((Pain.))

They slept that night, making camp amidst the dusts of what had been the Varden's camping ground some week ago, lighting a fire in a pit of ashes to rest. Normally, they would have flown through the night, but the others were worried for GB's state and Eragon had yet to catch up on his sleep.
So they risked being late to the beginning of the siege to sleep.

The next morning saw the group rising up into the sky, gliding on currents as the dragons made an idle game of flying above one another until they both dove closer to the ground until they spotted the dark mass on the horizon.

The city was coming into view, and along with it the Varden, marching towards the walled gates from a series of trenches, familiar splashes of color revealing the Wyrdaí Islingrya among their ranks, Blasters hovering above the soldiers as they approached.

A mass of hovels surrounded the main city itself, many of which were flattened already, fires flaring up here and there, individual cramped buildings beginning to burn. It wouldn't be long before the fire was out of control.

Blue glanced over to see Eragon's face tight, mentally contacting his liegelord as Saphira surveyed the scene below. Blue cast his own thoughts out to find someone in charge of the Wyrdaí Islingrya and encountered Gaster, the other internally recoiling at his touch.

They spoke briefly, and he learned what he could do. GB glanced back at him and he flashed a grin. The skeleblaster drifted back, behind Saphira as Blue began to change, donning his armor the whole while.

He was ready by the time the Varden approached the gates, GB swooping down as the dragon let loose a tremendous roar. Both he and Blue joined their voices in, holding out Fyrnhamarr into the air.
The invading army paused briefly before a small chorus of voices burst out cheering, a small lazer firing into the air before the rest of the Varden exploded in a roar far greater than the dragons.

A Blaster appeared on the wall as they approached, startling the defending soldiers before it fired, ending a dozen lives instantly as GB passed overhead.
His jaws parted and his own beam shot out at the ground, decimating an entire troop in one pass before he finally landed further up the street.

Arrows fired from the roofs but he was no longer there, teleporting to the nearest one and snatching up an archer as he spun, knocking the rest off to fall to their deaths below.

By then Blue had undone the straps and launched out of the saddle, smashing his weapon through the helm of the first remaining archer and clamping his dragonish jaws on the second's head.
He spat out a wad of hair, bone and grey matter in disgust.
"How do you do that without feeling sick?" He questioned.
"Anger." GB replied simply, pouncing onto the next roof.

Blue stood and watched as his friend ripped apart the humans there as well, listening to the keening in his mind to not divide these people, just give them a chance to join together, one force, united..
He sighed, checking the surrounding buildings for remaining archers but they had already fled.

I cannot speak their language in this form. He reminded the now very much awake Unity.
I ƈαɳ ʂρҽαƙ ϝσɾ ყσυ! The deity exclaimed in his true voice.
…Very well. I'm still in control of my actions this time, however. I haven't forgotten what you tried to do with the Twins.
Unity whined at that, but understood.
Blue leapt down to the ground, charging up the street.

. • ° ° • .

The gates, revered for being impervious to magic, exploded with a blast of heat and light.
The debris burst out and managed to impale a waiting soldier at the side, and he was among the lucky ones. The rest directly in front were entirely incinerated.

In stepped a massive clawed hand of bone, followed by an arm clad in a thick set of interlocking bones protecting the sensitive ones beneath. Omega was irritated, and these humans were the perfect thing to let his frustrations out on.
On his shoulders stood Cross and Kin, both of them carrying blades, though one of them nervously wielding a green glowing broadsword of solid magic.

Geno stood on the ground in front, striding up even as the Varden came roaring through, thundering past on foot and on horseback, other skeletons riding Blasters over the wall and reigning hell upon the streets below.

"Try to spare anyone you can." Geno called out sharply. "These humans aren't evil."
Omega chortled at that, wading through the masses.
"We'll see about that."

. • ° ° • .

