Some Other World

The Secret's Out And I Feel Much Better

Angela backed Maggie's and my story up to Nasuada, which helped a lot. She was hesitant to trust us when she found out we'd been lying, but after a lot (a LOT) of explanation, she understood our reasoning.

Her first suggestion was to gather all of the spellcasters in the army, to see if combined raw power would be able to push through the barrier separating our worlds. 

"I'm sure there would be a way for us to do that, yes, but I have no clue how to open the portals." I shook my head. "We've been finding them at random, it's all controlled by the demigods opening them from our world."

Nasuada nodded slowly. "Then your first job is to find another... portal, you called it? Another portal and ask them what spell they are using. If these portals are one way, maybe they would be able to get something to you that would help."

I nodded, fiddling with the tassel attached to the tie on the front of my shirt. "Sounds good. If you're alright with it, I'll be going to look for them then. We've sort of figured out a schedule."

Nasuada raised an eyebrow. "I was told that you refused to swear fealty to me. But now you ask my permission to leave. Why is that?"

"I've found it's generally not a good idea to upset the person in charge." I shrugged, grinning. "Gives them less ammo when they decide they want to try and kill me."

"Ammo?"

"Ammunition. Having ammo can sort of mean to have information, or to know something you can use against someone else. Like if I know someone's secret, I have ammo to use against them."

She nodded slowly, processing this. "Your world speaks strangely."

"Yeah we do. If you live with it you get used to it."

I walked Maggie back to her tent, then walked to the edge of the camp to find Anareem. Word must have spread quickly, because I was getting a lot of stares.

Or maybe it was the beard. I really like the scruffy outdoors-man look, but I'm not sure what Annabeth will have to say about it.

Anareem was curled up a few meters away from the tent, napping. I walked over to her and gently poked her side. She grumbled loudly and rolled onto her side, swatting at me absentmindedly with a massive paw.

"Watch it, you've got claws bigger than me."

'You should have thought of that before you decided to disturb my sleep.' Anareem complained, huffing out a cloud of smoke in a decidedly irritated manner.

"C'mon, I want to go exploring." I nudged her again, ducking under the next swipe that came my way.

After a few minutes of coaxing (and once I had promised to go fishing in the nearby lake afterward), Anareem hauled herself to her feet and let me climb on. She was wearing her saddle almost all the time now, but loose enough that it wouldn't cause problems when we weren't flying. I made sure everything was strapped properly, then got up into the seat, and those huge white wings unfurled again.

Do you know why Eragon was surprised when I said your egg was brown? I once we had shot up into the air and leveled out, swooping lazily over the camp.

'I changed colors.'

What?

Anareem rolled one of her shoulders a little bit, almost a shrug by dragon standards.

'Dragons are always the color of their egg.'

Why did you change? How did you change? I frowned.

'I don't know. Dragons have immensely powerful magic, but we have no control of it.'

That's not dangerous in any way. I shook my head.

She dipped, skimming over the forest with her claws barely inches from treetops. 'I mis-explained that. It isn't that we have no control of the magic itself, we have no control of when we can access it. A dragon's body is only so compatible with magic, we do not have the control to use it when we please.'

That's... that's wild.

'It is. The first time you touched my egg, in the same moment I felt that you were my Rider, I felt magic surging and I channeled it into what made most sense. Someone with your loyalty and honor could never match a dark dragon, I had to pick a color more fitting.'

I snorted, rolling my eyes. I'm not as virtuous as you think, Anareem.

She shrugged the comment off and continued. 'Most dragons cannot even manage more than two bursts of magic in a decade, I seem to have much more control than the others of my race... I believe it may be my connection to you.'

Really?

'Yes. Saphira was telling me about the last time she was able to use her magic... she's only been able to access it twice since she bonded with Eragon, I've been able to use my magic three times already and I've been bonded to you for a much shorter time.'

[A/N I don't remember if I put the picture up already but that's pretty much what Percy looks like right now... he's a lot tanner though because he's Percy]