Faris walked into the dining hall, the woes of earlier times less prevalent in his thoughts. Only one thing filled his mind now.
"I'm famished" He said to Venka, who was walking beside him as they approached the dining hall. She had been looking a lot better recently, recovering quickly from the attack. And Faris had taught her some of the spells he knew, such as his spell of warding, strengthening spells in general, and light. With her much greater magical prowess she was capable of things at a scale completely outside his reach, but at the same time she could only barely grasp the basics, though given what he had learned from Angela, her speed was very much still exemplary. She had proven that with enough concentration and understanding, and positive reinforcement, she was an able learner. This stride in magic mastery did good for her self-esteem, she was slowly returning to her more boisterous self. This was bittersweet news to Faris, while he was happy that she was recovering…
"Hmph, giving in to hunger already? I guess that's the case, it looks like we're just cut from different cloth!" She said smugly.
"So basically, you're really hungry too, and you can't wait to see what there'll be for dinner."
"What! That wasn't what I said at all! Are you cra-!"
Venka's tirade was interrupted by a very loud and audible stomach rumbling. Venka's face turned red as a rose as Faris and the two guards stifled smiles. The rest of the short walk was silent. As they neared the dining room, Faris felt a hand reaching out to his, turning to see Venka looking pale. Faris moved his hand over to hold hers, and she squeezed it tightly, like she was scared he'd disappear if she let him go. Faris gave it a gentle squeeze of his own, keeping extremely calm to keep his face from reddening.
Even before they could see the dining hall, they could smell a sweet and salty aroma of roasted veal slathered in honey. Faris felt something wet on his hand and turned to see Venka wiping the drool off her mouth with her hand, while still clutching his. Faris slipped his hand out in disgust and wiped it with a handkerchief. Venka stared ahead absentmindedly, Faris followed her gaze and soon all thoughts of her momentary grossness were replaced with the majesty of the feat before them, on a huge table sat a smorgasbord of food. Seated on the table seemed to be maybe four-dozen or so men women and children with a few more people in smaller tables close by. Three large boars, stereotypical apple in the mouth, roasted to perfection, sat on the main table, one boar was set on the smaller tables. Roran sat at the head of the table, Katrina on the right, and Ismira on the left, their younger son sat at the smaller table with other children and a few adults. As the pair entered the hall Bergan waived them forward. As they walked forward the people turned to look at them, quieting down, Faris could feel their eyes on him and he felt slightly self-conscious.
Are they looking at Venka?! Is it because of how red her hair is? Or is it that we were holding hands?!
He felt his face heat up, Bergan slipped two seats open for them and they gratefully sat in, welcoming his larger body blocking most of the gazes. They sat to the left of Roran, closer to Ismira, and a family of 5 sat opposite them, the closest to Katrina was a tall well-built man with broad shoulders and greying beard hair. Based on the calluses on his hand Faris assumed that was Horst. The two women and two men besides him were likely his wife and children. They all gave friendly nods to the two, the daughter, Hope, smiled at Faris, who smiled back, barely keeping composure as he felt someone jab his side. He chose to ignore it, instead turning to Roran, who stood up and lifted a simple looking wooden goblet, everyone followed suit, lifting their cups.
"My good friends and family," He began, "It's nice to see you all well, as you can see, after 15 years I still haven't managed to burn this place down, so I'm doing something right." This elicited raucous laughter from the villagers. Roran's face was filled with a smirk as he continued. "Here's to another 100 years of peace!" The hall filled with cheers, both for the occasion and for the food. As everyone began getting a serving Roran turned to Venka and asked. "Young lady, do you recognize me?"
Venka looked confused before nodding her head. "Wait, are you uncle Roran?"
Faris nearly choked on his pork. Roran's her uncle?!
Katrina piped in, "You are our niece, your mother was my cousin, from my mother's side, all women in our family inherit this bright red hair. When we heard what happened…"
"I sent a squadron of men down myself." Roran continued. "But by the time they arrived, you were said to have already left for the Capital. I messaged our Queen to let me know when you arrived, so that I could…" He looked awkward for a moment, as if searching for the words.
