Chapter 18

To my companions I looked calm and relaxed laying with my head resting on my forelegs but I was far from it. Creating my own mental mindscape let me do all the panicking out of sight, and I was doing a lot of it. How could I forget that Eragon would scry Arya and confirm what he dreamt was real?! Also this is when Brom tells Saphira his secret! I stopped my mental pacing. Was that a big deal? I'm planning to save Brom already, so does it matter? Plus I know his secret anyhow so no, that isn't as important. Now I just need to figure out how to get Eragon to scry Arya, or do I? He sees her when He gets captured in Gil'ead so does he need to scry her now? No, but I messed up on Brom getting him to think. Maybe if… yes, that'll do.

"Something that I seem to realize."Everyone's head turned to face me.

"You need to think carefully, Eragon. I know I mentioned it already but you and Saphira were ready to drop in to assist me. That in itself would have been ill-advised. They would see their prey was a dragon and rider instead of only a man and his pet Shrrg and would let the whole kingdom know where you were by rumors and stories. And what would you've done with that many? Would you've killed them?"

I got a shake from his head. "No, I would have used magic to knock them out."

Brom sputtered and was about to yell at the boy but I held up a talon to forestall his lecture, my eyes staring intently into his as I continued calmly.

"You'd only succeed in killing yourself. Remember the rule that to magic a task takes as much energy as it'd take to do normally. Can you, with your current physical strength, knock out or repel an Urgal?" At that he slumped his shoulders and shook his head.

"Then you can realize the outcome from magic, yes? Good."

He looked up at me with awe while Brom settled back down giving me a nod of approval.

"Then after what you did you must be powerful!"

Brom looked back and forth between us. "Now I'm curious, what is it that you did? To my knowledge, dragons cannot actively use magic but by Eragon's reaction, you did."

Eragon looked at Saphira and I could see the conversation going between them. She then looked at Brom and I watched his eyes widen unfocused as they were. Ah, Saphira was sharing the memory of the event. "Eragon is right to be surprised, That is some powerful feat, what spell was that?"

I suppose I could spill a few secrets to them, although Saphira already knows a fair amount of them.

"No, you are correct that dragons cannot use their native Alagaësian magic. The only spells I can perform is a heal which works only on other dragons, and brisingr to some effect but that is all."

My human companions looked hilariously confused and it took Brom a bit before he found his voice again. "Then what was that spell?! You cannot deny it was magic!"

I simply grinned at them both, Saphira was quietly laughing behind them. "It isn't Alagaësian magic."

Brom caught on then, his expression brightening and full of wonder. "A different type of magic that doesn't follow our rules?"

I shook my head. "It has its own rules, its own risks. The risks depend on the methods."

I went on giving them the same lecture I gave Saphira about the golem and I could see Brom understanding my magic could draw energy from the world just like the magic he knew. Then it came to the magic they saw me use on the Urgals.

"The earthen spikes and pillars require what I've taken to call Cultivation. Something I'm sure you know of Eragon." When he slowly shook his head I just groaned, laid my head on the ground, and covered it with both paws. "How can a farmer not know about Cultivation?" With a grunt, I uncovered one side of my face to see Brom was amused at my frustration and both Eragon and Saphira looking lost. "Right… After all this is over I need to remember to lecture the farmers that live about proper fieldcare and how to increase the amount of crops they get back." Brom burst out laughing and with a grin he shared his joke. " I couldn't help imagining dozens of farmers cowering in a group, shaking while a big, terrifying dragon loomed over them calmly giving them a lesson! Aah, you were saying Wrathion?"

I was grinning as well when I pictured it myself. Then started to hum thoughtfully while looking around for a good visualization before I looked down at the ground. That'll work.

"Look and pay attention, I'm not good at this teaching thing." I heard scoff's both vocally and mentally but ignored it. Instead I used a paw to gather a tiny mound of dirt. "This represents the magical reserves for Terran magic. Now over time…" As I spoke I began to push more and more dirt into the pile, making it larger. "The reserves grow on their own but only at times of rest, such as right now, I am building mine. But when you go to use the magic." Here I took a talon and took some of the mound away at the top. "And each time…" I swiped more and more off of it. "The size of your reserves also dictate how strong the spells are. The smaller the reserve, the weaker it is. The original magical cost of all spells are the same, however, the longer it's being used, the more it drains. Was that good?" I glanced up. Brom was staring thoughtfully at the mound while both Saphira and Eragon nodded at my question.

"You do not give yourself enough credit, fledgling, that was wonderfully explained." I sent the red dragoness my gratitude, turning my attention to the world when Brom spoke again.

"And how many of these 'spells' can you do? And how many of them exist?" I shrugged my wings, making both his and Eragon's eyebrows raise. "I do not know how many there are, I just discovered them while training. As for how many I can do… six. One of which I only will do if I have to fight in a battle, but it affects only me." Brom nodded and got us all moving again.

