Chapter 3. Change of Heart

Belotona was bustling with activity as thousands of people came into the city from the south to either seek refuge or flee to one of the other cities in the empire that hadn't been attacked yet. Cities like Dras Leona, Teirm, Kuasta and even Uru'baen. The city was crowded and the prisons had been turned into make shift inns to accommodate the people who couldn't afford to travel farther north. Through the north gate five thousand troops from Kuasta arrived to reinforce the city. These troops arrived an hour before sunrise and two hours after that the two thousand troops from Teirm arrived. As the troops entered the city a spy for the Varden hid himself on the roof of a nearby house counting the soldiers entering the city. His name was Tymen and he was a member of the Du Vran Gata who specialized in breaking into people's minds. The source of his power came from an amulet around his neck that had been in his family for five generations. The amulet allowed him to access the energy in his body and he could work magic through the ancient language. Tymen was invisible so the soldiers walking the walls wouldn't be able to see him. When the last of the soldiers entered the city he climbed down from the roof and into an alley where he ended his spell. He placed the amulet inside his shirt and casually walked up the street. Tymen had been in Belotona ever since the battle of Feinster ended five days ago. He walked up the street to a tavern and entered; the place was filled mainly with citizens trying to wash their cares away in a tankard of ale. There were soldiers in the tavern and they were the loudest of all the people in the tavern. Tymen made his way to the bar and ordered a drink.

"I counted seven thousand all together…" He whispered to the bar tender who was a sympathizer with the Varden. "That put the forces here at fifty-nine thousand…"

"Our friends would be very interested in knowing that…"

"I will send a message tonight… any word from the north…"

"Only that Galbatorix is ordering more conscriptions…"

Tymen looked back at the boisterous soldiers; "What has them all riled up?"

The bar tender looked this way and that; "They just arrived from the north apparently they were in the battle of Gilead and they are swapping war stories… it would seem that another rider helped the Elves take Gilead…"

"Do our friends know…"

"I am sure they do…"

"I have to get going I will see you the day after tomorrow…"

Tymen left the Tavern and made his way up the street and after eight blocks he turned left and after another two blocks he entered an inn called the Rising Sun. Tymen ordered some food and after eating he went upstairs. When he unlocked his door a man was standing in his room in the window and before he could back out of the room the door closed and was sealed by magic. Tymen reached for the amulet under his shirt but it was ripped from his neck and flew into the hands of the hooded man.

"So you are one of those people who rely on objects to access your power…"

"Who are you and what do you want?" The man removed his hood and showed his face. "You… if you have come to kill me then get it over with… traitor…"

Murtagh surprised the man and threw him his amulet; "I haven't come to kill you… I have come to ask your help…"

"And why would I betray the Varden…"

Murtagh smiled; "I don't want you to betray the Varden I want you to help me free myself from Galbatorix… you know magic and you know that if someone knows your true name in the ancient language they can control you… Galbatorix knows my true name and that of my dragon Thorn… we are his slaves… During my last fight with Eragon he told me of a way I could free myself of Galbatorix…" Murtagh reached into his robe and removed a diamond orb half the size of a water pale.

("You must forgive Murtagh…") the orb said. ("…He is not accustomed to asking people for help… we cannot change without your help…")

Tymen eyed the diamond orb nervously; "What manner of sorcery is this…"

('It is no trick… Murtagh created us from his memories so that he could change his nature without Galbatorix knowing… we will give you information on Galbatorix and in return you will help us change ourselves… when we reunite with Murtagh he will be able to free himself from the mad king…")

"And what happens when Galbatorix finds out…"

"He won't…" Murtagh said confidently; "…The orb here can use magic as well and has placed a spell on me when I leave this room I will have no knowledge of you and the orb knows what I know it can help you help the varden…"

Tymen sat down on his bed his thoughts racing; helping Murtagh free himself from Galbatorix would greatly benefit the Varden especially if Murtagh started fighting for them. "How do I know you're not trying to deceive me in some way?"

("Touch us with your thoughts…") The orb said.

