"There was a time when the fearsome, beautiful land of Alagaësia was ruled by men astride mighty dragons." "To protect and serve was their mission." "And for thousands of years, the people prospered." "But the riders grew arrogant and began to fight among themselves for power." "Sensing their weakness a young rider named Galbatorix betrayed them and in a single bloody battle, believed he had killed them all riders and dragons alike." "Since then, our land has been ruled by Galbatorix." "He crushed all rebellion including the freedom fighters known as the Varden." "Those that survived fled to the mountains." "There they hoped for a miracle that might even their odds against the king." "Our story begins one night as Arya, an ally of the Varden, rides for her life carrying a stone stolen from the king himself." "I suffer without my stone." "Do not prolong my suffering." "Miles away, a young boy ventures out hunting." "His life and Alagaësia will never be the same again." "Give it to me..." "Durza." "...and I'II let you live." "Is there anyone who trusts the word of a Shade?" "Where did you send it?" "Poor Durza." "How will you tell the king you failed?" "Come with me." "Two more patriotic volunteers for the king's army." "My sons are not fighters." "The men you take, they never return." "Every village must do its share." "Rejoice." "Your sons will be heroes." "Expensive taste, Eragon." "The king's strip." "The best cut there is." "The fat just melts into the meat." "How much?" "How much?" "Too much for a poor farm boy." "I have something." "Something to trade." "What is this?" "Some kind of stone?" "I found it." "stole it, more likely." "I was hunting." "Hunting in the Spine." "Put it back." "It belongs to the king." "tell no one you have it." "You'II endanger the whole village." "Now get out." "I don't need that sort of trouble here." "Get out." "Look at this." "A necklace." "Now, where'd a fool like you find such an appetizing string of jewels?" "Interesting you should ask." "Is that right?" "I was walking up the lane the other day, admiring them sitting on a branch." "clap of thunder, they fell dead at me feet." "So I thought, "well, I can't leave them there." "Someone might trip."" "So I hung them up there, out of the way." "Do you know what I think?" "What's that?" "I think you're a thief." "A poacher." "Oh, no." "I confiscate them all in the name of the king." "Don't try anything." "well, I'II just cut them down for you then, shall I?" "Grab those." "Sorry I didn't pluck them." "Take care of the little bones." "Hate to see you choke." "AII hall Eragon." "The mighty hunter returns." "Yeah." "With his invisible catch." "What happened, did you get scared when the deer growled?" "No respect for the hunter?" "Don't you ever learn?" "shall we have another lesson today?" "You fight like an old goat, Roran." "Mind my breakfast." "You're too slow, Roran." "Wake up, dreamer." "That sounded like your head." "Hey." "Come on, boys." "That's enough." "Come on, Roran." "Eragon?" "I'm leaving." "I'm old enough to be recruited now." "Before the soldiers come looking for me." "I won't serve in the army." "I'II send word when I've settled." "But what--?" "He knows." "I already told him." "Where will you go?" "I don't know yet." "AII I know is I'm going." "Roran?" "Eragon?" "Come on." "Roran told you then?" "Your day will come too, Eragon." "And you will decide for yourself the kind of Iife you wish to lead." "uncle, I Iike my Iife right here." "What many men seek is often right under their nose." "But for some, the unknown is too hard to resist." "Is that why my mother left?" "My sister was in a great hurry when she left you here." "Whatever her reasons, we can only trust they were for your own good." "Besides, had she not, I wouldn't have gained another son." "Take these." "I've been saving them for you." "Your blessing is all I need." "Take care of yourself, Roran." "Goodbye, Father." "Be strong, brother." "And work on that aim." "You may make a hunter yet." "Not a stone." "An egg." "well, look at you." "What are you?" "well, you're not a bird." "Where is it?" "Too late." "It's hatched." "It's hatched." "Look at what you did." "Eragon, wake up." "Get on with your chores." "Hungry?" "Go on." "Drink while it's still warm." "I'm sorry." "That's all there is." "So much for our rat problem." "My king, GaIbatorix." "As you feared, the dragon has hatched." "But to a mere farm boy." "To