Chapter 45- Fool me once
Tristan was beginning to feel impatient. He, Grohn and Rikon had been kneeling on the ground near the shores of Dis Atilan for almost 5 hours now without any sign of the elder riders.
"When do you think they will arrive? They are supposed to leave today, early morning" Rikon whispered but both Grohn and Tristan raised their fingers to their lips motioning for him to be quiet.
The dwarf pressed his lips together and looked slightly irritated but as soon as they heard the whoosh of wings they turned their attention to the shores. To no one's surprise, Eragon, Arya, the elder riders, some of the older students and the masters of training were on the shores of Dis Atilan. All of them were in battle gear and their armors and swords glittered under the first rays of the rising sun.
Riders have been sighted. I repeat riders have been sighted, Rikon whispered in all of the young riders' minds.
Make sure you keep them at your sights at all time, Adrian advised.
Agreed, Tristan and Grohn simultaneously replied.
In the opposite side of the island - where the riders had first landed - the dwarves and the elves of the shores resided. It was there, that a harbor was present with about fifteen ships, built and maintained by the residents of the island.
Their plan was simple. Steal some ships, enough to fit the young riders and some of the dragons when they needed to rest and then depart from the island. To increase their speed they would use magic and their dragons' help in pulling the ship across the water. Kayla, Adrian and the twins were on thieving duty while Grohn, Rikon and Tristan had to watch the riders who were to depart and make sure they did what they were meant to, without noticing anything was amiss. The other riders, like Laer, Gwen and Gas were watching the Masters of training in Glieonard, as they had started placing some of the protective spells around the island. By keeping track of what the Masters were doing they had higher chances of breaking the spell, but with Kayla's magic capabilities Tristan did not doubt that they could easily leave the island.
Already Adrian and Kayla had cast a sleeping spell on half of the elven and dwarven residents of the shore and the other half had eaten some of the mushroom pie with an extra kick that Laer had kindly offered them. The twin girls had already managed to obtain three elven ships and Kayla and Adrian were attempting to steal one more, one of a larger size.
Tristan watched the first elder dragons taking off, followed by Arya, Eragon and some of the proven students.
Elder Riders are departing, Rikon said excited and almost made a snoring noise.
Tristan smirked and looked at the dwarven rider, knowing that their plan was working. The next and last part of the plan would be the hardest - trying to break the spells that were placed around the island - but unless the Masters of Training followed them, Tristan doubted anyone else would stop them. He could not imagine the elder riders turning around just to escort them back to Dis Atilan.
Rikon made another snoring noise and Tristan blinked looking at the dwarven rider.
Shh. Not too loud, he advised and Rikon scratched his nose.
Sorry, he said but his voice was slurred.
Tristan tsked and looked at Grohn who unexpectantly kicked the nearest bush in reflex. The boy raised an eyebrow.
What was that for?, he asked Grohn, perplexed but the Urgal rider simply raised his hands in the air and continued looking at the shore.
It was then that they saw the shapes of Adrian, Kayla and the twins arriving aboard four beautiful, magnificent ships. One had black sails and looked to be of Urgal or dwarven make and the other three were elven with bright while sails. Two of them were coming closer while the third was moving slower its sails under the water…
Tristan blinked and rubbed his eyes confused looking at the ship again. For a moment it had appeared as if the ship was on the wrong side up but on a closer look that was not the case.
You made it guys! Does that mean we are ready to depart?, Tristan asked excited in the riders' minds.
Adrian was the first to lock eyes with Tristan and gawk in surprise.
Why are you here? You were supposed to watch the elder riders depart, the elf said, his eyebrows pulled together.
We are, I mean we did. But they left before you, Grohn explained.
So you decided…, May started.
To join us ..
In the shores?
Don't..
Wake…
The Elves and
The dwarves of the Shore, Maya ended.
Tristan, Grohn and Rikon exchanged glances with each other.
I am confused, Rikon said letting out another snore.
Tristan watched his sister eyebrows pulling together.
There is something off, she whispered and started touching the leaves of the nearest tree with her eyes closed.
It was then that Tristan heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see Gwen just as she arrived and was out of breath.
"Are you okay? Why are you not with Murtagh?" he asked her, concerned and she looked at him perplexed.
"I am not sure… Last time I was with him" she replied and Tristan saw her confusion. He turned around to tell the rest of the riders that Gwen had arrived, only to find that none were there.
