Chapter 1: A Day in the New Life
"Ethgri deyja aitha onr edoc'sil thelduin, dimidium lamnia onr. Mei dimidium eitha Alagaësia aitha aetas!"
He screamed the well-prepared phrase at Galbatorix. It was his declaration that Galbatorix shall no longer live, nor draw from the power of the Eldunarí. In return, Eragon's feet may never again touch the ground of Alagaësia. Eragon had learned that to banish Galbatorix, he must banish himself. The type of spell being cast could only succeed if he forced himself to leave the land also, as proof of of his dedication. He pushed the magic through his arms. He knew he must use it all. He knew he must use more than all of his magic. For the spell to work, he must leave himself with only enough strength to mount Saphira. As he reached the end of his spell, the last drop of strength left him. Galbatorix's face went deathly. The colour left him, and he fell to his knees.
Eragon shivered awake. After a moment which was used to gather his surroundings, he found himself in his dark, grey cave; not finishing off Galbatorix. It seemed so long ago. 26 years. 26 years he had been in Alalea; a land far over the western sea from Alagaësia.
After his departure, Saphira had carried him to Alalea. For a short while before he left, he had ridden with Arya, before saying his weakened farewells and informing her of his destination. He attempted to stay in Alagaësia, but every time he tried to land the bare soles of his feet burned and his power was sucked from him. He knew the only place he could go was away; so he disappeared over the horizon to a different land, with different races. Some things were very similar, yet a lot was very different.
Saphira? Where are you? He called out to her, hoping she hadn't drifted too far to go hunting. After about 25 miles, his magic could no longer protect her. Within the 25 miles, she was relatively safe, in the land of Solumfinis. Solumfinis was an inaccurate wording of 'Man's End' in a mix of the local Elvish and the Ancient Language. It was a small country, much more like Alagaësia than the lands beyond it, but the population were sympathetic to Eragon. Most knew his story, and most deemed him good luck.
After his arrival, word spread of a dragon in the area. Many wise, curious and foolish men and woman journeyed to see it. However, to get there, they had to travel through a canyon, in which a small town was built. As the travelers passed through the town, the locals traded and sold supplies and the area became wealthy. Eragon had made a pact with the country's king, that he and Saphira would protect the land from the fallcorns, if the king would protect the small mountain in which him and Saphira lived.
I am here little one. She spoke and dull crunch above him announced she had landed on one of the many plateau's on the mountain side. You are much too concerned for me.
I simply do not wish for you to get hurt. He replied, feeling he could have worded it better. He was right.
Eragon Sladeshayer. You shouldn't think for a moment that anything in this pitiful land could possibly best me in a fight. I may have struggled in the past, with the likes of Thorn and Shruikan, but with the latter dead, and Thorn maimed beyond repair, there is no beast who can possibly harm me.
Eragon walked through the entrance of the cave, and looked up at Saphira. She was four times as large as she was when they left Alagaësia. Despite the source of the opinion being Eragon, she was the largest dragon Eragon himself had seen. Including Glaedr.
"I apologize." He said, sincerely. "I am going to the city to collect food, will you come?" With a nod of her head, she landed near him. With a swift jump, he reached the saddle. Considering her size, he was glad he had had time to hone the skills of the elf side of his body. His advanced agility often surprised the locals, but many were through with being surprised by him. They took off, the damp morning air crisp on his uncovered arms.
After a few minutes flying, a loud roar behind them rattled the air. A swish of green that followed hardly surprised Eragon. Jarduam, the emerald dragon, which had hatched from the egg Eragon had rescued from Galbatorix flew swiftly underneath them, and on his back, Melvina, the young woman who he had hatched for. Melvina was a tall, slim girl who had come seeking Eragon's help when her mother fell ill. After Eragon had healed her mother, she followed Eragon back to his cave, and there, Jarduam had hatched for her, much to Eragon's surprise.
Jarduam always seemed to want to show off for Saphira. Both Eragon and Saphira knew his speed was no match for hers, but they continued at their normal pace, so as not to encourage him. On occasions like this, Saphira grew impatient sometimes, but Eragon reminded her of her actions toward Glaedr and how he set an example. After a small while, Melvina called the dragon up level to Eragon.
"Master. It is good to see you. We do not often get the chance." Melvina said, obviously feeling a bit embarrassed. A deep blush was surfacing on her fair skin.
"You too Melvina. How have you been?" Eragon replied.
"Very well. Your spells have been working well. Jarduam has been growing magnificently! Though he yet has a long way to go to reach Saphira's size!"
"Indeed."
"Master, I'm not sure I fully understand how he is growing so fast. You say that normally, dragons take ten times as long to reach this size, and he is only a year old."
