Upon Dragon Wings
Abby Ebon
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Fatality...
Katrina could feel the change that gripped the Ra'zac, they hissed between each other – though how they could do such a thing with their beaks, she did not know. The very air seemed hard to breath. Then evening came, and the Ra'zac come to her, it seemed nervous – but she tried not to think of what the Ra'zac could do to her if it found out what she had done.
"S-so, how is the little one?" Its dark eyes met hers, and Katrina bit her lip, suddenly afraid. The Ra'zac were a great many things – but the one thing they were not was stupid. Spine could have been hidden away in her hair, in her lap – she was shadowed, in darkness – but the Ra'zac had proven they could see in the dark. They would know Spine was gone. They would know– and likely kill her.
"I do not know what you're talking about." Katrina said softly, eyes carefully trained on the Ra'zac's own.
"The dragon, stupid girl – what have you done with the dragon?" The Ra'zac sounded more then a little nervous now – he sounded panicked, Katrina felt the fear build, and her heart ached.
"That little monster is gone." She had to stop the tears, the well of emotion at the thought she might be right. That Spine might be dead – that she wouldn't know until it was too late – her heart ached.
"No! You stupid girl, he'll see you killed for this!" Something told her that the Ra'zac was more worried about its own death then hers.
"So be it." Katrina stated, finding that as long as she did not think about Roran – her beloved Roran – or Spine, she had the strength to look death in the eye and spit at its feet. The Ra'zac hissed with rage, leaving without a backward glance.
Please, she thought as she closed her eyes, let Spine be safe. I can do this if I know he will be alright…For all that she felt she was being far too bold, she did it to hide the deep fear that it was too late, and she would die for nothing.
Let him find someone kind, Katrina felt tears threaten and stared upward, fighting them away even as she thought of Spine cooing in her lap, muzzle bloody from a dead rat, if I do not live through this.
The thought chilled her, though it forced her to acknowledge the possibility.
"I do not want to die…" But I will if it means keeping Spine safe. Katrina finished unspoken, she took a shaky breath, for a moment she thought she saw movement in the all enclosing darkness – but it had to have been only her imagination, for she saw nothing.
"Then tell me where you sent your little green dragon." A voice – a whisper broke the silence the darkness had blessed her with. Katrina tensed, looking for the origin – though she saw no one.
"He is gone. I do not know where." Katrina answered the voice, hoping it would find her uninteresting – hoping it would leave her alone, for somehow, in someway, it was more terrifying then the Ra'zac.
"You lie." She felt a grip around her throat – as if something tightened a noose around her neck. "The little one would not leave you –it is not in a dragon's nature to leave its Rider." Katrina closed her eyes, she had thought – in the back of her mind – that maybe that was what she – they – were, dragon and Rider, but had seemed so impossible.
"I sent him away." Katrina choked, feeling something rattle around in her mind.
"Where." It was a demand – an order – it had to be answered.
Why? She asked herself, and felt the urge to answer the order falter for a moment. The impulse spoke of loyalty – to the Empire, to her master – the King. I have never served or met either. I owe nothing. She insisted mentally, somehow finding the strength to answer as her thoughts lingered on what she would be betray if she answered – though how she knew this, she didn't understand. It was impulse – a need. Protect Spine, at all coats. Her mind had been made up as she let him go, she would not turn back – betray –that now. Could not.
"Answer – where did he go?" She felt as if something tore into her mind– it pained her, so much pain it brought tears to her eyes. Pain could be endured, if there was a physical pain to match it.
"I do not know." Katrina tucked her neck back – hitting her head against the stone wall. It brought a flash of pain – and the voice, the demand – faltered like an old mans heart.
"Fool girl, you do know – but it is buried so deep, I doubt you are aware. I think only death would unfold your mind. So be it – the dragon, your little Spine, was barely with you a day. I do not doubt he will survive your death – then there will be nothing to stand in my way from taking him. Too bad you had to die so soon, we would have been great together, you and I." The voice faded to a dull roar – then it seemed to Katrina that the voice became like the ocean, vast – ancient, and powerful, though it was not at all his power.