I watched as he helped Eragon mount his horse then helped Saphira take off her saddle and place it on Snowfire's back before mounting as well. Brom then began listing scenarios and tasking the young rider to solve them. I leapt into the air after Saphira, thinking on all the pros and cons of moving on from this two whole days early. Pros, We will reach Dras-leona earlier and if my memory is right then I believe Galbatorix is meant to visit in a week upon us arriving and two more days to let us get more distance, and the Ra'zac might not be there. Cons, well there's now a two day gap for anything to happen and that worried me more than a confrontation with the demons. I chuckled. Whoever said 'Ignorance is bliss' needs to be mauled repeatedly.

We made a lot of distance that day and it seemed it wore on Eragon as well, the boy seemed to be tired and short tempered, which only worsened during their sparring match.

I was laid out facing the trail we made to our hiding spot with my senses spread out. I blamed myself for growing lax and letting those Urgals get the drop on us, but now no one would. Thus I didn't bother reacting when Eragon came over and sat beside me but he didn't speak immediately. I was curious as to what he wanted and so after what felt like an hour of silence passed, I spoke up first.

"What is bothering you Eragon? You should be asleep."

He jumped at being addressed, but quickly rallied himself to answer. "Well I remember you saying you were from across the seas and lately I've been wondering… do you miss your home?" Ah, homesickness. I remember when I used to feel it.

"Once, I did. Even though I no longer had anyone or an actual home, it was still where I grew up and knew the faces there. And before you ask, I was the only dragon left, everyone was human." I gave a quiet rumble in amusement, grinning at him "I felt human. Their culture, traditions, and views became my own." Be careful me, don't overdo it.

"Alagaësia Is close to home in some ways that it helped ease that feeling of loss. If not a bit more dangerous for my kind." I chuckled at my jab at his world. He took it with good humor though, smiling back at me. This made me think back to my thoughts earlier that day and I decided it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Besides, I envy you." When I saw him look up at me, I pressed my plan forward. "Your home is reachable, mine isn't. And whereas I cannot see those I knew ever again, you can. Even now, after all didn't you tell Saphira about some scrying spell Brom taught you?" He looked surprised and leapt to his feet then quietly went to his bags, pulling a bowl, and his flask

Before returning. "Really forgot about that." He went about setting the bowl on the ground then unstopping the flask to pour water into it. "Could use some light for this." At his statement, I flipped a paw underside up and with a mental "brisingr", a small white flame burst into being in the center of the paw. Eragon stared at it in amazement then uttered his own spell. To me I couldn't see anything, but apparently he could since he gave a look of relief and all the tension in him faded away. He gazed into the water a while longer before ending it to look up at me.

I took it as the signal to end my own pitiful attempt at magic, letting darkness fall over us once more. "Well?"

"Uncle is still safe and it looked like Roran was back. They were in Horst's home." I grinned and nodded.

"Did that help?" It took him a minute but he eventually nodded. "Yea, it did, you have my thanks Wrathion." I hummed and stared out into the trees. He went quiet for a few minutes then I heard him mutter the spell again then with a sharp intake of air, barely caught him whispering "she's real!" Hm, so it happened anyway? Guess my experiment worked. "Did you say something?"

Once more he jumped and this time he quickly ended the spell and tried to pour it back into the flask. "Oh er, no I didn't."

I just chuckled to myself, letting him be.

"Wrathion?" I tilted my head so one eye was looking at him.

"If the king is dethroned and we gain peace… are you returning to your home?"

I sighed, thinking it over and shaking my head.

"No, I much prefer to stay here. I now have connections in this land. Beings I care for, while there I have no such reasons."

He smirked up at me and crossed his arms. "Care for? I bet it's mainly a certain blue dragoness." I just groaned as his voice took on a teasing tone.

"That would never work out regardless. She is a great friend just like you but I highly doubt it'll end up becoming anything more." A frown replaced his smirk and he came over and sat next to me leaning against my front leg.

"Why not? I know she likes you, and I saw how you've been staring at her." I snorted then laid my head down. "She likes me because I'm the only free male. Remember… I practically grew up around humans, adopting your traditions as mine. That is unfortunately the same with relationships. Wild dragon my tail, I'm far too 'civil' to hold that title. A wild wouldn't be willing to hide, or carry things, or let anyone near them. They go where they'd wish, kill what they wish, and fight anyone who'd try to give them orders. Saphira is more wild than I and she's bonded to you." He was staring at my silver scales, the index finger of his good hand tracing one of the thick spade shaped scales on my shoulder, not that I really felt it. "I do not really understand what the issue is."

I grumble, I could feel Fiori's presence trying to soothe me.

"Humans do not court each other just because they are of different genders, they do it because they care for that person… or for power. And humans choose lifelong mates. Dragons do not. I spent seventeen years amongst humans Eragon, and barely two years as a true dragon, which I spent learning my powers and strengths and traveling with you. Your human traditions and values have been a part of my life since I entered this world. By now I could no more change my way of living to a dragon's, than you could."

