I'll admit, I was not emotionally prepared to have a conversation with a hatchling. I tried to speak, but no words would come to mind. Instead, I ended up staring in shock at the hatchling, who had taken it upon herself to stare right back at me.

'Well?' she said, her blue eyes staring at me intently, 'Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to say something?'

'You can talk,' I stuttered, unable to believe that this young dragon was talking. It had taken Vascar a month to utter a single word, let alone complete sentences.

The small dragoness scoffed, 'You sure are a bright one aren't you? I guess there isn't an intelligence requirement to become a rider.'

Vascar growled softly, 'Watch your tongue hatchling, that is my rider you are speaking to. You are new to this world and know nothing of it's rules and nature, so if I were you I would think before you speak.'

'Forgive me, oh great elder,' the small dragon replied, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Vascar growled louder, his lip quivering as he struggled to resist snarling at the young dragoness. 'You better learn to respect your elders quick hatchling, otherwise you will face harsher punishments than a tongue-lashing,' he quickly responded, but quieter than I had expected. I placed a hand on his quivering side, making sure to avoid the wounds that Oromis had not yet had time to heal. All I could do was calm him down before he said or did something he couldn't take back.

'I will respect anyone who respects me, regardless of age,' she spat back, her scales ruffling in defiance.

"Peace, young one," Oromis commanded, his tone stern yet polite, "We have larger matters than respect to discuss. I think I speak for us all when I say we are shocked to hear a dragon speak so soon after hatching. As Vascar has stated, you have not had the time to experience the world and learn what is normal and what is not so you will have to trust us when we say that you are indeed a unexpected circumstance."

'An unexpected circumstance?' She repeated scathingly, 'Is that just a kind way of saying I'm a freak?'

'Not at all,' Oromis answered, his eyes shining with an emotion I could not place as he knelt down in front of her, 'You are unique, different, but you are also a part of the riders now. You are one of us, young one, and we will treat you as such as long as you allow us to.'

'As long as I allow you to,' She echoed, except this time her tone had become more resigned.

'Yes, this means that sometimes you will need to stop and think before you retaliate against one of your brethren. We only wish to understand why you are different-'

'And you think I know the answer?' She hissed, 'you said it yourself, I have only just hatched. I do not even know how to fly yet, let alone how I can speak.' She flapped her wings a couple times to prove her point. 'I'm different, I know it, I can feel it in my bones. I feel as if there is a cold claw ripping through my chest, trying to break free. I'm not sure what it is, I just know its bad, and I don't know how long I can hold it back. I don't know if I want to hold it back.'

A silence followed her statement, but it was soon broken as Oromis reached his hand out towards the young dragoness's head. He paused as he closed half the distance between them before asking, "May I?"

The young dragon stared at the old elf for what felt like an eternity without saying a word. I doubted the feisty dragon would allow the elf to touch her, but was proven wrong as she stepped forward and touched her head to his hand.

Both Oromis and the hatchling went completely still. I watched with bated breath as the two of them sat silently, their eyes closed and their breaths shallow. Several times I glanced at Vascar for reassurance, but he was focused so intently on the duo that he did not shift his gaze for even the slightest moment. The only movement he made was the slightest shiver of pain that crawled its way across his body.

'Oromis can heal them,' I said, gesturing to his wounds.

'We have more important matters to deal with at the moment. A few minor scratches can wait.'

'I know they bother you, and I'd rather have them healed before its too late.'

Vascar's eye slid down to stare at me. 'They are not too severe, otherwise Oromis would have been more concerned. I'll be fine, Talia.'

'You don't always have to act so tough, you know. You're allowed to feel pain as much as the rest of us,' I said, once more touching his side in comfort.

His chest rumbled with his strange draconic laugh, 'I love you, Little One.'

Finally, after what seemed like ages, but was only a few moments, Oromis snapped his hands back. His eyes flew open as a gasp tore from his lips. For the slightest moment, it seemed as if Oromis's normally stormy grey eyes had turned bright blue, but I must have been mistaken, for as soon as I blinked he looked exactly as he always had.

"I sense," Oromis breathed, "A dark magic within you. An old and powerful, dark magic."

"Master," I said, rushing forward and dropping to my knees next to him, "This magic, is it dangerous to us? Is it dangerous to her?"

"Yes," he replied, his tone ominous, "If it is not contained and dealt with properly, it could and would be very dangerous for all of us."

'Dealt with?' A small voice interrupted us. We both looked down at the young dragon, who had promptly backed away from us, 'Are you going to kill me?'

