Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters created by Christopher Paolini.

A/N: I am going to be nice. I'm going to put some romance into this story finally. One reviewer: StarrFlower has been waiting long enough I believe. Okay time to begin chapter 10!!!!! And other reviewers have been waiting long enough for this chapter as well! I decided to update sooner and not wait for 7 reviews. Since it wouldn't be fair for the others who have to wait for the next update. So people who are reading this review whenever you want, just make sure you review.

Chapter 10

Sapphire looked up from the scrolls she was reading and narrowed her eyes. 'Something is happening somewhere.' Arian then landed beside her and nudged her arm affectionately.

'Sapphire, lets go on an adventure.'

'And where would we go, may I ask?'

'Lets just say....I am deeply curious about these dragon demons and wish to encounter some.'

'You want to encounter something that your mother, father, and sister are afraid of?'

'Yes.'

'You've got problems...'

'No, I'm just very curious about them. As you should too.'

'Why should I be curious?'

'You never know.....you might find someone you like...'

'Arian! Why would I fall in love with a dragon demon?'

'I don't know.....why would Murtagh fall in love with an elf? Why would a human fall in love with a DragonRider?'

'Its natural. Because at least with a human and DragonRider, they know that eventually time will take them both.'

'As is with dragon demons, Sapphire. From what I've heard they are very similar to dragons, except they do not accept riders on their backs most of the time. And they can use their tails as a weapon in times of crisis.'

'Their tails?'

'Based on rumors, the end of their tails usually looks like a pitchfork.'

'Hmm.....great...now I'm curious too Arian.'

'Perfect! Now lets go!'

'Go? Go where?' Arian grabbed Sapphire's shirt and swung her onto his back.

'Do you really need to ask?'

'Yes...'

'My dear rider, we are going on a little field trip.'

'Don't talk like that to me!'

'Heh heh....As you wish. If you want a clear answer, then I'll tell you clearly. We are going to the dragon demon realm.' With that, Arian jumped into the air and roared loudly.

'Are you sure this is wise Arian?!'

'Oh come on! Have a little fun in your life! Its time to be adventurous, Sapphire!' Roaring with delight, Arian used his magic, somehow, to open a portal and flew through it. Sapphire however was screaming the entire time.

~Dragon demon realm~

Cerain growled as he watched two of his brethren fight each other. Mika then came outside to stand beside him.

"How is he?"

"He will not be a problem when he demon side takes over."

"You sound too sure of yourself. Do you forget that he is half-elf? You know how elves can be tricky sometimes."

"The elven side of him is not a problem. He is directly decended from Lord Fraener and is therefore our next best king to rule our kind." Cerian rolled his eyes.

"I think we should not base our upon who is decended from whom. I think the king should be decided based on strength, power, and will to stay alive. Those three things should be able to determine how great of a ruler someone could be."

"Everyone sees things differently."

"Mother, I......DragonRider." Arian had just entered Cerian's line of vision and Cerian let out a loud, chilling roar.

'Hang on Sapphire! This is going to get bumpy!!' Arian did a little twist as Cerian came flying towards him, attempting to bite him, but Arian was able to twist once again out of his reach. Letting out a little gasp as she was flung forward in the saddle, Sapphire gritted her teeth while Arian began dodging the dragon demons, who were now showing up in the hundreds.

"Oh...my...god!!" Sapphire screamed as it dawned on her that there was no way for them all to move out of the way.

'Arian we're going to crash!!!'

'No we aren't....' At the last possible moment, Arian pulled straight up, barely managing to get out of there before the dragon demons collided with each other. Shrieks, roars, growls, and screeches echoed as the dragon demons tried to untangle themselves.

'Okay....is our little adventure done now Arian?'

'Aww....I don't want it to be thoug--Sapphire watch out!!!' Arian roared as a dragon demon suddenly lunged forward, knocking Sapphire off of his back.

"Arian!!!!" Sapphire screamed as her dragon instantly tackled the dragon demon. She could see the muscles rippling as the demon fought Arian, but compared to some of the other ones still tangled, that one was very small. One of the demons near the bottom of the entanglement raised its head and growled. 'If only they accepted DragonRiders....they would make formidable foes.'

