A Different Life
Chapter 2
Morzan's Revelation
Over the next five years and eleven months, Morzan had become nicer to everyone and even drank less alcohol. Eventually, Selena started to trust Morzan with minding Eragon and Murtagh again. On this particular day, Selena and Murtagh are away out to do something secret which meant that Eragon is being minded by Morzan.
Eragon wandered aimlessly around his home, trying to think of something to do. He stopped by a door that was always locked because Morzan had forbidden everyone but himself to enter. Eragon knew that it's always locked because he and Murtagh have tried on numerous occasions to get in. He tried another half-hearted attempt to open the door and gasped in surprise when it opened. Eragon quickly looked around him to make sure that Morzan wasn't coming, and then stepped inside.
The room was completely bare. In fact, the only thing in the room was a huge wooden chest at the back of it. Eragon immediately became even more curious. He completely forgot about listening out for Morzan coming. He slowly stepped towards the chest and inspected it closely. There wasn't a keyhole so Eragon assumed that it was locked by magic. But that didn't stop him from reaching out to try to open it anyway.
"So," Morzan sneered from the doorway. "You have decided to deliberately disobey my orders which will result in severe punishment."
As soon as Morzan had started to speak, Eragon jumped, pulled his hands away from the chest and whipped around to look at his father with frightened eyes. He tried to speak, to make up a story as to why he was in that room, but his voice wouldn't work.
"Because your mother and your pathetic brother aren't here," Morzan continued, "I can punish you exactly as I wish to." He advanced slowly into the room, never taking his eyes off of Eragon.
Eragon's eyes widened and he took a frightened step back. He frantically searched the room for another escape route but there wasn't one. He gulped when he saw Morzan close the door and lock it.
"I've wanted to hurt you for such a long time, boy. Since you were born, I've pretended to be a nice father, in order to get Selena to trust me with you and Murtagh, so that I can harm you when the time comes. Do you want to know what I did to Murtagh? I sliced his back with my sword when he was just three. It was so fun watching him nearly bleed to death. It was a shame your mother came home in time to take him to the hospital. I will do the same thing to you if you continue to disobey me. I have never liked you because you remind me of my enemy, Brom, too much. If I didn't know better, I'd say that you are Brom's son instead of mine. But I know that Selena would never do that to me, she wouldn't dare!"
By this time Eragon was pressed against the wall and Morzan stood right in front of him, a cruel smile slowly spreading across his face.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, if you let out one sound while I'm beating you, I will punish you further."
With that said, Morzan kicked Eragon in the stomach, making him fall on to the ground, completely winded.
"Get up, boy," Morzan snarled. He aimed another kick at him, his foot connecting with Eragon's ribs this time. "I SAID GET UP!"
But Eragon couldn't. He was still having difficulty breathing. Tears started to stream down his face because the pain from his ribs was unbearable. He was just about able to keep quiet.
Morzan didn't have the patience to wait for Eragon to get up. He simply grabbed Eragon and threw him against the wall, shoulder first. There was a sickening crack as Eragon's shoulder broke. Now he cried out in agony while Morzan laughed.
Through his tears, Eragon saw Morzan walking towards him with a belt in his hands, no mercy in his eyes, and immediately knew what was coming next. He shut his eyes and bit his lip so that he didn't give Morzan any more satisfaction, but to no avail. Morzan whacked him on his broken shoulder with the belt which resulted in Eragon yelling again and tried to move out of the way of Morzan's next blow.
Morzan continued to hit Eragon with the belt until he was nearly unconscious. Morzan gripped Eragon by the hair and lifted him up in the air until they were eye to eye.
"Now listen," Morzan hissed, "If you tell anyone that I beat you, I will make you wish you had never been born."
'I already do wish that' Eragon thought bitterly, but he didn't dare say it out loud.
Morzan then proceeded to drag Eragon out of the room, locking the door behind him. As he dragged Eragon down the stairs to his room, he deliberately made sure Eragon was hitting his head on every step, leaving a trail of blood behind. He reached Eragon's room and threw the unconscious boy roughly onto the floor and left to clear up the blood on the stairs.
Just as he did that, he heard the door rap and Carly answered it.
"Selena! Murtagh!" she exclaimed. "We weren't expecting you back so early!"
Morzan cursed and rushed back into Eragon's room and immediately healed him. Personally, he would have loved to keep Eragon in pain for a while longer but he didn't want Selena to find out and never let him mind Eragon and Murtagh again. And if he couldn't mind them, he couldn't hurt them.
Murtagh burst into the room just as Morzan wrapped the blankets around Eragon. Morzan shushed him and whispered, "Eragon is asleep. We played a lot of games today which tired Eragon out. Let's go downstairs and you will see Eragon when he wakes up." They left the room together.
As soon as the door closed, Eragon opened his eyes. He stayed in bed for another while, preparing a story to tell his mother and brother but that didn't take him very long. He spent the rest of the time preparing himself to face Morzan again and act normal. He then went down to the front room where he knew he would find his family, but before he reached it, he felt someone enter his mind.
'Alright boy,' Morzan growled. 'I told them that we spent a lot of time playing hide and seek both in here and in the garden. Remember, not a word about your beating to anyone.' He left Eragon's mind.
Eragon slowly went into the front room and found his family seated around the fire. Murtagh was the first person to notice him. He grinned at him and beckoned him over. Eragon complied immediately, knowing he was going to be safe with Murtagh.
"Hey! How've you been? Dad says you tired yourself out playing hide and seek with him for ages! Who won the most games?"
Eragon grinned back at him and said, "I won the most games because I was small enough to hide in places where daddy didn't think of looking, and so he couldn't find me! So what were you doing with mummy?"
"Oh! Umm…We were…visiting one of mum's friends. She's sick, so I offered to help bring stuff over…"
"Oh." Eragon was unconvinced but he didn't question Murtagh further, to Murtagh's relief.
"So anyway, mum and I have to go out again in a few days so daddy will have to mind you again. How does that sound?"
Eragon grinned, but Murtagh noticed that it was a bit forced.
"Aww, Murtagh, but you will miss out on all the fun!" Eragon protested.
"It'll only be for a couple of hours, surely you can last that long without me!" Murtagh teased.
"Alright, but it's your loss."
Murtagh looked around him to see if anybody was listening and then said, "Any luck with that room yet?" he whispered.
Eragon shook his head, even though he knew he ought to tell Murtagh what really happened to him but was too afraid of both Murtagh's and Morzan's reactions if he did. So he kept quiet.
They then went out into the garden to play. As they left, Eragon looked back at Morzan and saw him smirk at him evilly. Eragon knew what was going to happen to him again in a few days time.
