Hey guys, so this is just a cool idea I had that I wanted to put up. I have no idea how long it will be between updates, as I have a lot of assignments etc to work on, so we'll see how it goes.
In timelines, this is set about 4 years after The Last Olympian, and about 20 years after Eragon leaves Alageasia. There are OC's, but a few characters from either series are involved.
Age wise, Kyra is 16, Thalia is basically 16 (because she doesn't age as a hunter) and Nico is….. I guess around 17, his age is never that well defined so I guess that will have to do.
Please review and follow if you like it, as it's that kind of support that keeps me going. Without it, I kind of just fade away…
Read on.
Kyra – Olympus, Palace of the Gods
I looked up from the ground and met the eyes of my father. He showed no expression on his powerful, wizened brow. He emanated an energy that made the air around me electric, and made my heart race. It was impressive, and powerful. To be fair, he is the God of the Sky; that thing is kind of his forte.
"So?" Zeus asked, in what was a poor attempt at a less commanding, more hopeful voice, "Will you do this for me, Kyra? You have always known you were meant for something greater, and I can give you a life that none of the earthen realm would appreciate more."
I sighed. When he had pulled me from the middle of camp a few minutes ago, I was blissfully unaware of what this little visit would entail. All I knew when I arrived was that I wasn't climbing the rock wall at Camp Half Blood anymore, and was standing in the middle of the throne room on Olympus. Zeus had been standing before me, in his more normal, seven-foot tall form, rather than his twenty-foot alternative. And then this whole business about traveling to another realm had started. It was about then that the conversation had gone downhill. To be completely honest, there hadn't been much of a hill to start with.
I looked up at him, wondering why he would spring such a sudden decision on me. I mean, he was so pushy. Maybe this 'other realm' was in some seriously deep trouble and he needed me to help them out. But even that was a ridiculous request! Who asks their daughter to just up and leave the life she knows, on her own, to a whole other realm? It was insanity!
"Insanity, you say?" Zeus grumbled.
"Sorry Dad, it's just that I don't think I can decide now. I mean, am I even the right one to send on this quest? Why not just go down there and sort things out yourself, or get Artemis or Athena to do it? Why me?"
Zeus stood still as stone for a few seconds, until he sighed and said to me, "Fine. You have twenty-four hours to decide. Make sure you are final in your decision, there will be no returning until the task is completed."
I felt his power gather around me, but before he could send me back to camp, I shouted, "Wait!"
He raised an eyebrow at me, "What?"
"Do I have to go alone? I mean, can you send another demigod with me, for backup and at least some sort of companionship? What about Percy? Even on his own he'd be able to do a better job than me."
As soon as I had mentioned Percy's name, Zeus had begun shaking his head, "No. Not Percy. He is still needed here, and my brother would never approve of it."
I sighed a little in annoyance. God's always had some secret or something that you didn't know about. "Well, then what about Thalia? Or Nico?"
"Thalia is a Hunter and Artemis's lieutenant; you would need to consult with her first. Nico… It's up to Hades, but he and I have both agreed this problem needs to be resolved quickly and he would have no objection. Ultimately the decision is Nico's. However, I'm not sure how easy he'll be to convince."
I nodded, and asked, "How would I get into contact with Lady Artemis? Do you just, you know, Iris message a god and hope for the best?"
Zeus chuckled, but said, "Do not worry. If you were not a daughter of mine, and a son instead, I would answer you differently. However, as my daughter she will hear your request." Well at least that was something. If I had Thalia and Nico with me, I had a greater chance of
Surviving
Completing my task, whatever it was, and
Not dying from loneliness
So really, even if only one of them could come, things would be looking up. It would require a little persuasion, but I was hopeful.
Lukas – New Carvahall
I stood in the line behind my older brother, as we faced the black dragon egg and the elves who had brought it here. I was the last of the line, and so far there had not been a single peep from the egg, and the elves had detected no sign that it had chosen its Rider. The rest of the village looked disappointed as they made their way back to their homes, not expecting anyone in the rest of the line to be chosen. After all, if they didn't deserve to be picked, why did someone else get the privilege?
