NOTE: This story is not meant the follow the canon ending of Inheritance or emulate the writing style of Paolini. Artistic liberties have been taken with some of the elements from the concluding scenes and altered to fit with the vision the author has as an alternate end of the series. Most if not all of the outstanding questions WILL be answered in some way and will continue beyond the confines of the book to develop the story just a little more.

Inheritance: Alternatives

Chapter 2: Shruikan And The Aftermath

As soon as the final thumping sound of his master's corpse had hit the floor, Saphira's sudden slicing into Shruikan's scales gave not a roar of savage anger as before, but a sudden high-pitched exclamation of his agony. His glittering ebony claws which had previous been tearing through fellow dragon scale, scampered along the floor, the big hulk of a male trying to back away from the confrontation almost as quickly as his eagerness to begin it had been. His blue eyes slid closed, his body seeming to quiver somewhat as more trails of blood ran over his dark hide. Thorn's attempts to attack him had quickly died off out of confusion, wondering why this much stronger and resilient dragon had suddenly lost the will the carry out what he had started. Had he decided there was no point? To just lay down and take it? The crimson male glanced to his female counterpart, her eyes showing just as much confusion as he did in his gaze.
Saphira could sense how the mental assault from Shruikan's twisted mind had ceased, replaced with stabbing images of pain not towards her, but him. Despite the own gashes running through her body, her aching legs caused her to jump back, a grunt from her almost ordering Thorn to do the same. She glanced over to her side in her usual wary fashion, just as she had been doing throughout this entire fight. To her eternal delight, the partner of her-heart-and-mind was standing over Galbatorix's twisted body, half-brother Murtagh standing just as closely with swords trailing limply along the ground. Weary but triumphant, the dragoness had to stop herself from becoming caught up in a welling of positive emotions as her confusion started to override them all. The dark-one Shruikan had just...given up? Just when she was certain that Death's icy grip would claim her as it had claimed countless others in this war? She glanced back at Shuikan, anger-filled expression still on her face in case it was a ruse. That was, until she heard his words from briefly trying to touch his mind.
"Pain...so much...pain...death...need to cause...NO! Don't cause death! Or kill...but need to...want to...DON'T want to kill!"
Such conflicting thoughts...it was almost as if he was trying to battle with his own insanity. But Elva had said he was nothing more than a vessel for rage and sorrow, that his former self had been lost to the void long ago. What was going on here?
Eragon glanced behind him, realising that it had not just been him and Murtagh in this fight once again. He forced his tired legs to sprint back against the wall, the crumpled forms of both Arya and Elva beneath with Orchid simply a few inches away. Curse Galbatorix for using such cheap magic...he checked over the two of them, looking over for any signs of life. Even if the King was dead, it would be a hollow victory if he had lost her. That's what his heart was saying, even if his brain was urging him to celebrate the victory. Murtagh had remained by Galbatorix's side, idly shoving the body with a foot to make sure this wasn't a ruse. No movement in a reaction confirmed his hopes. Even as Eragon checked the others though, his eye couldn't help but drawn towards Thorn. He sensed a growing puzzlement welling within his dragon, something he wished to address almost instantly.
"Thorn, what's wrong? Something ails you, I can tell"
"It's the dark one, Murtagh" Thorn replied, mental voice tinging with confusion in his phrasing. "He's...not how he was. Not of his previous mind"
Murtagh's brow raised too, a pant escaping him as he turned his attention to Eragon. He had just raised off his knee, relief flowing through him that Arya and Elva were still breathing, if unconsciousness. Murtagh's staring got his attention, spinning on the spot slowly as his eyes seemed to question what had happened. His half-brother motioned his head towards where the warring dragons lay, seeing Saphira now sat and licking at her injuries with Thorn not too far away. A risky move considering the enemy that still lay in the chamber mere metres away! Eragon was about to scold her when he began to hear the same things that made Saphira puzzled. Whimpers and grunts of pain escaping from his maw, almost as if the rage and power in his attacks had been sucked out of him. It was almost like the void had overtaken his twisted persona as well and even Eragon could tell Saphira, Thorn and Murtagh were just as confused as he was. He stumbled over on his slashed leg, touching her flank and feeling her tense from the light stinging. His former enthusiasm at winning against Galbatorix had faded, especially if his dragon was planning to carry on this fight in an elaborate deception.
"What's...happening with him?" he asked, his mental tone just as weary as his normal one would be.
"Your guess would be as good as mine, little one…" came the reply, Saphira's own mental voice seemed strained as much as Eragon's. "You know what losing a Rider can do to a dragon…what if the same is…?" she started, her theory quickly dissolving as even she seemed to be unsure. Her sapphire eyes flicked to the younger Thorn with a snort, almost as if she were asking him what his thoughts were before darting back to the whimpering form of Shruikan. She didn't know if they should attempt to contact the dragon or leave him be or…well, she could only guess. He seemed so broken could they even begin to fathom what was going through his mind. Eragon glanced over to Murtagh, his former opponent making his way over to the most peculiar scene. He frowned, brushing a lock of his hair out of his face as he seemed to shrug idly.
"Thoughts?" Eragon asked.
"If his own kind cannot decipher why, I don't think we'll have much better luck. The King did all kinds of things to who Shruikan was…we just don't know"
Eragon scowled. Either this would be a chance to defy the odds at what Elva had said or it would be an explosion, waiting to ignite and destroy all of them without a moment's warning. Maybe just trying to get a contact with the black dragon would…

