Well this has to be the longest chapter I've written so far, 9 pages exactly, wow.

This chapter is pretty important, I went back and wrote the entire plot, jeez it took ages, but its worth it to know where your story's actually going, lol.

Claimer: I own the plot (yey!!!) and most of the characters, CP owns some stuff too thought…whatever, lol.

Enjoy!!!

45.-Clues to damnation

We touched down on the edge of the Crags of Tel'naeír and made our way up the path towards the four trees entwined together that made up the home of the old rider. Faolan jumped from my back and entered the house while I waited impatiently outside. I hated being too large to fit inside a doorway and I was growing sick of being a dragon day after day, not that I didn't love the sensation and strength, the feeling that I could actually do something and not just stand around being helpless. But being human definitely had its advantages.

I heard talking from inside and could make out Oromis's low, worn voice accompanied by Eragon and Faolan's, although I couldn't make out what they were conversing about.

I turned my head when a rustling sound came from behind me, my eyes caught sight of a brilliant gold shimmer that reflected the sunlight almost to the point that the glimmer burnt my eyes. Glaedr landed with a heavy thud, the boom echoing off the mountaintops for miles around, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.

A smaller sapphire colored shape detached itself from the clouds and came to rest next to him. Saphira walked to my side, her eyes bright from the happiness of flying, her breathing light and quick from the adrenaline rush.

Nice weather for flying huh? I asked, tilting my head upwards to breath in the sweet morning air. I hated getting up this early, but there were certainly advantages towards it. Exceedingly, Saphira replied, then walked towards the stream that ran around the house to drink the icy cold water.

I inclined my head slightly towards Glaedr, what are we going to learn today Master? I asked him, not particularly interested but I felt slightly uncomfortable standing there next to the great beast in silence and hoped that a conversation would take some of the agitation away.

He blinked his sun-colored eyes at me, the action seeming suddenly familiar and I remembered, as if in a long forgotten dream, the time when I had met the pack and the way Tala's golden eyes had bored into mine. I shook my head in an attempt to clear the images, which worked somewhat but the butterscotch irises remained as if burned into my brain. I realized that I missed them, even though I couldn't have known them for more than a couple of hours. They made me feel safe, secure, as if I somewhat belonged.

I focused on the present and realized that the great golden dragon was looking off to the distance somewhere, and I hoped that I hadn't missed his answer; he didn't really appreciate it when he had to repeat himself multiple times.

But then his voice, rumbling and almost too deep to make out replied, we are going to the Stone of Broken Eggs, it is one of the few places where the dragons of old could nest without fear of being disturbed. The strange tone in his voice made my mind suspicious, it was almost as if he were anxious, or unwilling to go, but why is that? I wondered to myself, but I couldn't think of any legible reason for the old dragon to resent going there, it was just a rock, right?

I would find out soon anyway, it couldn't be long before we would leave; we were just waiting for the one person that I wanted to talk to the most, but also didn't want to talk to, for fear of what might be said.

I sighed and turned to face the house once again and I jumped back a couple of feet when something appeared in front of my eyes. The black mass rearranged itself and I realized it was Dorran, his sleek onyx scales shining gold in the growing sunlight.

I growled in annoyance, where have you been? I asked irritably, exasperation coloring the tone of my thoughts almost to the point where I sounded angry, even to myself, but I didn't care as long as I got my message out.

He shrugged his monstrous shoulders, as if it didn't matter, wasn't relevant.

I sighed; I wasn't going to get any answers from him soon, so I pushed passed him and went to join Saphira in drinking the frozen fluid. My feet submerged in the mud as I neared the bank, but I carried on to the water and lowered my head, lapping up the melted ice, not because I was thirsty but for something to distract myself from him with.

But apparently he had other plans. I looked into the water and noticed a huge black form above my silver one and I sighed as his glimmering head appeared beside mine, his dark red tongue lashing out to catch the liquid and bring it back to his mouth. I had a feeling we wasn't exactly dying of thirst either.

