…I am here to serve the Prince of Wolves, Lord Eragon Shadeslayer……
Arya stared dumbstruck at this stranger; Prince of…Wolves? She shook her head slightly in confusion, the Prince of Wolves was a myth; a fabled warrior of old. Eragon was slumped over Saphira's back, out of view from this stranger. Quickly, after making sure Eragon would not fall off, she jumped down just as nimbly as the man before her.
He was wearing a worn black travel cloak, flipped over his right shoulder, which reached down to his knees; a red tunic trimmed in gold, with a white undershirt, and black leggings. Black leather gauntlets covered his wrists, higher up his arms were adorned with many white scars from sword fights she assumed. His hair was snow white that complemented his look, while his steel grey eyes looked to harbored dark secrets. The man's face showed no sign of being older than late teen's or early twenties; in all he was a very handsome being.
With an inquisitive expression, Edric cocked his head to the side, causing his chin length hair to tilt with him, reveling delicately pointed ears and asked, "Where is he, anyway?" He was flustered at why this elf had been riding the Shadeslayer's dragon.
Apprehension churned unpleasantly in her stomach as Arya subconsciously gripped the pommel of her Elvin sword until her knuckles turned white, gritting her teeth in alarm. She put on a mask of indifferent disdain as she answered the Rider's question with one of her own, "First, who are you and second, why do you say Eragon is the Prince of Wolves?"
"Right!" his voice was jubilant, but dropped as he began to answer "umm well; you see I am Edric, from the house of Roujun Yuukan, also known as the protector of the Royal Family, and this is my partner, Razi. Now to answer your second question you will have to understand something; do you know the legacy of the Shadow Wolves?"
Bewildered, yet curious just the same, she answered no, so Edric continued his explanation, "Where to start, where to start" he muttered to himself, "I guess the beginning would be the best place… well you see Shadow Wolves date back all the way to the induction of time, like the dragon's, no one is certain; they are wondrous species full of curiosity and destruction, also know as werewolves. The human folk lore that werewolves kill people ruthlessly is, regrettably, true but not in most cases. You see, just like anything else, some were honorable; decent begins in their time while some thought they should rule over all of the weaker races. Well anyway, Shadow wolves do not change into some evil creature of night, but into a majestic wolf incredible larger than any other canine; the size of a horse actually."
Now, people who are cursed, marked, or well quite frankly, bitten by a Shadow Wolf transforms into a 'werewolf'. Every full moon, the victim goes through the process of changing into a sub-species of wolf, thus known as a 'werewolf'. The body's cellar structure takes on a completely different shape; bone structure alters so that the face resembles that of a wolf, as hair covers the body. One notable characteristic of a werewolf is when they are angered; their eyes take on another color, most commonly, neon green or yellow. Their fur varies between dark and light murky shades of brown.
Shadow Wolves, on the other hand, are not like this; they change into a wolf, and may do so when ever they chose; day or night, even on a new moon. Now the ranks of the Ookami are distinguished by eye and fur color. For example, everyone in the Royal blood line has blue eyes, with a glistening coat of midnight black; the second in command have amethyst eyes and a shimmering white coat; the third and last in command have blood red eyes, with a grey coat.
The Royal Family name is Meiyo Kizoku, while the second family, the protectors, is called Roujun Yuukan, and finally, there is the scribes or the ones who are known for their intelligence, not that the rest are ignorant, Kenmei Roukyou. Also the rightful name for the Shadow Wolves is, Kage Ookami in our lost dialect which is unknown to anyone but the three lines of power.
Every thousand years, another Shadow Wolf is born from the line of power; like I said, there are three lines of command. The original Shadow wolves intermixed with humans and elves, until they were non existent; also known as the grey folk. Eragon is not from that line of blood, he is from the Meiyo Kizoku, and one of his ancestors took a mate that was human into their world, though they brought their off spring back into this world. Unlike the rest of their kind, the three powers did not intermix so much that they lost our race into a sea of mortals; why do you think elves became what they consider immortal? Anyway, unlike his brother, he has the characteristics to awaken the blood line within him; he has an honorable heart with a true wolf spirit, literally speaking."
Has he become ill of late?" his words were serious and also somber.
"Aye, he fell sick two nights ago, why are you asking though?" suspicion betrayed her words, reflecting in her emerald eyes, as she watched Edric, blazing with uncertainty.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his body visible relaxed, "Excellent, it means that his majesty has awakened the blood of immortals in his veins," his domineer changed once more into a serious matter, "has he had a great deal of anger, sorrow, or heart ache?" his words were rushed in his state of excitement.
Arya's eyes flashed with a hidden emotion at the question, but answered as guilt filled her once more, "Yes, all three to be exact; again I must ask why?"
"Because those are the three things that stir his blood; I would bet 100 crowns that he has fought more effectively when someone he loves is endanger or if someone near and dear to him has been insulted or likewise something directed at him? He thrives on emotion, it is what keeps him going, yet it depends on what has caused his emotions to flare that determine how well he fights. If it is a pure rage; a pure justified hatred of someone he fights brilliantly, but if it is uncertain or for the wrong reason he falters. Like wise, after his power has manifested, other emotions such as love, joy, happiness, excreta will contribute to his combat skills."
