For Alagaesia: 7. The Blue The Red

Eragon's insides started somersaulting for a few moments before he gathered himself enough to process what Saphira had said. The implications of her simple sentence-a simple thought about them-made Eragon shiver all over. He was just speechless;dumb-struck for sometime. When the initial shock abated, Eragon's mind started to process the possibilities ahead of him. His mind was clouded by an unidentifiable emotion; it took moments for his brain to identify it as fear. Cold fear. The prospect of the being captured loomed large in his mind which in turn had brought about the fear. But somewhere in the far corners of his troubled and afraid mind there arose a trifle of another emotion; determination. The trait that had defined him. As the seconds passed agonisingly it started to take over him. Determination to escape or rather determination to save Saphira from capture. Seconds after Saphira had told him that Thorn was following them, Eragon said to her, "Try to out-fly him, Saphira." 'I will try', she replied.

For Alagaesia: 6. Darkness gathers

Eragon and Saphira had been flying for about an hour when Blodhgarm contacted Eragon mentally and informed him that Islanzadi had asked him to meet her. Eragon relayed the message to Saphira who rather begrudgingly started to descend to the ground. Once they reached the ground the four of his 12 guards who were in Gil'ead surrounded them protectively. Eragon was a little irritated. He didn't think that it was necessary to have guards in a city administered by the elves themselves. But he didn't want to have any disagreements with his guards who were completely loyal and friendly towards him and Saphira. So he let them go with him. Upon reaching the mansion where Islanzadi lived, Eragon was admitted in the court room without any delay.

For Alagaesia: 5. Injuries of the past

Eragon was bored. He had been in the city for two days now and didn't have anything to do other than exchange greetings with elves he didn't know. He wanted to do some work or else it seemed to him like he will be brooding over the past sorrowful days and lose his sanity over them. So he decided that he will meet Islanzadi and ask if he could be of some help. He conveyed this to Saphira who was away hunting. He walked all the way from his resting place, the small but comfortable house to the mansion where the Queen had made up her residence.

For Alagaesia: 4. Farewell to the Sage

The city of Gil'ead looked the same as it did when Eragon was held prisoner in it from far away. But Eragon knew that so much had changed in there now. For a start, it was now a Elven controlled city rather than Galbatorix's military stronghold. And it had become the place where the Mourning Sage had finally met his end. Eragon felt the air become visibly cold and his mind become dark. He turned to see that Arya was in much the same state as he was. The elves were starting to move around in a faster way and he knew that it was their arrival that made them react as such. Saphira contacted him and said, 'Little one, they have raised wards so as not to allow any dragon in without their permission' Eragon sighed, 'Galbatorix. He has made even the elves to distrust the dragons', he said. A mental probe came his way and Eragon became alert although he knew that with elves so near no empire magician would dare do such idiocy. The voice said, 'Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shur’tugal.' Eragon finding that it was the Elf-lord, Dathedr finished the elven greeting, 'Atra du evarínya ono varda, Däthedr-vodhr.' Then Dathedr said, 'By your safe arrival here, Shadaslayer, may we assume that there was no discomfort in your travel.' 'Yes, Dathedr-vodhr, you may.', replied Eragon not wanting these niceties to go any further. 'The wards will now be parted to allow you in, Eragon-vodhr.', he said and left Eragon's mind. Eragon conveyed this to Saphira and she made herself ready to enter the elf-protected city.

