(A.N.) I'd just like to thank everyone that reviewed the Epilogue of The Empire: Book IV, and I'm so happy that many of you were excitedly waiting for me to begin the sequel. Well, here is the first chapter! I've been doing a lot of brainstorming, character and plot building with the help of RaphaelofTheDarkness. I really feel that this continuation will be very successful and I hope you will all enjoy it much more than The Empire.
P.S. Updates for this story will be slow for now, so please bear with me.
Onward!
Disclaimer - The Inheritance Cycle belongs to CP and Random House. This is purely for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of other readers of Fanfiction.
Cythraul's Amulet
Prologue
[some centuries ago…]
"My Lord Eragon, we must pull our forces back!" An Elf clad in silver armor shouted.
The Elf, Eragon, looked up into the sky as dragon's of the order clashed against dragon's of the enemy. They were black, winged beasts with red eyes. No remorse showed through their gaze as they ruthlessly attacked his forces.
"Bid'Daum!" He cried out. The great dragon, clad in elegant white amour, released a jet a hot flame, fending off an enemy rider and his winged companion as he spiraled down towards his own rider.
"All forces: push them back! Leave none alive!" A voice boomed across the land. It came as a harsh whisper, tumbling across the land like wind, sweeping over everything.
Eragon jerked his head towards a tall watch tower of stone carved with intricate patterns. There, on the top of the structure, stood a giant black beast whose wings were torn in many areas. Its mouth was large with thousands of razor sharp teeth. Its claws were long, with blood stains on them from the many dragons it had ripped apart. Atop this wild beasts back sat a figure cloaked in black. Its head was covered in a large, spiky helm with a black chasm in the center, making it difficult - it not impossible - for anyone to see its face.
"Cythraul..." Eragon muttered as he clenched his teeth.
"My Lord Eragon!?" The Elf asked again. His face was covered in a mix dirt and blood. Some of which was his own while the majority came from the enemy troops.
"We shall not retreat!" Eragon spat. "We will claim this land in the name of the Dragon Riders!" He vowed. He climbed onto Bid'Daum and drew his blade. "To me!" He cried. "As one!"
"As one!" The rest of the riders shouted in unison. They flew down towards Eragon and Bid'Daum pushed off the ground.
"The Council would not - " The Elvin soldier began, before he was cut off.
"The Council entrusted me with this mission!" Eragon shouted. "We will reclaim this land and we will drive that monster away! Reform the line of our ground troops and push forward!" He commanded.
"Y-yes my lord!"
Eragon nodded curtly before Bid'Daum climbed higher and higher into the smoke filled skies.
"Reform the line!" He heard the soldier command.
Eragon smiled weakly before stowing his blade away and pulling out a long bow that was slung across his back. Pulling out and arrow, he cried, "Brisingr!" The arrow head burst into flames and he fired a shot. It hit one of the enemy's square in the chest and they cried out in agonizing pain before falling off their mount.
They fought on, and as Eragon neared the lone figure on the watch tower, the monster clenched its hands on the reins of its mounts; its metal armored glove rattling and crunching in the process.
"What of that rider, my lord?" A creature asked his master.
"Leave him to me..." Cythraul shook the reins in his hands and his mount released an ear-shattering cry before diving off the stone tower.
The winged beast collided into Bid'Daum and they clashed in a whorl of attacks. Eragon drew another arrow and fired it into the blackness where Cythraul's face would be, but it was deflected by a long blade. Cythraul hissed and swung his blade at Eragon, but he ducked from the attack. Quickly stowing his bow away, Eragon drew his sword and struck at Cythraul, his blade meetings the enemy's with a resounding clang.
Bid'Daum suddenly cried out and Eragon looked down to see Cythraul's mount crushing his dragon's side with its enormous mouth. Bid'Daum struggled but cried out yet again as the beasts spiky tail collided into his side. With a cry, Eragon drove his blade into the side of the beast's mouth. It cried out and released Bid'Daum but Eragon drew his bow once more and fired a shot into the side of the beast.
