Eragon, Roran, and Saphira eventually found the entrance to the mountain next to the flower. What made the feeling of entering the cave very intimidating was that Eragon could not locate the lifeforce of any of the Ra'zac, or their parents. But what they could smell was the stench, but not only that the stench of hot blood, a smell familiar to Eragon and Roran alike. They continued down the tunnels, black rock and pitch darkness greeting them. Saphira let out a small amount of fire from her jaw highlighting the sharpness of the caves interior.
Brom told Eragon that the Ra'zac could easily dispatch him in raw daylight, and now he was in the belly of the beast. He twisted his staff in the palm of his hand in anticipation for the battle ahead. The staff itself was similar to Broms staff, Roran gave it to him after the battle of the burning plains when he told his cousin that his sword was taken from him by Murtagh. Unbidden Eragon flashed back to a series of memories all of which were conflicting to him, Murtagh the good friend and traveling companion to Eragon whom he had thought dead, returned not in happy reunion but in bitter betrayal. He did not think that his brother did that to his own will, no, it was most likely Galbatorix who learned of Murtaghs true name and bent his will and allegiance to the mad king. Returning to the present he heard Saphira sniff several times.
'I smell fresh blood ahead, one rights, then straight for a dozen paces or so and then a left.' Her sense of smell keener than Eragons giving them some sense of navigation through the dark passageways. Many of the tunnels were large enough to allow Saphira to move freely but was not large enough for her to jump upwards or fly hindering most of her mobility, a stab from one of the Lethrblaka's beaks was very efficient in this closed spaces giving Saphira the disadvantage. Then they saw it.
Three mounds appeared on the floor as the group when they entered a large part in the cave. They were covered by their dark black cloaks and did not show their bodies. Eragon held firmly onto Broms staff, Saphira growled, and Roran hefted his hammer and readied his shield. The three approached slowly while Eragon scanned the area with his mind to make sure this was not a trap of some kind. Roran picked up a small rock, it was like black glass in color as it gleamed. He then threw the fist sized rock as hard as he could at one of the bodies. It was a good test, a normal person would wake up and scream in pain or at the very least would confirm a sense of pain from the impact and flinch backwards.
But the mounds stayed still. Not even a flinch could be seen from the mound that was hit. Roran was about to approach forward to remove the cloak but Eragon stopped him, concerned that this could be a trap. Outstretching his hand he shouted the incantation.
"Brisingr." His palm dazzled with bright flames and flew at the bodies, engulfing them in an inferno. The cloaks burnt away but left the bodies intact, the mad king must have given them a spell making them immune to magic, a very ability move for the ra'zac to preform assassinations on spellcasters and riders alike Eragon realized.
'I must be more careful about the spells Galbatorix may have at his disposal if I am ever to defeat him in combat.' Eragon reminded himself. He knew this without having to think it, but reminding himself reinforced his will to become stronger.
As the flames subsided what he saw surprised him and disgusted him at the same time. The creatures were decapitated, their heads completely gone. All that showed was their mangled contorted bodies of black flesh and muscle and a pool of blood that was originally hidden by the cloaks that were now burnt away. Saphira sniffed the bodies.
'Whoever or whatever did this hunted the hunters, I am impressed.' She said admirably.
"More like terrified, whatever did this is clearly more powerful than that of the Ra'zac. Look at the wall." Roran said pointing with his hammer.
Both Eragon and Saphira looked and noticed the entire wall as it was highlighted by Saphira's flames .The wall was cracked along either side, but in the center was a dark green and black smear on the surface of the cave. Eragon realized that it was the corpse of another Ra'zac, as if the creature was hit by a gigantic battering ram. He shivered at what could have done this.
With that the group continued to descend down into the bowls of Hellgrind. A few moments later going and continuing to go down into the tunnels the group discovered another body of a Ra'zac, it showed no signs of a struggle, its head was lopped off and its body limp, its sword wasn't even drawn.
"Alright so what do we know about this so far Eragon?" Roran said.
"We know that whoever did this did it last night. The slaves were gone when we woke up which means the Ra'zac already feasted. Whoever this is they are clearly a person. Look at the neck, the cut is clean, it's a sword and a very refined one at that, if it was a dragon then its throat would show a bite mark with tears in the sinew and skin because its head would have been ripped off by a bite. This person is most likely a very powerful magician, with assassination skills more efficient than that of the Ra'zac." Eragon said, beginning to wonder if this unknown person killed the Lethrblaka, but no, only a dragon could kill a Lethrblaka.
"Who do we know that has that kind of skill?" Roran said clearly thinking that no such person existed.
