Time Period: Approximately three months after the events of Prologue.

My dragon's emerald scales were completely iridescent in the sunlight under his saddle, reflecting every ray of its blinding light into my face, making me squint. My fourteen year old friend, Halle, sat perched on her bronze beast, Kaida, about twenty yards away from my dragon, Fírek, and I.

Halle was a good friend to me, and a brilliant Rider. She was kind, caring, humorous, and respectful. Her skills as a Rider were strong in swordsmanship and flying tactics. She was the kind of person you'd trust in your house, without having to sleep with a dagger under your pillow. Halle was a short, slender, human girl whose Riders' training had molded into a stealthy and lean weapon. She had dark brown curly hair, pale, yet normal toned skin, and deep set, blue, earnest eyes.

Kaida, her mount, reflected her personality likewise. Kaida was a stealthy, lethal, and muscular built she-dragon with a fiery temper and vicious appetite. Kaida was especially known for her appetite.

I sat up straight, my spine cracking, and I yawned intensely. My slender sixteen year old body was beginning to ache from days of flying on Fírek's back. Fírek was, in some ways, considered the 'dragon prince' of Alagaësia, or at least that's how he referred to himself. He was the son of Saphira Brightscales and Fírnen, the dragon of Queen Arya. This also gave my dragon an enormous ego, but besides his parents' reputation giving him a cocky attitude, he was a gentle dragon. He had a deep voice, like his father, even from the time he had been a dragonet. It had always been deep, it shocked me when he first spoke to me.

His emerald scales had been polished with fragmented oils before we had departed on our voyage, and they seemed to gleam even at night. His wings were leaf green, and in the sun they resembled sunlight shining through leaves on a forest floor. His eyes were a vibrant green as well that were complimented by his ivory white spinal spikes and horns. Fírek was a wise, kind soul. He loved to make me laugh when I was sad and help calm me when I was infuriated. He was my world.

I was a tall elven girl with long blonde hair that fell to my lower back. I was lean and muscular at the time and was starting to gain my confidence as a Rider. I had been told on many occasions by my friends and family that I was a mischievous yet mindful teen with an ego to match my dragon's.

I continued to groan as I stretched, identifying one spot in particular in between my shoulder blades that felt the most strained.

'Are you alright Celest? I could ask Kaida and Halle if we can land for a short break if you wish,' Fírek asked, concern apparent in his voice.

'No, that's quite alright. I'll manage, we've almost arrived at our destination.' Fírek did not answer, but I knew he silently agreed, although he was still concerned about my condition.

The sky above was vacant ahead of us, white clouds above, open air and gravity below. I had convinced myself to stop looking down below Fírek's shoulder days ago, the landscape overall had been nothing but a mundane green blur. I had hoped to see mountains upon my arrival back in Alagaësia, but to my dismay my hopes had plummeted when I realized there would be nothing but hills and small, insignificant villages. To add onto my boredom, looking down all the time had nauseated me and caused me headaches. So instead, I had taken to staring blankly ahead.

Kaida's large leathery wings pulsed lazily in front of us, sending Halle into an uncomfortable routine of jarring in her saddle. Fírek's neck bobbed vertically in front of my nose, his wings switching between thrusting us forward, gliding, falling for a mere instant, and launching us forward again. This boring routine had become the norm for the journey and frankly, I was seldom becoming interested in the voyage anymore. I was ready to go back to Oromis Isle and continue training.

The humidity in the air clung to my skin like a disease, the total opposite of the day before. Now I was sweating, when the night before I had been clinging to my deer skin blankets and relying on Fírek's belly heat to prevent from freezing.

'I hope that never happens again,' I thought to myself, recalling the event. I shivered, shaking the thought away as I rubbed the back of my neck.

I gazed down at Fírek affectionately, grabbing onto the ivory neck spike in front of me with one hand and scratching a groove in between a patch of emerald scales on the side of his neck.

'What are you staring at?' I could tell his lips were parted in his draconic smirk beneath me.

'A wonderful dragon,' I replied with a toothy grin I knew he couldn't see.

As the wind tore at my long, blonde hair, I began to feel the journey that had just begun, wasn't a journey at all, but merely an instant to spend with my beloved dragon, and best friend.

Our quest had become something rather simple, we were to travel to Aberon, the capital of Surda (the nation within a nation), to report the progress of the Surdan Riders to King Orrin. Then, we were to journey to Ileria to bring good tidings to Queen Nasuada from Ebrithil Eragon, and give her a letter he himself had written. Then we would return home. Home to Oromis Isle, the Rider's island Eragon had established after the downfall of the black king, Galbatorix. This is where we would complete our training. Once we were full fledged Riders, we would return to Alagaësia, free willed accompanied with our duty to prevent conflict.

