A/N: Hello again! For anyone reading this who hasn't read my first story, The Cycle Continues, it might not make much sense unless you do. Next Generation is a sequel to that and builds on everything I created in my first book. The Cycle Continues is an M-rated romance (and as such, I recognize that it doesn't appeal to everyone) set ten years after the end of Inheritance that reunites Eragon and Arya, introduces several new Dragon Riders, and tells their love stories.
Next Generation is the story of those Dragon Riders' children, their upbringing, and the problem they are destined to solve. It's rated T (though later parts contain a few mature scenes, which I clearly mark for your information) and will probably feel more like Inheritance Cycle in terms of the action, adventure, and ages of my main characters once the conflict really begins to unfold. There will also still be some romance, of course, because this is me we're talking about here. :) And it seems pretty obvious, but I'll say it anyway: these characters are all OCs (meaning created by me), since none of the Dragon Riders in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle had kids at the end of his series. There are scenes involving and/or mentions of IC characters (Eragon, Arya, Murtagh, Nasuada, Angela, Elva, Orik, etc), but the majority of the story will be about the kids I began introducing in the last half of The Cycle Continues, including the Epilogue.
I would love to hear what you think (positive or negative—I can't even begin to tell you how much better this story is now thanks to critical reader feedback) of the plot, characters, writing, story, etc. Just please keep it clean. I don't much care for profanity. In between updates to Next Generation (sounds like Star Trek, huh?), you can go read The Cycle Continues if you haven't already. That story is fully posted and super long, so it should do a good job of filling your reading time if you like romances and don't have anything else to read. :) And if you are heading to do just that, the quickest way to find it would be to click on my username above (autumn6435) and scroll down to the list of my stories. Please do take the time to first read Chapter One of the listing entitled The Cycle Continues, which briefly outlines some of the story's major themes so you understand what you're in for, before moving on to the actual four-part series (Part One is entitled The Cycle Continues Part One: Reunited). I sure appreciate it!
Ok, A/N finished. Let the story begin!
FIVE
1. Brom
Brom ran his hand over the leather-bound volume in his lap, tracing the gilded lettering on the cover.
Domia abr Wyrda, it stated in a bold script. Brom slid his fingers under the thick cover and slowly lifted, absently passing it from one hand to the other. He sat cross-legged on the large sofa in the living room of his family's quarters. They had once belonged only to his father, expanding as needed after his parents married and their family grew.
Two-year-old Zadí quietly played on the rug in front of the couch, surrounded by several dolls and small dragon figurines. These comprised her "tea party," and Brom's little sister spoke for each character in a different high-toned voice. Brom had very recently been a guest at Zadí's tea party but had excused himself only moments earlier so he could resume reading.
The sofa faced the large open area Saphira and Fírnen inhabited when their Riders were home. Several bookshelves and a desk off to one side—along with a dining table just beyond—formed a divide of sorts between the living room and kitchen area. A short distance behind the sofa ran a hallway to the bedrooms.
Zadí suddenly sprang to her feet with a doll in her arms and began swirling around on the carpet, holding the hem of her skirt—she insisted on always wearing the same shimmering green dress—in one hand.
"You're such a graceful dancer!" she complimented her doll, who was likewise clad in a sparkly dress.
"No, you are, Princess Zadí," Zadí demurred in a different voice, pretending to talk for her doll. His little sister's adorable antics brought her right back in front of Brom, and she bumped into his knee.
"Oops! Sorry, big brother!" she apologized, immediately followed by, "Brom, come dance with me!"
Brom often went along with her wishes, though Zadí's favorite dance partner was their father. But he was in a pensive mood right then, so Brom kindly declined, "Not right now, sweetie. Maybe Fírnen would like a performance."
"Yes!" Zadí squealed, twirling across the rug to continue her dancing in front of their mother's glittering emerald dragon, whose scales happened to match the dress Zadí wore.
Brom smiled to himself as he returned his gaze to the tome resting on his legs. The reassuring scent of old parchment and leather drifted up to his sensitive nose, one of many comforting smells in his familiar environment. A sweet aroma from Zadí's party goodies also reached him, along with Fírnen's distinctive earthy odor, which Zadí's playful spinning sent in his direction.
