Authors Note: I know that it has been really long since my last update. College had taken a priority in my life, but I got the chance to finish this chapter, though this is not the edited version. I hope that all of you will enjoy what I have written and hope to write more soon.

Chapter 4

Shattered Dreams

The climb down the cliff side seemed to take an eternity for Eragon, the rocks seemed slick from the moister of the waves and many small ledges were too weak for his footing. Though he did finally and clumsily make it down.

The Talita was no more and now lay in a pile of rubble. As his clawed feet touched the sandy soils, time seemed to slow down. The music from the waves was persistent, but the whooshes of Saphira's wing beats seemed low in pitch and very distant to him. His eyes were wide as he slowly inched closer to the remains of elven ship. He did not even flinch as Saphira landed and proceeded to walk next to him silently. All of their dreams where on that ship and now it laid shattered before them.

After again for what seemed like forever, the two finally made their ways to the demolished craft. Eragon wanted to make a thorough inspection to see if he could see if anything could be salvaged or maybe find a sign as to why it now was but wooden planks and splinters. Something immediately felt strange to Eragon, as he chanted the needed phrase in the ancient language; the knot that was felt as he accessed his magic was not there. Nothing happened. The rider immediately furrowed his draconic brow in question as to why and then like lightning had struck him in that instance. He brought up his marked hand and was baffled with shock and despair as he saw that his blue, scaled hand did not show any signs that the gedwëy ignasia was no longer present on his palm. For some reason, this did not come as much of surprise to Eragon.

Of course, that would be gone as well. I should have known that this strange change would take away my right as a rider. He thought sarcastically to himself.

Shaking his horned head in exasperation, Eragon decided that he would have to manually search the ship.

Be careful Eragon, lest you end up under that pile of wood, I will have to rescue you myself. Saphira called out.

Eragon turned back to her and nodded his head in promise that he would be careful. He then proceeded to go waist deep into the cool, clear ocean waters and began to clear away some debris before beginning his investigation. The craft was still enormous, even for a pile or broken wood it seemed like a small jagged hill. Larger pieces were piled at the bottom while the parts that remained unscathed were on top of them. The main mast protruded from the very top of the mess and little cloths from the main sail now hung loose dangling downwards and slightly wafted in the wind.

Finding his footing, Eragon took careful steps as he pulled himself up and onto the wreckage; being mindful of his new body he was constantly checking and rechecking how he shifted his weight and how his wings and tail would react . The wood cried and crackled as he moved up to what remained of the main deck. It was about half its original size and there spots of blood all over the place and it caught Eragon's attention. Taking slow and even-weighted steps, the rider moved over to a dried pool that was larger than all of the others. Leaning over, the rider looked closely at the sample. It had seeped into wood painting it a deep crimson red.

Almost as if it were instinct Eragon dipped his snout down and inhaled the bloods scent. The sample smelled of a rich iron. As the scent registered in his mind, he was immediately struck with many more emotions. His brows drooped and he clamped his eyes shut trying to fight what was coming, his heart began to pound rapidly as the sense of loss struck down on him. Finally he could hold it in no more and let out a pain filled roar of remorse and fell to his knees to tearlessly weep. The blood was from an elf and this was something that was added to the weighted stress that Eragon was beginning to come under all in one day. He was no longer elf nor human and now all of his elven companions were dead, the blood pools were evidence of it.

Is my destiny going to ever be fulfilled? He groaned.

This news was not good, not in the least. Instead it was a weight that was bearing down and it was becoming heavier and heavier as the day grew on. If the elves were gone, then so were the remaining dragon eggs.

The eggs were probably lost at sea when the Talita was destroyed. Eragon realized as his head shot up and his eyes went wide.

It was several minutes before, the rider stood up and his legs wobbled from being on the ground too long. Eragon began to stumble and almost lost his footing, but on pure instinct, his tail balanced him back out and his wings flapped to push his body forward so he could re-catch his footing. The demolished craft continued to creak as Eragon began to make his way back down and into the ocean once again. Saphira needed to know what he had seen, even though he knew that it would break her heart in little pieces. Even now his own heart began to ache with the pain of knowing that Saphira would collapse in pain of hearing that the dragon eggs were gone, but it was her right as Mother of the new dragon race.

