Wyrdfel The rise of Galbatorix

Chapters

Prologue

Lost Love

Chosen One

Training Day

The Council of Elders

Prince Vauther

Vhardeen

Morzan's Vengeance

Graduation

The Legend of Galbatorix

Dishonor

Fatal Journey

Footsteps of a Madman

Judgment Day

Bloody Hands

Galbatorix and Durza

Secrets of the Ancient Language

Morzan's Dark Oath

Betrayal

The Hunt

Orwin Oxheart

The Shamed Ones

The Forsworn

Unfinished Business

The Battle of Doru Arubae

Prologue

Lost Love

The Riders were spread throughout the lands of Alagaesia keeping the peace between the races. The Razac were hunted down to near extinction. In fact, there were only six Razac left including four Lerthberka. The power men feared during this time was a dark wizard named Vhardeen. He was a master of the ancient language and summoning spirits. Vhardeen was a self-proclaimed rider as he had enslaved two dragons to do his bidding knowing their true names in the ancient language. He is hunted by the riders for his crimes against the order and all the races of Alagaesia.

The Dragon Riders Morzan and Selena were on the hunt for the dark wizard. Both Morzan and Selena's dragons were red and Selena had used magic to color her hair and eyes red to match the scales of her Dragon Syndeer who was female. Morzan's Dragon Brael was male and the four of them were in love with each other. They shared in everything including missions. The current mission they were on was to locate Vhardeen's army of Urgals.

Morzan was high in a tree using his dragon-enhanced vision to spy on several hundred Urgals gathering in the southern half of the Spine near Feinster. The order believed Vhardeen was trying to overthrow the city. Morzan smiled to himself when Selena swung into the tree via a vine and squatted next to him.

"You are suppose to be watching the city…"

"Yeah I got bored with that… besides Brael and Syndeer are watching the city…"

He looked at her and smirked, "When are you going to start obeying orders…"

She played with a lock of his hair, "When you start obeying orders… Master Oromis told us to find the Urgals and report back… you are looking for the wizard as well…"

"You know me I am always up for an adventure…"

"Well I still say we should have brought Brom and Saphira along…"

"I don't have time to hold Brom's hand… Besides if I had brought them along then I would have heard a never ending barrage of Master Oromis said to locate not engage…"

She punched him in the arm, "So what is the plan…"

He smiled at her, "Tell Syndeer to help Brael attack from the air…" As Selena sent the message Morzan began mouthing his spell; a spell that created two illusions of himself and Selena riding their dragons. The two red dragons flew out from the foothills of the spine and attacked the Urgals raining down fire from their mouths.

("Morzan I have spotted the wizard… He is trying to escape on the dragon Herxess…"

Herxess was a wild brown dragon that had been enslaved by Vhardeen. Morzan pointed his hands at a pond of water and sent it hurtling into the air. As the water hit the brown dragon it froze along his body and he plummeted out of the sky.

"Letta Insorell…" Morzan screamed slowing the dragons decent. Selena duplicated his magic with her own power to aid him.

Selena and Morzan smiled at each as the Urgals retreated into the spine. Vhardeen was frozen from waist to his feet.

"We have you… You evil man…"

"Foolish Riders… Your arrogance will be your downfall…"

"Where is the other wild dragon you have enslaved?" Selena demanded.

Vhardeen laughed at them as his body shimmered and he transmuted into an Urgal. "Now die!" The Urgal barked as he shattered the ice from his arms and touched the jewel on his belt. The jewel released nine spirits that attacked Selena and Morzan, the fouls spirits tried to possess them and turn them into Shades.

Morzan summoned all his might and unleashed a wave of power that dispelled the spirits attacking them, but that feet of magic left him completely drained. The Urgal tried to kill Morzan and as he stabbed at him, the sword dissolved and sprouted from the Urgal's chest rematerializing.

Selena tried to aid him but the wild dragon Herxess broke free of ice prison and snapped at her. She rolled to the ground drawing her sword Ember.

("Hold on we are coming…") Syndeer said shouting with her mind. Brael was flying beside her when the other wild dragon Thundore (he was called that because his scales were the color of lightening) tackled her from the side.

("Syndeer!")

("Go and save our Riders… This wild one is mine!") She replied roaring, as they tussled through the air.

