Yo, readers!

Sorry to get your hopes up if you thought this was the next part in Destiny. This is actually an interlude to talk about my companion "sorta-not-really-prequel" novel, Niaomi, is now out since this volume has been finished! :D

The reason I'm interluding NOW is because, as stated in the last part (LXXVII/77), the "Reminiscence Arc" has come to a close. That means what has to be the longest flashback in the history of writing (I mean, it's practically the whole freaking volume) is over and done with, thank God, and now the REAL action, drama, and intrigue can begin. Oh, you guys can't even imagine what I've got in store for you. ;)

But though Destiny's story moves forward, Nia and her gang never really explain what happened as they journeyed to Alagaësia. I mean, in the next part I plan to reference it and have a few images that are like sneak peeks to Niaomi, but it will not be explained in detail nor in a flashback. That is where this companion "kinda-but-not-exactly-like-a-prequel" comes into play. >u<

Niaomi: The Journey, as is it's full title (though, for the sake of it mirroring Eragon, I have taken to calling it just Niaomi), will solely focus on the five new Riders as they traverse their homeland in search of the Progenitor. As their dragons hatched two months before Saphira, there will be some Eragon moments mentioned, mainly in Niaomi's visions. xD

The brunt of this novel explores their growth from three orphaned and two twice-orphaned kids into the competent, powerful, and amazing Riders they are in Destiny. It holds much deeper themes, about life and love, death and duty, power and prices. The style will also be very different, and not only because Niaomi is written in third person omniscient; when I first began writing this story, it was only for my eyes and thus does not reflect the best of my abilities (that'll be fixed in the complete rewrite, which I hope you all will read - it'll be worth the repetition, trust me). ( ^_^)b

Anyways, my main point in having this interlude was to give you guys not just the rundown of the companion "with-characteristics-akin-to-a-messed-up-version-of-a-prequel" but also to show the summary AND a sneak peek of what I have written so far. So, without further ado, here it is:

"When you can have anything you want by uttering a few words, the goal matters not, only the journey to it."

     — Rhunön

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In the wake of a tragedy beyond their worst nightmares, five new Riders are forced to embark on a quest to find safety. Thrust away from everything they've ever known, each must struggle in this harsh new land.

THE CHAMPION — Brave and determined, Nathan is forced to take up command, though the burden may be larger than he could ever bear.

THE HEALER — Sweet and kind, Rosaminda strives to keep up with the others, and soon learns this journey requires a fortitude she may not have.

THE MAGE — Intelligent and resourceful, Nicholas struggles to accept the fact that his skills are rendered useless, and worries that he lacks the ability to learn the ones necessary for their survival.

THE SAGE — Shrewd and astute, Renata desperately attempts to keep their group together, but quickly realizes the task is much harder than her sister made it look.

And, talented yet defiant, Niaomi forsakes her greatest gift at a time when she, and all of Alagaësia, need its power most — the power of THE SEER.

With dangerous enemies tracking them and dissent among the group, these five friends will have to come together to track down THE PROGENITOR, avoid THE DESTROYER, find THE LEADER, and pave the way to their Destiny.

They'll be challenged to prove their worth, tested to improve their skill, and hurt to prove their endurance. For a Rider's path is never an easy one, and the sacrifices needed to gain their titles will prove to be even greater than the ones they've already made...

This is their story. This is her story. The story of the journey. The story of —

Niaomi

Seems good so far? Check out the sneak peak below...

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1| Crawling

When the world had finally stopped spinning, Niaomi Leafësdoter was kneeling on a beach. The gritty feel of sand stung even through her stockings, but it did not compare to the sting of pain she felt in her heart.

"Dad! Where'd you go?!"

There was no answer as the brisk wind blew her cries out to sea. Nia stumbled towards the lapping waves, frantically searching the ocean. She waded deeper and deeper as she screamed, "Dad! Dad! Daddy!"

A high-pitched screech halted her, and she looked down at the dragonet she now carried in her arms. It scrambled higher, trying to escape the water's coldness, and Niaomi mindlessly placed it on one shoulder. The baby dragon clung with sharp talons that she could almost feel through the padding. Going further, she stopped once she was chest deep, the riptide almost tugging her feet out from under her. Wheeling her arms till she was stable once more, she tried to settle her thoughts so that she could call out again, this time with her mind.

What are you doing, silly girl? Teeth lightly nipped the back of her neck as a strong jaw clamped onto the collar of her shirt and lifted her out of the water. You're going to get yourself killed at this rate.

"I-I h-have to - have t-to..." The chattering of her teeth made speech impossible, and eventually Nia fell silent.

Cloud was worried. Her yawë fricai was shivering violently, and the pegasus knew flying was not helping her. The grief Cloud had heard in Niaomi's voice was heart-wrenching, and she knew that there was little she could say to the young woman that would be able to ease her hurt. Nevertheless, she could - and would - strive to prevent Nia from harming herself.