A look of horror crossed Oromis's face, 'Of course not! I only meant that you must be trained to contain this evil-'

'And if I can't?' She asked, mirroring my own thoughts, 'What if I cannot contain this darkness inside me. What if I give in? Then what?'

Oromis paused for the slightest moment before answering, 'I hope we never have to answer that question. I will train you to control your powers. No one else can know about what you possess, they might turn on you-'

"Master," I cut in, "what did you see inside her?"

He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and then said, "I cannot explain it in words, Talia, just know that it is a power unlike any you have felt before. I believe a sorcerer has corrupted this hatchling while she was still in her egg, giving her this ability to talk and who knows what else-"

"Is that why she was able to freeze everything she touched?" I asked, unable to help myself from speaking while Oromis was still talking.

"It would explain that, yes. But, we cannot conclude anything for sure, nor would I like to investigate or examine this dark magic any more. We do not know what kind of madness this sorcerer has hidden within his work."

Oromis then turned back to the cyan scaled dragoness in front of us and said, "From here on out I will be your master. You will speak nothing of this power to anyone except those who already know. I fear that if this becomes common knowledge there will be many that will seek to use you for power."

'What about him,' the hatchling said, motioning towards her rider who was finally awakening, 'I will be unable to keep this from him when he is bonded so closely to myself.'

"You may tell him when you feel the time is right," Oromis responded slowly, choosing his words carefully, "But, I would also stress upon him the importance of keeping this a secret and making sure he understands that this is a serious-"

"Master," I whispered quickly, subtlety telling him that Niro had finally awakened. Oromis glanced at the boy and I knew he understood my meaning for he did not finish his sentence, but instead moved towards the young rider that lay collapsed upon the floor.

Niro groaned several times as he slowly shifted into a hunched position with his head buried underneath his arms and his knees tucked beneath his torso. I still could not wrap my mind around the fact that this was so same boy who I had watched over the last few hours. His appearance had changed so dramatically that I would not have recognized him if I hadn't seen his transformation with my own eyes.

The small dragoness crawled her way over to her rider as the boy wheezed, "What happened to me?"

"You have received the Gedwëy Ignasia, the mark of the riders," Oromis said, placing a hand on the young rider's back comfortingly.

"My head hurts," Niro murmured in complaint, "my everything hurts."

"Binding yourself to your dragon is not a pleasant experience, I know," Oromis continued in a calm voice, "but I can promise you that being a rider is worth the pain. Your aches will soon fade, but this bond will always remain."

"How long," Niro moaned, and I could only assume he was speaking of his pain, "how long will it last?"

"You should feel better by time the sun sets," Oromis replied, glancing out of the dragon hold to check the position of the sun.

"My dragon," Niro mumbled, "is it-?"

"She's perfectly fine," Oromis said, his eyes glancing over at the cyan scaled hatchling, "she's more intelligent than any other hatchling I've ever met before."

'Niro,' she said, reaching out to his mind for the first time.

Niro's head snapped up, and for the first time I could truly see how much he had changed. His eyes had turned the brightest of blues around the edges of his pupil and darkened the slightest bit the closer it got to the whites of his eyes. His tanned skin that had once held the rough look of a farmers had paled so much so that no one would ever believe he was raised on a farm. His skin still held the slightest tan, but no where near what it used to. His hair had turned sandy blonde, but when the sunlight hit it at a certain angle it almost appeared white in some places.

Finally, his gaze settled onto the little dragon that had slinked her way towards him and now rested on his lap. He took in her appearance with a mixture of awe and trepidation. His eyes seemed to reflect the colors of her scales perfectly, and once more I was curious as to why his appearance had changed to match hers so perfectly.

Curiosity got the better of me. Reaching out with my mind, I slowly inspected the mind of the new rider in front of me, searching for any trace of this evil that Oromis had spoken of. But, all I found were memories and feelings, nothing close to the malevolence Oromis had described.

'Who are you?' A voice suddenly echoed through my mind, the distinct male voice of the boy sitting in front of me. I froze instantly, thinking that Niro had discovered me in his mind, but, after a couple seconds, I realized his question was directed towards another.

'I am your dragon, you are my rider,' the voice of the young she-dragon also resonated through my head, albeit less intensely than Niro's, 'we are now bonded for life.'

Niro's mind filled with a multitude of emotions, most prominently happiness, excitement, and pride. A part of me wanted to stick around and spy on the rest of their conversation, but I didn't, for I knew that if the young dragoness noticed my presence she would not be very pleased with my actions and could retaliate.

"I know this must all be happening very quickly," Oromis continued, his attention completely focused on the young pair in front of us, "but I think it would be best for us to leave Dras Leona now. Normally I would give you time to say your goodbyes but-"

"I don't need to say goodbye," Niro growled, his tone laced with a venom that truly startled me.

