The Riders Apprentice (( Nepherion/Closed))

[Nandon]

Aysten sat in one of the Play halls that Lady nasuada had renovated once Beltona was taken, She had realized that her men would need things to do while they where off duty, Ways to entertain them beyond Drinking and causing trouble, So she had set her men to immediately begin repairing concert halls and other places where public entertainment may be had, It was outdoors and because of the rain that now poured down a tarp had been placed over the stage and the stands, Aysten had contributed to this by placing a enchantment that wouldn’t let water pool in the center.

And now the play that he watched, A tragic romance, Was in its final act, And Aysten paid close attention on the edge of his seat, Sora was nearby but she was napping, She didn’t really care for the romances that Aysten now found so interesting. Ever since his capture by the empire along with that of his friend and crush, And after the memories that had been planted that had driven his emotions away and caused him to become briefly insane. After that Aysten had grown to love romances, Often going to great lengths to see any play involving it, or going to great expense to gather any books pertaining to it, As a result his library at home had become full of such novels.

Now though as the play wound to a close Sora woke up, She noticed Aysten was still enthralled with the play and casually spoke, “Is this really how you wish the rider Nepherion to see you?” She asked playfully, Sending him a mental image of himself. Aysten gave her a pained look with his mind and responded, Trying to watch the play still. “That is If he comes, I only asked him, That doesn’t mean he will show up.” He responded turning his attention back to the play, It was true, Aysten had delivered a Letter to Nepherions door and left it there, Unable to pull up the courage to knock on the door.

Aysten wanted to become Nepherions apprentice, he had several teachers, from Vlaer To Nandon, But all they had done was show him the way, Show him how to survive, But Aysten wanted more than that, he wanted to know the secrets of his new order, Wanted to know how to best care for Sora, And most of all he wanted to represent the human race proudly, he had changed his appearance once again to that of the human, Forgoing his fake Elven appearance. He wanted the riders to return to there station as guardians, And hearing Nepherion that led to peace, And rider Neutrality, Aysten desperately wanted to be taught by him.

After thinking for a couple moments Aysten turned his attention back to the play, It was the details of a ramance between two human riders during the fall, And it was now at the battle of The dragon riders home, As forsworn assaulted it, the two lovers fought together as they tried to hold back the Forsworn, But alas it was not to be, And when there dragons each killed, And themselves mortally wounded, They shared a final Tender moment. “Promise me…This…Is not the end…” The female protagonist A woman by the name of Lily said, As she looked into the eyes of her partner Knowing it was there time. “Of course not my love…It…is only the beginning…the beginning…” The male Protagonist muttered softly grasping his lovers hand once more before the life drained out of him, Then the woman smiled softly and her eyes closed.

Then the two stood up, broad grins on there faces as clapping ensued, Bowing deeply they looked to Aysten and when the clapping died down they proposed a question.
“How is it you liked our Performance rider?” The man asked breathing slightly heavy.
Aysten stood up still clapping a bit and smiled at the two before speaking. “It was marvelous, And I thank you for your entertainment.” Aysten said slowly Ignoring Sora as she mocked him quietly in there mind.

[Nepherion]

Nepherion stood on a small cliff outside of Belatona's boundary. Its rocky surface marked with a mat of scarce but vibrant greenery. A sigh came from him as a soft wind blew and sent the white clot on his right shoulder billowing behind him. In his hand was a brown parchment that had been left at his tent earlier. The letter was obviously written by that of a Rider, for who else would want to be apprenticed to a young Rider themselves. The emerald of his eyes glimmered with a bit of indecision as he thought on the proposition. It was undoubtedly a chance he could not let by, Aysten was a Rider now and Nepherion needed a comrade to further Eragon's plan for peace. On the other side though, Nepherion did not figure himself ready for an apprentice. He, himself had had only three Eldas. The first being Nandon-elda, the second being Eragon I, and the final was Eragon's dragon: Bid'Daum. He looked up at the gray sky, contemplating what his decision would be.

Small brown birds darted over head in a game of tag and Nepherion couldn't help but think that it was quite unusual to see such a thing from birds. He raised a brow at the thought than shrugged his shoulders, he had never been one to dwell on such problems, so he wouldn't. He walked over to the large white dragon behind him and climbed into the black-hide saddle. " I guess I'll go meet this guy. " he said with a bit of reluctance in his voice.

Starlight shook himself of the staleness in his bones before rising to his feet. " Surely you do not believe yourself on the level of mentoring so soon ? " Starlight reprimanded gently.

" Of course not " he agreed. " But what am I suppose to do when someone comes to me for help. Sheesh, I'm only seventeen seasons old myself. " he grumbled before trailing off. Even he could tell that he wasn't ready to teach someone else but he couldn't just let a potential ally walk pass him. That would be like disregarding Eragon's dying wishes, and he would never be capable of doing that. Before Starlight could speak again Nepherion urged him into the sky. He would atleast meet this man before deciding to deny him or not.

It took only a minute or two before Starlight was circling over head a small area of the city. " Where is he ?" Starlight's noble voice asked, agitated. Nepherion leaned over in the saddle, peering down at the humans, dwarves and werecats walking by. It seemed the Varden soldiers all started their days' early. Nepherion growled in irritation while scratching the back of his head. " How I'm I suppose to know, the guy never showed his face remember. " he said.

