I awoke slowly. My body though still in pain wasn't in as much as before, how though? I should be dead right now.
Looking up I saw I was in a bed in a unfamiliar room. The walls were made of rough stone and the room only had the bed I was sleeping in and a cabinet for clothes with a full length mirror on the door to it.
I couldn't help myself I was curious, so getting slowly to my feet and feeling the cold of the stone floor seeping into the soles of my feet I walked forward my body flaring in pain every once in a while. Finally I got to the mirror and I got to say I couldn't have been happier or more surprised. My body though showing signs of injuries was almost completly healed. I only had three wounds left, one cut from the nail of a paw that ran across the left side of my chest and the cut on my face. The final one was the chunk that was missing from my ear.
"Ohh your up I would have thought that you would sleep longer." A shocked voice said. Spining around I saw a girl of around eighteen standing in the doorway of the room. She was wearing what would be called mens clothes. Brown riding pants with hiking boots on top, a thin white top that ended in short sleeves. Her hair though was one of the most unique things about her, it was slight shade of purple and was cut short so it reached to just past her shoulders, she had it tucked up behind her ears with a head band helping to hold it back out of her eyes. Now her eyes those help a power in them, they were a plain brown but seemed to radiate confidence and strength.
"Ahh, I guess I have you to thank for healing me, thank you. By the way my names Leo." I introduced myself stepping forward and holding out my hand for her to shake.
She reached forward and shook my hand while saying "Amelia." We just looked at each other before her face went oddly blank and she nodded to herself saying with a wave of her hand "Come we should get you something to eat you look starved." As if agreeing with her my stomach suddenly growled making me blush and her giggle as I followed her out of the room.
Not three feet out of the doorway and I froze in shock and fear. Right infront of me was a large white dragon easily as big as three horses and the same in length if not longer. The dragon stared at me with silver eyes as it lounged comfortably on a pile of leather skins in the centre of the room. "You comeing Leo?" Amelia asked turning around to face me not even scared of the great big dragon that was right behind her.
"D-Dr-Dragon!" I stuttered out raising a shaky finger and pointing at it.
"Hmm, ohh. Don't worry there's nothing to worry about, this is Liana my dragon I'm her rider." If I wasn't shocked before I was now as Amelia walked up to the dragon now called Liana and hugged her around the neck. I could feel slight vibrations as the dragon seemed to purr, yes purr.
Getting over my shock and fear I executed a formal bow that I learned as a cub to use when enterring someone elses territory. "My names Leo." I said during the bow to the dragon that just blinked in shock. There was something more animalistic about the bow that seemed to make her respond with a small dip of her head.
I saw the dip Liana's large head with a smile on my face I got up from my bow and slowly walked forward following Amelia past Liana who still scared me and made me want to run with my tail between my legs. She lead me to a stone table that seemed like it was carved out of the rock of the cave that the rooms were in. "Sit I'll get us some food." I just listened to her like I should after all I was just a guest in her household.
I watched as she moved around the small kitchen taking out various things and heating them up with a muttered word. I knew of magic of course but I could never actually use it other then changing into a large wolf.
After a bit she turned around to plates in her hands covered in vegetables that had steam coming off of them. "Thank you." I said politly as I accepted my plate of vegies and ate them slowly. I didn't really like vegetables I guess it was a trate I got from my other half I don't know, but I always preferred meat. "So, what attacked you?" She asked after a bit still munching down on her vegetables. I could fell Liana's peircing gaze digging into my back.
Swallowing a peice of carrot nervously I told her half the truth, "I accedently walked into a wolf packs territory and they attacked me." Technically I was right, they were wolfs and I did pass into their territory.
I looked up as the silence continued and saw Amelia staring at me as if gageing the truth to my story. Finally after a bit she blinked and said, "I see, well if that's the case how did you surivive?" Crap! I can't very well tell her I'm technically a wolf now can I? But I don't want to lie either.
She seemed to notice my delima because she just narrowed her eyes and said, "Well when your done I should take you to the head of my order, we need to warn him of possibly dangerous wolves in that area. We don't want anyone else to get hurt now do we?"
"N-no of course not." I replied as I finished off my plate of vegetables. I followed albeit reluctantly as we moved towards Liana who now that I noticed it had an ornate saddle strappled between a gap in her spiks on her shoulders. "How are we supposed to get up there?"
