Ok, I wanted to continue with Eragon's journey, but then I kind of cheated and continued with a Thorn/Shruikan chapter. I don't like this site because of the primitive posting system, so I will just answer to your reviews here. From now on, all the Thank you comments, responses, and everything else will be answered in bold before a chapter. You just review and you will get to see your name over here! :o
Eragonnerd- Your message kind of helped me, and I'm glad you think so highly of my fanfic. I too hope that I will get more reviews, but eh, I can't force people to post you know... What part did you not understand? Tell me, and I will try to clear it up. This chapter has more cute moments, so read it and tell me what ya think :)
Commentaholic- Oh yea, even if it was just a fictive death. You are quite perceptive, for realizing that the nightmare was related to the dark magic. Some theories I received on the other forum were so crazy that they completely forgot about the fact that I will not, under any circumstance, introduce a ground breaking change so early. I don't see why you think that Murtagh is an idiot just for killing an enemy. That means Saphira is an idiot for disliking Thorn, as well as Eragon for hating Galby. Just because each side of this conflict has certain principles, it does not mean that they are idiots. Glaedr was a formidable enemy, but he had to be put down as any other threat that might have endangered Thorn. Murtagh had no idea who Glaedr and Oromis was, so it's kind of natural for him not to care. They weren't THAT popular anyway.
DarkShruikan- From your name, I can see that you are a fan of him. I'm so happy to finally find someone who actually like Shruikan and doesn't think that he is acting very weird. Everybody seems to assume that he is a twisted, broken dragon when there is no reference to it.
RestrainedFreedom- That's what I am trying to do! Corrupting you into liking Shruikan and Thorn :D Enjoy this chapter, it has more of what you seek in it.
A memory of the past materialized itself into Thorn's dream, reviving the moments of his life as a young hatchling.
It was when he was almost a month of age that Thorn first encountered Shruikan. Despite the multiple protests coming from Murtagh, Galbatorix insisted that he should broaden his skills through an instruction provided by Shruikan, the black, ominous dragon that was little known throughout the kingdom.
Although different rumors, some more accurate than the rest, circulated amongst the various citizens of Uru'Baen, the capital city of the Empire, none actually dared to put an end to the ephemeral ramblings and go in search of the truth.
The king's servants, which had close access to what was going on inside the castle, were the main source of these information leaks. Although Shruikan seldom spent his time inside the large chambers which formed the dragon hold, many of the servants were curious to see one of the last surviving dragons with their own eyes. However, mere curiosity was not the only motivation that pushed them forward, fueling their sinister curiosity.
Those few good story tellers were known and respected, something each of the lesser servants craved for. In spite of the veiled uncertainty, many of them were talking among themselves with fear and enmity about the black beast of Galbatorix, the dragon who was forced to shed the blood of his own kin at the king's command. None dared to incur his wrath, not even for the truth itself.
It was said that his sanity was all but shattered by the heinous acts he was forced to commit, and that his mind had gradually been broken by his rising insanity. Murtagh heard many of these rumors and begged Galbatorix not to do something that would risk Thorn's life, but his words held no power. Unconvinced by his pathetic pleas, Galbatorix ordered that Thorn was to be brought into a large chamber and forced to wait.
Four of the king's servants shortly rushed into Murtagh's room, ready to subdue him by any means necessary. With his partner of mind and soul gone, there was little he could do to fend off his aggressors.
The small dragon bit and clawed at anything and anyone that approached him, squeaking defiantly at the humans which prepared the ropes and the net they had in their hands. After the short squabble, a small net sealed Thorn's fate as he was finally captured by the humans and forced to submit. The servants carried the agitated, noisy hatchling to the dragon hold before they released the net and the ropes which bound his legs, leaving him all alone.
Thorn's heart was beating frantically as the hatchling found itself trapped in a large, dark chamber where the light went no further than a short distance from the small windows. Feeling apprehensive and scared, Thorn slowly got up on his legs, inspecting the strange place with his fearful vermilion eyes.
Nothing seemed to stir in the dark, empty chamber until a soft, deep growl could be heard from one of the dark corners of the room. Thorn squeaked in panic once before his eyes turned towards the source of the noise, inspecting it reluctantly. Another loud squeak escaped him when a slight thud mixed with a clicking noise broke the silence, an unpleasant screech of claws sliding across smooth marble vanishing as fast as it came. Something moved through the permeating darkness. His instincts told him so.
Afraid of the unknown, Thorn expressed his fright and loneliness through a series of squeaks and yelps. Out of a sudden, a large paw covered in midnight black scales pierced the darkness, the rays of the sun reflecting off its surface. Panicking, Thorn backed away until he could go no further. A growl of fear escaped the helpless hatchling, which coiled its body defensively near one of the few sources of light, a window. Placing his snout close to his hind leg, tail wrapped along his body, Thorn could do nothing but wait.