Silence filled the area, all except the thundering of hoof beats drawing nearer. Raylene was driving her horse at full force; Roran was struggling to hold onto his grey war horse, with his arms wrapped tightly around Tornac's throat. Panic was knotting itself in her stomach with only one thought going through her head, what's he doing here?
Not bothering to slow Snowfire, she leapt off of him, landing with her sword drawn. As her feet touched the ground, the tip of her sword found its way to Edric's heart. A soft growl of anger escaped her clenched jaws as she fought the urge to hug the man in front of her; she had found out a long time ago who this man was,what he really was.
The solid sound of a dull thump pulled everyone's attention back onto Saphira who was shaking her head in ill-humor and sympathy for her Rider; again Eragon had fallen face first into the dirt. A groan drifted across the plains as he rolled over onto his side, fighting the nauseous feeling in his stomach; his body ached as every nerve felt as if it were on fire. His Breathing came in sharply as a knot of pain twisted his heart, and a burning sensation filled his throat causing him to cry out in pain.
Out of impulse, Edric was at the Prince's side before any of the others; he knew what Eragon was feeling. It was a terrible feeling, the desire the just give up and die was a tempting escape to the horrendously unnerving experience, but that would be all too easy. Pulling something out of his side pocket, Edric poured a weird potion down his throat, instantly easing his ailments, "You shall be fine kizoku." (Another word of their language, it's actually Japanese but it means noble of the royal family basicly)
In the background Arya and Raylene were arguing about the true identity of this man. Anguish and sorrow stabbed his heart at her words that she was using to describing him with; He's a beast, a monster Arya! A werewolf, please be reasonable; I've met him before…
A growl of discontent vibrated the air quickly putting a stop to Raylene's ranting; for the first time she noticed that the giant silver dragon was hovering over them. Do not insult my Rider Halfling.
"Ri….der?" puzzlement filled her countenance; He's a Rider? The man she had once known and been close to, who had been present with her during all those adjurors travels. Edric had traveled near and far with her and in all that time she had never known he was a Dragon Rider. What she did know, though, was that he was a werewolf, the exact reason she had left him; she had known him for thirty-five years, and not once had she caught onto his regular absences. She scolded herself for being so naïve, and when she found out his secret she abandoned him in the same night.
Old feelings die hard, but she refused to face facts, she was just as stubborn as Arya; slowly, she turned to face an enraged dragon. Raylene swallowed hard, taking a step away from the sparkling beast, instantly falling silent. Silver pools of savage contempt bored mercilessly into her, as if they were examining her very soul; knowing every sin she had committed in her life time.
Conciseness crept over the young Rider, as a calm feeling soothed his mind. In an instant he had knowledge that no one should know; secrets to dark for normal beings to comprehend; wisdom from his past ancestors whispered things to him, passing on all of their mastery of combat, history from ages past that had been once forgotten, understanding power that he lacked. Physique filled his limbs, as a new burst of energy pulsed in his veins; Saphira also felt the change in her Rider as new found strength filled her.
Blinking in surprise, he found that his senses had increased tenfold. Cautiously, he sat up into a sitting position, folding his legs underneath himself and resting his arms on his knees lazily. A mountainous, sterling silver dragon stood before him along with the rest of his companions. A man was crouched beside him, looking intently at the scene before them.
Saphira was the first to notice her Rider was concise followed by the man to his right, who, Eragon had a sneaking suspicion, was a…wolf? "Ah-ha, I knew that would wake you up!" exclaimed the stranger, bringing everyone's attention back to Eragon.
"Erm, yes I guess….Thank you?" he wasn't quit sure of the circumstances going on around him but for some reason he was completely alright with it; uncertain, but not surprised that another dragon existed.
"Your welcome my Prince! Now it-
"Prince?" Eragon interrupted this man, "What do you mean by Prince?"
An irritated sigh came from Edric as he realized he would have to explain what was going on again for Eragon; this should be fun, he though sarcastically to himself.
"You see, you are the descendent of a Royal family, uhh how 'bout we get you something to eat first, eh?"
Who is this- Saphira interrupted his thoughts, His name is Edric little one, Thank you Saphira, anyway. This man called me 'Prince', why?
All will be explained in due time little one, you should eat first, though.
Alright then, but I expect answers from someone…
A scratchy growl drifted across their mental link, as Saphira laughed at his impatience.
Picketing the horses, Roran watched the strange new dragon out of the corner of his eye, weary of her intentions. Edric cooked up something from his pack as the others watched him, like Roran watched Razi, wearily. "Ah, it's finished!" exclaimed an overly excited Edric, he hasn't changed, though Raylene.
In a flourish, he presented it to Eragon, "Deer, with a side of rice and to top it off, a fruit stuffed pastry!" a childish smile was curled across his face, eager to see Eragon's reaction.
Eye's wide, and confused at to why he suddenly craved meat, Eragon looked at Edric's cooking in wonder. He didn't even give thanks because he was already digging into his meal. As he finished his lunch, Edric waited anxiously for a reply, "It's…."
