Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor respect their great works.
(Alagaësia)
Alagaësia, a large continent in the World, rich with history and culture, comparable to Viking-Era Scandinavia and Medieval Europe. This realm was home to many inhabitants: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, even Dragons. It's terrain varied greatly from mountainous forests to the north, flat grasslands to the east, towering mountains to the south-east, flat lands to the south-west, and a vast desert in the heart of the continent. It was a land of majesty and magic.
"There was a time when the fierce and beautiful land of Alagaësia was ruled by men astride mighty dragons, who shared a noble alliance with powerful Keyblade Wielders. To protect and serve was their mission. And for thousands of years, the people prospered. But then, the Keyblade War began and darkness fell over Alagaësia. At the same time, the riders grew arrogant and began to fight amongst themselves for power. Some Keyblade Wielders tried to maintain the peace between the riders and their dragons while others attempted to seize power for their own."
In the skies above Alagaësia, dozens of dragons with their riders on them flew over a charred land, breathing fire at each other as they clashed in a vicious battle on both the ground and the air. One rider named Galbatorix led twelve other riders in a group called The Forsworn in the battle against the Keyblade Wielders and the few other good dragon riders who remained loyal to their friends.
"Sensing their weakness, a young rider named Galbatorix betrayed them. And in a single bloody battle, he had killed them all. Keyblade Wielders, Riders, and Dragons alike. Since then, our land has been ruled by Galbatorix."
With no one left to challenge him, Galbatorix consolidated his power and began his reign as king, creating the Broddring Empire, or simply 'The Empire', as most would call it. The people of Alagaësia lived in absolute misery under the king's tyranny, suffering from poverty, corruption, and dissension. Slavery was legal, and embezzlers, several of whom were Galbatorix' minions, stole from the already poor and helpless.
Many were dissatisfied with the conditions of the Empire and resented Galbatorix' rule. The first to defy the king was a group of rebels, freedom fighters known as the Varden, who stood against the Galbatorix and his army. But no matter how hard they fought, they were defeated at every turn, suffering heavy losses.
"He crushed all rebellion including freedom fighters known as the Varden. Those who survived fled to the mountains. There, they hoped for a miracle that might even their odds against the king, praying that one day a Keyblade Wielder and a dragon rider will come to help bring back freedom and restore peace and justice to Alagaësia."
In the forests of Du Weldenvarden to the north of Alagaësia, three white horses galloped in the night along the forest path. One of them was a white horse and it had an elf on it's back. Her name: Arya.
Arya was a stunningly beautiful elf princess of Ellesméra, taller than most men. Usually stoic, impassive, and reserved, but nonetheless she was very dedicated to her people and the cause for freedom of Galbatorix' tyranny. She also had great respect for Keyblade Wielders, admiring their bravery and selflessness.
Arya had almond-shaped blue eyes, long blond hair, and tawny skin. Whenever she was outside of Ellesmera, she kept her hair tied back by a leather strap. She wore a brown cloak with a soft white elven tunic underneath, white felt pants and soft socks.
Riding alongside her on their horses were guards and companions, two elf men named Glenwing, and Fäolin.
Fäolin was Arya's kindred spirit and closest friend. He had a slim, yet strong build. He was armed with a bow slung on his back, a sword pressed against his side opposite from a quiver of arrows fletched with swan feathers.
Glenwing was another of Arya's companions. He wore a helm of extraordinary craftsmanship colored in amber and gold. He was armed with a long spear in his right-hand, and a white dagger strapped to his belt.
The three elves were traveling together on a very important mission to take delivery of an object of great importance. That object was inside a brown pouch that Arya held in her right-arm behind her back. It was a large sapphire stone, which she had stolen from King Galbatorix.
"Our story begins one night as Arya, an ally of the Varden, and faithful supporter of the Keyblade Wielders, rides for her life carrying a stone stolen from the King himself."
Elsewhere, in the city of Urû'baen, the capital of the Empire just south-west of the Hadarac Desert, stood a tall black citadel on a massive hill with spire-like buildings made from glass and stone. Back in the day, it was once the elven city of Ilirea. Now, it was the domain of the tyrant king, Galbatorix, the seat of his power. The king sat on his throne inside a cave-like room, seething with anger over the loss of his prized treasure. This throne was tall with gold dragon-shaped arm rests and dragon wings spread out in the back. To his left was a huge map of Alagaësia, hanging along the cave wall.
As the tyrant king of Alagaësia, Galbatorix was tall, thin, but strong. He was a cruel, sadistic, manipulative man with a genius level of intellect. Galbatorix was also calm and charismatic with an unmerciful temper, and a lust for domination. He had a tan skin, a bald head, a short light brown beard, and long, curving nails. Like all characteristic villains, he was dressed in black armor and has a long black cape.
Also in the room was Galbatorix' servant, a man named Durza, who stood before the king. But he was no ordinary man. Durza was a Shade, an evil sorcerer possessed by vengeful, demonic spirits both in mind and body. He was among the most feared creatures in the world of Alagaësia.
