Youthful Eagerness (Quetzal)

[Brenton]

Chase was walking across what could only be described as the most dreadfully boring and bland appearing plain in existence. He was currently somewhere outside of the Hadarac Desert but still not close enough to feel the oppressive heat of the scorching sand. It was too far from any city to be helpful in location but the boy was certain he was about a day from Du Weldenvarden at a hard gallop.

Slowly he closed his mind from trying to figure out the exact location of his person at that moment and instead focused upon the never ending question of what a Rider was supposed to do. Eragon Shadeslayer had been busy when he went to Urubaen so the boy had searched out Brenton Bromsson but he was otherwise occupied training two other Riders. So now the boy was wandering and wondering if any would answer the one question he had. Why? Why would Asuni hatch for him and not someone older. Most were at least an adult but Chase was only a teenager, wise beyond compare but still a child. He was not rash or impulsive but he was unlikely to be able to responsibly aid anyone any time soon. Sure he could fight and even use some magic but that was about it. He couldn't even figure out how to make a saddle for the nearly rideable dragon.

With a sigh, Chase slumped to the ground and put his head in his hands. Was life always going to be so difficult for him now? He hoped not, if only so one day he could find a peaceful happiness to fill his days.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia and Arlyn had come close to the Hadarac desert in their aimless travels, still unsure what specifically to do with themselves after the war but enjoying seeing Alagaesia at their own pace. It had been a while since they had come across another Rider, so when Isrydia spotted a purple dragon below them they immediately headed for the stranger. They were not too trusting not to approach only slowly, giving them time to assess the other Rider and dragon's reactions to judge whether or not it was safe to greet them. The pair had little doubt there would be no harm, even if they did have conflicting moral codes, and were always keen to meet new people and have new experiences if only to have something interesting to do.

When Arlyn landed a short distance from Chase, Isrydia slipped down off his back and looked at the boy. He was young for a Rider, possibly the youngest she'd seen. His dragon was young too, not quite big enough to ride yet from the look of it. They couldn't have had much time to get to know each other and figure out their new roles. "How did they end up all the way out here? And why would they run off so far from anyone else?" she wondered to Arlyn. Obviously the dragon had no answers. He didn't know any more than she did and was wondering the same things. They had found help when he had first hatched, but if this guy was trying to find help he was going about it a strange way.

"Hi. Always good to come across another Rider. My name's Isrydia, and this is Arlyn," she indicated the ice blue-scaled creature behind her, who dipped his head slightly in greeting. He made no attempt to touch the strangers' minds since he didn't have anything to say and they looked anxious enough as it was. "Are you all right? You look like something's bothering you," she stated the obvious.

[Brenton]

Chase noticed as an ice blue dragon began slowly approaching him and Asuni. Using his tactical and strategic mindset, the boy had already backed up to a point where the land was higher in his spot. Small points of depressions surrounded the hillock and made for great cover if need be. But the best part of this was with his sword drawn, Chase could fight indefinitely without getting injured as easily.

Of course he kept his sword sheathed but crouched low to the ground just in case. No one would hurt Asuni while he was around to defend her. With a dawning realization, Chase fell back in shock. He was acting like a Rider, prepared for a fight if necessary yet still engaged in seeking a way past it safely. He was also trying to defend a weaker being with his life.

When the other Rider dismounted and approached him, Chase still looked shocked. Well it's nice to meet you Isrydia and Arlyn. I am Chase and this young dragon is my partner and best friend Asuni. Although, I still don't understand why she chose to hatch for me. I am barely old enough to have learned how to fight much less take care of a dragon.

[Quetzal]

Seeing the stranger adopt a defensive stance made Isrydia relax her own to appear more friendly and make it more clear she wished him no harm. Caution was always good to have, but this amount of a lack of trust of fellow Riders was a shame to see. They should all be in the same boat now. For Riders to truly be a strong peacekeeping force again they had to work together. There was no way that could be achieved without them working together and all being on each others' side. She nodded to him when he introduced himself and his dragon, and thought it was a little odd him going straight into talking about his concerns of why Asuni hatched for him to a complete stranger despite being so untrusting.

