Hiya, Stella here. To M.X.M, I'm working on extending the prologue, but I had to post something or Breanna was gonna bite my head off. As for the dare, I'll try but doubt that I really can. Oh, and thanks for the compliment. First REAL chapter in my second story, sooooooo hope you all like it! Disclaimer, I do not own any of the Inheritance Cycle series, or its characters, Christopher Paolini does. Peace out.

Whazup?

I am 18, and have long wavy mostly-brown-but-a-bit-black hair, pale skin, green eyes, work as an animal therapist, and loooooove dragons.

I presume you're reading this either for entertainment, or to find out my story. Either way, here it is.

I was walking across the short, soft grass of my front yard, soda in hand, when I felt a nudge at my side. I reached down to pet my gray wolf, Silver Star.

Then I sensed a powerful vibration, and heard a whooshing sound. In a split second, a stone stood before me. It was misty blue, and shimmery, alternating between soft and deep, with crystalline veins webbing its luminescent surface. The stone was approximately 4 inches tall.

After setting my soda down, I walked over to the stone and gingerly picked it up. It weighed about 3 pounds, which seemed a bit light to me. Then I walked over to the barn and carefully set it down in one of the empty stables.

Not knowing what else to do, I gathered the soft hay around it, then returned to my house. I couldn't stop thinking about the stone all day long. More often than not, I had to rouse myself from a reverie concerning it.

That night, I tumbled into bed with Silver Star, my body exhausted, but mind alert. I slept shallowly and dreamed of stones falling about me. Then suddenly, clear as any concious experience, something else began to happen.

I sat cross-legged on the ground amid huge ancient-looking pine trees that seemed to have houses growing out of them. Lovely beings striding with lithe easy grace, that had pointed ears, angled features, and hair of silver and sable, were all around. I realized with no particular awe or amazement that they were elves. Intruiging. Soon, two of these breathtaking creatures, a woman and man, came forward on a pebbled vein of walkway. The others made way for them with bows and respectful murmers.

The woman was stunning. She had milky unblemished skin, piercing slanted green eyes, full lips of holly red, and dark tresses held back with a delicate silver diadem, scattered with jewels. She wore a plain black tunic with golden trim along with cream-colored leggings underneath a billowing cloak of layered swan feathers. Her trim waist was accentuated by a rope of pearls and diamonds from which hung a slim scabbard. She wore no shoes. My serene dream-self accepted that it was Arya, queen of the elves. Once more there was not even a hint of freaking out.

The male had a striking appearance. He was the first of these people I had seen who did not have either dark or silver locks. In fact he had deep brown hair almost the exact shade as mine. The man had pale skin, inclined chocolatey eyes, and pointed ears. He greatly resembled the other creatures in many ways, but at the same time some things were different. His shoulders were broader, his jaw thicker, his brow wider. All together, he looked more human than all the others did. He wore a leather jerkin on top of a faded azure tunic, with black leggings tucked into worn leather boots. There was no doubt that it was Eragon.

Neither one took any notice of me. The Arya's bared foot passed right through my knee. Suddenly a huge creature that I recognized right away as a dragon, swooped into the clearing. I observed the dragon's bright emerald scales and verdant wings. Firnen. He was riderless and wore no saddle. Of course, Arya was in front of me and talking to Eragon at the moment. Suddenly an alien being touched my conscience. Then another, and another. The beginnings of a thought formed, but were stifled by another emotion as Firnen turned his broad scaled head to face me. For the the first time, alarm coursed through my being, but it didn't seem authentically from my mind. There was fear, outrage, and incredulity in the mix as well.

Eragon, Arya, and every elf in the clearing froze then whipped their heads towards me. I could discern no more as the vision dissolved into silver mist.

The next morning as I sat drinking coffee and eating blueberries with milk, the implications of my dream hit. The stone was not actually a stone, it was an egg, and not just an egg, a dragon egg.

I jerked forward and my milk spilled over Silver Star's fur. She growled at me but I took no notice.

Hurriedly setting down my breakfast, I slammed through the screen door, and pounded down the cobblestone path to the barn.

Once there, I berated myself for not realizing it sooner, then crouched down by the egg.

It's webbed gray-blue surface was the same as yesterday. Feeling oddly disappointed, I turned to leave but heard a squealing sound emanating from behind me.

I turned back around to see the egg rocking back and forth. Slowly and gently at first, but with increasing speed and force. Suddenly tiny fissures began crossing it. They grew wider and deeper then the egg burst apart with a flash of light.

When I looked again towards it, a strange animal sat where the egg had. To you it might just look like a deformed, scaly bird, but I knew exactly what it was.

"A dragon." I breathed.