A sudden slam of mental energy made Eragon reel in surprise, letting out an exclamation as a bunch of confused and strange thoughts were almost pierced into his brain from Shruikan's mind. He glanced back upwards after he recovered, gritting his teeth with a grunt. Whatever was going on in that cacophony of noise and contradicting thoughts was almost painful for Eragon to bear, yet alone Shruikan. It was clear that Galbatorix's twisting and warping of his mind had kept this in check when he was under the king's control. But now free of such a master, Shruikan's roars were no longer from the pain in his wounds, but from the battle between what the dark magic was telling him and what his suppressed morals were saying. Eragon frowned, hearing Saphira emit some sort of croon, a noise that surprised him. Her expression had turned solemn, eyes focusing on him as her tone seemed to be almost…worried. Perhaps it was the thought of another one of her kind suffering, but he wouldn't question it for now. Right now, he found himself talking cautious steps towards Shruikan. He could feel Saphira's body tense beside him at being so bold to try anything, but the black one's movements had at least seemed to calm down. Eragon tried again, the blunt wall of thought no longer attacking his intrusion but still firm to get past.
"Shruikan…can you hear me? Are you…?"
"Dark…so dark…need to kill, but…shouldn't…shouldn't, but I…I must…gah, the King! Serve the King! No, no! DON'T…should I burn it all? Does it need to burn…? It does…and it doesn't…!"
"Shruikan, try!" Eragon suddenly heard Saphira say. The remark surprised him, the female's initial hatred towards him seemingly gone from her thoughts. Apparently seeing him this way had given her a renewed sense of hope, her voice a mixture of stern and encouraging. "You must hold onto what makes you a dragon, Galbatorix can no longer corrupt what you know!"
Shruikan snarled harshly, shaking his head and forcing up barriers around his mind. Saphira visibly flinched, Shruikan's size still something that made even her unnerved. He continued to ramble incoherently, his frustration growing as the King's dark magic clashed with his own reasoning.
"So many voices…ghosts…people I…KILLED! Need to…need to destroy it all, burn it all, BURN! Argh! Can't…shouldn't…won't…?"
The dragon let out a howl, a sudden wave of pain shooting through Eragon's head as another mental assault taxed his brain. It wasn't like his training with Glaedr, where the opposing mind was deliberately assaulting him. The "attacks" came at random, almost as if Shruikan had no control over them. He continued to whimper softly, backing further away into his corner, chains still clinking around his claws as his words almost made Eragon have that familiar twisting sensation in his gut whenever something terrible hit his ears. Saphira did much the same, though she still tried to help him.
"Shruikan, you're free from his dark ways! You can regain yourself…"
Eragon touched her leg, shaking his head softly. It was clear what Elva had meant now.
"Saphira, he's too far gone, Elva said…"
"He needs guidance, little one, I can help!" she said sternly, almost angrily as she took a single step forward. "I shall not lose another one of my kind to the darkness!"
Shruikan however quickly dashed all hopes of that with what he said next. Even Saphira was stopped in her tracks as a sudden wave of sadness flowed from his mind into theirs. So powerful in it's force, so far removed from the twisted and violent creature that was once in his place.
"I-I can't…can't get…hold of….ungh! Too much darkness, too many voices! I…please…please stop…"
Eragon's mouth fell slightly agape, both from what the dragon seemed to be implying as his brilliant blue eyes, lacking their luster, glanced over him and Saphira as well as Murtagh and Thorn who had remained silent throughout all this. Apparently, they were all too aware of this internal struggle, their heads bowed out of respect as if they were at some sort of…funeral. Shruikan's deep voice rumbled in their minds as his face took on an expression of pain once again.
"My…my mind is gone…" he stammered, having to force the words out before Galbatorix's magic seized his thinking once again. "It…it needs to stop….can't…wait any longer…"
Shruikan's eyes fell to the ground, down towards the Dauthdaert sprawled near Arya's still unconscious forms. With ebony claws raking against the stone somewhat, his gaze turned back to Eragon and Saphira.
"I'm…ready…ready to go…"

