Prompt: You and another Rider must escort an egg (or multiple) to a human town, replacing the original couriers. This is to be your last test; if you succeed, you will be able to continue your training with Eragon. You must explain why you two have been chosen, and why you are replacing the originals. It is only you two and your dragon who go to this human town. The egg(s) may or may not hatch, it is up to you. Everything needs to go well, until your return to Ellesméra. On your way, you must face some danger, and describe it, the motives behind what happens and how you deal with the situation. Everything else is up to you.

Rating: 13

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Thwump. Thwump. Thwump. Laefel’s emerald wings beat the air around us, keeping in time with Sashi as they flew through the cobalt sky. After almost a day of flying dragonback, Logan and I were at the doorstep of Therinsford, a relatively small human town at the edge of the Spine.

Thin ribbons of smoke danced into the late afternoon sky, drifting from the thatched roofs of buildings and homes that littered the valley floor. In the center courtyard of the rapidly approaching town, hundreds of people had amassed. Young and old, it seemed as if every citizen of the mountain town had gathered together for the presentation of the eggs.

At sunrise that morning, the two of us and our dragons had been called to the halls of Arya’s court for a private audience with her. She had expressed her pride at Logan, Sashi, Laefel and I, complimenting us on our progress in our training. The queen then proceeded to explain that as a final test we were to be couriers to a set of eggs, replacing the original escorts, Adrahil and Nienna.

She explained that the two had complained of terrible headaches only hours before the original departure was to occur; minutes later, Nienna was found collapsed in her home, unconscious and unable to be woken. Not long after, Adrahil followed in the same manner. The two of them were administered to the Halls of the Healers and had yet to stir.

As the queen pressed through the story, the shock and horror was almost palpable in the air. It seemed no mere coincidence that the two couriers fell sick on the day they were to leave with the eggs, even less so as time passed with neither rousing from their comatose state.

In a desperate decision, Queen Arya and her advisors chose Logan and I to replace the two immobile couriers. We were instructed to fly, eggs in tow, to the small town of Therinsford in southern Palancar Valley. There we were to present the eggs to the townspeople be they noble or peasant, young or old.

Within moments we landed, alighting in the center plaza with a heavy thud. The humans shrunk back as one, slightly fearful of the two dragons that had just perched among them. At least until they realized that Logan too, was human.

Sliding out of the saddle, oak chest in my arms, I walked towards the humans, moving to stand where Logan already stood. He was thrilled, I could tell, to be amongst other humans again. A large smile creased his face, eyes twinkling in the afternoon sun.

“Greetings,” he began, projecting his voice across square. “And may peace be in your hearts. I am Logan of Kausta and this,” he fluidly motioned behind himself towards Sashi, “Is Sashi, my bonded dragon.”

“And I am Earawen of the great city of Osilon in Du Weldenvarden, with my own partner, Laefel.” I paused, looking at Logan before continuing on. “We are here today to present two eggs to you, the people of Therinsford. If there are any who wish to try their luck we offer you a chance to become one of our ranks, a Dragon Rider.”

“Any and everyone is encouraged to participate, although you will not be forced to.” Logan too paused and scanned the faces gathered around. In each and every one, hope was evident. Hope that, for most, would soon be diminished.

“Those who wish to touch the eggs may now line up.” At that, we both opened the wooden chests that we held, revealing the glistening eggs that lay within. The one that was contained in my chest was golden, glittering with the light of the sun. Like all eggs, it was smooth and oblong, veins of white winding across the slick surface.

That which was in Logan’s chest was almost an exact copy of the one I held, albeit silver in lieu of gold. These two eggs were connected, as we learned when they were given into our possession, due to being the only two in their clutch, siblings if you will.

At the sight of the gleaming eggs, the hope which had been etched in the people’s faces only grew stronger, while some became tainted with the stain of hunger. Within moments, the townsfolk had lined up and began streaming past us, hands flickering over the eggs, eyes over both egg and bearer.

‘Look at these people, look at the greed in their eyes.’ Laefel murmured, watching intently as the people blew past us, faces becoming downcast, their hope diminishing as they passed the eggs which gave no sign of hatching.

‘Quiet you. Most of these people won’t ever get out of this town. This is their only chance to escape their normal lives, to travel the world and possibly to change it.’ I sighed, thinking of my own thoughts I had had whilst in line for Laefel’s egg; those of hope and anxiety and excitement.