Like his king, Durza was arrogant, cruel, sadistic, psychopathic, and highly intelligent, possessing a calm, emotionless exterior. As a Shade, he was extremely skilled in dark magic, and possessed supernatural strength, speed, stamina, pain tolerance, and heightened senses. He was a tall man with a body that was thin and compact, like a runner, but quite strong. He had pale, translucent skin, long crimson hair, red as blood, and maroon eyes, red as wine. His face was a deathly white, with the appearance of a death mask or a polished skull. In terms of clothes, Durza wore a maroon robe.
"I suffer without my stone. Do not prolong my suffering." Galbatorix says
Durza bows before his master and he takes his leave, setting forth to his task.
Several miles away to the north, in the tiny farming village of Carvahall stood a two-story wooden farmhouse, which had a shingled thatch roof, and a brick chimney. Eaves hung over the whitewashed walls. One side of the enclosed porch had split wood for the fire. A jumble of farm tools cluttered on the other. Attached right alongside the house was a dull-colored barn, home to a few farm animals. There were two horses, Birka and Brugh, some chickens, and a cow. A wagon sat wedged between the stables. This was the home of a young farm boy. His name: Eragon.
Eragon was a 17-year old human boy with a strong sense of justice and equality, despising the slavery and tyrannical reign of Galbatorix. Eragon was a very compassionate person, caring much about others. He was also determined, steadfast, and strong-willed. But his most prominent trait was his curiosity, always seeking to learn more.
He was of average height, had blond hair, and intense brown eyes. For clothes, Eragon wore a worn, high-collared, leather brown vest with a white long-sleeve shirt underneath, brown pants, and worn black leather boots.
Eragon was preparing himself to go hunting, grabbing his long bow, which was made from yew wood, a quiver of arrows, and a hunting knife with a bone handle, which he placed in a sheathe strapped to his belt. He passed by an old man who was sleeping. This was his uncle, Garrow.
Garrow was a 60-year old man, who was kind and caring to his nephew. He was tall with a stick-like frame, a lean narrow face, hungry grey eyes, and graying brown hair and beard.
Eragon didn't really know much about his parents, only that he was left here in Carvahall to be cared for by his uncle. Often, he wondered why, but he didn't pay much mind to such questions. As he looked down at Garrow's sleeping form, a smile crept on Eragon's face. He deeply cared about his uncle, always helping him around the farm, gathering food for winter, and providing for the family, which reminded him of his current task. Silently, he crept past his uncle and headed out the door to the world outside.
"Miles away, a young boy ventures out hunting. His life and Alagaësia... will never be the same."
Stepping outside, Eragon gazes around at the peaceful environment of the farm, then glances up at the night sky, which was clear and dark with a slight breeze in the air. Then, he looked up towards the forested mountains ahead of him where a silvery cloud drifted overhead, it's edges glowing with a ruddy light cast from the harvest moon. It was a massive mountainous region known as the Spine. Most villagers feared to enter the Spine due to superstitious tales and misfortunes that occurred there, but Eragon wasn't bothered by such tales and he was the only one who dared hunt in the Spine. With his gaze set on the forest and the mountains, Eragon ventures onward to begin with his hunt. Little did he know what fate had in store for him.
To the east, in the forests of Du Weldenvarden, Durza stood on the forest path near Oslien, calmly awaiting the arrival of his enemies. His gaze was set on the trail. It was dark, but every detail was sharp and clear. Around him twelve Urgals were getting into position, shuffling in the brush, grunting as they hid. They were armed with short swords, round shields painted with black symbols, and black bows.
Urgals were sentient humanoid creatures that inhabited Alagaësia, a tribal race centered around violence, physical strength, and warfare. They were mostly considered evil by most, but not inherently so. Forced into service by Galbatorix, Urgals were used as expendable shock troops in the king's army due to their brute strength, as well as exceptional combat and command skills.
They had grayish skin, bowed legs, thick arms, yellow, piggish eyes, claws on their hands, and a pair of long, twisted horns protruding from above their ears. Urgals usually stood six to nine feet tall and had seven toes on each foot. Their clothes consisted of loincloths as well as metal and leather armor.
Everything was silent and still, save for the gust of wind that howled in the night. Arya and her companions soon came into view as blurry smudges as they advanced along the trail. Excited, Durza lifted his thin lip with a snarl and hissed. The Urgals gripped their weapons tighter. As the three elves continued down the path, Durza raised his right-hand and two Urgal archers pulled their arrows back as they took aim, awaiting his signal.
Once they were within range, the Shade throws down his hand and the Urgals release their arrows, shooting Glenwing and Fäolin dead off their horses. Arya's horse reared back and whinnied in a frightened tone, throwing her off as she fell to the ground, but the elf princess quickly leapt back onto her feet. She looked around and gasped as Glenwing and Fäolin were both dead, laying in a pool of their own blood. She then glanced up to see four Urgals charging at her. Standing her ground, Arya draws her sword from it's sheathe on her left-side and held it out infront towards the Urgals while keeping the pouch in her left-arm close. The sword was slim, light, and elegant with a curved crossguard, the ends of which narrowed into sharp points.
