Just a little bit further. Eragon slowed down his breathing, which slowed down his heart rate, and concentrated. He relaxed all his muscles and allowed his mind to expand. He felt the grass beneath his legs, and the ocean air tickling his cheeks. He felt the cliff edge he sat on and the water far below him. His mind went further, feeling the west side of the island and the water around it. It picked up Fosier and Kyliel as they walked back to their huts following the morning duel. His mind found Saphira, high above the trees, circling an unsuspecting deer. He picked out the other dragons, some in the air, others bathing in the sun. His mind reached out over the entirety of the island and kept reaching.

Then he stopped it.

Aware of all the details, yet focused on none, he held where he was. Then, he brought it back. He condensed his mind in on itself, leaving the edges of the island and coming back. The power of his consciousness coalesced into a razor sharp focus and he drove it into himself. His mind penetrated deep within the depths of his psyche. He fought his way to the familiar barrier and threw himself against it just as he had every day since that first day. This time he knew what to expect: complete and utter resistance, like running into a stone wall.

But he was ready.

He honed his entire being into one sharp point and blasted through that obstruction.

Immediately, he was torn away in a tidal wave of energy. As his mind was enveloped, his body began to surge with power. His senses came alive, sharper than any dragon rider. His strength grew to an unbelievable level, raw energy filling his muscles.

He pulled himself out of the ocean of power and back to his body. He opened his eyes and stood. He was no longer tired from his sparring session. He was alive, the energy fueling his mind and body. The connection was tenuous at best but he wasted no time. He reached out his arm and he focused on the ocean before him. The power needed a release and he was still much too weak to contain it. With a flick of the wrist, the power evaporated from his body and was directed forward. A massive column of salt water exploded from the ocean surface in front of him. The water reached up all the way to his height on the cliff edge, dousing him in cold water. Then, as gravity finally regained control, it all fell back to where it had come. Eragon watched it recede for a moment, feeling a slight sense of accomplishment.

One more step forward.

Eragon took a step backward and faltered. Then, the exhaustion overtook him. He fell to his knees out of breath and dizzy. Rolling onto his back, he closed his eyes and focused on breathing. Accessing the power was difficult enough, but his body still wasn't used to dealing with the toll it took.

As his breathing returned to normal, he thought about the first days he began to break through. It lasted for mere seconds before the power was too much and he had to release it. The pain after those moments nearly killed him. It was like a giant hand squeezing his whole body. His heart rate would drop so low he would pass out. When he would wake, he would sometimes be sick for hours, barely able to make it to his cot. But he wouldn't stop, no matter how painful, no matter how difficult. This was his answer, the solution to his problems. He had to master this because it was his only chance at raising the next generation of riders. It was his only chance at being with Arya.

Eragon sat back up. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

He looked out over the water. About a week of sailing straight ahead would bring him back to Alagaesia. Being on the west side of the island made him feel closer to his old home, like, if he decided to, he could see friends. Or her.

He thought about the days following his kiss with Arya. Everything was a chaotic blur. Arya had decided to return to Ellesmira and take over her mother's position as queen. She assured Eragon that it was only temporary until her people were on a good path and then she would step down. At that point she would join him and help with the next generation of riders. Eragon understood, but a part of him worried she wouldn't leave her people when the time came. He guessed time would tell.

A few days after that, Eragon found himself on the East coast of Alagaesia. When he arrived, Arya had coordinated a group of elves, while Orik had a retinue of dwarves to tell him goodbye. Murtagh, Nasuada, Roran, and Katrina also made the trip. While the dwarves wouldn't dare make a trip over water, the elves had discussions among themselves to decide who would join Eragon if he allowed it. In the end, he agreed to let his old bodyguard, Blodgram, join as well as two young elves, Kyliel and Fosier.

The goodbyes were hard, but letting go of Arya was harder. They had promised to use mirrors to scry each other but with her new position as queen, the timing was always a problem.

For six days after that, Eragon spent most of his time in an elven boat that propelled itself. He and Saphira spent a lot of time flying throughout the days, searching the areas around the boat for signs of land. At the end of the sixth day, they spotted this island, and on the seventh, they arrived.

