The First Dragon Riders

Chapter 12

They had been flying high above the water to avoid any of the creatures that lurked beneath the waves since dawn, now it was sunset and the air was becoming even colder. Eragon told them all a simple spell they could use to keep them warm before having them fly higher through the clouds forming.

            “How long until we get there?” Orelel asked.

            “We should be there by morning if we keep up the pace.” Kuthian replied.

            Eragon looked up from examining the clouds below them. “A storm’s coming, we should be fine if we stay above it but I’m afraid we’ll have to go lower when we can’t maintain the heating spell.”

            “And how long will that be?” Anu asked. “A few hours?”

            “Yes.”

            “How will we see if it’s storming? We might miss the island completely.” Jacques spoke up.

            “We can deal with that later.” Eragon replied.

            Jacques went silent and checked on Emeril who was sitting behind him with her arms around his waist, he saw the peaceful look on her face and smiled, it was hard for her to lose her dragon but at least her dreams weren’t filled with dark reminders.

            She wouldn’t be this peaceful without you. Styx sent her thought towards Jacques and he turned around to face forward again.

            “Why do you say that? I’m sure when she wakes up she’ll still be a wreck, no one could go through losing their bonded partner without feeling like they lost something.”

            That might be true but if it weren’t for you she wouldn’t still be with us. Who knows what she could’ve done if she’d gone off on her own, more urgals or kull could’ve killed her.

            “I don’t think that will make a difference much longer. Without a dragon she can’t be a Dragon Rider. Eragon might not allow her to stay.”

            We have to trust he will help her and that she will make the right choice when the time comes for her to leave.

            “Emeril won’t want to stay. Once she leaves I don’t think I’ll see her again, whether it’s because fate doesn’t want us to or she gets killed by these monsters that plague this land.”

            That is what Riders are going to be for, ridding the land of the monsters that harm the innocent. Honestly I thought elves were wiser than this.

            “You just had to add that last part didn’t you?”

            Jacques blocked off his mind to end the conversation before glancing down at the darkening storm clouds below, flashes of lightning would light them up for a second before making them phantom like clouds again, hiding all of the inner turmoil that was inside and falling into the sea below. The wind started to pick up and Oromis touched Glaedr’s neck before the golden dragon dived down into the clouds to escape the fierce wind.

            “Where is he going?” Toron shouted. “They said it’s too dangerous to get below the clouds!”

            Eragon and Kuthian had their dragons fly back and looked down at the fading glimmer of Glaedr’s scales.

            “Follow him.” Kuthian ordered Brazen.

            Brazen dove down and followed the young dragon and rider while Eragon tried to make the others stay behind and wait for their return. “We can’t risk all of you being put in danger. Your dragon’s could break a wing if they make one wrong move in flight or one of those creatures could rise out of the ocean and drag you under.”

            Like you know anything about flying. Bid’Doum thought to all of them. Dragons are born to know how to ride the air currents.

            He’s right. Styx snorted smoke into the air to emphasize her point. Out of all of us gathered up here which species actually has wings and can fly?

            Eragon glanced at the other dragons who were starting to give their own points before raising his hands up in defeat. “Go at your own risk then. I’m not sure why this storm is here, there wasn’t anything like it when Kuthian and I first journeyed here but it could mean we aren’t destined to go to Vroengarg.”

            “Or it could just be a storm.” Emeril rolled her eyes before yawning. “Not everything has to have some deep meaning.”

            “Let’s go then.” Anu said before leading them down through the storm.

            Eragon sighed, they were going to make it to Vroengarg later than he’d hoped, with the storm and wind they’d be lucky to reach the island before their dragons dropped out of the sky from exhaustion. He had Bid’Doum follow them any way and immediately knew something was wrong when a loud screams sounded below followed by a dragon’s roar. A red glow reached through the clouds as a dragon breathed fire before it died out. When he got out of the clouds he saw Brazen spewing fire from his maw, Kuthian wasn’t anywhere to be seen but Oromis looked terrified while the others were shouting and looking down at the water where Eragon could faintly make out a darker outline below the rough waves.

            “What happened?” He demanded although could already guess.

            Oromis looked down but had Glaedr fly over so he could explain. “Kuthian saved me from being attacked by that… that creature. But he was taken right off Brazen’s back and… eaten whole…”

            Brazen let out another roar of pain before diving under the water, the water below churned even more as the dragon and his primal cousin began fighting, blood stained the water red as they tore into each other but soon it became clear that Brazen wouldn’t resurface.

            Eragon looked down sadly, he had lost his friend and the Rider’s next leader, he knew it was time to leave but couldn’t find the heart to tell the others and break them out of their shock. Lucky for him Bid’Doum did it for him by letting out a commanding roar and flying off towards Vroengarg again, still keeping below the clouds but not too close to the water.