Alagaësia's New Dragon

By Commentaholic

A/N: Well, here's yet another overdue chapter. I've been elsewhere, I know. The occasional review and favoriting of this story has certainly awoken me from my lethargy occasionally, but I haven't started working on this until now.

I'm just going to come out and say it. This one will be a bit depressing. On multiple levels.

That is all. You'll have to read and find out why.

Chapter Twelve: Children of the Desert

Sabo wiped his brow as he looked up at the midday sun. He and Kir had stopped for a break after flying through the night. Kir had wanted to rest early that morning, but Sabo had stressed the need to cover as much ground as possible before the sun rose. That way they could continue to sneak past the Empire's main cities.

Kir had set them down in the middle of a grove of trees beside a river. It was an idyllic spot, and Arya had relieved Kir of his burdensome saddle and was helping him wash off the sweat that had accumulated and seeped up between his charcoal-hued scales.

The elven woman was still a bit cautious around Sabo, which wasn't all that surprising. His pale countenance had created many a bad first impression, and this certainly wouldn't be the last time a woman had panicked at his appearance.

Sabo was sorting through their supplies, picking out enough to create a small meal. He had taken enough to get them to the Hadaracs, but he still felt the need to ration their food. Who knows what could happen to delay their progress. Empire patrols, merchant caravans... any number of things would have to be avoided in order to keep their existence a secret. Sabo was no stranger to stealth, but the introduction of a dragon changed things. Arya, no doubt, had skills in the art of covert movement, having smuggled the egg across the empire many times over the years she had borne it among the elves and the Varden.

While the other two were setting up camp, Sabo sat down next to a map, planning their route. Having a dragon for transportation was both a blessing and a curse, for they could cover much greater distances. Of course, with flight came the greater chance of being spotted, especially with Kir's black scales. In order to appear inconspicuous, Kir had to fly them to a great height, so as to appear as a bird to the people below.

Sabo finished his planning and settled into his bedroll, awaiting the coming night.

He awoke to the earth-shattering sound of a thunderclap. What? he wondered, scrambling out of his bedroll, skin sprouting goosebumps as chilled drops of water from the sky fell onto his face and neck as he tilted his head to look up at the darkened clouds, punctuated as they were with flashes of lightning. There were no indications of a storm, especially not one of this level of ferocity! Sabo pulled his hood up and lowered his head against the strong gusts of wind that were blowing. He looked around frantically to find his two companions. He discovered them huddled together beneath a tree, Kir holding out one of his wings to shelter Arya from the wind and rain.

Sabo, what do we do? Kir asked, flinching as another bolt of lightning flashed down from the clouds. Dragons held an innate fear of lightning. Many a dragon had been cut down in its prime by foolhardy trips into storms such as these, so Kir's fears were completely understandable.

"We've got to get to shelter!" Sabo shouted against the sound of the rain falling on the countless leaves in the forest around them. Arya nodded, beginning to grab their supplies. Sabo helped her quickly heave the bags onto Kir's back as the storm raged around them. Arya was tightening Kir's saddle straps when Sabo heard a fearsome bellow from above. His blood froze in his veins.

Looking up, Sabo saw lightning illuminate the skies, outlining a winged shape for an instant before it was lost into the dark, rainy air. What... was that? Sabo said, trembling. He didn't have to wait long before he was struck in the stomach by something's scaly tail, the impact sending him across the clearing. His flight was cut short by an oak tree that blocked his path. Sabo struck it hard then slid to the ground, coughing up blood. He raised himself up on one hand, ignoring Kir's frantic cries, to look at his assailant.

It was hard to see clearly in the darkness, not to mention the added effect of the pouring rain, but Sabo could faintly make out the figure of a large dragon, spines jutting backwards from its forehead, a vicious mace on the end of its tail. Red eyes peered out from beneath its bony eyelids. Sabo could also make out a figure dismounting from the beast.

"It's been a long time... Sabo, isn't it? How long has it been? Ten...fifteen years?" asked a voice as slippery as ice and twice as chilling. The voice didn't seem to be hindered at all by the storm, arriving at Sabo's ears as if the speaker was right next to him. It was a voice that Sabo knew well, despite how much the speaker had changed. "You've got someone that belongs to me."

