Chapter 18

Brom looks over and sees the dust cloud slowly making its way towards them. "I doubt that it is a Varden patrol. Most likely a group of slavers that capture people fleeing the empire. Let's try to outrun them as their horses will eventually tire out whereas this cart only needs some of our energy to function. If it comes down to it, we will end their lives swiftly and efficiently. We don't need word of our arrival to the Varden spreading throughout the empire."

Arya nods then pulls out a bow that she made by singing it from a tree before they entered the desert. She nooks an arrow but leaves the string loose as she watches the approaching enemies. 

Eragon grabs his sword and bow as well, preparing for combat should the need arise. Brom changes the speed of the cart to the fastest setting, causing the sand to kick back from the force of the wheels digging through it. Surprisingly, the approaching bandits continues to gain on them throughout the next few hours, the slavers whipping their horses to get the most speed they can get out of them. With their prey only a few hundred meters ahead of them, the greed of a juicy payday lights a fire in their hearts. 

With determined grace, Arya pulls back and fires an arrow in one smooth motion. The arrow flies towards its target, impacting into the lead bandit's right eye. The man's body goes limp and slides off his horse. With his feet still caught in the stirrup, the horse gets pulled to the left causing a collision with another bandit. This causes a chain reaction of horses and bandits falling and being subsequently run over by their comrades. Both Arya and Eragon continue to fire arrow after arrow into the group, each one ending the life of a bandit and sowing discord among their group. Meanwhile, Saphira dives down from the sky, completely blindsiding them. Her claws and fangs tearing through flesh and hide with ease. 

In a matter of moments, fifty percent of their group lies dead in the sand. The remaining bandits turn back around in fear at the sight of a dragon. As they go to turn around, Arya signals Brom and he slows down and makes a wide 180° turn to face the retreating bandits. Arya, Eragon, and Saphira continue their assault on the fleeing bandits until only one remains alive. The remaining bandit is crawling in the sand towards his fallen horse. 

Eragon jumps down from the cart and walks towards him, his stone blade trailing behind him leaving a groove in the sand. The man looks up at Eragon with anger in his eyes. 

Eragon looks at the man with a deadpan expression. "You made your choice bandit. Now you pay the price." 

Eragon swings his sword with no remorse and removes the bandit's head from his shoulders. Eragon wipes the blood off his sword with the man's clothes before walking back to the cart. Brom watches Eragon walk back with a look of worry on his face. Never in his life did he want his son to follow in his footsteps. To become a killer of your own kind is to lose a part of yourself that you can never get back. 

"If only I was stronger back then." Brom thinks to himself. "I could have killed Galbatorix before his rise to power and given my son a more peaceful world to live in. Now he must shoulder this burden. The riders have all been wiped out, dragons are nearly extinct, and the mad king is getting closer and closer to his true goal. Whatever that may be."

Brom shakes his head to clear his mind before getting the cart moving once more. The bodies of the slavers are left to rot in the desert, the likelihood that anyone finds them being practically zero. As they follow the great Beor mountains west, Arya is keeping an eye on their surroundings as within the mountains a slew of powerful beasts roam. Bears as large as a small house, hordes of flying wyverns with a powerful screech that debilitates the mind, large goats that the dwarves use as transportation throughout the area, the list of dangers is endless. With Eragon not being able to fight at full strength because of the curse, she must be the one to protect them should anything threaten their group. 

Within a few hours, they reach the river known as the Az Ragni and follow the river upstream to the south. They reach a fork in the river where the Az Ragni splits, forming another river that heads to the west. With a quick change to boat mode, they cross this side river to stay on the west side of the main river. Ahead of them lies the steep canyons and massive trees that enshroud the area in shadows throughout most of the day. The mountains are so tall that the valley floor only sees daylight for a few hours a day before it is cast into shadow once again. Brom is driving the cart, keenly watching and listening to his surroundings. In the distance, a strange bird call is heard clearly. Brom smiles then cups his hands over his face and repeats the call. The sound repeats in the distance once more before the valley goes silent once again. Curious, Eragon clambers up into the passenger seat. 

"What was that Brom? Did you signal the Varden or something?"

Brom looks over at him. "Yes, I did Eragon. There are guards stationed throughout the pass to warn the Varden of incoming threats. Should Galbatorix decide to send an army towards us, We will see it coming miles away." 

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Eragon goes back to examining the surrounding forest, relishing in the untouched beauty of nature. On the inside, his mind is aflame with various thoughts. 

"We will be arriving around half a year earlier than Eragon did in the novels. While this gives me plenty of time to train and come up with a way to remove this curse, I will have to deal with politics, the Varden, and the dwarves, all will want a piece of me, to assure themselves that they have the power to threaten the king. Wile they sit here and twiddle their thumbs, I have to wade through the front lines of war. The former Eragon ended up making a lot of promises that held him back from what needed to be done. I don't really see how I can avoid being tied down by the Varden but I need their protection for the moment." 

