Oh my God, I'M NOT DEAD! lol After a long seven-month absence, I have returned! It is now Summer Vacation and AP Exams are finally over and now I have a lot more time on my hands. Did ya miss me? =D
I would like to thank everybody for their kind reviews and would like to give out a special thanks to VampireDragonKills for kindly pointing out all of my flaws. Thank you SO much! I tried to incorporate your suggestions into this chapter. Hope it's better!
ALL REVIEWERS WILL RECEIVE A PREVIEW OF CHAPTER TEN! However, please allow time for me to write it first.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle under any circumstances, the book was written by Christopher Paolini and published by the KNOPF Publishing Company. This fanfic is a mere extension of my twisted but awesome imagination. I only own the plot and my original characters.
Night. Dark…ominous…night. At least, that's what it seemed like to Shruikan as he lied down on the ground next to the small, diminishing campfire in the cave of his old friend and mentor, Veltrose. The large black mass shifted slightly as the flames from the fire danced before his eyes as he attempted to fall back asleep. He carefully laid his injured wing flat on the ground while placing his other ebony wing over Astarot and Ehecatl as the two brothers slept easily. He could tell that they were sleeping now since he felt them shift to become more comfortable.
Brothers, Shruikan thought as he looked down at the two smaller dragons. It's odd. It really is. You give everything to your brother – help teach him how to fly, to hunt, to fish – and then he turns around and takes over a whole country and makes everybody his slaves. He lightly growled…not too loudly, lest he run the risk of waking up his friends. He stared deep into the flames as if he was trying to find an answer to a difficult predicament. Deep into the twisting flames. Occasionally, a slight wind would blow into the cave and tease the flames by making them shrink in surprise. But then they would grow and show its dominance in how it would not fall to a simple wind.
Why in the world would Fraener turn around and do something as preposterous as this? the dragon questioned. He is my brother. I was there to watch him when he first hatched out of that egg and was born a wild dragon. I was there when he took his first steps and helped nudge him in the right direction. He looked up to me in the way that I looked up to my father. We were truly brothers and would remain that way…even in the afterlife. Was it me that changed him? Did I not spend enough time with him? Have I done something wrong? he mused.
The massive creature took in a large breath and heaved a massive, yet quiet, sigh. He watched as the smoke from his nostrils twirled in the air in front of his face as if it was not sure which way to go. Just like me. Where do I go from here? Surely I can't kill him. I promised myself to protect him. His smoke eventually intertwined with the twirls of smoke emanating from the fire itself. Together, the new and larger smoke cloud floated lazily out towards the opening of the cave where they then ascended into the cold and cloudy skies. Like a brother carrying his sibling to safety.
Should I still keep my promise and protect him? There must be some reason as to why he has done this. Maybe I spent too much time with my rider and not enough with my blood relative. Shruikan lowered his head to his large paws after making sure his two charges were tucked safely under wing and were protected from the cold. Maybe I should continue to protect him. He then closed his eyes. But how do you protect…a monster?
And with that final thought, he joined the others in a restless sleep that was calmed when he thought of the older and kinder days. Back when the world was kind and everyone treated each other as brothers and looked out for one another because, well…that is what brothers do…
-X-X-X-X-X-
The night later blended into breaking dawn as the sun began creeping up over the horizon. The sky turned into brilliant hues of pinks, oranges, reds, and then finally settling in on blue. A few puffs of clouds lazily floated across the sky as a soft, gently breeze entered the cave which is inhabited by the dragons and their companions. The fire that was keeping everybody warm the previous night is now just a pile of ash and burnt wood. The breeze effortlessly traveled over them and then caressed the ruby red dragon's ear. It twitched as it was tickled by the wind. This woke Thorn up. He picked his head up off of his forepaws in which he laid it upon as he slept. He looked around at his surroundings curiously.
What is this place? He mused to himself for he does not remember falling asleep in this cave...or any other cave. Actually, I don't recall falling asleep, period.
Thorn was about to stand up upon his feet when he suddenly felt something nudge his side slightly. At that point is when he felt a comforting warmth on his side as well as his wing wrapping around some hidden object. The ruby-red dragon attempted to fold his wing back against his scaly hide when he noticed that it seemed his wingtip was held in place by something as it curled around the object. Annoyed, he bent his long neck down to stare at the annoyance underneath his wing before he removes the leathery appendage so that he may assess the odd circumstance he has found himself in...and what an odd circumstance it was. Sa…Saphira? Oh Gods, no…
The dragon began shivering slightly. Similar thoughts of, She is going to kill me if she finds out, and others constantly swam around in his head but he could not remove his wing so that he would be able to move to the other side of the cave and hope that she does not find out. He was so occupied by the situation beneath his wing that he did not notice the other large dragon figure walk towards him and then sit down in front of him whilst Thorn continued worrying.