Horror strode up the streets, a small platoon of soldiers behind him following at an easy pace, clearing the houses as his spirits went ahead, spraying blood when the defenders tried to attack and knocking out those who hesitated, to which he summoned blue bones over. Any others who collapsed to their knees and begged to be spared, he left to the soldiers behind him.

Ghost walked by his side, somber and disgusted by the bloodshed. Horror was silent, grey and red mist flowing continuously from him with each breath, fogging up the street and giving the spirits visible forms, the trailing threads of blue light like plasma spread all around, giving them a form of tangibility.

The warriors whispered as he walked, calling him a sorcerer of the dead, a creature of dread, saying things like necromancy and spellcaster.
But most of all, the men of the Varden started finding a name to call him.
The Spirit Caster, he who would hold dominion over the beasts of the underworld.
Horror didn't care. He had a job to do.

. • ° ° • .

Killer yanked his bloodied blades out of the fresh corpse, Powder twitching and visible beside him. The air thrummed as Dust's Blaster eliminated wave after wave of soldiers. He only paused when someone dropped to their knees, sneering and peppering the still attacking soldiers with bones, crunching through shields, tearing through armor.

Powder was otherwise doing very little, passing into houses as screams rang out at his appearance, snapping necks with his bare gloves or impaling with attacks, full of rage. Killer was hardly doing anything more than taking out anyone who'd tried to backstab them, whistling a tune he'd made up on the fly.

He found it funny that humans were calling Dust an undead sorcerer, and the other had shrugged.
It had a nice ring to it. They glanced up then, a shadow darting overhead as a dragon passed, roar following shortly after.
"Bitch, murder those fuckers!" Killer yelled despite knowing she likely never would hear him. Dust just laughed.

. • ° ° • .

Mecha punched at the shield in annoyance, freezing when his fist broke through and then continued entirely through the human's chest.
He yanked back with a horrified yelp, hand coated in gore.

"Holy shit!" Dance cried out nearby in disbelief, Mecha turning to stare.
"Did I just punch a hole through that human?"
"I might be sick-" Dance doubled over, waving a hand for a moment before he regained himself.
"Why couldn't we have stayed in Aroughs?" He whined as Color blasted an approaching group of soldiers.

"War and all that." Lust shrugged, splattered in blood. Dance's eyelights died at the sight, and he coughed into his hand. "Is that an ice pick or something?" He pointed at the sharp pointed blade.

"Oh this? This is a stiletto dagger. Her name is Blödhbitr and it's the best gift I've ever received!" He twirled it around with a grin.
"By the way, the one who gave it to me wanted me to give you this." He reached into his inventory and pulled out a long spear of swords, tipped in a wide blade with a backwards facing point.

The grey, glittering metal was faintly stained violet with a large amethyst embedded at the base of the blade, surrounded by a smattering of smaller, mostly transparent lilac gems. The base of the weapon had an amethyst wand sticking out above a larger, round lilac gem.

Bird dropped out of the sky then, wings fluttering as he regarded the glaive spear.
"Did the firelady strike again?" He asked simply.
"Does it happen often?" Lust replied as Dance hesitantly took the polearm.
"Twice before, she gave me Vindrthin." He indicated the bow.

Lust shifted in place, intrigued.
"Well, that one she called Tuathvass. I think she knew you preferred ranged weapons." He gestured to the spear Dance had been using. He dropped it, unsure of what to do.

They stood around awkwardly for a moment, then Lust clapped.
"Welp, I'm off to help the Varden some more! C'ya!" He jogged away, grinning ferociously.
Dance and Bird shared a look with each other.

. • ° ° • .

Cross paused at the shrill cry, like a bird. He kicked away the human running at him and hopped on a Blaster, bewildered.
He was then further shocked to see a glowing red giant swan swooping in from above, a familiar figure crouching on it's back.