And so, when my brother walked up to the egg when the elves called him, and yet again, it stayed as still as stone, there were no more sighs of disappointment. There were no more glances at the egg to see if it may have just been slow at waking. When I walked forward to the egg, there was no one watching. The elves had started gathering their gear, the last of the villagers began dispersing, and even my brother had just walked off. They all had the same thoughts in their heads. Why would a dragon, the most regal and ferocious beast in all Alageasia pick him? He was just a boy. He was a nice boy, nearly old enough to be considered a man, but a boy nonetheless.
So when I stepped up to the midnight black egg where it sat in the cradle of blankets, I had no real expectations. I had hope though, a small spark smouldering in my stomach, but nothing I would bother to blow on and allow to grow. The infectious disease of the hopelessness of the village must have been more contagious than I realised.
I reached out the same way as the few hundred before me, and placed my hand upon the top of the egg for the allotted time. The surface was cool and smoother than anything I had felt before. White veins webbed their way through the black, and I tapped the surface lightly with a knuckle, appreciating the bell-like sound that permeated the air. I laid my palm against the egg again, and wondered who would be lucky enough to have a dragon hatch for them. It would have to be someone more mature than me. Someone who could handle the responsibility that came with the power.
Just as I was going to pull my hand away, I felt the faintest of vibrations along the surface. I almost blamed it on my imagination, until a much more violent force shook the egg in its cradle.
No. Way. The egg was hatching. A dragon was hatching for me?! The thought was almost enough to send me into shock, but I don't think my brain would have allowed that. I was too fascinated and captivated by the egg as it rocked and bumped around, the small creature inside struggling free of its prison. The elves noticed the commotion and rushed over, utter surprise on their faces. They must have thought similar things to me at that point, as I saw a few disbelieving, cat-like faces glance my way.
A few seconds later, as the first major cracks began appearing, villagers began crowding around me, my brother at my shoulder, and my friends beside me. Together, we watched in silence as a small, black, taloned paw punched its way out of the shell. This brought the rest of the pieces crumbling apart, and in a few short seconds, there was a small black dragon before me. It stared up at me with intelligent eyes, and without thinking, I slowly reached my hand out to its snout.
It recoiled for a half second as it sniffed me, then, assured of who I was, it stretched its neck forward and touched my palm. Searing pain blasted up my arm, and I was thrown backwards into the crowd. The last thing I remember seeing before I passed out was one of the elves leaning over me and saying, "Welcome to the Riders, Argetlam."
Kyra
So after I got teleported back to my cabin, I grabbed my bow, which had been a present from Apollo, shoved some spare clothes and supplies in a bag, and ran out to find Nico. Knowing him, he'd probably be helping train new campers in how to fight ghosts and such. Having a child of Hades around made that kind of resource readily available.
I made my way over to the arena and saw Chiron and Nico observing one of the more recent campers hack and slash at a ghost. The ghost must have been told to stand there and take it, because he wasn't retaliating at all. That is, until Nico gave a wave of his hand, and with a single twist the ghost disarmed the camper and held his blade to their neck.
The camper sighed and turned to the pair, saying, "I'm just not cut out for this stuff! I mean, look at you guys! You're so much more powerful than me! I mean, Hecate is cool and all that, but I'm telling you, my power isn't in combat like this. It's in combat like this."
And with a wave of his arms, there appeared two copies of the boy beside him. They seemed perfectly real, as if they had their own thoughts. Children of Hecate each had their own special ability, and his seemed to be able to replicate. Lucky bastard.
I walked down into the arena as Chiron sighed and said, "Just because you can do that doesn't mean you don't need to practice. Three mediocre swordsmen are annoying, but three well-practiced and experienced swordsmen are a threat. So start practicing." With that he turned to me and said, "Sorry about that. You know what it's like with the new arrivals."
I chuckled, "I certainly do. Would I be able to borrow Nico for a while? It's a godly issue."
Chiron raised an eyebrow and asked, "What kind?"
"The 'I really wish I could tell you but don't know if I'm allowed to' kind."
"I see. Well, I guess take him then. I'm pretty sure I can handle this on my own."
I turned to Nico, and motioned to the edge of the arena. He followed without a word, but I could tell there were more than a few questions buzzing around his brain. We stood for a few moments while I tried to find a way to word what I was going to ask him. It wasn't easy, and he noticed my hesitation.
"Uhm, so, are you going to say something or will I have to learn how to read your mind?"
