A Brief History of the Wars

by ronald hibbard the first

So, while I guess this isn't fanfiction per say, I did want to get something up. Basically, I took the introduction that Paolini wrote for Inheritance, and added Inheritance itself in the same style. Enjoy, and check out my other story.

In the beginning, there dragons: proud, fierce, and independent. Their scales were as gems, and any who looked upon them despaired, for their beauty was great and terrible.

And they lived alone in Alagaesia for untold ages.

Then the great god Helzvog wrought the dwarves, stout and sturdy, from stone in the Hadarac Desert.

And their two races warred much.

Then the elves sailed to Alagaesia from across the silver sea. They too warred with the dragons. But the elves were stronger than the dwarves, and they would had destroyed the dragons, just as the dragons would have destroyed the elves.

And so, a truce was struck and a pact was sealed between the elves and dragons. By this joining, they created the Dragons Riders, who kept the peace throughout Alagaesia for thousands of years.

Then humans sailed to Alagaesia. And the horned Uragla. And the Ra'zac, who are the hunters in the dark and eaters of man's flesh.

In time, the humans joined the pact with the dragons.

Then a young rider, named Galbatorix, rose up against his kind. He enslaved the black dragon Shruikan and he convinced thirteen other Riders to follow him. These were called the Foresworn.

And Galbatorix and the Foresworn cast down the Riders, and burnt their city on the isle of Vroengard and slew every dragon not their own, save only three eggs: one each of red, blue, green colour. From each dragon they could, they took the heart of hearts – the Eldunari – that holds the might and mind of the dragons, apart from their flesh.

And for two-and-eighty years, Galbatorix reigned supreme among the humans. The Foresworn died, but not he, for his strength was that of all dragons, and none could hope to strike him done.

In the eighty third year of Galbatorix's rule, a man stole from his castle the blue dragon egg. And so the egg passed into the care of those who are known as the Varden.

The elf Arya carried the egg between the elves of the north to the humans of the south, in the hope that this egg may hatch for an elf or human. In this manner, five-and-twenty years passed.

Then, as Arya traveled to the elven city of Osilon, a group of Urgals attacked her and her guards. With the Urgals was the Shade Durza: a sorcerer who was possessed by the spirits he had summoned to do his bidding. After the death of the Foresworn, he had become Galbatorix's most feared servant. The Urgals slew Arya's guards, and before they and Durza captured her, Arya sent the egg away with magic, toward one who she hoped could protect it.

But her spell went awry.

And so it came to pass that Eragon, an orphan of five-and-ten years, found the egg within the mountains of the Spine. He took the egg to the farm where he lived with his uncle, Garrow, and only cousin, Roran. The egg hatched for Eragon, and he raised the dragon therein. She was hereafter known as Saphira.

Then Galbatorix sent two of the Ra'zac to find and retrieve the egg, and they slew Garrow and burnt Eragon's home. For Galbatorix had enslaved the Ra'zac and only a few remained.

Eragon and Saphira set out to avenge themselves on the Ra'zac. With them went the storyteller Brom, who had once been a Dragon Rider himself, ere the fall of the Riders. It was to Brom that the elf Arya had meant to send the blue egg.

Brom taught Eragon much about swordsmanship, magic, and honour. And he gave to Eragon Zar'roc, that had once been the sword of Morzan, the first, last, and most powerful of the Foresworn. But the Ra'zac slew Brom when they next met, and Eragon and Saphira only escaped with the help of a young man, Murtagh, son of Morzan.

During their travels, the Shade Durza captured Eragon in the city of Gil'ead. Eragon managed to free himself, and a fellow prisoner, the elf Arya. Arya was poisoned and wounded, so their group of four traveled to the Varden, deep in the Beor Mountains, in the realm of the Dwarves.

There Arya was healed, and there Eragon blessed an infant named Elva to be shielded from misfortune. However, his wording was unintentionally poor, and thereby cursed her to be a shield from misfortune for others.

Soon thereafter, Galbatorix sent a great army of Urgals to attack the dwarves and the Varden. And it was during this battle that Eragon slew the Shade Durza. In exchange, Durza gave a grievous scar across his back, forcing him into convulsions and extreme pain, in spite of the Varden's best healers' attempts. In the midst of this pain, a voice called to him. And this voice said "Come to me Eragon. Come to me, for I have answers to all you ask."

Three days after, the leader of the Varden, Ajihad, was ambushed and killed by Urgals under the command of a pair of twin magicians, who betrayed the Varden to Galbatorix. The twins also abducted Murtagh and spirited him to Galbatorix. To all others, however, it seemed as though Murtagh had died, and Eragon was much saddened.