He steals it…the thought whispered through her like a butterfly, beautiful in the relief it brought, relief that he was not all powerful – he had a weakness. Then like an ocean, his mind turned into a storm, a storm she could only sense and could not defend against. He held her mind open like a foot in the door, though his presence was far enough away for her not to think him a great threat.
That was a mistake. All at once the foot in the door levered her mind open, swung it open wide – and the storm assaulted her. The most awful moments in her life – her mother's death, her own deep bidding fear that she wasn't good enough would never be good enough – even the recent horrors; being stolen with her father, witnessing his death – assaulted her. The storm forced them awake – forced her to see them, over and over and over again –she heard screaming.
She thought it might be her. Something in her mind snapped, like a trap, and she found herself isolated, alone within her own mind once more. Though it seemed cramped – as if her mind had gotten cleaved in half, she was safe though – and witnessed as the cage opened and the Ra'zac crept in.
They lifted her up, gently, as if she was a broken doll misused. She found then, she could not move her own limbs – it was if the link between mind and body had been severed, she saw them – smelt them – tasted the blood were teeth had bit in her mouth – heard them even.
"You should have listened to us, poor, stupid child." The Ra'zac told her, his hand on her shoulder. Once he had sat her up, and made her stand –he only needed to lead her where she was to go, and she followed like a lost child.
She couldn't respond. She was like an empty doll, for the first time in her life she felt helpless – there had always been something she could do –some choice. There wasn't now – for she could not even control her own body.
The Ra'zac led her down a bare tunnel, and to a great door. I do not want to go in there. She thought frantically, trying to attach mind to body – to control what she had abandoned in the storm of the voice's mind. Her only response was a shudder and a barely heard whimper.
It made no difference; she was shoved through the door – pushed out of the tunnel like trash. It was cold here – and she feared she had been abandoned, left to watch as her body died and torture her mind for she could do nothing to stop it.
Then she saw eyes –eyes like Spine's – human eyes, only huge – watching her. They were dark eyes – brown, like Roran's – like Eragon's – in her surprise (for it seemed her body was aware of what she could see and responded mutely to it) her body tensed – held its breath as it waited for instructions on how to react that though she felt the tug, Katrina could not give.
A child? I hunger and he gives me a girl-child. This voice was different, where the first voice was human and held her in contempt – this voice was wild, and had no interest in her save as human – prey.
The body of the beast – of the dragon – came closer, and Katrina saw the scales and sleek muscle. It was black – the dragon was black. The brown eyes regarded her, considering.
You must have done something to irate him – for him to do this to you. Unwise, on your part, but I will make your death a painless one. He was going to kill her – eat her, wildly, she wondered if Spine would have become as heartless as this being before her, if she had kept him if she had let the voice take them into the darkness.
The maw of the dragon came closer, she could smell the blood of countless lives – countless beings, on him. He was savage – intelligent, but brutal, doing what he had to, to survive. She understood that – but she did not want to die.
Teeth, huge teeth like razors were all she could see. He was opening his mouth – he was going to kill her. Eat her.
No! Katrina screamed mentally, her body jerking – falling, her hands fell against her lap, palms up. It was luck – luck had saved her.
Rider! Came the surprised mental accusation.
You are – or were a Rider, answer me – do you know your dragon? Is it alive? The dragon's voice asked, nudging her hands with his nose. It was as if he thought she were an idiot – though she didn't doubt she looked it.
Yes. Spine – he is, was, alive. I do not know anymore. I am Katrina. Her mental voice faltered – there was no demand within the mental voice she heard, pleading – earnest need, yes, but no demand – no impulse – to answer. It was what made her reply for his desperation pulled at her.