Brael felt she could handle the wild one so he tucked his wings to his side and dove towards the ground. As soon as he dove Vhardeen became visible he had been on the wild dragon the whole time. He plunged his stolen riders sword into Syndeer's heart.

"Releth Mizarr Cu Brofell Brisinger…" His spell transformed the energy stored in the sword's jewel to fire and he ruptured poor Syndeer's heart from the inside.

Syndeer's death distracted Selena and the wild dragon she was fighting extended his neck and caught her between his teeth killing her in a violent shake.

"Nooooo!" Morzan screamed as he watched his beloved die in agony. She was thrown into a tree and the wild dragon turned his bloody eyes on Morzan. Morzan summoned the energy in his sword Zarroc to replenish his strength and charged the dragon, but Brael landed on Herxcess. They tussled back and forth until Vhardeen and Thundore landed with a great thud.

"Thrys-letta!" Vhardeen shouted, a beam of light sprang from his palm and struck Brael in the side. He was thrown eleven feet and hit the ground sliding another four. Dazed he couldn't move but he was still alive.

"You will pay for your treason wizard… You will pay for what you did to her…"

"You loved her… How pathetic… Don't worry I will kill you as well and then the two of you will be together again…"

Vhardeen and his two dragons were about to attack when Vhardeen's warning spells were triggered by the approach of two more riders.

"Well as much as I would like to finish our dance fool I must leave you…"

"Run I will hunt you down…" Morzan said as Thundore leapt into the air.

The two Riders that landed were Brom and his dragon Saphira. The other Rider was an Elf by the name of Pheris and his white dragon Wenter.

("Morzan you fool… You were ordered to locate the Urgals… Not engage them…") Saphira barked, Brael growled a warning to Saphira. He ignored her and walked over to Selena's broken, bloody body dropping to his knees. ("Morzan!")

("Saphira enough… Can't you see he is in pain…") Brom said.

As Morzan mourned the death of Selena, Brael mourned the death of Syndeer.

"Draumr Kopa Spee Homceed…" Pheris said. A ball of water floated into the air and went black then it cleared and Pheris was looking at Master Oromis.

"Pheris what has happened… Have the Urgals been located…"

"Yes Master, but Morzan as usual went beyond his mandate…" He sighed, "…Selena and Syndeer are dead…"

Oromis closed his eyes, then he opened them, "I must contact Vrael… Allow Morzan and Brael to mourn their deaths then return to Belatona…"

"Yes Master…"

When Pheris ended his magic Morzan and Brael let out a scream, it would be six years before Morzan and Brael got their revenge.

Chapter 1. Chosen Ones

It was the time of the choosing when the wild dragons gave eggs to the order of riders. Children both human and elf were tested and if they were found to be of strong mind and body they were given a chance to touch a dragon egg. Since Elves age different from humans an elf wasn't chosen or tested until the age of twenty. Humans were tested at the age of ten. This year there were twenty-five humans and twenty-five elves. Many humans had never seen an elf before so they eyed them with wonder and awe as they stood in the morning hours of dusk waiting for the ferry that would sail them to egg island. There was a fog hanging over the water as they waited on the beach.

"Hey, have you ever seen an elf before?" A young man asked to a boy in front of him.

The boy looked back at the other boy, then he looked over at the elves. "Can't say I have… They all look the same to me…"

"Well their females are a lot more pleasant on the eyes…" The second boy laughed. "The name is Drake son of Low and you are…"

"Galbatorix…"

"Wow that is a mouthful… Can I call you Gal…" He hunched his shoulders. "Where are you from?"

"I am from nowhere… My village was destroyed by Urgals…" He lied ashamed of the village he came from.

"Dam Urgals… If I become a Rider…My dragon and I are going to burn the whole lot of them…"

Galbatorix smirked, "I am going to become a Rider…"

"Ha…" A girl near them said, "The wild dragons only give one or two eggs to the riders at a time and most of the time Elves are chosen.

"I don't care how many eggs they have… It is my destiny…" Galbatorix said.

"Hey Gal calm down… Man are you this intense all the time…"

"What about the bonded Dragons?" Another young boy asked. "Don't they lay eggs…"

Galbatorix grunted, "From what I heard the bonded Dragons often turn over their eggs to the wild dragons… the rest are kept by Riders…"

THUD! A percussion of wind silenced all the humans. It happened again. THUD! Descending out of the sky was a pale colored dragon, almost yellowish. On his back sat an elf with hair the color of starlight.