With a raised eyebrow Amelia just stared at me from her perch on the saddle. Wait how did she get up there so fast? "Ohh I don't know climb!" I hate climbing, actually come to think of it I hate a lot of stuff. With a sigh I grabbed one of the spikes and hauled myself up and onto the saddel where I sat grasping the sides of it in fear. Damn this is high up.
With a lurch Liana rose to her broaud paws and padded almost silently to the edge of the cave giving us a good look out of it and to the ground for below. I felt my stomach turn in fear before with a roar and whoop the large white dragon pushed off from the cave edge and started to glide the sun glinting off of her scales. I just kept my eyes straight ahead not daring to look down in fear of the height, my hands gripped the saddle so hard that my knuckles were white.
Amelia turned in her seat infront of me not in the least fazed by how hight we were only to see my wide eyed pale face staring straight at her. "Leo what's wrong?" She asked shocked. Was that actual concern I heard in her voice?
"Sc-scared of h-heights." I stuttered out not taking my eyes off of her purple hair that flowed gently in the wind.
"Wait so you can face down wild animals without backing down, but the second your in the air your scared?" I just nodded numbly not having the strength to argue. She broke out laughing along with Liana who I guess was listening in this whole time, no shocker there.
"N-not fair. I-I've sp-spent my whole l-life on the gro-ground." I got out my cheeks heating up with a blush from embarrasment. I had to hide a growl that was threatening to comeout so I lowered my head to my chest and made it look like I was grumbling.
If I was looking at her I might have seen Amelia's face go blank for a bit before her eyes narrowed and she turned around to face where we were flying. "Were here." Amelia said not turning around. I looked infront of us as we were slowly angling down towards a cliff face. Damn!
Carved into the face of the cliff itself was a large castle like structure. Most of the windows could have held a barn in them they were so big and had dragons flying in and out of them all of varying sizes. There was only one tower and at the top of it was a large window bigger then all the others. Sitting in the window those was the largest dragon I've ever seen, mind you I've only seen Liana up close. The dragon was a bright saphire color, it was easily the size of three barns and would dwarf anything it came too it sat proud watching the dragons and riders alike as they played a small grin plastered to her face that showed her wickedly sharp teeth.
As we got closer its large head swung towards us and its tear drop shaped pupil narrowed as it faced us before I turned around and went inside. Against my better judgement I was forced to follow as Liana angled to enter the large window. As we passed inside I noticed that even her large wingspan was not even close to covering the whole of the window and she slipped inside it easily. I was shocked because even though I could guess that this was the leaders room it wasn't dressed up like royalty. No it was just like a normal home. A couple couches sat around a large table all of them with dips lined with pillows behind them big enough for dragons to lay in. The room wasn't beautiful instead it gave you the feeling of being welcome.
Liana touched down and I wasted no time in scrambling off getting a giggle from all three occupents, Liana, Amelia and the mystery dragon who lay behind a blue colored couch its large head on its paws yet still the couch only covered its lower jaw it was so big. Something caught my eye and I turned to see a man of about thirty five enter the room an apron on and holding a tray of steaming cups with other containers on it. He didn't look very remarkable instead he actually looked kind of like Amelia. He had almost feline like features with slanted brown eyes and shaggy brown hair. He was tall though not overly so and had thin compact muscles.
With a squel Amelia ran up to him and just before she got to him the stranger dropped the tray muttering a word of power that made it float in the air before he took her in a big hug and swung her around. "Ohh Amelia how have you been you haven't visited in so long?" He asked looking at her. His voice didn't even sound old infact it had the sound of a mischevous little kid in it giving him the impression of wanting to play all the time.
Amelia giggled softly before she answered not leaving his arms, "Ohh I'm fine and to answer your question you know I've been busy."
"Ya looking for trouble like you usually do." He said with a chuckle. I just watched feeling oddly uncomfortable about this, after all I didn't want to intrude.
"Hey!" Amelia gasped punching him in arm lightly.
"That hurt!" He yelled, rubbing his arm in mock pain.
"Ya, ya whatever. Now I have someone for you to meet." Amelia said taking his hand and dragging him towards me. "Leo this is the leader of the dragon riders Eragon Shadeslayer-"
"Please just call me Eragon." Eragon interruted holding out his hand.
"-but I just call him dad."
Haha bet you didn't see that coming. Though come to think of it, it might have been obvious. Ohh well Read and Review please! Ohh ya and since I forgot before a special thanks to David the Scotish werewolf for reviewing my first chapter. Anyhoo happy reading :D