((Major Lore incoming!~))

He arrived in a particularly large cave set into the quartz walls, nearly sighing in relief that he didn't screw up and teleport directly into a wall, but cutting himself off when he heard Eragon giving Nasuada a report via scrying somewhere below in another cave.

Error huffed to himself, debating whether or not he wanted to reveal himself just yet and deciding against it, curling up in an awkward position to wait for later. His sockets quietly slid shut.

Suddenly they were slamming open again as a snarl startled him awake without warning, lifting his skull to see Saphira in the entrance, defensive and bewildered at the sight of him. Eragon appeared from behind, having scrambled up the cut ledges to see something he visibly recoiled in alarm from.

Error just snorted, reaching with his mind to scoff at them.
Calm down already, it's just me. He explained before struggling to find his feet, bumping his skull on the ceiling.
"Error?!" Eragon exclaimed in disbelief.
Yes. He sighed, leaning over the dragon and Rider.

What happened to you? Saphira questioned, baffled. Error studied one of his bladed limbs absently.
It turns out that all gods can turn into a giant.. thing of some kind and I wasn't aware of it before. I did find out how to shrink it to a more manageable size, but I'm still working on how to revert back. And no, I'm not asking for help on this. I did it one way, and I can do it back.

"You were larger before?" Eragon asked, staring. A few spines rose from his backside before dropping back down.
Bigger than Life and Reaper were, and they were already standing a little taller than Gûntera and I'm pretty sure you got a decent look at that prick at least.
The human blanched at that, realizing just how tremendous that must have been.

"We were wondering where you had gone." He muttered, peering at the numerous legs.
"Are you.. part spider?"
Lifting a leg and wiggling the talons at the human, Error answered. I'm just part everything. Though that part does look a little spidery. He noted, setting the foot back down and finally lowering his bulk to the ground, curling in his legs.
I'm honestly surprised I'm not top-heavy as it is.

You have far too many limbs. Saphira stated flatly, eyes narrowed.
On that part, I agree. I have wings and don't know what to do with them.
"Can you fly?"
Haven't tried, doesn't look possible.
"You are winged."
Error shrugged, leaning on his bladed hands and playing cat's cradle with his smaller set of still skeletal arms.

There was a long pause before Saphira sat, curling her tail around Eragon as the human spoke again.
"Do all the gods have a form like yours?" He inquired, sitting and leaning on the tail behind him.
Error blinked, then chuffed in amusement.
Hell no. I think I'm the only one this fucking weird. Reaper was basically a giant fancy raven and Life this.. goat headed snake with legs covered in grass with tree horns.

He then rid himself of the strings, growling softly before pulling back the mantis arms and giving the pair a look.
I'm not gonna pretend I didn't hear it, so I'll get to the point; you flew here without stopping all the way from the other end of Alagaësia without sleep and now are planning to go from here all the way to Ellesméra without rest. I know you're not built for that. So both of you, go the fuck to sleep.

Eragon recoiled in surprise, Saphira leaning back with her chin to her neck, irritated.
I can handle that distance. She argued.
Not without sleep. Error replied.
I've learned, I know you can't pull that off.
And you speak as if you do the same regularly.
You're not a god of breaking things now, are you? Get out of here, sleep, and we'll talk about all this in the morning. Got it? He gestured to himself before pointing at her with his bladed limb, glaring pointedly.

Something in his expression gave her a change of heart, and Saphira reluctantly bowed her head, backing out of the cave to return to the one they had come from, Eragon glancing between her and Error before hesitantly following.
"..Good night, Error." He waved somewhat awkwardly before departing.
Night. He called back, watching them leave.

..Error felt a twinge, thinking of Fresh and Chaos.
He knew they were okay, being in the Varden and together at that, but not being there with at least one of them gave him a sense of disquiet.
He curled back up again, scratching the stone with the tip of a metallic raptorial claw.

. • °

When the Rider and dragon went to find him the next morning, Error was gone. A single blue string hung from the ceiling, attached by unknown means. They took it to mean he was waiting for them and left.

