Disclaimer: I do not own any locations, characters or events depicted in the Inheritance Cycle.
Fate of the Forsworn
Chapter 1
The Approaching Storm
A mass of dark cloud blocked out the sun as a storm gathered strength and intensity on the massive plains near Gil'ead. A distant rumble of thunder came to the Dragon Rider stood on top of the magnificent castle, a large red dragon at his side. He wore dark clothing in the style of the elves, and around his waist was a sword belt. Sheathed at his side was a silver sword. Unusually for a Dragon Rider, he had not opted to have his own sword crafted out of the star metal the elven smith Rhunon used to make the magnificent blades, but had instead taken the blade of his late father, killed by an avalanche in the Beor Mountains during an investigation. The sword was almost five foot long and shaped like a willow leaf up to the hilt, which was made of grooved wood thick enough for a grown man or elf to wrap their fingers around, giving them a much stronger grip on the blade, although at the cost of less dexterity with the weapon. The Dragon Rider drew the sword and held it up to the wan light that filtered through the clouds. The diamond in it's' pommel was large, the size of an eagle's egg, and sparkled in the light. Down both sides of the blade was the elvish glyph for Arbiter. As the Rider stared at the massive plain, his dragon snarled for attention. He sheathed the weapon and looked up at his companion.
"What is it?"
The dragon bared his fangs and shifted slightly.
The fools who built on the plain out there are about to learn why no-one else attempted to do so.
"Is it really that bad, Kyvoster?"
For a dragon, no, but your huts of twig and mud aren't likely to withstand the whirling winds. Climb onto my back, Niev, and we shall go warn the fools of what approaches.
"Alright, but you know, you don't have to refer to every human as a fool."
Until you prove me wrong, I will not change my outlook.
Smiling slightly, Niev mounted his red dragon and sat in the saddle. For over forty years he and his somewhat surly dragon had been assigned by Vrael to watch over Gil'ead and the surrounding area. Although Urgal raids disrupted the peace, most of the people in the area had little to complain about. The land was fertile, the climate was pleasant, and all was generally well with the world. However, the plain near Gil'ead was a magnet for powerful storms, sometimes blowing up into massive tornadoes. Kyvoster took to the air and flew over the city, his cyan eyes narrowed as both dragon and rider neared the gathering tempest. As Niev prepared to utter a spell that would disrupt the formation of a tornado, Kyvoster turned to dive towards the small village below. Cursing, Niev flattened himself to Kyvoster's neck, reducing the wind tearing at him as the red dragon landed clumsily. Flapping his massive wings a few times, the huge dragon broadcasted his mental voice so all could hear him.
You fools will not learn, will you? This plain is where the whirling winds form, and if you want to survive, settle in Gil'ead like everyone else!
Niev shook his head as the people began to pack up their belongings. He turned to Kyvoster, who was taking the time to preen his ruby-like scales.
"Kyvoster, tell me this. Do you honestly want these people safe in Gil'ead, or do you want them out of the way so you have the run of the prey in this area?"
Kyvoster carried on preening, seemingly ignoring his rider. Niev smiled slightly and made to climb back onto the dragon's back when the rain started. Lightning flashed overhead, followed by a rumble of thunder mere seconds later. Kyvoster stopped preening and spread his wings to fly back to the keep at Gil'ead when a peculiar noise reached his ears. Niev froze, feeling his blood turn to ice as he recognised the sound from his studies. It resembled nothing so much as superheated metal being torn with a dragons' talons. Not two miles away, a tornado had formed and was ripping up the brush and grass that covered the plains, flinging debris everywhere. Kyvoster reared onto his hind legs, almost unseating Niev, to bring his left foreleg crashing down in time to intercept an enormous boulder sent flying towards them by the tornado. Both dragon and rider vented their shock and agony at the sheer force of the blow. Behind them, the bedraggled villagers were making haste towards the protection offered by Gil'ead. Kyvoster collapsed down to the earth, favouring his right foreleg, hissing in pain. Niev cradled his arm and mentally reached for the energy stored inside his silver blade.
Do not use the energy we have stored away in Ajunthar for a pain as trivial as this, Niev. We need to hurry these people back to Gil'ead before anyone gets hurt.
Niev shook rainwater from his hair and stared at Kyvoster as his hand closed over Ajunthar's hilt.
"Then what should we use it for? We can't stop a tornado that's formed, we can't teleport everyone into the city, so just let me heal your wound before that tornado draws us both up into the sky. And don't try to wait me out; we both know what happened the last time you attempted that."
Kyvoster was silent, and lowered his wing, a sign that Niev could go ahead. Niev placed the sword near the red dragon's leg and muttered in the ancient language.