The clicking sound of claws on the tough stone became more clear and prominent as the dark creature approached Thorn's location. Feeling his space being invaded, the young hatchling raised his head, squeaking in terror as his eyes noticed a large, dark bulk not far away from him. The creature was covered in black scales which shined with a dark, pleasant hue when the light from the outside reflected on them. Its size was impressive as well as intimidating, and the fiery amber eyes which stared at Thorn made the hatchling even more afraid for his safety. Panicking at the large, unknown creature which seemed to share the same features as he did, Thorn began to squeak, growl, doing everything he could that would help in warding this fearsome beast off.
With a quick move, the black dragon covered the short distance between them and brought his snout down, sniffing him inquisitively. Thorn recoiled and placed his head under his small wings to protect himself against the vortex of air created by the twitching nostrils of the large dragon. The unpleasant situation soon came to a stop when this dark scaled male stopped from his inquiring sniffs and lowered his body, placing his large head on the ground.
Poking through his wing curiously with his little head, Thorn eyed the dragon suspiciously, different thoughts passing through his young mind. Time passed and the two of them did nothing but to stare at each other. The black scales which appeared to glitter under the soft caress of the light attracted Thorn's attention, who looked at them curiously.
Feeling his interest strangely pinched by the black creature, Thorn reluctantly got up onto his legs and advanced towards it with slow steps. The hatchling went around the large snout and inspected the side of its head while his nostrils twitched as he sniffed inquisitively. With a quick bite, Thorn grabbed one of the scales with his sharp teeth and pulled back, attempting to yank it off. Despite the force that pulled it, the tough scale remained as inert as ever.
Squeaking in protest, Thorn let go and pawed at it a few times before he lifted his head. A particular ivory formation which rose from the base of the creature's skull yet again summoned Thorn's interest. Its smooth curves, the weird shape and the length only added to Thorn's growing curiosity. Rising onto his hind legs, the hatchling scratched the tough black scales with his front legs and tried to use brute force to pull himself up. The meager attempts in reaching his point of interest failed when Thorn clumsily lost his balance and fell on his back, squeaking in protest.
The black dragon lifted its massive head, eyeing the small hatchling who struggled to get onto his feet. Thorn managed to roll over and stand on all fours when he yet again met the large snout of the creature. Thorn flinched, drawing his head back a little in a defensive gesture. However, fear alone could not justify his insatiable curiosity, and what happened next could only be blamed on his fragile age.
Walking towards the dragon's snout with slow steps, Thorn quickly jumped on it, scrambling onto his feet to reach what interested him the most: the large, raising ivory formations. With the help of his sharp claws which slid between the tough scales which covered the black dragon's snout, Thorn managed to reach its prize. Arching his neck, the hatchling bit at the base of the large horn. Then, he started in gnawing on it without much success. A deep rumbling sound disturbed the silence, and Thorn could feel the slippery, scaly surface moving as he lost his balance and fell again, this time on his side.
Thorn let out a light growl of pain at the contact with the tough surface of the stone floor, but he quickly corrected his position by rolling over so he could stand on his belly. He spent a few moments on the ground, trying to understand what just happened.
The thoughts in his little mind were disturbed when the black dragon closed in with his snout, gently pushing the hatchling onto his side.
Thorn yelped in surprise, taken aback by this strange yet almost friendly contact between them. He was not sure what was about to happen when a pink, wet object darted out of the black dragon's mouth, brushing against Thorn's body as it ran along his belly and neck. At first, Thorn growled in protest, but after a couple more strokes of the black dragon's tongue Thorn relaxed completely. The sensation was so pleasant, so calming, and in that moment Thorn instinctively knew that this creature had no intentions to harm him. Letting go of all the negative emotions and stress that gathered inside him ever since he got here, Thorn relaxed completely under the caring display of the black dragon.
That was the first time when Thorn saw the feared black dragon with his eyes, but this small contact between them was also the most important one. Although he was still a young hatchling, Thorn knew that the black dragon had no intentions to harm or do anything that would hurt him. As time passed, the small red hatchling slowly grew, same as his bond with Shruikan. Soon after he started to fully trust Shruikan, Thorn began to spend more time with him, mainly playing as he was yet too young to speak mentally. The older dragon was always patient and gentle with Thorn, even when he started to become quite the pest by annoying Shruikan with his constant squeaks, bites and scratches.
These interactions held an important role after Thorn was old enough to speak mentally. Although spending time with his Rider was something he could not deny, Thorn could not help but yearn for the interactions with someone of his own kin. It brought great joy to Thorn whenever he had the chance to meet with the black dragon.
Even though Galbatorix often interfered into the affairs of the dragons, ordering Shruikan to teach Thorn different moves and advices related to combat, Thorn did not regret spending his time this way. Under Shruikan's training, he learned a great deal of things about the ways of the dragon, including making use of his wings to gracefully fly above the land.
