"That's completely impossible. How could I be able to use dragonfire? That privilege is only for you dragons, my beauty!"
"I don't know either, little one, but I've just conveyed to you the feeling of how I perceive it when I want to breathe fire. Anyway, you should continue the search for your true name since the Eldunarí haven't given us much time."
"But how can I find my true name if I don't understand myself?! If... wait a moment. I know of a way I could explore this strange feeling, but I need your help."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Not me, but you. Merge your mind with mine so that we become a true unity. Once the fusion is complete, try to breathe a little fire so that I can better understand the feeling. Then separate your mind from mine, and I will try it myself."
Done deal. After Saphira agreed to her rider's explanations, she entered his mind more deeply than usual. This feeling was far from unpleasant for the Dragon Rider, and slowly Eragon felt both his body and Saphira's body as his own. It took both personalities a brief moment to adjust to the new physical sensation. To perceive everything with utmost precision, Eragon relinquished complete control over both bodies to Saphira and realized that the physical strength of the bipedal part of the combined body had truly increased tremendously since he saw less of a deficit compared to the four-legged body. Upon Saphira's signal, the Dragon Rider concentrated, and the sapphire-blue dragon conjured something deep from within her body. Almost simultaneously, she slightly opened her jaws, and after a feeling that Eragon initially described as emptiness, a thin stream of flame escaped. After the flame extinguished, the feeling of emptiness, which the Rider now described as "cold heat" rising from his body to his head, subsided.
"Thank you, my beauty. Now I have a rough idea, but rest assured, I won't be breathing fire."
"I only mentioned what I could most likely assume."
"And how do you come up with the idea that a biped like me could breathe fire like dragons? You've got quite an imagination."
They both laughed briefly during their amused conversation, which was truly intimidating when coming from Saphira if one wasn't accustomed to dragons. But once their good mood subsided a bit, Eragon turned inward. He delved into his memories once again, examining how exactly Saphira could breathe fire. Convinced that he knew every aspect of the unconscious magic, he temporarily blocked out his actual source of magic in his mind and searched for the new sensation. Several minutes passed before Eragon's eyes shot open in panic, and they began to glow again.
"Little one, are you alright?!"
"Calm down, my beauty. I..."
Eragon paused. He couldn't describe in a single word what he was feeling now. He felt as though his entire body served as a source of power and touched an imaginary point within it. Suddenly, a power that was anything but unfamiliar to him surged through him, only much greater than he remembered. He made the decision to use a simple levitation spell on a small rock with utmost caution while tapping into his new power. Barely finishing his thought, the rock he had in mind, lying a few steps in front of him, shot up with breathtaking speed. Startled, Saphira leaped backward and followed the dangerously large projectile with her gaze. The rock, judging by Saphira's perception, briefly grazed the top of the mountain, slightly altering its trajectory, and disappeared from the blue dragon's field of view. Clearly shocked by the stunning power of this seemingly simple spell, he let go of the power source and felt the spell end.
"Eragon, your eyes were glowing pure white again! Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, and I'm starting to understand why the Eldunarí are so concerned. This spell was supposed to levitate the rock just a foot, but as you witnessed, the result was more pronounced."
"What do you intend to do now? We have little time before they want to see us again."
"Hmm... I have an idea. Do you think we can fully trust Master Glaedr?"
"But of course! Why wouldn't we be able to?"
"Okay, then let's go back already."
"But what about your true name? Weren't you planning to hide it from the Elders?"
"If we can trust Master Glaedr, it won't be necessary."
Confused but also relieved, the sapphire-blue dragon accepted this explanation and let her rider mount her again.
"You're back earlier than we expected. Is there a particular reason for that?"
"Yes and no. Master Glaedr, I have a request for you. Would you be willing to withdraw with me and Saphira for a while?"
"If you have a plausible reason for your request, I will gladly comply, and I'm sure the others will as well."
"I have come across something that I'm not sure how or what exactly I can reveal. I am aware that some of you no longer have complete trust in me, and my distrust towards all of you has created a divide. I would like to bridge that gap."
There was silence in the minds of the Dragon Rider duo, but they could observe the active communication between the individual Eldunarí as they continued to glow brightly. Eventually, most of the lights dimmed again, and a golden-yellow Eldunarí spoke to them once more.
"We have considered your request and have come to the conclusion that unfounded mistrust towards you is absolutely unjustified, as we all know that you are indeed righteous and honorable."
"I thank you, esteemed Masters. Saphira will now create a protective barrier around me and around you, Master Glaedr, so that we can speak undisturbed."
"So, what exactly do you want to discuss with me, Master Eragon?"