‘Still. They wager too much on a dream that for most, won’t ever happen. And when it doesn’t, they are crushed.’ After a moment’s silence, she pulled from my mind and struck up a conversation with Sashi.

************

Within the next hour, most everyone had presented themselves to the eggs and faced rejection. Some took it with dignity, while others cursed and wept and raged. All, however, left with a bit less hope on their faces than before.

Finally, we were left with only five people in what remained of the once long line, the courtyard mostly deserted. The first three passed by, with no signal from the two eggs. However as the last two stepped forward, the eggs began to shiver violently. The two humans stepped forward, the girl towards Logan, the boy towards me. At once, they placed their hands on the quivering eggs, which suddenly stilled.

Small cracks began to form across the surfaces of the eggs we held. In front of me, I watched as the boy, no older than sixteen, began to weep from joy. Tears sprung from his amber eyes as he ran his hands almost nervously through his already shaggy brown hair.

It didn’t take long until golden shards of egg began to break off and fall to the ground, revealing the awkward little dragon inside. The dragon itself was golden and covered in a slimy film. It’s wings and limbs were in a tangle while its tail flopped around lazily.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the silver dragon looked much the same. The girl which stood in front of it too looked familiar; same dark hair and light complexion, same sharp nose and high cheekbones. The only difference was her eyes, a deep grey, compared to his light amber. Looking back at the boy before me then back to the girl I realized that they were twins - siblings, just as the dragons were.

She too seemed to be weeping as she reached forward to touch the small reptilian body before her. Knowing full well what was to happen, made my heart go out to her, as I remembered the pain I had endured. Almost at once, she fell to her knees, shivering just as the egg had. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell back, laying prone for a few minutes before coming too.

In front of me, her twin brother had a look of horror plastered on his face at the sight of what had happened to his sister. A small smile flitted across my face as he turned his head to look at me.

“Will that happen to me?” he asked in a deep, slightly trembling voice.

“Why don’t you touch it and find out,” I replied humorously, watching him calculate possibilities of what could happen if he actually touched the beast. Hesitantly, he reached out his hand and gingerly brushed the top of the dragon’s head. Within moments, he too lay on the ground, clutching at his right hand as the newly formed bond left its mark.

After a minute, he too regained consciousness, grimacing as he reopened his eyes to the waning light.

“A warning would have been nice,” the boy said after he stood, offering a hand to his sister who still sat in the dust.

Logan snorted quietly, before replying jovially, “Get used to that. I didn’t get one, I’m sure Earawen over there didn’t get one either. Seems that no one does, about anything really.” Carefully, he set the chest down and grasped the small silver dragon from where it sat on the velvet lining. “I promise this time it won’t hurt you.” Gently, he passed it to the girl, who seemed wary of his words.

“Thanks,” she replied softly, holding the dragon close to her chest, where it squirmed around, climbing onto her shoulder and perching there.

I too set down my chest and picked up the dragon, passing it to the boy where it wriggled around to get comfortable. The two of them shifted uncomfortably for a moment, adjusting to the sharp proddings of claw, scale and spines.

“What are your names? And while on the subject, what are you going to name these guys?” Logan asked curiously.

The boy responded first. “Roac and this i-”

His sister cut him off. “I’m Morwen,” she replied with a small glare at her brother. “And I think this will be Telempë,” she said, motioning to the silver dragon on her shoulder. At the sound of her name, Telempë bared her ivory teeth in an attempt to snarl.

Roac followed up quickly. “This is Glòren.” Not to be outdone by his sister, Glòren too pulled his lips back in a snarl, which quickly faded as his attention was drawn elsewhere, namely a passing bird.

Behind us, Laefel and Sashi stood and moved over closer to us. Laefel craned her neck over me to look closer at the hatchlings, while Sashi poked her head in between Logan and I. Startled, Morwen and Roac stumbled backwards, as the hatchlings leaned forwards to meet the two females.

‘Was I really that gangly and….awkward?’ Laefel sniffed at Telempë, nudging the spindly wings that hung from her back.

