Breakfast in the dining hall was interesting. I waited outside the oak door, for Ryker. I wanted to walk in with him, arm in arm, to show Kayna that her silly little plan hadn't hurt me. Marilis and Halle had arrived before Ryker but after me, and saw me outside the door waiting.

"Were you waiting for us?" Halle asked. "We slept in late. Because of the graduation."

Every time that a graduation took place, all classes were cancelled, unless of course you didn't want to watch, or participate, in the game of capture the flag afterwards.

I shook my head, "No, actually, I was waiting for Ryker."

"Ooohh," they both laughed at the same time.

I shook my head in amusement. "I'll talk to you guys about it later."

They walked in to the dining hall, with their heads bent together, whispering. Then came in Ryker, through the Hall's entrance. He was wearing dark wool pants, and a golden yellow short tunic, with a golden cape flapping behind him and his sword buckled to his hips. He was also wearing his quiver of arrows, and his bow. He was obviously hoping to be chosen for capture the flag. His longer blonde hair was brushed neatly and his blue eyes sparkled. 

'You're lucky to have him,'   Fírek informed me. 

'No kidding,' I said dazzled by my new boyfriend's appearance.

"Hey," he said once he was by the door with me. "Were you waiting for me? You could've eaten with out me you know."

"I was yes. I wanted to make sure everyone new exactly who was yours."

He laughed and kissed my forehead. "Then lets show them shall we?"

He took me by the arm and we walked into the dining hall together.

Ryker made sure that the doors shut loudly, echoing off the stone walls. We received some surprised glances, and smiles from our friends. I searched for Kayna's red mop. She had a frown on her face, clear as day, this made me grin, even if today would be spent being her slave.

The stares followed us to our table, where Ronyn, Halle, and Marilis had saved seats for us. 

"Good deal bud," Halle whispered in my ear, which made me smile more. 

Then, a bowl of Madam Foster's breakfast soup was placed in front of Ryker and I by a pair of woman servants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After breakfast, the graduation would take place, out in the courtyard. Adurna and Orayl would be getting ready in their graduation uniforms, the same outfit that Eragon had been wearing the previous day. The outfit was also a tradition. 

Outside in the courtyard, floor cushions were being set up for the other Riders to sit on, Eragon and the graduating Riders would be performing the ceremony at the front. Because of the odd ball times of hatching and training, graduations were held when it was convenient for the Riders.

Some people were already sitting on cushions, so, the five of us decided that we would take our seats as well. I sat with Ryker on my right, and Halle on my left. 

Sooner than I thought, all the floor cushions were occupied and the graduation would begin. Eragon and Saphira landed in front of the countless heads of his students, ruffling our hair with wing gusts. 

"Because some of you are new to graduations, I will explain the procedure again, while our graduates are getting on their armor and cape," Eragon said in his own uniform, standing next to Saphira. "When the graduates come they will take an oath in the Ancient Language, which most of you will some day take. Once they have graduated, capture the flag will take place.

In capture the flag, Glaedr, one of my deceased teachers, will choose Riders to play from his Eldunari, including the two graduates and their dragons. If you are chosen, after all of the players are chosen, it will be in an even number of six Riders on each team, which the graduates will chose. I will explain capture the flag once the time comes."

An applause followed his short speech, and the two dragons of the graduating Riders landed.

Adurna, a lean, tall, and gorgeous human girl dismounted her female black dragon. The color suited her well, fore Adurna had a curvy figure with long wavy locks of black hair, and dark colored eyes. She was wearing black and white armor, with white riding boots, and a black cape with white trim that sweeped over her left side.

Orayl, a muscular and charming half elf half human, had long light brown hair that touched his shoulders. He quickly dismounted his female sunset orange dragon. He was wearing orange, black, and white armor, with black riding boots and a sweeping orange cape that he wore on his right side.

"Welcome, Adurna, Sarrei, Orayl, and Avona," Eragon said as the Riders approached him and Saphira, their dragons staying behind for now. 

Everyone clapped, making Adurna and Orayl smile. With their left hand on their swords, they bowed to Eragon.

"Master Eragon," they said before standing again.

Eragon smiled politely. "For those of you who aren't very fluent in the Ancient Language yet, I will now recite the oath in English, Dwarfish, then in the Ancient Language."

Adurna and Orayl bent down on one knee and bent their heads.

"I, Eragon, pledge my loyalty to the Riders of Oromis Isle. As a Rider I swear to serve and protect everyone of every race, within my power. As a being of Alagaesia, I swear to  serve myself, my dragon, and my leaders."

He repeated the oath in Dwarfish and in the Ancient Language before turning to Adurna and Orayl.

"Adurna, please recite the oath."

She recited it in the Ancient Language, her deeper voice transfixing our ears. She then gazed at Eragon, still bending on one knee, her eyes sparkling.

"I, Eragon, now proclaim Adurna Shurt'tugal un Sarrei, a Rider in full," Eragon drew Brisingr and with the blunt side of his blade, touched her left and right shoulder.

"Orayl, please recite the oath."

He repeated the oath back to Eragon, and looked at him expectantly.

"I, Eragon, now proclaim Orayl Shur'tugal un Avona, a Rider in full," and Eragin likewise touched Orayl's shoulders with Brisingr.

Both of them stood, and drew their swords. They held them in the air, and cheers as well as dragon roars congratulated the new Riders.

"Now, for capture the flag," Eragon said with a mischievous smile. 