Reluctantly Tymen reached out to the orb and he sensed the truth; "Against my better judgment… I will help you…"

Murtagh handed Tymen the orb; "Good luck to you both and hopefully the next time we meet I will reunite with you…" Murtagh placed his hand on the orb and said something in the ancient language then he left.

Tymen locked the door with one hand then he sat down still holding the orb. 'Okay now what?"

("Now we write a letter and send it to the Varden… write this…")

Tymen sat at the desk and wrote the following:

To Lady Nausada

I your humble servant Tymen have discovered the following information… Murtagh and Thorn are here in Belotona and their orders are to capture Eragon and Saphira at all costs and without fail… They plan to use the following spells to capture Eragon and Saphira...

There were five lengthy spells in all.

…You must find a way to counter these spells. Also Galbatorix suspects that Eragon has Glaedr's Eldunari and he has given Murtagh two more Eldunari …All together Murtagh has sixteen Eldunari bonded to him. Galbatorix uses the following spell to physically bond with an Eldunari.

After writing the spell he continued on

I do not know how many Galbatorix has bonded to him, but it could be over a hundred or more. The rest of the Eldunari he keeps locked in a well made of magic he calls the well of souls and only he can open it. The last egg in all of Alagaesia is kept on a chain around Shruiken's neck and whenever Galbatorix leaves the city he places the egg in a windowless room only he can open. Four elite guards protect the door and the egg is set in a basket that is protected by a magic light. Galbatorix has also begun searching for a candidate for whom his egg will hatch. There are over fifty thousand troops in Belotona the rest are marching north. That is all I can tell you for now sincerely your servant Tymen… Long live the Varden and death to Galbatorix.

"She is going to want to know how I found out all this…"

("Don't worry about that now… take us to the window…") When Tymen did the orb said in the ancient language. Little bird come to our aid for all the land is in peril take this note to the varden and be blessed never to be hunted by the enemies of sky and land.

A large dove landed in the window and Tymen tied the note to its leg then the orb blessed the bird in the ancient language that any creature animal or human that would try to do it harm would fear it. When the orb was done it told Tymen to release the bird and off it flew.

"Great now what…" Tymen asked.

("Now we rest for on the morrow we shall see what mischief we can get into…")

Tymen sighed and placed the orb inside the dresser next to his bed and then he dropped on the bed and fell to sleep immediately.

The next morning before sunrise Tymen ate breakfast of cheese bread and dried bacon then he placed the orb in a sack and went out into the city. They found a soldier relieving himself in an alley so the orb put the man to sleep then he had Tymen put on his armor.

"It doesn't fit…" Tymen complained.

("This shouldn't take much energy but just in case link your mind with ours…") The orb made a spell that allowed the armor to fit on Tymen's body. ("Now take us to the southern gate…")

When they arrived at the gate the orb used its energy to counter or remove the spells Murtagh and the other spell casters placed on the gates. When the orb was done its glow looked dull and the red diamond orb seem to have lost some of it's luster.

"You don't look so good…"

("We must replenish our energy or we will fade away into nothing…")

The sun wasn't up yet; "What must I do?"

("Wat… wa… water… need water…")

Tymen rushed to the well near the guard's tower and placed the orb into the bucket then he lowered it into the well.

"You what are you doing here…" A guard asked.

Tymen immediately took control of the man's mind and sent him away. After an hour he pulled the bucket up but there was no water in the bucket, but the orb was glowing brightly.

("Thank you… you saved us…")

"What happened…"

("We can use magic but the energy stored in this diamond serves two purposes and the first is to keep the memories in the orb together… we used more energy than expected to avert the spells on the gates…")

"Well are you fully recovered…"

("No but when the sun rises we will be for now take us back to your room and set us in the window… if you continue standing here you will draw too much attention…") Tymen first removed the armor then he walked back to his room at the inn without incident. After an hour the orb was fully recharged and then it had Tymen visit the armory where it placed trap spells on the weapons and then the catapults so that when they fired the balls of fire would arch around and destroy the machines that fired them. When the sun set the orb used its magic with Tymen's help to turn objects into gold like small rocks and gave them to the people leaving the city for the North and slowly the orb was forming a new name for Murtagh in the ancient language.