Prologue: Wyrda
Hey, guys. So, those of you that are following my stories, I'm sorry to announce that I'll be discontinuing any and all other stories, and I may even delete them altogether. They were projects that I undertook, and they ultimately grew stale. But, they were a learning experience, as this story will be. I may finish this story, or I may not. It's always up in the air.
For those of you who are just joining us, please understand that this story demands a certain amount of knowledge about the book Eragon and its three sequels. I will not get every little detail right, and there's a good chance that I'm going to make a lot of mistakes, so just point them out when you see them, please.
A dim, pulsing light from a deep pit illuminated the confines of a large cavernous room. The room was circular and smooth except for several rows of tiered benches extending outwards along the outer wall. On these benches rested a menagerie of colored gems, shining and reflecting the dull light from the pit.
'Umaroth' whispered a voice, the word bouncing through the consciousness' of all assembled.
'Has he done it?' Asked a second voice in response to the first. This voice held a tone of authority.
A short silence passed. 'There was… a complication. It would seem that our influence was detected. He only had the heart to steal the one.'
A bristling irritation radiated from a large white gem towards the center of the room. 'Only the one? Which was it?'
Visions flashed through the consciousness of the one called Umaroth. The first one reflected a wild female dragon, setting a forest ablaze. The next images were of a collection of large gem-like rocks, focusing on one in particular; a magnificently-polished sapphire-blue stone that sat in the middle.
'Vervada's egg, hmm?' Pondered Umaroth, toying with the idea. 'If there are any of us that are capable of toppling the Oath-Breaker, it is one of Vervada's kin. However...'
The second voice spoke up again. 'Will it be enough? Will one Rider and Dragon suffice?'
'No.' Umaroth responded grimly. 'Galbatorix killed the best and brightest of our order by himself. With the added power of the Eldunari, there is no single rider or dragon who could hope to stand against him. If only that human had completed his task… Three riders may have stood a chance.'
'So then… what now?' The question reverberated throughout the room, presented to the entire assembly.
'We cannot sit idly by' spoke one of the assembled voices; this one seemed younger than the rest.
There was a tone of agreement with the younger voice, though none presented any viable alternatives in response.
A few minutes passed in silence before the younger voice spoke up again. 'Shall we arrange another theft?'
Umaroth sighed mentally. 'I'm afraid that is not a possibility. Illirea is under martial law, and the remaining Forsworn are on full alert.'
Another time of silence passed as no other ideas were present. Umaroth turned inwards, wracking his ancient mind for an answer as an idea began to formulate. He opened his mind, sharing his thoughts with the other assembled Eldunari.
A wave of shock echoed throughout the room, followed swiftly by rage.
'It is not your place to suggest such a thing.' Claimed one of Umaroth's elders, his mind waking from his dream-trance. Similar thoughts began to formulate within the room.
'Vervada… gave but one to the riders… it is not yours to give…' rumbled one of the older Eldunari, his vast consciousness flooding the room as he struggled to formulate the proper words.
Umaroth held his ground, snarling mentally to silence the assembly. 'Enough! I understand the implications, but there is no other choice. All else has failed, and one Rider will not be enough to overthrow the King!' he barked, glancing around. 'We must provide an additional egg if we do not want to be stuck in this Vault until the end of time.'
The elders grumbled with fury at Umaroth's suggestion, the wild dragons in particular bristling at the very idea. 'Being stuck here for eternity would be a better alternative than giving away another's child to the hell of War.' Objected the elders simultaneously.
Amidst the chaotic mental struggle, several younger Eldunari began voicing their opinions. 'We agree with Umaroth.' They said almost in unison, directing their objections at the elders. 'Perhaps you are content to waste away in this cave for eternity, but we are not. We did not get slaughtered by Galbatorix only to allow him to rule over this land forever.'
And so on and so forth the argument escalated within the dimly-lit room. In the end, it was the elder dragons versus the younger generations. For days the debates raged on, growing fiercer by the day. It was strong enough to rouse the oldest, more apathetic dragons from their slumber.
After nearly a week of arguing, the chaos subsided. It ended with a vote to determine the outcome. Of the oldest dragons, only a handful still retained enough interest in the physical world to cast a vote. As such, the vote passed with an overwhelming majority of 98 to 12 out of the total of 136 remaining Eldunari, in Umaroth's favor.
An angry grumble of elderly voices dominated the chamber for a moment as the vote was finally tallied, though it died down after several minutes.
Umaroth touched the mods of his fellow Eldunari, his tone gentle and soothing. 'I do not make this decision lightly. It pains me to do this, but I can see no other alternative. We cannot afford to wait for Galbatorix to kill himself or be killed by some arbitrary force that may or may not appear. And even if we could, we may be faced with the same situation as now all the same. We need a rider to maintain balance for the next generation of riders, and Oromis is not well. I sense that his time is dwindling.' Umaroth declared, a somber tone is his voice. He allowed his mind to probe the large white egg on the lowest tier. 'Any and all hope for our order rests on these two dragons, and their future riders.'