"Carsaib... What has Galbatorix done to you...?"

A young Sabo looked up from his studies as his the tent flap opened, letting in the light from the bright sun outside as it shone off the endless dunes. "Have a nice walk, master?" he asked as he glanced towards Haeg. Upon seeing the limp form in his master's arms, Sabo leapt up and laid out a bedroll, upon which Haeg laid the child. "Where did he come from? Will he be alright?" The questions flowed from Sabo's mouth until he received a sharp look from Haeg, at which Sabo's mouth shut rather quickly.

"I know not, Sand Lizard. He may be beyond saving, but I must do what I can," Haeg muttered. He laid his hands on the limp boy, inhaling deeply as he went to work.

Sabo ignored the use of the old man's nickname for him as his eyes were drawn to the old man's actions. His eyes opened wide as he watched swirls of light surround his teacher, spinning around in spirals of multicolored light. The old man's eyes shot open, light emitting from them as like two miniature suns. Haeg's hands glowed, and a faint aura of light, as if a pale imitation of the magic at work in Haeg's body, surrounded the unconscious youth.

This continued for a few minutes, longer than Sabo would have wished. The suspense was palpable as the time droned on and on, with no change except a visible slouch in Haeg's posture. When it stopped, it occurred almost too quickly for Sabo to notice the change. One moment, Haeg was healing the boy, the next he was sprawled out on the ground. Sabo rushed to his master's side. "Master!"

"Water..." Haeg croaked. Sabo nodded, darting outside, the tent flap being flung out of the way in his haste. The sun shone down on his tanned skin and white robe as he darted towards the spring that rested in the center of the oasis next to which their home stood. Sabo grabbed the bucket beside the source of precious water, scooping it into the vessel and carefully carried it back as fast as he could manage without spilling the contents.

When Sabo re-entered the tent, Haeg had pulled himself up onto his chair, his head hanging down from exhaustion. Sabo grabbed a wooden cup from one of the many shelves that bore, for the most part, scrolls of ancient wisdom. Filling the cup to the brim, he offered it to his master, who drank it greedily.

"That was amazing, master!" Sabo exclaimed. Haeg just waved him away.

"The boy needs some as well, Lizard..." Sabo nodded and carefully administered water to the unconscious boy, taking great care not to accidentally drown the helpless child.

"Where did you find him, master?" Sabo asked once Haeg seemed to have recovered a little.

"Out in the wastes. I know not how he came to be out there, but I could not leave him to die out there in the sand. Of all the ways to go, I believe that to be the worst. Dying alone in a hot wasteland, where it seems that even the gods cannot hear your cries for death." Haeg mused. Sabo nodded. He had long ago learned to heed Haeg's words, for he said little unless there was something worth saying. He mostly left Sabo alone to read from the scrolls, admonishing him when the young lad got too focused and deprived himself of sleep. "In time... we will see if the gods' mercy was granted to this boy for a reason."

"What Galbatorix did to me? He has done nothing! I am what I am by my own choice, fool!" Durza taunted as he approached Sabo, drawing his long, curved blade.

Sabo drew his own longsword, a weapon he used rarely but always kept it in good condition. "Don't do this, Carsaib. I don't wish to fight you."

"My name is Durza!" the Shade spat, swinging his blade at Sabo, who just barely managed to bring his own sword up to block, parrying the blow off to the side. "And you'd better fight if you want to live! Not like you trying will make much of a difference!" Durza lunged again at Sabo, raining blow after blow upon the man's defense.

"You will always be Carsaib to me." Sabo calmly replied, despite the dire situation he was in.

Sabo, I'll be right there! Kir shouted, trying to lunge towards the Shade to help his friend.

"Kir, no!" Sabo shouted, "Stay back!"

It was too late, however. The black dragon that Durza had arrived on leapt between the oncoming Kir and the combatants, pinning down the young dragon and then sitting once more to watch the swordfight with interest.

Arya was nowhere to be seen, surprisingly. Sabo guessed that she was biding her time, waiting for a chance to be useful. She probably would have entered the fray already if she had been at full strength. But as it was, even her brief time in Durza's prison had weakened her.