"Waise heill!"
The dark and unsightly bruise reddened and was soon indistinguishable from the red dragon's scales. Kyvoster leapt into the air, hovering almost sixty feet over the ground.
Niev, if you're going to get us killed, hurry up or come up with a plan that will put a halt to this tornado! Already some fool has sent for your rival.
Niev was silent as he mouthed an intricate spell in the ancient language, one that would make the wind push the tornado away from the impromptu village and towards open land. The drop in their shared strength was considerable, and the red dragon floundered in the air before landing once more. However, the worst of the danger had passed, and already the sound of the tornado was dying down. Over the massive keep at Gil'ead came another dragon, flying with haste towards the now-abandoned village. Kyvoster roared deafeningly, prompting a reply from the newcomer. The other dragon was a deep purple in colour, darkening to crimson down the tail, and the spikes that jutted out of its' back and cheeks were yellowed. Niev dismounted Kyvoster as an elf woman nimbly climbed down from her massive draconic steed. Kyvoster snarled warningly as the larger female dragon sniffed him over, which seemed to amuse the other to no end. Niev looked over his shoulder at the dark purple dragon and then at the elf woman stood before him. Her hair was the colour of molten gold, and flowed elegantly down her back almost to her thighs. She wore a shirt of faded white and a tunic of cyan, and around her slender waist was a sword belt much like Niev's. A single silver ring adorned her hands, and around her neck hung a pendant with a small green gem in it. Niev was about to make the traditional elvish greeting when she spoke first, in an irate tone, making the human Rider mentally sigh and prepare himself for a tongue-lashing for his and Kyvoster's reckless yet effective method of evacuating the village.
"Why is it you and your hot-headed dragon insist on making life in Gil'ead as difficult as possible, Niev?"
Niev brushed his hair out of his eyes as he made to reply. Behind him, Kyvoster was snarling loudly at the older female dragon.
"In case you didn't know, Kialandi, these plains have something of a reputation for tornadoes, the same as humans do for reckless thought. Kyvoster and I had to alert all the inhabitants of the fore-coming danger, and we did so successfully. Perhaps now they'll settle in Gil'ead more permanently."
Kialandi glowered at Niev, her blue eyes flaming with anger. With a murmured spell, she knocked the human Rider to the ground and drew her amethyst blade. Whilst Ajunthar was more of a leaf-bladed sword, Kialandi's blade was straight and narrow. More than once, Niev and Kyvoster had joked that the path to keeping Kialandi content was exactly the opposite of her sword; winding and invisible. Niev climbed to his feet, his hand closing on Ajunthar's hilt, preparing to draw the blade. Kialandi stood watching him as he slowly drew the silver blade, then let out a long sigh.
"No harm has been done this time, but be more careful. Dragon Riders are not so common as to be easily replaced, Niev. Especially not one like you."
She turned back towards her dragon without another word, sheathing her blade as she went. Niev sheathed his weapon as the elven Rider mounted her dragon and departed. A low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, but since the tornado had passed, the weather had turned and not a drop more rain had hit the muddy ground. Kyvoster snarled at the retreating form of Kialandi and ambled over to Niev.
Why do you tolerate that stuck-up elf? Do you honestly believe she will change and even look at you as more than a fellow Rider? You should set yourself an achievable goal, Niev. I dislike seeing you suffer this heart-rot of yours.
Niev climbed onto Kyvoster's back without a word. Ever since he'd first laid eyes on Kialandi, he had been smitten with the elven Rider. Whilst he had little to offer her, she had shown hints of returning affection, thus allowing a tenuous relationship to grow, frustrating Kyvoster to no end, since Kialandi's violet dragon was almost a millennium old and viewed the younger dragon as little more than a hatchling. Kyvoster flexed his limbs and walked sedately towards Gil'ead, lecturing Niev about Kialandi's faults as he went. By now the storm was breaking up, and patches of sunlight danced across the land. Niev groaned as his dragon kept on talking.
"Kyvoster, please, just stop! You know how I feel, and we've been through this many times. I can't change the way I feel about Kialandi, and I'm not sure I'd want to if I could. Can't we just go flying? I'll even help you hunt some game birds if you agree."
The red dragon was silent for a while, during which time the sky cleared and the sun came out. Finally he spoke up.
You know I complain so much because I care, don't you?
"That and you like complaining."
That too. Very well, hunt for me, partner-of-my-mind.
