Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present to you all a brand new and completed chapter! I would like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers including Dragonfan47 who managed to get me to move my butt and complete this new chapter after a year-and-a-half absence. Thanks for waiting patiently, everybody! =D

ALL SIGNED REVIEWERS WILL RECEIVE A PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 17!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle under any circumstances. The book was written by Christopher Paolini and published by the KNOPF Publishing Company. This fanfic is a mere extension of my twisted but awesome imagination. I only own the plot and my original characters and places.

The forever moody skies over the castle of Frostloral cracked! with thunder as the storm from Crystilla moved on over the evil dragon king's place of residency. This storm went mostly unnoticed by those running out and about the castle. However, there was one dragon that paused in a hallway to look out from the large, gothic styled arched windows and towards the raging storm taking place outside. His golden eyes were wide and alive rather than dark and emotionless like the other mindless beasts serving the king. A bolt of lightning sliced through the heavens as if ripping them apart, its brilliant light reflecting off of the dragon's midnight blue scales that would rival the darkness of the skies.

The dragon smiled softly as he imagined flying through the storm. Most dragons would be scared scale-less with even the thought of flying through a massive storm like this. However, the midnight-blue dragon would remember times of old in which he would dart through lightning strikes and even chase after them! Oh, how daring it was! The excitement! The thrill! The chance of imminent death thrilled him to no end as his heart began to race with adrenaline by just the thought of daring death. Oh, how he wished he could fly! He nearly did, too as he leapt up onto his hind feet with his front paws placed on the ledge of the window. He nearly leapt too. But then...

Outsider, a voice entered this mysterious dragon's mind.

The midnight beast craned his neck over to the dimly lit interior of the hallway that was only lit by the dwarves' everlasting torches—a product from Alagaësia in the South. His golden eyes narrowed in disgust as he cast his gaze upon another dragon with ragged, dirtied, and yellowed scales. What do you want? he growled as he placed his front paws back down upon the ground. He never had any fun around here. Then again, I'm not here for the fun, am I? he mentally sighed to himself as he remembered his true purpose for being here.

He then looked back at the other dragon invading his personal space. He hated speaking to other dragons in the castle. Traitors, all of them, he thought to himself, lest he incite an unneeded battle and anger the king even further. He was already being watched like a hawk. He does not want to give Fraener even more of a reason to not trust him.

Our Majesty requests your presence, the other dragon spoke before he turned tail and padded down the halls to do his chores. The only sound that permeated the air was the silent clicking of massive and disgusting claws upon the stony ground as the beast disappeared around the corner.

The dragon of the night snorted softly before he began to walk in the opposite direction to enter the king's room. It was not a long walk at all. Every once in a while, he would find himself looking back into the sky through the occasional window that he would pass and mourn the loss of his rider. However, he shook his head and remembered his rider's plan to liberate Frostloral. He remembered his mission.

Soon, he finally came across the massive, rotting oak doors of the King's room. He pressed his snout against the door and pushed it open, not even caring about knocking on it with his tail to alert Fraener of his presence. He always sought to irk the king in every way possible even if it included talking back, refusing to call him King, or just generally acting clumsy around him. Nothing that would anger the king too much, just annoy him. He smirked to himself as he casually remembered an incident in which he accidentally ripped the king's priceless rug. However, the smirk quickly diminished once he entered the room that was only lit by the moon from the skylight high above as it peeked between clouds to glance at the world beneath it. The occasional flash of lightning also provided a little more light to the dark room. However, the dragon's warm golden eyes were able to pick out the king walking towards him from a map that he had been glancing at.

"Ah, yes. The Outsider. You came. I was beginning to think that you had lost your way," the king humorlessly chuckled.

What do you want, Fraener? the outsider dragon asked with a straight face; eyes narrowed dangerously as if the fires of Hell were itching to come through and he was attempting to hold them back. His claws clicked impatiently at the stone floor. He glanced at the bones that littered the whole room and inwardly growled in disgust when he noticed human bones.

"What, still not calling me by my rightful title, Outsider?" the king feigned shock.

What, you mean Traitor? the midnight dragon spat. Smoke poured out of his nostrils angrily as his claws created grooves in the stone at his feet. Father-Slayer? Maneater? The Brother with no Brother? Please, there are so many "rightful" titles to even bother remembering, Fraener. He began growling.

The king scowled angrily as he stopped inches from the other dragon's snout with narrowed eyes. "I have no brother," he whispered dangerously. The few seconds of silence that followed sounded deafening to the midnight dragon's ears. "You would do well to remember that." He had expected this attitude from the outsider so he continued, "I want to know what's going on."

