You have grown, little one. Saphira said as her Rider emerged from the dark tunnel, she nuzzled the young man protectively. Happy that he was safe though his thoughts were conflicted.
Hopefully for the good, Eragon muttered before looking at the blue dragon quizzically, did you find anything interesting?
Only their nests, as well as some bones that looked like a humans, not to mention the rancid smell of rotten flesh. Looks like Galbatorix had supplied them plenty of food for their services.
Eragon sighed wearily, I will look around for anything we can use, hopefully the Ra'zac have information we desperately need.
Saphira nodded her giant head, Eragon quickly headed down the winding tunnel where he could feel the only life forces in the rock besides his own and Saphira's, Katrina and Sloan.
As he went down the tunnel Eragon found himself getting sidetracked whenever the tunnel split into a small cavern. He didn't find that many useful things. But he did find four bottles of Seithr Oil, which after a small debate he carefully put the deadly acid in his backpack. Casting a couple spells to make the bottle unbreakable, as he'd rather not have the deadly acid leak and seep into his back.
Eragon also found some deadly instruments that he knew not the name of, but judging on how it looked he was safe to guess it was for torture. He quickly destroyed the instruments until they were nothing but useless scrap on the floor.
He passed by what appeared to be some sort of hidden chamber filled with weapons. He grabbed dozens of quivers filled to the brim with arrows and with a quick incantation stored them away so he himself wouldn't have to carry them. He only found a dozen swords and bows, seeing as they wouldn't get lost as arrows but Eragon took them anyway.
After another couple minutes of careful treading, he wasn't sure if the Ra'zac had decided to trap any areas in case of intruders. He suddenly found himself in yet another chamber, but this one seemed to have scrolls instead of weapons or a random object. He quickly took all of them, seeing as he didn't have enough time to read every single scroll, the Empire would no doubt come after him and Saphira as the fishermen had probably told about her fight to the authorities. He'd much rather not have to fight his way out when he could just simply hurry up and fly out of the Gates of Hell without any trouble.
Finally he arrived to a small set of cells, he strode forward and with a quick spell and a slap to the iron metal, the prison door fell to the ground with a crashing thud.
Imprisonment had not suited Sloan. The once vigorously clean man had been reduced to a single mass of bruises, cuts and scratches, and looked like he had been pushed off a mountain and then dragged by the ankles down a rocky trail being pulled by horses.
Sloan's head jerked up at the loud and unexpected noise, what remained of his eyelids fluttered uselessly as he tried to franticly see what the commotion was.
Eragon quickly realized that the Ra'zac had pecked out Sloan's eyes. Now all that remained of the man's dark black eyes were the destroyed eye sockets, his infected eyes a bright red with small traces of sickening yellow. The areas under and around his eyes were heavily bruised and scabbed.
"What do you want?" Sloan asked. There was no trace of the usual disdain Eragon had heard so frequently during his childhood whenever he tried to sell his game to the village butcher. Sloan had always been the one who had insulted the Rider because of his poor family, not to mention the fact that no one knew who Eragon's real father was. Something that was highly looked down upon with humans.
Eragon knew not what to do. He may be a skilled warrior, able to defeat dozens of men by himself, but he was also a Rider. During the days of old the Riders would act to keep peace and order. Not to mention it was against his very heart and soul to strike a man down in cold blood with no way to protect himself, even if said man was Sloan.
Despite himself Eragon couldn't help but be thrust into his memories, back before any of this happened, back when he was just a normal hunter and farmer. Despite the fact that nearly all of his memories of Sloan were humiliating and angering, he couldn't help but feel some nostalgia as he thought of simpler and easier times.
He remembered that despite the man's infamous anger and temper, behind closed doors he could appear as a loving man, as he was well known to be very protective of his daughter Katrina. He couldn't have been a heartless monster if Katrina loved the man. Sloan wouldn't be to grieve for the tragic death of his wife when she tumbled down the falls in the Spine, seeing as any mention of the forest would make Sloan incredibly somber and hateful, he even refused to buy Saphira's egg when he learned it had come from within the Spine. Claiming it to be evil and deadly.
"I don't know anything!" Sloan protested, his thick hands held protectively in front of his tattered face, "I've told you everything I know!"
Eragon wondered if he should just kill the man now, if he were to run into any villager from Carvahall they wouldn't give him the ability for a fast and painful death, but the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.