I gave a little smile and apologised, "No, nothing like that. It's just that, what I have to ask you is, well, a little hard to explain."
He shrugged and said frankly, "Ask first, explain later."
I couldn't tell if he was serious, but I decided it didn't matter. It was good advice. "I need you to come with me to another realm to save it from something."
He stood still as stone, not even one of the long black hairs on his head moved. It gave me goosebumps when he did that.
"Now would be the time to explain."
I nodded, and told him everything I knew about what my father had asked of me. I jumbled up my sentences a bit, but in the end he got the general idea.
"So, your father wanted to send you alone to another realm that you know nothing about, to save unknown people from an unknown evil. Then, you convinced him to let you try and convince Thalia and I to go? Seriously?"
I felt my hopes drop a little at his words. It really did seem a little insane, but I needed the help. He had to understand that. "I really need the help Nico. If you could just think about it, maybe-"
"Oh don't worry, I'm coming. A chance to see another realm isn't something you let pass by, trust me. I was just saying that the situation is pretty crazy. Convincing Artemis to let Thalia go will be a tough one though. She's…. well, you'll see."
I was standing before the Goddess of the Hunt, and I can tell you, my nerves knew it. She looked younger than I did, but she radiated a power that was intimidating. Maybe she was just annoyed at the circumstances I had put her in. She knew that it was the right thing to do to let Thalia go, but I could almost read it on her face that she didn't want to.
It had happened like this; Nico and I had Iris messaged her and posed our question, but instead of maintaining the call, she had instead teleported us to her camp. It was likely somewhere in what I guessed was Siberia, considering the giant, white Tiger that was curled up beside the fire, and the snow that seemed to cover everything.
Thalia stood at the right hand of Artemis, with one of the most excited and hopeful expressions I had ever seen her wear. Seeing as we were both daughters of Zeus, we had bonded pretty quickly. The fact that she didn't age was disconcerting though. At least three years had passed since we met, and she hadn't changed a bit. Nico used to be a kid when she became a hunter, now he was basically a man, and she was still only a little more than a girl. Not to say that she wasn't mature. She had seen more horrible events than anyone should have, had fought beside her Lady and fellow Hunter's against monsters and beasts that I dared not imagine.
It was these factors that I assumed Lady Artemis was weighing up in her mind. She had no worries about Thalia being able to handle herself; it was most likely that she had to give up her most trusted companion, without knowing the full details of what she as giving her up for. I would be having the same thoughts in her place.
"Do you wish to go Thalia? My choice does not matter if you have no desire to go."
At Artemis's words, Thalia looked a little surprised. "I thought you knew me well enough by now to not have to ask those kinds of questions, my Lady. Of course I want to go."
"I did know that, I was just asking to be sure. People can make unexpected decisions, even if you think you know them better than anyone. In that case, you have my permission. Know that you will have my blessing with you wherever you go. I would not want to lose another lieutenant so soon."
Thalia was beaming, but she gave a small bow and said, "Yes my Lady."
Artemis nodded, her expression dark. "Then go, and do not falter in your task. I have hunted in this land you are going to, and it is not for the faint of heart."
And with that, we were on Olympus yet again.
Lukas
I awoke in my bed, with a strange feeling in my head. It wasn't a headache, not really, but it just felt different. As if I were wearing someone else's shoes. They were the right size, but the persons feet weren't the same shape. It was when I noticed the dragon curled up on my lap that the feeling made sense. It was its mind connected to mine. I was a Rider now, and this was my dragon's consciousness that I felt.
My thoughts seemed to make the dragon stir in its sleep, and after a few seconds it yawned and stretched, its black wings extending and shaking a little as it shook itself awake. I watched it as it turned to me and met my eyes, a question in them. I had no idea what the question was, but I could feel something from the dragons mind. It wanted something from me. The task was to figure out what.
I sat up and looked around the room, trying to spot anything to offer the dragon. I saw a container of water on my bedside table and reached out for it. When I offered it to the dragon, it mewed thirstily, and I let the water drip into its mouth. It drank quickly, until nearly all the water was gone. At this point, I pulled it away as it licked its lips and I finished off the rest of the water in a mouthful. Next on the agenda was most likely food, so I decided to head out to the kitchen to see what I could find.