"No one." Eragon said confirming Rorans question.
They pressed on and soon they found another body, showing the same killing method. This was no fight but an execution. However Eragon moved on passed the body, attracted to a set of claw marks, these ones much larger and recent, most likely that of the Lethrblaka. Eragon readied himself and continued forward with Saphira and Roran following closely behind. The young rider looked back to see that Saphira was ready to pounce and wrap her front paws around Roran and her rider should they encounter a surprise attack from the Ra'zacs parents. Slowly but steadily they reached the scene of two giant corpses in the center of a large cavern. The stench was absolutely gagging but somehow Eragon managed to keep his breakfast from going onto the cold hard ground.
If one could compare the smell it would be like that of a slaughter house, with the rotting carcasses of all arrays of farm animals left to ferment in the summer heat in a puddle of sewage. After a few moments Eragon recovered from the stench and re-examined the two beasts. They were most certainly Lethrblaka, their heads were missing as well just like their children. But this was not like the scenes that they had witnessed previously. The two monstrosities had precise cuts going along the bodies of the parents in several vital areas, such as the tendons in the legs to slow them down, the cuts along the underbelly and all over the abdomen with perfect symmetry making it so that way the Lethrblaka could not bend its body because the muscles were severed. And finally the stump that was the neck. The two were cut in a circular motion all around the base of the neck, then the motion continued and with one final strike to the connected spine, severed the neck from the head. It was like a man expertly gutting a fish, knowing exactly where to cut to bring about a quick death. This was beyond an experts level of a cut, this was perfection, whoever did this had experience killing Lethrblaka, or something similar to them. But then Saphira noted something.
'I can smell the freshness of the cuts, and I can tell that these wounds were dealt almost at the exact same moment as another cut, whoever did this, did it almost instantaneously, not even an elf could reach such speeds with a blade.'
Eragon eyes widened and he looked over at Roran and Saphira, both sharing the same level of amazement and at the same time fear.
"Well?" Roran asked looking his cousin dead in the eyes. If there was anything Roran feared, and that was rare, the reason for which being was that Roran hated the unknown, he always wanted to know his situation and maintain control of his environment and surrounding. But this situation introduced an unknown powerful element. One that he had no control over, and that terrified him, Eragon shared the same feeling.
Eragon pondered for a few moments, he relaxed and dropped his guard, the Ra'zac were extinct. From the reports, and they were reliable sources given directly to the Varden, it stated that there were six remaining Ra'zac and two of their parents. And from the blood smears and bodies it went to prove his point. Continuing to think he came up with a terrifying theory, he then talked to Roran.
"I think perhaps Galbatorix decided to end the Ra'zacs services permanently; he most likely sent one of his best assassins to do the job." Eragon said putting a figure to his chin.
Roran's eyes widened at the idea that a single person could do all this. Then his mind shifted to another horrible possibility. "Katrina."
Eragon cursed himself, he was too focused on this unknown element that he had forgotten about Katrina entirely. He quickly scanned with his mind and found the source of light that was potentially Katrina, and he felt an emotion emanating from her…. Hope. Odd.
Eragon quickly ran forward with Roran in close persute. Soon the direction that they were going began to shorten in size, such that Saphira could not follow with her massive dragon body, barely about to squeeze back and turn around.
'I will go back to the exit, I will wait for you little one.' Saphira said, a tint of concern showing.
'Of course Saphira.' Eragon promised as he continued with Roran deeper into the cave.
After many other twists and turns in passageways, halls, and rooms, they finally reached the dungeon that Katrina was being held in. She was blindfolded and was chained to the wall but she was smiling, as if anticipating their arrival.
"Roran? Eragon? Is that you?" she asked.
Roran ran to her and opened up the cell door which was unlocked for some reason. Roran continued to run up to her and carefully removed the blindfold, she blinked several times and focused herself. She smiled again.
"Oh Roran."
"Shh don't speak. Let me get these chains off of you." Roran then looked back at Eragon. But before Eragon spoke the spell to release her he looked at her and Roran.
"I need to scan her mind to make sure Galbatorix hasn't planted any traps." Eragon said, he regretted it but it was the safe thing to do.
Roran nodded, while he personally detested the measure he agreed that it was necessary just to be sure. Looking back at Katrina Roran spoke.
"Katrina, Eragon is here, just… relax yourself."
She hesitated for a moment and then agreed by closing her eyes and calming her breathing. Eragon then began the process by entering her mind. It was at peace but in confusion as well, but there was another emotion as well, an emotion of gratitude. Emotions were normally the first thing a person detected when entering anothers mind, they pored over the mind and were expressed by the person. Eragon continued to search but could find nothing of alarm. However he did notice the most recent memory before he and Roran entered the cell. He would ask in person and not retrieve information without permission.