'Do you want to play a little game?' Fírek asked, glancing back at me for a short moment, fixing one silvery emerald eye on me.

'Depends on what the little game is,' I teased. He rumbled beneath me, a jet of hot air steaming from his nostrils.

'Let's say we have a little race with Kaida and Halle? Kaida and I concluded we will be in Aberon in roughly a half hour.'

'I have no objections,' I told him with an amused smirk.

'Good girl.' He waited for me to adjust all of the saddle bags and assure that they were secure and tight. I also adjusted my emerald sword, Feahthum, at my waist and pulled its leather band tighter to my hips. When everything was secure, Fírek, in a swift motion, forced his wings downward and back with such a great deal of force, he launched us forward, blasting Halle and Kaida with a fierce gust of air.

'Haha,' Kaida's high pitched, musical voice resonated in our heads. 'Very hysterical, is that a challenge I taste?'

"Keep up hatchlings!" I shouted over the wind's torrent. That was enough to reassure her. She launched herself forward, and once her wing strides were even with Fírek's, she playfully nipped at his tail and propelled herself forward again.

I caught Halle's eyes for a moment, she had a bright smile prying at the corners of her lips and she was shaking her head with laughter. Her smile was contagious, and I began to smile with her.

The game continued until Halle and I were completely jarred from the quick maneuvers and whirling of our dragons as they lost stamina. I myself was beginning to become nauseated from the upside down flying that had transpired.

Once we had resumed silent gliding, Fírek's nostrils were flaring as he heaved for oxygen.

'That was the most exciting thing we've done this whole journey!' I exclaimed happily.

'So far,' he replied with an affectionate rumble that vibrated against my calves. Fírek paused for a moment, as if deep in thought. 'Kaida has informed me we are over Aberon now.'

I fell silent as I gripped the front of my saddle, my knuckles turning white. Fírek stopped pumping his wings, almost in unison with Kaida. He began to dip his neck forward and tucked his wings forcefully to his sides. The split second of weightlessness, and the fear of falling before the descent gave way to bile rising in my throat as I rose off the seat of my saddle. I clutched the neck spike in front of me with one hand until it began to cramp.

'Scared?' Fírek asked with his draconic grin.

"Not one bit," I whispered to myself.

We sped towards the ground, gravity begging us to defy it, Fírek's bulk continuously pulling us downward. The wind was so forceful it made my eyes water. Beside us, speeding equally as fast, Halle's eyes were slanted as she gripped Kaida's ivory neck spike, her ponytail streaming behind her. Wind pulled the hair from my forehead and neck, and my tightly fitted tunic began to snap violently against my skin. Fírek snorted, a streamer of smoke colliding with my eyes, making them water even more.

'You're an insane big, green, winged lizard.'

The ground was speeding to meet us, extremely fast. The glittering silver city of Aberon shone beneath us on top of a hill. When the ground began to threaten us, Fírek expanded his great wings again with the sound of a snapping sail. My adrenalin pounded in my ears as my mouth hung open.

Fírek glided twenty yards with only a few feet separating himself and the earth. After our short glide, he began to back wing furiously, buffeting and flattening the grass below with violent intent. Finally, his back leg claws buried themselves in the earth. He continued to back wing as he slowly lowered his front legs onto the grass.