The first Urgal reaches Arya and swings his sword with a downward slash, but she quickly blocks the blade and counters with a swift right slash, cutting the horned creature down with one strike. The next Urgal attacks with a left slash, only to be blocked by Arya as she held her sword vertically, and she cuts him across the waist with a left slash of her own before finishing him with a right-uppercut slash, causing the Urgal to flip backwards. The third Urgal roars with a war cry and tries to bash Arya with his shield. The elf princess quickly ducks down, dodging the shield as it swoops overhead. Then, the Urgal proceeds to bring his sword down on Arya with a left-downward slash. Rising up, Arya blocks the blade with her sword, swings it away to the left, and delivers a quick right-uppercut slash to the Urgal's body, causing him to flip over and fall to the ground. Finally, the fourth Urgal lunges his sword at the elf princess to stab her, but she immediately leaps over to the right and knocks the blade away. Arya cuts up the Urgal with a right slash, a left-uppercut slash, a downward slash, and finishes with a lunging strike, stabbing her sword into the Urgal's chest, which immediately kills him. The Urgal falls forward and collapses onto the forest path dead.
Arya's sword was now coated with black blood from the slain Urgals. Before she could catch her breath, an Urgal attacks Arya from the left. She turns to face the horned creature and quickly brought up her sword, holding it in defense as the Urgal takes a swing at her with a left slash. The elf princess was able to block the short sword, but the surprise attack and the brute strength of the Urgal knocks her off the forest trail and sends her tumbling down the hillside. Eventually, Arya lands at the bottom with her sword and the pouch still in her hands. She glances up to see the rest of the Urgals running down towards her. There were too many for the elf princess to fight alone. Her only chance was to try and lose them in the darkness of the forest. Sheathing her blood-drenched sword and clutching the pouch closely, Arya got up and bounded off into the thick forest, running as fast as she could.
Over in the Spine, Eragon was already deep in the mountainous region, moving along with his hunt. He kneels down to a trampled bed of reed grass in a meadow and inspects it closely. He saw a two-hoofed track preserved in the ground, only a half-hour ago. By his knowledge, the track belonged to a deer, a doe. The track was still fresh, which meant that the animal can't be far. Rising up in quiet assurance, the young hunter strode onward into the forest, crossing over streams, and passing craggy recesses. The dusky moonlight was obscured by the trees, casting feathery shadows on the ground.
Soon, Eragon enters a small valley, and there he spots his target as it grazed on leaves from the nearby tree. The young hunter crept up slowly and reached for an arrow with his right-hand, pulling one out from the quiver slung on his back. With calm, steady breaths, Eragon nocked his arrow onto his bowstring while keeping his sights fixed on the doe as it continued grazing, unaware of his presence.
Returning to eastern forest, Arya ran with the pouch still in her grasp, trying to escape the ambush. Suddenly, a quarter-mile section of the forest exploded as a wall of flames several feet high and a half-league across erupted infront of her, roaring to life and blocking her path. This was the dark magic of the Shade, Durza, who stood on a piece of granite high above the ambush site. From his perch, he could see the surrounding forest as well as the elf princess down below. With his right-hand stretched out, he uttered an evil spell in ancient language.
"Boetk istalrí." Durza chants
Arya's head whipped around as the flames expanded, surrounding her until she was trapped in a ring of fire. From above, it looked like a molten crown of flames. With nowhere to run, the elf princess draws herself with regal disdain. Having trapped his victim, Durza steps through the wall of flames and approaches her.
"Durza." Arya says with venom in her voice
"Give it to me, and I'll let you live." Durza says
"Is there anyone who trusts the word of a Shade?" Arya asks
Arya reaches into the pouch and takes out the egg-shaped sapphire stone in her left-hand, which reflected the fiery light of the fires. She then raises it up above her head and frantically recited a magic spell in ancient language.
"Reqes du vahtez bulu majikrist!" Arya chants
Pure light envelopes the stone and it vanishes in a flash of light and a loud whooshing sound. Durza eyes widened and he shields himself from the blinding light.
In the Spine, Eragon kneels down and takes aim at the doe, pulling back the arrow on the string for his shot, lining up his right-eye along the arrow's shaft. Within moments, he releases his arrow, which shoots through the air. At the same time, an explosion of light illuminates the area, spooking the deer as it bolted, bounding off into the darkness of the forest. The arrow missed with it's broadhead sticking in the trunk of a tree with it's shaft burning with flames.
A surprised expression came upon Eragon's face as he stared at a large smoldering black circle of grass and tree, close to where the deer once was. Many pine trees stood bare without their needles. The grass surrounding the scorched earth was flattened. Wisps of smoke curled in the air, carrying a burnt scent. And there in the center of it all was the polished blue stone.
Back in the forest to the east, a frown was on Durza's face as he walks up to Arya, who was now down on the ground, weakened from the spell she cast. Transporting such a large stone had used up much of her magic, leaving her completely exhausted to even move. With his right-hand hovering over the elf, the Shade flips her over onto her back using his telekinetic powers.
"Where did you send it?" Durza asks
"Poor Durza. How will you tell the king... you failed?" Arya taunts weakly
Angered by Arya's meddling efforts, the Shade thrusts his hand down on the elf princess, inducing her with pain while she groans.