I snorted. ‘Of course you were, some days more so than others.’ It was true. On our trip to Ellesméra she had got it into her mind that, even though she had just hatched two days prior, she could fly. Needless to say, she couldn’t. After as many crashes as she had, I was surprised that she didn’t have any lasting injuries

That silenced her as she resumed her investigation of the hatchlings. Their small heads were cocked, their eyes taking in Sashi and Laefel. Slowly, the two jumped down from where they perched on the Roac and Morwen. Telempë scampered over to where Laefel sat and started to clamber up her long legs while Glòren tried to pounce on Sashi’s slowly twitching tail.

Morwen grinned at the sight, while Roac just sighed, seemingly in defeat. Logan stepped towards them, gently laying a hand on Morwen’s arm. “You two should probably go home, pack up your things, say your goodbyes.” He offered them a small smile. “Meet us here tomorrow at sunrise, and we’ll start on our journey back to Ellesméra.”

*******

Morning came all too quickly. The sun steadily crept over the mountains, the first rays of light glistening on the waters of the Anora River. Logan, Sashi, Laefel and I stood in the center of the square. From the south came the patter of feet, thudding against the cool pavers which lined the streets of the town.

The two siblings were slightly out of breath when they stopped. In their arms, they carried their dragons, scales glittering in the early morning sun.  On their backs were packs fashioned out of sturdy sticks lashed together with strips of thick leather. Topping the packs were bedrolls, they too strapped to the pack with leather strips. Morwen had a hickory bow slung over her shoulder, while Roac had both a hunting knife and a dagger strapped to his belt.

“We’re ready to go.”

********

Our journey went well. We were given two horses for the twins; Logan and I rode dragon back. Within four days, we had reached Ceunon, the last human city we would encounter before entering into our domain, Du Weldenvarden, forest of the elves.

While there, we encountered little trouble. We were housed in an inn, paid for by courtesy of the governing lord, Lord Bainst. Once he found his city to be a stopping ground of four Dragon Riders, he immediately offered any services he could. We were provided with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as loaves of bread, enough for the journey back. For the humans, dried meat was too provided, along with skins of water and mead.

After leaving Ceunon, it took another day before we passed under the canopy of Du Weldenvarden. We were only a day or so away from Osilon, but no matter how much I would have liked to visit my old city and those in it, we had to press onward toward the capital.

Two days after leaving the outskirts of the forest, we were only halfway to Ellesméra, another two days of travel away. As we made camp for the night, Logan and I stayed up long after the twins had fallen asleep. I sat by Laefel, back against her foreleg, staring into the dancing flames. Logan sat on the other side of the fire, scratching the glyphs of the Liduen Kvaedhí, the Poetic Script, into the hard packed dirt with a small twig he had found.

From the depths of the forest came a loud rustling noise that broke the silence which had surrounded us only moments before. Swiftly, I grasped Morilinde from its scabbard at my side. Both Sashi and Laefel were alert now, hackles raised, and lips curled into a wary snarl.

To my left, I noticed Logan start to stand, he too having grabbed his golden sword. I stood slowly, Morilinde held out in front of me, the tip of the emerald blade pointing in the direction the sound originated from.

The two of us inched closer to each other, while our dragons circled around the twins who continued to sleep, unaware of the possible threat that loomed in the forest.

The noise came again, louder and closer this time. My mental barriers hardened, bolstered by the strength of a dragon. I settled into a defensive crouch, Logan following suit. We waited for a few moments, frozen in a paranoid fear.

At the edge of the clearing we stood in, the shadows started to move. Shifting and gathering to form a humanoid shape. Slowly the gained solidity and started to lighten, churning and converging until in their place stood the figure of a man.

His skin was pale, white to the point of translucency. In blatant contrast, his lanky hair was an intense red, his dark maroon eyes gleamed with an demonic light. A wicked grin revealed white teeth filed to razor sharp points. His lean form was hidden under layers of dark clothing, and a great broadsword hung at his hip.

A malignant air fell over the glen where we stood as the Shade took a single step towards us. The flickering flames behind us cast eerie silhouettes over his body.

“Well, well.” His oily voice flooded over us, chilling us to our bones. “What have we here? Two Riders, neither fully fledged who want to attempt to stand their own against me? Don’t make me laugh.” He paused, sizing up our small group.

“Although, you have managed to do the very thing I have been waiting for.” His vile smirk only widened as he slowly stalked around us, towards where the dragons stood guard over the new Riders.