And thus rule of the Varden passed to Nasuada, daughter of Ajihad.

From Tronjheim, the seat of the dwarves' power, Eragon, Saphira, and Arya traveled to the northern forest of the Du Weldenvarden. With them also went the dwarf Orik, foster son, and nephew, of Hrothgar, King of the Dwarves.

In Du Weldenvarden, Eragon and Saphira met with Oromis and Glaedr: the last free Rider and Dragon, who had lived in hiding for the past century, waiting to instruct the next generation of Riders. And Eragon and Saphira met also the Queen Izlanzadi, ruler of the elves and mother of Arya.

While Oromis and Glaedr trained Eragon and Saphira, Galbatorix sent the Ra'zac and a group of soldiers to Eragon's home village of Carvahall once more, this time to capture Eragon's cousin Roran. But Roran hid, and they would not have found him but for the hatred of the butcher Sloan. For Sloan murdered a watchman so as to let the Ra'zac into the village where they might take Roran unawares.

Roran fought his way free, but the Ra'zac stole from him Katrina: Roran's beloved and Sloan's daughter. Then Roran convinced the villagers to leave with him, and they journeyed through the mountains of the Spine. Down the coast of Alagaesia, and to the country of Surda, which yet remained free of Galbatorix's power.

The wound upon Eragon's back continued to torment him. But during the elves' Blood-Oath Celebration, wherein they celebrate the pact between the Riders and the dragons, his wound was healed by the spectral dragon the elves invoke upon the conclusion of the festival. Moreover, the apparition granted Eragon speed and strength equal to those of the elves themselves.

Then Eragon and Saphira flew to Surda, where Nasuada had taken the Varden to launch an attack against Galbatorix's Empire, bringing with them the dwarf Orik. There the Urgals, allied with the Varden, for they claimed that Galbatorix had clouded their minds, and that therefore they would have revenge against him. With the Varden, Eragon met again the girl Elva, who had grown with prodigious speed because of his spell. From a squalling infant to a girl of three or four years she had become, and her gaze was dire indeed, for she knew the pain of all those around her.

And not far from the border of Surda, upon the blackness of the Burning Plains, Eragon, Saphira, and the Varden fought a great and bloody battle against Galbatorix's army.

In the midst of this battle, Roran and the villagers joined the Varden, as did the dwarves, who had marched after them from the Beor Mountains. And thus the tide appeared be with the Varden.

But there arose from the east a figure clad in polished armor. And he rode upon a glittering red dragon. And with a spell, he slew the great dwarf king, Hrothgar.

Then Eragon and Saphira beset upon the Rider and red dragon. And they discovered the Rider to be Murtagh, now bound to Galbatorix with Oaths unbreakable. And the dragon was named Thorn, second of the three eggs to hatch.

Murtagh defeated Eragon and Saphira with the strength of the Eldunari that Galbatorix had given him. But Murtagh allowed Eragon and Saphira to go free, for he still bore friendship for Eragon. And because, as he told Eragon, they were brothers, both sons of Morzan the Foresworn and Selena, Morzan's favorite consort and the infamous Black Hand.

Then Murtagh did take Zar'roc, their father's sword, from Eragon, and then he and Thorn withdrew from the Burning Plains, as did the rest of Galbatorix's forces.

Upon completion of the battle, Eragon, Saphira, and Roran flew north to the dark tower of stone, Helgrind, wherein lay the Ra'zac and their fierce parents, the Lethrblaka. They slew one of the two Ra'zac and both of the Lethrblaka and so rescued from Helgrind Katrina. And in one of the many cells therein, Eragon discovered Sloan, Katrina's father, blind and half dead.

Eragon considered killing Sloan for the man's betrayal, but rejected the idea. Instead, he placed the man into a deep sleep and told Roran and Katrina that her father was dead. Then he asked Saphira to return the pair to the Varden while he hunted down the final Ra'zac.

Alone, Eragon slew the last Ra'zac. He then bore Sloan down Helgrind. After much thought, Eragon discovered Sloan's true name in the Ancient Language, the language of power and magic. And Eragon bound Sloan with his Name and forced the butcher to swear that he never would see his daughter again. Then Eragon sent him to live the elves. But what Eragon did not tell the butcher was that the elves would repair his eyes if he repented of his treason and murder.

Arya met Eragon halfway to the Varden, and together the two returned, on foot, and through enemy territory.

