Before The Fall {An Eragon Fanfiction}

Chapter 6- Let The Training Begin

I wake in the morning to something blowing in my ear. Snapping my eyes open I see Vascar sitting next to me, breathing in my ear just waiting for me to wake up. His whole body trembled with excitement as his tail swishes back and forth. I smile as I look out the window of my bedroom. The sun is barely peeking up over the horizon and I remember Oromis telling me to be at the Hall at dawn, and that was easily within 10 minutes!

I jump out of bed and quickly braid my dull blonde hair, which I seriously hate. Then, splashing water on my face quickly and slipping on a brown tunic and light brown leggings, I dash out of my room, Vascar half running, half gliding beside me. He would run a few steps then open his wings and soar a large stretch, and then start bounding along the ground once more.

Luckily, my room was only a street away from the Hall Oromis spoke of. When I enter the building, I skid around corners, slipping on the smooth floor, then burst into the Hall, my breathing heavy. Oromis was sitting in his chair, his face calm, while Glaedr rested behind him, the lids over his piercing golden eyes shut.

As soon as the large doors shut behind me, Oromis looks up and smiles, his kind eyes full of wisdom as he says, "ah Talia, right on time. Perfect. We can get started right away then."

As soon as he said that, my already racing heart sped up to such a rate I thought I would die. My exhaustion was replaced by excitement with the training ahead, even though it would be hard. My nerves were extended even more when both of my masters rise up and head towards the doors, pushing them oped and walking into the corridor beyond. I needed no cue or order to follow as I trotted up to them, wondering where we were going.

We walk out into the streets and Glaedr crouches down low to the ground. Oromis bounds up his left side then stares at me.

"Well? Are you coming?", he asks with a smile. All I can do is stare in shock as Vascar soars up and lands on Glaedr's head, making the giant dragon rumble in amusement. Finally I get enough courage to carefully climb up his leg, sit down in the saddle behind Oromis, then wrap my arms around him in fright. It's my second day here, and already I was going to ride on a dragon!

'Hang on!', Glaedr says mischievously before snapping his wings open and jumping into the air.

After that, there were no words to exactly describe the flight. My nervousness was quickly replaced by joy and excitement as we soar over the city. Dragons of all sizes and colors twist and dive around us. Most with riders but a few without. I remember stretching my arms out beside me, imagining myself flying without a dragon beneath me. The way the wind caressed my face, and how beautiful the surrounding landscape looked from this height. At that point, I could not wait for Vascar to be large enough to fly with.

Finally dipping down, Glaedr tips into a steep dive, hurtling towards the city at near frightening speeds. I could not make a sound as my voice catches in my throat. Closer and closer we come and when I can make out individual people on the ground, he snaps out his wings and evens out. Finally he slips into a shallow dive and lands on the outside of the city near a large building and an even larger field.

This field was not one like back at home in Daret where there were tall wild grasses and wild animals in burrows under the ground. Instead, it was had bright green, short grass with people sparring in pairs all over. On the edge, there was also people practicing with bows and arrows, and a few throwing knives.

"These are the training fields", Oromis tells me gesturing towards them, "they are pretty self explanatory. And this is where Glaedr and I stay when here in Ilirea. It is our home and training area. Also the Hall we just came from is properly known as the Salr Ríkr or the Great Hall in this language. Let us go in and start our training.