[Nandon]

Aysten had moved away from the area of the play as soon as the others began dispersing, shivering a bit as his skin touched the rain, the week had been filled with bad weather and Aysten wondered whether or not that would impede the Varden’s invasion, He pulled up his hood and walked over towards Sora, She had finally reached the age of Six months, And had thus learned the ability to breath fire, Which she had exercised over the past couple of days with the lighting of numerous trees, And trying to help Aysten roast any meat he ate, Which generally only ended in a blackened mess.

He patted her snout and looked up as the flap of wings filled the air, His surprise became evident on his face, “It’s Nepherion.” Aysten said to himself trying to keep his voice calm, Sora was curled up around a rather large tree, the branches thus hiding her from the air. Strangely Sora remained silent as well, Though she used Aysten’s eyes to be able to glimpse The large white dragon that was Starlight.

Finally Aysten forced his legs to move and he moved over crawling onto Sora’s back, They couldn’t fly to far as Aysten had no saddle that fit her, And the previous times he had tried he always ended up having to heal his legs. As Sora crawled out from under the tree Aysten reached out his mind to Nepherion, Letting off a Air of trustworthiness so that he would open his mind to speak. When or If he opened it Aysten none the less spoke, “Follow us.” He said simply before withdrawing away, letting sora take off she flew, High into the air, past the heigh of Nepherion and Starlight before she became flapping away towards the outskirts of Beltona



((Sorry I was planning on making it long but I have to go))

[Nepherion]

Nepherion sat in the saddle, his eyes widening as a mind touched his. The feeling from it was trusting but it wasn't enough for him to drop his guard. Any well trained magician was capable of exerting a false emotion. His expression scrunched up into a tense, battle-hardened glare, that made his eyes appear cold and on-guard. He and Starlight turned towards the direction the mind had come from, only to see a mysterious Rider and Dragon that they had never seen before.

Nepherion grimaced as he touched the white-wire hilt of Brojska and brandished it from its like-wise bone-white scabbard. He gripped the ivory spike on Starlight's neck with a single hand while the other held Brojska towards the Rider and Dragon pair. " You're a brave Rider to just come to Belatona while the Varden is occupying it and attack me ! " he mentioned calmly towards the Rider. Though he appeared to be a male, Nepherion was always careful to respect the boundary of possibly gender. He didn't want to call the Rider a he when it was possibly a she.

He had come to the city to find this Aysten but he guessed a little combat warm-up before meeting the guy wouldn't hurt. A confident flat-lined smile spread across his angular, yet strong jaw; the wings of his white hair framed his cheeks with lengthy bangs that stretched an inch below his chin. He brought Brojska in mid-swinging position, ready to combat the pair. But waiting on Starlight to steel himself.

Starlight had closed his mind off to all, leaving only the tiniest thread of the bond between him and Nepherion. He knew what a battle between a Rider and Dragon meant. They could not leave an opening, neither in the physical combat or the mental. His draconian face snarled up in a menacing show of his fangs, and a dark sooty smoke drifted from his nostrils as he heated his white flames to rock-melting levels. He was ready for combat, now all he had to do was await Nepherion's orders. He whipped his long tail against the air in a show of intimidation, the sound it made was a loud and sudden swish of wind.

[Nandon]

Aysten sensed anger resonating from the rider that followed him, And when they finally landed Aysten crawled off of Sora’s back and noticed a glint in the sun, Then gulping Aysten realized it was a sword, Pointed at him. Then hearing the words carry across the wind Aysten frowned, He hadn’t tried to attack Nepherion, merely ask him to follow behind him and sora.

Aysten held up his hands and removed the hood from across his face, letting the rain slam into him, Then he opened his mouth to speak.

“Attack you? Why I would never try to assault a fellow rider! My name is Aysten…I Merely tried to contact you so that You would follow behind Sora and I…I’m sorry If I caused any offence Great rider.”

((Sorry for the shortness!))

[Nepherion]

Nepherion's brow raised in confusion. " Great Rider ? " He had never been called that before, at least not that he had had heard of. He smiled a little at the honorific title. " Great huh ? " he repeated to himself, blushing a bit. He lowered Brojska to his side and realizing the emotion drifting from the boy was neither malice or ill-will relaxed his guard. He really needed to learn to trust the magic that the races had bestowed upon him. He, himself being the by-product of Elven, Dragon, and Human magic, he was capable of reaching a new evolution in that of Human. A perfect being of sorts as he used to call himself.

Nepherion's skin illuminated dimly, his once pale skin appearing unearthly in its dim bluish glow. He directed Starlight to land a few yards in front of the Dragon of the other Rider.

With a heavy thump, Starlight landed and his large wings flapped the soft dirt up in the air before folding to his side. Nepherion held on tight to the ivory spike on his neck, looking over the two delicately before deciding to leave the saddle.

" They are inexperienced, and they smell of two-leggers. " Starlight commented coolly in his regal voice.

Nepherion sighed from the dragon's superiority complex. He knew from the long time that they had been together that that would truly never change from him. " They mean us no ill-will. This much I can sense. " Nepherion told him, climbing out the saddle. " Still though walk with me. It will help me judge their character. " he spoke softly.

Starlight and Nepherion closed the gap between them, stopping only when there was about ten feet separating them. Nepherion infused his voice with a bit of authority and magic, putting on the facade that usually came with being a Rider. " Speak your business with me, I don't have all day ? " His voice was harsh and steeled with a calm fury.