As time passed, so did Thorn's knowledge increased. The training he received under Shruikan proved to be very useful whenever Galbatorix sent Murtagh on scouting missions Although Shruikan was Thorn's mentor, he did not look at him in such way, for they were even closer than that. Having met Shruikan at such a fragile age, Thorn started to look up at Shruikan as a fatherly figure, for the bond they shared and the affection they showed to each other went deeper than a mentor-student one.
Thoughts about Shruikan lessened Thorn's displeasure whenever he was scolded by the king or sent into missions. Shruikan was the one that understood him better than anyone, even more than Murtagh, for only one who knew the true pain of the slavery and spent his life in doing someone's bidding could fully understand how Thorn felt.
A slight nudge coming from under his stretched wing woke Thorn from his short slumber. Blinking a few times in confusion, the dragon snorted and turned his head around lazily. The culprit behind this disturbance was Shruikan, who pushed his snout under the protective membrane of Thorn's wing. The ruby dragon blinked once, slightly confused about what was happening. His senses were still numbed with fatigue and his eyelids felt heavy as Thorn wished nothing more than to continue his sleep undisturbed.
Thorn growled weakly, placing his head under his wing as he coiled into a comfortable sleeping position, inches away from Shruikan's snout. At the moment, playing or elucidating the reason behind Shruikan's actions was the least Thorn wanted as he was overwhelmed by a wave of tiredness. He only managed to close his eyes briefly before another nudge, this time on the back of his neck summoned his attention. With a noticeable hiss of irritation, Thorn flapped his right wing a few times to ward off the pestering thing that approached his neck.
A low, deep growl rippled from Shruikan's throat, I apologize for disturbing you, young one, but I caught the scents of several elves while I made my way here. I do not know if they will find us or not, but I prefer not to take that risk, said Shruikan, nuzzling the length of Thorn's neck soothingly to alleviate any feelings of spite Thorn might have felt in that moment.
Thorn growled in protest and lifted his head, turning it around so he could face Shruikan, two elves that attacked us in Feinster were reluctant to kill me. Murtagh spared them, and in turn they confessed that the death of a dragon must be prevented at any cost, no matter where your allegiance lies, he finished quickly, hoping that this small piece of information was enough to extinguish Shruikan's worries.
The black dragon was slightly convinced as he stood up on his legs, unfolding his magnificent black wings as he did so.
You cannot take their word for granted, Thorn, for the elves are masters of trickery, even when they speak in the ancient language. That aside, most of them are struck with grief and rage after the demise of their Rider, and there is a strong chance that they will let the thoughts of revenge overwhelm them.
Thorn lowered his head, musing about his master's words. The memory of Glaedr savagely sinking his teeth into his left hind leg, then severing the last three feet of his tail mercilessly was still vivid into his mind. Feeling only negative feelings rising inside him the more he thought about the battle with the golden dragon, Thorn focused his thoughts on the two elves that he had spared.
Shruikan is right. These pointed-ears cannot be fully trusted, not all of them at least. The Rider and his dragon were old and wise, but their feelings of vengeance against Galbatorix consumed them. If it were not for Murtagh's intervention, I would have passed into the void.
The ruby dragon was roused from his thoughts as Shruikan moved beside him, brushing his head against the side of his body.
Lifting his wing, Thorn growled in delight, pleased by the attention he received, There is no need to face them on the battlefield. We can avoid killing them as long as we fly away from this place. It does not matter how fast a ground creature is, it cannot compete with the speed of a dragon, Thorn said eagerly.
Shruikan growled softly, an undying fervor to protect the ones he cared about igniting itself in his amber eyes, I have seen how you struggle when flying, hatchling. I will not put your life at risk only to spare the life of other insignificant beings, no matter what race they belong to. As long as they are not dragons, I do not care what kind of blood I must shed to protect you, finished Shruikan abruptly, moving away from Thorn. He remained limp, no other thoughts crossing his mind as he was transfixed by the length Shruikan would go to protect him from those that would raise their weapons against him.
Thorn watched how Shruikan moved a short distance away from him so he could extend his mighty wings to their full span.
We will need Murtagh's help to bring them down quick. Remain here, for I will return as fast as my wings would allow, growled Shruikan, gazing at Thorn before he lowered into the specific crouch that would allow him to take to the skies.
Thorn did not even have the time to rise from his position as Shruikan leaped into the air, flapping his mighty wings as hard as he could. A storm of dust and dry grass was created in his wake as his powerful wings sent down mighty gusts.
Thorn looked at the departing form of Shruikan with both pride and admiration, impressed by his willingness to protect him, no matter the cost.
Shruikan has endured so much more than I did, yet his mind does not seem stained by the memories of the blood he was forced to shed at Galbatorix's command. Such a dragon deserves much more than to be hated by so many, humans and elves alike, for what he did in the past.
So, this is it. Comment, critique, any opinion is welcomed. The next chapter will return to Eragon, as well as my efforts to do Arya and Eragon stuff...