Chapter 26: Urgency
It had been a week since the initial invasion of the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin clan. And it had only been a few days since Tronjheim was fully conquered and its residents were forced deep underground. The undercity was now nearly overflowing with Dwarves, with more coming in by the hour. Above, the Anhuin took everything, including the food supply of the surface dwellers. In the undercity there weren't many creatures besides small diseased rats. Instead of fending for themselves, the undercity citizens had to trade with those above for healthy food. With the Anhuin controling Tronjheim, starvation proved to be a dominant threat for Orik and his people.
In a deep vast cavern they flew, Grifka and Orik riding upon Jileen. The tunnel's sides were made up of razor rocks and menacing spikes. One could not travel through this cave and live, save by dragonback. Grifka and Jileen knew not what they would discuss with Orik, but it was clear he wanted the meeting to be absolutely private. And so they flew, searching for the secret room Orik told them about. During this time, Grifka's thoughts drifted, he could not stop thinking of the battle. Of how they and and Ingeitum failed to protect Tronjheim against the Anhuin invaders. Within his mind, the memory of the fight restarted for the fifth or sixth time since Orik sat upon Jileen.
Near the base of Farthen Dur I flew with Jileen, watching maybe thousands of Dwarves wait in line to touch the egg. And all was fine and peaceful save for the rare arguments and fights that took place. Yet all of this instantly changed when Jileen pointed them out to me.
Look to the West tiny one! And when I did so I saw them, an army consisting of warriors from the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin clan. They marched steadily with bows drawn, aimed at all the Dwarves who waited in the line. Then all too soon, they let the arrows loose from their strings, allowing them to take flight. Gruesome were the deaths of hundreds, for they had done nothing to deserve this. Then for a moment most of them stared around with confused expressions, not knowing exactly what had occurred. And when the second volley reached them, everyone dispersed in a panic, fleeing towards the inside of the mountain.
As the mayhem ensued, Jileen flew down and we recovered the egg. Soon after this I yelled at the civilians and guards. Though exactly what he said to them he could not recall, yet after this we began to fly towards the menacing army. Jileen began to breathe fire upon the Anhuin army while I cast spells myself upon them. It was then that Jileen landed, allowing me to fight on the ground while she flew. Here I soundlessly killed scores of charging Anhuin Dwarves with Hulvosk, using the skills that Master Eragon had taught me.
He remembered little of how he specifically fought, but the emotions that day would never leave him. There was rage, sorrow and a sense of duty; all of which overwhelmed me during this fight. Rage against the Anhuin for the lives they had taken and what they had started that day. Sorrow for the lives lost, both by the arrows of the Anhuin and by my blade Hulvosk. Always I have despised war, yet that day I knew I needed to fight, to defend the Ingeitum. This is my duty as a rider of the Dwarves, as a rider of Alagaesia. Constantly I had to remind myself of this in order to stay sane and in the fight. Though I knew little of how I specifically fought the Anhuin, I can vividly recall the fight against Virdus.
Virdus was the new leader of the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin clan, elected after Vermund was banished. Jileen was the one who noticed him first, sending a mental image of where he was to me. Unfortunately, Virdus had reached the fleeing civilians of Tronjheim and started to slaughter dozens of them. Through Jileen's mental image however, I also saw legions of Ingeitum warriors pour out of secret caves of Farthen Dur. A bit of hope was kindled within me, but only a small hope. Soon after arriving, they engaged in battle against the Anhuin as well as Virdus. However, Virdus quickly proved to be unstopabble, moving at a ridiculous speed. Despite the massive double edged war axe he used, Virdus unquestionably attacked more speedily than Master Eragon could with Brisingr.
Let us kill him then! I thought to Jileen with newfound hatred towards Virdus.