How do you do? he greeted as he smirked when he noticed the small predicament that the younger one was in. Thorn immediately shifted his gaze towards him wondering who in the world this dragon was. A friend? A foe? I see that you seem to have found yourself in a rather…interesting situation, Veltrose noted.
Finally finding his voice, Thorn was able to ask, Who are you?
My name is Veltrose and I am the one that brought in all of you after your crash landing upon the frozen lake just outside. The white-scaled dragon paused here as he made a thought, A rather sickening landing, I must say. I heard you and your companions traversing overhead and watched you fly lower and lower until the treetops were able to tickle your stomachs…then I watched you all flip over and roll down the mountain side while smashing into trees, rolling over boulders, and bumping into each other. He cringed, It seemed to have hurt a lot.
After getting over his shock of meeting another dragon, Thorn decided that he was no threat and was safe to talk to. Believe me, it hurt a lot more when you experience the pain in person…
Veltrose nodded. Well, at least you are all okay. A few cracked and chipped scales (most likely from the impact), a lost tooth (but those grow back quickly), Veltrose listed off from the top of his head. At least your human friends are perfectly alright, thanks to you dragons.The old dragon looked upon Thorn once again...and upon Saphira's body that is still beneath his wing and smiled. Ahh, now doesn't that bring back pleasant memories...
The young one looked beneath his wing once again and gasped once his mind was brought right back into the situation that he was in. It may bring you pleasant memories…but believe me when I say that it is going to bring me into a world of pain once Saphira finds out what I have done to her. She is not one for cuddling with her enemy.
Oh? Veltrose asked. You mean to say that you two are not together?
Thorn snorted at the idea. Together? Mentally as a couple? No. But being able to physically touch, on the other claw..., he glared down (and not for the last time, mind you) at the odd little situation that would certainly get him a smack on the snout from her tail. Or a nip on my own tail from her sharp, beautifully white and never stained teeth. How does she do that. He gasped at his thoughts and looked back at Veltrose who smirked.
I heard that. "Beautiful white teeth," eh? Not exactly something that an enemy would say, he smirked again. Then his expression turned into a kind smile once again. I know of your past under Galbatorix's control in which you were forced to hurt others and do things that you originally thought you would never do, he stated. I know that more than once you were forced to hurt her and I know that it hurt a lot more because of the feelings you had (or should I say have) for her.
The red-scaled dragon gazed suspiciously upon Veltrose. And how, if I may ask, did you come upon this private information?
The old one gave a dragon equivalent of a shrug. Of course I had to mentally search your minds. I'm not going to let some suspicious dragons and humans that may be seeking to cause me harm take refuge in my cave until I know for sure that you are not here for evil intentions. But that is not important right now. What is important is getting you two together because I am absolutely sure that somewhere beneath your tough exterior and your thick skull…is a burning passion for the dragoness beneath your wing.
The young dragon looked down as Saphira slept beneath his wing. He looked closer at her and was shocked when he noticed that the sapphire dragon actually had a smile upon her snout. He smiled a bit himself as he felt his heart flutter a bit. Then, he frowned. She would never love me, he whispered.
Veltrose lightly growled at Thorn and smacked him on his nose with his tail.
Ow! Thorn winced as he brought up a paw to rub his snout. I thought you said that you're a friend!
I did, he answered. Which is why I am trying to help you. I have been alive for a very long time. I knew Shruikan when he was younger and actually taught him what it means to be a dragon far before Galbatorix took control over him. My friend, I am old enough to be your sire's sire! He softened his intense gaze as he seemed to quickly look back at his memories and cherished them for a moment before he continued speaking. I have the experience and understand what you are feeling and your thoughts. But think with your heart, not your mind. You may have hurt her against your will in your past, now show her that it was not your fault and that you are actually a completely different type of dragon. Show her who you really are. Show her that you are a kind and caring soul. Then, in time, she will begin to return your love. He smiled once again as he looked out to the cave's entrance as a ray of light entered the cave warming his scales. In time, you will realize that life without love…is hardly worth living…
The white dragon then had a far-away look, once again looking at his past but at a different memory. One that he definitely wants to return to but knows that he will never be able to do so. He sighed, missing her touch, the feel of her warm side against his own, her body safe and sound beneath his wing as they slept under the stars, the hatchlings that they raised together. He smiled a loving smile as he looked upon Thorn who stared at him with a thinking expression.