And indeed he was waiting, right on the frigid slopes of the mountain at the end of the valley leading out into the plains beyond, staring at the horizon and zoning out until he sensed their presence.

However, he didn't expect to wait until evening, jolting awake with a layer of frost when he sensed their approach, flying at a similar altitude that he was perched at, only a little higher.

In surprise, the glitch launched himself from the peak, flailing in midair before his wings jutted out and the scale-like pseudo-feathers clacked loudly against each other, wind whistling between them as he realized that he could fly.
Just very, very poorly.

Casting out his thoughts ahead of him, Error let loose a deep, booming roar as he spoke.
Turns out I can fly. He explained as he wobbled, flapping madly to reach their height before Saphira flew right on by.

The dragon roared back in a lighter voice, replying as she swerved downward to meet him.
Where were you? She asked.
Waiting. He answered shortly. Didn't think I'd be waiting all day, but I guess it's on me for overestimating you. Come here and I'll get you to Ellesméra.

She swooped closer, Eragon whooping at him.
"Is that whistling you?" The human hollered across the gap.
These aren't feathers. Error pointed out. Which is why I thought flying wouldn't be remotely possible. Yet here I am. Damn.

Saphira was flying just below him, and he tilted his skull to peer down at the pair even as she mirrored him, Eragon craning his neck to look up.
"You're quite menacing to look at from below, you know!"

I have a grand total of 16 limbs, I'm bound to look fucking horrific. Error replied flatly, gingerly extending his legs to grab different spots on the dragon, a spike, base of a wing, sides, leather strap, Eragon himself, it was all an unsettling experience.

This might be a bit jarring. Error warned, giving them a second before the entire group was reappearing above pine trees.

He disengaged and tucked in the wings on the left, falling away as Saphira wobbled and then flapped madly to maintain altitude, Eragon yelping at the abrupt change.

He watched them fly off, gliding down into the woods and landing heavily amidst the roots, stumbling a bit before he was stable again. Error was then reaching through his many connections and finding GB and Blue via their armbands, contacting the pair for the second time that morning.
You two ready?

We have four days! Blue exclaimed.
Though what did you mean don't ask when we saw you? GB added curiously.
.. You'll see. Error smiled internally, amused as he began to open a portal to his side.
"Oh!" He heard Blue on the other side, GB bursting through eagerly, looking around just to freeze, eyelights shrinking to pinpoints at the sight.
Blue himself simply did not have eyelights, gazing up at the massive beast before him.

This is what I meant. Error explained, working the joint above one clawed foot and studying it.
Creepy, right?
"Error, what-" Blue blinked, restarting. "What did this to you?"
I did. He answered simply. Apparently I'm a bit late to some things gods do and this is one of them.
You can just turn into that at will?! GB cried, recoiling.

Error nodded. Though I haven't worked out how to turn back just yet. I'll figure it out.
"You can't change back?!"
No I can, just don't know how. I've been using this time to see what I can do with all this. He gestured to himself.
And so far, it's a lot.

…You're going to be an even bigger menace on the battlefield. GB slowly realized.
Error pointed a claw at him. That's what I thought. The asses on the other side have numbers, but can they do- He paused.
On second thought, destruction here isn't exactly allowed, isn't it?

"Depends on how close to Ellesméra we are." Blue admitted. Error blinked, then pointed a raptorial claw to the cliffs through the trees at the white cliffs. The pair looked over.
"Oh in that case, then we should be fine."

Error stared for a moment, then abruptly swung around and struck at the massive pine behind him with the bladed arm, the serrated edges shredding through the trunk, chips flying as sap began to pour from the gaping wound.

He stepped aside, allowing the startled pair to see his work.
Barely even tried. He bragged, scraping the now sap-coated edge along the back of the other blade with a scraping noise.
Holy shit! GB let out a grinding whine at the sight.
Blue darted over to examine and heal the damage, impressed.
"I think you cut almost halfway through the trunk!" He explained before holding his hands out to the edges of the cut.

