Chapter 19

With Orik as a guide they quickly make their way to the doors that separate them from the central chamber of Tronjheim. Orik turns around and addresses them. 

"Beyond these doors are the men and women of the Varden along with the civilians that have fled the empire. I would advise that you ride your dragon from here on out and keep your head held high. These people are in desperate need of hope and like it or not they will take your arrival as the signal of the mad king's imminent demise."

Eragon nods before hopping onto Saphira's saddle. He shifts around to get comfortable before tilting his head up like a young master would. Satisfied with his appearance, Orik opens the doors and leads the group into a gigantic room made of pure marble, large pillars holding the ceiling at set intervals. Throughout the room, large groups of refugees that were huddled by their camps turn to look at the new arrivals, their eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets at the sight of Saphira. Within moments a crowd of people appears, blocking their path. Orik makes a hand motion and some of the nearby dwarves form up in a spearhead formation and they slowly pierce through the crowd and towards the inner chambers. 

Meanwhile, Eragon is looking over the people around him. He sees many of them are wearing nothing but rags and suffering from malnutrition and injuries most likely a result of their desperate escape from the empire. While their bodies are weak the look in their eyes shows a budding hope, a hope that relies entirely upon him. And while Eragon thought he was prepared for the responsibility, the weight of it seems to crush him far more than he could ever imagine. 

"What have I been doing this past year? Yes I have gotten stronger then what Eragon was at this point but have I really been trying to help these people or just fulfill my own desires? Am I as strong as I could have been? The answer is no, no I am not. If I was taking this seriously, I would have already developed more powerful enchanted items than a moving cart and a stone sword. I owe these people my unwavering dedication towards ending Galbatorix's life, and now, I plan on giving them just that."

"Be careful Eragon." Saphira says. "The knowledge of your former world is a double-edged sword. If someone takes your knowledge about how to make nuclear weapons…" 

"Then this world would be doomed. I've done the math… It would only take two nuclear explosions to kill all life west of the Hadarac, maybe two or three for the elves because of the wards that protect the forest. Which is why I am going to find a solution to this problem, whether it requires me to purge those memories or hide them away in my mind." 

As they are having this conversation, their escort finally breaks through the expansive crowd and down another tunnel. They travel through various rooms and antechambers before arriving at their destination. The guards hold back as Eragon, Saphira, Brom, and Arya walk through another large double door into a spacious study. Seated at a desk in the back of the room is an older man with dark skin wearing an elegant robe. His black hair that hangs down past his shoulders has receded from age, revealing his shiny domed forehead. Even while he is seated, Ajihad gives off a palpable aura of determination and willpower, as the leader of the Varden should. 

Looking up from some documents, his hard eyes scan the group in front of him before softening at the sight of Brom and Arya. 

"Brom. It's good to see you again. I was so sure that you would remain in retirement until the day you died yet here you are…" 

Brom walks forward. "It's good to see you too, old friend. While I would love to reminisce there are more pressing matters to attend to." 

Ajihad strokes his beard. "Quite. I see that you managed to rescue Arya and defeat Durza, A feat not many in Alagaesia can attest to… I take it that this young fellow is our new dragon rider?"

Ajihad runs a critical eye over Eragon, assessing him. Eragon returns the stare with mild trepidation but a firm resolve to do what he can. Seemingly satisfied, Ajihad looks back towards Arya. 

"Arya. Your travel route was leaked by a spy in our midst that has since been taken care of." 

Arya nods slightly. "As long as the traitor was dealt with, that is all that matters. I no longer need to safeguard the egg as she has chosen her rider. I shall stay for the next few weeks as I recover from my captivity before leaving for my homeland." 

Ajihad nods. "Wonderful… Now, let's get a word in from our new dragon rider. What say you?" 

Eragon walks forward and gives Ajihad a respectful bow by placing his hand on his heart and half bowing from the waist, a sign of respect whilst also implying that his might rivals that of the Ajihad himself. 

"It is a pleasure to meet the leader of the Varden. I am Eragon Bromsson, rider of Saphira and last free dragon rider. I may be inexperienced but my resolve to end the tyranny of Galbatorix blazes bright in my heart. I seek training and knowledge to prepare for the coming conflict." 

Ajihad stared into his eyes, trying to pierce the veil and see if his words are truly genuine. Seeing his determination, Ajihad looks towards Brom with a raised eyebrow. Brom smiles and gives him a nod. Ajihad leans back in his chair and exhales, the tension in the room dissipating entirely. 

"To think that the only hope of the Varden now lies on the shoulders of Brom's heir… I applaud your resolve, young Eragon. Not even the elves dare to confront Galbatorix as he is now. But if that is your fate, then I will fully support you. The Varden will fight by your side when you are ready to face the mad king. In regards to training… Orik, Do you think Hrothgar will sponsor him?" 

Orik steps forward. "The other clans might oppose such a decision, but Durgrimst Ingeitum will do its utmost to ensure that young Eragon receives the best training, weapons, and armor our clan can craft." 