Oromis also paused, his gaze lingering on the boy who wouldn't meet his eyes. "Niro," Oromis calmly began, "is everything-"

"And that's another thing," Niro snapped, his head jerking to stare at both of us intently with his cold blue eyes, "I am not Niro. Niro was my father, my father who never cared for me or mother. My father who was a cruel man who only wanted a worker, not a son. I am not him, and I will no longer carry on his name. If mother was her she'd understand..." He trailed off, his voice going weak for a second as his eyes shifted to the side and became glazed. But, it only lasted for a moment; he quickly blinked and his anger resurfaced with the force of a hurricane.

"No, I will not bear the shame of his name. From now on I will be... Myself. I will be... My own legacy. I will be... Therin."

The young dragoness puffed her chest out in pride. 'Therin,' she said in our minds, testing out the name, 'I like it, it is a powerful name for a powerful rider. Therin and Naura.'

'Naura?' I mumbled quietly before realizing that the hatchling now had a name.

'Yes, that is my name. I have known it since I first hatched. I am Naura.'

'You chose your own name?' I responded in awe.

'Of course, I am a dragon, why would I have a different name forced upon me that I myself have not chosen? That is a sign of weakness. Do I look weak to you?' Naura snapped. At her words, Vascar unconsciously began to growl. I cautiously watched him out of the corner of my eye, ready to stop him from retaliating. I could tell her words had stung his pride.

'Naura,' Oromis quickly interjected, sensing the tension in the air, 'It is a fine name indeed. But, we do not have the time to deliberate over names at the moment. The people of Dras Leona will not be happy with us for after our fight with the Raz'zac, their church is not in the best of shapes. It will be fine, but I think it would be best for us to leave before they piece together what has happened.'

Everyone in the room quickly agreed. The air still thrummed with tension, but the five of us managed to make it out of the dragon hold without an incident. The entire way, I kept a steady hand on Vascar's side, trying to give him comfort without words. He seemed to relax ever so slightly, but not enough to put me at ease. In a way I felt guilty, for while we had both agreed on the name I had chosen for him, would Vascar have chosen something different given the chance? I hid these thoughts from him, not wanting him to sense how bad I felt for dishonoring him. Even if only a select few knew that I had chosen Vascar's name, I knew Vascar would never truly forget what Naura had said. He would move on and stop caring, but he would never forget.

Outside of the dragon hold we were greeted by the remaining riders, all of whom had waited patiently for our arrival along with Glaedr. I could tell by their inquiring glances that they were curious as to what had happened in the dragon hold, but I was not ready to tell them. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be ready to tell some of them.

As the light of the sun hit us, we all seemed to gain new life. It wasn't as if it was dark in the dragon hold, but a gloom seemed to hang over the place after everything that had happened within its walls. Not to mention that the body of the Lethrblaka still lay upon its stone floor. Yes, I was extremely happy to be outside again.

"Vascar," Oromis said, looking over at my dragon, "my deepest apologies. With everything that has happened since I arrived, I have forgotten that you, too, have sustained some serious injuries."

'There were other matters at hand that deserved your attention more than a few cuts, Master. You are forgiven for not noticing sooner,' Vascar said, trying to downplay the importance of his wellbeing.

Oromis quickly crossed to where we both stood and began examining the wounds the Lethrblaka had inflicted upon my partner of heart and mind. He did not heal them, though, which worried me more than it should have. Had something gone wrong? Were the wounds now infected? Was the Lethrblaka's beak poisonous?

"Glaedr," Oromis said, his voice without emotion, "I will need some of you strength to heal these deeper wounds."

Curious himself, the golden dragon strode over to where we were standing and sniffed the deep punctures the Lethrblaka had wreaked upon Vascar's hide. His nostrils flared as he realized how many of these wounds Vascar had received all across his body. I myself had not even realized how many he had until now.

'Vascar, I must say,' Glaedr quietly rumbled, 'I am very impressed. You not only managed to hold your own against a fully grown Lethrblaka, but you also managed to kill it when you are still so young. I am very proud in how far you have come. You are turning out to be a very powerful and honorable dragon.'

Vascar puffed his chest out in pride, but he did not hold it like that very long for the pain of his wounds made it hard for him to hold such a pose for long. 'I couldn't have done it without Talia,' He said, turning his blue eyed gaze onto me, 'She acted bravely and came to my aid without a second thought. I must surely would have failed had it not been for her.'

Glaedr tilted his head in my direction, and without saying anything, I could tell he was proud of me as well. It was evident in his mind. I couldn't help but smile as the feeling washed over me.