For Alagaesia: 3. Revisits and Remembrances

Eragon walked around the city of Belatona which the Varden had decided to make its stronghold. There were various arrangements being made for the Varden people to live in harmony with the townspeople. The surrounding areas were to be secured and made free of empire soldiers and for that many groups of warriors were sent out of the city under capable captains like Roran. The whole population of the Varden were accommodated in the cities of Feinster and Belatona and small villages in the outskirts of those cities. Patrols of Varden soldiers were always moving around those areas. Eragon and Saphira had overseen the arrangements made in the outskirts on behalf of Nasuada who was busy fortifying the city of Belatona so that it would withstand any attack from the empire. Arya was given charge of fortifying the city of Feinster. In short, the Varden had gone into consolidative mode and concentrated more on defending the acquired lands rather than indulging into anymore offensive. This idea was given by Arya after consulting with Islanzadi. Queen Islanzadi wanted the city of Dras Leona attacked by a combined force of the Elves and the Varden. Further, the area of land captured by the Varden and the Elves was now large that Galbatorix may find it easy to attack from various directions. Hence the proposal of strengthening the captured land's defenses was raised and accepted by both parties namely the Varden and the Elves. Eragon saw a little boy playing around the city's streets without any qualms. He wished he could do that too. But he knew that he was too much past such things. Just then Saphira arrived with a whoosh of her wings. Seeing her pushed aside any nauseating feelings that he had just moments go. He knew that he belonged with her. In that moment he didn't care for what the surrounding people will think of him. He just ran to her and hugged her neck tight. Saphira was a little surprised and asked, 'Little One! What is it?' Eragon didn't answer her but got on her saddle and said, 'Let us fly, Saphira!' If she was surprised by his sudden enthusiasm, she didn't show it; instead she revelled in his happiness and flew high and fast performing the most complex of aerobatics that she knew. She flew over the Leona lake. Then she took a sudden dive into the lake and went deep into the water. She snatched a fish and swallowed it whole. Eragon looked around to see the water life and he liked every bit of it. When Eragon started wanting air, Saphira came above the water and again started flying high. To Eragon's eye, Saphira's wet scales looked even more glittery than they normally were. He was so happy to have her. Then Saphira said, ' It will be good to show this to Arya, won't it be, little one?' Eragon was a little embarrassed to answer her coherently, so he stuttered and managed to say. "Ye...s... It will...be." Then he sighed and picked himself up and with rising curiosity asked, 'From when did you become this close to Arya, Saphira?' 'Why? I have always been close to her. She and I share a fifteen year's silent friendship if you don't know.', said Saphira sarcastically. 'Are you jealous, Eragon?', she asked. 'May be', Eragon said a little nonchalantly and added, 'When is she coming back from Feinster?' 'Today, by nightfall, I suppose.',  answered Saphira. 'We have to go to Gil'ead then.', she said without wanting to bring the underlying matter up. Eragon too felt his happiness ebbing away. They were to attend Oromis's funeral.

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For Alagaesia: 2. Red Sunset

The pounding of the battering Ram filled the air. "Move aside, you fool.", shouted Angela over the pounding as she pushed a foot soldier out of the way of a large stone. He was saved; but the stone which fell harmlessly on the ground rolled fast and hit the leg of another soldier breaking it. Eragon watched this with a depressing feeling. They had laid siege on Belatona just that morning. But the people of the city were very well prepared for the attack. They had fortified the gate even stronger than at Feinster. Nothing could enter the city. They knew so well that they couldn't use the method they did at Feinster because a simple mental probe suggested that the magicians of Feinster had done more than creating a shade; they had contacted the magicians at Belatona and briefed them about how the Varden broke into their gates. Thus the area behind the gate was swarming with soldiers. So the Varden couldn't afford to send any of the elves or Eragon into the city walls. Further the soldiers of this city were much more equipped with all their devices of war. Saphira and Eragon had flown over the city walls four-five times. Each time, volleys of arrows and javelins were aimed at them. Although they had succeeded in breaking more than 15 trebuchets and numerous small catapults and had killed some 100 or so archers, it hardly helped. And they were getting tired of this business. The Varden soldiers were dying in hundreds.Saphira had gone off to take some rest because she was hardly needed to do this siege. Eragon had stationed himself under the command of Roran. But the commander did not even matter because there was not much to do do than try and break the gates. Eragon in his free time concentrated on reinforcing the wards he had placed on Saphira, Roran, Nasuada, Angela and Arya because he was wary of the stones, javelins and arrows flying around from the walls. Just as he resumed killing the soldiers on the walls using his sung wood bow, a messenger arrived and informed him that Nasuada had called him for a meeting. The messenger was wary of his surroundings as he was just a boy of 12 attested by his rolling and wide eyeballs. And his wariness was not some invalid fear of a little boy because Eragon had to shield him from an oncoming arrow just after he delivered his message. Eragon was overcome with anger seeing this atrocity and sent a fizzing fireball toward the soldier who released the arrow with a wild cry of "Brisingr". The messenger was terrified at this display of ferocity and moved slightly away from Eragon. Eragon didn't notice the boy's fear and asked him quite harshly, "Who sent you?" for which the boy replied with a shaky voice, "Lady Nasuada, my lord!" Eragon ignored the 'lord' term that he didn't like to attach with his name in his anger and told the boy, "Stay close to me." But then he found that he would be considerably slowed down by the boy and so lifted the boy up ignoring his mild protests that were muffled by the boy's fear.

