New Legacy

Ch.33

“Master Roran, are you here? Lady Shimmer, what has happened? Where did this tomb come from?” An elk soldier questioned after she found me laying against my giant boobs in the formerly secret place where dragons had hid before their deaths to seemingly do sketchy shit to my Rider and I by being here in front of that damned idol Chesonum took with her.

“It was always here. What are you doing here so soon?” I questioned curiously with a rub of my eyes. “Roran, are you awake? Are you feeling any better?” I was both worried and placated by the muted dream-thoughts he subconsciously responded with in his sleep.

“It’s been a few days since you left Ellesméra. We’re the first battlegroup from Kirtan, which is a day’s journey closer than the capital. Are you alright? We weren’t aware you were so fecund from post-pregnancy that you were incapacitated in your anthro form.” The elk cow kindly questioned and I huffed before using my piercings to shrink myself back down to my usual size.

“Yeah, I don’t get it either. I don’t even lactate.” I grumbled the last bit, since I still had a really strong lactation fetish. I hope Kala’s promises about getting me mods from her dimension’s dragons allowing me to lactate weren’t just the both of us fantasizing.

“That is a mystery that nobody knows the truth of other than that bosoms cause male dragons the same mental disconnect that males of other species experience.” The soldier chatted and I was a bit surprised an elk soldier would have more personality than a tree trunk while I retrieved old clothes from my storage and promptly put on a tunic first.

“True enough. Master Glaedr may be off the table, but after he got his arm back, I’d noticed he was less reserved and actually looked at me as more than a student. I even noticed that if I accentuated my bust, hips or tail enough in a maneuver that he would have a brief moment of distraction.” I grinned and hefted my shrunken E-cups. “Now then, Roran is currently indisposed, I am available in his stead. Anything to report?”

“We’ve just arrived and our first orders are to get wood weavers to work on the trebuchets while we start excavating stones for ammunition. Our first pass-along orders to you are to have you do some scouting from the sky to gauge Gil’ead’s situation. We’ll be updated when the main battlegroup from the capital arrives tomorrow.” The female soldier reported, all levity gone for the moment and I nodded.

“I will do so. I still have Brom’s misdirection charm. I simply need to pour magic into it to charge it and so long as I remain fifty paces away from anyone I’ll remain undetected.” I retrieved the leather charm from my storage and put it on before pouring mana into it. “I’ll return within a few hours.”

“Be safe, Shimmer Shinescales.” There’s that title/surname again. When did I get it? I wasn’t given it by the wargs. Rather, the wargs oddly took more to Saphira and dubbed her Brightscales. I lived among them longer, but they just called me Shimmer. I guess it was more a thing of respect rather than familiarity. The elks respect me more than the wargs? Ouch. At least I know the wargs like me for who I am, not what I’ve done or promised to do.

I wonder how Saphira is doing. If Eragon and her weren’t protected by an anti-scrying charm, I’d ask Roran to try and scry his brother. “Roran, are you unwilling to awaken?” I was met with half-lucid dreams of mountains, castles and a big family. I blushed with a smile. I could see me with him tending to our children. I’ll let him dream.

🥚

Holy shit there’s pegasi everywhere. I’m lucky I flew higher than normal to try and keep myself above any of the soldiers in the air, because there were stallions and mares on watch from clouds shaped like pill boxes. So long as I was higher than them, they wouldn’t look up. Also, so long as I was far enough away, that wouldn’t matter, but better safe than sorry.

I had to fly past three rings of these sentrys before reaching Gil’ead’s airspace. The city was under martial law. The soldiers clearly had already anticipated an attack and dug in their hooves. The citizens were essentially locked in their homes and I saw a provisions cart being pulled through the streets and food distributed to the civilians.

This was going to be a tough position to take. Sombra may have sent most of his troops south to fight the united front of the Varden and Surda, but he didn’t leave his northern border defenseless. My keen eyes counted a few thousand soldiers left in defense. Enough to maintain a long-sighted wide alert net as well as to cloud the sky over the city.

These troops wielded crossbows and slings as well as primitive blackpowder grenades with fuses. I knew they had cannons, but to see them with primitive hand grenades warned me that Sombra’s soldiers may have more surprises up their sleeves than expected.