Eragon's head stopped spinning and he began to feel better. He felt a nudge on his mind.

It's okay, I'm fine.

You're not fine. But… you are better than you used to be, Saphira said in his head. Eragon smiled to himself.

I should be asking how you are. I know that you can feel it every time I go through that process.

I can still feel the power. It doesn't affect me as much as it used to. But it still comes through our connection. That kind of strength; its… unnerving.

I agree. But it has to be done. Could you come to me? I want to test out an idea, Eragon told her.

He felt her change course and head to his location. Eragon stood up and looked back behind him at the island. He faced a clearing that ended in a thick tree line. The trees ran all the way back to the base of the one mountain peak at the center of the island. Eragon assumed it was once a volcano but was no longer active. Eragon extended his mind south to where Fosier and Kyliel were. He moved his consciousness around them, inspecting their wounds from their earlier sparring session. The elves had healed their broken bones already but their exhaustion was clearly evident. Eragon cringed when he thought back on the loud cracks that Fosier's arm and Kyliel's ribs made. They would all magically dull their blades before every sparring session but even so, Eragon was getting too strong for them.

"You are Eragon Kingkiller," Fosier had said. "It is an honor to accompany you on your journey, but then to spar and learn from you, there is nothing greater. You have already taught us so much, Master."

"C'mon Fosier, just call me Eragon. And you guys can learn from me without fighting me. I'm worried about seriously hurting you."

"We chose to come with you," Kyliel said. "We made the decision ourselves. We will help you with anything you need, and you need to train. Sparring with both of us has helped you get stronger and we have learned more in the past six months than we ever could have back home," she insisted.

"Yes, you have learned and yes, you two have become incredibly formidable opponents. However, I can feel myself getting stronger, and I am beginning to hold back."

"You are fighting two elves, and you are holding back?" Kyliel asked surprised. Her auburn eyes seemed more shocked than hurt.

"I am barely winded after our fights and you two only land hits every so often now. I am worried for your safety and I think if we continue our matches I will seriously hurt you two. All I am saying is that I need to come up with a new way to train myself so I can continue to push my boundaries. The stronger my mind gets, the stronger my body needs to be. It's the only way we can ever get away from this island."

Fosier looked him in the eye. "I propose a deal. If you don't hold back for today's match, and you can get both of us to give up, then we will stop these sparring sessions and Kyliel and I will spar with each other. However, if we can both land a strike on you then we continue as we have."

Eragon smiled at him. "Deal."

Ten minutes, a broken arm, and two broken ribs later, Fosier and Kyliel accepted defeat. Eragon had promised he would still train them, but he would not spar at his fullest anymore. That left him with a need for a new avenue of training.

The air shook around him and Eragon looked up as Saphira landed in a flurry of wind and dust.

Do I want to know what this idea of yours is? Saphira asked.

"Well, I am in need of a new way to train."

Sparring two Elves isn't enough?

"No, not anymore. They are good, very good. Some of the best elves I have ever fought. But it isn't enough," Eragon admitted.

So add a third.

"No, Blodgram said he only uses violence when he has to. But it's not more opponents that I need, its stronger ones."

So if you can't spar with the elves, what does that leave you? Saphira asked.

"Raise your forearm for me."

Saphira complied and Eragon cast the same spell he used to magically dull his blade, on her claws. The sword itself wouldn't dull, but a magical barrier ran the length of the metal making it so that it would not cut his opponents. This allowed him to fight without fear of killing. However, that didn't stop the sword from becoming a bludgeon that would snap bones with a hard swing.

Eragon stepped back. "Okay, slash at me."

What? No.

"I blocked your claws with the spell, I need to see what the effect is since they are not metal."

I am not going to try and cut you, Saphira said.

"I will be fine. Please, just trust me."

Saphira eyed him for a while. He could feel her resistance through their mental connection. She spent a lot of her time worrying about his safety, so intentionally trying to harm him went against her every fiber.

Saphira sat back. Then, she stood on her hind legs and raised her fore claw. With a mighty roar she brought it down on him.

