Chapter 3
The cell housing me had a layered of slime on the walls with some light entering in the cell only inches from the shelf-like bed supported by chains coming in the stone work walls. "Master Rufus he's not longer a pirate." One voice brought everything to the harsh, clearer reality as I laid the bed as two shadows stretched across the floor ending only inches short of my bed.
"I don't care! He' stole all my property and his dragon helped!" The fatter shadow barked freezing the blood in my veins. GLADIA!!! I shouted with intense effect desperately searching for her praying to all gods, goddesses, and powers that she was safe. I sat up marched toward towards the argument.
"Listen if a thief becomes a Rider he or she is freed from all charges regardless them previous stolen--." The brown haired man was tall bearing heavily on elvin features as his face remained devoid of emotion expect his honey brown eyes reflected someone who has seen too much in a short amount of time. His entire outfit was black as if in mourning something or someone, which I was not sure. The fat man on the other hand was large and short, balding leaving salt and pepper hairs wrapping around his head as a few stains dared covered his shiny top. He was richly dress in a deep violet embroiled with random animals. His human face resembled more a pig than human.
"My father lost everything to his pirate raid!" I am starting to miss the old good way of the Wind. Democracy ran our ship and we just followed our own articles of the Raven's Wind. Even Gladia was allowed to vote and voice her opinion instead of employing my mouth.
"Shut up!" The fat one's and my faces met blocked only the bars of the cell. I hissed out the words in full malice.
"Why? You worthless bastard." His minuscule black eyes narrowed even more.
"Well you can bite my ass."
"GUARDS!" The elf barked guards rapidly encircled the pig man ushering him out of the dungeons. The cell's door opened enough for the elf glided over as the air became thick with melancholy.
"I need to talk to you." He took the bed as his seat as I squatted to the floor resting my elbows on my knees. "The New Order of the Dragon Riders knows you are one of us. We just waived all criminal charges against you but…" Our eyes locked as his face-expressed understanding skepticism appeared on mine.
"As a display of good faith I give you my name Eragon Bromsson, partner of the dragoness Saphira. Leader of the N.O. and you put me in very awkward position…" His hand waved for me to continue.
"Morgan," Our hands shook I was realized the cell's door was open. "I only did piracy as means to live." I calmly replied.
"And what of your dragon?"
"Gladia," I whispered her name.
He got up allowing me to follow him from the prison to the outside world of Port Victoria to a remote beach when a large blue dragon loomed on the horizon. She was huge at least a couple centuries old her scales sparkled azure in contradiction of the earthy greens of the beach almost as if she was the goddess in draconic form. Gladia! In an instant did my own dragon materialized from the waves scattering the villagers around the blue dragon she was dwarfed by Lady Saphira.
My own dragoness was elongated as her long legs touched for the first on the ground. The swan neck attached her finely pointed head to well made well body as her ribcage gracefully swept back to hip tapering off. Two ivory white horns started to curl up towards the sky barely as her claws dug into the soft earth. Starting from the her head her deep crimson mane raced down her entire length of her body ending in the long tail's turf as it swirled. Under her muzzle, one on each side of her face, were two long whiskers-like things shifted independent of each other.
I ran up to her, hugging her silky soft mane at the base of the neck as her head lowered itself when the front claws gently embraced me. Morgan you're safe!! You should meet Saphira. As soon as she started to walk after our reunion she walked clumsily across trying hard not to fall over. The ancient dragon however seemed less impress more laughing at the sea-lagged dragoness. OH shut up! Came the angered replied.
To avoid any needle less entertainment of watching a dragon falling all over Eragon suggested we started to fly to Doru Araeba on Vroengard to begin my training. Surprisingly it was quiet through most of the journey. We sparred every night in the test fashion as Eragon constantly did or Saphira quizzed Gladia to everything from instincts to the etiquette of a Rider's dragon. They even exposed the illiteracy from years of being a sailor in order to survive. After all how can you live, as scholar when you have to endure the roughest life has to offer?