Exiting out of her mind she breathed a sigh as the feeling of his mind left her presents. Eragon then began to undo the chains encompassing her wrists, as he did so he asked his question.
"Was someone here before you?"
Katrina nodded as her chains were removed, she rubbed her wrists and grimaced at the sensation of scraped skin. Eragon then with her and Roran's permission continued to heal her injuries. She was intrigued by the fact that Eragon knew magic but remained focused on his question.
"A man a few hours ago came into my cell, he unlocked it by picking it I think. He told me that he had killed everything inside the mountain including the Ra'zac and the Lethrblaka. It was one man, I could not hear any other footsteps. At first I thought he was going to kill me, but it seemed like he wished no ill will upon me. So I asked if he was going to free me, he said he would let you two do it and he would be watching from the shadows."
Eragons head twisted to face the area that they entered from. Immediately scanning with his mind and redoubling his efforts to find another person. But all he found was the other dim light, the light to all persons he hoped was not what he thought it was. Still he remained on guard.
"Did this person give any information as to who he was?" Roran asked picking Katrina up in his arms and kissing her.
Breaking the tender kiss she nodded. "He seemed so casual about it, I took him for someone very powerful, he said he killed them because he was bored, at least that is what he said. But the one hint to his identity that he gave to me, was that you shall know him by the name dragonborn, and that I should only tell you two so that way when he says it, you will know who he is and what he is capable of."
Eragon and Roran looked at each other, troubled by this information. They both came to the same conclusion, they wouldn't find this person, he would find them. But what intrigued Eragon was the fact that Katrina used the word bored, as if a god got tired of being all powerful and simply went on a rampage to amuse itself. The image of Galbatorix plagued his mind again. An incredibly powerful unknown force wiped out one of the most powerful creatures in all of Allegaesia without the slightest of effort, and they did it because they were bored. Eragon always speculated what the mad king was like, however from what he heard in the stories, the king found numerous twisted ways to amuse himself. As such he wondered to himself if the king had come here this night or something just as powerful, like that of a shade, came into the night and murdered the Ra'zac into extinction just for laughs. His arms and back of his neck tingled at the image of meeting someone that powerful.
"What about my father? The Ra'zac took me and him, where is he?" Katrina said.
Eragon's heart sank at the thought. Gulping down his fears he spoke.
"I will go and check on the other cells, to make sure that no one else is trapped in this hell hole before we leave." Roran nodded and continued to comfort and hold Katrina in his arms, as if he would not let her go for the world.
Eragon continued down the stone hallway, which was dotted with twenty or so ironbound cell doors, some on either side of the hall. He went to the first cell and continued as to not draw suspicion by Roran. Eragon then continued down each cell, all he found were piles of rotting bones swept to either side of the cells, but the one he was looking for was a few more down. Eragon continued, he attempted to swallow his anxiety. Then he finally arrived at the cell door he wanted to reach at the fourth cell. Opening it using three words in the ancient language he peered inside. In the cell revealed the very man Eragon had hoped not to find, Sloan.
The butcher sat, slumped on the stone, the corners of his bones standing out along his frame and tattered cloth barely covering his filth covered body.
Sloans wrists were swollen like that of sponge around the encasing of metal. Sweat and grease dripped from his brow. His hair, once a dark brown, hung in thick cords and were a sick grey. Sweat dripped again down his brow and it also coated his back and the undersides of his arms. The life and will to live was completely out of him.
He moved his he head upward when he heard the footsteps of Eragon approach.
His hair parted as he raised his head, his eye sockets sunk in to show two holes were his eyes should have been. Tatters of his eyelids hid the rest of his eyes from view, the area around his eyes bruised and scarred. With a shock Eragon finally realized that the Ra'zac had removed Sloans eyes with their beaks, eating them.
What he then should do Eragon could not choose. The butcher had betrayed him when he told the Ra'zac that Eragon had found Saphira's egg, to add to it Sloan had killed the watchman and had betrayed all of Carvahall to the Empire, if he was taken back to the surviving villagers they would execute him on the spot. It seemed like the perfect sense of Justice that the butcher should die for his crimes, but that was not the source of his uncertainty, but rather from the fact that Katrina, despite all that the butcher had done, most likely still loved her father. Much like how Eragon still considered Murtagh a friend even though he had betrayed the Varden. Katrina loved her father, Roran loved Katrina, and Eragon loved Roran as a brother. If he was a stranger in this party Eragon would have no problem killing Sloan for his crimes and leaving him to rot in the cell for the remainder of all of time. But it still felt wrong.
