Percy's Point of View

After I had gotten on Ágrios's back, we flew toward the ongoing battle. I was comfortable with flying on him, maybe it was because Zeus didn't have as much power here, or maybe it was because of my bond with Ágrios. I wasn't sure what it was, but I wasn't exactly complaining. 

As we were approaching the battle, I knew Ágrios had an idea, I just wasn't sure if he had really thought it through. It seemed he wanted to make a dramatic entrance but if we did that, we would lose the element of surprise, Ágrios didn't seem interested in changing his mind so Just before we were within sight of the battling armies, he let out a loud roar before diving toward some of the empire's soldiers.

While we were still in the air a few archers from both sides of the battle shot arrows at us since they didn't know yet what side of the battle we were on, but I quickly muttered a spell to protect us. Just before we landed, I'd unsheathed the new sword I'd gotten from Hecate. Now I was using it as I fought the soldiers, while Ágrios tore through even more of them beside me. 

Now that I knew more about magic, I'd been able to place some wards around us just in case someone did manage to get past our guard or if an enemy magician tried to use magic against us. I also took a shield from a fallen soldier and used that as well. I'd also placed some wards around Reyna since she'd joined the battle not long after Ágrios and I had. I didn't put any on Roran because I suspected Eragon probably would and I needed to save my strength.

I still didn't like having to kill the soldiers, but they didn't really give me any other choice. I'd gotten off Ágrios after he landed since I was more used to fighting on foot than anything else. I just did my best to stay close to him so we wouldn't get separated. He couldn't breathe fire yet, but he could still do plenty of damage with his teeth and claws. I knew I would have to get used to fighting from his back sooner or later, but for now, I was more comfortable with fighting from the ground.

You're probably also wondering how I am so comfortable with using magic. It's not just because Hecate gave me the knowledge of how to use it or because I'm apparently her great-grandson, it was also because ever since her visit I sometimes flew with Ágrios and while we were away from the ship I would try and practice magic. I didn't really do it on the ship because I didn't want any of the villagers to freak out or stop trusting me. Not only that but if a spell went wrong, I didn't want to possibly hurt someone.

While we fought the soldiers, I noticed that Eragon was coming toward us on his blue dragon, what did Jeod say her name was? Saphira? That sounded right but I wasn't sure. Regardless I guessed that they were coming toward us to find out who we were. They had probably seen me on the ship when they'd gone to see who was on it, but they might not have realised I was a rider since Ágrios had stayed away until we'd decided to help.

Eragon's point of view

After I had returned to the battle from speaking with Roran I still had so many questions, what had happened to him since I'd left Carvahall? I assumed the empire had tried to capture him but clearly, he escaped and brought most of Carvahall with him. I also wondered why Jeod was with him. Most of all though I was wondering about one of the people I hadn't recognized.

He looked to be around my age with black hair and green eyes, he could have just blended in with everyone else on the ship if it wasn't for his sword. It had been sheathed when I noticed it, but I was sure it was a rider's sword. That made me immediately suspicious of him. When I'd spoken to Roran he told me the man's name was Percy and that he considered him a friend.

Although Roran fully trusted him I stayed suspicious. I would have questioned Percy about whether he was a rider and if so what side of the war he was on except the battle was still going on and Saphira and I needed to be a part of it. I also thought that If Percy was an enemy, he would have turned Roran and probably everyone else on the ship over to the king by now. A spy or assassin would just carry a normal blade to remain inconspicuous. So Instead of confronting Percy I just told Roran to stay on the ship until the battle ends.

Since we had returned to the battle, Saphira and I had been fighting alongside Orik, Hrothgar and the other dwarves but suddenly we heard a dragon roar. We looked to see where it was and began preparing to go and face it. It was clearly younger than Saphira and it had green scales which reminded me of the colour of the sea. It hadn't attacked yet, so we still didn't know if it was an enemy or not. Regardless a few archers on both sides of the battle shot arrows at it. As it came closer, I realised it had a rider on its back. The rider obviously had some knowledge of magic because they were protected from the arrows. suddenly we saw it dive toward the battle and land in a spot where a large group of Galbatorix's soldiers remained fighting.