"Welcome chosen ones… My name is Desaux Lahfin and this is my bond partner Herm… Many of you have been chosen but not all will become riders… To become a dragon rider means dedication and commitment…" He started walking back and forth in front of them.

Herm touched their minds and spoke which shocked the humans, ("As Desaux said many will not even get to touch the eggs of those that don't you may still serve the order, but in another way…")

Desaux spoke up again, "This year the Dragons have been very generous with us… We have been entrusted with three eggs…and we have two eggs from the order dragons… I look forward to seeing you all on Sharvale…"

Sharvale was the island fortress where the Dragon eggs were kept by the egg keepers. Egg Keepers were men and women human and Elf who guarded the eggs of the wild and order dragons until the rider destined for that egg would appear. Out the mist came a large four sail ship only the sails were pointed out to the sides like wings and the front of the ship had a dragons head. As the ship approached land the sails folded into the poles they were on and the poles folded to the side of the ship..

An elf with dark hair and purple eyes stood at the top of the gang plank waving the chosen ones on board.

He greeted them in the ancient language, "Welcome aboard the sea dragon…" He switched to the common tongue. "My name is Worson…" He wore a dragon rider's sword.

"Are you a Rider?" A girl asked.

"I was a rider… My dragon Zersa was poisoned by a shade many years ago…"

"The elders couldn't give you a new dragon…" Galbatorix asked.

The Elves were offended by the question and they looked at the older elf to see how he would respond. "Young one I would not mar the memory of Zersa by asking such a thing… She held my mind and heart… I dare not replace her with another such a thing would be an abomination… Dragons aren't things to be replaced when they die… If I had been killed Zersa would not seek a new rider to replace me…"

With one word in the ancient language the Sea Dragon's sails opened up and the ship took to sea. The elves were offended by Galbatorix's question and they kept their distance.

"Looks like you made some new friends…" Drake said.

"It is my destiny to be a rider… I care not what those elves think of me…"

"You sure are arrogant…" The girl from earlier said.

"So what is your name?" Drake asked.

"Kialandi… My name is Kialandi…" She had short cropped black hair and she was missing her left index finger. Her right eye was blue and her left eye red.

"Where are you from…" Galbatorix asked.

"A village near Reavestone…"

They talked until they reached the island sharktooth, ohs and ahs came from the humans as two dragons circled the fortress in the air. Desaux and Herm were waiting on the beach when they disembarked from the ship. Suddenly Herm took off and flew towards the Fortress leaving Desaux with the chosen ones.

"Follow me…"

It was a twenty mile walk from the beach to the fortress and they arrived at high noon. Several dozen troops waited in the courtyard along with a few human and elven Riders. Dragons of different colors and sizes were perched on the walls of the fortress eying them as if they were something to eat.

"Welcome to the dragon egg's keep…" A human with pointed ears said stepping forward. He had a rider's sword on his belt "My name is Graywin… I am chief egg keeper and lord of this island… As long as you are here you will be fed and bedded… Those of you lucky enough to have an egg hatch for him or her will be taken to Vroengard academy of Dorue Arubae where you will be trained as a rider… Those of you who don't will be given a choice to serve the riders as a soldier vassal or even an egg keeper…" Graywin snapped his fingers and two elves entered the courtyard carrying a basket with five eggs in it. The eggs were the following colors, beige, diamond, black, pink, and the last was the color of the sky.

("That is my dragon… That is my destiny…") Galbatorix said fixing his eyes on the sky blue egg.

He ignored Graywin as he began choosing people to touch the eggs. He chose Kialandi, Drake, and three elves. Kialandi chose the beige egg. It wasn't until Drake touched the sky blue egg that Galbatorix returned his attention to what was happening. His heart sank as he was not chosen in the first group. An elf male chose the diamond looking egg and it immediately hatched to the amazement of the gathered crowd.

"You will each get three days with your egg if it hasn't hatched by then… then you are not it's rider… The rest of you will be assigned your rooms by lottery."

With a heavy heart Galbatorix went to his assigned room his mind on the sky blue egg.

"That is him…" A master rider named Shou said standing on a balcony overlooking the courtyard.

"Skinny little thing…" The other elf said. She was a master rider as well.