Red leapt off the swan and rolled to a stop, rising to his feet wielding bone attacks as he summoned more to impale through a dozen soldiers in another street. The bird itself landed on the roof and lunged at the archers gathered there, vanishing into mist that enveloped them.

Cross stared in utter disbelief at what just happened, further shocked when the mist dissipated and the humans we placidly sitting on the roof.
Two men had clasped hands.

Just as he was breaking out of his trance, he dodged as black feathered wings passed inches from above him.
"Oops, sorry Cross!" Reaper called, that same amused lilt still in his voice.

Cross stared as the god swerved and dove into the streets, were humans cried out in terror of his presence.
"... What the hell?" He asked aloud to nobody at all.

. • ° ° • .

Geno was marching up the street, sparing humans here and there and ending the lives of whoever stood in his way. His attention was otherwise focused on the keep, working his way through the streets methodically, the soldiers screaming out the name he had been given by others, the White Wraith of Death.

It was stupid, naming him after his boyfriend, but it didn't really matter. They cowered at the sight of him, and those that didn't got themselves killed. So no matter what happened, the end result was the same. He moved forward.

Until he was pausing when the soldiers ahead descended into chaos, attacked from behind  by a large figure, jaws clamping over men to crush, rip and tear, spiny tail knocking them aside as GB's eyelights blazed furiously. Beside him stood Blue, outfitted in armor with a face of a Blaster- only with somewhat more rounded edges.

The skeleton Rider rested a hand on GB's side, the skeleblaster pausing to look at him. Geno glanced at the soldiers that were still alive, regaining their footing and bringing their shields to bear. Blue held out his hand to the bloody glitch as well, and Geno stepped back, curious of what he would do.

Blue stepped forward, regarding the humans kindly as his eyelights flickered to a rich cobalt. Geno blinked, then froze when a voice that wasn't Blue's simply emanated from him.
"Please, humans, we aren't here to be your enemies! We want to help you. All we want to do is to end Galbatorix's reign! We don't have to fight."

"We want nothing to do with your ilk, bringers of death! You will find nothing here for you disgusting kin!" One of the men spat.

Blue winced, though the voice that was not his own continued.
"We are not here to bring Death, but salvation. Death came on his own accord, he fell in love with that undying mortal on his own." Blue cringed but waved at Geno, who recoiled at being mentioned.
"I'm not the only reason Reaper came! The- damn- it's his job to be here!" He ignored the blush on his own face as the humans backed away from him.

"Either way, we don't want Alagaësia divided." The voice went on kindly. "We want to fix it, protect it. Galbatorix really made a mess when its gods wandered off, it's awful! All this killing, it's making things worse, but due to the nature of your world, Galbatorix will make things MUCH worse if we don't get rid of him as fast as possible, and that apparently means war and all that and I just don't like that! None of us do! Why can't you just lay down those little metal sticks and let us do what has to be done? Killing you would make everyone's job harder."

"We may not be pledged to the king, but our Lady Lorana is. What is your plan with her, then? Will you kill our Lady? Throw her in a cell? Bind her like a criminal? No, we will not betray or Lady to let you pass, nor the rest of your flesh hungry kin painting our streets red! We will fight until our dying breath and with our spirits! Your hellish necromancy shall not control us! You and your Varden hold nothing but the promise of death to those forced to serve the Empire!" The man spat.

"There is no necromancy happening within the Varden." A calm voice spoke, a robed figure emerging from an alleyway. Multiple voices gasped, the soldiers clustering against the wall of the building behind them.

"You are a false god, Ravenwing! Only Angvard can take our souls!" The same man hollered, though his voice cracked and his sword arm trembled.
"I'm not a false anything. And I'm getting sick of hearing about Angvard when he hasn't so much as shown his face to me. All of the Souls that have died in the past couple of centuries are still wandering. Still lost. What kind of god abandons their duty? I don't know. I just know that Galbatorix has gathered too much power for any mortal's sanity to remain intact. He devastated the the other realms. The dreamscape, lost in mists that belong to the astral depths. The astral realm itself is full of darkness and it's gateways are falling apart. There are many more things happening that you can't even begin to comprehend-" He cut off, eyelights flaring to life as his skull snapped towards the keep.