Perplexed, he quickly turned back to Gwen just as the setting sun was setting everything ablaze.
"Tristan, what is happening?" the human rider asked just as a bird went to sit on her shoulder and started singing in a cheery tune.
Tristan run to Gwen's side and looked at the bird as its song started from a lullaby only to increase to an erratic melody that made little sense. Tristan blinked again.
"Stay where you are" he advised her and he went to catch the bird but the bird quickly flew away and started talking in a human voice.
"Young, young riders. Young, foolish riders" it sung and for a second it seemed like the bird was smiling.
Gwen clasped his hand together with hers and gazed around her just as the scenery seemed to change and they were no longer in the forest but in one of the cliffs in Dis Atilan, the waves crushing on the rocks below them. The noise they were making was loud, like giants walking on earth, their every movement an earthquake…
"Look at me!" Gwen shouted at him and Tristan turned to her direction.
Then without any warning she pushed him from the cliff jumping with him in the process. Tristan closed his eyes and screamed, hoping he would not die and the same thing that happened to him last time he lost his balance and fell from a cliff, would happen again. He hoped that his fall would be gentle, the sea water warm and he would learn the ending of the stories he had seen last time below Stenr Abr Andlá.
Only he never reached the water, feeling the earth shift beneath him.
Tristan opened his eyes and the first thing he heard was a snoring noise. He turned behind him and saw Rikon sleeping atop a desk with a pillow under his head, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, good morning Tristan how kind of you to join us" Idel, the Master of Magic said to him. Next to her was Octavian, then Maud and then Mirin who was rearranging some books atop the bookcases in the Library in Glieonard.
Tristan blinked once again and then saw Adrian across him tapping his fingers on the wooden desk, looking irritated while Kayla on his right hand side was completely silent. However, he did not fail to notice the small spark that was dancing between her hands.
What happened? Where are the ships?, Tristan couldn't help but ask but it was Maud who replied to his mind and none of the young riders.
Young, young riders. Young, foolish riders, she said purring and instantly Tristan recognised the bird's voice from his dream.
It was you!, he exclaimed and Maud purred again while Idel crossed her fingers.
It was a good try riders, but sad to say you failed to obtain the ships and unfortunately we have already placed more than enough barriers to keep you on this island and our enemies at bay. If you think Kayla will break them I would suggest thinking again. This set of barriers operates in a very… unique way…, Idel said and smiled gently.
What do you mean?, Tristan asked because he was still not sure that what he was seeing was real. He blinked again and he noticed the rain falling loudly on the windows of the library in Glieonard.
The spell draws power from the one who is trying to break it. So instead of breaking it, the barrier becomes stronger, Adrian said and pressed his lips together.
Kayla exhaled. It was all a scam! We were never even close to stealing the ships. The Masters of Training placed a very interesting ingredient in our food last night. One that makes all races alike fall into deep slumber. The elder riders, Eragon, Arya and the proven riders left at dawn way before any of us had even began waking up, deep in a well-orchestrated dream thinking that we were actually getting one step closer to Alagaesia.
Just a little mind walking. Soon you may even learn how to use this ability yourselves. As you can tell, flying lessons are cancelled for today so you may as well practise this ability if you so wish, Maud said happily and Kayla shot her an irritated expression.
Tristan rubbed his palms over his forehead. Why did it take us so long to understand that this was a dream? And why were all the riders there?
Some of us understood that something wasn't right way earlier than others, Kayla said and paused.
Obviously when the details of our surroundings started disintegrating we knew something was off, Adrian continued and Octavian smirked.
Did you know? Sad to say Eragon was lending us some of his capabilities but as the distance between us and him increased the spell started falling apart… Nevertheless we did not need to keep it up for long as most of you had fallen for it already and were making your own scenarios without any help from us, Octavian further explained.
So the people we were seeing in our dreams were… just that? A fraction of our imagination?, Adrian asked, his eyebrows pulled together.
Idel shook her head. No. All the riders that are present in Glieonard at the moment were also in the dream at some point or another. Not anymore though.
Rikon let out another loud snore before he slipped from the desk and fell to the ground, instantly waking up and rubbing his head.
"Why do I have scales?" he asked in a terrified voice and started touching his body all over to make sure he was all right.
Tristan went to his side and helped him up, explaining what had occurred while Kayla and Laer were talking amongst themselves. He heard them say the words "storm" and "too strong" and then Mirin clapped his tiny hands together and told them to all sit back on their desks for more history lessons.
