6/10/12 Hey readers! Sorry it's taken me such a long time to update with a new chapter. I had a case of writer's block for the last month of my semester, so it took me a while to finally to get back to writing. Now, this is a short chapter and more of a filler than anything else. But here's the thing about this chapter. This chapter introduces Eragon to a new concept about the world, the stars, the sun and the heavens. This is where the scifi elements I said I would have in the story are starting to come into play. From here on out, the scifi elements will progressively become more and more noticeable.
Also, I have two announcements to make. First, I will no longer be working on my Stargate Universe fan fiction anymore. Don't get me wrong, I loved working on my SGU fan fic, but since I uploaded that little poll in place of chapter 8, I've lost the spark to keep on working on it. It was a very tough and difficult decision for me to discontinue work on it, probably the hardest decision I've ever made since I decided upon what I wanted to major in at the beginning of my college career. Again, I'm sorry to have to make this announcement about my SGU fan fic, and I hope you guys can understand why I made the decision to stop working on it. But hold your horses, because I never said that I'm COMPLETELY done with it. No, I hope to one day return to working on it sometime in the future.
Now for the second announcement. Remember when I said that since I'm a big scifi nerd and that this story will have slight scifi elements in it? Well, that's changed since I've discovered the awesomeness of Mass Effect(still hate ME3's ending though, love the rest of the game and ME2). The original main plot idea of my story is still the same, albeit altered somewhat to fit what I'd like to see. Now there will be big time scifi elements later on in the story. And I hope that none of you will hate me for this, but I plan to make this story a bit of a crossover with Mass Effect. Not entirely, but just one element from Mass Effect will appear later on in the story. If you want to know what that plan of mine is, please inquire about it to me via PM. I don't want there to be a massive spoiler.
Anyways, that's all for now! I hope you enjoy the read guys!
10/12/12 So...after a long hard debate with myself, I decided I'm not going to go through with this Mass Effect addition to the story I said I would be including. I just felt that it would turn off a lot of my IC readers, so I came to the conclusion that I would not be putting in some Mass Effect elements to this story. Those of you interested in what I had originally planned to include, you can PM me and I can give you a detailing of what I had had in mind for the story in terms of Mass Effect. But as it stands now, this story will be a purely original writing with no crossover elements whatsoever.
4/21/2012
Eldäriän
By: Filip Lesiczka
This story was written by Filip Lesiczka. Please do not reproduce or distribute without permission.
This story is in no way affiliated with Christopher Paolini, the Inheritance Cycle or Alfred A. Knopf. This is a fan fiction. No part of this story is associated with the happenings and events of the Inheritance Cycle. This is just my version of a continuation to the story that Christopher Paolini has completed. I am only providing answers for myself, and so many other fans who feel justice hasn't been served for an amazing series of books. All names and characters mentioned in the Inheritance Cycle are copyrighted to Christopher Paolini and Knopf. No copyright infringement is intended in this story. I own only the names and characters that I have created for this story. Again this is only a fan fiction, and I aim to only provide entertainment for myself and many fans, as well as closure.
Chapter 4
What Lies in the Heavens
Perhaps something has occurred back in Alagaësia, something that perhaps you are connected to.
They were in Eragon's study, gathered in front of the blazing fire within the large stone hearth just off to the side of Eragon's desk. Blödhgarm sat in one of the leather lounge chairs in front of the fireplace, gazing into the dancing flames. He had his right leg propped up on his left knee and Kaeshta rested peacefully in his lap. Saphira lay on the magically heated stone floor across from where Blödhgarm sat in his chair. Her neck was curved around so that her snout rested directly in front of Eragon's feet.
Meanwhile, Eragon stared off into the writhing flames within the hearth while he leaned against Saphira's side. Ever since Eragon had experienced the odd sensations on the back of his head a day ago, his thoughts had been wandering a lot. His thoughts always fell upon Arya and her wellbeing. He had tried to contact her earlier that morning via the mirror, but he had been told by Vanir, the ambassador between the elves and humans, that Arya had departed Ellesméra after something happened in Palancar Valley.
Again, Eragon attempted to contact Roran, but no one had appeared in the mirror. The same was true for Orik, Nar Garzhvog and Nasuada. However, Eragon had been able to contact King Orrin, who Eragon thought had aged quite a bit since they had last seen each other.
"No, I haven't heard from Queen Arya or the elves since you left," Orrin had said after Eragon had asked about Arya's whereabouts. "And what do you mean something has happened in Palancar Valley?" Orrin asked.
