570Hello everyone,
We have reached the end! I am so happy and sad at the same time. This story is my baby and where I first started to write. It is what started my passion and love for writing, and I'll never forget it. Thank you to everyone who has been with me on this journey, you all are the reason for everything. I get so much joy going through and reading the comments, even the criticism. So once again, thank you so much.
I'll probably keep one story up on this site at all times just because of how good the practice is. I can upload and get immediate feedback on a style of writing, which is invaluable as a writer. Not sure what it will be after Voleur D'âme yet. And I'm not sure it will be a SI either.
For those who don't read my other story, I am going to start on my own original piece of fantasy once this is finished. I already have a few ideas, but I don't have a book yet, to me there is a big difference between those ideas. Anyway, you'll all probably get updates on that every once in a while.
Now I can stop rambling and get to the end of this beautiful journey.
My body felt alive, energized after my daily sparring session. My hair and beard were neatly brushed but I could still feel the slight dampness that accompanied my morning shower.
I walked out of my chambers into a hallway that would lead me to my morning meeting. I stopped in the hallway, as I had done since the renovations to the palace had been completed. The glass windows to my left reached twenty feet to the ceiling and showed a magnificent view of the waking city of Ilirea below me.
The sun was starting to peak over the horizon and the first rays of light shone through the windows and landed on my face. I gave a small smile to the blessing of the morning.
Today is an important one. I reminded myself as I turned away from the view and kept moving.
I passed through close to four different hallways before I reached my destination, although a longer route was possible to my office. I walked in and grabbed the cup of coffee being offered to me by one of my many assistants.
"Thank you." I told her as I continued to my desk, where a stack of reports waited for me, bigger than normal.
"Of course, your grace."
My head snapped up to look at the woman who I had, mistakenly, thought was my assistant. A smile split my face and I stood back up, noticing who it was.
"Elva!" I greeted and moved to crush her in a hug.
She laughed as her arms wrapped around my chest. "Hello father." She said and my heart soared at seeing her after so long.
We broke apart and I stepped back to look at her. She had changed a lot in the ten years since the war. I expected the accelerated growth due to her gift to stop after a few months. I was wrong, it took her another six years to stop. She was a fully matured adult now, in mind and body, even if she only just turned eleven years old.
Her black hair was parted down the middle and fell to the tops of her shoulder blades. Her face was just as elegant as one would expect from a girl dragon-blessed, beautiful. Proof of her blessing rested just above her brow. Once where it might have looked out of place on a young girl, now it seemed to fit her, she wore it with pride for everyone to see.
She wore an elegant skirt/dress that split in the front and back, coming up to stop at her hips, beneath she wore womens trousers. It was a fashionable choice for a women who liked more physical activities. A dagger and a sword rested on her belt, both made of the same material, brightsteel. If she drew them, they would showcase a blade the same brilliant violet as her eyes. Uncle Eragon gifted it to her upon her graduation from the University.
The blades reminded me of my own piece of brightsteel. I could suddenly feel the weight of it on my hip. The black dragonbone hilt gave it away as a different one than the dagger that accompanied me throughout the war. It was a white brightsteel dagger, forged from the remnants of the sword Vrael and Galbatorix wielded, a symbol. Another part of the legendary sword rested on my brow and the brow of my beloved. Brightsteel crowns for the King and Queen.
"You look as beautiful as your mother." I said starting the conversation.
Elva rolled her eyes, used to the compliment. "Thank you." She answered with a slight smile, telling me that she really did like the compliment contrary to her eye roll.
"How is Mount Arngor?" I asked her.
"Good, I was treated like royalty from everyone but Uncle." Elva responded. "It took awhile for the students to warm up to me and accept me."
That sprung a memory about a report I had a couple months ago from Eragon. "Oh? I heard about a little disturbance a while back, couldn't have been my favorite daughter could it?" I asked her mischievously.
She shook her head keeping her calm. "No, they just needed a little lesson for their respect to apply to me."
Her face was passive, she didn't want to tell me what really happened.