By the end of the afternoon Tristan was feeling lethargic once again just as Mirin was going over the second part of the dwarven history war between the clans.
"And then it is said that Helzvog..." Mirin was saying while Tristan's eyes were shutting closed, as exhaustion and the remnants of Maud's special spices mixed into his evening meal - he did not doubt - were taking their toll on him.
"Chew it quickly and it will wake you up" Laer advised, passing him a green plant Tristan had not seen before. He smelled it suspiciously and looked at the rider one more time before he started chewing it.
It was one of the bitterest things Tristan had ever tasted, but its effects were immediately evident as his breathing rate increased and he felt his irises dilating. He raised his eyebrows at Laer who shook his head, smiling.
"Hemileia vastatrix" Laer added and then turned his attention to Mirin.
"And then King Hrothgar, the forty second dwarf king took the throne from his predecessor and ruled peacefully during Galbatorix's reign only to be killed during the Battle of the Burning Plains…" Mirin continued but Rikon stopped him.
"Killed by Murtagh, the red Dragon Rider…" he started but Gwen intersected.
"Both Murtagh and his dragon Thorn were under the power and influence of Galbatorix, having sworn blood oaths to do what he commanded them to do…"
"But they could have chosen to take a different path of action. Nevertheless most dwarves know that Galbatorix's fall wouldn't have happened without their aid" Maurine intersected smiling kindly to Gwen who nodded.
"Yes… It is no secret that Murtagh and many of the dragon riders are not liked by most of the dwarven clans but after the signing of the treaty and the inclusion of the dwarven race into the Dragon Rider band most have changed their opinion. Nevertheless it was King Orik, Hrothgar's adopted son who took his place next, blessed by Helzvog himself…"
"How do you know he was blessed by Helzvog himself?" Adrian intersected, playing with the edges of a pen as a droplet of ink dropped on the scroll he was holding in front of him.
Mirin cleared his throat, looking slightly irritated. "One can feel the presence of the deities during the sacred ceremonies…"
"Were you there? Did you see the Great God? Has anyone seen the Gods?" Adrian continued and rose from his chair.
Mirin pressed his elbow on the desk. "Take your sit, young rider. Just because we cannot see certain things that does not mean they do not exist. Your elven heritage should have taught you as much. Creatures born without magic cannot sense the consciousness of the trees but that does not mean they do not exist…"
"This is true indeed, but then why have no elves sensed the Gods? We have sensed Spirits and Eldunari but not the Gods…" Adrian started once more but was stopped by Rikon.
"Dwarves have sensed the presence of Gods many a times throughout our lifespan…" he started but Adrian shook his head as if he had had enough.
"I respect the need to believe in a power greater than ourselves but… There is no power greater than ourselves. Each race has their own Gods and Deities. Does that mean that they all exist or do they all cancel each other out? Whatever the case someone is definitely on the wrong side. The Wandering Tribes believe in Gokurara and Unulukuna, some of the Varden believe in Angvard, then the Urgals in Rahna, the mother goddess and Svarvok the god of war. The dwarves have many more gods, Helzvog, Klif, Morgothal, Urur, Sindri and Guntera the king of the deities who is said to have created the elves. If Guntera is the strongest of the dwarven Gods does that not mean that the race that he created would also be the strongest? Should not the dwarves pay tribute to the elves since we were created by the King of the Deities according to your History?" Adrian argued once more and Tristan looked at him, realising that his arguments made much sense.
Growing up he and his family had never paid tribute to the Gods. Yes, his father had once been a member of the Wandering Tribes and he would pray to Unulukuna before a hunt but never had religion influenced their decisions or rather stood against their decisions. Tristan did not believe in fate or destiny either. He believed that a man was only as strong as his will was. If his will was weak no matter what choices he made they would be for naught.
However, never had he argued with the dwarves or Urgals about their religion. They were free to believe in destiny or whatever else they wanted, as long as their decisions did not put him and the rest of Alagaesia at risk.
"Do not insult the Gods!" Grohn shouted suddenly irritated.
"Do you think it was the Gods who put you in this position, Grohn? And Master Mirin how would you explain the existence of the Urgals or better yet the Werecats? According to your history they were not created by any of your Deities… Then how are they alive?" Adrian argued once more, his cheeks slightly aflame and for the first time Tristan saw one lock of hair misplaced by his otherwise perfect hairstyle.
Adrian shook his head quickly and went to exit the Library.
