7. Those who play with fire

"Was there anything else you can tell us about the mutant or dragon? Maybe like what you think his DNA is mixed with?" I was clutching at straws. We'd been having these whisper conversations for a few minutes.

"No, he has pointed ears and looks like he's going to a medieval fair." Growled fang for the second time.

We were all crouched in the back of the cave, waiting for the dragon and rider to appear. Angel was sitting with Ilumëo in her lap and stoking Total, who was shaking and muttering about big fire-breathing lizards. Iggy and Gazzy were slightly away from everyone; their dragons stretched their necks over to watch the bombs being built. Iggys dragon, Ven was a stunning golden brown, the colour of caramel, was taller then the sturdy green dragon bonded with Gazzy. Nudge was grooming her wings, ordering feathers and pulling out sticks and leaves, Kveykva was doing the same by licking her scales cleaning off the days dirt. Fang and Andlat were dark and motionless, I wouldn't even know they were alive had I not noticed the slight rise of fangs chest up then down.

"They are coming." Iggy was the first to hear them of course, but I wasn't too far behind as a second later I heard it too, the flapping of large leather wings.

We stood up and got into our fighting stances, me and fang in front, Iggy and Nudge on either side and the younger kids behind. The dragons we didn't know what to do with, so they stood beside their bonded.

The light streaming into the cave was blocked out as the huge terrifyingly beautiful dragon steeped inside. The blue dragon took a few loud steps towards me before a man in light armour and a large blue tinted sword dropped down, crouching quickly to absorb the impact, he stood.

"Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal!" the man spoke with a foreign accent I'd never herd before and that's saying quite a lot, back at The School we had visitors from all over the globe. But we were meant to be in France and we weren't so we could be just about anywhere at all.

There was now a complication on communication with this pointed eared man. I'm quiet sure he would understand getting the crap beaten outta him as a warning. And yet he hadn't attacked yet or made any hostile move towards us, but ya never know.

"How do we know you're a friend or not?" To my surprise Iggy had taken a step forward and addressed the man. What he'd said was obviously in that language Ig got as a skill.

"Why would I not be a friend?" Was his overly polite reply. I think he may even believe us to be helpless children. I had to force my self not to giggle.

It was time to take this conversation to our advantage, while he still spoke English.

"Should we assume all strangers are our best of friends?" I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Oh no, of course not, but I do mean you no harm"

"And what might you be?" I'd already decided to call him something interesting what ever his answer but don't know what yet. Might help if I knew what he was mixed with.

"My name is Eragon and this is my dragon Saphira." He motioned towards the blue dragon, who was a few steps behind him.

"That was not my question." I said flatly.

"Do you mean the ears?"

I nodded once.

"They changed during Agaetí Blödhren." Seeing my blank face he added "An elvan blood oath celebration." Great that made it so much clearer!

"Ok… why are you here?"

"We are looking for urgals that have been attacking the villages."

"I meant here, inside the cave." Was this lunatic trying to avoid all my questions? What the hell is an urgal? Knowing my life probably enemy mutants, which I'm not sure this guy isn't.

"Well…" and he hesitated here. "Saphira saw dragons here while she was hunting earlier. We have come to ask them to join the Varden."

"No. They aren't going anywhere with you." I stated, we could always fight our way out.

"Why not? It's the best chance they've got at surviving and anyway how do you know they won't come?"

"hmm… well lets see… one, we don't know you and you come demanding to take the dragons somewhere, two, half the crap you've said sounds like complete bull shit! And three, I am Maximum Ride no one commands me!" No more Mr Nice Guy!

There was silence. I stared venomously at pointy-ears.

"They must." Was all he said.

"No, I think you have out stayed your welcome already, don't you?" I commented snidely,

"I'm sorry." And he muttered a few of those words from that mad language. Some hard force made of air closed around my limbs, I'm usually claustrophobic but this was horrible! A firm pressure was squeezing me from all angles making it harder to breathe and my pulse beat harder and louder. The gasps of shock and panic told me the rest of the flock had the same thing happen to them. We were stuck and helpless, I like neither.

Fury seethed inside me and pointy-ears slowly walked around my useless body. But what if I can use one of my skills? I concentrated like I did that day with the tree stump but only this time on Pointy's funny clothes and got a frustrating wither of smoke rise from his shoulder.

Pointy looked around "what are you doing?"

"Something like what you did." I replied mysteriously. I was still panicking from my claustrophobia but he didn't have to know that. Anyway he was a lying idiot who had played with fire.

At that moment his left sleeve burst into brilliant dancing red flames. He yelped and started waving his arms desperately trying to put them out. It was like a funny dance of panic, franticly hitting this arm to put out my flames which wouldn't go out until I released them.

That's when I noticed what ever was held me had been released. So I did the same thing and relaxed the control over my flickering tongues of flame. They died down a bit, but not much. I was felling rather happy and victorious, that must come from holding such power.

"Istrali letta!" the dancing medieval man shouted, and the flames died immediately. I was deeply disappointed.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Easy." I avoided his questions now, no need to tell him he's up against another mutant, although I'd already told him my name. He didn't react to it so he either expected it or it meant nothing to him.

A strong arm wrapped around my shoulders, it was fang, invisible, but still with me.

"Who are you?" pointy tried for another question.

"I am an elephant." I said dead serious, "this is a banana," I motioned to the partly seen fang. "A hotdog, and a flying cat," pointing to Iggy and Nudge, she gave a little wave. "Then there is also the space ship and surf bored." I gestured to Gazzy then Angel.

"hey, I want to be the surf bored!"