Oh? the outsider asked in mock curiosity; eyes widening with (obviously fake) interest.

"Yes. I seem to have lost my Silver Hand. I can no longer access his mind through his sword. I cannot even find out where he is. My last assassin to kill my darling Shuikan's rider also seems to have disappeared—possibly killed! And now, I hear that there are more free dragons in my country!" He began to circle around the midnight dragon but the outsider did not seem to care as he continued to look forward into the dark. His claws clicked upon the stone with growing impatience. He did not see the shocked expression on the other's face as he heard the last part. "You're up to something, my dear Shadow. You're plotting something and hiding it from me. I still cannot access your mind at all. Somehow, you seem to have an impenetrable block that I have not seen before. I do not know what kind of magic it is, but whatever it is, I do not like it." He stopped in front of the dragon's snout once again and stared deeply into his eyes as if he could find the answer that way. "What is blocking me from looking into your mind?"

The outsider dragon outwardly smirked in front of the dragon king. He then answered with only one word, Love. Then, he pretended to be correcting himself while purposely stumbling over his words to further annoy Fraener. Well, it's not simply just "love" as you can imagine. That is merely the primary cause of it. Love can make humans (even dragons before Your Highness stepped in!) do crazy things. He winked. And some of those crazy things can lead to the most powerful magic of all, My Good King. But, then again, you wouldn't know about that, now would you?

The king arched an eyeridge at this one word. "Love?" he drawled out as he continued to stare into the outsider's eyes while completely ignoring the damned dragon's supercilious and rambunctious words.

Ah, see? the dragon of the night tilted his head. You really don't understand the concept, do you?

Ignoring him, Fraener sat down on his haunches in front of the midnight dragon. He made a show of himself settling down as if he were a child impatiently waiting for a story. "Why don't you clarify for me because I do not believe that this one word: love...," he spat the last word out as if it were a deadly poison, "is enough to allow me to understand what it is that you are hiding."

Then, as quick as a whip, Fraener's tail suddenly shot out from behind him and wrapped itself around the other dragon's snout bringing him closer to his face. Through clenched teeth, he spoke, "I don't enjoy playing games, traitor!"

The other dragon adopted a disgusted expression on his snout as he eyed the tail wrapped around it with contempt. Perhaps I would be more willing to participate in your interesting games if you would simply just remove your horrendously unsanitary tail from my nose. Deal? He then lifted a clawed paw up to his snout and carefully removed the offending scaly whip with two claws as if he was removing the most unholy thing in all of Frostloral. Then again..., he thought to himself with a mental smirk.

"You are really trying my patience," Fraener growled testily while showing his yellowed fangs in a snarl as if he was about to attack upon the next snide remark. Of course, knowing the king, this must be what he was planning to do, after all.

Yes, and you are really trying my patience as well, my dear Fraener, the shadow dragon snorted distastefully. You have been trying it for the last...oh, how many years has it been? Twenty? Thirty? A life time? His eyes then shifted from a bored yet playful expression to a sad and tiring one. He bowed his head slightly. His previously warm golden eyes seemed to have lost their jewel-like luster and even looked to have aged just then. His almost black scales looked as if they were about to fall any second. How much longer are we going to play this game, Fraener? For what reason did you choose to destroy this once beautiful land? Why did you have to destroy so many innocents? Women? Children? How many more must die before you are pleased, Fraener?

"You know damn well why." The King quietly growled while adopting a crazed look. His eyes were wide, pupils narrowed, his jaw set.

The outsider dragon nodded once while noting how the king did not answer his last question. He then rose up to his feet and turned tail to begin a slow and steady march towards the door while being mindful of the bones on the ground. They have suffered enough already. Best not destroy their bodies even more by stepping on them, he silently thought. He walked carefully. Slowly. He treated each remains with respect while sighing with more tiredness. He felt old at that moment. He no longer felt that youthful spark from when he had been glancing out of the window at the lightning previously.

"Don't turn your back on me, damnit!" the king snapped while reaching a claw forward to strike his tail.

He missed. With increasing anger, he then threw out a flame aimed right for the traitor's back.

He missed again. He had aimed true and he had more than enough practice throughout the years but yet he missed. He was not surprised, however. He knew that there was some kind of unknown magic surrounding the traitorous (in his eyes) dragon.

