Greetings everyone . This idea has been bugging me for a while and I decided to give it a try.

This is just a prologue as I am playing with fire here. It is set in an extended Alagaesia where the boundaries aren't defined. Give this a chance & kindly let me know if you want me to continue this.

Disclaimer : I wish I owned the IC but I don't. The characters belong to Christopher Paolini alone..It starts out similar to Eragon but distinctly branches out.

I used a quote by "Nicholas Sparks". I do hope that you find it relevant to the situation.

Prologue

Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. A tall Shade lifted his head and sniffed the air. He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes.

He blinked in surprise. The message had been correct: they were here. Or was it a trap?

He weighed the odds, then said icily, "Spread out, hide behind trees and bushes. Stop whoever is coming... or die."

Around him shuffled twelve Urgals with short swords and round iron shields painted with black symbols. They resembled men with bowed legs and thick, brutish arms made for crushing. A pair of twisted horns grew above their small ears. The monsters hurried into the brush, grunting as they hid. Soon the rustling quieted and the forest was silent gain. The Shade peered around a thick tree and looked up the trail. It was too dark for any human to see, but for him the faint moonlight was like sunshine streaming between the trees; every detail was clear and sharp to his searching gaze. He remained unnaturally quiet, a long pale sword in his hand. A wire-thin scratch curved down the blade. The weapon was thin enough to slip between a pair of ribs, yet stout enough to hack through the hardest armor.

The Urgals could not see as well as the Shade; they groped like blind beggars, fumbling with their weapons. An owl screeched, cutting through the silence. No one relaxed until the bird flew past. Then the monsters shivered in the cold night; one snapped a twig with his heavy boot. The Shade hissed in anger, and the Urgals shrank back, motionless. He suppressed his distaste—they smelled like fetid meat—and turned away. They were tools, nothing more.

The Shade forced back his impatience as the minutes became hours. The scent must have wafted far ahead of its owners. He did not let the Urgals get up or warm themselves. He denied himself those luxuries, too, and stayed behind the tree, watching the trail.

Another gust of wind rushed through the forest. The smell was stronger this time. Excited, he lifted a thin lip in a snarl. "Get ready," he whispered, his whole body vibrating.

The tip of his sword moved in small circles. It had taken many plots and much pain to bring himself to this moment. It would not do to lose control now. Eyes brightened under the Urgals' thick brows, and the creatures gripped their weapons tighter. Ahead of them, the Shade heard a clink as something hard struck a loose stone. Faint smudges emerged from the darkness and advanced down the trail. Three white horses with riders cantered toward the ambush, their heads held high and proud, their coats rippling in the moonlight like liquid silver. On the first horse was an elf with pointed ears and elegantly slanted eyebrows. His build was slim but strong, like a rapier. A powerful bow was slung on his back. A sword pressed against his side opposite a quiver of arrows fletched with swan feathers. The last rider had the same fair face and angled features as the other. He carried a long spear in his right hand and a white dagger at his belt. A helm of extraordinary craftsmanship, wrought with amber and gold, rested on his head. Between these two rode a raven-haired elven lady, who surveyed her surroundings with poise. Framed by long black locks, her deep eyes shone with a driving force. Her clothes were unadorned, yet her beauty was undiminished. At her side was a sword, and on her back a long bow with a quiver. She carried in her lap a pouch that she frequently looked at, as if to reassure herself that it was still there.

One of the elves spoke quietly, but the Shade could not hear what was said. The lady answered with obvious authority, and her guards switched places. The one wearing the helm took the lead, shifting his spear to a readier grip. They passed the Shade's hiding place and the first few Urgals without suspicion.

The Shade was already savoring his victory when the wind changed direction and swept toward the elves, heavy with the Urgals' stench. The horses snorted with alarm and tossed their heads. The riders stiffened, eyes flashing from side to side, then wheeled their mounts around and galloped away.

The lady's horse surged forward, leaving her guards far behind. Forsaking their hiding, the Urgals stood and released a stream of black arrows. The Shade jumped out from behind the tree, raised his right hand, and shouted, "Garjzla!"

