Tronjheim was everything that Austin had expected and more. Well hidden in a hollow mountain, intricate and sometimes unbeleivable carvings lined the enterance with strange lanterns that gave off a different colored glow. Dwarves walked around pathways and some could be found chisling statues out of blocks of marble.
The dwarves had found the perfect place to hide. Farthen Dûr's walls were too high for any living creature to climb over, and no army could break through the enteranceway, even if they managed to find it.
A crowd soon formed around them, mainly children who had never seen humans before, they stared wide-eyed at the intruders. Whispers entered the air as the curious bystanders followed the procession. They neared the city-mountain, and Austin saw that the white marble of Tronjheim was highly polished and shaped into flowing contours, as if it had been poured into place. It was dotted with countless round windows fromed by elaborate carvings. A colored lantern hung in each window, casting a soft glow on the surrounding rock. No turrets or smokestacks were visible. Directly ahead, two thirty foot high gold griffins gaurded a massive timber gate-recessed twenty yards into the base of Tronjheim-which was shadowed by thick trusses that supported an arched vault far overhead.
When they reached Tronjheim's base Orik stepped off his platform and his gaurds left, disappearing in the crowd. The walls were lined with fluted pillars of blood-red jasper. Between the pillars hulked statues of outlandish creatures, captured forever by the sculptor's chisel.
The heavy gate rumbled open before them as hidden chains slowly raised the mammoth beams. A four-story passageway extened straight to the center of Tronjheim. The top three levels were pierced by rows of archways that revealed gray tunnels curving off into the distance. Clumps of dwarves filled the arches, eagerly watching the humans. On ground level, however, the archways were barred by stout doors. Rich tapestries hung between the different levels, embroidered with heroic figures and tumultous battle scenes.
They stepped into a mile long hall which ended in an arch flanked by black onyx pillars. Yellow zircons three times the size of a man capped the dark columns, coruscating piercing gold beams along the hall. They were in a circular room, perhaps a thousand feet across, that reached up to Tronjheim's peak a mile overhead, narrowing as it rose. The walls were lined with arches-one row for each level of the city-mountain-and the floor was made out of polished carnelian, upon which was etched a hammer girdled by twelve silver pentacles, like on Orik's helm.
The room was nexus for four hallways-including the one they had just exited-that divided Tronjheim into quarters. The halls were identicle except for the one opposite Austin. To the right and left of that hall were tall arches that opened to descending stairs, which mirrored each other as they curved underground.
The cieling was capped by a dawn-red star sapphire of monstrous size. The jewel was twenty yards across and nearly as thick. Its face had been carved to resemble a rose in full bloom, and so skilled was the craftmanship, the flower almost seemed to be real. A wide belt of lanterns wrapped around the edge of the sapphire, which cast striated bands of blushing light over everything below. The flashing rays of the star within the gem made it appear as if a giant eye gazed down at them.
Austin could only gape with wonder. Nothing had prepared him for this. It seemed impossible that Tronjheim had been built by mortal beings. The city-mountain shamed everything he had seen in the Salazian Empire. He doubted if even Aroughs could match the wealth and grandeur displayed here. Tronjheim was a stunning monument to the dwarves' power and perseverance.
Orik motioned them forward several hundred feet, then entered a smaller corridor. After several sharp turns, they came to a massive cedar door, stained black with age. Two gaurds opened the door and Orik conducted everyone but the gaurds inside.
Austin entered an elegant, two-story study paneled with rows of cedar bookshelves. A wrought-iron staircase wound up to a small balcony with two chairs and reading tables. White lanterns hung along the walls and ceiling so a book could be read anywhere in the room. The stone floor was covered by an intricate oval rug.
Orik turned and spoke, his voice was strong and confident: "Welcome to Tronjheim. What do you think of the city of the dwarves?"
Nolan peered around the study, nodding. "Its amazing. All i imagined and more. The dwarves have certainly outdone themselves."
Orik nodded his agreement. "Indeed. Sorry if the crownd was uncomfortable, but there haven't been a human in Farthen Dûr for centries. Most of the adults have never seen a human before." He then sat in a high-backed chair behind a desk. He placed his fingers together and studied themwith an unwavering gaze. "So, who do i owe for this untimely visit?"
Nolan shook his head, sitting in a chair. "No one but me. I have found important information regaurding a specific place of which is far from Salazier. We needed to travel through the Beors in order to get there. We had no intentions of invading the dwarves' privacy."
Orik huffed, "And what place do you desire to reach?"
