Man I have been waiting for years to write this book. I actually started making the story, not writing it, about seven years ago, when Eragon was published. To catch you up to date this book takes place approximately 9 years after Eragon took the throne. Try and keep up, because this chapter goes fast.
Alice Prince: That's good, becuase you don't have to anymore.
Link-Orden-Time: Thank you. That's good, wondering about what's going to happen. :) Thank you.
Prince of Maddness: Yeah that was the idea. I meant to do that. Oh, I will.
dominictewise: But wait.......there's four books. How can it be the best of the three? :)) I don't know if it reaches infinaty, but thank you never the less.
Eragon sat in his throne, laughing. At what he knew not. Lifari, K'eray and Brom's son, stood before him, with his friend and companion Sidra, a
werecat and the daughter of Kecra and L'ura. Her special talent was the manipulation of a person's senses. Lifari made an impish expression.
"Grandfather, I'm not joking. We did see Urgals past the Spine." Eragon shook his head. "Lifari look. You're my family and I love you for that but
we made a pact with them. If you did see them they were most likely just young ones, nubile to the rules of their race. We'll let it slid." Lifari
rolled his eyes. "Fine." He spun on a heel and walked out. After a respectful pause, and a lick on her lips, Sidra followed. Eragon leaned his head
on the back of the throne, still smiling. His crown no longer bothered him with its weight, for he had worn it for nine years and so had become
used to it. He stood and walked out of the hall. He looked out the window to see three of the newest Riders flying on their dragons, practicing
aerial combat. He walked outside and went past a group of dwarfs, who were busy carving a statue of him. "Dorzada formv hírna." The dwarfs
looked up from their labor and smiled at him. Eragon had been taught rudimentary Dwarfish in his fifth year of reign. Eragon looked up from them
and saw a blur of motion followed by a foot on his back and the next thing he knew he was face down on the ground. He tried to turn but his
capturer kept him on the ground. "Ha. I pinned you!" He turned his head and saw Kaona. She was smiling, which to Eragon made the world
seem brighter. "Okay, okay. Get off." Kaona wavered and stood beside him, in a half crouch. She stood up to her full height and said, "Right."
Eragon got up and dusted his leggings off. Off in a corner he heard a child giggling. Ignoring it he started off walking, aware of Kaona following.
"Have you seen Kiaf anywhere? I can't seem to sense him with my mind." Kaona looked over at him, looking confused. "Don't you remember?
You sent him off as a diplomat to the Wondering Tribes." Eragon nodded. "Oh yeah." Just to tease her he said, "So when are you and Fayner
going to have children." Out of the corner of his eye he had the satisfaction of watching Kaona redden and then say, "We....I...he....we talked
last night....." She tightened her eyes, and then turned her expression back to what it usually was: calm receptivity. "That is a personally
question, Father, and I reserve the right to deny you an answer." In the decade since she was born she had aged only up to the image of a
gorgeous young woman. Fayner, although he refused to admit it, could not be taken out of viewing distance of her. In the past decade Eragon
had but rarely seen the two apart. He let a chuckle escape him. "Right." Looking up as a field of blue sparks ran across the ground he cried out
with joy. Saphira flew over head, preparing to land. Along with her were four exhausted looking dragons; one grey, one a rusty orange, one a
green like summer leaves, and the last was a tint of snowy white. They all landed and fell down onto their bellies. Eragon knew what had
happened to them. Training. Saphira's training to be exact. Eragon ran up to her and jumped from her right front paw, to her shoulder, and
hence to the hallow at her neck. She was much bigger then when he had taken the throne. Her ivory claws were as long as Brisingr, and her
teeth were as long as, if not longer, then all of Eragon. She hummed as he began to scratch the patch of skin behind her ear. Little one. Eragon
rested his head on her neck, contented. From behind him he heard the clacking of claws on stone. He turned his head in time to see a figure
dressed in black stand up from his all fours position. His black hair easily covered his eyes, casting his face in shadows. Not that he even needed
his eyes. "Kecra, what were you doing in that ally." Kecra shrugged. "It reminds me of the ally I lived in when you found me, those long years
ago." Another figure walked out of the ally, a brown and white speckled werecat. It walked over to Kecra and began to rub his legs with its back,
purring. Even after spending more then a decade around them, it still slightly unsettled him to hear the words of humans leaving a cat's mouth.
"Kecra, there's no need to deceive Eragon. He's been kind to us for years." Kecra raised a hand and pulled his hair back to show one of his eyes,
like a black rat cowering in its hole. He went down on his hands and knees and then wavered, turning into a cat again.