"Elven rider wait!" Mirin intersected, raising his hand in the air.
Adrian raised his eyebrows. "Unless you intend to teach us something useful and something true I do not intend to waste my time here, listening to children's stories. I think none of the other riders should stay here as well if they do not wish to"
That caused Maya and May to follow Adrian to the door but a thunder so loud which shook the entire building made them pause.
"Riders, wait" Mirin repeated slowly and all riders turned their attention to the windows where they watched the rain falling aplenty and the sky being torn in half by lighting.
"My beliefs are mine as are your beliefs yours. I now think that with your words you angered Urur, the God of the skies but you will argue against it. Nevertheless you are right. I shall not mention Religion again in my lesson unless it is crucial for us to understand the reasoning behind one's decisions. Please, let us continue with our lesson" the Dwarven Master of History and Ancient Language continued.
Whether it was the Dwarven God of the Skies, Urur, who had caused the storm Tristan did not know but what he did know was that the elder riders, Eragon and Arya were in trouble with such a weather. Tristan had not forgotten how challenging it was riding a dragon with only the slightest hint of bad weather.
What do you believe?, Tristan suddenly asked his dragon, curious.
Vertigo was inside the Grand Hall doing stretching exercises, annoyed for being left behind in Dis Atilan and also not being to fly.
Dragons do not believe in Gods or Deities. We have magic, this we know, and if we believe in something then this is the wisdom of the Eldunari, our elders and our power but nothing more. If the dwarven history is correct they we were created by Urur and Morgothal, the Gods of the Heavens and Fire but I believe this story might be skewed, as most other stories passed down to generations, his dragon said.
Tristan laughed. Indeed, that's the case. Who would listen to a story about two Dwarves named Urur and Morgothal who happened to come upon dragons for the first time? It is not exciting at all. Even, I, used to skip the sections in History books when peace reigned and no wars or exciting things happened even though those were the most important sections of the History Books because keeping a kingdom's peace, the economical and political situation stable were some of the most difficult of tasks.
A thunder echoed through Glieonard once again and Vertigo yawned. If only the dwarven lore was true… Then dragons would be able to have thunder and lightning under their command but we are weak when the weather is like this.
Tristan smiled once again as Mirin continued his lesson, explaining the war that ranged between dragons and elves.
….
Eragon tried to hold on tightly to Saphira's thorns as she tried to glide steadily atop a strong forward wind but it quickly changed direction making the she-dragon lose balance and fight for what felt like the hundredth time against the weather's elements.
We need to find land soon, riders and dragons! Keep your eyes open because if this continues we have no hope of reaching Alagaesia, he advised in the minds of the riders just as another thunder echoed throughout the horizon.
The sky was dark and visibility was possible only when lightning appeared. Nevertheless it had been many hours since a patch of land had last been sighted in the area near Dis Atilan.
What if we land on water?, one of the elder Urgal riders riding Orofan, a pale yellow beast, said.
We cannot. It is no secret that Nïdhwal reside in those waters. And even if they don't the waves would crush us in seconds, Arya advised just as she leaned to the side to avoid a raft of water flying to her direction.
At the moment the riders were flying as close to water as possible since higher up the storm that was raging made it impossible to fly. They had attempted flying higher than the clouds in order to avoid the bad weather but breathing in such heights became a more dangerous task than flying close to the sea, as dragons and riders alike could easily lose consciousness from the lack of oxygen and fall to their deaths without even realising.
There! I can see land!, Diriwan a female dwarven elder rider said as her pale pink dragon flew closer to the direction her rider had pointed at.
Eragon and the rest of the riders followed suit, hoping to land on the patch of earth as soon as possible but suddenly they heard a growl, one which did not belong to a dragon.
A feeling of dread unlike anything Eragon had felt before seized his heart and he looked up to the skies to see the talons of a shadow wyrm slicing his shoulder.
He let out a scream of pain and surprise just as Saphira changed her course of flight and blew fire to the shadow wyrm making it retreat, only temporarily, however. Saphira's flying course had led her down an unsteady rift of wind which pushed her wings forward and backward at the same time.
Saphira let out a loud growl just as a cracking noise sounded and Eragon covered his mouth as his dragon's pain rocked through him.