Something was amiss. The darkness was too ominous. It seemed as if the forest itself knew it. A deadly calm extended in all directions making one wonder if there was a single living animal left. It was certainly a night everyone would love to avoid. Yet, two figures rode on seemingly not minding the darkness. On the first horse rode a young woman with a determined expression. The other rider on the other hand seemed frustrated. He looked at the surroundings as if it was a riddle that needed solving.

"When I read that Du Weldenvarden was gigantic, I at least thought that we would be able to navigate through it. But I should have realized that those crazy elves & their love for nature would have messed things up. Forget about helping them, we need to talk to them about over doing it. These gigantic trees & never ending darkness! Are you even sure we are heading in the right direction Ellie?"

"We are," was Ellie's curt reply.

"I for one only see trees everywhere. How are you sure again?"

"I am sure because unlike you Ed, I am not a block head & I actually pay attention to my surroundings. If you would stop bickering & start noticing, you can pick out paths through the woods heading towards the co-ordinates that Lord Eragon left us."

"I still think it was a wrong idea for us to separate. We were at sea for such a long time & then to straightaway head towards Du Weldenvarden after landing, I just can't help but feel that he is pushing himself beyond his limit."

"It is not our place to question the Lord's decisions Ed. All we can do is get there & help him because if he is right, then we are heading straight into a battle with a shade. We need to make sure that the Lord doesn't use his powers in his present condition. "

-A-R-Y-A-

The night was darker than usual. Normally that wouldn't affect her but she had an important task at hand. It had been a few hours since she along with Faolin & Glenwing had left Osilon. It was a fruitless stay to say the least as the Blue Dragon egg hadn't hatched for anyone once again. The egg's inactivity greatly worried her though she didn't show it. Time was one thing that the elves never worried about but here that alone was the major point of concern. The mad king wasn't pressing his advantage at the moment but that could change at any instance. Without a dragon rider leading the Varden & uniting the forces opposing the mad king, their chances of survival were bleak to say the least.

She had been acting as the egg courier for the past fifteen years. When the egg was first recovered by Brom, she couldn't help but be hopeful. She wasn't one for wishful thinking but she had hoped that the egg would hatch & finally they would have a fighting chance against Galbatorix but it seemed as if fate had different plans. Fate, Destiny she didn't quite believe in these things. She always believed that choices mattered more than destiny. But someone was destined somewhere to be the rider of the blue dragon. If the past fifteen years had taught her something, it was that few things couldn't be forced. She had met great people with great potential but yet the egg hadn't hatched for a single person.

She didn't quite understand what the dragon inside the egg was looking for. She didn't know much about the way of the Dragon Riders but she did know for a fact that the Dragon inside an egg would lay dormant till it comes across the right person but define right person. Is it values, strength or intelligence that defined the best fit? Galbatorix was originally a normal dragon rider. What did the dragon Jarnunvosk see in him that he hatched for him? If destiny was something that was already set, then he wouldn't have hatched for him in the first place as he was destined to cause such destruction. These confusing thoughts about destiny plagued her continuously ever since Maud spoke to her. "There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one's cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore", was what he said & she was trying to ascertain if there was more to those lines ever since.

She was forced out of her thoughts as she heard Faolin say "You seem deep in thought. I wonder what it is about"

That voice immediately forced a smile out of her as she turned to address him "I wonder what it is about too."

Though she trusted Faolin & didn't quite understand what she felt towards him, it still felt odd whenever she had to share secrets about herself or her thought process with him.

Glenwing suddenly said "There is an unnatural calm around the forest. It seems too silent, I sense nothing unnatural when I spread out my mind on the other hand. It would be better if we are more cautious."

Arya wanted to have a friendly chatter but she knew that she had a task at hand. The egg's safety mattered the most. She asked Glenwing to take the lead so that his spear style would be more effective if needed. Faolin took the rear & they marched on keeping their senses open for any dangers lurking.