"I guess challenging and embarrassing all of the new Riders, and then Blodhgarm in a duel would do that…" I commented, revealing I knew the truth.
Her lips curled up into a smile.
The door opened quickly. Elva and I both reacted quickly, drawing our daggers. We quickly put them up when we noticed who it was that dared to barge into the Kings office. Naturally it could only be the Queen. No one denied her, not even me.
Elva was smothered by the elven woman quickly. I watched on with a smile and downed the rest of my coffee, setting it on the desk. A servant popped out of a seperate door and handed me my second cup, glaring at Elva all the while.
"Arya, I think that is enough." I said as Elva looked at me with pleading eyes. "She's turning purple."
Arya let go of her and stepped back, not sparing me a glance. "You look beautiful." Arya told Elva as she looked at her.
Arya dressed in similar fashion to her daughter. Although with a white and green color scheme compared to elvas black and violet. They were both worthy of being called Royals. On her waist was also a brightsteel blade, although not because of a gift from Eragon. She had it because it was her right as a rider. All of the differences I may have made in her didn't stop the green dragon egg from hatching for her a few days after we took Ilirea, then called Uru'Baen.
This time Elva did blush, it was one thing when I told her she was beautiful, it was expected. When Arya told her she was beautiful, it held more weight behind it.
"Thank you mother." Elva replied sheepishly. "How did you know I was here?"
"I know everything that happens in this city." Arya's humble response came quickly. "And you left a certain assistant unhappy. She enjoys giving your father his coffee very much."
I laughed, knowing it was true.
"Now come on, your father has a lot of work to do and your brother misses you." Arya told her as she walked my direction.
Arya gave me a deep kiss on the lips before departing through the same door she came. Elva gave me a hug on the neck.
"Love you dad."
"I love you too, baby."
I walked out onto the platform just in front of the obelisk. It rose about sixty feet into the air, making it one of the tallest structures in the city, second only to the peaks of the palace, where Firnen made his home.
The crowd before me reached far beyond the streets I could see. The lines wrapped into the city, a significantly larger number of people compared to just ten years ago. It must have been close to a million people or more. Humans, elves, dwarves, and urgals waited for the speech.
I reached into the magic in my necklace and brought it forward. Where once the power within could have been called the sea, now it stretched as an ocean inside the gem. I quickly cast the same spell I had used to amplify my voice ten years ago.
"Welcome everyone!"
A roar sounded out through the city.
"Today marks the ten year anniversary of the day we defeated the tyrant Galbatorix!"
An even bigger roar echoed all around me.
"Those dark times are behind us. In the past ten years we, the races of Alagaesia, have brought peace and prosperity to this great land. Through my marriage to Arya, Queen of the elves, our close relationship to Hrothgar, King of the dwarves, and my cousin Eragon, bonded of Saphira and leader of the new generation of Riders, we have brought all of the races of Alagaesia together!"
Another massive roar that included the beautiful yelling of elves, the roar of humans and dwarves, and the horns of the urgals sounded out once again, as loud as I had ever heard anything before. It took a good five minutes for the crowd to settle down.
"Behind me, stands the Obelisk of Unification, a testament to the bond between our races. Engraved into the side are the names of all the warriors of every race who fell in battle to free the land of tyranny. Their sacrifice will be remembered throughout all of time!"
It was, of course, not true. There were some names and faces that fell through the cracks, no doubt. But it was full of about seventy-thousand names of real people who died during the war. The crowd didn't need to know that detail, and by the sound of their roar, they wouldn't care.
"I have another announcement to make." I told the crowd of people in front of me as my heart rate picked up a bit.
Hrothgar and Arya stepped up on either side of me.
"Our unification brings about a new Era! From now on, we are not three kingdoms."
All three of us walked forward a little more. I reached behind me and drew Fram. Arya drew her brightsteel blade. Hrothgar wielded Volund in his old hands.
As one we all reared back and struck the marble in front of us. Arya's blade sunk to the hilt. Cracks sprang out from where Volund struck the marble. Fram sunk into the marble farther than Volund did and also sent cracks through it. In the end, all three of us left our mark on the monument and solidified our agreement.