"I'm not sure myself," Eragon had answered, "All Vanir told me was that something had happened in Palancar Valley. I'm as much in the dark as you."
There was silence among the four of them; the crackling and sizzling of the fire the only sound in the room at that moment.
"But what could have happened that both of us felt the same sensation at the exact same moment?" Blödhgarm asked as he turned his gaze away from the fire and onto Saphira, breaking the silence. "For us to have felt something this far away from Alagaësia, the incident would have had to have been of immense proportions."
"But none of the other elves felt it," Eragon said as his thoughts wandered back to the present conversation. "And neither did Kaeshta or Saphira."
Do you think magic could have been involved in whatever happened?
Eragon shook his head, "If there was magic involved, it's none like I've ever felt before. And why would it only affect Blödhgarm and I alone? Why only the Riders and not their dragons?"
"Perhaps it was a spell specifically made to target just Riders," Blödhgarm speculated as he began to stroke Kaeshta on the top of her head.
But what was the purpose of the spell? Do you both feel anything different?
Eragon and Blödhgarm's eyes met and exchanged silent words with one another. Blödhgarm shook his head and Eragon shrugged. "The only thing that's different now is the sudden urge to return to Alagaësia," Blödhgarm answered.
Eragon nodded his head in agreement, "I can't exactly explain it but something is drawing me in the direction of the Hadarac Desert."
The Hadarac Desert…
Kaeshta lifted her head up and gazed towards Saphira, while Saphira turned an eye towards the little dragon. Blödhgarm sensed that Saphira and Kaeshta were conversing with one another, "You seem to be speculating on something. Has something jogged your memory?"
Saphira closed her eye for a moment and was silent. Upon opening her eye, she spoke, No, nothing has jogged my memory. But Kaeshta seems to…remember something.
"Remember?" Blödhgarm asked lifting an eyebrow and Kaeshta snorted.
I do not know where she may have gotten this knowledge…but she remembers some sort of prophecy made by our prehistoric ancestors.
This peaked Eragon's interest, "A prophecy? Made by prehistoric dragons?"
'And then, the Four shall reunite at the Place of Origin to challenge the Beast. There, the Wielder shall fight It, aided by two other warriors; one of times long since gone by, the other of times long yet to happen.'
A chill suddenly ran down Eragon's spine upon hearing the last words of the prophecy. The phrase, 'the other of times long yet to happen' seemed to jump out at him. But who it was referring to, Eragon did not know. All he knew was that the phrase had some kind of meaning to it and for some reason it seemed to stir an unpleasant feeling within him. It made him uneasy, but at the same time it struck something within him that gave him a sense of newfound purpose. What for this sense of purpose was, Eragon had no idea. Perhaps its meaning would come to him in due time.
"How could Kaeshta know this?" Blödhgarm asked and Eragon could tell the furred elf was genuinely confused. "Who are the 'Four' and where is the 'Place of Origin'?"
Saphira's upper lip curled up into a snarl, How am I to know? I've never heard of this prophecy before myself until Kaeshta recited it to me!
Blödhgarm blinked, surprised by Saphira's reaction to his questions, "Have I unknowingly offended you?" Kaeshta had also been surprised by Saphira's angry response and huddled closer to Blödhgarm's belly as she looked at Saphira with slight fear in her eyes.
"Are you alright, Saphira?" Eragon asked as he bent his knees and stood on the balls of his feet until his face was level with Saphira's large left eye. He gazed with worry into the blue abyss of her eye.
No…forgive me. I just have not been feeling much like myself in recent days. She paused for a moment as she averted her eye away from Eragon. Smoke billowed out from her nostrils as she seemed to ponder something. Then she stood up. I wish to be left alone for a while, she said as she loomed above Eragon before turning to leave the room. She slowly made her way towards the large wooden doors of Eragon's study, nudged them open with her snout and exited the room.
No sooner had her tail disappeared around the corner of the doorway, Eragon turned towards Blödhgarm, "What just happened?"
Blödhgarm shrugged, "I am unsure myself." The furred elf pondered for a moment before adding, "Perhaps…it has something to do with her pregnancy."
"You mean she's having mood swings?"
Blödhgarm nodded, "I believe so. The strange thing is she hasn't shown any signs of this change in mood until now…after we experienced the strange sensation."
"I was just beginning to think that maybe her change in mood and the sensation we felt were connected somehow."
"Perhaps. Or it may just be that she may soon be due to lay her eggs." Blödhgarm glanced down at Kaeshta, who had lifted her head up and rested it down on his chest. The little dragon took a deep breath and sighed loudly.
Eragon turned his eyes back towards the door to his study as he worried about Saphira.