"Reaper what's happening." Geno stiffened. The god didn't look away from the castle, wings spreading slowly.
"Dakshen, Geno. I don't control the darker ones-" He spun, face drawn as he addressed Blue.
"Unity, please, stop those damn sorcerers before they create a Shade- Geno, please, don't go up there. They feed on energy. Just. Help the Varden? I have to get the Twins here, if they're even mentally stable." He shot a look at Blue, who huffed and leapt into GB's saddle.

The skeleblaster teleported to a roof closer to the keep when Geno growled.
"Reaper, how many times do I have to tell you? I die when I say I die! There's no Starsdamned thing that's gonna dust me, so get it through your feathered skull already! I'm helping."
He teleported after the skeleton Rider, Determined to prove a point.
Reaper sighed, lovesick.

He then peered at the humans that had gone dead silent practically since he arrived.
"You." He stated distractedly, the group pressing even tighter together.
"Stay there. You'll get killed otherwise and I'm not dealing with you then." He muttered, vanishing into a shadow, leaving black feathers behind, floating to the ground.

. • ° ° • .

GB bounded from roof to roof, teleporting every now and then when arrows fired at them, looking for Eragon and Saphira, afraid to go up against magicians creating a Shade without the backup.

The pair were finally spotted at the gate to the keep, Saphira tearing into the primed war machines as Eragon was slicing through the thick portcullis in front of the gate blocking off the soldiers from getting in with his currently burning hot flaming sword.

GB waited until the grate was gone, Eragon just out of the way when he parted his jaws with a high pitched whine building.
Blue winced as the blast tore through the gate, human Rider leaping out of the way as the oak gate exploded.

I would prefer that you did not maim my Rider for the sake of finishing the job for him. Saphira called out from her place in the courtyard, finished with the catapults.

We need you guys. Now. The sorcerers are in the castle creating a SHADE according to Reaper! GB stressed, making sure the human could hear.
Eragon bolted through the gate, onto Saphira's saddle in moments, GB already teleporting into the air to get a head start up to the tower, anxious.

He nearly crashed into the large window of the wide portion of the tower, scrabbling for a moment before he was balanced, looking into a dim room with a very high ceiling. He noted the figures arranged in a triangle around a fourth, arms extended, fingertips touching as they swayed and chanted.

The grey haired woman in one of the many chairs gasped and pulled back, fear in her eyes. Blue hesitated, then hopped down into the room as GB tugged his thinner frame through the window, stalking around the sorcerers.

Unity, acting as his voice, asked.
"Are you alright, Lady Lorana? We don't intend to scare you like that."
The woman gaped for a moment, unsettled by him.
"We can be less intimidating when the danger is gone, I know this is a bit strange, isn't it?"

Blue winced, gripping his hammer anxiously as he looked between the sorcerers and the woman.
"..Ah." Unity noted aloud as he caught on.
"This is not going to be a lovely sight at all.. would you look away-" He was interrupted by the cracking stone and force of Saphira arriving at the window, snarling.

Eragon quickly climbed out of the saddle as she perched there, unable to fit her bulk through the window as easily as GB.
He glanced between everyone present and his face soured in despair.
"Are they warded?"
Unfortunately. GB answered, talons caught around the invisible barrier around one of the spellcasters.

Glaedr and Oromis are facing Murtagh and Thorn in the skies above Gil'ead. Saphira stated gravely.
His Eldunarí? GB straightened.
Yes. She confirmed before she went slack, eyes seeing something else as Eragon collapsed.
"That is not good." Unity took advantage of his speaking freedoms to comment.

