Inheritance Cycle Book V Fan Fiction Chapter 2 Ibraheem Abdulkhaliq

2 – The New Generation

'Too slow Viktor. Where's your footwork!' Eragon yelled across the duelling grounds.

'I'm sorry Elbrithil. I keep forgetting!' Viktor huffed while attempting to parry a two handed swing towards his torso. His attempt was futile and he knew it. His opponent's four foot blade forced his own sword to fly out of his hand, before continuing its path to his face. His wards stopped the blade half an inch in front of his nose. Viktor froze. He was at his adversary's mercy. Within seconds he was being thrown across the grounds and adding to his collection of bruises on impact. Slowly, he rose on one knee, only for his legs to give way, landing him back on the ground. He roared, frustrated, then jumped up, refusing to fall again.

'Again!' he growled.

Eragon sighed. Despite his unwavering spirit, when it came to sword fighting, Viktor was no match for Hrulyogh. The huge size difference only made worsened the problem - Viktor being an average three foot eight dwarf, while Hrulyogh towered over him - an eight foot Kull born and bred to be a warrior. Hrulyogh had been the first rider, joining Eragon at Ilia Abr Skulblaka after five years. Only two years after, Viktor arrived, becoming the second rider of the new generation. Over the many years, the pair had developed a strong friendship, despite Viktor originally despising the urgal to the core, due to the hatred of urgals that was almost inherited by the entire dwarf race.

'That's enough Viktor or you're going to get ripped apart!'

'Please Elbrithil just one more duel', Viktor begged while picking up his sword.

'No! Now come here and let me heal you!' Eragon commanded.

Hrulyogh sheathed his sword and walked over to Viktor, raising his hand. 'Waise Heil'.

Viktor muttered something

Hrulyogh went down onto both knees. 'What did you say?'

'I SAID THANK YOU!' Viktor yelled, punching Hrulyogh in the side of his head, not too gently.

Hrulyogh laughed, and then leapt at Viktor, the two of them grappling all over the floor.

'Ok that's enough you too. It looks like your dragons have finished their flying lessons with Saphira'.

Both riders stopped immediately, laughing while gasping for breath. They looked up and saw five dragons approaching them. The ground shook as the dragons landed simultaneously, causing Eragon, Viktor and Hrulyogh to stumble.

'Veronika!' Viktor sprang back up and ran towards his purple dragon.

'Adelajda!' Hrulyogh did likewise, slapping her maroon side.

The other dragons, two blue and one silver , came closer. Viktor and Hrulyogh both knelt before the largest of the three.

'Elbrithil' they both said.

Eragon smiled and stood in front of the blue beast. 'How were the young ones doing today, Saphira?'

'They did well, little one'.

'They had the best teacher. The great Saphira Brightscales instructed by the great Glaedr himself and mated to Firnen-finariel'.

Saphira snorted.

'Oh and how was Vervada? I assume she mastered the double tail flick as easily as her mother did?'

'Of course. My hatchling takes after me in every way, save for her irritating curiosity, which almost puts your own to shame '.

Eragon laughed. 'Thank God for that!'

'Which god are you thanking? Guntera - the dwarvish god? Or perhaps Unulukuna, to whom Nausauda and the other dark – hide – people believe in? If you mean all of them then it should be 'thank Gods'.

'It's a figure of speech. It does not mean that I actually thanked god!'

Saphira had snorted yet again. Humans. Always saying other than what they feel or intend.

Come now, you say I haven't become wiser. Eragon shook his head. Always putting me in with others of my race!

You may have become wiser, but you are still human and have not the natural and undisputed wisdom that runs through the blood of dragon since the time of the ancient ones. Since you are human you will always be full to the brim with flaws and shortcomings. Anyway, your wisdom has not increased that much. Your speech betrays your inexperience and the fact that you are still a hatchling, despite you defeating the egg breaker, doing what thousands of others could not.

