Chapter 26: 25
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298 AC
Braavos - Moonpool
Eragon Targaryen
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Standing opposite a short bearded man whose hair is dyed green I stand with my side facing him and my sword is drawn and ready. The man who challenged me after I already beat his friend and won his coin purse looks furiously at me. I keep still other than a confident smirk to get under his skin and it works as he lunges at me.
I bring my sword up to meet his and allow his to slide along mine as I step to the side, he turns his head and his eyes widen with his side exposed to me. I pull my blade back and he starts to twist his body around but slower than I plunge my sword into his calf.
"AHHH!" He drops and grabs for the sword inside of him and I pull it out with a quick movement and lay a kick into the side of his head. He slumps and blood begins to pool around his wound, I lean down and tear off a part of his shirt and clean my blade before sheathing it.
I use the bloody cloth to tie off the wound and toss an iron coin to a healer who waits at the moon pool just for situations like this. It won't be a good job but it will keep him from bleeding to death before he wakes up.
I empty the coins from both purses into my own and toss the empty ones to the side. I look around and don't see anyone else to rip off so I head to meet Melisandre. Tonight is the last night in Braavos, we leave to go to Dorne tomorrow in the morning. I am equally excited and nervous, but willing to finally leave this birdcage of a floating city.
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"Still haven't seen anything on her side?" I ask Melisandre as I sit in one of the chairs I brought here a long ago. Her tendency to skip sleeping for long periods is still enviable, one of the magics I couldn't figure out, yet.
"Nothing yet my Prince, does it concern you that your dear friend is off fighting and potentially getting hurt?" She looks away from the fire but it still reflects from the side onto her eyes and makes them look captivating.
"Nata can handle herself, plus she isn't going to be fighting for a while if things go as we guess." If things go as we are planning it shouldn't be too long before I head there to join her. I am still dreading having to separate from my family to go there while they are in Dorne, but this is still hinging on a big ' if ' in the form of a magic ritual working.
"She can, she sure left many welts on you while showing you how to use a spear. She will be fine, have faith in R'hllor and all will go as he has shown." I still feel a pit in my stomach about the whole god thing, but compared to the seven and the old gods the god of flames does suit me better.
"Alright, well you already know I am leaving tomorrow. I was just saying goodbye, you know how mom feels about the whole red priestess thing. I won't be able to see you tomorrow before leaving." She smiles and nods slowly, she looks down at my sword and holds her hand out.
"What?" I look down at it and then raise a brow at her, I just bought this one recently and feel protective of it.
"Let me see the sword please, take it completely off the belt." I begrudgingly listen and take my belt off and have to use a hand to keep my pants from falling. She turns to the fire and tosses it in and I just about scream at the woman before she looks back at me with a sly smile. "I have something for you, it came from Volantis yesterday. It's a gift from Benerro the high priest, why he sent it I don't know but when I heard its name from the deliverer I was surprised even more." She walks to the corner and pulls out a cloth-wrapped long object that I am assuming is a sword.
I grit my teeth, she didn't have to burn my new one to give me another one. She unwraps it and my jaw drops at the craftsmanship, a work of art.
A red sheath that is capped with a golden tip, the cross guard is gold with a ruby in the middle with flecks of gold inside of it. The grip is wrapped in red leather and is headed off with a golden lion at the end that I raise an eyebrow at. She holds it out with the handle toward me and I grab it and give it a slow pull as the light catches the blade my body stills.
Valyrian Steel, my mind wants to deny what my eyes are seeing. I have seen a few out in about in the city, daggers and a single short sword. This is a hand-and-half sword that is easily wielded with two hands or one with some difficulty.
I pull it out and a satisfying noise fills the room as I do, immediately I feel the weight as I hold it in my dominant right hand. Seems I won't have to worry about the weight of it being awkward one-handed as it is lighter than air.
I swing it a few times and realize I am going to have to practice with it a fair bit before I am ready to use it. I feel like I am swinging just a handle and the blade isn't even there as it cuts through the air. I look at Melisandre in disbelief.
"Why?" She only offers a shrug.
"I can't tell you why or even how, its name is Brightroar and you should recognize that name I am sure. How Benerro had it I couldn't tell you other than the Lord brought it to him and the same reason for why he gave it to you." I don't even know Benerro and he gives me a Valyrian Steel sword and one that belongs to House Lannister at that.
