As Alex followed the purple-robed man, he wondered if there was some sort of security test he had to go through.
"There should be, after all the Varden and Empire are enemies" thought Alex.
Saphira just told me that the other bald man went through Eragon's mind. He had her conceal Murtagh's identity, as well as what we told him of your dreams. mentioned Thanatos.
"Good, so I was right" replied Alex, turning to the bald man.
"My companions, are they farther up this path?"
A nod from the man indicated the answer to Alex's question.
"And am I correct in assuming I have to go through some of mental test soon?" queried Alex.
The bald one stopped walking, and turned around, saying "Yes, that's right. Let us do that now."
He placed his hand on Alex's forehead and proceeded to sift through his memories. Alex clenched his teeth and relaxed to try and reduce the pain, for the bald one was very thorough in his searching. Soon the test was done, and Alex fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"There were some strange, cloudy parts in your mind, but overall you are trustworthy." said the bald man, traveling down the hallway. "Come, your friends are near."
"I wonder what part of my past will be revealed next" wondered Alex, following the man with his dragon.
I think whatever's still locked up in your memories may be the last thing we need to know about our past. As soon as we recover from our travels the black dragon sighed, obviously quite tired from all the flying. An inevitable conflict with the creature from our nightmares may happen soon. I don't like this feeling, but I feel we must confront it. And I want to be as prepared as possible for this event, so I want to commence training as soon as possible.
"As do I, dear heart, especially if it involves sacrifice" said Alex, staring ahead with a stony look on his face. A door opened in front of them, revealing a dimly lit room in which Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh resided. The bald man disappeared down another hallway, but not before saying he'll be back in the morning.
Alex and Thanatos walked in quietly, for the sapphire dragon and her rider were fast asleep. Murtagh looked up at Alex, wondering if the rider said anything about his past. Alex indicated he didn't, so Murtagh settled against the wall and Thanatos laid down next to Saphira. The black dragon laid his head on his forearms, grateful for rest, as his rider collapsed next to him, obviously too tired to take off his armor. They all slept peacefully throughout the night, until the door to their chamber opened and one of the bald men stepped in followed by a group of warriors. Eragon sat up groggily as the bald man said "Our leader will see you now. Follow us atop your dragons."
Thanatos and Saphira woke up, yawning and stretching their limbs. Eragon walked over and playfully kicked Alex in the side.
"Time to wake up, Alex. I think they want to show us off" he said as Alex groaned and stretched. Skillfully jumping up onto his feet, the black rider yawned mightily, struggling to open his tired eyes.
Mornin sunshine teased Thanatos as his rider sluggishly mounted him, still in full battle regalia. Not even bothering to retaliate, Alex sat up and mentally prepared for what was to come up. The bald man led the procession down yet another tunnel, followed by Murtagh the warriors and finally Eragon and Saphira. Alex and Thanatos led the end, with the black dragon looking very proud and dignified.
There's probably going to be some antagonism because of my color, what with the king's dragon being black, so I have to show them that I'm a friend and mean them no harm. said Thanatos.
"Good Idea" agreed Alex, grimacing as the door opened and the morning sunlight smacked him in the face like a falling brick. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, a loud cheer erupted from crowds of people, and to his surprise, dwarves, on either side of him. Alex took off his helmet and looked around at the crowds, raising a hand in greeting. Ahead of him, Eragon was acting a bit shy and Saphira was showing off by breathing out a puff of smoke.
Alex noticed some of the dwarves had hard, stony looks on their faces, and deduced they must've had conflicts with dragons in the past. The cheers subsided as the dragons followed the bald man and the warriors into a great mountain city. Alex was amazed at the detail of the architecture of this great stone mountain, and marveled in its splendor. Thanatos carried his rider's excitement, and mentioned that the dwarves must be excellent artisans.
Soon they came upon a great door, and paused before it. The warriors departed, and the bald man opened it, revealing a grand study outlined in bookshelves. In the center of the study was an ebony-skinned man sitting at a desk. The bald man joined his twin under a nearby set of stairs as the dragons walked up to the desk and sat down in front of it. Their riders dismounted, and along with Murtagh, sat down in chairs in front of the dragons.
"Welcome to Tronjheim, riders" announced the ebony man, spreading his arms in a friendly gesture and looking at the riders. "I am Ajihad, leader of the Varden"
"I am Eragon, rider of Saphira" replied Eragon as Saphira nodded.