Who exactly are you? he once again questioned. Your voice sounds very familiar…as if I knew you from somewhere in my past. Are…, he paused. He contemplated whether it would be wise to ask the familiar dragon in front of him this particular question. After believing that it is a okay to do so, he continued. Are you my…father?
Veltrose chuckled. No, I am much too old to be your father. He cast his gaze upon the young dragon in front of him. But I knew him. And I must say, you seem to take after your father so much. You look like him, you act like him and, most importantly, you think like him.
Now, the red dragon was interested in what this odd white-scaled dragon is saying. He just could not believe that he had met his own father! This brought up another perplexing thought. So…you're not my father. Yet, you knew him. Just who exactly are you and how do you know of my father?
Ahh, that question will be answered at a later time when I deem it proper to do so. But I can tell you a bit of my past. At one point, I actually carried your egg...
To the Varden? Thorn interrupted, confused.
Erm, no, he answered, ashamed. He turned his head towards the pile of charred wood that had been burning the previous night and blew a steady stream of fire towards it, lighting the wood up once again. Perhaps I should wait until your friends wake up until I tell you. He looked towards the humans. They may be a bit cold when they awaken seeing as how they do not have scales. I'll go and get some wood for the fire. He stood up onto his feet and lightly chuckled as his legs cracked. The trouble of old age is that sometimes, your body just wants to protest every action that you wish to do. Never grow old, Thorn, it just brings in pain. He chuckled even more as he walked towards the entrance of the cave and took off into the brisk, chilly air of the valley. He did a quick barrel role before rocketing towards the forest below. His flying skills alone, despite his age, was enough to amaze Thorn and make this new dragon even more interesting.
-X-X-X-X-X-
If one were to travel through the smaller valley that branched off from the larger one in which Veltrose resides in, that person would discover a small (but cozy) village. Children were often found by the pond that is on the eastern side of the village, or by the woods; daring each other to go into the thick blanket of large trees. Surrounding the village were beautiful, tall evergreen trees reaching towards the sky and dancing amongst one another when the music of the wind was heard. This was the village of Crystila. This is the home of Akarli and her daughter, Amelia, as well as her small baby. This was also the home of a small number of people. However, the villagers never complained about the small population. It allows them to become very close to one another up to the point were everybody is on a first name basis. This explains the fact why Amelia is walking down the dusty street towards the blacksmith's shop and was constantly receiving greetings from the locals. She smiled at each one of them and waved back.
Ahh, it is such a beautiful day today, she thought to herself as she looked around and felt that chilly breeze brush up against her cheeks. She especially liked it when it snowed because it brings out the true beauty of the environment around her. Perhaps later today, I can go ice-skating with my friends at the pond, she contemplated. She would just have to remember to get a loaf of bread from the bakery before gets home for her mother. She sighed at the thought of her mother. In truth, she really did love her. It's just sometimes, I feel that she is hiding something from me...like that odd scar she has on the palm of her hand. I never saw that before. Then again, it is probably because she always wears those damn gloves. She smirked when she remembered how her mother would always tell her to never use those "terribly atrocious words." Fat chance of that happening. Her thoughts then returned to that scar that her mother has. Is it me, or does that odd scar seem to have a meaning? I'll have to ask Elidor about it, he seems to be a very smart guy...and incredibly handsome. Her heart fluttered as she thought about him.
Elidor is another boy in the village that also works at the blacksmith since he is the smith's son. He is a few months older than Amelia and has hair the color of a raven's feathers. Eyes as icy clue as the pond when it is surrounded by a snowy shore, she sighed as she pictured him smiling within her head. Once she was realizing what she was doing, she shook her head. What am I doing? I'm acting as if I was one of those girls that always follows Elidor around and faun over his muscles. I don't want to act like those weak, girly girls that chases after every guy that is in existence. She frowns when she finally enters the blacksmith's shop and notices girls doing just that at the window watching said boy placing wood into the fire to get ready to melt metal. She rolls her eyes at the girls as she closed the window and opened another one up at the back of the shop to invite the nice breeze inside the hot building. She then goes to pick up an apron from the corner and joins Elidor.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up," Elidor smiles as he drops the wood into the fire.