That was already on my mind tiny one! She answered me as she flew down, allowing me to mount her. Once I was ready, she flew at a great speed towards the berserker Virdus. Though she did not breathe fire this time for fear she might roast any civilians or Ingeitum warriors. For only a few moments we were airborne before meeting Virdus. As quick as she could, she carefully landed right next to him, avoiding any Ingeitum or civilians. Right then he stopped his killing and repositioned himself to get a good look at us.
When I got off her, the first thing I noticed about Virdus was his features. He was tall for a Dwarf, yet still would be considered short when next to a human. And he did not even look Dwarvish, he bore no beard or any kind of hair upon his face. His brown greesy hair was disgustingly unkempt, like a pile of dead festering moss. I could not make out the color of his eyes, yet he looked at us with a greedy smirk. His attire was armorless, he wore a red leather shirt and slacks.
In his right hand he casually held an enormous bloody war axe. To me the handle looked to be around five feet long; it had twin steel heads on one end. Both heads looked to be around a foot long and a foot across; in its entirety it was a cruel massive weapon. How Virdus was able to swing it with such speed I knew not, but it did not matter. He had to be killed, and no one but Jileen and I could do so at the time.
"Ah, Stonerider and Coronaflare, a pleasure to meet your aquantaince" Virdus mocked us.
"You are sick" I responded to him, sparing none of my hate. "Why would you do such a thing as this?" I said while pointing at the dead civilians around us. "They did not have to die!" I then pointed at the dead Ingeitum troops, then the dozen or so Anhuin I had slain. "And they did not have to die!"
But you will! Jileen finished for me with an appropriate growl. Yet the bastard simply threw back his head and laughed at us, then spoke a phrase in the ancient language. Immediately I felt my mouth slam shut and my body clenched tightly. As much as I tried, I could no longer speak or move a muscle, Jileen was the same. At the time I cursed to myself, wishing that I had cast a ward to protect ourselves against such a spell. Though it was too late at the time, and Virdus continued to laugh as he slowly walked up to us. He also spoke another phrase in the ancient language which prevented any Ingeitum soldiers from attacking him. After this, he began to taunt us in a disturbing tone.
"And how will you be able to kill me when you are still? I expected much better from you both, considering you were taught by Shadeslayer himself." I could not describe how furious I was at this point, it was one thing to mock us. But to do this, to have us at his mercy so soon and suddenly, it was insulting, it was too easy for him. Slowly he turned his head towards Jileen, appearing to view her side.
For a moment he laughed again, then said "Ah, I see you have brought one with you. That was, foolish." I thought he could enrage us no further, but I was incorrect. Virdus walked over to Jileen, having the gall to climb up her side and onto her back. Still I can feel her anger from that time, the fury of having this sham of a being on her back. Though I could not turn my head to see what he did, I could sense what he did through Jileen. She felt him worm about in her saddle, tossing my belongings from the saddlebags onto the ground. Around half a minute passed by as he did this, until the unthinkable happened.
"Aha! There it is!" Virdus said. An instant later, the gray egg we had brought landed with a dull thud in front of me. I'm not sure if I did or not, but at the moment I might have heard a soft squeak of pain from the egg. Either way, Jileen and I were flabbergasted that Virdus would do such a thing. Fear was what we now felt, fear for the hatchling. I heard Virdus jump down off of Jileen then, then he walked towards the egg and picked it up in front of us.
"Fascinating creatures dragons are, it almost seems pitiful" Virdus spoke as he looked upon the egg. He then reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a couple of leather gloves. "Just in case," he said as he placed his axe on the ground in order to put on the brown gloves. Once they were fully on him, they fully covered his forearms. In his left hand he then held the gray dragon egg right only a few feet away from my face.
With a dark voice he said to the egg "Enjoy the void my friend." Then with gratuitous strength he began to enclose his left hand upon the egg in a tight fist. His muscles in his left arm began to noticeably bulge under the heinous effort, and I knew I heard many soft squeaks now. The egg started to slightly bend with the pressure of Virdus's impossible strength, veins in his face bulging with the effort. And then the most horrific thing happened.