At the Varden, Eragon learned that Queen Islanzadi had sent twelve elven spellcasters, led by an elf named Blodhgarm, to protect him and Saphira. Eragon then removed as much of his curse as he could from Elva, but she retained her ability to feel the pain of others, though she no longer felt the compulsion to help them from their misery.

And Roran married Katrina, who was pregnant, and for the first time in a long while, Eragon was happy.

Then Murtagh, Thorn, and a group of Galbatorix's men attacked the Varden. With the help of the elves, Eragon and Saphira were able to hold them off, but neither Eragon nor Murtagh were able to defeat the other. It was a difficult battle, for Galbatorix had enchanted the soldiers to not feel even the slightest of pains, and the Varden suffered many casualties, as did their allies.

Afterward, Nasuada sent Eragon to represent the Varden among the dwarves while they selected a new king, for Eragon had been accepted into the durgrimst Ingeitum by King Hrothgar prior to his death. Eragon was loath to go, however, for Saphira had to stay and protect the Varden camp. But go he did.

And Roran served alongside the Varden, and he rose quickly through the ranks, for he proved himself a skilled warrior and a leader of men.

While Eragon was with the dwarves, seven of them attempted to assassinate him. An investigation revealed that the clan Az Sweldn rak Anhuin was behind the attack. The clanmeet continued, however, and Orik was chosen to succeed his uncle. Saphira joined Eragon at the coronation. During it, she fulfilled her promise, restoring the dwarves' cherished star sapphire, which Arya had shattered during Eragon's battle with the Shade Durza nearly a year earlier.

Then Eragon returned to Du Weldenvarden. There Oromis reavled the truth about the source of Eragon's heritage: that he was not the son of Morzan, as Murtagh believed. Rather, they shared the same mother, Selena, and he was the only son of the Rider Brom. Oromis and Glaedr then explained the concept of Eldunari, which a dragon may choose to disgorge while living, though this must be done with great care, as the one that owns an Eldunari may use it to control the dragon it came from.

While in the forest, Eragon decided that he needed a sword to replace Zar'roc. Remembering the advice he had received from the werecat Solembum during his journeys with Brom, he went to the sentient Menoa tree in the Du Weldenvarden. He spoke with the tree, and she agreed to give up the piece of Brightsteel beneath its roots in exchange for an unnamed price.

Then the elf smith Rhunon – who had forged all of the Rider's swords – worked with Eragon to make a new blade for him. The blade was blue, the same as Saphira's scales, and Eragon named it Brisingr – "fire". And the blade burst into flame whenever he said its name.

Then Glaedr gave trust of his Heart of Hearts to Eragon and Saphira, and they their way back to the Varden while Oromis and Glaedr flew to the rest of their kind as they attacked the northern part of the Empire.

At the siege of Feinster, Eragon and Arya encountered three enemy magicians, one of whom was transformed into the Shade Varaug. And with Eragon's help, Arya slew Varaug, earning her the title of Shadeslayer.

As they did, Oromis and Glaedr fought Murtagh and Thorn. And Galbatorix reached out and took command of Murtagh's mind. And with Murtagh's arm, Galbatorix struck down Oromis, and Thorn slew Glaedr's body.

And though the Varden was victorious at Feinster, Eragon, Saphira, and Arya mourned the loss of their teacher and friend. But still the Varden continued, and marched deeper into the Empire. And Glaedr retreated deep into the recesses of his Eldunari to mourn the loss of Oromis.

They then beset the city of Belatona, wherein Saphira was almost slain by a Dauthdaert, a weapon once used by elves in their war before the Riders existed for the slainign of dragons. And they defeated Lord Bradburn and his forces. Then they were joined by the werecats, led by Grimrr Halfpaw.

In the next few days, Glaedr reappeared from his self-induced comma-like state.

And Roran was sent to break the siege at Aroughs. Therein, he and his soldiers, some of them villagers from Carvahall, managed to gain entrance and fought diligently. Carn, one of these, slew another magician in an attempt to turn the tide of the fight. But Carn was himself killed in the spell, which used all of his last reserves of energy. And so Aroughs was claimed for the Varden.

And Nasuada moved the Varden onwards to the city of Dras Leona. While camping outside of the city, Murtagh and Thorn attacked the camp, capturing Nasuada in the process. And they took her to Uru'baen. And so it came to pass that Eragon was selected to lead the Varden in her stead.

Before the siege of Dras Leona, Eragon and Arya became captured and shackled above a nest of Ra'zac eggs. They were able to escape, destroying the eggs and the few Ra'zac that managed to hatch, and collected their weapons. And the Varden took control of the city.

