I'm spoiling you with a second chapter… I had it done, so here it is! Currently working on CH7!
In this chapter: Percy and the others will set off for Vroengard, and what will they find?
Alagaësia – Percy's POV
We awoke and readied ourselves for the trip early in the morning, like before dawn.
I was so tired, it was not funny.
I kept stumbling in my armor and mumbling like a bozo.
"Are you tired, Percy?" Eragon mocked.
"Shut up, Eragon," I managed.
Geez, Percy. You are tired. Here let me give you some energy.
No, forget it. Just give me some faelnirv. The elven liquor was known to give energy.
Eragon passed me a canteen filled with faelnirv.
I took a sip. New energy flowed through my veins.
"Thanks Eragon."
"No problem, my friend."
After I had secured both my swords, Riptide and Adurna, and my shield to Alexō's saddle, I readjusted my belt with the jewels and my armor so I would be comfortable.
We set off at dawn and flew for the entire day, ending the day near the Spine.
We rested the night, and started again in the morning.
We reached the coast by noon, and Glaedr said we should continue on.
We were almost to Vroengard when a powerful headwind sprung up, blocking our way.
We'll have to travel above it. It's the only way. Glaedr says.
Alexō flapped his wings and we tried to get above the headwind, but it seemed to go on forever.
We finally hit an updraft and it took us extremely high.
I saw the curve of the world, and then Alexō folded his wings and shot threw the clouds like a missile.
I saw the mass that was Vroengard approaching fast.
Alexō! Pull up!
I only heard him laugh before he unfolded his wings and slowed our descent. I looked around to see my fellow Riders emerging from the clouds as well.
They were pretty far behind us, so we were in the lead.
You did say I had to fly the fastest, didn't you? Alexō asked.
Shut up, you lizard. In response to my insult, he flipped upside down and started diving again. Okay! You're not a lizard! I surrender! He straightened out.
Good, don't call me a lizard again, or else I'll lick you.
What's so bad about being licked?
He sent me a photo of what one of the deer he had eaten the other day. Its skin was all ripped up. It was pretty nasty.
That's what happens when I lick stuff.
Ouch.
He laughed again. Yeah, ouch. The rest of our descent was spent in silence.
When we landed, Saphira landed next to us.
That was some fast flying, Alexō, Saphira says.
Duh, um, I- t- thanks. Alexō stammered. I chuckled to myself and slipped off his back.
When all the others had landed, we searched for a suitable place to make camp.
Then I started feeling sick.
"Oromis, why do I feel sick?"
He seemed alarmed. "Cast a spell to keep toxins away." I quickly cast a spell and the sickness left me.
"Why did I have to cast that spell?" I asked.
"This island is poisoned."
We finally found a good campground and settled down.
/^\
The next morning, we found the Rock of Kuthian.
After speaking our names in both English and the ancient language, we started to get worried.
Maybe it should be our true names, suggested Glaedr.
What's a true name? I asked.
It's basically a couple words that sum up your entire being.
Can my true name change?
Yes, it can. Glaedr responds.
How do I find my true name? I asked.
"Glaedr and I already know our true names, and we'll help you in any way we can."
Eragon beat me to the question, "How do we find our true names?"
"Just think about all that you are, your goals, your failures, your feelings for others, anything that you can think of and put into words."
We all dispersed to our corners of the camp, deep in thought.
I started thinking about my name; my true name. It would have something to do with my loathing for Kronos, and Galbatorix. My love and friendship with Alexō. My father might be in it.
"I have no clue, Alexō. Gotten any progress on your name?"
Not really, I've had a few close calls, that much I'm sure.
"Well, just keep trying." It was more to myself then to my dragon.
I craned my head to look at the huge dragonhead lying beside me.
I had my arm over his head, for he was still small enough to do so, but he wouldn't be so small for long.
The night wore on, Saphira found her name, as did Thorn and Murtagh, saying 'We've known our names for awhile.' Arya had said the same thing, although her dragon couldn't stand on the same grounds as his Rider.
Eragon had gone on a walk to clear his mind, and I have been contemplating whether to join him or not. My mind's kinda fuzzy right now.
Then, in the black of night, a name came to me. I had never been so sure of anything in my life. It contained more flaws than I had hoped, but it seemed heroic and mysterious at the same time.
I whispered it under my breath.
Chill-bumps covered my arms and a shiver ran up my shine.
I started grinning. Alexō! I know my true name! I found it!
He wasn't as excited as I was, for he was still frolicking over his name. Good, now you can help me.
Okay, tell me everything about you Alexō.
Our conversation took place longer even into the night, until near the brink of dawn, we found his name. It showed that he was royalty.
My dragon's a noble! Who would of thought of such a thing?
Oh, be quiet Perseus.
I spun around, with a serious look on my face.
Where'd you hear that? I asked harshly.
My dragon seemed hurt. You said it to yourself during the night, and then I put the names together and realized that Percy is short for Perseus. What's so bad about going by your full name? Besides, I think it sounds cooler.
My anger subsided. I knelt down and stroked his snout. I'm sorry, Alexō, I shouldn't have lashed out like that.
It's okay, small friend. I forgive you.
I smile. Thanks. I laid down under his wing. He wrapped his neck and his tail around us protectively. I heard his snores soon after.
Then with my dragon, I fell into a deep sleep.
/^\
Everyone was awake by noon.
It had only taken us a day and a half to find all of our names, for Eragon had found it in the middle of the night (must have been sometime after I fell asleep) and Fírnen had found his this morning.
"Great! Now lets go see what's inside that rock!" Everyone else seemed equally as irked as I did.
We arrived at the Rock of Kuthian almost ten minutes later, having flown there.
