In the Beginning: Part 3

Keres had just come within sight of the outer wall of Braugh when the alarm bells began to sound. Although she had been waiting for them, the sound still made her stomach clench and a shudder of fear ran through her. Around her, the city exploded into a buzz of activity. Dwarf voices cried out from every direction and the tramp of boots broke the silence of the night. Ducking into a side alley to avoid a group of warriors who were hurrying in tight formation toward where she had been imprisoned, Keres reviewed her situation.

She still had no idea where the city gate was. She had intended to follow the first patrol of dwarf guards she had seen until they passed by the main gate and then slip away. However, it appeared that the gods had conspired against her. She must have picked them up just after they left the main gate, for they had traversed most of the way around the city without a single opening through which she could escape the city. And now someone had discovered her disappearance and the city had taken on the appearance of an overturned anthill. Escaping would be nearly impossible now. Even as the though crossed her mind, she heard the distant boom of stone doors being shut. Damn. Taking advantage of the dust raised by the passing troop, she dashed along the street, praying that the sounds of chaos around her would drown out her own, pattering footsteps. The rough stone made her feet hurt, but she sprinted onward, ducking behind crates or barrels whenever she encountered another patrol.

But there was nowhere to go! The gates to the city were shut and by now, there were surely guards posted on every wall. She needed somewhere to hide, somewhere she could wait out the confusion until the alarm had died down. Glancing around over the tops of the houses, she spotted, some ways off to her left, a single, stone structure that stood above the others. A giant, cylinder of grey stone, it towered high into the night, riddled with large, black spots that Keres realized a moment later were holes carved into the rock. It alone, of the entire city, seemed silent and slumbering.

She headed for it, taking as straight a path as caution, and the strange, dwarf designed streets would allow. Still, it took her nearly 10 minutes to reach the structure. Twice on her journey, a dwarf had spotted her disembodied shadow rippling along behind her. The first appeared to have shrugged it off as a trick of the light. The second, however, realized exactly what it was and had given chase. Only by vaulting two fences and utilizing her prodigious speed has she managed to escape.

So it was that she found herself, panting and exhausted, at the foot of the tower. A massive, metal door barred the entrance and no spell she could create would open it. Realizing that she had not the time to wait and pick the lock, she had sidled around the cylinder until she stood directly beneath the opening. She stood, mentally measuring the distance up to the dark, gaping hole. Had she been at full strength, there would have been no doubt she could have reached the opening. As it was, the spell that hid her from view drained more of her strength with every second. As the pounding of boots revealed another patrol headed her way, she made up her mind. Bracing herself she whispered, "Audr."

The drain on her strength was phenomenal as she rose, shakily, in to the air. At first she moved smoothly up the rock, but as her energy ebbed, the motion became jerky and slow. Stretching up her arms, she caught the lip of the rock as soon as it came within reach and pulled herself in, ending all of her spells. The cave, for a cave it was, was much deeper than she had originally anticipated. It extended back in a large, black void that hid the end from her sight. But it was not the void that caught her attention. No, what drew her was what looked like a mound of pillows and soft blankets piled into a mound off to one side of the cave. And sitting on the mound, nestled atop the blankets, were three enormous, glistening gems.

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Thane gaped, open mouthed, at the two dragons that now stood sentinel in the garden. Though he saw dragons regularly, if every two years could be counted as regularly, their stature and beauty never ceased to amaze him. The nearest to him, lined up as he was with the other children of the empire, was a dragon whose scales sparkled with a brilliant blue-green hue. Across from him, a slightly larger, bright orange dragon shuffled its wings, casting flecks of light across the spectators who lined the yard. Between then, and on either side of a raised bier, stood the two riders. The rider of the blue-green dragon, a man whose name was Gareth Stevenson, watched the proceedings with keen-eyed interest.