whom is not the issue." "When the Varden learn that the legend is real they will be encouraged to challenge me." "And I am not interested in being challenged." "There is no one left for you to fear, my king." "Beyond these borders are remnants of the resistance." "Dwarves." "elves." "The Varden." "I can't let them have hope." "Do not let them reach the Varden." "I will find the boy and kill him before he becomes a man." "Where's your mother?" "Did she abandon you too?" "Did she leave in a great hurry?" "Ra'zac." "Ra'zac." "Ra'zac." "kill the rider." "Nothing from my boys." "Not a word." "Their mother's heart is broken." "And for what?" "More death?" "More suffering?" "Easy, Horst." "The soldiers will hear you." "What's that matter?" "Speak or not speak." "It makes no difference." "Quiet, Brom." "A fool like you has nothing to lose." "No argument there." "Don't mind me." "But it wasn't always like this, was it?" "There was a time when our land flourished without cruelty and fear." "A time of dragons and Dragon Riders." "Those days are long gone." "old Brom is going on with his stories." "Don't pretend you've forgotten." "Men astride magnificent beasts." "No one could defeat them." "until, that is, one of their own a rider named GaIbatorix decided to take all the power for himself and cut down any rider who opposed him." "Enough, before you hang by a tree." "No!" "Let him finish." "And one day, he will pay for his crime." "Are you deaf?" "Be on your way!" "The time of Dragon Riders will come again." "And then Brom said:" ""The time of the Dragon Riders will come again. "" "well, first, I think you need to fly." "Yes, you did it!" "She's gone." "What's happening?" "Brom was right, Eragon." "The time of the Dragon Riders has come again." "You can hear my thoughts?" "I have waited 1 000 years to hear your thoughts." "And now you can hear mine." "I am Saphira." "And you are my rider." "Rider?" "Get out." "Is it true?" "What you spoke of?" "Didn't you hear me?" "Get out." "I want to know more." "please?" "tell me about the dragons." "Did anybody follow you here?" "How big will they grow?" "When do they breathe fire?" "Keep your voice down." "You mocked the king in front of his soldiers." "I always say, "Better ask forgiveness than permission."" "Then tell me." "tell me about the dragons." "Go home." "Mind your corn." "till your fields." "AII right?" "You'II just get yourself into trouble." "What does it make you, then?" "A liar or a coward?" "I know." "I know your story is true." "I told you." "His name is Eragon." "The boy." "The boy took it with him." "He lives on a farm, the furthest one in the valley." "please, don't kill me." "Eragon." "It's you they want." "Take me down." "You're in danger." "What are you doing?" "I have to warn my uncle." "It's too late." "There's nothing you can do." "Hold on." "You're ridiculous." "Hold on." "I'm begging." "please put me down now." "I can't." "They'll kill you." "Take me down now." "You stupid boy." "I'm slipping." "Take me down now." "You're giving me no choice." "uncle?" "uncle." "Eragon?" "I should have been here." "To warn him." "This is your fault." "You would have met the same fate." "No." "I couId have saved him." "Go away." "And stay away." "uncle, I'm sorry." "You?" "Let go of me." "Where's your dragon?" "Gone." "What do you mean, "gone"?" "I sent her away." "You can't stay here and mourn him" "I'm not going anywhere." "Not until I bury him." "There." "What are you doing?" "A funeral fit for a king." "Come." "Let go." "Listen they killed him, but they were after you." "If we stay here, we're both dead." "Now get on that horse." "Go on." "Get up there." "Who are you?" "Ride." "Now." "Go on." "Come on, boy." "Ride." "Why here?" "Because I said here." "call your dragon." "My uncle was killed because of her." "She was protecting you against the Ra'zac." "I couId have killed them." "That's the spirit." "One part brave, three parts fool." "What, you don't think I couId do it?" "The Ra'zac kill mercilessly." "That's what they do." "But a boy of 1 5, 1 6" "Seventeen." "Seventeen." "Forgive me." "well, I think even a 1 7-year-oId boy might probably last a minute against Durza's assassins." "Then I'II find Durza and kill him." "Durza's a Shade." "A sorcerer possessed with demonic spirits." "Find Durza, you'II be no better off than your uncle." "You just pray to heaven he doesn't find you because the king won't rest until he