Dawn was a half an hour away when they arrived at Tronjheim's north gate. The gate was raised just high enough to let them pass, so they hurried underneath it, then waited in the recessed area beyond, where red jasper pillars loomed above and carved beasts snarled between the bloody piers. Past those, at the very edge of Tronjheim, sat two thirty-foot-high gold griffins. Identical peirs guarded each of the city-mountains gates. No one was in sight.
Nolan held his horses reigns. The stallion was brushed, reshod, and saddled, his saddlebags bulging with goods. He mare pawed the floor impatiently, eager to go. Nolan had been told that the horse hadn't been ridden in over few weeks.
Before long Orik and his guards ambled up, bearing large packs on their backs and bundles in their arms. Behind him trailed their Feldûnost, their curved horns were slightly shinier than the ones Nolan had seen before.
Orik grunted as he mounted his Feldûnost. "So, we'll be stopping at Tarnag, just north of here. From there we will take rafts along the Az Ragni to Hedarth, and then beyond across the eastern sea. If its true that only a dragon can find the island then lets just hope a hatchling can."
Nolan nodded. "You sound like you've done this before?"
Orik laughed, his voice like scrapping stone. "To an extent. Long ago I travled a similar path with Eragon to Du Weldenvarden. If I recall, it took a good amount of time, no telling how long this venture will be."
Next came Trey and Connor, guiding their mares by the reigns. Their saddlebags were in likeness with Nolan's. "Austin is coming." Said Trey. "He was busy feeding his dragon."
Orik acknowledged him and said. "He is a rider know. He can spend as much time as he wants taking care of his dragon. We are in no position to complain about it."
It was a good ten minutes before Austin arrived, however, he wasn't leading a horse. His dragon, who he had yet to name, was hopping in a serpintine fashion behind him, its deep purple scales glistened with a thousand shades of violet. When the dragon climbed out of its shell they saw that, purple being its main color, it had black skin, and when it saw Austin its scales seemed to change to a brighter purple. Its talons, teeth, and spikes were a bright white while its eyes were a light maroon. He had two serrated fangs that jutted out of his upper jaw onto his bottum lip slightly. He also possesed four cheek spikes, which slightly curved towards his neck. Three days later they found out that the dragon was a male. Austin eventually read many books in Tronjheim's libraries about dragons and their names. He read that a dragon wouldn't breath fire until they matured, which according to Orik would only happen when the dragon reached about six months old. He was also told that very soon the dragon hatchling would be able to fly by itself, and even longer before Austin could ride him. Austin would often spend hours at a time listing dragon names to his dragon, the hatchling would listen intently but wouldn't approve of any names. Austin soon gave up and would tease the dragon and say that he was a no name. The hatchling's scales would change to a darker purple than it already was and then blow smoke out of his nose and climb to Austin's head and stay put, his tail curled around his forehead. The best Austin and Orik could figure was that the dragon would change color depending on its mood. Austin often touched the mind of his dragon and would ask it why his scales would change color. The dragon wouldn't speak but would share emotions of safety. Austin figured that the dragon had similar characteristics with a chameleon and could camoflauge into its surroundings, though it had yet to do so.
"Where's your horse?" Nolan asked, turning his mare around.
Austin looked around the road. "I thought someone was going to bring me one."
Nolan laughed. "Your not royalty."
Orik swished his hands and said to one of his gaurds. "Bring Austin a formidible horse. Make sure his packs are full and the mare is groomed."
The guard nodded then set down his bags and ran back through the gate. Orik gazed down at the dragon. "So have you a name for the hatchling?" He asked Austin.
Austin shook his head. "Every one I give him, he turns down. Is it normal for a dragon to not want a name."
Orik shrugged. "A name is the most important thing about a living creature. It probably hasn't heard the right name. He want's to be know by a name that is fierce and powerful. We'll keep trying until he agrees with one."
Austin nodded.
Half an hour later the gaurd returned with a prepared horse and without another word Orik spurred his Feldûnost forward, followed closely by his guards then Austin and his human companions. As they left Orik couldn't help but notice Austin and his dragon, who would hop into the air and spread open its wings, gliding along side the horse. Another rider after a thousand years. It seemed that history was repeating itself agian. First the riders were gone, an egg being carried around Alageasia until it hatched for a farmboy. Then that rider left to start the new age of Riders. Now after the riders have disappeared here comes another one. Gripping his reigns firmly, he looked ahead. As they continued north along the road, the gate behind shrank smaller and smaller until it was reduced to a pinprick of light. When they finally reached Farthen Dur's base, they found a pair of gigantic doors thirty feet tall open and waiting. Three dwarf gaurds bowed and moved away from the aperture. Through the doors was a tunnel of matching proportions, lined with columns and lanterns for the first fifty feet. After that it was as empty and silent as a mausoleum.
It looked exactly like Farthen Dur's western entrance, but Austin knew that the tunnel was different. Instead of burrowing through the mile-thick base to emerge outside, it proceeded underneath mountain after mountain all the way to the dwarf city Tarnag.
"This is our path." Said Orik, lifting a lantern. Then quickly crossed over the threshold, surrounding themselves with eternal night until they arrived at Tarnag. And once they entered the tunnel, they were hurling themselves into the unknown, abandoning the few things they had grown accustomed to amoung the dwarfs in exchange for an uncertain destiny.
AN: This is a short chapter, but i wanted to do something for the Fourth of July. And just to let ya'll know i will be getting my computer back all fixed and polished, so expect longer chapters! Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter and leave a review please, it will encourage me to write more, eventually leading up to the arrival of the Riders faster.
Reply to reviews:
Stapet- Thnx. And and the ancient dragon riders will be revealed along with multiple riders, sorry for confusion.
M.X.M. World Traveler- What did you mean by blunt if i may ask?