Eragon had never seen such a sight. Miles and miles of people stretched out before him. Some in small clusters, others in crowds, all in a line stretching to the horizon like an undulating serpent. They waved and cheered and even tried to run and keep up with him as he passed by over head. Saphira soaked up the attention like a sponge. The other dragons were not so keen on all the eyes staring at them. He could feel their tension but he assured them that they were in no danger.

Eragon glanced behind him. The Hadarac desert was fading away while the ground below him was gradually getting greener. The hot air still whipped at his face but it had less of a sting. Looking forward, to where the trail of people led, was Ilirea. The city was like a magnet, pulling him in.

"After all this time, we are finally back."

It feels as though we were here yesterday, fighting in the air above the city, Saphirasaid.

"And in the streets, killing a king," Eragon said.

Eragon and his thunder of dragons continued onward, flying above the heads of thousands of people toward the awaiting city. As the city opened up before him, Eragon turned to the deep green dragon and its rider flying beside him. "So, is there any special way we are supposed to arrive?"

"Nasuada has a special welcoming group stationed at the main gates to escort us into the city," Arya said.

"So, for the first time in years, we have a thunder of dragons and she wants us to walk into the city?"

Arya rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"She said you'd say that, which is why she has had the market square set up as the official welcoming. A large section in the middle has been marked off for us."

Eragon laughed. "So why the group of welcomers at the front gates?"

"Well, being Queen comes with the gift of brown-nosing politicians trying to gain favor. You can't ignore them because they do hold some power over the crowd, so instead you have fun with them."

Eragon nodded, catching on. "So you tell them that they will be the first to officially greet the Kingkiller, only to be the last to arrive to the square when he flies over their heads."

Arya nodded.

Eragon's smiled broadened. "She's too good at being Queen."

"Oh really?" Arya said.

"Well— I mean, she is good at it. But you're definitely the best. Hands down. I'm sure your rule has been the best thing that has ever happened to Ellesmera." Eragon's mouth felt as dry as the Hadarac. "You—"

Eragon, my partner is just trying to get a reaction from you, Firnen said in his silky rich voice.

"She's what?" Eragon looked back at Arya and saw she had a mischievous grin on her lips.

You fell for that way to easily, said Saphira.

"Well come on, I'm only human… ish," Eragon pleaded.

"I know," Arya responded. "But that doesn't mean it's not fun to mess with you."

"Very funny," Eragon said flatly.

As the group neared the city, the noise intensified. With his heightened hearing, Eragon could already pick up on the crowded city center, bustling with expecting people. The throngs of those outside of the city were all making their way back in as the thunder flew over the city gates. People in the streets looked up and shouted or clapped as they flew above. Children ran to keep up while their parents followed behind.

Ahead, the city center came into view. It had been over a year since Eragon had seen it. It was no longer charred with the wounds of war but swept clean and open in the middle for his group to land. Filling all of the available space and spilling into the neighboring streets were hundreds of people. The cheers that erupted when they saw him appear in the sky were deafening him. Eragon mentally calmed each dragon, preparing them for the crowds that awaited.

Eragon and Saphira reached the roped off section in the middle first. Saphira landed lightly and looked around at the crowd. They screamed and cheered and the ones closest threw flowers at them. Firnen landed next to her and the other dragons landed cautiously behind.

Eragon slid out of his saddle and waved at the crowd. Impossibly, their cheers got even louder. He thought he even saw a few of the younger girls faint. Turning back to the front, he saw a raised platform where Nasuada sat on a simple, yet elegant chair. She rose when he saw her and made her way off the platform, a big smile on her face. Eragon walked towards her, noting how stunning she was in her violet dress.

"Is it proper for a lowborn to hug a queen?" Eragon asked her.

"Lowborn? Eragon, if you didn't hug me I would have you thrown in a cell."

Eragon grinned embraced his old friend. "I have missed you so much. You seem to be doing really well as queen."

