Hey guys! I am very sorry that I have neglected this story for so long :( , but I was focusing on my other story, Children of the Prophecy, and also my PJO& Harry Potter crossover. But, this story has made a return, and I promise I will update about every other week for at least another 3 or 4 chapters. But in the future I do have exams, so I might be taking a break... hopefully not as long as this though. Anyways, before I bore you all to death, read, enjoy and REVIEW! :)
Guest - Thanks!
Ancient Wolf - Awww to what? But thanks anyways!
RestrainedFreedom- This story starts 24 days after the end of Inheritance - so yeah, just over 3 weeks. Although, in the course of the first chapter I skip through over another four weeks. So in theory, chapter two is about 8 weeks after the end of Inheritance. And yes M&T have returned!
The Strange Power
Of course, peace couldn't stay long at the party, because just then a red dragon dived at them from above, beating powerful gusts of wind onto them.
Eragon sighed, "nice of you to make a quiet entry!" He yelled mentally.
"No problem." Murtagh responded, and Eragon could sense the grin spreading across his mouth. Murtagh leapt down from Thorn and hit the ground running, encasing Eragon in a chest-crushing bear hug. After a couple of seconds he let go and withdrew.
"How are you, brother?" Murtagh asked, laughing at the disgust faintly painted onto Eragon's face.
"I was fine until you arrived," he smirked and dodged Murtagh's playful punch.
"Play nice, boys." Arya said, smiling softly.
Murtagh's powerful laugh boomed across the huge landscape, echoing off the waterfall. "Ah, yes," he said, bowing down and kissing her hand, "the lady, Queen of the Elves."
She rolled her eyes.
Suddenly Eragon noticed movement in the trees and he swiftly stepped forward drawing his sword. His paranoia was caused by all his days of chasing and being chased. He held his unwavering sword, Brisingr, high and right in front of him.
The thing that had emerged raised their hands.
"I mean no harm." A familiar voice said. Nasuada had arrived too.
Eragon sheathed Brisingr and bowed low, before getting up and hugging her warmly.
"How is everything?" he asked her quietly.
"It's becoming rather uneasy in all the cities. My soldiers are having to end more and more conflicts, and it won't be long before a civil war is started, I'm afraid," she sighed heavily, looking both tired and resigned. "It's about time that you and the riders parade; hopefully it'll calm people down a bit. Of course, Murtagh will be joining you."
Arya turned to Murtagh, "You returned?"
"Ah, I did, for my lady of course. It is why I brought her here on Thorn," he indicated towards his dragon who had risen and was darting through the sky in a ruby, sapphire and emerald kaleidoscope of colours.
Eragon continued, "But, Nasuada, surely they will be angry, since we have no new riders, they will think we are being power hungry and selfish?"
But she just smiled, a twinkle appearing in her eyes.
She turned and whispered in Arya's ear. Eragon wondered what all this madness was about. What had he missed?
Arya spoke now, instead of Nasuada. Her voice was soft against the relentless drumming of the waterfall on the frothing lake below, "I forgot to tell you, Eragon," she whispered, but didn't elaborate, but at least she was smiling. "No matter... NAAVIC! PRESENT YOURSELF!" Eragon wondered what on earth Naavic was, but by now was used to this element of mystery.
Out of nowhere an iridescent, opal dragon shot forward through the trees, barely big enough to fly yet, and below it, ran a small dwarf, head to toe in armour. "An egg hatched." she finished.
It was beautiful to see the pair bonding, like watching kids grow up nostalgically. As if in slow motion, they moved together and darted left and right through the clearing. The dragon was beautiful, made of hundreds of different colours, merged together, as if an artist had spilt a rainbow on it. Eragon couldn't properly see the dwarf through its armour, but he looked to be about 15, not yet an adult.
Eragon felt something powerful flood brought the clearing, and watched in awe as the pair continued towards the other side of the clearing. It was then that the dragon clipped its wing whilst dodging a tree and things went horribly wrong. It dipped and knocked into Naavic, the rider, who was sent sprawling over the knotted mesh of roots below. The dragon then spiralled out of control and the four adults had to jump out the way as it spiralled to earth and crashed into the earth with a colossal thump.
"Smooth entrance," Murtagh commented as Arya and Eragon ran to help. He joined Eragon, who was tending to the dragon.
"Are you okay?" Arya asked the dwarf boy. He looked at her and then at Eragon and nodded vivaciously. His hair was tousled, but it became worse as he stumbled to his feet to tend to his dragon. Eragon held out his arm to ensure that if the dragon became conscious suddenly, it would not hurt its rider accidentally. Eragon started tending to the dragon once again.
"But the dragon is not alright," Eragon muttered darkly. Dark blood was seeping out of one of its wings. Eragon shut his eyes and mumbled beneath his breath. Nothing happened, and the blood started forming pools underneath the dragons injured flap of skin.
Murtagh and Arya cast their own spells, but something was definitely wrong.
"SAPHIRA!" Eragon hollered mentally. Things were definitely wrong. "Murtagh scout the area. Something's not right," Eragon ordered. He blocked his mind carefully and drew his sword, whilst setting spells over the area. He was starting to get worried. No answer from Saphira and all this was happening now. He started to feel weak after casting so many spells.
"What's happening?" Arya asked, gravely.
"No idea," he responded, "and Saphira isn't answering. Strange." He finished.
Now he was severely worried. He couldn't do anything to help the dragon as it lost far too much blood for his liking. He started to sway as he stood up. The dragon at his feet was dying and he had no way of saving it. Desperation flooded his body; "HELP," he screamed mentally, "Please. Help."