"Enough Rai. Our king wouldn't want us to be like this to a guest." With a thrust of his wings, the demon who had spoken shoved all of the dragon demons back onto their feet. Rai stopped fighting Arian as a silvery white dragon demon came walking out slowly and calmly.

"My lord!" All of the dragon demons bowed their head at the silvery white one, who narrowed his eyes.

"Why is there a DragonRider here?"

"Lord Nathanel-" The demon then lunged forward and bit down on the neck of the demon who was talking.

"That is not my name! I am Mordecai!" Swinging his head forward, Mordecai glared down at Sapphire, icily. "I shall ask one more time. Why is there a DragonRider here?!"

"I am here because my dragon wanted to go on an adventure!" Mordecai walked up to her and lowered his head, growling.

"We don't particulary like DragonRiders."

"I am well aware of that." Mordecai raised his head and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"And yet you still come here? I dare say that this DragonRider is either very brave or very stupid." Arian then growled loudly when Mordecai said that.

'Hush Arian.'

'Are you really going to let that scaly prune tell you what to do?!'

'Arian....Its better to listen in situations like this, than to not listen at all.'

'Hmph...' Sapphire stiffened when Mordecai lowered his head again and roughly headbutted her, making her fall flat on her bottom.

"Ugh!"

"Thats what you get for not listening to me. We don't particulary like DragonRiders, even if you are female." Sapphire glared at him.

"I'm surprised you even have these thousands of dragon demons under your command. I'll have a heart attack if a woman actually falls in love with you. The type of man you are, is not supposed to have a woman I bet! Which is why you dragon demons probably decide to not like DragonRiders! But where do I have any say in all of this? Nowhere! Thats what you all would say. But let me say this, I do have a say in all of this. I have that choice on whether or not to be human. I have a choice on whether or not to live or die today or tomorrow. I choose to keep fighting until my dying breath, and to fight against all evil creatures. But let me tell you, not all demons have to be evil. You are just like dragons, with only a few differences setting your races apart." Mordecai snapped his jaws silencing her.

"You are awfully loud for one so small, DragonRider. You talk as if you would choose to be one of us if you could." Arian hissed loudly and angrily.

'If you even make that suggestion again, demon, I will bite off your head!'

"I'd like to see you try, tiny dragon. Anyways, as I was saying, there is no way for you to possibly become one of us."

"I never said I wanted to. But I can tell, through your eyes, that a part of you never wanted to be this either." With a flash, Mordecai's body shrunk into a size to where Sapphire was almost eye-level with. He had long silvery white hair, a marking on his forehead, and the prettiest dark blue eyes she had ever seen. But the silent moment was gone when he grabbed her neck.

"You can't tell anything through my eyes, wench." He released her neck and turned away from her.

"I can still tell that you wish you weren't here. You carry yourself like you wish you were elsewhere. What is it that you truly wish?" Mordecai stopped and turned to look at her, but his eyes looked distant, as if somewhere else.

"How is it that you can see through me then? Am I an open book as some people would call it? Or are you just good at ready body language?"

"I am a DragonRider, Mordecai. I am very optimistic because of my childhood, which I am not here to talk about with you either." Mordecai began chuckling, but ended up laughing very shortly.

"I see. Well, since you believe you are a very optimistic DragonRider, why don't you use your optimisism and leave my lands at once. Before I am forced to send my forces after you." Sapphire smirked.

"You wouldn't dare send your forces after a lady would you?" Mordecai's eyes flashed for a moment, but Sapphire couldn't exactly place the emotion behind them. Sorrow? Hate? Fear? Anger?

"I don't like it that you keep trying to say what you think I am feeling, young DragonRider." Arian slowly walked over to Sapphire and knelt down.

'I think it would be wise to actually listen to him, Sapphire.'

'I believe you are right.' Turning around, Sapphire gazed at Mordecai's back and a strange, warm, sensation went up her spine and through her heart, and she got the sudden feeling that something else was going on with Mordecai. After all when he had first shown up one of the demons had called him Nathanel.