The impressions our weapons made on this hunk of rock would serve as a catalyst to propel our races to becoming one, better than any war ever had.
"We are the United Races of Alagaesia!"
The feast that followed would be remembered as the greatest the continent had ever seen. Wine, beer, and faelnirv flowed as the people celebrated their victory. Beasts from the Beor mountains lined tables along with fruits from the coasts, and vegetables from the land.
"Carn has his hands full." Arya said beside me at the table.
"Yes he will. He told me that he pulled in an extra three thousand men from the army for the occasion." I responded. "He wanted the responsibility."
"Aye, I don't think he knew what he got himself into." Arya commented with a laugh and a smile.
A silver haired missile impacted my side. "Dad, help!"
Instincts born from the war almost kicked in, luckily it had been a long time since the war and I had worked long and hard to break those habits.
I looked around to see what he was running from.
"No fair, Gabe!" Elva said as she appeared. She had obviously been chasing and playing with him. "You can't hide behind dad."
I looked down at my son as he pointed a finger at her. He had silver hair like his grandfather on Arya's side, Evander. His ears were pointed, signifying his half elf half human heritage. His eyes were a deep green, just like his mothers. The only thing he shared with me was his strong jaw, mouth, and musculature.
"I can too!" Gabriel, aka Gabe, yelled back at her. "You're cheating with your mind thingy!"
Elva's hand went to her heart in mock hurt. "Nuh uh!" She cried back intelligently.
"Yeah huh." Gabe called back.
I slapped his hand away and moved out of the way of his sister. He looked up at me in betrayal just as she reached him. A savage tickling ensued. It left him red faced and panting when she finished.
The crowd of friends and family laughed along with Gabe at his torment. Another black streak of hair jumped on Elva just as she let up. It was Vanir and Trianna's son, he didn't last long and soon Elva had both on the ground relentlessly tickling them.
Vanir appeared beside me. "A good day, old friend." Vanir said.
"Aye a good day indeed." I heard Brom's voice from the other side of me.
My arms reached out and wrapped around both of them and pulled them into a hug, my superior strength making their protests useless.
"I have been waiting for y'all!" I exclaimed, excited.
"We made it in time for the speech, and the reveal." Brom said with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you all were going to wait?"
I smiled and motioned for them to follow me.
"It felt right."
We walked through a door off to the side of the feasting area and I nodded at the guards watching the doors. There were a significant amount of them because of the occasion.
Four of them followed us at a close distance, although not close enough to hear the conversation. There wasn't much that they could do to protect three of the most elite fighters on the continent anyway.
I led them to a room that opened up on a grand scale. It had ceilings that mimicked a church from my old life, reaching high. Stained glass lined the walls along with the same glass windows that were beside my chambers. This was on the opposite side of the castle, and overlooked the city also.
Massive marble pillars lined the room. In between each pillar, a fairth hung, depicting different scenes during the rebellion.
I walked through the room. The fairth's on either side of me started with the fall of the riders of old. Another showed Brom talking to Hrothgar, making the pact between the Varden and the dwarves. The next showed him stealing Saphira's egg with Jeod, Brom stared at that painting longer.
"A shame." I commented.
"Aye, he deserved better than to die in a cell, forgotten." Brom answered.
We kept walking and the next fairth was the first that depicted me in one. It showed our meeting with the elves. Oromis, Islanzadi, Brom, Dathedr, and me talking. Shadowcat and Glaedr laid in the background. Brom once again paused to look at it.
Next showed my duel with Vanir, cementing our friendship to the viewers.
"Most of these, I did myself." I commented as we moved on.
Saphira bonding to Eragon, then Garrow's death.
Our race to Teirm, where we left Jeod to his fate at the docks.
"This one appeared on my balcony one day. No doubt from Murtagh." I told them as I stopped to another one.
It depicted me ripping the head off of the Ra'zac after we landed in, what was then called, Surda and met up with Murtagh
Next showed Eragon striking down Durza in Farthen Dur as Arya fell from the ceiling. I was on the ground in the fairth watching him fight. It was an accurate portrayal.