Blödhgarm could see the worry in Eragon's eye's and assured him that he shouldn't worry too much. "I'm sure that it is only a temporary side effect of pregnancy. All females go through this change in emotions near the end of pregnancy."
"Even elves?" Eragon asked as he looked back at the furred elf.
Blödhgarm nodded in response. "Even elves," he said after a minute of silence. "Only in the case of a pregnant elf…magic is involved when the change of emotions happens."
"I imagine that it may sometimes become…dangerous to be around a female elf going through this."
"Aye," Blödhgarm answered, "you don't want to be in an elf's line of fire when her emotions suddenly change without warning…nor do you want to know what may occur when it does happen."
ͼͽ
The time is soon approaching, Saphira said to herself as she gazed up at the stars partially obscured by light cloud cover. A slight drizzle had started by the time she had walked out onto courtyard. She stood alone at the edge of the cobblestone courtyard, which was wide enough for several dragons her size to land comfortably, Very soon, dragons will once more walk upon this round earth. Her mind wandered back to her time spent with Fírnen, I'd only be happier if you were here with me to lay eyes upon the eggs of our children.
She shuffled her wings as she caught Eragon's scent from behind her. She quickly glanced behind her as she heard his footsteps approaching before returning her gaze to the stars. Eragon had a furred scarf wrapped around his neck and leather gloves on his hands. He had not bothered to put his fur coat over his light tunic.
Little one, Saphira said with her eyes still turned up towards the stars, why did you not throw your warm fur over your shoulders? It is not warm out here, you'll freeze.
Eragon was silent as he approached closer to her and stopped at her right side next to her large forearm. He looked out across the vast openness of the depression that was the crater they called home, Being cold is the least of my worries right now, Saphira. Are you alright? That was a rather sudden change of mood you had back there.
Saphira took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she sighed. Forgive me if I frightened you and Blödhgarm.
You didn't frighten us, Eragon said, you only worried us when you became angry so suddenly.
Do not worry yourself with me little one. I am a dragon, Eragon. I can tolerate the discomfort I have been feeling recently.
Eragon glanced up at Saphira upon hearing of her discomfort, How come you didn't tell me? I could have easily cast a spell to-
Saphira's upper lip curled up into a snarl, Eragon! I said I can tolerate it! I do not need any spells! She angled her head downwards to look out across the flat plains within the crater and her eyes softened, This is something every mother must go through.
Eragon placed his left hand on Saphira's right forearm, her scales warm beneath his cold fingers. Saphira swiveled her head to look down at him, If it's what you want, then I won't do anything just to alleviate my worry of you. But I just wish you had told me sooner about your discomfort.
It would have only caused you to worry even more. Right now, you mustn't worry yourself about me as you already have much to worry about with completing the nursery and conference hall. Saphira lowered her head down until her eyes were level with his and Eragon lifted his left hand off her forearm and scratched the scales above her right brow.
I still wish you had told me about it sooner.
The drizzle stopped and the clouds parted, allowing the light from the moon to cast its glow down upon the landscape. Eragon turned his eyes up to the stars, as did Saphira. Many of the stars were dim, winking in and out of the darkness of the night sky, while others were about as bright as the moon itself.
Blödhgarm said that falling stars are in fact stones from beyond this earth, Saphira said. Eragon glanced at her and saw that something within her was working, her imagination perhaps. He could clearly see the stars reflected in the pool that was her right eye, like a mirror. I inquired to him about it yesterday. It is amazing how much the elves have observed about the heavens in only a thousand years.
What did he tell you?
From their observations, the elves were able to calculate that the moon goes around the earth in what Blödhgarm called an 'orbit.' And much like the moon, our own world orbits the sun.
Eragon looked back up at the stars, The earth orbits the sun? But then what does the sun orbit around?
Saphira snorted, which sounded more like a subdued laugh to Eragon, I thought you might ask something like that. The sun does not orbit anything. It is stationary within the heavens.
Stationary? This confused Eragon, as he knew the sun traveled through the sky during the day before setting behind the horizon. But then how does the sun move through the sky?
The earth is turning Eragon, Saphira answered as she glanced at him for a moment with her right eye. As our world orbits around the sun, it is turning, which is why the sun seems to travel through the sky over the course of the day. While we have our nights, the other side of this world is having its day.
Interesting, said Eragon as he digested this new concept about the sun, the earth and the heavens. The elves are much more observant than I already know them to be. What else did Blödhgarm tell you about the heavens?