Seeing earth ponies and unicorns manning positions on rooftops and on the walls besides patrols on the street reinforced that while pegasus dominated, Sombra didn’t entirely replace his whole military with them.

Gil’ead was a hard target. Worse was that it was bordered on the north by Isenstar Lake and the east by the Ramr River. Even worse was that for miles around it was nothing but open plains. Any approach would be a slaughter. The enemy would rain arrows down upon us miles out from the city before we could hope to even attempt a siege.

How are we supposed to do this? I’m not a tactician. “Roran, wake up! I need your keen and wily mind on this!”

“Huh?!” Roran awoke with a start and I ensured he was sharing my eyes as I reviewed my memories of the past half hour of observations with him. “By Celestia. There is no way we can do this during the day. We will need to move at night, weave charms like ours on every soldier, every siege engine. That will take an astronomical amount of...magic…”

“Roran?” I think I got where he was going. The Eldunarya, his gem belt, his other gems that he kept with him to work on later. With that devious setup, he could do it! He could pull off a feat of magic that it would take a whole battalion of battlemages to maintain by himself! Although, with elks being capable magic users themselves, he won’t be alone in this effort.

“Take us back to Mount Marna. We have work to do.”

🥚

“Master Roran?” Roran and I looked up from where I was channeling mana into and through one of the almost-awake Eldunarya while Roran engraved the ‘notice-me-not’ rune into one of the trebuchets. The one addressing Roran was clearly a proper officer rather than the small army of grunts that had arrived the day before from Kirtan. “I am to understand you have a plan?”

“More of an idea rather than a plan. I figured out how to get us to Gil’ead’s walls without us being rained upon with bolts and other quarrels miles out from it. What we do when we get there I’m leaving in your capable hands. That is if you’re the ranking officer of this battlegroup.” Roran replied before he stood and I grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

Roran and I have been at this nonstop since we got back from reconnaissance yesterday. Whatever Celestia and Luna did to us, we had far more energy than before. More magic. That didn’t take away the exhausting mental wear that inscribing runes had on a person. Put that into a 14 hour continuous effort. I’m only doing better because I’ve just been assisting.

“Your humility is appreciated, Master Roran, but as a Dragon Rider it is customary that you lead. If not directly, then by example. You’re overworking yourself. The Usurper’s pawns won’t up and march on us if you rest a day. Lieutenant, escort Master Roran and Lady Shinescales to a cot.” The officer, possibly a general, ordered and the elk cow to his right promptly helped me force Roran off of the trebuchet and to his hooves, but he gently held me back.

“What is it, sir?” I muttered, tired enough that I couldn’t really focus on raising my voice.

“I will be needing a full report on what has caused Master Roran’s drastic physical transformation. First Master Eragon becomes half-elk, now his brother shares traits of all three of his species’ main subtypes. I do not know about our queen, but I and several who run the nation are concerned about the two of you and what forces exert these effects. The Blood Oath Ceremony has never caused such a drastic transformation as Eragon’s and now this. Rest, but the moment you awaken, I will need your input.” He released my hand and I nodded blearily.

“I’ll try, but I might be just as out of the loop.” I yawned and patted his arm before staggering after the direction my Rider was led. I feel him this way. Tent. Cot. Future husband. Bed…

🥚

“So, it was a manifestation of the pony deities that spoke to you two, declared they would be coming from your homeland, then turned your Rider into the same species as them and did something to turn you into a giant like Shruikan?” General Taeral, the one nominally in charge of the army that is tasked with taking Gil’ead, recapped and I nodded.

“Yes. I’m fairly upset with them over this. It’s one thing to talk to us, another to talk to us and then alter us without so much as a ‘by your leave’. Worse, that’s twice in as many weeks for me.” First Dongoruas, now some distant god-queens from a far away nation.

“Troubling. This also collaborates with what Murtagh Morzanson had divulged to the Varden. I believe the ‘other’ they referred to is in fact a mare named Cadenza. She is under lock and key in the castle of Urû'baen. She is also the rightful heir to the throne of the pony kingdom from before Sombra overthrew it. She too is an alicorn, as you’ve described the sister deities and Roran has become.” General Taeral informed me and I winced.