does." "You are the Varden's only hope." "Who are the Varden?" "rebels." "Outcasts." "Men who are brave or mad enough to oppose GaIbatorix." "They built a stronghold in the Beor Mountains." "How do you know all this?" "Because I've been about a bit." "I've seen things you could never imagine." "Now call your dragon." "She's far away by now." "She can't hear me." "shall we have an agreement not to lie to each other?" "I know she hears your thoughts." "Now call your dragon." "Saphira?" "Can you find us?" "I never left you." "I'm sorry for what I said." "I understand." "You loved him very much." "And who might this be?" "This is Brom." "He knows about dragons." "He knows about dragons?" "I'll be the judge of that." "Easy." "I think he's a friend." "muscular." "graceful proportions." "TaIons nicely curved." "Legs a bit thin." "Only my voice is gentle, old man." "Spikes sharp." "AII in all a fine young dragon." "Well, he does know a bit about dragons." "And soon, strong enough to ride." "Not me." "I won't do it again." "My story was about you, Eragon." "It is your fate to be a Dragon Rider." "The Varden need a rider if they are to defeat Durza and the king." "I didn't ask for any of this." "But you were chosen nevertheless." "A dragon will only hatch if it feels the presence of its rider." "It'II wait forever, if it has to." "What he says is true." "But now it's found you." "It will serve you and only you, and that's put your life in danger." "Because it chose me?" "No." "Because the easiest way for the king to destroy your dragon is to kill you." "A rider will live on if his dragon is killed." "But if a rider dies...." "So does his dragon." "Handsome blade." "simple and to the point." "The farm boy evaded the Ra'zac." "Bring me his head." "Durza will send his UrgaIs after us." "Ahead, five hard days ride, is the river town of Daret the Iast outpost before the foothills." "Now, if we can get there without being discovered, we have a chance." "tell Saphira to fly above us and scout the countryside for UrgaIs or worse, Ra'zacs." "If they find us, we'II have no chance." "And tell her only to come to us at night." "Do as he says." "But be careful." "You be careful." "This way." "UrgaIs." "They used to be the king's enemies." "Now they're his guard." "Oh, they're closer to us than I thought." "We better stay off the roads." "Why can't we take them?" "Quiet." "You're not ready to take anything yet." "I have skills." "I can fight." "My cousin, Roran and I." "We've trained." "With swords." "well, then perhaps I've underestimated you." "Right, then." "Let's see these skills of yours." "You know, this won't be fair to you, old man." "Humor me." "Oh, dear." "well, I see the effect of your training." "Good." "Good." "Don't get overconfident." "It won't be your cousin Roran you're fighting." "And it won't be wooden staves, either." "I could've beaten him." "I just didn't want to hurt the old man." "Of course you could have." "Don't dragons breathe fire?" "She's not old enough to sustain a flame." "Lucky for you." "How did you do that?" "What did you just do?" "I started a fire." "He doesn't trust me." "Maybe we need to trust him first." "Now get to sleep." "With any luck, tomorrow, by the end of the day we will have slipped through Daret unseen." "Then it's the foothills of the Beor Mountains and a straight shot to the Varden." "Eragon, wake up." "Come on, wake up." "We're at the village of Daret." "We'II leave the horses here." "Keep Saphira close." "Buy us some bread down there." "Come back, meet me here." "I won't be long." "Don't talk to anybody." "Do you wish angela to read your fortune?" "But I have no money." "Did angela ask for money?" "KnuckIebones of a dragon." "They will tell me everything about you." "This is difficult." "A young life so tangled." "But you have been long awaited by many races." "Great battles rage around you." "It can't be." "I don't understand." "You have powers you do not acknowledge, but there is a doom upon you." "Part of it lies in a death that rapidly approaches." "No." "It's already happened." "And a girl." "She calls to you in your dreams." "She's part of your past and your future." "Who is she?" "tell me her name." "Do I have to do everything myself?" "The fortuneteIIer" "Did she tell you about him, huh?" "Come on." "Where's everybody gone?" "She told me my future." "The future is for the living, Eragon." "Come on!" "Saphira!" "Eragon." "Eragon." "My