Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so bear with me. The Inheritance Cycle was the only story I have read that inspired me to actually write a fic, and I'm glad I started. I'm about 42,000 words and 9 chapters in, but I'm still filling in some blanks in the chapters I haven't finished.
If you notice, the dragon narration that uses annoying-conjoined-words-like-this goes away pretty soon because it hurts my head when I read it, but I kept some of it in the beginning as a tribute to the underused dragon perspective chapters in the Inheritance Cycle.
If I don't regularly update this it's because I'm also working on two original books simultaneously, have plenty of school and college work (Duel-Enrollment), and it's the FIRST Robotics Competition build season. It's also because I'm working on making a video game and trolling the heck out of people in Magic Training.
Just to let you know, I had to download an Old Norse dictionary and start creating words in the Ancient Language because the existing Ancient Language was not enough for me. Appreciate that.
Ancient Language translations are in parenthesis next to where they are spoken, unless it is the elven greeting, has already been defined, or will be defined in the story.
Also, I am going to completely ignore The Fork The Witch And The Worm.
Edit: is getting rid of my scene breaks when I paste my chapters in, for whatever reason, so if there is a time or perspective jump that seems out of place, please tell me so that I can fix it.
I hope you like the story!
Eragon rested his head on his hand, mulling over the scroll in front of him in search of a mistake. For the past week, he had been working on the spell that would solve the ache inside of him and Saphira: a way to go to the land he called home for so many years without going far from Skulutan. He hadn't let Saphira know what he was working on, lest her foster false hope, but working without her input was nigh on impossible.
He couldn't summon Blödhgarm, because he was busy caring for a hatchling of his own. When Askil hatched for Blödhgarm, the already high respect he received from the other elves increased greatly, and his personality brightened considerably. However, Eragon was unsure if he could ever unsee the sight of Blödhgarm growling and play-fighting, on all fours, with the hatchling. Thinking back, he wished he could have seen more interaction between Arya and Fírnen, because what he had seen warmed him considerably, and he was itching to see all the ways she had changed.
Arya.
He looked down at his spell with renewed vigor, and after he finished looking over the line he was reviewing, he rolled it up and briskly walked to Blödhgarm's chambers, Askil could bear to be disturbed. Knocking on the smaller gilded stone door, he opened it and walked into the room. Blödhgarm was resting on one of the enchanted water-filled mattresses that were commonplace around Skulutan. When Eragon stepped in, Askil brought her purple head out of her Rider's fur and chirped at Eragon, rolling onto her back. He grinned at the young dragon, who reminded him of a more energetic version of hatchling Saphira.
"Hello Askil! I have need to speak with your Rider. Is he available?" The female hummed at him, and Blödhgarm then opened his eyes and sat up, showing no signs of weariness from his trance-state. He twisted his hand over his sternum.
"Atra esterní ono thelduin."
"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr."
"Do you require my assistance, Eragon-elda?"
"Yes, Blödhgarm. I am working on a spell, and I need you to review it."
The elf held out his hand, and Eragon handed him the scroll. Swinging his legs out of his bed, Blödhgarm walked to his desk, followed by a hatchling that wasn't too happy with being displaced.
"What is the purpose of this spell?" He asked while unrolling it.
Eragon explained it to him, and the elf's eyes widened.
"Do you believe that it will work? The elves have been searching for a spell that functions similarly to this for centuries, although I do not believe we have tried your specific approach."
"The elves have never had this much power at their disposal. The Eldunarí have already agreed to help me in this, after they too have looked over the spell. It is sound in every way I can think of, and if it were to work…"
Eragon faded off there, for he knew that Blödhgarm understood the implications.
For the next three hours, pausing only to attend to Askil, they criticized every spelling, every possible pronunciation conflict, and every element of the syntax of Eragon's spell.
By the end of it, neither Blödhgarm nor Eragon had found any issues with the incantation, and they declared it worthy to be passed on to the Eldunarí.
When he left Blödhgarm's chambers, Eragon allowed a large smile to spread across his face.