I hope this Cadenza mare doesn’t take umbrage with Nasuada for usurping the usurper. “That is both very bad to know, yet gives us another goal to achieve. Whether or not she wants to take the throne, her approval or abdication could help whoever takes over obtain validity from the populace.” That would make her a Princess right now, wouldn’t it?

“It would.” Taeral nodded and then looked at the scroll on his desk. “That is for the future, but for right now we have other issues, reports from the south also confirmed something. Morzanson has been made a Rider and forced under the rule of the usurper. He has fought with Eragon and bested him, but for some reason left him alive. Twilight had to contend with a Lethrblaka with Spike receiving injuries before she burned the creature inside out.”

This is both good and bad. Good because things are going as expected. Bad because things are going as expected. If we continue in this manner, the losses and suffering to come will still happen with no change. Damn it. “Is there more?”

“No. I’m certain our mages will receive word on more when it transpires. As for now, we must work on upholding our end of this endeavor. Continue working to ensure our siege engines will be undetectable from distant eyes while the rune that Master Roran provided will be distributed to our battlemages so they can reproduce them for our soldiers.” Then the General’s snout wrinkled. “Did he have to make it with leather?”

“No and that was originally a work of Brom’s. Leather was at hand and the easiest medium he had at the time when we were fleeing Carvahall. Speaking of which, are there any plans to extend that far west?” I would hope vainly that Carvahall wasn’t burned to the ground by the King’s troops in revenge so that Roran would not suffer more than he already would.

“Yes, actually. Not our detachment however. The armies headed by Master Oromis will first take Ceunon, then move west to take Narda, securing the scattered settlements on the way. I am not fully apprised of the tactical reasons, but I believe it has something to do with Vroengard. Narda is the nearest port and any lost artefacts that might be retrievable after all this time for the poisonous magic to weaken could be invaluable.” Taeral theorized and I nodded.

“That would be so. Alright, I’ll go find Roran.” I left his command tent, a bit bemused that there was a section of the cave big enough for a military encampment adjacent to the storage chamber where the siege engines are.

Seeing so many elk soldiers was a bit daunting. I was surrounded by over a thousand 7-9 foot tall people, half of which had antlers extending even higher. Each wore a full suit of wood-sung armor reinforced with metal and wielded either a spear or sword. I knew that despite the lack of bows or crossbows, that each elk knew enough magic to take anything off the ground and use it as a lethal projectile. If not for the aerial bombardment waiting, I’d think we have no worries.

I waded through the crowds of busy soldiers to the storage area where even more soldiers were, mostly the wood weavers, the elk equivalent to engineers. Roran was working on engraving another of the intact trebuchets while the wood weavers worked to keep ahead of him so that he didn’t have to stop because the next one wasn’t ready due to their negligence.

“This is such a-Lady Shinescales!” Some of the elks shouted before they stopped conversing and saluted me. “We are working full tilt to ensure Master Roran does not have to cease his work before he needs rest.”

“Good, I’ll just be over here.” I hurried up to Roran and raked my eyes over his wings and that horn. Wow, I didn’t notice how regal those made my already handsome Rider look. “How are you doing, Roran?” I quietly questioned as I sent him my magic directly when I touched his shoulder and he leaned into my touch with a relieved hum.

“Hm, doing fine. Everyone is worried sick over me and it’s getting annoying though. They were pleased as punch when Eragon became half elk, now they’re scared about me being an alicorn.” My Rider finished carving the rune on this trebuchet and rubbed his snout as well as around the base of his horn. That must be a new source of mental stress for him, having a magic focus attached to his skull.

“Forget them.” I cooed and rubbed his temples, my beloved Roran groaning in relief with his eyes closed. “If we weren’t pressed for time, I’d tell you to take a break. The best I can do is be here to support you. I’m not the wizard between us.” I leaned in and kissed him, my Rider moaned into my lips and I backed away with a blush at my actions. “S-sorry! I don’t know where that came from!” OMG I can’t believe I just did that! We’ve only been that physically intimate in a few rare moments he was comfortable with it!