hand." "It burns." "slowly, slowly, slowly." "My head." "feels like I've been kicked by a horse." "What happened?" "Most new Dragon Riders take years to Iearn what you discovered by instinct." "What was that?" "Magic." "I was only reacting." "Magic comes from dragons." "It flows through the riders who command them." "Saphira." "She's fine." "But she felt your fear as her own." "Your bond with her is strong." "Those were UrgaIs, weren't they?" "Yes." "Did I kill them?" "Yes." "But death is nothing to celebrate." "Magic must be your last resort." "It has rules." "It has limitations." "Before you cast a spell, you must learn the ancient language of the elves." "Brisingr means "fire." Is fire." "The thing is the word." "Know the word and you control the thing." "Before you can cast a spell you must have the physical strength to withstand its effect." "Some spells may leave you weakened." "Other spells, as you found out on the bridge can leave you unconscious." "And yet other spells, if you use them before you're ready will kill you." "I can teach you the words but the limits of your strength you must learn for yourself." "What's the word for tree?" "Tree is traevam." "And the branch?" "And when a dragon and rider are truly one, then they see as one." "And that's "skulblakas ven. "" "well, since we've announced ourselves so spectacularly to the world we're gonna have to find another way through these hills." "Of course, that would be a Iot easier if you were flying." "Did someone mention flying?" "Are you ready to try again, Dragon Rider?" "I didn't do so well last time." "We didn't do so well." "You can thank Brom for the saddle." "No, that's not so bad up here." "Not so bad at all." "Yeah!" "Lean." "Not that much!" "feel how she moves, Eragon." "How she turns." "And when she accelerates." "Come on, Iet's see what you got." "You want speed?" "Here we go." "Hold on, Eragon." "You asked for it." "There you go." "When we're truly one you can fight from everywhere, even from the tail." "I wanna try it." "Maybe not yet." "Oh, it's easy." "I can do this." "Maybe not yet." "Maybe not yet." "Maybe I can try this." "Fantastic." "You always see like this?" "That's nothing." "Watch this." "What's wrong?" "Ra'zacs." "Brom." "This time they die." "Now, go." "With pleasure." "Come on." "Come on." "Eragon, stay out of this." "Lower, Saphira, lower." "Eragon." "Above you." "Come on." "Protect your dragon." "Your irresponsibility nearly cost Saphira her life." "Don't worry about me." "I'm stronger than he thinks." "Do you not listen to anything I tell you?" ""Better to ask forgiveness than permission."" "Your duty is to reach the Varden alive." "Let's talk about truth before we start talking about duty." "What are you talking about?" "I thought we agreed not to lie to one another Dragon Rider." "Of course." "Not anymore." "Where's your dragon?" "Dead." "She was murdered by another rider with this sword Za'roc." "That sword is a dragon killer." "The rider's name was Morzan." "GaIbatorix won him over." "And while she was trying to protect me my dragon was killed." "Better we than our riders." "So I set out to search for Morzan." "And I found him." "I took his sword and I drove it through his heart." "And as he died, so did his dragon the Iast, except for the king's." "So I hid out in CarvahaII with a shame I rightly deserved." "Because of me, the days of the Dragon Riders were over." "Then you came." "You both came." "And now the days of the riders have come again." "Bring me the boy, I said." "Bring me his blood I said." "But you you bring me nothing." "You." "congratulations." "You've just been promoted." "I tire of this." "I'II bring the boy to me." "tell me your name." "Eragon." "Eragon." "I am Arya, Princess of EIIesméra." "We are allies with the Varden." "You're the only one who can save me." "But how do I find you?" "Durza holds me prisoner at gli'ead." "Where are you going?" "To find Arya." "How do you know that name?" "She's Durza's prisoner." "I'm going to free her." "That's out of the question." "GiI'ead's in the opposite direction." "We can't go start going back." "We're almost there." "I won't let you do that." "It's too much of a risk." "The egg was sent to me." "I'II decide what risks I take." "Not you." "Eragon, this is more than about just us." "If I don't, she'II be killed." "Yes." "And it's a sacrifice she's happy to make because she values your life over hers." "I