It was Arlyn who spoke up first about the swiftness with which Chase moved to fight. "You can relax, don't worry. There's no Empire or Varden any more. Riders and dragons shouldn't move to fight as soon as they see each other, we should all be on the same side helping each other. We can't do much good otherwise if we don't even trust each other," he said sadly.

"Just as well, for the time being I think a little caution is good, especially with people you don't recognise at all and until everything fully settles down. There's bound to be some Riders who are bitter about the war," Isrydia added. "And all dragons hatch for a reason. Asuni must have seen you were ready, and you've coped so far, haven't you?" she pointed out. He and his dragon looked well enough. Stressed, out alone for whatever reason, but healthy.

[Brenton]

Chase acknowledged both of their responses, both nonverbal and with their words. Isrydia was uncertain of his actions with him being so open, it was in her body language. Arlyn was upset that he would be so distrusting of other riders. They both had solid concerns.

I'm not normally so untrusting of strangers but a war did just end. If I had to I would lay down my life to defend Asuni even if it were against Galbatorix. My only concern is I may be capable of being a Rider but I don't know how and so few people will take me seriously enough to help. Actually I was searching for a Rider to explain it when you came by. Eragon was too busy and I haven't been able to find Brenton himself to confirm if he would. So I was looking for anyone to answer my questions.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia glanced back at Arlyn. He knew what she was thinking, and what Chase was hinting at. They were an older Rider and dragon. Back in the prime of the Riders they would probably have not even finished their own training yet, but in these times they had to help each other out. There were enough Riders and dragons to make their Order as great as it had once been, but they were not united, most were young and inexperienced, and a lot of important knowledge had been lost in the mass murder of their kind. They might be diminished but they could build all that up again and work to retrieve the lost knowledge. Isrydia felt a surge of determination. She didn't really know what she was doing, but she knew she could help this guy out.

"I'm surprised people don't take you seriously, just being a Rider proves you ought to be listened to," she told him. "Arlyn and I aren't as experienced as some Riders out there, but we've been around for nearly a year now so we've got our bearing as far as anyone can in the confusion with so few around who remember what our Order once was. I'm sure we can help answer your questions." She smiled to try and make him feel more comfortable.

"We need to help each other out, after all. None of us really knows what to do," Arlyn admitted to Chase and Asuni.

[Brenton]

Asuni, having been silent enough for most of the conversation, popped her head up to look at Arlyn from her shortened view point. She was in awe of his size for being one year old and was amazed at the way his scales seemed to shine in the light. A small tilt of her triangular head later and Asuni was speaking.

Hello Arlyn, I am Asuni dragon and partner of mind and soul to Chase. Thank you for offering to answer questions of his. Her voice was soft and very feminine but held a certain amount of hidden strength behind each word she spoke. Of course her curiosity and intrigue over the older dragon was apparent as well.

Chase was just contemplating his own reply when he caught the statement to Arlyn. Asuni was young and still forgot to shield her mind occasionally. The young rider smiled and looked down at his Gedwey Ignasia in content introspection.

Bringing himself from his thoughts, Chase spoke to Isrydia again. Thank you, Isrydia. Even being younger in the Order, you can certainly help me some. You must have had a wise mentor to be so wise yourself.

[Quetzal]

Arlyn looked back down at Asuni, finding it strange to be the larger dragon for a change. He was more small and sleek than even some of those younger than him, who were more stocky and strong. He could tell she was curious about him, just as he had been excited to interact with dragons older than him when he was younger. There was a lot to learn about being a dragon and it had to be done in a short space of time; a member of any other sentient race would take a decade to reach the maturity of a week-old dragon, and by the time a dragon was talking fluently they were akin to someone who had just come of age. That was a lot of mental growth in mere months, let alone the immense physical growth that took them from cat-sized to horse-sized in the same amount of time. It was exhausting. Having a Rider helped, as a lot of maturity and knowledge was taken from their own minds.