Saphira roared in frustration, her tail slamming into the ground as she seemed to be defiant in carrying out the black one's wish. How could she possibly kill him on a whim? In the throes of battle, it was different obviously, but when he had tried to break through that control…no, she would not send another of her kind to join the countless others. Despite the fact Eragon had tried to focus on other things, his dragon's voice echoed in his thoughts, yelling at Shruikan for giving up, insulting him for being weak in her anger. And then, he heard her cries turn more to pleads, something he had never expected to hear from her. He touched her leg with a frown, eyes glancing up into the brilliant sapphires she could call her own. She exhaled, her gaze drawn down towards him. Her silence didn't give him the usual relief he expected to find in their embrace of minds.
"Saphira, we have to. He is too far gone, what choice do we have?"
"I cannot do it, Eragon…not when he has finaly become free from that vile, sick, twisted man"
"You know it won't be long until he loses control, this is the first moment he's had the chance to fight back in hundreds of years"
Saphira let out a snarl at him, her refusal to believe it was true all too obvious. Eragon sighed regretfully. As much as he would've wanted to save Shruikan, to free the pitied creature from the shackles that held his body and his mind, Elva was not one to make mistakes. And given the continuous whines and grunts that came out of the black one's mouth, the Rider felt his tired body begin to edge closer to Orchid.
Murtagh raised his head up from his respectful silence for a moment, glancing at Thorn as the red male stared onwards at the dragon who in earlier times had been sometimes to aspire to in terms of strength.
"You're alright with this, Thorn?"
"The death of a fellow dragon is something we can never be alright with. Even in the days where we used to fill the skies, the passing of one of us was not that common given how we are never to fade"
Murtagh was impressed. Even despite his rough beginnings, Thorn had seemed to mature over the years, now more than ever since the King had fallen. And the inherent knowledge he had gained was more than enough to make him seem like he was no longer the hatchling-minded monster he was sure the Varden had spread tales of. But that would be something else to consider when they actually got out of here, he thought.

Eragon kneeled besides the ancient weapon, a hand brushing over it's surface as he could almost feel the power it held within. No wonder that they were stuff of legend now. The ability to pierce any wards, the countless dragons it had probably killed in the years gone by…it almost frightened him that such a weapon existed and that they as Dragon Riders had it. Yet, even given it's tremendous strength and the potential damage it could bring to anything it touched, he wanted this affair to be quick, to minimise the suffering. It would have to do the job. Eragon gripped it, surprised at the light feel of it in his palm as he stood up. He cast another worried glance at Arya and Elva, even though in his mind he could sense they were not too badly hurt. As he started back towards the other dragons, Saphira suddenly jabbed at him with her mind in enquiry.
"Eragon, if there's any other way…"
"There is none" he stated, causing his dragon to blink in surprise as he made his way towards the still frantic male. Shruikan's behaviour seemed to have gotten worse, his maw snapping at objects that weren't there, the presence of his wounds no longer even a concern as the Rider could feel begin to decay once again.
"Shadows…THE shadow…it's coming, making a-all dark…can't let….don't let it take us, don't…don't…"
Eragon hesitated in his next action at those words. He was sure any of them in this room would be frightened given what had to be done. It didn't make it any easier. His grip on Orchid tightened as Saphira leaned forward towards the black one, alarming her Rider at what she intended to do. A quick snort from her reassured her actions were not aggressive in nature, her voice calm but still inflected with her sadness over this all.
"Rest peacefully, Shruikan. That is the least a being of your honour deserves…"
"You'll be remembered well" Thorn suddenly interjected. "We promise"
The words seemed to calm Shruikan down, his movements eventually beginning to cease as for what seemed like the first time in years, the dragon had clawed back some of his control. Eragon and Murtagh glancing at each other with a look of astonishment. This was more important to their dragons than they would've guessed. It was clear to see how this matter would've been so much easier in the heat of a battle, but it was far beyond that now. Eragon looked upwards to Saphira, sensing a sense of acceptance flow through her being. He was about to speak when she made the move to do so first.
"Do not show your pity to me, Eragon. Elva was right. Forcing him to live in this way, it's…it's cruel. I am at peace with that."
Eragon stepped forward towards Shruikan, the strength of the Eldunari still flowing through his body letting Orchid hover in his hand without so much of a word. He would've been impressed at the power he possessed now if the circumstances had let him. Another step forward, another echo of stone in the air. The young Rider glanced up at Shruikan, the black one seeming to stare back at him as he struggled with his words.
"I-I…must…n-need to thank you…"
Eragon could only offer a forced grin in his reply, words not being able to do it justice in his opinion. With a simply reflexive action in his hand, the weapon began to hover higher from his palm. With a quick burst of light, it suddenly show forward, cutting through the air like a Rider's blade. And in the split second before the life of the black one was silenced for good, Eragon heard something from him that sent an unmistakable chill down his spine, something that seemed to slow down time itself while those words bore into his consciousness.

