EMPIRE

forkman · April 8th, 2006, 2:24 am

CHAPTER 1: Glaedr's choice
Eragon looked down on the Hadarac Desert Saphira do you think it wise to return to the elves so soon after battle?
What do you mean little one?
Well, don’t you think we should have stayed at the plains to help Nasuada?
Nasuada is a strong woman, she can look after herself.
It had been one day since Eragon and Saphira had set out across the desert to return to Ellesméra, the elves capital, and they were making good progress. Arya was accompanying Roran on horses; Eragon had wanted to stay with them but Saphira insisted on flying ahead to continue their training as soon as possible.
That night Eragon and Saphira flew on instead of stopping. If Saphira flew steadily they would make it to Ellesméra by dawn.
Saphira flew across the great city casting a shadow that caused the elves to look up and smile “The Argetlam has returned!”

Saphira landed on the training field and Eragon leapt off her to greet his entourage.
“Welcome back to our city Eragon Shadeslayer! I trust you travelled well?”
“Thank you, Queen Islanzadi I did”
Saphira, I apologise for entering your thoughts but it is important
When the queen of the elves enters your mind I would imagine it will be important
Saphira did not change position or expression; she coolly stood her ground and looked at Islanzadi. It is Glaedr, he is very sick
I know; Glaedr has been very sick the whole time I’ve known him so what is new my queen?
Glaedr and Oromis do not have long left in this world. Glaedr feels that you are the last chance for the Dragons to come back and has decided to let you have his kin.
I see.
You must not tell Eragon of this, Saphira.
I will tell him that Oromis and Glaedr are sick but not of me and Glaedr.
As you wish Saphira.

“Argetlam, Master Oromis has requested your presence at once. You will find him and Glaedr at the usual place.” Eragon nodded and tried to confer with Saphira but when he asked her what she thought Oromis would have in store for them she said her mind was preoccupied. Will we go then?
Yes. Get on.
Eragon swung his leg up over the saddle and Saphira launched herself into the sky.
I sense there is something wrong with Master Oromis.
Talking to me again? I think you are right, when I was talking to Queen Islanzadi she seemed to be not listening; like she was thinking about something else.
Yes that was probably it little one, I will hurry.
Saphira burst through a cloud and circled down towards Oromis’ hut.

CHAPTER 2: Oromis' gift
Eragon knocked on the door. “Enter” a feeble voice from within. Eragon opened the door and walked in, Saphira looked through the window. “Master Oromis, you are ill?” Eragon asked.
“I am always ill boy, but yes, you are right in thinking this time it is worse.”
Eragon nodded “How long do you have?”
“A day maybe two” they sat in silence with an exception of the odd cough from Oromis. “Master Oromis?”
“Yes child?”
“I would like to show you of the battle, but I am afraid it will weaken you.”
Oromis looked up “I would like to see how my last pupil fared in his first battle”
Eragon nodded and made mental contact with Oromis and a stream of thought played from his mind into his Master’s. He saw of the magicians and he saw Arya fighting. Then like a shard of Sun there was the clear memory of Murtagh and Thorn. Release me and Saphira’s legs; slowly. It was Eragon trying to free him and Saphira; it showed Murtagh deciding to let him go and leave.

Oromis smiled. So Galbatorix has found himself a new forsworn.
Master there must be a way to free him.
Yes, there is, but it lies in his true name. If you can find out his true name and speak it with enough power he will become free of any magical bonds he has.
How much power master? Unfortunately, more than Galbatorix. When you have enough power to defeat the king you will be able to free Murtagh.
Oromis sat up and motioned for Eragon to help him “I should like to be with my Dragon one more time.” They walked outside and heard a thump behind them. It was Saphira and Glaedr “I trust you did what was necessary, Glaedr?” Glaedr lowered his head slightly in indication of a nod. “Let us go then” Oromis walked up to Glaedr and climbed onto his back. “Farewell Eragon, farewell Saphira. Look after each other.”
Eragon nodded and Saphira closed her eyes. When she opened them again Oromis and Glaedr were flying towards the setting sun and her eyes were filled with tears. Where do you think they’re going Saphira?
I don’t know little one. We will never see them again though; they are in the land of silent streams and eternal sun now.