In the werecat language, which Eragon did not have the slightest idea how to translate, he said, "Moka isha demilacko. Oc na ravinsbn?" She
licked his face once. "Onl." He nodded and looked back at Eragon. "We were in there talking about things." Eragon shrugged. "Fine. If you don't
want to tell me that's up to you. By the way, where are Hyro and Fifrie?" Kecra looked at L'ura. "Haven't a clue." They both turned and walked
away. Eragon shook his head as he watched the two. Their daughter was so much more like L'ura. He could see no part of Kecra, a usually
cranky werecat, in his happy enthusiastic daughter. Eragon raised his arm in farewell to the werecat's, even though they had their backs turned.
He saw Kecra's tail tip twitch once as they rounded a corner. Saphira? She snorted once and a cloud of smoke fell back at Eragon. Yes, little one,
what is it? Eragon twisted his hip so that Brisingr sat comfortable on her shoulder. Kroger. The ten years that Olam predicted are almost up. And
who knows what Kroger's been doing all this time. He could have made six generations by now, if he found a female willing to succumb to his veil
desires. Saphira sniffed once. Though he could still see into her mind as usually, he felt as if she hid something from his sight. I don't know,
Eragon. In your poem that you recited at the Blood Oath Celebration, which is what most of this predicament seems to be made from, the man that
was born to kill the Foe had to voyage to the Land of Shadows to kill him. It's apparent now that Kroger is this Foe. But where is this land that your
poem talked off? Eragon rolled his story over in his mind. In the Land of Shadows. The home land of the elves. Saphira sniffed at the dragons that
were started to creep away. Hold it! Forty laps at two hundred feet up, now! The dragons made, what would be to a human, pain filled moans.
They dragged themselves off the ground and into the air. Eragon watched as they flew to the correct height and began doing the assigned laps
around Ilirea. Saphira, I need to take out Kroger. Arya and I will never be able to live in peace. If I told you that I was going to leave to this Land of
Shadows inside the week, and that I wanted you to stay, what would you say? Saphira turned and looked at him with a mournful expression. I know
that I will not be able to stop you so I would let you. But why would I stay? Eragon continued scratching her ear. Because you need to train the
Dragons. Murtagh could take my place teaching Riders, but no Dragon could take your place teaching the others. Also in my story the man had to
voyage to this land. I have a feeling that if I don't stick to the story, something will go wrong. Saphira snorted again. Fine. She finally said, though
he could feel her misery. Only how long will you be gone? Eragon shook his head. I don't know. As long as it takes to find him and kill him. Saphira
snorted sadly. Go if you must. Eragon dipped his head. Regret filled him. I must.
********
Four hours later Eragon was in the process of getting a silver ship made for him. Eragon looked up as thousands of silver sparks gathered in
front of him. Eragon 1 formed in around a minute. Eragon dipped his head. "Eragon." Eragon 1 rolled his shoulders. "About time you did this. I
need to talk to you about the traveling to the Elves Land. Sit." Eragon sat down on his bed. "Now." Eragon 1 cleared his throat. "The power
word. The thing that gives you your power. That word is connected in a powerful way, like Riders and their Dragons, to this land. Do not ask me
why, for I do not know. What I do know is that every time one of the Rizdar left Alagaesia they became like they were. Even the Finder has this
done to him. If you leave here then you will only be as powerful as you were before I revealed the word to you." Eragon thought that that might
make his life harder, but he could not let his Foe escape again, or else Arya and he could never live in peace. "Very well. I will take Kroger out if it
kills me; power word or no power word."
