Promoneius lay where he was with his eyes open. He and Amithya were now bonded as a fully mated pair, their first clutch on the way. Amithya was still asleep where she usually was curled up next to him. He wondered if they had successfully conceived if not (though rarely) they would repeat the ritual, as they will for every future nuptial they will have. Promoneius intensified his grip on her, perhaps it was his paternal instincts, the feeling he needed to protect his mate and soon to be offspring; the realization he was now a father. Amithya came to life under his grasp.
Promoneius, she growled at him half in surprise and agitation raising her head up to him. She had a new fierce appearance to her.
He groomed her in an attempt to calm her down, she tolerated it for a while before opening her jaws and snapping at him, he pulled back his head in time. They held their gaze before Promoneius spoke.
I take it that we are expecting.
Yes, she said flatly. It still too early to predict how big the clutch will be though.
I am sorry for my recent aggressiveness to you my dear my mother had told us during our first pregnancy that such things will happen.
It's perfectly understandable. We should celebrate! I will go hunting for you and bring you back the plumpest stag I could get for you.
That would be nice my dear, Amithya said getting up with him.
I will go hunt for you and the coming eggs; you could stay here.
You are still injured my mate.
I am feeling much better to hunt for you and our coming clutch realizing that I have a family of my own now has given me new strength so please stay here my beloved.
You are not the one who will have to be brooding a clutch for eight month! She shot back at him. She won the argument instantly.
She took off without him and Promoneius followed her. He beat his wings as fast as he could to catch up to her. Coming to her portside she ignored him looking at her, her mind was focusing on scanning for prey. Rustling a deer out of hiding she dived for it only to miss hitting the ground hard instead. Amithya opened her maw and convulsed spitting her flame. The deer dodged the liquid fire and ran harder into the cover of the trees. Amithya let out a roar in anger.
Promoneius landed by her side at a lost of what to say to her or do with her. His parents had told him this would be normal for an expectant female, but the only advice they could give to him personally was to abide to her every whim. The gray dragoness was thrashing through the trees in her rage.
Amithya, Amithya my dear.
She glared back at the nonchalant dragon sitting himself on the ground.
What! Amithya yelled back at him.
Can you allow me to get you the food, as it is my duty to you as your mate? I know you want to enjoy your freedom before you have to clutch but please could you allow me to do such things for you?
Amithya had now calmed down.
Fine, you may do, as you would like my dear, she said to him with her normal demeanor.
Come with me I will stalk the prey for you; Promoneius took off with Amithya by his side.
It was not long until he spotted a moose and dropping out of the sky smashing it against the rock shore of a flowing river. He picked up the smashed carcass offered it to Amithya who had landed by his side. She gladly took it and ate it with an intensity of a newborn hatchling. After she was done she whacked her snout against his with her mouth open.
I am still hungry, she said to him.
Then lets go find you some more to eat, Promoneius said as he took off Amithya followed.
Promoneius had caught several more prey animals ranging from deer to moose. Finally Amithya's hunger was satisfied.
I grow tired my dear, lets us return back to our home.
Amithya lead the way back home with Promoneius on her tail. They unknowingly flew across a road startling a band of merchants, the horses going mad. A sapphire dragoness appeared out from the north and the pair put on speed to get away from her.
They didn't want to have another quarrel with the local dragon population like last time so they inconspicuously tried to avoid her attention but to no luck. The sapphire dragoness continued her pursuit as Amithya and Promoneius tried to loose her but to no use.
Promoneius turned around in an intercept course towards the sapphire dragoness. Meeting her in the air he let out a roar not to challenge but in intimidation to scare her away to leave him and Amithya alone. The dragoness held her ground beating her wings in the same steady motion as Promoneius was doing to stay afloat above. Promoneius could see that she was carrying a human on her back.
What's this? More treachery? Promoneius growled.
Do not fear us friend we come in peace, the human riding the dragon had said to him.
Is that so? We already had one bad encounter with someone of your own kind; he did not prove to be very trustworthy for I bear the trophy from the battle with his dragon. So tell me why I should trust you?
Amithya joined them hovering besides her mate.
We could trust them my dear, she said before the human striding the blue dragoness could say anything. Come to our home we will discuss this there.
She took off swiftly before Promoneius had a chance to object, but if her view about these two were good then he would have to respect that.
