Dragon Riders (An Eragon Storybook) - Paused and Accepting

“Are you awake?” Chan’s voice filtered through the purple cloak Zilla had pulled over her head.
“Li sent me. You ought to get ready now.”
Zilla shivered under the moist cloth, but refused to answer. Shen’s ring burned against her skin.
“Fire mage—wake up!” Chan prodded her with his foot.

Are you prepared to attack, fire mage? Shen’s voice cut through Zilla’s mind. She flinched. The time has come.
Chan whipped the cloak off her. “The sun has almost risen. Li says that you should—”
“Mage, why are you not in your troop?” Shen thundered behind him. “Get back there!”
“Sir.” Chan fled.
Get up. Shen jerked the rope on her wrists. Zilla scrambled to her feet.
“Dorrin!” she gasped. The boy was similarly tethered behind the mage. Shen smirked.
Get on your horse. We storm Carvahall today. You will stay by my side and follow every order that I give you, do you understand?
Yes, Master.
Their mounts were wearing light tack. Mages had to be fast and agile. Shen cut Zilla’s bindings, but tied Dorrin to the saddle behind him.
If you disobey me, the boy gets hurt, he snarled. They joined the steady stream of warriors leaving the camp.

Why so many? she thought. Carvahall was a small village with no military force.
We expect some Riders. Our scouts reported several sightings, Shen answered, picking up the unspoken question. Stay alert.

A harsh scream shattered the silence.
“Look up! Dragon!”
The Riders had arrived.

Aryn and Brare-

We finished putting wards and armor and continued flying towards Carvahall. I let down my barrier and touched the minds around me looking for other soldiers.

I felt hundreds of soldiers not far from Carvahall and many of them could manipulate magic.

"Turn around! There's too many soldiers." I screamed at Brare and Etylania's minds. But too late the soldiers had noticed us.

I sent out a mental yell to all the others Riders just as Atanir had done not long ago," A large army, with many magicans are attacking Carvahall! Help is requested!"

"Atanir, in case of another attack, we should renew the wards around us and put armor on." Aryn called across. I nodded and began to do so, drawing energy from my mass stores protected inside the silvery gem on the hilt of my sword, Maela Deyja, meaning quiet death. We swooped over the last mountain and in the valley below, laid the town of Carvahall.
My face lifted with joy as I saw the hometown of my master, but I knew something was awry. The streets were empty. I stared out at the country side and saw thousands of men marching towards the city. “Eylania!” I cried.
“Don’t you worry about a thing little one, we are dragon riders! There is no way we will die.” She reassured me.
“That’s not what I’m worried about! It’s the people of Carvahall! We must protect them!”
I felt Aryn scream at me to turn around but it was too late. Fiery arrows rained down upon us. Our wards easily deflected them but I found myself tired after the shower stopped. We banked hard left as we flew downwards to protect the town. The wind whipped through my streaming black hair as we fast approached the ground. Swerving to the left at the last second, Eylania curved upward and turned towards the advancing armies, breathing liquid fire, as so was her rage.
The fire lept down upon a score of men yet did not harm any. “Barzul!” I cursed using one of Eragon’s favorite Dwarf curses. “Those terrible magicians!” I knew in my heart that unless the other dragon riders in the land came to save us, we were doomed. Aryn and Brare swooped low towards the city, to protect it from the oncoming hordes. Eylainia did likewise and while she did so, I conversed privately with Aryn.
“Aryn, I just wanted to thank you now, in case of one or both of our deaths, for saving me. I’m sorry for telling Nasuada that there wouldn’t be a war. You are much wiser than me. If I could go back I would tell Nasuada that it was highly likely for there to be a war. Now that I see it in front of my eyes, I...” My speech was cut short because the armies were rushing and a crafty magician was trying to take control of my body.
I erected walls of steel around my head and barred the way. There was no chance that I would let him take an inch. I could see Aryn in a similar struggle, yet he was calm and had a sly smile on his face. I too had a sly smile because I had a secret weapon. Using a spell Eragon taught me, I held three Eldunari in an empty space pocket behind Eylainia.

Aryn and Brare-


“Aryn, I just wanted to thank you now, in case of one or both of our deaths, for saving me. I’m sorry for telling Nasuada that there wouldn’t be a war. You are much wiser than me. If I could go back I would tell Nasuada that it was highly likely for there to be a war. Now that I see it in front of my eyes, I...” Atanir said.

"No, you won't die. I won't allow you to. Don't exhaust yourself too soon. I'm going to try and locate the magicans." I intervened.

