For Alagaesia: 15. Fortitude

He was running ahead of his father in breakneck speed. They had come to attend the traders arrival. His father always buys things for the house during these trader arrivals. For him though it was not a time for purchase. He and his brother liked the whole environment. The crowded streets and the beautiful playing toys were more than enough to excite them. But he also liked hearing tales about the past. The dragon riders always fascinated him. The town story-teller was adept at telling such stories. But his brother was not as enthusiastic as him in those stories. So his brother had not become friends with the town story-teller like him.

As he was running, his legs struck on something. He turned to see that he had scattered the pile of knives at the butcher's shop. He knew he was in for trouble. The butcher had always tried to punish him for something or the other.

"Eragon?, What have you done now?", his brother's voice came from behind.

"Hmm? Nothing Roran. It was just an accident."

"What have you boys done to my shop?", roared the butcher Sloan from some way away.

"It is nothing sir. We just tripped over your knives. We will arrange them properly into place", Roran replied hastily.

"You broke them. Wait here boys. I will have your father brought here.", Sloan said furiously and left the place.

"Roran, Eragon....Get away. I will manage him.", said Katrina, Sloan's daughter.

"Thank you, Katrina", Roran said and they both ran away from there laughing. Soon in their frenzied running they separated ways.

In his headlong dash, he crashed into somebody. "Sorry. I didn't mean to...", before he could finish off his sentence the person he ran into said, "Why are running like a mad dog boy?"

"Brom? Oh...Its you sir! I thought it was somebody else."

"If it were somebody else, you would have been thrashed by now. Look around you when you do something, boy", Brom said harshly.

"Will you be telling dragon stories tonight?", Eragon asked ignoring Brom's words.

"We shall see."

"Please tell a dragon story, sir. They are so fascinating."

"And real, boy.", corrected Brom. "Oh? I haven't seen any.", Eragon objected.

"It is because there aren't any living now. They are all dead"

"Dead? How come they are all dead if they were so big and strong as you say"

"You will know that when the time comes", Brom tried to evade his question.

"But I want to know it now.", Eragon became curious.

"Don't get all excited, boy. I won't tell you now even if you stand on your toes", Brom said. His father came there with Roran. His face was unusually dull and sad. He nodded once at Brom and called Eragon to him. Eragon seeing the seriousness on his father's face went away with him without question. "What is it pa?", Eragon asked after sometime.

"Eragon, Your mother isn't in good health"

"I know that, Pa. Maa is in bed for a week now"

"Yes, my dear boy. But she wants to see you now."

"Why is that pa? Is she not sleeping?", Eragon asked puzzled. "You will see", his father looked to be on the verge of tears. "Why are you crying, pa?", Eragon asked.

"Its nothing Eragon. Come", Garrow pulled Eragon making him move faster.

Roran didn't speak anything which further puzzled Eragon. When they reached their home, Gertrude was leaving from there. She looked at Garrow and shook her head slightly. Garrow let go of Eragon's hand and ran into the house. Eragon not knowing what was happening ran in too. Roran was close on his heels. When Eragon reached his mother's room, he saw his father bent over his mother speaking softly in her ears. His mother looked so pale. When his mother saw him, she beckoned him to go near her. Eragon and Roran went to stand by their mother. "My sons. I am going to leave you soon.", she said.

"Where are you going, mother? Please take me with you. I can't be here without you", Eragon pleaded her. Garrow's eyes filled with tears and he pushed a few strands of hair from Marian's forehead.

"You can't come to where I am going, my son. Your time has not yet come."

"Why is everybody telling me that my time hasn't come? Brom and you. I will come with you mother. You can't stop me", Eragon said tears forming in his eyes.

"Oh, Eragon. I still can't believe I did not bear you", his mother said sadly.

"Maa? What are you saying maa?"

"Eragon, dear, you are our adopted son. Your mother is my sister-in-law, Selena", his mother said.

"Is that why you won't let me come with you, maa?", Eragon asked giddiness overtaking him.

"Oh, No my son. No. Angvard has invited me to his halls. He won't let me take you with me.", his mother said her voice shaky.

"I promise I won't break anything there. Please take me with you maa."

"Oh, my son, You can't come there. Please understand", Marian said with tears.

"Then when will you come back, maa? I won't eat till you come. Come back soon, maa"

"Oh, Eragon", his mother pulled him into a close embrace and cried. Garrow came to sit on the bed holding Marian's back protectively. Roran stood by them with tears in his eyes.

"Eragon, Roran. Promise me, you will always be together, whatever happens. Promise me you both will live happily. Promise me..", she couldn't continue as sobs interrupted her flow of words.

"We promise maa. Please don't leave us maa... please..", Roran said with teary eyes. "Good...Good bye, my sons...May you live long", Marian said and closed her eyes falling back on Garrow's chest. Eragon called her out loud, "Maa....maa....wake up maa....Maa..."