The handsome dragon coiled in his impression on the magically heated stone floor beside Saphira's vacant hollow, for the sapphire dragon had left that morning with Brom's father.
As if the Fírnen knew Brom's thoughts had momentarily been of him, he flicked his tail and curled up one side of his mouth. Turning an eye away from his enthusiastic entertainer, he asked, Do you plan on reading it today, youngling? Or will you simply hold it again?
Brom sensed the dragon's amusement and imitated Fírnen's expression by turning up a corner of his lip. I have parts memorized. I like to hold it while I think about them. But maybe I will read.
The dragon squinted his eye in a teasing wink and returned his attention to Zadí as Brom let the cover fall open. He picked up a chunk of pages and pushed them over, licking his finger before turning the last several pages to the passage he sought. He lifted his finger and slid it along the text, slowing as he reached the paragraph he intended to read.
Brom's eyes followed the words he had just been reciting in his mind, but he paused when he heard a sound from behind him. He looked over his shoulder as his mother called from her room. "Yes, Mother?"
"What are you doing, darling?" Arya asked as she entered the spacious living area.
"Reading."
Arya smiled. "As usual. I have never known another five-year-old who loved reading as much as you. What are you reading?"
"The Dominance of Fate. The parts about when you and father defeated Galbatorix. Those chapters that Jeod added are my favorites."
"But you have heard the story so many times," Arya reminded, walking around the sofa and seating herself next to Brom. "Is there more in the written account that Father and I haven't shared? We ought to know the details fairly well. We were there, after all."
"No, Mother," Brom said, returning her smile as he leaned into her side. "I'd much rather hear the story from you. But this time I thought of some new questions." Brom's mother was expecting her third child, and the baby moved as he patted her belly.
Zadí skipped and leaped her way back to the sofa and climbed up to Arya's other side, placing her small hand next to Brom's. "Hi, Mama!" she breathlessly greeted. "I was dancing for Fírnen! He said I'm as graceful as the elves! The baby is getting so big!" Though only two and a half, she could speak as well as Brom had at her age.
"Hello, Zadí," Arya replied. "Fírnen told me you performed a lovely dance for him. And the baby certainly is big, isn't it?"
"Will it be born soon?" Brom asked.
"Any day now," Arya confirmed. As the surface of her round belly tightened under their hands, she added, "Do you feel that?" They both nodded. "My body is already preparing for the birth."
"Are you worried anything bad will happen like at my birth?" Brom wondered.
"There is nothing to worry me like there was then. And though having you stillborn was the hardest experience of my life, the miracle that followed was the most powerful lesson I have ever learned. Every time I look at you I am reminded of the importance of faith."
Brom nodded solemnly. His mother and father had repeatedly taught him about having faith.
"Do you hope it will be another sister?" his mother questioned. "Or would you like a younger brother?"
"Either," Brom said. "Zadí is so sweet. I can only imagine another sister being just the same. But I think I'd also really like a brother."
"Your father would be pleased to hear you say that. We are both grateful you're such a caring boy."
"Thank you. Where is Father teaching this morning?"
"At the training fields. Would you like to go visit him?"
"Yes!" Brom exclaimed, shutting the heavy book in his lap.
"May I go?" Zadí pleaded.
"I think you had best stay here and take your nap," Arya suggested. "We can go together later. Brom, would you like to discuss your questions now or at another time?"
"Now is fine. I've been thinking about the name of the ancient language. It seems to make any magician powerless if used as Galbatorix did. Are Father and Uncle Murtagh the only two who know the name?"
"The only two I am aware of. Father has never even told me, and I agree with him that very few people should know it. Is that the only thing bothering you?"
"Couldn't other people learn it if Galbatorix did?"
"Yes, it's certainly possible, but the name of the ancient language only controls verbal magic. Very skilled magicians are able to cast spells without words. The danger lies in losing your focus and creating an entirely different outcome than what you originally intended. You have often performed magic without speaking. I can also do that, as can Father. And, as I'm sure you remember, it was also the way Father ultimately defeated Galbatorix. But it is wise to use words to convey your meaning whenever possible to avoid accidentally harming others."