Eragon huffed, protesting. Even Queen Islanzadi said I had become more eloquent.

There was a silence at the thought of the fell elven queen, a mutual respect and a sadness that they felt.

Veronika stepped forward and softly spoke. 'Elbrithilar, may we rest now? We are quite tired after our lesson, and we need our energy to hunt later'.

Eragon opened his mind and searched around, then turned to face them. 'Let us first wait for the other senior riders. They are just finishing the Dance of Snake and Crane'.

Five minutes later, two riders approached an elf male and a human female. Once they came close enough, they broke into a run and raced towards them. Simultaneously, they knelt and exchanged the traditional formal greetings of the elves, which Eragon had decided that the riders should use it as well.

Once the greetings were completed, both riders walked towards their dragons (who had flown in with Saphira).

Ildris, a silver male dragon with a sense of superiority, had hatched for the elves ambassador Vanir, while he was carrying the egg around the cities of Du Weldenvarden. After training for a year (the same as the other riders) with Arya, queen of the elves and her dragon Firnen, the pair had come to Ilia Abr Skulblaka, six years after Viktor and Veronika.

Two years after came Ismira, Eragon's niece and daughter to Roran and Katrina. Saphira's and Firnen's egg (which Saphira gave birth to shortly after arriving on the island), was placed with eggs that would be bonded with riders. The egg hatched for Ismira, adding to the astonishing number of riders within Eragon's family. She had named the blue dragon Vervada (it was female), after Saphira's mother, whose name she had learnt from Eragon during one of their weekly conversations through the scrying mirror Eragon had left for them.

Eragon and Saphira had decided to name these four as the Dragon Rider Masters, being the first riders of each race in the new generation. They would aid in teaching all the new riders who would come after them.

'Remember riders, no eggs had hatched for many years, but amazingly, three had hatched within the last year and a half. Normally the dragons and riders only train under Queen Arya for a year. However, it has been decided that they will all come together, as it would be easier for one journey to take place.'

The riders immediately began talking excitedly among themselves. 'Elbrithil, when will they be arriving?' Vanir asked politely.

Eragon smiled at him. He remembered his time duelling Vanir before he was changed in the Agaeti Blodhren, were Vanir treated him with sheer disrespect and looks of disgust. Once Eragon defeated him, he started to respect him, with his respect increasing further once Eragon had defeated Galbitorix. Now that Eragon was his master, Vanir was the most respectful of all the riders and dragons towards Eragon, and was always the first of the riders to be at his service if it was needed. He had completely disowned his arrogant manner, even towards Hrulyogh and Viktor (urgal and dwarf), while his dragon was extremely full of himself.

Eragon raised his hand for silence and once had had it: 'They will be coming in two weeks'.

A tremendous cheer erupted from the riders, while their dragons' roared.

Eragon began to speak, but stopped himself once he realised no one could hear him. Then all of a sudden, Saphira roared, a terrifying and awe - inspiring sound that silenced the students. 'Thank you Saphira' Eragon said to her within the privacy of their minds, laughing.

'For you, little one'. Saphira brushed her snout against his shoulder.

'Now students, I want you all to go and rest. You all trained hard today. Oh, and don't worry about hunting. Saphira and I will do the honours.'

This extracted another cheer from the students, although nowhere near as loud as the first one, which Eragon suspected was due to their fear of Saphira. She was a dragon after all and she deserved to admired but also feared.

'Go on, off with you lot now'. Eragon said waving his hand. The riders leapt onto their dragons and took off in the direction of Shur'tugalar Hall, not without Vanir saying 'Elrun Ono, Elbrithil!' (Thank you Master).

Eragon looked upon them with pride. 'We have done well'.

'Yes, we have haven't we' Eragon turned to Saphira and touched his forehead to Saphira's snout.

'Little one'.

Eragon climbed onto his usual spot on her back, and together they watched their students slowly rise through the air and slowly disappear into the clouds.

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