I look at the lion head at the end of the handle and imagine a golden dragon head there instead and it fills me with pleasure. Mom said that Tywin Lannister is a cruel and calculative man, I wonder how he would react to seeing me wield this, better yet to cut him down. His son killed my father, it would be fitting to plunge the blade into Tywin to repay the favor. My father may or may not have been made but he was still my father, I can give him that much at least.
"Try to it." She whispers in my ear and I didn't even notice her get behind me as she looks over my shoulder at the blade. I know what she wants and a smile crosses my face as I focus on the sword with all my willpower.
The ruby on the blade almost glows as flame travels up the blade and lights the room, the flames have a dull golden hue to them. I hold the sword up and even spin it around causing the flames to trail behind it.
"Beautiful and will look even better when I remove the lion's head though." Like a blackeye on a beautiful woman, the lion makes the blade a bit from perfect in my eyes.
"I am sure it will remove a few lion's heads." Her voice in my ear sends a shiver down my back and I let the flames die as I turn and look into her red eyes.
"It will, but not soon enough." I grab the sheath from her and slide it over the blade, running my belt through the loops on it I buckle it back into place and walk around the room feeling the new addition. "Feels like it's not even there, kind of weird to get used to." Makes me wonder what Valyrian armor would feel like if this large sword is so light it is almost forgettable.
"Well, I guess this is it for now my Prince." I nod at her and am not sure how to thank her for this, given it's not from her but she is still the one who handed it over.
"Thanks, I will see you soon on the other side of the Narrow sea." She smiles and I take my leave, I will see her soon enough when she acquires the missing 'ingredient' for the ritual. She is confident in getting it and will send me word to meet her when she has it. I take one last look at the closed door behind me and speed up to head back home.
I got something new and shiny to show off and I am looking forward to it.
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I look back at the titan and feel odd seeing its face, I have always been protected behind its back and now I am Infront of it. I heard my dad once threaten to bring it to its knees before needing to be bailed out for Tywin as the lion paid off the debts to the iron bank with his own money.
It would be a challenge to take the city with the titan standing that much is for sure.
"Eragon?" I turn to see my mom behind me and her hair is blowing in the sea breeze, since Shiera learned some cosmetic magic she has been sharing the benefits with the others in the house. My mom and Shaena have taken on a younger appearance and their bodies filled out more. They already were very attractive women but with the treatment from Shiera, it has been amplified.
"Yes, mom?" I clutch the handle of Brightroar as her eyes drift to it a few times, she isn't sure how to feel about it. Viserys was beyond envious and even demanded he should have it as the next king, I let him hold it and when it lit on fire he dropped it from the heat. He hasn't asked for it since then but his eyes still linger on it.
"Are you going to miss it?" She looks away from the sword and back to Braavos and I stand next to her and shake my head.
"I am too excited to miss it, too much to see in the world to worry about a place I have been in for my whole life thus far." She wraps her arm around my free arm and leans her head on my shoulder, my height having passed her in recent years. I am the tallest of all of us and have the most muscle mass by far, another reason I wouldn't hand over Brightroar to Viserys.
"I will miss the times we all spent together in relative peace." I hum in agreement to that, now we head into the fire of war and it will be messy. My main goal is the survival of all of us and the throne comes second in my mind. "Eragon, when we get there don't do anything to belittle Viserys." I look over at the top of her head in confusion and she looks up and sets her chin on my shoulder.
"What do you mean?" She rolls her eyes.
"He always feels like you are trying to outshine him and if he throws one of his fits Infront of the wrong people they will try to drive a wedge between you two." I shake my head and feel anger boiling inside, my efforts to better myself shouldn't cause my brother to feel the need to feel threatened. Only a coward would be afraid of his own brother who grew up a few rooms down from him.
"Whatever, he should make an effort to not take it as a slight to him when I do something." She looks back at the titan.
"You are right but he is going to be the king and has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. The crown is heavier than it looks." I take a deep breath and let it out.
"I will try my best." She lets go of my arm and spins me to face her.
"That's all I ask, I will keep an eye on the situation and will try to mediate." She pulls herself into me and soon breaks the hug before walking back to the cabin. I am not looking forward to being in close confinement for so long but it will be worth it when we get there.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Pretending_Author
Pretending_Author Alright, 4 years later and we are finally off and leaving Braavos behind!
Thanks for reading!!!
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