Murtagh's New Story

He stood on the hard stone floor watching his servants. They scurried around like little ants doing his bidding. It is good to be king, Galbatorix thought to himself. And resistance or not he planed to stay that way. His current scheme was going to help him do just that. They had been working on this for years and now it was almost complete.

The servants brought three stretchers into the chamber and set them on three wooden tables. One carried a dead body and the other two live men who were bound and gagged. Their eyes were wide and filled with terror. The body was clean and well dressed. His face was pale and his eyes were closed. Another servant brought in a chest and set it on a stool at

Galbatorix’s side. Both of the men were two of his most powerful pet magicians.

“You should feel fortunate that you get to be the key in such a plan. True you will be sacrificed but it is for the good of the Empire,” he said in a calm, silky voice.

The two men struggled more and tried to protest through their gags. Galbatorix smiled maliciously. He stepped over to the body and looked at it. It had been many years since the man was slain but it looked as if it had happened only an hour ago. The king had kept the body in perfect condition and even mended all the wounds. It was whole and sound, ready for new life. These men had perfected the art of putting life back into a body on others over the years. If this worked he had to keep a secret and what better way of removing the only two men who knew what was going on than to use them as the sacrifices.

He called a group of his magicians into an adjacent room. They wore black cloaks and hid their faces with their hoods and stood in a circle as he had instructed. Then he undid the latch of his thick, black cloak, letting it fall to the ground. Galbatorix unlocked the chest and opened it. It was filled with round, gem like stones of all colors, but they weren’t gems.

“Eldunarí”, he whispered.

Galbatorix connected his mind with the magicians and the Eldunarí. He could feel the immense power he held and he loved it. The king took a deep breath and began reading the long complicated spell written on a piece of paper by the chest. The two men’s eyes widened even more as the spell took effect. The spell took one man’s blood and the other’s life source and put them into the preserved body. Drawing their last breath the two men went limp. When Galbatorix finished the spell everything a deathly silence filled the chamber.

Suddenly a gasp shattered the quiet. It came from the body that had come in, but now it was a body no more. Galbatorix felt the loss of energy from the spell and even with the Eldunarí and the magicians he felt fatigued. One spell castor was dead and another had lost consciousness. Servants took the magicians away, both living and dead. Galbatorix had told the leader was told to erase the their memories of this event before they had begun. The now living man was sitting up and looking at the goings on around him. Color was returning to his face. The king walked over to him and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. He smiled.

“My most faithful servant returned to me at last”, Galbatorix said quietly to the man.

He quickly went on to one knee before the king.

“I will always serve you my king”, the man deep voice was quiet as well.

“Stand my old friend. You must be hungry. Let us get food and I shall tell you what has
happened since your death”, Galbatorix said in a silky smooth voice.

The man did as he was told. He was tall with broad shoulders and a handsome face that betrayed his haughtiness and cruelty. His eyes were different colors, one deep blue and the other was black as the starless night, and his short hair was as black as a crow’s feather. The tip of one fingerer was missing. He had been dressed in the fine clothes of the king’s favorites. A pair of black breaches with a matching vest covered him, as well as a blood red tunic.

“Come. We have much to talk about”, Galbatorix said as he left the room.

Morzan nodded and followed his king.