And Galbatorix did torture Nasuada, while Nasuada herself did change Murtagh's very essence. Such was the change, that Murtagh's very being became remade anew, and he did become able to free himself and Thorn from Galbatorix at the right time. And thus Murtagh did love the Queen of the Varden, and she him.

After the conclusion of the battle, Eragon, Saphira, and Glaedr traveled to Vroengard, wherein they discovered their true names. They spoke them to the Rock of Kuthian, which guarded the Vault of souls. Within, they found a trove of one hundred-and-thirty-six Eldunari, among them, Umaroth, dragon of the Rider Vrael, as well as two hundred-and-forty-three eggs, six-and-twenty of which awaited riders.

And Eragon, Saphira, and the Eldunari returned to the Varden, who were on the cusp of attacking Uru'baen. With them stood the armies of Alagaesia: Urgal, Dwarf, and Elf alike, ready to strike at the right time.

And Eragon and Saphira did sneak passed Murtagh and Thorn. With them were the remaining eleven elven spellcsters, the elf Arya, carrying the Dauthdaert, and the child Elva, whose curse she had taken to using for good, rather than for ill.

And thus the group entered the great castle of the wicked King Galbatorix. Therein, they met up with several traps, in which one of the spellcsters was slain. The rest of the group did survive and entered the throne room of Galbatorix. Within, shackled to the wall, was Nasuada. Across from the elves, Galbatorix sat upon his throne, Vrael's sword, Islingr, upon his lap. And he did tell them of his discovery of the Name of the Ancient Language, which allowed him full dominance over all magics.

And Murtagh and Thorn did make entrance into the room, wherein Galbatorix did bid Murtagh and Eragon to fight. And Eragon did win, though Murtagh fought with great determination. When Eragon did win, Thorn and Saphira, free of their bonds, did beset Shruikan. And Eragon and Murtagh did assault Galbatorix's mind.

With a word, Galbatorix, drawing on the vast power of the Eldunari he had enslaved, did cause all of them, Shruikan among them, to be halted. All of them were then beset by the dragons under Galbatorix's command. Eragon then, without using gammre, did cast a wordless spell wherein he forced Galbatorix to understand the wrongness of all he done. Soon, the pressures on all of their minds and bodies faded away. And thus relieved, Arya did slay Shruikan with the Dauthdaert.

And thus Eragon was attacked by Galbatorix, wielding the sword of the last Leader of the Riders, and the two did battle, on equal ground. With barely any thought, Eragon did out duel Galbatorix, who fell to the ground. Unable to live with himself any longer, Galbatorix did speak, saying "be not" in the most Ancient of Tongues. Wordlessly, Eragon did pull all of them to safety, shielding them from the explosion.

In the aftermath, Eragon did use the Word to remove all spells from the city. And Nasuada was crowned Queen over the Empire. But Murtagh and Thorn did fear the Peoples of Alagaesia, and so did travel to the great white Northern Lands uncharted. Arya and the other elves, save only Eragon's guards, then did make their way north to Du Weldenvarden. And the Dwarves did return to the Beor Mountains. And the Urgal tribes did return to their homes in the Spine.

And Eragon did secure the lands for Nasuada, and she did release him of his oaths of fealty. And Roran and Katrina did bear a daughter, Imsira; she was loved much by her family. And the villagers of Carvahall did return to their old home, burned as it was. And thus Carvahall was returned to its former glory by the new Earl, Roran, who did reign well over the valley therein.

And Eragon and Saphira did converse with Umaroth and Glaedr. Together, they did decide that they should leave the lands that they knew, and raise the Riders anew in those lands far to the East, towards the rising of the Sun. And thus, Eragon did begin preparing for his final journey in Alagaesia.

And Arya did return to Eragon once more, born upon the back of her mighty green dragon, the last and final of the three eggs, Firnen. And Saphira did love Firnen, and the pair became enamored with each other. And their Riders did share their True Names with the other. And Eragon did tell Arya of his intent to leave. And the two Riders did weep, for they thought they never would see each other again. And Eragon kissed Arya, the first and last time, as he sailed East. And the four did weep. And Roran did scream in sorrow.

In time, however, Eragon's heart did slow, and his tears did dry, and a measure of peace did befall him as he did lay eyes upon the lands before him. He did make wonder at what manner of things they might meet therein, and he did ponder the life that he and Saphira might live – one filled with the next generation of Dragon Riders.

And Eragon did smile, truly at peace once more.