Lightning crackled overhead as the wind blew through the trees, producing an eerie droning noise. Sabo wished that he could get out of his cloak. The rainwater had soaked into the material, making him heavier and slower in combat. But as long as Durza was on the attack, Sabo could not do so. Durza let out a long streak of maniacal laughter, charging forward, the look in his eye only one of the many indications of his lost sanity. Sabo pitied him, in a way, after what happened.

"Carsaib! Don't do this! It isn't what Haeg would have wanted!" Sabo pleaded, grasping Carsaib's sleeve as the its owner was halfway out the door. A few years had passed since they had taken in the desert orphan, and Sabo and Carsaib had grown close under Haeg's teachings.

"And how do you know that!" Carsaib bellowed, shaking off Sabo's hand, "I'm sure he didn't want to die, either!" He stormed outside, the tent flap closing behind him. Sabo heard a horse whinny before the faint sound of sand being churned up by hooves faded.

Haeg had been killed in an attack by raiders, who had attempted to plunder the wealth of knowledge hidden within Haeg's domicile. Unfortunately for them, they found nothing, Haeg having used his powers to send them to a trusted colleague at the cost of a large portion of his life force, leaving him weak. When the raiders arrived as Haeg had predicted, they found an empty tent and an old man. Being outraged at losing their possible fortune, they had slain Haeg, leaving the old man lying dead on the sands.

"Oh Haeg... What do I do?" Sabo wondered aloud. "Why did you send us away? We could have helped!"

Their master had sent them out on an errand earlier that day, presumedly to keep them safe. But Carsaib didn't see it that way. He saw it as Haeg not seeing them as strong enough to help. He did not take weakness well. Gods knew what he might do, given the knowledge that he had been tutored in over the years.

Sabo finally made up his mind. It was all he could do to go in pursuit of his friend. He emerged from the tent into a sandstorm, one that had not been there a few minutes earlier when they had arrived back at the their home. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, "What is this...?" Then his eyes widened, despite the sand particles that threatened to assault them. "No!" Sabo struggled to find his horse, grasping its reins with a flailing hand. He pulled himself up onto it, searching for the tracks left by Carsaib's mount. To his dismay, the tracks were obliterated by this storm that was no doubt conjured by a sorceror's magic. Carsaib's magic. He must have tracked down the raiders and was using his knowledge to seek revenge.

Sabo was struck with a sense of dread. The one thing that Haeg had warned them before agreeing to teach them had been about using the spirits in a fit of rage. Spirits summoned in fury and anger could overwhelm the conjuror, turning him into something... else.

"Carsaib!" Sabo shouted into the sandstorm, his horse unwilling to move into the swirling sands.

"This storm is your doing, I assume, Carsaib?" Sabo asked, trying to buy himself some more time to think.

"Of course it is!" Durza shouted, "I had to keep you and your dragon friend from escaping, didn't I? And that elf... I shall enjoy breaking her. Her escape caused me enough trouble with Galbatorix as it is." he said, swinging his blade again, snarling.

As Sabo backpedaled across the clearing, he glimpsed Kir struggling to rise under the strong claw of the other dragon, who seemed content to watch the fight unfold. He had to get Kir free. The Varden could not afford the dangers should Arya and Kir fall into Galbatorix's clutches.

Forgive me, Master. I must break your last rule.

Sabo reached deep inside himself, releasing the power that he hadn't used for over a decade. Light shot from Sabo's eyes as he took hold of the magic, spirits rising up around him.

"What are you doing, Sabo?" Durza laughed, "Do you honestly think that your pitiful spells can hurt me? I AM INVINCIBLE!"

But Sabo wasn't even listening. His sword fell from his grasp as the power infused every portion of his being. Durza charged at Sabo, sword raised high, only to rebound off a field of energy.

With a gesture, the large black dragon was sent tumbling off of Kir, who rose painfully. Sabo! he cried out.

"I am sorry, my friend." said an airy voice from Sabo. Tendrils of light trailed from the man's fingers and his entire body glowed with a ghostly aura.

"No... you couldn't have mastered that skill!" Durza whispered.

"I did, Carsaib, my friend. While you chose the path of destruction, I followed the path of our master."

