Title: Revelations
Author: Marik 18
Summary: Ismira Katrinadaughter has been raised knowing that her uncle is gone forever. But when an egg is introduced into her life, someone is taken from her. Now, will she risk everything to bring him back, or will the threats of the land make sure she never sees him, or home, again? I do not own anything, and many spoilers on the way. If you have not read the series, where is your shame?
Chapter 5: Dragons!
Ever since that night, it appeared as if the man had no intention of leaving Ismira in peace. She tried everything. Even went so far as to mount up at night to continue, but still found him waiting for her near the bend of the road or of the river, even if she left him sleeping. The man seemed odd. He looked human enough, but acted like an elf. He sat on his horse like an elf, but seemed disinterested in riding and would walk for miles at a part near the cities, almost like a dwarf. Yet, at the same time, whenever he turned to look in the same exact direction, as before, there was a sadness and fire in his eyes that she had only seen in the Urgal Riders.
They continued following the river, going around the Isenstar, bypassing Gil'ead, and going till they reached the Capitol. After few weeks of travel, the towers of Ilirea where visible. The man began riding faster, and Ismira followed suit, happy that soon, she would get the answers she wanted about her beloved Jeromir. That is, if they were able to get passed the crowd going to the door.
"What is this? Why is it so packed?" Ismira looked dumbfounded. She had heard that the Capitol got many visitors, more so than her father in Carvahall, but she never guessed it would be like this. "It looks like thousands of people are here. What is happening?" The stranger looked around, looked up toward the towers, and then smiled. "It appears that is the annual flying of the dragons. I have heard of this in my travels. I never dreamed I'd be allowed to watch." Ismira looked towards the stranger, and smiled. Ha. So he has traveled a lot. That must be why he kept looking in that one direction.
The stranger smiled, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "They are coming. I can feel it." Ismira looked confused, then felt a small burst of air push her forward. She had felt this feeling before. Dragons. She turned her horse around and looked in the sky and found what appeared to a flock of birds. But she knew better. It was a Thunder of Dragons.
Turning back towards the stranger, she saw him already riding to join the large crowd entering the city. "Hey! Wait up!" She rode after him, trying to catch up before he entered the mass of limbs that was the line of people entering the city. When she managed to get back abreast with him, she looked back toward the dragons, and noticed that they appeared to not have gotten any closer. Turning back towards the gate, she tried to make small talk.
"So. You say that you've never been to this celebration. What did you call it again?"
"The Flying of Dragons. After the fall of the mad king, Queen Nasuada, with help from the queen of the elves, made an event for everyone to participate. It was originally made so that the Urgals would not go out and begin killing absent mindedly for mating reasons. But, once the dragons started appearing with Riders, they extended the games to include the Riders. The wrestling contest is usually controlled by the Urgals, but the races, riddles, and strength portions of the games are open to everyone. However, the one that is the most popular now is the Flying of Dragons. The race between the Riders and their dragons around the 5 pillars of the city, and out to a point outside of the city that is different every year, back around the 5 pillars, and ends in the courtyard outside of the palace."
Behind them, the booms and pushes from the wind were getting stronger. Ismira turned and noticed that the dragons were far closer than before. She smiled as she saw familiar colors. There was the green of Fírnen, as only he could make it work. There was the burning orange of Zyabor, the first dragon that came with his Rider. There was the amethyst purple of Xyaibox. The beautiful golden yellow of Fakam, the glowing silver like moonlight of Tyam. The twin dragons, they were known as. The sun and the moon on the scales of dragons. The twin sisters were Ismira's favorites. They were able to understand her. And, the newest dragon, the almost pure bronze colored Jopus. However, there was someone knew among the Thunder, and Ismira was a bit confused. Why is Saphira coming? Does that mean that Uncle has come?
The stranger looked over his shoulder and noticed the dragons as well. "Well, now I have seen everything." He smiled, then turned forward again. The crowd finally noticed the Thunder, and began cheering at seeing the majestic beasts. Everyone cheered and made merry, except for the stranger. Ismira noticed that while everyone looked up and cheered, and a few children got scared when the younger dragons roared for the crowd, the stranger was looking in a new direction.
Once in the city, Ismira tried to get to the palace, but the stranger just led her to an inn. He bedded his horse, then instructed Ismira to do the same. She mocked him silently behind his back when he went into the inn, but bedded down Amethyst. She took her weapons and money and saddlebags. She made sure that they were stored safely in a pile of hay in Amethyst's stall, then followed the stranger into the inn.
On the inside, she found the stranger sitting at the bar, and having a drink of ale. She walked up to the stranger and asked if they had rooms. The stranger gave her a key, told where the room was, then went back to his drink. She looked at him, wondering how he expected to share her room. He noticed her look, put his hood a bit higher up, then told her that he was going to sleep next to his horse. She looked stunned, then walked up to her room, expected a tick filled straw mattress, and limited items to use in her room. Instead, she found a room almost similar to hers in Stronghammer Manor.
"How did all of this get here?" She looked around, wondering if the stranger was someone her father sent. That is, until she looked out of her window, and noticed the dragons battling in the air, spewing fire everywhere. "What's going on?" She rushed to the window to get a better vantage point, then heard the alarm, and the screams of terror.
"DRAGONS! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"