The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 44: Change

Eragon sat with his back leaning against Saphira's stomach. He was in his chambers near the top of New Doru Araeba, taking a small break from the headache of leading the dragon riders. The balcony was open, allowing the cool mountain air to wash into the room, setting him at the perfect temperature when resting next to his dragon. The sky was clear and beautiful. The trainee riders were practicing air combat that day, their dragon's scales glittering with every turn. Eragon, while having half an eye on them, was deeply engrossed in the scroll he was reading, which outlined a rather strange new island far to the north with some unique magical properties. It had been found a week prior by one of the more adventurous dragon riders.

Saphira was dozing beside him, not bothering with the nest as it was away from the sunlight. He could feel her satisfaction in finally being able to get some sleep, as all the drama of the past couple of weeks had left them both mentally frustrated. It was a good time for a break. As Eragon flipped the page, he felt a rumble from Saphira, the large blue dragoness raising her head in confusion.

'What is it Saphira?' Eragon asked her mentally.

'Don't you feel that?' she responded.

'Feel what... oh.'

Eragon got to his feet. It was like waves of magic were being summoned, cascading through the air toward them. It emanated from the west, and whoever was casting such a spell was using an enormous amount of energy to do so, more energy than Eragon had ever seen before. His apprehension growing, Eragon sort out the Eldanuri, linking his mind with theirs, ready to protect his home from the approaching power. He just hoped the wards he had placed around the city were enough to protect it.

The young dragon riders had stopped what they were doing, their dragons just hovering as they faced the oncoming power. Then it hit them. The dragons let out strange yowls, staggering in the air. Eragon felt a tingle pass over his skin, like being hit by a wall of wind. He staggered backwards, shaking his head, but was otherwise unaffected. It was Saphira that took the greatest hit. She shook her head with a snarl as the magic infused with her for but a moment, before moving on, seeming to have done what it needed to. Saphira growled, pushing her bulk from the ground angrily and looking around with narrowed eyes.

"Saphira!" Eragon called to her, "Are you alright?"

'I am fine little one,' she said, though she was obviously on edge, 'At least I believe so.'

"What happened? Did the spell do anything to you?"

'I... don't know,' her frustration in their ignorance of the spell annoyed her to no end, 'But I feel... different.'

'Different? Different good, bad?'

'No... just different,' the dragoness raised her head to look West, where the spell had originated from, wondering how such a powerful piece of magic was cast, and what its purpose had been.

* * *

Sharrag, king of the wild dragons, lay in his cave, not quite asleep, breathing heavily in and out. His mind connected deep into the valley he was in, pulling at the strings of wild magic that leaked into the surface of the world. It was a technique he had learned while he had been living there. Using the tendrils of wild magic, he could see far and wide into the world. Part of him wondered if doing this would eventually give him the ability to be able to pull on the power at will, rather than only in specific circumstances.

Because of that strange connection, he was the first to see the spell being cast. He felt the disturbance within the world as wild magic was pulled out in droves, seeming as though every tendril was being used for the spell. The wild dragon opened his eyes, worried. He got to his feet, moving as quickly as his stiff limbs would allow as he stumbled out of the cave. The valley he called home was shimmering in response, and he felt the spell coming toward them.