Eragon remembered his soul-searching thoughts after he had killed the last Ra'zac, where he had wondered how much he had changed. He remembered when he, Saphira, and Murtagh were feeling the Urgals and heading towards the hiding place of the Varden. When they had been captured by slavers, and how Murtagh had killed the leader, Torkenbrand, without mercy or hesitation. Despite all that has happened to him…. He couldn't kill Sloan in cold blood. To do so would bring nothing but darkness to his still young and naïve heart.
"Please, just leave me and my daughter alone." Sloan's voice seemed to crack, showing the fear he had tried to desperately hide to what he thought was one of the Ra'zac.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sloan." Eragon said softly.
Sloan stopped cowering in the corner of his small cell, he turned his head in his direction as though hoping to catch just a small glimpse of whoever had spoken, as the speaker was no doubt a human, not a Ra'zac come to torture him for information he did not know.
"W-Who are you?" he asked, curiosty slowly weaving into his fearful tone. "Where are the Ra'zac. Is this a trick?" he demanded.
"I am nobody, as for the Ra'zac… they are currently bleeding on the floor, dead." Eragon told the former butcher.
Sloan mouthed the word dead in disbelief. "You sound familiar," his head cocked to the side slightly as though puzzled, his face still pale as he realized that whoever this man was he had killed the Ra'zac, he was afraid of this stranger.
"That is because I am familiar to you, Sloan Aldensson. In more ways than you know."
"Please, stop talking in riddles!" Sloan begged the man, Eragon was taken aback on how much Sloan had changed during his time in Helgrind. He had gone from a prideful man who could slaughter a man as easily as a new born calf to a pitiful whimpering mess of a man.
"All will be revealed soon enough to you Sloan. I'm sure you are curious as to why I am here," Eragon told the butcher who seemed to stop trembling as he looked at Eragon with curiosity.
"Are you of the Varden? A soldier to the rebels?" Sloan asked Eragon, his tattered eyelids seeming to stare at Eragon despite the fact he couldn't see.
Eragon chuckled softly. "No, I'm not of the Varden. Though I was once, but no more. I serve nobody but myself. I do not listen to the ramblings of Mad King Galbatorix, nor Nausuda of the Varden. Especially not the idiotic and spoilt Orrin, King of Surda." He spat the last name out bitterly, seeing as it was Orrin's brilliant idea of killing Eragon if the war were to end in their favor.
"There is no way an individual can have the power to defeat the Ra'zac, I've seen them fight. Before they did this," he gestured towards the ribbons of flesh that used to be his eyes. "They're monsters, demons of the night. No normal man can kill them!"
"Well it seems you are wrong, as the Ra'zac are dead and I'm standing here talking to you." Eragon rebuked the man.
"How?... Who-" Sloan froze, his whole body as tensed as taut as a ready bowstring. His jaw went slack, the chin hung loosely from his face as though it was ready to just fall off. His body slowly but surely tried to make itself smaller, trying desperately to somehow hide in the craggy rocks. Sloan shook his head in disbelief and fear. "No, no, no…. NO…. It can't be. The Ra'zac spoke of this, I had thought they were merely telling tall tales, they demanded answers I didn't have or even know the basics of the very question." Sloan suddenly looked like he had been punched in the gut and then in the throat. "You can't be Eragon." He said the Rider's name with apprehension and a great deal of fear and shock.
Eragon's breath suddenly got shorter as Sloan realized who he was, he hadn't expected the butcher to put the pieces together so soon, but Sloan had always been crafty and cunning. Eragon made sure to remember that despite his horrible ordeal of being a prisoner of the Ra'zac his mind was still as sharp if not sharper than before.
"Aye, I am Eragon and so much more. I have been hailed as Argetlam by the dwarves hidden in the Beor Mountains and by their king himself. I was named Shadeslayer after I because the first human to slay a Shade that went by the name of Durza. I have been called Firesword due to the flames I can conjure with the aid of magic. But above all, I am a Rider. A member of the legendary Dragon Riders, who have been hailed as the greatest warriors and peacemakers. I have taken the mantle as the leader of the Order of the Riders. My dragon and half my heart and soul is Saphira. Who has been called Bjartskular, or Brightscales. I was taught by Brom, who he himself was a Rider before me. Brom was no ordinary storyteller. He was the slayer of Morzan, the first and last of the infamous Forsworn. His name has forever been spoken with fear by the allies of the Empire. I was taught by dwarves and elves. I have delved into the forested region known as Du Weldenvarden, the home of the elves. I have meet their queen and I am friends with their princess. I was the great weapon of the rebel army the Varden, I was their symbol. And they betrayed me, I fled from them and I never looked back. I have begun my own way to end the reign of Galbatorix. I discovered an unknown Dragon egg, and I have found his Rider, who is my student. I am Eragon!" Eragon shouted the last part to the quivering man.
