INHERITANCE: Memorandum Of Scales

MY NAME IS DURZA

"I would appreciate your attention." He muttered, grabbing Arya's chin, forcing her to look at him. She felt too weak to resist.

Durza started pleasantly.

"I have a simple question. Where did you send it?"His face looked friendly, but underneath the mask lied a cruel and vicious monster of unimaginable power.

"I don't know." Arya whispered.

Durza raised his eyebrows in question.

". What was that?" He mocked, parting his hair with his free hand and moving his ear closer to Arya's mouth.

She spat a thick mixture of blood and saliva into his ear. Durza calmly rose to his feet.

Silence spread between them.

The inquisitor produced a napkin, dabbing at his ear, an expression of humored contempt written on his face.

"There are other ways to get the information I desire." Durza announced to his men, turning away from Arya for a moment.

"Though it is a powerful technique. And after riding hard for nearly three days on little food, I have grown...quite weak."

As Durza paced around the circle, his men suddenly stilled.

"Whom...should...I...pick...you've all been working so hard." He spoke almost remorsefully, more to himself than to anyone else. He stopped in front of one man, sizing him up.

The man shook, but kept his expression calm. Durza smiled warmly and continued.

The soldier then released a sigh that was loud enough for Arya to hear.

"Maybe we should draw straws like last time. No..That takes much too long. I'll just close my eyes and pick one of you." He said cheerfully, and then covered his eyes with his palm, and pointed at his men with his other hand.

" I'm going to spin around three times. Whoever I point to, I want you men of industry to hold him and bring him to me, understand?"

There was a scattered response from his men. Durza smirked.

"Good."
Durza spun three times, as promised, and then pointed randomly at his company. Arya watched as there was a struggle within the ranks, until two men, dressed in light leather clothing baring the colors of Galbatorix brought a third man to Durza, kicking and screaming as they did so.

Durza uncovered his eyes and regarded the weeping man. Arya felt her heart tug-he wasn't a man at all, only a boy, probably forced to fight for Galbatorix.

Durza's expression softened as he looked at the sobbing soldier before him.

"What is your name?" Durza asked genuinely. The boy, still sobbing, choked out a response.

"D-Deran Horrun S-Sir." He cried. Durza shrugged.

"How old are you Deran?" Durza asked, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Arya noticed some of her pursuers began to look away.

"S-sixteen.." the boy stammered, choking back tears.

Durza cocked his head.

  "Sixteen?" He parroted, question in his voice.
"Sixteen summers. I've seen sixteen summers." The boy clarified.
Durza ahh'd knowingly.

The boy let out a wrenching and childlike whimper as Durza's searching hand ripped his torso open, blood splattering on his former brothers' in arms faces as they held him, stone faced.

Durza rolled his eyes in annoyance as he dug into chest and gore, until, finally,with a grunt of effort, pulled a still-beating heart free of the boy's body.

"You can drop him now. Your arms must be tired. Remember, this is the King's will, grim as it may be." Durza commended.
The men dropped the boy, corpse landing on the ground like a sack of vegetables.

Durza looked at the heart for a moment, licked his lips, and then took a bite out of it, blood squeezing out of the tough muscle from between Durza's teeth.

He threw the half eaten organ to the wood and walked over to Arya.

"I feel much better now. Well then." Durza gripped Arya's head firmly with his bloody hand. Arya felt his presence instantly in her mind, spearing her thoughts like a soldier impales an enemy. She groaned weakly from the pain as Durza ripped her mind apart. He then rose with an agitated grimace, his face written over by annoyance.

"You truly don't know where you sent it..." Durza's voice trailed off as he imagined what horrors failure would bring him. He spun away from Arya with a flourish, gathering a smoky cloak around himself.

"Take her prisoner. Search the surrounding townships. Damn it all..it could be anywhere in these peasant infested hills."

Durza looked around at his men as they looked at him.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" He screamed. At once they all began moving, and Arya felt herself being lifted by strong hands.

"Bring her to Gil'ead. I need to send word to Galbatorix. I will leave half of the company to you, second in command." Durza said as he pointed at an armored man sitting atop a horse. The man nodded, his armor creaking slightly.

"Galbatorix may kind. He may be forgiving . . . but this egg is a different matter. for him, it is very personal." Durza whispered, and as Arya faded into the blackness, she grinned.

She heard a twinge of fear in Durza's voice.