INHERITANCE: Memorandum Of Scales

ARYA, THE WARRIOR PRINCESS

Arya rushed back to the camp.

She felt a dark force, an ethereal evil that seemed to choke out all reality. She felt as she had all those months before . . . chased by that malevolent being. She paused amongst the waving tall grass, gripping her chest. Underneath the clothing she wore, she could still feel the raised scars trailing across her body.

What is this?

Fear?

She could run. She could flee, make her way back to Du Welden Varden. She did not have the egg with her, so no doubt the curse Islanzadi had afflicted her with no longer crawled upon her skin . . .

Evander would fight.

Evander would die, A second voice within her retorted. Arya closed her eyes shut, curling her small hands into fists as tears welled through her eyelids, dripping onto her cheeks.

Then I will die, as Evander did, and bring further shame to House Valbhorethlian.

Arya shot her eyes open and ran through the grass, magical energy building within her. She saw in the distance a large blue fire, consuming the yellow grass voraciously as the wind spurred it on.

She inched around the blaze, covering her face as smoke billowed into her eyes, waving her hair. She heard screams, screams of humans and roars and the sound of swords touching in brutal battle.

She passed the fire, then was greeted by the sight of some winged beast dragging a writhing human with a whip-like weapon. The human cried out in pain until the creature cackled, jerking the whip upwards, causing the body of the human to fall headless to the ground.

She rushed into the fray, unable to tell where Eragon, Aerion, and Brom where. Men still stood . . . but there were significantly less as there were before. Counting her, there had been fifteen. Now, there were seven or eight, at best.

All humans look the same.
She growled.

"ELF!" Aerion threw Arya around, thrusting a sword into her surprised hands.

"Where are the others?" She asked hurriedly, the flying creature circling above them, cawing.

Aerion pointed to his right, and Arya's eyes followed his strong arm as she saw a flash of blades. Her eyes settled on Brom, his sword crossing with a blade of the same make that the creature who had maimed her carried.

Her eyes narrowed in anger, forcing the fear that was rising up into her throat back down into the depths of her bowels. She had no time for emotion.

"Watch out, Elf! It's coming back down!" Aerion screamed, pushing her out of the way as the whip snaked like a viper to the earth. It dug harmlessly into the ground, Arya sliding across the dirt on the soles of her boots as Aerion spun the opposite direction.

"The mage. Does he still live?" Arya called. Aerion shook his head, his eyes trained on the sky.

The creature laughed manically, its beak opening and closing grotesquely. An arrow sped into the air behind her, aimed for the beast. The creature easily evaded the attack, and sent its whip spearing through the dark. Arya ducked, and she heard the slop and crack as the whip impaled a nameless man behind her.

Arya turned, eyes filled with horror, as the bowman was spun around in the air, and thrown far away into the field. The raven creature landed before her, whip curling around the creature's body.

"Elf," It rasped. The being wore a dark cloak, the upper portion of its head covered by a matted hood. A long beak poked from the ebony clothing. Insects crawled all over the beast's form. Some lost purchase on the being's body, falling into the grass with quiet thud. Aerion and the other survivors took up flank with her, and she frowned as they advanced.

"Stay back. I'll take care of this . . . thing. You'll only get in my way."

None of the humans protested as they retreated from her. The raven cawed and pounced, wings spreading behind it. Arya ran forward as well, seeing the movement before the sound cracked in the air. She leaned herself backward, the whip curling upwards into the sky. She fell to the ground and rolled to her left as the raven threw the whip down. She jumped to her feet, rushing at the beast, sword pointed.

"FOOL!" The raven croaked with murderous glee, its whip flying for Arya's back.

"Terra omanaro anga," The Elf's magic danced from her tongue.
Arya's right arm drew stone from the ground, armoring her from the tip of her fingers to the ball of her shoulder. She turned as she ran, allowing the whip to curl around her rock-covered arm.

The being, surprised, pulled its whip further towards it, causing Arya to speed behind it, running along as she was dragged. The whip went slack as the raven creature roared, preparing to lift the whip again . . . But Arya pulled the weapon with a wave of her arm, the bone links of the whip digging into the stone.

The raven screamed as she impaled the beast as she was pulled towards it, her sword digging into the chest of the demon. Dark blood spilled from the body, and globs of fecal matter splattered against her sword arm as the creature writhed in pain.

Arya spun the beast around, her stone arm falling away, freeing herself from the whip as the creature clawed at the ground, writhing from the cut of Arya's sword.

As it raised its head, Arya lifted her hand, straitening her fingers so it laid flat on the cold touch of night.

"Brisino vaya." She muttered as dark red flames exploded from her palm, circling around the creature as it howled.

She closed her hand in a fist, and the flames constricted together, forming into a tight red ball. Arya lifted the orb of fire in the air, and then crashed it against the ground, the flames bursting into the sky with a thick plume of smoke. Small fires burned around the charred body, laying in a circle of flattened grass, crisp and black.
She looked down at the body, and was surprised to find something resembling a human, with no wings or beak.

"You did it . . ." Aerion whispered behind her as fatigue settled over Arya. She ignored him as smoke drifted into her nostrils, and she inhaled the fumes willingly.

Arya turned to the sound of the fight that still raged, between Brom and Eragon and the other creatures. She sensed it again, the evil, the torture, the bleak walls of Gil'ead, that horrid room . . . stained with her own blood. Her own fear.

Weakness.

"It is not over yet, Human." Arya said as she raised her sword, stepping over the corpse of the vanquished creature. She bounded into the fray opposite of her, silent as her sword was raised high above her head.

Are you watching, Evander? Is this how you threw your life away? Fighting back to back with Humans?

Arya smiled as she landed, her sword ringing off sharp claws as Eragon grunted in surprise.

She narrowly saved him from a swipe that would have cost him his neck. He looked at her with wide eyes as the wolf creature snarled, launching itself at her.

Saphira dived at its back. It placed a hand on the ground and propelled itself upwards, Saphira flying underneath it, baring teeth in anger. The wolf slowly fell to the ground, eyes overflowing with anger as Eragon stepped to her, shield raised.

"Stay out of this, Human. I may not be able to save you a second time." She said, eyes locked on the wolf-beast.

"I'm not a human, I'm a Rider, now."

"If one is half-fool he is still a fool." Arya retorted. Before Eragon could respond, the wolf pounced on them, arms digging into the earth, forcing it forward.

Arya and Eragon attacked together, as Saphira prepared to land another blow overhead.

Not far from them, Brom bled, losing his battle with Durza as the moon watched, impassive and all powerful during this terrible night.