THEY WILL ALL BURN

             ▐ ► It was the rough shouting in a language Saphira did not understand that caught her attention, causing the dragon to still her wings and float upon a rising thermal. She bobbed gently on the column of warm air as she tilted her head down, sharp hunter’s eyes trying to discern the source of the noise—a feat that took only a few moments. A blur of red and white below, the flash of sharpened steel, and the laugh of one who was gripped in the joys of battle all identified themselves as a scuffle going on below in an alleyway, although Saphira herself could not see what the large man in the red coat was fighting, hidden as it was by an overhanging building.

         Curiosity soon got the best of her, and she folded her wings to her sides, tucking them into her neatly as she let gravity take hold of her body. She plummeted, the wind screaming past her ears, for a full 30 seconds before once again snapping her wings open to slow her fall, her flight muscles straining as air pressed against the thin blue membranes. Saphira flapped one, two, three, four times before landing with a tremendous crash between the red-coated man and whatever he was fighting, keeping her wings flared as she roared. Her sinewy length rippled as she spun towards the creature, careful not to hit the man with her bulky tail.

             ▐ ► Warm air rose from the sparkling city below, filling the dragon’s wings and lifting her gently ever higher into the blue expanse of the sky. She had been drifting from thermal to thermal for hours, simply enjoying the feeling of weightlessness and the quiet one could only find thousands of feet above the ground. It was peaceful, and filled Saphira with a sense of clarity and serenity few could achieve in their lifetimes. And though it was true that the silence made the loneliness inside her bloom, the terrible feeling of being totally alone in her own mind without Eragon’s consciousness brushing against hers, she almost embraced it. At least it was a reminder of his presence. These sort of thoughts swirled through her head lazily as she flapped her wings slightly, angling her body forward and finally gliding ever-slowly towards the earth. She let her emotions drop away as she spiraled downward, her wings locked throughout her descent. That is, until a scent reached her.

         Saphira’s nostrils quivered as she inhaled, but there was no mistaking it. Velvet wings pumped as the dragon changed course, tilting herself to the side as she veered towards the mouth-watering scent of seasoned meat. Before long, she settled onto the ground, wings swirling and causing the wind to whip around her until she folded them neatly to her sides once again. She had chosen her landing spot well, for just a few yards away she spotted a human girl sitting at a table, a variety of cooked meats set out before her. The girl was staring at her, but Saphira did not mind. She was, after all, used to it.

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             ▐ ► Richly colored eyes widened for a moment in surprise at the statement before becoming lidded, and something akin to a thundering, purring growl rumbled deep in Saphira’s chest. Although the youngling before her might not know it, the sentence uttered sent a deep sense of peace suffusing through her entire body. It was a common worry for her, and always had been, that she was the last female of her race. And even after the revelation the Rock of Kuthian and the Vault of Souls had left, some part of her still harbored her doubts. The dragons were no longer doomed, and she was no longer expected to mother her race, but a chip of uncertainty had stayed with her nonetheless. It was made worse by the fact that she and her Rider had had to leave Alagaësia to seek out a proper place to raise the young dragons and Dragon Riders to come, expected to lead them and usher the age-old order into a new glory. It surprised her how such a simple gathering of words from a stranger could soothe her heart so, and Saphira’s hum deepened.

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             ▐ ► A silence of body and mind descended upon the dragoness at the question posed, her eyes half closing in contemplation. It was true that, for the most part, she wasn’t quite sure how to answer it. For several moments Saphira was utterly still, not even blinking, her mind working. She wished she had Eragon there to help with such thoughts, and once again felt a pang at his absence. She allowed herself only a few seconds of grief, however, before gathering herself up and opening her eyes fully once again, her front legs crossed.

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             ▐ ► A wave ran across her body as Saphira’s scales rippled, each rising up half an inch before settling once again, sending chips of blue light dancing across the surfaces around her. Her chest swelled, and she held her head high. Her talons flexed and her tail flickered from side to side as a pleased expression sparked in her sapphire eyes. A noise like low thunder echoed from her throat, and Saphira let small jets of blue flame escape from her nostrils. She made for a spectacular sight, surely, with her scales as gemstones, her claws and horns as ivory, her wings as velvet. She was covered in thick muscle but regained a slender and elegant form, slim and streamlined. And this she all knew, as she would even if she wasn’t often told of it from all who beheld her.

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             ▐ ► It was instinct that gripped her when Saphira’s head snaked out, jaws opening for a split second before snapping closed on the haunch of beef thrown her way. Sharp teeth made quick work of the meat, crunching through muscle and bone equally, and before long she had devoured it all, the beef disappearing down her gullet. A contented hum thrummed through the dragon’s chest, her eyes half-closed with pleasure. It had been ages since she’d eaten anything but the wolf creatures that prowled around the sectors, and she let the flavor of the beef play across her tongue for as long as she could, savoring it.