Blue spun and started attacking one of the sorcerers.
We can wear down the wards if we concentrate on one at a time! He explained to GB, hoping the other two would catch on when they returned to the present.

Suddenly, a Blaster appeared, one eyelight blue and red while the other socket was hidden by a glitch. The skull fired a concentrated blast at the spellcaster, and after several seconds it cut through and crisped the human to a charred shadow of life, crumbling apart.

Blue spun to see Geno standing behind him, anger in his lights.
"Like hell I'm leaving you to fight another Durza. Last time you were lucky." He growled.
"Don't remind me." GB growled, tense.
The other magicians started chanting faster, foaming at the mouths as their eyes lolled.

Blue stepped back as Geno strode forward, face set in a scowl, bringing the laser skull around to fire again, tearing through the wards as Blue cracked his hammer at the final sorcerer, striking twice before a mysterious force blew out from them, launching him at the wall.

Being experienced in tremendous forces happening in battle, Blue quickly rebounded off the wall, landing and looking up to see first that Geno was blown back, leaning on the far wall as GB was on the ground, blinking and shaking his skull.

There was a wave of darker, multicolored spheres swirling around the man in the middle of the former triangle. The human screamed dreadfully amidst the electric zapping, the taste of it sharp on the tongue. He could see Eragon stand, every muscle tense in alarm at the sight. Saphira's hiss could be heard through the din.

Blue felt a horrible sense of dread and fate in his bones, and Unity was quiet in his mind, sifting through images and glancing across Alagaësia. The deity was silently beginning to mourn, and that told him everything of the events in Gil'ead.

The spirits sank into the human entirely, revealing a now paper white figure of blood red hair, eyes that same unmistakable crimson. His gaze landed on Blue first, who straightened, gripping Fyrnhamarr.

A mental spike raked at him, easily deflected by the deity in his mind as the Shade lit up.
"You are full of light! Beautiful! You will feed us for long time!"
Blue cast a memory to Unity, and the deity formulated a response.

"If any of you were present in Durza, then I think you might have a hard time. I claimed this skeleton and speak for him when he cannot speak for me, I rather think you are too divided amongst yourselves to best me, and I'm at my weakest in centuries! I am Uɳιƚყ!" He put the full force of his power in that name, the lantern in the ceiling shifting to cerulean.

Blue grinned, shifting into a fighting stance despite the feeling that it was unnecessary. The Shade stepped closer, a predatory smile on their lips. "Our name is Varaug. Fear us."

Yet before their next step could touch the ground, a green and brown blur appeared out of nowhere and slammed into the Shade, stone cracking as they crashed into the wall a foot away from GB, who lifted his skull in alarm. He then darted away.

Cicállaé stood fierce, branches outspread into wings, one hand pinning Varaug to the stone before throwing the Shade to the floor, revealing their face.
Their eyelights were swirling, green and blue with slight hints of yellow and purple at the edges, wisping as the scent of apple blossoms flooded the room.

