The Hatching Room had doors of solid metal, and various spells written in the ancient language were carved around its edges. There was a hand-shaped indent on the metal door with an ancient language inscription around the fingertips.

" 'Whomever places their hand in this slot swears their life in exchange for the treachery or leaking of whatever information may lie beyond this door to unworthy ears'," Murtagh translated.

"Ingenious…" Korin murmured.

Murtagh smiled. "Yes, quite. Your father invented it, you know."

Korin turned her icy-blue gaze towards him. "Really?"

He nodded. Suddenly, the doors started to open.

The inside of the Hatching Room was solid metal, even the pedestal in the center of the square-shaped room was metal. There were no guards inside the Hatching Room, only magical seals that prohibited fighting inside the room. Shruikan sat at the very back of the room, doused in the shadows. When he saw the three enter the Hatching Room, he stepped forward, his head directly over the metal pedestal.

Come, child, He commanded Korin, gently. The small girl strode cautiously to Shruikan and stopped, facing the metal pedestal but looked up at Shruikan. Do you know what this is, Korin? The raven-black dragon asked her, gesturing to the metal pedestal in front of them.

Korin nodded. "It is the resting place of the last remaining dragon egg." She answered.

Shruikan nodded, pleased. Open it. Korin's eyes widened.

"But, my lord—"

"Do as you are told, Korin," Murtagh said gruffly. Korin turned to look at him, fear shrouding her expression. Reluctantly, she nodded.

A small metal knob protruded from the pedestal on Korin's side. She took hold of the knob and pulled it slowly towards herself. The door to the safe opened with ease.

Shruikan, Murtagh, and Thorn exchanged glances with one another. Murtagh and Thorn had not thought that Korin, of all people, could open the Dragon Safe with such ease. But Shruikan was obviously not as surprised.

Korin reached inside the safe and took out a green satin pillow. In the center of its emerald cloth was a single emerald-green rock. But Korin knew better. The rock was really the last known dragon egg, and if it hatched for her, she would be the newest Dragon Rider in all of Alagaësia. Korin looked up at Shruikan, who gave her a pressing nod. She placed a quavering hand in the air above the egg. Slowly, Korin lowered her hand until she felt the smooth surface of the egg.

As soon as her hand touched the egg, it started to shake vigorously. Korin quickly withdrew her hand from the egg and looked at the Rider and dragons around her, and then back to the shaking egg.

The green egg suddenly shattered into tiny pieces, and in the center of the ruined egg was a tiny, emerald dragonling. It had paper-thin wings that were almost glued to his scaly back. Its eyes were a shining silver, and its gleaming claws were frighteningly sharp. The tiny dragon turned its arrowhead-shaped head towards Korin. It blinked a few times and cocked its head.

Korin smiled warmly at the dragonling.

Touch his head, Korin. Shruikan urged. Korin nodded, her eyes still fixed on the emerald dragonling before her.

Korin reached out with her left hand and touched the tiny dragon's forehead. Upon contact, Korin felt an abrupt burning sensation on her palm and pulled away instantly. When she turned her palm over, a shining white gash stretched across it. Her eyes widened as she remembered the name of this sacred mark: the gedwëy ignasia.

Murtagh and Thorn exchanged surprised looks with one another as Korin gathered the tiny emerald dragon into her arms.

Korin? Korin is the new Dragon Rider? Murtagh was utterly amazed.

Well, considering her father is the most powerful man in all of Alagaësia…

Very good point, Murtagh agreed. But still, it's very hard to believe that this young girl, with no battle skills at all, could possibly be a Dragon Rider for the Empire.

Think about Eragon, Thorn reminded him. He had no battle skills whatsoever, either, yet he nearly matches even you in strength and skill now.

Murtagh grunted. Very true, my friend, but…it's Korin

Yes, it is very hard to think of Korin, a very petite, fragile, and kind woman, as a vicious, ruthless Dragon Rider.

Now you see my concern.

All that we can do now is make the journey less painful for her.

'Less painful'? Murtagh grunted. How can we make the journey 'less painful'? There's no way to make this job 'less painful', Thorn. If there were, I would have found it a long time ago. Murtagh crossed his arms.

Thorn leaned his ruby head on Murtagh's shoulder. I wish there were, my brother, I wish there were. Murtagh patted the dragon on his cheek and smiled.

You make my journey less painful everyday, Thorn. Now let's just hope that this new dragon does the same for Korin.

Yes, let's.

Murtagh released Thorn and looked back to Korin and her dragon, who were just staring at each other.

"What should I call him…?" Korin mumbled.

"How about asking him?" Korin jumped at the sound of Murtagh's voice.

"L-Lord Murtagh…I had forgotten that you were there…" she chuckled and then turned back to the dragon. W-Well…what should I call you?

The dragonling only stared back at her with his silvery gaze.

Korin lifted her eyes. You're talkative, aren't you…? Hmm… How about… Kaal?

How about not?

Korin cocked her head. Not? What kind of a name is that?

The dragonling gave her a look. I was joking.

O-Oh…Geez, you're talkative now, aren't you?

I'm a fast learner.

Obviously. Now…Krad? Galen?

Galen is fine—

I don't want it to be 'fine', I want it to be 'just right'. So is it to your liking? Because if not, just say so and I'll find other names.

Well…how about another name?

Korin nodded. Suddenly, a name that she had heard somewhere before struck her fancy. What about Ganbek?

The dragonling nodded. A wonderful name. It's 'just right'. Korin smiled.

"Then Ganbek it is." She said aloud.

"Ganbek? Why that name?" Murtagh questioned.

Korin shrugged. "I really do not know. That name just came to me…I think that I heard it somewhere…perhaps in a dream…?" she shrugged again and turned back to Ganbek, who cuddled himself close to Korin's body. He closed his eyes and Korin could feel him, in her mind, falling into unconsciousness.

My Ganbek… She thought as she cradled him in her arms. Korin looked up to see Shruikan's large head in front of her.

You must now go to your father, Korin. He is waiting for you. Korin nodded and bowed.

"Thank you, Lord Shruikan," she told him kindly. "For giving me the opportunity to touch Ganbek's egg. Because of you, I am now able to serve my King, and my Empire."

Shruikan looked at her intently. Never use formalities anymore, Korin. You are now equal to myself, Murtagh, Thorn…even your father…so reprimand yourself from using formalities, am I understood?

Korin nodded. "Yes L—" Shruikan gave her a nasty glare. "Shruikan…" she corrected herself.

Murtagh turned away from her and started to walk out of the Hatching Room. "Come on, Korin. Now we have to see your father." He said.

Korin nodded again and followed her fellow Rider and his dragon out of the room and to her father's Throne Room, Ganbek asleep in her arms.

As they were about to enter the Throne Room, Korin touched Murtagh's arm. He stopped and turned around.

"What is it, Korin?" he asked her.

Korin looked down and shook her head. "Even though he is my father, I am still frightened to even look him in the eyes. How am I supposed to show him that I am worthy of the title of Dragon Rider?"

Murtagh smiled warmly and lifted her chin with his forefinger so that she was eye level to him. "Ganbek would not have hatched for you if you were unworthy of the Dragon Rider title."

The young girl stared at him.

"I know it, Galbatorix knows it, Thorn knows it, Ganbek knows it. All you have to do is believe it. If you believe that, no one, including Galbatorix, can tell you otherwise."

He released Korin's chin and opened the Throne Room's doors.