"We needed to tell you how sorry we were, and that our doors were open to you at any time." Katrina finished, giving a sympathetic smile. Venka after a bit of hesitation smiled back. "Thank you!"
Faris for the most part had turned his attention back to Horst, Baldor and Albriech, who were talking to Faris.
"We were with Roran when the Bergan told the story. Is it true?" They looked at Faris intently.
Faris looked confused and looked back to Bergan, who smiled and winked, saying, "of course it's true, why would I make up what he did."
Baldor scratched his hair, which was almost midnight black. "So, you really defeated a whole squad of Magicians?"
The investigators snapped their heads forward to look at Faris with incredulity and doubt. Faris felt like looking down in embarrassment as even Venka had paused from hogging the food into her mouth to look at him with confusion and awe.
"Well, I didn't get all of them" he said quietly, by now feeling really embarrassed with all the attention.
"Nonsense" Bergan interrupted, "There were 15 of them, and you took down 4 before I even arrived! 5 of them were running with their tails between their legs trying to make off with Venka, the second I arrived you sprinted after them, and by the time I get there next thing I know there's a huge explosion, 5 defeated mages, one saved girl, and one singed boy!"
A lot the towns people, who by now Faris presumed to be the former villagers of Carvahall and some later generations, were looking at Faris like some sort of superhero. Both Ismira and Hope looked at him with wide eyes. Faris felt extremely self-conscious, but not entirely upset over the attention.
"Nonsense!" The first investigator spluttered, "A mere boy?! Defeating full-fledged mages? I know Bergan began teaching you, but how could someone with merely three days of learning defeat a group of mages!" The second investigator nodded in affirmation. Venka, a little irritated, turned to them.
"Weren't you two knocked out immediately?" Venka blurted out.
They turned red as beets as the villagers began to chuckle. Venka turned to Faris, who smiled in thanks before clearing his throat and standing up.
"Alright, so you guys want to hear the story?"
"Is it true there were fifty of them?!" One villager shouted.
"How many did you decapitate!" Another shouted.
What the hell?! Faris thought, this was probably the first time they heard the story, and they were already overexaggerating.
"First of all!" Faris shouted, "There were fifteen! And second of all! I only took out eight!"
"All at the ripe age of 8 years!"
"Ten!" Faris yelled in indignation as the villagers chuckled at the back and forth between him and Bergan.
"How old were you Nolfavrell?" One of the older villagers asked, turning to look at a man a bit younger than Roran who scratched his chin before answering with, "Does it even matter? It's not a contest."
Faris continued his story, speaking of how he attacked in surprise, and his plan using the distant flame. The investigators heckled and yelled at him despite all the boos to quiet down. And Faris finally lost his temper.
"Lord Roran, may I have an uncooked egg?"
Roran looked on in confusion, before turning to a servant, who returned with the raw egg. Faris walked up to the investigator.
"Take this and walk to 30 feet away from me, asshat." Faris asked brightly.
"What does that word mean?" The investigator asked.
Faris smiled. "Oh! It's a term I learned, when someone does not have faith in you and you must test your mettle, once you prove yourself, they are an asshat, I am merely announcing that because you my friend, are about to look like an asshat." Faris's smile caused the Investigator's own smirk to falter, before he regained his composure. Faris noticed that the people began to crowd around as Faris pointed a finger at the Investigator, before winking at him and turning around. The investigator's frowning mouth curved into a vicious smirk as he announced.
"See! See! I knew it! He didn't know any-"
The egg exploded in his hand, staining his face, hair, and tunic with baked egg bits, giving him the appearance of a man who was caught showering in scrambled eggs. The explosion was followed by a bit of silence as Faris walked up to the man, took out a handkerchief, and brushed off some eggs from his hand.
"Oof, sir, I see you've made a bit of a mess of yourself; you should probably clean it off asshat."
