The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

Kidnappings and Conclaves

Amera! She hurried to my side and I vaulted myself up her leg, taking hold of one of her neck spikes and swinging myself into the saddle. Murtagh ran across my vision, towards his dragon, brandishing Zar'roc and slashing at members of the Varden that crossed his path. My heart was hammering wildly, pounding in my ears as the chaos raged around me. And then I saw Eragon coming to meet him in front of the pavilion.

Go to him, Amera, I said, pulling Manin from the sheath where it was strapped to her saddle. With a snarl, she jumped forward, vaulting over the flames and squashing a few Imperial soldiers in the process. Murtagh and Eragon's swords were already crossed, and Saphira ran beside us, roaring fiercely and spouting a jet of blue flame. As I jumped down out of her saddle, I rolled across the ground and came up ready to slash at any attackers, but all I saw was Eragon knocked to the ground and Murtagh nowhere to be seen.

"Eragon!" I called as he vaulted to his feet.

"Tabby, where is he? He was just here!" I shook my head wildly while he searched around us.

"I don't know," I breathed. "Eragon, we need to try and capture him." He stared at me in bewilderment for a moment. "Without his most powerful servant, Galbatorix will be forced to come to us to get him back."

"He's too powerful, Tabby!" A red-cloaked soldier barrelled towards us, raging and yelling wildly. Eragon yelled some words in the ancient language and the man fell dead at our feet.

"We don't have time for this!" I yelled. "We need to find him!" Thorn suddenly soared over our heads, showering a row of tents with flame. And then a bloodcurdling scream split the air, sending a chill through my bones.

"Nasuada!" Eragon yelled from behind me. Murtagh suddenly came storming out of the tent, dragging Nasuada—still robed in her nightgown—by her dark hair. She struggled against him, but he quickly struck her on the temple with Zar'roc's ruby encrusted pommel and she fell silent. We raced towards them, but before anything could be done, Thorn dropped out of the sky and swallowed their forms up in his massive paw, then lifted back into the air as quickly as he'd come. I gazed up in horror as they began to pull away.

I'll get her, Tabby, Eragon's voice said inside my head. Saphira suddenly streaked past me, the rush of wind caused by her wings nearly knocking me over. You and Amera take care of the soldiers on the ground!Amera was snapping at the men that rushed past her, and I hurried to her side.

Tabatha! she cried. Are you alright! I assured her I was fine and scrambled back into her saddle. When I chanced a look up at the sky, Saphira was trying desperately to catch up to Thorn, but her wings were not strong enough to outpace him. They were pulling further and further ahead of Eragon and Saphira. My palm began to glow with that now-too-familiar light of energy, and a white disc shot out from my hand, hurtling across the dark sky and bursting against Thorn's side. He roared in pain, but he continued on. I could see him gasping for breath, but it didn't take long for them to disappear into the black and smoke-covered sky.

***

Chaos ruled the camp all around me. The last of the fires had been put out, and now the sun was trying to break through the smoke-filled sky, but still... Women were weeping somewhere nearby, their wails of sorrow flying into a high keening that was nearly unbearable. I gritted my teeth against the grating sound and hurried past. But elsewhere, there were men still clad in bits and pieces of their battle armor, wandering aimlessly through the camp. We'd all been so unprepared for this attack; how had we not seen it coming? I felt numb all over, as if I'd just been submerged in icy water. None of this seemed real. Nasuada was really gone...

I glanced up at the grey sky where the crows were already circling, eyeing their next meal where it lay slaughtered upon the ground. The thought sickened me, so I pushed it away.