Shruikan. You would know if Spine died, he has not – I sense him though the bond you share. Did he do this to you? Shruikan tone was otherwise calm, but Katrina was not fooled. Nor did she think she could lie – she was too exhausted, warn away, to lie and make it one that was earnest.
He never told me a name, but it was a voice. I can not control my body –can not give it direction. Can you help me? She asked in turn, torn between pleading and begging.
He is Galbatorix, he fancies himself King of this, the Empire. I can not help you little one. I am sorry. Katrina felt his sorrow – it was like her own. Her body caught its breath, seemed almost to sob. She worked to calm herself– she found that, torn from her body, she could use her emotions, manipulate them. Her body could not afford to be a slobbering blubbery mess. She could not afford that. She did not even know if the fall had hurt.
Poor child. He has broken his vows. He has done something horrifyingly cruel to you. Even when we fought the Riders, he and I merely killed – we did nothings like this. This is wrong. This is corruption. I can not heal you, little one, but I can save you. Save us. As Shruikan spoke his will seemed to grow – what had once been in broken tatters rebuilt before her eyes. It was beautiful – awe inspiring. Dragons were not human, and this – that a dragon who had lived all its life in chains, broken and beaten for its use –could rise up, find strength, and decide to cut its ties to forge new ones.
This was something a person took years to find the resolve to do – yet it seemed only to have taken Shruikan moments.
If I am strong child, it is because I find I am confronted with you – a truth I can not deny and see snuffed out. I will see you safely to your Spine. Shruikan promised, and the black dragon rose from his crouch. He was not chained, she saw – in such a place as this, locked in a cave in the belly of the earth – what need was there for chains?
For the first time she found she had time to wonder where she was.
You are in the four peaked mountains of Helgrind. The Gates of Death. The Ra'zac long built a tower here – they are fed by the populace who believe them to be the mountains messengers. You are in their tower – beneath the rock of Kuthian, the entrance – in the belly of the tower, called the Vault of Souls. Shruikan explained as Katrina looked about the "Vault of Souls" – it was a dungeon, likely were people were taken to die.
Those who die here die in such a manner that they feed power to those who can take it. Shruikan explained, and Katrina felt fear twist in her belly. Galbatorix had intended to take her power – though how she did not understand.
Will we die? She found the strength to ask, though she feared the answer.
No. I intend for us to be free. Shruikan answered coming closer to her, he hovered her fallen from, all she could see of him were the wide scales, hard looking – stronger then diamond. She was sure he would be safe if the whole mountain fell on him.
The scales are magic that grow as strong as the egg we were hatched from, when we gain that strength back – we gain an ability so rarely used for our Riders used to fear it so. Shruikan explained sensing her curiosity.
Some in the far south called it "Divine Wind" – I will show it to you. Shruikan told her, and when she remained silent, he inhaled – skin between the scales she had not noticed before expanded – stretching – tightening.
It seem he strained for a moment – to hold in the air he had inside, then with a wet roar – that shook the walls, the earth trembling beneath her. The wind – for it could be nothing else seemed to fill the cavern. It tugged wildly at her – and Shruikan kept his wings tight to his body. Before she could fear what would happen, Shruikan snatched her up from the ground, his long neck twisting as he kept his head low. She was within his jaws – her heart beat wildly – was he going to kill her? Eat her, even as he said he'd help her escape.
Calm. This is the only way to protect you. To give Katrina credit, she tried to remain calm – it was important she not use up the air, even though Shruikan had nose holes she could not imagine it would be easy breathing in the wild wind he had stirred up.
Then she heard something that would wake her screaming in the night for the rest of her life. It was a low sound – but it sent an ache to the very marrow of her bones to hear it. It was the sound of the great peaks above them crashing down. She felt she had to get out – but she could not think to tell Shruikan that. Katrina was never sure how they got out, only the stale air in the dragons mouth, the sound of earth groaning as it broke and great chunks fell.