Brom nodded. "Are there always loopholes like that to powerful magic? What if someone else discovered a way to severely restrict someone's abilities? Like with the Dragon Riders? It almost seems unfair that they learn to be such skilled fighters and magicians. And their dragon's strength and fire gives them an even greater advantage compared to a normal person."
His mother regarded him gravely. "You have thought about this at length, haven't you?"
"Yes. What if another Rider turned bad like Galbatorix? What if someone immoral learned the name of the ancient language and began controlling people like Galbatorix meant to? The Dragon Riders of old weren't able to stop those who stood against them. Would the new Dragon Riders?"
"That's a good question. I don't know. Father and I won't soon forget what we learned during the war and our confrontation with Galbatorix. And though new Riders are constantly joining us, Father will always be the most Senior Rider. Do you doubt that he will lead us in the right direction?"
"No," Brom quickly denied. "I know Father will always choose the right course. It just seems like someone out there might get jealous of the Dragon Riders and all of their abilities. Someone who'd like to remove them as a possible threat. What if someone found a way—like Galbatorix did with the name of the ancient language—to take away the Riders' abilities?"
"You certainly do contemplate very weighty matters for a five-year-old, Brom," Arya observed as she ruffled his curly black hair. "But I'm not surprised. You have always been very thoughtful and serious. I'm impressed you have pondered such topics. If what you suggested happened, I suppose we would have to have faith that a loophole existed. Something that would enable the Riders to continue fulfilling their purpose in the land."
"That's another thing," Brom went on. "Sometimes faith produces amazing miracles, such as when I or Uncle Varhog was restored to life. But other times, it seems like those in the heavens do nothing but look on and watch. Why?"
"I don't know all the answers, darling. But perhaps we are strong enough at times to make the miracles happen ourselves, as was the case when your father and I faced Galbatorix or when Aunt Willow and Uncle Varhog faced King Kulkarvek. In those situations, we all triumphed over evil without divine assistance, at least not in the sense you are thinking. Perhaps it's just as important for us to have faith in our own abilities. Then, if we feel true hopelessness after doing all we can, we can still trust that something stronger will carry us through a while longer. But we must not always expect heavenly beings to come rushing to our aid when all seems lost. We may be required to pass through very difficult trials before we find relief, and they are always to help us grow stronger and become better."
"Yes, I believe that." Brom looked down at Zadí, who hadn't followed his conversation with their mother, and smiled. "She's already asleep. May I go visit Father now? Then you could nap with Zadí."
"That would be welcome," his mother admitted. "Will and Var are sure to be there with Uncle Varhog, since Aunt Willow also needs to rest during the day. But she's having two babies again, and growing one baby is hard enough."
"Will and Var hope the new twins will be born on their birthday and that they'll be sisters. They're kind of jealous that Nefin, Keeta, Brin, and I all got siblings before them."
Arya laughed. "There's not much they could do about it, I suppose. But now they will catch up again since their mother is having two at once. They will each always have one to hold."
"Yes, that's just what they said!"
"Go ahead then, darling. I know you'll be careful. Would you take your father a snack?"
"I'd be glad to," Brom said, sliding the large book off his lap as he hopped up. He grabbed some fruit and bread from the kitchen, then walked over to Fírnen. The dragon helped him reach the high seat on his shoulders by lifting Brom—who hung on around his snout—and lowering him down after craning his neck around.
"Don't worry, Mother," Brom reassured when he noticed the look of concern on her face.
"I know I needn't since that's how you have always mounted the dragons. But I still do."
Brom grinned, and Fírnen stood, using his head to nudge open the enormous double-doors that swung into the vast hallway outside their quarters. As the green dragon left, Brom turned and waved at his mother. Then Fírnen used his tail to close the doors behind him and they were on their way.
A/N: In these first dozen or so chapters, I'll gradually fill in the events I mentioned in the epilogue of The Cycle Continues, in about five year intervals (that's what the FIVE at the top means). This will give you some insight into the kind of life these kids had and their friendships, while slowly building up the conflict.