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Guest: It will. I have twenty chapters ready to be posted, well seventeen no I should say since three of those twenty chapters have been posted.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls or The Inheritance Cycle.
About a month has now passed since Daemon arrived in Alagaësia and came to Carvahall. Originally, he didn't intend to stay in the village that long, but that changed when he saw a certain mark on his friend, Eragon's palm one day. The mark that signified he had found what he was looking for.
The gedwëy ignasia. The mark of the Dragon Riders.
Eragon was the Dragon Rider Daemon was looking for.
So that ruined any plan Daemon had to leave Carvahall to begin a search and track down the one he's looking for, because it just so happens to be the first friend he made in Carvahall.
After the day they bumped into each other, a friendship started up between Daemon and Eragon. They bonded over their love for hunting, and Daemon had seen Eragon hunt but told him there are things he could improve and Daemon will teach him how to improve since he was a expect hunter himself. Aside from his friendship with Eragon, and also had met Eragon's family Garrow and Roran, Daemon also took the time to make a living in Carvahall by hunting animals in the Spine and bringing their hides back to the village to be sold, though some he kept for himself to cook and eat.
It helped him in buying a cabin that was located on the edge between the village outskirts and the Spine.
Right now, Daemon was at Morn's tavern, having a drink of mead, his third to be honest. Morn was giving him an impressed look at how the Dragonborn downed it.
"By the Gods, man, how are you not stumbling like you're blind?" Morn asked with shock in his voice. Mead was a strong drink and yet Daemon had drink three cups of it already, with no sign of being drunk.
"I've got a very strong tolerance." Daemon said with a chuckle as he placed his cup down. "You should've seen me a few years back when I first began drinking. Got so drunk I didn't remember what I did the previous night."
To this day, he still doesn't know how he got into a drinking competition with Sanguine, the Daedric Prince of Debauchery.
Morn then saw something over Daemon's shoulder. "Evening Eragon."
Daemon turned and saw his friend sit next to him with a sigh. "What's got you looking so down, Eragon?" Daemon asked before taking another sip of his mead.
Eragon was silent for a few seconds before he said. "A man from Therinsford was in the village today. He offered Roran a job at the mill there... Roran's planning on taking it."
Daemmon paused and watched Eragon's expression, seeing this this really was upsetting Eragon. "Well... how long?"
"Millers work all year. During winter they ground whatever people brought them, but in harvest season they bought grain and sold it as flour. It's hard, dangerous work; workers often lost fingers or hands to the giant millstones." Eragon said, shuddering a little. "He... he says he's doing it for the money, because he wants to marry Katrina."
Daemon choked and coughed on his drink. Once he cleared his throat, he looked at Eragon. "Lad's finally getting serious. About time, I grow tired of watching them skirt around, regardless if Katrina's father would be angry at the relationship. But at the end of the day, it's his daughter's life and choice, not his. Has Roran asked her?"
"Not yet he told me." Eragon shook his head. "...I don't want him to go."
"We all hate it when family members decide to take something that requires them to leave." Daemon said softly, eyes lost in thought. Eragon looked at him curiously. "Did I ever tell you about my siblings?"
"No." Eragon shook his head. Daemon hadn't spoken much about his past in the month they've known each other.
"Well, I was born as the youngest. I had a older brother and sister." Daemon said with a smile at the memories. "We were close. Hell, my brother and I were as close as you and me are. But... as they got older, they wanted to start making a living, to start on their lives and they couldn't exactly do that where we lived. My brother went to join the army, my sister went to work in a village. Last I heard, both of them married and started a family. But after they left, not a day went by where I didn't miss them. I'm not trying to tell you Roran's making a right choice, I'm just telling you that he's deciding to try and start a life and work so he can be with the one he loves."
Eragon nodded at Daemon's words, but Daemon could tell it didn't do that much to comfort Eragon which made the Dragonborn sigh before he placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently in reassurance and comfort, then patted him.