********
Eragon stood, hours later, on the docking bay to the city Teirm. After finishing packing; Eragon, Arya, K'eray, Kaona, and Fayner had run to the
great and expanded upon city of Teirm. Eragon looked back at the city. It was massed and moved in endless circles as Urgals and Humans alike
carried on with their lives. He looked then at the ocean, as it continued in perfect accordance with the motions of the city. Kaona surprised him
by stepping forward and hugged him as tightly as she could; almost suffocating Eragon with her strength which at it's best rivaled that of
Saphira's. "Be careful, Father." Arya and K'eray walked forward and did much the same. Fayner stood at a distance. Eragon had noticed, after
looking back at the years that as Fayner became ever closer to Kaona he stayed farther and farther away from Eragon, seemed to be fearful for
his life. The right side of Eragon's mouth curved in a smile. He looked off at the ocean to hide it. "Fayner." The elf looked up at him; dark blue
eyes the only thing that moved. "Yes?" Eragon ran a hand over his hair, and quietly whispered under his breath a few words that would allow
him to see something behind him. "Try not to get Kaona too pregnant by my return." Only a few things pleased Eragon that day so much as
watching as both Fayner and Kaona blanched with embarrassment. Fayner took a step back, no doubt tying to put distance between Eragon
and himself and said, "I...I'll do that, Sire." Eragon smiled then whispered "Slow." The world slowed down until all that moved was Eragon and
Arya. Eragon reached out and rapped an arm around Arya's slim waist and pulled her so that her beautiful body pressed against him. His mouth
less then an inch away from hers he said, "I love you Arya and I will miss you." She smiled. "Be quiet and kiss me." Eragon moved his mouth
forward and pressed it against hers. He slipped his tongue over hers. Her hands tangled his hair while she moaned. He broke the contact with
evident reluctance. "I must go now." She sighed and said, "You're right." Eragon took his place were he had been before he had ordered the
world to slow and then said, "Continue." The world began to speed up again and Fayner rubbed the back of his head. "Very well, Sire." Eragon
through his bags onto his silver ship then jumped onto the boat. He waved to Arya. In the far northern sky Saphira and Thorn let out a mighty
roar. Go in peace and safety, Partner of my Heart. Return to me with great swiftness. Eragon dipped his head. I will, Love of my Soul. Eragon looked
at the sides of his boat. "And how do I get this thing going?" Arya stepped to the side of it. "Propel it like you would an elven horse. Tell it to go,
and then it will move their after of its own accord until you tell it to stop." Eragon raised his arms to those assembled and then said, "Move." The
ship began to move at a slow pace until it was going ten to fifteen miles per hour. He looked back at his Love and his Dragon. He looked for only
a moment, and then looked down at the waves in front of his ship. He knelled over and groaned, as the power word that he was so accustomed
to left him. For the first time in years he felt weak and vulnerable. Anything that wanted to take him over, until he got back, now had a chance to
do so. He shook his head trying to get rid of the feeling. I'll have to get used to that. In the back of his mind he heard Eragon 1. Well done, my
descendent. Well done. Kill the Foe. Eragon was about to reply when the foam coming from the port side caught his eyes. Like a decade ago the
foam changed, like the stars, into the face of Garrow and Brom. "Remember the question. Do......................? Remember that and you will do
fine."
*******
Eragon raised his head three days later, at the crack of dawn. He groaned as he sat up. Rubbing the side of his head he got up and looked
around. In every direction; north, south, east, and west, was nothing but endless sea. "How can the elves find this place so delightful?" He had
been sick the night before, due to the endless up down motion of his boat. He was used to that motion on Saphira's wing, but he had never
ridden on her wing, nor had the desire to try. As such he was so unused to the movement that he had been sick. He squinted at the far western
horizon; at least he hoped it was western, hoping to see the patch of land that would end his long trek across the sea. To his dismay, he saw
nothing. Letting his head go wherever it wanted he looked down at the sea floor. He tightened his eyes as he saw the sand less then ten feet
below him. "What in the world?" He was nowhere near land, so why was the bottom of the sea so high up. To his alarm the sand began to grow
closer and closer. Reaching out with his mind he felt life forms, in quantity that he would usually find on land. He could clearly feel the live flow of
a bird not fifteen feet in front of him, yet he saw nothing. He jerked forward as his ship landed on what he thought to be a shore. He looked out
in front of him, and all he saw was open sea. Eragon jumped off his boat and landed in the water with a splash. "Could it be that-" He took three
steps forward and gasped as he walked onto a beach. "He hid this land like Gailbatorix hid the Ra'zac's lair!" He looked back at his boat and saw
it floating on the shore. He looked back at the dense forest that was some forty yards in front of him. He reached into his boat and took Brisingr.