"As all humans do, he will fill out…"

"What if you are wrong about him Master Shou…"

"I am not… He will be a rider…"

Galbatorix had to share a room with two other humans and three elves. He sat in the corner alone ignoring the conversation going on between the others. The door opened and in walked Master Shou. He ordered the others out of the room.

"You seem disappointed…"

"I wasn't chosen today…"

"Your time will come… be patient…"

"But you said…"

Shou raised his hand, "I know what I said, but you must be patient… You will be a dragon rider…" Shou reached into his robe and gave Galbatorix a book. "This is the history of the Riders… It is written in the common tongue…"

"Thank you master…" That night while his roommates slept Galbatorix was up reading the book Master Shou had given him. In aggravation he whispered in the ancient language, "Illustar' Nu Veyeo…" Which meant illuminate my eyes, his eyes glowed so that he could see in the dark without disturbing the others.

The third day Kialandi's egg hatched and she named him Tiar. The other three eggs remained inactive. So the chosen ones once again gathered in the courtyard as Graywin walked before them choosing from among them. This time he chose two humans and one female elf. Once again Galbatorix watched in disappointment as the sky blue egg was chosen by the elf. His heart sank as he considered the possibility that the egg he would not be that eggs rider. Three days passed and all three eggs remained inactive. Graywin stood in front of Galbatorix and a great smile came across his face when he was picked. Two elves were chosen with him, but as he stood in between the elves, the elf male in front of him was about to choose the sky blue egg but he withdrew his hand and chose the black egg. It hatched the moment it was in his arms. Galbatorix took the egg to a special room where he and the female elf where allowed to be alone with their eggs. Galbatorix held the egg and never allowed it out of his sight. He refused to eat until the egg hatched. The second day the pink egg hatched for the female elf. Now Galbatorix was all alone. He stayed up all night watching the egg and refusing to leave the room. Sunrise came and still the egg remained inactive, but he refused to give up on the thought that the egg would hatch.

"You are my destiny and I am yours… why do you remain inactive? Why won't you hatch?" The sun had set and fatigue and hunger took its toll; Galbatorix fell asleep holding the egg. As he slept he was haunted by a vision. The sky was filled with dragons then they and all their riders died, a man stood alone on a burnt field with a black dragon. As the sun rose their shadow stretched across Alagaesia to the borders of Hadarac desert and the forests of Duweldenvarden. Their shadows touched the borderlands of Cithri and Dauth as well. Galbatorix awoke in a sweat and he was breathing heavy. Then he noticed the tiny creature licking his face, the palm of his right hand had the famous dragon mark on it, the Gedwëy Ignasia. The dragon purred and he began stroking its neck, that is when the door opened. Graywin and Shou entered the room.

"What is her name?"

Galbatorix smiled, "Jornunvosk…"

Graywin handed Galbatorix a strip of meat, "Here feed your dragon she is hungry…"

Shou snapped his fingers and two human servants brought in a tray of food for Galbatorix. "Eat and regain your strength… When you are done join us in the courtyard. Galbatorix ate his food and would offer some to Jornunvosk as he did. The little dragon was content to sit in his lap and stare at Galbatorix who often would say something to the dragon.

"You and I are the future of the order of riders… We shall do great things together… With you as my dragon I shall be the most powerful Rider in the world…"

As Galbatorix walked Jornunvosk sat on his shoulders taking in the sights as they walked through the halls towards the courtyard. When they arrived the elves and humans who didn't get a chance to touch an egg clapped for Galbatorix as he joined Kialandi and the other riders. The new riders were Galbatorix and Jornunvosk, Kialandi and Tiar, the elves Meldwen and his diamond colored dragon Diaxus, SaKaul and her pink dragon Azhema also a female dragon, and Luhiem and his black dragon Marvol.

"As I said earlier… those of you not chosen may still have a chance to serve the order… if you so wish then follow my apprentice Barven…" All the elves followed along with Drake and a few other humans. "Your initial training will begin here, when your dragons are old enough to fly, you will be taken to Vroengard academy where you will complete your training… Welcome to the order of the riders…"

"Come with me…" Shou said when Graywin left the courtyard.

Over the next few months Shou and his bond partner Murkall a brick red dragon personally trained Galbatorix and Jornunvosk. Galbatorix excelled at everything put before him and Jornunvosk was an unusually fast flier for a dragon. The six months melted away and it was time for the hatchlings to fly to Vroengard.