The dragon of the night froze mid-step and sighed once more. He turned his head around and glanced upon the soul-less eyes of the king. And yet, you have already turned your back upon yourself, Your Majesty. His voice that was previously uncaring yet amusedly (not to the king, mind you!) sarcastic had now adopted an empty tone devoid of all emotion.

Fraener paused suddenly as he was unused to this. His eyes now narrowed in a slightly angered curiosity rather than an untamed and crazed fury.

Without another word, the dragon of the night nudged the doors open with his snout, casted the same sad gaze upon the mindless soldiers guarding the door outside, and allowed his feet to take him wherever as the doors swung closed with a bang behind him.

The Dragon King's eyes were still narrowed at the door and upon the dragon's tail as it whisked around the corner and out of sight before the door closed.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Where in the hell are we, again? Shruikan asked as he took a few steps down the hallway until he was at the actual entrance to the massive cavern. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Thorn pad up beside him as well with his jaw still dropped.

...and how does this place even exist? Thorn asked, amazed. His jaw was almost near his feet now and would have appeared comical to a human if one was present at the moment. He simply joined Shruikan in glancing back and forth across the massive cavern. He then glanced behind him and towards the entrance of the secretive cavern as if imaging some sort of magical portal that had transported the three of them to this fantastical place. He then voiced his question. How are we here? Did we pass through some sort of portal, Veltrose? This place would most certainly have been impossible for you to have excavated within a few years.

We're right here, that's where we are, Veltroe answered as he too stepped up besides the other two shocked dragons and looked at his many years of hard work with pride. He then looked upwards in the center of the cavernous ceiling where the two different streams of flames met after twisting around each other in a spectacular tango. Right inside of the mountain.

Veltrose then acquired a far-off expression across his muzzle as he looked up as if he was looking into the past. It took me years and a lot of magic to excavate the rock. Years and a lot of magic, my friends. He then sighed deeply as if he was remembering an unpleasant memory.

Then again, Shruikan thought to himself with a frown. Knowing him, he's probably thinking of his rider once again. He then glanced away from the cavern and looked upon the elder who was still trying to figure out exactly what to say. Then…

If there is one positive outcome that came from me being rider-less, it would be that my magic has become uncontained and mostly unrestricted. Veltrose then glanced down at his paws as he became deep in thought once again. He began walking forward and stepped around the circumference of the cavern. Shruikan and Thorn glanced at each other before following Veltrose. With a rider, it is quite difficult to use your magic. It is as if there is some sort of block or a limit upon it. But with your rider gone, all of your magic is unblocked and it is nearly limitless. Veltrose stopped short by the wall when he came upon a large stalactite sticking out of the smooth wall. After staring at it for a few seconds, the jutting rock glowed a magical blue as it shrunk until it became flushed with the wall once more.

Shruikan and Thorn gasped as they observed the magic right in front of their eyes. True to the elder's words, his magic just appeared naturally. He did not even appear to be struggling as he used his magic. He did not even use an incantation or a spell! It just…happened. The wall was once again smooth and flawless. Usually, a dragon's magic is extremely instinctive. A dragon cannot just will the magic to occur. It just does at key moments in the dragon's life.

Veltrose then began to speak once more after one last glance at the wall to ensure that his magic performed as expected. He looked to Shruikan. That is why Fraener—your brother, Shruikan—had all of the riders murdered rather than enslaved so that he can release the magic of his enslaved dragons and make them far stronger and more dangerous. He then continued walking once more. That dragon that I fought against earlier was strong...unusually strong. I should have died when I crashed into the ground. There would have been nothing left of my body for you to shame an old brute like me with your tears, Shruikan, he chuckled as his eyes were filled with some mirth after all that had happened to him. My magic saved me. It somehow cushioned my fall enough to have allowed me to survive. Of course, it still hurt like a bastard but I still managed to survive!

What happened to him? Thorn asked as he began to worry about Veltrose. The other dragon, I mean. He may have just met this insane dragon, but he has slowly begun to look up to him. The only dragons he met in his life were usually cruel, thought highly of themself, or (like Shruikan before he learned his rider was alive) just seemed depressed. Then there was Saphira but Thorn never really placed her in a specific sub-category of dragons yet. He mentally shook his head to focus back on Veltrose. The elder dragon once again held a proud expression as he turned to Thorn and winked. I shamed that bastard's family and sent him into the ground, that's what happened to him!

Thorn let loose a throaty chuckle as he felt his admiration of the insane dragon grow.

Even Shruikan laughed. You're not old yet, are you, you old coot? Shruikan congratulated. I'm surprised you still have it in you after all those years living in that damned cave!