All at once the top and bottom of the egg collapsed upon itself. Wet pieces of the egg fell from Virdus's hand as his fingers pierced through it. At this point I could see through his gloved fingers a squirming set of scales, squealing and screeching in pain. I felt my stomach clench and knew that Jileen's did as well, we felt the sensation to vomit. Yet we could not due to the bastard's spell, we could only watch the tragedy before us in silence.
Virdus then relaxed his grip a bit on the breaking egg, he did not need to use as much force as before. Breaking through the egg was the hard part for him I realized. He brought up his right hand on one side of the egg which still concealed much of the hatchling. Without care he tore off the egg pieces on this side of the hatchling against its wishes. Now that its neck and head were visible, its wails and screams were ever more audible. Its cries pierced my ears and my heart, making me and Jileen wanting to do anything to save this helpless dragon. Again he removed the egg pieces from the other side of the hatchling, fully freeing it of its prison. Virdus's hand curved around the hatchling's belly, sides and his back, trapping him in place. This helpless bondless dragon could do nothing but wiggle and shout for help. And yet we could not provide him with the help he needed, there was nothing we could do. Bringing the dragon to his own face, Virdus spoke in a loud calm voice over the squealing.
"You are so adorable when you are in pain. If it weren't for your massive adult size I would keep you as a pet." He sighed greatly, then with a dark smile said "That is the way of nature I suppose. We would all rather have nature act in a different way than it does, but that is not for us to decide. It is the one great force we cannot change. It is pitiful that I can no longer keep you." Once again he slowly began to tighten his grip on the hatchling, crushing its chest and back. The dragon began to scream and scram even more than ever in excruciation. From the dragon I could hear loud snaps and cracks as its bones were broken, its form beginning to be unrecognizable. It continued to squeal, though now in hazes as it struggled to breath, struggled to live. Crimson blood began to flow from the hatchling, its movements becoming sluggish as its life faded away. A few more moments of this passed until the dragon was silent, its body still, bleeing and broken.
"It truly is a pity" Virdus said in a soft low voice. He then dropped the corpse, then stomped on its head and neck.
YOU MONSTER! Jileen thought at him with a livid tone.
May you die slowly, cut into a thousand pieces! I added, thinking of my dead kin as well. It seemed that we could find nothing to say to him while he killed the hatchling. Its death was too shocking, too cruel, too revolting, during which our thoughts focused only on it. We did not even think of Virdus or the dying Dwarves around us, only the hatchling as it died. Virdus lifted up his massive axe in his right hand then looked upon us.
"Well, shall we?" he asked us as he removed the spell which kept away all the Ingeitum from attacking him. He then began to move our bodies in the air, and I was initially shocked that he was able to do this with Jileen. But then I had figured that he was absorbing the energy from the dead around him, which enabled him to continue his blasted spells on us. Virdus struck down dozens of Ingeitum troops as he slowly forced us through one of the largest tunnels under Tronjheim. I know not how look it took us, but he found where Orik in this tunnel and spoke with him.
"You have lost today my king" Virdus sneered at Orik while slaying five or more Ingeitum warriors. With a couple swings of Volund, Orik killed an Anhuin Dwarf, his guards taking some down also.
"That remains to be seen traitor!" Orik yelled over the yells and other sounds of battle.
That is right! Don't you give up Orik! I thought to him in encouragement, for it was the only thing I could do.
"What happened to you two?" he asked us in horror. Jileen filled him in on the grim details as Virdus placed his axe upon my neck. Quickly he spoke another spell to prevent anyone to attack him, then he continued to speak with a dark voice.
"The dragon is correct King Orik, these two are at my mercy. You cannot hope to defeat us without their help, just look around you." When he heard this, Orik did so, examining the deaths of his people, the Anhuin killing all they came upon.
