Well, this is my second Fanfic, and I hope it's good. I like the name Kari, so if you see it in any of my other fanfiction or even my original stories, don't be surprised.
Note: This is NOT what I think will happen in book three
A short, skinny girl of fourteen glared at the ornate windows of the room she was sitting in, which did not fit her commoner origins in the least way. She had dark brown hair that fell just to her shoulders and green-gray eyes that were filled with fury and frustration. Her adamantine features seemed to betray an iron will, but deep down inside she was very, very afraid.
Also in the room was a dragon the color of new leaves He was much less angry than her, and much more curious. He was ten feet tall, towering at least five feet over the girl. Currently, the dragon was pacing the room restlessly.
Kari? he asked suddenly.
Yes, Jadis? the girl replied grumpily with her mind.
Don't be so pessimistic. There are still things we can do to escape, he informed her.
Like what? Kari laughed sourly. She had been particularly nettlesome ever since she arrived at the castle and especially since she had begun to truly understand the gravity of her position. The room she was in, although fancy, had been spelled in to keep her in and strangers out, imprisoning her with her fate. Her family, meanwhile, was being kept in some secluded corner of the castle, prisoner just like her.
At this point, there were only two options: join King Galbatorix, who was ever determined in his conquest of Alagaësia, or die. Neither seemed like a good option to her.
We could escape somehow- Jadis began.
Oh, honestly, Kari growled, the moment we try to leave, we'll probably be captured or killed, not to mention what would happen to my family
This whole thing is confusing, Kari, Jadis reminded her. I know you don't want to do anything that would put your family in danger, but I loathe the thought of swearing loyalty to Galbatorix.
I know that! But we're running out of time. I am surprised the King has waited this long before forcing me to choose, she snapped.
Jadis paused for a moment. I give up, he grumbled, You are just in too bad of a mood today!
Kari smiled softly and gazed out the window, lost in memories...
In the outskirts of Feinster, a shadowy man walked between the houses, knocking on doors, talking to people who answered them at random, and showing them a strange green stone, usually allowing them to touch it before taking it away.
Finally, he came to the last house on the street. It was a ramshackle place, but still livable. He slowly knocked on the door. There was the sound of footsteps, and a disgruntled girl with dark brown hair and gray-green eyes answered.
"Yes?" she began, but then a little girl who couldn't have been more than six appeared at her side.
"Kar-i!" she wailed, "I wanna play now!"
"I can't, Lieasa. Don't you see I need to talk to the man here right now?" the older girl reminded her gently, looking down at her little sister.
"Hmph!" Lieasa huffed, then she turned around and angrily ran out of the room. Kari sighed.
"Sorry about her," she said, "Lieasa gets like that a lot, especially when she doesn't get her way. What was it you wanted again?"
"I've heard your family is no friend of the King," he stated.
"Why do you ask?" Kari replied, suddenly looking wary.
"Because I am neither," the man lied, "And I have something he wants. I need you to protect it for me."
Kari looked worried, and there was a flicker of real fear in her eyes. "Are you sure I'm the right person to ask?" she whispered nervously.
"He won't think to look for it here, I assure you," he replied persuasively.
Kari hesitated. Her voice was barely audible when she said, "Okay."
But as she reached to take it, a crossbow poked out of the bushes.
"Down!" the man roared, dragging Kari to the ground by her collar. The arrow missed them both and buried itself in the door frame.
"Who was that!" Kari gasped.
"An assassin sent by the Varden," the stranger hissed.
"The Varden? But why would the-" Kari began, but suddenly a look of horrified understanding flashed across her face.
"You!" she spat, crawling backwards, "Get away from me you-"
But suddenly, the man grabbed her by the wrist, and with deliberation, placed her hand on the stone.
Time seemed to slow down. The assassin leaped up from out of the bushes, but Kari didn't notice. Her eyes widened in shock as paper-thin lines, beginning at the top, slowly spread down the stone, widening as they went. Then at a joining of three of the lines, several pieces of the stone caved outward, and a head slithered through the hole. It seemed to stretch inside, and the rest of the stone-no-more collapsed.
Kari could barely believe her eyes.
It was a dragon. A leaf-green dragon.
The events that happened after that were all a blur to Kari. She had no idea how much time had passed before she could think clearly.
The next time she was actively aware of her surroundings, she found herself tied to the back of a saddle. Turning to her left, she saw the man who had tried to give her the stone, that she realized mush have actually been a dragon egg.
She glared at his back and let loose a barrage of insults. She hadn't heard enough swearing to call him something really nasty, but she still said things that would have made her mother scold. The stranger took no notice.
Kari drew breath to continue her onslaught, but at that moment, the saddlebag near her head opened a crack and the green dragon poked its head out. Kari nearly screamed in surprise.
The dragon leaned forward and prodded her on the nose. She could sense a sort of curiosity prodding her mind as well, and it seemed to be coming from the dragon.
Kari was astounded. She wasn't entirely sure whether or not she liked the idea that the dragon could communicate with her so freely, and that her no longer seemed to have any kind of restraints, not that Kari had realized that she had had them before.
To distract herself, she looked at her surroundings. Wind whipped at her face, and she realized that they must be riding very fast. But, come to think of it, they were riding very smoothly for a horse.
Kari looked down for the first time, and this time, she did scream. They were not riding a horse at all, but a red dragon, and they were flying high above the ground.