He started walking and soon was in the forest. "Finally." He smiled to himself. "Finally some entertainment." For three and a half hours he
wondered through the jungle, looking for his foe but to no avail. Finally he stopped in a clearing to catch his breath. He had actually forgotten
what feeling tired felt like. He had not been even tired since he learned the power word. Now he was physically drained. Somewhere to his right
he heard a girl scream. He stood up so fast that his hair flow out behind him. Gripping and regripping the pummel of Brisingr he jumped into the
direction of the scream, hoping to find Kroger attempting to rape some helpless girl. He rounded a large tree and saw a dark skinned girl lying on
her back, with a long coiled snake on her stomach. The animal hissed and looked ready to bite. It had just rapped its tail around her neck, which
apparently served as the purpose of the girl screaming. The girl screamed again and Eragon saw the snake tightened its tail. He leapt forward
and cut downward at the snake's head, cutting it off of its body. He gripped his hunting knife and cut the heart out, knowing that the snake
would continue moving even though it didn't have a head. The animal went limp. He stood and looked down at the dark skinned woman. She
was looking at him with round green eyes. "Ma makar isna liva." Eragon stared at her. He shifted through each of the languages he knew, and
did not find any of the words there. "I'm Eragon, son of Brom. King and Rider of the land of Alagaesia."
She tightened her eyes momentarily. "Oh yish?" Eragon opened his mouth but stopped when he heard a sound, akin to someone drawing an
arrow from a quiver. He turned. On the far side of the clearing stood a tall man, with a long bow in his hands, arrow knocked to the string.
Eragon gripped Brisingr's pummel, ready to strike. I don't know if he means me harm, but if he does I'll be ready for it. The man pointed at him.
"Mirak noski!" Eragon remained quiet. The man glowered. "Rak instn?" Eragon again remained quiet. The man glowered at him. "Alagaesian,
maybe?" Eragon nodded. "I am Alagaesian." The man nodded. "Ah. Very well then. Who are you? What do you want? And what are you doing
here?" The man talked in a slow monotone, as if he had trouble specking Eragon's tongue. "I am not here to harm you, or any of the family you
may have. I have merely come to find a foe." The man raised his bow at Eragon. "You will find no foes in this land that come from Alagaesia."
Eragon raised his hands to either side, trying to give the impression of peace. "I know for a fact that this one is here. Perhaps he has slipped by
your attention." The man looked mad. "I told you-" He stopped as the dark skinned girl stood up. "Morag, isti rakl. Na makar isna liva." The man's
face contorted as he glared at Eragon. "She says you saved her life." He nodded. "I did. A snake was about to bite her." He motioned with one
hand at the remains of the creature. The man looked down at him, then back at Eragon. "Come on. You're coming with us." Eragon looked at the
girl for a moment then said, "Us?" The man waved a hand and three more men walked into his view. I could kill them all with a muttered word, but
I won't. I want Kroger dead not these people. He sheathed Brisingr. "Very well. However I will walk freely and keep my sword." The man nodded.
"You may walk freely, but you will walk in between us, least you trick us to escape." Eragon saw reason in that, so he walked in between the
three men. The one with the bow went and helped the girl walk. As he walked he was surprised to find that the three that walked beside him
did not treat him like a prisoner. All except the lead one, who treated Eragon like Vanir had before his transformation. The man on his left said, "I
am Garvin. I am the healer of our tribe." The other one said, "And I am Carger, trainer of the young." For two hours they walked through the
forest. In that time he became friends with Carger and Garvin. In the whole time that they walked he never once heard the lead man talk, or
learn his name by which to address him. Eragon raised his hand to grab a tree branch as he slipped. "Are we almost there yet?" Carger nodded.
He raised a hand and pointed. "We are here." Eragon looked up with interest as he saw small houses in the trees. Some forty huts were
situated in the trees branches. "Why do you live up there?" Garvin said, "There are many dangers on the ground. Other tribes try and take our
land, and kill us in process. We stay up there so that none may get to us." Garvin cast him a friendly smile as he explained, as if happy knowing
so much about his home. "What is this land called?" Garvin glared. "Why would we waste our time naming something so useless as rock?"
Eragon accept that with small confusion. If they didn't want to name their land, then who was to say no to them? "Do you have a leader?"
Garvin chuckled. "Yes we do. And you saved his daughter some hours ago." Eragon looked back at the girl, who smiled. "What is his name?"
Carger looked at him. "Why are you asking us all this?" Eragon shrugged. "Because I wish to learn about your land." Garvin said, "We do not
share more information then we already have unless our leader permits it. Talk to him if you wish to know more." Eragon was about to say
something when the girl walked forward onto a small platform. She clapped her hands and the platform began to rise, being pulled by four men
above. "What'd we do?" Carger was staring up at the men. "We wait our turn."
