Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Forty-Seven: Brilliant

It would seem Alethea had mastered the moves Glaedr taught her. Alethea began to perform evasive maneuvers in the air as Thorn tried to catch up to us. I glanced behind us and saw fire pouring from Thorn's nostrils. He genuinely was upset he couldn't keep up with the 'younger' dragon.

Down below, Varden soldiers poured into Dras Leona, overwhelming the Empire soldiers. Alethea swerved around the last remaining tower in Dras Leona before pitching upwards and flapping her wings.

We climbed far above the city, higher, higher, even higher. The air around us got colder as Alethea folded her wings and let herself fall backward, her back to the ground. We dropped through the air, nearing Thorn before Alethea let out a stream of blazing fire that ran along her belly and eventually covered Thorn.

Alethea twisted in her freefall, righting us before she spread her wings out, halting our fast descent.

"Do you think I was worthy of the chase?" Alethea asked as she headed back towards the city. By now, the Varden had more than enough time to flood the streets of Dras Leona, keeping Murtagh and Thorn busy was no longer necessary.

'"What are you so concerned about, Alethea?" I asked her as she coasted towards Eragon and Saphira. "You were magnificent and a quick turn. Neither of them was expecting you to be so— Lee, why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you that Thorn, the dragon who is under Galbatorix's control, is my mate? Alethea responded. "A war is not the time for such relations. Besides, aren't you basically doing the same with Murtagh."

"There's a difference," I said dryly as Alethea touched down next to Saphira. I slid off her side and walked so I was right in front of her head. "You are my most precious friend and family, Alethea, I want you to be happy, you deserve to be happy."

Alethea lowered her head and pressed her snout into my armor. A puff of smoke came from her nose as I reached up and ran my right hand along her jaw. With my hand pressed firmly against Alethea's cheek, the dragon on my right arm flared blue for a moment.

"If you are not happy, my rider, I cannot be happy," Alethea told me as Eragon strode up to me.

"Are you alright?" Eragon asked me, I gave him a short nod before removing my hand from Alethea's head.

"The city?"

"Taken," Eragon answered. "You both gave Murtagh and Thorn a run for their money."

"We are swift," Alethea replied.

A roar cut through our conversation, and a shadow fell over us. Eragon and I looked up to see Thorn balancing on a column of air high above. Eragon cursed and scrambled onto Saphira with me following onto Alethea while Arya, Blödhgarm, and the other elves formed a protective circle around Saphira and Alethea. Their combined might was formidable, but whether it would be enough to fend off Murtagh, I didn't know.

As one, the Varden gazed upward. Brave they might be, but even the bravest might shrink before a dragon.

"Brother!" Murtagh shouted, his augmented voice so loud that Eragon and I covered our ears. "I'll have blood from you for the injuries you caused Thorn! Take Dras-Leona if you want. It means nothing to Galbatorix. But you've not seen the last of us, Eragon Shadeslayer, that I swear."

Alethea let out a roar and painted the area in front of us with fire all the while snarling. I placed my right hand on her shoulder, sending calming thoughts. Smoke left Thorn's nostrils as he fixed his eyes on Alethea and me.

"You shouldn't have involved them Eragon. She and her dragon may be fast, but they will only end up hurt." Eragon looked back at my cloaked figure before returning his gaze back to Murtagh.

"I don't make decisions for them." I shifted in my spot on Alethea's back before making eye contact with Eragon.

"Time for me to go?"

"That would probably be best, Mal." I raised my hand in Eragon's direction.

"Time to make our grand exit, Lee." I felt the muscles in Alethea's legs bunch together before she launched us into the air with one great wing flap. She spiraled towards the sky, bypassing Murtagh and Thorn.

The two of us disappeared into the clouds as Thorn let out a roar in frustration. We blended right into the milky white cloud puffs, and no matter how hard those two would look, they wouldn't find us.