"Oh, you see Melvina, had you studied my notes properly, you would know. I suggest you read them again. If you truly wish to accompany me to Alagaësia, you must understand this, for Alagaësia is the original home of the dragons. There, they have beasts bred especially for the slaying of Dragons, spells woven especially to destroy a dragons armour and water boiled and brewed especially to put out a dragons flame, for good. Besides good agility and sheer luck, you need to understand the happenings of magic. If you do, you won't need words for spells."
"Yes master." She replied, clearly thinking hard.
"Oh and Melvina" he said getting her attention once more. "The speed of your progress is OK. I'm just concerned there is a dragon there, who sorely wants revenge. I doubt he understands magic as we do, but he is still a threat. Now, what's the source of magic?"
"Everything that is not" she replied.
"Explain."
"For everything to exist, and for us to know we exist, something must not exist. Otherwise we cannot compare our existence with anything. When you tear the fabric of 'what is', you open the 'what is not'. This mixes the two, causing energy to be released.
"Excellent explanation! Though I doubt anyone but me would understand it. What can cause such tears to appear?"
"When love between two people ends, abruptly. When a dragon's link with it's rider is permanently split. When a dragon's heartstone is broken. When someone sees a visual representation of their fear. When someone fears themselves and when someone dies, of non-natural causes."
"Excellent. Which of them causes the biggest rip?"
"The breaking of a dragon's heartstone. But master, what is a dragon's heartstone?"
"When you have completed your training, you shall find out. It can give great power, but can also give an abrupt end to a rider and it's dragon." He leaned sideways, checking for the large lump in the folds of his cloak; the large lump that announced the presence of Glaedr's Eldunarí. He often stopped to attempt to talk to Glaedr, but he always remained silent to Eragon. He would give him his nearly limitless supply of magic without argument, but never would he talk to Eragon. He hadn't spoke since the death of his rider, Oromis.
They flew for a little longer and then landed in Solumstone; the capital city of Solumfinis. They had landed in the courtyard the king had set aside for them. The courtyard was surrounded with market stools, shops and a forge. After a moment, Jarduam landed next to them. He looked positively tiny compared to Saphira, yet instantly massive when compared with the humans below.
"Saphira! Saphira True-dragon! Will you light my forge this day? What about you Jarduam True-dragon?" The smith called running forward a few feet. He hurled the water from the bucket in his hand into the fire. Jarduam and Saphira reacted at the same time, both firing jets of flame into the fire. Combinations of sapphire and emerald licked the inside of the forge, instantly drying the water inside. The smith barely had time to move out of the way. Eragon laughed, and approached the smith.
"Breetan! How are you?" he called.
"Very well, Lord Eragon! The best swords are always made in a dragon-lit forge. If I may?" He gestured towards Brisingr, which hung at his side. As always, Eragon whipped it out and handed it to Breetan. Breetan seemed to find some inspiration from looking at it.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! And you say an elf forged it? The elves here haven't an announce of talent when it comes to smithing! I sometimes go to the dwarves for advice, but not often. The weapons of the dwarves are to heavy for humans, and when they're beaten to a smaller size, they're too brittle and break easily. But this! This, lighter than anything I've ever felt, yet the strongest!" Returning the sword, he looked glumly at the newly lit fire.
"You'll think of something. Think outside the box!" Eragon said, trying to rally some confidence.
"I will think of something, certainly. Whether or not it helps, that's a different matter." He chuckled, and began dropping metal rods into the forge. Eragon took that as his cue to leave. He wandered among the swords. There were 3 different shades of grey on the blades of the swords.
There was a relatively dark grey. Eragon knew this to be iron. When Breetan wanted heavier swords, he didn't heat the swords for long, that left them heavier, but with more impurities. It also made them softer, and they dented easier. The next swords were a lighter grey, what Eragon knew as steel. They had been made with a dark soot in the fire, which heated it up more. This rid the sword of most of it's impurities, leaving it lighter and stronger. The third kind was a very pale grey, almost white. They were very light and very strong, they had a constant colour all down the blade and were rarely damaged. They'd shatter under an impact from Brisingr, but were still the highest quality of sword that Breetan made. Eragon believed these were the swords made when the forge was lit by one of the dragons.
He moved on to the next store, this one sold mainly jewellery, but also sometimes raw materials. Gold, silver and platinum could be found among the lumps. Breetan often bought metal from here to decorate the swords he made. There were a few balls of Gold in the corner that Eragon had donated to the store. It was gold he had summoned from the earth. There were only a few of the original 20 odd balls Eragon had given remaining.
Moving on, he approached the next store, the general store. It supplied food, water, rope, climbing boots and other bits and bobs. Eragon didn't much like the man who owned this store. He often supplied travellers who were journeying to Eragon with the equipment to get there. He had no problems with him trying to make a living, but Eragon hated the fact that he denied it. Melvina entered the store, brandishing what appeared to be a new sword.