His garb was fine, though not so lavish as to be unwieldy should he need to fight. His shirt was of a soft, white cloth and his breeches where a dark, deep shade of blue that matched his eyes. His head was perfectly shaved and contrasted by a wiry beard that masked what was obviously a strong jaw-line. His companion, a dwarf, was attired as if for battle. A sparkling coat of mail hung from his shoulders. His fists, which appeared as blocks of stone attached to the ends of his arms, were tipped with a series of spikes that glinted dully in the sunlight. A helm hung from the saddle his dragon wore. At the sides of both the riders hung the embellished scabbards that Thane knew held their swords. Rider's Swords!

One by one, the children were allowed to approach the bier and stand before the three dragon eggs which sat on silken pillows. Thane thought he had never seen gems that could equal the beauty of the three eggs that now glistened in his garden. The nearest to him was a pale green, like young leaves. Veins of a deeper green showed around the surface like a root system beneath a plant. Next to it sat an egg of a bright, sky blue. At first, Thane had believed it was merely reflecting the sky above, but as clouds began to drift across the sun, it became apparent that the blue coloring would not waver. However, it was the third egg, the farthest from him, that caught his attention. It was a dazzling, snow white, the brightest white that he had ever seen. As the sun's light touched it, the egg seemed to glow from within, emanating a halo that shimmered and shifted.

Thane shifted anxiously from foot to foot, mentally counting the number of people in front of him for the twelfth time. His father had insisted that he and his brother take places in the line, despite the fact that the riders had offered to allow them to go first. The King had stated that if the families of the other children had been waiting outside for hours, then it was only right that they should be allowed to go in the order they had arrived. Thaddeus stood in front of him and Thane could see the rigidity in his brother's shoulders. Leaning forward he whispered, "Are you alright?"

Thaddeus looked back and Thane suddenly realized that his brother's face had turned bone-white. For the first time since mother had caught them playing in a mud-puddle at their aunt's wedding, Thane saw raw fear in his brother's face. "Thane . . ." Thaddeus whispered, "What if one of us gets picked?"

"What do you mean?"

Thaddeus swallowed, "They'll take whoever gets picked. We may never see each other again, or mom and dad."

"You make it sound like we'd be going to prison." Thane protested, "If one of us gets picked, he gets to go be a Rider! A real rider Thad!"

Thaddeus shook his head, "I never wanted to be a rider. I just want to grow up and be a King, like father. But what if a dragon hatches for me?"

Placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, Thane shook him, "Thad, relax. If a dragon should hatch for one of us, then it will mean that it saw something that that we ourselves do not. A dragon would not hatch for someone unprepared, nor would it hatch for someone who doesn't want to be a rider."

A faint bit of color returned to Thaddeus cheeks as he murmured, "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Thane sincerely hoped that his smile didn't tip his brother off to the massive lie he just told. He had no clue what made a dragon hatch for someone, beyond the legends that had been spawned in the years since the Rider War. Glancing over at his parents, he saw that they were both staring concernedly at the young princes. Thane waved, certain that his mother knew, or at least suspected, some of what was going on.

The hours wore on as the sun crept higher toward its midday peak. Thane could hear the mutters as the eggs showed a frustrating lack of inactivity. For the first hour of so, the crowd had been completely silent. However, as interest had begun to wane, several of the watching families had departed with their respective charges. The number of children between him and the bier dwindled until, at long last, Thaddeus stood at the head of the line. Just as he made to step forward, the man named Gareth held up a hand to stop him. Thaddeus froze.

Turning to where the King and Queen sat on their movable thrones, he declared, "King Fiachra, you realize that in presenting your sons, Thaddeus and Thane, to the dragon eggs, you accept any consequences that may occur therein. Should one or both of your sons be selected by a dragon, they and all their heirs relinquish any claim to the throne. They will renounce any allegiance they have to you as their father and king, and will swear allegiance to the Riders. Nor will you have any power over them, for the riders answer to no ruler save Eragon Shadeslayer, son of Brom, and Saphira Brightscales, daughter of Vervada."

Rising to his full height, King Fachre inclined his head, "Their mother and I accept all responsibility in plain sight and hearing of these witnesses. If one of our sons is chosen, it shall be as you have declared O' Rider."

Gareth nodded and Rok pointed to Thaddeus. "You, boy, step up to the eggs."

Glancing back to give Thane a worried look, Thaddeus ascended toward the bier.