In the Spine, Eragon watched for danger for several minutes, but the only thing that moved was the smoke lifting off from the stone. Cautiously, Eragon moved forward slowly until he was an inch away from the stone. Releasing the tension from his bow, he sets it down on the flat earth and warily picks up the stone with both hands on each side. He expected the object to be hot, and yet it wasn't. Despite the smoke leaving it's surface, the stone was cool to the touch. Eragon blows the smoke away from the stone and looked upon it as he examined it's every detail.
The stone was a dark blue sapphire, except for the veins of white that spiderwebbed across it's surface. It was smooth and frictionless like hardened silk. Oval-shaped and about a foot long, the stone weighed several pounds, but felt lighter than it should be.
The young hunter was fascinated by the stone's appearance, and yet frightened at the same time. Questions went through his mind. Where did it come from? Did it have a purpose? Was it sent here by accident, or was he meant to have it? Eragon had heard of old tales of magic back in the village of Carvahall, including ones about Keyblade Wielders. If he had learned anything from those stories, it was to treat magic, and those who wielded it with caution and respect.
As he stared at the stone, Eragon wondered what he should do with it. There was the possibility that it was dangerous and he thought it was better to leave it here. But then again, the stone could help pay for some food, especially since Eragon had failed in his hunt for the deer. And so, with a shrug, the farm boy tucks the stone away in his pack and began making his way back home to Carvahall.
Arya opened her eyes and senses that the egg has been found. Not only that, she also sensed the arrival of a newcomer in Alagaësia, one who's heart was strong and pure. Realizing that there was still hope, the elf princess smiles before her eyes shut and she falls unconscious.
It was mid day in Carvahall with the sky mostly cloudy, blurring colors and shapes into shades of grey when Devon arrived in Alagaësia, walking into the village with calm, relaxed strides. The Keyblade Wielder glanced around and gathered a view of his surroundings.
The settlement was secluded with harsh, beautiful wilderness in every direction. The land was tan with dead grass swaying in the wind. Every building in the village was made from stout logs with low roofs, some thatched, others shingled. White smoke billowed from chimneys, carrying a woody smell. Some buildings had wide porches where people gathered either to talk or to do business. Windows were occasionally brightened by a candle or a lit lamp.
Many of the villagers gave Devon odd, strange looks as he passed them, probably because of the way he was dressed, but nonetheless they went on with their day. Then, something caught the young teen's attention as he looked over to the left. A group of imperial soldiers came out of a building with two boys in their grasp. They were enforcers of Galbatorix, wearing red tunics with Galbatorix' symbol, a twisting flame, outlined in golden thread. Underneath the tunics, they wore leather brigandines riveted with squares of steel, mail shirts, padded gambesons, and a red cape.
Four soldiers dragged away the teenage boys, who appeared to be 18 years old, while two other soldiers, more likely their enforcers followed them. Trailing them was a old man, who appeared to be in his 50s, and his wife also in her 50s. They were the boys' parents, and they cried in despair of losing their sons.
"Two more patriotic volunteers for the king's army." The lead soldier says
"Please! My sons are not fighters! The men you take, they never return!" The man sobs
The lead soldier turns and faces the poor villagers with an emotionless face.
"Every village must do it's share. Rejoice. Your sons will be heroes." The soldier says
After saying that, the chief enforcer walks off while the man and his wife watch as their sons were taken away, never to be seen again. Devon watched the soldiers with a disgusted expression as he did not like what was going on. People shouldn't be made to serve like this, being dragged away from their families. They deserve the right to choose. Whoever this king was, it was obvious he was insane and corrupt. He felt bad for the man and his wife, but until he learned more about the world he was in and it's current situation, there was nothing he could do to help them.
Not far from where Devon stood, an old man watched him with an intrigued expression, sitting on a wooden foot stool no more than a few feet away. This man was Brom.
Brom was a wise, old storyteller, but despite his age, he was intelligent and strong minded. Not much was known about his age, but he looked young enough and well enough to be in his 70s. Like many others in Alagaësia, Brom was not pleased with Galbatorix' rule. He had grayish-brown hair, brown eyes, and a beard. He wore a long black cape, which was wrapped around his bent shoulders, obscuring his body, clothes made from black worn cloth, a scuffed belt, and a piece of black cloth wrapped around his right-hand.
Although he mostly secretive and kept to himself, Brom was interested to learn more about Devon, especially when his eyes laid upon his necklace, where he saw the crystal Kingdom Hearts sigil. He was familiar with the heart-shaped symbol as it was the mark of a Keyblade Wielder. The old man could instantly tell that he was not from any part of Alagaësia. With a calm exterior, Brom calls out to Devon.
"You. Boy." Brom says
Devon looks over at his right when he heard Brom calling him. He gestured to himself with his right-hand, silently asking if he was talking to him, and Brom nods his head yes. Devon felt a bit wary that a stranger wanted to speak to him, but he didn't sense no danger from the old man and he had a sincere look on his face. And so, he walks over to Brom as he remained planted in his seat.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Brom asks pointing up at Devon with his right-index finger
"What makes you say that?" Devon asks
"Your clothes for one. They're not like any attire I've seen here in Alagaësia." Brom says
"Alagaësia?" Devon asks
"The realm upon which we stand on now. Home to Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Urgals, Werecats, and Dragons." Brom says
Devon stares at Brom with a surprised expression as puts his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"Really? Huh." Devon says
The Keyblade Wielder was already familiar with Elves, Dwarves, and Dragons from his past adventures in Middle-Earth, but Urgals and Werecats were new to him.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say this world is almost like to Middle-Earth." Devon thought to himself
Devon took another long glance at the small village around him, curious to know where in Alagaësia he was.