A few days later, Daemon was out in the Spine, a bow in hand with a quiver of arrows on his back. It annoyed him that he didn't think to grab one of his bows and arrows rom back home since he had a few such as the Nightingale bow, the Daedric bow, Ebony bow, and Dwarven bow along with the arrows that go with them. But he knew how to handle regular bows and arrows, so it wasn't a complete loss he supposed.
Right now, the Dragonborn was in the midst of hunting, having left Carvahall two days ago to begin tracking any game and he had found one in the form of a dee that had eluded him. Which is why he had been gone for two days. Hopefully it doesn't take him another two days to get back to Carvahall.
Crouching low to a knee, Daemon hummed to himself as he examined a footprint in the muddy ground. "Hmm, not a deer... tips are too wide... could be a mountain goat." He said to himself before standing and following the tracks. His father was a natural hunter and had taught his sons everything about hunting. Daemon almost chuckled as he remembered the first time he went hunting with his father.
A young Daemon had his bow and quiver ready as he met his father outside their home, staring out at the woods as if able to see the game they'll be hunting. Walking up to his father, Daemon asked. "What are we hunting?"
"You are hunting deer." Was the stoic response from his father, who looked at him before looking back at the woods.
Daemon stared at them before frowning. "Which way?"
"In the direction of deer."
Daemon shook his head with an amused smile at the memory. His father had been strict and stern when it came to teaching him and his brother to hunt. Don't get Daemon wrong, he had a great father, who loved his children dearly, but when time calls upon him to be strict and stern, especially with discipline and teaching, then he would be. Daemon once thought to himself that if he ever had children of his own, he'd follow his father's example and teach them to hunt the same way his father taught him.
But with his life of adventures, he doubted he'd find a woman to settle down with.
Continuing his trek through the wounds, following the tracks, Daemon soon came upon another set of tracks. He crouched down to examine them. "Not deer... too round, possibly a wild boar."
Daemon followed the tracks, hoping he'll find either the mountain goat or the wild boar. Either one were good game to hunt. The tracks soon led him to a area with a river stream, and at said river was a wild boat taking it's drink. Crouching to a knee, Daemon kept his eye on the prey as he drew and arrow, nocked it on the bowstring and pulled back, aiming...
Suddenly, a set of jaws snatched the boar up and Daemon blinked in surprise and shock as he watched a sapphire-scaled dragon fly around before it landed with the boar in it's mouth. With a quick crunch, the boar's wails were silenced and the dragon began to feast on it's prey while Daemon watched from the treeline.
Looks like I found the dragon. Daemon thought as he watched the dragon eat before it went over to the river to wash the blood off it's muzzle. The dragon then paused before lifting it's head, turned... and looked right at him. Daemon froze as his dark blue eyes locked with a pair of sapphire-blue ones that stared intently at him with a hint of caution, wariness... and curiosity, as well as some kind of recognition.
Strange, because Daemon had never met this dragon before.
Silence filled the air between them before Daemon spoke. "I won't do anything if you won't." The dragon narrowed it's eyes for a second before it gave a jerk of it's head in the form of a nod. Daemon slowly placed his bow on the ground and took the auiver off as well. Once he made it clear he was unarmed, the dragon seemed to relax slightly before edging closer to him.
Suddenly, Daemon felt something in his mind, like something trying to enter. Who are you? A female voice asked inside his head, surprising him and he looked around for a moment but saw only the dragon staring at him.
Oh, so that must be how the dragons of this land communicated... and this one was a dragoness.
"This is weird, a voice in my head." Daemon muttered to himself as he ran a hand down his face before looking at the dragoness. "I'm not an enemy, noble dragoness. If I was, you'd have already been attacked by me. But I doubt an arrow could harm a creature with such beauty."
The dragoness held her head up in what he assumed was pride and puffed her chest out. The one thing dragons love the most... is flattery. Flattering as your words are, you still haven't answered my question.