For good measure Eragon forcefully entered the man's mind and showed him his memories, proving everything he had done was true. He even showed him Bjartkoü and Ronan.
Sloan continued to tremble but he seemed to pull himself up from the collapsed position where he hung limply to the wall by his shackles. "Blast you," Sloan snarled to Eragon. "I do not have to explain myself to you. I did it all for Katrina, you can whip me, beat me, hell take my hands! But I won't regret what I did if it meant that my daughter is safe."
Eragon chortled. "Oh I won't kill you Sloan," Eragon told the man whose face erupted in shock. "No I will do no such thing. One of the things I have learned from my experiences is that sometimes a second chance is in order. You did ultimate evil for ultimate love. While I hate the fact you killed your friends I know you did it for your daughter. It is that reason, and that reason only, why you are still alive. But I will not let you loose without being able to keep an eye on you, you will come with me and I will judge you to see if you are worthy of your second chance." Eragon then looked at Sloan as though seeing him for the first time. An unguided force moved his lips and made him form words he had not thought before. "Hatred and pain hidden by love."
Sloan suddenly shuddered as though a chill as icy as the snow on the top of the Beor Mountains had suddenly been dumped on him. The hair on the back of Eragon's neck prickled upwards.
He had just discovered Sloan's True Name. He could order the man to jump off the highest peak on Helgrind and the butcher would have to oblige without complaint. He could completely alter the man, take away his identity. Because Eragon knew his identity, even more than Sloan himself.
"Listen well Sloan, for I shall say this only once. I am breaking you free from this prison, Katrina is in the other cell alive and safe." Sloan's head perked at that, his taut features seemed to slowly melt in relief. "We are going to get Katrina. You will not tell her what has been and will be discussed in this room." His icy tone made Sloan shiver. "You and her shall come with me, and you, Sloan Aldensson, shall swear an oath to me in the Ancient Language. A language where you cannot lie, much less break an oath. You will swear fealty to me as though I was your king, in a way I am, I am your leader and you will obey my orders without any deceit or traitorous thoughts."
"You can't do this," Sloan whispered. "You can't force me to swear fealty to you!"
Eragon said his true name, but this time loud enough for Sloan to hear it. An expression of horror and revelation crawled onto Sloan's face, and he threw up his arms as best as he could due to the shackles that bound him and howled as though he had been stabbed with a rusty dagger. His cry was primal and guttural, as though something different had taken the man over, taken away his will and control. The scream of a man condemned by his own nature and very being by a fate and destiny he had no chance or even choice of escaping.
"I can and I will!" Eragon roared at the butcher, tired of the whole conversation, knowing they had so little time to escape. "You will listen to me, obey me, and you will give me the respect I have earned!"
Eragon called upon the power of magic, he forced Sloan to swear oaths that he would not reveal anything he had learned today besides Eragon, especially the fact of Bjartkoü and Ronan's existence. Despite the protesting and trying desperately not to speak, Sloan was forced by himself to swear the oaths in the Ancient Language.
The second the final oath was spoken through Sloan's protesting lips Sloan seemed to collapse, the only reason he didn't crumble to the ground was because of the iron shackles above his head. "What did you do to me?" Sloan whispered.
"I discovered your true nature, Sloan. I have found the phase that defines you to the exact detail. You have loved two things in your life, your wife and your daughter. You loved them, your heart would always beat with passion and joy whenever you saw and talk to them. You weren't a love-struck loon but a man who had found true happiness. But it was taken away from you… wasn't it?" Eragon asked softly while Sloan flinched at his words. "Because from your love hate and pain was born. Your hatred for the Spine and anything relating to it would make your blood boil as you thought of how your wife Ismira died in the mountains… that was one of the major reasons you disliked me, wasn't it? Because of my unique skill and talent to journey to the heart of the Spine and emerged unharmed, you wished that you had that so you could of protected your wife from tragic fate. And then there is Katrina, the one thing left of your wife and the only child you have. A daughter you love so much, you wanted to protect her from the harsh evil that the world has to offer, that's why you were always angry at her if she didn't obey you. You were afraid of an incident where Katrina was killed. You wanted her to have what you had but lost, a happy and loving life. That's why you didn't like my cousin, Roran, you thought she deserved more than a simple farmer, that she was worthy of becoming a Queen, you weren't being cocky you were merely stating what you believe. And then when Roran revealed that he had disobeyed the customs and was engaged to Katrina without your permission, that Katrina had betrayed you by agreeing. It ripped your heart into a thousand shreds. It hurt. That's why you sided with the Ra'zac, you merely wished to protect your daughter." Eragon said as he completely described Sloan's soul. He crouched down to the man who flinched away from the Rider. "Why didn't you see how much of a mistake it was to side with the Ra'zac? Did you really believe that they would keep their word and protect you? You were blinded by love and the natural instinct to protect your child."