Her claw came down on his shoulder and upper back.

The force was incredible. He was knocked to the ground in a flash. He gasped for air, forcing his lungs to work again. Immediately, he felt Saphira nuzzling him, fear showing in her eyes. His shoulder was hurt, with bruises already forming. He forced another breath and then pushed himself up to a seated position.

How bad is it? Saphira asked, concern layering her voice.

Eragon smiled at her to ease her fear. Then, he strained his neck to get a look at his shoulder and upper back. They were getting darker and darker as four purple splotches began to spread across his skin. But the skin itself wasn't broken, no blood dripped down his back. His shoulder pained him, but he could move it slowly and didn't feel the sharp stab of broken bones.

Eragon closed his eyes and let his thoughts guide his magic. The pain receded and in moments he was back to normal. Eragon stood up and swung his arms around, loosening them up and checking for stiffness.

"You know, for getting slashed by a dragon, I think I came out relatively well."

A large blue face was immediately thrust into his, making him step back.

Don't ever make me do something like that again! That was awful, Eragon!

"I'm sorry!" he said throwing his arms up in the air in surrender. "I just needed to test it out. Never again, I promise."

Saphira eased herself back and sat on her hind legs. What was the point of that?

Eragon pointed at her fore claw and undid the dulling spell with a casual thought. "I need a new sparring partner," he said simply. "There are six wild dragons on this island, right?"

Eragon… you're not-

"Going to see if I can fight the dragons? Yeah, I was considering it."

Eragon, you can't spar a dragon.

"Why not?"

Because they are wild dragons! There is no such thing as sparring with them. When they fight, they kill.

"And now I know that I can dull their claws and teeth to protect myself."

What makes you think they would even let you do that?

"Dragons are proud creatures. If I can present a new challenge, I think they will accept it. No dragon wants to be known as coward. You have their respect because you're the strongest, fastest dragon here. They live with us peacefully because of you. I want that respect, Saphira. The future wild dragons will need to live with the future riders and we have to do it without conflict. If I can gain the dragons' respect like you have, I will set ourselves up for the future and I will get the best training I could ever have. What is more deadly than a dragon in a fight?"

I don't like this Eragon, she said slowly.

"I know. Stay with me the whole time. If it goes south, I'll need you."

So how are you going to get them to come?

"I only need one. You guys are all about freedom. The best way to get your attention is to attempt to control you."

Saphira looked at him questioningly.

Eragon closed his eyes and relaxed his body. His mind expanded outwards. Everything came alive to him. He felt the woods and all its inhabitants. He was aware of Saphira right next to him, and the elves back at camp. He found Blodgram down by the beach on the south side of the island and felt the first dragon out in the water. It was the youngest one, a dark scaled male that was incredibly swift. He had yet to mention his name to Saphira but she had told Eragon that he had an agreeable personality.

His mind continued on. The next two dragons were napping at the base of the mountain on the hot rocks. These dragons were the middle dragons, big for their age but not the one Eragon was looking for.

Eragon kept searching, his mind expanding further, taking in more and more aspects of the island. He noticed an energy high above the trees, swaying in the tropical air currents. It was her, the dragon he was looking for. She was the biggest one, the first to hatch once they had reached the island. She had the respect of the other dragons and it was her that he needed to get on his side. If he could get her to work with him, then the other dragons would too. Her name was Niriada.

Eragon watched her begin to follow some prey. A small pack of wild hogs wound their way to a watering hole. An idea formed in Eragon's mind.

"Saphira, be ready. Niriada is going to be angry when she gets here."

Niriada dropped into a dive. The hogs wouldn't realize it until it was too late. As she folded in her wings and fell beneath the tree line, Eragon released his magic. The distance was far and she was very strong; but Eragon was stronger, at least for a moment. His spell froze her in midair, right above the fattest hog. The frightened prey squealed and took off into the woods. Niriada roared in anger and immediately broke out of Eragon hold. He worked his way into her mind, sending her an image of where he was. In a flash she was above the tree line racing towards him.

