 |
DRAGONS
Dragons have an air of mystery surrounding them. No one knows where they come from, though they were one of the first inhabitants of Alagaësia. They have abilities that even they sometimes cannot explain as they are magical creatures. This can be seen when dragons breathe fire as they do not have to speak the ancient language to produce the deadly flames.
Dragons are proud, noble creatures with a majestic appearance. “The wings were several times longer than its body and ribbed with fingers of bone that extended from the wing’s front edge, forming a line of widely spaced talons. The dragon’s head was roughly triangular. Two diminutive white fangs curved down out of its upper jaw. They looked very sharp. Its claws were also white, like polished ivory, and slightly serrated on the inside curve. A line of small spikes ran down the creature’s spine from the base of its head to the tip of its tail. A hollow where its neck and shoulders joined created a larger-than- normal gap between the spikes.” (Eragon pg.38) Dragons are designed to be the perfect predators. They are strong, powerful and equipped with sharp teeth and claws; as well as being very intelligent.
The mysterious creatures are hatched from an egg. The dragon is the same colour as the outside of its egg; vibrant and intensified by their shimmering scales. It is known that dragons can lay dormant in their eggs for a long period of time, waiting to hatch for their chosen rider. Similarly, wild dragons will wait till the right circumstances in their environment to hatch.
Dragons never cease growing, even when it seems as though they can’t possibly get any bigger. This means that some dragons are “Larger than a house. Even the small ones had wingspans over a hundred feet; they never stopped growing. Some of the ancient ones, before the Empire killed them, could have passed for large hills.” (Eragon pg. 52) This again emphasises the physical power and strength of dragons. Another ability that changes in the life of a dragon is the ability to breathe fire. They learn this ability at about five or six months (this is also the time when dragons can mate). The older the dragon is, the longer it can breathe fire. This means the older dragons were not only massive; they could also breathe fire for minutes at a time. These dragons would be an exceedingly deadly foe.
Dragons have the potential to live forever; however, they can sustain fatal injuries or ones that can cause slow deterioration. They are protected from attack by their hard scales but their wings are susceptible to attack because they are very thin and easy to tear. Dragons have armoured bellies but their armpits are unsheathed. Enemy dragons or other well educated foes would attack these areas to gain an advantage.
Elves and dragons have a long intertwined past. A war raged between them when a young elf killed a dragon presuming that it was the equivalent to a stag. This long, brutal war was fought for five years until a truce was finally made; resulting in the formation of the riders that involved dragons, elves and later humans. Through this treaty the dragons gained the ability to speak in the ancient language as a means of communication.
Dragons play a very large role in the Inheritance Cycle. The story begins when Arya sends a dragon egg to Carvahall, intending for it to reach the old dragon rider Brom. Instead, Eragon finds it and Saphira hatches for him. The discovery of this new dragon changes the hopes of the Varden who are desperately trying to overthrow Galbatorix and his Empire.
The actions of Saphira change the route of the novel several times. She was a key member in the war at Farthen Dur and helped to kill the shade Durza. Saphira’s wit and ingenuity show how intelligent dragons are. This is also shown from the introduction of another dragon, Glaedr, who, along with his rider, is able to teach Eragon and Saphira very successfully in subjects from battle techniques to magical ability to understanding of the world around them. Glaedr is the oldest known remaining dragon as even the wild dragons seem to have disappeared from Alagaësia after the brutal regime of Galbatorix and Shruikan.
Shruikan is Galbatorix’s dragon. Both rider and dragon are not seen in the first two books; even when a big battle is fought between the Empire and the Varden on the Burning Plains. Shruikan is black which reflects the dark, menacing character he seems to be. No doubt we will eventually see Shruikan in action in Brisingr or the fourth book in the cycle.
Although we haven’t seen Shruikan, we are introduced to another seemingly evil dragon/rider duo; Thorn and his rider Murtagh. They are fighting for the empire, almost proving to be the downfall of the Varden at the end of Eldest. However, they showed Eragon and Saphira mercy and left the battle. This shows the importance of dragons in the novel because the strength they possess will prove to be the vital ingredient to the Varden and Empire’s army, and will likely effect which will attain victory.
The dragons’ influence in Alagaësia is just as much or maybe even more profound as it was during the time when the dragon riders ruled peacefully over the land. The current dragons’ influence cannot be denied; as even though their race has been nearly driven to extinction they have an essential role in the next two books. The fate of the Empire relies on the efforts of these powerful creatures and a big factor will be the fate of the last dragon egg. This dragon egg is known to be green and to be male; its allegiance may sway the war in either direction.
|
 |
RSS Feeds
Email Alerts & Newsletter
