Author's note:
From now on the story will greatly accelerate and the years will pass until our protagonist returns to civilization.
I also take this moment to correct an error, the elves are indeed immortal in the world of Eragon, thanks to Daoist96s1k6 for pointing out this error to me and allowing me to correct it.
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When I woke up, I suffered an avalanche of sensations, each more unpleasant than the other.
When I try to sit up my whole body hurts. I have the awful feeling of hearing my bones creak and creak, my muscles burn and my nose contorts at the horrible smell I give off.
'You're awake !? How are you ? Are you yourself again? You…'
My right hand comes to stick against my forehead and a growl of pain stops its chatter.
'Please shut up Egan!'
…
He seems to have acceded to my request but he stares at me with concern. I close my eyes and try to recover from this state of discomfort.
I feel him reposition himself and lie down again but this time using me as a support in my back so that I can remain seated.
After thanking him mentally, I go back to sleep, too tired and in too bad shape to stay awake.
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Egan POV:
When he goes back to sleep the pressure I felt throughout his recovery disappears. Not only is he finally recovering, but I was able to probe his mind and he became the person I know again.
I was really afraid of not finding him again and of having to face his alter-ego again.
The sensations and emotions that I can feel by probing our bond are far from pleasant. Once he is sound asleep, I move carefully so as not to make him fall suddenly from my side and go to find water and meat for him to eat.
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MC POS:
Egan wakes me when I hear the tablecloth that protects our house rubbing against its scales.
It has a wolf in its claws and a water seal in the claws of the other front paw. I immediately understand the meaning.
"Thank you, it seems the roles have reversed and it's you who has to feed me now"
He doesn't answer me but he puts the seal of water next to me. I almost choked so much I drank greedily. I feel like I'm alive again after drinking!
"Don't tell me I still have to feed on fresh corpses?" I don't mean to sound ungrateful but would you mind carrying me to the berries? I wish I didn't vomit everything I'm going to eat"
In an exasperated tone he replies 'What's your problem with the good meat at the end? I've tasted some of your herbs and those things have almost no taste!'
I smile at his reaction since he asked me the question several times and I always had fun marinating him.
"It's time for me to clear up this mystery, after all you left to get me food." I don't like killing for food. Berries and fruits satisfy my appetite perfectly, so why should I take the lives of other animals? Moreover, seeing you eat this carcass disgusts me and the taste of cold meat is atrocious…"
A cloud of smoke comes out of his nostrils and my eyes widen. This is new!
'Hmm…. You don't know how to appreciate the value of good things. Eating should be a pleasure, not a need and the meat is perfectly delicious.'
I laugh at his outrage. "From a dragon's point of view I don't doubt it, but don't forget that I am an elf, I am not a predator, I don't need to eat meat to survive. »
He took me to get something to eat and I was able to enjoy a much more pleasant rest once my needs were met.
When I wake up, Egan stares at me and I feel him probing me for a long time through our bond and with his mind.
"What is this exam for? »
'Now that you're better, are you going to tell me what happened?'
A long and heavy silence persists after his question and I think about how to answer him.
'Why this silence ? There's no way I'll let you dodge the question, so speak up!'
His aggressive and accusatory tone irritates me and it is with a dry tone that I answer
"If I haven't answered you yet it's because I don't know what to answer you, you know I can't lie to you without you knowing. »
'I don't want an apology, I want an explanation after the hell you put me through! »
He pours out his anger on me and, for him to dare to do so after what he put me through, the energy in me burns, almost literally. My energy is much denser since my tantrum and I'm having a hard time controlling it with the surge of anger that suddenly rises. My answer then comes with a magic wind that comes out of me and invades the room.
"What I put you through??? I hope this is a joke Egan? When you called me in distress with no chance of properly defending yourself I was dozens of miles away from you, recovering from my training. I thought I would never be able to arrive in time. Even with the energy of despair, even with the insane risks I took to reach you, I didn't think I'd arrive in time and I thought I'd come upon your corpse!
' Brot ...'
"Shut up Egan!" I really thought you were dead when I arrived! You weren't moving, those birds were trying to eat you alive Egan! And it was me who gave you a bad time?? Do you have any idea in what state of panic I was during the whole trip to join you? Do you know how much I blamed myself for not thinking about training our minds? It is my duty to keep you alive until you are able to do so on your own. You have no idea how I felt Egan! I thought I was going crazy, I couldn't contain the fury and hatred that overwhelmed me. I was conscious but devoid of any lucidity, they just had to pay. Even if the magic was killing me, I had no problem with it as long as I could fully satisfy my desire for revenge. »
"Do you want to know what happened? When I saw you dying, instinct took over and I couldn't do anything but follow my need for revenge and my need to protect you. This instinct was much more powerful than my lucidity, I was still in charge but I just didn't have the same priorities anymore. My reason was buried under my emotions and chained by this instinct. »
I finish by panting so much the anger had made me speak quickly, without giving me time to breathe.
….
' You say you were in charge but, I didn't recognize you, you had a terrifying aura and you were cruel. Even your physique has changed, I could swear you would have killed me if I hadn't stood still.'
"I would never have killed you fool!" I might have broken a few bones for you so that you wouldn't move and wait wisely to fully recover. I was after all very angry with you too, you gave me quite a scare. You may not have recognized me but I assure you that you are mistaken, it was always me but simply an aspect of me that you never had the opportunity to observe. What I don't understand is why I had become so insane. I too am capable of anger and revenge Egan, I too can succumb to my feelings and impulses but normally I would never have been so extreme. My instinct and my emotions totally took control, my reason, my lucidity, my restraint then disappeared. I couldn't think anymore. But I remember everything and it was me who chose to follow impulses regardless of the consequences. »
We stayed a while to digest my confession and Egan shared his memories, his emotions and the point of view he had on me.
"It is clear that I fell into this state after seeing you inanimate, too strong an emotion must trigger this instinct. The other possibility is that the bond we share is stronger than expected, that I too have a part of the draconic instinct and it kicked in to protect you. That would explain my pupils similar to yours…"
That night I didn't sleep too deeply investing in my thoughts. When Egan woke up I was determined.
"Egan, we've been too naive, we're too weak, and the fact that you're a dragon doesn't change anything. I've been too complacent until now because you're still very young but now it's over. »
"The time has come Egan. I will no longer treat you like a baby dragon, from now on you will be my equal. That means you won't be able to sleep for half the day. I will require of you the same investment and the same degree of difficulty that I will impose on myself. You have often reproached me for infantilizing you too much Egan, be happy because now it's over. Welcome to grown-up Egans. »