The Undead Dragon: An Eragon Fanfiction COMPILATION

Chapter 1.3: Fort Thal'Gard (Rough Draft)

It took mere minutes to get to the Dragon Rider Tower that it had taken hours for me to break a great distance from. Mere minutes, ones filled with excitement and also uncertainty. What was the Rider Fortress going to be like? What were the other Riders like? Would they like me? Would they hate me? What if they thought I stole the Dragon Egg? Sure, Jaclyn and Hadvar would protect me from them, undoubtedly Aeron too. Yet, the fear was there. The worry of rejection from yet another place that could be home.

I look down at the egg in my arms. They said that they had news of why it hasn't hatched yet. I feared the news, the way they said so made a pit of fear and dread well up in my gut. Something was wrong, they were bad at hiding it. Or they weren't trying to. Whatever things would become of the coming events, I certainly felt as though things were far more complicated than I was being led to understand. The air was electric as if it were holding a literal charge. No one looked at me, no one spoke. Aeron seemed preoccupied in thought, and his Rider seemed the same.

My thoughts, however, detract from the concerns I had within myself, when the Fort appears on the horizon once more. I wouldn't be so impressed if we had approached from the ground, but from the air, my eyes could see the full force of the Fortress that I had found this Dragon Egg under, and my heart drops in awe. It was the size of a mid-sized village, just about as large as I remember my old Village being the day that I left from her borders.

Stone walls rise about twenty feet in height, the tower that I had seen just outside the wall and a very distractive building from what had really been up on the overcropping. The ramparts were ablaze with braziers, several people patrolling and one or two Dragons flying overhead. Within the walls, there was a part of the ground that went down in a ramp-like formation, likely towards where the Dragons slept, as well as a half-circle of houses around the opening the far side, seeming to be Rider Housing. Beyond that, there were a few other various buildings, a large farm-like field, and several wells.

Flying in closer, Aeron glances back slightly. 'We are going to land, little one, hang on. I'll try to not be too heavy-footed.' He remarks, and I softly nod my head, holding on tighter to him and the egg in my grasp. Jaclyn smirks, glancing back to me, before holding on as well as Aeron flares his wings, flapping twice and landing with a heavy thud, jarring me quite a bit, while Jaclyn calmly gets up onto his feet while we land, crouched down for a moment, before jumping down. He grins up to me, laughing at the fact I look like I'm clinging to him like a cat clinging to a tree limb. 'You can let go now, little one... you have an exceptional grip... Please release said grip?'

"Sorry, Aeron... Heights not good. But I am okay..." I reply shyly, and the Dragon laughs softly, Jaclyn grinning more. "I must adapt... if Rider, right?..."

'You're so right, little one. Brave, little warrior...' Aeron says gently, smiling his calm, mysterious yet vaguely pained smile. 'Worry not, I'm sure that you will be a Rider soon. I would be ever so joyful to fly astride you.' He purrs lightly, and I softly smile and pet his snout, the Dragon rumbling happily.

"You've got a certain way with Dragons, kid. Aeron doesn't just let everyone and anyone pet him." Jaclyn remarks, raising an eyebrow. "You a Ninja Dragon Whisperer or something? You keeping secrets?"

"No, no, no secrets... I'm just good." My hasty reply kinda flops upon expelling it towards him, the Rider laughing softly. "... Who are the others?"