Chapter 4: The Tree of the Heavens

Disclaimer: I do not own Eragon.

Marisana looked up at a huge tree that had hidden stairs that spiraled up it. Then she looked back at Eragon, he was looking at he ground again.

"Eragon, tell me what's wrong!" Marisana said walking up to him and holding his hands in hers.

"I'll just come right out and say it! Marisana, I think I love you! No…let me rephrase that. I love you, Marisana," Eragon said boldly.

Marisana just looked at him and smiled.

"Please say something!"

Marisana didn't say anything instead she put her hands behind his head and touched her forehead to his and then said, "I'm glad you feel that way!" in a whispered voice.

Eragon smiled with the relief that his new love loved him back and their lips touched ever so slightly. Marisana came back a little, smiled then went forward again and this time they stayed locked in a kiss in a beam of moonlight. A kiss that would seal the destiny of dragon riders and the fate of the empire.

Soon the moon moved over the tree that they were standing by. Eragon and Marisana stopped their embrace when they heard the howl of a wolf. Marisana knew this to be the time that the Tree of the Heavens would be the most magical.

"Eragon, follow me," she said as she grabbed his hand and walked towards the huge tree.

"What is this tree? It's so beautiful!" Eragon said.

"It's called The Tree of the Heavens because if you go up the stairs or ask it to pick you up it will let you see the Heavens. Also, if you say the right words it will show you your future!"

Marisana walked up to the tree and placed her hand on a 5-point star that was at eye level on the white tree. Once her hand touched the star a dragon appeared with the star now as the eye.

"Permit the Heavens to be seen!" Marisana said as she backed away.

The stairs turned back into the tree and a branch came down with a flat surface. Marisana grabbed Eragon's hand and walked to the branch and stepped onto the flat surface.

"Hold on," said Marisana smiling.

Eragon grabbed her waist so that she would face him and he kissed her. After he let her go she said, "I didn't mean me…but that'll do," as she laid her head on his chest and put her arms around his waist.

Finally, the branch was back in its normal place and the limbs and branches above it parted so that they could see the stars and the moon.

"Now, would you like to see our future or look at the stars for a while?" Marisana asked hoping he would choose their future.

"I think … we should see what the future holds," Eragon said smiling.

"Let the present see the future!" Marisana said as she clapped her hands and held one hand, palm facing the sky, and holding it there until the faces of their dragons shown in the sky. She brought her hand down and held onto Eragon's hand.

The next image to show was that of both their dragons and a white and blue baby dragon standing in between them.

"Our dragons are going to have a baby!" Eragon said.

The image faded to show two young children running to their mom and dad. When they got close enough, Eragon and Marisana realized it was them that were the parents. They smiled at each other and the image faded. They thought the Heavens had shown all that they were going to until the sky turned red and a village being burned to the ground was almost non-existent. An image of all the dragon riders in the village fighting off an army appeared and disappeared but not without showing the death of one them.

"FATHER!" yelled Marisana.

The image faded and the sky was black again. Marisana fell to land on the branch that had carried them up and Eragon sat beside her and held her in his arms until she stopped crying.