Prophecy or not, he would return to Alagaësia.
Eragon strode into the Vault of Souls, or rather, the new Vault of Souls erected in Skulutan.
Welcome, Eragon.
Umaroth's vast mind touched Eragon's, and he gasped as he mentally shared his intentions with the dragon. He knew he would likely never get used to Umaroth's mind, but it was embarrassing that he couldn't handle his own reaction to him, or any of the older Eldunarí. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he presented the scroll to Cuaroc, the living metal statue, when he had appeared from one of the hallways lining the main room.
With inhuman speed, Cuaroc rolled through the entire scroll, apparently memorizing it as he went. Through his connection to Umaroth, he felt the chatter of the Eldunarí like so many cresting waves battering against a shore. He was protected from the brunt of the overwhelming conversation by Umaroth, but from what he did hear, the Eldunarí had already cleared the spell for mistakes and were moving onto how best to format it so that future users could understand the intricacies of the spell. Its implications were many, and it would likely be edited and reused in the future. After another ten minutes, the Eldunarí stated that Eragon had their support for the casting of the spell, and may do so at any time. Cuaroc walked back into another hallway, presumably to get ink and a scroll, which the elves had provided to him on request upon the establishment of the Vault.
Eragon, we would like for you to take one of us with you, Fráskila. During a magical mishap, her Eldunarí became unbound from her body, and another Eldunarí immediately began forming in its place. However, her original Eldunarí had taken her magic with itself in its separation, and without it, she soon died. Her separated Eldunarí, who calls herself Fyrira, discovered later that she was still connected to Fráskila's Eldunarí. They can communicate at any distance in the same way that the person holding an empty Eldunarí can communicate with the dragon's body. Also, Fráskila's Eldunarí borrows the majority of her mind-space from Fyrira's because her own is too small to sustain her mind. Now that you know who you are retrieving, walk down the fourth hallway to the right, look for a black Eldunarí, about the size of your friend Glaedr's. A small Eldunarí, about the size of a sling stone, should be resting next to it.
Several memories from the Eldunarí's gift of knowledge popped into his mind, and Eragon saw within them several fond memories of Fráskila's Rider, Disani, who had apparently died in the Rider war. Shaking off the grief that was not his own, he went and followed Umaroth's instructions, soon seeing what he had described. Among the alcoves holding Eldunarí, there was one whose internal light appeared to be as black as the void, but it cast its surroundings in a silvery glow. Resting next to it was a diminutive Eldunarí, completely filled with the color of void, as if the soul it held was much too large for it. In front of the smaller gem, an ornate cushioned box replaced the usual cloth sack.
Eragon carefully took the Eldunarí in his palm.
Fráskila?
A female voice sounded in his head, sounding similar to a strong wind blowing over a field of reeds.
Yes, that is I. It is a pleasure to meet you, Eragon.
An identical voice then sounded in his head, but it had a much different tone than Fráskika's, it sounded more confrontational and angry.
And I am Fyrira, happy for my disability to be of use once more.
Eragon hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
I am glad to meet you both, and your help is greatly appreciated.
I apologize on Fyrira's behalf, she has not recovered well from the loss of our ma- Rider.
Fráskila's slip-up caused another one of her memories to come to mind, and he saw that the relationship they had shared with their Rider had not been the usual one. Eragon shivered, for the idea, in relation to himself and Saphira, revolted him, but he knew that some other dragons and Riders thought differently than he.
Disani, our Rider, was our mate. I apologize that my inferior is ashamed of being mates with a human.
Eragon stayed silent- he could think of no way he could respond truthfully without offending either of them.
Fyrira, I am not ashamed, I just deemed the information inappropriate.
We have spoken about this before, Fráskila, many times. You are ashamed; I am among your thoughts, you cannot lie to me.
This is not the time to speak about this!
I didn't begin this conversation.
He felt their presence recede from him, and was glad for it; the conflict between the two minds was unsettling him. He quickly placed Fráskila's Eldunarí into its container and placed that into an empty pouch on his belt.