I may have taught you everything you know, Shruikan. But don't you dare begin to think that I have taught you everything that I know, Veltrose admonished. He then craned his long neck around to observe his left wing and sighed.

Up until that point, Thorn and Shruikan had actually completely forgotten about the old dragon's destroyed wing. However, it was hard to miss it now when Veltrose moved and unfurled his left wing while hissing from the pain to observe the damage.

As Shruikan observed it, he was glad to see how the bleeding had finally stopped and new scales were already forming where the older ones had been ripped out. However, Shruikan's eyes widened when he noticed that skin was even stretching over the wing joint in which the other dragon bit at. He then smiled as he became hopeful. However, this hope was quickly destroyed upon his master's next words.

Damned bastard was lucky. His ice-blue eyes narrowed in anger. My released magic is healing me up nicely but no amount of magic will ever give me back the gift of flight. Upon seeing the questioning looks from the other two dragons, he explained. Magic can heal simple wounds like cuts and even broken bones but muscle is complex. Too complex for even magic to heal. Then, when Veltrose was sick from the sight, he folded his wing back up into its resting position and began snarling in anger. He began stomping his feet for each step and flames could even be visible coming from his nostrils. That monster took away my gift of flight and I'm not getting it back!

Shruikan then stepped forward and was about to console his friend but Veltrose turned around and eyed the two other dragons. Shruikan froze when the elder's narrowed eyes searched their souls as if trying to find out exactly what it is that makes the two dragons before him tick. These eyes unnerved Shruikan for there was no longer a mischievous spark nor was there a sarcastic glint within those icy-blue eyes. There was not even self-shame from when he was forced to brutally murder his rider or anger for the state of his once beautiful land or for his inability to fly. No, now there was nothing but a furious flame held within his eyes just begging to be released. They were flames full of the need to fight, flames full of unrivaled fury that should it not be released, it would tear the old dragon apart. But more importantly, there were flames of hope that everything will turn out alright in the end. However, this spectacular fire scared Shruikan. Veltrose? Shruikan called unsurely.

And you know what? Veltrose continued as the icy fire in his eyes intensified even more when he narrowed them further. I'm okay with that. I'm okay with my flight having been taken away because I have been lazy lately, Shruikan. The elder dragon then stepped closer to Shruikan and eyed him wearily with those intense eyes; eyes that intimidated Shruikan and made Thorn quiver with fear even though he somehow knew that he would not get hurt.

And I'm done with being lazy.

Veltrose then turned tail to once again admire his creation. The fire lighting up the cavern continued to crackle and pop around them and their light never wavered which surprised Shruikan for surely, the fire must be running out of fuel. Veltrose cannot be powerful enough to keep the fire alight with magic, could he? Then again, Shruikan thought, if he was able to create this monstrosity in a few short years, then surely a simple spell to keep a fire lit would be child's-play for him.

The intense eyes of the elder continued to scope out his masterpiece from the simple and flat floor to the looming and cavernous ceiling, from the beautiful twirling and dancing flames of the cavern that invited hope to the spectacular shadows they cast on the ground. As he observed it all, he spoke.

This safe house will hold the entire village of Crystilla plus others if we find more villages to join our cause. It will keep them safe. I designed this place with multiple vents near the ceiling for blacksmiths to be able to forge their weapons and cooks to feed the village so that the smoke they emit will escape and not be stuck in the cavern. The vents branch off into different areas of the forest to emit small amounts of smoke at a time. That is to avoid detection of Fraener and his forces of monsters and humans who have lost all hope. Veltrose looked down to the stone beneath his feet and pawed at the ground. This area is built on top of an underground river that flows from the lake so clean water will not be a problem at all. He then looked back at the two other dragons. His eyes were no longer narrowed but they still held that fire. Shruikan, this can work! We can battle while staying hidden!

But Shruikan sighed and shook his head as he discovered a few problems. But what about food, Veltrose?

Of course there are always going to be risks, Shruikan. We will have to have hunters go out and find food while staying hidden. We'll have to go out ourselves, of course, Veltrose explained.

What about clean air?

Again, the vents should solve that problem. We'll always have fresh air to breath here.

Waste disposal?

I'll magic it away if I have to!

But what about the villagers themselves?

Shruikan and Veltrose froze at that last remark for neither of them had spoken it. They both turned and noticed that it had been Thorn that had spoken. Shruikan had completely forgotten that the young lad was even there to begin with for he was so quiet. The young, ruby-red dragon cocked his head slightly to the right as he rose to his feet and stepped forward to join the other two. His voice had been quiet for he felt unsure of himself interrupting the two others and upsetting them. They're older and far wiser, after all. They know a lot more than him, right? But still, there was a nagging thought that continued to prod at young Thorn's mind as if begging to be let out. He hoped that he would not upset them, but...