"᭙ꫀ ᭙ꫀ𝕣ꫀ ᠻꪊ𝕣ⅈꪮꪊડ ᭙ꫝꫀꪀ ꫝꪖ𝕥ꫀ ᧁꪖ𝕥ꫝꫀ𝕣ꫀᦔ ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 𝕜ⅈꪀᦔ ⅈꪀ𝕥ꪮ ꫝⅈꪑડꫀꪶᠻ. ꪮꪊ𝕥𝕣ꪖᧁꫀᦔ! ꪗꪮꪊ ꪖ𝕣ꫀ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ꪑꪖꪀꪖᧁꫀꪑꫀꪀ𝕥 ꪮᠻ ꪀꫀᧁꪖ𝕥ⅈꪜⅈ𝕥ꪗ ꪮᠻ ꪖꪶꪖᧁꪖëડⅈꪖ, ꪖꪀᦔ ꪗꪮꪊ ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ᭙ꫀꪶꪶ ꪖ᭙ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ⅈ𝕥 ⅈડ ᦔꪖꪑꪖᧁꫀᦔ ᭙ⅈ𝕥ꫝ ꪑⅈડꫀ𝕣ꪗ ꪗꫀ𝕥 ꪗꪮꪊ ડ𝕥ⅈꪶꪶ ꪶⅈડ𝕥ꫀꪀꫀᦔ 𝕥ꪮ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ᥴꪖꪶꪶ ꪮᠻ ρⅈ𝕥ⅈᠻꪊꪶ ꫝꪊꪑꪖꪀ ડꪮ𝕣ᥴꫀ𝕣ꫀ𝕣ડ? ꪗꪮꪊ ꪖꪶꪶꪮ᭙ꫀᦔ 𝕥ꫝꫀꪑ 𝕥ꪮ ᥴꪖᧁꫀ ꪗꪮꪊ ⅈꪀ ᠻꪶꫀડꫝ? ꪗꪮꪊ ꪖ𝕥𝕥ꪖᥴ𝕜 ꪖ ꪑꫀꪑ᥇ꫀ𝕣 ꪮᠻ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ᭙ꪗ𝕣ᦔꪖí ⅈડꪶⅈꪀᧁ𝕣ꪗꪖ? ꪗꪮꪊ ᦔꪖ𝕣ꫀ?"

Varaug snarled, standing. "We cannot escape the spells. We cannot flee. They put us in clay, they will die for it."
Cicállaé swung a leafy wing around the room, seeing the charred corpses.
"ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 ꪮ᥇ડꫀ𝕣ꪜꪖ𝕥ⅈꪮꪀꪖꪶ ડ𝕜ⅈꪶꪶડ ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ꪮ᥇ꪜⅈꪮꪊડꪶꪗ ꪶꪖᥴ𝕜ⅈꪀᧁ, ꪖડ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ꫝꪊꪑꪖꪀડ 𝕣ꫀડρꪮꪀડⅈ᥇ꪶꫀ ꪖ𝕣ꫀ ᦔꫀꪖᦔ." They faced the Shade again, a feminine tone seeping in as they spoke.

"ꪮꫝ ᭙ꫀ ᭙ⅈꪶꪶ ꪀꪮ𝕥 ꪖꪶꪶꪮ᭙ ꪖ ડꫝꪖᦔꫀ 𝕥ꪮ ᭙ꪖꪀᦔꫀ𝕣 ꫝꫀ𝕣ꫀ, ꪀꪮ. ꪖꪶꪖᧁꪖëડⅈꪖ ᥴꪖꪀꪀꪮ𝕥 ꫝꪖꪀᦔꪶꫀ ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 ꫝꪖꪜꪮᥴ ⅈꪀ 𝕥ꫝⅈડ ડ𝕥ꪖ𝕥ꫀ. ꪀꪮ. ꪗꪮꪊ ᭙ꫀ𝕣ꫀ ᧁꪮⅈꪀᧁ 𝕥ꪮ ꪖ𝕥𝕥ꪖᥴ𝕜 ꪖ ᦔꫀⅈ𝕥ꪗ'ડ ꪜꪮⅈᥴꫀ ꪖꪀᦔ 𝓪 𝓡𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓻. 𝔑𝔬, 𝔴𝔢 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔨𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔶𝔬𝔲. 𝕭𝖑𝖚𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑." They stepped aside, revealing the skeleton who had changed himself into his more familiar shape, blinking at the attention.
Varaug snarled.

"You're making him kill the Shade?" Eragon questioned in disbelief.
"No. No no no we will not stand for a culling like-"
"᥇ꫀ 𝕢ꪊⅈꫀ𝕥 ᥇ꫀᠻꪮ𝕣ꫀ ᭙ꫀ ᦔⅈડⅈꪀ𝕥ꫀᧁ𝕣ꪖ𝕥ꫀ ꪖꪶꪶ ꪮᠻ ꪗꪮꪊ."
The Shade snarled, facing Cicállaé.
There was a pause as they presumably launched a mental attack at the combined Twins.
They met the gaze evenly, Varaug's scowl deepening before the other's eyelights flashed, and the Shade flinched.