won't let her die." "If she dies then she'II join the countless others who have died waiting for you." "As the Varden now wait for you." "You must try and understand." "It's your life that's important." "I do understand." "One false move, one reckless decision and everything is lost." "It's good to be brave, but sometimes it's better to be wise." "Eragon, listen to me." "Your shame is not mine." "You forgot what it means to be a Dragon Rider." "I will save her." "Eragon" "please don't, Saphira." "I'm the rider and I say we go." "You'll draw too much attention." "We'll have to wait for night and I'll go in alone." "Those walls hold death, Eragon." "Not today, not for us." "I'm going to save her life." "I can do this." "Our power is greatest when we're together." "We can't truly be together until I become as strong as you." "Move along, now." "Move faster." "Make way." "Keep up." "Come on." "Eragon." "You shouldn't have come." "But in the woods...." "Leave me here." "Go." "Now." "It's far too late for that." "Forgive me if I stare." "I knew you were young, but even then I expected someone a little more...." "well, more." "A young magician." "How quaint." "Do you already feel it draining your strength?" "They say as a Dragon Rider draws his last breath he can hear the dying screams of his dragon." "Out of the way!" "No!" "You'II have to do much better than that." "Get out." "No." "Not without you." "Come on." "Let's go." "Go." "Take Za'roc." "Saphira, can you carry three?" "Not for very long." "I suggest you leave quickly." "Come on." "Let's get out of here." "Come on." "Archers ready." "Over here." "Higher." "They're on the roof." "I can't." "The weight, it's too much." "Eragon?" "Durza...." "Durza...." "Durza's dead." "Did you pierce him through the heart?" "You can only kill a Shade if you pierce him through the heart." "We must get help." "Where?" "From the Varden." "Yes." "Go to the Varden." "Take this." "Go without me." "No." "I need you." "No, Eragon." "It's I who've always needed you." "You gave me my Iife back again." "Take care of Saphira." "Without her you'II find life is hardly worth living." "I won't let you die." "Not for my mistake." "You are not strong enough yet." "That's the spirit." "One part brave, three parts fool." "Forgive me." "Eragon." "Let him die with pride as a Dragon Rider." "I can't breathe fire yet but I can do this for Brom:" "Now time cannot ravage him." "Who will remember him?" "Many people will because of you." "Eragon." "A Shade has poisoned her." "Someone's coming." "I need to get you to the Varden." "How do I find them?" "This one's been following us." "Stand up." "AII my Iife, I dreamed of dragons." "Who are you?" "And why are you following us?" "I'm Murtagh." "And you need me, Dragon Rider." "Thanks, but I'II be fine without you." "You seek the Varden." "I know the mountains, every valley and stream." "She'II suffer if you go astray." "Why did you risk your life for us?" "My family was slaughtered by the king's men when I was a boy." "I heard rumors." "They said a rider had appeared." "Eragon." "We must go." "If there were ever a time for retribution, this was it." "If you can show me the quickest way to the Varden...." "To the Varden it is." "You'II learn to trust me, Dragon Rider." "I'm not the only one you need to convince." "We'II have to go by foot from here." "Saphira?" "Keep Arya safe until I call." "I will, but hurry." "The Urgals are closing in." "Thanks again." "Don't mention it." "tell me your vision looked something like this." "Come on." "The task was simple: bring the boy to me." "There were complications." "Yes, so I've heard." "complications do tend to happen." "But fortunately for you, your incompetence may work in my favor." "The boy has led us directly to the Varden." "And so the job fails upon you, Durza to remind those who resist my rule that as long as I am king disIoyaIty will be punishable by death." "Gather my army and follow them." "Leave no one alive." "Move up there." "Come on, get them on there." "Which one of you is the rider?" "I am." "My name is Eragon." "I am Ajihad, leader of the Varden." "If you are the rider, call your beast inside." "If it attacks, you will die first." "Saphira?" "Bring Arya, but be cautious." "How is Arya?" "She's holding on." "Her heart beats faintly." "She's been poisoned by a Shade." "Our healers will make her well." "Watch over Arya." "But be careful." "You be careful." "There