A/N:

I swear to God that I am not actually back. I have just been playing around with this idea enough that I have four chapters. I'm not too crazy about it but, depending on what kind of feedback I get from it, I might continue it or let someone adopt this.

I don't own Inheritance

"My lord," a familiar voice spoke, eliciting a soft sigh from the figure behind the curtain "Lord Vrael bade me to wake you. He said to tell you that the final preparations are being made and you must be present. I assume that you know what he's talking about, since he didn't see fit to enlighten me."

"Understood. I shall be down shortly," the young man said, pulling on his breastplate and straightening his sword on his hip so that he could reach it easily. Friend of my heart, we are needed.

I don't doubt it, little one, the soothing voice of his companion chimed in his mind. The elf rolled his shoulders with a grim smile, turned to the young rider still waiting and bowed his head.

"Once more, Kohr, you need not address me so formally. My name, which I expect you to call me, is Eragon. I have enough of that 'my lord' business from the early phase and middling apprentices. You're approaching the age of consideration, aren't you? Do you look forward to being able to teach the young apprentices their place here?"

"Assuming we all survive this coming siege, then yes," the human said with a nervous chuckle. Eragon smiled broadly enough to ease the boy, hiding his inner turmoil with the social graces that he had been taught from childhood. Eragon, out of respect for his human companion, grasped the young man's shoulder firmly, reassuringly.

"Ah, you can worry about the strike if it pleases you. I'll remain more distressed on the inevitable overtime we'll be pushed to whilst trying to clean up the aftermath of this messy affair. You know Vrael's strength as well as any of the apprentices; worry not for him."

"But myself? And my friends?"

"Do not lose your conviction yet. This battle has hardly begun, just as this war is far from lost."

With a sigh, Eragon stepped out from behind the trees, sure at last that he had managed to lose Kohr in the woods. Kohr, though a good man, was all too nosy for his own good and, in such an important matter as this, neither Eragon or the others could afford prying eyes.

"Eragon," another familiar voice called out, a small lilt alerting Eragon to the smile on the older elf's face. Eragon approached his old masters, very easily catching sight of Glaedr's brilliant gold scales.

"Master Oromis," Eragon greeted with a bow before beginning the traditional greeting. "May good fortune rule over you."

"Peace be in your heart," Oromis continued.

Let us hope for peace outside our bodies as well. A growl accompanied Glaedr's words as he looked around. The sun continues higher- our window grows short.

"Easy, friend," Oromis said lightly though Eragon could hear the soft harmonies in the elf's voice that betrayed his own worry. "Vrael has many duties, this being just one."

This is a strange sight to behold, a familiar voice spoke to Eragon, causing him to look up as a dazzling glint caught his eye. His eyes honed in on the indistinct figure as the blue dragoness grew closer and closer, becoming more clear with each second. And a stranger feeling too... I feel as if we are damning my kind, our kind, in the hopes of saving them.

This is a last resort, Eragon reminded Saphira softly. If the precautions were unneeded, that was all for the better. In the very likely case that the remnants of the Order fell, the horde of eggs and Eldunari held beneath the surface of the island would be the last hope for the continuations of the dragons' species and of the memory of the Order.

Let us hope that it proves needless, Saphira said as she lightly touched down in the clearing. Bowing her head, she offered her greetings to Oromis and Glaedr. Just as she finished, Eragon felt two new minds nearing them and, after a quick study, knew them to be the last of their party.

"Vrael and Umaroth approach," he announced, his ears searching for the wingbeats as familiar to him as Saphira's or his own heartbeat. True to his word, the shining white dragon very quickly appeared over the treeline. As the massive dragon touched down, Saphira shifting closer to Glaedr so as not to be placed beneath the older dragon's thick spiked tail, Vrael leapt down to join Eragon and Oromis on the ground. Though his face was unmarred by lines of age, Eragon had never seen the Lead Rider so tired or old.

"There is little time left and much to be done," Vrael said after greeting his compatriots. "The last of the eggs were transported to the cavern half a moon ago and the Eldunari have been readied for their isolation. Have the wards been set about the entrance?"

"All but the very last," Oromis reported faithfully. "All that remains is the final enchantment."

"Eragon, have you become prepared to enact your part?" Vrael asked somberly. Eragon nodded, bowing his head respectfully.

