Chapter 21: To Be Decided
A/N: Wow, I actually finished this chapter! I'm really sorry about the wait; I know how annoying cliffhangers can be, and I left off on a really big one! Hopefully, the length of this chapter will make up for it!!
Big news: I finally finished writing this fanfict. There are 32 or 33 chapters total. Major thanks to Mysteerya, Cameron K. and Aaron A. for their suggestions. I'm far from being done editing though… *sigh*. By the way, if you like this story so far, I seriously suggest that you add it to your story alert list…anyone who's been keeping up with my fanfict will tell you that while I do update, there are sometimes really big gaps…
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
She wasn't sure what was more terrible: seeing her parents' murderer standing before her, somehow, impossibly, back from the dead, or the look of shock and horror on Murtagh's face. "No," she breathed. "That's…impossible. You're supposed to be dead." As if mere words could hold off this ghastly image of a man. As if words could really suppress the numbing fear threatening to paralyze her.
"And you will be," Morzan replied. His voice…cold, soul-chilling, with the faintest hint of a soft sibilance. His skin was pale and taut, but his eyes…his eyes had a dark, vicious intensity about them. His black hair hung limply from his head, and he looked as if he had seen much better days. A nightmarish aura clung to him, giving the room an even colder feel than it had had before.
"But… Brom killed you." Again, the words struggled like a lone torch trying to keep back the darkness.
Morzan laughed maliciously, and Tivittica shuddered at the noise. "That he did, but Galbatorix rewards those are faithful to him… and he had further use for me."
"This isn't right," Tivittica murmured, unconsciously backing away a few steps from Morzan. Part of her mind was screaming at her to run, run!, but her body seemed frozen. How do you kill someone who's already dead?
"Rïsa (rise)!" Morzan barked. Tivittica found herself suspended in the air, unable to move despite her desperate struggles. "Thrysta (compress)," Morzan murmured, a malevolent gleam in his eyes. Tivittica lost her grip on her sword as a crushing weight smashed into her lungs. She couldn't breathe… couldn't… breathe…
"Leave her alone!" Murtagh suddenly yelled. Morzan turned, and the pressure eased slightly around Tivittica's throat. She gasped for air, trying to blink away the dark spots that had been floating in front of her.
"Murtagh," Morzan said coldly, no warmth in his tone at all as he looked upon his son for the first time in many years. "Why am I not surprised that you've fallen for a traitor?"
Murtagh glared at his father defiantly. "She's hardly the traitor here."
"Fine words for you to say," Morzan sneered contemptuously. He flicked his wrist dismissively, and Tivittica collapsed abruptly to the ground. She remained where she'd fallen, facedown on the ground, momentarily too weak to get up. Morzan glanced back at her. "Glad to see you've learned some respect, but it's a bit too late for you." He stepped closer to her and crouched down, regarding her. "I wonder if you'll be more like your mother or your father when I kill you. Yes," he added as Tivittica stiffened slightly, "I'm glad to see you still remember me…and I do know who you are. I could've finished this a lot sooner if my fool of a son hadn't gotten in the way…"
"What do you mean?" Tivittica asked quietly, forcing herself to her elbows. Upon closer examination, she supposed that Murtagh did resemble his father, but there were clear differences. Everything about Morzan was darker, more sinister…
"I could've controlled you the day you tried to help Murtagh." He practically spat the name out. "You were so weak, so unstable, even for a female. Your mind was incredibly fragile and vulnerable. So vulnerable…" He closed his eyes for a moment as if to savor the memory.
"You're sick," Murtagh spoke from behind his father. Though Murtagh was still chained to the wall and had spoken softly, Tivittica could hear everything he said clearly. "No wonder you enjoy working for Galbatorix."
"Do me a favor and shut up," Morzan replied without even turning around. He stared at Tivittica a moment longer, then sighed and straightened. "This is too easy. I want to hear your screams for mercy, but it looks like you're too weak to manage even that." He murmured something under his breath, and Tivittica felt some of her energy return. "Pick up your sword," Morzan ordered, "and let's have a proper fight." He walked to the other side of the room, turned, and stood waiting.
Warily, Tivittica rose. She walked to her sword, picked it up, and slowly crossed over to where Morzan was. She knew she would need the lightning's energy soon, but she was reluctant to summon the power with both Galbatorix and Morzan's attention on her.
She stopped several feet away from Morzan, waiting for him to make the first move. He would be a deadly opponent, she was sure of that, but for Murtagh's sake, at least, she would do whatever she could to persevere. Just the thought of him made her feel a bit more determined, a bit more ready to face this coming battle. She allowed herself the briefest of glances at him, saw the worry clearly etched on his face. She could do this. She would do this. And then Morzan's blade flashed forward.
Mentally kicking herself for letting her guard drop, even for a second, Tivittica blocked his blade, instinct alone saving her. He drew back, twisted to the side, and slammed his blade into her arm faster than she had thought possible. Her body barely had any time to register the pain, for he was attacking yet again.