Vertigo clutched her, and she barely kept herself from vomiting over the side of the dragon. The green dragon nudged her mind again, and this time there was confusion in the mind touching hers.
Knowing there was nothing to be done, she simply turned and touched the tiny dragon's mind with her own.
Everything will be all right, she told it.
"Don't even think about escaping," the stranger growled as he lifted Kari down and undid the ropes tying her.
"What about the little dragon?" she asked, massaging the kinks out of her back and pointing at the saddlebag.
The man reached into the bag, dragged the baby dragon out. It squealed protestingly. He wordlessly turned and dumped it into Kari's arms. She stared at it for a moment, completely dumbstruck. Then she turned around and walked a few steps, observing her surroundings.
She was what looked like the courtyard of a huge castle. They were surrounded by stone buildings. The entire area was surrounded by high ramparts. Windows dotted the sides of the buildings, and every once in a while, a head peered out curiously at the new arrivals. A stone archway joined two buildings in front of her, and framed the pathway down to the heavy wooden gates. They were closed and guarded by several solders.
"What do you think you are doing!" a voice called.
Kari turned to see the stranger staring irritably at her. She glared at him, for the first time noticing his brown hair and melancholy expression.
"Maybe if you'd been thrown onto the back of a saddle all day you would be stiff too," she shot back.
He changed subjects abruptly.
"You're in an interesting position, Kari," he grinned, "It is Kari, right? That's what your sister called you."
"My name is Karisana," Kari snapped, "Only my friends and family call me by my nickname."
"But we are friends, aren't we?" The man replied unconvincingly.
Kari glared even more disgustedly than before.
"My friends don't lie to me, kidnap me, and threaten me," she replied.
"As I was saying," the man ignored her comment, "You are in an interesting position. You have two choices at this point. Join our leader, King Galbatorix, or refuse him. And if you refuse, you won't be the only one to suffer the consequences. Technically, you really have three options, but I don't think escape is an option anymore."
"Really," Kari said lightly, turning away, "Who else will suffer the 'consequences?'"
"Your family," he answered softly.
Lieasa
Kari whipped around, a mixture of fear, anger, and worry forming in the pit of her stomach.
"I suggest you pledge allegiance," the man smirked.
Kari paused. She'd heard the lore behind their king, how he had betrayed the Riders and destroyed them, and his cruelty to people who stood against him. She absolutely loathed the thought of pledging allegiance to him. But if she didn't, he would kill her, and her family.
Finally, she whispered, "May I have some time? To think?"
Sighing, the man nodded. He called some guards over.
"Escort our guest to her quarters," He instructed them. Then, he turned back to her.
"I'll be talking to you soon," he told her, "In the meantime, I suggest you think hard about your future, or lack thereof, based on your decision. If you need me before then, my name is Murtagh."
"I think it's time to pick a name," Kari informed her dragon. It was nearly eight feet tall, and had started talking back to her recently. She still preferred talking aloud, unless Murtagh was present. Then she enjoyed their private connection.
Yes, it replied with satisfaction.
"So first," Kari asked, "Are you a he or a she?"
Huh?
"Boy or girl?" Kari continued with slight irritation.
Oh. Boy, the dragon replied.
"Oh," Kari muttered, throwing out her first mental list of names, like ripping a page out of a book, "Um, Clice?"
Ka-ri…the dragon groaned, sounding just like Lieasa.
"Gimmie a break, will you! I'm coming up with these off the top of my head!" Kari replied irritably.
Fine, he snapped, turning away.
"Let's see… Flamehart?"
No
"Am I going to have to play this name-guessing game all day?"
Yes
"Fine," Kari growled, "You chose a name, then."
Hmmm…the dragon thought aloud, Jadis.
"Hey," Kari stated, surprised, "That's actually pretty good. Why that?"
Jade is stone. Green stone. I am green, Jadis informed her.
"I know that," Kari rolled her eyes, "But jade is more grayish-green, while you're leaf-green."
So?
"You're not gray-green."
So?
"It doesn't fit as well, if you think of it like that."
So?
"I give up!" Kari groaned in exasperation, "Goodness, it's not like I cared. I said I liked it!"
So?
"Okay, very funny."
So?
"Can you say anything else?"
No
"Ha! You just did!"
Jadis turned and enveloped Kari in a puff of smoke.
"Hey!"
She emerged from the smoke, coughing and laughing.
"Oh- oh-" she cackled, "You!"
What? Jadis replied innocently.
Kari couldn't help it. This was the happiest she had been since she had been captured by Murtagh. She fell over howling, and laughed until she cried.
Kari smiled. These memories were bittersweet. She was glad to have Jadis and enjoyed being with him, but there was the matter of her decision, which she still had not made.
Needing advice, Kari had imparted every bit of lore about the King, the Riders, and the magical creatures of Alagaësia that she knew to Jadis. She also told him about her family, and the rumors about the Varden and the mysterious new Rider, besides Murtagh. He utterly refused to swear loyalty to Galbatorix unless there was no other way. Kari still seemed to waver.
But in her heart, hearing the tales of Galbatorix's cruelty and the fall of the Riders, Kari knew she had made her decision a long time ago.
Unusually long first chapter for me. I may not update fora while. Sorry! I'm trying to get the second chapter to be as good, if not better than, the first. If any of my characters seem like Mary Sues right now, I PROMISE that I am working on that. They will NOT be Mary Sues!
Reveiws will always be appriciated!