'But, despite prevailing, you have received a daunting amount of injuries from your fight. I am surprised you are still on your feet Vascar. That amount of pain would bring most to their knees,' Glaedr continuing, his voice less cheerful than before. At his words, I looked at Vascar in concern, realizing for the first time that he was probably shielding his pain from me. I felt ashamed that I hadn't realized it sooner. I studied him hard, looking for any sign or whisper of the pain Glaedr spoke of. But, Vascar was stronger than I had ever stopped to consider. He kept all this hidden and placed others before him, even when it meant suffering through the agony.

'I love you Vascar,' I said, putting all my love and strength into those four words.

'And I, you, Little One,' he replied, his emotions just as strong as mine.

Wasting no time, Oromis placed his hands over the wound and channeled both his strength and Glaedr's into his words. "Waíse heill!" He said, willing the magic to heal the large puncture made by the Lethrblaka. As soon as the magic started to work, I could feel Vascar begin to tense up beneath my hand. That was all it took to break his concentration. Suddenly, all of the pain that he had been holding back rushed over me. I could feel each wound as if they were my own. How Vascar had been able to handle this much pain and keep it hidden, I would never know. I dropped to one knee, my hand immediately jumping to my head, as if that would lessen the intense pain I was feeling. Vascar, too, seemed unable to conceal the agony anymore. He quickly lowered his head until it was resting between his feet, his shoulders tensed and his body rigid yet quivering. I shut my eyes, unable to watch as my partner of heart and mind was subjected to such pain. The same pain that I was experiencing, only worse since it was real for him. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my back as someone crouched beside me, making sure I was alright.

"Talia," a voice said, "Talia, can you hear me?"

I shook my head, not at all sure if I was shaking it to answer the question or to try and cope with the pain. I cracked my eyes open as the ache that had overcome my body seemed to lessen the slightest bit. Kneeling next to me was Galbatorix, his brow furrowed in concern as he watched the agony overtake my senses. For one of the first times since I had met him, he looked truly scared.

My gaze then shifted over to where Oromis stood. It looked as if he had managed to heal several of Vascar's more severe wounds, but he was also starting to look a little haggard from how much spell work he had already done today. Extending my mind out to him, I began to channel some of my strength into his mind, hoping to be of some help since it was my partner that he was healing.

"Talia," Galbatorix repeated, his voice more urgent this time. He placed his hands on my cheeks, turning my head to face him, "Talia."

He couldn't seem to get any other words out, so he relied solely on emotions. Reaching out with his mind, he embraced my own and quickly realized why I was unable to do much more than breathe and blink. Without hesitation, he pulled my consciousness away from it all, into his own mind, where he sheltered me from the pain radiating from Vascar. It was a strange feeling, to nearly disconnect myself from Vascar, especially when he was suffering so severely. But, I could not stand the agony anymore, so escaping it, no matter how selfish it was, felt extremely relieving.

'Thank you,' I whispered, my strength slowly returning to me.

'Are you alright?' he replied just as quietly.

'I don't know. That was unlike anything I've ever felt before. I mean, I know pain, I've broken a few bones before back in Daret, but that was not normal pain.'

'Talia, dragons have higher pain tolerances than humans, and you just felt through Vascar an amount of pain that would have killed you had it not been subdued through a mental link.'

I went silent, unable to truly comprehend what had happened. That was the funny thing about pain. While the dull ache remained, I found it impossible to remember the feeling that had just overpowered my consciousness mere moments ago. I remembered the fact that it felt horrible, but I could not remember the pain itself and how it felt. Not exactly, at least, just a vague memory.

'How did he keep that so hidden?' I asked in awe, 'So much pain, such unnecessary suffering.'

'Vascar is strong,' Galbatorix comforted me, 'He is strong and selfless, like a true warrior needs to be. He has the heart of a dragon, Talia.'

Time seemed to move by at the slowest possible pace. All I could do was sit and watch as Oromis and Glaedr poured countless amounts of energy into healing Vascar. I too, would contribute, energy-wise, but my energy seemed paltry compared to the vast amounts Oromis and Glaedr possessed. While I waited, my mind seemed determined to wander into the realm of magic. I was completely and utterly fascinated by it. How did it work? Why did some riders possess it, but not others? Was it something that could be talk, or did you have to be born with the ability? I could not limit the amount of questions that consumed my thoughts. And while Galbatorix could see exactly what I was thinking, and even reacted to it at certain times, he was adamant about not answering a single question. This frustrated me, but it also made me more curious than ever before. Magic. The word itself set my imagination racing. I desired the force more than anything else. If I could use magic, then I would not have to rely on anyone else ever again.