He stared at me in surprise. "Nineteen?! I thought you were older by how you acted. Always calm, er, most of the time calm, and seemed to out think our foes and even us. But I understand the issue, but why not talk to her about it?"

I shook my head and very very carefully tapped his head with the side of a talon. "One, I have no idea how I feel about her right now. Two, we're in much too dangerous territory to be thinking about this. And three, I'm pretty sure you're as clueless about females as I am so don't go thinking you know how things work." He swatted at the talon until I withdrew it, having tapped it on his head for each point, and grunted. "Fine, but if we manage to get out of the kingdom then we'll have time to see. I rumbled out a draconic curse and reluctantly agreed, sending him off to bed. Ha! He'll see. There's nothing between her and I…

I spent the rest of the night, not ever noticing when Fiori's presence had retreated or the faint smugness trickling from her Eldunarí.

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Saphira

She watched Wrathion slip a strange bag around his neck before they began to move again in the direction of the village. Through the whole trek she was only vaguely aware of her surroundings. Now that she was calmer, other thoughts rose to the forefront of her mind, one that sent another, less pleasant shiver through her was the realization that she tried to attack a bigger, older, and clearly far deadlier dragon. Even if he didn't appear as a dragon he was still far bigger, and she felt lucky that he didn't respond in kind or else she'd surely have died then.

She managed to catch herself from walking into him and when he told Garrow he'd go hunting again for him, she once more volunteered instead, far more calm than her earlier outburst. She offered to catch a kill for Wrathion as well but he declined, saying he hunted recently already. And so she took off, veering further in the vast forest after he told her the wolves are off limits. She understood the request, she wouldn't hunt them regardless.

No hunter should be prey but that reasoning made her guilt return, afterall, she had wanted to kill them in her anger. Even if she wanted time to think she didn't drag out her task, quickly killing two deer in a group that was preparing to bed down for the night. She'd killed both and was airborne again before the rest were on their hooves

Saphira returned just in time to see Wrathion's flame and she felt in awe of it. The outer was ghostly white, blazing with heat, the center was a charcoal black, almost like living shadows. It only lasted for a second but she could tell it was strong and very hot.

I hope I can breathe fire soon..

When he cut his flame and took the deer meant for Garrow to hold while the old one cleaned the kill, she tore into her own dinner. She had finished it quickly and moved to the edge to overlook the quiet village and her rider, while Wrathion finished off what Garrow didn't want and silence settled over the camp. Just before everyone fell asleep, she flinched when he contacted her directly.

"I'd be grateful if you'd keep Garrow's presence and my secret to yourself."

She turned to stare at him. "He has the right to-"

He nodded, locking those illuminating eyes on her.

"We will reveal ourselves when you and your rider go to leave so I can join you and Eragon can have peace of mind."

She tore her eyes from him, fidgeting.

"You can trust him."

"Fine… if you don't then I'll hunt you down and drag you to him by your tail myself."

He simply nodded and laid his head down to sleep, with her following soon after.

The next day she watched with us as a few of the humans went out to Garrow's farm, found the remains she and Eragon had discovered, and returned to the village.

"You never said who it was we found."

She heard him sigh and when she turned her head to face him, he had a hard expression.

"A soldier of the king.. The rest of his squad lie deep in the forest charred and buried. He was the only one amongst them similar to the old man's height and body type, not age though."

The dragoness felt appalled. How could he take a sentient being and just kill it in such a way?! A snort made her refocus on him.

"They were a threat to you and your rider by serving the Egg-breaker, I merely allowed one to save an innocent before meeting his end."

Huffing a cloud of smoke, she turned and left them. How is it that he cared so little for the life he wasted? She knew she'll have to kill her share simply because like he said, they served the enemy. But that'll be in combat, what he did wasn't. She returned to the forest she'd been hiding in before all this mess.

Is that what dragons are meant to be? What she should be?

"Heavy is the burden. His eyes were full of regret of the action. Yet Garrow still draws breath because of it. The old one seemed to know what happened and was acting like Wrathion."

That is right, Garrow was surprised or confused. Almost accepting of the sacrificed.

Relieved that perhaps the problem isn't so troubling, She curled up to watch the ongoings of Carvahall.

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AN: I feel like I need to address this because It's been a common question in my DM's.

Will I be putting "THOSE" kind of scenes in here?

Answer is No. WHEN it comes time for the scenes I'll be vague referencing it then doing a 'Fade to black' or 'The day/night/morning after' route. I do not want a risk of this story to be taken down. And yes explicit content had been stated as a 'No, No' in the rules. And also I SUCK at scenes like that. So no fun times. Plus I have this story rated as "T" to allow more to read it.

Now since that's outta the way.

THANK YOU SOO MUCH JORDAN213123 FOR PROOF READING THIS MESS XD

Yea been sick, nothin' serious just some inner parts of me getting lazy and only working when they feel like it. Thank you everyone for the well wishes.

Aand I think that's it? If not then give me a poke about any questions.