Galbatorix
Kalon was sent home for that night, and he returned to his parents with his little black dragon cradled in his arms.
His parents bombarded him with warnings as they walked, but he heard none of it. He was too busy staring into Shruikan's little silver eyes.
They were so intelligent and bright, and Kalon felt he could drown in the love that saturated the little silver pools set into Shruikan's face.
"Because it has great responsibilities, and you have to be careful, right Kalon?" Jitrel was saying.
"Hmm? Of course." Kalon replied sleepily. "Lila, the rider, said Shruikan and I should spend the day together, and meet her at the castle in the morning. We're going to go to Vroengard!"
Lori's face fell, and she scrunched her hands together as they reached their house and one of the servants opened the door for them. "Yes, but I'm sure they can train you here, if you ask them." She said hopefully.
Kalon hesitated. "But… I don't want to, mother." He sighed. "I want to go to Vroengard. But I promise I will write to you, and I'll visit, Shruikan and I will visit."
Lori glanced sideways at Shruikan, who was now asleep, his head resting on Kalon's chest. "Well, then." She sighed. "You should probably pack your things for tomorrow. Did the rider tell you what to feed… the dragon?"
Kalon smiled as he sprang up the stairs, and as he did, he called, "meat, of course!"
He strode to his bedroom and closed the door quickly, while still keeping one arm looped around Shruikan's middle.
He placed the sleeping dragon on his bed and pulled out the leather bags he used whenever he left Gil'ead. He packed plenty of clothes, and amongst them he placed his most prized possessions.
One was a small ivory comb, with delicate little engravings of dragons decorating it, and his other favourite item was a little red velvet pouch containing many precious stones.
When he was done, one of Shruikan's little eyes was open and watching him. As Kalon turned to him, he felt such a pang of love that it nearly knocked him off his feet.
Sighing happily, he seated himself beside Shruikan and proceeded to tickle his tiny, diamond-shaped scales that slotted together perfectly.
"Did you have a good sleep, Shruikie?" Kalon asked, feeling it was right to speak to the little creature.
Shruikan's dear little mind radiated recognition, but nothing else.
Kalon smiled softly. "I'm a Dragon Rider." He whispered. "And you're my dragon."
The next morning Kalon awoke to find little Shruikan sitting on the floor beside the empty fireplace, where he was licking his scales and preening himself.
He jumped out of bed and slung his packs onto his back, then stooped to pick up Shruikan.
No. The dragon's voice seemed to say, though without really using words. He nuzzled Kalon's hand, but stumbled forward shakily, flapping his wings and chirping as he did.
"You want to walk, Shruikie?" Kalon chuckled and walked slowly forward, then held the door open for his dragon to stumbled past.
Shruikan squeaked, and his mind became contented. When he reached the stairs, however, he flapped his wings twice and rose into the air slightly, wobbling about.
"No, Shruikan!" Kalon grabbed him by the waist and carried him, not wanting his dear friend to fall, for he surely would. "You can't fly yet."
Shruikan chirped angrily, but he let out a loud sigh and settled into Kalon's arms.
"Ah, Kalon." Jitrel and Lori were, unusually, seated in the entrance hall, on the plush, white chairs beside the archway leading to the dining hall. Jitrel closed the book he was reading and stood. "Farewell, son."
He embraced his son kindly, and Lori stood. She clung to her son lovingly and brushed back a lock of his golden hair, smiling. "Oh, Kalon. I do hope everything goes well." She sighed.
He wriggled out of her grasp and smiled back. "I have to go alone." He told them. "But I'll visit soon. Goodbye, I love you both."
He walked to the door and a servant opened it for him. As he stepped out, Lori shouted, "and Kalon, Talia will want you to say goodbye!"
Talia had been Kalon's best friend since he was a child. She came from a rich family, and Kalon knew her parents wanted her to marry him, though he supposed it was too late now. That thought made him feel unexpectedly sad, for Talia was one of the only people that understood him, and he loved her wild nature.
He strolled down the street, while Shruikan scrambled onto his shoulder and looped his tail about Kalon's neck.
Talia's large, grand house was the on the edge of the street, and when he knocked forcefully on the door, a plainly garbed servant opened the door for him, and bowed courteously as he crossed the threshold.
"Kalon!" Fera, Talia's mother, was standing on the stairs, looking quite surprised. "Your mother told me." She said gently, watching Shruikan fan his wings.
"I've come to say goodbye to Talia." He told her uneasily.
"Of course." Fera nodded to him as he passed her on the stairs.
He knocked gently, then opened the door to Talia's room slowly when she called for him to enter.
She was sitting beside the window and staring out at her family's garden, where servants were tending to the shrubs and flowers. Her long, chestnut hair hung in neat curls around her face, and two silver slides held part of her hair off her inquisitive blue eyes.
"Kalon." She said softly, her eyes sorrowful as she watched him step towards her. "I don't want you to go, I want to go with you!"
Kalon stared at the floor. He wanted her to come, too, for this was not who she usually was. She was a wild girl, and he knew she dreamed of being a rider as much as he did, but she was so beautiful, and her parents had plans for her.
"I want you to come." He sat beside her on the soft settee and clasped her hand in his. "But I'll help you, Talia." He stared into her eyes, those crystalline, blue eyes that he loved so much.
She smiled wanly. "And how will you do that?" She asked, reaching a hand forward cautiously and brushing Shruikan's scaly head gently.
He grinned. "I'll bring back dragon eggs, for you, and your parents will have no choice but to let you go if you bond with a dragon."
She let out a passionate sob. "But Kalon, I was going to marry you… and… now you're not staying I… I have to marry Lord Hirchen's son!"
Lord Hirchen was the cousin of the governor of Gil'ead, and he had a son that was four years older than Kalon and Talia.
"I didn't want to marry you." Kalon said softly. "I didn't want us to stop being best friends. But… I don't know, maybe… I can help you."
"I'll wait." She smiled genuinely and let go of his hand, then stood and straightened her pale blue skirts. "Only for you, Kalon. Because you're my best friend." She hugged him.
"Then goodbye, I'll see you soon." He strode to the door, patting Shruikan.
"Goodbye, Kalon." She said. "By the gods, I can't believe you're a rider!"
He grinned, and their eyes locked for one last time, before he was descending the stairs and she was out of sight.
He hurried towards the centre of the city, where he was to meet the rider, thinking about Talia.
Talia nice. Shruikan said.
Kalon jumped, nearly making his dragon fall. He tried thinking his reply, so Shruikan would hear it in his mind. Yes. You can talk already?
Amusement gushed along their mental link, but the little black dragon did not reply.
Kalon sighed and approached the jade dragon, who was stood proudly in the main square. His rider, Lila, was standing beside his foreleg, speaking to a boy who had a cherry-red dragon draped about his shoulders.
Another adult dragon was standing beside Relta, the jade dragon. It was bright, gleaming silver, with ashen grey eyes, and its build was more slender than Relta, even though it was smaller and clearly younger.
Lila strode towards Kalon once she had finished speaking with the boy. "Kalon!" She called, her freckled face splitting into a wide grin. "Since only five of the dragons bonded, we only need two dragons to take us to Vroengard. You'll be going with Aranth and her rider." She turned away, her shocking red hair blowing in the wind.
Kalon glanced at Shruikan, who was watching the two huge dragons curiously. "Let's go then." He shrugged and walked towards Aranth.
A young man was helping a tall girl with short black hair onto his dragon's back, and when he turned to Kalon, he saw that his grey eyes matched his dragon's exactly.
"Kalon, is it?" He asked kindly. "I'm Galbatorix."