Half A Heart (An Eragon Fanfiction)

Prologue

It was smaller than most, about half the size it should be. As the white-haired elf rand his hands over the surface, he found it rough, unlike all other eggs he had seen. Whereas most eggs were about the size of one's forearm and a brilliant shining color with lighter veins snaking across the surface; very similar to a priceless gem, this one was stunted, and had a reddish-gold color to it that paled in comparison to the other eggs. To another's eye, it would be considered ugly. To this elf, however, it was something new, something interesting. He had seen nothing like it before in all of his years.

"It is deformed," a booming voice spoke.

Behind the elf, a large white dragon lowered his head to sniff the egg as if testing to see if it was an actual member of his species. It was unusual to the beast and therefore he was wary.

"We should not abandon it, Bid'Daum. It seems as though it's mother does not want it, so we shall see if it will hatch for a rider," Eragon replied to his dragon privately. They had found the egg only days ago, alone and abandoned. Its mother had left it to die, probably deeming it weak and deformed from it's ugly appearance. But Eragon was not one to let an innocent dragon die. He had picked up the egg, despite his own dragons' protests, and brought it to the hatchery where all of the riderless eggs sat.

Eragon looked over the egg once more before putting his hand that was marked with the gedwey ignasia over it, closing his eyes and whispering in the Ancient Language. The spell that he cast over the egg would make sure that it did not hatch until it's intended rider came into contact with it. The dragon inside the egg would wait decades - centuries - if it had to. Erragon only hoped that it would hatch, and not sleep inside it's egg for eternity. The silver mark on his palm glowed silver as he spoke in his native language and the magic infused the unborn creature.

As the last words were spoken, and the spell finished, Eragon handed over the red-gold egg to the elf who cared for the eggs. His gaze lingered over it for a moment longer before he turned and walked out of the building, Bid'Daum following behind him.

"It will not hatch. I doubt there is anything alive in there," the dragon huffed, plumes of smoke billowing from his nostrils. He crouched down, his underbelly scraping the dirt below him as his rider expertly climbed up his leg and into the nape between the dragons' neck and shoulders. The glistening white scales were rough, but he had grown used to riding bareback. He curled his digits around a single spike, keeping his balance as the dragon rose from the ground to his full height.

"Do not be so quick to dismiss this egg, Bid'Daum, perhaps it will grow into something great," the elf replied as his dragon flared his wings and lept into the air. With three powerful strokes, they were in the air.