The Warrior
Chapter One
Nia splashed cold water from the bucket over her face. The warm blood seeping out from the gash in her forehead mixed with the ice coolness of the water to bring her skin back to a normal temperature.
She was shaking uncontrollably as she slid down the hard, stone wall. How much more of this can I take? she wondered. Nia was terrified.
Now seventeen she had spent the last ten years of her life being trained by the almighty King Galbatorix himself. Her magic intrigued him and he wanted a strong lieutenant by his side, at least until he could get one of his eggs to hatch. No one would suspect a mere girl to be a high ranking officer in the Empire’s army. Galbatorix had the upper hand, and no farm boy would take his dream of a united Alagaësia away from him.
Nia crawled into a corner of her cell and curled herself into a tight ball. She needed sleep, she knew, to regain her energy for tomorrow’s ‘lesson’. Tortured, sleep never came easily. Especially not in this humid cell where droplets of water had condensated on the walls, making everything sticky.
However, sleep eventually did capture Nia; but no relief did it bring. Nightmares of old were renewed and no matter how hard she tried, she could not wake up. She had become a slave of Galbatorix, and herself.
She was shaking uncontrollably as she slid down the hard, stone wall. How much more of this can I take? she wondered. Nia was terrified.
Now seventeen she had spent the last ten years of her life being trained by the almighty King Galbatorix himself. Her magic intrigued him and he wanted a strong lieutenant by his side, at least until he could get one of his eggs to hatch. No one would suspect a mere girl to be a high ranking officer in the Empire’s army. Galbatorix had the upper hand, and no farm boy would take his dream of a united Alagaësia away from him.
Nia crawled into a corner of her cell and curled herself into a tight ball. She needed sleep, she knew, to regain her energy for tomorrow’s ‘lesson’. Tortured, sleep never came easily. Especially not in this humid cell where droplets of water had condensated on the walls, making everything sticky.
However, sleep eventually did capture Nia; but no relief did it bring. Nightmares of old were renewed and no matter how hard she tried, she could not wake up. She had become a slave of Galbatorix, and herself.