World of Empires
Chapter 6 A second key
"Good lord, how did I survive that?" asked Eragon who himself was bewildered. How did he survive that?
Arya did not bother to answer the question but instead grabbed Eragon by the neck and pulled him into a long and happy kiss. Eragon kissed back with even more passion and again, they were locked together-under the watchful eyes of Sapphira!
For the rest of the route back to Ellesmera the three of them talked of the possibilities of how Eragon could have survived, firs the fall and second of the stabbing in the heart by Murtagh. "Well, When I first hit the ground I felt immense pain and then a few seconds later all that was gone, then I couldn't remember a thing but I suddenly woke up with joy in my mind, I did not know what caused so much happiness but I know that is what saved me," After Eragon said that Arya started to blush and go all red.
"I know why," she stated, still quite red. "Sapphira, you go and tell Eragon the story, I cannot bear to ,it will be too embarrassing for me to say" she continued, blocking Eragon from this conversation and her thoughts.
"Arya, it is never too embarrassing to tell someone you love them," Sapphira said and then she continued, "Arya, I will not tell Eragon what you said, you must tell."
Arya heaved a deep breath and then said again.
"What if Eragon shuns me away," she asked, hoping that what she asked would not really happen. However at those words Sapphira merely chuckled.
"What you don't know is that Eragon thinks of you practically every day, he loves and adores you, he will never shun you away. If you reject him again badly the next day he will still carry on loving and adoring you, that can never change," she said wisely.
Arya again heaved a deep breathe and then said to Eragon via the mind. "Eragon, I love you, that time I thought you were dead and I kissed you on your forehead, then I whispered in your ear I love you," she said, blushing whilst saying this.
"You, You, really mean it? I thought that you were doing it to make me feel better, so, so you really love me?" he said looking like all the sorrow and grief had been thrown out of him and replaced with Joy and happiness.
He then completely lost control and hugged Arya tightly, whilst kissing the top of her hair. It was only then that Arya realised that she had just given Eragon the thing he most craved, herself. "Im promise you Arya, I will never let you die, or get captured again, I promise you," Eragon continued.
Arya was completely taken aback. Now, it seems that Eragon would now give up everything he had, what remained anyway, so that she could be happy. "Don't say that Eragon, I will be happy as long as I am by your side." He nodded and pulled Arya in for a kiss, much to the annoyance of Sapphira.
"Little on, how did you survive after Murtagh stabbed through your heart?" asked Sapphira. Eragon quickly shrugged also looking quite confused. He knew it himself that it was a miracle that he was still alive.
"I went to this random place, it was all dark and eerie, then a booming voice said to me, Go now, the world needs you…, so then I woke up," he said. He then shrugged again to make the point that he knew very little.
Arya then suddenly looked shocked at Eragon and then she whispered in a low voice, "Eragon, you were at the vault of souls." Eragon did not look surprised, Brom had told him before about that place.
"Arya, what do you know about the vault of souls?" he asked curiously, desperate to know more answers. Evidently, since Arya only heard Myth upon this subject could not find a proper answer and so also shrugged. "Arya, do you think Oromis will know more about the vault of souls?"
"Yes, I believe he will, however, as a coincidence we need to go back to Ellesmera, from what the Du Vrangr Geta tell me, the Varden are currently advancing North extremely quickly. Many of the men from villages have welcomed them and some have even joined them, so the Varden will not need protection."
Eragon nodded and then looked down at Valsthur, admiring the deep blue shade of the magnificent sword. It had unlimited energy-where did all that energy come from?
Roran
Roran Stronghammer walked into the large spacious tent that was given to him by Nasuada, ruler of the Varden. Just after Eragon had left he went straight to Queen Islanzadi asking for a place of residence amongst the ranks. However, Islanzadi was a generous one and gave him quite a large tent, usually for the higher officers and generals.
Roran looked around into the large and tent and saw his love sleeping down onto the sleeping bag, looking as if peace was in her mind, but that was really not the case- she had been to subject to torture in the most horrible place in Alegaesia and she was furious to learn that her own father had betrayed her to the Ra'zac- but now they were pretty much dead.