Hold on Saphira! If we can reach land you will be safe, he promised his dragon who bit the tail of the next shadow wyrm who came her way in obvious irritation. Eragon whispered some words in the Ancient Language to quickly heal Saphira's broken bones and then pulled his sword out. The loss of energy was immediately evident in his movements but still he managed to slice the creature's body in half, making dark liquid explode all around him and he was quick to utter a few words that would protect him and the riders from the shadow wyrm's deadly liquid.
Why did the protective spells not work?, Eragon had to wonder to himself as he fended off a shadow wyrm which was attacking Arya but Firnen was quick enough to grab tightly on the creature's shoulders and slice his belly open.
Maybe they were weakened during the storm?, Saphira offered as she let out another strong jet of flames which lasted for minutes and burned the four shadow wyrms that were around her to dust.
Take that, killers and destroyers of the dragon eggs, Saphira screamed in the minds of everyone present with such power that the dragon riders seemed to take courage from her words and started attaching the shadow wyrms more fiercely.
Chunks of flesh – dragon and wyrm- descended from the sky as a lightning bolt struck again only a few inches away from where Saphira's back left leg was. The she-dragon growled and let out another jet of flames which burned the next two descending shadow wyrms.
How many more of them are there?, Eragon wondered in his dragon's mind as another five shadow wyrms appeared from between the clouds.
The sky was so dark and with so many clouds and rain that even the dragons found it hard discerning things. At some point Eragon saw Orofan attacking Diriwan and her dragon, no doubt mistaking her for the shadow wyrm but it was too late. Diriwan's dragon had lost her wings and she was falling fast towards the dark sea.
Saphira flew to their direction as Eragon prepared to cast a spell that would caution their fall but suddenly his dragon changed direction.
Saphira!, Eragon exclaimed in her mind but the she-dragon only growled loudly and attacked the next shadow wyrm coming their way.
You would not have been able to stop their fall and you would have wasted valuable energy in the process. Remember, the Eldunari are refusing to lend you their power, Saphira replied.
Eragon's swallowed bile and then went on to slice a shadow wyrm's head with Brisingr. The blade cut through the creature's head cleanly and before long the wyrm was descending fast, to be added to the pile of bodies which were swallowed by the non-forgiving sea.
The shadow wyrms appeared to have suddenly retreated and Eragon paused, gazing around him to find the rest of the riders. Not many were present.
He had started with more than ten and now, only 3 were left, Arya and Firnen -although Arya was suffering a deep cut above her abdomen - and Gihlah, Orofan's rider and his dragon.
The wind was still blowing hard and Eragon had to squint his eyes to see but there was nothing more in the distance other than clouds and lightning. He flew closer to the other two dragons and suddenly he felt a rush of malicious thoughts entering his mind and he had to look down to see a Nïdhwal so large that it put Saphira to shame, coming towards them.
Riders, fast!, Arya shouted in everyone's mind and despite the wind rifts pushing them down the riders were able to climb higher and higher, momentarily losing themselves between the clouds until another lightning bolt struck, a bolt that was strong that Eragon could feel the vibrations running through him and see the light of it even before it reached ground.
He only had a second to look up and that was when the bolt struck him. His lower body felt as if it was on fire, a fire which burned hotter than Saphira's, a fire so deep that caused everything inside him to burst into flames. The bolt hit Saphira as well because Eragon heard her shriek before he uttered his own, even though his pain was clouding his thoughts and he didn't feel hers.
The air was once again blowing his hair, only now they were no longer going upwards but falling, falling to the unforgiving sea where the Nïdhwal would swallow them whole before the waves crushed them.
Saphira, he managed to whisper hearing the words little one in his mind.
The words of a long forgotten prophecy played in his mind just before he lost consciousness. Beware of losing your way, for you are one of the few who are truly free to choose their own fate. That freedom is a gift, but it is also a responsibility more binding than chains. And yet, as if to counteract that, here is the lightning bolt. It is a terrible omen. There is a doom upon you, but of what sort I know not. Part of it lies in a death - one that rapidly approaches and will cause you much grief. But the rest awaits in a great journey. Look closely at this bone. You can see how its end rests on that of the sailing ship. That is impossible to misunderstand. Your fate will be to leave this land forever. Where you will end up I know not but you will never again stand in Alagaësia. This is inescapable. It will come to pass even if you try to avoid it.
I tried to avoid it, Eragon thought and then as if a puzzle had clicked in his mind, he understood every meaning of the prophecy he had spent many nights trying to comprehend and alter. I tried.