The villagers, Thorn repeated in a shy and timid voice. You're asking them to leave their home, Master Veltrose. They built their lives in the village and you're just going to force them to move somewhere else? Families may be torn apart as they argue with one another on what is the best decision for this is most definitely a huge thing you are asking of them.

Thorn then stood strong and proudly as he began to gain momentum as the words just naturally came from his mind, his experience…his heart. In the past, Murtagh and I were forced to gain more soldiers for the war so we flew to the town of Ealdor. It resided on the coast just West of Kuasta on the other side of The Spine. You won't find that town on a map anymore for when we asked for soldiers, men that had thought were doing the right thing came to us but they left behind devastated wives and children. When we stayed overnight, the two of us were haunted by screams erupting from many homes. There were shouting matches between husbands and wives. Houses were being torn apart at the heart!

Thorn's voice grew stronger yet his front legs quivered as he remembered that horrible night. You could hear hearts breaking throughout the night. The cries of sleepy children erupted through the air as well when they woke to their parents fighting. Finally, in the morning, with several hundred men behind us, we left the town of Ealdor. However, months later, we returned with a few of the same men as they pleaded to see their loved ones once again to apologize. When we returned, Ealdor was in ruins. It was a large and important port town but there was absolutely no one remaining. Those of Kuasta reported having been sent letters by the women of Ealdor asking for assistance in moving. Kuasta accepted a few and sent others to the North in Teirm. However, the families never made it for The Spine was a wild and dangerous territory. Those that had stayed in Ealdor never made it either for they were attacked by pirates. The bodies of women and even children lined the streets with swords in their hands as they attempted to fight for their lives! They had done well for there were many more bodies of pirates than those of Ealdor. But they had been overrun. A great town of many had been reduced greatly when we took the men. They had no chance.

Thorn shivered but had been urged by his master, Shruikan to go on. There was even a woman with a sword in her hand whose body was draped over a crib in her home with two younglings. Without their mother to care for them, the young ones had died. The men who walked like ghosts through the town observing the tragedy were destroyed in heart and mind. A few even plunged their own blades through their hearts to escape the pain with a quick death as if hoping to find their loved once again. Veltrose, there will always be those that disagree with you over a monumental decision like this. I already feel responsible for wiping that town off the map. Will you be able to live with that ache in your heart? Thorn then growled as he looked down at his paws. Because I cannot. I felt as if a part of me had died with Ealdor that night. Sharing my pain with Murtagh is the only thing that kept me going. I ask again, Veltroe. Thorn then looked up and stared at the elder with haunted eyes.

Will you live with that pain should this happen once more?

Veltrose sighed upon hearing Thorn's words as he began to think over them. He turned around once more to face the entrance of the massive dome as if he was able to see the village from where he was standing. I understand where you are coming from, lad. Really, I do, he spoke with a soft determination. But I have already failed the village once and I would be damned should it happen again! He then eyed his two companions and gestured to the safe house around them. This place will be filled with the entire village of Crystilla tonight!

Tonight?! both Shruikan and Thorn shouted together.

This is too big of a choice for them to make in a few hours! You must reconsider, Veltrose! Thorn pleaded as his eyes scanned the entire underground room frantically. After all, moving an entire village underground in an evening? That would be impossible! Incomprehensible!

Old friend, how are you going to manage to do this? Thorn speaks the truth! There are perhaps only a few hours left of the day, there is no way! He shook his head when he saw Veltrose turn his back to them once more as if he was hearing nothing but blasphemy. A calculated look came to his eyes beside the fire that already took residence in them. Veltrose, you know that I have already foolishly visited the village to find my rider! You know that she obviously denied me being her dragon; her life partner! And I am willing to venture a guess that you know how that village feels about dragons. They ran from us as if we were criminals! They will refuse to even listen to you, Veltrose! The elder dragon then began to take slow and careful steps towards the entrance, no longer showing signs of limping or injury. Veltrose?! Shruikan roared out in a deep and commanding tone that he would normally never use against his old master but this time he felt it was necessary as he refused to be ignored in something as monumental as this.

