Chapter 2: Welcome to- Where?

Okay, I rewrote this chapter and its not quite as shite (and yes, I did have to make that rhyme) as before. Cus' lets face it, the original was pretty damn shit, although you will only know that if you read it before. TO the people who reviewed the original: Dreamsong, you were very helpful, thank you. You are one of the only reviewers I've come across who actuall give constructive criticism. And, Calmarea, well, I've updated, although you will have to wait for me to fix this story before I continue it.

Raellir had not had the best time. The minute she had landed in God-knows-where, three thoughts had run through her head.

What happened?

Where am I?

My ass hurts.

This last was probably because Raellir had landed on her backside. Her next thoughts were rather more unpleasant.

Who are those people?

Ah. Is that a sword?

Oh crap.

Galbatorix stood frozen. A single thought ran through his head.

The spell.

"Very well. Where is the child now?"

"The guards have her in a cell, your majesty."

Shruikan. Leave. Thorn. Take thy Rider and make thyself scarce.

Aye, Rider.

As you wish, Master.

The air was a hurricane as the two dragon's wings tore it into a violent wind, Thorn stopping to pick up Murtagh from the floor. The servant clapped his hands over his ears and grimaced, while Galbatorix stood unperturbed.

Galbatorix nodded and turned to his servant.

"Bring her to me." He paused.

"How young?"

"Sire?"

"The child. How young is she?"

"Eleven years, perhaps twelve."

"You don't know."



"No, Sire"

"Really. Well... FIND OUT THEN!"

Raellir was currently being dragged, hands chained behind her, to her possible doom. She had spent what seemed like an age in a prison cell, and now she was out of it. And eternally grateful, for she didn't think her nostrils could have stood it much longer.

Not that she was actually thinking about any of this. She was concentrating on trying not to be sick. Scenarios of where the soldiers were taking her played through her mind, all of them ending with her dying in an unnecessarily gruesome manner. Needless to say, this was not serving to make her feel any better.

She was dragged along too many corridors and staircases to count, and everything began to feel like a blurred dream-or a nightmare. Finally they arrived at the dragonhold plateau. Raellir was pushed (none too gently) to the floor, and landed with a muffled grunt.

Galbatorix stared at the girl on the floor. So. Thirteen. You don't look it, he observed. Small as well, he thought. Admittedly, not particularly small, but small enough to be mistaken as younger than she really was, and made even smaller by her position curled up on the floor. Plus, Galbatorix was aware the he was rather taller than most people, and most people 

looked small to him. Aside from that, she was wearing rather odd garments, including strange, scuffed footwear, a short-sleeved shirt that, ironically enough, had a dragon on it, and trousers. Also, he noted that her hair was black and stood up at odd angles.

"Leave us." Galbatorix commanded, without looking at the guards. They bowed and obeyed.

Raellir shivered. That voice had cracked like a whip across the silence. It was so powerful, self assured, and commanding. From her position on the floor, all she could see of its owner was a pair of oiled black boots. No doubt they belonged to someone of high importance. She struggled to get up, but without her hands found it nearly impossible.

Galbatorix saw her struggling and crouched down, placing a hand on her shoulder. She was trembling. Not surprising, really. He chose to ignore it and pulled her to her knees.

Raellir stared at the man in front of her. He was wearing expensive, dark robes and fine trousers tucked into his boots. He had long, silver hair and sharp eyebrows. He returned her look with a stern expression, then spoke. "I have been informed that you appeared in front of some of my guards earlier. That you fell through a... hole, of some kind. This is correct?"

Raellir swallowed. "Ermmm... well, it was kind of more like a... A rip. Sir." She added quickly. She didn't want to get on this guys wrong side. Galbatorix hid a smirk.

"A rip."



"Y-yes, sir, I.. um..." she trailed off, because Galbatorix was still scrutinizing her under his unwavering gaze. Galbatorix caught a fleeting glimpse from her mind of how intimidating he looked, and muttered a few words of the Ancient Language. The chains fell off.

"W-what did you do?" asked Raellir.

"You've never seen magic before?"

"No. Sir."

"I see."

There was a long silence as Galbatorix digested this information. Of course, not all people had seen magic, but they at least knew of it. He realised he must seem even more terrifying now. He didn't want her going to pieces like his idiot servant, so he crouched down and did his best to look reassuring. He had an irritating feeling it wasn't working too well.

"Please... Tell me about this... Rip."

"I was just lying there and it appeared. And I fell through it. It...Was like a hole, in existence, almost."



Galbatorix had no doubt it was the spell now.

"Where are you from?"

Raellir explained.

Galbatorix didn't understand one thing, though. Why her? Of all the six billion people on this...Earth, she told him-Six billion! The number took his breath away. Surely she is lying. Perhaps, but... what with recent events, it seemed plausible. Slightly. But, of all those, she had been brought here. Why?

He had no answers.

