In response to reviews:
Daniel Clausen: Yep. I personally hate the Twins, so expect some insults to fly. And yep, the Varden dealing with Cade… the dwarves aren't dragon fans, but they'd tolerate him.
Wizzer96, dragonauthor: Glad you two liked the snapshot!
Blaze1992: I'm not gonna rant about the movie, because I'd be here all day, but I HATE it. Completely and utterly. If a director who was a fan of the series was in charge, I reckon it could have done really well.
HalflingHobbit: Yup, I hate the Twins.
Guest: Thanks!
Man4God: You're welcome! Yes, I have online lessons, but I'm in my Easter holiday now, so I'm gonna have more time to write anyway.
MoosHeadFamLit: I got two minutes in. Then I remembered it was the movie. And I had to stop because of cringe.
B.A: Depends what it's on. If it's your own Plainswalker, I don't have much of a problem, but you need to have access to the Lore document. If it's a spin-off of Trial with Cade in it, we'll need to talk further.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle
Beta read by Regal Eagle, Slack Frost and Wizz (Because they all wanted to read it early.)
Chapter 29: We talk to a Dude.
Our music definitely unnerved some people, but the song was relatively tame compared to what else we had in our playlist. Still, lots of people kept cheering as we walked down a wide, cobblestone path, occasionally letting a flicker of electricity pass over our scales, which prompted a lot of gasps.
Not everyone was thrilled with our presence here, though. Dwarves massively outnumbered humans, and we received a lot of glares from them, due to the Forsworn attacking them a lot in the fall of the Riders. The humans were much more friendly, however. They were hard people, ready for battle, but they were definitely more thrilled about having us on their side than the dwarves were.
The best way to describe Farthen Dûr was a hollowed-out volcano. The path we were walking on sloped down into a crater, where Minas Tirith- we mean Tronjheim lay. It was pretty awesome, and though the size of the cavern made it look small, was pretty much what would happen if you built a city complex inside a mountain. Like… if Bluepeak was completely filled with apartments and stuff, but with the time wound back to the middle ages.
There was a hole at the very top of the massive cavity we were in, so high that Saphira and Amara would have passed out from a lack of oxygen if they tried to reach it. Not us, though. Sunlight fell through the hole in a focused beam, bathing Tronjheim in a soft glow, but leaving the edges of the cavern untouched. The far side of the crater must have been a few miles away, at least. If it wasn't for our improved draconic vision, we probably wouldn't have been able to see the patches of moss and lichen all over it. Massive stalactites the size of rocket boosters clung to the ceiling, which must have been a real safety hazard if they came loose.
"Do you think we can use them in the upcoming battle?" Sparta wondered. "Blast them loose and drop them on the urgals?"
"If the rest of the Varden was far back enough." Driscol said. "We wouldn't want to kill our own."
The cheering continued as we neared the mountain-like city, the crowd following behind us. The white marble of the city looked like it had been melted and poured into position, which might have been possible with the use of a little magic. There were a lot of circular windows in the wall, elaborate carvings and engravings surrounding them with lamplight flickering behind them.
We approached a gate flanked by two gold griffins, one of which had a head that bore a striking resemblance to Regal. The gate rumbled open as we got closer, granting us access to a passage leading into the center of Tronjheim. More people cheered, and our music pounded away as we padded down the pathway.
Eventually, we came to a large intersection that divided the city into quarters from four main hallways. There were arches all over the room, leading into various ascending and descending stairwells. Looking up, we saw the massive Star Sapphire, carved into the shape of a flower. We didn't think much of it, but each to their own, we guess. Anyway, lanterns surrounded it, and reflected light casted a ruby glow over the room.
Not entirely sure which way we should go, we just followed our escorts down the right-hand hallway. After a few hundred meters, we turned into a smaller corridor that was just big enough for us to remain at our current size. After a few sharp turns, we came to a large, stained cedar door.
One of our escorts pulled it open, and gestured for us to go in. We eyed the gap warily. We wouldn't fit through that. So, we stood vertically, cracked our knuckles, and shrank down to human size. Our escorts gasped in shock, some of them dropping their weapons as others swore in a combination of English and Dwarfish. Grinning at their stunned faces, we entered the room, rolling our shoulders as best we could to loosen up our tired muscles.