"Just overslept a bit, sorry. Didn't know that you would miss me that much. I thought you would be able to handle the extra work," she smirks while Elidor chuckled at her making fun of him.
"Oh, you know I'd miss you," he smiled as he turned towards the wall to get a hammer and other necessary tools and placed them on a table to prepare for the workday.
On the outside, Amelia was smiling kindly but on the inside, her heart felt like it wanted to jump out at his words. She went to a barrel of old recycled horseshoes and placed them in the fire to begin melting them. "So, what do we have today?" she asked referring to the amount of work.
Elidor turned around and seemed to be racking his brain for the needed information. "Hmm, not much. We have two horses that need new shoes…that's it unless some new work comes up. But it's a slow week so I doubt that any would come up. We should be able to leave early today."
She inwardly screamed when she found that out. Leaving early would mean spending more time with her mother at home and possibly getting into another argument. On the outside, she just sighed. Elidor noticed this and became concerned.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's my mother, we had another fight." She sat down on a stool that she pulled over as she waited for the metal to be ready to be able to bend. Again, she sighed. "It seems that she just can't understand me. She does not understand that I don't want to be the person that she is trying to turn me into."
Elidor frowned as he too pulled a bench to sit down in front of her. "Well…maybe she is just doing that because she loves you. Perhaps she is just trying to find a way to connect with you better. You know? Try to find something in common," he mused.
She looked up at him with a contemplative face. She then frowned again and looked down at her feet. "Don't be silly, she doesn't love me…"
"Stop," he interrupted. She looked at him with a quizzical expression wondering why he wanted her to stop. "That is not true and you know it. I bet that she does love you and would be devastated if she were to lose you." He seemed to be thinking of his next words very carefully. "I know I would…"
She gasped as she looked up at his face, not believing that he said that. Once she assured herself that he did in fact say that, she smiled a weak smile and blushed lightly.
Once he caught a glimpse of her smile, he smiled himself, happy that he was able to put a smile on her face. "Feel better?"
"Yeah, a little." Again, she donned a quizzical expression upon her face. "But there is just one thing that I do not understand about her though." She looked upon him as he gestured for her to go on. "Last night, I went into her room, and I saw a strange mark on the palm of her hand. It was kind of weird. It was as if somebody took hot metal and pushed it against her hand…but it was silver…"
The boy looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "Umm…a…a silver mark? Are…are you sure? On her palm?"
Amelia looked at his face. "Yeeaaahhhh…" she answered slowly. She laughed a little, "I mean, it's kind of hard to miss something like that, you know?"
Elidor realized the suspicious and odd manner that he was acting in while in front of his friend and quickly apologized for his strange behavior. "Anyway, umm…what shape was this strange marking in?" he inquired.
Amelia racked her brain as she attempted to search her memory of the previous night when she entered her mother's room and saw the marking on her hand. Try as she might, she just could not remember the shape that it was in. She sighed before she responded, "You know, it was too dark in her room. I wasn't paying attention to the shape of the marking…just the fact that it was there grabbed my attention. Not the shape."
"Ahh, yes…I see." Elidor got up from his seat to go move the metal around a bit to provide a distraction from his awkward behavior. "I'm sure that it is nothing to worry about, Amelia. I mean, your mother is a strong woman, she wouldn't cry over something as mundane as a silly scar," he laughed.
At the mention of this, Amelia scoffed as she too stood up from her chair to prove a point. "My mother? Strong? Just how long have you been in this building because I think the fumes are getting to your head. We are talking about my mother here. The same woman who would complain if the sun was too hot. The same woman who objects to me working in such a "dangerous place for men only." The same woman who can't do anything that requires strength by herself! Hell, she never even…," she froze.
Concerned, Elidor turned around to face her, a grasping tool in his hand that was red hot after it was touching the metal. "Amelia?"
She shook her head, her eyes became as wide as her mother's delicate and prized porcelain plates that she never uses for food. "My mother never takes her gloves off…," the young woman whispered.
The boy tilted his head slightly in a questioning manner. "And?"
"And…?" Amelia began. "Every time I am with her, she always has those gloves on. I never see her bare hands." She began to dig back into her memories, trying to recall a specific one. "I remember that one time, I entered her room without knocking. She was sitting on her bed looking at the palm of her hand. The same one with the mark. Not expecting me, she jumped quickly and turned around, immediately pulling her glove back on while leaving the other glove there on the bed." She then gasped as a sudden realization hit her. "She was trying to hide that mark from me!"