Eragon thanked Umaroth and resisted the urge to run as he left, eager to reach Saphira as soon as possible; the news about his spell was sure to raise her spirits. The dragon has been neglecting her own feelings to comfort Eragon about the separation from Alagaësia, failing to acknowledge the grief she felt from leaving Fírnen.
It didn't help that she was pregnant.
He had been on the lookout for symptoms since they had left Alagaësia, because he found it hard to believe that she wouldn't be pregnant after everything she had been doing with Fírnen, even though he knew conception was rare among dragons. He noticed first that she slept more often, more often than could be attributed to her sadness or exhaustion. He noticed second that even though she moved minimally throughout each day, she was eating almost twice as much as she usually did, making a point to eat the bones that were left uneaten by Askil, as the hatchling was the only other one eating meat in Skulutan.
With Saphira's physical energy quickly declining and the elves reluctant to hunt animals for the dragons, the task was left to Eragon. While he had fallen back into the habit of eating meat after leaving Ellesméra, it felt awkward now, living among elves, so he did not hunt for himself. After a solid five minutes of walking across the spacious main body of Skulutan, he arrived upon his and Saphira's chambers.
The dragon woke herself at his entrance, and looked at him blearily, oval pupils expanding at the light of the hall.
You look chipper.
Eragon presented the scroll.
I found something that will help us.
Is that what you have been working on?
He wasn't surprised that she had detected his subterfuge, it was hard to hide anything from someone that formed half of your being.
Yes, I didn't want to give you hope until I was sure it would work, and after consulting both Blödhgarm and the Eldunarí, I am certain that it will.
What does it do? I am correct that it is a spell, yes?
You are correct. What it will do is create a doorway between two points in space, no matter the distance between them.
Saphira's eyes widened, and he saw her face light up as it hadn't since leaving Alagaësia.
In other words, it will make the distance between Skulutan and Ellesméra crossable in a ten minute long flight. I am opening the other end in Du Weldenvarden at a glade we once visited.
Eragon could feel Saphira's jubilation through their connection.
When will you cast the spell? How can we prepare?
I will cast the spell at midday tomorrow. I must be at full strength when I start it, lest I make an error. Tearing a hole in the universe is best done after a good night's rest, as it is said.
Ah, yes, I believe I have heard that saying.
Eragon chuckled, and that gave way to full-on laughter, so strong that he lay against Saphira's side for a bit, until she began her laughter and it became hazardous to be too close to her. At the end of their uncontrolled laughing, Eragon lay next to Saphira's head on the massive water bed he had created for them, and quickly fell into his nightly trance, Saphira's strong, steady breathing beside him.
Eragon woke before Saphira did, and settled for resting against her and studying the architecture of the room he resided in.
The bulk of Skulutan, or Scale Caverns, had been erected in a month with help from the Eldunarí, a feat that made Eragon appreciate the true skill of elves. The structure was carved into one of the cliff faces that formed Skulonnat, or Scale Cove. The place was perfect for a city of dragons and Riders: it was beautiful, almost impossible to attack, and game was plentiful, thanks to a massive species of deer with strange, plate-like antlers.
The inside of Skulutan was a spacious dome large enough for Saphira to fly around comfortably in, and like the previous city of Riders, almost every room had a door big enough for most dragons to fit inside, given that they were smaller than Shruikan. After Eragon had traced several lines through the gild on the stone canopy above him, Saphira released a yawn in a deep base that made Eragon's chest rattle, and he felt her breath wash over him.
Morning, Saphira.
Good morning, little one.
Then, she seemed to remember what was happening today, and gave a joyful roar that would have scared all of the elves in Skulutan out of their wits had they not been used to her thunderous vocalizations.
Four hours until we see Arya and Fírnen! Extra ten minutes, when we include the flight.
I think I'll cast it in two hours instead of four, that is still more than enough time to prepare, and I am impatient.
Saphira roared again and rested her head back down, no doubt mentally organizing all that she would say to Fírnen.