"Another?" Enquired Eragon.
"Yes, Jarduam melted the last. I wished they wouldn't keep breaking, they cost a lot of money."
"Indeed. Unfortunately, there remains very little of the metal used to forge the swords of the riders, and it is very, very far away." He informed her. He then turned to the store keeper. "4 loaves of bread, please." He said, attempting to be polite as possible.
"We have a lovely leg of lamb here, my Lord." The store keeper replied, motioning to the rack beside him. The store keeper had deduced that Eragon didn't eat meat, and often offered him some to annoy him. Eragon half smiled, torn between offering a fake laugh at this over-used joke and slicing off the storekeepers head. Before he could decide, and eruption of blue flame overcame the rack, roasting all of the meat there to a beyond-edible standard. A cruel smile appeared on the store keeper's face as he handed Eragon his bread. Eragon handed him a silver piece and left the store.
After a few minutes of waiting, Melvina emerged, carrying bread and fruit. "Melvina. It's time for you to scout the borders, give me your food." He took the food and Melvina huffed, mounting Jarduam. Without another word, Jarduam crouched and launched himself into the air. Before the dragon had managed to get the first flap of his wings though, several shrill screeches filled the air.
"Fallcorns!" Eragon called into the air as several dark snake-shaped beasts flew into view above the shops.
Fallcorns were vile beasts. They had bodies shaped like a fat snakes, but with wings. They were each coloured, but the colours were dark and depressing. On their back, various men and woman brandished black-bladed swords. The fallcorns were created when a dragon was bred with a snake-like creature. When it's rider brought the dragon to this land to escape Galbatorix, he forcefully bred it with the basilisks. The first fallcorn created murdered it's dragon father and it's rider, leaving the vile abominations to breed and multiply. The riders of the fallcorn were men and woman who were chosen to ride the fallcorn in an attempt to recreate the original dragon riders.
Saphira launched herself into the air, and at the same time several things happened. Many arrows whistled past them at the fallcorns from the guards below, one fallcorn sank it's teeth into Jarduam's wing and hung there, in an attempt to pull it down and another fallcorn flew at Saphira. To say Saphira loathed the fallcorn was an understatement. With a swift movement, she sunk her teeth in the approaching fallcorns neck, and hurled it at the ground, killing it and it's rider instantly. The fallcorn were much smaller and weaker than dragons, which is why they always attacked in groups. Many fallcorn attacked Saphira, but knowing her strength, many more attacked Jarduam, who was struggling. A jet of flame, which would not hurt Jarduam, broke many from the immediate vicinity of Jarduam. Past them, Eragon could see Melvina fighting off many of the fallcorns riders.
We have to break them up! Eragon called into Saphira's mind. Understanding, she angled herself toward them, speeding up quickly. When they Eragon entered they're presence, he slashed high and low along the fallcorns bodies.
"Brisingr!" he cried. With that, the sword caught fire, burning sapphire along the length of the blade, except near the cross-guard, where there was a distinctive gold flame; a side-effect from carrying Glaedr's Eldunarí. He plunged it, again and again into the sides of the fallcorn and their riders, until few remained. With a desperate lunge to hit a fallcorn who was just out of reach, he slipped from his seat and had to hang on the fallcorns talon to stop himself plummeting into the ground. It was cold and metallic, and made his hand sore with cold. He held fast, refusing to let go. The fallcorn tipped left and right trying to shake him off. In a futile effort to get him off, it flicked it's claw, and turned upside down in the air at the same time, causing Eragon to land on it's stomach, whilst it's rider was held upside down in the air by the strap across it's stomach. Scrambling up it's body, whilst dodging the dark watery imitation of fire that it coughed down the length of itself at him, Eragon slashed at the belt being used to hold it's rider in it's seat. It broke, causing it's rider to go falling. In a fraction of a moment, Eragon forgotten, it tilted it's head away from it's underside, and dived for the ground, attempting to save it's rider.
Eragon caught a glimpse of Saphira above him, and crouching, he jumped and allowed her to pick him up. Below him, the fallcorn had managed to get hold of his rider, and was carrying her safely away. Catching on, the few remaining fallcorn followed.
No, leave them. He spoke into Jarduam and Melvina's mind. They'll be back. They weren't prepared for the four of us.
.oO0Oo.
There you go, that's the end of chapter one. I really wanted to explain Eragon's situation in this chapter, how he lives now he's left Alagaësia. He will be returning, and I left a gap in the story plot which I can use to return him. Please feel free to correct me in this. I dare say I've written lots of things that don't tie in with the other books. Also, if you send me any errors in spelling and what not, I'll correct them.
I hope you liked it. Feel free to review.
lillutonboi