We are free. Shruikan told her at long last, and she saw with his eyes the world passing below them, the great dragons shadow a mere swiftly passing speck far below. She stuttered away the thought of how far up she was – for surely Shruikan was an expert in this, flying was what a dragon was born knowing. At least it was that way with Spine.
Where are we going? She found herself asking him, mental voice whisper soft.
To Roran – to Spine, to the Varden. He answered just as soft, she sensed he did not want her to fear him as she first had.
And after that? Katrina waited for his answer, and thought for a moment he would not say what he intended.
In search of my true Rider. It was a confident tone, though one unsure and in pain at the thought of being wrong to seek what had been denied all his life.
What of Galbatorix? Katrina asked carefully not looking up at the teeth that could descend and kill her.
He cut his tie to me when Helgrind fell. I think he thinks me dead. He is as good as. The rest of the flight was spent in silence, though a bond of survival, and of the friendship forged in that survival hummed between Katrina and Shruikan, though it was not the bond of Rider and Dragon, it was something they found they were content with.
I will go with you, Shruikan, when you go in search for your Rider, Spine and I will follow. Katrina whispered to him, and sensed through his surprise his welcome at the thought of company. Within a dragon's maw, Katrina smiled –for she knew, even dragon's needed friends.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Note; after this is two more chapters, then, I'm afraid, we have reached an end, I'll leave questions, I'm sure – but life is about finding your own answers, as is the same with story telling. Now, some points I'd like to, well, pick at – yes I'm implying it is possible for a human to fit into the mouth of a dragon and be comfortable so long as no one makes said dragon sneeze.
If dragons ate dwarves, I see no reason why they wouldn't eat us humans. Something makes me twitch every time I see it – dragons-in-armor. I'm sorry, you have something the size of a tank, you throw the ability of magic, firebreathing, and whatever else you please – and you think it needs metal-worked armor.
I don't care how good dwarves are at metalsmiting, some logic is just screwy – tell me ducklings, if I sat a egg as hard as diamond in front of you and told you what came out would need armor – would you not roll your eyes and snort in disgust?
For those of you not in the know, diamonds do not break, meaning you hit that damned tiny stone with as much force as your little heart is content to slam metal down with – if its true diamond no matter how pretty and frail looking it is it'll keep winking up at you, snickering at your puny attempts.
That's why I giggle when anyone ever says something like a woman is "as frail as diamond" basically, unbreakable, though they might mean it in a way that implies vulnerability. Now, according to our dear Christopher – a dragon can hatch out of a shell that sounds hollow and is harder then diamond,
I can go with that – a baby dragon can also hunt on its own. Awesome, survival instincts; dragons breed after a year. Eh, okay. Dragons don't stop growing and are near impossible to kill. I can swallow that pill, might need something to drink it down with, but, hey, his 'verse. Dragons need armor…I'm sorry, but…what the hell.
Granted, dragons in armor are kinda neat looking…
So, I'll work with that – I'll give him the benefit; she is younger then a year after all, maybe recovering from smashing out of that egg takes a year or so to recover. Maybe there is a "tooth" that's harder then a diamond. Maybe it's magic. Still magic before hatching, got to take something out of you – maybe it's the endurance of your scales till adult hood. I really hope so. Ah, well – something I was reading while writing this – it'sfunny, http /eragonsporkings . wikispaces . com / ("stolen" from site; Solembum. Solemn Bum. Serious Ass.) might have influenced this little rant.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Also, the "Divine Wind" as a dragon-ability is the concept of Naomi Novik, a author of the novels detailing the bond between the dragon Temeraire and his aviator, former British ship Capt. Will Laurence, begining with the book "His Majesty's Dragon". The novels are set in the time of Napoleon, and for the large part written in a more "olden" way. They are most assuredly worth a read; there is no "mental" connection between the dragon and aviator, but the dragon speaks and reasons as well as we do. Most interesting, I assure you of that much.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Well, what are you waiting for? Please feel free to review and tell me anything from random to insane, to what you think of the story.