#muckmaw

Now that the Invaders story concept/animatic project has established Murtagh and Thorn finally encountering Eragon, Saphira, Arya and Firnen all together for the first time since the end of the war, I started thinking and giggling to myself.

Let's say they're all just taking the time to chat and hang out. The crisis is over for now, the other adults are back, they're taking care of the cleanup and the kids and the new Riders. I don't know why but I want the trio to be in a hotspring. Not full on nekked mind you just like skivies and they are all just DONE once again because that was intense after being out of a fight like that for a longer span than any of them are used to. The three dragons are all just sorta play fighting. They're trying to hash out the hierarchy and Firnen is raring to show off to Saphira.

The topic eventually turns to Murtagh and Thorn's adventures and tribulations that occur in the book and there's a bit of good natured ribbing of 'ah...so you uh...you heard about the uh...' 'that you couldn't resist having a dragon rip a roof off in gil'ead again? Oh yeah. we heard.' 'Shit, if you had sent an invite ahead of time I would have joined you.' 'Arya you are LITERALLY the head of the Gil'ead restoration project you can't just-' 'shhhhhh let me have my hopes and dreams.'

After giving him some shit for the chaos, Murtagh suddenly perks up and turns to Arya. "Oh, you might find this amusing. Durza cursed a fish!"

"...huh?"

"He cursed a fish in the lake! I killed it!"

He proceeds to explain the story to them, and then tries to explain Muckmaw's size, armoring, everything Durza had added on to the thing to make it such a monster.

It is met with...much skepticism.

Arya's just sorta got this amused quirk to her lips and keeps adding these little coments. "Muckmaw, huh? A scaaarry bottom feeder. Very terrifying. A shade's most ferocious familiar." "Oh, I'm sorry. A scaaaary catfish! With a big dopy mouth!" "Can't even feel it's mind, what ever shall we do." "Couldn't even put your arms around it. Riiiiiight."

No matter what he does Murtagh just cannot convince Eragon and Arya that Muckmaw existed, or that he killed it. He even does the "NO, I'm SERIOUS! It was THIS BIG!" bit with his arms stretched wide.

I don't remember what actually happened to Muckmaw's head, nor what species he actually was, but I'd like to think that Nasuada somehow had the thing recovered, preserved, and scrimshawed and then hung in some room in Ilieria. I know Eragon and Saphira are supposed to never come back but uh...occasional visits on big occasions are gonna be okay in my stuff.

And Murtagh and Thorn walk in at some point to just see Eragon and Arya standing side by side, arms hanging loose, mouths full on gaping as they're staring up at the wall at this fucking enormous fish skull carved with images of Murtagh's fight with it. They've been there for like five minutes.

He's very keen on rubbing that in their faces.

Eragon and Arya's actual reaction and conversation:

Starting with this one, starring my favorite meme format that I made.