"And I have you to thank for that."

He waved her off. "Nah, you would have been fine without me."

Nasuada shook her head and smiled. "No, I wouldn't have. And I am so glad you are back. And this," she said gesturing to the dragons, "is amazing, Eragon. A true thunder of dragons. I never thought I would see that in my lifetime."

"They can be hard to deal with but you get used to them."

"I'll take your word on that."

"Hello, Nasuada," Arya said walking up to them.

"Hello, Arya," Nasuada said embracing Arya. "I hope your trip here was nice."

Arya glanced at Eragon and then looked back at Nasuada. Nasuada's eyebrow arched and Eragon caught Arya smirking slightly. Then, Nasuada looked at Eragon with a funny face.

"What is happening?" Eragon asked them.

"Nothing," both women said at the same time.

"Right," Eragon said under his breath.

"Saphira, it is so good to see you again," Nasuada said walking up to the sapphire dragon.

Nasuada, it is good to see you again as well.

"And Firnen, always a pleasure," she said to the green dragon.

Queen Nasuada, He said in with a slight bow.

Nasuada turned back to Eragon. "Well, you are the expert. Am I allowed to greet the dragons?"

"We can introduce you to them, although they might not actually speak to you. I think they are a little anxious in this crowd; they might take off soon."

The group walked back to where the dragons had landed. Some had sat down and were ignoring the crowds, while others like Niriada were cautiously eyeing up all the people.

Eragon went up to Niriada first. "Niriada, this is Queen Nasuada."

"It is an honor to meet you," Nasuada said. Niriada set her large eye on Nasuada and held her gaze. After a suspenseful moment, Niriada nodded her head.

"And that is about as best as you will get," Eragon said clasping Nasuada's shoulder. "Let's go meet the others."

Eragon brought Nasuada around to meet the other dragons. Some spoke to her and others just gave a slight nod like Niriada, but all responded in some way which is all Eragon wanted.

"Saphira, maybe you can take them away from the crowds and bring them to the outskirts." She nodded her response and then communicated to the other dragons. They all looked up at her and then when she took flight, they all followed. The resulting winds from their wings felt like a gale blowing against the crowds. The people in the area cheered as the thunder of dragons left the city center.

"There is no way I will ever get used to that," Nasuada said watching the dragons disappear into the sky.

Once they were out of sight, Eragon turned to Nasuada. "So, now what?"

"Well, we are going to head back to the palace to discuss plans, but before that happens I think everyone here would like to hear from you."

"From me?" Eragon asked. "Why?"

"Eragon, you are the hero of this city. I may be the ruler but you are their liberator. The people have been waiting to see the dragons but you are the real reason they are here. I think you should talk to them."

Eragon could feel his palms starting to sweat. He hadn't expected to make a speech when he got back to Ilirea, but if that is what everyone was expecting of him then he would do it.

He looked out at the crowd before him. All eyes were fixed on him. People were smiling and waving, vying for his attention. He could see kids on the shoulders of their parents, trying to get a better view of him. Eragon lifted his arm and gave a wave to the crowd. They all cheered back. Eragon took a slight step backwards at the eruption of noise. It was almost intimidating and he had fought dragons.

Eragon thought about walking back to the platform where Nasuada had been seated but he decided to just talk to everyone right here in the middle of the square. Tapping into his magic, Eragon used a quick spell to amplify his voice over the square.

"People of Ileria, thank you for the warm welcome. It has been almost a year since I have been in this square and yet, in some ways it feels like I never left. I look around and everything is… perfect. You are all out and smiling and it just feels right. I think one of the biggest things I have struggled with is wondering if I had made things worse. I knew the king didn't deserve you all, he didn't deserve his throne, but did I deserve to take away your way of life? Was I right in bringing war to your doorsteps? It's hard to look back on the past and know for certain if you made the right choices, especially when you are so far away. But coming back today, and seeing you all outside the city leading me in and looking at you all here today, I finally know that I made the right choice. You have given me closure, and for that simple act, I want to say thank you." Eragon looked around the crowd, trying to find some reaction to see how they were feeling. Everyone just looked back at him. His stomach tightened up.