It was a lovely creature. The thick scales of its back were a deep mist blue, and the flat plates on the dragon's belly were the palest azure, perfectly matching the sky above. They sparkled and threw chips of dazzling chips of light across the walls, like a stained glass window. The dragon looked undeniably feminine, so I decided it was a girl. Her eyes looked like faceted diamonds, and calmly stared at me. She flared her translucent blue wings, as if stretching them. A line of short ivory spikes ran from just behind her cone-shaped ears, to the tip of her twitching tail. (He he, alliteration) The dragon was about the size of the egg from which it had hatched. Five curved white talons were on each paw-like foot.

I stretched my hand out to the little creature and hummed soothingly. She padded forward to meet my hand with a grace that any queen would be jealous of. I flipped my palm up to her, so she could sniff my hand. This would've worked, except that when she touched my palm with her cool nose, A tingling burning fire shot through my entire body. My arm felt like it was encased in molten lead. The pain was so intense that I blacked out.

Once I came to, my hand no longer hurt, but had pins and needles that soon went away. I looked down and saw the little dragon curled in the crook of my knee. Feeling me shift she awoke, and looked at me with those kind, clear-cut eyes. Glancing at my hand, I saw that it now had a silvery mark in the shape of a spiral where the dragon had touched my palm with her snout.

'The mark of the dragon rider.' I thought. 'But how can that possibly be? This sounds a lot like the Inheritance Cycle books, but they're just books! If they were real, then I should be able to feel the dragons mind but-' I stiffened as an alien being touched my conscience. The contact didn't seem malicious, just curious. I looked down at the dragon. She was still staring at me. A crazy idea expanded in my mind. what if the Inheritance Cycle books were true? What if I asked her a question, or told her to do something? She should be able to respond. Wanting to test this, I said, "Nod once if you can understand me." The dragon gently tipped her small head forward one time. Needing confirmation I asked, "Are you a girl?" Once again she tipped her head.

More thoughts began to fill my mind. 'Oh my gosh, the books are true! I have the gedway ignasia, that must mean that I'm her rider, but how could that be? I know I've always looked like an elf but still how could I be a rider, Alagaesia doesn't exist. Or maybe it does. What's going to happen now that-' An emotion that was not mine filled my conscience. Amusement. I realized it was coming from my dragon. I looked at her confusedly. 'What's funny?' I thought. I could feel her mind rubbing against mine. I could tell she was quiet and calm, highly intellectual, very fierce, loyal, and fun. 'You.' she replied.

'You are funny. All of those thoughts run through your head so fast it's quite amusing.' Her voice resonated softly and sounded warm and friendly. I was surprised that she could answer me with words. From all the studying I had done of Eragon, Saphira hadn't started talking with words for about a month after she had hatched.

'No she didn't but I have spent so much time listening to the thoughts of my carriers over the many years that I have been in an egg, it's very easy to communicate with words.' I was startled for a moment, having forgotten that a rider and dragon can hear each others' thoughts.

I asked, 'So Eragon has carried you before and told you his and Saphira's story?'

'Yes, but before we go into anything specific, do you have any food? I'm a little bit hungry.'

'Um, yeah. Are you strong enough to walk?' Her silvery blue head inclined. I started walking back to my house with my dragon padding along behind me.

When we got to the house, I asked her what she wanted to eat. 'I have chicken, beef, bacon, and a bit of turkey left.' I set the packages of meat down on the table as I listed them. Silver Star sat and panted as she looked at the table, hoping for a treat. After setting the last of it down, I glanced at my crouched down, tail sweeping back and forth, then leaped onto the table. She prowled back and forth, sniffing the packages. Eventually she sat down and thought, 'Can you wrap the chicken in the bacon then cook it?' I nodded my ascent and put the turkey and beef back in the fridge.

While preparing the food, my dragon and I conversed. I thought of names, and bounced them off of her. She would think yes if she liked it, and think no if not.

'Saphira?'

'No.'

'Miremel?'

'No.'

'Opheila?'

' . . . No.'

'Lenora?'

'No.'

'Jura?'

'No.'

'Adurna?'

' . . . No.'

'Serenia?'

'No.'

'How about . . . Arianna?' She considered the name for a while, tilting her head from side to side, and twitching her tail back and forth. After about three minutes of this she thought, 'Yes, I like it very much.'

'Just in time, your food is ready.' I set down a blue and gray floral patterned plate with a two browned chicken breasts wrapped in crispy bacon on top of it. Arianna crouched in front of it and began tearing away strips of meat and gulping them down. When they were both gone, she sat up and licked her scaled lips with a forked tongue, belly slightly distended.

'That was delicious.'

'Mmm, smelled good too. Do you know who your sire and dam are? Wait, mom . . . dad . . . family . . . . . crap!'

'What is it?'

'My parents are coming over to see me and so is my little sister! They can't see you! Could you hide in my bedroom? No, mom and dad always check in there to see if I'm keeping it clean. In the barn? No, Sis always wants to see the horses that are in therapy. Ooh, in the forest! They never go out there because they think it has wolves in it. C'mon, follow me!' For the second time that day I slammed through the screen door, only stopping to make sure Arianna got out through the dog door for Silver Star.

