Lights of Darkness
Many of the recognizable elements in this story, such as the ancient language and many of the characters, belong to Christopher Paolini, and I do not claim ownership of them, I am simply using them to write a story of my own that I am making no money off of.
Chapter 1: The Dawn of the Light, Dawn of the Dark
Eragon laughed as he shoved Roran to the ground for the second time. Roran leapt up and then shoved Eragon back, who was stumbling. Both were laughing now in their play-fight, but Eragon turned his head as he heard footsteps down the trail to their house.
"Triston..." he muttered as he saw his twin, and walked over to the house. Opening the door, Eragon called to his uncle: "Triston is home, Uncle."
"Is he now?" was the response, and Eragon sighed as he went back outside.
"Hey Triston," Eragon mumbled.
"Greetings." Triston stood there, looking deep into Eragon's eyes. "I've heard you've been practicing your sword fighting skills?" Eragon kept looking into Triston's eyes as he lied:
"Yes, I have. What have you been learning?" Eragon said quickly, changing the subject. Triston seemed to narrow his eyes, but replied:
"I've been learning the difference between Light and Dark magic, as well as more of the ancient language. Did you know that Brisingr means fire?" Triston was excited, but Eragon didn't see the point of learning something that you couldn't use to protect one's self from the Empire. Eragon saw Roran go inside, and then came up with his response.
"No I did not..." Eragon trailed off, wondering if Triston could sense he wasn't paying attention. Apparently he did, as Triston sighed and went off into the house, and Eragon heard him greet Roran:
"Hey, Roran," And a few seconds after, Roran responded,
"Hey, Triston," Eragon grimaced. He didn't like Triston at all, and knew that once Triston actually began using magic he could become very dangerous. Eragon, on the other hand, was particularly lazy when learning sword fighting, even though it was one of the skills he wanted most.
I can't stand Triston, so I might as well go hunt some more now. I'll get my stuff and tell Garrow, then leave so I won't have to deal with Triston for a few days. Mind made up, Eragon walked into the house and then his room, and got his bow and hunting gear. As he stepped out of his room into the main area, he saw his uncle at the table, head in hands.
"Uncle, what's wrong? Are you alright?" His uncle straightened and looked at Eragon.
"No, I'm fine, just a bit tired, is all. Where are you going?" he asked with a glance at Eragon's pack and bow.
"I thought I would go hunting to get us some meat for the winter," Eragon told his uncle.
"Take Roran and Triston with you. They both know how to use a bow, and that means you'll get more meat."
"No, uncle, I don't think it would. Yes, Triston's good with a bow, but he's not quiet enough. He would scare away all the game. And besides, he needs to keep up his studies."
"So do you," Garrow pointed out.
"I could practice sword fighting with Roran, and I could work harder when I get back. I don't know, Garrow, it just seems that I need a break from daily life here."
"Hmm, I suppose. Well, tell Roran to get ready, and then leave tomorrow. There's almost no light left, and if you're going in the Spine, which I assume you are," Eragon nodded. "Then you need as much daylight as you can get. Have a meal here now. We have the rest of that boar, don't we? Go get it and cook it."
"Yes uncle." Eragon went down to the cellar, noticing Triston's eyes on him. He ignored them and went to find the boar.
Triston put a puzzled look on his face as he moved his eyes off Eragon, and innocently asked Garrow:
"Garrow, what's Eragon doing tomorrow?"
"He's going hunting with Roran," Garrow replied, not looking up from the table he was staring at.
"What's so interesting about the table, Uncle?"
"Ah... Nothing, just tired."
"Oh, I see. What are we eating?"
"Ah, the rest of the boar Eragon got. He's getting it from the cellar now."
"What should I do to help?"
"Stay out of the way," Eragon called, coming up from the cellar carrying a bit of boar meat. "I'll make it alone."
"Alright." Triston said, his suspicions of about a year confirmed.
Eragon really doesn't like me, and he really doesn't care about hiding it. I wonder when this started, about a year ago maybe? I have to pretend to be oblivious, because my scrying of the future could influence what happens. Brom's told me the Urgals were active as of late, so I just hope he doesn't meet some on his trip... because then Alagaesia would have Galbatorix as king forever. He is the hope and the dream, at least he will be once he becomes who he is destined to be. I should scry some more to see what will happen. I'll do that tomorrow, when Roran and Eragon are gone. Triston got up to the table and waited patiently for Eragon to cook the meal, and got the plates out as well as the wooden utensils that they used. Triston got through the meal with only a single short glare from Eragon, and then spent the rest of the time conversing with Garrow about his studies.
"Garrow, how did you afford my education with Brom?"
"I didn't have to pay," Garrow explained. "Brom offered for free, and I accepted. He told me you have a lot of talent the other day, so that's why I let you go. You need to become strong and then join the fight against the Varden." Triston thought he heard a growl from Eragon, and had a silent one himself.
Why does Garrow think that fighting the Varden is a good idea? The Varden is one of our hopes! Apart from this, he thought: It becomes tiresome seeing into the future, and seeing what might happen. I should stop until Brom says I'm ready, but I know that matters need me now, and I am willing to take my chances.
"Roran," Triston said suddenly. "Are you still after Katrina?"
"Yes, what of it?"
"Nothing, just wondering."
So he has a reason to fight the empire if they try to take Katrina away from him, like I saw in that one scrying session. He also has a reason to hate Sloan, which might prove useful to me sometime in the future.
Triston got up from the table after the meal was done, and proceeded to his room to sleep. His dreams were full of turmoil.
