Talking"
'Thinking'
"Speaking telepathically"
Waking up with a headache was never fun. Especially if you know you didn't go out drinking the night before. Waking up sore is only marginally better, but it still isn't fun. Waking up with both is usually a pretty good indicator of how the day is gonna go.
'Ugh. Fuck me that hurt.' I groaned as I tried to move. Keyword, Try. I couldn't move. I was curled up in what felt like a box that was just big enough to fit me. I tried to move, but hit the wall of my prison almost instantly. Now... I may, or may not have a very minor case of... Serious claustrophobia. And considering I was now in a very small container, and unable to move more than 2 inches in any direction... Well, I think it can be forgiven that I failed to notice I had a body again.
Attacking the walls of my tiny prison, I flailed desperately in an attempt to free myself. I felt the wall give slightly and quickly focused my efforts at and around the weak spot. Soon, I felt the walls give more and more as I attacked it with everything I had. After what felt like forever, I finally opened up a hole big enough for me to crawl through. I tried to take a breath of fresh air, but quickly found myself heaving up some kind of slimy, phlegm-like substance that seemed to pull itself from my lungs, up my throat and out my mouth and nose. As I tried to regain my breath, I was reminded of the war drums playing in my head. Placing a hand over my face in a vain attempt to ease my pain, I noticed something odd. My hand felt weird. Opening my eyes for the first time in god knows how long, my brain stopped working.
What I was looking at was not a tan, five fingered hand attached to a well toned and hairy arm. Instead, what I was looking at was a large, black scale covered paw with three long, vicious looking claws and a dewclaw connected to an equally black, bulky and armor plated arm with a pair of spike-like potrusions going up my arm, covered in some kind of clear slime.
It took my brain a few seconds to reboot, and I'd say I reacted appropriately.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" A squeaky roar left my throat as I tried to back pedal in a vain attempt to get away from what was now my hand, but I felt something on my back move, and I was launched up and onto my back. Scrambling back to my hands and feet, I tried to stand up, but something kept getting in the way. Turning around, I saw that It wasn't just my arm that had changed, but my whole body was now covered in shiny black, plate-like scales, and I now had three extra limbs. a pair of wings that folded onto my back, the joint claws gently grasping my shoulders and a bulky tail. The latter of which was the thing keeping me from standing up. My legs had been rotated ninety degrees and had gained an extra joint, and my toes had been replaced with three large talons. I was also still covered in some kind of clear slime. Even though I couldn't see my face, I recognized enough of my new form to know what I was.
The Black Eclipse Wyvern, a Gore Magala.
'What in the fuck is going on!' Trying to distract myself, I began looking around the new surroundings, noting that my vision was damn near perfect even as I looked I was in what I could only assume was some kind of enormous ritual chamber. The walls that seemed to streach upwards for hundreds of feet were practically filled with countless orb shaped gems of all sizes and colors. Some were the size of a basketball, and others were the size of a damn boulder. to my right was a large humanoid metallic statue with a dragonoid head, a sword seathed on his left hip, and a kite shield in his left arm.
"Greetings, little one." The deep, baritone voice in my head, that was most definitely not mine, nearly made me jump out of my skin. I tried to speak, but all that came out was a series of snarls, hisses, and squeaks. "Just think, little one. I will hear you."
"Where the fuck am I?" I demanded. "And what the hell happened to me?" There was a pause, as if the voice was processing what I just said.
"Strange." The voice replied eventually, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Your mind is more advanced than it should be."
"...Thanks?" I hesitantly answered. "Soooo, Where am I? Also, who and where are you?"
"You are in the Vault of Souls, under Vroengard." The voice answered. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it. "My name is Umaroth. Former leader of the Riders. As for where I am, well look up and to your right." Deciding to listen to the newly named Umaroth, I looked up and to my right, my eyes going over a dozen or so crystal orbs before my eyes settled on a pulsing, snow white orb about fifteen feet in diameter. "That is my Eldurnarí. My heart of hearts." Something clicked in my brain as I registered the phrase 'heart of hearts'.
