This is a fic idea I've been thinking of for a while now. I don't know really where to put it, so this seemed like the best place.

Anyhow, it follows the story of a soldier's son named Thomas who finds a dragon egg while helping his uncle with his farm. When the dragon hatches for him, Thomas and his dragon are taken to Doru Areaba where they train to be Riders before Galbatorix's rise to power.

Chapter 1 coming soon!

~Chapter 1~
Awakening

With the sun finally setting deep into the Spine, Thomas planted his shovel deep into the brown dirt and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Today had been a busy day as he had helped his uncle, Derick, out on his fields. His father had sent him a few weeks earlier after receiving a letter asking if he or Thomas could help out during the season. Thomas’s father had been too busy to help out, so Thomas ended up going alone from Gil’ead to Bullridge down the Ramr River.

As Thomas lifted a canteen that was slung across his shoulders, opened the cap and took a long draught, Thomas noticed Derick walking towards him from across the dark brown field. Only in his forties, he was one of Bullridge’s most respected villagers and already had a family of six children. The oldest, John, was off plowing another section of the fields while the two youngest, Abigail and Marianne, were inside with their mother. He was a man of tall stature, easily towering over some of Alagaesia’s tallest men. His shirt was cut off at the sleeves, revealing large arms that bulged with muscles toned by years of hard labor. His black beard and mustache hung a foot down from his chin. His bright blue eyes bespoke both weariness and gratitude from the long days work, his bald head shining as the last bits of sunlight reflected off the sweat gathered on top.

“Thank you for all your help, Thomas,” he said in his deep, bassy voice once he was close enough.

“It’s no problem, Uncle,” Thomas replied, smiling a little.

His uncle returned it. “With you helping this year, I’m sure it’ll cut our work time by half.”

“Anything to help,” Thomas said.

His uncle reached around, putting a scruffy arm on Thomas’s shoulders, then started directing him back towards the village, shouting at all his children to call it a day and return home.

The farm on which they were currently standing on lay about a league south from Bullridge, hugging next to the Ramr River. The ground was a dark brown, moist almost to the point of being mud. It gave a clear view of the distant Spine and the Hadarac Desert that lay beyond the Ramr River. Thomas always liked sitting next to the Ramr River and looking towards the desert for any signs of the nomads that traveled it’s great depths.

Thomas smiled thinking of all the hours he had spent on the banks of the Ramr. His uncle noticed and smiled back. “What’s making you so happy?”

“Nothing,” Thomas replied, waving off the question.

The two had arrived at the road that connected the farmland to the village. On the side of the road was a simple wooden wagon attacked to two horses. The horses must have sensed they were leaving, for they started prancing, forcing blood into the motionless muscles. Thomas approached the horses and started rubbing their muzzles. The two leaned into his touch, their eyes closed, obviously enjoying the attention.

As Thomas heard his uncle approach, Thomas reluctantly stopped petting the horses and walked over to the wagon attacked behind them. It was a rough mode of transportation, no more than a platform of wood on wheels attached to the back of the horses with a raised seat at the front so someone could steer the horses. Thomas planted his right hand flat on the platform, then jumped up, using his arm to support him, onto the platform. He stood on it for only a brief second before falling into a sitting position on the edge of the wagon, his legs dangling off it towards the ground.

Thomas placed his hands back farther behind him and leaned on them, enjoying the last bits of light coming from the sun as it started it’s descent across the Spine. Thomas had never been to the Spine, but he had heard weird stories told about the ancient mountains.

Thomas’s thoughts were interrupted when his uncle’s children started showing up. “Hey Thomas,” said his oldest son, John, as he approached the wagon.

“How was the plowing?” Thomas asked, a grin on his face.

“What do you expect?” John replied, frowning. “First day of the season. Plowing is hard as hell.”

“Ah, but you’ll make more than the rest of us,” Thomas pointed out, reaching over and slapping him on the shoulder in a friendly way.