Triston was watching a field of battle, Urgals fighting dwarves and humans, in a massive chamber that seemed below ground. He saw an elf, beautiful as any elf could be, fighting the Urgals and slicing off their heads.
He saw Eragon, swinging a deep red blade, and intoning spells to destroy the Urgals.
He saw an armored blue dragon, swinging their tail and biting the Urgals.
He saw a Shade, directing Urgals to attack the humans and dwarves, and casting spells to destroy humans and dwarves.
He saw a giant gem shatter into pieces, seemingly slowed down by some force.
He saw -
Triston sat up in his bed, gasping for air. He remembered the scenes from the battle vividly, as if they had happened to him.
I should tell Brom about this. Wait, I wonder if he would know about my scrying then? I can't allow that, because I need to stop until I'm ready, and then start using magic and scrying. I know that I can barely stay awake after scrying, but I should do it more so I can become stronger... I don't know what I want to do. Galbatorix needs to be eliminated for me to be safe, otherwise he will find and kill me and Brom. That can't happen. I will not allow it.
Calmed down, Triston looked out his shabby window and saw a faint white powder in the air.
It's winter, finally. Eragon and Roran should be back soon. I'll go look and see if I can find anything in the farm before we finish up. We've already harvested, but a last check never hurts. Triston got up off his bed and made for the door, opening it and stepping out. He checked to see if Garrow was still in his bed. A quick look revealed he was, indeed, sleeping. Triston decided against waking him up, as Triston was doing something by himself that needed nothing from Garrow. Walking out the front door, Triston pondered what his feelings were for his uncle.
He feeds me...or at least, fed me, now Eragon and Roran do all the hunting and harvesting. He takes care of us emotionally, I guess. He's my parent, but do I actually care about him? I wonder... Triston walked out to the fields, checking and seeing if there were any crops that weren't harvested. He came across a red rock of a good size, about two and a half hands tall and a hand and a half thick. It was shiny and colorful, with deeper and lighter reds throughout. Triston picked it up, thinking:
This might go for some good money in town. I should go and ask Brom about it, to see if it would be worth something. Mind made up, Triston went back in his house and saw his uncle. Triston kept the stone away from Garrow's sight as he said:
"I'm going to see Brom now, Garrow. Just thought I'd let you know. Bye."
"Oh, alright. Are you sure you don't want to wait for Eragon and Roran to come back?" Garrow asked.
"No, I need to go to Brom because I have a question about something," Triston told Garrow, which was true enough.
"Alright, be back before sundown though."
"I will, uncle. Take care." Triston turned out the door and began to run with the stone in his hand. For some reason, he felt it was urgent that he find out what it was.
When Triston got to Carvahall, he searched out Brom's home and found it quickly. He noticed two soldiers looking at him, and he turned away to Brom's house, and scowled. He hated the soldiers of Galbatorix, as they represented the fear in people's hearts of the king. No, not king, a king was beneficial, Galbatorix anything but. No, Galbatorix was a tyrant, Triston decided. Finishing that thought, he walked into Brom's home.
"Greetings, Triston," Brom said without looking up from what he was doing. "Have a seat on the rug."
"Brom, I have a strange stone that I think may be worth some money. Could you look at it?" Triston held up the red stone, and when Brom looked at it, his eyes grew wide with an emotion Triston couldn't figure out.
"Where did you find this, Triston?"
"In my farm. I was looking for any crops that hadn't been harvested,"
"Come closer, I will tell you what it is, but you must not tell anyone. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir," Triston said as he leaned towards Brom.
"Heyra neo. No one will be able to hear us, and what it is: It is a dragon egg."
"What?" Triston gasped in a hushed voice. "Who does it belong to?"
"You, right now. However, I suspect it was stolen by the Varden from the Empire. Galbatorix will be on the lookout for it, but I suspect he did not foresee it ending up here, in Carvahall."
"Will I get killed?"
"Not if you're careful. You should begin to use spells now to protect yourself and destroy things, so that when they might come for you, you are prepared. Use fire and lightning to destroy your enemies, as well as ice to slip them up."
"And would that be Light or Dark magic?" Triston asked.
"Dark, as it destroys things and when it's killing, it's killing, and infringing on free will. Do you understand that sometimes the Light must have Darkness to shine on to have a comparison?"
"Yes sir. Are we done for today?"
"I will teach you the words for fire, ice, and lightning. They are, in order, Brisingr, Svell, and Kveykva. Use them when you need them, and no more. Do not show anyone else your powers. To them, you are merely studying the theory of magic still, not anything else. That ends our session. Farewell."
"Thank you, Ebithril." Triston bowed and walked out of Brom's home into the frigid air. He looked up and said quietly, to himself: "Ice, fire and lightning are mine to command now. I will become the most powerful sorcerer ever! That I am never giving up." As he walked back to the farm, he pondered what the stone meant.
Does this mean I or Roran might become a Dragon Rider too? The visions never showed that, so does that mean - No, it doesn't mean Eragon is not our savior. It just means he might have some help from Roran or me. Satisfied, Triston completed his walk to his house.
Eragon was stealthily creeping through the forest, Roran behind him, when he noticed a blue stone on the ground in front of him. Almost tripping over it it, Eragon cursed and leaned down to pick it up.
"Eragon, what's that?" Roran asked Eragon. Eragon turned to him and said:
"A pretty stone. Should I keep it?"
"Yes, because if nothing else it could be worth some money. Look at how well it's polished! Someone must have lost it here and not been able to get it. What do you think, Eragon?"
"I'd like to keep it, if only because it's pretty," Eragon responded. "At best, we could trade it for some food."
"I agree." Roran said, and both of them continued searching for game in the forest.