"And I am Alex, rider of Thanatos" said Alex, pointing to his black dragon. Ajihad nodded in recognition, then turned toward Murtagh, apparently recognizing him. As the Varden's leader spoke, a familiar presence entered Alex and Thanatos' mind, blocking all senses except their thoughts.
"Kriegos" whispered Alex and Thanatos together, now completely oblivious to their surroundings. They were in the same position when Ajihad spoke with Murtagh, yet now darkness clouded their minds.
"My dear Alex, glad to see you're doing well. It's been quite a while since our last encounter, has it not?" sneered the dark lord.
"Yes, though I don't know the exact date. And once we get out of this trance, you're dead" replied Alex, glaring at Kriegos.
I'm with Alex on this one. All the pain you've caused, all the anguish, the death…This will end. added Thanatos resolutely.
"Oh really?" growled the dark one, grinning victoriously. "You two don't even remember my one weakness, or anything that occurred before you arrived on this soon to be destroyed world"
"On the contrary" they replied together, looking up at Kriegos. "We remember everything. You are a fool, Kriegos. How could you not know that a visit from an important part of our past would set all our memories back in place?"
Stunned for a moment, the dark lord growled, obviously quite angry. He smote Alex and Thanatos, then departed only to arise again. As their senses returned, dragon and rider looked around to find that only they, Ajihad, Eragon, and Saphira remained in the study.
"Alex, are you all right?" asked Eragon, worried about his friend.
"What has happened, rider? You and your dragon were as still as statues for the past five minutes" queried Ajihad. They both looked in his direction, awaiting his response. Alex and Thanatos gazed upon the Varden's leader, and said
"Sorry, our past just came back and smacked us in the face. Yes, that means we remembered everything, though we need a bit of time to sort everything out."
"All right, I'll tell my story until then" said Eragon, turning to Ajihad and unraveling his adventures. Alex and his dragon listened with half an ear, conferring with each other on how they would reveal their past. When Eragon finished up, all eyes turned toward Alex, waiting for his tale. Taking a deep breath, Alex began talking.
"I'll start off by saying that Thanatos and I are not of this world. We originate from planets far from this one, one that is dominated by dragons who live in relative harmony with a fair number of humans, and where Thanatos was born. I came from one where humans thrive due to advanced technology, ideas and objects I've abandoned for a cleaner more peaceful life with a group of friends and dragons."
"So there are other worlds beyond ours" interrupted Eragon, amazed at that fact.
"That explains how different Thanatos and Saphira are" added Ajihad, then apologizing for interrupting Alex. "You may continue not"
"Thank you. I lived on my home planet, Earth, for a while with my guardian and friend Lyn. One night as the year came to an end, Thanatos here crash landed in my backyard. He was, back then, a dwarf by dragon standards, much smaller than he is now. Later though, he went through a massive growth spurt, particularly through a technique called ascension, but that's a different story.
After Thanatos recovered, he told me and my friends about what was going on back on his planet. I was feeling strangely attached to him at the time, so I offered to help. At first he declined, but after I told him I felt it was my destiny to confront the darkness overwhelming his planet, and that I always knew in the back of my mind that there was something different about me, that this was my chance to find out who I really am.
Thanatos mentioned that there was an old legend in which the holy dragon, the wielder of light, in the form of a two-legged creature will assist his brethren in their time of need. Believing this legend to be true, he accepted my help and we traveled to his planet through a portal he created. Once there, I fought the dark lord and barely managed to defeat him. I collapsed, but the dragons revived me and brought me before their king, queen, and prince, who happens to be standing behind me. The royal family wanted to graft me and my friends into their society. For a while, all was well.
A small colony of humans was established, though it was and still probably is closely watched by the dragons to make sure it doesn't turn out like Earth did. During this period, I became very good friends with Thanatos, and Lyn grew quite attracted with Alvara, the adopted daughter of the queen. Dragons are creatures of great and deep emotion, and because of this we discovered that intimate relationships could be forged between dragons and humans who wish to do so.
Then Kriegos struck again, this time with much more force. Such battles with him happened a lot, and they were often filled with death and betrayal. It seemed that the dark lord never seemed to die, but we will keep fighting until he finally is defeated.
"Let us not worry them about our future sacrifice. I don't want them to get in the way" whispered Alex to Thanatos, who quickly agreed.
