The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

It didn't take them long to realize we were nearly upon them. Warning bells and horns began to sound from within the city, quickly followed by the sound of shouts. I watched as the shadow-Saphira and Eragon swept up over the walls, bathing the Imperial soldiers in a wash of flame that I knew was real enough to cause damage. The elven spellcasters would see to that. Amera shifted nervously beneath me and I patted her on the shoulder.

We'll be alright, I said, but she made no reply. I could tell she was more nervous than she was trying to let on. Then I saw our own shadow-selves escorting a group of Islanzadí's warriors up the hill that encompassed the back of the city. White hot flames poured out of Amera's mouth, effectively stopping the soldiers rushing to stop the elves. From here, the illusion was entirely convincing. I only hoped the same held true up close.

I looked over and saw Eragon bouncing nervously in Saphira's saddle, unsettling the little witch-child that sat in front of him. Her brow was crinkled in a look of concentration, as though she were trying to divine the answer to a problem. Whatever it was, I only hoped we could make it. I knew the girl could sense when someone was in immediate danger, which would make her invaluable to this mission. But there were other aspects to her power that I didn't quite understand. She looked over in my direction with those eyes that so closely resembled mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. I looked away quickly, back at the scene before us. It was then that I saw them...

A flash of red darted in between the tall buildings and spires of Urû'baen. My heart lurched in my chest but I tried to banish those thoughts; this was not the time. Eragon sent me reassuring thoughts.

Time to go, he said. Then I heard him mutter some words in the ancient language and watched he and Saphira disappear into thin air. I could see a vaguely dragon-shaped shadow upon the grass, but otherwise, there was no trace they'd ever been there at all, though I could still feel their presence. The magic of the cloak still kept us concealed, but I was having a hard time concentrating with all of the auras that were pervading my senses. The city seemed to be bathed in blood already with the amount of red I was seeing.

Amera beat her wings slowly, lifting us up into the air as the battle waged below us. I could feel Saphira next to us and we both began to move forward once we were high enough. They looked like little insects down there on the ground.

The plan was to sweep over the camp where the elven spellcasters were conjuring up our shadow-selves. Amera angled downward when I felt Eragon and Saphira doing so, and I watched as the spellcasters, as well as Arya, threw a log into the air that they were all tied to. I saw the log become suspended in the air as Saphira wrapped her powerful talons around it, and it wasn't long before the elves disappeared as well. My heart was hammering in my chest as I realized this was really happening. We were really about to go up against my father.

Shadow-Saphira and Eragon were locked in combat with Murtagh and Thorn. He was coming straight for her from above, and shadow-Saphira sped to the ground, though she had to avoid a spire. She didn't quite make it out of the way though, and she and shadow-Eragon went tumbling to the ground, destroying part of the tower in the process. They disappeared into the city and the great red dragon quickly followed out of sight. The goal was to keep them distracted for as long as possible, and it seemed to be working... for the time being. I glanced up and saw men falling from the precipice of the stone overhang as shadow-Amera bathed them all in flames. The walls of the city loomed closer, and we were nearly there... just a bit further now.

I felt panic exuding from Eragon's mind, and looked over to see him clear as day, as well as Saphira and all the others. Galbatorix must have wards placed all around the city to prevent anyone from entering unseen. The wards didn't affect my magic though; it wasn't based off the ancient language, so Amera and I remained hidden. Saphira sped forward to hasten their descent into the city, hoping that Murtagh and Thorn would remain distracted enough by their shadow-selves that they wouldn't notice the truth.