“Yeah, I guess,” he grunted, sticking his hands on the wagon edge and lifting himself up to sit beside Thomas.

Over the course of five minutes, as the sun sank lower and the day grew darker, the rest of Derick’s children who helped in the fields began showing up, jumping onto the wagon and taking a seat. Once they were all collected, Derick, who was sitting in the seat up front, grabbed the horse’s reins and gave them a flicker, telling the horses to start moving. They did so with much enthusiasm. A day standing around doing nothing must be boring indeed.

* * * * *

As the last of the light in the sky faded, Derick stopped the wagon beside a large, ornate house on the outskirts of Bullridge. “Everyone inside,” Derick yelled over his shoulder towards the group in the back.

Everyone jumped off the wagon and made for the door. Thomas came up the rear, John ahead of him.

Once inside, Thomas grinned as he examined a house he already knew completely. The floor was covered in various fur rugs, mainly bear. A large bench covered in cotton cushions sat across from an ornate fireplace set into the wall. Beside the fire, decorating the walls, were various stuffed heads that the family had hunted over the years.

In a room opposite the main room, a large wooden table sat in the middle, it’s clean surface reflecting the candlelight that came from a large chandilier above. Against one side of the wall was a large surface jutting from the wall, a counter to prepare food. On either side of it were large cupboards, each he knew filled with various kitchen utensils and food products.

Standing beside the counter, chastising one of the littler kids, was his Aunt Charlotte. Three years younger than her uncle, she carried herself with great dignity, wearing expensive clothing. Her long, blonde hair fell back onto her shoulders, making her dark blue eyes stand out more.

As Thomas watched her chastise her children, she looked up and her gaze met Thomas’s. She pushed past her children and approached him. “Thank you for your help today,” she told him in a high pitched voice, almost like a singer’s.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Thomas waved off. “Wait until the season’s over before you thank me.”

She gave a chuckle in response. “Perhaps,” she replied. She was silent for a moment, then said, “if you want to wash up for dinner, do it now.”

“I will, if that’s no problem?” Thomas asked.

“None at all,” she replied, smiling.

“Thank you,” Thomas said, bowing his head slightly before walking past her. He walked into the main room and from there took a set of stairs built into the wall that had been shielded from his view into the second story of the house. Up on the second story, it was just a large hall with various doors opening into each individual’s bedroom. Thomas took the one closest to his left and emerged in a simple bathroom.

Built into one wall was a simple mirror, more for decoration than practical use. Opposite of it was a large bucket laying on the ground, with a pump that transported water from the well outside into the room.

Thomas walked over to where the mirror was and examined his reflection. Bright blue eyes, a shade lighter than his aunt’s stared back at him. His face was skinny, his cheeks and chin prominent features. Strong brown brows hovered above his eyes, while locks of long, brown hair started making their way closer to them. “I really need a haircut,” he muttered to himself, smiling.

He walked away from the mirror into the middle and began stripping down.

* * * * *

Thomas yawned widely as the group moved back out onto the fields during dawn. Thomas had only gotten a few hours of sleep on account of the fact everyone was up late enjoying dinner and having a good time. Thomas smiled when he thought back to when one of the little kids was so eager to eat he knocked his chair backwards and landed on his back. Everyone had roared out laughing.

“Wooh,” Derick’s voice drifted from up front, drawing Thomas’s attention.

With a sigh, Thomas realized he was back at the farm. Another day, even more labor.

* * * * *

Ten hours later, the sun had begun it’s descent over the Spine again. Thomas stood up from where he was bent over with a shovel, wiping his arm over his forehead in a feeble attempt to get rid of the sweat that dotted his face. Today had been an especially hard day of plowing and shoveling. The only positive thing was that this was generally the hardest part of the whole season.

Thomas stood on the edge of the field that faced the Ramr River, the cool water a powerful lure all day. It had taken all his self-control to stop himself running and jumping into it. It was even harder when the younger children did just that, leaving Thomas, John, and his uncle to work on the fields.

