Bratix woke with a start at the sound knocking on the old wood door. He grogily said "who is it?" He heard his Fathers voice as he came in the door saying " it's time to get up Bratix we have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time the egg ceremony is in two days and if you want to go we have to get it all done by then." With a groan Bratix sat up and told his father he would be out soon and began looking for clothes to wear; he decided on a simple red tunic, black pants, and his old leather boots.
Walking out into the hallway he could smell breakfast cooking which -as always- consisted of eggs, bread, dried pork, and water. After breakfast Bratix asked what needed to be done first, his father let out a half laugh half sigh saying " it would be easier to say what not but I want you to go to the docks first and pick up the load of iron and steel with the horse and wagon, after you finish with that I need you to go pick up the tools that Isaac needs fixed, and after you do that I need your help with the forge."
Internally groaning Bratix nodded his head and went out to get the horse and buggy ready. He hated going to the docks, they were always packed and it took forever to get whatever you came for. Being the son of a smith in the city of Feinster was no easy task, his father was always busy working on different tools or smithing new ones that he hardly had time for anything else which is where Bratix would come in. He didn't mind helping out nearly as much now that the war was over, Galbatorix's soldiers had required so many shields, swords, spears, and other weapons that it was almost impossible to keep up with the demand. But now that was all over and things had settled down now and all was well.
As Bratix got on the buggy and rode towards the docs he began thinking of the egg ceremony coming up, after the war was finally over and Queen Nausada had taken control of the empire the eggs, the beautiful shiny eggs that contained the dragons had begun to travel around the empire looking for there riders with there four protectors, one from each race. The thought of the cermony made Bratix's chest tighten with excitement, ever sense word of the eggs had begun to travel the land he had begun hoping that when they came to Feinster one would hatch for him.
He liked the city he had grown up in and didn't mind being a smith but the prospect of being a dragon rider made him want to run and jump with excitement!
As he rode deep in his thoughts he realized he was almost at the docs and started looking for the ship called the dream catcher. The ship was captained by a man by the name of Briam. Briam was a good man and a good friend of Bratix's father. He was a shorter man, with white hair ,a white beard, strong shoulders, and a face that was worn with the troubles of the sea. Once Bratix got Briam's attention the old man smiled and waved him over calling " hail Bratix!" to which Bratix replied "hail Briam!" As Bratix reached the old man and exchanged a few pleasantries Briam asked " what was it your father ordered again?" to which Bratix replied " a load of steel and iron." Briam's face lit up as he remembered and exclaimed "as yes that was what it was, i'll have it loaded for you right away."
As Bratix waited he took in the view around him, the people of Feinster were busy running either to work or to whatever shop they needed as the sun had just begun it's journey across the sky signaling it to be around 8am. Once the everything was loaded onto the buggy Bratix left to head to go outside the walls where the farmer Isaac lived with his son Nicholas, and his wife Beatrice. Pulling up to the farmers house he could see Isaac and Nicholas working in the fields and Beatrice sweeping the porch off, he called out to Isaac who came walking over with Nicholas right behind him smiling and calling back to him. As Isaac came to a stop beside the horse he said " hello Bratix it's good to see you! I take it as your head to pick up the tools I need to get fixed?" Bratix nodded his head as he said " said is good to see you Isaac, and you as well Nicholas and Beatrice. And yeah I am here to pick up your tools you seem to have a talent at messing up your tools no matter what." Isaac just smiled and said "what can I say, when I work I work hard and fast and things get broke in the procces" to which everyone laughed. As Nicholas went it get the tools for his father Bratix asked " will you be attending the egg ceremony coming up?" Isaacs expression harder as he spoke in a voice that was strangely choked with emotion " no we will not be, no kin of mine will have anything to do with those things as long as I can help it. Nicholas is needed around the farm not flying around with a dragon doing who knows what." Isaacs sudden outburst suprised Bratix but he just simply nodded and stayed silent afterwards.
After having the tools loaded up and saying his goodbyes, Bratix began riding back to his house. He pondered why Isaac was so against dragons, they were beautiful creatures from what he heard large, majestic beasts who could fly higher than anything else. To think that someone would dispise such a creature was absurd, Bratix would give anything to have a dragon to call his own!
Once he arrived back to the house and he and his father unloaded everything Bratix told his father about his encounter with Isaac to which he said simply " everyone has there own opinion, i'm sure Isaac has reason for his." the rest of the day was boring, working the billows and hammering at the hot metal.
Once they had retired for the night after dinner Bratix laid on his bed waiting for sleep but it would not come he was to excited, one more day! One more long day and then the egg ceremony would be here! He couldn't wait until he got to touch the eggs for slim As his chances were, and slim they were, he still hoped that maybe he would be the lucky one picked even though he knew it was unlikely. He tossed and turned long into the night until her finally fell into a fitful sleep filled with dragons and eggs and all the old legends he had heard of.
As dawn came and Bratix was awoken again he had a day much the same as the last, going to the docks to pick up another load, pick some more tools up from a different farmer, and come home and help his father with the force again.
As Bratix was eating his dinner he asked his father " can you believe it?! The egg ceremonyiis tomorrow, someone in this town could easily be the next dragon rider!" his father chuckled and said in a amused tone "yes they could, but they also could not we won't know until it happens." Bratix laughed at his father's words saying "easy for you to say, I can hardly wait to see!" "Well it's only one more day you have worked hard these last couple days i'm proud of you, now go to bed the egg ceremony starts early so be ready."
As Bratix laid down his mind wandered thinking of all the possibilities, he could very well be the next dragon rider! Imagine a simple smiths son becoming a full fledged rider! He had heard stories of Eragon being a simple farm growing up but also that his father was a dragon rider as well so it would make sense for him to become one. He drifted off to sleep thinking of the next day and all it would bring hoping against hope that his dreams would come true.
Hey guys so i'm gonna end the chapter here for now like I said this is my first real attempt at writing so if you could give me some feedback that would be great! Let me know what you think is it to long? To short? To bland? Let me know these types of things please! Comment vote and let me know what you think! Thanks everyone
-Chris