The wind changed direction and the horses snorted with alarm tossing their heads. She didn't immediately understand what had spooked the horses as she couldn't sense anything wrong. She would be a fool to ignore the warning of the horses though. Even without saying, the three of them knew what to do. She turned back & galloped away followed by her two friends. If they were under attack, those two were under the most danger as they would be the first to be hit blocking any attacks directed at her to keep the egg safe. Out of nowhere, she heard a distinct voice shout "Garzla" and a red bolt struck her steed forcing her to disembark. She turned around trying to locate the source of the words just to find Faolin & Glenwing caught in a barrage of arrows. Most of the arrows were blocked by the wards surrounding her friends .

About thirty Urgals emerged from the trees immediately attacking those two. She saw Faolin draw his sword & face the oncoming Urgals while Glenwing did the same using his spear. With thirty on three, their only hope was magic. Arya immediately reached for her magic casting a spell killing three when her mind was bombarded by a strong presence.

She turned around to find a shade emerging through the trees. Those maroon eyes & crimson hair were daunting but that crooked smile was enough to force chills down her spine. Ajihad had warned her that Durza was working for Galbatorix & here he was trying to recover the last free dragon egg. If Durza was here along with the Urgals, it could only mean that they were working for Galbatorix too & things weren't looking good. They had to get away.

She scanned her surroundings trying to find a way out when Durza was suddenly onto her. She barely managed to block the swing aimed at her head. It was immediately followed by a thrust forcing her back towards the trees. With no way out, all she could do was retaliate hoping that she could push him back.

She tried everything she knew just to find Durza blocking & parrying. It was as if he could read her mind. A shade was a difficult being to kill as one needed to aim at it's heart alone but such uncanny strength was unheard of. With her skill level, she should have managed to wound him but yet he was blocking everything with ease.

As a last ditch effort, she threw a dagger at him forcing him to dodge it & land in a position where she could attack easily. What she didn't expect was for him to block her sword again as if it was was merely a stick. She was breathing heavily with her strength running out. The only thing she could do was to send the egg away before Durza took it. She reached for magic again to find that she didn't remember the spell. She turned to look at her friends to find them in a similar situation. They seemed to be a worse position then her and if their confused looks were anything to go by, they were drugged too. The question was How?

As if sensing her question, Durza shouted "STOP". All the urgals immediately halted their attacks & formed a circle around them preventing them from escaping not that they could in their current position.

"Tired already", I say & this forces a laugh out of Durza.

"I don't quite understand why Galbatorix seems wary of you elves. You who evolve at a pace slower than snails. I fight you now & chances are that even after hundred years, we will have the same fight again. Evolution is the only way to survive and yet you stick to your age old values, it is sickening to watch".

"Tel me elf. Did you really think that I, the great Durza would remain the same after that insulting fight with Ajihad? It was just pure luck that he managed to scratch my sword. If not for Brom managing to cast that stupid spell over me, I would have killed him then and there. But you see, I am not angry. I am actually happy that it happened. How else would I have realized my own flaws. And here I am, the perfect being in Alagaesia. I am going to kill those two. Especially Brom for all the pain he has caused me elf"

"How is that Brom's fault? Wasn't it a case of you running away like a coward afraid of death. Tell me Durza. When was the last time you faced someone in a fair fight?"

"Fair...You are so fucking clueless elf. Truth is that all beings, regardless of how proper and respectable they seem to be, have a sadistic side to them craving for blood and death. Now that is what being fair means. You either kill or be killed and I prefer killing. I enjoy killing just to make sure that every one remembers who I am. Your thinking is so one dimensional, the true way of life just slips your attention. What's fair about animals feeding on just born cubs? What's fair that you elves are so high about your abilities that you look down on others?"he barked. An evil smile crept up his face as he addressed her.

"Look at me, getting all sentimental. I just can't help but gloat about my victory here. You see there's nothing better than getting the last words in after a fight. Just hand over the egg and I will go easy on you. I don't really need anymore servants but how about being my girl elf? I can promise you the best experience that you ever had"

Anger seeped through her at his words. Anger along with fear,"Never. I would rather die" was all she could manage as her mind was still figuring out a way to get away.

