Free Riders
Author's Note: Eragon is not mine. Char, Blaster, and Saranya are. Comment as you see fit.
Chapter 26: Dras-Leona
They lunched at Fasaloft, as bustling lakeside village. It was a charming place set on a rise overlooking the lake. As they ate, Eragon and Blaster listened intently to the gossip and were relieved when no rumors of Eragon, Saphira, Blaster, and Sara.
The trail, now a road, had grown steadily worse over the past two days. Wagon wheels and iron-shod hooves tore up the ground, making many sections impassable. Also, an increase in traffic forced Saphira and Sara to hide during the daytime, then catch up to the group at night.
For days, they continued along Leona Lake's vast shoreline. Eragon started to feel downtrodden, wondering if they would ever get around it. He was heartened when they met men who said Dras-Leona lay an easy day's ride ahead.
Blaster stirred from his resting meditations early the following morning. Digging into his saddlebags, he pulled out the cloak and his revolver. Stuffing the revolver in a holster on his back, then making sure his two pistols were on his hips, he carefully donned the cloak. Cratona had to be removed in order for him to keep the cloak looking normal. Luckily, he had picked up a spare short sword from a blacksmith in Fasaloft, and he wore that instead.
Finally, after making sure everything was in place, Blaster lifted the hood.
"Expecting trouble?" Brom asked. He was sitting upright, almost like he had been for a while.
"If what you say is true, then Dras-Leona is nothing more than a wretched hive of scum and villainy," Blaster said. "It's better to be prepared and cautious. Especially if the Ra'zac have spies in their ranks."
Brom nodded, then began to pack up and prepare breakfast.
You know, Sara said, stretching, we won't be able to protect you like before. We'll be too far if you ever need assistance, nor would we survive on the narrow streets your kind favor.
I am aware of that, Blaster said.
Will you go with Brom to the Varden? Sara asked. Once the Ra'zac are killed, he will want to take you to them. And, since Galbatorix will be enraged by the Ra'zac's death, that may be the safest thing for us to do.
True, Blaster said. However, I still need to find which prison holds Char captive. After that, we can take the most logical path.
The road became clogged more and more with farmers taking their goods to market. The trio had to slow their horses and wait for the wagons in front of them. Before noon, they saw smoke in the distance, but it was another league before they saw the city completely. Unlike Teirm, this city was a mess, with buildings placed haphazardly, as if a child with building blocks had designed it. Moments later, a mountain of bare rock speared the sky with spires and columns. Near-vertical sides rose out of the ground like a jagged piece of earth's bone. It looked to Blaster like the remains of a volcanic neck.
"That," Brom said, pointing, "is Helgrind. It's the reason Dras-Leona was originally built. People are fascinated by it, even though it's an unhealthy and malevolent thing." He gestured at the buildings inside the city wall. "We should go to the center of the city first."
They crept along the road to Dras-Leona. Eragon noticed the giant cathedral, the largest building behind the walls. It looked almost exactly like Helgrind. "Who do they worship?" he asked.
"Their prayers go to Helgrind," Brom said in distaste. "It's a cruel religion they practice. They drink human blood and make flesh offerings. Priests often lack body parts because they believe that the less bone and sinew you keep, the less you're attached to the mortal world. They spend much of their time arguing about which of Helgrind's three peaks is the highest and most important, and whether or not the fourth and lowest should be included in the worship."
"That's terrible," Blaster said, shuddering. "All that just to worship a geological feature that was, many millennia ago, a volcano?"
"Yes," Brom said, "But don't say it's terrible to a believer. You'll likely lose a hand in 'penance.'"
"Thanks for the tip," Blaster muttered.
They passed into the walls without incident, even with ten guards on either side of the gate scanning the crowd. Inside, the buildings were tall and thin to compensate for the space. Or rather, the lack thereof. Most buildings hung over the street, obscuring the sky. Nearly all of the houses were made of the same brown wood, darkening the city even more. The streets were filthy and the air reeked like a sewer. It even overpowered Blaster's sense of smell.
Ragged children ran between houses, fighting over scraps of bread. Beggars crouched next to the entrance gates, pleading for money. Cries for help came from nearly everywhere, and it sounded like a chorus of the damned. Eragon's anger flared up as he said, "I won't stay here."
"It gets better farther in," Brom said. "Right now we need to find an inn and form a strategy. Dras-Leona can be a dangerous place to even the most cautious. I don't want to remain on the streets any longer than necessary."