Eragon walked back into Oromis’ hut and sat in the chair where just a few weeks before he had sat learning the lore of Dragon riders and being drilled on the grammar of the Ancient Language. Eragon look on the table. Saphira poked her head through the door and indicated the scroll on the table. He picked up the scroll and unfurled it:

“Eragon, as I write this (with magic) you are showing me of your battle with Murtagh and Thorn. I feel you have questions that had I stayed longer you would have wanted answers to. Firstly, I would guess you want to know why Murtagh is so strong. This feat was achieved through dark and ugly magic. It is my thoughts that somehow Galbatorix has come to be in possession of Brom’s body. Through magic he has extracted Brom’s Vulda-ignasia. This is what is commonly known as a riders blessing. It resides in the stone that forms the pommel of a rider’s sword. In Brom’s case he had not put it into a sword so it just resided in his dead body. Galbatorix has extracted it and forged it into Murtagh’s Gedwey Ignasia. Eragon, I wish to give you my Vulda-ignasia. If I had told you of this when I was still here you would have stopped me. The energy it took me to put it into the sapphire holding the scroll in place has sapped the last of my energy. Wear it always. May your sword stay sharp!

Oromis”

Eragon put down the scroll and looked to the small sapphire on the edge of the table. It had a thong slipped through a hole near the top. It resembled a slightly elongated version of Saphira’s egg. Eragon slipped it over his neck and tucked it under his shirt. Saphira.
Yes little one?
Is it my fault Oromis is dead?
No Eragon, it is Galbatorix’s fault.
I suppose I’ll just kill him twice then.
Saphira chuckled and let Eragon climb onto her back. Four times including the two times I kill Shruikan.

CHAPTER 3: Angsty Arya
Eragon fingered his Vulda-ignasia Saphira do you think what I’m wearing is appropriate for Master Oromis’ memorial service?
Little one, do you seriously think me, a dragon, cares what you humans wear or has an opinion?
Good point I’ll ask Roran.
Eragon walked into the next room where Roran was asleep on his bed. “Roran!”
Roran grumbled and rolled over. “Roran, get up, the ceremony is in half an hour!”
Eragon turned to look in the mirror “Does this shirt look good on me Roran?” “Roran?” he turned to see the bathroom door shutting.

Eragon walked down the winding path of stone and picked a green bulb of a flower and stuffed it in his pocket. He had finally decided to stick to the shirt he had on instead of changing into another. He left ahead of Saphira and Roran as Saphira was feeling tired and said she wanted an extra bit of sleep before hand and Roran was just… late. Eragon turned the corner to find Arya on a bench made or winding roots looking at a flower in her hands. He sat down next to her and pulled her hair out of her face. “What’s wrong Arya svit-kona?” Arya just sniffed and kept on looking at the flower she held in her supped hands. Hadn’t he seen that flower somewhere before? “Someone I was very close to once sung me this flower” Eragon sat in silence “Faolin and Oromis were very good friends, and now they’re both dead.” Eragon put his arm around Arya, “Oromis is in a better place now, and he is probably with Faolin right now.” Arya nodded and a tear drop escaped her face and fell into the flower. She got up and walked towards the rider’s garden letting the flower fall to the ground. Eragon sat for a moment then picked up the flower, it had turned black.

Arya sat leaning against Saphira’s fat stomach with tears streaming down her face. Saphira, why does everyone close to me die?
That’s not true Arya I m close to you and I am still here
Yes but you’re a dragon
True
Saphira, can I ask you a question?
Yes young one.
I’m older than you
But my kin will be older than you could ever be.
Do you think the Dragons are finished? When you think about it a quarter of your population just died.
If I tell you a secret will you stop crying?
Maybe
Our numbers are three, but soon will be six.
What do you mean?
Glaedr made a choice before he died. A choice to further Dragon’s stay in this world, and now there are three eggs growing inside me.
Saphira! This is wonderful news does Eragon know?
No, you must not tell him. Their existence must be known to as little number of people as possible.
But, it’s Eragon
Yes, and Eragon will tell Roran, and Roran will tell Katrina and she will tell Carvahall and they will tell the rest of Alagaesia including Galbatorix.
Arya closed her eyes and snuggled back into Saphira, with her ear pressed against her underside she fell asleep to the faint beating of four hearts.

Eragon slipped into his bath and let the suds reform around him. He laid his head back on the ceramic edge and closed his eyes. With a deep sigh he let every muscle in his body relax. He thought back to Nasuada and the Varden. His friend Orik the dwarf who had decided not to return to Ellesmera with them. He was probably sitting in some Surdan pub sipping ale and laughing heartily about battles he had fought in. He thought back to the legendary rose stone Isidar Mithrim. Eragon sprang upright. SAPHIRA!
What do you want Eragon? I was asleep
Saphira we completely forgot!
What little one, what did we forget?
We forgot to repair Isidar Mithrim!
Oh yeah, we need to get round to curing Elva to.
Eragon had completely forgotten about Elva!
Meet me on the training fields at noon. Tell Arya we’re leaving, I’ll tell Islanzadi.
Saphira grunted and got to her feet
She nudged Arya
Arya wake up little one….