Thomas sighed with exhaustion at the day’s work, but knew he couldn’t stop yet. He only had about ten feet left to dig before reached the end of the field. He picked his shovel up and started digging towards the river again.

His progress was slow on account of his exhaustion, but time seemed to go by even faster than usual as he labored to move the dirt.

Then, when he was two feet away, his shovel clanged into something. Cursing at the halt to his work, Thomas reached down to dig through the ground. Large rocks were often found lurking under the surface, just waiting to piss farmers off during plowing season.

But as Thomas dug through the ground, his hands grabbed something large and almost completely round. “Odd,” he muttered, as he unearthed it. Round rocks were often found in the Ramr on years when the water levels were low. But finding a round rock like this more than a hundred feet from the Ramr was odd. The river didn’t flood nearly enough to reach her, much less drag a rock all this way.

“Maybe I’m thinking about it too much,” Thomas told himself as he unearthed the rock. “It could all just be…coincidence…”
Thomas’s thoughts and words stopped as he picked the rock up and looked at it. It was completely round, and the color of darkest black. Swirling around the rock were veins of white. “What the?” Thomas exclaimed, bringing the rock closer to his face.

The rock gave a loud squeek, making Thomas drop the rock and the ground and take a few hasty steps back. The rock squeeked again and then started shaking from side to side.

Thomas had started trying to catch his breath after the first squeek scared him when his uncle appeared from behind him, slapping him on the shoulder, scaring him more. “What’s the matter?” his uncle asked, worry in his eyes.

Thomas pointed to the rock, which was still shaking. Even as the two watched, amazed, large cracks began appearing on the rock’s surface, almost where the previous white veins were located. The rock started shaking even more violently, the cracks growing longer.

Then, the top of it burst open and the two sides of it crumbled, falling apart in half. Where the solid rock had once stood, there was now a little black dragon gazing at Thomas and his uncle.

Thomas and his uncle leapt back in shock as the dragon opened it’s mouth at them, displaying short, ivory fangs. “What the bloody hell?” his uncle shouted, backing away still.

Thomas stood transfixed where he had jumped back. His voice carried shock and his face a smile as he said, “it’s a dragon.”

“I know that,” his uncle replied, his voice still loud.

Thomas felt a twinge of curiosity looking at the little thing, which had turned it’s gaze away from Thomas and his uncle and began licking itself clean of it’s filmy membrane. Thomas took a slow, cautions step towards the dragon, which still didn’t look it’s way as Thomas’s foot sank into the dirt. When it didn’t respond, Thomas took another step towards it so that the dragon was right at his foot. It still didn’t notice Thomas.

Slowly, Thomas knelt until he was on his left knee, his face bent forward as he studied it. The dragon was not very big, no more than two feet from the end of it’s tail to the tip of it’s nose. It was colored darkest black, matching it’s egg, while it’s talons and it’s fangs were white as snow. Extending from it’s spine were shorter spikes the same white color. Midway down it’s spine, it’s wings jutted out, both symmetrical in size. The span was also about two feet.

“Well?” his uncle asked from behind him, his voice a little calmer now that the initial shock had subsided.

“It’s actually kinda cute,” Thomas replied, smiling.

The dragon turned it’s head to stare up at Thomas, it’s eyes wide with curiosity. “There, there,” Thomas whispered, reaching over with his right hand to touch the dragon on top of it’s head.

Suddenly, Thomas felt a hot pain in his hand where he touched the dragon. He fell onto his back and curled into a ball, clutching his burning hand to his chest. He heard his uncle scream in surprise, but it was drowned out as Thomas’s hand burned more and he yelled. Then, before Thomas was aware of anything else, he blacked out.



Thomas wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he opened his eyes to stare at the stars. As he did, he was aware of two things. One, he was laying on the wagon with all of his uncle’s children staring wide-eyed at him. Two, there was something rather heavy sitting on his chest.