Veltrose paused and spoke out without even turning around. I will do what I must to save the entire population of Crystilla. This is the first step to taking the kingdom of Frostloral back from the traitorous Fraener. Neither Shruikan nor Thorn were able to see the elder's face, but if they had, they would have seen him close his eyes tightly from an inner turmoil that had resided within the old beast's heart for years and had strengthened upon learning that he had failed in protecting the precious village once already. Crystilla is the only village that Fraener had failed to win over so far. People there still hold hope that things will be better in the future. That Fraener will be vanquished. They would have done it themselves by now but they're smart. They know they have no chance of winning against an army of dragons. With that thought, their combined hope has drained little by little over the years. Most of them don't even know I exist! He then opened his eyes once more. A dark shadow was cast across his scaly muzzle. The only things clearly visible were his eyes as they narrowed. They had no chance, he corrected. But now, with the heroes of Alagaësia on their side along with myself, perhaps that burning hope in them would once again rekindle at the sight of four fully grown dragons and their riders along with two adolescent dragons, they can dare to hope again. He looked back for his next words. They will fight with that hope. They will know that now, the scale has begun to tip ever so slightly in their favor. They will know within their hearts that this is the best thing that they can do for their loved ones. He looked forward once more.

Again, I'm done being lazy.

Once those words were said, Veltrose suddenly took off into a sprint and ran towards the entrance of the massive cavern. Shruikan's eyes widened when he observed the odd spectacle of his old master running at full speed after having just suffered injuries from a dragon fight and crashing into the ground. His main thought as he froze dumbfounded was, How is he running that quickly after everything that had happened to him? Then, for some reason, he looked to his side to see if Thorn was watching as well so that he would know whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him. However, Thorn was not there. At the sound of a second set of claws striking the stone floor, he turned back and saw Thorn in pursuit of Veltrose who had already ran through the allusion of a rock protecting the cavern from unwanted eyes. Then, once his mind was finally cleared and he realized that the insane elderly dragon had indeed ran away at high speed, Shruikan finally took off after them.

As Shruikan ran, the spiraling flames that had illuminated the entire structure began to diminish before finally going completely dark as he approached the entrance of the cavern. Even though he knew that the massive rock in his path was an illusion, Shruikan still forced his eyes shut as he ran while subconsciously imagining unimaginable pain should he slam into a real rock instead. Thankfully, he passed through with no problem as he felt his feet dig through snow but then he managed to hit another obstruction which sent him tumbling outside. Once he was settled back onto the ground, he had noticed that the object he had collided with was not the rock wall, but Thorn who now appeared dazed while picking himself up from the ground. Shruikan merely shook himself before asking Thorn where Veltrose had disappeared off to.

The young dragon shook once more to clear the dizziness that had taken over his eyes before he simply turned around and pointed with his snout up the rocky wall that made up the exterior mountain that housed the cavern within it. He is up there, Master, Thorn answered while raising a paw up to his snout to soothe it from the collision with Shruikan.

Shruikan's eyes widened. He then whipped his body around to glance up the mountain and, sure enough, Veltrose had somehow made it to the top of the mountain and was now standing on a ledge with his wings held open beside him. He appeared to be eyeing something off in the distance. To Shruikan's horror, the town of Crystilla appeared to be the object of Veltrose's interest. Veltrose! Shruikan roared at the top of his lungs to try to get the dragon's attention but all it did was confirm something within the white dragon's mind for, after a quick glance at his pursuers, Veltrose then took a mighty leap off of the ledge with his wings held open. Shruikan could have sworn that his heart had stopped right there. He felt the blood that had been flowing throughout his entire body suddenly freeze in place. Ice flowed through his veins and Shruikan's eyes looked to have had widened even more if that were possible. It even seemed as if the entire world stopped for the only sound that permeated through Shruikan's ears was that of his frozen heart.

The black dragon then swung his neck around to glance at his injured wing that was still throbbing from when he was forced to fly after the ice beneath his feet had broken up when he was trying to get to his master's crash-landing sight. There was no way Shruikan could fly with his wing still acting up. As a matter of fact, there was no way that Veltrose should be able to fly either! Even with his powerful magic, it would just be impossible. So what had convinced his old master that it would be a wonderful idea to throw himself off of a cliff when he had already previously explained that there would be absolutely no way for him to fly ever again?

The answer came to Shruikan when he mournfully glanced to the spot where he last saw his master expecting to see nothing there. He sighed when there really was no absolutely insane dragon there at all. Thorn came closer to him as if to console his master. However, when he was about to close his eyes, he caught something in his peripheral vision. Curious, he glanced at it only to nearly drop his jaw in shock.