As they get closer and closer to the entrance of Farthen Dur, Eragon reaches out with his mind towards Saphira. Once he connects with her, he sees her devouring deer that is over three times the size of the ones in the Spine back home. 

"Saphira, once you're done with your meal you better hurry back. We should be entering the mountain shortly."

"You don't hurry a dragon as they are enjoying their meal. I can enter the mountain from the roof like I read in your memories."

Eragon sighs. "I guess you are in your rebellious phase. Oh what to do…"

Saphira snorts. "I find your jokes lackluster at best… Fine, I shall hurry."

Saphira starts devouring her prey at a faster pace as Eragon severs their mind link. Just as he refocuses on what's in front of him, he clearly hears the sound of a waterfall in the distance. The sound gets louder and louder over the next hour before the falls can be seen in front of them. A torrent of water is streaming down a cliff, the water foaming at the bottom from the force of the water. Just past it, a small lake is seen with a path on both sides that can only fit about two horses side by side leads to the base of the falls. As their arrival is expected, the guards open the entrance to Farthen Dur, the wall on the right side of the cliff slides to the side revealing a passageway into the mountain. 

The cart slows to a crawl as they carefully squeeze through the entrance, Saphira following behind them, her displeasure of being confined under the earth resonating through their mind link. A host of human and dwarf guards in metal armor flank the cart as it passes through the tunnel. They are directed towards a small alcove where Brom can store the cart. As they get off the cart, two humans in matching robes stride towards them. Eragon does his best not to scowl at them. They are the twins, two sorcerers that lead the group Du Vrangr Gata (the wandering path). They are a group of human mages with their headquarters in Surda, the nation to the south of the Broodring Empire where Galbatorix rules with an iron fist. This nation seceded from the empire many years ago but for whatever reason, Galbatorix hasn't bothered to send his armies to crush them. Now they are the supporters of the Varden, giving them food and supplies in their campaign to end Galbatorix's rule. While the Varden see the twins as powerful mages, they are actually Galbatorix's spies, sent to destroy the Varden from the inside. 

One of the twins takes an extra step forward towards Brom. "Greetings dragon rider Brom, we have been expecting your arrival. Welcome to Tronjheim, capital of the dwarven empire. Ajihad requests your appearance at his study. But first… We must probe your minds… There has been a large influx of spies these last couple of years and even the former head of the Varden cannot deny us." 

Eragon tries to hide his bloodlust from what the twins just said. The audacity of these fools knows no bounds. Eragon looks over at Brom and, seeing the rage in his eyes, backs up instinctively. 

Brom takes a step towards them, a vein bulging out of his forehead, throbbing with his accelerated heartbeat. "I WILL deny you!!! No one has the right to read my mind or that of Arya or my son. You are lucky that mages are hard to come by or I would have you killed on the spot. Now get out of my way." 

As Brom walks forward the guards flanking the large double doors that lead further into the mountain draw their weapons and form up into a phalanx formation in front of it. Saphira, sensing the tension in the air, prepares for a fight. As her body quivers with anticipation, she quickly fills her lungs with air before unleashing the loudest roar Eragon has ever heard. 

*ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!!!!*

Everyone in the room backpedals in fear at the sound of the dragon, an instinctual fear bred throughout the decades of the rider's rule. The very earth seems to shake in fear of her, giving Saphira an overpowering feeling of dominance. The twins' former courage and bravado vanishes entirely as they turn around and run for their lives past the guards and into the mountain, for not many have angered a dragon and lived to tell the tale. 

Meanwhile, Brom is literally rolling on the floor laughing.

"HAHAHAHA!!! Did you see the looks on their faces!!!? Hooo… that has got to be the funniest thing I've seen in ages." Brom takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down. "Alright Eragon, Arya. Let's go meet the current leader of the Varden." 

While Brom was laughing, Eragon, who was about to throw one of the flashbangs he made almost six months ago, dejectedly puts it back on his waist. Looking at Arya, he sees the barest hint of a smile before her face returns to its neutral state. Eragon sighs before chuckling a little as they walk through the doors, the guards letting them pass without any fuss. As they pass by, Eragon smells the scent of urine from one of the guards and plugs his nose to block the smell. 

As they walk through the barren tunnel, they encounter a lone dwarf walking towards them with the largest grin on his face. 

"Ah!!! You must be Brom and the new dragon rider. I'm Orik of the clan Durgrimst Ingeitum. I am the representative of king Hrothgar and wish to provide counsel should you allow. I do have to say though… Good job scaring off those blasted twins. There is no end to the trouble they brew around here." 

"It would be a pleasure to accept the counsel of Hrothgar's heir. We were just heading to Ajihad for a meeting and you are welcome to join us as Hrothgar will need to hear our words today as well."

Eragon walks up and holds out his hand. "I am Eragon Bromsson, It's a pleasure to meet you Orik. Brom has taught me some of your etiquette and customs but I will defer to you when my knowledge is insufficient. 

Orik accepts the handshake with gusto. "The pleasure is mine, Sir Eragon. It is an honor to provide counsel to the newest dragon rider. Now, follow me. The central chamber is just ahead."