The young man just shrugged and went back to tending to the fire with the metal. "Ehh, I wouldn't be too concerned over that. She probably just doesn't want you to see it because she does not like the way it looks on her palm or perhaps it brings back a painful memory from when she first received that mark." He continued to poke the metal, trying to keep his mind distracted from Amelia's odd way of thinking. She's just probably over-thinking this, nothing to get too worked up about, he thought.
"But that's not it," she whispered as she suddenly remembered another crucial and relevant piece of information from that night that she just recalled. "At first, I dismissed it as something odd...like a stray candlelight or something else. But it was completely dark that night. There is no possible explanation for this. Damnit! She is hiding something from me, I just know it!" A few tears then came out of her eyes as another thought entered her head, "She doesn't trust me. She doesn't trust her own daughter…"
Now, Elidor was very concerned. Amelia never cries. She was the type of girl that embraces pain and uses it to help toughen herself up. She has never liked it when girls her age shed tears over the most insignificant little things such as simply stubbing their toe on a rock or at the sight of a "ghastly" and "hideous" little harmless bug on the ground. This is one of the reasons why he likes hanging around with this specific young woman. She was just so different from others her age that something about her entices him to want to be around her. This is why he became surprised when she began crying. Even though she always denies it, she must still lover her mother. He placed the metal tool by the fire and held Amelia in his arms to help her stop crying.
At this gesture, Amelia was surprised. Normally, her heart would be jumping all over the inside of her body. But at the moment, it was too heavy from the grief of her discovery of her mother not being able to trust her.
"Amelia, there is no reason to be upset," he soothed, attempting to calm her down. It seemed to be working because she stopped shedding her tears. "I am absolutely sure that…"
"You don't understand, Elidor!" she began while ripping herself from his arms which she quickly resented as she missed his warm embrace. However, she knew that this was necessary to grab his attention. It worked because he was staring right at her wondering exactly what is on her mind. "That night, when I saw her staring at her palm. I didn't know that she had the mark back then, but there was something weird going on because..." she took a deep breath. "Her palm was glowing…"
The whole blacksmith's shop was silent except for the sounds of the flickering flames that did not care for the heavy feelings of the room, Amelia's heavy breathing, and Elidor's sharp intake of a breath...not from surprise, but from the fact that his feared thoughts has been confirmed.
-X-X-X-X-X-
Thorn looked out at the cave's entrance at the beautiful scenery that he could see from his position on the ground still with Saphira under wing, sleeping. He turned back to the sapphire-scaled dragoness that was leaning against his side and slightly smiled. He then shook his head and snorted. What am I thinking? I do not love her! I can't love her! he mused. She would never love a dragon like me. Why should she? The ruby-red dragon once again turned his head to stare at the fire this time. The flames of the fire were tall after being created from Veltrose's vast internal flame. They were constantly twirling amongst one-another, teasing each other. It was as if they were all fighting for dominance so that that single flame would be the tallest out of them all before another would bring it down to take its position. A never-ending battle, just like the battle inside Thorn's heart.
I hurt her, he whispered to himself. A dragon never, under any circumstances, hurts another dragon. Especially if that other dragon is a female. He closed his eyes so that he can concentrate on something other than Saphira. However, he just cannot get his mind to obey him. Every single one of his thoughts would always end in how he had hurt Saphira in the past and it would always push him further into the idea that he is not fit to be in love with such a beautiful creature with scales the color of the strong ocean currents. Eyes like that of a beautifully crafted jewel made of ice shining in the sunlight. Gentle and caring for those she loves, yet strong and fierce so that she can protect them from the dangers of the world, he pictured. He then sighed, …like me. He then smiled warmly before shaking his head once again to freeze these thoughts in their tracks. No! I cannot think like that! He then opened his eyes and stared at his feet, saddened that he will never belong to the beautiful creature right next to him. However, he was not aware of said dragoness beginning to stir beneath his wing.
The sapphire dragoness lifted her long neck only to notice something holding her down. She looked to her side to assess the situation. She was shocked, unbelieving of what she is seeing...and not knowing of how to respond. She smiled warmly at Thorn before adopting a blank expression on her face as she thought of what she should do. Then, she smirked as she said in a sarcastic manner, Well, isn't this an interesting thing to wake up to?
Thorn froze before slowly turning to the now awake dragon. Saphira! Erm..., he began as he quickly thought of an appropriate thing to say. Please don't hurt me…
At that instant, Thorn could have sworn that the temperature had plummeted as he now began shivering once again.
Sincerely,
The Aviator