The roar echoed out across the island. She came into view a moment later, a fury of sparkling golden brown scales. She didn't slow down or appear to want to land. Instead, she opened her jaws and flew straight towards Eragon.

Saphira roared in defiance and moved to get in between them. Niriada noticed the blue dragon and changed course, flying back into the air in a wide arc.

"Saphira! You have to let me try. This will never work if you fight my battle for me," Eragon pleaded. She growled at him but backed away. Her muscles stayed taught, her whole body ready to jump in the fray.

Niriada came back into view, falling into a dive towards Eragon.

Eragon spread apart his feet, falling into his natural fighting stance. His energy swelled and his thoughts cleared. The golden-brown dragon was a breath away from him when he released his magic. The dragon was knocked to the side by his spell, her own momentum carrying her crashing into the dirt. Eragon spun around watching her tumble in a cloud of angry dust.

Niriada found her footing and stood slowly, shaking her head clear. She opened her maw and Eragon could see flames licking her teeth. The fierce dragon roared and sent a column of fire at Eragon. No spells were needed, and no words were said. Eragon simply watched the flames head towards him in a relaxed state and willed his magic to separate them around his body. The fire split apart before him, racing by on either side.

The heat was incredible, but bearable. When Niriada realized she wasn't having an effect, she cut of the flow of flames. Still angry, she growled and began to circle him. She glanced at Saphira as she stalked past.

"She won't interfere," Eragon told the dragon. "This is between you and me. I am sorry I got in the way of your hunt, but I needed your attention. I need your help." Eragon hoped she could tell he was sincere.

Niriada blew smoke out her mouth and pounced. Her claws came down in a blur and Eragon dodged. She swiped again forcing Eragon to jump back. The wind from her fore claw brushed his face.

Eragon jumped towards her, hoping to get in too close for her to swing at him. Immediately, her jaws shot towards him. Gleaming white razors, hurling towards his face. Eragon froze, stunned.

Oh, no…

Eragon heard Saphira roar in the background, he heard Fosier and Kyliel scream from the far side of the clearing.

How long have they been watching?

"Eragon!"

That was Blodgram's voice. Had he been watching also?

The master rider, the great and powerful Kingkiller, taken out because of a stupid mistake. It was too bad; he was already seeing the potential of sparring with dragons. They were so different, so adaptable. They really were the ultimate opponents.

An image of Arya floated before his eyes. Her raven hair waved about her piercing eyes. She gave him a small smile, a sparkle of happiness. The girl he loved and now the girl that loved him back. With a wink, she vanished, and Eragon smiled. He wouldn't be taken out like this. He couldn't be taken out like this. Eragon's smile broadened at the onslaught of death in the form of rows of sharp teeth. Then, his mind went within. He broke into the ocean of energy, and he swelled with impossible power.

His hands shot out and caught Niriada's upper and lower jaws in front of his face. The energy flowing about him made his hands too hard for her teeth to penetrate. Its strength filled him and he held her massive skull still. The dragon, now surprised instead of angry, tried to back away, but Eragon's grip was unyielding. He released her bottom jaw and with both hands slowly pushed her head down to the dirt.

The power kept swelling and he felt it tearing at him, fighting to escape. He needed to hang on to it just a little bit longer.

Niriada got angry again and tried to buck from his grip, but held her where she was. She eventually stopped and remained still. Eragon thought she had given up but then her wing shot towards him. With the energy of the world flowing through him, Eragon saw the attack and froze her wing in midair with a quick gesture. Then, he forced it back to her side. Niriada struggled some more but Eragon would not give in. This was too important. His insides were on fire, but he held it together, trying to push past the pain. She struggled once more, a full on attempt at escape. Her whole body writhed as one. Eragon released his hands and pointed them towards her. Niriada was just getting up, when he released his raw energy at her. As if a giant hand landed on her back, she was pushed back into the ground, unable to move even a claw.

Fine, Eragon-partner of Saphira, you have my attention, said a smooth voice like flowing water. Eragon felt the dragon's entire body relax. He stood back and she stayed where she was. Niriada lifted her head off the ground but made no move to attack or flee. She was telling the truth.