…
It was early morning when Kayla awoke and without further due she dressed in full gear, making sure to strap the two daggers that she had stolen from the Grand Hall the previous night. She put her hair into a tight ponytail making sure no loose strands fell in front of her eyes. She filled one pouch full with oats and the other with nuts while she put plenty of fresh water in both her water skins.
Despite the protective ward placed around the human dorm, Kayla found it easy to slip through it without causing any disruptions. She started running fast, feeling the fresh morning air slap her face and extinguishing whatever remnants of sleep were left. Aiedail was waiting for her near the lake she had swam in during the end of the Games.
Are you sure you want to do this?, the purple dragon inclined and Kayla nodded, once, while placing her legs tightly around Aiedail's back.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds and pinched herself. She had fallen for this trick once already and she wasn't going to fall for it again. During the dreaming spell that the Dragon Rider Masters had cast she had known something was off from the very start but she had chosen to ignore her gut feeling and proceed with the plan thinking it was only her imagination.
Not this time, though. She stopped often to look at her surroundings and the landscape making sure everything was as it was supposed to be, with no details missing, no upside down images or fantasies of her own.
In the beginning of her dream she had been with the rest of the young riders as they went along with their plan to steal the ships and return to Alagaesia but as soon as she had realised that there was something off, Kayla had been immediately transported into a different scenery with other creatures around her. She knew then that she was in a dream but the dream was too good for her to wake up. For a few seconds she had allowed herself to get lost into this parallel world of bliss until she had woken up with a startle. She had been the very first to awake, followed soon after by Adrian.
After examining for the tenth time the pattern of the leaves on a nearby tree, Kayla decided that this was reality. Aiedail landed with a small noise on the shores of Dis Atilan and the girl gently slid from her back and onto soft ground. She could feel the barrier placed around the island from a mile away. The energy of the spell was pulsing around her with the energy of the Eldunari and the Masters of Training and to her surprise, the energy of the island itself. She closed her eyes and started examining the spell, trying to find the different patterns it was connected to. Unfortunately, the spell was powered by many different souls and breaking it would require her to break the boundaries of every Eldunari and Master of Training.
She exhaled angrily and tried to see if there was another way around it, a way which the Masters had not considered, one that would allow her to sneak under a hidden passageway and into the exterior but… without any luck. The dragon came closer to her and touched her muzzle to her arm, lending her power, but for the time being Kayla did not require it.
"Clever spell, is it not?" she heard a voice saying behind her, one she recognised.
Kayla did not need to turn around or open her eyes.
"It will keep our enemies at bay" she replied, not in the least bit convinced after remembering the events that had occurred in her dream only a few hours ago.
Yes, discerning dream from reality was a skill and Kayla had known, even though she had had not partaken in the vision itself, that what she was witnessing was true. Shivers run on her skin, remembering the storm and the bodies of dragons and riders as they crushed to the dark sea…
"And the students locked inside" the male voice replied and Kayla heard the slightest whoosh of air as the rider sat next to her.
Kayla bit her lip just as she saw a large black dragon with golden highlights landing next to her and rushing to his rider.
"What's your plan?" Laer wondered and Kayla shook her head.
"It does not matter anymore. The only thing I, and you can do at the moment, is wait. You were awfully silent during Mirin's lesson yesterday. Don't think for one second that I didn't know you were scheming" Kayla said and locked eyes with the rider.
Laer playfully laughed at her. "Me? Scheming? Don't be ridiculous. The fact that I was silent yesterday does not mean I don't have an opinion on the topic, just that I do not wish to share it"
"Why would you not?" Kayla wondered.
Again, the rider smiled. "One, I do not wish to offend anyone. Two, I am biased"
"So you think Gods exist, then" Kayla said and studied Laer's expression as it changed for only a brief second, indicating his surprise.
Then he corrected himself. "I don't think Gods exist. Unfortunately, I know they do"
Kayla's brows pulled together in perplex, ready to utter the next question when she heard a loud splash of waves.
"Ramr ven" she whispered quickly, rising from the sand and her sight became equal to her dragon's.
She could see a mile away and it was evident that there was a creature strapped between the sea boundaries of Dis Atilan and the outside world. Only this creature was humanoid and without a second thought she rode atop her dragon as Laer flew before her to the place the creature was stranded at. Neither the riders nor the creature could cross the boundaries, however.
"Adurna moi" Kayla said just then to stop the sea's power from swallowing the creature and only then did she see the river of brown hair springing forth from the water.