Right, my apologies. Daemon said, now using his mind and projecting his thoughts as she can do. My name is Daemon. I'm a friend of your Rider, Eragon.
How do you know he's my Rider? The dragoness asked with narrowed eyes. She recognized him from the glimpses she saw in Eragon's mind, felt Eragon's friendship with him... and somehow she felt a connection to him herself, but reasoned that it must be because of the friendship between he and Eragon, so the emotion transferred to her because of the bond between her and Eragon.
That's... a long story. Daemon admitted, wondering how he was going to explain this to her. But first, may I get the name of the lovely and majestic creature before me?
Saphira. The dragoness said proudly.
Well met, Saphira. I am Daemon. The Dragonborn bowed with flourish. As for how I know about you and Eragon... I come from another land, named Skyrim. Dragons used to roam there. My mentor, a dragon himself, felt your birth and the creation of a new Rider. He sent me here to ensure yours and Eragon's protection from the King.
Saphira stared at him for several moments before she said in a bit more of a demanding tone. Let me see your memories. They will show if you are telling the truth... and why you smell like a dragon.
Daemon gave a nod and lowered his defences so that she could roam his mind and see his memories. He didn't know how she was going to react to the ones of him killing dragons, but he hoped she'd understand that those dragons are wild, bloodthirsty beasts that attacked innocents for sport. He stood there, waiting, until finally Saphira gave off a rather expected reaction as she snarled at him.
Dragonslayer! She roared and lunged at him but Daemon rolled out of the way. Give me one good reason I shouldn't rip you apart, slayer?!
I know you saw the memories of what I did to those dragons, but I assure you I don't kill them anymore unless they put innocents in danger. I'm not your enemy, nor am I Eragon's, I'm here to help. I swear, I'm not. Daemon said.
Saphira stared at him for a moment, as if staring into his soul for the truth, looked away at the woods for a moment then looked back at him. I... sense that you are telling me the truth. I have seen your memories and saw that what you claim is true. I suppose, if you were a true dragonslayer that kills every dragon in your path... you would've killed me by now rather than talk, and you would've killed the two I saw in your memories.
That's Odahviing and Paarthurnax. Daemon explained, getting a small nod from the dragoness. So... you're not going to kill me, are you?
Saphira stared at him for a long moment, as if debating with herself. Finally, after several minutes of silence, she spoke. Eragon regards you very highly. I can sense from him that you are as loyal as you claim, a close friend.. But on this I must be sure. Eragon means the world to me, I will do everything in my power to protect him. I need to know that you will do the same.
I vow on my very life. Daemon said firmly. I would die to protect those I care about, Saphira, that includes him... and that includes you as well. At this, the dragoness blinked. He sensed a curious sensation from her. Eragon is my friend, and friends sticks together until the end. I know we just had a rocky start because of my... past, but I hope we can at least become friends, for Eragon's sake. Think of how he would feel if his best friend and his dragon are at each other's throats.
Saphira regarded him wordlessly. Connected to his mind, she felt the truth of those words. Her eyes softened and she gently nudged his arm. Very well, Daemon. I... I apologize for threatening to kill you.
Don't be, it's a understandable reaction. Believe me, I myself didn't like it, it felt like I was slaying a member of my own kind... that I suppose that's true since I have the blood and soul of a dragon, meaning I am technically a dragon but with the body of a mortal man.
Then, we should get started on earning each other's trust. Saphira said. Suddenly, she snapped her head up.
What is it? Daemon asked with a frown.
Something's wrong. Eragon needs me! With a flap of her wings, Saphira took off. Cursing, Daemon turned and ran back in the direction Carvahall was in. If only he knew what had happened in his absence...
And that's it for this chapter everyone. And before you ask, no Daemon's dad is NOT Kratos... I just wanted to use the 'in the direction of deer' line in a story.