"Barzul!" he yelled out with annoyance. "The city is yours, I cannot bear to see any more of my people die" he said with a reluctant and sad voice, lowering his hammer. I remember protesting with Jileen against this decision of his, but the decision was not ours to make. Orik is the king, and he did what he thought was best for his people at that time.
"Good choice" Virdus said to him, lowering his axe from my throat. He then ordered his Dwarves to stand down and keep the city in order. Though he did not release the spells over us, despite my calling him a coward among other unmentionable names.
Where are you taking us? What do you want with us? Jileen asked him with a black hatred.
"It is only natural that you would want to know. I am keeping you held hostage for the time being, until your master calls you." This he did, keeping us locked away in the largest dungeon room of Tronjheim. Here he trapped us with intense wards and drugged us, restricting our use of magic and fighting abilities. There he kept us until one day Master Eragon did indeed contact me. The guard watching over our prison heard this and sent for Virdus, who came to us immediately. Quickly he said a spell or two, which changed his features, in only a few moments his face looked exactly like mine. For a few moments he said a few sentences, after which he mimicked my manner of speaking perfectly. He then summoned my scrying mirror with magic, then spoke a false conversation with Master Eragon.
"Master Eragon!" Virdus spoke just the way I would. "I assume you wish to know of the Clan War?" he asked in a serious tone.
"You assume correctly" I heard Master Eragon say from the mirror.
"Well it should please you to know that, at least for now, the Ingeitum Clan and those allied with us are winning" Virdus lied. "Though that can change all in an instant. Virdus of the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin Clan is extraordinarily powerfull, I have seen not seen his equal in battle. Not even from you or Saphira, and that is what frightens me now most of all." For a moment I was shocked that he would say something like this. But then I figured he was boasting to himself of his power while shedding a sliver of truth into his talk with the Master. It was true after all that he and Jileen feared Virdus, he had them trapped, unable to do a thing after all.
"Do you think the Ingeitum can win?" Eragon asked him.
"As it stands now, yes I think we will win in time" said Virdus. "That is unless we make a silly mistake, but I would not worry about that. Orik will not fail us in these times I can assure you."
"I see," then Eragon hesitated for a moment. "You already know that we set out to help the Empire correct?"
"Yes. I understand" Virdus said with fake disappointment. "The Empire needs you both more than we do right now. Whoever you choose to fight Eragon and Saphira, give them a sound thrashing!"
"I can assure you we will" Eragon replied with a laugh as he ended the spell. When the spell ended, Virdus changed his features again to look just as he did before, with his greasy black mess of hair.
"That ought to do it" he said more to himself than us. With a quick flex of his hand he crushed the scrying mirror, shattering it into many pieces. He cursed under his breath, shaking his hand, splattering a bit of blood on the stone floor. I could not help but laugh at the idiot, he should have known better to break glass in such a manner. Though a moment later he healed his hand with a spell and turned his attention to us again as if nothing had happened.
"It seems that I have no immediate use for you two, but believe it or not, I can be merciful" he said to us. "I will now free you two for the time being, join your king and fellow Dwarves in the undercity." He then came up to me and pointed a finger right in my face. "Though if you try anything, I will have no choice but to collapse all the tunnels holding up Tronjheim. Should that happen, everyone, including your dragon, yourself and Orik, will be crushed under the collapsing city above you."
Surely you know that your people will die as well Virdus? I argued with him in despair.
He looked back upon me with a dark smirk and said "Of course I know that." Then he continued his walk and that is how we made our way to the undercity.
Grifka then brought his mind back to the present, waiting to reach their destination as they flew through the tunnel of spikes and razor walls. Only a few more minutes passed before they reached a hole below them, which Jileen flew down into. A few more moments passed before they landed upon a surprisingly even ground, surprising when compared to the walls in the room.
They lay hidden in a dark and secret cave enormous and circular in shape. Like the tunnel before, surrounding them were huge and jagged sharp rock walls. Just by looking at them Grifka knew that simply touching on the wall's surface could cut into one's skin. Yet curiously, the ground they stood on was smooth, harmless and bare. The only way inside and out of the hidden cave was the hollow ceiling above them. Thus, no one could enter the cave without the aid of a dragon.