"If you don't mind me asking, Brom, what part of Alagaësia is this?" Devon asks
"You are in the settlement of Carvahall, to be specific. On the northeast part of the map." Brom says
"It'd be nice if I could see one." Devon mutters
"Hmm... Do you have a name?" Brom asks
"Devon. My name is Devon."
The Keyblade Wielder extends his right-hand out to the storyteller, offering a handshake. Brom looks up at Devon with a smile on his face and he shakes his hand.
"Brom."
"Nice to meet you, Brom. So, what else can you tell me about Alagaësia?" Devon says
As Devon continued his conversation with Brom, Eragon arrives in the village and walks over to a broad, thick-beamed building, whose chimney billowed black smoke.
The butcher shop was spacious, warm, and well lit by a fire snapping inside a stone fireplace. The floor was strewn with loose straw. Near the door to the right upon entry was a bare counter that stretched across to the far side of the shop. Behind the counter was a small man, Sloan, who was chopping red slabs of meat with his cleaver.
Sloan was the shop's owner and butcher in the village of Carvahall. He was proud and possessive man who keeps tight control over the things surrounding him and takes enjoyment in doing so. He also had an attitude of classism, looking down on farmers. The only one thing he cared about was his daughter, Katrina, whom he doted. Sloan had a peach-colored skin tone with a bald head, and had black eyes. He wore a cotton shirt and a long, bloodstained smock.
The butcher sharpened his knives when he saw Eragon step into the shop. His mouth twisted when he saw him.
"Expensive taste, Eragon." Sloan says
Sloan takes a large slab of meat that was bigger than his hands and presents it to Eragon.
"The King's Strip. Best cut there is. The fat just... melts into the meat." Sloan says
"How much?" Eragon asks
Sloan stares at the young teen for a moment and laughs.
"How much? Too much for a poor farm boy." Sloan says
Sloan had always treated Eragon and his family with such disdain like they were poor, lame people. True, Eragon had no coin to pay for some meat, but he did have one thing that might interest Sloan.
"I have something. Something to trade. It'll be worth your while." Eragon says
Eragon reaches into his pack and pulls out the large stone, setting it down gently on the scarred counter. Sloan picks up the stone and examines it with an interested expression and greed clear in his eyes, running his left-hand along it's smooth surface and inspecting the white veins.
"What is this? Some kind of stone?" Sloan asks
"I found it." Eragon says
"Stole it more likely." Sloan mutters
"I was hunting." Eragon says
The young teen looks off to the right for a second as if to make sure no one was listening to their conversation, then leans closer to the butcher.
"Hunting in the Spine." Eragon says quietly in a low voice
Sloan stood silent as a look of paranoia formed on his face. Not only was Sloan a father to his daughter, he was also a widower. His wife, Katrina's mother,
Almost immediately, he hands the stone back to Eragon, showing his true colors: a cowardly man who hides his fears in anger.
"You put it back then. It belongs to the king. Tell no one you have it. You'll endanger the whole village. Now get out. I don't need that sort of trouble here. I won't deal with anything you bring from those damned mountains! Take your sorcerer's stone elsewhere! G-g-get out!" Sloan says
Suddenly, footsteps are heard as two more people entered the shop. They were Horst and Katrina.
Horst was the village blacksmith, a tall, hulking man and a friend to Eragon. He was very kind and also hard had a wild mane of black hair, black eyes, a black beard trimmed, roiled, and knotted like his jaw muscles, a hairy muscular chest visible through the top of his shirt, and powerful arms usually bare to the elbow.
Katrina was Sloan's daughter, a tall, slender 17-year old girl. She was very attractive and strong boned, also a good friend of Eragon. She had long copper hair, smooth white skin, and a pretty face.
Sloan seemed to shrink when he saw Horst enter.
"Sloan, what have you done now?" Horst asks
"Nothing... Eragon came in here with no coin, trying to barter me with a cursed stone he brought back from the Spine." Sloan says
Horst looks over the stone curiously, then glances at Eragon on his left, seeing the innocence in his face. He knew that he was just trying to provide for his family. With a determined expression, Horst glances back at the butcher, willing to help out with Eragon's situation.
"Now, Sloan, we all know how paranoid you are. I've no love for the Spine myself, but if it's a question of the stone's worth, I'll back it with my own currency." Horst says
The question hung in the air for a moment until Sloan licked his lips.
"This is my shop. I can do whatever I want." Sloan says
Katrina steps out from behind Horst and tossed her hair.
"Father, please. Give Eragon the meat, then we can have supper." Katrina says
Sloan narrowed his eyes dangerously at his daughter.
"Go back to the house, Katrina. This is none of your business." Sloan says
"But Father-" Katrina says
"I said go!" Sloan says raising his voice
Katrina's face hardened and she storms out of the shop with a stiff back. Eragon watched disapprovingly while Horst tugged on his beard with his right-hand. Then, the smith spoke reproachfully.