Sabo gestured and Durza went flying into a tree. The Shade picked himself up painfully before sending crimson flames at Sabo, which parted around the man's outstretched hand.

"Kir. You need to leave."

"Why do you fight so hard, Brom? Surely you could conceal yourself somewhere beyond Galbatorix's reaches and live out a peaceful life." inquired Sabo. He and Brom were taking a brief respite from their arduous training, giving the youth the chance to ask the question that he'd been dying to ask his aging mentor. Sabo's skin had faded from the desert tan that he had obtained in his time with Haeg, now spending a great deal of time in Tronjheim. His skin had begun the long process of returning to its natural hue.

"Because, Sabo, I have something that prevents me from doing so."

"And what is that?"

"The need to protect others. No matter how weak I may get, no matter the cost to my own life... I have something to protect. And that is what gives me the strength I need." Brom said, turning to Sabo, "One day you will have something that you need to protect, and you will know."

"Know what?"

"You will know what is worth giving your life to preserve."

I won't leave you here! Kir shouted.

"I am already gone, Kir. This technique is the last resort of a dying sorceror, the Celestial Core. I may not be able to defeat Durza either in mortal form or in this one, but I can at least help you to escape."

But-

"Go! Grab Arya and RUN!" A wave of light shot through the air, throwing the storm into chaos, tearing itself apart. The clouds faded to wisps of darkness and the rain faded into nothing. Arya came running out of the forest, clambering up Kir's back, urging him to fly. Kir didn't want to go, though. "Kir, GO!" Sabo shouted.

The young black dragon took to the skies, albeit reluctantly. After spiralling up to a decent height, he made a beeline south. As the dragon disappeared from sight, Sabo let out a sigh.

"It is done, then." The light that infused Sabo's form grew to a frightening intensity and Durza had to shield his eyes from the glare. The Shade felt like his skin was on fire. His ear-splitting shriek filled the air as he fought to conceal himself from the pure light pouring out of Sabo. Then nothing.

Durza peered around the tree that he had hidden himself behind. Nothing remained of the one called Sabo except for a few motes of light flickering on the spot where he had once stood, and even those, in a moment, were gone.

"You may have helped them escape, Sabo, but I will get them eventually." Durza growled, "And this time you won't be around to protect them."

Glaurung's head shot up, shortly followed by Saphira's as they sensed a disturbance. What was that? Saphira asked Glaurung.

I don't know. A light flared in the south, which caught the dragons' attention.

What was that? they both asked simultaneously this time.

I get the feeling that things just got complicated. That's the direction where Kir, Sabo and Arya went. Glaurung mused.

I hope they're alright... Saphira murmured, worried for their friends.

I'm sure they're fine. Sabo's got a good head on his shoulders, he'll take care of them. Glaurung said reassuringly.

I hope you're right.

Kir's wings burned out of exhaustion. He'd been flying hard ever since they'd left Sabo behind, Arya doing what she could to ease Kir's pains in order to get as much distance between them and Durza as they could.

But eventually, Kir could not fly any further. He brought them to a rough landing amid a cluster of tall rocks in which they could conceal themselves. Great tears fell from Kir's eyes as he mourned for his friend. Sabo had been the first human that Kir had trusted, and now he was gone. Arya patted Kir a couple times on the neck in an attempt to be comforting before retrieving her bedroll and going to sleep.

The elf didn't talk much, Kir noted.

That was what would make things worse... Now Kir had nobody to talk to. Sabo had always had enough time to listen to Kir's problems. Kir curled up and wept as he fell asleep out of weariness.

A/N: -sniff-

I'm sorry. That's the end of the chapter. I need a few moments to compose myself.

-breathes deeply-

Okay, I hope to update sooner than normal, assuming that I can get my butt in gear. This one took me a long time to write for... obvious reasons. I did, however, enjoy writing some unexpected backstory.

Oh, and happy 200-review anniversary! First to review gets number 200!*

(*Offer expires on 7/23/11. Many will enter, One will win*)

Also, if you're interested, I just got a twitter! Easy enough to find me. Just look for the name Commentaholic (... obvious, really) Who knows? I might even twitter about my current chapter statuses!

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