Thomas brought his chin up and immediately closed his eyes as a hot, wet tongue brushed up against his face. Spitting words of disgust, he opened his eyes and nearly yelled as he noticed the dragon sitting on his chest, looking at him with amusement and curiosity. “Thanks for the welcome back party,” Thomas muttered, wiping the saliva from his face. The dragon continued to stare at him, but with more amusement now.

“You okay?” one of the children asked him, staring at the dragon with a look of fear.

“Yeah, I guess,” Thomas replied, wiping off the last of the spit.

As he did, he noticed something strange on his right palm. Lifting it closer to his face in the failing light, he saw what looked like a black, shiny oval tattooed onto his palm. He stared at it for a moment longer, then dropped his palm and stared at the dragon. “What did you do to me?” Thomas asked, his voice a little edgy.

The dragon dropped it’s head like an animal that had behaved badly and walked over closer to Thomas’s face. The rest of the children backed away from Thomas as it did, clearly afraid of it.

When the dragon was up to Thomas’s throat, it settled back down into a sitting position, then reached over with it’s long neck and rubbed it against Thomas’s face. Thomas closed his eyes as he expected another burning sensation from the beast, but the burn never came. Instead he just felt a coolness as the dragon’s black scales rubbed against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he noticed the dragon had it’s eyes closed, almost like it was a purring cat.

Thomas slowly raised his right hand from where it lay and placed it on the dragon’s head. Once again, the burning never came, being replaced with a soft sensation of the dragon’s scales. Happy that he was sure he wouldn’t be experiencing any more pain, he started petting the dragon on it’s head and the side of it’s neck. It leaned into his touch, clearly happy for the affection.

Around him, the children all gasped in amazement. “What is it?” the youngest child asked.

“It’s a dragon,” Thomas replied, grinning.

As he said the words, he realized something. That makes me a Rider! Thomas could hardly believe it. He had met a few Riders in his life, and he knew that they were truly heroes. They were the true legends of Alagaesia, each one having the strength of a hundred men. Who could defeat any foe with a single stroke of their swords. Growing up, he had always wanted to be a Rider. And now I am.

When the wagon hit a bump and sent everyone jumbling, Thomas returned his thoughts to the baby dragon on his chest. It had settled down on his stomach, his body curled up so that the tip of his tail was aligned with his nose. It’s wings lay lazily down his sides, drifting outwards every time it took a breath.

He looked away from the dragon at the cluster around him and said, “he actually a cute little thing. Once you get past the excruciating pain, that is.”

They all gave nervous laughs. Thomas grinned, then turned his gaze back to it and started stroking it on the side of it’s head. It didn’t wake, but it did shift closer to Thomas’s touch. What a cute thing indeed.



When the wagon finally stopped at Uncle Derick’s house, the children quickly jumped off the wagon and away from it, clearly trying to get away from the dragon, even though it had proven harmless, sleeping the entire rest of the trip. Scowling, Thomas picked himself up, waking the dragon clutched to his chest. It looked up at him with large eyes, then leaned up and rubbed his face and neck across Thomas’s chin. Thomas grinned and walked to the edge of the wagon, jumping carefully off so as not to disturb the dragon.

As Thomas walked up to his uncle’s house, he felt his uncle’s hand grasping his elbow and pull him aside. When Thomas looked into his face, it betrayed fear as well as amazement. “I need you to promise me something before we go in?” Thomas nodded so he continued. “Promise you’ll keep an eye on that.” He jerked his head to the dragon in Thomas’s arms. “I don’t want to, but if I feel it’s dangerous to my family or home, I’ll have no choice but to kill it. Do you understand?”

Thomas was about to protest, but he knew his uncle was right. Who knew what kind of damage it could cause? So he nodded.

“Good man,” his uncle said, clapping on the shoulder. Then he walked past Thomas to the house, leaving him alone.