'Holy shit, I'm in the Inheritance Cycle.' I thought, astonished. 'That means... Holy shit.' My brain spiraled out of control as I tried to remember everything I could about the series, finding it incredibly easy, especially considering I hadn't read the books in years.
"Interesting." I did not scream at Umaroth's voice, and you can't prove otherwise. "You're not from this world, yet you know so much but so little about it."
'Oh yeah, the mind-magic bullshit everyone knows.' I grumbled in annoyance, before I had an epiphany. I could... I guess sense is the best I can put it into words. I could sense Umaroth and the Eldurnarí connected through Umaroth, listening in on our conversation."Wait, you said Hatchling, right?"
"Indeed." Umaroth, the Dragon, confirmed.
'That means... Oh, Son of a, BITCH!' Everything wasn't enormous, I was just Small. I didn't know how small, but it was still disconcerting. Sighing in annoyance, I started to compile what I knew about my current situation. 'Okay, So I'm a newly hatched Dragon, in the Heart of the former Dragon Rider's HQ. I have almost no control over my new body, I only have a very vauge idea of when I am in the timeline, and... yeah, thats about it.'
"Umaroth? Could you tell me what's happening on Alagaësia?" I asked the Elder Dragon. There was a long pause before he answered.
"...Why?" That one word was filled with suspicion. I could also feel the other dragons listening in, growling in suspicion as well. The statue, that I now knew was an automaton, moving to draw it's sword.
"If I know when I am In the timeline, I can plan accordingly." I responded evenly, as I attempted to get used to walking. Something that, since I was now significantly calmer than before, I found marginally easier to do. "I probably wasn't pulled into this world from the void to just watch things happen. I was brought here for a reason. My best guest is likely to make sure the timeline remains intact... Or change it for the better."
"Why do you say that? and why should we believe you?"
Honestly, It's more speculation, I don't know the agenda of whatever ROB sent me here."
"Rob? what is a Rob?"
"It's an abriviation for Random Omnipotent Being. Since I didn't meet the one that sent me here, Random Omnipotent Being is the best I have to describe them. As for why you should believe me... I'm still working on that." There was a long pause as I assumed Umaroth was discussing with the other dragons on what to do with me. After several minutes of pacing, trotting, attempted running, and subsequent faceplanting, I received an answer.
"What do you want to know?" He asked me.
"How long ago was the blue dragon egg stolen from Galbatorix? and what's the current season?" I responded to his question with my own. "...also, how big am I?"
"The egg was stolen twenty years ago. The current season is summer." Umaroth offered. "And I'd estimate your current size to that of a fox."
'So I have about three months to grow up and train.' I thought to myself. "Okay, so according to what I know, I have up to three months to learn what I need to know and master my new body. I'm gonna need lessons on the Ancient Language, Mind sheilding, mental and physical combat, as well as dragons in general since I don't have access to the ancestral memories," my stomach chimed in loudly. "And something to eat." I felt amusement creep across the mental bridge.
"I shall speak with the othersaboutyour tuition." The elder white dragon spoke. "Though getting food may be a little difficult. The island is covered in an invisible poison that we can't ward you from."
"Oh yeah," I sighed. "That." That was a major issue. The radiation from... What's-his-name's suicide nuke was still a huge issue. Without the appropriate protection, I'd likely die before I even got my first meal. Hell, depending on how bad it was I could start getting symptoms within an hour. I looked at my new forepaws, then at the walls.
"Perhaps I could help." A new voice said. It sounded old and felt heavy yet comforting, like a weighted blanket on a cold night. The quiet muttering that had started up came to a halt.
"Who are you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.
"My name is Kagulan, The Golden Emperor. I will be taking charge of your tutoring in the Ancient Language." The new voice stated with certainty. "I am one of the only beings on the planet that can claim to be fluent in The Ancient Language."
"Well, I am honored to be your student." I stated honsetly. Umaroth was supposedly the first dragon to bond with a rider, and his 'voice' sounded rich and full. The fact that this dragon sounded old, told me he was much older than the White dragon.
"You're welcome Hatchling." I got the feeling that I was gonna get called that for a while. "But I was mainly referring to the issue of the surface."
"You can protect me?" Regardless of how strong of a dragon Kagulan was in life, I knew Dragons in this world couldn't cast spells. "How?"
