The First Dragon Riders

Chapter 4

AN- Sorry for the longish wait I was doing research for this series of stories.

Eragon waited until they all managed to settle onto their dragons then told Bid’Doum to take off; he went slower than normal so the others could keep up with him. He flew until he saw Zalgo’s purple scales glittering in the moonlight; he spiraled towards the ground followed by the others. The others stumbled to the ground unsteadily, using trees or their dragons for support until they could stand on their own.

            “Not bad for your first flight, you’ll get used to the feeling of walking again after flying eventually.” Eragon told them.

            “That hurt… I think the scales gave me blisters…” Anu complained as he looked at his thighs for any sign of blood.

            “Your fine you baby, stop complaining.” Jacques muttered as he sat by the fire.

            “We’ll have to make some saddles for you guys to ride on so that doesn’t happen.” Eragon said as he remembered the first time he’d ridden Bid’Doum bare back for hours, it had been fun until they landed, then he felt all of the blisters he’d gotten.

            They laid down and ate some bread they had packed with them before going to sleep, Eragon stayed up to keep watch incase more Ra’zac came back or worse, Urgals. Bid’Doum stretched and looked at his rider for a moment before lending him some of his own energy so he wouldn’t doze off.

            “Thanks.” Eragon told him.

            Well you can’t fight enemies in your sleep if they decide to attack now can you, besides you’ve stayed up all night for the past two days.

            Eragon didn’t respond but broke their mental connection when he felt his dragon fall asleep. As he watched the flames cast eerie shadows onto the trees he thought he saw a dragon like creature fly overhead but it was too dark for even him to see, he finally settled on the assumption that it had been a wild dragon since it hadn’t bothered them.

            The next day Eragon woke up the others just as the sun was rising in the East, they groan and complained as they got ready to leave again but he ignored them. Eragon got onto Bid’Doum’s back and waited for the others to get on their dragons before starting to take off. As soon as he had risen into the air black streaks slammed into him. The others took off quickly to help Eragon but more of the black creatures showed up and tried to rip them apart with their beaks and claws.

            “Get out of here! Fly towards the ocean!” Eragon commanded as he slashed at the Lethrblaka with his white rider sword.

            The sword quickly became stained black with the enemy’s blood but Eragon continued to fight even as he was slowly being forced to retreat to the ground. The others took out their own daggers and tried to fight the best they could to help fight off the Lethrblaka but more continued to attack them.

            Anu was busy fighting one and failed to notice the other enemy fly up from behind and it started to bite and claw at Sakura’s wings and side.

            Anu! We must retreat! Anu winced as his partner’s voice filled his head, he could feel her pain behind the thought and stabbed the grotesque creature in the head.

            Sakura managed to break away from the Lethrblaka while it was distracted but the Ra’zac that had been riding on its parent’s back, jumped off and tore a gash in the thin wing membrane before falling to its death. Sakura started to go into a death spiral as the fell from the air, Anu yelled and tried to make his dragon straighten out but she couldn’t with her wing so badly injured.

            Toron heard Anu shout and the painful roar of his dragon and made Spectre go into a dive so he could help them. He reached out his hand and grabbed Anu by the back of his shirt before pulling him onto the back of his dragon, Spectre started to sink lower in the sky from the extra weight but managed to stay in the air. Sakura’s roar was cut short as she was jarred by the impact she made as she hit the ground. Toron hovered above the crushed ground for a few moments before he let his dragon land beside where Anu’s dragon had fallen.

            “Sakura? Are you okay?”

            Anu… I’m…s…sorry… couldn’t…p..protect…you.

            “You’ll be okay, I’m here now.”

            Anu went to the first major wound he saw and held his right hand over it. “Waise heill.”

            The wound started healing slowly and Sakura let out a large breath as her pain eased. Once that wound was healed Anu moved on to the next one that was on her wing, after her wing was healed he stood up unsteadily but walked over to the broken bone in her tail. He was getting ready to perform to spell but Toron grabbed his wrist.

            “You need to rest or you’ll pass out, let me heal her.”

            Anu shook his head in disagreement but Toron ignored him and pushed Anu out of the way so he could look at the wound. Sakura tested the bones and found them perfectly fine again before getting up. Since the danger of his dragon was gone Anu now returned his focus to the fighting that had been going on above them, the Lethrblaka were now retreating and Jacques sent spells after their fading figures. The others landed beside them and Eragon quickly walked over to check on them.

            “Are you guys okay?”

            “Yeah, we took care of Sakura’s injuries.” Anu replied.

            “I was talking about you not your dragon.”

            “We’re both fine Eragon.” Toron responded.

Eragon nodded before getting back on his dragon, but before they could take off an elf rode up on a white horse. The elf leapt off as soon as they came to a full stop and ran the rest of the way over.

            “My Princes, Your sister and mother have returned… but I fear Queen Tarmunora is unwell, none of our healers can help her, if she dies your father has said he’s retiring and giving the throne to your elder sister.” The elf said while bowing to them in respect.

            “We need to go back!” Toron announced, “This is important, if she dies then…”

            “Yeah, I know, Dellanir isn’t exactly reasonable…” Jacques agreed. “But there’s nothing we can do if Ardaer decides to give her the throne.”

            Eragon argued with them that this was more important but Jacques and Toron got onto their dragons and started to follow the messenger back, the others were forced to follow since Orelel pointed out that it would be unwise to split up incase the Lethrblaka showed up again. They out paced the messenger and got there in five days time, Toron and Jacques immediately raced to the castle and went to the medical wing to see their mother and queen.