Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Iridescent

"Dragons, do not require possessions to be happy. What use have we for riches when our hides are more glorious than any treasure hoard in existence? No, we are content with the kindness that you have shown Eragon and Mal."

Islanzadí, turning around to leave, stopped, and turned back to us.

"And Eragon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"When you meet with Arya, please express my affection to her and tell her that she is sorely missed in Ellesméra," Islanzadí said before turning around and heading back into the hall. Eragon and I climbed back on our dragons, and we took off for the training field.

Orik sat on his bulging pack, tossing his war ax from one hand to the other, scowling ferociously.

"About time you got here," He grumbled. He stood and slipped the ax back under his belt. Eragon and I apologized for the delay, then tied Orik's pack onto the back of Eragon's saddle.

"And how, by Morgothal's black beard, am I supposed to get up there? A cliff has more handholds than you, Saphira."

"Here," Saphira lay flat on her belly and pushed her right hind leg out as far as she could, forming a knobby ramp. Orik crawled up her leg on hands and knees. A small jet of flame burst from Saphira's nostrils as she snorted.

"Hurry up—that tickles!" Orik paused on the ledge of her haunches, then placed one foot on either side of Saphira's spine and carefully walked his way up her back toward the saddle. He tapped one of the ivory spikes between his legs.

"There be as good a way to lose your manhood as ever I've seen." I rolled my eyes and vaulted up Alethea's side, settling into the crook of her neck. As Saphira rose to her full height, Orik swayed, then clutched the spike in front of him.

"Garr! Eragon, don't let me open my eyes until we're in the air, else I fear I'll be sick. This is unnatural; it is. Dwarves aren't meant to ride dragons. It's never been done before."

"Never?"

"Orik, would you prefer to ride with me?" I said, gesturing to Alethea's saddleless body. His face went whiter than I thought it could. As Alethea, Saphira, and I were laughing, we took to the air and started towards Surda. An Elf woman in Ellesméra raised her clear voice in song.

Away, away, you shall fly away,

O'er the peaks and vales

To the lands beyond.

Away, away, you shall fly away,

And never return to me...

Underneath Alethea, the pathless forest stretched wide to each white horizon, fading as it did from the deepest green to a hazy, washed-out purple. Martins, rooks, and other woodland birds flitted above the gnarled pines, uttering shrieks of alarm when they beheld Saphira and Alethea.

Alethea and I decided to get some extra maneuver practice in while we could, eventually, we would have to go back to hiding and hitch a ride with Saphira. I could feel Orik's discomfort every time we did a complicated maneuver.

We eventually reached the edge of the Du Weldenvarden forest, we made camp and continued to entertain ourselves like we had the past couple of days with riddles.

Soon after we resumed our journey the following morning, the rippling grass gave way to tan scrub, which grew ever more scarce until, in turn, it was replaced by sunbaked ground bare of all but the hardiest plants. Reddish gold dunes appeared.