Chapter 5: Departure, In More Ways Than One
Triston looked at Garrow's hand, specifically his knife. He remembered one of his lessons with Brom, and the incantation for sword for when he needed a weapon. He intoned under his breath,
"Sverd," and a red sword appeared in Triston's hands. With a dose of regret, he prepared himself to kill his former uncle, or rather, the man who had raised him. Garrow began to back up, but Triston knew that Garrow would tell someone no matter what he said, so he swung his sword horizontal at Garrow's neck, but Garrow dodged, narrowed his eyes, and began to chant.
"I give up my soul to the Darkness, that the king of the Empire be told about this person standing in front of me, Triston by name, and know -" During this, Triston felt the light in the clearing decrease, and felt chills along his body. He remembered what Brom had told him about giving up one's soul.
"Triston, when someone gives up their soul to either the Darkness or the Light, they can make one request of the forces that govern the Darkness or the Light, and it will come true no matter what if they truly want to give up their soul to the power of the Darkness or the Light, unless they wish for immortality for their soul, in which case their soul is destroyed immediately."
"Ebithril, what happens to the soul after that?"
"The soul is destroyed, and passes into oblivion." Triston remembered this, and swung his sword and cut off the head of the man named Garrow, the man who had been like a father to him, until he knew Triston was a dragon rider. Triston collapsed, both from the exhaustion of using a spell like that, and from the pain in his mind. He barely noticed the heaviness in the clearing and his sword evaporate, and called to his dragon.
Rubyus! Help me! Triston forced himself to look at the man he had just killed, and when his eyes fell upon the beheaded head, he vomited forcefully onto the ground, retching violently. He heard the sound of wings beating, and saw Rubyus come onto the ground, about the size of a large horse.
What did he do to you? was the immediate response once Rubyus had seen the scene in front of him. I know you would not kill without a reason.
He threatened to report me to the Empire, and once I conjured my sword, he was about to to give his soul up to the Darkness when I killed him. He was like a father to me! And I killed him!
A true father would not tell the Empire you existed so you would be forced into a life of slavery.
But he was my father until then, and I repaid that by killing him!
It was necessary, just as the killing of the men who were sent to track you down was. You must leave this place, and go to either the Varden, or Du Weldenvarden. You cannot stay when it would only cause you more pain and endanger your life. Finish making the saddle, put some meat and necessities in a pack and let us be off, to leave this place.
But... But... I killed! Again! Why do I kill so much?
You have not killed as many as even a hardened soldier, much less been responsible for as many deaths as Galbatorix has. Why do you seem intent on making yourself the criminal, when all you have done was done in self-defense?
I don't know! Triston snapped. I just... do! It's still wrong to kill people, even if you're doing it in self-defense!
When you have those thoughts, I will remind you that you are doing it for the greater good, the good where more people will benefit. That is how the Balance does things, and you, through me, are an instrument of the Balance. You must come to terms that to help more people, you must destroy some.
I still don't understand why killing is alright! How can taking a life be moral and ethical?
You do not need to be completely ethical or moral when you are an instrument of the Balance. You need to respect the greater free will, the greater good. Now, you must finish making the saddle, so that we may leave.
I - Fine. I will. Triston ended the conversation feeling agitated, and almost cut himself while cutting the leather. He jerked his hand away, but then continued until he had a good number of straps and a seat made.
Does this work?
Yes, it does. Quite well, actually.
Can you show me how to put it on?
Yes. Triston received visions of how to properly fit a dragon with the type of saddle he had, and complied with the directions. After he had the saddle on right, he went over to his farmhouse to find food and tools when he saw Eragon sitting in front of the cellar, looking right at him. Eragon got up, walked over to Triston and pulled off his left glove, and revealed the silver mark on it, the Gedwey Ignasia, and Eragon looked at Triston with a deep hatred in his eyes that he could almost feel on his face.
"So, you're a Dragon Rider, Triston, and so am I. Brom says that I should trust you, but I won't, and you know why?" Triston, still in shock from the revealing, did not answer. "Because you want power too much, and you're so much like Galbatorix in that regard. So, for the good of Alagaesia, I'll kill you here and now. Goodbye, Triston, I hope you have a nice time in the afterlife that you don't believe in!" Eragon pulled his sword out of his scabbard, and slashed it in front of him. Luckily, Triston had seen it coming, so he backed up and conjured his own sword.
"Sverd!" A blade of red force appeared in Triston's hand, and Eragon took a step back.