My adrenalin still pumped through my ears, my heart racing. I breathed slowly, attempting to calm myself. When I succeeded, I glanced around at my surroundings, but to my dismay and utter shock, I turned only to see Surda's army, completely in uniform, prepared to march from Aberon on the cobblestone road leading away from their home.

~~~

Halle and Kaida landed shortly after, a close distance behind us. Kaida, even from yards away, managed to buffet Fírek and I with her wings, tangling my hair further.

"Celest? Celest what's wrong you look-"Halle started to say but I quickly cut her off.

"Be. Quiet," I attempted to say through gritted teeth and wide eyes.

Halle and Kaida gave Fírek and I a swift startled look before they noticed the army.

The army hadn't taken much notice to the four of us, a few soldiers occasionally glanced our way. Kaida was angered by the lack of respect and she roared with fury and bared her glistening ivory teeth. Fírek seemed unfazed by the situation, as if he had known this was going to happen, however he uncomfortably shifted his weight between legs as well as arching his neck with a scrunched snout and barred fangs.

Stunned, a vast majority of the soldiers turned in our direction, taking off their helms to get a better look a our beasts.

The army was nothing to compare to Ileria's, or of Eragon's Riders, but since the Great War had ended, no one in Alagaësia had seen an army completely in uniform and ranked in almost seventeen years, because of this, it was a complete surprise to Halle and I who had never seen a complete army before in our life, other than in paintings.

Most of the soldiers were mounted on horses, some carrying Surda's flag on poles high above their heads, others sported cross bows. Surda's flag was a light blue with navy and white waves, the emblem above was of a white star. The flags snapped in the breeze far above our heads.

Even if this army wasn't as large as others I had heard of, I still could not put an estimate on its population. I tried to hold back my gasp as they stared us.

The soldiers that were not mounted on horses carried spears, barbs up into the air high above their heads. They carried other weapons, I knew, even though they were invisible to my eyes.

The horses in the first rank were laden with plated armor, the most I had seen on a living animal. The horses had helms shaped to the special contour of their heads, leg armor, and black leather breast collars with a metal crest holding the straps together.

I couldn't see the faces of many of these men, consealed by their helms with the exception of the ones who had lowered theirs. Their king, King Orrin, could be seen in the further ranks mounted on a mountainous raven hued charger. He was laden with blue armor in the shade of their flags with black designs and a black cape was hooked to his shoulders by metallic crests. The visor on his helm was dropped, revealing an aged face with small wrinkles beginning to form around his eyes, a square jawline and the accents of chocolate brown hair. I couldn't see the shade of his eyes from my position, but they were narrowed and cold.

A league to the south was the sparkling silver city of Aberon, I had longed to see its streets and people, but I told myself it would have to wait. Surda was a new place, a new country, I longed to see new things and new people. I was used to Alagaësia, I was even starting to be accustomed to being a Rider. But Surda, Surda was something I had never seen before.

Aberon was on an emerald hill, its walls concealing its interior. Boulders were positioned under the walls to help steady them, littering almost the entire hillside.

'What is the meaning of this? Fírek asked, eyes narrowed. 'Why have you gathered your army, we come to only bring a message from Ebrithil Eragon Shadeslayer.' Fírek's voice was cast amongst many a consciousness, but he was specifically speaking to King Orrin.

A small man with a feathered plume on his helm and who was mostly covered in chain mail, galloped up swiftly on a bay charger that had been immobilized near the king's own black charger. The horse's hooves churned up dust around him as he galloped over the cobblestone street and across the grassy plain to where we remained. When he had halted about three yards from the dragons' snouts he boldly stated, "The King wishes to know your business with the people of Surda."

"We request a short audience with him," Halle said taking charge. "We wish to discuss the progress of Surda's Riders."

The man then cantered back to his king, sticking his nose up at us as he turned. Silence gripped the surrounding area, surrounding us with an awkward aurora. When the man had reached Orrin, he whispered our request into his ear. Then, slower than ever, the man cantered back to our spot, again with his nose high in the air.

"He grants your request, but in return he wishes you leave your beasts," he said with disgust on his tongue, "here. He has a strong dislike for the dragons, even if your master is his good companion."

'Good companion? Eragon barely speaks of him.'

Fírek growled at the man as Halle and I quickly dismounted. My legs buckled beneath me when my feet touched the ground, the days of flying with little rest effecting my legs. I hurried to waken my legs, so I wouldn't embarrass myself. Halle helped me to the charger as the blood rushed back through my legs.

'I am here my love,' Fírek said. 'If he tries anything Kaida and I will enjoy mauling him.'

I nodded to my dragon, as Halle mounted the stallion charger, while I being an elf, ran along side. Halle put her foot in the stirrup, swinging her leg over the saddle seat, sitting behind the grotesque man.

With extra weight, the man had to trot with Halle back to the king. Halle clutched the back of the saddle and gripped with her legs. When we reached our destination, Halle dismounted and with the flick of his wrist, the king sent his curious subjects away to other duties that they ignored, instead they gathered in small groups to discuss.

"Yes?" he asked with apparent disgust.

"We come," I began with annoyance, "to bring good tidings, from Ebrithil Eragon, and to report the progress of your four Riders."

"And how are they?" he asked.

"Two are almost ready to return and the other two will be ready in four months," Halle stated, answering the question for me.

"Very good, if that is all you have to say, you may leave my presence. We have work to do," he said before spurring his stallion away in the opposite direction.

Halle and I walked to our dragons, an uneasy silence hanging in the air, though there was so much we had to discuss.

'Shouldn't you ask about the army?' Fírek asked. 'He never did answer me.'

He rumbled deep in his throat, smoke rising from his nostrils.

'I will talk to Ebrithil Eragon when we return but I don't wish to anger Orrin. He might decide to attack if we do. Though we are Riders, we are still out numbered greatly,' I told him.

'Aye,' was his only reply.

~~~

Keep reading, voting, and commenting:) Guys, I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could read my friend @kaida124's two Eragon FanFictions: Riders and Dragon Lords. Halle, the real Halle, is this user, who I completely based this character off of and her OC Kaida. She's my best friend off of Wattpad and she and I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. ~RiderFirnen