Their voice continued that feminine tone, fading in and out as their typical duality went in and out with it.

"ⅈ ᭙ꪖડ ꪖꪀᥴⅈꫀꪀ𝕥 ꪖꪀᦔ ᥇𝕣ꪮ𝕜ꫀꪀ ꫀꪮꪀડ ᥇ꫀᠻꪮ𝕣ꫀ ꪖꪶꪖᧁꪖëડⅈꪖ ᭙ꪖડ ꫀꪜꫀꪀ ꪖ ᭙ꫝⅈડρꫀ𝕣 ꪮᠻ 𝕥ꫝꪮꪊᧁꫝ𝕥 ⅈꪀ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ꪑⅈꪀᦔડ ꪮᠻ ᭙ꫝꪖ𝕥ꫀꪜꫀ𝕣 ᠻꪮ𝕣ᥴꫀડ ⅈꪀⅈ𝕥ⅈꪖꪶꪶꪗ ᥴ𝕣ꫀꪖ𝕥ꫀᦔ ⅈ𝕥. ꪗꫀ𝕥, ડꪮ ꪑꪖꪀꪗ ꪮᠻ ⅈ𝕥'ડ ꪮꪶᦔꫀ𝕣 ᦔꫀꪀⅈ𝕫ꫀꪀડ ꪶꪖ᥇ꪮ𝕣 ꪊꪀᦔꫀ𝕣 𝕥ꫝꫀ ⅈꪑρ𝕣ꫀડડⅈꪮꪀ 𝕥ꫝꪖ𝕥 ꪀꪮꪀꫀ ᥴꪮꪊꪶᦔ ᥇ꫀ ꪮꪶᦔꫀ𝕣 ꪮ𝕣 ᧁ𝕣ꫀꪖ𝕥ꫀ𝕣 𝕥ꫝꪖꪀ 𝕥ꫝꫀꪗ. ꪗꪮꪊ ꪶꪮ᭙ꫀ𝕣ꫀᦔ ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣ડꫀꪶꪜꫀડ 𝕥ꪮ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ρꪶꪖꪀꫀ ꪮᠻ ᠻꪶꫀડꫝ ꪖꪀᦔ ડ𝕥ꪮꪀꫀ. ⅈ𝕥 ⅈડ ꪗꪮꪊ𝕣 ꪮ᭙ꪀ ᦔꪮⅈꪀᧁ 𝕥ꪮ ᥇ꫀ ꫝꫀ𝕣ꫀ, 𝕥ꪮ ⅈꪀᠻꪶⅈᥴ𝕥 ᥴꫝꪖꪮડ ꪊρꪮꪀ 𝕥ꫝꫀ ꪶꪖꪀᦔ. ᥇ꫀᧁꪮꪀꫀ."

At that moment, the end of a sharp bone attack pierced Varaug's chest, splitting the skin as it had nailed through his heart. The Shade stumbled, looking down with wide eyes.
Their gaze drifted back to see Blue stepping away with a frown. "Go on, now. Clearly you have much to think about." He stated as their skin grew translucent.

The Shade spasmed, spinning to snarl at Cicállaé.
"Sundava will know what has been done here- we will have our light-"
"ꫝꫀ ᭙ꪮꪀ'𝕥. ꪀꪮꪀꫀ ꪮᠻ ꪗꪮꪊ ᭙ⅈꪶꪶ 𝕣ꫀꪖᥴꫝ ꫝⅈꪑ."
Varaug stared in horror as the wings unfurled, branches glowing, spirits emerging from the many clusters of unopened flowers, watching.