He walked over to Saphira, and from one of the saddle bags, he pulled something wrapped in various layers of cloth. It was roughly around the size of my forearm. Eragon walked back to the Riders, and cradled the small object. 

He unwrapped the layers of cloth to reveal a sparkling golden gem, the Eldunari of Glaedr, who now would have been the oldest dragon alive if he hadn't died in battle with his Rider Oromis.

"Master Glaedr," Eragon said rubbing his right hand gently over the surface. "Please chose the Riders for today's game of capture the flag."

Eragon waited for a response.

Then, "He says that Ryker, Ronyn, and their dragons are ready to participate."

Ryker and Ronyn both smiled, and stood up. All eyes were now on them as they made their way to the front. Clapping broke the awkward silence as they reached the front.

"Congratulations," Eragon said to them. "The next two to be chosen are...Kayna and Laina!"

I groaned, as did Marilis and Halle. Stifled and stiff applause followed. Even Eragon seemed content to not congratulate them.

"Marilis and Za'Car!"

Marilis was in happy shock, and Halle ad I had to unfreeze her. She made her way to the front with a boy who was older than us. He was muscular, and at the same time hideous, with a scar running down his nose.

"Gereth and Valdr!"

Two boys walked to the front. I was now suddenly nervous that I wouldn't be in the game, I'd never played capture the flag.

Eragon took a long pause the said, "The last two Riders are, Kora and Celest!"

Some sighs of disappointment were exchanged, but overall the announcement was accepted. I smiled from ear to ear as I stood up from my cushion, Halle patting me on the back. Also from along the throng of head, a tall dark skinned girl stood up. I could tell she was a human, her body language told me so, not her eyes, for they were covered by her long black snarled hair. She closely resembled Nasuada. I reached the front before her, and took Ryker's arm again, he smiled down at me.

"Now," Eragon said. "Adurna and Orayl will chose their teams. Adurna first."

She nodded to Eragon and stepped forward. I had never really noticed Adurna, probably because she was in a class with older Riders.

"Gereth," she said.

Gereth, was a werecat, and I very tall one at that. None of us had seen him in his cat form, but he had messy black-brown hair. As he flashed his teeth and walked forward to his captain, I shivered slightly, his teeth were so sharp!

Then, Orayl stepped forward.

"Za'Car."  

'Odd that men are picked first," I sneered at Fírek . "Sexist pigs."

I heard my dragon rumble his agreement.

"Ronyn," Adurna said.

The choosing took longer than the graduation it seemed. When it was done, Adurna's team consisted of, Gereth, Ronyn, Marilis, Kayna, and Valdr, and Orayl's team was, Za'Car, Ryker, myself, Kora, and Laina.

"The black team," Eragon gestured to Adurna's team. "And the orange team."

Everyone clapped for the teams.

"Now, we have a few minutes to wait for the flags to be placed, then the game will begin," Eragon said. "But for now, I want the teams to decide on the positions. Just a reminder, the captain is always the Scout, who looks for intruders around the flag area.
There are two guards, you must stay at least two dragon lengths away from the flag. One messenger, the messenger cannot be capture, however they can capture others on their own territory. They talk between captains if there is a trade, a captured Rider in exchange for the flag moved closer to the border is an example. 
And, the two Runners, the offensive to catch the flag and bring it back to their own territory. You all will be able to watch through the water glass around the territory's which we will scry."

With that he went back to talking with Saphira, while the rest of the Riders began to murmur to themselves excitedly, and the teams to sort the positions. But I had to talk to Eragon, he wasn't really going to let the graduates go home with King Orrin's behavior was he?

Orayl interrupted my thoughts, "I want Kora and Za'Car as the guards, definitely. And Celest as a runner. Ryker and Laina I don't really know where to place you."

Ryker lowered his voice, "I want to be a Runner, Celest and I are a team now."

He smiled at me, which I returned.

"Then I guess I'm the messenger," Laina said, staring a me, awkwardly.

Orayl approved our decision. I quickly excused myself to talk to Eragon.

"Master Eragon?" I asked once I was close. "May I speak to you?"

He turned around from examining his saddle, "Of course, you and Marilis will need your swords back of course I'm sorry Celest!"

"That's all very well sir, but I have something else troubling me. Are you really going to let Adurna and Orayl go back to Surda with the way King Orrin has been acting? With two Riders on his side he could very well use them against Nasuada, even King Orrin can use dark magic to convince them."

Eragon scratched his chin, "I've already spoken to them about the situation, they have reluctantly agreed to go to Ellesmera until this has all blown over. I appreciate your concern, but I've got it under control."

Feeling ashamed, I bowed, "Of course Master Eragon, forgive me."

Eragon turned back to his saddle, and pulled out the swords of Marilis and I.

"Use them wisely," Eragon said handing me their sheathes.

I bowed to him again, and ran back over to the teams.

"Excuse me, may I interrupt a moment?" I said walking up to Adurna's team.

Adurna glared down at me and raised one eyebrow, and the rest of her team frowned.

"I have Marilis' sword," I said waving around the pommel.

"Thanks Celest!" Marilis said, barging forward to grab it.

Adurna then shooed me off and I rejoined my team. They were all standing, talking about their plans for the game. I shoved myself into Ryker, who kissed my forehead.

"Then its settled," Orayl was saying. "Ryker will drive away Adurna and distract the guards while Celest takes the flag."

'I love how they didn't even ask me,' I told Fírek who laughed inside my head.

Then came Eragon's voice, "The flags are in place! Let the game begin!"