The woman blinked at her and then also whispered. "Adurna moi"
Without realising what was happening the water started changing, taking a shape Kayla was not sure she had thought off. Only then did she realise that water and air were the only things that could easily cross the boundaries placed around the island without any consequences. And only then did she realise that she had accidentally found the hidden passageway. The woman slipped through the boundaries easily and without a second thought Kayla jumped from her dragon's back landing just before the water, whispering some words that allowed her to walk atop the water's surface as if it was solid. She pulled the woman's hand and helped her stand atop the surface.
For a moment, nothing happened with the woman looking at her intently, as if she was someone familiar. Then, her attention sifted above, to where the two dragons and Laer were flying. Again, she watched them silently until she abruptly stopped and started laughing with a girlish laugh, her curly brown hair bouncing to the side.
Once again, all too abruptly, she started running on the water on the path Kayla had created.
"Wait!" the girl shouted and started running quickly after her while Laer and the two dragons followed suit.
Kayla cursed herself for making hasty decisions and made herself run faster, the water on the surface changing texture and becoming more fluid making her slide. She reached the shore at the same time the other woman and the dragons did but the woman had stopped running and was lying atop the sand with her eyes closed.
"Who are you?" Kayla couldn't help but ask and started concentrating her energy on the woman, preparing to attack her mind if need be, but the woman only laughed.
Laer reached her side also examining the woman in front of him carefully.
"I expected one such as you to know the answer to this question already" the woman replied with a young tone of voice. She looked to be no older than twenty years of age.
"Why are you here?" Laer asked next.
The woman cocked her head to the side and smirked as if what Laer had said was funny. "Ach ono néiat hávr thornessa hugin? Laerkarnadir, onr ushmara un ushnark hshod hávr tishna ono brot"
Kayla's eyebrows pulled together trying to understand what the woman had just said. The first part of the sentence was definitely elvish, asking Laer why he did not have the answer to his question already. The second part of the sentence was mixed. She discerned some elvish words but for the most part they appeared to be Urgal. She knew that in the Urgal tongue, Ushmara meant mother but other than this word she did not know the rest.
Laer stepped forward, his expression turning serious, calculating and cold as he moved in alarmingly fast speed and pressed a dagger across the woman's neck. "Horn ere ono? Wran ach ono hávr thornessa hugin?"
"Kaz jtierl razhid, Urgralgra" the woman said and Laer pressed the dagger closer to the woman's neck.
"Novri lacoona eka thornessa argon. Gin, sweran iet niostque rir deyja. Horn ere ono?" he asked again and Kayla stepped forward ready to stop him if need be.
She trusted the woman no more than Laer did but it was obvious she had valuable information and killing her would deny them the chance of getting this.
"I have had many names and lived many lives. Most, however know me as the herbalist" the woman smiled pleasantly and then proceeded to whisper something into Laer's ear which made the rider drop his dagger to the side, in horror, fascination and awe. His dragon's reaction was similar with the great creature kneeling to the ground and staring at the woman with dilated irises.
Kayla stared at them, unable to comprehend what was at play. She was about to utter a question when loud footsteps sounded from the distance.
"Why are you here, wise one?" Idel, the Master of Magic shouted, arriving with Maud, Octavian, Mirin and all the young riders.
"I like to be where significant events take place" was the woman's answer. "Alagaesia's doom approaches fast, creatures of the land, water and air are soon to perish and there is nothing in my power that can make me change this"
A/N: Once again I apologise for taking this long to post a chapter. Tell me if you prefer this format of longer chapters rather than shorter, more frequent ones. Hope you enjoyed the story and many thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapters, Elemental Dragon Slayer, Howtobook101 and Alfonse08 for your many reviews and helpful comments. I will take everything you said on board!
Ancient Language Translations:
Hemileia vastatrix= Latin name for coffee
Ramr ven= strong sight
Adurna moi= water, change
Ach ono néiat hávr thornessa hugin = Do you not have this knowledge?
Laerkarnadir, onr ushmara un ushnark hshod hávr tishna ono brot = Laerkarnadir, your mother and father should have taught you better.
Horn ere ono? Wran ach ono hávr thornessa hugin? = Who are you? Why do you have this knowledge?
Kaz jtierl razhid, Urgralgra= Do not attack, horned man.
Novri lacoona eka thornessa argon. Gin, sweran iet niostque rir deyja. Horn ere ono? = Never call me this again. Now, answer my question or die. Who are you?