"Fine, you can deal with me." Horst says
Horst took out a purse, which jingled full of coins, and looks at Eragon.
"What were you going to get, Eragon?" Horst asks
"As much as I could." Eragon says
The blacksmith counts out a pile of coins and sets it down on the counter.
"Give me your best roasts and steaks, enough to fill Eragon's pack." Horst says
Sloan was a bit hesitant to go through with the request as his gaze darted between Eragon and Horst. Then, Horst leans closer to the butcher as if to threaten him.
"Not selling to me would be a very bad idea." Horst says
Glowering venomously, Sloan heads into the back room. Eragon looks up at Horst, who returns his gaze with a smile on his face.
Eragon and Horst soon exit the butcher's shop with Eragon carrying his pack and his stone.
"Thank you, Horst. Uncle Garrow will be pleased." Eragon says
The blacksmith chuckles quietly and patted the young teen's left-shoulder twice.
"No need to thank me, Eragon. I've been wanting to do that for a long time. Sloan's a vicious troublemaker. Katrina heard what was happening and ran to fetch me. Good thing she did. I thought Sloan would chop you up into meat. Unfortunately, I doubt he'll serve you or any in your family next time, even with coins." Horst says
"Well, now I have one more reason to hurry home." Eragon says
Eragon stuffs the meat into his pack, then offers the stone to Horst.
"Here, this is rightfully yours." Eragon says
Horst looks down at the stone in Eragon's hands as he offered it to him, then gently pushes it back to him with a kind smile.
"No. You keep your strange stone. As for payment, Albriech plans to leave for Feinster next spring. He wants to become a master smith, and I'll be needing an assistant. You can come and work off the debt on your spare days." Horst says
Eragon was delighted to hear of Horst's offer and he bowed slightly. Horst had two sons, Albriech and Baldor, both of whom worked at his forge. Taking one's place was definitely a generous offer.
"Thank you again, Horst! I shall look forward to working with you." Eragon says
The farm boy places the stone in his pack and ties off the top before hoisting it onto his back. Horst gives Eragon one last smile, then simply waves his right-hand in farewell as he strides off. Eragon waves his right-hand good-bye, then turns and walks down the street towards Devon and Brom.
With Devon, he had listened to Brom with interest as he told him of the Broddring Empire and it's current king, Galbatorix, who ruled over Alagaësia with an iron fist.
"I see. So, Galbatorix is the king of Alagaësia, huh? And let me guess, he's not the great, high and mighty ruler that everybody supports, right?" Devon says crossing his arms
Brom smiled and chuckled at Devon's response. He already liked the boy.
"Sounds like you've had your fair share of corrupt rulers." Brom says
"Eh... I've met the occasional tyrant or two." Devon says
Two guards approach the Keyblade Wielder and old man, interrupting their conversation. One of them, possibly the leader, notices five dead birds hanging by their feet by white string over their heads.
"Look at this. A necklace. And where did a fool like you find such an appetizing string of jewels?" The lead soldier asks running his sword along the dead birds
"Interesting you should ask." Brom says pointing his right-index finger
The soldier points his blade at Brom.
"Is that right?" The soldier says
Brom held up his hands in a surrendering gesture and explained to the guards his story.
"I was walking up the lane the other day, admiring them sitting on a branch. Clap of thunder, they fell off dead at my feet. So I thought 'Oh well, I can't leave them there. Someone might trip.'" Brom says
Devon and Eragon smiled as they both thought Brom was funny. The old man had a sense of humor.
"So I hung them up there out of the way." Brom says pointing up at the birds with his left-finger
"You know what I think? I think you're a thief." The soldier says
Brom scrunches up his face, mocking a groan.
"Ooh." Brom groans
"A poacher." The soldier says
"Oh, no." Brom groans mockingly
"I confiscate them all in the name of the king." The soldier says
The soldier kicks Brom's chair with his right-foot, making him fall off onto the dead grass. Brom took out a dagger from a sheathe on his belt with his left-hand while the soldier kept his sword pointed at him. Devon watched with a shocked face as Brom was kicked to the ground. Then, he got angry at the guards and puts himself between them and the old man.
"Hey! It's one thing to convict a criminal! It's another to harass an old man!" Devon says
"Watch your tongue, boy. This does not concern you. This man is a criminal." The lead soldier says
"On what evidence? I don't know about you, but I see nice, gentle old man, which I seriously doubt would be considered anything like a thief or a poacher." Devon says
The young teen gestures his left-hand up at the strung up birds over his head.
"You can't assume he's one just because there's a bunch of dead birds hanging over him. Brom is a good man and I say that he's innocent. So, why don't you just back off!" Devon says
The guards stared at Devon with surprised expressions. Even Brom, Eragon, and the nearby villagers around them were surprised as they too stared at the Keyblade Wielder. He must've been very brave or very crazy to stand up to Galbatorix' enforcers. Devon turns around and grabs Brom's right-arm, helping him up to his feet while the soldiers step back. The young teen nods his head at the old man, who returns the nod, then they both turn back to the soldiers.