It was here that Grifka and Jileen began to argue with Orik of what was to be done in the current situation they found themselves in. Using one of the Ingeitum lanterns, Orik lit the room with a deep maroon light. Grifka wore a set of chainmail armour over a brown tunic and a pair of leather trousers, given to him after he left the upercity. His oval sword Hulvosk lay sheathed at his side, a large square shield upon his back. Orik wore an ornate set of metal armor which curved fluidly with every move he made. In his right hand he held an intricate helmet, his left hand resting on the head of his hammer Volund. With voices that continued to rise in volume, they all heavily debated Orik's decision.
"You cannot ask us to leave!" Grifka roared at Orik in Dwarvish. "Not now! What hope do you have of victory if we leave you?"
"I believe this is our only chance of victory" Orik answered in a grave tone. "A rider and a dragon is not enough for us. As the Empire needs the aid of the Elves, so do we!"
Why not simply scry them then?Jileen asked him.
"One does not simply scry the Elves!" Orik said. "Yes, you can contact Dathedr and ask him for help, but what would that accomplish? He is only acting under orders from their queen, who is still in Ellesmera. And at the moment, his orders are to have the Elves save the Empire, not us."
"Why can we not just simply ask Eragon or Murtagh to do this?" Grifka argued. "They know the true name of the ancient language! They can pierce through the scrying wards of Du Weldenvarden and talk to Arya for us! There is no need to send us off to speak with her personally."
"He has had difficulty speaking to her even with the word as of late" Orik argued. "No, the only way the Dwarves can ask for her aid is for one of us to speak with her in person."
Why can't one of the other minor riders do this instead? Jileen interjected. Lyra would be a prime choice, she is Elvish and would do a fine job of convincing her queen.Grifka knew why she had suggested a minor rider for this task. There was no way he would ask Murtagh or Eragon do so instead at this time, the Empire needed their prowess. Though it seemed Orik was prepared for this, with a grim expression, he sighed heavily and then continued.
"No, one of our kind must be sent to plead our case. This is how it has always been and how it always shall be with our people. We will not let a human, Elf, Urgal or dragon speak for us in these matters. (I meant no offense" he said to Jileen quietly.) "Only a Dwarf can ask for their aid in these times, and seeing as you can get there the quickest, you must be the one Grifka."
"This is preposterous!" Grifka spoke in frustration, wishing that he and Jileen could stay. Leaving the Ingeitum now in this state was something he refused to do, not when he could still swing a blade.
He is right, you need us in this fight!Jileen said with thoughts similar to that of her rider.
"Have you not seen what they did to us? We only still live because Virdus still lets us!" Orik's face turned to a depressed expression and he continued softly, "Attacking them now will only hurt us more than it would hurt the Anhuin. We need help, and we can expect no aid from the Empire or the Urgals. That leaves us only the Elves." He then placed his left arm on Grifka's right shoulder, looking him in the eye with an empathetic look.
What do you think of this Jileen? Grifka thought to her alone. Leaving my countrymen to the Anhuin like this? It's unforgivable, cowardly, gut wrenching.
I feel the same way tiny one. But, I think he may be right, do you not?Grifka did not have to think, deep down inside his mind he knew that this was what they needed to do. Letting out a heavy sigh, he spoke to Orik once more.
"We will do as you ask, requesting as much soldiers as we can." He then raised a finger, "But not at the price of the Empire. I will ask for no more than a third of their troops, the Empire needs them more than us and so they shall have the majority."
"On that we are in agreement" Orik responded to him with a small grin of hope. Nodding, Grifka mounted Jileen as well as Orik, quickly she launched herself into the air. As they flew through the deadly tunnel, a few tears left Grifka's eyes as he thought of what had happened. Tears shed also because he would leave his kind, even if it was for the best.