Tears flowing from his eyes, Eragon sat bolt upright. He winced as his wounds protested his sudden action. He did not know if it was day or night. There was simply no light in the dungeon whatever time it was. By his calculations, it must be atleast a year since he received the first of many wounds: a deep cut at his hips. He could not remember getting it. But it was there on him when he woke up after the first time he met with Galbatorix. Every minute when he was awake was like being in hell. Of late, even his 'sleeping' hours weren't peaceful as dreams of his past came to haunt him.

He heard footsteps approaching and sighed. 'They have come', he thought. The captain entered the cell closely followed by the magician. "Look!! Finally. The king was starting to get bored. As was I.", he said mockingly. Eragon as usual ignored their presence. "Soldiers!!", the excitement in his voice made Eragon want to kill him for being such a sadist. Three soldiers came running into the cell. "Bring him to the chamber", he ordered. 'The chamber' being a room almost similar to the one Arya was tortured in at Gil'ead. The soldiers scampered to follow his orders.

He was roughly pulled off the stone floor. Pain exploded through his body. But Eragon resolutely stopped himself from screaming. 'You will never get the pleasure of hurting me', he said to himself. He was pushed through corridors at the pace of the walking soldiers. Whenever he tried to slow down to give rest to his aching body, he was jabbed from behind by a soldiers with a spear. It aggravated his agony, but he couldn't help it; he was simply unable to move at their pace.

After long last, the doors of 'the chamber' came into view and Eragon was almost relieved that he wouldn't have to walk anymore. As soon as he entered the room, the voice he hated most spoke, "Ah!!, Young Eragon. It seems you would give a scare even to your father in sleeping." 'My father isn't your filthy servant Morzan, you fool. He is your nightmare, Brom', Eragon wanted to retort but held his tongue remembering how important it was to never let anything about him be known to the foul king.

"Today, dear Eragon, We will start with a new subject in your lessons.", the king boasted. Dread filled Eragon's mind thinking of what cruelty the filthy usurper had planned. And like always he pushed his fears determinedly away filling his mind with thoughts of Arya and the unspeakable tortures she endured at the hands of the shade, Durza. 'If she could take it, then I can too' This had become a sort of chanting for him. Whenever fear threatened to overtake him, he thought of Arya and all that she endured without breaking.

"Soldiers", Galbatorix said. About six men ran frantically towards Eragon and lifted him as though he was some metal being made ready for treatment. His wounds screamed to him but he refused to relay it out to the world burying all agony in his own mind. Soon the pain subsided as he was chained to a table. "Now, let me explain how this works: I had some Seithr oil stocks in my treasury for a long time. I didn't want to waste it. So I thought it would be good to put it into use today in our lessons.", Galbatorix said out loud "Don't you agree, Eragon? Experiencing what your uncle experienced. Ah, What a fairytale!!", he hissed in Eragon's ear.

'Saphira lend me your strength', Eragon asked to her even though he knew she wasn't there to help him. He felt hot liquid being poured on his chest. Soon it started burning at his skin. Eragon wanted to scratch himself hard but his hands were restrained. The burning feeling steadily increased to a level where it became too much for him to control his mouth from screaming. But at the last moment he restrained himself filling his mind with thoughts of Arya and her strength. "Now, Eragon. You don't have to join me anytime soon. It can wait. But tell me one thing. Where is this Ellesmera and how to reach it?", Galbatorix's elegant voice sounded in his ears. He closed his eyes tightly and imagined himself to be feeding young little Saphira with pieces of meat.

"Eragon. All that happened till now was a trial. I am warning you it is going to get really bad if you don't respond to my questions.", Galbatorix's menacing voice filled the room but not Eragon's ears.

He was after all feeding Saphira. How will such nonsense enter his ears at that time?

"Tell me, Where is Ellesmera?"

Eragon smiled fondly at Saphira as she pounced to pluck a piece of meat from his palm almost snapping it off his wrist in the process.

A roar of annoyance filled the room as Galbatorix shouted.

Saphira nuzzled around his legs .... "You little Bastard. What are you smiling at?"  .... He patted Saphira's head affectionately .... "Bring me the oil pouch" .... Saphira hummed contented and Eragon couldn't stop himself from smiling at her again .... "How dare you laugh at me" .... Something stung at his chest even as Saphira closed her eyes to sleep. He slept too. Rather unwillingly; He wished he could always look at Saphira. But something forced him to sleep.

Author's Note:

Did you like it? Sorry. No you would have hated it. Because I did. I wanted to kill Galbatorix using Scaphism. And remember I get nauseated even with one look at SAW. Anyway, I just wanted to show what all Eragon endures as Galbatorix's prisoner and how he remains strong.