We pulled the door closed behind us with triple smirks and we were left standing alone in an elegant, two-story study. The walls were filled with bookshelves, and there was a smell that reminded us of our old school's library. An iron staircase corkscrewed up to a balcony with two chairs and a coffee table, and white lamps provided the light to read by. A plush, ovoid rug lay beneath our feet, pleasantly soft beneath our tired feet.
However, there was something missing. People. We were alone.
"It is very early in the morning," Islingr pointed out, "and Farthen Dûr is immense. Give them time to summon their leaders. If I remember correctly, Hrothgar was the King of the Dwarves while the Riders fell. As for the leader of the Varden, my brethren who watch the events of Alagaësia informed me that a man named Ajihad is in command. It is likely that Hrothgar will have to quiet the Dwarven clans and manipulate them into allowing you to remain in Tronjheim, so I do not believe that he will meet you today."
We shrugged and explored the bookshelves, brushing a clawed finger over the spines of the various tomes. Occasionally we pulled a book off the shelf and flicked through a few pages before putting it back on the shelf. Most of them were historical texts, although we eventually found a rather interesting tale about two dragons who had to save their young riders from dying in the Spine after being attacked by Urgals and barely beating them off.
We sat back into one of the armchairs in the room and started reading. The story was actually very good, and we almost missed Ajihad coming in. Memorizing where we'd got up to, we put the book back on the shelf it had come from and appraised the leader of the Varden as he sat down behind his desk.
"Welcome to Tronjheim, Golden Guardian." he said, politely ignoring our weird appearance. "I apologise for my late arrival. I am Ajihad."
"Hey, no biggie." Kevin said. "We were enjoying the book."
Ajihad raised an eyebrow. "You enjoy reading?"
"Depends what the book's about." Driscol explained. "If it's fantasy, we're interested. Sci-fi is fairly cool too."
"Driscol, everything here is fantasy." Sparta pointed out.
"Oh yeah…"
Realising that we hadn't introduced ourselves, we offered Ajihad a clawed hand to shake, which he did. "Together, we're Ghidorah, although from our left to right, we're Kevin, Driscol and Sparta."
"It is an honour to meet you." The leader of the Varden said. "Would you prefer it if I use your title, or your name?"
"Name, please." We replied.
"Very well." Ajihad said, steepling his fingers. "So, you have come to the Varden, bearing the ambassador of the elves, no less. I believe that there is an interesting story behind that."
"First," Sparta interjected, "we need to tell another story. Have you heard the rumors of a new Rider in Alagaësia?"
"I have," Ajihad nodded, "and although I did not believe them at first, a letter from an old friend changed that."
"Right." Sparta said. "There's a new Rider, and before you ask, he's not partnered with us. We are our own Rider. So, our story starts in a town far to the north called Carvahall..."
We summed up our journey with Eragon and Saphira, although we omitted the usual details. Talking about the multiverse was just asking for people to be confused, and it would bring up certain questions that we'd rather not answer. Still, we told him about our abilities, about Amara's skill set, and about Murtagh, which he didn't seem too happy about, even though we swore that he had been nothing but helpful. By the time we were done, we had Ajihad's undivided attention.
There were a few minutes of silence before he spoke. "Brom's death is a terrible loss. He was both a close friend of mine, and a powerful ally of the Varden. He saved us from destruction many times, a prospect we often faced because of our own internal factions."
"He was a good man." We said as one.
Ajihad nodded. "He was. And now, his final service was to bring us a Rider. I would send out a group of men to bring Eragon, Saphira and your cousin here, although it would most likely be fruitless. The Hadarac Desert is vast, and it would be easy for the two groups to miss each other."
"Don't worry, they're coming." Driscol assured him. "And we know exactly where they are. We can get to them within half an hour if we push ourselves."
"I have no doubt of that," Ajihad said, "although I still do not like that they are on their own. It is also deeply troubling that the Urgals are aligning themselves with the Empire. If Galbatorix is gathering an Urgal army to destroy us, the Varden will be hard pressed to survive, even though many of us are protected here in Farthen Dûr."
We snorted. "If we go full size, we can easily wipe the floor with them."
Ajihad smiled. "Indeed. However, the fact that Galbatorix would consider a pact with such monsters is indeed proof of madness."
"Didn't Urgals kill his first dragon?" Kevin asked.
"They did. However, the Black King is not one to forgive and forget. I believe that he will simply use them as-"
"Cannon fodder." Sparta said. At Ajihad's confused glance, our right head elaborated. "He'll send them in to soften us up- to weaken us, not caring how many of them die in the process. Then he can march his human armies in to either finish the job and eradicate us if we beat off the Urgals, or kill them off if they succeed and kill us all. Which they won't."