We stood at the side of the rock and said our names, one by one.
The rock gave a rather loud hiss, and a door swung open, steered by magic. A downward slope penetrated the darkness in front of us. When we had all entered, the door slammed shut (Yep, just like in the movies), leaving us in darkness.
"Naina," said Eragon and the hallway lit up.
"Let us be on our way into the dark abyss of the unknown," I joked.
"Yes, let us continue," agreed Arya.
Oromis and Glaedr led the way, followed my Eragon, then Murtagh, Arya, and finally me in the back.
We were walking at a slower pace than I imagined so my ADHD kicked in and I started looking around at the walls. That's when I saw it.
A slit.
There was a slit in the wall; it was kind of like the small slit in between the threshold and a slightly ajar door.
"Guys," I said. Everyone stopped.
"Yes, Percy?"
"I think I found something."
"Go check it out, we'll wait here." I acknowledged his statement and pushed on the wall.
It opened without a noise, leading to another hall.
I repeated the light spell Eragon had used.
The hall had many twists and turns, but it finally stopped to reveal an atrium with a raised ceiling.
The stone walls melted into each other as if they had been smoothed with magic. A small river flowed through the left side of the cavern, coming out from one wall and leaving by going under another.
A chest was sitting closed in the middle of the room, with a glowing omega and the letters S.P.Q.R. etched into the top.
A statue of with the likes of Zeus was erected directly behind the chest. The statue was strange though. It was thinner than Zeus was, and he had pointed ears. He held the same leaf-shaped blade that the elves had, and he had similar armor. I realized this is what Zeus would look like if he were in Alagaësia.
A statue of a man dressed in thick garbs stood to the left.
He was shorter, and he had a messy mop of hair. He held a staff in his left hand; in his right he held a skull.
He looked handsome, with a square jaw and a little bit of beard stubble. I assumed this was Hades.
I looked to the right, and found a statue of a woman, with long flowing hair, and a trident in her right hand. She had a greave of olive leaves wound in her hair, acting as a headband.
The woman wore clothes that flowed like water.
The woman was utterly, beautiful. This must have been Kílf or maybe my father in girl form. Okay, I take back the beautiful comment.
I looked down to the chest.
It was unlocked, and it swung open easily.
Inside the chest, there were four scrolls, two with an Omega and two with the S.P.Q.R., and a ring with a small emerald on it.
When I reached out to the ring, the energy reserves I received from it were enormous.
Only then did I realize that all three statues and the chest were studded with gems, and every single one of them was packed full of energy.
I slipped the ring into a pouch on my belt, and then started transferring energy from the statues into my belt. When my belt was full, I transferred energy into the pommels of Riptide and Adurna.
They reached their breaking point soon after.
"Geez, it seems like people have been storing energy in here for a million years," I said to myself.
I ran back out and startled my friends, by accident, of course.
"Percy? Is something wrong?" asked Arya.
"No, but I found this chest with some stuff in it, and some statues, packed full of energy. I filled all the gems on my things and there is still energy to spare in that room. I figured some of you could use it."
"Oromis?" Eragon asked.
"Yes, we'll need all the energy we can get."
I led my fellow Dragon Riders to the back room and let them start transferring energy into their things.
A couple minutes later, all their things had been filled.
"Percy, there's still a lot of energy in the chest. Do you want to take it to Oromis?" Murtagh asked me.
I thought for a moment. "No, leave it here. I'm sure people will need it later." We left the room and returned to Oromis and Glaedr.
"Are we going to continue on?"
"Yes, sorry we took so long," apologized Eragon.
He can apologize all he wants, I'm not apologizing, we have been blessed this day.
By whom?
My father and his brothers, I answered.
Is that where all the energy came from?
I thought for a moment, while still continuing to walk behind the others. I have no doubt. Thank you, father. After thinking some more, I told my dragon, you know, I think I'm going to start going by Perseus Kingkiller Poseidonson. It's sounds cool, doesn't it?
Yes, it does have a nice ring to it.
We finally reach the end of the downward slope.
The walls shot outwards and the ceiling rose to extreme heights.
We walked towards a metal statue, with rubies as eyes.
Just then, the rubies started glowing and the statue stood up.
An automaton!
Suddenly, a thousand mental spears lodged themselves in my mind, and hundreds of minds accessed my memories and started shifting through all my thoughts.
The presences removed themselves from my mind after piecing it back together.
Our apologies, Dragon Riders. We had to make sure it was you and not one of Galbatorix's minions.
We looked around; there were hundreds of alcoves around the cavern, all the Eldunarí or eggs.
Alexō! Look eggs! The race of dragons isn't extinct!
Wow! There are hundreds of them!
We directed our attention back to the Eldunarí that had talked to us.
Take us with you as you confront Galbatorix, said an older one, named Umaroth.
Glaedr is the one to respond. We will Umaroth. We'll need your help.
I must warn you though.
What? Glaedr said.
Once we pass through the entry to the Rock, we will forget about everything in this cave, Umaroth warned.
What? Why? asked Saphira.
To keep it a secret from Galbatorix. After much arguing and debate, we all joined minds and cast a spell to transfer the Eldunarí into a little 'locker' in a different dimension.
We all left the cave, and left all the… what were we doing inside a rock anyway? Oh well, we need to leave and face Galbatorix.
We rushed back to camp and packed our things.
We were in the air first thing the following morning.
A/N: That was a bit of a long chapter for me.. Oh well! I had fun writing it! Thanks for all your kind reviews and I hope to see you in the next chapter!
Next Chapter: The gang arrives in Uru'baen and the final battle begins, but don't fret. A whole new chapter in this story is about to begin.
Signing off,
~acquiringwriter