A/N: Okay one quick note - I have exams coming up, so the next chapter will probably not be up for a few weeks :( :( :( BUT there is a good side - ANOTHER sneak peek at the end (a long one too!! Yay!!)
This chapter is from Jarnunvosk's POV - Its a short chapter :( but hopefully a good one.... :)
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Disclaimer: I'm NOT Christopher Paolini... or a guy for that matter :D
-------- Jarnunvösk's POV --------
One day, over a hundred years ago, my life began.
My egg was entrusted to the Riders and as was the custom, or so I later found out, I was passed around the elves and humans that were gifted, but I was treated in my egg, like a new toy to a child.
I hatched to a young rider, who had so much good in his personality, it was astonishing. I remember, thinking, while curled up in my egg, that this person, whoever he may be, is destined for great things. I was right.
"'Great' things is massacring the riders is it Jarnunvösk?" Eragon snorted.
Eragon! Saphira cried in his mind. He is just distressed, please continue your story Jarnunvösk, she asked.
My egg broke open at the touch of his hand, and I looked upon the face that would be my life… and my death.
His grin that day was as large as the sun, shining and whole. He stretched his hand forward… and our joining began. It raged on for hours… and finally ceased, but I could feel his consciousness as easily as I could move my limbs.
About a month after we became Rider and dragon, our lessons began. This was unusual, because most of the time, Riders began immediately. The reasons for beginning later was not clear, but over the decades I have been stuck inside my Eldunari, my most likely guess is that they sensed something dangerous inside this boy.
Our lessons began… and Galbatorix was a very fast learner. We learned everything required of us, and much else besides. Usually, a Rider's full education falls just short of a decade of learning, but we learnt so quickly, that we were finished in about 7 years instead of 10. The Riders celebrated, not even considering that this quick learning was even remotely dangerous. Some Riders warned the others, but they were laughed at. They should have been listened too… they were one of the first Riders to die at his hands.
One day… he came to me. "I have a surprise for you!" he cried in joy and excitement of the events to come. I agreed to go with him… it was my downfall, Eragon.
"You died in an Urgal attack though…" Eragon murmured.
The Urgal attack, I was getting to that part. Patience, young Rider.
We went flying over all of Alagaësia… the joy we both shared! Ah if I could experience that wonder, the beauty of it! We were on top of the world! "Jarnunvösk, land in that clearing!" he instructed with his mind.
We landed, and all of a sudden… his friends met us. They followed his lead, but they were loyal. Their demeanour surprised me! They were tensed, as if expecting a fight.
"You have changed your mind," Galbatorix asked them, but it sounded like a statement of fact to me. I asked about what, and Brisset, one of his friends replied in an angry tone, "He wants to kill you Jarnunvösk. Murder you, and take your Eldunari away."
I didn't believe it, not for a second. "He is my Rider," I told them. "He needs me as much as I need him." I didn't even consider that maybe he was already mad, grown overconfident over the long years. In all but three seconds, I found out that his friends weren't lying.
Galbatorix told me that all was fine… then Brisset and his dragon Faladori, and Nathial and his dragon Hirasoi, along with Galbatorix fought. Galbatorix let out a wild cry, and then Urgals came.
Nathial was the first to die. Hirasoi died shortly after, in grief.
Galbatorix laughed, and I realised that Brisset was not lying. Before I could act though, Galbatorix had me held in place. Faladori tried to help me, and his body was soon riddled with black arrows. Brisset was fighting Galbatorix, but after Faladori was destroyed, he collapsed to the ground, and Galbatorix eradicated him.
I struggled but I couldn't do a thing… He walked right up to me, calm. He didn't care that he had just slaughtered his friends, and their dragons.
With a flick of Galbatorix's sword, I was dead.
Not that I realised at first though. I only realised I was dead at the same time I realised I couldn't see or move. I could only sense minds.
It didn't make a difference though in my opinion. I was helpless and I could sense Galbatorix. He went to the fallen dragons and cut their stomachs… and out came two Eldunari. They were inside, hiding from the pain of death. Hirasoi didn't mean to flee in his Eldunari, but Faladori intended to on death's gates. Faladori's Eldunari was a deep purple, and Hirasoi's was a shocking orange. Galbatorix took them. He then took mine.
