The entrance hall was filled with students just finishing with their lesson, making me have to shoulder my way through the masses to reach the other side. Vascar, tired of having his tail stepped on, flew above the people, smoke rolling out his nostrils onto everyone directly below him.

Finally, I make it the the wall farthest from the entrance. Standing on tiptoes, I attempt to spot him coming, but finding one person in this chaos was impossible.

But lucky for me, it was not just one person. In through the giant whole in the ceiling flies Jarnunvösk and on her back sits Galbatorix, causing almost everyone's eyes to turn to him. As she lands with such force that shook the ground, humans and dragons alike part to allow Galbatorix and his dragon to pass. He was a formidable force to cause people to part so easily for him, even riders with years on him.

At first I forgot why he was here as I continued to stare in awe with the rest, but then, as he started to approach me, I shook myself out of my daze and started walking towards the mighty dragon. He smiles seeing me coming and extends a hand down to help me up the side of Jarnunvösk.

I oblige, and am completely aware that the eyes of everyone in the hall was now on me. Luckily, Jarnunvösk takes off quickly, Vascar trailing behind, and heads for the wide open blue skies.

There was something completely different with this flight compared to the one I took with Glaedr and Oromis. My heart felt light and free with my arms around the man in front of me. Jarnunvösk dipped lightly through the cloudless sky as Vascar sits on her hips, having decided to tag along for the ride instead of trying to keep up.

At that point something presses up against my mind, and it wasn't a dragon. Quickly drawing back into the farthest corners of my conscious I sit and try to push it away, but instead of leaving, a clear voice rings throughout my mind.

'Talia, it's me, do not worry.'

'Galbatorix?!', I say in disbelief, slowly creeping out of the corner of my conscious that I had been hiding in.

He chuckles in that seductive voice, making it obvious who it was before answering, 'yes, I figured this would be easier to talk, instead of trying to yell over the wind.... At least until we reach our destination.'

'I did not know that this was possible, to touch the mind of creatures other than dragons.... And where are we going?'

Turning around in the saddle, he looks me straight in the eyes as he says, 'you think I would reveal the surprise that easily? Patience Talia', and then he smiles his broad smile.

Shaking my head, I turn away and peer over the side of Jarnunvösk towards the ground below. We were so high up in the air that we could easily be considered a hawk, the city below looked about the size of Daret. The second that thought flits through my head, I hear Jarnunvösk say something to Galbatorix. It was the first time I had heard her voice before, and it was very musical and wise. I felt like I could trust anything she said.

Except, to Galbatorix, she said mischievously, 'ready?'

'Ready? Ready for what?', I ask worried, and as if in answer to my question, Jarnunvösk tips her head down and sends us into an almost vertical plummet towards the earth.

Holding in the shout building in my throat, I wrap my arms tightly around Galbatorix, and Vascar quickly squeezes in between us to avoid being launched off of her back during the dive. From in front of me, Galbatorix lifts his hands into the air and laughs as Jarnunvösk shows no signs of slowing down. Closer and closer the surface creeped, and I could hardly keep the image of the hard ground out of my head. When I could finally see actual details in the city, Jarnunvösk let's her wings snap open and back-flaps hard, causing us to go shooting back upward, finally leveling off with the giant shelf over hanging the city.

I couldn't believe what just happened. Galbatorix looks back sheepishly at me, and out of no where, an insane giggle bubbles out of my throat and turns into a full out laugh seconds later. He joins in as Jarnunvösk tilts herself towards the shelf, and the both of us just keep laughing, full of adrenaline from that extreme drop.

As we come closer and closer to the massive shelf, I wonder if Jarnunvösk was planning another trick as she showed no signs of changing course.

'Uhm, Galbatorix? Why are we heading straight towards shelf?'

Turning around once more, he smiles then says, 'you'll see when we get there.'

I scowl playfully at him as he turns back around. Turning my eyes to the side of the cliff instead, I can the edge for what we could be heading towards. The side of the cliff was pretty pare with slight indents and cracks, except straight in front of us, the exact direction Jarnunvösk was heading.

There sat a cave large enough for Jarnunvösk to land comfortably, but any dragons larger would have trouble landing. Carefully back-flapping outside the cave to balance herself, she lands lightly on the edge the snaps her wings to her side to slip inside the cave.

