Redemption - Fourth Wing

Part II-- 29. Coming back

Part II
Chex's Pov
Aifos was adjusting the loops across Ronny's chest, when Saphira and Eragon walked up to us with slow, deliberate steps.
Snow was glittering on the edges of Saphira's wings, and on the tip of her tail; Eragon was carrying a heavily-gemmed belt in his arms. Ronny shifted, and tilted his head at it.
Aifos turned their wrist, and greeted their Ebrithil, who gave them a soft, albeit small, smile, "The past always seems to find a way to become the present, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps it happens so that we can learn from our mistakes," Aifos said.
Eragon nodded slowly, then stretched out his hands and offered Aifos the belt, "Saphira and I should've given it to you many months ago. Please, forgive our negligence. We've been living in peace long enough we somehow forgot that Alagaesia isn't the only Continent, and that war has been following many kinds since the beginning of all times."
I brought down my snout, and sniffed the belt. The gems caught the golden of my scales, -What is that?-
-That's the belt of Beloth the Wise,- answered Ronny, -It got lost many years ago.-
Aifos widened their eyes, then briefly looked at Saphira, before bringing their eyes deep in Eragon's, "Are you sure? I don't know when I'll come back again, and you may need it should scuffles arise."
"I have the wisdom and power of the Eldunaris by my side, and through me all the Academy does. Do accept this gift from us."
Aifos bowed their head, their hair brushing their shoulders, "I will cherish it, and I'm sure it'll prove to be of infinite value in the war."
"The gems are already saturated with energy," said Saphira, "You need not worry about replenishing them for the time being."
With trembling hands, they accepted the belt, and wore it across their hips. Their fingertips skimmed the gems, as bright as dragonscales, and I thought they fit their dark complexion extremely well.
Eragon squeezed their shoulders, "Sé mor'ranr ono finna, un sé onr sverdar sitja hvass."
(May you find peace, and may your swords stay sharp.)
Aifos' smile was slightly trembling, "Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse sköliro frá rauthr."
(May luck and happiness follow you, and may you be a shield from misfortune.)
Saphira stepped towards me, and tipped her snout down, -May your kind soar through the skies again.-
-Thank you, Saphira-elda. I hope so too.-
Then, she swivelled her head towards Ronny, who bowed his own in a curt nod. I brushed his wing with mine while Aifos flung their leg across Ronny's back and strapped themselves in.
I nuzzled their tight, and they smiled at me.
-It's time to go,- Ronny said, and Aifos nodded and adjusted their position, -It is.-
So, we splayed our wings and took off, and I let loose a roar which got followed by Ronny's. Copper flames streaked the blue sky, and I did the same with mine.
The dark wielders would cower at our shadows.
The wind propelled us forward, and the sun showed us the path between the sky and sea. I went low and dipped my claw in the cold waters, and chased my fragmented mirror.
A roar had my head snapping up, and we watched Tina diving down so as to reach us. Ronny flicked his tail, and I quickly caught up to them.
Elsie waved her white sword, and so did Aifos with Heill. Tina roared again, and Ronny did the same.
-We spotted a Nirwhal couple of months ago in these waters,- Tina told us, -It's funny to think about the fact that we're technically related.-
I frowned at the ocean, -Are we?-
-So it's said.-
We skidded past the island of Vroen'gard, and I spotted Ronny throwing a glance back at it.
-You alright?-
-Yes, just memories. As most of old ruins do.-
I followed the jagged lines of ruined palaces, and saw the skeleton of a dragon as big as Codagh, perhaps even more. Aifos followed my gaze from Ronny's back, and leaned sideways, -He's Belgabad. One of the fiercest and oldest wild dragons. He sided up with the Ancient Order against Galbatorx's forces, and ultimately found his death here. Saphira's bloodline is the same as his.-
We split up with the other bond at the borders of Alagaesia: while Tina flew forward, we steered East, and left the continent behind.
The flight was overall peaceful, and we landed a couple of times, mostly to allow Aifos to stretch out their cramped legs and feel the ground under their feet.
But we never allowed ourselves to linger for too long, and after a couple of running circles from Aifos' part, we were back up in the sky.
We reached Navarre's borders on the tenth day of flight, and the knowledge that I was within the wards and thus closer to the Vale was enough to pick up speed.
The looming structure of Basgiath was within our sight when we spotted dragons flying towards it, and I let out a cry of joy at Tairn's black scales. Tairn immediately looked up, and with an answering roar pumped his wings while I flanked mine and fell into a sharp dive.
We bumped wings and snouts, and purrs and rumbles left our chests. Tairn entwined his tail around mine, mindful of the weapons attached at the ends of each of ours.
Ronny drew slow circles overhead.
-Golden One,- Tairn said, -I'm glad you're back.-
-Me too.-
Then, we disentangled from one another and Tairn followed Ronny's wingbeats, -I reckon your mate has recovered well.-
-Indeed they have,- said Ronny.
-Good. Follow me, I'm reporting in to Basgiath.-
So Ronny and I slipped in Tairn's squad, and Tairn stretched out his wing to brush mine. Feirge nodded at me, -You fought well in the Battle of Basgiath.-
-I know. I had to.-
But not well enough to protect Aifos from all harm.