He bent forward, face jutting towards the sleeping twins. As we watched, their faces contorted into masks of excruciating pain. Sashi growled a loud warning at the imposing creature. Laefel lunging forward, hissing in disgust and fury. With a small flick of his hand, thick, glowing chains appeared out of the air.

The bright chains quickly wrapped themselves around Laefel and Sashi’s mouths, before plummeting straight down to the ground. They buried themselves into the hard packed dirt, anchoring themselves to the ground. No matter how hard they pulled, the glowing chains could not be broken, effectively stifling any attempt the two dragons made to break free.

With yet another flick of his hand, more chains appeared, wrapping this time around their bodies, tails and legs, confining them further.

“Tis a great shame that I’ll have to kill them.” He paused, turning back towards us for a moment and motioning towards the sleeping bodies that lay at his feet. “But orders are orders.”

Still smiling his horrid smile, he whipped out a small dagger which shone with a dark radience. The blade was red, as if already covered in crimson blood. He turned back to his prey, whose faces were still morphed by pain. He raised the dagger high, ready to strike when a voice rang out.

“Wait!”

It was Logan. His own face was one of fear, but he pressed onwards. “You said you were working on orders. Whose?”

The Shade lowered the dagger and chuckled slightly before answering. “Those of my creator, a western leader by the name of Curufin.” Once again, he moved to slaughter the twins and their dragons.

“Why?”

This time it was my own voice that sounded, quaking as it did.

“Why do you try to prolong their death? Death in an inevitable thing no matter how you try to avoid it. So why postpone the inevitable?”

I paused before answering. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Once more, he turned towards us, irritation glittering in his dark eyes. In one smooth motion, he bounded over to where I stood, still, my sword lowered to my side. His dagger had found its way to the base of my throat where it pressed gently against my windpipe.

“Didn’t I?” His voice was low, quieter than before. “My mistake.”

“Did you not notice what a coincidence it was that the original couriers fell sick just as they were about to leave? One of my more finer endeavors. It was quite simple to slip a drop of poison into their cups. A bit in their bread. A dash in their fruits. About as easy as it would be for me to slit your throat.

“Where I come from, far to the west, there is a prophecy. It states that in time, there is to be two who come from across the sea. Two who have powers beyond any imaginable. Two who ride upon winged steeds of gold and silver. These two are said to be one who is two, two who are one. Twins.”

He paused, motioning towards the prone figures of Morwen and Roac. “Fit that description quite well don’t they. The prophecy states no names, no times but it claims that the two who come shall conquer all. I was employed by Lord Curufin to hunt the two down.

“For nigh on eighty years have I searched for such a pair. All leads gone cold except for one. The Mad King who sat on the throne before the dark-skinned wench took it, showed me the eggs the steeds were to come from. I tried to destroy them then, but to no end. An enchantment stronger than any I’ve ever seen surrounded them. Every method, every spell was for naught. But now,” he grinned like a madman, pointed teeth gleaming in the low light.

“Now there is no enchantment, no protection that exists to save them.”

“Save one.” Shoving upwards with Morilinde, as Logan thrust down, two blades pierced the black heart of the Shade. The look of confusion that had appeared on his face turned to one of horror as he realized he had been defeated.

His already pale face became whiter, his dark eyes darker. The dagger fell from his hand, away from my throat as he backed away, clawing at his own throat. A deafening screech erupted from his mouth as the spirits pounded at their dying prison. His skin started to flake, falling from his body like snow from a cloud.

The spirits shot from him as a steady stream of color which erupted into the sky. After a few moments they all had departed, leaving the flaking husk of a man which had caged them for a century. Soon, the only thing left were the garments that had clothed him which, soon enough, dissolved into shadows.

After a moment of stunned silence, I smiled. “Thanks for that.”

“What, that? That was nothing.”

“I’m serious,” I replied. “If I would have died…”

“But you didn’t, that’s all that matters.”

“I guess you’re right,” I replied, turning away from Logan, long enough to notice the magic chains were gone, the twins sleeping peacefully once again, everything okay again.

********

Morning came quickly after the incident with the Shade. We packed up camp and headed on our way, never explaining to Morwen or Roac what exactly had happened that night.

Within two days, we had reached our destination. After we reported the entire episode to the queen, we left newly dubbed Shadeslayers.

Laefel and I retired to our rooms early that night. As I drifted to sleep, I heard in a small corner of my mind, ‘I really hope that we never have to do that ever again.’