I pounded down the planks of my back porch, the paddock railings a blur. The dense green mass of woods looming closer and closer, the scent of pine needles in the air. Soon the soft calm of the forest engulfed me, and I slowed to a walk. Looking down, I saw Arianna padding along beside me, red tongue lolling out of her silvery snout.

After a few minutes of walking, I came upon an old pine tree with thick, low-down branches.

'Can you get up there?' I asked. Instead of replying, she once again crouched down, tail twitching, and leaped. Her front claws locked into the bark, her back talons also lodging firmly. Then she pried one front and back paw away, and relocated them higher up. Repeating this process several times, Arianna swiftly crawled along the trunk and perched on a branch high above the ground, tail waving back and forth. I giggled then, thinking of Saphira sitting in the Menoa tree.

'Saphira sat in the Menoa tree? They never told me that.'

'Yes, while Arya told him the story of Lenea.'

'Interesting. Can you tell me everything I don't know about Eragon and Saphira?

'Probably, but I have to go. When my family leaves I'll either contact you through thought or come and get you.'

'Alright.'

As I ran back to my house, I wondered what this could mean for me. 'Could I keep my dragon hidden? Would she be safe? What would this mean for the animals in therapy? Could I keep my job? Should I go on hiatus for a while or just quit all together?' While these thoughts were running through my head, I soon arrived back at my front door. Using that to get in, I decided to check and see if I could still feel Arianna. I took a deep breath and opened my mind to the universe.

Right then I discovered that the description in Eragon of being able to feel the world for the first time was quite accurate. A terrible crushing emptiness pervaded my conscience. Shivering, I rooted around in the openness for the familiar touch of my dragon's mind. I sighed when I felt it and all the feelings of nothingness receded. Arianna took no notice of me, and I wondered what the reason for this was. Soon I found out. Digging deeper into her mind, I discovered the reason for this.

She was hunting.

I decided to find out what it was like. Sitting down on my couch, I focused on her, and merged our consciences together.

I gasped as her mind overwhelmed mine. I could sense the world as I never had before. Lines were sharper, colors were different, and smells were more pungent. I could feel the wind whistling under my wings, and along the flanks of my scaled body, yet the cold did not bother me. My tail swept back and forth, balancing me and directing my path. Seeing a common nuthatch, I felt the primal instincts of the hunt flood through me. Just as the bird plunged into a dive, I angled my body after it, firmly tucked my wings, and streaked towards it. Coming next to the nuthatch, I snatched it out of the air, and crunched its neck with my sharp teeth. Seconds before I hit the ground, I flared my blue wings and pulled out of the decent at just the right moment. Pure unadulterated joy of a kind I had never felt before flooded through me. Dropping my kill, I swept through the air. Floating leisurely on the soft thermals, rolling among harsh winds, and plunging in and out of clouds.

As I was gently gliding along a warm breeze, a fierce wind suddenly snapped me up. It tossed me through the clouds that had turned a deep brooding gray. Lightning flickered through them, and stinging rain whipped my scales. I struggled to fold my wings and dive out of the tempest but the whirlwind yanked them out again. The violent storm tugged me this way and that and I was powerless to do anything about it. Right then, I saw an old pine tree with a hollow in the trunk. I stopped for a moment, riding on the savage winds as best I could, conserving my energy to fly through the storm. For about 5 minutes this went on. Then I raised my slender wings, feeling the tendons strain, and whipped them down. Using the blast of force I angled my body to the tree and began furiously pumping my wings. Exhaustion was creeping over my body. The mucsels seared with pain, and weariness dragged my limbs down like lead weights. But I kept going. This persistance paid off, for just when I thought I would tumble out of the sky, my back talons grasped the edge of the hollow. Straining to pull my body out of the howling wind, I collapsed on the bottom of the hollow, utterly spent.

I jerked out of her mind, and fell back on my couch. I was surprised to find how tired I was, and realized that without consciously knowing, I had been pouring my strength and vitality into Arianna's exhuasted body. Willing her to go on.

My brain began to move on to other things. I remebered the spilled milk in the kitchen, and got up to clean it. I reheated my coffee and started sipping it. I got an umbrella and a jacket, and walked out to the barn through the storm, and disposed of the egg fragments. While there, I soothed the horses and other animals under my care. Returning home, I settled on my hanging chair and thought of Arianna, still sitting cold, tired, and scared in that hollow. Reaching out to her mind once more, I felt all of her jumbled emotions.

'It's okay, I'm here. Don't be scared. It's just me, Pheoria.' I started sending warm and comforting emotions across our link to calm her. It worked. A few minutes later, my little dragon had settled into a peaceful sleep.

Hi guys. Whew, I came through with the dare. As usual let me know if I did something wrong and Don't forget to R&R! Until the next chapter, lots of love and awesomesauce!