“Shut up and kiss me again.” Roran purred from his chest and I squeaked into his lips when he returned the favor. I melted against him, my body feeling-. “*Gasp* Shimmer? Where…?” I hummed contently and opened my eyes. I was seeing from his eyes, but his body moved me. Oh? Are we overlapping? We’re not fused or something, I’m riding shotgun, infusing him. Essentially he is metaphysically Riding off my power. “Shimmer, what are you doing?”

“I don’t know, but I blame those sisters. This is great though. If I cannot support you fully from without, I can boost you from within! Hah! I can hardly wait to hold this over Saphira!” This is cool! I’m both here, but not here! I’m like a...hm, I wasn’t a big follower of anime before I died, but there was one popular...a Stand! I’m like his Stand from the Ju-Ju show! I think? Jo-Jo? That one sounds more correct.

“Well, whatever you’re doing, if it isn’t exhausting you, keep doing it! I feel like I could run a hundred miles without stopping!” Roran took his chisel and the Eldunari he was using to assist him before rushing at the next available trebuchet with a manic glee that made me laugh in his mind.

🥚

“Blargh…” So...tired...

“You can say that again.” Roran groaned from where he laid in the cot with me.

“Blargh…” I weakly patted him. I’m not sure where my hand was, but I think it was his butt.

“At least you’re just exhausted, I feel like I’ve been exercising constantly.” Roran moaned while an elk physician looked us both over.

“Blargh…” I closed my eyes, just ready to sleep and recover.

🥚

“Okay. Lesson learned. Don’t do that for several straight hours ever unless it’s life-or-death.” I declared after Roran and I debriefed with General Taeral about how we converted the rest of the siege engines so quickly and why we crashed so hard after the fact.

“Yes, it would be best to use that sparingly. It was also unsettling to witness Master Roran emitting a pearlescent glow the entire time. You can both rest in your private carriage, which the battlemages have enchanted with your runes like the rest of the convoy. We march on Gil’ead beginning now and the sooner you two fully recover, the better.” General Taeral dismissed us and I helped Roran to his hooves with him groaning.

I felt guilty about overworking him to this point. Roran and I discovered something new about ourselves thanks to our Bond and however it was enhanced by our transformations and we both got carried away in the excitement. I could feel Roran’s bone-deep weariness and the exhaustion he only related to his early days of training with Brom.

However, he also compared it to when he and Katrina got very vigorous in bed and found it oddly satisfying. I wished the same could be said for me, I just felt sleepy and my Eldunarya felt drained. I led him to our carriage and climbed in, quickly depositing him on the cot and I snuggled against him, blushing when he immediately kissed me.

“*smooch* Have I ever told you how much I Love you?” Roran dopily asked and I smiled.

“You’re my Rider. You love me unconditionally. Knowing you love me in a romantic sense just enhances what we already have. Rest now, we’re both drained and need to be ready for the coming battle.” I squeezed against him and groaned when he vanished, only unlike before, I felt relaxed and at ease. “Not again. I don’t want every time we touch to result in something like this.”

“I don’t think it will. Gosh, this is the inverse of before. I Ride off of your power for battle, then Ride off of your body to recover? What do you get out of this?” Roran yawned in my mind and I pulled the blankets over me to snuggle into the unnaturally comfy hammock cot.

“I get peace of mind. Now shut up and sleep, Roran.” After all, I am your dragon, your supporter in all things. This is merely a greater expression of what I would do for you. I would even die for you, but I know that would destroy you, so I will do all in my power to stay with you.

I feel so warm and cozy with my Rider slumbering within me. What sort of magic is this? It isn’t the magic rooted in the Ancient Language. That came with the elks. Is this some sort of pony magic being exercised due to the union of our minds and souls?

“Hm, sexy dragon.” Roran sighed, my senses telling me he was doing more than sleeping. Is he having a wet dream right now? Whatever. Sleep, then get to work in combat. “Oh~ Shimmy~...” Oh gods. Oh gods. Unf. No~ now I’m horny too~! Damn it, Roran!