I peered into the dark interior of the enormous tree. My eyes slowly grew accustomed to the dim lighting, and I sauntered in.

Tables and benches and a big counter had been grown out of the tree, and elves were sitting around, most of them with intricately carved wooden cups that probably disguised gallons of alcoholic beverages. Behind the counter were even more cups that sat on racks, and a big barrel with a tap and a label on it that said Faelnirv. I had a strong feeling of deja vu.

Rillon was sitting by himself in a corner, chatting animatedly to this big ball of blueish light hovering across from him.

I made a beeline for him and plopped myself down next to him on the bench.

He stopped talking to the light and turned. All I had to see were his flaming red cheeks and the cup in his hand to see that he was drunk.

"Dude, seriously, go easy on the happy juice," I told him, prying his fingers away from the cup and putting the alcohol out of his reach.

Rillon wildly shook his head, and his face went back to its normal color. "Dusk," he said.

"How do you recover that fast?" I asked.

He ignored me and gestured to the big ball of light. "That," he said, "is Du Draumr Kopa, but just Draumr Kopa when it is being addressed directly."

I eyed the fluffy floating orb of light. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Something knocked politely on my mental front gate. I shouted at it, What?

Another knock.

And then I was suddenly reminded of why I had gone there in the first place. "Hey, Rillon, you need to find Fritos."

Rillon winced. He glanced around furtively, then lowered his voice and hissed at me, "Shh! Du Draumr Kopa just told me the story of Dgaou- Fritos. It...is not pleasant. You should not mention his name where an elf can hear you."

"Sheesh, I never even mentioned his name. I call him Fritos. His name is actually Hsot-"

"Quiet," he hissed.

"-grihbfarkfb. They've got nothing in common."

Knock number three.

Go away, I snapped.

"Listen, just find him, alright? I promise you won't regret it. I think." I stood up and sauntered back out.

There was suddenly a deafening boom and a lot of multicolored smoke in Galbatorix's gargantuan throne room.

Galbatorix had been wandering around the throne room like he always did when he was impatient, anxious, or bored. He yelled, "Gah!" and scrambled away from the smoke, covering his ears.

Shruikan, who had been dozing in the corner, woke up and looked around.

A few soldiers rushed in, but Galbatorix shooed them away with a wave of his hand. They retreated and closed the throne room doors behind them, glaring suspiciously at the clouds of rainbow smoke.

What did you just do? asked the dragon.

"I didn't do anything!" Galbatorix protested. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Ryoja du reykr. Clear the smoke."

The smoke vanished.

There, lying on the polished marble floor, was a fifteen year old girl. With purple wings.

They both stared. She had long black hair, a purple lamarae shirt and shorts, and there was a silver necklace with a few amethysts set in it around her neck. Said necklace could also probably feed a poor family of six for a month. Silver wasn't a cheap metal by any means.

One of the kings of Alagaesia prodded the prone form tentatively with his boot. The girl moaned and rolled over, and Galbatorix jumped back.

"Where am I?" the girl slurred, her bright blue eyes fluttering open. Then she saw Galbatorix, and she screamed. "Are," she gasped, "are you trying to kidnap me?"

I'd more like to know how you got in here, said Shruikan.

Either the kid was dim or she was dim, because she didn't seem to even realize he was there. Shruikan happened to be a huge black dragon who made mansions look like crabs. "Don't try to deny it, I know what you were trying to do. But I'm awake now, and I- I know karate! Don't come any closer, or I swear you'll regret it!" She scrambled back and stood, holding up her fists. "Great, keep calm," she muttered, breathing heavily, "just some old guy trying to kidnap me, nothing to worry about, I can handle this."

What?

"Right, what did you do with my memory? What is this place? Who're you? I swear, if you don't tell me, I'm- I'm gonna call the cops!"

Do you understand what she's saying? Galbatorix asked.

Not really.

"What are you talking about?" said Galbatorix.

"What am I- Are you filming a movie?" the girl said, confused, taking in the throne room, Galbatorix's clothes and sword, and Shruikan.

"A what?"

The girl suddenly looked over her shoulder and saw her large purple wings. She screamed again. She began tugging on one wing, as if trying to pull it off, then stopped. "Ow," she murmured. Then she flopped onto the ground and started crying.

I hate that noise so much, said Shruikan.

Galbatorix suddenly had a gleam of inspiration. His mental self sat on it when Shruikan came shuffling by, and then he pulled it out again while the dragon lumbered off in the other direction, muttering darkly. "You want to know where you are?"

The girl looked up and sniffled. "Yes."

Galbatorix smiled internally. "All you have to do is say something, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

That's ridiculous, Shruikan snapped. There's no way she'll ever fall for something that stupid, especially worded like that. She-

She looked uncertain, but nodded slowly.

Shruikan stared, utterly dumbfounded. Is she really that stupid?

See? said Galbatorix smugly. It wasn't everyday that Galbatorix would suggest something that Shruikan said wouldn't work, and then it actually did work. In fact, he remembered that happening a grand total of once, and that was when the two of them had made a bet on whether it was possible to make a pie out of cheese. Shruikan had thought it was insane and would never work, and then they got all of the best bakers together to try, and they had failed completely and wrecked the kitchen, and then Galbatorix had gone down and tried his hand at it even though he had never cooked before in his life, and he had somehow managed to do it and it came out fantastic, and then he had eaten it every day for a month just to annoy the dragon (they never did get it as good as the first time though), and then he got sick of it...

You were lucky this time, Shruikan said irritably. Anyone with half a heart could see through that.

She doesn't have half a brain, though, said Galbatorix. Where humans said brain, dragons said heart, since their brains really did nothing except sit around and look pretty — well, disgusting — while their Eldunari did all the thinking. At least, that was the general consensus among the dragons, who really weren't the best at science and were simply guessing. However, when you could cough out your soul in a rock with no brain in it and still think, it wasn't a hard guess to make.

Galbatorix turned his attention back to the real world. "Excellent! Now, just say this: Eka taka pomnuria lif un allunia eom Galbatorix un Shruikan." I pledge my life and allegiance to Galbatorix and Shruikan.

"Huh?"

Galbatorix slowly taught her how to say all the words, and ten minutes later, the girl was ready to unknowingly swear loyalty to the two.

She repeated it. "What was that about?"

"Nothing, nothing," said Galbatorix hastily. "Now what was it you wanted to know about?"

"Everything."

"Okay. Shruikan, you're better at this than I am, get to it."

Do it yourself.

Bloody lizard, Galbatorix thought nastily, turning back to the girl. He began.