The rider got off the dragon's back and they both began fighting the empire's soldiers. Of course, that seemed to indicate that they were potential allies, but I was still extremely curious about them, where had the rider gotten his dragon's egg? Was that Percy, and if so, how did he meet Roran?

I ended up getting the answer to two of those questions because despite the fact that they seemed to be allies I still needed to talk to the new rider and find out who they were. This wasn't just to satisfy my own curiosity but also because Triana had informed me that Nasuada wanted me to. When Saphira and I reached them, I got off her back to speak to the mysterious rider.

Now that we were closer, I was certain that it was Roran's friend Percy. After I got off her, Saphira breathed fire on the soldiers who were in front of her and I approached Percy. Based on its size and the fact that it attacked the soldiers with only its teeth and claws I assumed that Percy's dragon wasn't old enough to breathe fire yet.

Before I could speak to Percy a soldier tried to attack me. I blocked his spear and then before he could try and attack again, I quickly killed him. Percy had turned toward me slightly when he'd noticed our arrival but not so much that he had to take his eyes of the soldiers in front of him. As we continued fighting the soldiers I finally spoke, "Roran said your name is Percy,"

He replied, "Well technically it's Perseus but only my enemies call me that. I prefer Percy so that's what my friends call me,"

I killed the soldier in front of me before asking, "How did you meet Roran?"

As he continued to fight the soldiers he answered, "I met him when we were both in the foothills of the spine, when he returned to Carvahall I decided to go with him to help defend Carvahall from the Ra'zac and soldiers who had come to capture him,"

I decapitated the soldier I was fighting before asking, "Why were you in the spine?"

He replied, "I can't explain that here," He indicated the many soldiers who still stood in front of us. He continued, "I will explain more once this battle is over,"

I was surprised when his next statement was in the ancient language. He said, "eka eddyr néiat onr fjandí,"

 I accepted what he said for now, although I knew there were still ways to avoid telling the whole truth even in the ancient language. I also had a guess for why he wouldn't explain more now. If he was an ally he might not want too much information about him to get back to Galbatorix. As the battle continued, we seemed to be getting the advantage. Eventually, we were confused when a horn rang out from the rear of the empire's army. We heard the horn twice more before someone began to pound a sonorous drum. we all stilled as we looked to try and see where the sound was coming from. as we watched, an ominous figure rose up into the sky over the Burning Plains. The gore-crows scattered before the barbed black shadow, which balanced motionless upon the thermals. At first, I thought it could be a Lethrblaka, one of the Ra'zac's mounts. Then a ray of light escaped the clouds and struck the figure crossways from the west.

A red dragon floated above us, glowing and sparkling in the sunbeam like a bed of blood-red coals. His wing membranes were the color of wine held before a lantern. His claws and teeth and the spikes along his spine were white as snow. In his vermilion eyes there gleamed a terrible glee. On his back was fixed a saddle, and in that saddle sat a man garbed in polished steel armor and armed with a hand-and-a-half sword.

After I saw the dragon and rider, the first thing I felt was dread. Galbatorix managed to get another dragon to hatch! Moments after that I thought of Percy, I didn't know how much training he had but if he was truly not an enemy, he and his dragon would most likely help us. I glanced over at him and I could see that he was already getting onto his dragon's back. As I saw that I wondered where he'd gotten his armor, sword, and saddle, and his dragon's egg for that matter, I knew I couldn't dwell on that now since we would have to face the new rider.

I suddenly saw the man in steel raise his left hand and a shaft of crackling ruby energy sprang from his palm and smote Hrothgar on the breast. The dwarf spellcasters cried out with agony as the energy from their bodies was consumed trying to block the attack. They collapsed, dead, then Hrothgar clutched his heart and toppled to the ground. The dwarves gave a great groan of despair as they saw their king fall.