Eragon smiled at her and had a burst of anxiety as he regarded the spell in his mind. There was no reason it shouldn't work, but if it failed, he would be crushing Saphira's hope, as well his own, all over again.
Adjusting his position, he asked Saphira if she wanted him to summon Blödhgarm and Askil to her, for she regarded herself as a guardian of the hatchling. Blödhgarm had, with a bout of bravery, started calling Saphira "Aunt Saphira" with Askil, and Eragon found humor in her indignation, especially since it would likely spread to all of the dragons that hatched in Skulutan.
Yes.
Eragon called to Blödhgarm mentally, and he replied to the summons, saying that he was on his way with Askil. The smaller door to Eragon's chambers opened, and Askil immediately ran in and jumped on Saphira's face. Both dragons were humming, and after not finding Saphira's face very comfortable, Askil curled up under her chin where her scales were soft and flexible.
Blödhgarm looked over at Eragon.
I can guess the Eldunarí approved the spell? Otherwise, I do not believe you would be this happy.
Is it that visible?
To those who know you.
Eragon chuckled.
Yes, the Eldunarí approved the spell, I am casting it in about two hours.
Are you well rested? I would hate for the universe to destabilize because you couldn't get a good night's sleep.
I made a similar joke last night. And I did sleep well. Have you?
Askil is doing better sleeping through the night, and she didn't wake at all throughout last night, so yes.
Eragon noticed Saphira falling asleep with Askil, and decided not to bring her in to the conversation.
I am about to go hunting for these two, and seeing as Askil is now asleep, I can assume you will be here when I am gone?
Yes, we will stay.
Eragon stood on the balcony in the back of his chambers and looked to the top of the cliff. Drawing from Aren, he spoke.
"Eka flauga"
He flew to the forest above, and when he was at a good point, he cast another spell.
"Letta"
He reached out with his consciousness and found a herd of the deer-like animals nearby. Killing them painlessly with his mind, he walked over to their location and around them, tied the massive leather strap he had carried there. He then dragged the dead animals back to the balcony, casting another spell to lower them all to the outcrop.
A mental probe revealed that Saphira and Askil were still sleeping, and so he left the deer where they were and joined Blödhgarm in the main room.
So, I have been thinking of the other implications of my spell, and if I set up doorways across Alagaësia, then it would remove most of the traveling time to anywhere. Anyone could go anywhere they pleased, without need to prepare for a long journey. The doorways sustain themselves, so I could set up as many as I want, and they are stable once they are created. The only problem is removing them, and all that needs is a clever spell.
It would also make criminals harder to find. If they could go anywhere they wanted within minutes, all of Alagaësia would have to be swept for them. All that needs to be fixed, however, is a modification of the wards around it.
I'm thinking of placing the doors all in one place. Perhaps in the Hadarac Desert, so that there is plenty of room for additions without having trouble. Actually, the sand there burns into glass.. if I used some detailed fire magic, I could build the entire place out of glass.
It already sounds like a place of legend. The Glass Doors… What architecture will you use? Elven? Dwarvish? Human, even?
Eragon thought about it, and a smile crept to his face as he came up with an idea.
He looked at Saphira, and Blödhgarm followed his gaze.
I know someone particularly good at flame sculptures.
Eragon shifted his stance and felt the box containing Fráskila's heart of hearts in his pocket.
The only reason why he needed the Eldunarí's assistance in creating the door to Du Weldenvarden was because of the gargantuan size he would need to make it in order to support travel with any size of dragon, for when Fírnen and Saphira, and maybe even Thorn, needed more space in the future.
He fiddled with the edge of his tunic, lost in his thoughts. Blödhgarm noticed this, and left him to it.
About five-and-twenty minutes later, Askil awoke with a piercing screech and leapt on top of Saphira's head, crowing for all the world to hear.
Blödhgarm gave a toothy smile. "She's hungry."
Saphira grunted and gently brought her paw down on the hatchling, trapping her to her head and clamping her jaw shut. Askil got the message and stopped screaming.