are UrgaIs on the mountain." "UrgaIs." "They're scouring the mountain as we speak." "Time is short." "I must know if you're with us." "We'II be greatly outnumbered." "We've come to join you." "Seize him." "No." "He's with me." "He saved my Iife." "He is the son of Morzan, the traitor." "Is it true?" "A son doesn't choose his father." "This was the only thing he ever gave me." "I hated that man until the day he died." "Lock him up." "If he tries to escape, kill him." "Let go of me." "I've no time to take chances." "The UrgaIs' presence here can only mean that the king's men are not far behind." "These cowards will hide no more." "Tonight, we destroy the resistance." "AnnihiIate." "But the boy is mine." "Excuse me." "I should have knocked." "It's fine." "My father asked me to bring you to him." "I'II be ready in just a moment." "Arya has responded well to our healers' work." "Her strength runs deep." "When can I see her?" "She's resting now." "only she can answer that." "Check those rails." "They're afraid of me." "Why wouldn't they be?" "There's no retreat from here, nowhere else to hide." "The suspicion has kept us alive all these years." "When word spread of a new Dragon Rider we were expecting someone who was more..." "...well...." "More than me." "I've heard it before." "More heat." "Add more heat." "Your armor is ready for you." "Take your positions." "Come on, harder." "We must prepare for battle." "It's not as easy as it looks, is it?" "You look fit for battle." "Positions." "Ready?" "UrgaIs are here." "Be strong, Eragon." "The search for a rider has been long and dangerous." "Some of us have carried the egg for as long as we can remember hoping it wouId hatch, when fate finally carried it to you." "Why me?" "I'm just a farm boy from CarvahaII." "Because that is who Saphira chose." "I barely even recognize myself." "They worked through the night to protect our greatest hope and our leader who rides her." "It's time." "Take your positions." "Ready the archers!" "I need to know, Saphira." "Why me?" "You choose a leader for his heart." "But I'm not without fear." "Without fear there cannot be courage." "But when we are together, it is our enemies who should be afraid." "And are we together, Saphira?" "As one?" "I'II take that as a yes." "Loose!" "Now!" "Into the sky, to win or die!" "Fire!" "Yeah!" "Let me out!" "Let me out!" "Let me out of here!" "Let--!" "Oh, no." "Time to return the favor." "I guess we're even!" "Come!" "Taste the blood of your dragon!" "Let's finish this." "What is that thing?" "Dark magic." "closer, so we can reach his heart." "This time, rip it out of his chest." "Saphira!" "Hear her scream!" "Saphira, you're hurt." "Don't worry about me." "Keep your mind in the fight." "What's happening?" "My vision's faiIing." "It is not you, but me." "This wound weakens me." "Easy, Saphira." "We're gonna get through this together." "I'm losing strength." "I know what I have to do." "Now!" "That's for Brom." "I expected more." "Saphira!" "We did it." "Saphira?" "Together." "Whatever life there is in me, take it." "Eragon, no." "Even you don't have a heart strong enough for both of us." "slowly, rider." "Saphira?" "Some friends can't be replaced." "well, luckily, some don't have to be." "Saphira." "I didn't think I couId do it." "You shouldn't have." "It was reckless but I'm glad you did." "Wasn't it an old, wise man who once said:" ""One part brave, three parts fool"?" "Brom would be proud of you." "Of us." "And Arya?" "Thought that might come up." "Get changed." "She's off to EIIesméra." "But what horse was ever born that could outrun a dragon?" "You never gave me a chance to say goodbye." "There was no time." "GaIbatorix will try to avenge this defeat." "I must return to my people in EIIesméra." "And you must prepare the Varden." "You lost those who were dear to you." "You've paid a great price for your courage." "Did you know the people of the Varden already tell stories about you?" "Legend of Eragon, the great Shade-sIayer spreads throughout AIagaësia." "well, you know how legends go." "people will believe just about anything these days." "When will I see you again?" "Time moves quickly." "only yesterday you were a farm boy." "Today you are a hero." "Tomorrow may see us together again." "Then I'II be waiting for tomorrow." "Tomorrow will come sooner than you think." "Take care of him, Saphira." "I will." "Come." "Translated by Freak_racer03"