Their landing was not gentle, but Niaomi barely felt the jolt of her body hitting the sand. She lay face down as the dragonet shrieked in her ear. Ignoring the sound, her mind drifted back to that image of her father and his dragon sinking down into the ocean, replaying that scene again and again and again.

"Nia!" The wind blew the cry to her ears, but Niaomi could barely acknowledge the call at all. The screaming was too loud, the visions were too painful, the wind was too fierce. She wished it would sweep her away, far into the heavens, into the stars, where she may see her parents drawn in the sky. Belatedly she realized she was sobbing, and took note of the fact detachedly.

The voice yelled again, and she idly wondered if the person would ever shut up. Hands grabbed her, turned her over so that Nia was blinded by the brilliance of the sky. Tears blurred her vision as she continued to sob, and something warm curled on her chest. A presence touched her mind, wordless thoughts containing emotions: confusion, desperation, sadness. Not feeling sorry for her, but being sorry because of her. Because she was hurt, pained, broken.

No, not broken. The other mind was adamant about this fact, even if it could not find the words to express it. Not broken, just bruised. Still whole.

A drop of water fell on her forehead, and Niaomi noticed she wasn't the only one crying - wasn't the only one there. She wiped away her tears, leaving a streak of sand in their wake. Blinking rapidly to clear away the grains, the face above hers came into view, the blue she thought was the sky turning out to be eyes. "Rose."

Rosaminda Belindasdoter smiled at the sound of her friend's voice, even though it was hoarse from crying. Drying her eyes with the back of one hand, she helped Nia sit up, who was careful not to disturb the young dragon. The droplets on its white hide made the scales glimmer, iridescent and beautiful. It climbed onto Niaomi's shoulder, chirping softly as Rose gently asked, "Are you okay?"

"Physically? Yes." As the other girl wrung out her clothes and curly dark hair, Rosaminda scanned the beach for the tenth time. The coastline was unfamiliar, paler than the one on which she had been born and lived for her entire life up to now. The ocean was different, too: choppier, grayer, colder. There was no sign of the others. She'd been lucky to find Nia; if Cloud hadn't been with her, Rose doubted she would have found her friend at all.

A tug on her hair made her glance down at the other dragonet, held in her arm. Its scales were a dusky shade of pink, as rosy as her own name implied. Chirping impatiently, it struggled to free its claws from the blond snarls. Rosaminda winced before carefully untangling the dragon, whose thoughts filled with kindness directed towards her. Reminded of the bond, she again tried to search for her own pegasus, but Loivissa did not respond to her call.

Niaomi abruptly stood up, making Cloud whinny as she walked determinedly towards the ocean. Worried, Rose set down the dragonet - her dragonet - and jumped up to stop her. Grabbing one arm, she ignored the coldness of her skin and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to find my parents," came the reply.

Rosaminda's grip tightened as Niaomi tried to pull free. "We're not in Alalëa anymore," she explained gently, thinking that her friend was confused.

That was not the case. "I KNOW that!" Nia screamed in reply, wrenching out of her hold. "I'll still manage to find them!" Violet eyes flashing, she began to stomp towards the sea once more.

Anger flaring, Rose shouted, "And just how are you planning to do that?!"

Niaomi froze. Rosaminda never raised her voice in an argument. Turning around, she finally looked at the other girl. Her hair was drenched, darkened from its normal golden shade to a honey blond by the water. The dress, already made worse for wear by the trials, was torn further - the skirt and sleeves hanging in tatters while the bodice was peppered with semi-revealing holes. Rose's eyes were narrowed in slits of anger, and her stance was strong despite the fact that her shoes had been lost in the chaos.

It was obvious she's been through the wringer just as much as Nia had. If the beauty looked this bad, then she herself didn't want to glance in a mirror anytime soon. Remembering the question she'd been asked, Niaomi hung her head in shame, defeated. "I-I don't know..." she whispered, fighting tears. "It's useless anyway, isn't it?"

The anger drained from Rosaminda, and tears came to her eyes. Without a word, she drew Nia into her embrace. Unable to hold back, they both cried for what they'd lost. The white dragonet glided down to the pink one as one of Cloud's feathery wings wrapped around the two girls

And for a moment - one short, bittersweet moment - Niaomi felt warm once more.

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Awesome, am I right? Of course I am! So now you guys are totally pumped up to read Niaomi, and you can begin doing so now by clicking on the external link below. And though it's a really weird sorta prequel, you don't have to take a break from Destiny to read it, too. I mean, you can read both at the same time - after all, I'll be WRITING both at the same time. :3

Speaking of which, I'd better get to work on it, eh? Bye-bye for now! <3

- Nikkisha16

PS: The picture up above is the cover - voilà! Some of you might recognize is from chapter seven part LXIV, which is where I first presented it. Now that it's been moved here, look back at that part for a banner by moi featuring "The Dragon Sisters" - y'all know who they are. (:)