Hey! I kinda switched gears with this chapter. Yay for new characters!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inheritance. Never have, never will.

Chapter 6: A Promise to a Falling Light

"Of course, my lord," a young, brown-haired boy said, eyes cast down. He bowed to the middle aged fair-haired man in front of him, who only acknowledged the motion with a blink of his gray eyes. He was Lord Everarde, one of the many aristocrats that had risen to power after the fall of the tyrant king. Behind his back he was called the Second Tyrant or Galbatorix To Be, but to his face he was only known as Lord or Noble Born. It's not that he was cruel, strictly speaking, but he was cunning and power-hungry. He was the kind of person that would hear about someone's death and attend the funeral only to inquire about the will. Or in other words, how many more acres of land he would add to his growing empire.

Elliot, the serving boy, walked calmly out of the room after bowing, but was irritated, like always, with his master. According to him, Lord Everarde could be intelligent at times, but it wasn't enough. For example, Elliot knew that it was foolish to bargain with the neighboring Lord Rinslet, and that the Duke of the Faron would be much easier to convince. At this rate Lord Everarde's dream of conquering Alagasia would be far from met by the time his life was over, and he would die a lonely unaccomplished life, leaving his people in chaos since there was no trained heir to the title. And that's when Elliot would make his move. Though he was only fifteen he already had several pawns under his thumb, and by the time Everarde died he would be of a respectable age. Then, finally, he would have power, and plenty of it. And he would work his way to the top and bide his time until he had enough power and enough cohorts to overthrow the Riders that had committed so many wrongs and cast a blind eye to the feudal system that had taken over the land. And checked his rage by repeating the oath that he made so many years ago to the sister dear to him.

Always. I will always protect you, I won't let anything happen. No matter what they do to us, I won't let them hurt you.

That was before the Cursed Rider came. He wasn't even supposed to exist, the time of the riders were supposed to be over. His mother and father had been servants to Galbatorix- one of the few royalists that remained. They died for him, as generals of his army, leaving the two kids alone. It was Galbatorix that picked them off the street and offered to teach them, to train them. Elliot still remembered his honey-sweet voice, telling him that he showed promise. Life was good in the castle- nothing to worry about, back then people would call him 'young master'…

Until the rider came. First there was one who rode a red dragon. He immediately became Galbatorix's favorite, taking Elliot's place next to the throne with his ruby red sword in hand. Elliot and his sister were ignored, and only waited on by the lowliest of maids, the ones who usually ate the scraps left on the plates once he and his sister were done. Elliot was revolted by this shift, but kept up a brave front for his little sister. And life was good. Not quite as good as it was before the rider, but still all right. Anything was better than street fights and stealing in the night. And everything progressed until the second rider came. The one that literally destroyed the throne room and all it symbolized. The one that ended the king and claimed to 'rescue' Elliot and his sister. They had taken him out of the wreckage and rushed him out on the back of a blue dragon. He only saw his sister for a second before passing out.

When he awoke, he found himself in a cell, his sister's limp form on his lap. Elliot would never forget those few, heart-stopping moments when he thought she was dead. But eventually her brown-gold eyes opened, and they were more or less uninjured, but Elliot knew his sister better than he knew himself, and could tell that she was incredibly scared. Elliot looked at the cell to the right of him, and saw an aged man with only one arm. Fighting back the urge to scream, he asked, "Why are we here?"

"We're prisoners of war, kid. Get used to it in here 'cause it looks like ya aren't dyin' any time soon."

Elliot remembered those words clearly, too. He and his sister lived like that for a year, with some prisoners coming and going and nothing changing. By then he was ten and his sister was eight, but they had been through more than most adults had gone through in a life time.

Their angel came in the form of a common messenger. He had was looking for servants in the castle of Lord Everarde, and took pity on the two children. They were taken, along with a few other able-bodied prisoners, to the manor and began work. A few months later, when they had just started getting used to their new life, his sister was taken away by more riders. Elliot never found why, and he never saw her again. His promise to protect her had ended with her disappearance. It was then, that he made a new promise. A simple one, that would result in infinitely more than the first.

I will find you. I will find a sign of life.

Unconsciously, he found himself toying with the rim of the uniform starched glove on his right hand. He smiled to himself, lightly brushing his fingers over the intricate black pattern on his wrist before replacing the glove to its former position.

Celeste: I've noticed that we aren't getting very many reviews…
DC: I know, it's kinda sad… makes me feel like there aren't very many people reading this…
Celeste: Maybe they need another reason to review?
DC: Does there need to be another reason? I mean, if they don't like it, they don't like it…
Elliot: How about this as another reason, REVIEW OR DC WILL NEVER WRITE AGAIN!
DC: But…
Celeste: REVIEW OR I'LL KILL ARYA!
DC: That's your inner Shruikan speaking. Admit it, you've been wanting to do that from the start… And Elliot, aren't you supposed to be the manipulating mastermind?
Elva: Review or I'll kill them both and make DC write a story about a spork that is journeying around Alagasia in search of a long-lost teddy bear named James.
All: O.O PLEASE REVIEW!
DC: Thanks!