"What is that demonic power?" His eyes then narrowed. "I see. You're a demon, aren't you!" he accused. Triston called to his dragon:
Come here, Rubyus! I need you to take me away before I kill Eragon!
I will be there soon, once I have finished dealing with the blue dragon that I am fighting. May the Balance aid you. Triston felt the connection close, and barely managed to clumsily parry Eragon's attack with his force sword. He saw Eragon's eyes almost glow with hate, and began to see a faint blue outline surround Eragon's body.
An aura? Triston thought to himself as he dodged the next blow Eragon swung at him. He felt he was doing reasonably well for someone who had never handled a sword before, but knew his only advantage was the balance of his sword. What is that doing around Eragon? His question was answered by his dragon a second after he asked it.
Dragon Riders acquire an aura when they feel a strong emotion, such as hate or love. Also, I have knocked that other dragon unconscious, so I am coming now to you.
Thank you, Rubyus! Triston turned his attention back to the fight. Eragon was breathing heavily, and so was Triston, to a lesser degree. Eragon swung his sword over his head, bearing down on Triston's sword with a force that could have sliced him from head to toe. Triston fell to one knee, defiantly pressing against his opponent's attack. He looked Eragon in the eye and said,
"Ver Neo!" Eragon ceased his attack instantly as Triston finished uttering the words in the Ancient Language.
"What did you do to me!" Eragon cried. Triston didn't feel obligated to respond, and heard wingbeats above him. He saw Rubyus flying over him, and circling down to the ground. Triston leaped on his back, and whispered:
"Lúka Ver Neo!" and thought to Rubyus:
Rubyus, come on! Fly out of here!
Yes, I will, Triston. Triston felt the wings on Rubyus beat once, twice, three times, and suddenly he felt the air in his face and flying through his jacket. He laughed as he felt the sheer excitement of flying, and felt his troubles get smaller, like the figures on the ground. He laughed again as Rubyus flew to the direction Triston knew was east, away from the sun.
Eragon watched his brother go off opposite the sunset, and became tried to breathe deeply, to let his anger go. It didn't work.
Of course. That bastard really did have a dragon, and it looks like it was the one Saphira and I found. And he must be able to cast magic, because he made me not see or something. Damn it. Saphira!
Yes, little one?
I'm going to get Brom, so make sure that Garrow doesn't see you. Go into the forest, probably.
Of course, Eragon. I await your return.
Thanks, Saphira. I wonder what I would do without you.
Very little, Saphira told him smugly. Eragon laughed and went down the road to Carvahall, with the shadow of his brother's departure over him.
He thinks he's better than me. That's why he left. He left because he thinks he's better than Brom and me, and he thinks that we're useless. We'll show him. We'll show him that we are better than him, that we are going to beat Galbatorix. Content with his thoughts, Eragon reached Carvahall rather uneventfully. He went to Brom's house and knocked. He got no response, and then knocked again, harder this time. He heard a muffled "I'll be right there" and waited for Brom to open the door.
"Good day, Eragon. What brings you here this ear -" Brom looked up at the sky. "It's this late already? I was going to ask Triston something. Come in, but make it quick. I need to talk to him soon."
"I'll explain why you can't in a short bit," Eragon iterated. Eragon walked in the house after Brom, and shut the door. "Triston left."
"What? To where?" Brom's voice had shock in it, and Eragon told him,
"He went to the east, off on his -"
"Heyra Neo. On his dragon? Did he have a saddle?"
"Yeah, his dragon, and it looked like he had one. Anyway, I think he made me blind or something while we were fighting,"
"You were fighting? Why?"
"He was going to steal food from our cellar, and I tried to stop him from leaving. I sent Saphira after his dragon, but his dragon won the fight against her, and then his dragon came and took him away,"
"You say he made you blind?" Brom asked, and Eragon nodded. "Did he use any other magic?"
"He made himself a sword, but I think that's it. Why did you teach him magic if he could use it against people like me? Why, Brom?"
"I believed he would help the Varden, and go there once he had learned enough. However, If he flew to the east, it seems he is going to Du Weldenvarden, the home of the elves, to most likely learn more magic. He may be doing this for the fall of the Empire, or for his own ends, but you and I must forsake his path and go to the Varden as soon as we can. His flying will have alerted the Ra'zac of his presence, and they may search this town. Get ready to leave, Eragon. I already have a leather saddle here for your dragon, so do not worry about that. I have a good bit of money, which should be enough for food and such. I will teach you magic on the way to the Varden, that you may learn how to defend yourself."