Saphira began to grow impatient just lying on the sand beach listening to the sweet rumble of the crashing waves as she waited for Eragon to return.

It seems as if it has been an eternity already and yet he still does not return. She thought.

The sapphire dragoness watched the rubble for any sight of movement and nothing seemed to peek her interest at the moment. With this time alone, Saphira began to let her mind wander. Her conscious swam with memories of her times with Firnen, which caused her to feel comforted knowing that there was someone out there that she loved and who also loved her as well. She was particularly trying to re-experience their first time mating together. Firnen had looked magnificent as he held her sapphire chest close to his own emerald chest as they flew through the air in synchronization as they prepared to join together for the first time and become true mates.

But, as that very intimate moment was about to happen, Saphira, suddenly started to think about Eragon and how different he looked now. This caused Saphira to abruptly come out of her fantasy and back into reality. Just the thought of how he looked now gave her a chill that ran down her spine. She did not care that he still stood on two legs, he was a very attractive male dragon now and it made her very uncomfortable. She was mated to Firnen, but now her thoughts were plagued with Eragon, her rider and bonded one of mind and body. Why does he seem to be on my mind, does this change how I feel about him? Saphira began to wonder. It was true, his new form did worry her and caused her ask many questions. Why was he a dragon now, and why was it at this very moment during one of the most important times for the riders return? It also gave her a sense of guilt that she would be even thinking of another male knowing that her own mate was still out there and waiting for her. She also knew that her ancestors would roll over in their grave if they knew that she was thinking of another male while already mated, but for some reason she could not help herself.

Saphira would not be able to ponder any longer. She could feel Eragon connecting his mind with hers and to keep her thoughts from him and out of sheer embarrassment, Saphira hid these specific thoughts from him.

I assume that you have news, Eragon? She asked him.

… Aye, I will tell you when I get back to the beach. Eragon told her.

His mind quickly faded from hers and Saphira looked toward the destroyed craft and watched for Eragon's form and not any moment sooner did he appear off in the short distance. The dragoness could not help, but just stare in wonder at her rider. As he trudged through the water, Saphira could only lock her gaze on him. Just the way he was walking was beginning to become mesmerizing, the way his muscular shoulders held his wings and his tail weaved right to left balancing out each step that he took. Her mind began to go blank in awe of his form.

Several minutes passed as Eragon tried his best to make his way back to the beach. The ocean had come up to his waist earlier and it was a lot tougher to trudge back through the water with an extended limb that stretched out from his rump. The water weighed down on his tail and it was all he could do, but keep swishing it keeping his momentum going. Each step was always just a little closer to dry land and finally his clawed toes touched dry sand. The rider then looked up the beach to find Saphira lying near the tree lines. As he glanced at her, his heart began to pound with an exasperating ache. She was just lying their innocently waiting for him and for the news that would break her heart.

When he could wait no longer, Eragon inched over to his dragoness. He greeted her and then began to explain all that he had seen.

The elves have been lost at sea and the ship is completely unsalvageable. He told her.

The look in her sapphire eyes showed sorrow, for she knew how important the elves were to bringing not the only the Riders, back but also her race as well. Eragon paused for a second, he questioned on whether he could really tell her the worst part.

Saphira looked down at her rider, he had paused for second and seemed to be in deep thought with himself. Minutes seemed to pass between them, as the silence drew on and then finally Eragon made his decision. His horned head lowered and faced the sandy ground with his draconic eyes shut loosely.

Saphira … the eggs were also lost at sea.

The words were deftly spoken, so soft were they said, but it took only a moment for Saphira to perceive what he had told her. The tragedy from this final shock was far worse than anything she had ever faced, the dragoness' heart began to pound and her mind flooded with thoughts and emotions, but only one thought was stronger than the other.

I must return to Firnén. Her words were barely heard.

What?

I must return to Firnén! Saphira roared.

The sapphire dragoness immediately leaped into the air, as she passed over Eragon the sudden gust of wind was so powerful that the burst of energy was caught by Eragon's wings and it rolled him over backwards, his tail sprawled in the air. After rolling over, the rider turned to look in the sky only to see Saphira was already miles away, the small dot with wings was proof.