Even Thorn noticed his master's odd mannerisms when he saw Shruikan focus on a specific area of the sky. He too looked up and joined his master in shocked silence for there, flying towards the village, was a large and determined looking dragon. But on closer observation, both Thorn and Shruikan could see that the elder was not flying at all for he was slowly sinking towards the ground without flapping his wings. He was not flying at all, he was gliding!

Shruikan then turned to Thorn. Lad, I need you to fly to Veltrose's cave immediately and bring everyone to the village. We may need all the help we can get! he ordered.

Thorn nodded once and threw himself into the air and brought his massive wings down with a mighty flap as he commanded the air to bend to his will. He then flew off in the opposite direction towards the cave where they first met the elder.

The black dragon then threw caution to the wind and took off running towards the village. All he knew was that his master needed his help whether or not the idiot knew it.

-X-X-X-X-X-

The quaint little village of Crystilla is normally a very quiet town. However, now, it was in absolute chaos. Above the village, as if it were imitating the mess below, the clouds appeared to be mixing and churning among each other after the rainfall that had occurred earlier that day. A few rays of sunlight poked through the clouds just enough for the residents below to discern that it was, in fact, still daytime. However, despite the sunlight, the villagers were suffering a nightmare as they were currently under an attack by a dragon that appeared to be gliding towards them from a lone mountain several miles away to the East.

The dragon was first sighted by a baker bringing in wheat into his shop. He then dropped the heavy load and pointed to the sky while shouting to those around him a few seconds ago. Each second seemed to drag on unnaturally long to the villagers as mothers and fathers (even complete strangers!) once again ushered children towards their respective homes. Window shutters were slamming shut and the sounds of doors locking in multiple places could be heard as families hid themselves within their homes hoping that, perhaps, their wooden houses would somehow stand strong against dragon fire. Blacksmiths were pulling out each and every one of their weapons and placing them in open-ended barrels outside of their forges to allow village men to pick them up and build up a strong force to deter the dragon from the village.

Briam was one of those men heading towards a forge but for a different reason as he ran out of the door of his house, jumped over the banister of the small porch in the front, and threw the door to the forge open that was located right next door to the house. He startled the two occupants inside who were hurriedly shoving weapons outside for others to take and defend the village with. Elidor was currently being assisted by Amelia who spun around with a finished sword in her hand and was about to slash the intruder when she recognized him.

"Briam?" Amelia questioned as she handed the sword to Elidor who placed it outside with the rest. "What are you doing here? Go inside!"

"I think I know how to defend myself, thank you very much!" Briam growled as he became offended when his defensive skills were called into question. "And I think you both know very well what I'm doing here. Elidor! Mother wants us inside the house, now!" He turned back to Amelia. "You too. There's no time to be choosy about where to stay."

"Hell no!" Elidor exclaimed as he scampered around the still burning fire in the messy forge carefully while looking for more finished weapons to bring outside. How he managed not to trip and fall into the intense flames was lost on Briam and their mother. When Elidor was unable to find more weapons, he picked up a bucket of water that was submerged in a barrel full of rainwater just outside of one of the windows under a leaky gutter. He then brought the bucker into the forge and began sprinkling water onto the fire to begin dousing it. If he dumped it all at once, he might cause an explosion from the onslaught of escaping steam. "I'm going out there to defend my villge!" he argued.

Briam then took several steps to stand right next to his brother. He grabbed the hand that was about to tilt the bucket once again into the fire and stopped him. "You can't defend your village from inside of a dragon's throat, Elidor!"

Elidor then whipped around with fury in his eyes. He pulled his hand from his brother's hold and threw the bucket behind him, emptying it of all the water into the fire which, of course, caused a small explosion behind his back. He was warned by his father about this but now he paid it no attention. "Yes, and you would know something about defending your village, now wouldn't you?"

"Excuse me?!" Briam yelled. "Why don't you try to explain to me what in the hell is going through that damned mind of yours, my dear brother?" He stared into his brother's angry eyes as he tried to figure out where this new hostility came from.

"Briam! Elidor!" Amelia chastised when she noticed the odd hostility occurring between the two brothers. She was not sure what was going on at all for usually, Briam was a quiet fellow while Elidor would just make jokes to dispel any tension that was encountered. She had never seen this side before from the two brothers. Throughout the day at the forge, she noticed how Elidor, a man she would usually admire, had suddenly grown cold towards her for some reason. His eyes would be narrowed as if he was remembering something that he would rather have forgotten. "I don't think now is the time for an argument, guys!"