Either way he knew that taking Sloan back with them would not help Roran and Katrinas relationship, if he took Sloan back he would be sentenced to death and that could potentially sow discord between them and even, at the worst case scenario, bring about the destruction of their relationship and their Engagement to marriage. The easiest solution would be to kill Sloan, one of the death words of the ancient language hanging on his tongue.
"What do you want? I've already told you everything I know." He whimpered in a pitiful manner.
Eragon cursed himself.
'Any lawgiver, if in my place would sentence Sloan to death, so why shouldn't I?' Eragon asked himself mentally. He knew the answer. The man in front of him was an individual that Eragon had grown up with his entire life, he shared memories with him and as such created a sense of guilt if he killed Sloan. Roran could probably do it but it would definitely hurt Katrina to see him go through with the action of executing her father.
Eragon was placed in the enigma until his mind settled on a solution. There was a third option other than taking Sloan to the Varden or killing him, he spoke the incantation to bring Sloan into unconsciousness. He then went back to Roan and Katrina.
"I found Sloan." He said.
Katrina looked up hopefully. "Is he alright."
Eragon paused for affect and winced at the lie he was about to tell her. "He is dead."
Katrina lowered her head. "What's done is done, goodbye father." She said closing her eyes as a single tear fell, and they fell no more. It would appear that she had already accepted the possibility that the Ra'zac had killed her father, otherwise she would deny the situation and demand to see her father.
She then lifted her head. "Please let us get out of here from this wretched place."
Roran began to carry Katrina out of the cell and Eragon followed, soon to lead the way. Eragon filled in Katrina on most of the details about what had happened when he had left, how he was the last free dragon rider and how she was going to meet his dragon, giving her the quite summed up version. She laughed and started to cry, nuzzling her head into the crutch of Rorans shoulder.
"It almost doesn't seem real." She said smiling and continued to dampen Roran's armor with her tears.
"I know my love." Roran said softly to her, kissing her on the top of her head as they continued to walk towards the exit of the cave.
After what seemed like an hour of going back to the exit Katrina asked Roran to stop as she saw the sight of the four slain Ra'zac and the puddle of blood on the wall with cracks showing.
"So this is how powerful he is? What is this man?" Katrina asked.
"A powerful magician, more powerful than myself." Eragon said. He hated to admit it, but if what Katrina said about the man, how he told her he was just bored in killing some of the deadliest monsters in Allegaesia, then Eragon knew that if he ever faced this man and he was serious, he would most likely die. He again thought of the possibility that Galbatorix visited Hellgrind and murdered his servants because he was bored. This edging thought sent shivers down his spine.
With that final thought they continued towards the exit.
What seemed like an hour, but Eragon knew was only around 10 to 15 minutes, they finally reached the exit, Saphira guarding the entrance. Katrina looked up at her and they greeted each other. It was a few awkward moments with a little bit of fear in Katrina's eyes, but eventually she climbed on with Roran. Roran looked back at Eragon and outstretched his hand to help him up. But Eragon did not accept the hand.
Saphira looked at him, concern in her eyes. Eragon would not lie to his Dragon. He shared with her his thoughts and memories of Sloan and what he was about to do. She growled.
'Go back and kill him.' She said, annoyed that her rider was willing to risk himself just to save a life of a pest like the man he was going to save.
'I will not, it is wrong. Go. Please.' Eragon pleaded.
She roared and Katrina closed her eyes in fear. Roran looked at Eragon. "Let's go!" He said.
Eragon shook his head and turned away from Roran, he could never lie to his cousin and look him in the eyes, somehow Roran always knew when he lied, he was rather good at reading people.
"I need to search the area to make sure the Ra'zac do not have any eggs that are capable of hatching, they could also store secret information helpful to the Varden and the resistance against the Empire."
Roran paused for a moment and approved, he understood the logic of it, any information was helpful and they would not have another situation like this in the future. Therefore it was an opportune moment to gain any piece of useful information that they could.
Saphira turned around, she desperately wanted her rider to be safe.
'If you aren't back soon I will go through all the empire, and kill everything in sight, even Galbatorix and Murtagh to get to you. Stay safe little one.' Saphira said to him, with fury and care at the same time, a mix of emotions putting her in turmoil. But she respected Eragon's choice, she knew that once he made up his mind much like herself, then there was nothing that could stop them from the attempt. With that she left out of the hidden exit and flew away with a loud roar and a thunderclap of wings.
Eragon walked outside to see her fly away. He then turned around to retrieve Sloan and went back into the Ra'zac's lair.