As the sounds of his footsteps disappeared, Thomas looked back down at the dragon and grinned. His aunt was gonna be in for a surprise.

The sun had barely risen from the east, and yet Thomas was already halfway to Gil’ead. He decided it was best to head back home as soon as possible. When he entered his uncle’s house last night, his aunt nearly had a heart attack, keeping a broom in her hand the whole time, afraid that the little dragon would eat her alive. Thomas repeatedly assured her it was harmless, except for when Thomas touched him the first time, but she would not listen. Cautious around the new born dragon, Thomas and his uncle decided maybe he had better go home.

He didn’t want to, but knew he had no choice. His aunt wouldn’t allow the dragon to stay in her house much longer, and Thomas could not even think about getting rid of the dragon. For some reason, he felt a strong attraction to the dragon now; as if it were his brother almost. So no, Thomas could not get rid of it now.

As he thought to his aunt’s reaction last night, Thomas looked up to his right shoulder and smiled. The dragon had taken a liking to his shoulder, and had spent the last few hours asleep on it. No matter how hard the trail proved, nor how slow Thomas moved, he didn’t stir once. That didn’t surprise him since it spent all of last night jumping around the room Thomas was staying in. The only thing that had calmed the tiny dragon down a little was when it found some jerky stashed in his pack. It was only then that Thomas realized it might have been hungry and fed it.

Now, as the sun started to rise higher in the sky, Thomas continued to walk along the path that led from Bullridge to Gil’ead. Leaping across a pothole in the ground, Thomas stopped where he landed as his stomach gave a loud growl. Grinning, Thomas decided it was best time to eat. He’d been walking for hours without any nourishment. Walking to the side of the road, he found a large rock which would provide an excellent place to sit and eat and rest a bit.

Carefully taking off his pack so as not to disturb the dragon on his shoulder, he set the pack on the ground, leaning it against the rock. Then, he maneuvered his way up the rock, coming to sit at the very top. He leaned down and undid the top of his pack, then plunged his hand inside, feeling around for something to eat.

His hand scrambled around inside for a few moments before Thomas pulled his hand out, a small leather bag in his hand. He opened the bag with his other hand, then dug three fingers inside it. His fingers hit something stiff inside the bag. Thomas pinched it with his fingers, the pulled his fingers out, a piece of jerky pinched in his fingers.

He set the leather bag down beside him at the same time he put the jerky to his mouth and started gnawing on it. He pulled a large section off and started chewing on it, enjoying the taste and sensation of food being eaten. He chewed on the bit of jerky for a moment. When it was nothing but a mashed pulp, he swallowed it in one sitting.

As he lifted his hand to take another bite of jerky, he felt a cold, scaly hand on his neck. Shocked, Thomas turned his head to the source and found himself staring into the young dragon’s eyes. “Morning,” he muttered through his gasping breath.

The dragon stared at him for a moment longer, then lowered his eyes to the jerky in his hand. He stared at the jerky for a moment, then gave a short squeak. Thomas laughed. “Hungry?” he asked, holding the jerky up to the dragon’s snout. The dragon took a quick sniff of it, then snapped up the jerky in a quick movement of his neck and jaws.

Thomas watched with fascination as the dragon chewed on the tough meat for a moment, then swallow it in one gulp. It stood on Thomas’s shoulder wagging it’s tail for a moment, then gave another squeak. It extended it’s wings that protruded from his back and leapt off Thomas’s shoulder, gliding through the air and landing on top of Thomas’s pack.

It took a moment to make sure it had a good foot hold, then buried it’s head up to it’s neck inside his pack.

“Hey, hey!” Thomas nearly shouted, startled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Before Thomas could reach out and pick it up, it pulled it’s head out of the pack, another piece of jerky in it’s mouth. It turned it’s head to Thomas and started chewing on the jerky. Thomas stared at it for a moment, and it stared back. There was a moment of silence, then Thomas burst out laughing. “You’re a crazy animal.”



