Okay hoped you guys (and girls) liked my last chapter. I may of made everything go to fast, but that's because I wanted to hurry to the part where she gets involved in all those legends herself. I will also be copying a lot of the part where Saphira hatched for Eragon because well I'm lazy and that's the best description of what really happens when a dragon hatches. Anyway please review so I can know how I did!!

Galbatorix and the Stone

The ground shaked as the big red dragon Thorn landed on the small beach. I was terrified, but strangly excited as I looked up into the face of the man who must be Murtagh. He saw me and a look of shock crossed his face.

"You?! You are the third?! How can this be?! You are nothing, but a little girl!" He yelled, the shock still on his face.

Thorn stuck his head out at me and sniffed me as if he was trying to find something. Normally I would be scared stiff that one of Galbatorix's best men was yelling at me, but it was drowned out by the happiness I felt at meeting my first dragon. I reached out to touch the red scales, but Thorn pulled back before I could.

"Girl what is your name? How old are you?" Murtagh asked me, gaining control of his voice and facial features again.

"M-My name is Kiana and I'm 12 years old. Are you really Murtagh and Thorn?" I asked in return my voice shaky.

"Yes we are. So tell me Kiana what happened here?'

"I took refuge from the storm in here and I fell asleep. The thunder woke me up and when I woke up a bolt of lightning struck the tree, but it didn't catch fire like I thought it would." I responded confused.

"What did it do then?" He asked trying to keep his voice calm.

"Well you see there's a symbol on the tree and it started glowing. I touched it and it stopped glowing, and then you came. I swear I'm not crazy, and I'm not lieing!"

Murtagh looked at me for a minute before finally responding.

"I belive you Kiana, but how about you take a ride with me on Thorn to visit the King?"

"But I haven't done anything wrong!" I asked terrified.

"Don't worry you didn't do anything bad I just think the King would like to meet you."

"I don't really have a choice here do I? If I don't please just say so. I don't like it when people lie or try to trick me because I'm a child." I said my voice even as my mind finally cought up to the present.

"No. I'm sorry." He sighed.

"Will I really get to ride Thorn though?" I asked brightning at the prospect. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad if I could really ride a dragon.

"Yes." He said with a tight smile.

He got off and helped me on to Thorn. As he lent me his hand I noticed a symbol on his palm. It was the same one carved into the tree.

"Don't worry about falling we will catch you before you even come close to the ground." He said trying to comfort me.

"O-Ok, but why am I visiting the king again though?" I said as I settled on Thorn's back behind Murtagh.

"Like I said your not in trouble. The tree over there was a sort of test you see, and since you passed the king would like to meet you." He said giving me a fake smile. His eyes held fear, fear for me. I suddenly wanted nothing more then to run home.

"W-what kind of test exactly?" I needed to find out what was going on so I could decide what to do.

"Um, I guess you could call it a test of character." He said. I didn't belive him. "Are you ready to go?"

NO! "Y-yes." I told him even though my mind was screaming the opposite.

"Okay then hold on tight." He said. I saw and felt Thorn stand up and start to flap his ruby wings. Then he lifted off and I clutched onto Murtagh as tightly as I could. Soon we were flying and against my better judgement I looked down. We were miles high already and I could see Bullridge on the ground getting smaller and smaller till it disappeared. I thought being this high would make me feel sick, but I was wrong this felt great! The wind flying through my hair, the cold bumpes on my arms from the high altitude, and even the stinging of the wind in my eyes was exilerating! I had never felt as good as I felt now! As everything familiar to me disapeared behind us Uru'baen came closer and closer in front of us. I felt Murtagh tense and I could feel Thorn slow his wing flaps as if they didn't want to land. I didn't want to land either, but land we did.

The next few minutes were sort of a blur. Murtagh annouced where we were exactly and then said we had to get off. The next thing I know I'm on the ground again. Thorn's face penetrated the haze over my brain as he leaned his head to look at me with his eyes sad. They were so sad I wanted nothing more in that moment then a way to make that pain and sadness go away. Then Thorn made a little noise in his throat that sounded like he was trying to comforting me. Several people approached us giving me weird looks, but Murtagh sent them all away. He told me to take his hand and when I did we started walking through doors and down hallway after hallway with Thorn behind us using dragon sized doors. Then after one last door we entered a room that took my breath away.

The room was HUGE and if someone was willing to bet with me at that moment I would've bet you could fit a small mountain in it. Not only was it huge, but everywhere you looked their was jewels and gold. I felt rich just standing in the jewel encrusted room.