He looked at her again, taking in every detail. She shifted, uncomfortable under his observation. He stared. Stared and stared at the black, messy hair, the small, scrawny frame, the wide brown eyes that looked like...

Eyes?

Wait.

Couldn't be.

Just a coincidence... that must be it. Must be. But she looks a bit like him. And even a bit like... no. I am being foolish. But I'll be DAMNED if those eyes don't remind me of him!

The King's fists clenched and shook, and his face contorted, and his eyes burned, and Raellir cringed and trembled.

Galbatorix calmed himself, realizing that he was scaring the child. I am jumping to conclusions. I need more information...

And I know where to find it.

He reached toward Raellir's head.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Galbatorix' eyes flicked down to meet hers. "Don't fight me." He placed his hands on the side of her head. She jerked backward, and his hands gripped her skull painfully. "Don't fight me!"

Raellir felt something odd, like a flicker, brush against her mind. She didn't understand at first. Then she realized.

He's in my mind.

NO! Get out!

Raellir imagined shoving his consciousness away. It had no effect. Raellir felt surprised, although she didn't understand why. Maybe it's his feelings, she thought, before an agonizing pain ripped through her skull. How very astute, came a thought. NO! Get out!



Why should I? You have information I may need.

You have no right-

A chuckle. You are a foolish child.

Why?

You do not see it, do you? Right or not, I have the power to do this. And that, dear child, is all that matters.

Stop calling me child! I have name! Raellir felt a hint of amusement from him.

It wouldn't happen to be Raellir, now, would it?

H-how did you- oh. You read it.

No.

No?

No.

Aren't you going to say anything else?

No. The voice definitely sounded amused this time.

I... There really is nothing I can do, is there?

...No. Well, he corrected himself, you could submit.

What?

It would be less painful.

Please. Get out of my mind.

All in good time. I suggest you relax.

Please! I'm begging you!

I know.

Please... please get out of my mind.

Neither begging nor pleading with me will accomplish anything. Now, relax. And surrender.

I ... will try.

Raellir gritted her teeth as she felt him go through all of her memories systematically. She did try to submit, but it went against all instincts. When she resisted too strongly, he hurt her.

Badly.

When he finally released her, she fell forward, clutching at his leg, sobbing and coughing.

Pathetic, he thought. Although, that she was able to even attempt to defend herself from my attack, without having any training whatsoever...

He looked down and regarded her blankly. Tears began to seep through the fabric of his trousers. He grimaced with annoyance, but said nothing.

"Why..." murmured Raellir. "Why... did you..."

"Because it was necessary." He knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder, looking past her. "Necessary." His voice was thick with some emotion, but if Raellir noticed, she couldn't have told what it was.

"Raellir." No response. "Raellir!" a tear-stained face stared at him. "You never knew your parents, did you, Raellir?"

"N- hk! No." She coughed.

"Perhaps..." he said, pulling out a knife, smiling eerily, "That will change."

The king summoned a servant- the same man from earlier. He told the servant to bring a stone bowl to him. He grabbed Raellir's arm and forced it over the bowl. "Stop struggling," he ordered. "Calm down!"

Raellir eventually gave in. "Just give in," he told her, almost gently. "It will be easier. I must do this."

Raellir nodded. "Good," he said, but did not lessen his grip. "Now, tense your arm."

He slashed her. She barely had time to flinch. She hissed as blood poured into the bowl. Galbatorix watched intently. After a time, he placed two fingers over the cut. "Heill."

The cut healed instantly. "More magic," said Raellir. He gave a slight, almost mocking nod before doing the same to his own arm.

He stared at the blood in the bowl intently. Raellir tried to peer over his shoulder to see what he was doing, but he pushed her away. He muttered something, inaudible, and continued to stare. He summoned the servant, again, and gave him the bowl, and he paused, before turning to stare at Raellir. "This will be difficult for you to hear, Raellir."

"Wait!"

His lips twitched with wry amusement. "Yes?"

"How did you guess my name, if you didn't just take it from my mind?"

"Because I gave it to you."

"No way."

"Yes. I named you after your grandfather."

"Wait. I have a guy's name?"

"I altered it slightly, of course."

"You knew my grandpa?"

"Being his son, I would be rather odd if I didn't, no?"

"Oh. Wait a minute... so you're..."

"Your father. Yes."

Whoa, thought Raellir. I just got major star wars vibes when he said that.

Raellir's head span. She couldn't believe it. Father... her father. She would not have believed it, and it had taken a great deal of persuasion on Galbatorix' part. But it was true. She knew it must be. They had spoken mind-to-mind, and she couldn't think of any motive he could have of lying... yet. She had never known who her real parents were, having been adopted. This does fit in.. sorta, she thought. And I look a bit like him. Not much though. "Wait a minute!" yelled Raellir. "So why the hell was I on earth then anyway?!"