As soon as he touched my Eldunari, I could sense his mind. He was twisted inside, the basic plan for destroying the Riders already in play.
His goal – to rule Alagaësia. But he knew that the Riders wouldn't stand for this, so they had to be taken down.
I was the only thing that could stop him… when I had a body, that is.
All I could do was scream at him with my mind.
Over the next few months, I was a witness to so much pointless deaths. Then… the Fall began. Galbatorix had stolen a new dragon by then, and corrupted him to suit his will. Shruikan, he was named. He had tried to escape Galbatorix, but their bond is fainter than yours Eragon and Saphira. Shruikan tried to escape Galbatorix many times, so much that Galbatorix ended up casting a spell that will kill Shruikan if he goes too far away from Galbatorix.
"You… you saw the Riders fall?" Eragon whispered.
He took my strength and every Rider he killed, he stole their Eldunari and gained more strength. With the help of the Thirteen Forsworn, he killed every Rider left in Alagaësia.
The Battle of Dorú Areaba was the fight of the last of the Riders. Galbatorix and the Forsworn went in and the Elder Riders came out. Within a few minutes, three were dead, and a golden dragon and his Rider were captive of two of the Forsworn. I could only watch……
After Galbatorix finished with the carnage outside, he went in the glorious halls of the Rider's fortress. A blue dragon – much like you, Saphira – and her Rider was inside. They fought for a long time… longer than the other Riders, but she died after three Forsworn came in and aided Galbatorix. The Rider did not collapse to the ground in misery like Brisset, but with his sword killed one and fled into the mountains.
"Brom," Eragon whispered in shock. This was the first time he had heard Brom described as a Rider, with a dragon. He could imagine the fighting at the Dorú Areaba all too easily – the grief of fallen partners – because he had already lived it through Glaedr. That grief was losing the one person who knew and understood you perfectly, but loved you for all your flaws and strengths anyway.
Vrael, the leader of the Riders, came and met Galbatorix. They fought… my mind was confused and grieving the loss of my friends… so I do not recall most of the details – and they kept it up. Vrael pleaded for Galbatorix to stop his crusade… and Galbatorix laughed in his face, then continued the death blows. He managed to stab Vrael in the chest, and then pursued him to Utgard, where he was finally killed.
Galbatorix and Shruikan then collected the hundreds of Eldunari from the bodies of the dead dragons. He burned them and the Riders afterwards.
When we got back to Urû'bean, I was placed in a chest, where you found me Eragon. The last words I heard for decades was, "Aren't you proud of me?". He laughed after he had said this, and then left me, finally in peace. I tried for many decades to kill myself, so angry that this had befallen me.
I was alone. My world was in the void. As was I. Then.... you came. And a faint glimmer appeared on my horizon.
That is my story, Eragon and Saphira.
"Thank you, Jarnunvösk, for telling us this." Eragon and Saphira said to the dragon.
"We did have another reason for talking though…" Eragon told Jarnunvösk.
And that is?
"Can you help us take down Galbatorix?"
A/N: I wanted this chapter to be sort of like in Eragon, where Brom is telling the story of the Riders. I actually used that to cross-reference a few things (especially cause it took about 5 times to get Dorú Areaba right!)
Hope that you all enjoyed it :) and keep reviewing :) I'd love to see what you guys think :D
Here is the sneak peek of Chapter 8:
Galbatorix opened the seemingly ordinary treasury door and strode inside. Gold glittered in piles among the room, with a diamond and ruby studded necklace on the ground. None of this mattered though to Arya or Galbatorix - Arya because she was focusing all her remaining energy on keeping her mind shielded from Murtagh and Galbatorix. Galbatorix because his focus was on something much more important. He walked over to where Arya had found the emerald egg, looked around the area, then swore.
"Where is it!!! MURTAGH!!!" he screamed. Arya jumped.
"Yes, Master?" Murtagh muttered in sarcasm.
This was beyond Galbatorix though. "WHERE IS MY EGG!?!?!" he roared.
Read and review, as always :) Xoxoxoxo and can't wait until the next chapter!! :D