"Yes?" Edric's voice was strained; as he gripped a wooden spoon tightly in his hands.
"It's….Its…Wonderful!" A new feeling crept over Eragon; he did not feel guilty for consuming the flesh of a once living being. Instead he felt understanding; warmth filled his stomach as he sat there. Raylene and Arya looked at the Rider in utter surprise, while Roran looked on happily at the sight; meat is supposed to be eaten, he thought to himself.
Gleeful laughter boomed forth out of the cook at the satisfied look upon Eragon's face, "Ha, I have prevailed, Hahahaha!"
"Now, Prince Eragon-
"Please do not call me that, I prefer just Eragon."
"As you wish," with a slight bow, he continued " you were born from the blood line of Meiyo Kizoku, the warriors of old run in your vein's; pasted down for generations ending up in you. Your courage, valor, honor, and sense of right from wrong have established you as the next Kage Ookami, or Shadow Wolf. Your friends tell me you have suffered from great anger, sorrow, and heart ache, well in a large amount, just one of those can awaken the wolf in you."
Eragon elda, your desire to rid this world of evil is the reason you are destined to be the next King of Eldon."
Silence fell over the company of travelers, "But-but I…I can't… I'm not capable of..What?" Eragon sputtered in a vain attempt to understand what this guy was telling him.
"You are destined to leave this land forever," Angela's words echoed in his mind, painfully reminding him of his fate.
"Eragon, you are the next in line to rule over the immortal realm; the world where there are no human's. It is your fate as the heir to the throne, to rule its people; there is no other capable of doing the job. When you fully awaken the power in you vein's, and claim you right as Prince, you shall be a King of Kings in this world; higher than any other Monarchy. You shall be King of our world one day, Kage."
Do not worry though, first you must restore order to this world," he paused to think for a moment, "OH, I almost forgot, you also must take a life time mate from this world, preferable someone who, like yourself, will live forever."
Well isn't that just convenient; Eragon thought to himself as a sigh of irritation escaped from his lips. An old habit, he bit the inside of his cheek, but unlike the other times, he tasted a metallic liquid in his mouth. Surprise emanated from his eyes as he fingered his teeth; in place of his once normal canines, were fangs. No, they were not long enough to hang out of his mouth, but his teeth resembled that of an animal.
"..Edric?" Eragon asked cautiously. White hair tossed to the side as he turned his attention back to his lord, "Am I supposed to have fangs?"
"Oh, well yes you are my Lord," a look of concentration settled upon his face, "I believe you shall gain your full power in a few days time. Though, until then, you shall be as you were before I gave you the Lilly of the Moon potion; it allows you to cope with the change without having to endure the pain for a short while-
He was cut off in full flow as he watched Eragon fall down to one knee, gripping his chest; the pain had come back in full force. Compassion was the only thing that the others could do until his body finally changed, Arya and the others had gathered around him after he had fallen down. Gently, Edric bent down, helping Eragon to his feet; looking up grey eyes met hazel grey, get his bedroll, Raylene.
Without arguing, she complied immediately; jogging over to Saphira's side, she opened her saddle bag and grabbed his bedding. As she laid it out, Edric slowly lowered the young Rider until he was snuggled into his wooly retreat. Panic twisted and mixed with the helpless feeling, as the sickening nausea feeling troubled her stomach; Arya could do nothing for him except wait for this spell to pass.
"Kage should complete his transformation in at least three – two more days; we should reduce traveling to night time, the moon will give him strength. Sigh If you do not mind I shall be joining you…but if you do not wish for me to accompany then tell me so now."
Raylene glanced nervously at her sister in hopes that she would not consider it, and yet part of her was giddy with the prospect of him traveling with her once more. "Give me your word as a Rider that you will bring no harm upon him, and that all you have told us is true." Arya's words were that of an ambassador; the mask of indifference, the emotionless eyes, it was something she had done time and time again.
"Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal," his tone was serious, and his eyes burned with a passion of respect for his prince.
"Then you may," and with that everyone went about taking a break before they began another tireless journey, but Arya made her way to Eragon's side. Kneeling beside the incoherent Rider, Arya brushed her fingers across his flushed cheeks, softly she whispered the only thing she could, "Sé mor'ranr ono finna"
Razi-secret
Meiyo Kizoku-noble family of honor
Roujun Yuukan-wolf shield of courage and bravery
Kenmei Roukyou- wolf power of wisdom
Kizoku- Another word of their language, it's actually Japanese but it means noble of the royal family basically.
Ookami- wolf
Kage- Shadow
Sé mor'ranr ono finna- may you find peace
Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal- upon my word as a Rider
Now when I say his teeth resemble that of an animal I mean imagine a wolf's or dog's mouth, well that's what his looked like but not completely freaky looking; I mean it won't affect his ability to kiss in the future chapters, oppose well I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out, huh? Please I hope you enjoyed it and if I confused you just ask and I'll try and sort it out. Shadow wolves and their statues and Ect. are my creation along with my charactors: Raylene, Edric, Razi, and all future non inheritance people, created and written by Fallen Angel and edited by Artemis-Delilah-Avari. In no way to I own Eragon or Eldest.