Expect for the cool night we arrived at Nardam the last city before Doru Araeba. Eragon had a room rented to us in a hotel with view over looking the harbour welcoming fisher's ships. Gladia finally learned to walk on terra firma under the ever-helpful Saphira as they trotted to the Dragon's Keep on the other side of the small city. I just watched them in the window as I leaned out taking the salt air embellished in fishy smells. Going over the harsh Spine was something I particularly did not like maybe it was alien. I did not know to expect during the hard riding to reach the Riders' city.
"How was dinner?" Asked all too accustomed voice called in the doorway in the two-bed room. I bathed in the setting sun's last light on my bronzed skin without the usual white tunic. In one breath I turn my elbows on the windowsill leaning towards the harbour surveying the two clean white beds before me. In between the beds was a doorway in a white washed room floored by the oak planks. "Good." I had nothing but the freshest food brought in from each town or city how I loved that part.
"Why do you have the odd scar on your right shoulder?" He pointed to the strange design in raised, ragged skin in a shape of an exploding circle. "The gun fired back on me." I repeated calmly.
"Get over here." Without a second thought I marched over to him as he looked over the scarred, healing, and burnt body before him. "A light bronzed tan, strong legs made for leaping as the abdominal muscles, arms and shoulders carved from heavy weights. What is this?" His hand held my left wrist while his other hand cautiously traced the scar running the length of the forearm. "I remembered the cut found a vein and poor ol' Asa and Loki had to stop the bleeding but I passed out." He nodded at me.
"This one?" The crater on my left hip he politely stared at.
" A stray round," Funny how sailors consider scars badges. He nodded his head asking me to tell every scar I received.
"This monster was an accident," My finger pointed at the pinholes on either side of my right arm, "A whaler's ship had extra hooks flying that day. That one is a cutlass scar when a sailor tried to make me fall." I pulled up my pants legs to show my left calf had a straight line angled down. "The ones on my back are fifty lashes from disordering obey an order now I do follow orders. This one was a shot from another sailor." I flashed him another crater this time on my thigh by pushing down a little on the pants enough to expose the crater. "The one on this knee," The exposed knee had a scraped pattern, "A ball shot hitting the hull perfectly making slivers rain everywhere. This arm one," I twisted my arm into view when raised skin came across from the quarter away down from the shoulder's point, "another shot. The burn here," My right fore arm had two burns really, "I received when I was captured first." The rune was a different story as line had a half circle on the upper half. "It marked me a 'pirate' for life."
We sat on the beds two opposite watching each other; my knee propped up supporting my arm. He sat in complete curiosity in perfect restraint. "What was your crew like?" I nodded.
"Asa was my second father. He's a Skull that had one leg missing and I wondered if other land Skulls would survive in his world. He could send Jones running. Loki was the only elf on the crew and we were friends. A smart ass is the best way to describe him compared to everyone else. Loki and I were third in command and Asa was under us so he could give our wages out. One useful talent that elf had, was singing when the crew needed to do their work."
"Then why turn to piracy?" He asked calmly.
"I didn't turn so willingly to piracy but rather I pressed into service under Captain Claudio Albus where I learnt I had a talent. This talent would have me killed in instant. In a supernaturally way some god or goddess decided I should be skillfully at being gunner. I can sniper next to none. Even the very guns hurting both sides seemed to be lucky in my hands. They did give me a choice between death and piracy." We locked on as he preyed on every word studying his newest Rider. "By this time I wanted to live so on the Raven's Wind we voted on everything even Gladia was allowed. I didn't want to be forced back in chains, not paid, no guaranteed food or rum. So I let them brand me pirate knowing better than being died."
"But why stay?" His voice spiced in concern.
"If I was dead I would not meet Gladia chances are I would be ill-treated. Be some animal. I chose to be a pirate because at least I had a chance to live a better life despite my scars at least I was free and I was a equal in the crew." Twilight came and went during my speech so I sleep fully went under the warm covers.
Morgan? A soft, small grin played itself hidden as my back was turn to Eragon. Yes, Gladie?
What was tomorrow bring?
More Riders and dragons. A second later I was asleep.
