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"Draco, is a very unique dragon, when he was still inside his egg it was experimented on, we are not sure who exactly did it but spells were cast upon it. We suspect that who ever did this was looking for a way to improve the dragons and their abilities. They both succeeded and failed, he learned how to speak and he can breathe not only fire but ice."
Thorn snorted, Tori patted his neck.
"However, the spells cast upon Draco's egg can also be seen as a curse. It seems that in altering Draco they have made him perfect. Too perfect, you see Draco is invincible, he can never die"
"Why is that a curse?" Tori asked, she looked up at Draco who turned his head away sadly.
Gaia's expression changed to one of saddness "Child, imagine that you would live on for eternity while all others around you come and go. You aren't living, the living die eventually, but instead you just… are. Existing forever, never resting, never knowing anything after this world"
Everyone was quiet, Tori looked up at Gaia and Draco "I'm sorry" she whispered.
Gaia smiled sadly then continued in a soft voice "Now as for the other dragons, they have been kept in close range of each other, in places uninhabited by humans, elves, dwarfs or fairies"
Fairies? Murtagh didn't say anything, though he wanted to.
"There are more than you would expect but less than there should be. I do not wish to reveal too much information to you about numbers or whereabouts on account of your ties to the king, perhaps the time will come when you shall find out though"
"I'm afraid that the two of us alone" Gaia motioned towards herself and Draco "Do not have the power required to overthrow the king. And truthfully if we did I am not so sure we would take part in a task like that anyway"
"Why not?" said Tori.
"My dear I have been alive for a very long time now, I have seen so much life come into existence and so much life be taken, I have lived among so many miracles of the world that I couldn't bare to be responsible for taking another life. Could you Tori?"
Tori bowed her head and thought, could she kill another human being? Could she watch the life leave some one and know she was responsible for it? "No" she answered.
Gaia nodded "There is nothing to be ashamed of Tori, do not think you are weak because of that" Tori looked up puzzled, that was creepy, she thought. It was as if Gaia had known exactly what Tori had been thinking.
"Now Murtagh" she turned to him "As for your bonds to Galbatorix. That matter is quite complicated, if you wish to be freed I will do everything with in my power to do so, but I'm afraid I cannot make any promises."
Murtagh nodded.
"Now as for getting Tori home-"
"No" Tori interrupted quickly "I don't want to go home, not yet"
"What are you talking about Tori? We have to get you home" Murtagh asked.
"No" Tori repeated "Not until you're free of Galbatorix. I'm not leaving you and Thorn to be punished by that ass because you helped me. I'm not going home and you can't make me"
Murtagh searched for words but none would come to him, he looked from Tori to Gaia and back again. Gaia had a smile on her face, she looked knowingly at the pair then glanced at Thorn who had a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"Very well" Gaia said at last "you may stay here until we discover a way to free you from your bonds to Galbatorix." She then turned to the guard who was crouched down in the corner of the cave. His nose was still bleeding and he was pale with fright. Gaia walked towards him, he stiffened when he saw her coming.
"Do not fear me Rolden" She said softly.
"H-how do you know my name?" He asked, his voice breaking half way through the sentence.
Gaia didn't answer him, instead she extended her hand and laid it softly on his face. Her hand glowed purple for a moment, when it faded she removed her hand, Rolden's nose was fully healed. Gaia then waved her hand, there was a bright flash of yellow light and when it faded Rolden was gone.
"What did you do with him?" Tori asked.
"I've sent him back to the Varden" Gaia answered "Now the three of you should probably get some sleep, it is quite late. You need to rest" Gaia smiled at them and then left, followed closely by Draco.
Thorn looked at Murtagh uncertainly. Can we trust this woman Murtagh?
I'm not sure Thorn, but do not worry everything with be alright.
Murtagh turned to Tori "Why won't you go home?"
"I already told you" she answered "I want to help you"
"I know, but you aren't safe here"
"What do you mean? I'm with you"
"Exactly" Murtagh said sadly casting his eyes to the ground "Galbatorix has ordered me to take you back to him and… to kill you"
Tori laughed, thinking Murtagh was joking, Murtagh continued to stare at the ground looking completely miserable "But-" Tori look a step back.
"We need to tell Gaia to send you home" Murtagh said still looking at the ground, he sounded angry as he said it. "That way I can't hurt you…"
Tori stayed quiet for a few moments before saying "But… I want to stay with you"
It was only there for a second but Tori saw it, the flicker of relief, happiness, hope that crossed his face. Tori moved closer to him, Murtagh looked up from the ground at last, Tori put her arms around his waist and hugged him.