The Shade split open then, spirits lunging for the section of window above Saphira only to be frozen midair, electricity zapping furiously as they spun, visibly yearning to get away despite the force pulling them backwards.

Everyone watched as they were slowly sucked into the gleaming branches, the lighter spirits that had emerged disappearing with them. Cicállaé gave their extraneous limbs a good shake and regarded the room.

They were all jarred by the suddenly normal- although feminine- voice that smirked and addressed Blue simply.
"Shadeslayer."

He spluttered, then cried out. "You- you did that on purpose! You actually planned that on purpose! I'm appalled! I'm just-" He paused his rant, hesitating.
"..Honored, really." He finished.

The yellow-purple eyelights studied him in amusement before Geno raised his voice.
"Cicállaé, why the hell do you sound like that? I'm thinking I've been left out of the loop again."
They hummed, limbs stretching outward before their gaze fell upon him.
"I am well."

Geno crossed his arms.
"Which one is speaking right now."
Cicállaé's smile remained in place.
"Geno, I-" Blue cut off when the treeskeleton blinked at him.
"I am-" They stopped, a confusion setting in.
"I.. we.  We, we, we." They muttered, a hand on their skull as their eyelights shifted through colors, dual tones shifting into their voice again.

After a moment, the lights settled on mostly purple and blue, tension leaving their shoulders.
"Blue." Nightmare's voice rose up.
"Nightmare?"
"...Make sure Unity never does that again. To us or anyone else. It happened too soon."
"..I know. I'm sorry. I should have-"
"No, stop."

He finally looked up, serious before his expression shifted and eyelights turned more yellow. "You couldn't have known, Blue. We just don't want it happening again. Alright?" Dream asked.
Blue stared for a long moment, then nodded, stepping away. Dream smiled, and before anyone could say anything else, Cicállaé was gone.

"... What was that about?" Geno finally questioned.
"It is.. a long story." Blue muttered with a sigh.
"Would you care to wait so I don't have to explain a dozen times?"
Geno gave him a searching look, lights glancing at the distressed dragon by the window, then stepped back.
"I'll wait."

Saphira abruptly let out a howl, talons dragging across the stone, screeching as they carved furrows into the brickwork, her tail swinging and crashing into the walls and furniture.
Gone! Gone forever! Came the grief-filled lament.

GB, who had been approaching her from the side, recoiled sharply, eyelights small as he cast his gaze over to Blue, who simply clamped his hands around his mouth.

Eragon approached then, head low and sword sheathed.
"..It happened, didn't it?" Blue whispered shakily, afraid he might break if he spoke any louder.
The human nodded, face set into a mask. The tears were visible in his eyes, refusing to fall.
"What happened?" Geno questioned in alarm, clearly worried for the answer.

"Oromis and Glaedr." GB spoke, Lorana's startled gasp echoing around the room.
"They're.. they're dead. They are dead. They're dead, and I don't know if Draco- if he's- oh fuck I don't know-" "GB!" Blue shouted, ignoring his voice crack as he raced to his side.
"GB, he's fine. Draco is fine. He will live. For you." He slipped into their old tongue, gripping a femur.

Geno remained where he was, still in shock as Blue strived to comfort his partner.
The room was silent then, the muted sounds of battle echoing faintly from beyond.
"..We have to tell Nasuada." Geno realized.
"Something. Anything. She needs to know."
"We will tell her." Eragon replied dully beside him.
"We will tell her." Blue wearily agreed.

. • ° ° • .

Blue wandered through the now conquered city nigh aimlessly, GB walking beside him listlessly.
This was not how they expected to lose Oromis and Glaedr.

They knew the pair would be lost, they knew right from the beginning just about.
But they thought it would at least be before the gates of Urû'baen, not at the first battle the two joined! Now uncertainty clouded their thoughts, the mystery of Draco's fate looming like a haunting monolith of fear and dread in their Souls.

Where was the last free Riderless dragon?