Andlátkyn; Vandr Sanses unin Alagaësia

Offerings to the Dead

Nightmare blinked his socket open, awake and peering at Eragon curiously. It had been ages since he witnessed a vision, and wandering the human's dreams last night, the boy definitely had one. He and the already awake Error watched as the boy made his way to the entrance and sat down, looking like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. And given the state of the world, it basically was.

He glanced around the room, finding only Cross and Blue chatting silently, discussing what they thought they could do.

Nightmare moved to Error's side, the other pausing his knitting to give him a questioning look. The Lord of Darkness spoke simply. "I want to decode more of that language in your screen."

Error nodded, putting away his tools and pulling up the story that replaced the code for Alagaësia. Nightmare studied it, speaking aloud and quietly for the glitch to take notes on.

As they worked together, the rest of the gang returned with a large deer, Murtaugh with two rabbits. Cross and Blue moved to the back of the cave so the innocent Berry didn't see them working together with upmost efficiency to skin and disassemble the animal, even taking Murtaugh's rabbits to finish for him as he and Eragon spoke.

The God of Destruction and King of Negativity put a pause on their work to listen to the humans, curious of what they could learn.

What they gathered was that the beautiful red sword Eragon carried was former property of one of the Forsworn, Morzan, named Zar'roc. They were currently short on money, Eragon wanted to sell his horse called Cadoc, as the white steed named Snowfire was Brom's and was prized. Apparently Eragon was injured in the ribs and it had gone unnoticed by the skeletons. Blue was gonna heal that as soon as he found out about it. Murtaugh believed Eragon needed a companion for the road ahead, as he was sure the Bad Sanses were going to abandon them as soon as they didn't need them anymore, a detail that actually ticked Nightmare off a little.

The conversation ended when Saphira entered, greeting Eragon and regarding everyone else, the three murderous skeletons with a hint of admiration. Then Murtaugh tended the dying fire, roasting the now skinned rabbits on sticks as the boys cleaned up and placed the fresh meat in their inventories.

Soon the food was cooked and they all gathered to eat. When they finished, Eragon explained that he and Murtaugh were going to a place called Gil'ead. Nightmare stopped him before he finished.

"You are aware that you three are my prisoners now, correct?" The skeletons shifted uncomfortably, Blue looking close to speaking out as Error stared at him curiously, as his tone suggested something. Saphira growled, noting that she had been included and under the full impression that she was greater than they.

Nightmare continued, grinning. "Because of that, I wish to keep you alive and in my custody. If that entails protecting you, I will do so. My soldiers will do so. In fact, keeping you healthy and intact benefits me in ways I will keep to myself. So no, don't presume we are disappearing anytime soon, especially when we are likely not going to see our homes ever again. Am I understood?"

He kept grinning as everyone realized what he was secretly suggesting. "Consider yourself lucky, I normally don't grant my prisoners such freedoms." He spread his hands out, grinning wider.

Eragon blanked for a moment, Saphira glancing at him while Murtaugh's lips twitched in attempts to not smile, guessing from his lifting mood Nightmare sensed. Eragon however, failed in that area, smiling a little before it faded immediately, crushed by his recent loss. Nightmare's gaze softened briefly at this, then it was masked once more by his now false humor.

"Understood. But I'd like to pay my respects one more time before all of us set off." Nightmare nodded, his hands folded in his lap. But when Eragon hissed in pain just outside the cave, he got up and dragged him back inside.

"You're no use injured like that. Blue, you missed an injury." Said skeleton perked up, alarmed. "I did?! He's not poisoned too, is he?!"
"No, but he has broken ribs."

Several hisses as the others winced at the pain they knew the human was experiencing, Dust muttering, "I forgot humans were basically skeletons with meat suits."
Killer choked at the description, wheezing at the comparison. Horror elbowed him, and he recovered, snickering while Blueberry finished healing Eragon. The human stared at him for a long moment, his face unreadable, before turning and leaving, dragon following.

Nightmare gave the boys an unimpressed look before teleporting after the human, just in time to witness an unbelievable sight.

He approached the tomb, gazing down at the seemingly sleeping face of an old man. The strings inlaid into the now crystalline grave sent a soft blue glow throughout it, highlighting Brom in an ethereal light. The X now shone a faint red, and diamond encapsulated the gifts at the base of the gravestone, protecting them for eternity, just like the human beneath them.

"You have my respects, Saphira." Nightmare murmured. She blinked at him.

I gave him the only gift I could. Now time will not ravage him. He can rest in peace for eternity.
"And so he shall."