Isrydia smiled. Chase couldn't know her well enough to determine if she was truly wise or not, but the compliment was appreciated. "We've had a few. I was the apprentice of a knight called William Shay before Arlyn hatched. Then Brenton taught us a good deal, and Arlyn learned alongside his dragon Grazael. But he was busy a lot so we had a patchwork education from the elves and a whole host of other Riders. It's important to know that everyone can teach you, and Riders are almost always happy to show you a thing or two or at least let you observe what they do. Everyone in Alagaesia must know at least one thing you don't, no one's useless," she advised. So many other Riders had taught her things she could hardly count them all. The list was just as long as all the Riders she had met.

"So, what do you need to know?" she asked, unsure where was best to start without knowing what burned him most for answers.

[Brenton]

Chase pondered on the prospect of being able to learn anything this woman knew. Yet he couldn't figure out how to use most things she knew. So with a final shrug, the boy spoke confidently to Isrydia.

I am confident in my survival skills as well as my combat skills. I can learn how to craft things for Asuni but my biggest worry is that I know so very little magic and the Ancient Language alludes me yet. Would you be able to explain it to me please and then I will try to learn from there? He looked down and away from Isrydia, suddenly scared that if it came to it, he wouldn't be able to protect those he cared about from magical beings.

[Quetzal]

The struggle to learn magic was something Isrydia knew well. Before becoming a Rider, she had not been able to use magic at all, and so knew exactly the position Chase was in. Magic was so ingrained in her image of Riders to not be able to use it was an embarrassment. "The Ancient Language takes a while to learn. It's good to learn as many words as you can so you can shape spells to your liking, but take care with pronunciation." Teaching the Ancient Language would take a lot more than this little chat, and she knew she wasn't the best person to teach it. She wasn't fluent. While she got by, she'd been intending for a while to learn even more to try matching the more advanced magic users.

"We picked up a lot when we spent a month or two in Ellesmera," Arlyn added, "The elves there speak it the whole time. It might be tricky going all that way and you might not want to disappear off training, but it's certainly helpful being around people speaking it. You get a feel for how the words should sound so you don't slip up in spellcasting." Isrydia nodded in agreement. Having people refuse to speak to you in the common tongue forced you to learn their language.

"How much do you know of magic? If you haven't much knowledge or haven't used any before, we can start with a really simple spell. Er - here, pick up a stick or a stone, whatever you like." She crouched to grab a small twig from the ground and held it out in a flattened, upwards-facing palm, her gedwey ignasia visible. "Now think about it levitating, picture it in your head and really believe it will happen, and say 'risa'. That's 'rise' in the Ancient Language. If you concentrate enough it shouldn't matter whether or not you say the name of the object. You'll probably feel a bit tired afterwards too, but it'll become less effort with more practice. So - risa" she explained. The twig smoothly rose a few inches into the air and hovered there. She looked at Chase, waiting to see how he would fare.

[Brenton]

Chase listened to what the older pair were saying while he contemplated the best route. He could go to Ellesmera and learn over time, but the trip would be long. Or he could learn the basics and make that work for the time being. That sounded risky but would be the easiest way.

As Isrydia picked up the object and started, Chase stared on in awe. He could create small flames and had even caused a short wind to blow. But to physically make a stone levitate with only his mind? That was almost unthinkable. With determination, the boy found a flat smooth stone and placed it on his palm.

The gedwey ignasia took on a faint sheen as Chase concentrated on the feeling he got from magic. It took all his will but eventually Chase spoke one simple word. Risa To his amazement, the stone wobbled for a second and then rose unsteadily a few inches from his palm.

Deep pain filled the boy's hand and arm as he struggled to keep the stone in place. Agony sank into his skull and his vision started blurring slightly. Finally accepting the truth, Chase let the spell end and fell to his knees gasping. Sweat covered his brow but he smiled nonetheless. He had consciously cast a spell which, admittedly wore him out quickly, but filled him with pride.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia beamed to see Chase pick up the spell so quickly. In her experience, Riders tended to be quick learners, which helped considerably with difficult skills like magic. Perhaps the speed with which a person could pick up new abilities was something dragons took into account when choosing a Rider to hatch for these days. The current situation meant a Rider needed to very quickly come up to scratch as every one of them were needed. For her, squiring then becoming knighted meant she already had the combat skills to aid her while learning magic. Most new Riders were already trained in some necessary part when their dragons hatched.