She heard Murtagh sigh deeply as he wrapped his arms around her, Tori buried her face in his chest and closed her eyes. They stood together like this for a long time, Tori smiled into Murtagh's chest as she felt him gently stroke her hair, he let a small smile play on his lips as he twirled her red streak around his fingers. Tori looked up at Murtagh, he began to breathe a little harder, his eyes unintentionally glimpsing at Tori's lips.
Tori moved closer to him and shut her eyes as their lips brushed together, it was more of a question kiss than anything else. Tori pulled away to looked Murtagh in the eye, she suddenly felt Murtagh's warm mouth cover hers. It was then that Murtagh began to laugh and they pulled away. Tori looked up at him questioningly.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing, it's just you're the only person who would do something like that after I've told them I've been ordered to kill them" Murtagh answered. A smile crept onto Tori's face as she glanced at Murtagh's mouth again. Murtagh leaned in and kissed her once more, he could feel Tori smile against his lips.
Murtagh sat down leaning against the wall of the cave, Tori lay beside him and rested her head on his lap, she drifted to sleep as Murtagh stroked her hair. Murtagh heard Thorn snort, he looked up.
About time stubborn, he said.
Murtagh smiled back at his dragon, I love you Thorn.
And I you… stubborn.
Murtagh laughed quietly before closing his eyes and sleeping.
Surprisingly Tori woke up before Murtagh or Thorn, she stretched and looked up at Murtagh, her head was still on his lap and he was still in sitting position, she glanced down at his side, in his left hand was his dagger, she smiled inwardly not really knowing why. Tori then glanced over at Thorn who was snoring softly.
"Aw man" Tori whispered to herself standing up as quickly as she could with out waking either of the others "Gotta pee! Gotta pee!" she whispered urgently. She hopped over Murtagh's legs and stumbled a little.
Hurrying to find somewhere she could go to the bathroom but not really knowing where she was going, Tori took the first passage she found. Picking up her pace, she ran down the passage until she got to stairs which spiralled downward.
Ok… Tori walked down the stairs cautiously ducking her head around the corner at the end of them. She took one step forward and immediately stumbled and fell flat on her face. Tori grunted as she pulled herself to her feet.
"Grace, poise, balance. I got it all" she muttered to herself dusting the dirt off her knees. Tori wasn't watching where she was going as she dusted herself off when she tripped and fell again. "Crap!" she yelled before noticing this time she hadn't fallen on hard, dirty ground. She was on grass.
Tori glanced behind her and saw she had just come out of the cave, she stood up and looked around her. Suddenly Tori heard a growl.
"Thorn?" she called. "Thorn is that you?"
Tori followed the sound until she saw what exactly was making it, she gasped and hid behind an oak tree. She slowly poked her head around the corner and watched.
There were two little purple dragons, they would probably only have come up to Tori's shoulder. She watched as they rolled around and snapped playfully at one another. She realised both their mouths were covered in blood and there was a torn up deer carcass beside them. The darker of the two stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, the lighter one soon mimicking the others actions. They both looked over towards the tree Tori was standing behind and approached it slowly sniffing the ground.
Tori pressed herself up against the trunk of the tree and held her breath, praying that they wouldn't find her. Tori heard them getting closer and freaked out, she let out a scream ran back into the cave, up the stairs and back to Murtagh and Thorn all the while repeating the words 'please don't eat me, please don't eat me, please don't eat me'.
Murtagh was awake and pacing when she got back to the pair, his entire body seemed to relax when he saw Tori running towards him. It had worried him deeply when he had woken up to find she wasn't there. Tori ran into his arm and buried her face in his chest trying to catch her breath.
"Tori what is wrong?" he asked.
"They were gunna eat me" Tori said letting go of Murtagh and sitting down with a hard thud.
Murtagh stared blankly "…Who?"
"The baby dragons" Tori said "They were all bloody"
Thorn glanced at Murtagh who shrugged then sat next to Tori "Are you sure you didn't just have a dream?"
"Positive" Tori said grabbing Murtagh's hand and pulling both herself and him to their feet "I'll show you" Tori began to pull him when she stopped "Do you have your trusty dagger with you"
Murtagh nodded with a smirk, thinking Tori was joking. Tori led Murtagh down the passageway and spiral stairs. When they got to the bottom Tori turned around and kissed Murtagh on the lips "That's for in case we die" she informed him.
Murtagh held out his hand and Tori took hold of it again, they walked out of the mouth of the cave and looked around.
"I don't see anythi-" Murtagh began but was silenced as Tori put her free hand over his mouth.
"Shh! They'll hear us" Tori told his removing her hand slowly. They began to move forward when they heard a growling noise, Tori stopped moving forward and inched back towards Murtagh.
GASP! well there you go! hope you enjoyed it! Laterz!!!