Nolan hesitated. An uncomfortable silence followed, of which was spent staring at each occupant in the room. "We are members from Xeon, me being a very important magician. My friends here are good fighters skilled with sword and bow."
And axe. Thought Trey.
"We are also the capital of the Varden as you know, and want to find a way to aid us in the war agianst the Salazians. As we are in desperate need of help. Yes, it maybe that the dwarves and urgals are here to help, but that isnt enough agianst the Empire." Orik nodded in approval. "We need the Elves and the Riders. But where are they. The elves vanished from Du weldenvarden long ago, in search for the home of the dragons. The Riders are all but gone, they seemed to disappear completely besides Morbid. But, like i said earlier, we have found evidence that the elves and riders may still be out there.
"I have come into posession of a location, a location that may possibly be the island of the Riders. If I can get there we will atleast have hopes of finding something." Nolan placed his back agianst the chair.
Orik remained speechless, until finally he said. "The riders are not a selfish race. They will fight for peace and freedom. I just don't understand why they never returned when the Salazians invaded. Something may have happened to them, causing the end of their race or... Its just confusing. But erase hope of finding the island, cause you wont."
Austin arched his eyebrows. "Why is that?"
"When the dragons began to hatch they felt that their island needed to be hidden in order to keep possible enemies from finding it."
"So they... hid the island?" Austin asked, confused.
"No. The wild dragons massed together and created a spell that would make it so only another dragon could find the island. Unless you have a dragon, then i suggest you turn tail and leave this mad venture. I myself have sent expeditions to the island. No ships ever returned." Orik shrugged. Nolan looked worried, thoughts whizzing through his mind. How could he find a dragon. "Do you know if there are dragons native to Salazier."
Orik laughed. "No. The only dragons you'll find are still eggs."
"What do you mean?" Asked Nolan, his eyes widening.
"When Eragon, the lead rider, left, he gave each race two eggs to pass around until it hatches. Many hatched and others didn't, the ones that didn't were passed to another race in hopes of it hatching. There has been one egg that hasn't hatched for any known race as of yet. Currently it is amoung the dwarves, that was why i was outside of Tronjheim. I had recently left Dalgon since the passing of the egg ceremony was hed there."
"Where is the egg now?" Nolan asked.
"Its being held in a secure chamber below Tronjheim. But i don't see how it would help its only an egg."
Austin looked around as a voice entered his head. It brushed his mental defences aside with ease and encompassed his mind with a presence of peace and harmony, filling him with warmth and light. Nolan and Orik continued talking as if nothing was ocurring, though the room seemed to be radiating with this mysterious energy. He tried to block the intrusion, but failed when the energy held his barriers at bay. What do you want? He asked the presence. He then heard a hollow sound, as if his mind stretched for miles and was empty with a recurring sound that was alveolate but aslo had structure. The sound echoed throughout the nothingness spreading and increasing in intensity until he could make out a group of words.
The egg. It said.
Austin closed his eyes in order to concentrate on the being's presence. What egg? The dragon egg?
Another sound filled their link as if traveling a great distance. Yes. It replied.
What about it? Austin opened his eyes and looked around the room to see if he had drawn attention. Nolan and Orik continued talking and Trey and Connor were deep in conversation with each other.
Find it. The voice said, echoing seconds after it filled his mind. You must find it.
Who are you?
Their link seemed to quaver when suddenly Austin's mind left his body and flew out of the Beors. He saw every detail as if it were magnified thousands of times. He felt enormous amounts of energy in the air, ground, and creatures around him. The edges of his sight blurred as he hurtled north over the Hardrac desert faster than any creature alive could have transversed that lenght.
Soon he was darting over Du Weldenvarden, the tree tops whizzing past in a bedim of green. Fog hung in the trees and birds darted in the open air. He soon sensed a feeling of fear as a group of deer ran away from some predetor, his connection with the animals was unexplainable for he didnt intend to intrud into their minds. The setting changed quickly as he went farther north than was inscribed on maps.
Large snow-capped mountains rose out of the thicket of trees, some near the size of the beors. He began to see ruins of an ancient civilization rise from the fog. The air suddnely filled with energy of unbearable intensity, even too much for his presence to handle. A light shimmered in the distance, radiating with the same attributes as the mysterious presence, peace and tranquility. As he got closer he saw that the light was emmiting from the top of a steep mountain, with a shadow of a hooded man in the center of the light as if it came from him.
Authors note: this chapter was longer than the previous ones, but i think i am over due for a chapter so i made this one longer. Hope ya'll enjoy it, and please leave a review, let me know how you are enjoying the story and such. Enjoy and thnx for reading.
- 7RON