"ok sorry, you can be the surf bored. Oh and the big scaly things are umbrellas." The dragons rumbled with laughter.

"Umm. . . well, like I said before I am Eragon Shadeslayer and this is Saphira Brightscales." Pointy said it like he was someone of great importance and should be well known. None of us knew who he was.

We waited in the silence until pointy finally decided he wasn't getting an answer, so you know what? he asked yet another one.

"What are you doing here?"

"Not much, that's for sure. Are you planning to leave any time soon?" both my answer and my question seemed to annoy him, oh well.

"No I am not. We must take the dragons to the Varden where they will be safe." He said through clenched teeth. The dragon, Saphira growled menacingly. Bad move, all six of us bird-kids growled back, as well as Total and the combined menace of the dragons, created a much more threatening display. The slightly intimidated dragon retreated her neck into a more protective position.

Pointy took another step forward. I shaped a sphere of fire between my hands, fang was gone again and Iggy had a little bundle in his hands with wires poking out of the bomb. The other members of the flock got into a fighting stance. And that wasn't all the rumbling of dragon hatchlings and glares should have stopped any sane person in his tracks.

"I'll get the popcorn this is gonna get messy." I announced cheerfully, I smiled while still glaring at pointy and his dragon.

"I love popcorn! Does it come with melted butter?" Total wondered aloud.

"Sorry Total we're out of butter." Said Iggy.

"Owww I was looking forward to buttered popcorn." Wined Gazzy.

"Max," angel was shaking "he's in your mind!"

GET OUT! I ordered as loudly as I could mentally shout. EVERYONE IS TO GET OUT OF MY HEAD! NOW! I got a satisfying wince from pointy and felt something leave my mind.

"Now that we got that sorted…" I shot a glare at pointy again who looked a bit guilty. "…I think you should run along home."

"I can not the dragons must be safe."

"The umbrellas you mean, why wouldn't they be safe here? They're safer with us then with you. Or are you implying something else entirely?" I spat venomously.

"They wouldn't be safe here because you can't offer them protection. Unlike at the Varden there will be whole armies defending them. No they wouldn't be safer with a bunch of kids then a dragon's rider and a fully grown dragon. If Galbatorix was to gain six more dragons to his side all of Aliglasia would be doomed. World domination would be next and during all that these mighty dragons would be slaves to his will. That is why the varden needs to stop him and that is why the dragons must join the varden."

Wow. I was shocked that was a long speech. But angry at his very little expectations of our fighting ability. What? Did he think we would just hand them over to anyone? I wonder how much is true. This Galbatorix sounds like a spur of the moment name or someone from Itexicon.

"With us, is as safe as anywhere else if not more. I don't know how much of your story is true but we are not splitting up with the dragons. You are going to leave on the count of three or you will be roasted," the ball of fire blazed bigger to emphasise my point.

"One… Two…" I made another two fire balls in the other hand and slowly started rolling them around my hand. I smiled as I said three, neither the dragon nor man had move a step back.

I shot one warning fireball at pointy-ears slow enough that a human could dodge. He said something but what ever it was didn't help him dodge the fire which hit hi square in the chest.

After a moment, I let the flames die out. He didn't move.

The dragon saphia was furious! She opened her jaws and blue flames gushed out, flying straight towards us. A current of water slammed into the fire. I glanced behind to see Angel deep in thought directing the flow.

I wrestled to gain control over the dragon's fire, which kept slipping from my grasp. Why can't I control the fire! The flocks dragons charged at the massive blue dragon who was twice as big as Istalri. I could feel Istalri's bond too, it had been growing stronger the last few days. She was exited for the fight, angry about the larger dragons fire, worried about me and many other feelings rolled into one little bundle in my head.

Our dragons forced saphia outside the cave and into the clouded sky. I cautiously walked over to pointy who was scrambling to his feet and drawing that medieval weapon from his belt.

"Brisingr!" blue flames leapt onto the blades razor edge. I seized control of the flames easily this time, they brightened and turned blood red with a shadowing of black. I killed the flames by letting them die out slowly.

Pointy looked ridiculously surprised and a little scared. He recovered a second later and focused on me and the flock again. I was still holding those two balls I had made before, I throw one at him, slower this time, he stepped easily out of the way.

"your learning!" I called to him with a false cheeriness and smile.

He just stared, as if thinking 'is she insane?'

Well . . . I do sometimes have a voice in my head, as in not my own voice . . . so I could be a tiny bit insane. . .

Insane or not I was going to kick his ass. I ran at him quick as a viper, my intention was to double kick him in the chest while knocking the sword from his grip. But I didn't consider pointy to be just as fast as me.

As I kicked the sword came slashing down upon my arm slicing skin and muscle to a thick bloody flap hanging from my arm. I gasped in shock before the pain hit me full on, but I ignored it gave a full bird-kid power and all, punch to the side of his head.

He fell, sword clattered to the floor. I gave him a sharp kick to the ribs, even though he was already unconscious, he will remember me in the morning.

I sprinted outside flock following, fang looking disapprovingly at my bloodied arm, nudge jabbering on about pain and blood and swords, total agreed with anything she said. Angel being her innocent 6 year old self asked if I was ok. Gazzy looked worried and Iggy just said "I think you should do something about that."

"We need to go now. We shouldn't show them our wings either, call your dragons and we can be riders." I announced, mentally calling Istalri.

Its time to go finish off your fight and come pick me up, I shall be your rider today. I felt her excitement and joy though the bond, but also pain, she was hurt, the enemy dragon had raked her claws across Istalri's neck, shallow yet bleeding and very painful.