Error chortled to himself before hesitating, backing away as Blue let his hands fall, all of them staring at the wound healing itself.
"Oromis is waiting for you two at his hut, you know." A familiar voice spoke from behind them.

Blue spun even as GB glanced over.
"Nightmare! And Dream! I thought you two had to visit Aroughs?"
The separated pair strode into the space, branches and vines still entwined.
Dream shook his skull as Nightmare chuckled.

"No, we came here" "several days ago due to" "something we hadn't expected." "Look." They spoke effortlessly in turn before the merged portion of limbs stretched over, revealing an enormous flower of delicate, yellow and purple petals.

"Oh my gosh." Blue stated blankly in shock as Error went still, GB equally frozen in bewildered confusion.
How does that even work?? He finally questioned.
Are you going to sprout apples next? Will they grow into trees- just- what?

"Well.." Dream started thoughtfully, a larger than usual bumblebee buzzing around the bloom as it was pulled back, Nightmare continuing.
"Our mother never had fertile apples, as their existence wasn't for the purpose mundane trees fruit for." "So if that happens, why would it be any different? We're just worried about cross-pollination at this point." Dream finished, beaming.

Blue started to speak, but Nightmare cut in. "We've spoken long enough, you two are needed elsewhere. We have questions for Error."
You mean why he looks like that? GB asked even as Blue hopped into his saddle.
"No." Both replied simultaneously.

The skeleton Rider and skeleblaster hesitated, somewhat unnerved by the uncanny synchrony and mysterious behavior, but letting it slide.
"We'll talk to you later, then! Goodbye for now!" Blue waved as GB took off.
C'ya. He added before teleporting away.

Error stared at where they had been for a moment longer, then looked at the Twins.
What is it? He asked. They both peered up at him with an odd look on their faces. He slowly realized that Nightmare had a bit of green in his usually blue eyelight and Dream's carried a hint of purple. They didn't answer, only studied him.
He leaned down, puzzled. Nightmare. Dream. What do you want.

They blinked then, the faint hues of purple and green fading as they snapped out of whatever moment they were having.
"How did you change into that?" Dream asked.
"Life had mentioned it, but not how it was done. She refused to explain." Nightmare added.
Oh. He huffed, recalling how Reaper had phrased it. Alright, I'll warn it's a little confusing to explain, though.
"We'll be fine." The darker half assured.
Error straightened then. Okay, then.

. • ° ° • .

The moment Blue had hopped off of GB, the other was gone. He turned around, puzzled at the sudden departure, but GB had teleported himself somewhere far off and it didn't take long for him to realize why.
Draco!

Shaking his skull and grinning, he strode towards the hut, waving at Glaedr before his pace started slowing as he noticed Saphira shifting from one side to another in distress as Eragon raised his voice from within the cabin.
Beast was on the windowsill, spotting his approach and hopping out to leap towards him.

Blue arrived at the door in time for the little TV-headed plant-animal amalgamation to scramble up his side and cower on his shoulder.
"His dad is but isn't evil Rider." He explained the argument in a small voice.

"Oh, his father isn't Morzan, Beast. I'm sure you felt it." He pet the smaller while reaching for the handle. "I couldn't say anything!" The child exclaimed in frustration.
"It's awful." Blue agreed while opening the door to Oromis's call voice. "In the first place." He paused, gesturing for Blue to sit.

He jumped to the chair, sensing Eragon's urgency. Oromis began again. "As I was saying, we shall be fortunate if you are anything like your father, which, indeed, I believe you are. And, as I was about to say before you interrupted me, Murtagh is not your brother, but rather your half-brother."

Eragon's eyes glazed somewhat, tilting slightly before he grabbed onto the table and steadied himself, Blue leaning back and beaming.
"Oh Stars, so many of us were screaming to tell him the second he made that claim." He breathed a sigh of relief. The human blinked at him, voice weak when he asked.
"...Who..?"