A chorus of agreement echoed throughout the chamber, and the elders no longer voiced their objections, conceding that they could not change the flow of events.
'But where will we send it?' asked one of the younger Eldunari again. 'The wards of Du Weldenvarden will prevent such a thing entering their borders, and I don't trust the Dwarves with an egg.'
'You're half right.' Umaroth replied, sighing mentally. 'The wards around Du Weldenvarden will prevent all things from entering through magical means. However, Vrael and I helped shape many of those wards. There are certain measures that can be taken that will allow the wards to falter for a few seconds. We put in this backdoor to allow for just such an emergency, and only we knew of it. Although, I will need a significant amount of assistance to move the egg that distance, as well as make the wards flicker. The timing must be perfect.'
A murmur of eager hopefulness rumbled through the chamber, and a number of the Eldunari offered their assistance. Even a few of the elders offered their power. Umaroth quickly divided the willing Eldunari into two groups. The first group, led by Umaroth would be dedicated to shutting down the wards. The second would send the egg to the outskirts of the Elven city of Ellesmera when the wards were down.
A vast gathering of power radiated through the room as the two groups readied their respective spells. Umaroth's group started first, funneling their energy into the authoritative Eldunari as he recited the words in the Ancient Language that would lower the barriers around Alagaesia's largest forest.
The second group started pooling their energy at the same time, and the large white egg in the lower tier began to shine brilliantly as one of the Eldunari said a few words in the Ancient Language, causing the egg to disappear in a brilliant orange flash, just after Umaroth released the energy for his spell.
A long silence fell over the group as the energy dissipated.
'Good luck.' Said Umaroth, as he detected the arrival of the egg outside of Ellesmera.
A grumble came from a large, old man. He had rapidly graying hair that fell down his back, and an equally large knotted beard that was losing its color in a similar fashion. He was sitting in a wooden chair with a wonderfully soft cushion in an extravagant hall. The walls of the lengthy room were made entirely out of the trunks of trees, and the ceiling was woven of tightly-intertwined branches. On his finger sat a sapphire ring inscribed with an elegant rune of mysterious nature.
Across from the man sat an impassive, stunningly beautiful woman. She had raven-black hair, wore a red tunic and had on a swan-feather cape that ran down her back. She stared at the man intently before speaking. "You've come far, Brom. To think that you of all people would be Morzan's undoing."
Brom snorted, taking a drink from the tea in front of him. "It was necessary." He said, gesturing to the bright blue stone that sat on the table next to him. It shined brilliantly in the light that glinted off its smooth sides.
The woman nodded, glancing at the stone. "It will be taken to the Varden soon. My… daughter…" she spat out the word vehemently "will oversee its guardianship for the foreseeable future."
"Arya is a good girl. You shouldn't be so hard on her, Islanzadi." Brom replied, glancing at the woman's spiteful face.
Islanzadi's eyes flashed dangerously as she stared at the elderly man across from her. "Brom, I've always extended you a certain courtesy that many others do not receive, but do not act as though you know better than me how to raise my daughter."
Brom did not seem surprised, and did not respond directly to her venomous words. "It will be taken back here next year, as agreed?"
"Of course." The woman replied, brushing aside her previous anger. "And, should it hatch for either of our factions, the rider and dragon will be sent to you immediately, as agre-" she was interrupted as a titanic explosion rocked the frame of the building, causing both to jump to their feet, weapons drawn.
By unspoken consent, they both darted out of the building, with Brom carrying the sapphire stone for safety, bounding into the majestic wonder of Ellesmera. A lush, beautiful forest blossomed around them, covering them on all sides with every imaginable shade of green. If one looked close enough, you could see a menagerie of buildings that appeared to be built right into the trees. A pillar of smoke rose from the outskirts of the city.
As they arrived at the source of the explosion, they realized they were not the first to arrive. A cluster of elves surrounded a mid-sized crater. Islanzadi swept between them, eying the crater cautiously as she peered over its edge. Her eyes went wide as she beheld the large, white stone in the crater; its sides gleaming like polished marble. Little cobweb designs skittered across the surface of the stone, colored a light pink hue.
"What in the name of…" Brom muttered, staring at the dragon egg in the crater. His eyes went back and forth from the white egg to the blue one that he held in his arms. "…this… isn't possible." He muttered, frowning. He touched the egg in the crater with a tendril of magic, recoiling as he felt the consciousness of the slumbering dragon inside.
Islanzadi fell to her knees, her eyes watering as she smiled, looking at the egg. "In all my long years, I have never beheld anything that I could so readily call a miracle." She said, sensing the dragon inside with her own tendril of power. "But, I can sense no trickery here. This is a real dragon egg."
Murmurs spread across the small crowd gathered, joyous cheers echoing through them as peals of laughter broke through the ranks of the elves gathered.
