Short today, and I want to get this ball rolling, so yeah!
Axel awoke to the rather annoying sound of an argument. Poking Vahgun's underwing, the dragon chuffed before shifting wordlessly to the side, giving the Dragon Slayer room to crawl out from under the green expanse of wing to see exactly what it was that started said argument.
"This isn't something you should be taught- much less use!" Brom was shouting. Eragon stood firm, narrowing his eyes defiantly. "Still, I have used it, and I may need it to fight again- I won't be able to if you don't help me! What's wrong? Is this a secret I can't learn until I'm old and wise? Maybe you don't even know the faintest thing about magic!"
«What are they bickering about?» Axel asked with a yawn. Vahgun blinked, the green dragon sighing slightly. «Saphira's Rider wants to learn magic, but the Old One believes that he isn't ready.»
Axel blinked, much more awake as he observed the back and forth. Shrugging, the dragon slayer crawled out from under his partner's wing, patting Vahgun on the nose before he bent over to grab his wolf cloak and draped it around his shoulders. Picking up his weapons and securing them back on his person, Axel turned to venture out and look for breakfast.
"And where do you think you're going?" Brom barked, making Axel look over his shoulder. "I'm going to look for breakfast, seeing as you two are happy to argue about something pointless when the answer is obvious." Eragon blinked in surprise while Brom's face went red. "Boy, do not act like this doesn't concern you as well!" the old man roared. "With your dragon older than Saphira, you are just as important as Eragon! Too many people have died to ensure the two of you lived to this point, and I will not have their efforts be in vain because you both are so arrogant as to-!"
In less than a blink, Axel had the blade of one of his daggers under Brom's chin, gold eyes glowing darkly under the shadow of his bangs.
"Don't think because I'm younger than you that I've seen less and made even lesser decisions," Axel stated lowly. "I have fought and killed dragons that are larger than cities and that could blow an entire kingdom off the map if enough magic is supplied." Pulling his scythe away, Axel clipped it back to his back hostler.
"And I wasn't being arrogant- I'm being practical." Leaning back, Axel sighed. "The way I see it, my fellow dragon rider has just unlocked magic. You have two choices now," the older Rider held up a hand, as if presenting a choice. "Forbid Eragon from using said magic and risk him doing it without a safety net," Axel lifted his other hand. "Or teach him and ensure he at least has the basic rules down- from how vehement you were protesting in your argument, you know much more than you're letting on."
Brom narrowed his eyes and Axel huffed. "I'm not gonna pry. If anything, it's your secrets to tell or not, not mine."
Vahgun rumbled, getting up from his spot in the campsite. Axel glanced at his dragon before cracking a smile. "If you're gonna make a choice, it's best made over food- we'll be back." Swinging himself over his dragon's back, Axel and Vahgun took to the air, vanishing after several loops around the campsite.
Brom glanced over at Eragon, who was looking after the direction the emerald rider and his dragon had flown off in, before the boy turned his attention back to Brom. The old man sighed- Axel, despite being new to their situation, was correct on the front he presented; knowing Eragon, the boy would try to look into magic himself and cause irreparable damage to himself, Saphira, or someone else if left unchecked.
With a groan, Brom tamped some tobacco down into his pipe and lit it with a word.
"Brisingr."
And open became the floodwaters of questions.
After Eragon's questions had been answered, Axel had returned with Vahgun- three deer in total, two for the dragons and one for the human companions. While Brom got to preparing the deer, Axel had wandered off, leaving his dragon to tear into his deer alongside Saphira. «You still have questions for the Young Dragon?» Saphira asked. Eragon glanced over to her, catching a large sapphire eye looking at him inquiringly. «You must admit that you're curious as well,» Eragon said in his defense. «He's so- so mysterious. Not only that, it feels like he's hiding more than he's telling, like Brom is.» Saphira snorted, going back to her deer. «Go after him if you dare, then,» she said. «But remember that he may not be as open to sharing of you push, unlike Brom.»
Eragon stood and ventured out into the surrounding grassland in the direction Axel had gone, small thickets of trees rising here and there as he went. It was surprising how fast Axel had seemed to move without the aid of his dragon, in the brief tile the older Rider had left camp, his trail was almost indiscernible.
Finally, Eragon heard something, a rather peculiar sound- a deep whooshing ring, like swinging a large bell with no ringer, but clearer, almost… crystalline.
A word that seemed to coincide with Axel quite well.
Coming upon a thicket of trees, Eragon caught a glint of movement within. Finding an opening to the inside, Eragon stepped inside only to pause. The blur of movement caught him by surprise, and the boy stepped back to observe closer.
