Dragon Riders:A New Generation(Book 1)

Chapter 11:Dangerous Foes:Armand

The wind howled around Armand and Anaba as they stood on a cliff overlooking Alageasia.
   They were in the Beor Mountains watching Urû'baen, the capital city of the Broddring Empire, where the twisted, mad king Galbatorix took up residency after killing the former king of Alageasia.
   Armand was determined to find a way to overthrow the tyrant king, but he was too powerful even for the combined forces of what was left of the Erdas Dragon Riders.
   It made Armand so furious that this man destroyed everything the Alageasia Dragon Riders built.
   The demon deserved to die a slow, painful death.
   Sapphire, his dragon, growled in agreement.
   Ever since The Fall ended Sapphire had the urge to fly down to Alageasia herself and rip apart Galbatorix until he was nothing, but a pile of dismembered body parts.
   Armand agreed with her.
   He too wanted to come down here and kill Galbatorix with his own hands, but the coward put like a million wards around himself out of fear that someone might attempt to kill him.
   That despicable man should be scared now that they got three more Riders.
   All they needed to do was train them to their best ability and then storm the castle with Oromis and Glaedr.
   If they were up to it, then there would be nine riders attacking Galbatorix and Shruikan all at once.
   There was no way Galbatorix could defend against six powerful elder dragon riders along with three young riders who could easily surprise him. Especially Kumaglak and Kaya they could see the future and could read minds very well and unnerve him.
   They hadn't had a seer in a long time ever since The Fall of The Alageasia Dragon Riders about eighty-eight years ago.
   Then there was Nimue who was the first person in eighty-eight years to bond with a hydro SwiftWing. Their last hydro SwiftWing and his Rider died in The Fall.
   Armand hoped that he, Anaba, Niran might be able to teach her and Hurricane some techniques with the help of the old scrolls and books and Tidal Wave.
   Tidal Wave had entered his skulblaka eldunari after the death his Rider and his physical body.
   Anaba would have to talk him into helping Nimue and Hurricane.
   Tidal Wave hadn't talked much ever since he and Kori, his Rider died.
   Armand just hoped that Tidal Wave would help because they would need all the help they could get.
   Anaba then interrupted his thoughts by asking Armand a question. "So, do you think Galbatorix knows about them?"
   "Yes, I believe he has found out about them. Why else send his best Black Hand and only Forsworn after them?" He replied to her.
   "He must be pretty desperate considering he sent Tristan and Damek after them." Anaba said as her eyes searched for Kala and Niran, whom had come on the scouting mission to Alageasia. Leaving Sanctuary and the three young Riders and dragons under the protection of Eir and Skyglider, and the rocks and dense fog that surrounded the whole island.
   "Well let's just hope that Damek hasn't freed his friends yet, or Galbatorix will have another weapon, or weapons to use against us." Armand said bitterly as images of the war flashed through his mind.
   Then his mind stopped on a certain memory bringing back a horrible flashback.

He was fighting in The Fall of The Alageasia Dragon Riders eighty-eight years ago, on the side of Alageasia Riders that were trying to stop Galbatorix.
   He was going head to head with the very first Forsworn to join Galbatorix.
   Their swords clashed together and their dragons slashed and bit at each other. Drawing blood with every bite or slash.
   Armand knew he could beat this weakling, he was confident that he could kill him here and know and take out Galbatorix's most trusted Forsworn.
   Armand had then just managed to wound the Forsworn severely by piercing through his armor and into the shoulder of his sword arm.
   The Forsworn cried out in pain and cursed at Armand through his mirrored helmet.
   His dragon then pushed itself off of Sapphire, trying to put distance between them and Armand and Sapphire.
   Then out of the corner of his eye Mako saw one of his fellow riders from Erdas fall at the hand of Asook. One of the four  former Erdas Riders who chose to follow Galbatorix. Asook was only fourteen when he joined the war, and was now eighteen.
   Mako was surprised that he even lasted this long, but his dragon was a aero SwiftWing and he had the ability to manipulate the air around. He could even rip the air out of a living person's lungs.
   Armand despised Asook for his choice, and was determined to make him suffer severely for his choice.
   But then Armand saw who Asook just slain.
   It was Chochokpi, the leader of the Erdas Dragon Riders.
   Mako saw Chochokpi's lifeless form fall towards the ground as his dragon, Aponivi dived after him, trying to save his rider.
   He heard Anaba scream in anger as he saw her and Hakan storm towards Asook and his now nameless dragon thanks to the Banishing  of Names by the Alageasia Dragons.
   Asook took off in fear as Anaba started yelling spells at him, trying to kill him in her rage.
   All the Forsworn scattered as she and Hakan came plowing through the crossfire of battle.
   That's when Mako heard the sound of crackling electricity and the sound of thunder.
   The last thing he remembered from that day was feeling lightning flow through his body and passing out from the blast of lightning.
   He remembered his brother, Niran, trying to wake him up, begging him to open his eyes. That was all he remembered.