Nothing. He was alone, oppressed by the world, watching the future dragon of the riders die in front of his eyes. It was like a dream, hazy, as if he had no presence. He could do nothing, and he faded, he faded away until he disapp-
"I am here, Eragon. What is it that you seek?" A deep voice resounded through his mind, force-feeding energy into Eragon, like a mother to her child.
Glaedr! Thank goodness. Eragon calmed down, drawing on Brisingr's energy and became stable on his feet. He could think clearly again, and told Glaedr of the problem.
"Hmmm, this is bad news. Bad news indeed. First you must sort out the dragon, the spell you need is this: lgós endis myrkr, læ liøa. But make sure to say it loud and clear, and you will need some of brisingr's energy, I sense your weakness, and this spell is not for the weak." Glaedr answered calmly.
"Thank you, Glaedr-elda," Eragon answered. He seeped up almost as much energy as he could take from the pommel of his sapphire sword. In a loud voice he repeated Glaedr's spell.
"Lgós endis myrkr, læ liøa!" He yelled. Weakness spread through his body and he fell to the ground. His head hit the ground and his eyes shut.
He was alone on the cavern floor. Braziers lined the floor all the way up the passageway, burning with blue flames. He felt a long way away, far from Alagæsia, in another Kingdom. Suddenly he heard a voice, but couldn't make out any words. He looked around, attempting to locate the source of the voice. But as hard as he looked he could find no source. As he sat there, listening to the booming of sounds, his hearing became more and more refined. And then suddenly, the words made sense.
"Master, we have found the place. But it's far away, very far away." Someone mumbled nervously, stumbling over their words. The words echoed around the cavern numerous times hitting Eragon like a stone to the face.
No voice answered, but the messenger continued speaking after a few seconds."It's bigger, yes. And as far as we know, it has insufficient defence. An easy battle. We will gain a lot of power out of it too." Nervousness ran through his voice, almost quivering.
Once again, a silence elapsed before the voice continued to speak, "We are sure that no one or no thing will possess anything near your power, you will destroy the kingdom with ease, I assure you, master."
This time however, Eragon, or his presence travelled closer and closer so that he caught the last few words of the reply.
"Kill them all." The voice radiated a numbing, but fierce power, as if it was made of leaden death. The voice struck Eragon and-
"Wake up! Eragon!" Someone shook his shoulders hard. He opened his eyes and figures came into his view blearily. He closed them again, as his eyelids felt as if they were made of lead. Drowsiness seeped through his body and his ears tuned out the shouting until he descended into the darkness again.
Eragon woke up, slowly sat up and his eyes became adjusted to the light, which had flooded him at first. He looked around, and saw nothing but the lush trees spreading further and further outwards. He was not at his home and couldn't see any of his friends. He pulled his sword out and stood up slowly. He decided to take a look around. Having scanned the whole clearing, he appeared to be in a dense jungle. He put Brisingr away and sat down again, pondering what was happening. Once again he tried to comprehend the situation and attempted to find out who had accompanied him here.
"Saphira?" He mentally probed against the trees, but got no response. "SAPHIRA! Where are you?" He yelled.
No response. He scanned out with his mind and noticed a presence not so far away. He began to jog towards the presence and after ten minutes started hearing the signs of activity. Eragon drew his sword and preceded carefully towards a thick mesh of trees. After peering through, he could see nothing, so he continued through the jungle towards the sounds. Five minutes later he noticed that the sounds were becoming fainter and he retraced his steps. It was then when he noticed a flash of movement and he turned his eyes to the sky. What he saw was surprising- an opal dragon was trapped in the top of a tree and was thrashing about, attempting to release itself. Naavic's dragon.
Eragon immediately recited a spell and helped the dragon free itself, without killing itself and the tree whilst doing so. What on earth was Naavic's dragon doing here? Everything had moved so quickly. One moment he was having a reunion with his friends... And now... He was alone with a dragon he barely knew and had no idea where he was or why.
Eragon opened his mind to the dragon, attempting to converse with it; but the dragon's mind was going crazy, clearly traumatised by its' recent events. Or were they recent? Eragon had no idea how long it was since he fell asleep. A day? A month?
Another powerful wave of energy flooded him. Eragon had felt that before; just before the incident with Naavic and his dragon. Not again. Please; not again. Eragon cast numerous wards, protecting himself and the dragon against every threat he could think of. Eragon decided that this time he would be ready, no matter what. He cast his mind out as he drew as much energy as he could out of Brisingr's pommel - it's energy pool was starting to run low. He felt no other invasive forces anywhere near them; yet there was a background noise, almost like a faint buzzing, which bothered him. He was sure that this was the wave of force he had felt earlier, and when he was with his friends before the incident.
Suddenly he became aware of hundreds of hostile beings infringing on the edges of his mind. Fanghur. Eragon automatically turned to Saphira for help. But he was alone. He drew Brisingr, which burnt with a dazzling white light. Around him, orbs of fire grew, circling him faster and faster as he prepared to kill the beasts without being able to ride a dragon.
In his line of sight, a flying monster entered his field of vision. The Fanghur had arrived. And then, a man appeared before his eyes. And somehow, Eragon knew it was the man from his vision...
Bwahaha - yeah I left you on a cliffhanger... I am evil...
But seriously I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It is relatively short as opposed to my first one, because I felt like splitting this chapter in two, just to leave you on a cliffhanger... I told you that I was evil...
If you enjoyed it, and want to see more, REVIEW! If you want to see me do something, please review and I will accommodate your wishes as best I can...
:)