And now she felt it, the sharp, piercing sting, and in her sword arm too. Every time she blocked him, and his sword collided with hers, fresh bursts of pain shot through her arm. If this kept up much longer, even her reflexes wouldn't be able to save her—she had a feeling the next few blocks wouldn't last long enough to do any good. "Waíse heill," she murmured under her breath, knowing that in her current state, something as simple as this was a huge risk.
Her wound closed quickly, but it took most of her already dwindling energy with it. Dizziness swept over her, and she struggled to maintain her balance. Now it took all of her concentration just to defend herself, and she knew that the time had come to use the lightning.
"So you can use magic," Morzan commented, pausing briefly to watch her. "But unfortunately, your abilities are even more pitiful than your dueling skills. I have a feeling that you'll be more like your mother when I kill you…"
"What makes you think that you're going to kill me?" Tivittica replied quietly. "Losna (release)!" She reached up briefly to brush her fingers against the raven choker, eyes focused on Morzan in case he attempted something.
To her surprise, he didn't push forward with an attack. "And what, pray tell, was that supposed to accomplish?" He glanced over his shoulder briefly at Murtagh, but his son was still securely chained to the wall. Tivittica followed his gaze to the ceiling, than to the braziers, slightly amused that he would deem her worthy of that much credit. Was there more to his derision then there appeared? Had he been…hiding something?
But her pattern of thought was disrupted by a growing worry. Nothing had happened yet, and she wondered if she had done something wrong. It had been so long since she'd used lightning…
Evidently, Morzan had reached the same conclusion. He chuckled briefly, a sinister noise. "I'm surprised that Galbatorix considered you a threat. In fact, I—" He broke off as the raven began to glow with a pure, bright light. Tivittica felt a rush of wild energy fill her, more powerful than any adrenaline spike. It threatened to overwhelm her, but she managed to control it, and knew at once that she could sustain large amounts of powerful magic for a long time—which might be what it would take to defeat Morzan.
Energy coursed through her body, and she was suddenly more aware of things. Everything was sharper, clearer, and all traces of exhaustion and weakness were gone. The light faded from the raven, but she felt stronger than ever. It was time to show Morzan that he was not in for an easy fight. She raised her blade. "Shall we?"
A sneer curled at Morzan's lips. "Only if you intend on actually fighting this time."
Tivittica didn't bother replying, instead advancing and bringing her sword down in a powerful offensive blow. Morzan blocked and lunged forward with an assault of his own, and the next several minutes consisted of exchanges of thrusts, parries, and lunges. It was a deadly dance that they were engaged in, and any time one received an injury, they would heal it on the spot, each unwilling to give the other any possible advantages, though no serious injuries were sustained.
Eventually, Tivittica found herself being gradually driven to the wall. Though she was aware of what Morzan was doing, she found herself unable to outmaneuver him, for such was the intensity of their duel. She could still feel the lightning's energy coursing through her, its manic energy whispering, calling to her. She would be at a disadvantage once she was backed against the wall, and Morzan would do everything in his power to keep her there. But how to avoid such a situation? She was rapidly running out of time, and desperate times called for desperate measures…
Unexpectedly, Morzan kicked her, and she slammed into the wall painfully, realizing that she'd been much closer than she'd expected. Time was up. Morzan's blade snaked towards her throat, a slightly contemptuous air about him despite the ferocity of their duel. Tivittica knew that she wouldn't be able to block him fast enough, but she had no intention of dying just yet. Instead, she closed her eyes and let the lightning's power flow through her. The sensation was so intense, she couldn't think of any words in the Ancient Language, or for that matter, practically anything. Raw energy filled her, consumed her, and burst out of her.
A brilliant burst of light exploded between them, and Morzan hesitated in surprise. The light touched his sword and became fire, swarming rapidly towards the hilt of his sword. Morzan cursed under his breath and muttered something in the Ancient Language that extinguished the fire on his sword. Tivittica knew she needed to act quickly, but she needed to control the lightning first. The light was still hovering around her, but seemed to be more fire than light, and on a sudden whim, she murmured, "Gath du brisingr un eka (unite the fire and me)." The light seemed to swirl about her and became a glowing flame, but it seemed to be in the form of something. Tivittica could feel the flame in front of her, but more so, as though part of herself was the flame. Experimentally, Tivittica raised her left arm, and a tendril of the flame rose on the left side. Strangely, it appeared to be in the shape of a wing.
Morzan had been warily watching all of this, but now raised his blade again. "Enough of your cheap theatrics!" he snarled.
Tivittica pushed her left hand forward, away from her, and the fiery wing shoved itself into Morzan, setting his body alight. Rapidly, he extinguished the flames, but each time he did, Tivittica would just make the fire burn him again. "I don't know about you Morzan, but these so-called theatrics of mine seem pretty real to me."
Morzan swore in frustration and backed off. Smiling, Tivittica pressed her attack, sending her flame closer to him. As the flame started to move away from her, it spread both of its wing-like tendrils, and with a start, Tivittica realized that it resembled a bird in shape. Able to control the fire's direction with her own movements, Tivittica forced Morzan to retreat further and further back. She found that she did not need to step forward if she wanted the fire to advance; instead, it obeyed her thoughts. She pressed Morzan mercilessly to the opposite wall, focused on trapping him and finishing him off once and for all.