It was nearly sunset when Thomas stumbled into Gil’ead. His feet ached under him from carrying both the tiny dragon and his pack. He walked with a slight shuffle, brought on from hours of hiking. His head drooped down, exhaustion wanting him to sleep. A few times, the tiny dragon squeaked, waking Thomas from his half-slumber.

All around him, people made their ways to wherever their destination, barely acknowledging Thomas. A few who did turned back in surprise as they glimpsed the tiny dragon on his shoulder. Thomas didn’t noticed this, though. He was set on just one destination: home.

Finally, after what seemed an even longer hike from Bullridge to Gil’ead, Thomas stood outside the gate to his parent’s house. The simple fence around it was built only for a sense of privacy. The house itself was a fine wooden cabin. A brick chimney rose from one corner of it, smoke rising from it. The few windows there were were ablaze with the light coming from inside.

Thomas smiled at the sight of his home, with his smile growing wider thinking of his family’s reaction to the young dragon. “I’m home,” he whispered.

Wow... This is cool!

I've been an Eragon fan since the book came out but I've never read an Eragon fanfic before!

^_____^

Thanks. ^^

It'll get better soon. I promise.

A very good story Flawless in every detail except one in the frst chapter:

"The cart was attack to the horses"... Didn't you mean "The cart was attached to the horses"?

^^ Other than that...FLAWELESS VICTORY! ^__^

(>_> And no... When I post these Jacrose is not saying it.)

Okay, good news...

After a long period of time away from the writing scene, I have decided that I shall return!!!

So, I'll be starting work on this fic again.

Look forward to an update soon.

Oooh! =D This is a spiffy idea.

I'm liking this! ^o^
Lol. Seriously. Whahoo!

Thomas knocked on the large, wooden door. Nothing happened for a moment, but then Thomas heard the thump of heavy footsteps inside. He heard a bolt-lock be pushed back and the door opened in a flash of firelight.

Standing inside the doorway was Thomas’s father. He was a very muscular man with a large beard and bright blue eyes that bespoke deep pain and acceptance. His black hair was tied behind his head in a ponytail. He was garbed in nothing but a sleeveless shirt that exposed his muscular arms and a pair of shorts.

He looked at Thomas standing outside the door and a grin illuminated his face. “My boy!” he yelled, lunging out and grabbing Thomas in a bear hug. He started squeezing and Thomas could feel the air being pushed out of his lungs by his father. “Great…to…see you…too…Dad,” Thomas gasped with each burst of escaping air.

Before he felt he was about to pass out, his father let go of the hug and Thomas felt the air rush back into his lungs. “How you been, boy?” his father asked.

“Never better, Dad,” Thomas replied, massaging his ribs. Despite how bad they hurt now, he couldn’t help but smile.

His father looked at Thomas’s shoulder and his grin quickly disappeared to be replaced with a frown. “The hell is that?” he asked, pointing at Thomas’s shoulder.

Thomas looked to where he pointed and noticed his dragon asleep on it, apparently undisturbed. “Oh…this is my dragon. I kinda found him while helping on Uncle Derick’s farm.” Thomas quickly related the story of how he found the egg while digging and how it had hatched for him. He ended it by showing him the mark that appeared on his hand after he touched the dragon.

“That why you’re home early?” his father asked.

“Yeah,” Thomas answered. “But he said it was okay. Said he wanted me to come back to show you guys.”

His father nodded and at that moment, Thomas remembered: “The Riders? Have they been around here recently?”

“Two of them were here a few days ago. Said they would be patrolling the area for the next little bit,” his father replied. “Why?”

“Dad, don’t you understand?” Thomas explained, excitement making him giddy. “This dragon hatched for me. Wouldn’t that make me a Rider, too?”

His father stared critically at him and at the dragon. “I guess. I’m not quite sure what makes a Rider a Rider though, besides the dragon. There might be more to it than that.”

“Maybe,” Thomas agreed, “but perhaps there isn’t. Maybe I have the chance to be a Rider.”