"But… where did it come from?" Brom asked, squinting into the dark night sky. "Galbatorix doesn't have a white egg. His were red, green, and blue." He muttered, holding the egg close to his side. "Moreover, how did it get through the wards?"
As if on cue, a bleached-white raven landed on the branch of the tree above them, and let out a coarse shriek. "Wyrda!" it called at them, locking eyes with Brom.
Islanzadi delicately picked up the egg as she turned the raven, looking at it curiously. "Do you have something to say, Blagden?"
The raven stared at her in return. "The tides of fate have changed this day. What once was meant to be is no more. Nothing is certain." It shrieked. "One dragon, two dragon; white dragon, blue dragon!" It cackled before taking off once again, disappearing into the night.
Brom rolled the words over in his mind critically. The second part was certain to be a stupid pun, but the first… "Hmm." He grumbled, glancing at the egg in Islanzadi's arms. "Are you going to send that one to the Varden as well?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Islanzadi nodded, weighing the stone. It was slightly larger than the blue egg, though it was a bit lighter. "That new boy… Ajihad? He'd be in a rage if he ever found out that this egg existed and we didn't share it. It will travel alongside the other." She stated, nodding. She then turned, snapping at a nearby Elf. "Do an immediate perimeter check. Make sure the wards are in place, and figure out why they didn't stop this egg." Islanzadi stated, a hard edge in her voice. "Blessing or not, I want to know why our defenses failed."
Brom rolled his eyes, chuckling. Islanzadi never changed.
Fifteen Years Later – Outskirts of Du Weldenvarden.
A mighty blaze erupted in the previously quiet forest. Atop a granite pillar stood a man garbed in black, which was starkly contrasted by his crimson hair and eyes. He grinned, revealing teeth filed to a sharp point, as he conjured up a vast pool of magic, igniting another section of the forest. A towering wall of flame rose up from the ground, creating a ring of fire that encompassed a large section of the forest.
Below the pillar, three horses and two elves lay slaughtered. Arrows pierced them, and their faces were frozen in a mask of deadly determination. The man in black casually hopped down the pillar, strolling over the corpses as he searched for his prey. A gurgled scream of pain from farther ahead caught his ear.
He dashed ahead, his lean body sending him forward at inhuman speeds as he drew his sword, revealing a long razor-thin scratch on the side. He ducked to the side as a large, horned humanoid flew past him, missing its head. 'Useless Urgals.' He thought, sneering as he entered the clearing that the Urgal has been thrown from.
A dark-haired woman flung herself through the air with amazing grace, wrapping her legs around the head of an Urgal before twisting her hips, causing the Urgal's neck to twist sharply, cracking from the strain. Her hair fell to the side as she landed, revealing a pair of pointed ears, marking her as an elf. She held a package under both arms, her hands curled around them protectively.
Rolling backwards, she narrowly avoided the sword of the Urgal behind her. Balancing herself on her shoulders, she planted her feet against the Urgal's chest and pushed with a great deal of strength. The Urgal was launched backwards, becoming impaled on a broken tree branch.
Her eyes landed on the crimson-haired man, and all blood drained from her previously flushed face.
The man chuckled, strolling towards her as he smiled. "You know how it is, don't you? If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself." He flicked his sword through the air in front of him, intimidating the elf that was crouched on the opposing side of the clearing.
The elf's demeanor changed instantly, and the cloaked man snarled as he felt her pulling on a great deal of energy. "Oh no you don't!" he sneered, bolting himself forward. A flash of green enveloped the clearing, temporarily blinding the man.
As it faded, two crimson eyes narrowed in fury as the elf collapsed in exhaustion. One of the packages had disappeared in the flash of light. The elf gave a strangled cry as she reached for the second package, tears falling down her cheeks.
The man strode forward, scowling as he eyed the package. The flap of the bag opened, and a large, white dragon egg rolled out, glinting in the light cast by the surrounding fire.
The man froze as he felt another gathering of magical energy. He spun around, his eyes darting to and fro to find the source. He finally eyed the elf, though she seemed just as confused as he did. His eyes flicked to the egg, and they widened as the egg shined brilliantly with an orange outline, before disappearing in a violent burst of orange light.
A cry of rage burst forth from the crimson-haired man as he savagely kicked the elf in her rib cage, cracking a few ribs. She gave a pained gurgle before falling unconscious, a small smile gracing her lips.
A burst of energy flared up around the man as he ignited patch after patch of forest before spinning around, cleaving an entire tree in half with his sword in a fit of rage. He howled, glaring at the fallen elf. With a snarl he picked her up by the back of her collar. He strode forward, dragging the elf along the ground behind him.
Far away, in the deep wilderness of the Spine, a large explosion rocked the lonely mountains. Hundreds of miles south, near the bustling city of Teirm, in the very same mountain range, another explosion occurred, minutes after the first.
Well, there's the prologue. What do you guys think? I'm going to put out the first few chapters as a courtesy, but if it doesn't look like people are interested, I'll let it go.