Blaster nodded under his cloak and they trudged onwards. They left the entrance behind and entered wealthier parts of the city. Even Blaster thought, How could these people live in such houses with ease when it is obvious those around them are struggling to survive? They soon found the Golden Globe, a cheap but not decrepit inn. A narrow bed was crammed against one wall with a rickety table and a basin alongside it. Eragon looked at the mattress and said, "I'm sleeping on the floor. There are probably enough bugs in that to eat me alive."
"Well, I wouldn't want to deprive them of a meal," Brom said. Blaster took a wooden chair. Brom and Eragon set their bags down and Eragon removed his bow.
"What now?" Eragon asked.
"We find food and beer," Brom replied. "After that, sleep. Tomorrow we can start looking for the Ra'zac." Before they left, he warned, "No matter what happens, make sure your tongue doesn't loosen. We'll have to leave immediately if we're given away."
The inn's food was barely adequate, but the beer was excellent, even for Blaster. He still felt some of the effects of the beer, yet was able to remain completely in control of his brain. Though, too be fair, he always practiced moderation. By the time they stumbled back to the room, Eragon felt like his head was swimming. Brom was no better.
Before Blaster went into his meditative state, he contacted Sara.
We're gonna be here for a few days, Blaster said. Not as long as in Teirm. When we discover where the Ra'zac are, you and Saphira might be able to help us get them. I will talk to you again in the morning.
Have you been drinking? Sara asked. When Blaster said yes, she sent the sound of her clicking her tongue in disproval. I won't envy you in the morning.
Brom and Eragon will, Blaster admitted. Eragon had about as much as me, and he's out of it. Brom…he had twice as much as Eragon or myself.
FRFRFRFRFR
"What was I thinking?" Eragon groaned.
"How do you feel?" Blaster asked smugly. Eragon ignored him. "That good, huh?" He couldn't complain much anyway, since he had a small headache himself.
Brom rolled out of bed moments later. He doused his head in cold water from the basin, then left the room. Eragon followed him into the hallway, and then down to the lobby where the two recuperated from their hangovers.
Amazing what a simple drink will do to a person, Sara thought.
Could have been worse, Blaster said. He donned his cloak again, and placed a simple wallet into the inside pocket. Let's hope we find something.
Brom and Eragon returned to the room just as Blaster had finished holstering his guns. Brom belted his sword and smoothed out the wrinkles in his robes. "The first thing we need to do is ask some discreet questions. I want to find out where the Seithr oil was delivered in Dras-Leona, and where it was taken from there. Most likely, soldiers or workers were involved. We have to find those men and get one of them to talk."
They took to the streets in search of warehouses where the oil might have been delivered. They approached the center where a palace rose up on a rise, built out of polished granite, and was taller than all but the cathedral. Soldiers stationed every four or five yards watched passersby keenly as they guarded the wall of the palace.
"I wonder who lives here," Blaster said more to himself than anything.
"Marcus Tábor, ruler of this city," Brom said. "He answers only to the king and his own conscience, which hasn't been very active recently." They all walked around the palace.
By midday, they found no useful info, so they stopped for lunch. Brom suggested that they split up to cover more ground, then meet back in the room by dusk. Blaster agreed then hurried away. He came upon a small group of soldiers on break. With a quick flash of his wallet, the soldiers were suddenly rather cooperative, and he found out some rather interesting information. As soon as he was done, he went back to the Golden Globe just as Brom was returning.
"Find anything?" Eragon asked as they entered the room. He had been there for an hour.
"I caught something rather interesting," Blaster said. "Apparently, our 'lord and master' will visit Dras-Leona within the week."
"What?" Eragon exclaimed.
"It seems that our good buddy Tábor has taken a few too many liberties with his power, so Galbatorix has decided to come and teach him a lesson in humility. Reportedly, it's the first time he's left Urû'baen in over ten years."
"Do you think he knows of us?" Eragon asked.
"Of course he knows of us, but I'm sure he hasn't been told our location," Brom said. "If he had, we would already be in the Ra'zac's grasp. However, this means that whatever we're going to do about the Ra'zac must be done before Galbatorix shows up. We don't want to be anywhere within a hundred miles of him. The one thing we have in our favor is that the Ra'zac are sure to be here, planning for his visit."
"I want to get the Ra'zac," Eragon said, hands tightening into fists, "but not if it means fighting the king. He could probably tear us to pieces."