"I have, Father." At Eragon's words, Vrael's eyes seemed to lighten for just a moment. He reached out, laying a steady hand against Eragon's shoulder. "I shall not let my mission be abandoned."

Nor shall I. Even if we must wait a hundred years, I refuse to let the Dark One sit on his undeserved throne while the masses suffer, Saphira growled threateningly. Vrael chuckled softly and Oromis smiled as their own companions growled in agreement.

He shall not go unpunished, Glaedr rumbled. Umaroth, the eldest dragon in the clearing, bowed his head as if sadly.

So many of our kin slain... No more. Saphira Brightscales, when none of we may guide you, remember this day and your oath. Time may have tempered the anger of me, but I cannot deny my own desire for justice.

"We all crave justice in the face of such atrocities, but we must bide our time," Vrael counseled, closely his eyes briefly. Opening them once more, he turned to Eragon. "You bear a great name, Eragon, and a heavy burden. They are not yours' alone, nor should you treat them as such. And if the weight of our sins and Galbatorix's crimes seem too heavy and venomous to lift, know that I have always been proud to call you my son."

Eragon's throat threatened to tighten before he forced himself to swallow. He bowed deeply to his father before looking to Saphira.

"The window of opportunity narrows as we speak."

Aye. We must act now, lest all be lost.

"I shall see you on the-"

Battlefield, Oromis-ebrithil-

"Glaedr-ebrithil, Umaroth-elda, Father."

May the wind rise beneath your wings-

"And your swords stay sharp," Eragon finished. Saying his last goodbyes, Eragon withdrew to the Rock of Kuthian itself. Sitting himself down, he closed his eyes and focused his mind on the magic as it swirled within the nature around him. Saphira curled around his motionless figure carefully and closed her eyes, laying her head just next to him. Bringing their minds closer and closer, the lines between Rider and dragon all but vanished as Eragon lost himself further and further in his meditation, determined to focus solely on the world around him to create his own sphere of isolation.

The work was difficult, but Eragon and Saphira had spent as much time as reasonable practicing at this. By binding their minds together so strongly, it ensured that neither could forget of the Vault of Souls while the other remembered. The most important function of their joint meditation, however, was to create the sphere of energy surrounding the two that was Eragon's current goal. By molding the energy around and within both he and Saphira, he wished to create a space that could be completely invincible and impenetrable by ward or enchantment. While not suitable for battle thanks to the time-consuming nature of the shield and the need for complete and deep meditation for the sphere to truly be effective, the shield did have its benefits. If molded correctly, Eragon believed that it would guard he and Saphira from the enchantment that Vrael and Oromis would begin to weave in just a few short minutes when the shield was fully established.

Resisting the urge to open his eyes to see if the shield, evidenced by a silvery purple mist, had begun to thicken around him, Eragon focused on his heartbeat to center his mind's eye. So keen on the steady pounding of his and Saphira's hearts, Eragon failed to recognize as Oromis and Vrael vanished to the Vault of Souls to weave the enchantment with the strength of the dragons' Eldunari.

A/N:

If you've read almost anything by me, you will know that I love time travel fics or things in that general mold. I've never read one where Eragon was Vrael's son. I thought that that would make such an interesting story with the conflict against Galbatorix and I wondered how that would change the dynamic between Eragon and Brom so instead of being father/son or mentor/student, they'd be on a more equal field or Eragon would be higher ranked.

If I continue this, I won't have Arya taking Eragon's original place as the rider. That will either be an OC, Murtagh, or Roran. Maybe Katrina. She'd probably be fun to write as a rider... Are there any fics where Katrina is a Rider? If you find one, leave me a link in the reviews, alright? I'm seriously thinking that that would be cool.

Again, if you like this idea or are curious to see what could happen, make sure you leave a review and tell me. Otherwise I'm not going to bother and I'll crawl back into my little actual-life cave and sleep.

... I actually just laughed at the idea of me having an actual life. Literally, all of my time is eaten by drama, choir, other choir, other choir, color guard, home work, stupid projects, finally reading House of Hades (it's still not okay!), and, believe it or not, getting ready to larp for my first time.

I'm that cool: larping. I'm going to be a Grey Elf called Eliandre when I've gotten enough experience npc-ing to upgrade my character into a cool person.

Okay, enough of my nerding.

Byes!

Sue

PS: I'm really not back, really! I'm sorry for the two updates getting your hopes up (if they did, that is)!