Strength of A Dragon's Heart

Hainana woke in the middle of the night as it began to rain but he saw Amel smile at him. He'd had a very beauitful dream about him and Aeri and wondered what it meant. She knew what he wanted to ask her. "You have feelings for her, don't you?" she asked gently looking into his eyes.

"Yes I.... do but I'm scared. I know I'm her dragon and we're meant to protect the kingdom but I.... wanted to know if there was any room for love between us.

But I'm afraid that she doesn't feel the same way as I do about it." he told the nymph.

She nodded in reply.

"What does your heart tell you about this?" Amel told him.

He thought about it for a few minutes before answering.

"Yeah I do love Aeri with all my heart. I realised that after she used the rest of my magical energy to heal me the way I saved her from the Razoc.

But I don't know if a dragon can ever be in love with a human?" he answered softly.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is your feelings." Amel told him.

Hainana smiled broadly at him showing his fangs. "You're right Amel. Before we bonded through Dragonis Heart, I felt love from her.... for me.

I have this feeling we're maybe meant to be but until we defeat this sorceroress, our feelings for each other have to stay hidden or else the sorceroress could use it against us and everything we care about will be destroyed.

Do you think she'll understand?" he replied but had no idea Aeri had heard him while she was asleep.

"I'm sure she will Hai.

She is your Rider after all." the nymph told him softly as she yawned and fell asleep.

Hainana spent the last remaining hours of night thinking about what he and Amel had talked about.

But Saphira had seen what was in her son's heart as she slept. She was surprised seeing how much he loved Aeri but not just as a Rider but as a friend and something more. It made her smile a little. She had been harbouring those feelings for Eragon as time passed and they became close but knew it was too dangerous for a dragon and a human, even a Rider to bein love with each other but anything was possible.

"Like helping Eragon destroy Galbortix, freeing the kingdom from his unjustice and tyranny.

How do you know that what you feel for your Rider wouldn't work out?

Besides what if Eragon can't find his wife after we get out of here?" a voice in her head told her but she ignored it.

She hoped Hainana and Aeri would get to where she and Eragon were before it was too late but Eragon was unaware he was sending Aeri his thoughts and showing her how to get to where he and Saphira were.

The next morning Aeri awoke but blushed seeing Hainana there. She remembered what she'd overheard the dragon tell Amel. She too had these feelings for Hainana but was afraid to let them out.

"What should we do now?" the young Dragon Rider asked Amel after telling her the visions she'd seen in her sleep. "We must go to the Ancient World where somebody my uncle knows can help." the nymph answered her softly as Hainana ate some forest fruit from a tree making Aeri laugh.

Hainana's heart skipped a little hearing that.

He then saw Amel give him a reassuring look after he realised he would have to fly them to the Ancient World and he was nervous about it.

"I've never tried to fly, okay?

I'm doubtful about it." he answered as Aeri climbed onto his scaled back along with Amel.

"I know you can do this Hai.

I believe in you." Aeri whispered. Hainana nodded as he felt those feelings grow stronger as he took a running leap and opened his wings as he began to soar into the open skies.

"I knew you could do it Hai.

I never doubted you for a moment." Aeri told him as the wind whipped through her hair.

"It was you that helped.

Your words sparked something inside of me and it made me want to try and this is just amazing." he replied as smoke billowed from his nostrils. Elboraz smiled evilly seeing that.

"So Saphira's son has learned how to fly and they're on their way here to stop me hmm?

It'll never work because I will destroy them both!" she cackled as magic glowed in her eyes.....