CHAPTER 4: Erands....
Eragon and Saphira once again flew over the Hadarac desert but this time in the opposite direction.
So, tell me again why we are flying back south to the Varden who we left to go north less than a week ago?
We have to cure Elva-
Wish I’d never mentioned her…..
It is our duty as Rider and Dragon, then after we’ve cured Elva we will go to Farthen Dur and repair Isidar Mithrim
Pah it is I who will be doing the repairing, next time I should get to decide how we waste our time.
But I have to cure Elva and besides it’s not a waste of time.
Saphira obviously thought it was; Eragon could tell she was flying leisurely instead of rushing to the Varden.
They arrived at Angela’s tent just before dark and knocked on one of the Supporting poles “Don’t! Don’t touch the poles! You’ll bring the whole blooming tent down on my head!” A middle aged woman bustled out of the tent with glee in her eyes, she was obviously happy to have someone to yell at. “Oh it’s you Shadeslayer? Back so soon? I guess you’ve come to cure Elva then, come on she’s in here. Eragon walked into the tent to find a disgustingly fat child sitting on the floor with her hands in a cake. “Ah” She said through a mouthful of sugar, “I see you’ve come to fix your stupidity?”
“Wow Elva, you’re taking after Angela nicely!”
“Quite, Quite. Well let’s get this over with, where do you want me?”
“Where you are is quite alright Elva”
Elva nodded and Eragon took his place in the door way. He took a deep breath and started talking in the ancient language, a spell was weaved like a net of blue energy it hovered in the air then wrapped itself around the child.
“Return the curse to its original intention, may you be shielded from the sadness of others always”
Eragon felt no fatigue as he usually would after casting a spell of such power. He walked over to the other side of the tent, on the floor was a little baby, it smiled at him and gurgled at the Dragon whose head was poking through the door. As Eragon walked away he saw a gleam of light in the corner of his eye. When he looked closer he could see a little white oval, shimmering on the baby’s forehead.
“Farewell, Elva”

That was quick, how’d it go?
Eragon stepped out of the tent’s doorway and swung himself up onto Saphira’s back.
It was remarkably easy, even after Master Oromis said it would be hard. I guess it’s the Vulda-ignasia.
Yes, master Oromis left us a valuable gift.
Eragon nodded sagely and fingered the little sapphire around his neck.
Farthen Dur is not far from here. We should visit Orik whilst we are there.
Little one, Orik will have no doubt been supervising the repair of Isidar Mithrim. I don’t think we’re going to have to look for him.
Saphira, is there something wrong? You’re acting really strange, well, rude lately.
Saphira muttered something about hormones and retreated further into her mind.

When they reached Farthen Dur Orik was waiting outside the main entrance for them. “Ah! Eragon! Our watch sentinels caught sight of you a while back. I trust you are here to repair the eternal star?”
“Yes Orik my old friend, we are much stronger than before so we will complete this task quickly”
Orik raised his eyebrows but shrugged and led them inside. In the great chamber which Isidar Mithrim is housed Eragon and Saphira looked up and gasped with amazement as they saw what was once the eternal star. It was exactly as it was before only now it had millions of rippling cracks running through it. It was still a feat of labour but not in the same way. Wordlessly Saphira and Eragon flew high up to the star and as they reached the very central most point Eragon could see a tiny spec of Blue at the middle of all the red. Saphira reached out and touched Isidar Mithrim with her nose. It rippled like a stone thrown in a still pond. After the ripple past over a crack the crack melted together to become one. Isidar Mithrim was complete again, but there was something new happening. The spec of blue was moving. It made its way through the Ruby star like it was going through water. It appeared at the tip of the star and dropped through the air. It hit Saphira like a ball of mercury. It glowed on top of her and then melted into her. She and Eragon spiralled down through the air and collapsed on the floor. As Eragon slipped into a state of unconsciousness he heard a voice coming from Saphira’s mind. But strangely it was not Saphira’s.

We bless the children of this mother,
Of her race there is no other.
Bring life to this land of your kin anew,
For this is the Mountains gift to you.

EMPIRE

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