His father nodded. “Well, in any case, when the Riders are here next, you can ask them. For now, why don’t you come on it and say hi to your Mother and Brother.”

Thomas grinned. “Why not?”



Thomas woke up the next morning as the sun started to rise from the east. Yawning, he looked over to his side to notice that his dragon had disappeared. Alarm gripped him as he stared at the spot where he put the dragon last night before falling asleep.

Before he even shook his blanket away, Thomas felt something hit his head. Looking up, he saw the dragon standing on his windowsill, looking outside towards the sun. Thomas grinned. “How long you been up there?”

The dragon looked down at him, noticing he was awake and jumped towards him. Thomas caught him in his arms and lowered him to his bed. “Good morning to you,” he said, scratching the dragon’s neck. The dragon leaned into it, a deep grunting noise emanating from it’s throat. A puff of smoke flew out it’s nostrils, making Thomas laugh. “Let’s get breakfast.”

Thomas quickly dressed, struggling as the dragon seemed to think it needed to be on Thomas’s shoulder the whole time.

Five minutes later, Thomas emerged from his room. He was in a short hallway where across from his door was the door to his brother, Eric’s, room. Down the hall was another door that led to Thomas’s parent’s room. The other end of the hallway was connected to the kitchen and dining room. It was in that direction that Thomas walked.

As he did, he noticed the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. The dragon must have smelled it too because it jumped off Thomas’s shoulder, it’s wing expanding as it fell so that it glided into the kitchen. He heard a sharp gasp come from the kitchen, while a child’s laugh drowned it out.

Thomas practically ran into the kitchen to see his mother backed against the wall, a frying pan in her hand. And Thomas knew why. His dragon had landed on the table and was now playing with Thomas’s baby brother, Eric. The young boy reached towards the dragon, but the dragon jumped all around the surface of the table, avoiding the boy’s grasp.

As he entered, his mother noticed him and said loudly, “Get him off my table!”

Thomas shook his head, then walked to the edge of the table. Before he even reached out for it, the dragon ran towards him, jumped onto his arm and walked up it so that it could sit on his shoulder. “Sorry Mom,” Thomas apologized.

His mother sighed. “Don’t let me catch that thing flying around here anymore,” she warned.

“I can’t control it, Mom,” Thomas explained. “I can’t exactly tell it not to fly.”

As he said it, he felt an alien presence enter his mind, emanating sorrow. It was a brief exposure. Before Thomas could freak out, it vanished.

Something must have shown on his face, for his mother asked in a worried voice, “What’s wrong?”

“What? Oh, nothing,” he replied.

The two stood in silence for a moment, the only noises coming from Erik who was reaching out towards the dragon on Thomas’s shoulder. “Did Dad need me for anything today?” Thomas asked.

“What? Oh! Yes, you’re father needed you at the school today,” his mother replied.

“Kay.”

Thomas walked to the kitchen, grabbed two pieces of bacon from one of the pans in the kitchen, then walked to the front door through the living room and opened it. He gave one of the pieces of bacon to the dragon, then stuck the other in his mouth as he walked out the door and shut it behind him.

Thomas walked past the gate that surrounded his house and started making his way to his father’s school. His father, like his father and his father before him, were all professional soldiers, each generation taught the art of warfare. During times of peace, they taught at a school to any who would come and wish to learn from them. And through each generation, new techniques and styles were added to it, making each generation a more deadly fighter than the one before. Thomas had always seen himself growing up to be like his father and grandfather. But with the dragon in the picture, maybe he could have more.

As he walked through the crowds, each person would quickly stare at him, then turn around and stare at the dragon lying on his shoulder. When one person stopped in front of them after seeing the dragon, the dragon gave a small hiss and clamped it’s teeth together loudly. The poor fellow nearly screamed and ran away from them as fast as possible. Seems you’re making quite the impression.