They arrived back at their home lair. Amithya retreated back inside the cave to rest as Promoneius followed her in he lay his body parallel to hers tucking in his snout so Amithya's scent would be prevalent over the scent of the blue dragoness.
The sapphire dragoness and her rider held a respectable distance from the pair in their home.
All right human, Promoneius said to the man. Tell us what brings you here, is this meeting to avenge for what I have done to your comrade's dragon because if it is you made a foul choice in coming to fight us. I was merely defending my mate's honor.
Comrade? No good dragon, Murtagh and Thorn are sworn enemies of ours. I will explain more about this, but first let me introduce myself. I am Eragon, people call me the shadeslayer and this is my dragon partner Saphira Brightscales.
The sapphire dragoness bowed her head at the mention of her name.
I am the dragon Promoneius son of Amlute and this is my mate the dragoness Amithya daughter of Ka'rethrea. And if you two are here to wreak havoc, then I am more prepared to take you both on. Promoneius raised to an intimidating stance to emphasis his point.
Dear we could trust them lay down please, Amithya turned to Eragon and Saphira as Promoneius returned to her side.
I apologize Eragon and Saphira, my mate is overprotective of me especially now since we are now a fully mated pair.
I bow humbly towards you two for your blessed event; Saphira said which she had done. Though unfortunately for myself still wait for my time to mate.
Surely there are plenty of unattached males who would wish to court you Saphira, Amithya had said.
That is why we have come to explain to you two, for you see you two might be endanger.
Danger? If anything would dare threaten my family, they wont succeed. Promoneius said his voice dark.
Eragon started to explain.
A thousand years ago the dragons of Alagaessia had thrived until one of the riders of old who is now king of this land, Galbatorix betrayed us for his own selfish gain. He not only killed the wild dragons of this land but other riders so he could make them into his design. We have been fighting him ever since and many were lost in this war so far. He looked to Saphira.
Including some people very close to us, such as my mentor and my blood brother who I recently found out I had had been forced to do his bidding.
I see, Promoneius said. And do you wish for us to join you in the fight dragonrider Eragon? We already had one bad encounter with one of you riders and your dragons before so why should we trust the likes of you two?
Come with us Promoneius and Amithya, with us you think about your coming eggs, Saphira said.
I will not force you but if you don't Galbatorix will find someway to conscript you into his service.
That may be true but if he does, well, he never have faced a soon to be father dragon that will lay down his life for his family, Promoneius said standing up again. I had faced one of his dragons before, that cheating wyrm next time I will finish him.
Eragon approached closer to examine Promoneius's burns.
You are lucky you were able to survive such a blow, may I heal them for you as a gesture of my good will.
Let him heal you dear, Amithya said. Please Eragon do so, I do not want see the one I love suffer so much.
Very well you may heal me Eragon but leave you sword with your dragon and come to the center of the field.
Eragon did so and met Promoneius halfway to the lair. Eragon had laid the palm of his hand on the burns the green dragon watched him vigilantly. Eragon mumbled something incomprehensible thatPromoneius could not understand. Eragon's palm glowed a brilliant blue and Promoneius felt and watched in amazement as the swollen rough skin returned to its previous state. The pain fully dissipated. Promoneius tested his now healed ligament.
By the Divine, how were you able to this?
Magic my good dragon, Eragon said flatly. It's the manipulation of the natural flowing energies in all-living things.
You have my thanks rider Eragon. As for joining you in this war of yours we wish to be left alone and raise our offspring in harmony. I will deal with any threat to my family.
As you wish Promoneius, Eragon returned to Saphira and mounted her.
I pray we could be friends Promoneius perhaps some day we could show you around our land. You and your mate are a new species of dragon never seen around here before.
I hope so too friend. Though this is the first time I have ever really spoken to a human on friendly terms let alone make friends with one.
I must get going so long for now you two. I will be back to check on both of you later on, Eragon said.
Good luck with your family you two, Amithya you are blessed to be with such a mate, Saphira said.
Promoneius and Amithya wished them both farewell and saw them off.
That went well, I am glad we already making friends here, Amithya had said settling herself to go to sleep.
Aye, Promoneius agreed. He nuzzled her and commanded her to rest. The dragons went to sleep.
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AN: Sorry it took so long I tried writing this with a decent number of words and in style, but I feel that I am loosing sense of the continuity of the style from the first chapter. Maybe its because its my own characters in this strange new world. Please let me know.