The two boys ignored her as they continued to eye each other warily. One with a furious and unforgiving glance while the other's was a calculated gaze as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on. Suddenly, they heard a mighty roar bellow from the skies above them as a large shadow suddenly flew by the window. Amelia gasped when she glanced outside and saw a large white dragon flying circles around the village. The dragon roared a second time as if grabbing for the attention of the whole village. Strange, she thought. Why hasn't he breathed fire yet? This was the second time that the village was visited by dragons that did not cause any damage whatsoever. The first was with a group of dragons that had stopped near her house while she was working. Strangely, her mother would not say a word about it when she returned home. This perturbed Amelia greatly.

Another thing that Amelia noticed that was odd about this dragon was the roar itself. It was a lot louder than the roars of previous dragon attacks. However, somehow, just by listening to it, it was as if she could discern the emotions of this dragon. The roar did not sound like the guttural ones from the other mindless and soul-less beasts that the village had previously encountered. Instead, it was more mournful, more angered, and—dare she say it?—more hopeful.

She was then brought back to the real world by the two bickering brothers who seemed to have completely ignored the dragon's roars in favor of having a shouting match instead.

"I heard what you and Mother were talking about last night, Briam!" Elidor argued while jabbing a finger in Briam's chest. "I know what you did. I know that you betrayed this entire village so don't you even think for one second that you have the right to talk to me about defending my village from these dragons. Do you hear me?"

Amelia gasped at those words and looked at Briam who had suddenly frozen in place. His eyes flew open wide and his mouth was hung open as if he wanted to defend himself but he just could not pull out the necessary words from his mind that was now a jumbled mess at the discovery that his brother now knew what he did and who he had been.

"Well? Say something!" Elidor spat out. His arms were shaking as if he was trying to use all he had to stop himself from punching his own brother in his face.

Amelia laid her hand on Elidor's shoulder to help him relax but he simply shoved it off uncaringly as he continued to glare at his brother, waiting for his response. "I said," he whispered through clenched teeth, "say something." He took a breath after each syllable while accentuating the "thing" in "something."

A tear then fell out of Briam's left eye. He turned around towards the window to hide it but Amelia caught sight of it. She frowned. She was about to call Briam's name to help console him despite the fact that Elidor thinks him to be a traitor, by the sound of things. However, right before she opened her mouth, something amazing happened.

It was as if her mind suddenly opened up to the entire village around her. All of a sudden, she could feel an immense sense of hope and courage that was not her own. She felt warm suddenly. Her racing heart had calmed down. She even felt a few tears leak out of her eyes for some reason even though she did not feel upset. She could tell that both Briam and Elidor felt it too for they frowned and looked around the forge as if looking for the answer. Amelia, however, felt that the answer would not be in here, but in the village square if the large tremor in the ground was anything to go by. Somehow, in her heart, she knew that these odd feelings and sensations came from that dragon that had just landed. When looking out of the forge's window, she could tell that she and her two companions were not the only ones who felt this odd…thing for lack of a better word. She saw the windows and doors of other houses that lined the dirt road were slowly opening so that the villagers can take a peek outside. Another thing she noticed was that their hands were on their hearts. Amelia then looked down and discovered that even her hand was held over her heart as well as if she just witnessed something to be cherished. Frightened, she quickly removed it and placed it at her side.

And then, something else happened. Within the minds of each and every villager, a lonely yet hopeful voice called out. This voice sounded old, perhaps even ancient. The wise and kind nature of the mighty dragon standing in the village square can be heard within the intonations of his inner voice. And another thing about the voice? It sounded strong despite the age. It somehow inspired hope.

Villagers of Crystilla! it called out, inviting everyone to walk towards the dragon…towards hope. Amelia noticed that now, she was walking outside of the forge along with Briam and Elidor as well as with other villagers as they began to exit their homes and towards the mighty and proud creature. She was not being forced at all by magic, it just felt natural to walk towards the fascinating creature that was completely unlike the monsters that would come to terrorize her village.

If you wish to defend your village, your lives, and, most importantly, those you all hold dear to your hearts, then come to me! If you wish to take back this kingdom from the horrors of Fraener, come to me! If you wish to once again feel what freedom feels like, come to me! And if you wish to step out of the darkness and the fear of the present and into the brilliant light of the future...

...come to me!

Amelia then frowned. Well that's unusual.

Again, thanks for waiting patiently, everybody! I shall make no promises as to when the next chapter will come out. We all know what happens when I do make a promise. lol!

See you all in the next chapter! ;-)

Sincerely,

The Aviator