There were many magicans and they concealed themselves very well. I hunted down one of them and burst into his mind. He shrieked and killed himself not wanting to become a slave. A divison of warrriors were now defenseless but could see just as well that there was no chance of winning without an army to support us, or more dragons and their Riders.

Atanir and Eylania

With these Eldunari, I had multitudes of power in my grasp, enough to crush a castle with a single blow and then still attack an army. As well, I had the gem on the hilt of my sword. “Ready Eylania?” I asked aloud, to avoid allowing a magician into my mind.
“I was hatched ready!” she yelled in an audible voice, which was so loud the entire army below cringed and halted for a second, frightened. I could feel her pure anger through the thin connection our minds had. In my heart, I knew that we were about to die. Eylania felt my sorrow through the feeble link we shared. She uttered a roar so deafening that an entire section of the army collapsed. “We will not be defeated!”
She poured more liquid fire upon the fallen hordes of wailing men. While she did so, a strange sensation came over Eylania’s chest. It was a tearing pain, yet a numb feeling. She attempted to spew more fire, yet ended up coughing and sputtering. Black smoke poured out of her flaring nostrils. Her sense of panic was so overpowering, tears began to flow from both of our eyes. I glanced over at Brare only to see him with more black smoke shrouding his muzzle. Aryn also had tears in his eyes.
I simply accepted the fact that we were going to die. “I love you Eylania, my partner of soul and of mind!” I was now weeping my heart out.
“And I love you, little one.” The soldiers again began firing endless flaming arrows towards us. I reached down with my mind to a soldier. It was strange, his emotions. He was saddened for some reason and as soon as he felt my mind, stabbed his sword through his chest. His last thought was, finally, no more listening to Shen.
I found this odd and began to search for a magicians mind. I located one, a girl who was very young for the field of battle. She immediately rammed her consciousness against mine and I knew that this would be a hard battle to win.

Grey

Grey watched the battle of Carvahall from above, his Lethrblaka mount shrieking eagerly.
"And so, the Riders have arrived," he murmured.
"Master, let me attack," hissed Haedr, on a Lethrblaka beside him.
"No." stated Grey. "My people, the Grey Folk, were masters of magic- indeed, they were the first to tame it. No lesser magician shall stand in my WAY!"
At the last word, he raised his hand and spoke two words.
"Draconis Infrangere!"
At that, the dragons circling above screamed and plummeted like stones to the ground, wings useless, eyes fogged.
"The magic today used is derived from the elven language," proceeded Grey. "Slytha!" another Rider fell, eyes crossed. "But my language, that of the Grey Folk, is another one, more powerful, ancient. Nobody in Algaesia knows of it, hence I am unstoppable!"

The silvery dragon dived over the line of warriors.
When it breathes fire, deflect the flames. I shall protect your mind.
A raging inferno spewed from the creature’s jaws.
Now, fire mage!
Zilla snapped her fingers and the roaring blaze dissipated harmlessly to either side.
Good. Now ride! We must stay under the dragons to fight them.

Lying low on their mounts’ backs, they sped past the army, following the dragons, who were wreaking havoc among the soldiers. As she rode, a mighty presence crashed into Zilla’s mind. Shen’s barrier flowed smoothly over her, protecting her thoughts.
Is that a Rider? she asked, astounded.
Shen did not answer—his face was set into a fierce snarl as he battled the invisible threat to their minds. Then the dragons dropped to the ground heavily, and Shen smiled. His voice resounded through Zilla’s mind.
There is a man from Carvahall coming from the bushes beside us. Kill him. He reigned in his mount and pointed at a lone man with a pickaxe standing beside the road with fear and desperation written across his face. He trembled as Zilla rounded on him, hand tensed to strike.
Do it.
She met the man’s eyes and cold sweat broke out over her body.
Do it, or your friend dies. Shen laid the cold edge of the dagger against Dorrin’s throat.
Zilla sat rigidly, eyes locked on the terrified man, poised to strike. Then Dorrin gave a wild shriek. She saw Shen’s arm moving out of the corner of her eye and reacted.
Snap.

Fire roared from her outstretched hand and instantly incinerated the man. When the flames had died down, the only evidence of his existence was a charred corpse, which disintegrated under Zilla’s gaze to reveal the blackened blade of the pickaxe.

She slipped slowly off her horse and landed heavily on her side, eyes staring, hands limp. Another figure fell to the ground beside her, but he was unmistakably dead, because of the long, gaping wound that spilled more blood over his body. Dorrin.
Too late, fire mage, Shen said. Now you have caused the death of two.
Zilla forced herself to her hands and knees, trying not to vomit. Her limbs trembled with pure rage and anguish.
You allowed this to happen, fire girl. Get on your horse. Shen sent a current of agony through her mind. Now! The pain was unbearable. Zilla stood, tears streaking her soiled face.