For Alagaesia: 1.The Resolute March

Eragon bent over from his position to catch Saphira's neck spikes as she performed a backward dive. They were far above the ground so as to avoid detection, but with their superior eye sight they could see everything that was on the ground. The ground seemed calm. There was no disturbance except for an odd deer running around. The situation was very peaceful. But Eragon & Saphira were hardly at peace. It was 4 days since the battle of Feinster but the memories of Glaedr during the last moments of Oromis still haunted them. A strange sense of guilt was creeping over Eragon. Saphira contacted him and said 'Do not think that you were responsible for their deaths, Eragon. They were more than capable of defending themselves. It was only ill-luck that must be blamed.' Eragon wasn't in any mood to speak about them then and so just nodded his head even though he knew she couldn't see him from her position. Saphira understanding his situation remained calm for a while. But Eragon's state wasn't anywhere near improved even after such prolonged isolation. So Saphira tugged at his mind till he let his barrier down. Once she established contact with him she pulled him deep into her mind. Eragon tried to resist. But she was too stubborn that he let her take control. Soon his vision was tinged blue and he felt considerably comfortable. But still there seemed to be a little discomfort and soon Eragon noticed that it was from Saphira that the discomfiting feeling rose. He was embarrassed to have thought that he was the only one to be affected heavily by their master's deaths. He knew Saphira just like the back of his hand. But had forgot her in his distress. She had tried to comfort him many times in the past four days. But he hadn't done that one bit with Saphira. He wanted to apologize to her. But before he could say anything, Saphira said to him, 'Little One, Don't worry about me. I am a dragon and I am strong.' For the first time in hours Eragon spoke, "Oh, Saphira... I am so sorry! I know that the loss of Glaedr is too much for you. You are alone again." Saphira answered him quite heatedly, 'No. I am not. I have you.' But after a slight pause, 'But you are right. He was the only other dragon in this whole land' Eragon sighed. Then in a biting voice answered her, "For this alone I could kill Galbatorix a hundred times." Saphira who had been so quiet till then let out a burst of flames and said to Eragon, 'If only that traitor hadn't enslaved the eldunarya, we could just now fly over his ill-gotten city and shred him to pieces'. Eragon patted Saphira's flanks partly in appreciation of her words and partly in desperation due to the truth behind them.

For Alagaesia: Prologue: Trapped

He was near the mark now. All his work of the past 25 days had led him here. He went into the tavern where his contact in the city had asked him to go. Just as he opened the door, loud noises of men enjoying themselves reached him. He looked around the room. It was all perfect; nothing strange for a tavern. So he had not been led astray by some lunatic who loved seeing people in difficulty. Sighing in relief, he looked for the one table that he was supposed to look. Sure enough there was the parchment that he was supposed to take. He went near the table. But as he approached the table, he became aware of a disturbance in the air. Somebody was running toward him. He was terrified to say the least. He knew what the empire did with spies. He had heard rumours about people's heads scarred and bloodied found in the sewage canals. He made up his mind to never go through such hell. He would rather kill any number of people, good or bad, he didn't care. But as he readied himself in the attacking stance, the man who had been running went past him and caught up with a hound of a man bear hugging him. He let out a strangled breath that he didn't actually know that he was holding till then. He took the parchment and went out of the tavern hastily.

My first novel length story - A Eragon fan-fiction

The real Author Christopher Paolini

I have been waiting for the arrival of the last book - Book No.4 - of the inheritance cycle for the past 1 year or so. I haven't been a good waiter. I wanted to read it as soon as I finished the third book of the series, - Brisingr - but it wasn't possible as the book wasn't released yet. By May 2010, I had finished my college and had about 7-8 months of free time of which 6 months are now over. These past six months I read various Inheritance Cycle fan-fictions, followed Shurtugal.com avidly, rummaged fan arts of Inheritance Cycle, read and contributed to discussion boards. All these made me write some blog posts about the Eragon 'world'. They can be found in these addresses - Defending the Inheritance Cycle, Explaining Arya, Fan-arts inspired by Inheritance cycle, Fanfiction and the pain it put me through & Why I love Eragon-Arya pairing. I also reread the three released books atleast 7-8 times. Even after all these my wait (and free time) isn't over. My joining date at TCS is December 15, 2010. I had started developing a story line for the Book IV of the Inheritance Cycle just days before I got my joining date. Now I have nearly finalised the story line and so I was thinking maybe I could make a fan-fiction out of it. Hence I will be posting a fan-fiction on this blog from tomorrow. The only major problem I have with the story now is that I don't have a name for the story. Hope I will come up with a nice name within tomorrow. A prospective title that I am considering is "For Alagaesia".

The story starts with the capture of a spy of the Varden by Galbatorix..........  LINK TO STORY

Why I love the Eragon - Arya pairing

Eragon - Arya & Aragorn -Arwen

Love in Books - almost always gets thrashed - but, occasionally is seen as the guideline for real-life love. And even rarely, it gets Epic status and stands tall, taller than even real-life love stories. One such 'epic' tales is Aragorn - Arwen of the Lord of the rings. This pairing attained such high proportions because of the fact that Arwen relinquished her immortality for the sake of living 'a life time' with Aragorn. And it really is a master stroke by JRR Tolkien. I myself, is an ardent worshipper of this pairing. In fact, my google homepage background image is that of Aragorn & Arwen from Peter Jackson's LOTR films. Theirs is really a fascinating tale. One love story in which everybody wants to be involved in. Well, maybe not, but it is one story in which I want to be part of.