Oromis delicately picked out a blackberry from the bowl in the middle of the arranged fruits and breads, scrutinizing it before eating it.
"Glaedr and I did not wish to keep this a secret from you, but we had no choice. We both promised, with the most binding of oaths, that we would never reveal to you the identity of your father or of your half brother, nor discuss your lineage, unless you discovered the truth on your own or unless the identity of your relatives had placed you in danger. What transpired between you and Murtagh during the Battle of the Burning Plains satisfies enough of those requirements that we can now speak freely on this topic."

Now shaking, Eragon steadied his voice and spoke.
"Oromis-elda, if Murtagh is my half brother, then who is my father?"
Look into your heart, Eragon. Glaedr answered from outside, leaning in. You already know who he is, and you have known for a long time.
The human shook his head desperately. "I don't know! I don't know! Please.."

Blue lurched forward, grabbing the boy's hands in his own. "Eragon. Eragon, Eragon. You're so dense sometimes. Your father-" He shook the hands in his grip wildly. "Your father is Brom, you silly, silly human!"

Eragon leaned back from him, bewildered.
"But how?!" He stammered, pulling his hands from Blue before spinning to face the distraught Saphira.
"You knew? You knew, and yet you let me believe Morzan was my father this whole time, even though it… even though I-I.." He choked on his breath, half-sobbing to himself and at a loss as he sank back into his seat. Saphira let out a faint whine under her breath, leaning closer to the window.

He jumped when Oromis leaned over and set his hand on his shoulder. "Eragon." The elf began. "You need to calm yourself. Remember the techniques I taught you for meditating. Control your breathing, and concentrate upon letting the tension drain out of your limbs into the ground beneath you."

The human started to relax, the wobbling disappearing as he breathed.
"Yes, like that." Oromis encouraged. "Now again, and breathe deeply."
Eragon's hands stopped trembling and he calmed, looking between the two at the table and then at his despondent dragon.
"You knew?"

She huffed miserably, flames flickering in her nostrils. Oh, Eragon, I wanted to tell you. She said mournfully. It pained me to see how Murtagh's words tormented you and yet to be unable to help you. I tried to help- I tried so many times- but like Oromis and Glaedr, I too swore in the ancient language to keep Brom's identity a secret from you, and I could not break my oath.

"Wh-when did he tell you?" Eragon questioned in disbelief.
The day after the Urgals attacked us outside of Teirm, while you were still unconscious.
"Was that also when he told you how to contact the Varden in Gil'ead?"
Yes. Before I knew what Brom wished to say, he had me swear to never speak of this unless you found out on your own. To my regret, I agreed.

"Is there anything else he told you?" The human questioned, hysteria seeping in again. "Any other secrets I ought to know, like that Murtagh isn't my only sibling, or perhaps how to defeat Galbatorix?"

Ignoring the outburst, she went on, allowing Eragon to settle back down again, entirely focused on her words as Blue turned to the side, noticing a faint tremor of the ground. Saphira described how Brom had told her the story of his life for Eragon to know in case he learned of him after he'd died. A gift from father to son through time, like a recording.

Blue shared a confused look with Oromis, the elf revealing nothing as Glaedr silently rose to his feet in the clearing, lifting his head over the trees to peer at something in the distance.

Ignoring the otherwise unnoticed disturbance, Oromis spoke.
"Before Saphira shares this memory with you, however, it would be best, I think, if you knew how this came to pass. Will you listen to me for a while, Eragon?"
Pausing uncertainly, the human considered this before he nodded.

Blue glanced back outside, seeing Glaedr sitting stockstill, upright as he stared beyond the trees.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I noticed this odd shaking earlier that Eragon understandably missed, but I was wondering as to what was the cause of it?" He asked.

"Shaking?" Eragon quested cluelessly as Saphira sat up. I noticed it as well, but I did not find any reason to be alarmed. She explained, still disquieted.

It is simply the unusual antics of the apple hearted skeletons, it would appear. Gleadr explained distantly, never once moving from his position.
"Antics?" Eragon echoed.

