Murtagh's POV[]
Forgive me, as I had to take a break after the first translation. Me and Thorn were surprised at the detail of the account, and even the first reading left me exhausted. I was surprised at the thickness of the enchantments Jura placed over the tome, but I never realized sustained magical power would absolve it. Even with the Eldunari it would take many months for me to translate the Tome, and even then only I would understand the true nature of the whole account. Now that I have regained my strength, I find it rather odd that the next one was written by my father, Morzan.
What an unfortunate complication I face. Please bear with me, as this reading will not be the same as before. I fear the worst of what my father could have written, but I must know the truth...
Morzan's POV[]
This is the other side of the story. The one no one dares utter aloud. My name is Morzan, and I serve Galbatorix alone. The Forsworn are a bunch of cowards, blabbering over power with their beasts they call dragons. I am no less different, but I possess a different dogma than any of those wretched Forsworn. Glaerun was a fool, flying headfirst into Doru Aureba. He was almost killed instantly and he almost died at the hands of some female rider.
She is powerful to take on Glaerun, but he crippled her amethyst dragon. Such a shame for a creature so magnificent to be struck down by Glaerun's demonlike gray dragon. A Rider cannot survive without its dragon, save for Galbatorix who has unfathomable wisdom. Jarnunvosk was a great dragon, but alas was murdered by those infernal Urgals. I swear on my father's name I will avenge my liege's loss. He grieved for many months about his loss, but he returned to the Riders, ready again to take up the responsibilities of a Rider.
But they declined, seeing that Galbatorix was insane and unfit to take another dragon as his own. At that point I vowed vengeance against those so-called "Riders", especially against Oromis. He was old and wise, but was blinded by hatred against Galbatorix. My liege declared war against the Riders and ran from Vroengard to gather his forces. But first, he needed another dragon, and I had an idea.
* * *
Ilirea was a beautiful city of the Brodding Kingdom, the seat of Angrenost, High King of Alagaesia. The Riders patrolled the borders of Ilirea, but they had not suspected my treachery. I stood watch at one of the postern gates, waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as Hirador soared over the eastern gates, I shadowed the areas with my sorcery. Galbatorix gave me Eldunari, the secret to his victory, to use against my foes. They contained massive amounts of magical energy, allowing me to even the most mighty spell with relative ease.
Galbatorix was a fugitive being hunted down by Vrael and the Riders, but I helped him steal another dragon. As I shadowed the gates, I could see a figure faster than sound sprinting towards me. In his grief, Galbatorix dislodged Jarnunvosk's Eldunari and fashioned a chestplate to house. His power doubled due to the other Eldunari he absorbed. His speed left a trail of dust, but allowed him to speed right past me and enter the castle gates swiftly.
I followed him to the keep, shadowing him all the way until at last we reached a large door soaked in magic. As soon as I took another step, a huge shadow of a dragon hung overhead as soldiers swarmed around us. Beroan and his brown dragon landed on the top of the marble fortification, apparently not surprised at my treachery. "...I've always known..." he muttered before unsheathing his sword, Garad. It was a pearlescent brown sword which was black in the moonlight and deep brown in the dark. It was different in the fact that it was almost twice the length of Zar'roc, being a two-handed greatsword. Beroan was skilled in this kind of fighting, and was a very capable foe.
In an instant Galbatorix uttered over ten words in the ancient language, creating a solar flare and blasting the gate open. I decided to hold off Beroan and the guards until Galbatorix entered the dragonhold. Thorn had been flying the Beors waiting for my signal, and now he was flying towards me. Archers fired upon me, but I easily deflected their blows with my potent wards. I was hacking through soldiers left and right while Beroan and his dragon circled overhead, biding their time.
I saw a spout of fire above me, and I rolled over to the left in my agility. Beroan dismounted and dropped downwards at me, but I knew better than to face him directly. I jumped in a circle and flung my sword in an arc, aiming for Beroan's unprotected neck. He levelled himself just as he touched the ground, deflecting my sword, and crashing into the floor. I was shaken by the landing, but Beroan appeared unscathed. He charged at me with his sword ablaze. Zar'roc flew magnetically into my palm and I ran at him just as well, skidding left to dodge his attack and thrust Zar'roc, aiming for his heart. He swung his sword in a circle, blocking the sword as it penetrated his wards. He screamed at me, bolstered by the ancient language, creating a sonic discharge that blasted me back. His dragon swooped down and clawed at my chest, but my wards held him off for a few seconds before I kicked against the floor and jumped high into the sky with my wards propelling me into the skies. Beroan mounted his dragon and chased after me, not knowing what thorn and I had planned.
As soon he and his dragon caught up to me, I channeled my magic into the skies, creating a lightning storm. Beroan was surpised by this, but continued his assault. His dragon spewed flames, but I manipulated the cumulonimbus to enshroud me and blind Beroan. I could hear Thorn contacting me that he was almost there, and all at once I felt a great pressure on my chest. After a few seconds the pressure exploded in a flurry of pain, causing me to hack out blood in pain. It turned out that Beroan used his dragon as a battering ram and slammed into by chest, crushing my wards easily.
At last Thorn had come to my aid, striking Beroan's dragon and catching me midair. As I healed my wounds the storm cloud grew even larger, covering all of the skies of Ilirea. I used my trump card and channeled all of the electrical power at Beroan and his defenseless dragon. A torrent of cloud and lightning struck Beroan with such magnitude, dismonting him violently off his dragon and sending them both into a huge ball of lightning. I tapped into their minds and felt genuine despair. Soon they began to disintegrate until all was dust.
I was extremely weakend and almost fainted as Thorn swooped down into the dragonhold. We landed without resistance, as I slaughtered the whole corps of the guardsmen. As I entered I saw Galbatorix standing over the corpse of a black haired Rider staring lifelessly into the ceiling. Beside him sat a chained black dragon, screeching in useless resistance.
"You shall be Shruikan, and you bow to me." Galbatorix uttered in the ancient language.'