"And about how we arrived here in Alagaesia, I believe that Kriegos tapped into the dangerous art of teleportation, the instantaneous transportation of matter through time and space. Kriegos wanted to send Thanatos and I back through time, hoping we'd forget everything and thusly become weak. What he expected to happen did, but he couldn't predict that we'd be able to regain our memory this quickly, or Thanatos' apparent rebirth. Now all that needs to be done is to wait for the final confrontation with the dark lord, where we will battle him alone."
"Your story is amazing Alex, though I admit I'm still a bit skeptical. I find it hard to believe that even the most skilled of magic users could transform into a dragon, especially one so powerful that could defeat the dark lord, if he is as strong as you say" said Ajihad, somewhat shocked at this revelation.
"Your skepticism I perfectly understandable, Ajihad" replied Alex, floating out of his chair. An aura of light surrounded him, and two sets of wings with feathers as pure as snow sprouted out of his back. The wings were about half as long as the study, and were so bright that they nearly blinded the residents within. The aura around Alex shimmered, and would've gone out of control had Thanatos not been helping to stabilize it with his own power. The wings soon disappeared, and the room returned to its normal level of brightness as Ajihad, Eragon, and Saphira uncovered their eyes.
"That ought to be enough proof" assumed Alex politely, settling into the chair.
"Definitely more than enough" replied Ajihad. "When the dark lord comes, your assistance will be greatly appreciated."
"Thank you. It's been great talking with you, but I'm sure Eragon and I, as well as our dragons, need some rest and relaxation now, if you don't mind" requested Alex.
"Not at all, rider. But first…Orik!" commanded Ajihad as the dwarf walked into the study. They began talking, but Alex didn't join and instead briefly spoke with Thanatos.
Saphira seems uneasy. I think she may have figured out our plans said the black dragon.
"And are you prepared to tell her the truth?" questioned Alex, now walking out of the room with his friends.
Yes concluded Thanatos.
They walked out to a cliff overlooking the surrounding area, where the dragons took off to find something to eat. Orik then guided Alex and Eragon to a dark bathing room, where they washed off the desert sands which had accumulated on their bodies. After the bath, they went down to the cafeteria and had a nice hearty meal. Their afternoon consisted of a tour of Tronjheim, where Orik explained with pride about dwarven accomplishments.
"I'm gonna go check out the training grounds. I'll be back for dinner" said Alex, bidding his friends goodbye.
"See you later, Alex" said Eragon just before Saphira contacted him.
I worry about Thanatos. I think he and Thanatos are hiding something about them and Kriegos.
"I wonder what it could be" wondered Eragon.
I just hope it isn't what I think it is said Saphira grimly.
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I have full confidence that our abilities in fighting and magic are good enough said Thanatos watching his rider polish his gear. They were on the edge of the sparring fields, far enough away as to not distract the Varden's soldiers. Alex placed his gleaming blades next to his armor, then sat next to Thanatos in a meditative position.
"Then let us seek out our friends and family, to let them know we are alive and well" he said, melding with his dragon and expanding their powerful minds beyond the reaches of Alagaesia and into the inky blackness of outer space. Taking their time, they had to conserve their strength for they knew they had a long way to go.
Galbatorix would not notice their presence, for they were keeping well away from the black city of Uru'baen. Eventually Alex and Thanatos came to what they knew to be their home planet. By now, their minds were at their limits, though they pushed on, hoping to contact someone on the surface. Struggling ahead, they encountered a familiar presence which appeared to be sleeping.
"Kora!" yelled Alex, trying to talk with his daughter before he was forced back to his body. Thanatos felt his riders kin awaken, and quickly spoke with her, though most of it didn't get through.
Listen…on strange world…Kriegos will awaken…other dragons…running out of…give Alvara my love…
Forced to fall back, they strode forward one last time and encountered a different force, a finely crafted enchanted spear. They grabbed a hold of it and rapidly returned to their bodies, strangely not too tired.
'The Arc Wind" whispered Alex, balancing the spear in his hands. Its shaft was forged of a strong blue-tinted metal, shaped in a spiral pattern. This continued up to the head of the spear, except for two smooth sections where the spear was supposed to be gripped. The head of the Arc Wind spread out in three directions, with two smaller blades at a slight angle from the larger, middle one. The edges of the blades were so sharp it could cut through stone. There was also a blue crystal socketed on the other end, in which sparks of lightning could be seen.
