Pugna: An Eragon Fanfic

8

I gaze at the wall, frozen. Four eggs in all, one orange, one lilac, one teal, and the last one white. I walk over to the eggs and run my hands over them. Each one gives a little squeak when I touch it. Hehe, what if all of them open for me, I think, laughing. They wouldn't. They couldn't, right? Hopefully not. Then the elves would really stare at me.

As I'm pondering whether or not the dragons would get mad that I couldn't ride all four of them at once, I hear a scratching sound. It's coming from the teal egg. Damn! It's hatching! I think frantically. I grab the egg and run into the deserted hall. I lock the door to the eggs from the inside and close it, hoping the elves don't check in there too often. A piece falls off of the teal egg. I scoop it up and clamber out a window. Still clutching the crumbling egg, I climb the tallest tree I could find. When I reach a suitable fork in the branches, I finally look down. Instead of a large, oval shaped egg, I'm holding the bottom half, a plate shaped piece, and resting on it is a small, catlike dragon.

Since I know what's coming, I go all Katniss Everdeen, belt myself into the tree, and tentatively pat the dragon's head. Icy tendrils of pain shoot from my palm. I flip over in the tree, held only by my belt. Good thing I had read the Hunger Games.

When the pain subsides, I look down at my hand. I almost fall out of the tree again when I see a huge black oval, edged with white, that dominates my palm. Was this supposed to happen? I look at my dragon and see the pleased expression on its face, so I relax. The dragon is a deep teal color on its back, that fades into black on the stomach. It has black spikes instead of the usual white. Its eyes are a bluish black color. In short, my dragon is beautiful.

A tendril of thought connects my mind with the dragon's. It seems hungry. Very hungry. Luckily I have my pack with me, so I pull out some pepperoni sticks and crackers. The dragon eats these in a heartbeat and looks at me longingly.

"I don't have any more," I tell it, laughing. I need to come up with a name so I can stop calling it it. Hmmm lets see, I think to the dragon. Paul? Charlie? Carla, Flora, Lightning? Amusement emanates from the dragon.

I realize then that it probably can't understand me.

Just say 'no' if you don't like it, I explain to it.

Okay, but just so you know, I am female, says a strange (definitely feminine) voice in my
head.

What?! You can talk? I thought dragons couldn't talk for a while after they hatched! I tell her, surprised.

Most can't, she says proudly, but I am a special dragon.

Okay, then what do you want your name to be, I ask somewhat irritably, I can't keep blindly guessing every name I can think of.

Hmmm,

I can feel her begin to search my mind for suitable names. Strangely she stops at one of my memories of a Latin class.

Suddenly, she suggests something. How about Pugna? It means 'to fight'.

I like that name, I tell her

Pugna seems to glow from inside. Then I am Pugna!

She struts around the tree for a while before fluttering down to the ground. I laugh and clamber down the tree. I scoop her up and head to my room to gather my things. There is NO WAY I'm staying in Ellesmera with a dragon. I'm planning on staying in the outskirts of the forest until Pugna is big enough to fend for herself, then I'm going straight to Eragon. I have a good idea where he is, so it shouldn't be too hard.

When I reach my room, I look through the desk for a map. There is one, so I stuff it in my bag. I also unceremoniously stuff Pugna into my bag. At a distance, I could pass as an elf, but if I were holding a dragon, I'd be noticed a mile away.

Especially with a dragon as beautiful as me, right? Says Pugna from the bag.

Of course, I laugh.

With all my provisions in my bag, I belt on Kyvaet and put my dagger in my boot. I sling Alydia's backpack over my shoulder and climb out the window. Now for the hard part. Ellesmera is surrounded by thick trees that eventually turn into a solid wall, so I need to sneak past Gilderien the Wise. When I reach the gap, I peer out.

Sweet, I think.

He's not even there to stop me from leaving. I guess he only cares about people coming in the city, not leaving. I consult my map. The farthest point from Ellesmera or any other city, but still hidden by forest, is in a small island of trees near the desert, so I turn towards it and begin to run. I run so fast that I reach the edge of the forest in two days. It takes me another day to reach the forest where I plan to stay. In three days since hatching, Pugna has grown exponentially. She can no longer fit in my pack. I know dragons grow fast, but I don't think this is normal. I put down my pack in a suitable clearing and pull a two-man tent out of the backpack. I had found the tent a few days ago when looking for food, which seemed to be the only thing not in my bag. I set up the tent and say to Pugna,

Welcome to your new home.

I should be able to let you ride me in a week, then can we leave for Eragon? Ever since I told her about Eragon and Saphira, she was fascinated by them, mainly Saphira.

Yes, I sigh. You'll need some food first though.

Then come, let us hunt together, partner of my heart.