"That shadow…it's not for me, Eragon. You must beware…orumrakr"

When time resumed, the only sound to hit his senses was the hot and wet ripping of flesh and spattering of blood onto the floor. He didn't even want to look, the Rider glancing down at the floor as did everyone else around him when Orchid slammed into Shruikan's skull. He turned away, not wanting to look at what he had done, not what they together had caused. Saphira did much the same, offering a croon and a gently nudge into his arm.
"I shouldn't have let you do that…"
"I had to Saphria. You said so yourself…I suppose I'm a Shade, King AND Dragonslayer now…"
The dragoness snorted again, giving a light shake of her head with another nudge.
"We should leave. This place holds too much darkness within it's walls"
"Yes. Let's"

It took a few more minutes of trying to navigate the winding passages of the castle, but the group of Eragon, Murtagh, Saphira and Thorn all made it out. Each Rider carried Arya and Elva gently in their arms, breaking out of a hole in the stone walls made by the growing conflict outside. From the clouds of dust and the only sound being the injured groaning in pain, Eragon had to see that the battle was over. It all was. He nodded in head forwards, indicating the rest of his group to follow him over the piles of rubble and stone ruins that seemed to serve as a fitting reminder of what had been accomplished and lost. Bodies lay in heaps as the remaining forces of the Varden worked to give them proper services, take the loyal soldiers into a gaoled state or account for their own numbers. Eragon didn't feel the sense of victory he would've thought he would, not after all this. Maybe in time, the wounds would heal and the reality of it would sink in. Galbatorix was gone. His Empire was sure to follow.
As he made his way down from the castle, some commotion from behind him caused him to turn his head back the other way. To his relief, the sight of Blodhgarm along with his small group of other spell casters greeted his weary eyes, having just exited the castle walls moments after they had left. Eragon nodded his head, signalling to Saphira that she should try and help with the Varden's efforts. With a grunt, she took off to survey the scene, Thorn joining her as Murtagh gave a similar mental order. When Blodhgarm finally reached him, the elf seemed to be in relatively decent spirits. He sat down on the rubble, inviting Eragon to join him. The Rider nodded, carefully setting down Arya and letting the other spell casters come about to heal her. Murtagh did much the same for Elva, even if he received a few more scornful looks than his half-brother had done. As the elves got to work, Blodhgarm paid this no mind for the timebeing, outstretching a hand to shake with Eragon.
"Hard to imagine this day would come, isn't it Shadeslayer?"
"It's been a long time coming, for more than just us" Eragon replied, taking the hand and shaking it thoroughly. Blodhgarm grunted with a nod of his head, his eyes eventually being cast over Murtagh with a scowl.
"He is…a prisoner?" he asked.
"No, not a prisoner. He helped me" Eragon replied, continuing to explain when a look of confusion crossed. "Without Murtagh, I wouldn't be stood here right now. And chances are none of you would be either"
"You'll have to forgive me for not taking your word for it. Arya and Elva both lay unconscious and he just happens to have tagged along?"
"I can speak for myself" Murtagh spoke up, tone seeming angry. "I broke free of the King's control of my own doing, I kept Nasuada alive!"
"So she has said…" Blodhgarm responded. "We managed to rescue her amidst the battle here. It was not easy, but she says that we owe you her life"
Eragon could see how the elf was reluctant to accept it, but he hoped that Blodhgarm could at least be more positive about matters. It was what he said next that confirmed his less than victorious mood.
"We…we lost Islanzadi. That bastard Lord Barst was damn near invicible…if not for your cousin, he may have been too much for us to bear. Even with the assistance of the Eldunari, he was a good fighter of his own accord. I'm not sorry he's dead"
Eragon's heart sank at this news, casting his gaze towards Arya as the spell casters continued to chant away their various incantations and healing abilities. Even the Elven Queen had been struck down in this final battle. He felt he could've done something before Murtagh suddenly spoke before he had a chance to.
"Don't blame yourself, Eragon. Even Riders cannot save everyone"
"What's done is done" Blodhgarm said in agreement. "All we can do now is tend to the wounded, rebuild what we can and hope that the land becomes stronger because of it"
Eragon supposed they were right, turning his gaze towards Arya once more.
"Will she be alright?"
"We'll tend to her as best we can. I'm sure she'll be awake soon enough" Blodhgarm said. The Rider nodded, relief seeming to lift his own mood if even just for a moment. He turned back the castle, the smoking and cracked façade a fitting testament to a rule that just as in pieces as that stone was. He turned back to the elf when a thought came to his mind.
"There are Eldunari in there somewhere, Blodhgarm. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them. Galbatorix used and corrupted them to add to his own power. Would you be able to get them out? Many of them have been driven mad and I'm not nearly as a good a spell caster to heal their broken states"
The elf grunted with a nod of his head, motioning to two of the healing spell casters and sending them inside. He got to his feet too, taking care not to slip on the fragments of rubble beneath his feet before he paused. He took a moment to reach inside a pouch hung on his lower hip, revealing a clothed object. Round and small in nature, but apparently smooth given the way the fabric seemed to cling to it's surface. Blodhgarm lifted up the cloth, making Eragon's eyes go wide when he caught a brilliant flash of green beneath it.
"I managed to find it during our escape. Undamaged and safe. What would you have me do with it?"
Eragon was unsure of an answer. He had almost completely forgotten about that last remaning egg. He could hear the distant shouting of names further into the clouds of debris, settling on what he would see as the safest option.
"Keep it for now, at least until we'd know what to do with it. I wouldn't want to risk it being damaged out here and you're easily a better magic user than I"
"Galbatorix had already managed to put some protective wards on it, but I shall keep it from harm. You're needed elsewhere and me and the others know our way through this maze of stone. You have my word"
Eragon bowed his head in thankfulness as Blodhgarm departed, the object slipping back into the pouch when the elf left. He turned his eyes back towards the still unconscious Arya. He was sure the spell casters would keep things safe for now.