On the opposite wall their was a throne with to many different kinds of jewels to count and on that throne their was a man. It was Galbatorix the king, I mean who else could it be? It was immediate as soon as anyone saw him that this was one man you didn't want to mess with. He had an air of power and something about him that comanded respect. He wasn't looking at us as we came in he was looking down into his hand. I couldn't tell what he was looking at from here, but I could've sworn I saw a flash of green. An emerald maybe?

"Welcome back Murtagh, Thorn. I see your little trip was sucessful. Is this her?" He asked with a voice that made my blood turn to ice as he looked up at us for the first time since we entered the room.

"Yes sir. This is Kiana she is 12 years old. She told me what she saw and did at the gedwey ignasia tree and it is as you said. There is know doubt it is her." When Murtagh stopped speaking he shot me a look that looked apoligetic. My gut clenched with fear.

"So Kiana I have here something very VERY valuable would you like to come and hold it?" Galbatorix's voice asked me from across the room.

I gulped and looked at Murtagh not sure what to do. I saw him give me a little nod which I took to mean I should go up and touch whatever it was he was holding.

I walked up to Galbatorix my foot steps echoing loudly and he held something out to me. It was a dark green oval stone about a foot wide, with thin white veins like a spiderweb across it and it looked like it had been polished several times.

"Go on it's okay. Here hold it." Galbatorix wispered as he held out the stone for me to hold.

I took it and it felt cool and frictionless in my hands like hardened silk and it felt lighter then it looked. I was holding it for a minute when Galbatorix reached out his hand again and I carefully layed the strange stone in his hands.

"What is that?" I asked curious at how a stone could be so valuable.

"You will see in a few days time my dear Kiana, but for now why don't we go enjoy a feast? I'm sure your hungry and tired after all that's happened today." He said causing me to shiver.

"S-sure." I mumbled not sure what to do.

I spent the next few days enjoying myself in Uru'baen weither I was hanging out with Murtagh and Thorn or trying all the different kinds of food some of which I had never even heard of. I also spent some time with the king and the more we talked and laughed the more I grew to like him. I had always belived that Galbatorix was a tyrant and an evil, twisted man, but I started to think that maybe I was wrong.

Three days after I arrivied in Uru'baen I was summoned to see the king again. I was looking forward to talking again with him, but when I stepped into the huge jewel incrusted room I felt something different. Something was off. Murtagh and Thorn were present as well which was unusual.

They were all staring at something in the middle of the room and upon taking a closer look I found it was the dark green stone.

"Kiana would you come and hold the stone again please?" The king asked me.

I nodded unsure of what was going on, but I approached the stone and picked it up. I stood there for a few moments before there was a loud squeak. I looked around, but I couldn't find the source and when there was another squeak I looked at the king, Murtagh, and even Thorn to see if they new, but they were all looking at the stone. I looked down at it again.

This time when there was a third squeak I felt vibrations in my fingers and I realized the squeaking was coming from the stone. This went on for minutes until the stone started to rock back and forth. Then the rocking and the squeaking stopped, only to start up again faster and louder then ever.

"Put it down gently on the floor Kiana and we shall see what happens." Said the king.

I obeyed putting it down on the floor. A crack appeared in the stone and then another and another till there was a web of cracks all over the stone. At the top where all the cracks met, a piece wobbled and fell out. Another piece fell out on the top until a dark green head popped out of the opening. From there the pieces the fell to the ground grew larger and larger till the stone was scattered all over the ground in fragments. Well obviously this wasn't a stone it was an egg, but my mind was sort of fuzzy at the moment.

Anyway what was left was a little emerald colored creature with wings licking off the membraine. I gasped and the creature turned to stare at me with pale green eyes and then it flutered it's wings for the first time while still keeping eye contact with me. Without hesitating I reached for it and it was like with the tree I really didn't have a choice, but to touch it. As soon as m hand made contact with it I felt a searing pain like my very nerves were on fire, it started from my hand but it spread until my whole body felt searing pain. I let out a cry when the pain started and I crumpled to the ground no longer able to move. After what felt like a long time I started to have feeling in my limbs again and although they were tingling and I was shivering, I was able to move again. Well all except my right hand, the one that had touched the creature. That hand was numb and paralyzed and as I watched it some kind of white oval appeared on my palm. I recognized the symbol as the same one on the tree and on Murtagh's palm. It itched and burned, but now it was minimal.

Something brushed against my consciousness, like a finger trailing over my skin. I felt it again, but this time it solidified into a tendril of thought through which he could feel a growing curiosity. It was as if an invisible wall surroundingg my thoughts had fallen away, and I was now free to reach out with my mind. Scared I pulled away from the contact. The new since vanished as if I had closed my eyes. I stared at the small creature bewildered at what had just transpired.

"Welcome to the Dragon Riders, Kiana." Galbatorix boomed as he laughed with joy.

Wait, WHAT?! A dragon rider? Me?