"I wish I could have your confidence." Ajihad sighed. "There is still the matter of the Shade. Can you describe him?"
"Tall, thin, pale." Driscol said as we suppressed a growl. "Red eyes, crimson hair, dressed all in black. His sword had a long scratch on the blade, and we're going to kill him for what he did to our cousin."
"His name is Durza." Ajihad said. "One of the most vicious and cunning fiends to ever stalk this land. He is completely loyal to Galbatorix and a dangerous enemy for us. However, we have both dueled him, and we have both survived- because of luck in my own case, but because of skill in yours."
Kevin chuckled. "Ripping off his arms and kicking him off the roof was fun. But he's not dead. We should have gone… for the heart."
"Did you seriously repurpose a Thanos quote?" Sparta asked.
"Yes I did." Kevin said proudly.
"Unbelievable."
Bringing the conversation back on track, Ajihad said "One of the Twins... informed me that you refused to have your mind probed, and when the one at the hidden door tried to break into your mind, you overwhelmed him and took control of his arm, making him repeatedly slap himself in the face."
All three of us smirked. "He's an asshole, and we don't like him. If anyone tries to break into our brains, we'll fight them off. We have secrets that we'll only reveal when we feel ready to, although if you're worried that we work for Galbatorix, then we can swear an oath in the Ancient Language that we don't serve him in any way, shape or form. And we can also swear that none of our charges- even Murtagh- serve him either."
"That won't be necessary." Ajihad sighed. "I believe you, and as unhappy as I am with Murtagh arriving here, if you vouch for him, he will be accepted. Who better than a dragon to decide if the son of a dragon-killer is worthy of redemption from his father's name?"
"We judge people by their own actions." We said firmly. "We don't care if their parents are some rich nobles or the poorest peasants. You can't help who your family is. It's how people act that gives a judge of their character."
Ajihad's eyebrows rose. "That is not an opinion I expected a dragon to have."
"We're not a normal dragon." We smiled.
"That much is clear." the leader of the Varden chuckled. There was a few minutes of silence before he said "The Varden owes you much. Since Arya disappeared six months ago while ferrying Saphira's egg to us, the elves have cut their contact with us. Queen Islanzadi was particularly enraged and cut off all communication with us. Thanks to your rescue of Arya, that contact will be restored."
Sparta snarled. "You both want the same thing, and she cut off contact because a Shade attacked the protectors of the egg? How dumb is she?! That wasn't even the Varden's fault! Sure, the elves are physically superior to humans and dwarves, but you still need to stay together! Wars aren't won alone. As a famous person from where we come from said, 'a house divided against itself cannot stand'."
Ajihad laughed. "I had a very similar reaction when I received the news. However, Islanzadi's anger will quickly abate once she learns that Arya has been rescued."
"So what do we do now?" Driscol asked. "We told the others that we'd wait for them in Farthen Dûr, but do you have plans for us, or can we just do whatever?"
"I believe that Hrothgar will wish to meet you tomorrow." Ajihad replied. "Apart from that, you may, as you say, 'do whatever' until your companions arrive. Then, I presume that you will resume your duty protecting Eragon and Saphira. However, you must know that everything you do will influence the people's opinions of you. The dwarves have no love for dragons, I'm afraid, so you will have to build up your reputation with them. The humans of the Varden will be much more interested in you, however. You must be careful with what you say and do, although as you are a dragon, you will have a lot of leniency in that department. Nobody can order a dragon to do what they want. Not even a Rider."
"Although the King or Queen of the dragons and the Alpha could." Islingr pointed out to us.
"Good." Sparta said in response to Ajihad. "Our job is to look after Eragon and Saphira. If that means ****ing off a lot of people to keep the duo from being influenced, we'll do it. We'll gladly fight against Galbatorix, party hard when there's a celebration, and offer our services to the Varden, but we reserve the right to remain free from being ordered around.
We want to make this very clear, right here, right now. We are your ally, not your attack dog. If we're going to get into a battle, then we'd like to be involved in planning it so we can use our abilities to their greatest potential. While the battle is going on, we'll fight, and we'll fight our way. If that comes across as rude, that's not the intention. We're just cutting out all the bull**** and beating around the bush that's involved in trying to get what we want."
"Your cutting straight to the point is very refreshing." Ajihad smiled. "When the Varden's council try to manipulate me into getting what they want, we often sit here for half an hour before they finally stop the flattery and the verbal traps and outline what they want."