As both he and Murtagh headed into the fray of the battlefield, Saphira and Thorn both landed before them.
"How do things look?" Eragon asked her.
"Lots of damage to the walls and there are many who have been lost. It has been a victory, but not an easy one" she replied.
Eragon would have guessed as much, turning his attention towards Umaroth whose presence he felt push into his mind out of curiosity.
"You seem troubled, Rider"
"It's all very sudden…what do we do now?"
"That is up to you, Eragon" came the reply from the white dragon. "Your role is to keep the peace and there should be much more of it now that the King has fallen. And with new responsibilities as well, you should have plenty to keep your minds occupied"
"More responsibilities? I don't…"
Eragon didn't manage to finish his words when a sudden wave of images passed through his brain. Like memories being awoken deep inside him, he could see inside some sort of dark chamber, orbs of brilliant colour laid in little alcoves on the walls…he remembered. A sudden rush of excitement ran through him, the same being passed through him from Saphira as they gave happy expressions to one another.
"The eggs, Saphira!"
"Hundreds of them!"
"With Galbatorix's defeat, it seems safe for you to be aware of such a great gift. We trust that you would know what to do with them" Umaroth spoke, seeming content that this knowledge was in good hands. "Care for them"
"We will guard them with our lives" Eragon assured him, Umaroth's being fading from his mind as he excitedly began to chat back and forth with Saphira. The dragons were not doomed…to him it seemed like a lot more had been achieved that simply ending a tyrant's rule. An entire race had been saved.

But even amongst this, Murtagh watched with a light scowl. Many soldiers glanced at Eragon in gratitude for what had been done this day and yet they still regarded him as a danger, as a willing servant of Galbatorix. He ground his teeth in anger, Thorn immediately picking up on this.
"Murtagh, why do you grow frustrated? We should be celebrating this victory"
"And yet people still allow themselves to cast glances at me like I'm nothing more than the dirt of the ends of their shoes?"
"Does it matter in the end?" the red dragon asked. "You, I and brother-Eragon know what you did. Without you, this battle would still be raging now"
"Even so, these people would rather see me lying dead in that chamber just as badly. After all we've done, how can you stay so focused on the positive?" Murtagh snapped.
"I may not be the strongest, wisest or fastest dragon, but I know more now than I ever did. You broke us free from those bonds, Murtagh" Thorn said, bringing his head closer to brush against the human's forehead. "You don't need approval"
Murtagh paused in thought for a moment, glancing at the Rider and dragoness before them before he motioned his hand to start moving elsewhere. Thorn crooned in confusion, wanting answers with another nudge.
"We'll help them to heal, to rebuild for now. I'd prefer to at least have one good deed to my name"
"And then what?" asked the dragon.
"We leave"