A/N: Hey people! How are you doing tonight? Good? Great! Before we get started, you need to know a few things.

-This starts in the middle of Inheritance, when Eragon is talking to Umaroth. I read it on my Kindle, so I'm not sure which page it is, but it's somewhere right before they leave.

-Glaeder isn't traveling with them.

-Before the beginning, Umaroth has already stated that he and the rest of the Eldunari are going back to the mainland with Eragon and Saphira.

-This takes place BEFORE the siege of Dras-Leona.

Right! So, I haven't finished this story yet, and don't have a detailed plot mapped out yet, but I'll notify you in advance if I'm stuck (or going to be stuck). Also, I apologize if things happen a little fast, but I want to get the story and the war going. I reply to reviews in the chapter, so please excuse possible long a/n's in the future. If you don't want to read the review replies, I'll put the start of the chapter and any super-important info in bold.

So, that just about sums it up! Constructive criticism is appreciated. Enjoy!


CHAPTER 1

"And have hope; we are very powerful, strengthened by time, and can grant you great power that will aid you in the war against the dark king."

"Really?" Eragon asked. "What kind of powers?"

"Long ago," Umaroth began, "There was a race whose strength was unknown. They existed before the humans, the elves, and even the mighty dragons. Until recently, most of us thought them to be extinct."

"You say that like they're not," Eragon interrupted.

"Let me finish, hatchling, and perhaps you shall know," the white dragon rumbled.

Eragon bowed his head.

"These creatures were, even in their prime, extremely rare. They could change into different forms at will, among other things, and so many of them kept to themselves deep in the Spine in order to hide their oddity. Recently, however, we have discovered that their powers have lain dormant for many thousands of years in select families, which eventually narrowed down to one. Myself and the rest of the Eldunari located here should be able to reawaken it in the last living member of this family. Eragon, that person is you."

Eragon stared, gaping. "How am I the last of this family? I have both a brother and a cousin."

"Yes, but are they sons of Brom?"

"…Oh."

"Yes, Eragon," Umaroth said patiently. "Will you allow us to reawaken your lost potential?"

"Will it help us in defeating Galbatorix?"

Umaroth sighed. "You'll be able to turn into a dragon, Shadeslayer, what do you think?"

Eragon nodded. "Then let it be done."

Umaroth withdrew from Eragon's mind. One by one, the Eldunarí began to glow with an ethereal blue light. There was wordless chanting and an explosion of color; then, everything went dark.


Eragon opened his eyes groggily. Where am I? He was in a grassy clearing, which was surrounded by towering green trees of every type, most of which were unfamiliar to him.

Then, he remembered: The Eldunarí, the dragon eggs, and his powers! He shot up from his position on the ground, but was surprised by his own speed and strength. He would have fallen back down had it not been for a blue, sparkling, larger-and-more-detailed-than-he-remembered tail. When he looked up, he was met with quite the shock.

Saphira, his partner-of-heart-and-mind, had grown to what Eragon reckoned was more than double her original size. Had he been alive, Eragon was sure that Saphira would have been only slightly smaller than the great Belgabad. Her blue eyes glittered down at him until she snorted and pulled back.

"Saphira!" Eragon called. "What's wrong?"

Instead of giving him an answer, Saphira showed him what she had seen. Tinted slightly by the blue in Saphira's eyes was a man whom Eragon could barely recognize as himself. With muscles leaner than an elf's and sapphire blue eyes that could only be described as draconic, Eragon couldn't blame Saphira for her surprise.

"You've… changed," Saphira stated bluntly.

"I can see that."

"No, not like that," Saphira said. "Your mind is changed- more elf like, but somehow very, very different. Both of our senses have been sharpened as well. Have a look around."

Following his dragon's advice, Eragon gazed at the world around him. From where he was standing, he could see the smallest beetle, the veins in a leaf, and the worm in a bird's mouth a league away. The rustling of plants and chattering of squirrels had gained a new sharpness, and he swore that he could smell a deer in the forest and taste that anthill at the edge of the clearing. Truly, it amazed him.

"It seems that you have changed more than I," Saphira interrupted. "I have grown and my senses have become enhanced. You have that, but you have a stronger mind than even Umaroth himself, you have more physical speed and strength, and due to that strength, I would assume that your magic is almost limitless." Despite her efforts to hide it, Eragon could sense a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Of course I've changed more than you," Eragon consoled her. "Why would anyone want to change a mighty dragon?"