"Well, that can be arranged". He signaled for the urgals to grab the three elves but before they could, Faolin & Glenwing launched her over the Urgals into the forest.

She knew what it meant. She had to run leaving her friends behind. The very thought of leaving Faolin behind hurt her but there was no choice. A cry tore through her lips before she bounded towards Osilon hoping to escape Durza.

She heard Durza shout "That just breaks my heart little elf. You can't run from me"

While few of the Urgals crashed through the trees, the Shade climbed a piece of granite that jutted above them. From his perch he could see all of the surrounding forest. He raised his hand and uttered, "Böetq istalri!" and a quarter-mile section of the forest exploded into flames. Grimly he burned one section after another until there was a ring of fire, a half league across, around the ambush site. The flames looked like a molten crown resting on the forest. Satisfied, he watched the ring carefully, in case it should falter.

He caught a glimpse of the elf running from the remaining Urgals. She fled toward the craggy piece of granite at a tremendous speed. The Shade examined the ground
twenty feet below, then jumped and landed nimbly in front of her. She skidded around and sped back to the trail.

The horned monsters came out of the forest and hemmed her in, blocking the only escape routes. Her head whipped around as she tried to find a way out. Seeing none, she drew herself up with regal disdain. The Shade approached her with a raised hand, allowing himself to enjoy her helplessness.

She realized that there was no way out and without magic at hand, she couldn't protect the egg. She had failed. Durza would recover the egg and with it all last hopes for freedom would be lost. She refused to be captured without a fight. She once again attacked the shade but deep down she knew it was too late.

"You should just surrender little elf. Just accept the fact that you have failed".

She saw Faolin & Glenwing fall and wasn't sure if they were even alive. Tears started to form in her eyes, yet she refused to cry. She would never let the shade have the satisfaction of breaking her. She would die like her father, with her head held high.

Then something strange happened. Durza was blasted by a a blue fire ball & Arya could feel the strength of it even from her position. The fire for some reason seemed alive. Even though she could feel the heat, it also seemed kind. How strange!

Durza seemed shocked as all his wards weren't enough to block that attack. He looked around to locate the source when she saw a man appear on top of a tree. He had a magical blue orb hanging over his head illuminating the area. He was about 6 feet tall and had dark brown hair. His lower half of the face was covered by a mask while his clothes were greatly travel worn. He carried no visual weapons. Even from that distance, she could clearly make out the dark brown eyes though. He seemed rather young but his eyes said otherwise. For some strange reason, his eyes drew her in. He certainly seemed human and she couldn't help but think "What is a human doing attacking a shade without a weapon?"

Durza seemed bewildered that he was hit. His initial apprehension turned into surprise as he held the gaze of the seemingly young kid. He just couldn't accept the fact that he was hit. He shouted Garzla aiming towards the kid but it was blocked.

"Who the hell are you?" shouted Durza.

The reply surprised her even more.

"Didn't your grand mother teach you any manners? If you inquire about someone, you should start by introducing yourself". The way he said it was almost mocking, as if this was a friendly conversation.

This seemed to get on Durza's nerves as he blasted the guy with several spells which were all blocked.

"I AM DURZA", with that shout, he launched his most powerful spell yet. It was as if the darkness itself listened to him and shadows did his bidding. They went for the guy and they were all blocked by a wall of fire that surrounded him.

She heard the boy speak.

"So you are Durza ha. Well, my grand mother didn't teach me manners, So I don't really feel like sharing my name with you. On further consideration, it doesn't make sense for a guy who is about to die to know names right."

"What are you all looking at?"thundered Durza. "Attack him".

The Urgals immediately started aiming their bows at him. The guy looked at them and it was as if they all could no longer move. Some invisible force seemed to hold all the Urgals in their place & they couldn't even lift a finger.