"Firstly, I want to clarify that the fear of my current power is justified, and if it is true that it is going to increase further, then even more so. That's why, for now, I only want to grant you insight, as I have complete trust in you, as I don't know how the other Eldunarí will react to me. I also assure you that even I find this power more than just suspicious."
Glaedr listened silently to his explanations and didn't show any signs of weakness. When asked about the exact meaning of his words, the Dragon Rider showed the memory of the overpowering spell and directed his mind to the new power source.
"As we suspected... Master Eragon, I already told you earlier that we have a theory about your condition, and these memories confirm it. However, I must say that we are not entirely sure since something like this has never existed before."
"What do you mean, Master?"
"It may sound very strange, but we believe that you are some kind of Eldunarí yourself."
"W-What?! Me, an Eldunarí? That's truly impossible. Eldunarí are vessels of dragon souls that only become active when a dragon expels them. You taught us that yourself."
"I am aware of that, but we are not familiar with any state like yours, and the one that is most similar to it is an Eldunarí."
"How did you come up with that?"
"Firstly, your new source of magic strongly indicates it, as even Saphira was familiar with it. You surrendered yourself to the same feeling that dragons use to breathe fire, and that's how you stumbled upon it. Secondly, the fact that you are getting stronger over time also suggests it. Eldunarí develop after being expelled. It takes them approximately five to seven summers to reach their maximum capacity. Of course, we initially thought it was due to your training, but since you now surpass almost every living being in strength and magic, that theory couldn't possibly be true."
"So, you mean I haven't reached my maximum power yet?"
"That's exactly what I mean. However, we are not sure how far or if there is even a limit to your power since you are still alive and possess an immortal life."
"But where does this immense power suddenly come from? If I had this during the war, it might have been much less devastating for the Varden and the civilians. Also, if what you say is true, why is my power suddenly so vast?"
"As I said, it's all just theory, and as far as we know, there is no comparable being like you, Master Eragon. However, there is one thing we all agree on—the Blood-Oath Celebration. In the Vault of Souls, Master Umaroth informed you about your transformation, didn't he?"
"Yes, he told us that he and the Eldunarí present there used the Blood-Oath Celebration spell to grant me the power to resist Galbatorix."
"Exactly. But he didn't explicitly explain what that spell looked like, did he?"
"No, he didn't. He just claimed that they wanted to help me with that spell."
"That's correct. They didn't know themselves. Master Umaroth showed me his memories of that spell, and we contemplated for a long time about what exactly happened. Ultimately, we concluded that the desire to overthrow Galbatorix and save the dragon race greatly intensified the spell, making you what you are now."
"But if that's true, why did I only develop such immense powers now and not immediately after the Blood-Oath Celebration?"
"I just explained to you that Eldunarí develop over time. That's exactly what happened with you. The spell prepared your body for your current transformation and development. If you didn't possess the Elven resilience and strength, I couldn't imagine such tremendous power slumbering within you. The Eldunarí in the Vault of Souls did not anticipate such a swift victory from you and thought in much longer time frames when they used the spell."
Silence. Eragon was truly shocked. The Dragon Rider couldn't believe that such an extreme change had been made to him. But the more he thought about it, the more likely this theory became, as he couldn't think of anything comparable. As he began to truly process the explanation he had just heard, he realized something else.
"Master Glaedr, if all this is true, and I am indeed some kind of Eldunarí, especially one that is truly alive, why do I possess so much greater power than any other Eldunarí?"
"That's exactly the point that some are afraid of. They are mostly convinced by this theory, but they can't find an explanation for your monstrous strength. That's why they insist on a thorough examination of your mind and body."
"Forgive me for being somewhat suspicious, but I would like to avoid that somehow. If there is a logical explanation for this, I will eventually find it."
"Why are you resisting so much, Master Eragon?"
"I simply want to prevent the skeptics among you from using this opportunity to uncover my true name, so they can somehow control me."
"Now I am truly disappointed in you. What have my Rider and I taught you about the nature of true names?"
"The true name gives power over things and individuals and describes them with one or more words."
"That's correct, but you have missed the most important aspect. Except for the Elves, who have a natural talent for it, every race finds it extremely difficult to uncover their true name. That includes us dragons as well. I doubt that they really intend to discover your true name since my Rider Oromis and I searched for Galbatorix's true name for a very long time."
"But what if they are indeed after it?"
"Master Eragon, I assure you that they will leave your entire nature untouched, and if by chance your true name is revealed, you can request the Eldunarí to take an oath regarding it so that they cannot abuse it."
"If you are so sure, Master, then I will agree to it. As you know, I have complete trust in you."
"You honor me and my former Rider with these words. I thank you."