The hall filled with raucous laughter, the investigator looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it, he turned to his co-investigator, who merely shook his head. As he turned to sit down and clean himself up the villagers swarmed Faris to talk to him and ask him questions, Bergan was laughing and drinking like a madman, he had challenged a middle-aged woman with auburn hair to a drinking contest, after countless tankards he fell over. Venka found herself speaking to her older cousin Ismira, and Ismira's friend Hope, the two teenage girls were intimidating for the girl, but the fact she was also a magic user caught their fancy and attention. Soon everyone was merry making and having fun. No one would have noticed the fact that the investigators walked up, and left the dining hall. No one then noticed the man who had previously lost to Birgit in a drinking contest get up abruptly and walk out after them.
.
.
"Damnamnable boy! How did Bergan teach him so much so quickly?! He even covered his mouth to hide the fact he uttered the ancient language!" The investigator clutched his hand, still slightly covered in the egg.
"The real question is how was he skilled enough to defeat those mages from the black hand… that spell was ingenious, casting fire from afar, but the visible exhaustion on his face revealed a lack of magical stamina. Who provided him the energy?" The second asked.
"Perhaps, he had a stone filled with energy."
"Would Bergan compromise his oath to teach him that?!"
The first investigator clenched his teeth in anger, gritting it down he swore as he muttered: "We were utterly defeated, perhaps it's time to make an escape."
The second one wiped some sweat from his brow before asking… "How do you suggest we do that? You know the red stone is in our pack, along with the rest of those packs."
The first one smiled. "I placed a magical signal, imperceptible to anyone who didn't notice. Not even Bergan, for all his skill would know if he wasn't looking for it." He grinned widely, letting his greed get the better of him for the moment. "Bergan's imperial Emerald is there, think of the energy stores! And whatever stone he gave to the boy!"
"Unfortunately, my emerald is completely spent, the boy didn't know his own strength."
The two investigators turn in shock as Bergan closes in behind him, sword going down the first one's arm, severing it.
"Bergan?! Are you turning traitor!?" The first investigator asked, clutching at the stump that used to be his arm.
Bergan simply lifted the severed arm, looking at the palm.
"Edict 64 of the State Mage Association: if any state mages are suspected of going rogue, or have been proven without a shadow of a doubt to being rogue agents…" He turned the severed palm towards them, revealing the investigator's tattoo of a black hand branded on it. The two investigators flinched in fear.
"Then a senior mage is given full authorization to arrest, detain, and if facing someone particularly troublesome, neutralize the accused." He continued, not taking his eyes of the two, who in an increasing panic, screamed all the possible ways they knew to kill someone, growing in alarm as more and more ways ended up merely being stopped by his wards. Bergan eventually sighed, flicking his hand and causing the first investigator to pitch forward as a strong force came at him from behind. His wards blocked the magic, but the kinetic force still affected him as he came crashing down. He struggled to get up as Bergan walked forward, the second investigator firing spell after spell in a panic. Soon the two combined their minds to strike Bergan, as their combined strike moved towards his conciousness a single mental blow shattered their concentration.
"Bergan! How we hate you! You and any other Mage's blessed with power! We are barely where we are right now due to hard training since the association began, it took you only three years to rise to prominence! You are hated by all the weaker mages; we aren't the only traitors!" The investigator smiled, smug that he'd at least rattle Bergan before he died.
Bergan's response shattered his hopes. "Oh… we know." Before plunging his blade into the investigator.
The second one screamed in anger and fear, turning to run, before a knife struck his back in the middle of the spine, forcing him down. "M-my wards?!" He asked in confusion.
Bergan simply smiled and asked, "Did you like your drink?" Before beheading the traitor. He turned to look at the man who tossed the dagger, the man was in his mid-twenties, adorned with dusty brown long hair, and a wiry but muscular build.
"Mandel Byrdson, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Bergan Moorson, I should say the pleasure is mine." Mandel replied smiling, before turning and bowing to Roran, who came into the room with a stern look on his face.
"Mandel, didn't I say knife throwing was a terrible strategy?" He said with grim humor.
