Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Fifty-Two: Brilliant

"Yes, but to fight Galbatorix ..."

"If you are so afraid," Arya said, but not unkindly, "then come with me."

"I cannot. I must stay to command my troops."

"And I must go with Eragon and Saphira. But I promise you, I shall not die." Arya placed her hand on Islanzadí's face even as her mother had done to her. "I shall not die."

Once more Arya repeated the phrase, but this time in the ancient language. My aunt smiled and kissed Arya once on each cheek.

"Then go, and go with my blessings. And take no more risks than you must."

"Nor you." And the two of them embraced. As they separated, Islanzadí looked at Eragon and Saphira. "Watch over her, I implore you, for she has not a dragon or the Eldunarí to protect her."

"We will," Both Eragon and Saphira replied, in the ancient language. Once they had settled what needed to be settled, the war council broke, and its various members began to disperse. Neither Eragon nor I made an effort to move. Saphira was going to remain hidden behind the hill until the attack and Alethea would be keeping a low profile as usual.

Orik was the second to depart, after Roran. Before he did, the dwarf king came over to Eragon and gave him a rough hug.

"Ah, I wish I were going with the two of you," He said, his eyes solemn above his beard.

"And I wish you were coming," said Eragon.

"Well, we'll see each other afterward and toast our victory with barrels of mead, eh?"

"I look forward to it."

"As do I," Saphira said.

"Good," said Orik, and he nodded firmly. "That's settled, then. You'd better not let Galbatorix get the better of you, or I'll be honor-bound to march in after you. Be careful."

"We'll be careful," Eragon replied with a smile.

"I should hope so because I doubt I could do much more than tweak Galbatorix on the nose." I huffed in amusement.

"That I would like to see," Saphira said. Orik grunted.

"May the gods watch over you."

"And you, Orik, Thrifk's son." Eragon and I replied. Orik then slapped Eragon on the shoulder and stomped off to where he had tied his pony to a bush. When Islanzadí and Blödhgarm left, Arya stayed. She was buried in conversation with Jörmundur. When Jörmundur rode off, however, and Arya still lingered nearby, she must want to talk to us alone. Sure enough, once everyone else had gone, she looked at us.

"Did something else happen to you two while you were gone, something that you didn't want to speak of in front of Orrin or Jörmundur ... or my mother?"

"Why do you ask?" She hesitated.

"Because ... you both seem to have changed. Is it the Eldunarí, or does it have to do with your experience in the storm?"

"We learned our true names," I responded, Arya's eyes widened.

"You did? And ... were you pleased with them?"

"I felt unbelievably naïve."

"We learned our true names," Eragon repeated my words. "We saw that the earth is round. And during the flight here, Umaroth and the other Eldunarí shared many of their memories with us."