OK PEOPLES!!!
It's time for Elders to keep on rolling!
I'm still undecided on a name for this new race, but everyone who has reviewed with ideas for the name has come up with very good ones.
REMINDER!:
I don't care how bad you think that your name is. It may just be what I am looking for. SO PLEASE TELL THEM TO ME!!!!
As I explained at the end of chapter 27, it was a short chapter so I could churn out more and more of these. You'd be surprised how long it takes to write a long chapter, compared to writing two shorter chapters. I don't know why this is true.
READ AND REVIEW
I COMMAND YOU
Disclaimer:
I don't own anything but the plot and the characters and places that don't appear in Eragon and Eldest.
Chapter 28:
After an extensive search for a rider for the yellow egg, no one was found. Even the queen had presented herself to the egg.
"This dragon is fated to not hatch for an elf in this age." The Queen announced after the presentation of the egg. "We must now send with Eragon and Oromis and the others to be presented to the Varden and the people of Surda."
And that was final. Over the next day and a half, preparations were made to fly and march to the Varden. To Sàlmir, it was just one blur. She spent almost all of the time with the ancient dragon king, learning how to best protect him while also allowing herself to be protected from stray arrows that her wards might have missed. She was not rejected from the rest of the riders, but she almost never spent time with them. Her joy in life was her son and the dragon king. Her son, even though it had been only a day and a half, he was already an inch taller than he was before the spell was placed upon him. The elves had assured her that it wasn't painful or uncomfortable when she asked about growing pains that he might be having. It was an uncomfortable time, being newly elevated to riderhood. She was unaccustomed to the attention that was paid to her. All of the elves bowed to her no matter how she asked them to stop. Only Vanír respected her wish and didn't bow to her, only the king of dragons.
Vanír was odd. He seemed young for an elf, yet Rider Eragon treated him as an equal, even though Vanír was clearly not. She wondered.
Earlier that Morning:
Eragon woke to find Arya not next to him as normal. He dressed quickly and entered the common room to find Murtagh and Arya whispering together with Elva and Vanír. Vanír stood up as he saw Eragon enter the room and said, "I'd best be going."
The others straightened up and went about their normal morning. What was that about? He asked Arya.
Nothing much. Arya replied in the ancient language.
And I'm not privileged to know what this small something is? Eragon asked.
I never said it was small. Arya replied grinning with her touché. (If this is not the word, tell me!)
Eragon folded his arms and walked out to Saphira, who was wrapped around her precious yellow egg. As he placed a bank on her side, she opened an eye. Good morning little one.
Do you know why Vanír was up in the common room whispering with the others? Eragon asked.
Yes, but a swore not to tell you. Saphira placed the tip of her wing around Eragon.
Why is everyone plotting behind my back? Eragon asked.
That, I cannot tell you now. Saphira answered.
You swore that as well? Eragon asked
You can by my tail I did. Saphira responded drawing Eragon closer to her. Eragon sighed, and then went back inside to eat breakfast.
After a simple meal, he went down the stairs to the base of the tree and strolled around Ellesmére to take in the air and relish it for everyone would be leaving for the Varden the next morning. Around lunch, Eragon found his way to the sparing field where everyone was giving energy to be stored in the Rock of Kuthain for the battle. Saphira was sitting with Lifskul over to one side of the field. Eragon looked at the long line winding off into the distance. Eragon spotted Arya and Murtagh standing with Elva next to Oromis at the head of the line. He walked over to them and joined in their looking at the line.
Xen landed on Vordëth, dismounted, and walked over to the group of riders as well. He glared at Eragon for a fraction of a second before greeting Arya with a hug. He Sat down on the hard ground and waited until it was time to give their energy.
As predicted, it took a while for the elves to give their energy, but after they left all tired, Eragon and the others followed by the dragons, came to present their energy. Before Saphira could transfer her energy, Oromis looked at her and told her, You need to recover from giving birth, and your child demands constant watch, so you need energy for that. Do not start giving energy until we reach the Varden.
As you wish Master. Saphira replied.
After her, the King of the Dragons came forward and prepared to transfer his energy. Everyone felt the build up as he gathered the energy, and then suddenly, a blue bolt of light left his nose and entered the rock of Kuthain, which glowed blue for a moment. He stumbled away from the rock, and then Oromis gave the rock to Murtagh.
"Use the vault pour your energy into it." Oromis commanded him.
"Yes Master." Murtagh replied.
"Murtagh, I have a question for you." Oromis told him.
"What is it Master, I may be able to answer it." Murtagh Replied
"After you or Galbatorix used the Vault for large spells, could you feel it depleted?" Oromis asked.
"Just a slight bit, almost un-noticeable." Murtagh answered.
"Then that is to our advantage." Oromis replied. "As soon as Galbatorix realizes that the vault of souls is depleted to almost nothing, he will have almost no energy to attack us with, and will have to rely on his troops, and Shruiken."
Sâlmir came running up and transferred her energy as well. Not much was said after that. Eragon, Arya, Elva, and Sälmir fell asleep at the dinner table, and Murtagh looked up from the rock, and stole their dinners. After wolfing them down, he went back to his seat and continued to drain the vault. By this time, he felt the vault beginning to weaken. Galbatorix would surly have noticed by now if he was even the slightest bit attentive to the vault.