"Whatever Cicállaé may be doing at this moment is not a matter of urgency to our immediate concern." Oromis dismissed the topic, Blue frowning, but staying seated.
He had the lingering feeling that he was missing something important nonetheless, resisting the temptation to look outside.

Their teacher raised his crystalline cup and sipped from it, setting it down with a light clink before he spoke.
"As you know, both Brom and Morzan were my apprentices. Brom, who was the younger by three years, held Morzan in such high esteem, he allowed Morzan to belittle him, order him about, and otherwise treat him most shamefully."

Hoarsely, Eragon commented. "It's hard to imagine Brom letting anyone order him about."
Blue silently agreed, surprised as Oromis nodded sharply. "And yet, so it was. Brom loved Morzan as a brother, despite his behavior. It was only once Morzan betrayed-" He stopped short, stiffening as a distant, rhythmic thundering hit them.

"What in the world..?" Blue sat up, turning towards the door as Beast hopped up and opened it, scurrying outside in curiosity. The rumbling intensified rapidly, beginning to sound like tremendous hoofbeats coming closer.

Oromis stood then, calmly approaching the door and stepping outside, the other two following closely as Saphira peered into the trees.
There was a glint of black moving closer.

Blue stared at it before his attention was drawn up to the massive boughs in the sky, shifting slowly as faintly familiar arrowhead shaped leaves the size of sails glinted in hues of gold, the titanic branches twisting with the speed of mammoths, a sense of grandiose, timeless yet untold age emanating from the incomprehensibly sized tree. It dwarfed the Menoa by several times, and that pine alone was of absurd proportions.

The thundering was loud enough to shake the ground now, Blue tearing himself from the tree to see the altered form of Error galloping full speed for the clearing, massive as he tore through the trees, blue mist blown from his nasal cavities.

He eventually skidded to a stop at the edge, catching his breath as he regarded them, standing on four legs for a moment until he set the other four down.
Am I interrupting? He asked.

Blue just pointed to the titanic thing in the sky, Error sighing before Oromis spoke.
"You are. What is it with this tree that you have rushed to this field so urgently, and in such a form?"

Oh, this, I'll figure this out eventually, I'm here to get a better look at, well, you know. He shrugged, approaching and looking back, spines on his neck lifting up in visible alarm.
…Shit, that's huge..

"What is it??" Eragon questioned, baffled.
"How?" Blue added.
Error winced. They.. they asked me how the big god thing was done and I explained best I could but when they tried it, well. That. They turned into that. He explained, rubbing behind his horns with a raptorial claw.
"That's the Twins?!" Blue squeaked in disbelief.

Error's shoulders slumped. I don't know. I figured it would probably be a tree, but then it just kept getting bigger and bigger and now I don't know how this is even possible- He cut short as the earth rumbled, the vast boughs moving just a little bit faster.

They all looked up again as the distant leaves began to glow, turning greener with shades of purple.
"Wait! I see something along the trunk!" Eragon cried, pointing.

Indeed, a vast, serpentine shape of green was curled around it, the tip disappearing around the side as the end tilted downward, trailing long strands of something limp.
Error stood up higher on his arachnid legs, stretching out his dragonic neck to peer at it.
That's Life. Full-size, god kind of thing. See what I meant by snake covered in grass? He pointed out to Eragon and Saphira.

Neither could reply, for suddenly the tree was moving, gargantuan limbs falling, at first becoming more vibrant as the thin veil of clouds parted before them, then slowly getting bigger and bigger as they approached, glowing brighter and brighter.

I think they're getting smaller. Error realized, puzzled.
Indeed. They are losing volume as they fall. Glaedr agreed, watching silently.

Eventually the shrinking became obvious, the sweeping edge of the leaves only passing with a faint whistling and a rumble, blinding with their shifting colors. Oromis calmly ordered. "One of you, cast a spell so that we are not blown away by the coming breeze."