"I never expected it to be so intricately enchanted. The power to force opponents away on striking, to summon lightning whenever I want, This spear has it all. I love it!" he crowed, leaping up and masterfully twirling it around as Thanatos looked on with amusement.
Alex thrust the Arc Wind in front of him, but it was stopped by the blade of Arya. A gust of wind howled from the spear and sped past the elf, blowing her hair behind her back. Alex smiled and tossed the spear aside, then picked up Balmung, excited at the prospect of dueling a strong opponent. He brought up the golden sword in a defensive stance as Arya did the same, while waiting for her to make the first move.
Suddenly the elf lunged and their blades met with a metallic clang that sounded across the entire field. The elf's blade slashed dangerously close to his side, but Alex quickly dodged and stabbed toward the elf's belly, all the while being extremely wary of Arya's agility. Such ferocious fighting continued for more than an hour, and neither side seems to be tiring. The soldiers of the Varden, as well as Eragon, Saphira, and Orik watched this duel with extreme amazement. Alex was holding back somewhat, but fought with his full power once he discovered elven skill with fighting. The battle stopped when the duelist's swords ended up lying on each others neck.
"That was, without question, one of the best duels I've had in my entire life" said Alex excitedly, neatly piling up his gear.
"You put up a good fight as well. Not many humans, even riders, could hold their own against an elf that well" complimented Arya. Her voice was pure and almost musical. Alex took note of this, but didn't pursue such thoughts any further.
"Lyn doesn't like it too much when I get too interested in other women" he thought amused, fondly remembering his close friend. Coming back to reality, he said to Arya
"I'm sure Eragon told you by now that I'm not exactly human"
"He did. No where in elvish lore or history was any mention of other worlds like ours, yet you and Thanatos are clearly not from there. Tell me, what is your world like?" asked an interested Arya. Eragon walked over and the three of them sat in between the dragons, listening to Alex's descriptions of his origins.
As evening descended upon them, they departed for a meal in Tronjheim, and then the riders went up to the dragonhold to sleep. During the night, Saphira was quite a bit restless, so she stepped out for a bit of fresh air, and found Thanatos gazing up at the clear, starry sky.
Beautiful night, isn't it? said Saphira, walking up to the black dragon.
Aye he replied, briefly looking at the dragon next to him. She shied away for a moment, concerned about something, then returned her gaze to the heavens.
What is worrying you, Saphira? You've been tense ever since my earlier revelation asked a concerned Thanatos, looking the blue dragon in the eyes. Saphira looked up at her friend, then replied after a pause
I'm worried about you and Alex. After your rider mentioned that you two must balance each other out, I thought back to when he mentioned that he, the all powerful dragon of light must do battle with the dark lord Kriegos, a horrible realization crossed my mind. One must sacrifice himself to completely destroy the other.
She sniffed as a tear formed in the corner of her eye.
And if your rider dies…
So will I. We've been together for so long, I will follow him to the afterlife said Thanatos. More tears ran down the sapphire dragon's cheek as she laid her neck on Thanatos', and edged closer to him.
I don't want you to die. You're the only sane dragon I know of. Thanatos, I…I love you! said Saphira emotionally, laying a wing over the black dragon. For a moment, Thanatos was stunned. He accepted her ministrations, then replied
Saphira, even if I die, my spirit will live on. I will always be with you. Besides he added lightly. I'm…taken. I've already mentioned Alvara, my mate.
Ah yes, silly me said Saphira, trying to clear the tears from her face, though her expressions were still of sadness and anxiety.
Do not be so depressed, Saphira. You're a great friend, and I will never forget you. Besides, some of my acquaintances will end up coming here to find out what happened to Alex and I. You are and will never be alone, Saphira replied Thanatos, comforting his friend. Such feelings do no good. Banish them from thy mind, and let us enjoy this cool night together.
Thank you, Thanatos finished Saphira, relaxing on the stone ledge, still connected with Thanatos. The stars shone brightly as the two dragons slept peacefully.
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Authors Note:
Ok, I lied about the last chapter thing. Sorry. I felt this was a good stopping place, and decided to end the chapter here. The final chapter in this fanfic will be a bit shorter, about 2-3 pages instead of the usual 6-8.
And I believe I explained Alex's origins well, but if anyone thinks further clarification is needed, please tell me and I'll do just that.
-Alex
PS- Attn: Jasin Cunth:
If you wouldn't mind using another word besides Awesome in your reviews, just for the sake of variety. Thanks.