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Fortunately, Galbatorix hadn't noticed the loss of energy in the vault. He was too preoccupied with preparing the army for departure from the island that had been their home for so long. It took about a week, but finally, all the supplies had been loaded onto an armada of jet-black ships. An entire morning was spent boarding the ships and making ready to cast off.
Galbatorix took this time to make his way to the center of the ancient city of the riders. He stood in the very center of the ruins and slammed his palm onto the ground. Almost at once, lines of light ran through the square that he was in and a set of stairs suddenly appeared as a large stone moved to one side of its entrance. He glanced around him to make sure no one saw him, and then descended underground. He flicked his wrist and a ball of flames leapt to life. Using this as his light, he held his hand above his head, and continued into the musty depths of the tunnel. For minutes, there was just the ever turning, ever descending tunnel. Suddenly, it emptied out into a large cavern. At the center of the cavern, there was a pool that emitted a faint blue light. Galbatorix walked to its bank and gazed into its depths. It seemed to stretch on forever underground, and Galbatorix knew it did. This was the vault of souls. Above the pool, there was a formation of rock that had a constant drip of what looked to be water at a glance. It was really the souls of any and every thing that had just died. Humans, trees, bugs, birds, horses, they all dripped into the pool. Galbatorix looked into the pool again and saw the same sight that he had always seen since he had gotten Shruiken.
It was Shruiken's original rider, hovering just under the surface. She was a young looking elf, and would probably be fancied beyond any elf. She was dead, but since Shruiken was part of her, she was alive at the same time. Galbatorix sneered at her. "You are so pathetic." He heard her screams of pain, pain that was caused by her separation from Shruiken. Just as he said this, she did something that she had never done before. Her eyes turned and she gazed at Galbatorix. He stumbled away from the edge and stared at her. Galbatorix felt a huge surge of energy leave the vault and he felt Shruiken cast a spell with the energy. The elf lady suddenly started to shine and Galbatorix was nearly blinded. He looked away for a moment and once the light had left the cavern, he again turned his eyes to the pool to find the elf lady not there.
"It's been a while Galbatorix, but Shruiken shall once more be reunited with me." The elf lady had come out of the pool and was now standing before Galbatorix; however, she was between him and the exit. Galbatorix drew his sword, knowing that if it came down to a magician's duel, he would not be able to beat her. It was probable that she could draw from the vault's energy seeing that she had dwelled in it for so long. That would only leave the difference between the energy stored in any elf, and the gem set into Galbatorix's hilt.
The elf didn't move from her position by the entrance as Galbatorix strode towards her, full of bravado. (Bravado means false courage that is displayed.) The elf was unarmed, and she was now facing the most feared person in the land.
"Care to duel to see who has the right to leave this cavern in control?" She asked in a soft voice that chilled Galbatorix to the bone. He had never been in this situation before. He was facing some one who didn't hope, didn't think, but knew that they could beat him. He still had to try. He wouldn't let everyone that he was afraid of one elf.
He had killed the leader of the riders. This elf was nothing compared to him, Galbatorix told himself.
"No swords here." The elf said, before disarming Galbatorix with magic. "Only magic."
"Why waste time?" Galbatorix suddenly spoke. "We can go on forever until the vault empties of energy."
"I would rather not have you biting at my heals, trying to stop me from leaving this island." She spat on the ground. "It would be annoying."
"You cannot beat me." Galbatorix said as he gathered energy from the vault. The energy was too much to remain in his body and blue lightening bolt looking formations started to arc from different spots on his body.
"You have been disillusioned over your years on the throne growing fat." She spat again and then raised her right palm and shouted something incomprehensible. Instantly, almost all of Galbatorix's energy left his body and formed an orb of blue light floating chest height off the floor of the cavern. Galbatorix crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Now you are nothing. No magic, no dragon, no sword. Nothing to set you apart from any other riders." She grasped the orb of light and pulled it into her body. She now had energy for magic. She grasped Galbatorix's body, and dragged him out of the cavern. On her way out, she grabbed his sword from where her spell had thrown it, and took it with her. As she exited the tunnel and entered the bright sunshine, a circle of weird creatures formed a circle around her. One of them stepped forward and in a harsh voice said,
"You have beaten our leader, and as the customs of our kind decree, you are our new leader." He spoke with authority.
"Your kind will be needed only when the time is very dire." The elf told the one who had spoken. "Remain here until one comes bearing this symbol on their back." She turned around and let them see the Yawë symbol on her back. "If they have it on a ring, obey them as well."
"We will do as you command M'lady." The speaker said. "We will await your or your messenger's arrival and be ready to leave at a moments notice."
By this time, Shruiken's shadow passed over them, and the elf ran to where he landed, dragging along Galbatorix with magic. She ran over to him, and embraced his nose.
We need to find Xen.
OK, a mini cliffy for y'all
I still need a name for this race, and I need a name for this elf. I want something that seems to flow off the tongue. This is a long chapter because I just got on a roll with the vault, and I just had to keep on writing…
Next Chapter will probably be the beginning of the final battle, so keep reading.
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NOW! PRONTO!!