"Well, I'll just cut them down for you then, shall I?" Brom says
Brom takes his dagger and cuts the birds, leaving the soldiers to pick them up and carry them away.
"Sorry I didn't pluck them. Take care with the little bones. Hate to see you choke." Brom says
Everyone watches silently as the guards walk away while Brom sheathes his dagger and dusts himself off from the dirt. Suddenly, a girl runs into the village in a panic. It was Katrina.
"Help! Please! Someone!" Katrina screams
Devon, Brom, Eragon, and the villagers looks over at Katrina as they saw her running down the street. The guards heard her cries for help, but they were too ignorant or too busy with their task to even care. Eragon runs up to Katrina and catches her.
"Katrina? What is it?" Eragon asks
"Eragon! It's Horst! Monsters are attacking his forge!" Katrina says
Devon shared a glance with Brom for a moment, then left his side as he ran up to Katrina.
"Where?" Devon asks
"To the west! Near the river! It overlooks the mountains!" Katrina says pointing in the direction she came
Devon nods and runs off while everyone watches him go. Eragon stared at the Keyblade Wielder as he ran up the road, but quickly follows him, wanting to help save Horst and his family. Brom watched with an intrigued expression and a raised right-eyebrow as the boys ran out of the village, heading for Horst's forge. It was almost as if he knew something about Devon. Something that made him special. Perhaps, the old man knew that Devon was a Keyblade Wielder.
Horst's home was a few miles off to the west in an open wooded area near the Anora River, not far from Carvahall, probably a 15 minute walk, 7 minutes if one rode on horseback. The river was no more than a mile and a half out with the mountains of the Spine far out in the distance.
It was a nice, quaint, two-story log-built home with a large smoking chimney in the back of the building. A tall, wide door acted as the entrance to the home while the forge was more open, built to the right alongside the house in a sheltered section. Two large bellows were attached to the left-side of a stone forge with sparkling coals inside. Before the forge was a black anvil and an iron bound barrel filled with brine. Several tools hung from a line of neck-high poles along the walls: giant tongs, pliers, hammers of every shape and weight, chisels, angles, center punches, files, rasps, lathes, bars of iron and steel waiting to be shaped, vises, shears, picks, and shovels. The main table set inside the forge was long and wide.
Devon soon reaches the forge, and as he suspected, there were Dream Eaters attacking the home. These Dream Eaters were Tama Sheeps, Toximanders, Kooma Pandas, and Drak Quacks.
To his right was Horst, who was armed with a long sword, and his two sons, Albriech, who wielded a short sword, and Baldor, who used his bow. Hiding behind a wagon was a woman. It was Horst's wife, Elain.
Elain was a woman who was just as kind as her husband. She had honey blond hair and blue eyes.
Baldor kept his distance and shoots an arrow at a Kooma Panda, but it bounces harmlessly off it's large body. Horst and Albriech swung their swords to fend off the Nightmares, but the dark creatures stayed far out of their reach.
Soon, one of the Toximanders extends it's poisonous tongue at the Horst family, going straight for the hulking man. But just as it was about to reach him, Devon flies in infront of Horst and swings Soul Calibur with a right slash, knocking the tongue away. He then makes his stand, holding his glowing crystal Keyblade with both hands. Horst and his family were completely stunned by how fast he moved.
Devon jumps forward at the Toximander and cuts it down with a leaping strike, swinging Soul Calibur over his right-shoulder. Two Tama Sheep launch their disc-shaped horns at Devon, but he deflects them with his Keyblade. Afterwards, he pulls his right-arm back and hurls his Keyblade with a left toss. Soul Calibur spins through the air, glowing with light, and it slices through the two Nightmares before Devon catches it back in his hand. A Kooma Panda charges at Devon and leaps up into the air with a body slam, only to miss as the young teen quickly jumps back. After dodging the large Nightmare, Devon dashes forward and strikes the bear-like creature with a reverse roundhouse slash, landing a hit to it's belly. He follows up with a left-uppercut slash and a right slash before jumping up and kicking the Kooma Panda in the head with his right-foot, sending it rolling backwards into two Toximanders and four Tama Sheeps.
Three Drak Quacks approached Devon from the left as he turned to face them. But before they could do anything, the Nightmares were each shot down by a single arrow. The attack came from Eragon, who arrived on the scene, armed with his bow and arrows. Horst and his family were happy to see the farm boy.
"Eragon!" Horst exclaims happily
Devon looks over at Eragon as he runs over to his side. The farm boy nods his head at the Keyblade Wielder, who smiles and nods back. The two boys quickly focus back on the fight at hand as the Nightmares approach them.
Devon rushes at the Dream Eaters with his Keyblade while Eragon kept his distance and fired more arrows with his bow.
A Tama Sheep rolls it's round-shaped body toward Devon with a frontal charge, but he stops the dark creature with a thrusting strike. He follows up with a downward slash and an uppercut slash, knocking the Nightmare into the air. Devon leaps up after the Tama Sheep and kicks it back down with a backflip kick. The Tama Sheep hits a Kooma Panda in the head, causing it to fall backwards and crush a Toximander and two Tama Sheeps that were behind it. Three Drak Quacks approach Devon and shoot fireballs from their mouths. The young teen deflects two of the fiery projectiles, then leaps over to the left, evading the rest. Rolling onto his feet, Devon leaps up at the airborne Nightmares and slices them up with a right spinning slash.