Sloan tried to curl up into a ball as he shied away from the man. Eragon sighed wearily. "Come on Sloan. Time is not on our side, don't you wish to be reunited with your daughter?" Sloan quickly nodded his head, despite the emotional turmoil he was going through. Eragon pointed his hand at the shackles. "Jierda!" With a couple of blue sparks the metal fell to the ground. Sloan shakily got up, rubbing his arms where the metal had dug into his skin.
Eragon helped the weakened man through the cell and led him to Katrina's cell. With another word the door fell to the ground, Eragon walked in, Sloan quickly stumbling after him, having to wrap his arm around Eragon's shoulders to move without collapsing.
A single wax candle illuminated the dusty and cramped cell, Katrina cowered into the wall. "Leave me alone! You damn toothless bastards-" Katrina suddenly stopped when she saw her father.
"Father!" Katrina cried in happiness of seeing her father alive.
"Katrina," Sloan whispered out before stumbling forward and wrapping his daughter in a back breaking hug. "My child." Tears slowly filled into his ruined eyes and trailed down his dirty and scratched cheeks. "Oh thanks the gods, you're alright." His fingers fumbled down Katrina's face, searching for any injuries as he could no longer see.
"Father, y-your eyes!" Tears filled Katrina's brown eyes as she saw the tatters of flesh that had once been his eyes. "Oh, what have they done to you!" she chocked out as she tenderly rubbed his back, Sloan was shuddering as he tried to control his sobs.
"It matters not what happened to me, only that you are alright. Did you hear me, Katrina? Everything is going to be alright. The Ra'zac are dead and we are leaving this place." Sloan spoke softly to her as he cradled her closer to him, as though he was afraid she would suddenly disappear in his arms.
"D-Dead but how-" Katrina stopped speaking as she realized someone was behind Sloan. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar yet matured face of an old friend. "Eragon!"
Eragon smiled softly as his future cousin-in-law. "Hello Katrina, it's been awhile hasn't it?"
"How are you here? We were so worried when you up and vanished with Brom! I feared you dead! How did you come here? Is Roran with you?" The questions tumbled out of Katrina as she looked at the former farm boy with wide eyes.
"Well some things arose and I had to leave the village. And no, Roran isn't here. I have no idea where he is, to be honest." Seeing the sadness and disbelief in her eyes he quickly added. "Not to worry, he hasn't forgotten about you. He's with the Varden. When I met with him a couple months ago he was frantic on rescuing you, he's the reason I found out that you were trapped in Helgrind. So in a way he did keep his promise even if he himself wasn't here to accomplish it."
Katrina smiled softly. "I am glad to hear that Roran is okay, I was so worried about him."
Eragon knelt beside the girl and her father. "Katrina, I can use magic." At the widening of her eyes he quickly added, "no I'm not an evil sorcerer like storytellers like to speak of. I have to go into your mind and see that no one has tampered with it. I won't hurt you, its me, Eragon." Eragon smiled softly at the girl to quench her fears.
Katrina slowly nodded and Eragon entered her mind, he was as gentle as a feather, he slowly shifted through Katrina's memories to see if anyone had tampered with them or made her swear oaths in the Ancient Language. Occasionally Katrina would flinch, but he could see that she calmed herself by remembering this wasn't a torturer, it was Eragon. Someone who had been a part of her life before everything had been turned upside down.
Eragon was very thankful that he had decided to keep the appearance of before he was transformed into a human/elf hybrid. He knew that Katrina would have been scared of seeing a familiar face but so different and alien. Seeing his normal face reassured her that he wouldn't hurt her, or that he was no longer exactly human.
"I'm done," Eragon slowly announced. "You are completely clean, no one had messed with your memory."
Sloan sighed in relief. "Thank the gods."