As soon as her claws click onto the stone, I slide of her side and hit the floor, my knees buckling under me. Galbatorix hops down quickly after and rushes to my side.

"Talia! Oh my, are you okay?", he asks his eyes wide with concern.

Standing up and brushing off my leggings and laugh subtly and say, "I'm fine you worried old hen", and push against his chest playfully.

He laughs lowly before turning and heading towards the opening on the cave. I start to follow when from the back of the cave there is a loud *THWUMP*. Jumping around, my heart rate accelerated more than it already was, I sigh when I see it was just Jarnunvösk laying down onto the cold, stone floor.

On the edge of the cave, his legs dangling off, sits Galbatorix. Walking over to him, my footsteps resonating off the sides of the walls, I carefully sit down on the edge as well, looking out over the entire city.

"It's beautiful", I whisper looking out at the city, the sun shining brightly down on the twinkling city. A rainbow of light reflected off the multi colored scales of the dragons, hues of every color shimmering in the daylight.

Looking at me he smiles then turns back to the view and nods, saying, "it is. I come here when I need to clear my mind, or think about the future to come..... Look out upon the city Talia, what do you see?"

Ripping my gaze away from him, I set my sights back onto the city below us. It was breathtaking but I had a feeling that's not what he saw.

"I-I don't know....", I say shyly, not knowing the answer.

"Future. I see the future within this city. The system is corrupt today, but when I become an elder I will change that. Things will be better. Everyone will be treated fairly, be happy, the streets will be healthy. People will no longer consider dragons just fancy ways of transport-", Jarnunvösk growls in response to this, "just imagine it Talia. And you could help. Oromis knows you are special, which is why he chose you, and I need your help."

The way he spoke about the future made my head spin. I just wanted to start helping him at that very moment. He seemed to paint a picture in my mind of the most wondrous place that made my heart swell.

"Of course I shall help you! How could I not help you achieve the perfect society? It sounds amazing and if this works...... It's unexplainable. There would finally be peace in all of Alagaësia. We could help end the hunger of the smaller towns, and the cold winters would not be as bad.....", I say drifting off on the winters. If only this could have been a reality.

"Talia? What is wrong?", he asks, noticing my blank look and cut off sentence.

"Nothing. We just have to make this work", I say quickly, trying to cover up for my mistake.

He nods, then turns his gaze back out to the horizon. Neither of us talk for a while, just enjoying each other's company in the beautiful day. Vascar ended up crawling into my lap and curling up in a ball, his breathing getting heavier in seconds. After the sun had sunk down a measurable amount, I built up the courage to ask Galbatorix the question I had been pondering all day.

"Galbatorix, why are you up here with me? I mean, why not someone else? I'm completely new here, I have no idea what I'm doing, and I don't have anything special about me at all. So why would you choose, of all the people, to spend time with me......."

Before I said this, I had gone over every possible scenario that could happen when I said this, to prepare myself for everything and anything. But after I actually said it, he did something that I did not plan on. He laughed.

"Oh Talia. You really do not know! I don't understand how you don't see!"

"See what?"

"Talia, you are a rook and already are starting training as if you have been here for a year. Oromis sees this, he sees how special you are.... And so do I......"

My face starts to heat up as the blush creeps up my cheeks. He thought I was special. But ignoring the pride and happiness that was blooming in my chest I ask him, "what is a rook?"

He gives me a strange look, as if knowing I was trying to skip around the comment he made, then said, "a rook is a what a rider is called when his or her dragon is first hatched to when they can breathe fire."

"Oh....", I say slightly awkward, not able to meet his piercing gaze.

After that, the conversation was fairly free and focused on nothing in particular. I could not get his voice out of my head from when he spoke of the future.... And also when he said I was special. We sat up there until the sun sank down into the horizon and a splashes of pink and purple danced across the sky.

"I think it is time to call it a day", Galbatorix says, sliding away from the edge and standing up to stretch. I join him as well and my back cracks all the way up the spine as I twist and turn. Vascar comes and winds around my ankles as I bend down towards my toes. As I am close to the ground, I quickly rub my hand down his back, causing him to arch it up and poke my fingers with his tiny spikes.

"Ouch!", I say springing back up and staring at the beads of blood dripping down my hand. Galbatorix grabs my hand and looks at the few pricks in my fingers and palm. An apologizing thought presses up against my mind from Vascar. He was so worried that I was mad at him as he keeps apologizing and pushing up against my legs.