From somewhere in front of him, a lone person shouted "Hero of Ilirea!" Then, like a tidal wave of sounds, the cheers rolled over him one after another. There were more shouts of "Hero" and "Liberator" while the applause continued on. Eragon smiled and waved back at them, feeling a great love for these people.

"That was a good speech," Arya said.

"You thought so?" Eragon asked. Arya nodded.

"Not bad at all, Eragon," Nasuada said. "Now let me wrap things up for us." She turned to face the crowd and put her arms up. Slowly, the cheering and applause died down.

"My people, Eragon has returned and with his return comes hope. Hope for the future and hope for all of us. However, hope does not come easy. You have to earn it. And therefore it takes work. Eragon has already begun his work and we will continue to support him. For now, it is time that he got some rest from his journey.

The crowd gave a few last cheers as they slowly dispersed and Eragon waved them off.

"Okay, lets head to the palace."

As they made their way, some of Nasuada's Nightstalkers flanked them while three others lead the way. Even though some of the crowd had left, the road back to the palace was lined with people shouting and cheering for him. Eragon couldn't remember when he had had so much attention on him. Everyone was reaching out, trying to touch him, but the guards made sure that the people were backed up at a safe distance.

"So, Orik wasn't able to make it here," Nasuada said as they continued on. "Apparently there was a small revolt against his crown. He is fine though; I spoke with him this morning. And he said to tell you that he will be seeing you soon."

"Did they take care of the revolt?" Eragon asked.

"I think so for the most part. He didn't go into much detail but it seemed that those who got away have gone into hiding for now."

"Orik is one tough dwarf."

"Indeed he is. Let's see, Orrin sends his best wishes and hopes that you remember all the help Surda had in helping you get where you are."

Eragon raised an eyebrow.

"He won't let you forget that anytime soon," she said rolling her eyes. "I have to hear about it every time we talk. Sometimes I wish I was the one going to live on an island."

"You are always welcome. We can even make a special queen's room for you."

"You are too kind," she said nodding her head. "Next, Nar Garzvog said he is happy you have returned and looks forward to the next time he sees you for a 'spar with Firesword'."

"He said that?" Eragon asked.

"Yes. Apparently, you have become the biggest challenge among the Urgals. Beating you would be the ultimate honor and that Urgal would instantly become the new ruler."

"And what if I am not beaten?"

"I think then they would go by who lasted the longest."

"The Urgals are interesting group," Arya said.

"They just value strength above all else," Nasuada responded.

"Well if I get the chance, I guess I'll have to pay them a visit. Who knows, it could be fun," Eragon said. "And what about Murtagh?"

Nasuada smiled at the name. "He is waiting for us inside. He usually prefers to avoid the crowds."

"How have things been for him lately?"

Nasuada's smile faltered. "Well, its gotten better. Especially after he stopped that little assassination attempt. However, people are still wary of him. They still remember him as Galbatorix's right hand man. It takes a lot to get rid of a first impression." Eragon nodded and looked ahead as they finally made it to the palace front. Two of the guards opened the doors and the group walked inside.

It was even more beautiful than Eragon remembered. The grand room had vaulted ceilings and a red carpet leading up to an elegant throne. It was the same throne from Nasuada's coronation. There, acting like the spine, was Galbtorix's white sword. Eragon felt conflicting emotions when he saw it again after over a year. Part of him wanted to remove it an take it with him to the island, but the stronger part felt like it should remain here as a symbol of what they conquered.

"This room is amazing," Eragon said.

"The throne turned out to be surprisingly comfortable."

"Those builders never cease to amaze me," Eragon said.