It cried out again; its voice echoing across the plains in pure agony. Eragon heard Cythraul yell in anger as he raised his hand fired a blast of magic at him. He was forced to un-strap himself from Bid-Daum's saddle and shielded himself through the opposite side. A few seconds later he hopped back up into Bid'Daum's back. He was barely able to strap himself in when a sudden blast hit all four of them, and they plummeted to the ground.
Eragon grunted as he struggled to get to his feet. He looked ahead to see Bid'Daum and Cythraul's mount now attacking each on the ground. His heartbeat quickened. Where was Cythraul? His eyes suddenly widened and he rolled out of the way as a chained, heavily spiked mace collided into the ground sending dirt spraying several feet. Eragon gasped and quickly rolled back up to his feet, his blade now in hand.
"This war has been going on long enough!" Eragon spat.
"I agree. It is time to end this foolish battle." Cythraul replied.
He cried out, a voice sounding more like glass scraping against one another, and swung his mace at Eragon. He dodged the attack, rolling out of the way and brought himself up to one knee before raising his hand and muttering a spell in the Ancient Language.
Cythraul dodged the magical attack and cackled madly. "Your foolish words have no effect on me!"
Eragon jumped to his feet and when Cythraul swung his mace in a vertical fashion, he quickly sidestepped and covered the distance between them. Disarming Cythraul, Eragon drove his shoulder into the creature's body, sending him sprawling backwards.
Eragon stood, waiting for his next move. Cythraul began to breathe slowly yet it came in heavy rasps. It was so loud that Eragon could practically feel the sound of his voice reverberate throughout his own body. With his mace gone, Cythraul was forced to draw his blade; an act that made Eragon shiver slightly. With another cry, Cythraul charged Eragon and he threw up his blade to block the impending attack.
With each powerful blow, Eragon found it harder and harder to fend him off. He cried out when Cythraul managed to strike him across the face with the hilt of his blade. Blood trickled down Eragon face and when he tried to attack, Cythraul grabbed his arm and hurled him across the ground. Eragon grunted and was suddenly pulled up by the neck. Coughing hard, Eragon grabbed Cythraul's wrists as the creatures hand wrung them tightly across Eragon's neck.
"You were a fool to try and stop me, Lord Eragon." Cythraul spat, mocking Eragon's title. "Your pitiful council cannot stop me. This land is mine, and when I discover the lands from which you hail, they too shall be mine!" He threated.
Eragon clenched his teeth, trying hard to break Cythraul's grip on him, but he was finding it harder and harder to breath. Then, he was struck with a sudden idea. He released one of his hands from Cythraul's wrist and dropped it to his side, an act that made Cythraul believe that Eragon was giving up. Instead, Eragon slowly drew a dagger. "You will never rule anything. A monster such as yourself must be banished from this land!" Eragon spat before ramming the dagger through Cythraul's side.
The creature cried out as pain erupted into his side and he let go of Eragon. The Elf dropped to the ground and slowly stood up, coughing and holding his neck before he drew his blade and quickly drove it into Cythraul's chest.
"Your rule has come to an end, Ra'zac King!" Eragon spat.
A small smile covered Cythraul's face as he laughed harshly. "You cannot kill me, Lord Eragon! You may destroy this body, but I will live on. I shall return, young dragon rider. And when I do, I will crush everything in this world. I start anew, ruler of this world!" He hissed.
Eragon withdrew his blade from Cythraul's chest and quickly began to chant a string of words in the Ancient Language. A golden amulet on Cythraul's left wrist began to glow brightly. He shrieked in pain, convulsing and twisting his body until he crumbled to the ground. The amulet that was once glowing now fell to the ground and rolled some feet away; the once bright and intricately designed gold jewelry began to dim as Eragon finished the spell to seal Cythraul's body.
They would take him to an island leagues south of Vroengard, so that the order may guard the prison should the Ra'zac King ever rise again…
(A.N.) So, what do you guys think about the prologue? Was it interesting? I know, you guys are probably all really confused as to why this is through Eragon I's POV, but it will all be explained later on, I promise!
Hopefully it was a good hook! Until chapter 1!
- Demonzmagic