He bent down and slowly touched her face, careful not to wake her up. The Stronghammer smiled at his sleeping beauty and then leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. It was too much and Katrina awoke. "Hmm!" she groaned whilst stirring. "Roran, is that you?"
"Yes Katrina, it's me; you should sleep," Roran said, trying his best to try and sound convincing. However Katrina was not going to fall for the soft talk; she was headstrong and could stand up for herself.
"Roran, I'm sure I am fine, how long have I been asleep?" she asked her Fiancé Katrina could not tell the time due to the fact that her body had never taken more than four hours of sleep for the past month. She was used to it and every time Roran tried to persuade her to get more hours rest she would simply decline.
"Around four hours, what did the soldiers at Gil'ead do to you?" asked Roran, hatred again building up.
"Whipping, a constant amount of punching and deprivation of supplies such as food and water." She then looked at Roran who had a crunched up face filled with so much anger that a shade would not have been able to tell if it was their own kin or not. "But now Roran I am with you now and we can get married."
The smooth talk did the work and Roran eased down slightly. Then Katrina, who was similar to Roran in asking questions, said, "Roran, where did Eragon go? I heard rumours from the other elves that he had gone to Gil'ead again to rescue their princess, oh yea, and talking of Eragon how come he looks so…different."
"Eragon has changed, some form of magic I believe, anyway he has gone to fulfil a promise," Roran explained trying to avoid the Romantic areas. However Katrina was still eager to ask more, however when she was just about to open her mouth something interrupted her.
A very tall elf walked into the tent and glanced at Katrina and Roran quickly before then looking at his scroll. "Roran Stronghammer, My Queen Islanzadi summons you to her palace, you cousin Eragon has returned," he said.
Roran looked at Katrina and then said, "Katrina, wait here, try to get some rest, I will be back as soon as possible." Before Katrina had the chance to reply Roran was off out of the tent following the tall elf to the Elven palace.
Eragon
Sapphira landed nicely and touch-perfect into the wide clearing of the clearing in Ellesmera. Eragon jumped off with ease but Arya looked much more hesitant. Thus Eragon grabbed her hand without warning and dragged her down. He laughed as she landed in a heap but his cheesy grin was immediately wiped when he was pushed into a nearby puddle of mud.
"Arya, sorry about that, do you think we should tell Queen Islanzadi about…the conversation during the ride?" Eragon asked. He did not know Queen Islanzadi more than Arya did, after all she was her mother.
"I don't think we should, it will definitely cause outcry and confusion amongst my other kin, we can reveal it to my mother when the time is right," she said. Eragon did not really understand the logic to what she said but he knew her; she was very wise and knew what to do best.
Eragon and Arya made their way to the palace of Queen Islanzadi, under the suspicious and watchful eyes of many of the other elves. Although they were not holding hands or anything of that sort the Elves were suspicious of the friendship between the rider and their princess, wherever he was, she seemed to be…
Islanzadi, like her daughter seemed to know everything before they told them; apart from the journey. "Your Majesty, May I speak to master Oromis, I believe I have something important to say to him?" asked Eragon, hopeful she would say yes. Queen Islanzadi was understanding and he immediately let him go.
Eragon walked slowly to the small hut of Oromis. Outside the hut he saw the golden dragon Glaedr, looking as old as ever but wise nonetheless. As Eragon walked past him the dragon opened up one eye and then transmitted a thought to him. "Ah, so young Eragon, I see that you have returned."
"Oh hello Glaedr, how is Master Oromis?"
"Well, my rider's condition is still not that good, he is still suffering after all these many years. However I have graver news. We dragons have sensed that soon there will be a great tragedy that will affect us all, however we do not know when or what."
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
"Please Eragon, don't let this trouble you, now go and see Oromis, he has been expecting you."
Eragon said goodbye and walked, again slowly inside Oromis's hut. He thought of the tragic things that Glaedr said and immediately thought of Arya. "No!" he thought. He would never let anything happen to Arya again. As he walked thought the small hut of Oromis he saw his master writing down some ancient language symbols on a scroll.
"Greeting master, I have returned," said Eragon, whilst bowing. Oromis looked up and smiled at him.