There were a few strips of dried meat in the pantry, which I grabbed and brought back to the dragon, which apparently had decided my bedpost was a good place to sharpen its front talons. It sat innocently on the bed while I stared at the scratches that now marked the solid oak. It seemed like this was going to be a rather interesting relationship. At least until it grew old enough to be able to understand me.
I held out one of the strips of meat, and it sniffed it carefully, before snapping it up in a greedy bite. I was careful to get my fingers out of the way quickly, as those teeth, while still small, looked viciously sharp. While I fed it the remaining pieces, I admired the dragon itself. It was small, obviously, and would be for some time, but its scales seemed to absorb the light, making the dragon itself seem almost a shadow. It was so black that I had no doubt that I would never have been able to see it in the dark of night.
The spikes along its back, as well as its talons, were a startling white. As it ate the last piece of meat, and gave a content sigh, I reached out tentatively and laid a hand upon its back. Immediately, it began vibrating, and I realised that it was purring, just as a cat would. The dragon turned its head and nuzzled up against me, purring more as I scratched under its long neck.
"You need a name." I whispered to it as it curled up next to my leg. Its eyes, which were a startling brown, looked up at me. "But I don't even know if you're a boy or a girl, which could complicate things. Any answer to that?"
The dragon looked up at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to actually pose it a question. But which question to ask? Should I just spout random names, no matter the gender, and hope for the best?
"Um, what about, Saryna? No? Ok, um, what about…. I am really bad at this. Uhh…"
Then an idea hit me. My grandmother had been called Mirana which meant midnight, due to her hair, which, like mine, had been black as night. Perhaps if this dragon was female, it would accept it. Only one way to find out.
"This one will only work if you're a girl, but what about Mirana?"
The dragon gave a little squeal and rubbed up against me.
Well, looks like I found a winner. And only two tries as well; that has to be some sort of record, I thought as I ran my hand across the scaly surface of Mirana's back. And that is who she is now. Mirana. My dragon.
Kyra
My father stood before us, Athena by his side, and a table with some interesting items on it before them. We walked forward to the table, and looked down at the strange array of, well, I wasn't sure what some of it was.
There were three stones of some sort; a deep purple one, a light blue one, and a crimson, almost blood-red one. Sitting beside them, were swords, each in a sheath the same colour as the stone next to it. They looked like no other sword I had seen. The pommels each had a gem inlaid and exquisite designs adorned each one. There was armour too, similarly beautiful, yet not so overdone it was impractical. It looked like the armour of a king or queen. In fact, one of the sets looked like it was just my size.
The thing was, we had no idea why these things were here. We had no idea what kind of world we would be entering, though the look of the equipment started giving me ideas. They were pretty wild ones, but I had no idea what to expect, so my imagination had no limitations.
After a few seconds of us looking at the gear, Athena spoke up. "Each of you knows nothing about the land you are going to, and it's my job to teach you what you need to know. If we were to do this the old fashioned way, ti could take a few weeks just to cover the basics. But seeing as we don't have that kind of time, I'm just going to take a quick shortcut. The headaches will only last a few seconds."
Nico frowned, "What headaches?"
Athena raised a hand and snapped her fingers, "These ones."
Immediately, I felt wave of pain rush into my head. It was as if someone were getting a fire hose and spraying water straight into the centre of my skull. I groaned and clutched my head, struggling to stay on my feet as the pain throbbed a final time, before fading as quickly as it had come.
Thalia shook off the last of the pain, and with venom in her voice, said, "Excuse me my Lady, but what the hell?"
Athena gave a small smile, and asked out of the blue, "What is the name of the current queen of the elves?"
"Arya, but the point is – wait, how the hell did I know that?"
Athena just smiled and said, "Your welcome."
And it was at that moment that we all realised that something was different. Our brains had a store of knowledge that hadn't been there before. I knew about the war with Galbatorix, I knew what had happened to Carvahall, I knew about the Varden, the elves, the way the new order of the Riders worked, and most importantly, I knew what the three stones on the table actually were.
We were going to be Riders.
So that's chapter one! I hope you all enjoyed it, and if you did, be sure to review and follow, cause there will be more chapters on the way. If there is anything that seems out of place or 'wrong' in the sense of what happens in the books, just PM or review, and I'll see what's up.
Se onr sverdar sitja hvass.