"Well yes, but this time the opponent was running away, so 2 out of 10 times I'd only have let him escape for a while longer." Mandel replied with a wry smile, before frowning. "I'll have the guards clean them up."
"No" Bergan stated. "They are coated in a special poison that activates after they die." He set the bodies on fire, tossing the dismembered arm into it. "I must report to Nasuada."
.
.
"Thank you for your report" Nasuada stated, despite still not being over forty, the stress of her job had finally begun to send the greys. She looked at Bergan with tired eyes. "The two investigators were the strongest of the traitors we found out about, if you hadn't volunteered to go with them, we would have lost two potential mages in training."
"You owe me…" A voice called out singsong from outside the mirror's screen. Bergan cocked his head in confusion. "My queen?"
The mirror turned, revealing Angela, Elva, Solembum, a man, and a woman. Bergan hid his smile as Angela continued speaking, "You should have seen what happened next, when Nasuada took care of most of the traitors, she announced that there had been traitors among them, that a few still remained, and she needed their cooperation, a mage who openly showed dissent was brought forward, the idiot was a traitor, couldn't even wait to reveal himself, he tried getting at Nasuada before being executed, if there are any more traitors, they've got to lie super low now!" She cackled in delight.
Roran scratched his head in confusion. "Angela?! You haven't aged a bit!"
Angela looked at him annoyedly and hmphed before stating. "If you had paid attention back then, I announced that I've been around the grape vine for more than just a decade or two, pay more attention. You already know how elves and dwarves are."
Roran wanted to say Angela didn't look like an elf and certainly wasn't a dwarf, but held his tongue.
"Anyways, Nasuada, you're keeping the deal, right?"
Nasuada looked at Angela hard, before asking in a soft tone. "Are you sure you do not wish to join me? I only want what is best of Alagaesia."
Angela scoffed. "Of course, I know that, but we fundamentally disagree on how you're doing things. There will always be bad mages doing bad things, you can't register every potential mage, and doing so is a waste of resources, and binding them to certain limits is just cruel."
"Crueler than when a single magician burns a village down, to the last man woman or child? Or when a black hand member assassinates the lord of a manor, sending the village to disarray before bewitching the wife of the lord and usurping the position, tell me, is that a kinder outcome?"
"You're too pessimistic." Angela muttered.
Trianna stood up indignantly, "And your too-!"
"Stop" Muttered Elva, who rubbed her head in discomfort. "We completed our end of the deal, you were a woman of your word Nasuada, will you honor your agreement?"
Nasuada sighed, "Yes, I will not disclose to the elder mages the fact that the boy Faris was trained by you. And I will not attempt nor have my mages attempt to steal information away from him, unless of course he himself poses a danger to the school, I will have no choice but to punish him like any other troublemaker."
"Fair enough" Elva continued.
Nasuada turned, looking now at the hooded man and woman. "Ard Amina, Norlock Briarson, to think you had been hiding away at all this time right under our noses, I have to at least commend you for living your life freely post Galbatorix, this does not absolve you of your sins, working to atone by joining my cause would have been though. Ard looked at Nasuada hard, "I never wanted to have to dip my hands in blood. And even now I only reluctantly did so because my old… compatriots tried to hurt my son. Nasuada, take care not to make the same mistakes as them. And besides, my name is Amina anymore, it's Haya."
.
.
Bergan returned to his room, his headache from the hangover already in effect, he took a huge gulp of water, before running into Faris, who looked like he was trampled by horses.
"You look tired."
"Yeah… the villagers didn't let up." He smiled, before covering it when he noticed Bergan's patronizing grin. "Anyways! Don't do that! That was exhausting.
"But fun right?"
Faris nodded, looking suspicious.
"Then I'm glad you enjoyed it." Upon Bergan Faris's shoulders slumped, he yawned, exhausted. "Thanks, I guess."
As he walked into his room, he turned. "You know, it's funny, I didn't think about it at first, but you have the same name as my father." Before walking into his room and closing the door.
Bergan smiled at his words. "Same name huh… well aint that swell…" Before walking into his own room to sleep.