"Good, Did you kill the shade Durza?" asked Oromis still beaming at Eragon.
"Yes Master, I did, have you found anything which may have bought Durza back to life?" After those words Eragon looked at Oromis who looked at a nearby scroll and grabbed it.
"Eragon, I have, hear me, what I am about to say is very important, I know now how to defeat Galbatorix, but I need your help." Eragon nodded and then Oromis continued.
"Ok, you know that around a hundred years ago Galbatorix overthrew the dragon riders and killed them all. But, he could not stop the riders souls from roaming the earth, and to kill him, so he had to store them somewhere." Eragon looked slightly puzzled so Oromis continued.
"Thus, Galbatorix created the Vault of Souls, where the dead dragon riders of all would go, even those who were dead before Galbatorix came into power. Now of Durza, although he is a shade, he has magical powers and has similar properties to a dragon rider, so he would go to the vault of souls aswell, now, since Galbatorix created this vault he can summon back anybody he wants.
"So, so you mean that all the dead riders are kept in this one place?"
"Yes that is precisely what Im saying, another way to open the vault is to find the key and open it manually, or the guardian of the vault, who we don't know can summon a person out, I know where the vault is, tomorrow we can go fin---!"
Oromis stopped in the middle of the sentence and then stuttered. Then Eragon noticed that there was blood trickling out of his masters mouth. "GO FIND THE ROCK OF KUTHIAN, IT IS THE KEY, OPEN THE VAULT AND THEN SUMMON THE FIRST!" Oromis shouted before finally collapsing on the wooden table filling it up with blood. On his old crooked back was a small black-feathered dart…
There was shuffling outside and Eragon knew what it was. An assassin! Eragon drew Valsthur at the speed of light and charged at his opponent. The dark figure lurched away faster than a human, faster than a Dwarf or Urgal- It had to be an elf. Somebody was amongst their ranks, betraying them…
Eragon did not bother with the pursuit, it was too dark and the chances of finding him would be very little. Eragon put back his sword and then looked at Oromis. His entire mouth was covered in blood and so was the wooden table. He ran back outside, looking for Glaedr, and he found him…dead…
Eragon ran like the wind to the Elven palace, tears sprawling into his eyes. Oromis had been a mentor, a father like Garrow. Glaedr was right, something bad was going to happen and it had already happened. When he finally reached the palace gates two of the elves was about to speak when Eragon knocked them aside with his superhuman strength and charged into the main hall.
Arya was there, sitting on a throne next to Islanzadi, evidently the heir of the throne. "Master Oromis has been assassinated, Master Oromis is dead," screamed Eragon, tears spilling wildly into the air. Both Islanzadi and Arya stood up looking shocked, this was indeed a bad news.
"Shadeslayer, what happened?" asked Islanzadi in a very urgent voice. Eragon's face was all scrunched up and then he spoke.
"An Assassin was lurking outside whilst we were talking of something important, he was about to tell me where the vault of souls was, when the assassin fired a poisoned dart into his back, the assassin was an elf.."
Now Islanzadi and Arya were really shocked and their eyes opened. It couldn't be, Elves were loyal; well nearly all elves were loyal, apart from the one who killed Oromis.
"How can you be certain?" asked Arya curiously. She highly doubted it would actually be an elf but in the other half of her mind she trusted Eragon.
"The persons reflexes were way to fast to be a humans or an Urgal, a spell caster could not have ran that fast, so my only option is that It was an elf." Eragon's sentence had logic to it, no other being in Alegaesia had the reflexes of an elf or the speed of an elf.
Islanzadi then spoke. "I will try everything in my power to attempt to find and execute this assassin, meanwhile you and Arya will return to the Varden and help their attack on the empire, we have almost readied our troops, who are very powerful, this war will be soon over, we will emerge victorious." She spoke in a loud commanding voice.
"When will we leave?" asked Eragon. His eyes narrowed to Arya as if meaning the question was directed to her. Little did he know that Islanzadi actually made up her mind on the spot.
"You will travel tonight, the funeral of your master will be a little later, after we found out who did the killing." She spoke in a tone where she wanted both her daughter and Eragon to leave, both of them understood and left for another journey together into the unknown…