"Very good: caution," Brom said, amused. "And you're right; you wouldn't stand a chance against Galbatorix. Now, tell me, what have you learned today? It might confirm what I have heard."
"I heard nothing but that news from some soldiers on break," Blaster said. "They were rather cooperative once they found out I was investigating a murder. They said that they have seen the oil in question, yet failed to divulge further. I did find out that your mystery woman isn't in the dungeons, Eragon. Maybe they are elsewhere."
"I talked to a man who knew where the oil was taken," Eragon said. "It's just an old warehouse. Other than that, I didn't discover anything useful."
"Then my day was more fruitful than yours," Brom said. "I heard the same thing you did, so I went to the warehouse and talked to the workers. Took much cajoling before they revealed that the cases are always sent from the warehouse to the palace."
"And that's when you came back here," Eragon said.
"Don't interrupt," Blaster said. "He may have more. Never assume you have all the information until you are absolutely sure."
"You are correct," Brom said. "After that, I went to the palace and got myself invited to the servant's quarters as a bard. For several hours, I wandered about, amusing the maids and others with songs and poems—asking questions all the while." He slowly filled his pipe. "It's rather amazing what servants find out. Did you know that one of the earls has three mistresses, and they all live in the same wing of the palace?" He shook his head and lit his pipe. "Anyway, I was told, quite by accident, where the oil is taken from the palace."
"And that is...?" Eragon asked impatiently.
"Out of the city," Brom said, blowing out a smoke ring. "Every full moon two slaves are sent to the base of Helgrind with a month's provisions. Whenever the Seithr oil arrives in Dras-Leona, they send it along with the provisions. The slaves are never seen again. And the one time someone followed them, he disappeared too."
"I thought the Riders demolished the slave trade," Eragon said.
"It must have flourished sometime after Galbatorix rose to power," Blaster suggested. He turned to Brom. "So, the Ra'zac are in Helgrind?"
"Or somewhere nearby," Brom added.
"If they are," Eragon said, "they'll either be at the base, where thick stone doors protect them, or higher up, where their steeds, or Saphira and Sara can reach. Either way, their shelter will be disguised well." He paused. "If Saphira and I go flying around Helgrind, the Ra'zac are sure to see us."
"Not to mention all of Dras-Leona," Blaster said. "A risk I'm not willing to let you take, nor will I take such a risk."
"What if we took the place of the two slaves?" Eragon suggested. "The full moon isn't that far off. It would give us a perfect opportunity to get close to the Ra'zac."
Brom tugged at his beard, thoughtfully. "That's chancy at best. If the slaves are killed from a distance, we'll be in trouble. We can't harm the Ra'zac if they aren't in sight."
"I'm not entirely convinced they were killed at all," Blaster said. "But, some nagging feeling in the back of my mind tells me they were." He paused. "It's still a rather good idea. If it were done with Saphira and Sara hidden nearby, myself hidden elsewhere with my rifle, and…" he trailed off. "I think it might actually work! But, we haven't got much time, what with the king coming."
"Should we go to Helgrind and take a look around?" Eragon asked. "It would be good to see the land in daylight so we won't be surprised by any ambushes."
"That can be done later," Brom said. "Tomorrow I'll return to the palace and figure out how we can replace the slaves. I have to be careful not to arouse suspicion, though—I could easily be revealed by spies and courtiers who know about the Ra'zac."
"So, we finally found them," Blaster said. The thought of Garrow as he breathed his last filled his mind.
"The toughest part is yet to come, but yes, we've done well," Brom said. "If fortune smiles upon us, you may soon have your revenge, Eragon, and your justice, Blaster, and the Varden will be rid of a dangerous enemy. What comes after that will be up to you."
Sara, Blaster said, opening his mind to his dragon. We have found where the Ra'zac make berth. They hide inside or near Helgrind.
A fitting place for them to hide, Sara mused.
Once we're done here, I'm going to see if I can find Char, Blaster said. From there, I will see what I can do to help fight against Galbatorix. I have no desire, nor will I ever have the desire to join him. Nor will I allow these injustices to go unpunished.
A wise decision, Sara said. They parted ways for the night.
Will they finally kill the Ra'zac? Where is Char located? And what will be the next course of action? Find out the answers to these questions and more next time on Free Riders.
Please R&R. Also note that I referenced Star Wars in Blaster's little description of Dras-Leona. Star Wars belongs to George Lucas.