"Excellent, that's really good!" she praised while waiting for him to catch his breath. Arlyn stole a glimpse into her memories to see how tired magic made her. Simple spells like that took barely any effort, but complex ones or ones cast when she first learned magic took a considerable toll. Seeing those memories helped him understand Chase's position. "It takes a lot of concentration to make spells work with fewer words, you should be proud. Don't worry about the tiredness either. In time magic will get used to you and spells should only cost as much as they would were you to carry out their effects with physical effort. So, moving a boulder would be a lot of effort, but lifting this stone wouldn't be noticeable," she explained.

Arlyn was seeing things more from Asuni's perspective. "It's good to see you know where your limit is and breaking off before you over-exert yourself. Asuni will have to keep an eye on you when you use magic. Anything that would normally take too much energy can be cheated so it costs less, so to move a boulder you might brush away the ground in front of it or something. More powerful magicians will still be able to straight-up shove the boulder, though," he added. He looked at Asuni to see what she was making of all this. It was important to watch out for Riders playing around with new things.

[Brenton]

((Sorry for the extremely late reply. I kept intending to post but never got around to it))

Chase stood back up and brushed the dirt off of his knees as he glanced at Isrydia and Arlyn. In his mind he tried to envision them just as he was now but he just couldn't do it. Isrydia seemed so confident in her abilities and Arlyn just didn't look like the type to be weighed down by such an insignificant fact as being small like Asuni. Finally he had to ask the question that was pestering him so much.

Little One, now do you think prying into their past like that will be a good idea? Isrydia looks strong and they just told you that stronger magicians can do far more than you can. She has so much more time to have practiced her fighting and magic whereas you have only been able to practice fighting. Asuni knew exactly where Chase was going with his thoughts and she didn't like it much.

Since Chase was still not heeding her warning, Asuni spun her tail and lashed it against the armored part of Chase's shins. It was a tricky move to dodge since she was also prepared to leap at him as he jumped. Instead the poor boy never even saw it coming and fell to the ground in a heap. Quickly she placed her claw against his chest and spoke, this time to where Arlyn and Isrydia could hear.

You thick skulled human boy! If you think for even a second that I will let you anger a stronger rider and her dragon by inconsiderately prying into their past then you must not know me very well. Isrydia and Arlyn just helped you learn more about magic and they are being polite. Now collect yourself and don't bother asking them questions. Her voice was filled with contained anger as she snarled and made sure that her rider knew exactly who was boss in this situation.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia jumped in alarm upon seeing Asuni trip over Chase apparently spontaneously. Evidently this was result of some private conversation she was unaware of, but it caught her by surprise to see Chase showing no sign of doing anything to provoke such a response from his own dragon. She and Arlyn frequently stopped each other doing stupid things, things they might desperately want to do but the other knew in the long run would be harmful. This must be what it was like to see that from the outside. It was strange. Arlyn flicked his tail sharply in anxiety. They paused to judge what was best to do. The young duo might be awkward about them seeing any squabbles.

This time they heard Asuni's words. Ah, that made more sense. Isrydia's cheeks burned red to think the younger dragon thought them so experienced to be embarrassed at the very idea of her Rider pestering them. In her eyes they really weren't anything special, certainly not worth all that fuss. Arlyn didn't feel anything like some special knowledgeable elder the youngsters had to impress. They weren't even that much older than the other two anyway. He supposed they had felt similarly in awe of any older Riders and dragons when they were new to it all, it was just they hadn't got used to being on the other end of that yet. Historically they were still novices, but with so few of their kind around ones as new as them were the experts.

One problem they could see was Asuni being so aggressive and dominant in something that really wasn't that big of a deal, a little manners was all. They didn't even mind any questions asked, both being relaxed and from a low-status family giving them no sense of entitlement or importance. "Woah there, no need for that! That's a personal question, sure, but we don't mind. It's only natural to wonder at things like that, and us two aren't really that important to be stuffy about curiosity. Besides, most stories in our past are things we're open about sharing," she reassured the agitated dragon.

"And a Rider and dragon should be a team, not squabbling quite as harshly as this," Arlyn tacked on firmly, not liking the lack of co-operation.