"I can already defend myself with a sword!" Eragon snapped. "Why do I need magic? Magic is for scholars and evil kings, not for people like me!"
"Could you defend yourself against Triston?" Brom inquired. Eragon's eyelids narrowed, but Brom continued. "You need to learn magic if you ever want to have even a chance of defeating Galbatorix." Eragon spoke,
"I still don't understand, Brom, but I want to travel and get away from Garrow. I'll go get my things and be back here -"
"You misunderstood me, did you not? I am accompanying you, because we are leaving as soon as you have your things together. Call your dragon, so that I can put the saddle on her."
"But what about your things? What're you bringing?"
"I have a few things that I keep in my pack, and that will be enough, Eragon. Let us be off!" Eragon nodded and heard behind him, "Lúka Heyra Neo." as they began to walk back to his farm.
On the way to the farm, Eragon asked Brom,
"How did you learn magic, and why did you teach Triston?"
"I learned magic here and there, and eventually found out I could perform it. I taught Triston because he showed potential,"
"And did I?" Eragon asked, pride hurt.
"Not as much. Sure, you could have been good, but from the time I looked at the differences between you and Triston, you were always more physical and less mental. You also had expressed feelings of not wanting to be a scholar, which a magician is always close to."
"Is a Rider a magician?" Eragon asked.
"No, but a Rider is closer to a magician than a Shade or a sorcerer," Brom heightened his pace suddenly. "I feel something is wrong at your farm. Let us hurry." Eragon called Saphira in his mind.
Saphira! Got to the farm, Brom thinks there's something wrong there!
Yes, little one. I will leave right now.
"What do you sense, Brom?" Eragon asked while breaking out into a run. Brom replied from behind him,
"Some presence that should not exist. Most likely Ra'zac, because Urgals, while beasts, are still of this world," Brom paused. "However, I believe they may have found traces of dragon there, so we must be careful." Eragon nodded, and continued on until he and Brom reached the farmhouse. It was burning, but there was a darkness over it, as if there was a blackened lens like the ones the scholars used around it.
"What's wrong with the house? It looks... dark," Eragon said to Brom.
"The Darkness has been invoked. This is bad. The most likely cause is that someone died and used the Darkness to achieve their final wish. It was probably the last - Skölir Adurna!" Out of the corner of his eye, Eragon saw a dark flash charging him from the side up until the last second, and it seemed the very earth rearranged itself to form a barrier on the side he saw the flash. He heard an inhuman scream and a thump, but then it ceased and he saw the figure charging him in the front.
What is that?" Eragon asked, gaping.
"A Ra'zac. Their only weakness is fire. Brisingr!" A fireball shot out of Brom outstretched hand and towards the creature. It connected, and with it a sickening scream the figure began to run around and it seemed to dissolve.
"What in the name of -" Eragon began, but Brom cut him off.
"There may be more of them! Stay alert!" Brom cast glances every which way, and then whispered, "Call Saphira, I'll get out of here on my own. The Ra'zac can't fly, thank the Light for that."
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine, I'll speed up my travel with magic. Call her!" Eragon did, thinking to Saphira,
Come here, so we can leave. He got no response. Saphira? Where are you? What happened? Still no response.
"I can't hear her!" Eragon said, frustrated. "What's going on?"
"Do you have any idea what she was doing before this?" Brom questioned anxiously, still casting glances around them.
"She was fighting Triston's dragon - you don't think his dragon killed her, do you?"
"No, but we must consider the possibility. Sense out her aura, and lead us both to her. We need her!" Eragon closed his eyes and tried to feel Saphira's presence, and then felt a small pull in one direction.
"This way, I think!" They both walked, looking around cautiously until they came upon Saphira, laying on the ground, wings folded around her. "Triston did this... I'll kill him the next time I see him!"
"Triston's dragon did this, yes, but we need to wake her up. You won't be able to ride her, but she needs to travel with us. Vakti!" Brom said the last part forcefully, and Eragon felt Saphira's presence come back into his mind.
Triston's dragon knocked me out, little one. I am sorry.
It's alright, Saphira. Let's kill both of them when we see them next.
You may be thinking a bit hastily, however I am in no mood to forgive what that dragon did to me.
Are you alright?
To some degree, yes. Are we traveling? Because I want to get away from this place. Eragon smiled.
Yes, we are traveling. Let's go. Eragon, Brom, and Saphira began the trek through the woods, following Brom's directions as they went.