Breaker
We left the hotel early as the ocean sped under us in the pale morning as the sun greeted the day. A hazy outline appeared on the horizon slowly going bigger. Eager, anxiety, and overwhelming sense of change charged our connection. I wonder what they going be like. Wondered a voice in my head.
Your guess is as good as mine. The island city rose almost in an animalistic hungry for the sky as few dots flew around. Doru Araeba threatened to go back into the gray stone it was carved from when I made out the buildings. Formed, as a dragon laying its head on its tail wrapping around the city protectively as building were blocky yet elegantly spacious. Saphira flew a well-known path to a tower ledge on the side cut gracefully as dragon wings held the ledge in place as Saphira landed in a half oval opening. Gladia followed her suite. You've improved! I was gratefully for the gentle landing.
Her head rotated slightly smirking in her mischievously nature revealing a saber fang. Follow Hatchlings. In an instant trailed behind Eragon into deeper in the gray tower to a holding pen yielding tack everywhere for varies dragon riding actives. Eragon dismounted taking foot as he and Saphira walked as equals until he found a station to quickly unsaddled Saphira who held herself, such poise. Luckily I was able to ride bareback so I jump off Gladia to wait for a while until Eragon and Saphira were finished.
In the brightly sun lit hallways as the roofs allowed any sized dragon to move freely as we kept paced behind the ancient pair. Statues of forgotten heroes carved in colorful stones from the brightest gold to the deepest ruby decorated the halls of the maze as Eragon and Saphira reached a giant door. The heavy maple doors opened on their own accord permitting the two to enter a study modeled as a library. Eragon took a seat behind a stone desk as Saphira took hers on the cushion right beside him. Writing material surrounded him as he started to write something down. "We have laws for the newly made partnership. Full names please," He continued to write more things down.
"Morgan?" I do not my full name or if I even have one.
"Morgan Ignotum." He replied.
Gladia. She was nervous.
Gladia, all red dragons now are descended from your sire Thorn and your dam Taka Rin Ryu.
"Gladia, Daughter of Thorn," He finished writing suddenly he rose to his full height holding a scroll in one hand.
"Rider Morgan Ignotum of the Dragoness Gladia of Thorn are under the protection and care of the New Order of the Dragon Riders. This scroll declares you to be entitled for our training, housing, wages, and responsibilities for all of Alagaesia and her citizens." He paused walking towards the high gothic window looking out of the ancient city.
"However, you both are criminals as I said before that puts everyone within this Order in question of our and your character. So I have put you completely under your Masters Rider Ragnfridur and Dragon Svadilfari. If you disobey any rules and regulations or engage any illegal activities consider you both failed and will lose any privileges, freedoms, and will have a prolonged apprenticeship until the Council has agreed you are ready." He walked to me calmly like a big cat waiting to make the finally move ending its prey's life. His hand pressed the scroll in my hand and our eyes held.
Are we understood? Saphira's voice rung clearly loud in my mind interrogated.
"Yes," My voice had another voice leveling over mine, feminine as Gladia seized control of my body.
The door opened silently as oddly being strolled over to Eragon's desk, saluting him and in one voice. "Elder Eragon, I'm Apprentice Soren of Masters Svadilfari and Ragnfridur." His ears were sharply pointed like an elf's yet his face was rounder and less angled than elf's as his dark brown hair had silver bangs cupping his face.
Eragon handed the scroll to Soren leading us deeper into the lost city to find various plants covering the streets to find a black haired elvin woman and emerald dragon outside an arched doorway supported by carved dragons. Another dragon lazily got to greet this Soren; he gently put his hand on the nose of the dragon. "Master Ragnfridur here is your last apprentice." She grabbed the scroll and read it over.
"Elder Eragon has place two you apprentices in my charge. Go to your rooms." She went back to the emerald dragon working on something on a plant. Soren and a raven black dragon he met before showed us to the finely crafted room.
The room was painted creamy white as a large balcony opened to surprising steep drop viewing the city through the tangles of greenery. The room was large enough for the two dragons and the raven black dragon clearly took its seat on velvety violet cushion the closest bed had the same color of the dragon. Who are you? Asked Gladia.
I'm Ceneric. Said the male dragon.