"Katrina I'm going to use magic to get you out of these binds. Please do not panic, magic is harmless to those who are careful." Eragon reassured the girl. Though she had gone through hell for the past couple of months, she was still an average country girl. If he suddenly said a word and magic occurred she would be easily startled and afraid of him. Something he did not want from someone he knew so well.
Katrina slowly nodded, fear still evident in her eyes. "Jierda!" Eragon spoke as Katrina's iron manacles turned into useless metal in a flurry of blue sparks.
"Magic…" Katrina whispered in disbelief as she stared at the useless metal that had bounded her.
Eragon slowly reached out to her, she didn't flinch away from him, but he saw her tense. "Katrina, its me. Sure I'm much more handsome, dashing, heroic, and your current knight in shimmering armor. But honestly you're acting like I'm a complete stranger." Eragon teased the girl who couldn't help but crack a small smile at Eragon's teasing tone.
Katrina suddenly hugged him. "It's really you. Though despite you being my so called 'knight in shimmering armor' you're still that knucklehead who managed to anger that badger when you went by her den. I still remember you running on the outskirts of the village with an angry mother badger chasing after you."
Eragon slumped at that memory. "You know that was an accident. And for your information I bet I could take that badger with my hands tied behind my back!"
Katrina laughed, and her eyes seemed to get warmer as she remembered happier and simpler times. Eragon saw why Roran loved Katrina so much, she was one of a kind. Eragon was happy that she was going to marry his cousin/surrogate brother. They were a match made in heaven.
"We should hurry, I'd rather not stay here for much longer. Saphira said that the Empire may soon be here, we can talk later." Eragon said as he helped Katrina and Sloan to their feet. Eragon then held out a strip of cloth. "Tie this around your eyes Katrina. You've been in the dark for too long, the sunlight could damage your eyes." Katrina nodded and tied the cloth around her eyes. She then grabbed her father's arm and gently pulled her along with her, the cloth thin enough for her to see Eragon's glinting chainmail, and the three quickly left the cavern.
The three quickly went down the long winding tunnel. Soon enough they could see bright light ahead, Saphira was calmly waiting for them.
Katrina gasped as she beheld Saphira. She may have run had not Eragon shot her a look telling her she was safe.
"Katrina what is it?" Sloan asked his daughter, he instinctively went in front of her protectively, despite not knowing the fact he was facing off a gigantic dragon that could have easily snapped him up with little to no trouble.
"A-A d-dragon!" Katrina gasped while Sloan tensed.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you, I'm a dragon Rider." Eragon told the young woman who looked at Eragon as though he had grown a second head.
Eragon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Probably should have mentioned that earlier, eh?"
Greetings. Saphira told the two former prisoners who stumbled back in surprise.
"It is an honor, O mighty dragon." Katrina managed to say. She dipped her knees in a weak imitation of a curtsy.
Sloan tensely nodded his head in the direction he had heard Saphira's voice.
"All right, we have to leave now. Don't worry about-" Eragon suddenly stopped, his body tensed, his eyes wide. Besides him Saphira tensed as well, her tail flicking in agitation.
"Eragon, what is wrong?" Katrina asked fearfully, wondering if the Empire was already here.
"I don't believe it…" Eragon trailed off as he looked at the entrance of the cave in surprise and disbelief. "I can't believe I didn't sense them. Damn it, I got distracted."
What should we do? Saphira asked her Rider mentally. Eragon we can't fight them.
I'm aware of that Saphira. By the gods can't we do one thing without it blowing up in our faces? Eragon thought wearily.
"Eragon, what's wrong? Whose coming?" Katrina whispered, his eyes fixed on the entrance.
"Get behind Saphira, quickly." Saphira moved so she was now side by side her Rider, Sloan and Katrina behind her. Her muscles were tense as she waited for the newcomers to appear… any second now they would be here.
Eragon sighed as he leaned against Saphira's bicep. Suddenly two shadows were at the entrance. One was large and bulky, while the other was more slender and petite but moved with a more refined grace than the larger one who seemed to be extremely tense as the larger figure seemed to walk with a slight lurch.
Then the two figures entered the cave. Their faces illuminated by the sunlight.
Eragon gave them a mock wave, his hilt on Unbitr. "My, my my, so surprising to see you two here. Oh, don't look so surprised to see me. What, did you think I was dead?" Eragon chuckled at that. "Well I am happy to prove that I am alive and well, eh….. Roran? Arya?"
You guys must hate me right now, eh can't be helped I had to end it there. I hope you guys liked me interpretation of Sloan's True Names, seeing as CP never gave us his True Name, hopefully my explanation will satisfy some doubters.