was bound to be true some time or another in his life. Yet why did she have to say it when it was obvious already to all that knew him anyhow?

I'm not reckless. I just don't do things the way that most people would do and while that is true they often times work out to our advantage anyhow.

Brenton looked over at Eragon and grinned wider. Then again, the blood of Brom has been said to be reckless in the past. If I remember correctly, you have done some pretty crazy things yourself such as that first time you used magic in Yazuac. Brenton meant no ill will but he was trying to make Eragon realize he wasn't such a bad person to be around.

[Quetzal]

Brenton looked a little offended, and Isrydia smiled guiltily. She'd just meant it as a friend insulting another friend jokingly. "Sure you are! You were the one who told Eragon to ask me about those things, and they're pretty reckless to me." she teased him.

It was Eragon's turn to be accused of reckless behaviour. He made to protest just as Brenton had done, but Saphira interrupted. "Before you start, remember all those times I've talked you out of doing something really stupid," the dragon reminded him. She was forever forced to be a spoilsport when he came up with some of his more wild ideas. There had been some times when she had convinced him to see sense, and some when she hadn't.

"You heard about that, then? In my defence, I didn't even know I could do that. But Saphira's right, I can try stupid things too. I can be reckless, I guess. Whenever there's a goal I'm determined to achieve, I tend not to think about how my actions will affect anything except the goal I'm aiming for."

((Bleh I have no motivation today))

[Brenton]

((Motivation and Muse just aren't with me lately either. Don't worry Quetzal, just post when you can.))

Brenton heard what Isrydia said and grimaced as he realized that he had walked into the trap of her words by telling Eragon to ask her. So it was his fault that his honor was now wounded but there was no changing that at the moment. The king glanced over at Eragon and nodded when he realized that Saphira was the voice of wisdom to him just like Vaentr and Grazael had been to the half elf. Even now the blue dragon was letting Eragon know that protesting was counter-productive with all of the times she had saved him from stupidity.

Most haven't heard about that moment but I was well known for finding out information about everyone that I could find and that included you. Because of that, I discovered the first time you used magic, the spell you used, it's effect on you afterwards, and how you were prompted into using such extreme measures. Don't feel bad, Eragon, I was under Galbatorix's control but I still had enough control to know not to let him find out about my half brother like that. After all, I was hoping that you would fight the mad king sooner and rid us all of his reign so I could escape before I did.

Brenton wasn't trying to make the rider feel bad but a look of sadness crossed his face as he thought about Islanzadi and how she died because he had failed as well as his kin. Still they all gave it their best in the short amount of time they had and there was no way they could've predicted what was going to happen. Finally he perked up and smiled a bit at the human turned elfling.

You were trying though and you trained faster than any rider had before you or probably ever will again in the history of riders to come. It wasn't meant to be and that is why I was able to exploit the flaws in their control on me. Of course that is also why I am now one of the greatest enemies of the throne to date, because I was able to find the king's weakness and wear at it until it broke his spell on me.

[Quetzal]

Eragon was annoyed at first, thinking it a violation of his privacy that Brenton had gone to the trouble of finding out details about him like that. Isrydia too wondered if he'd done anything so sneaky to her. When he offered up his explanation, Eragon's annoyance lessened and Isrydia decided that there was no way he could have researched her information since she had not been a Rider until after he escaped the Empire. Eragon understood that it wasn't Brenton's decision or will to dig deeply into his half-brother's past. An oath in the Ancient Language was not easily broken. "Whatever Galbatorix made you do, however bad it may have been I can't really blame you. You didn't have any choice but to obey."

Eragon felt a little pride slip through at the speed of his training being recognised. It was something he considered one of his greatest achievements, to bring himself up to high strength as one of the most well respected Riders in such a short amount of time. There had been a huge amount of pressure both from Brom and himself, feeling a great sense of responsibility as he thought he was the only Rider in existence aside from Galbatorix. There was something else he was curious about too, now Brenton had mentioned it. "How did you manage to break free of Galbatorix? I don't think you have ever told me."