The group made their way to a corridor that led to stairwell. Upon reaching the second floor, Eragon was greeted by a much simpler room. It had floor to ceiling windows that over looked the city with chairs near them. The small tables next to the chairs had cups already filled with water. Eragon didn't realize how thirsty he was until he saw them.

Sitting in one of the chairs was Murtagh with a cup in hand.

"Hey bro," he said casually.

Eragon laughed. "Hey bro." He walked over and embraced his half brother.

"You're looking a bit… tougher. Been working out?" Murtagh asked as he stepped back.

"Yeah, maybe a little. Are you looking to see if you can take me?" Eragon smiled and looked at Arya. She just rolled her eyes.

"That's not something I want to find out right now," Murtagh said clasping Eragon on the shoulder. "Queen Arya, it is good to see you."

"It is good to see you as well, Murtagh," Arya said.

"And my queen, it is always a pleasure," Murtagh said as he bowed his head slightly. Nasuada held her composure, not breaking Murtagh's eye contact, but Eragon could see her cheeks turn slightly red.

"So tell me Eragon," Murtagh said turning back around. "How was your year on the island?"

"Yes, I think we are both eager to hear about that," Nasuada said gesturing to the chairs.

"Alright then," Eragon said taking a seat and relaxing back. The seat was so comfortable that he could have fallen asleep right then and there. He took a sip from the cup to his side and then looked back at Murtagh and Nasuada. "I guess I can start from the beginning."

—

"I don't believe it," Murtagh said crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "A dragon? No way."

"Are you crazy?!" Nasuada shouted. "You fought the dragons? What if they had killed you?"

"That's exactly what I said," Arya interjected.

"I still think you are lying," Murtagh said.

"Why would I lie?" Eragon asked.

"I don't know, but sparing dragons and winning, that just isn't natural."

"Well its true. And because of the training, I believe I'm strong enough to cleanse Vroengard."

"Clean the island, and set it up for the dragons?" Murtagh asked.

"That and to bring back the riders," Eragon added.

"All by yourself?" Nasuada asked.

"He was offered help, but I think getting hit in the head by dragons has made him thick-skulled," Arya said.

"I would accept help if I thought I needed it, but… I don't think it would make a difference. The amount of power that I tap into, its immense. Having even one hundred spellcasters helping me wouldn't add anything meaningful to that energy."

"How is that even possible?" Murtagh asked.

"It would be like adding one more cup of sand to the beach."

"It's that powerful?" Nasuada asked.

"That's how you did it," Murtagh said cutting her off. "That's how you killed him." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "I knew even with the Eldunari you should not have had enough power to stop Galbatorix. And yet you did. It's because you found more energy than even he had. How are you not dead?"

"I came close. Really close. It's not something that I had control over. It just happened. That's why I needed to spar with the dragons. I needed to practice breaking through and my bouts with the elves weren't getting me any closer. My mind and my body both needed to be stronger, much stronger. I will never control it, but at least now I can guide it in small bursts. If I try to hang on for a longer time, it feels like it's ripping me apart from the inside. But by just breaking through for a quick moment, I can guide it." Eragon leaned back in his chair. "And that's all I'll need."

"Well one thing is certain," Murtagh said.

Eragon looked at him.

"I have to see you do this. Whether or not you actually pull it off, its got to be awesome to see you try," Murtagh said with a smile.

"So, just so I'm clear," Nasuada said, "you can access the raw energy of the world in one moment, and use it?"

Eragon shrugged. "Yeah."

"And you knew about this?" She asked Arya.

Arya looked at Eragon and smiled. "It was hard for me to believe at first, but he brought me around."

"Unreal," Nasuada said leaning back in her seat. "And to think that the Urgals actually want to fight you."

"Forget the Urgals, I want to see you fight the dragons," Murtagh said, leaning back with a smirk. "I've got an idea. Once Vroengard is all set up we can have an annual tournament out there. Everyone that wants to can make their way to the island and we can have war games! People against urgals, urgals against elves, elves against dwarves. The best go up against a dragon and the best of the best go against Eragon. It would be pretty amazing."