She heard a vicious snarl, then a huge creature sailed over her and knocked Shen from his horse. The shrrg turned to her and blew hot breath in her face.
“You came back to me!” she whispered. But there was no time. Shen struggled to his feet with a murderous look on his face. Zilla leaped onto her wolf’s back.
“Run!” The animal jumped into action. A ball of flame consumed the ground where they had just stood. Zilla became aware of a growing pain in her skull as Shen attacked her mind. She forced him out of her thoughts with a iron wall of loathing. More fireballs hit the ground behind them. Shen was on his horse and in hot pursuit. Zilla mounted a counter-attack through a sheen of pain. Snap.
But Shen swerved sharply and the flames missed. And the chase continued, through mind and body. Zilla fled, and Shen pursued.

Grey

Astride his mount, Grey's head snapped to one side, seeking the source of the power he had detected.
"Oculus" he breathed, and his eyes tingled, then his vision became hypersensitive. He saw the girl pursued by the other, a wolf, no, a shrrg, protecting the girl.
"Haedr!" Grey barked. "Lead the army for a while. I have to get that girl"
Haedr nodded and spurned his Lethrblaka forward, calling out to his army.
Grey descended, but there were too many soldiers, too much chaos.
Cursing, he rose and prepared to cast a mighty spell.
Drawing energy from every living being, human, plant and animal, enemy or otherwise, he extended an arm and pointed his index finger towards the running girl.
As one, all Riders and their dragons looked up, sensing the massive shift of energy.
"Nova!" Grey yelled, triumphantly. A huge beam of white energy exploded from his finger, killing everything in a ten-mile radius around the girl. Many more soldiers died, plants blackened.
Grey didn't care- he had achieved his goal.
He swooped down and picked up the girl's broken form.
"Retreat!" he called to his remaining army. "Let's get back! We have what we came for"
As an afterthought, he murmured "Risa," and most of the Rider's swords lifted up and followed him like birds follow their mother.

Aryn and Brare-

Brare breathed fire at the soldiers, turning them to ashes. Suddenly only black smoke came out. We continued flying then Brare froze ad fell, myself with him. I felt magic rip through my chest and I hit the ground, unconcious.

I opened my eyes as I felt a large amount of energy pulled in one direction, and then, "Nova!" A bright white light spread for ten miles around killing everything. Brare escaped due to his magical powers as a dragon and I was protected by his wing.

I peeked out to see mass destruction and Rider swords rising into the air. I felt mine starting to but I gripped it tightly.

As soon, as I was sure it was safe, I came out from beneath Brare's wing.He could move now, as the spell was lifted. "What has happened?" I questioned, staring at the desolate battle field.

My strength draining, I released the girl. At the last second I was touching her mind, I found her mind clouded with a man’s thoughts. I called upon the Eldunari for some of their vast stores of strength. Feeling boisterous, I urged Eylania on, on to victory! Swooping low, I slashed and swung my sword, laughing with giddy glee. We were winning! I allowed myself to think that we had won, only to be dismayed. A flash of light streamed towards me.
“Land Eylania!” I screamed hysterically. She dove into the dirt and spread her wing over me as the light exploded over us. After it passed, she lifted her wing and I gazed out upon the land. It was all dead. The trees upon the hills, the grass, most of the soldiers, all of them were dead! I cried out then to the Gods, asking why this had to come to pass. In a mile radius, we Riders were the only ones to survive. I tore at my hair, in rage and sorrow. My sword began to float up into the sky, yet I did not care. All I could think about was the lives!
“Atanir,” my dragon started, “We must not dwell on the past.”
“This isn’t the past Eylania! This is now!’’ I glared up at the man who caused all this pain; he was seated on a Lerthblaka. For a moment I thought it impossible, yet there he was. I felt anger and hatred boiling up inside me.
I turned over to Eylania and healed a large gash on her side. Beyond her was a man, purple cape billowing in the wind. I stared at him, as if inspecting him. Looking closer, I realized that I recognized him. “It was you!” I screamed out in anguish, hatred and sorrow.
He cackled menacingly. “Yes it was me! It was I who killed your parents!” I stumbled to my knees with a river of tears streaming down my face. I knew that my strength was waning, and I couldn’t fight him.
“When we meet again,” I shrieked, “I will destroy you!”