"One should never be forced to serve someone against their will. I find the very thought distasteful. This fight doesn't require your participation. Hold still my friends" Was he speaking to the Urgals? More importantly, what did he mean by that?

Then his eyes finally met her's. Recognition flashed through him which was strange as she couldn't say the same about him.

"Attend to your friends. I will deal with this scary one" he says.

Guilt hit her as she had completely forgotten about where she was. She wasn't even sure if Faolin & Glenwing were alive. Her only hope was in the fact that they were more useful to Durza alive than dead. The mad king still needed the locations of the elven cities and other secrets concerning the Varden. Three prisoners were better than one to get such information. Though Durza spoke about killing them, he would heed the words of the mad king.

Faolin & Glenwing were barely alive and her mind wasn't still allowing her to cast spells. Without treatment, they would surely die and she would hate herself forever if that happened.

Suddenly a voice disturbed her thoughts as she heard the words "My Lord. Please Stop".

-E-L-L-I-E- & -E-D-

This wasn't good. They could sense it. Large section of the forest was wrapped in flames. If that was anything to go by, the shade had already made his move.

It would be a disaster if the shade managed to recover the egg. They quickened their pace even further hoping that they weren't too late. The fire was spreading in all directions & usually they would be worried about all the animals & plants but they did not have that luxury at that moment. The elves and the egg were more important.

They noticed a blue fire blast and that could mean only one thing. Lord Eragon had arrived. They couldn't relax yet. Their original plan was to reach the location before him so that he wasn't forced to draw his powers in his current state.

They quenched the fires in their way to enter the clearing immediately noticing eighteen immobile Urgals and that could only mean one thing. The Lord had done what he had promised not to. They found the Lord conversing with an elven lady. They could make out several slain Urgals. The elven lady was heading towards two fallen elves. Based on her expression, Ellie could clearly make out that time was running short. Those two needed help. Ellie started towards the elves while Ed went towards their Lord.

"My Lord. Please stop" shouted Ed as he neared the shade. "You promised not to use your powers and here you are doing the same." Strictly speaking Ed knew that things would end this way. Lord Eragon was too kind. That was the reason he was following him in the first place. He wouldn't harm those he could avoid and all such situations always ended up with the lord using mind control. Taking over the minds of 18 Urgals at once & stopping them from moving was a feat in itself. But maintaining all that while fighting a shade required huge mental concentration. It would put enormous pressure on the Lord and Ed was aware of this.

"We can't go around harming bystanders Ed" was the Lord's reply.

Ed immediately summoned his sword "Durandal" and attacked the shade. The shade had already used up much of his power fighting the lord but yet he was strong enough to hold his own. He aimed at the shade's arm just to receive a cut across his own.

He jumped back calming himself down and reading the shade. He wielded a dual edged sword which was about a meter and half long. Add this to the shade's long reach and thin body, he was dealing with someone who had a wide area of attack. On the other hand the defense was greatly weak. The shade's arrogance meant that he wasn't wielding a shield and thus if he managed to get past his reach, he could easily win this.

Ed immediately brought up his sword holding it in a slanted position, daring the shade to attack. The shade took the bait, attacking his unguarded side at a speed that a normal eye couldn't even follow. Ed was ready for this though as he side stepped the thrust and aimed for the heart. The shade seemed to expect this and turned sideways to allow the sword to pass by.

Ed had to aim for the heart alone as they couldn't risk another confrontation with a revived one. This was their best chance and he had to make it count. He went on the offensive narrowing down the area of attacks. Instead of wide swings, he used short and accurate swings focused on the area around the chest. This gave a smaller area for the shade to defend but also meant that one accurately aimed swipe could get through. Ed seized his chance when they passed the granite area entering the burned forest. The ash left by the burnt leaves was enough to provide him with that window of opportunity. He kicked the ash straight towards the shades eyes. This small lapse in concentration was enough for Ed to pierce the sword straight through the heart of the shade.

He believed that he had won but was blasted back by some dark energy. The spirits of the shade weren't leaving his body which was normally the case when a shade was killed. On closer introspection it seemed as if other spirits were forcing the ones inside the shade's body to remain, closing a way out.