Eragon was speechless, he could not understand why Saphira would suddenly burst into flight. As the day drew on and the sun began to set. Eragon sat by the rolling waters and thought back to what he told Saphira. I knew she would not take it well, but suddenly calling out her mates name and running away was not right. It boggled his mind and he then started to reassess how she had been recently acting. When we were still in Alagaësia, Saphira was in the highest of spirits that I could have ever seen. His heart began to sink, it was when she was with her mate, Fírnen that she was the most happiest. Saphira was what could only be described as glowing like a women during her wedding. Thinking back to those days also brought back his memories of the last hours he had with Arya.

His time spent with her was amazing and it would be what kept him going for so long, but right now was not the time to dwell on his own loves and pains. Saphira was the one that he needed to focus on. Then the days began to pass on the Talita and Saphira's moods were changing from liveliness to lying around on the main deck and lazing around almost the whole day away. None of it had made sense to him at all. What could have happened to make her change? Eragon wanted ask her that question, the problem was only now she was probably miles away at this point. The rider had tried to cast out his mind to her, but she would not allow him to enter and the link was weakening by seconds. Before it was completely lost, Eragon could feel was distress throughout her mind. He could only hope that she would come back.

Soon the evening turned to night and as the stars came out to shine, Eragon laid sprawled out on the beach. He was trying to stay awake, being completely in a whole new body and also returning to being completely helpless was not a good feeling. He lied there and then began to pray, being an elf and human, did effect his religious beliefs, but at a moment like this, without protection and Saphira who was who knows where. The rider began to pray that his dragoness would return to him. Soon. Eragon continued to pray for her, but the longer his eyes where shut the heavier they became and before he could even finish his prayer, his mind shut down, and he began to dream once again.

Saphira was driven by her instinct to fly home, becoming desperate for her mate and lingering for his warmth and touch was heavily bearing down on her. She had flown for quite a distance away from the island. It was only when something more powerful than any spell she had ever encountered grabbed and stopped her clean in her flight. With her body facing forward, it pushed her back in the other direction towards the island. The sapphire dragoness banked to the right and resumed her original path only to be thrust back towards the island again.

This began to anger the sapphire dragoness. Saphira growled deeply, baring her teeth. She inclined to the left and increased her acceleration and tried to push through the barrier before the spell could catch her again. This time Saphira thought she had broken through the defense, but was sadly mistaken. With all her momentum the spell roughly grabbed and thrust her back with equal intensity and fierceness. The dragoness tumbled through the air, she awkwardly barrel rolled until her wings finally a caught the wind and slowed her down.

Saphira's stomach began to heat up and at first it was a just a simmering boil, but it quickly erupted into a fit rage and sapphire flames burst from her maw. The dragoness went into a distraught spate of a combination of roars and fire breaths. Her surroundings became mix of small condensations and blue fire and it finally became too dangerous to stay where she was and so Saphira lowered her altitude. As she did, with her throe over, Saphira began to finally break down. The sorrowful feeling in her stomach began to well up again and it became too much for her. The dragons whipped her sapphire head straight up and released a long wailed roar.

Why…? Why must this happen to me. To my race … and to Eragon.

With nothing else to left for her there, Saphira finally banked back towards the island that she had absentmindedly left her rider on. The sun had completely set and the stars and moon now shone brightly in the night sky. Saphira softly touched down on the sand, her scales shimmered an auric white and silver in the moonlight. The dragoness was tired and looked to find Eragon clumsily curled up and shivering in his sleep. She walked over and though something in her mind told her to stay away from him, the rest of her mind told her to go to him and wrap him in her body and wings and cradle her rider the best she could. Saphira did just that, the dragoness went to her rider, making two circles around his shivering form before finally lying down next to his back, wrapping her tail around him and curling her own body around his and brought him close to her belly. Eragon's wings had given him a greater volume than in the past, but she was still able to keep him close. Saphira brought her head closer to him and finally covered them both with her enormous wings. Though she knew she would not be able to sleep completely. The dragoness closed her heavy eyes and tried to get rest as best she could.

The day had truly been one of their more stressful days, it had started with many surprises and shocks and ended with nothing but hurt and more questions. Through it all, a gigantic, white, snake like being watched from the forest and saw everything. It knew that it was the cause for both of their suffering, but it also knew that they where it's only hope if both of their worlds where to survive.