Silence clung to the crystal corridor like a living thing. No one dared to move. Even breath felt heavy inside the glowing blue and crimson light of the dungeon walls. The towering Goblin General stood before them, its enormous blade lowered yet ready, its burning yellow eyes fixed upon a single figure Eragon. A cold tremor ran down Eragon's spine. His heartbeat pounded so loudly he feared the creature could hear it.
"Why is it looking only at me…?"
Around him, the others felt the pressure too. Max's usual confidence faded into tense focus. Snow's fingers tightened around his weapon. Rey's posture hardened, silent and alert. Only the Mage looked different, Not just afraid & disturbed. As if something long forgotten had suddenly returned. The Goblin General inhaled slowly, a deep grinding sound rising from its chest like stones scraping in darkness.
Then it spoke.
"Awakened… one…"
The broken words echoed unnaturally across the crystal walls. The Knights froze in horror. Goblins were not meant to speak. Not like this. The General stepped forward slightly, instinctively placing himself between the creature and the group yet his eyes, sharp and watchful, briefly shifted toward Eragon…as if measuring something unspoken.
"Why… are you… here… vessel…?"
The final word fell into the silence like a drop of poison. Eragon's lips parted, but no sound came out. The Mage's voice cut through quickly, tense and low.
"Do not answer."
But the damage was done. A faint ripple of unease spread through the party. Max frowned.
"Vessel? What is this thing talking about?"
No one replied.
Because in that moment the Mage's pale expression had already revealed too much. The Goblin General's glowing gaze remained locked on Eragon, unblinking, ancient… aware.
"Not… fully… awakened…"
it murmured.
"…yet the mark… is clear…"
A thin, icy wind drifted through the corridor, though nothing around them moved.
High above, somewhere within the unseen darkness of the dungeon ceiling a soft flutter echoed. Almost silent, Almost forgotten. But the Mage heard it. And for a fraction of a second fear deepened in his eyes. Because he remembered the owls.
Watching, Waiting, Always near Eragon… since the very beginning.
The Goblin General tilted its head slightly, as if sensing the same unseen presence.
"…They still watch…"
it whispered faintly.
The words were quiet yet heavy enough to freeze the blood. Eragon didn't understand. But something inside his chest stirred uneasily…like a distant memory trying to wake. The corridor grew colder, Tension thickened. And in the middle of that silence The General spoke. His voice was calm and steady, too steady.
"Enough talk," he said firmly.
"We end this here."
For a brief instant, his gaze met the Mage's, a look filled with something unreadable…something that hinted at shared knowledge neither wished to reveal. Then it was gone. Hidden again beneath duty. The Goblin General slowly straightened, its grip tightening around the massive blade.
"…Too soon…"
it rumbled.
"…before the vessel opens…it must… be cut down…"
The meaning was clear. It intended to kill Eragon. Fear surged through the group. Rey stepped forward, Max raised his fists, Snow shifted into stance. But they were too late.
The Goblin General moved, Not fast, Not slow. But with a weight of power that crushed the air itself.
In a single step, it crossed the distance raising its colossal blade high above Eragon's head. Everything seemed to freeze. Eragon couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Only one thought remained: I'm going to die. The blade began to fall.
Slow, Inevitable, Final.
No time to run, No strength to resist, No miracle coming.
For the first time since his awakening Eragon felt true death staring directly at him. His vision trembled, Sound vanished and somewhere, far away He thought he heard the faint cry of an owl.
Sharp, Warning Urgent.
Then CLANG!!!
A violent shockwave exploded through the crystal corridor .Steel met steel. The falling blade stopped inches above Eragon's face. Sparks scattered through the glowing air.
Between Eragon and death Stood the General. His sword trembled under the monstrous weight, boots grinding against the stone floor as he forced the strike back with sheer will.
"Move… Eragon…"
he strained through clenched teeth. Eragon's body finally responded, stumbling backward in shock. The Goblin General growled deeply, pushing harder, its strength monstrous and relentless. Yet the General did not yield. For a fleeting moment their eyes met. And within the General's gaze, Eragon saw something unexpected.
Not just duty, Not just protection. , But a strange… silent resolve.
As if saving Eragon mattered far beyond the mission…far beyond reason.
With a sudden burst of force, the General deflected the blade aside, the impact cracking nearby crystals like thunder.
"Knights! Formation!" he commanded sharply.
The corridor erupted into motion, weapons drawn. , Magic gathering. Fear turning into battle. The brief moment of death had passed but the danger had only begun. Behind them, unseen in the darkness above, a pair of silent wings shifted once more.
Watching, Waiting, Patient. And deep within the dungeon's ancient shadows , Something else
seemed to stir... in the shadows…!!!