It was a full five minutes before the platform lowered again. Carger and Garvin walked onto it, and the men above pulled them up. Eragon found
himself alone with the man with the long bow. After several awkward minutes the man said, "I have not introduced myself. I am Joard, hunter for
the tribe." Eragon dipped his head. "I am Eragon, King of Alagaesia." Joard looked at him with surprise. "Is that so?" Eragon opened his mouth
but the platform lowered to the ground and Joard walked onto it. "Do you have magic in this land?" Joard lifted an eyebrow. "What is this-" He
hesitated and mouthed the word before saying it. "Magic?" Eragon thought quickly. If they don't know of it then I'll have an advantage. "It's a
species that live in my land." Joard shook his head. "We have no animal named magic." It took several more minutes until they reached the top.
The men eyed Eragon and said to Joard, "Ola mu na?" Joard raised an arm. "Jurok naka Eragon. Na makar Kona livas." The men's eyes widened.
They walked past him and placed their right thumbs on their left temples. "Orag kiften," they all murmered. Joard elbowed him. "Do the same,"
he whispered. Eragon placed his right thumb over his left temple. Joard walked forward. "Come." Eragon started forward also and Joard started
to show Eragon were certain houses where, what they served as, and introduced him to importent people. The dark skinned girl returned and
walked with them. In her light voice she said, "I am Kona, daughter of the leader of our tribe." Eragon dipped his head. "And I am Eragon, King
of Alagaesia." Kona's eyes brightened and she place her right thumb on her left temple. "Ona mori yua." She smiled at him and then went away.
Eragon looked at Joard to see him staring at Kona as if she had done something he could hardly understand. "She just-" He shook his head.
"No, never mind." He led Eragon to a small hut that was billowing black smoke. "This is our forge." He lifted the cloth strip that served as a door
and went in. Eragon was surprised to see a girl hammering something by an open flame. She stopped and lifted an eye at them. Eragon looked
at her eyes with interest. One was pure blue and the other the deepest of red. "Koriga noliva, Joard?" Joard stepped forward. "Ilf na rakni
Eragon. Na miso Kona lifa." The girl closed her eyes and put out the fire. She set down her hammer and looked Eragon over. "Caoa?" Joard
nodded. The girl looked at her piece before talking to Eragon. "Moska nira-" She stopped as Joard raised an arm. "Na istn Alagaesian." She
nodded. "Who are you?" Eragon lifted his chin. "I am Eragon, son of Brom and King of Alagaesia." The girl, though panting from effort, said, "Did I
ask who your father was, or your past deeds? I don't remember doing so anyway." She looked at Joard. Apparently not wanting to make the
switch back to their language she said, "Has he spoken to Leader yet?" Joard shook his head. "He has not. I was planning on taking him to him
after letting him talk to you." She glared at him. "Why did you plan on wasting my time anyway? I have no interest at all in him." She looked at
him for a moment before shrugging and saying, "I suppose he would be useful around this black Kraga forsaken place. If Leader agrees, I could
use some help around my forge. He-" She pointed at Eragon as if he were an indecent object, "-could be useful around here." Joard dipped his
head. "I will tell him, Master Kayn." Eragon was about to speak when Joard turned and walked out. Kayn, as Joard had just called her, stared at
him with her blue and red eyes, then her right lip twitched and she spun around. She snapped her fingers and a spark fell onto the wood and it
burst into flame. Eragon stood there, determined to be treated as he ought to be treated. She sighed once but other then that gave no notice
to him still being there. After three minutes she spun around and said, "What are you doing?" Eragon looked past her at her fire, trying to act
like she had when talking about him. "Just standing here." She tapped a hand on her arm. "I have very importent work to be done, and I don't
have time to get stupid, useless, kigra's out of my work place." With that she took a step forward, put a hand on his chest and with amazing
strength pushed him out of the workshop. He staggered outside, to see Joard standing there, leaning against the tree. "Figured you were
busy." Eragon stood up straight and said, "She called me a strange word. Kigra" Joard's eyes widened. "She called you what!" Eragon raised a
hand. "A Kigra." Joard shook his head. "What does it mean," Eragon asked. Joard looked at him through his black hair. "It means useless scrap
of nothingness." Eragon rolled his shoulders. "Well I'm no longer preoccupied. Let us go see your Leader." Joard pushed himself off the tree and
walked down the tree to the base. At the bottom was a door. Joard knocked on it and it opened without provocation. Inside the road was hazy
with smoke. Eragon stepped forward and saw a large bed of straw. Joard bowed. "Leader." Eragon's spine froze. Lying on the bed of straw, a
hand behind his head, with a piece of straw in his mouth, was Kroger.
Okay be honest. How many of you guessed that it was Kroger from the start?