-As did we.-
-Are you out here patrolling?-
-Correct,- answered Tairn with a grumble, -We've been doing such for three days, but it seems that the sky hasn't yet been flown by wyverns.-
-That's good to hear, isn't it?-
-I am not comforted by the quietness of the wind. An enemy in hiding must always be feared.-
I turned my head to look at him: how could Tairn be afraid of anything? He was one of the biggest dragons of the Continent, and the deadliest, and the most respected.
-Everyone can be defeated, Chex,- said Ronny, -The strongest ones are such partly because they know it.-
And I remembered Violet's torture, and lowered my eyes.
My wings were starting to feel a tad too heavy against the wind, when suddenly Aotrom shook his head and snapped his Swordtail forward. It nicked my calf, and I snapped my teeth at him, but Aotrom was already shooting down and out from the storm in which we were flying, nearly hitting Violet with his back claw during this sudden manoeuvre.
Tairn followed him suit, and fully barreled on him. As Tairn put him back in his place, Ronny went closer to me, and Aifos bent down, -Waise heill.-
The small cut sealed itself, and they gave me bits of their energy.
Then, they frowned at Aotrom who'd just reached Feirge, already in the flight field.
-What's up with him?-
-I don't know,- I answered, while we landed next to Tairn, who was blasting fire on his ice-covered wings. Ronny took a step back, and bared his teeth; I chuffed amused when I remembered his kind didn't have any fireproof scales.
Aifos dismounted, then rolled their shoulders and started unlacing the saddle. I nuzzled the back of their neck, and my hot breath had them rolling their eyes and playfully shoving me away.
Then they slid the saddle off and Ronny, too, rolled his shoulders, in a much more dragon-like way than Aifos', but yet uncannily enough.
Aifos held the back of the saddle on their tight so that they could free a hand to thank us with a couple of pats on our legs; I might've studied how their muscles flexed against the weight of the saddle while feigning to lower my head to be caressed.
Tairn fired up his wings again, then splayed them again, -Your sister's waiting for you.-
He took off, and I nudged Ronny over before mimicking my guardian. At the sights of the cliff of the Vale, my wings felt lighter, and I could feel my scales absorbing the sunlight.
We flew past the Green Den, then the Brown, until we skimmed past the Blue and reached the Black, the farthest and the largest, and also the quietest.
Ronny said he was going to hunt instead, and I showed him the best valley where he could satisfy his hunger. As he bent left, Tairn and I slid in the Den I'd spent my hatchling days in, and I immediately sought out my sister.
I was turning my head left and right, when I spotted a glimmer of purple before being thrown on the ground. Andarna nipped at my neck while her foreclaws kept my snout pressed up against the floor.
Despite my struggles, the days spent flying started to weigh me down, so I didn't put up much of a fight, despite my sister's disappointment.
-I hoped you would've done better than this,- she chuffed while she took a step back and I could stand again. I licked my teeth with narrowed eyes, -You haven't flown across an entire ocean, Darna.-
-Well, I would, if this stubborn piece of a dragon allowed me to join in their patrols!-
She snorted smoke in Tairn's direction, and our guardian let out a slow sigh, -Your wings won't hold the weight of this ice, I've told you this many times before.-
She stomped her feet and rustled her wings, her head snapping to me, - "Your wings won't hold the weight of this ice", do you know now what I had to put up with while you were gone?-
I blinked, but Tairn grumbled, -My answer would've remained the same had your brother remained here or not.-
-Wyvern food,- she hissed, -Taking up all the fun yourself!-
-They aren't pleasure flights, Andarnarraum,- he growled, with his tail lashing behind him, -Stop acting like a hatchling.-
-I am not the one who's keeping locked away the only dragon whose fire can burn out his centuries old nemesis.-
-I can do so, too,- I said, but stepped away at Andarna's sharp teeth grazing my jaw.
Tairn sighed and shook his head, -Adolescents.-
With that, he turned and walked deep in the Den. My sister and I looked at each other, before Andarna told me her Rider had the intention of seeking out the rest of our kind.
Something akin to a struggling longing was shining in her golden eyes, -In this way, we can finally meet our family! Understand who we are.-
I looked down at my talons, and rustled my wings.
My voice was quiet, -But we already have a family, Darna. We don't need anyone else.-
-No, you don't see! Tairn knows who he is. So does Sgaeyl, and Feirge, and Sliseag, and every other dragon apart from us! For all of my life, I've felt different, unordinary.- Her purple scales deepened to a shade of black similar to Tairn's, -But now... But now we can see where we come from. We can be a proper breed, Chex! And all because of Violet's outstanding mind. Isn't it what you've desired all this time? To belong somewhere?-
I closed my eyes, -I already belong somewhere, Darna. And you do so too.-
Her eyes narrowed, and her Scorpiontail swished. I clasped her claws with mine, -But I'll go with you. You're my sister, and my family. Where you go, I go, and so will Ronny and Aifos.-
The tension in her muscles slackened, and she brushed her snout with mine.
-That's one only sensible thing that you've said in your whole life.-
I chuffed, -I missed you too, Darna.-