While Devon cuts through the Dream Eaters, Eragon made sure that none of them would creep up and attack him, using his bow and arrows to shoot them down. Taking aim with his right-eye, Eragon shoots a Tama Sheep that approached Devon from behind as he dispatches a Toximander with a left slash, then he shoots down a Drak Quack that approached Devon from the right as he brings his Keyblade down on a Kooma Panda.
Soon, there were only a few Dream Eaters left, consisting of one Kooma Panda, two Toximanders, three Drak Quacks, and four Tama Sheeps. Devon and Eragon face the Nightmares as they stood several feet away from them. The Keyblade Wielder glances down at Soul Calibur in his hands, then back up at the Dream Eaters. Taking a deep breath, he de-summons his Keyblade, spreads his legs out, cups his hands together, and closes his eyes in concentration. A silvery aura of pure light envelopes Devon as he stood calmly while Eragon, Horst, and his family watch in amazement. Silver streams and gusts of wind swirl around Devon, whipping up his clothes and his short hair. Then, a silvery-white misty orb appears between Devon's hands as he channels his telekinetic energy. Within moments, Devon opens his eyes, pulls his hands back to his right-side, and thrusts them forward, blasting the Dream Eaters away with a powerful telekinetic blast and strong winds, sending the dark creatures flying. Some of them smash into a few nearby trees while others crash into the ground, vanishing in puffs of darkness.
With the Dream Eaters defeated, the area was quiet and calm again. Devon stands up straight and lowers his hands with a sigh while Eragon slings his bow over his back. The Keyblade Wielder turns around to the farm boy and looks at him with a smile.
"Thanks for the help. It's Eragon, right?" Devon says
"Yeah." Eragon says nodding his head
"I'm Devon."
Devon extends his right-hand out to Eragon, who happily accepts and shakes his hand with a smile of his own.
"Nice to meet you, Devon." Eragon says
The two boys then turned to Horst as he and his family approached them with a look full of gratitude, giving his thanks to Eragon first.
"Eragon! You got quite an impressive skill with a bow. I guess now we're even." Horst says
Eragon smiles and nods his head. Then, Horst turns to Devon on his left, giving him his gratitude as well as he shook his right-hand with both hands.
"And many thanks to you, stranger. You saved my forge and my family. We owe you our lives." Horst says
"It's nothing. I'm just glad no one got hurt." Devon says
"What were those things?" Eragon asks
"I don't know. They don't look like any creature native to Alagaësia." Horst says
"Those were Dream Eaters. They are two kinds of them. Spirits, which are more friendly and gentle, and Nightmares, which we just fought, that are more malevolent and vicious." Devon explains
"Dream Eaters?" Eragon says confused with the name
"Has there been any other attacks like this?" Devon asks
"Well, this is the first we have seen such creatures in Carvahall, but there have been tales of attacks near Teirm and Dras-Leona, which is far to the south. People who encounter these... 'Dream Eaters' go missing... and are never seen again." Horst says
"Don't the soldiers do anything about them?" Eragon asks
Horst shook his head.
"I doubt that either the king or his soldiers would even care about what happens to the people." Horst says
"So they just leave them to suffer? That's outrageous!" Devon says
"That's the kind of world we live in." Horst says
Devon glanced down at his right-hand and gripped it into a fist. Now, he really felt bad for the people of Alagaësia. A tyrant king who cares little for the well-being of his people. Soldiers who did absolutely nothing to ensure safety and security. This world was in absolute misery. He would like nothing more than to give Galbatorix a piece of his mind. Eragon saw the look in Devon's face and he could tell that he cared much for others just like him.
"Devon, do you have any place to stay?" Eragon asks
Devon relaxed and looks at Eragon on his left.
"No. I only just arrived." Devon says
"My uncle's farm is not far. It's on the other side of the valley. You're more than welcome to stay with us, if you want." Eragon says
The Keyblade Wielder happily accepted Eragon's offer and nods his head.
"I'd like that very much, Eragon. Thanks." Devon says
Unknown to the group, the two soldiers that Devon and Brom confronted earlier had been watching them from a distance, no more than a mile away, hidden within the pine trees of the forest. They had witnessed the whole battle between Devon and the Dream Eaters, and were alarmed by how strong he was. A Keyblade Wielder here in Alagaësia would be a major threat to the Broddring Empire, and to Galbatorix himself. They knew they had to inform the king of this new arrival immediately.
"Send word to the king. A Keyblade Wielder has come to Alagaësia." The lead soldier says
And so, the two soldiers turned around and rode off on their horses to inform Galbatorix. The adventure in Alagaësia had only just begun.
Author's Note: And here is the next world: Alagaësia. For this world, the plot of the story will mostly follow the film, but it will also include some elements from the book. And on another note, I apologize for the long wait. A storm hit around my home, damaging the router and knocking out the internet, so I had to get that fixed. And recently, my family suffered a terrible loss. My mother's niece, who was a close family member, died at the age of 44 from a blood infection. And my mother needed me while she was grieving for the wake and the funeral. So having cleared that up, let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!