"No!" I shouted, and Saphira roared in protest. I glared with hate at the enemy Rider. I'll kill you for that, I thought angrily.

I knew that, as we were, Saphira and I were too tired to confront such a mighty opponent. I also didn't know how much training Percy had so I didn't know if him helping would be enough. I glanced around and spotted a horse lying in the mud, a spear through its side. The stallion was still alive. I put my hand on its neck and murmured, Sleep, brother. Then I transferred the horse's remaining vitality into myself and Saphira. It was not enough energy to restore all our strength, but it soothed our aching muscles and stopped our limbs from shaking.

Rejuvenated, I leaped onto Saphira, shouting, "Orik, take command of your kinsmen!" Across the field, I saw Arya gaze at me with concern. I put her out of my mind as I tightened the saddle straps around my legs. Then Saphira launched herself toward the red dragon, pumping her wings at a furious rate to gain the necessary speed.

I hope you remember your lessons with Glaedr, I said as I tightened my grip on my shield.

I could see that Percy and his dragon were also flying toward the enemy rider. That thought also made me realise that I had never asked Percy's dragon's name.

Saphira did not answer me but as one, she and I assaulted the minds of the pair, seeking to overwhelm their defenses. The consciousness of the Rider felt strange as if it contained multitudes; scores of distinct voices whispered in the caverns of his mind, like imprisoned spirits begging for release.

The instant we made contact, the Rider retaliated with a blast of pure force greater than any even Oromis was capable of summoning. I retreated deep behind my own barriers, frantically reciting the short poem Oromis taught me to use in such predicaments.

The attack on my mind stopped as Saphira and the red dragon crashed together, they grappled, kicking each other's bellies with their hind legs. Their talons produced hideous screeches as they grated against Saphira's armor and the red dragon's flat scales. The red dragon was smaller than Saphira, but thicker in his legs and shoulders. He managed to kick her off for a moment, then they closed again, each struggling to get their jaws around the other's neck.

I struggled to keep hold of Zar'roc as the dragons tumbled toward the ground, battering one another with terrible blows from their feet and tails. No more than fifty yards above the Burning Plains, Saphira and the red dragon disengaged, struggling to regain altitude. Once she halted her descent, Saphira reared her head, like a snake about to strike, and loosed a thick torrent of fire.

It never reached its destination; twelve feet from the red dragon, the fire bifurcated and passed harmlessly on either side. Blast it, I thought as the red dragon opened its mouth to retaliate, Hurriedly I cried, "Skölir nosu fra brisingr!" I was just in time. The fire swirled around us but did not even scorch Saphira's scales.

Now Saphira and the red dragon raced up through the striated smoke into the clear, chill sky beyond, darting back and forth as they tried to climb above their opponent. I also spotted Percy and his dragon coming toward us. I wasn't sure what they would do to try and help us. The red dragon nipped Saphira's tail, and Saphira and I yelped with shared pain.

Percy's dragon was flying toward the red dragon and soon found itself in the position Saphira had been in moments earlier but now it was the red dragon that had the advantage of size. For the moment Saphira and I didn't have to defend ourselves as the enemy dragon and rider were focused on Percy and his dragon. as the two dragons fought they moved furtherer away from us.

Eventually, the dragons stopped fighting, but I suspected that after that happened Percy and the enemy rider was. Although I wasn't certain who had begun the attack, I suspected that Percy was struggling to defend his mind from the rider. I thought that Sapira and I should do something to help because I knew how the rider's attacks were and I didn't know how much experience Percy had with defending his mind. Saphira seemed to be thinking the same thing because she was already flying toward the enemy dragon. 

Ancient Language Translation.

 eka eddyr néiat onr fjandí.  I am not your enemy