"Quiet. Now." Galbatorix' eyes were cold and steely, but now they burned into Raellir with an intensity that even eagles did not posses. His voice had taken on a flat, commanding tone that made Raellir fall silent instantly. He stood.

"I will tell you. What you need to know."

"No way! I want to know-"

"Silence! You are in no position to be making demands. Least of all to me."

Raellir swallowed hard. The edge of Galbatorix's lip curled, then he straightened, looking past Raellir, and began.

"It began in the year 7969 A.C. The land was peaceful, yet despite this, there were still those who opposed my rule-"

"Why'd they oppose it?"



Galbatorix gritted his teeth and glared down at Raellir. "Be silent and listen! I am attempting to explain things to you, but you are making that task nigh on impossible!"

"Errr... Sorry." Muttered Raellir, then piped up, "Who are they?"

"They," said Galbatorix, trying very hard to keep his temper, "Are the Varden."

"What's the Varden?"

"QUIET!" Galbatorix's voice was a small nuclear explosion. Raellir thought it had echoed inside her head, but that was impossible. Galbatorix was glaring at her. She dropped her gaze.

Composing himself, the king resumed his tale. "The Varden are a group of rebels. They... they kidnapped you. They... were the ones who sent you to this "Earth." That concludes my tale." He finished.

"Wh- that's it? I mean that's all?" Raellir was glaring at him defiantly. And Galbatorix glared back. For a while they just scowled at each other. I would have been an amusing sight, had anyone been there to see it, the King of Alagaesia and a child glaring at each other like a pair 

of five-year-olds who'd had a fight over a toy. In the end, Raellir looked away with a grumpy expression. Galbatorix smiled, just a little.

An interesting child, he thought. He looked at her. "Well?"

"What?"

"Do you wish to see more of my home, or would to prefer to spend your time sulking here?" the King had one sharp eyebrow raised, but was otherwise expressionless.

"Uh... right... yeah. Okay," muttered Raellir.

Then something struck her. "Where's my mother?" Galbatorix stared at her for a long time before answering.

"Dead." He said finally.

He began to walk away. Wow, thought Raellir. He's blunt.

"Come."

"W-wait!"

He turned.

"What?"

"I don't even know who you are!"

He blinked at that. Of course. "I am Galbatorix, Leader of the Empire and King of Alagaesia."

Raellir was silent.

"So... you're King."

"Yes."

"Of an Empire."

"Yes..."

"So... shouldn't you be an emperor?"

He ignored her.

"What is this Alagaesia place like anyway?"

"Follow me." He led her down a stairway to a room filled with paper. He showed her a map. "This is Alagaesia."



"Wait, so, it's like, one country."

"Yes..."

"Then how is it even an Empire anyway?"

Galbatorix glared at her.

Okaaayyy... touchy subject.

"Come" he ordered again. Raellir nodded, and found herself scrambling after him. It was an odd contrast, the king sweeping along briskly and smoothly, with Raellir tripping and stumbling behind him. Once, she fell, but before she could hit the ground a hand gripped her arm. The king twisted her round to face him. His eyes glittered. "My, so graceful," he whispered. Raellir tried to step back, but he was far too strong. He stared at her for a while, and then released her. He continued walking as though nothing had happened. He led her through the huge palace, pointing out various places or important parts of the castle.

He showed her to a room.

"Here."He gestured at the door. Raellir nodded. "Thank you, Sir." He nodded.

"I will see you tomorrow, but for now... Do as you will."

"Yeah, I... It's just a lot to take in, you know?"

He considered her for a moment, then left.

Raellir just lay on the bed, trying to get her head round things. So, basically, I'm in another universe, my dad is an extremely weird king, people can use magic and also read minds.

Well, shit.

Hello... that's all for now. Anyway, a few notes about this story- it focuses on Raellir, and it's about her adventures in Alagaesia. Raellir is Galby's kid. Now, there are a lot of fics out there about Galbatorix's daughter, and this is my attempt to put a new spin on that. So instead of having a sixteen-year old who is phenomenally powerful who betrays her father, joins the Varden and falls in love with Murtagh- or on occasion Eragon(Seriously, WHY?)- we have a thirteen year old kid shoved into a very confusing and weird situation that jus a bit too much to take in, really. At least, that's what I hope to portray. Oh and I also want to give Galby a lot of character development. The story will follow the books, so when Brisinger comes out, events will play out as they do in the book, albeit from Raellir's point of view. So, yeah, I'm making this up as I go along. There are, however, a few details I will not alter to accommodate the books (Like the personality of Galbatorix, and the details about a character who will later show up) By the way, if you guess what is going to happen (Which you may well do, I've dropped enough hints) please don't mention it your reviews (if I get any) because I really, really don't want it spoiled.



Oh, and a warning: don't expect any romance other than the stuff in the actual books that I have to mention for the sake of the plot,(Like Katrina and Roran) because, lets face it, there are enough romance fics on this website to fuel a NASA spacecraft.