A loud thud broke me out of my thoughts. I looked over in a panic at Vascar and was terrified to see him collapsed on the ground. Quickly, I rushed to his side, my mind reaching out to his without hesitation. I would endure whatever pain necessary in order to make sure he was alright. But, I was pleased to discover that his exhaustion was brought out of relief, not pain. All his wounds except the most minor had been healed, and the alleviation of pain was greatly appreciated. I quickly embraced him, careful to not be too rough for I knew that his muscles still ached.

'Oh Vascar,' I said, my voice quivering the slightest amount.

'Little One.'

"Vascar," Oromis unknowningly interrupted, "I hate to ask this of you, but if we do not leave soon, the people of Dras Leona are going to demand answers that we cannot give to them without sparking rebellion. If we give you our energy, do you think you will be able to fly for a little while at least? Just until we are out of Dras Leona, at least."

Vascar did not respond at first. I was horrified by the thought of him flying after everything he had just been through, and I fully intended to express this to Oromis. But, I was stopped short as Vascar got to his feet and raised his head proudly. I could tell how much effort it took him to appear strong, but I did not comment on it.

'Yes master, I understand .'

Oromis nodded and closed his eyes. Suddenly, I felt a massive amount of energy flow through Vascar's limbs, rejuvenating them and bringing life back to his muscles. Of course, the only thing that could fully revitalize him would be sleep, food, and time, but for now this would have to do.

'If it will help, I'm sure I could ride with Galbatorix and Jarnunvösk to make it easier on you-'

Vascar growled, 'I will be fine. With the amount of energy they gave me, I could fly with you and three others with ease.'

I knew he was exaggerating, but I did not want to hurt his pride more than it already had been today. I quickly mounted his back without another word, careful to tread softly on his newly healed hide. With tired fingers, I managed to buckle my legs sloppily into the saddle and grabbed the spike in front of me.

"We'll only fly as far as we have to," Oromis called to Vascar from atop Glaedr. Niro- no, Therin and Naura were also strapped into the saddle atop Glaedr's back. The little dragoness appeared perfectly content on top of the golden dragon, and for once she seemed in good spirits. With a quick scan around, I noticed that all the other riders were also ready to go, and not a moment to soon. A large crowd could be heard down the street, and from the sound of it, they were not very happy.

Without another word, the dragons took off into the sky, their wing beats causing my ears to pop. But, flying would never be an unpleasant experience for me, especially when it was away from such a poisonous town. I took on last look at Dras Leona, not at all missing the cramped and disorganized streets. I would especially not miss the Priests of Helgrind and the malice they brought to the lives of us riders. And, was it even considered that I could possibly miss the Raz'zac? I don't think anyone could miss the Raz'zac. I would not be surprised if they haunted my dreams for the next few months.

After we had flown a considerable distance away from Dras Leona, I felt Oromis reach his mind out to Vascar's. 'This is far enough, it will be safe to land here-'

'Home,' Vascar interrupted shortly.

'Home?' Oromis and I questioned at the same time

'Home.'

'Vascar, you can't be serious. We can rest and continue in the-' I protested, but was cut short.

'Home,' Vascar repeated again before going silent. I looked at Oromis who had been flying by our side since we left Dras Leona. He simply smirked and shrugged, which only frustrated me more. But, I also knew better than to try and convince my stubborn dragon out of anything.

'If you get tired, you better land,' I berated my adamant partner of heart and mind.

'Yes, Talia,' Vascar responded, the slightest amount of amusement in his voice.

'If you don't, I'll make sure to continuously jump off your back until you do.'

'Why do you have to be so stubborn?' he teased.

'Like you can talk! You are the most stubborn dragon I have ever met!'

He laughed and retorted once more, making me snort in amusement. Deep down, I knew that the rest of the flight to Illirea would persist in such a manner, but, to be honest, I didn't mind one bit. As long as Vascar was alright, I would take what ever teasing he could dish out.

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AN: HEY EVERYONE, ONCE AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT, BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER! JUST TO WARN EVERYONE, WE ARE STARTING TO GET TO THE GRIT OF EVERYTHING NOW! AND, WITH SUMMER APPROACHING FAST, I DONT KNOW HOW OFTEN I WILL BE ABLE TO WORK ON UPDATES (it's my senior year of high school so preparing for college takes a lot of my time. Not to mention I am also in a musical so yeah XD very little time lately!) ANYWHO, ENOUGH EXCUSES, I WILL TRY MY HARDEST TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS STORY, BECAUSE IM EXCITED FOR MY FUTURE PLANS. UNTIL THEN PLEASE ENJOY AND....

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~Britt