Since summer has come and school's out, I have nothing to do. So, I'm going to be putting up this story, which I've been working on all semester. Reviews are welcome, just please don't flame. Thanks! Oh and by the way, I'm not very good at summaries. Consider yourself warned...

Title: Shur'tugal abr Voetta

Summery: When a devastating fire up heaves their normal lives, three girls go to a wise man, who tells them the only way to survive is to find and join Eragon...

A/N: There are some words in the Ancient Language that aren't actually in the ancient language. Supposedly the wonderful Christopher Paolini used old Norse for the Ancient Language, so any words you don't recognize are probably from there. I'll put in translations if they aren't words actually used by Paolini. And no, that's not really my lock code.

Voetta: Hope

PROLOGUE

The pristine white hallways were cramped, humid, and full of loud kids swarming in from outside, shaking water from their hair and basking in the warmth of the building, a welcome change from the near freezing temperatures outdoors. Students yelled to friends across hallways and down stairs, each seeking to be herd over the sound of slamming lockers and their fellow students. The yelling of teachers attempting (and failing) to restore order melded with everything else to produce a discordant symphony of chaos. It was, in other words, a normal day at Valentino Middle School.

The bell rang, sending students scurrying to class and giving the overworked vice principal a much needed break. He scanned the foyer one last time, searching for stragglers. Seeing no one, he turned and headed back towards the office. As soon as he was out of sight, twelve cloaked persons slipped through the door. The tallest one spoke.

"Find her. No one is to leave or enter this building without being checked. Every floor, every room, every child and adult. The king wants her, alive! Understood?" The eleven others nodded. "Good. Now go!" As quickly as they had appeared they were gone, searching for one student amongst hundreds.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The day passed normal, or as close to normal as you could get at Valentino MS. In advanced geometry, two kids broke out of class with two quarters and managed to get the vice principal's chair out of the office and onto the school "rock" without getting caught. In science, the frog dissection went awry when a frog went flying across the classroom and landed in the teacher's lap. But, besides the odd kink, the day went normally. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the final bell rang. Students poured out of the classrooms, congratulating each other on the tricks that had been played on unsuspecting teachers. Not one of them noticed the eleven cloaked people drifting around them, grunting to each other.

It was an eighth grade girl who noticed them first, along with smell of rotten meat. Shivering, she pressed herself in with the other students, allowing them to sweep her along into the eighth grade wing. As she entered she caught a glimpse of red hair and red eyes. Then she was surrounded, caught out in the open, the students that had been encircling her gone. In their place were the eleven cloaked figures. Except their cloaks had been discarded, showing their inhuman features, their twisted faces and horns, and large supply of weapons. Outside the circle, her classmates were gathered around, looking at her with wide, bewildered eyes. Wasting no time, the trapped girl dropped her books and began searching the crowd mentally, looking for three particular people. Almost as soon as she began searching she found them: Julia, Cassidy, and Miranda, each one chosen in advance for their special qualities, in case the plan had gone awry, as it had. She alerted them to her presence while keeping an eye on the things surrounding her.

Listen! She spoke mentally to them, not allowing them time to be surprised. You know of the Inheritance Cycle, correct? Eragon, those books? They are real. These are urgals, and the shade Durza is around somewhere nearby. You three must leave here. Open your lockers, you will find things in them that were not there before. Open my locker also. The code is 16-32-8. Do not open the packs until you are far away and safe! Go carefully! Before they could pull away from the contact she sent them a quick series of images, outlining the path they would have to take, then extracted herself from their minds. During the entire exchange she hadn't taken her eyes off the urgals. Suddenly, on an unheard or seen command two of the urgals parted, allowing Durza to step into the circle.

He ignored the urgals and glared at her. "Where are they?"

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Of course you do. Where are they? Where are the eggs that were hidden here before the Fall?" The girl was silent. "Speak!" As he barked the order she faintly heard the sound of a locker closing. Inwardly she sighed in relief. As long as they got out of the building, they would be safe. Durza wouldn't be able to reach them.

"They are gone. You failed. What will happen to poor Durza when the king learns?" She knew how unwise it was to taunt him, but she couldn't resist the one jibe.

Durza growled out a word and the girl fell to her knees, crying out in pain. "Perhaps you believe you can keep your secrets," he hissed. "Perhaps you believe you can protect you race, protect the dragons! But you are wrong. I know the truth. If you will not speak willingly, then I will pull the secrets from you." He spoke one more word and the girl collapsed, unconscious. He picked her up and slung her over the shoulder of the nearest urgal while barking orders to them. As one, the urgals marched out with the girl, leaving Durza to face the assembled students and teachers alone. He savored the look of fear on their faces, not noticing that there were three less students than when he had first arrived.

"And as for you," he said, grinning evilly, "you will remember nothing of this. Gata hugin!" He spun about, his robes billowing out behind him as he strode out of the building. As he stepped through the doors he yelled, "Brisingr!" and, with a flash of red, the building began to burn.

Luke: He's on the dark side! He burned down the school! With all thoes poor kids inside...

Vader: Do not mourn, my son. They probably deserved it. Come to the dark side! We have cookies!

Luke: Oh yeah? Well, we have fresh baked chocolate chip muffins. So there!

Vader: Sweet! Can I be a rebel?

Luke: And cake and pies and tarts and cupcakes and donuts and and- and-

Me: Ok, enough with the pastries! Are you gonna say it or not!?

Vader: Yes, son. We must say the disclaimer (since she forgot it) and tell the punny, normal humans to review. Then we shall rule the galaxy as Father and Son. Review or I will Force choke you! Muhahahaha!

Luke: And she doesn't own Eragon. Or Durza. Or the urgals, or elves, or magic, or dwarves, or-

Me: They get the point!

Luke: Oh. Ok. Bye-bye.