Captured Hearts, Chapter 7

Chapter 7

MURTAGH

I closed my eyes and concentrated on nothing in particular. Concentrating on nothing was one thing I tried to do often. I did this to try and escape the living hell that had always been my life.

Though there was a time or two of peace and friendship, but not anymore. Not since my master and sovereign Galbatorix had stolen me out of Farthun Dur. Not since Thorn hatched for me and he found our secret names. I feared I would never know freedom and happiness again. That was why I concentrated so hard on nothing to stop the agony of my life and pretend that I was just another human being, well I tried, but never truly succeeded.

It had been a few months since my arrival at Uru-ben and I was allowed into the vault where the eggs were kept. Ever since Brom had stolen one a hundred or odd years ago, Galbatorix has kept them locked up tighter than the crown jewels. There were two, a red one and a green one. I looked at the red one and picked it up. It felt warm in my hand and I traced the white veins of it with my index finger.

Such a mighty beast would spring up from this one day. If it was allowed to grow without war and stress as a wild dragon it would eventually be the size of a hill. I marveled at such a wonder, and then heard a throat clearing behind me.

“So I see you like one of them, maybe it will hatch for you and then you also will be a Rider, like your little brother.” Galbatorix’s voice was oiled with eloquence and poise, yet I knew from experience that it had the sting of a whip, when it wanted.

“I don’t know. I do not think I would like to be a Rider, toc much power can corrupt a person, you know.” I knew what my words meant to him and tensed for the attack. I knew he would not attack with might, but with the mind-bending power he had honed these last hundred years.

“Are you trying to make a point Murtagh? Because if you are, you should be very careful with what you try to make a point of. I am the master of this land and all its inhabitants, whether you like it or not, I own you. I could crush you so easily; it would only take a blink of an eye!” Galbatorix spoke with venom, his voice becoming a deadly hiss.

‘Then why don’t you do it! I thought, not like you care for me or anything’.

I did not speak it allowed, I knew his answer. He would say, “Because I need you too much, for such a death would only reprove what I have already done to other, more powerful men than you.” I scoffed; all he wanted was to make my life worse, nothing more.

Suddenly the egg started to slip from my grip. It fell to the ground, and rolled. Rolled. Cracks appeared on it and then it splintered to pieces. In its stead there sat a creature, red as the sunset. It unfurled its wings and there it stood before us. The hatchling stared up at me, its eyes red and beautiful. I reached forward to touch it and a flash of pain spread through my body. I jerked my hand back. There on the palm was an iridescent circle that glowed.

“Well, it seems my lad; you are going to be one anyway.” Galbatorix said, with a gleeful smile stretching across his horrible count enounce.

I named him Thorn, because if Galbatorix had anything to do with it, he would be just that. I did not like to see him at first, for it reminded me what would happen soon. I would be forced to go into battle with Eragon and possibly kill him.

Months passed by and I was forced to learn evil spells, spells that made my blood run cold with fear and lust at the same time, There was a part of me that reveled in the power. I did my best to keep that part as far away as I could from the surface. I did not want him to know I secretly liked what he taught me. Then the strangest thing happened, Thorn grew faster than I thought possible for a dragon. Then Galbatorix gave me my first and hardest mission.

“I have found out that Eragon has gone into another realm, there he will be vulnerable and not supervised as well. You are to go and find him. Either capture him or capture someone to draw him here. If all else fails, kill him.”

That’s when everything I knew about this world I was born in changed and I fell into a new reality. There were more worlds and realms than I had ever thought possible.

After the shock wore off, I went to do what I was bid. So now, here I was at a school for sightless halfwits and I did my best to not kill myself so that I would not have to go through this song and dance of nightmarish evil that haunted my waking dreams. I sighed, giving up on the concentration, and went out of my room in the dorm that they house the older youth in and walked numbly through the noise and blaring sound.

My opinion of this school so far was of boredom and idiocy. Though this afternoon had changed it a little. I had bumped into one very irregular girl today. She had curly brown hair that was short and framed her face. She obviously could not see very well, yet she had a keen intuition. She automatically assumed I was with Eragon or had something to do with him. Then after that, I saw the same girl again, except this time she was with another and they were singing at the top of their lungs. I knew they were singing in jest but the carelessness made me a bit jealous and just the fact that those two would never see the world in full. Yet, I felt no true pity for them, Galbatorix’s magic had, it seemed made me unable to feel much at all. I now seemed to view the world and all its inhabitants with cold cynicism. I do not like this; it gives me chills to think I am beyond caring