-A-R-Y-A-

She saw a person heading towards the shade. Once again she could clearly make out the distinct lack of weapons similar to the one who had saved her. A woman headed towards her and her hand immediately went to the sword.

She heard the woman say "I am here to help,Arya".She repeated the same in the ancient language. Once again, it was strange as she didn't know her. What was up with strangers recognizing her today? She was about to ask the question when the woman held up her hand as if saying 'questions can wait'.

The woman bent down studying the two elves on the ground. "There aren't any life threatening injuries but they were drugged. The body itself is failing to fight back the damage & start the process of healing. I wonder who devised this drug as it is pretty effective. No matter what we do from the outside, unless the inner body itself decides to fight back nothing can be done. Unless we administer the anti-dotes, they won't survive this"

This didn't fit well with Arya. She was also drugged but she hadn't experienced such symptoms. If they wanted to capture the three of them alive, then they had to keep the anti-dote close at hand to administer it after capturing them. That could only mean that one of the Urgals had it but finding one amongst thirty Urgals wasn't going to be easy.

At that moment, the guy who saved her walked towards them. He pulled down his mask, revealing his face & she was surprised to find a young kid. He hardly seemed 18 and these two were calling him lord. His brows furrowed on seeing the state of the elves on the ground.

"Did you find the anti dote Ellie" he asked.

"No, My lord,"Ellie replied.

"One of the Urgals would have carried the antidote" I say and start searching the dead ones.

He points at an Urgal who was held by his power and locates the one with the anti-dotes. I was starting to wonder why he hadn't killed them or knocked them out yet. While Ellie administered the anti-dote , a loud cry reached their ears.

It could only mean one thing, "the shade was dead". Who were these people? Only two people in history had survived killing a shade and here they were making it seem easy.

But a blast threw the person back & she could feel the presence of ominous spirits fighting back forcing great energy to build up.

"Did you really think that I could be killed" shouted Durza. There was a significant change in the body of Durza. The spirits weren't leaving him but his body was turning white. Similar to the way a shade disappeared & reappeared. The thought of a stronger Durza re-appearing was something that she couldn't even comprehend

Every word that the shade spoke sent chills down her spine as he seemed capable of doing what he said."Don't assume that this is the last of it, I will find you and I will hunt you down. I will remember the faces of every single one of you.I am not going to leave you even after your deaths. I will bind your spirits even after your death to serve me. There's no reason to worry. It is only reasonable for me "the master of death" to control your spirits.."

-E-D-

"It is only reasonable for me "the master of death" to control your spirits.."

He immediately knew that Lord Eragon wouldn't let this go. It didn't come as a surprise when he heard him say

"Reasonable? How can the act of defiling the dead be reasonable?"

"Who gave you the right to control spirits?"

He could feel the Lords anger and from the fire surrounding him, he knew that he couldn't stop him any longer.

Blue fire engulfed the entire region and the pure power it held was enough for Durza to realize that there wasn't a way out anymore.

"Wings of fire" lifted the Lord into the air. The spirits of the "Fallen Dragons" started to appear around the Lord and one could clearly make out the anger in them. Durza was the one who taught Galbatorix dark magic. He was the one responsible for the deaths of several riders and dragons. The most evil shade ever to walk Alagaesia and he was torn apart by the spirits of the Dragons. Their anger towards him was immense and the Lord was the medium through which they acted.

They could hear one final shriek before everything fell silent. Durza was gone. The forest itself seemed to celebrate but there was only one thought running though his head. "Worry"

So, this is my first story to be published at FF. I had to skip through a lot of scenes and cut out quite a bit of description as it was getting too long for a prologue lol. I plan to cover this in more detail when I do the same chapter from Eragon's pov. I hinted at the direction this fic will take along with few of the major plot points in this chapter though. Wonder if you guys can pick that up.

Please review and share what you think. I would really appreciate it. Feel free to PM me with any questions you have and I will try my best to address them.