Armand thought he was still in the past because of the weight on his shoulder he thought it was Niran.
   When he looked who it was, it was Anaba with concern in her eyes.
   "Are you okay?" She asked with worry and sympathy in her voice.
   "Ya, I'm fine. Just thinking about the past." He then subconsciously touched his chest where the blast of lightning scared him from his right shoulder to his left hip, in a jagged line.
   Anaba apparently saw him touch where his scar was and immediately understood what he was thinking about.
   She then cleared her throat and continued speaking. "We need to do this now." She said, still looking for Niran and Kala.
   "Are you sure?" There are only five elders, I'm not questioning your judgement, but it's a suicide mission. We need more fire power, like the Skulblaka Eldunaries." He said. Armand wanted a chance to take our Galbatorix, but he wanted to be sure that they had a fairly good chance of winning.
   If they lost, then who would protect Kumaglak, Kaya, and Nimue if Eir and Skyglider helped in the battle?
   No, they needed more time to prepare or else things might go wrong and they might lose everything.
   Armand wasn't going to give up on wanting to kill Galbatorix. He just wanted to end it all without causing another war.
   The first one didn't turn out good. The Alageasia Riders fell and the Erdas Riders were almost wiped out.
   "We need more time and we need to smart about how we attack. There's no doubt that Galbatorix will have about a million wards set up around him and Shruikan. Then there will be Durza, Damek, and Rumplestiltskin to get past. And our chances at that is very slim." Armand said.
   Anaba was quiet for a few minutes, considering this.
   Armand could tell she wanted to kill Galbatorix as soon as possible, and they needed to attack swiftly and forcefully and take out their enemies quickly.
   Armand then thought about Oromis and Glaedr and wonder if they would fight? They might if it meant ending Galbatorix's reign forever. He wasn't sure if Oromis and Glaedr would help.
   "Perhaps you are right. But with Damek busy trying to find Sanctuary. All we would have to do is rush Durza and Rumplestiltskin and hope we can overpower them. But then their's the very disturbing matter of Rumplestiltskin helping Galbatorix." Anaba said looking frustrated that she couldn't go into Urû'baen and rip off Galbatorix's head off herself. "He is a very powerful dark magician. It just doesn't make sense why Rumplestiltskin is helping Galbatorix. The only reason I can think of Rumplestiltskin helping Galbatorix is that Galbatorix somehow got Rumplestiltskin's dagger and is controlling him." Anaba said, thinking so deeply that Armand could almost see the gears turning in her head.
   Well knowing Rumplestiltskin he never lets anyone get in at least five feet of his dagger. There's just no way unless Galbatorix somehow, miraculous managed to stun Rumplestiltskin long enough to get his dagger." Armand said thinking about why Rumplestiltskin would help Galbatorix.
   Then it hit him.
   "Unless Galbatorix made a deal with Rumplestiltskin!" He and Anaba said at the same time.
   "That has to be it, Rumplestiltskin can't resist making deals. The question is what did Galbatorix promise him in return for his help?" Anaba said looking frustrated again.
   "And exactly how long have those two been working together? Armand said.
   Anaba looked even more frustrated at the idea of how long the two have been working together.
   "I don't know how long they been working together, but I do know this: we need to reinforce the prisons and make sure Damek can't find them. And we need to hunt him down and throw him in a prison like the rest of his friends. I'll write to the SwiftWing Queen, the IceWing Queen, the SeaWing Queen, and Thorn, leader of the Outclaws. I'll tell them to guard the prisons more heavily and reinforce them and have the SeaWings get the prison for Damek and his dragon ready. I hope they understand the importance of this even though they are having their own war because of Burn, Blister, and Blaze and their stupid giant fit over the throne." Anaba looked incredibly annoying at the end of what she said about the SandWing Succession War. "I'll write them when we get home." Anaba said as she looked up at the approaching dragons with Riders on their backs.

P.S. If you have read the Inheritance Cycle then you probably understand most of what's going on. And I hope you know who the first Forsworn is. If you have read Wings of Fire then you know exactly who the dragon queens are.I used Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon Time, he is basically the same character from the series. I like him a lot and I think he will give the riders a good run and make a good enemy. He basically has the same powers he has in the series. He's also about twice as strong as a shade from the Inheritance Cycle. Again I hope you all like the story and are following it ok so far and if you have any questions just ask me.