"I have lived a long, Long time hatchling." Kagulan chuckled in amusement. "And, as the humans say, I've picked up a thing or two."
I was about to ask him what he meant, when the chamber seemed to come alive. The room became more vibrant as the air whirled to life. The light from the magma below grew brighter and churned violently as small golden motes of light began to fill the Vault like stars in the night sky, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. The lights quickly outnumbered the Eldurnarí in the walls, as the air in the chamber whirled faster and faster, the motes growing brighter and more numerous.
Without warning, the motes streaked through the air towards me like tiny lasers. As they touched my scaled hide, I began to feel several lines being drawn onto my body, almost like getting a tattoo. Sharp, and mildly uncomfortable, but not necessarily painful. Looking down at my right paw, I saw a golden line of what looked like tiny runes, being carved onto my form. The runic lines started at the base of my talons and wrapped around my toes, winding up my arms and legs, across my chest and wrapped around my shoulders and hips. They crawled up my neck and onto my forehead as they simultaneously streached across wings, back and down my tail. As the last of the golden tattoo was applied, I was forced to shut my eyes as the runic lines suddenly flared brightly.
Opening my eyes, I didn't notice anything at first. looking back at my forepaw, my new powerful eyesight saw the runes seemingly scratched into my scales.
"What did you do?" I asked Kagulan curiously.
"Something that will help you." He replied cryptically, amusement radiating from his mental presence.
"It would help greatly if you told me what these runes did." I commented dryly. "Field testing a device or a spell without knowing what said device or spell does is a very good way to get yourself killed."
"...true." The ancient gold dragon conceeded. "Fine. The runes that are engraved onto your form act as a mystic sheild that will protect you from the poison of the surface, as well as enhacing your body so nothing short of ingesting Seithr oil can poison you. I also added a fun little mirage to the array. If you concentrate, you can alter your coloration, giving you a camouflage ability." The room was eerily quiet as everyone seemed to process what was just said.
"How in the fuck!?" I exclaimed in shock. "I thought Dragons couldn't use magic!?"
"The Grey Folk were kind enough to grant me certain... perks for assisting in a few... let's call them projects." Kagulan chuckled in amusment, but I heard a faint dark undertone in his statment.
'Yeah, I'm not opening that closet of skeletons.' I determined. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, Hatchling." Kagulan warned. "I expect you to be able to hold a full conversation in the Ancient Language by the end of your tenure here." I gulped, and thanked the Gods I had always been able to pick up languages rather quick. It was about that time that my stomach decided to remind me that it could roar as well.
"I'm gonna head up and find something to eat." I sighed as I trotted across the room, eager to get outside.
I'd like to say I got up the stairs without a problem, but unfortunately, that's not what happened. The spiraling staircase was pitch black, even with my enhanced vision. So I bumbed into the walls a few times until I managed to manipulate my right wing claw to run along the wall, which was, unsurprisingly, quite difficult. It was like learning to raise one eyebrow or wiggle your ears. You use the muscles quite often as a greater whole, but using the specific set of muscles can take some practice. Not to mention the fact that the damn stairs seemed to go on forever, AND were big enough for most adult dragons to use without too much issue, I was forced to take several breaks to catch my breath before I finally reached the surface, and even then, I was panting and drooling like a dog.
'Thank all the gods that shits over with.' I sighed in relief, taking huge gulps of fresh air as I basked in the sunlight.
"We have come to an agreement." Umaroth said, interrupting my moment. "Islingr will be your tutor in our ways and culture. Kuagulan will, obviously, be your instructor in the Ancient Language, Curaroc will instruct you on physical combat, Narnenva will be your instructor for mental combat and mind sheilding, and I will be teaching you the general knowledge of this world."
"Thank you." I sighed gratefully. "All of you." With that sorted, I began my treck through the forest.
"You're welcome." Umaroth responded. "Also, What shall we call you?"
'What do I want my name to be.' I wondered as I continued my hike. A few dozen names flew through my mind, all either being to human, edgy, or just plain dumb. Eventually I decided on something simple, but meaningful. "Call me Shagaru."