"It's ok Vascar. It was an accident", I say consolingly. And it was true. Sure it hurt a lot, but I wasn't mad at all.

"Talia..... I can fix this..... But you must promise not to tell anyone. If the elders found out..... I'd be in so much trouble", Galbatorix says looking down at the deep puncture wounds in my hand. Jarnunvösk growls softly in warning and I could not think what would be so bad to show me. I nod silently and hold my breath in anticipation of what he was about to do.

Holding my palm up right with one of his large rough hands, he places his other over the top, completely covering my hand from view, then takes a deep breath. "Waíse heill", he says in barely more than a whisper.

A bright light flares in between his hands as an extreme itching sensation crawls across the surface of my hand. I tilt my head back, resisting the temptation the scratch my palm until I bleed.

Removing his hands, he steps back cautiously, as if afraid of my reaction. Now that the itchiness was gone, I was more curious about what he had done. The wounds were completely gone. The skin was smooth and untouched.

"Magic", I say quietly in awe. He could do magic. "Are you a sorcerer?"

"No.... I am just... different. Like the elves."

"Oh wow..... Why aren't you aloud to tell anyone?", I say curiously.

He chuckles, then says, "that is a story for another time. Come, let us get you home before it is too dark."

He was right. The sky was quickly darkening now that the sun was sinking below the horizon. I nod quietly, still in shock that I was in the presence of a magic user. Old superstitions from Daret about the legends and scares of magic users pop into my head, and for the first time, I am slightly scared of him. But I don't let him know that because he trusted me enough to show me this. Wordlessly, I turn around and climb up Jarnunvösk first, placing myself in the front of the saddle. Galbatorix chuckles lowly before also climbing up and sitting himself behind me. He wraps one hand around my waist and leaves the other on his laps as I grab the dark grey spike in front of me.

Jarnunvösk stands up and stretches her back, arching it up towards the ceiling. Galbatorix and I have to duck down to avoid hitting our heads against the top of the cave. Jarnunvösk crouches down in a crouch and I feel her mind brush against mine, then she says to me, 'would you like to have some fun?'

Rolling my eyes before strapping my legs into the arm holders, I say, 'why not? Let's do it!'

With a roar that echoes around the cave, Jarnunvösk springs forward and in two bounds is flying out of the cave opening and into the open air. Except she hadn't opened her wings.

We soar a quite a ways before gravity takes over and we start into a complete plummet, going upside down once or twice. I would throw my hands into the air and shout out loud, except I was holding Vascar in my arms so he wouldn't get flung off her back. Finally when we leveled out slightly, she snapped out her wings and gently glided back towards the ground.

'Do you know where I live?', I ask Jarnunvösk as she glided just above the buildings of the city.

'Yes', she says, 'I was just waiting to get over the right street.'

And moments after she says that, she dips into a quick dive and lands on the exact street I live on, and even right in front of my house.

Laughing, I quickly slip out of the ties and, after letting go of Vascar, slide down the side of her body. Galbatorix follows soon after.

"Would you like to come in?", I ask him as Vascar flies up through the tear drop shaped hole in the wall.

He shakes his head before saying, "nay, I must be going. I had a wonderful time though."

"The same for me", I say quietly, thinking back on the time we spent together, "will I see you tomorrow?"

He says nothing, but turns and climbs onto Jarnunvösk. I was terrified that he wasn't going to answer and just leave, that I would never see him again, but he smiles cockily and says, "I wouldn't miss it for the world", before Jarnunvösk launches into the sky.

I sit there like an idiot and watch them fly away until they are completely hidden from my sight. Even after they are gone, I stare into the black open night, his voice still ringing in my brain. I would see him again tomorrow. Finally, turning towards the door after the gentle nudge of Vascar's mind, I trudge back up the stairs and crash into a deep sleep.

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AN: HI GUYS SO I KNOW I SAID I WAS GONNA TRY AND UPDATE I DIFFERENT BOOK AFTER THIS ONE BUT..... LUCKY FOR YOU I AM STARTING ON ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THIS ONE RIGHT NOW!!! YOURE WELCOME :) SOOOOOO IF YOU ARE HAPPY I AM UPDATING AGAIN.....

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THANKA YOUUU

~Bert