We chuckled. It seemed that political **** was multiversal, except for Locostral, which seemed to have stuff figured out.
"Of course, your position definitely gives you the power to ask that, and I have no objections." Ajihad went on to say. "We are on the same side, after all. Your request is granted."
"Thanks." Kevin said. "But if the council is just full of power-hungry idiots, just put mature people in charge who understand the responsibility they're shouldering."
"I wish I could." Ajihad said. "However, despite most of them being power-hungry, they are good at their jobs."
We snorted. "Still, if they try to manipulate us, permission to pin them to the nearest wall and growl menacingly?"
"Granted."
Sparta laughed. "We have a feeling we're gonna get on well."
"I hope we will." Ajihad smiled. "It has indeed been a privilege to meet you three."
"Likewise." We said truthfully.
"If there is anything you need during your time here, do not hesitate to ask."
We nodded and started to turn towards the door before Driscol turned back and asked "Could we have a guide assigned to us from tomorrow? Or maybe some kind of map? We have literally no idea where anything is."
"Of course." Ajihad replied. "Although the dragonhold is at the very top of Tronjheim, with Isidar Mithrim- the Star Rose- as its floor."
"Will it be able to hold us at our preferred size?" Kevin wondered aloud. "You haven't seen our maximum size, but I think we hit around 150,000 tons in weight."
"Weight doesn't scale directly with size, remember." Driscol said. "I reckon that it'd easily be able to hold us at our usual size. After all, there were dragons who got that big before the Fall, and they would have stood on it. If it didn't break for them, it won't break for us."
Kevin nodded, and we were about to leave when Sparta said to Ajihad "If you can't find us at certain moments, don't worry about it. We like to be here and there."
The leader of the Varden nodded, and we left his study, growing to our regular bulk when we had the space to do so.
"That went well." Kevin said happily as we tried
"Yeah, much better than I was expecting." Sparta agreed. "He didn't question us coming from a land across the sea, though. I think he's suspicious about us, but didn't say it."
"What, in a 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer' way?" Driscol asked.
"We offered to swear out allegiance in the ancient language though." Kevin pointed out. "That would have been the perfect time for him to gain power over us. I think he's simply relieved to have us as an ally."
"He probably is." Driscol said, before asking, "Who's up for generating a storm and getting ourselves struck by lightning for a power boost? I'm ****ing tired."
"I just want to sleep." Kevin said. "I don't care that we could power ourself up. I want to curl up in a blanket and snooze."
"Hear, hear." Sparta groaned as something in our back popped. "We sleep for a few hours, then do whatever we want."
"Okay, then that's what we'll do." Driscol said as we emerged into a space where we could take off.
Beating our wings, we launched into the sky and quickly gained altitude, circling up and around Tronjheim to the dragonhold.
"I definitely underestimated your competence, Cade-finarel." Islingr said. "You are most competent with the political machinations of the Varden and its allies."
We took the compliment in silence, although Kevin asked "Ebrithil, do you know how the rest of that story from the book we were reading goes? I want to carry on reading it."
"Funny you should ask." Islingr said. "That book was based on a real-life event, and I happened to be one of those dragons who had lost their Riders in the Spine."
"Really?!" We asked in shock.
"Yes really, fledgeling." Islingr said, reverting to her older name for us in annoyance. "It was after that event that I disgorged my Eldunarí for Visseren, my Rider. I never wanted for us to be apart again after that event, and he shared the sentiment. Granted, I was still young at the time, and I should have not disgorged my heart of hearts until later in my life, but I would not be dissuaded. We remained together, sometimes from afar, until he passed on. I still grieve for him, although I know my duty. There is a new generation of Riders beginning with Eragon, and it is my task to help him, and you by extension, given your oath to us."
"And we will uphold it." We assured her. "As well as defending this realm from Shadows."
"Of course."
Snapshot #9:
Jacob, Darius, and the three of us were crowded around a small screen, watching the video we'd shot together and uploaded to Locostral's YouTube.
"I never expected it to get this popular." Darius murmured. "Look at the views! Practically everyone in Locostral has watched it!"
We and Jacob grinned at each other. "Are you thinking what we're thinking?"
"More videos?"
"Yep."
"Give me a few weeks to think them up. I'll call you when the time's right."
"Awesome."
"This is gonna be great!"
"I'm hungry, can we get ice cream?"