Do you see that faint red star just above the brightest star in the sky? Saphira waited until Eragon had located the star she had mentioned, That in fact is not a star like you may know it to be. It is in fact another world orbiting the sun.
This information shocked Eragon, Another world?
Saphira nodded her head, And the bright star beneath it is another sun just like ours, only many times larger. In fact, Blödhgarm said that the elves a thousand years ago discovered not just the red world, but seven other worlds orbiting the sun as well. In total, there are nine worlds orbiting the sun, our world included. And many of the other stars in the heavens are in fact suns just like ours.
Eragon turned to look at Saphira, How can the elves be certain of the existence of these worlds?
They can be certain because they have a thousand years worth of observations to confirm these claims of theirs. Imagine Eragon! Other worlds! Who knows just how many worlds there are out there orbiting other suns. Eragon turned his gaze back up to the stars, his mind beginning to wonder what those other worlds would look like and if he could walk upon them. Blödhgarm also did say that there may be many other worlds just like ours.
Eragon shook his head, amazed by just how much the elves knew about the heavens. Now he had newfound respect for the observant nature of the elves. You're right, it is amazing just how much they know about the heavens. It's got me thinking if there may be life on other worlds up there, out in the dark reaches of the heavens. Now I wonder why the elves are so interested in what lies in the heavens.
I'd like to think that we are no alone in this vast dark ocean of stars, that our world is just one of hundreds of thousands. But, that perhaps will remain an unanswered question for another day, Saphira said as she nudged Eragon with her snout towards the doors of the mansion. You must go inside before you freeze little one. I will not lose my Rider to something as trivial as the cold.
Eragon smirked as he reluctantly obeyed her, Very well.
Just he and Saphira turned to walk back to the doors, the sky suddenly lit up. It was almost as if it were day once again, only the stars were still visible in the sky. A very large blue star that had not been there before appeared near the red world. The star was so large that it completely covered the light from the red world.
Eragon and Saphira looked back up to the stars once again to gaze up at the star. The star shined with the brilliance of the sun, but its light was a very bright light blue color.
Eragon squinted and put his right hand over his eyes, What in blazes is that? I don't suppose Blödhgarm didn't mention anything about giant stars suddenly appearing in the heavens out of nowhere, did he?
I never thought I'd live long enough to see this day.
What do you mean? What's happening? Eragon asked as he glanced sideways at her.
Saphira was silent as she gazed up at the brilliant star, its light sparkling in her eyes. Then she blinked and answered, The death of a distant, ancient star. And from its death…a new star will be born.
Eragon looked back at the large star, The death of a star…what a sight it is.
A sight to forever cherish, said Saphira, as few have ever been able to say they witnessed the magnificent death of a star.
Aye, few even know this event is the death of a star and the birth of a new one…except the elves.
They watched the spectacle for ten minutes before the light slowly faded. However, the large star did not completely disappear as it faded. In its place, a new small but bright blue star twinkled, just to the left of the red world.
Eragon lowered his hand and smiled, In its place, a new star is born huh? It's just as bright as your scales. He put his left hand on Saphira's side again, I think I'll name it after you. Brightscales.
Saphira looked away from the new star and rested her soft gaze on Eragon. Then she hummed, indicating her approval.
Ä
End Chapter 4
Pronunciation of Names
Alagaësia: al-uh-GAY-zee-uh
Athgar: AUTH-gar
Bedäi'tal: bed-AYE-tall
Blödhgarm: BLAWD-garm
Carvahall: CAR-vuh-hall
Criiztak: CREE-sh-tock(tock rhymes with lock)
Drëkøn: dreh-KEN
Eldäriän: eld-ARE-eon
Eragon: EHR-uh-gahn
Fírnen: FEER-nin
Flarolth: fla-roll-th
Galbatorix: gal-buh-TOR-icks
Hölgeron: HOLE-ger-on
Irethil: EAR-uh-thill
Kaeshta: KAY-shh-tuh
Nasuada: nah-soo-AH-dah
Oestaerya: ow-es-TAR-yah
Raiga: RIE-gah(rie rhymes with lie)
Saphira: suh-FEAR-uh
Seràhjön: sar-AH-gahn
Ŝtanin: STAN-in
Tøvrí: TEH-vree
Vrínjäø: VREEN-jay-eh
Zophia: so-FIE(pronounced exactly like Sophie)
The language of the Drëkøn:
Dríon Nävúŝiin: DRY-on NAH-voo-zeen - Draconian Arrival
Ękt øv jeët pfïrnet, Roran Stronghammer bäe Argetlam Arya. - No need for weapons, Roran Stronghammer and Argetlam Arya.