Blinking quizzically, Eragon did so as Blue realized why, finishing just seconds before the wave hit. Saphira was flattened on the ground as the air shrieked, trees bending from the force of it as the grass went flat along the ground in the clearing. Even Glaedr squinted, wings lifting up slightly as Error rammed several feet into the soil to stay anchored, just as he had with his bladed hands.

It eventually passed after lasting a little over a minute, teetering away as the whistling faded away. The tree had nearly disappeared into the rest of the canopy by then, and Blue was stricken by the power he'd just witnessed secondhand. It was terrifying yet mesmerizing.

Shortly after it had vanished, Oromis turned to Error.
"Will you allow us to continue our lessons in peace, now? Or was there something else that you require?"
No, I just came here to see. He explained while wrenching his limbs from the soil. I didn't expect them to shrink back down, though. He added, glancing back up with intrigue.
Life was probably why. I'm definitely inexperienced in. Well, whatever this is. He indicated with a raptorial claw, waving it up and down. Blue quietly marveled at the size, it being nearly as big as himself.

Seeing the elf's expression, Error hesitated, slowly shaking his skull. He started heading back the way he came, but suddenly the enormous pines trembled, the forest shaking it's leaves and rattling branches. He paused.

Just as he lifted a leg, something huge erupted from the canopy, worming into the air and impossibly flying without wings as the green shape darted towards them. Blue flinched backwards as it flashed closer, impulsively throwing up a barrier of bones as the green thing touched down on the edge of the clearing, surprisingly gentle.

It's ears were shaped like massive beach leaves, drooping down and covered in various grasses. It had two backwards horns, each being a tree with every leaf imaginable on their branches. It's length weaved back into the treeline, dappled in sunlight as it's red, horizontal goat eyes squinted down at Error.
Said glitch blinked.

The tremendous creature that appeared to be Life turned its gaze apologetically to Oromis and Glaedr.
She spoke then, voice a low rumble like a forest of trees groaning in the wind, mixed with higher, wispy notes like rustling leaves and a whistling breeze. "𝑀𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓅𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝓊𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓇𝓊𝓅𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓉, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓌𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅𝑒𝒹 𝓃𝑜𝓃𝑒. 𝐼 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒷𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓉𝓁𝓎, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒- " She swung her great head to the spidery glitch, who recoiled in confusion. "
-𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒷𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓂𝑒." She finished, a hint of scorn in her words.

What did I do? Error argued, pointing to himself. How was anyone supposed to know they'd turn into a tree like that?
"𝐼𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓎 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽." She conceded. This only incensed the Destroyer.
How did you know that would happen?! He exclaimed with a metallic snort.

Life did not reply, instead jabbing her head forward and clamping her jaws around his upper midsection, revealing teeth that were not at all like that of a goat, fanged like a canine's as Error spluttered a startled honk that glitched, the flickering boxes increasing in number as his lower set of wings flared out in alarm, chitinous feathers clattering as the two were already halfway out of the clearing, Life bearing him away in a wingless flight.

Blue stared after them, the air whooshing in the god's passing. He could see the long, trailing ends of longer grasses on her underbelly as shorter species grew from her dirt brown skin in a secondary layer, all of it passing by in a matter of seconds before they all ducked from her tucked in back legs.

And like a tuft of fur or somewhat ratty peacock's tail, the end swept over them all, revealing with a briny scent to be various species of kelp and seagrass as it continued on into the distance.
She turned mid-flight and went back the way she came, the faint sound of outraged glitching droning by as she carried Destruction with her.

When she fell back into the forest somewhere closer to the Crags of Tel'naeír, Oromis turned and went back into the hut. Eragon and Blue hesitantly followed, sharing a look with each other.

It seemed that something new was always waiting around the corner, ready to surprise them and leave everyone wondering.
Just how crazy is this going to become? He couldn't help but ask of the future.
Gods taking their true forms around all mortals like it's nothing. Will this war be decided by them? Will they level the Empire to protect monsterkind? He asked silently, unsure of the outcome.

They found their seats again as he gripped his shirt.
I have no place in such a divided world if they do this. No place at all.