Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Fifty-Three: Brilliant

The soldiers on the walls would soon notice the activity—most likely when the warriors began to move the catapults, ballistae, and siege towers that the Varden had already assembled and placed in the fields before the city.

"I am impressed that the men, dwarves, and Urgals are still willing to go into battle after seeing Shruikan. They must have a great deal of faith in us." Eragon said in my mind.

"Then we should not let them down."

"If Shruikan flies out again, they will scatter like many frightened mice," Alethea said rather grumpily.

"What's got your tail in a twist Lee?"

"I am tired of him ruining our lives as well as the rest of Alagaësia's." Alethea fell silent as a horn sounded in Urû'baen, and then another and another, and lights began to appear throughout the city as lanterns were unshuttered and torches lit.

"Here we go," Eragon murmured. Now that the alarm had been raised, the Varden abandoned all attempts at secrecy. To the east, a group of elves on horseback set off at a gallop toward the hill that backed the city, planning to ride up the side of it and attack the wall along the top of the immense shelf that hung over Urû'baen.

In the center of the Varden's mostly empty camp, I saw what appeared to be Saphira's glittering shape along with that of Alethea. On the illusion's sat a lone figure—which I knew bore a perfect copy of Eragon and I's own features—holding a sword and shield.

The duplicate of Saphira and Alethea raised her head and spread her wings; then they took flight and loosed a stirring roar.

"They do a good job of it, don't they?" Eragon muttered. "Remind me what Alethea's plan is again?"

"Keep my identity a secret as long as possible, so basically destroy as many towers as possible."

"Right." The shadow-Saphira and Alethea landed next to the northernmost group of warriors, although I noticed the elves were careful to keep some distance from the men and dwarves so that they would not brush up against the dragons and discover that they were as insubstantial as a rainbow. That would be bad. Really bad.

The sky lightened as the Varden, and their allies gathered in orderly formations at each of the three locations outside the walls. Inside the city, Galbatorix's soldiers continued to prepare for the assault, but it was evident as they ran about the battlements that they were panicked and disorganized. Their confusion won't last long, though.

Three more horns sounded, this time the Varden's. A great chorus of shouts and cries rose from the army, and then the Varden's war machines launched their projectiles at the city, archers loosed their arrows, and the ranks of warriors broke and charged toward the seemingly impenetrable curtain wall.

The stones, javelins, and arrows appeared to move slowly as they arced across the ground that separated the army from the city. None of the missiles hit the outer wall; it would be pointless to try to batter it down, so the engineers aimed above and beyond.

Some of the stones shattered as they struck within Urû'baen, sending dagger-like shards in every direction, while others punched through buildings and bounced up the streets like giant marbles.

The apparition of Saphira swooped back and forth over the same stretch of wall, clearing it of soldiers while Alethea went after the towers.

"If Murtagh and Thorn don't show themselves soon, they're going to start wondering why we're not attacking the other parts of the wall," Eragon said.