When they landed, Ryan saw the island as they descended.
It was an almost desolate place that looked like a big cracked rock with grass growing out of the fissures.
If he were in charge of building a prison, it would be here.
He turned to look at Eragon.
The Draconian's eyes kept darting to Grizzly.
That was until Grizzly spoke.
"Look over there in the distance."
Grizzly pointed to a tree almost in the centre of the island.
"That is where the entrance is."
Without taking his eyes off the tree, he asked Grizzly a question.
"Will there be anything between us and the entrance?"
Grizzly lit a cigarette.
"Yes. This island isn't just for Elves. It is also a goblin nest."
Eragon made a low rumble in his throat as his scales glowed faintly.
"I hate goblins."
Ryan felt the same hatred as he thought about Bell.
"I hate them too."
As Grizzly flicked the butt, he spoke.
"I hate them too, but don't let them distract you. We are here for the Elf and nothing else."
Ryan was quiet as the island came closer.
Femur docked the ship on the edge of a cliff.
Before they disembarked, Femur clanked to them and saluted.
"Sir! Shall I circle the island or return?"
Grizzly took a deep breath.
"Circle for two days. If we aren't back by then, go back for backup."
Femur dropped his arm, then clacked his heels together with another salute.
"Understood, sir!"
This show almost made Ryan laugh as he clanked back to his post.
As Ryan's feet touched the ground, he felt a strange pull toward the large tree.
It was as if something was beckoning him.
With a shake of his head, he managed to release the mysterious feeling from his mind.
It was at that moment that Ryan realised he was a little behind.
He sped up to catch up to the group.
Grizzly pulled out binoculars.
"We are roughly four miles away. Stay focused, goblins could be anywhere."
Ryan nodded and took his place at the back of the group.
He used all his focus to spot anything suspicious.
It took them about an hour to trek all the way to the tree.
In Ryan's mind, he could feel something calling to him.
The feeling was strange, almost a longing for a place he had never been.
As he was lost in thought, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He looked at the big blue hand and then to his friend.
Eragon had a frown on his face.
"Dude, are you alright?"
Ryan blinked a few times.
"What are you talking about?"
To his surprise, Grizzly was setting up camp, and he had a fire going.
"You were staring at the tree for the last few minutes."
Ryan swallowed hard.
"I did?"
Eragon led Ryan to the campfire.
When they sat down, Grizzly flicked a cigarette but into the fire.
"According to Aleksandar, the entrance will open tonight. You two should get some sleep. I will wake you in four hours for your watch."
They nodded and pulled out their sleeping bags.
Ryan chuckled when he saw the massive bag Eragon brought.
As soon as Ryan's head hit the ground, he was met with darkness.
The darkness was suddenly exchanged with a bright light.
The bright light faded to a green meadow filled with grass and flowers.
His first thought was that he would like to share this view with Bell.
"Interesting. Your hands are covered in blood, and your thoughts are filled with love."
He spun around and saw a very tall blond woman with long ears and pure white eyes.
"Who are you?"
As he reached for his dagger, his hand felt nothing.
With a smile, she spoke.
"You need not fear anything in my domain. My name is Aeriath Springrain, and I am the Warden of this island."
Ryan took a deep breath and held out his hand.
"My name is Ryan, and we need your help."
She took his hand and chuckled.
The scene changed.
Her hand turned into a branch as Ryan stood in front of the tree.
The bark opened into a doorway, and just as Ryan wanted to step in, he was pulled back.
As the daze left him, he saw Grizzly.
"What… what happened?"
Grizzly let out a sigh.
"A few hours after you went to sleep, you got up and touched the tree. Then a doorway opened."
Ryan looked at Grizzly.
"I had a dream. I spoke to an Elf. We shook hands, and then the doorway opened."
Grizzly let go of Ryan, and both men sat down next to the fire.
Ryan stared into the fire; the new feelings on this island were weighing heavily on him.
"Ryan? Are you alright?"
He looked at Grizzly with a half-smile.
"I honestly don't know, but I am focused on the mission."
Grizzly nodded as he lit another cigarette.
"Try to get some sleep. There is still an hour before I wake Eragon up."
Ryan looked the old man in the eye.
"What about you? Don't you want some sleep?"
Grizzly took a big drag.
"Nah. I'll sleep later."
Ryan nodded and climbed back into his sleeping bag.
He tried to stay awake, but he drifted off back to the meadow.
This time, Bell was there with him.
She ran through the flowers, and he followed her.
As he caught up, she grabbed him and pulled him down into a bed of flowers.
"Why do you love me? Is it because I can fix you?"
Ryan was caught off guard by the questions.
He thought for a moment, and with a big smile, he answered.
"No. You make me want to be better. That is all I want."
She hugged him tightly.
"Good answer. The only way to escape a prison of your own making is to rise above."
As she pulled back, she revealed herself to be a smiling Aeriath.
He pushed her off and jumped to his feet.
"Why?"
She slowly stood up and took a few steps toward him.
"Ryan, you may take the Betrayer. I hope you can save your world."
She bowed and dissipated before his eyes.
As she disappeared, the meadow rotted away, and all he saw was dry and cracked earth.
Ryan's eyes shot open.
He saw Grizzly and Eragon stare at the tree.
The massive tree's leaves were all gone.