Eragon turns to Orik and bows to him as well. "I appreciate your help and will do my best to live up to your expectations." 

Ajihad clears his throat to get everyone's attention. "Now that the introductions and pleasantries are over with, will you regale us with the tales of your adventures, Brom the storyteller?"

Brom sighs while holding the sides of his head. "Why is everyone making jokes at my expense?" He says in a low whisper. "Well let's start at the beginning, shall we? Before Arya was captured, she tried to send Saphira's egg to me, but in the heat of the moment, it was sent to my son instead. Before the egg arrived, I had already been mentoring my son in the use of magic because he overheard some wandering traders speak some words that they knew, after a little trial and error he figured out how to use magic on his own. He came to me for training because I was the only one in the village that he felt he could trust with his secret. Even to this day I'm still not sure how he found out that I was his father but that's beside the point. Once Saphira hatched, we left Carvahall and went south towards Teirm, overseeing his training in sword and magic throughout our travels."

Brom clears his throat before continuing. "Whilst we were in Teirm, Eragon had visions depicting Arya being tortured in a prison. With clues from his visions, I knew we had to head to Gil'ead to rescue her. In our attempt to rescue her, I fought Durza whilst Eragon carried Arya to safety. By the time he returned to aid me, I had barely any strength left and suffered a minor wound to my arm. Eragon pulled me away and fought the Shade in my stead. They fought for what felt like hours with the two being nearly evenly matched. In the end, Eragon would have lost if he hadn't prepared a countermeasure to defeat him. We had brainstormed the day before and created a spell that had a decent possibility of killing him and it worked flawlessly. The souls that were trapped in Durza's body were released from their fleshy prison. I even kept his sword as I knew you would want to see it. We then fled Gil'ead, heading east towards the Ramr river and crossing to the other side. From there it was a few weeks travel through the desert before our arrival here."

"So I assume young Eragon has the Shade's curse correct?"

Brom sighs. "Yes. He has already had an episode where he was knocked unconscious for two days. During our time here I plan to scour the library for any hints to removing the curse. And if we can't find anything, I will have to bring him to the elves."

Ajihad nods in understanding before standing up from his chair and walking up to Brom. "You need not worry, old friend." Ajihad places his hand on Brom's shoulder. "I will do what I can to aid you in this endeavor. We need Eragon to be in top condition to face Galbatorix. I shall have the twins look through their records as well."

Upon mentioning the twins, Brom scowls. "I don't trust those two. There is something about them that I don't like."

Eragon chimes in. "You felt it too, Brom? I felt a palpable aura of distrust and uneasiness whilst in their presence."

Brom looks Ajihad in the eye. "Are you sure you can trust them?"

Ajihad looks down in contemplation. "If the two of you doubt them I may have to consider it. They have been a part of the Varden for many years now. If they are spies for the king, it would be a devastating blow as they know all about our operations. Then there is also the fact that they are currently the gatekeepers of the Varden, scouring the minds of all new arrivals for spies.

Ajihad starts pacing back and forth in front of his desk. "Dealing with them will be a challenge. They are the strongest mages of Du Vrangr Gata. If we alert them to our plans of capturing or killing them too early, they will vanish without a trace or kill hundreds of people in desperation. Give me a few days to think this over."

"There is no rush, Ajihad. Arya needs to rest and recover while Eragon needs training and better arms and armor. We can reconvene in a week or so to continue this discussion. Until then, don't have anyone start spying on them."

Ajihad scoffs. "Do you think I would do such a foolish thing?" 

Brom shrugs his shoulders. "It's been many years since I last saw you. Who knows how much you have changed in all this time." 

Ajihad gives Brom a vicious grin. "We do have a bit to catch up on. Come, have a drink with me." Ajihad looks at Orik. "Orik, can you show young Eragon to his quarters?" 

Orik gives a respectful bow. "Of course. Follow me master Eragon, I will show you where you are staying alongside the dragon roost at the top of the mountain." 

Arya gives Ajihad a simple nod before leaving the room along with Eragon, Saphira, and Orik. Before Arya leaves them, Eragon turns to her. 

"Don't forget about our wager. I still need to see how far I have come and where I need to improve in my sword techniques." 

Arya looks him in the eyes and gives a curt nod. "I will not go back on our deal, Eragon. When I have sufficiently recovered, I shall find you." 

With that, Arya turns and walks down another tunnel. Orik gives Arya a nod as she passes. Turning back towards Eragon, Orik gives him a quizzical look. 

"You challenged Arya to a fight? I find your courage commendable but that is a fight even some of the strongest dwarves would not face. I hope you realize that elves are stronger than humans by leaps and bounds."

Eragon flashes Orik a smile. "I know… Our wager was simply a way for her to forgive herself for attacking me when she woke up. I also need strong opponents if I want to grow as a fighter. I mean… I have an insane king with hundreds of years of experience and an entire nation of brainwashed soldiers to defeat so I need all the practice I can get."