Eragon opened his arms and released his hold on the power. A shockwave raced radially outwards from him, shaking the ground and almost knocking over the elves. Immediately, the edges of his vision grew dark and the sky danced with the earth before him.

Then, everything went black.

Eragon…

The world seemed so… slow. He couldn't move his body, or did he even have a body? Eragon wasn't sure. His thoughts moved as if in syrup. Just as he was about to piece together an idea, it would evaporate and he would forget what he was even thinking of.

Eragon.

Why couldn't he see? He could feel. Well, he could feel energy. He still couldn't tell if he had limbs or if he was just floating aimlessly about, but he could feel beings around him. It was in the form of light. The brighter the light, the stronger the being. Thousands of small, faded lights were around him. Insects? Plants? He didn't know. A massive light was above him. This one was strong, strong enough to nearly block out all the others.

Eragon, come back…

The light seemed to pull him towards it. It was beckoning him, and it felt safe. It felt right. He went towards it, wanting to join the light.

As he got closer he noticed the air. It felt cool in his lungs, passing in and out. Wait, he had lungs. Then he felt his arms, then his legs. He felt his head lying against the uneven dirt. Then he noticed his eyelids. They seemed so heavy, begging to remain closed, but he forced them to open anyway.

The big light went away and was replaced by splendid sapphire. Saphira's big blue eye was right above him. He smiled at her.

"First fight with a dragon. How'd I do?" he asked slowly.

You almost died, she said in a flat tone.

"All in a days work."

Eragon slowly sat up and took in his surroundings. Fosier and Kyliel were watching him with nervous expressions but he winked at them to put them at ease. Blodgram was next to them, his dark fur rippling in the wind. He nodded at Eragon and gave him a feline grin. Eragon returned the gesture.

Then, he looked to the other side and saw her. Niriada was still were she was. She looked neither concerned nor angry. She was just there, watching.

"You're still here," Eragon said.

I am, she replied.

They sat in silence, just observing each other. Finally, she broke it.

You should be dead, she said evenly.

"I didn't think you would actually try to kill me," Eragon said after a while. Niriada stared at him. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Because of what you have done for my race, she said finally, I have left you and your companions alone. I do not come to your areas. If you were anyone else, I would have driven you away. She said this with no hate, but with a flat, matter-of-fact tone. It wasn't a threat but merely a fact that she was sharing.

"I see," he replied

The silence seemed to stretch on and on.

"I want to make you an offer," Eragon said. She remained silent. "I want to fight you, but not with the intention to kill."

She cocked her head slightly.

Then why fight? she asked.

"I need you to help me get stronger. The others that are with me cannot get me any further, and Saphira and I can't fight with each other, it's too difficult for us. So this is the offer: fight with me and help me get stronger. It's called sparring. By doing this, my body will continue to strengthen, and the faster we can leave this island and go to our rightful home."

Our rightful home?

"Yes, this island is a temporary location. I needed a place to train and a place that you all could hatch in peace. But this place isn't big enough to hold more than about ten dragons. The place we will go to is wonderful. It's an island but it's so big that you can fly for hours and still not see the other side. It was the old home of the dragons and the riders and I want to take us back there."

So, you fight me and get stronger, and when you get stronger we will go to this 'other' home?

"Yes."

Why do you wish to do this with me? There are five other dragons that could serve your purpose.

Eragon glanced at Saphira. "After her," he said nodding to Saphira, "you are the biggest, fastest, and strongest on the island. The other dragons defer to you. If I can get you to agree than I will get the best training partner. If I need others, I'm sure they will agree if they know that you have.

I am… interested. You displayed an unusual amount of power. You're a challenge. I will think about your offer. With a grace only a dragon can exude, she stood, jumped, and was off into the clouds with a flap of her wings.

"What do you think?" Eragon asked Saphira.

I think she could go either way. Only time will tell.

Eragon nodded and began making his way back to the camp. His exhaustion was creeping into him like cold fingers. He had accomplished what he set out to do. Now it was time to rest

Short but sweet. If it wasn't clear, this took place six months after Eragon left Alageasia. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought