I jolted awake to a sharp *crack* splitting the cave's morning hush, like ice fracturing under a hammer—sunlight slanting through the entrance, turning dust motes to gold, but my gut screamed problems, not breakfast. Annabeth woke beside me, dagger already in hand, her eyes locking to the pack where the eggs pulsed with fissures, steam wisping from glowing cracks as shells splintered like magical eggshells.
"Percy," she whispered, half-awe, half-alarm, and then—bam—two baby dragons burst free: one a glittering gray bundle of scales and spines, tumbling toward Annabeth with a trill that echoed a trilling chime; the other ocean-blue, sleek and wavy, barreling straight for me, nuzzling my leg with a rumble that vibrated like sea currents calling home. They both were scrawy, minuscule things, shivering as they entered this world. The gray one perched on Annabeth's lap, eyes sharp as Athena's gaze, while my blue buddy flopped against my chest, wings fluttering like mini tsunamis.
"Dragons," I breathed, heart pounding. "Actual baby dragons. Hecate didn't mention this perk."
I reached down to pet the blue one in my lap, instantly causing a searing pain through my body, becoming a close second to my dip in the Stynx. It seared into our palms like celestial bronze tattoos, only instead of bronze, it was a blinding white, binding us a rush of ideas and thoughts that definitely weren't mine. Annabeth flexed her hand, the gray dragon squeaking excitedly as their minds linked, while mine synced with the blue one's playful surges, awe and surprise seeping through me.
"This connection... It's like the empathy link with Grover, but more," I said, grinning ear-to-ear as the blue nipped my finger gently, wanting food. Annabeth's eyes sparkled, stroking her gray ones' spine.
"This is so exciting, but we have to tread carefully; something tells me this world won't be so happy to see dragons," Annabeth warned, before turning to pet her dragon. The bond hummed, electric and alive, turning the dread for this quest into something I was looking forward to.
We went to hunt in order to feed our newfound dragons, hoping to catch something. I trudged through the dense forest, Riptide in hand, with Annabeth at my side, and the dragons exploring the trees and undergrowth. We'd been hunting for only a half hour, the crisp morning air sharp in my lungs, when we finally spotted a deer—its antlers glinting in a sliver of sunlight. With a quick nod, I threw a hunting dagger, my shot striking true, and we hauled the kill back, only for our dragons to walk up, trying to help with exaggerated flaps and tugs, dragging the deer toward camp with goofy grunts.
Back at camp, we skinned and cooked the deer over a crackling fire, and we made sure to give some to our dragons—their scales almost seemed to glow as they ate, mine with scales like storm clouds, and Annabeth's with iridescent gray hues. After breakfast, we sat by the fire, bellies full, and started tossing around names; I landed on Furnöst, while Annabeth, after some debate, chose Shorai.
The morning sun climbed higher, and we decided to play, tossing a worn leather ball for the dragons to chase, their squeaks echoing through the trees. Furnöst bounded after it, his tail whipping like a tempest, while Shorai glided with elegant swoops, snatching it midair with a sly grin. Then, out of nowhere, an overwhelming sense of power hit me—Furnöst's emotions flooding in, a mix of joy and trust that made me gasp from the sudden overwhelming thought-like emotions, and I glanced at Annabeth, her eyes wide, as Shorai did the same. We sat there, shocked at this newfound communication, as the dragons sat in our lap, their minds brushing ours with a strange, comforting hum. I laughed, brushing Furnöst's scales, while he sent an image of a deer. I laughed again, and we went to hunt, my mind still reeling from this new connection.
Eragon's POV
The celebrations in Tronjheim still echoed faintly through the vast halls of Farthen Dûr, the dwarven city carved from the mountain's heart, where the Varden licked their wounds after repelling Durza's Urgal horde. I wandered the labyrinthine streets amid dwarven revelry and human celebration, my back still aching from the Shade's crippling final blow, and my mind reeling from the visit of "The Cripple who is Whole".
Arya and Angela found me near a forge, the herbalist's sharp wit cutting through the post-victory haze as we discussed the Agaeti Blödhren—the elves' Blood-oath Celebration—looming ahead, a rite to honor the old Rider pacts. Saphira's scales itched with impatience in her nearby cavern, her thoughts brushing mine like dragonfire whispers, sending me thoughts about hunting the great many wildlife in these mountains.
Then it hit—a deep vibration rippling through the magic of the world, like the ancient language itself shuddering in its roots, a pulse that hummed in my gedwëy ignasa and set my wards tingling. The air thickened, spells woven into Tronjheim's stone flickering erratically, and I clutched my side, the bond with Saphira amplifying into a roar of distant power. Angela's eyes widened behind her spectacles, her scrying bowl cracking with ethereal frost, while Arya drew in a breath, her elven senses flaring.
"Riders," I gasped, the word tasting like doom. Despair crashed over us like the Shade's curse.
"Galbatorix," Arya hissed, face paling to moonstone, her grip iron on her sword. "He must have found more eggs or raided our hidden caches—after all these centuries, he's breeding an army of Riders to crush us." Angela cursed in her herbal argot, scattering runes that smoked and died, muttering about fractured fates. I felt Saphira's rage boil through our link, wings unfurling in her cave with a thunderous crack—how could we fight an emperor now swollen with more Riders? My heart sank, visions of Urgals mounted on wyrms overwhelming the Varden, the last free dragons snuffed out. "We ride for Ellesméra immediately," Arya urged, voice edged with rare fear. "Oromis must know—before Galbatorix's puppets descend." I packed my meager belongings, and Hrothgar sent supplies and the rest of the elves with us, and even though there were only 5 elves and I, we traveled quickly with our supplies, making the whole trip within just two days.
A/N: Kind of a bad part to end at, but I really need some sleep after this. Also, Shorai, Furnöst, Annabeth and Percy can all share a mental link but they can also just communicate between the two. ie: Percy and Annabeth, Percy and Furnöst, Annabeth and Shorai, Annabeth and Furnöst...
Words: 1032