I jerked my head from the stream and stalked back to the other two dragons, ignoring the deep growling chuckles coming from behind me. Let's go, I muttered to them, eager to be off the ground and as far away from him. I didn't know why I was acting like this, the emotions I was feeling were alien to me and I couldn't decipher them. I was confused to say the least, my brain was spiraling out of control and I felt myself slowly losing my mind, not in the insane way that most people did, but in the manner that every time I caught sight of him I instinctively cringed, but at the same time felt a sudden rush of exhilaration. On second thought, maybe I was going insane after all.

Glaedr nodded once, crouched, raising his enormous leathery wings as high as possible, then leapt into the air, his old joints creaking from strain. Saphira shot into the air next to him, her form light and graceful compared to his overly large body.

I was right on her tail as I ascended the sky, my wings pumping fast, almost straining against the wind, just anything to get away. But of course he wasn't far behind and every time I caught his eye he always smirked and I looked away, angry and frustrated.

I kept close to Saphira and closed my mind to his, I knew I was being stupid and childish, but I would have to get better control over myself before I actually spoke to him.

I sighed and Saphira looked over to me with anxious eyes, tell me what is wrong, I've noticed that you and Dorran are avoiding each other, what happened? Concern laced her voice, she truly cared about me.

I didn't answer for a while, I didn't know if I should tell her or not, I won't pry, it's none of my business, she muttered, giving a smile across to me.

No, your right, there is something wrong. It's just that, he's been acting strange lately, and I don't really know how to respond. I didn't know why I was telling her this, I guess it was because I wanted someone to confide in, someone to help me understand better.

She drifted closer to me and brushed her wing tip against mine, her eyes knowing and comprehending. Well, it seems to me that Dorran might be acting this way because he too hasn't made up his feelings for you, maybe you two should just talk and try to straighten things out, it couldn't hurt seeing as you're about to claw each others throats out anyway.

I nodded, her idea couldn't do any more harm, maybe I would talk to Dorran, and I really hated fighting with him like this. Saphira flew ahead to catch up with Glaedr and I grudgingly opened my mind to the onyx dragon, apology and anxiety leaking through unwanted.

You know I can read your emotions right? He chuckled into my mind and I hissed in annoyance, my tail twitching from side to side with impatience.

He swept up and flew beside me, his eyes staring into mine, I'm sorry for the way I've acted, I was just…confused. I didn't know how to act, and I apologize for making you uncomfortable and driving you so far as to avoid me. His voice dripped with sincerity and I could do nothing but accept his apology, although what he was apologizing for was beyond me, wasn't it my fault that this had gone so far?

Don't be sorry, it was me more than anything else, and I guess I'm more wound up seeing as a full moon's only a few days away. Why don't we just forget about this ridiculous façade and get on with this eccentric life that we are entangled in? I suggested, it was so easy to get along with him, once you got passed his silent and brooding personality.

Sounds good, he replied, his voice happy and content.

Why are we going to this place anyway seeing as all it's going to be is a bunch of rock and old prey bones? I asked, this trip was sure to be unexciting and threaten to put me to sleep.

He looked as if he wanted to say something but was restraining himself and I could tell he knew something that I didn't.

What are you hiding from me? I growled suspiciously, my eyes narrowing to stare at his turned down face.

He looked up, his eyes innocent and wide, as if telling me I was crazy to suspect that he was keeping something from me.

What do you mean? He asked, his voice guiltless and almost childlike.

I growled at him, low and accusing, you know something, don't you? You know something about the place we're going to, but you're not telling me. Why?

His face was smooth and expressionless and I flew closer to him, as if so he could whisper the information to me, but of course that wasn't necessary seeing as he could just talk to me with his mind anyway, but it was just a force of habit.

He sighed; he knew I wasn't going to give up any time soon. Fine, I'm tired of lying to you, do you remember when I told you that the black egg was passed down from each pack member in hopes that one would be chosen for a dragon rider?

Yes, I replied, annoyed that he had been lying to me all this time, didn't he trust me by now?

Well, that part was true, but we weren't guarding it because we were hoping one of us would be a rider, it was because we were protecting it from the Shifters.