After a quick exchange of thoughts between Eragon and Saphira, the latter nosed open the dragon-sized door to the balcony and dragged the animals into the room, which Askil leapt upon with vigor.
Saphira gobbled up most of them, leaving two behind, one for Askil and one for later. Saphira helped Askil skin the deer and then tilted her head at her Rider.
About one hour left. Have you made your preparations?
Not yet, for they will not take long. Once I begin them, I will cast the spell at the end, no matter the time. In fact, I think I will go eat now, and then you will take me to the spot where I will open the door and I will meditate with the Eldunarí. Then I will be ready.
Saphira was as giddy as a dragon could be, and she seemed unable to fall back asleep.
I will wait for you. Go eat.
Alright. See you soon.
Same to you, little one.
Saphira soft-calming-hummed at the raucous hatchling in front of her, as loud-happy-Askil had gone back to joy-screaming her small-purple-head off. The older dragon hoped that Askil would grow out of this specific habit, or else the two-legs-pointed-ears and partner-of-her-heart-and-mind-Eragon would gain hearing issues when the hatchling grew. She considered covering the hatching with her blue-elegant-paw as she had last time, but found her body unwilling to move. Better to save her energy for flying to beautiful-warm-mate-Fírnen, after all. As a solution, Saphira mentally told the hatchling to stop loud-screaming, and to her relief, she obliged. After eleven-and-a-half minutes, Eragon returned and began buckling the itchy-uncomfortable-saddle to her, a task he had not done in a while. While Saphira pleasure-relief-stretched her blue-magnificent-wings, she noticed a stiff-taut feeling in her lower abdomen and looking, saw that it was swollen slightly from her egg. She gave a confused-growl, unsure of whether to be happy for the progress or dismayed by the bloating. Guessing her thoughts, Eragon comforted her.
Fírnen won't care how it looks, he just will be happy that you are pregnant. Do not be dismayed.
Thank you, little one.
When Eragon finished buckling the saddle onto her, she and Eragon bode smells-good-furry-Blödhgarm and loud-happy-Askil goodbye, and Saphira entered the balcony and took off for the location her Rider had dedicated.
Her wings stiff-tired-strained her, but the weariness left her limbs as she thought of Fírnen. Roaring at the sky, she let the world know that simple fatigue would not stop her from flying.
When she alighted on the soft-green-ground above spacious-home-Sculutan, Eragon dismounted and love-scratch-rubbed her jaw. Sighting out the area of land he would cast the spell in, he sat facing away from the cut-wings-sharp-clifftop and sat cross-legged on the ground, and Saphira felt that he was contacting the vast-powerful-kin-Eldunarí. She lay down on the ground and entered the meditation with him, with the process sped up by the collective consciousnesses. She and Eragon entered a state of hyper-focus after thirteen minutes of the meditation, and she knew Eragon would begin the spell now.
His voice deep with calm, Eragon began singing the first part of the incantation, guided by the Eldunarí. Saphira helped where she could, offering her energy and mental support, but she could not do much while Eragon focused on his task. She noticed a shimmering-headache-line appear in the air, its color indeterminate, and she heard Eragon begin the first part of the incantation again. The line became a confusing-jagged-tear, and grew in size with each repetition of the ancient words. The inside of the tear was moving with scintillating colors, and Saphira thought it looked like it would rip anything that passed through it to shreds. About thirty minutes later, when the tear was several times larger than Saphira, Eragon finally moved on to a new section of the spell, and the edges of the tear began to smooth, forming a perfect circle. The colors inside of the tear also smoothed, forming a window to the tall-thick-trees of Du Weldenvarden. Saphira wanted to roar with joy like Askil, but refrained, for Eragon was not yet finished. She saw sweat on his brow, and felt through their connection that the torrent of magic passing through his mind was becoming painful to channel. She began to worry for him, but took comfort in knowing that the Eldunarí would not give him anything he couldn't handle. And then, with palpable relief from Eragon, he ended the incantation and would have collapsed, had he been standing.
Saphira nosed Eragon, and when he stood, she decided it appropriate to roar with joy.