"Not on Vroengard," Eragon said. "It's meant for dragons and riders. Others can visit with permission but it will not be a circus." Murtagh's smile faded. "However, if, hypothetically, an event like the one you are describing were to take place in the new Ileria, then I would definitely consider checking it out." The smirk returned to Murtagh's face.

"Careful bro, you just may end up facing me."

"I would look forward to it," Eragon said.

"If you guys would like to stop daydreaming for a minute, I actually have some things I want to discuss," Nasuada interjected. The guys both looked at her. "Thank you. Now, before we talk about your departure, there is something I need you help on." She looked at Murtagh and he nodded. "One of the biggest problems I have are new magicians. They are nothing compared to you all but still strong enough to cause me headaches. I am dealing with prisoners escaping because they can break locks. There are counterfeit coins appearing in the market that can only be detected by another magician. To anyone else they are real coins because they were forged with magic. Vendors are having goods stolen because they either don't see the thief or they don't see the merchandise leave. Murtagh has helped scare the ones my special team catches, but we need a more permanent solution. A normal cell guarded by a non-magical soldier won't cut it. I need something better."

"I never even thought about this. How did Galbatorix deal with it?" Eragon asked.

"We are not entirely sure, but we think he somehow knew when someone gained access to magic and would put them under his spell or something worse. But since I am no magician, I need a way to keep order," Nasuada said.

"How do you handle this in Ellesmera?" Eragon asked Arya.

"It's different. The majority of my people are magical. If someone has ill intent then it isn't a problem to contain them," Arya said.

"But here, the majority are not magical," Eragon said to himself.

"Murtagh, has an idea, but I didn't see how it could work until we thought about you," Nasuada said.

Murtagh leaned forward. "Galbatorix did a lot of things wrong, but I believe that certain things can be learned from him and used in a positive way. For example, a form of punishment that he would do to me was to inhibit my connection to my magic. Not only did it weaken me to the level of a regular foot soldier, but it also dampened my connection to Thorn. It felt as if Thorn was hundreds of miles away, even if he was right next to me. I couldn't hear his thoughts, I could barely even feel his presence. It…was awful."

Eragon shivered at the thought of losing his connection to Saphira. He quickly reached out to her and saw that she was lounging in the dying sun with the other dragons on the western cliffs. A good hunt? He asked her.

Very productive, she responded.

Be well, He said. Eragon felt her content through their mental connection. Even the slightest communication between them made him feel better.

"So, how does fit into your plan, and then how do I fit in?" Eragon asked.

"Well currently our prison is child's play to anyone who can do basic magic. But if we were to cast a spell on the building that would inhibit anyone's connection to magic when they passed through the walls, then the prison would hold them as if they were any other regular person."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"Well," Murtagh said, "I've tried casting that spell, but it doesn't take hold. I've managed to create a barrier that severs one's connection with magic as they pass it, but their connection comes back once they reach their cell. Its effects only seem temporary."

"And you want me to cast the spell but put more energy into it," Eragon said catching on.

"Exactly," Murtagh said. "Will you try?"

"Yes, I'll try. Besides, if this doesn't work then I know I wont be ready for the island. It'll be like a test."

"Thank you, Eragon. That would solve a lot of our problems," Nasuada said.

"I actually have something that I wanted to discuss with you too," Eragon said.

"And what is that?"

"If I am rebuilding the dragon riders, I don't think its right to follow in past footsteps. Instead, I want to do it in our own way." Murtagh and Nasuada both leaned forward slightly. Eragon glanced at Arya and she gave him a slight nod. "Now, if I am going to do this, I will need everyone's permission and that includes you." Eragon paused, looking at them both in turn. "I want to add the dwarves and urgals to the Rider's Pact."