Kyvoster took to the air and flew towards the lake. Isenstar was an enormous lake, and many of the inhabitants of Gil'ead trekked across the plains to fish in its' bountiful waters. Niev dismounted his dragon and walked into the thick woods ringing the southern shores of the lake as Kyvoster began to set up something resembling a campsite. He cleared the old foliage with a sweep of his massive tail, then tore down a tree and began to light a fire. After an hour, the fire was burning merrily in the small clearing, and the sun was setting. Niev returned from his trek around the lake, both hands full of dead birds. Kyvoster jerked awake as his Rider approached, and licked his lips in anticipation on seeing how many game birds Niev had bagged.
Did you use the energy-drain-magic we were taught to kill them?
Niev nodded and set the plucked birds down on the leafy branches. Kyvoster reached out with his left foreleg and nudged Niev, a glint in his eyes as he did so.
I know you don't love doing it, but it'll replace some of the energy we used today in Ajunthar. Maybe if we go to the floating crystal on the islands we can absorb more power into that diamond.
Niev was silent as he prepared the birds the way Kyvoster enjoyed most, his thoughts roaming from every topic from Kialandi to the accident in the Beor Mountains which had killed his father, who had also been a Rider. Kyvoster was more than capable of feeding himself, but both dragon and Rider took it in turns to cater to the others' needs and wants every so often. The sun was touching the horizon by the time Niev had finished preparing the last bird. Kyvoster was snoozing in the last rays, his red scales glimmering like a heap of rubies. As he put down his knife and blew out a sigh, his dragon awoke and began to eat the pile of birds. For several minutes, there was merely the sound of Kyvoster chewing and swallowing, and then finally a loud exhalation from the red dragon.
Ah, yet again your skill is unmatched. Thank you, Niev. I wasn't very hungry, but I could easily eat that much again and still want more. How you cook so well with magic and plants I do not know.
Niev didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on the silver blade of Ajunthar. Kyvoster lay down so he was looking at his Rider with one great eye.
You're thinking about your father again aren't you?
A silent nod was Niev's only response.
Do you want to talk about it? I cannot say I know your pain, but I do know that…
Kyvoster broke off his mental speech to snarl as a figure approached their camp. It took mere seconds before it was revealed to be Kialandi again. The elf-woman looked from Kyvoster to Niev and back again before speaking in a slightly scolding tone.
"Kyvoster, if you are to eat flesh and blood, do so, but to make Niev do your work for you is not right. You should be…"
Her words were drowned out by a bellowing roar from the red dragon. Swifter than the elf could move, Kyvoster had positioned his left front foot in front of her, an enormous talon close enough to rip the lamarae of her tunic. The thud from the impact made the trees shake in the twilight, and the logs shifted in the fire, sending up a cavalcade of sparks. Kyvoster glowered at Kialandi, revealing fangs half the length of Niev's sword.
Enough of your meddling, elf. Niev chose to hunt for me, and it was not by any coercion on my behalf. Leave now, and don't return. I wish to be alone with the partner-of-my-mind.
Kialandi looked at Kyvoster with a closed expression on her face. Finally she replied.
"Very well, I shall go. But do not think I will forget this, Kyvoster. Niev, our Master orders you to fly to Sharktooth Island tomorrow. He says the pirates there have prospered for too long on Teirm's wealth."
Kialandi turned and left without another word. Kyvoster growled until he lost scent of the elf, extended a wing over Niev.
Rest, my friend, we have a mission tomorrow and I can tell you're weary.
Niev smiled sleepily and moved to lie against Kyvoster's scaled hind leg. The red dragon flexed his wings back to cover his Rider in case of rain, but not before stamping out the fire that burned in the clearing. Laying down his great head, it wasn't long before both Dragon and Rider were asleep.
Dawn was a distant hope for the future when Kyvoster awoke the next day. Yawning, the red dragon scratched at himself, taking care not to disturb his Rider as he did so. Kialandi's words niggled at his mind, enough to make him consider whether he should ask Niev to not hunt for him if it could put him in a sullen mood. Whilst hardly an open man at the best of times, Niev normally enjoyed life with a sarcastic disposition mixed with optimism. As he made to scratch his back, he felt a sharp spike run along his spine, easing his ache wonderfully well. He gave a growl of contentment as Niev stopped.
Good day, Niev. You truly are an expert at giving back scratches.
Niev grinned as he climbed into Kyvoster's saddle, sheathing Ajunthar as he went.
"I'd ask you to do the same for me, but I think we can both take a guess as to what would happen if you scratched my back."
Kyvoster sniggered as he imagined himself trying to scratch his Rider's back. His claws were easily a foot long and could impale solid stone with enough effort. Giant wings spread out to over fifty feet as the red dragon launched himself into the pre-dawn sky, heading for Sharktooth Island and Teirm. Unseen by either Dragon or Rider, another pair of eyes watched the pair depart before following, higher and behind the Dragon Rider.