'Sapphire...?' She turned to look at Arian.

'Go back to Ellesmera and warn Eragon, Murtagh, and everyone else what is going on here. They deserve to know.'

'And what about you? I'm not about to leave you here. I-'

'Arian! Trust me on this. There is something I have to do here, and I need to accomplish it now or I might not get the chance ever again. Do you understand?' Arian stared at her for a few seconds more before standing up.

'Very well. Just know this, Sapphire, while you are in this realm, I won't be able to sense you until you return to Alagaesia. Whatever happens here I won't be able to help you. Just promise me one thing.'

'What?'

'Don't die.'

'I...I won't.' Arian nodded and lifted his wings, taking flight instantly.

"Cerian, follow the dragon and make sure he really leaves."

"Yes, lord Mordecai."

"Now, young lady, why are you staying here?" Mordecai was in front of her now.

"I...I want to experience this place without my dragon."

"Are you trying to ask to be treated as an equal here?" Sapphire sensed right there and then that Arian had left the realm and was back in Alagaesia. She was left with silence and an empty feeling in her mind.

"Yes. Will you grant me this?" Mordecai leaned his head towards her.

"For now I will. But when I believe that you have over-stayed your experience, then I will send you away from here." Sapphire nodded and had to fight against the urge to stroke his cheek.

"May I ask where I will be staying?" Mordecai smirked.

"Since you are so curious about our way of life, I'll let you sleep in my quarters. You'll experience life here as if you were my queen. Is that understood by you all?" He addressed the demons around them and they all nodded or bowed. "Good. Which means, you need to tell me your name."

"Sapphire."

"Sapphire....well, Sapphire, in order for you to experience this place as a queen, I need to treat you as my queen."

"What does that mean?"

"This." He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

~Ellesmera~

Eragon slowly took a drink of water and sighed. It had been only 2 hours since Arya had told him that she was pregnant. 'I'm glad, I really am....but we just got done fighting in a war and more wars are probably about to take place.' Saphira then dropped down out of the sky and landed next to him.

'The skies are unusually clear today, little one. Do you want to go flying?'

'Flying sounds nice. After all it would give me a short escape from my troubles.'

'Oh, little one....' Saphire knelt down so Eragon could climb onto her back. When he was settled into the saddle, she jumped into the sky and soared with her rider.

'Saphira, what do you think about Arya's pregnancy?'

'If I were you, Eragon, I would be happy that I am finally having a family with the one I love.'

'I know I should feel that, but I am just.....worried.'

'I'm pretty sure Thorn was worried too, when he had to keep an eye on our eggs when we left all those years ago.'

'Yeah, he probably did. Then the whole thing with Mardonio probably didn't help at all.' Saphira's head then snapped towards the South and she snarled.

'Saphira? What is it?'

'Someone is using dark magic to resurrect the dead.' Eragon's whole body broke into a sweat when he sensed it as well.

'This is not good..' Roaring, Saphira flew towards the area quickly. When the entered the area, arrows instantly flew at them.

"Saphira watch out for the arrows!" Nodding, she began dodging them all easily, and Eragon fired his own arrows with magic surrounding them. Eragon recognized Damien amongst the men on the ground.

'Saphira...I think I know who they are resurrecting.'

'Who?'

'Damien is down there. So it has to be Mardonio.' Saphira roared in anger and flew down there, spiraling though to avoid the arrows. Eragon realized that they were barely missing the arrows, and Saphira had her wings tucked to her sides too.

"You're too late Eragon! Lord Mardonio is back!" Saphira snarled before releasing a jet of flame straight towards the archers. But all Eragon could see was the one man standing next to Damien, smiling.

"Mardonio...."

Alright review!! I bet you guys really aren't going to like the very long chapters now are you? Since they have usually been ending with a cliffy. Like I said in the beginning of the chapter, I decided it is not nice to the people who have to wait for the next update. So I won't put up a review amount until I update. So enjoy the update! Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year!!!! Review please!!