The next fairth showed Hrothgar dubbing me Stronghammer. I paused at this one. I can still hear the chants.
Ajihad's death, along with Murtagh's capture at the hands of the twins.
We kept walking further into the chamber. Next showed Nasuada giving me leadership over the Varden.
Then the Burning Plains. This one showed me overlooking the battle at the end, as my forces routed the imperial troops. Eragon was on the ground behind me and Murtagh was riding Thorn off into the sunset with a new sword.
"This is my favorite." Vanir said as he pulled ahead of us. This was not the first time either of them had seen this chamber.
It was me, standing with both of my hands out. Fram was sticking in the ground with the handle up. I was standing in front of Feinster. Magic swirled around me as I ripped the front gate open.
I smiled at the memory, it was the first time I had used magic at such a grand scale. Now magic obeyed me almost completely.
"This is a good one." I pointed at the next fairth that showed Vanir slaying Varaug the Shade.
"It wasn't so glorious." Vanir commented.
The next fairth showed Vanir and Carn, capturing Aroughs. There was nothing special about it, mainly because Vanir had made it plain as possible. The ones that I contributed were much more dramatic.
We kept moving and saw the moment Carn snatched the Dauthdaert out of the sky, saving Saphira at the expense of his own health. It was one of the most well done fairths in the room, and it showed a very very brave moment that cemented Carn's legacy in history.
Then Brom appeared in the next fairth, devastating Dras-Leona with the power of Aren. The ring on his hand was glowing menacingly in the depiction. Murtagh and Thorn lay broken on the ground behind him.
The next fairth skipped ahead once again and it showed me surrendering myself to Murtagh, giving myself up for the rebellion.
Eragon discovering the Rock of Kuthian, the vault of souls with the Eldunari and the eggs of dragons came up next.
Finally we reached the Battle of Uru'Baen. There were multiple fairths. One showed Islanzadi falling to Barst, Arya had submitted it herself when one of the Queens guards showed her a memory. It was the most beautiful death ever depicted. The next fairth showed my escape from the Hall of the Soothsayer. Another showed us suspended in the air, with Brom on the ground in front of Murtagh.
The next one showed me shoving the broken blade through Galbatorix's forehead. Vanir held Murtagh in a stalemate. Saphira flew above Shruikan and Carn's arm was outstretched signalling he was the one to throw the Dauthdaert through Shruikans skull. Eragon stood off to the side, glowing a brilliant blue and had a hand pointed towards the mad king.
The last fairth showed me throw the body of Galbatorix down the steps leading to the palace.
All three of us stopped, signalling we reached the end of the hall. We turned to the last thing in the grand room. There sat the throne of Galbatorix, in the exact condition as when the actual battle happened. The whole room was a telling of the rebellions story, from start to finish.
"You should extend the room." Brom said looking at the throne.
I looked at him and didn't verbally ask for an explanation, but my face asked the question.
"The last ten years have been just as eventful, just as important." Brom continued but Vanir picked up where he stopped talking.
"The farming techniques, the knowledge of biology, the building techniques, the prosperity you have brought the land." Vanir said.
"The University." Brom said. "That will be our crowning achievement, we will bring magic to everyone, everyone who wants to learn."
I nodded at them and added my two cents, something I personally thought would change the land more.
"And now, democracy."
A/N: END OF AN ERA!
We've done it everyone, we've done it.
Roran, Arya, and Hrothgar will still rule, but in the sense that the Queen of England does. There will be elected officials that hold most of the power, Roran and the others will just be a guiding hand to the races of Alagaesia. Prosperity will reign for a really really long time, like millenia. Eventually they will go on to conquer much more land, and reverse the desertification of the Hadarac. You can only imagine how fast they take to the stars.
Roran will go down in history as 'King Stronghammer', when people speak of 'King' or 'Stronghammer' there is only one person they mean: Roran.
Well what do we think everyone? A satisfying Epilogue? I'd love to talk about everything.
Let's talk about it in the reviews!
P.S. Very emotional right now.