Even as Thomas thought that, the alien presence returned to his mind. This time, it emanated a sense of happiness and glee. But, again, before Thomas could freak out, the presence vanished again. “What the hell is this?” he asked himself, trying to calm his beating heart.

Thomas waited until he had calmed down a little bit, then started walking again. Within moments, he stood outside his father’s school.

As is custom in his father’s school, Thomas bent down and untied his boots before ascending the staircase that led into the building.

Inside, it was a massive room with all the walls decorated in red silk, purchased from the Riders. On the walls, stacks with various weapons adorned them. Aside from the door, the only opening was the front wall, which had been cut away, exposing the room to the outside world.

“You’re late,” a voice rang from beside Thomas.

Thomas turned to see his father adorned in light armor, a sword at his waist, a shield on his left arm. “I didn’t know you wanted me to be here today,” Thomas explained.

His father nodded. “It’s been rather boring without my best student here,” he explained. “Care to give your old man a run for his gold?”

Thomas grinned. “Alright ’Old Man’. You’re on.”

Thomas walked to one of the walls, where a set of light armor, a silver shield and sword hung. He reached up to his shoulder and grabbed the small dragon. He placed the dragon on the ground next to him and said, “stay here.”

He grabbed the armor from the wall and quickly strapped it on. He grabbed the shield and fitted it onto his left arm, then grabbed the sword and strapped it onto the inside of his shield where he liked it best. He looked down at the ground and saw the dragon staring at him intently. “Enjoy the show,” Thomas told the young dragon.

The dragon opened it’s mouth slightly, exposing the tips of it’s fangs. Thomas thought it looked like it was smiling and laughed.

“Ready?” his father’s voice rang out from the other side of the room.

“Ready,” Thomas replied.

His father nodded, then drew his sword and started running towards him. Thomas ran back to the wall and grabbed from it two spears. He threw one into his shield hand, while he raised the other in his right hand, took aim, and threw.

The spears flight was true, but his father stopped where he was and raised his shield. In battle against a sharpened spear, it would have pierced through his shield. But these were practice spears, so the blades were dull. Thus, Thomas wasn’t surprised when it merely bounced off his shield.

With his father still hiding behind his shield, Thomas ran forward, grabbing the other spear he had and charged his father. He stabbed with his spear, but his father pushed with his shield, knocking it away while slashing with his sword. Thomas raised his shield and blocked the blow.

The two exchanged blows for a moment, spear against sword. While Thomas had the advantage of reach, it was for naught as his father kept himself inside the spear’s range. When Thomas acknowledged the spear’s uselessness, he rolled to the side to avoid a slash at his ribs, jumped to his feet, turned to his father and threw the spear.

His father knelt, bringing his shield up and to an angle so that the spear bounced off it. Thomas’s right hand flew to the sword hilt on the inside of his shield and drew his sword. His father stood back up, his shield still held in front of him.

Thomas’s sword smashed into his shield, while his father pushed his shield away and stabbed at Thomas. Thomas pushed the sword away with his shield, then countered by bringing his sword above his head and swinging at his fathers.

The two exchanged blows for countless moments, neither one presenting weakness in their form or technique. But that changed when Thomas was able to smash his shield into his father’s arm, causing him to drop his sword. Before his father could recover, Thomas smashed his shield into his chest, knocking him to his back. He tried to raise his shield, but Thomas hooked his shield under his fathers and pushed them both away. Letting his shield fly away, Thomas pounced on top of his father’s chest, grabbed his father’s hair and pulled on his head so that his throat lay an inch away from the tip of his sword.

Gasping, the two men stayed there for a moment. Then, a wide smile broke onto his father’s face. “Good to have you home, Boy.”

Dude, there are only two words that express my feelings about this update:

FLAWLESS VICTORY! ^__^

Please continue when you may. ^^

plz i beg you to right more in her parent legacy it the best one =( pwease :bigeyescry:

Ah! It's very good. ^_^

Please write more.