The sun had reached its zenith when Eragon and Saphira landed at the beach with Cloyt and Guliä. Eragon followed behind his former student to the last spot he had seen Fera at, the upturned sand was a startling charred black color compared to the white color of rest of the beach. Saphira snaked her head around Eragon and sniffed at the disturbed sand.
'They were here, I can smell both of them clear as I can you right now.'
'Hmm, I sense that strong magic was cast here, and not that of Ilias either. This worries me Saphira, for if it was Spirits that took them…'
"Master?" Cloyt spoke softly, "I know you will do everything possible to bring back Fera and Ilias, but how will you track them down? There is no trail to follow, there is only this patch of burnt sand."
Eragon smiled and turned around towards both Rider and Dragon, and said, "You two may be the first to have graduated from The Order, but that does not mean I have taught you everything I know. Do not lose hope, every one of the younger Riders and Dragons look up to you both. Now return back to the citadel and speak only of this to Blödhgarm and his eight companions and no one else."
This time Guliä spoke in the soft likeness she did, 'Forgive me master, but not even to the two-legged-pointed-ear Queen Arya?'
Eragon stiffened for a split second only to relax again and said aloud, "No, not even her. Better to let her think that I am too absorbed in teaching than to let her know of this tragedy. If she contacts looking for me, let her know I will contact her when I can. Now be gone, I will be in touch with Blödhgarm when I find Fera and Ilias."
Cloyt nodded as he settled into the saddle Guliä wore as she reared up, taking off to the sky heading back to relay the news to Blödhgarm and the others.
Facing the sea once more Eragon stood in the Charred sand and began chanting softly as He and Saphira pooled their strength together. Faintly, a wisp of smoke appeared and winded over the calm water. Letting go of the magic he strapped into the saddle Saphira bore, as they followed the trail.
Eragon watched the horizon intently for any change in direction of the smoke as Saphira sped over the sea into the night. The trail Eragon had unveiled glowed dimly over the water's surface to help guide them even though with the full moon they could see just fine.
'Umaroth, Glaedr. I am puzzled as to why spirits of any kind would act like this. Have you ever heard of such before happening?'
Glaedr remained silent while Umaroth spoke slowly, 'Once, many, many years before even Vrael and I were elders, while we were still very, very young there was one among us who had just bonded with her dragon that was taken captive by spirits.
'She did not summon them, or become a shade of any form, she was just merely taken captive. Our leader at that time, Reina, and her dragon Mor' Ranr… Well allow me to show you, it will be much easier that way.'
Eragon watch as Umaroth showed visions of long past, Doru Araeba in its long forgotten Splendor. An Amethyst colored dragon that easily dwarfed Saphira landed, his rider, a slender, female elf that looked eerily to Islanzadí, dismounted with an unconscious human rider in her arms while a burnt orange colored Dragon lay curled with its riders in, Whom Eragon assumed was Reina, the Slender elf's grasp.
Blurs passed by, now the young rider was convulsing uncontrollably within the infirmary, the orange dragon was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly the apprentice rider lifted her hand and spoke, though no words or sounds were made, the doctors attending to her were thrown back against the wall with their heads rolling loosely as they slumped to the ground. Rushing through the city the Child now stood in front of the elder's chamber.
Eragon watched as the doors open inward towards Reina who stood in the center of a grand hall with eight other riders and their dragons including Mor'Ranr, holding an amethyst-purple colored sword. The young rider drew her sword which matched the orange dragon they had saw earlier and walked slowly into the grand room that was the Chamber of Elders.
Umaroth showed Eragon one last memory, one of Reina standing over the apprentice with her sword buried in the young riders chest.
'The youngling you saw had touched a spirit wisp without first letting it know it meant them no harm. In so, the spirits attacked and ripped apart her mind, killing her dragon and thus driving her insane. In her insanity the spirits took over and used her body like that of a shades, and only being able to be killed in the same manner. She was not the first to become a host body to a spirit, but she was no longer in control of her mind. Most of the time, when a spirit possesses someone they can be reasoned with, just like that of a sorcerer or sorceress.'
Eragon spoke slowly to Saphira, dread gnawing more so then ever at his mind of what could be happening to Fera and Ilias, "Do you think they are alright?"
'I do not know little one, but we will soon find out. Look ahead, the trail stops at that island ahead.'
Eragon straightened up in the saddle, fixing Brisingr on his sword belt and put on his greaves and braces along with a thin chainmail shirt and his tunic over that.
'Whatever has happened to them,' he thought to himself, 'I will not allow them to die here, nor will I kill them.'