The name made my head go blank, Shifters?

Yes, they are monsters that used to practically rule these lands, Tala knows more about them than I and Faolan do, she wouldn't share the knowledge of them with any one else, saying only that they were after the egg and we were to guard it with our lives, because if they got hold of it we would be doomed. And traveling here just reminded me of my duty, Tala was the one that gave me the egg when our village was attacked and she told me to keep it safe from the ones that could destroy us all.

I stared at him, my eyes wide and disbelieving, there's a whole different race of creatures that threaten our existence more than any others and I didn't know about them?! I screeched, my heart pumping profusely, almost to the point of hyperventilation and I almost forgot to flap.

Why did no one tell me of this! I yelled at him, my breath panting in fright. He rolled his eyes, as if it was irrelevant, because there have been no Shifters since before the destruction of the Forsworn and Tala was only acting overcautiously. There is nothing to worry about, for all we know they've all died out.

My heart slowed almost back to normal, but a small trace of possibility lingered at the edges of my mind, how do you know they don't exist anymore, how do you know they're not just biding their time and preparing to come back even stronger than before?

Because they're not, he replied, as if that settled matters. I shook my head, no matter what you say, we still need to pay a visit to Tala, this could be more dangerous than you think, maybe we should ask Oromis about them…?

He sighed, you'll be wasting your time, the elves didn't believe they existed even when the evidence was right in from of their faces, only the werewolves believed, although why I do not know. I guess we could go talk to Tala…

I nodded and realized that we were nearing the cliff now, Glaedr and Saphira had already disappeared into one of the caves.

I back peddled with my wings, looking around as I entered the fire-blackened carving. Old egg shells crunched under my feet as I explored the inside, looking with wonder and imagining how the ancient dragons had lived. Despite what I had thought, this place was amazing, simple and uncivilized, but completely thought inspiring, sending my mind back in time.

My senses reached out and traveled the entire area of the rock and I was shocked to discover that I could actually sense the presences of the old dragons, as if they were still there, nesting and looking after their young.

But there was something else there too, something even more ancient than the dragons themselves. I closed my eyes and gripped the outside of the rock in my talons, traveling up the outside to enter another one of the caves. There was definitely something hidden in the structure, the abnormal magnetism drawing me closer, my mind filled with wonder. Suddenly my nose grazed the back of a cave and I opened my eyes and looked at the spot in the stone. There was a carving there, the shape resembling a tree with a heart indention in the center. It was small, about the size of a small coin, but the aura that surrounded it was so overpowering I almost collapsed on the spot.

Dorran's side brushed against mine as he regarded the sign silently, his brow furrowed in concentration.

There were claw scrapes brutally sliced into the stone around the picture, but the marks weren't from any creature I recognized, some were smaller than human hands, others larger and deeper than even a dragon was capable of.

What are you two looking at? Glaedr's voice rumbled in our heads, but we didn't reply, too captivated by what was in front of us that we couldn't have found our voices even if we wanted to.

There was a rush of air and then a bone shattering crack as the gigantic dragon landed on the rock and approached us, his thoughts annoyed and impatient, but as he squeezed in beside us and saw what we were staring at he stopped dead, shock and horror rolling off of him.

This isn't good, he muttered, looking over the scratches carved into the rock. On an impulse I touched the heart with a talon and it glowed silver as if burned, two words appeared beneath in flowing moon-colored script, Gánga aptr.

Go backwards, the golden dragon muttered, mystified.

What is this? Dorran growled, his eyes stuck in place on the carving.

It is one of the clues that leads to the Cavern of Souls, his rumbling voice replied, and for the first time since I had known him I heard true fear in his voice.

What does it mean, Master? I asked, never looking away from the strange marking.

It means that all we have ever disbelieved is true, and that the demon race has returned, and if they discover the clues and manage to open the cavern, we are all truly doomed.

Shifters play a big role in the plot obviously, sorry if you think the name's lame but when I first came up with them that was what I called them and I didn't want to change it, so deal with the stupidity, lol.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!-reviews keep me writing people…

-Firesilk:D