Axel moved in a blur of speed, ducking and weaving, blocking and retaliating against an invisible enemy. Stabbing the sharpened end of the handle into the ground, Axel levered himself up using his core and kicked out, making the air ripple with the force and speed he used- what's more, Axel held his position in the air, displaying a remarkable amount of core body strength. "Mountain's Plunder,"Axel intoned, and a flex of his legs had the Dragon Slayer-Rider crashing back to the ground from his held position, the earth cracking under the force like ice frozen on a pond; following up the movement, Axel yanked the scythe upwards before slamming the bladed end into the ground, a move that surely would have cleaved any foe clean in two from the scalp to the groin.
Eragon let out an awed gasp at the aftermath- a trench seven feet deep and reaching out far past the thicket's borders had appeared.
"Incredible," Eragon breathed. He showed Saphira the newest memory, the sapphire dragon in equal parts awe, when Axel spoke up.
"I need to keep my skills intact- I still have a lot to learn when it comes to Scythe-wielding." Yanking the blade from the ground, Axel shot Eragon a knowing look as he clipped the weapon to his back. "Besides, I can't always rely on my magic to get me through a fight. That's why I multitask."
Eragon straightened. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Well, someone could have an artifact or item that could nullify magic, and brute force and technique would be the only way to power through. Speed and strength don't always win, but you never know if it could be the deciding factor." Eragon thought about it before nodding. "It makes sense," the younger Rider muttered.
"In any case, I'm hoping that Brom will teach you how to fight without magic soon, if he hasn't started already." Backing away, Axel gave Eragon a side-eye before turning to leave the thicket. "I haven't told the old man yet- really, it would be out of courtesy- but Vahgun and I have stuck around long enough… I won't make any immediate decisions, but if he's up to it, we'll be heading somewhere east, towards the desert."
Eragon stilled at that.
Axel was going to leave?
He couldn't… right?
Brom noticed the subdued air around Eragon when the two boys came back from their exploring. Axel didn't look any different than usual, though he seemed more guarded- however, Eragon looked almost cross, no, bitter was more accurate.
It was almost identical to when Roran had said he would leave Carvahall.
"Where are you headed now?" Axel asked, crouching beside Brom as the old man pulled the deer off the fire. Brom blinked up at the younger man in confusion. "What do you mean 'you'? You're coming with us!" Axel huffed. "No, we're not," the Dragon Slayer said.
«We have troubled you with our company for long enough,» Vahgun said, shifting in his place as Axel came to sit at his side. «It is good to know that my kind is not doomed to fade into the ether, but our paths need to diverge for now.» Brom scowled, shooting to his feet angrily.
"And what of the precious cargo you carry?" the old man snapped. "Say we do let you leave unimpeded, do you think we'll let you abscond with such a valuable piece?" Axel bared his teeth.
"You have no power to command us," Axel said flatly. "and I already told you that we probably wouldn't stick around!" Brom barked a scalding laugh. "You think this is all about you, boy? What you and your dragon want? There are hundreds of thousands of lives on the line, and even more who have died to ensure you exist! They wait for you and Eragon!" Brom's eyes flashed. "What of the dragons? Saphira could be the last female dragon in the world! The last hope is Vahgun and possibly the red egg in your bag-!"
Axel hissed, crackling mist forming in his throat and wisping from his teeth as his emotions ramped; he was never adept in following orders or controlling his emotions, even less so when it came to anyone but Valkrest.
"Do not act like the dragons are to be mere pawns in this war- they can't breed with a madman hellbent on getting them to do that very thing is looking for any excuse to pluck the eggs when he has the chance!" the older Rider shot the blue dragoness an apologetic look when she keened at the reminder. "Look, we can… escort you to your next destination, maybe help with Eragon and Saphira's teaching and combat, if needed, but after that? we're out. We need to keep the Little Ruby safe… we can't do that if all of us are in one place and a becon for any hunter out there."
Eragon scowled. "So that's it then? You're just going to leave us when we reach our next stop?" Axel shot the boy an unreadable look. «Dragons are free spirits, Little Spriggan,» Vahgun said to Eragon directly. «And you cannot contain that what chooses to follow freedom.»
If anyone noticed how... odd eragon was acting, I'll explain it- he's down BAD in the hero worship department. there's a new Rider who is older than him, more experienced, and who is flying on his dragon like a pro (which at this stage in the book Eragon is still too scared to do), who can use magic specifically tailored for combating insurmountable foes. Axel is new, shiny, (not gunna lie he's kinda androgynous in my head but he's topless so everyone knows he's a man lol) and he save Eragon's ass in Yazuac- Eragon's latched onto the guy pretty quick like he did when he kept dreaming of Arya.
don't worry this isn't an Eragon/OC fic...
*wink-wonk*
Also, I know Axel came off as wonky and all over the place towards the end, but there is a reason for that! it won't last I promise lol