Saphira's bared her fangs in what Eragon knew was her dragon-smile. "Thank you, little one," Saphira said, "I needed that. Now, before we head back to the Varden, I think we should test out your new power, yes?"

"What new power?"

Saphira rolled her eyes at him. "Remember when Umaroth said that your kind could shape shift?"

Eragon balked. How could he forget?

"How should I go about it?"

"I don't know," Saphira drawled. If she could, Eragon was sure that she would have shrugged her shoulders. "Why don't you ask Umaroth?"

Eragon nodded and conversed with the Eldunarí. Saphira lay down and waited patiently.

"To use this power," said Umaroth, "You must simply say, 'Waise,' and concentrate on the form that you would like to change into. As your mental capabilities have greatly expanded, I am sure that it will not be a challenge for you."

Eragon nodded, deciding to start with something simple. He pictured a red falcon, which he had often seen back in Carvahall during his hunting trips, then exclaimed, "Waise!"

To Eragon's shock, the transformation did not hurt or tire him in the slightest. He simply said the word, and then snapped into his avian form. Saphira chuckled as he hopped and flapped around her snout, chirping and cawing all the way, in order to get used to his new body shape.

After a time, Eragon decided to test his wings. With a great whoosh (although it was not so impressive after hearing Saphira take off), Eragon lifted his feathery body off the ground. He gazed at the world below him, utterly fascinated at how every detail was marvelously clear and how his shadow sent rodents and insects scattering. He alighted on a branch next to Saphira, then turned back into his natural form and dropped to the ground.

Putting aside his fascination for a moment, Eragon spoke to his dragon. "We'd better leave, Saphira, or we won't make it back to the Varden. We can finish testing our abilities there."

Saphira gave him a nod, and Eragon thanked whatever gods were out there that the saddle had grown with Saphira. Having learned his lesson when he had gotten up after awakening, he put the smallest, most minute amount of energy possible into his jump and launched himself directly onto Saphira's saddle in a single bound. He allowed himself a small smile for his feat, which he could not have achieved before, even with Saphira's smaller size.

As she flew, Eragon could see the sea creatures, even those that were far under the water. His new vision could somehow pierce the dark depths, to which he had previously been blind. How had he lived without this? Before, the salty stench of the ocean would have clogged his nose, but now, he could still smell the long-gone island of Vroengard and the dirt that was caught in between Saphira's giant claws.

While the dragoness cruised on the gentle thermals, Eragon didn't just marvel at his senses. With the help of Umaroth and the rest of the Eldunarí, he learned and performed new, complex spells that he had not been aware of just hours before. With his new mental prowess, however, he soaked up the information quickly and was able to execute every one of these new spells perfectly and with little to no energy loss with the exception of one.

"There is one spell," Umaroth mused. "It takes great amounts of energy and should not be attempted unless the user is in a dire situation. Only the most powerful of all Riders were able to perform it. Would you like to learn this spell?"

Eragon nodded. "I believe that I should learn all spells possible in order to give me the best chance of taking down Galbatorix."

"Very well," said Umaroth. "Listen wisely and take caution."

Umaroth told Eragon the words, had him commit them to memory, and then moved on with his lessons.

At one point in their flight, Umaroth commented, "When we brought out your heritage, we had only legends and stories to go by. As all other legends are, we had assumed that the legend about this supposedly extinct race of power would be grossly exaggerated. However, it seems that the teller of these myths was not aware exactly how powerful this race was. Either you are what one might call a 'prodigy,' or nobody in those ancient times could grasp this power that your race has."

Eragon blushed, made proud by the dragon's praise. "Thank you."

Saphira snorted. "You're too humble, little one."

Time passed on, with Saphira making much faster progress due to her enormous size and the absence of the storm. When the mainland came into sight, hardly a day into their journey, ecstasy gripped Eragon once more as he was reminded of his motive for going to Vroengard and gaining power in the first place.

"Oh, Saphira! With what we have gained, surely we can defeat Galbatorix."

"Have caution, little one. Arrogance can bring down even the mightiest." Despite her warning, Eragon could feel Saphira's own deep-seeded confidence in herself and her Rider. Eragon smiled again.

"I suppose."


A/N: Aaannd, there we have it! The first chapter of Verander. Follow me on Twitter to get real-time updates on my progress! My username is "murtyrox."