Morzan raised his blade and Tivittica almost laughed. Fire would only melt metal, what was he thinking? "Thrysta vindr (compress the air)!" Morzan shouted, and suddenly, the air around his sword started to shimmer. Whenever the fire came close to it, it started to flicker. Clever, Tivittica thought in irritation. He's taking the air around his sword away and focusing it on the sword so that the fire has nothing to fuel it…except for me. Already, she could feel a slight drain on her energy, and thinking quickly, muttered "Jierda (break)." The fiery bird split into two long, thin tendrils of flame, becoming two fiery whips. Tivittica sent them twisting through the air as she attempted to gain an opening in Morzan's defenses. Again and again she sent her flames towards Morzan, but he managed to dodge and deflect them.
This isn't working! Tivittica thought in frustration. As she struck at Morzan again, he suddenly appeared to lose his balance and fell to the ground, his left side completely exposed to her mercy. A hint of a smile flashed across her face as she brought both whips down.
What happened next was unexpected. Morzan raised one hand, murmuring words of the Ancient Language under his breath. The edge of the flames transformed into lighting, but it did not strike Morzan immediately. He sat up, raised his blade, and allowed the lightning to flow across it. Still muttering in the Ancient Language, he straightened in one sinuous movement, walked in four quick strides to where Murtagh was chained to the wall, and touched the tip of his sword to one of the manacles. The lightning flowed from the sword, through the manacle…into Murtagh.
Murtagh's eyes widened as the energy flowed into him, pain flashing across his face. Morzan did not move, a cruel smile playing about his lips. The lightning continued to flow into Murtagh, fueled by Tivittica's flames. Another phrase in the Ancient Language increased the amount of fire being converted, and Tivittica could feel a slight drain on her energy. But that was nothing compared to what she imagined Murtagh was feeling. What am I doing? she asked herself angrily. Though Morzan's actions had been both surprising and sudden, she was the one creating the source of the lightning and she would be the one to stop it. Even as she thought this, Murtagh let out a cry of pain, straining against his bonds as electricity played across his body. "Brisingr deyja (fire die)!" she yelled.
Her connection with the fire disappeared as the flames closest to her began to fade into nothingness. "Faster," she muttered through gritted teeth, angry that Morzan had dragged Murtagh into this. The fire, and with it the lightning, died quickly, though to Tivittica it could not disappear fast enough. Murtagh slumped against his chains, and were he not bound, he would have collapsed to the floor.
Morzan glanced at Tivittica with contemptuous disdain. "Really, is that your best?" Abruptly, he plunged his blade into Murtagh's side.
"You sick, twisted bastard!" Tivittica shouted in angry frustration. "No wonder Murtagh hates you so much—you don't deserve the right to be called father, and you certainly don't deserve the right to live!" She crossed the room swiftly without breaking into a run. She knew it was senseless to rush headfirst into a battle, but wanted to end it quickly. Clearly, Morzan was not above foul play, and she didn't want Murtagh to get dragged into this. It had to end now.
A few feet away from Morzan, she stopped and raised her blade warily. "Waíse heill," she muttered under breath, trying to heal at least some of the damage that Morzan had inflicted.
Morzan chuckled darkly. "Don't waste your breath." He stabbed Murtagh again just as Tivittica's magic closed the wound. Murtagh sucked in his breath sharply but said nothing, his dark eyes clouded with worry.
Knowing Murtagh, he would be more worried about her than himself, Tivittica reflected with a sigh. "Your fight isn't with your son, Morzan," she said coldly, trying to restrain her anger at his actions, "so why don't you quit hiding behind him like a coward?"
Morzan's eyes narrowed. "A coward?" he echoed quietly. "Hardly. And while you're on the subject, only a coward would leave her parents behind to die."
It stung. She lunged forward, swinging her blade downwards. He sidestepped her swing with ease, shaking his head. "You'll have to try much harder than that if you want to kill me, my dear. But here, let me show you something."
"Not interested!" she snarled angrily. She attacked again, but, quite suddenly, he wasn't there. Blade half raised, Tivittica looked about warily.
"You should be," a soft yet menacing voice sounded from behind her. She was about to turn, but froze as Morzan's blade pressed lightly against her neck. She could feel him directly behind her, his arm around her shoulder, and shuddered inwardly. "Garjzla (light)," Morzan added, and he shimmered into the visible spectrum before pursuing a mental attack on Tivittica.
She struggled against his strength, both mentally and physically, but quite suddenly a vision sprang into her mind: her father engaged in a vicious duel with Morzan, from Morzan's point of view. She gasped in shock. "Father…"
Consider it a gift, if you will, Morzan spoke in her mind. His presence was dark, malevolent, and powerful. I hope you enjoy the show…
Her father was fighting Morzan even more fiercely now and using magic as well. Suddenly, something slammed into the back of Morzan, and he staggered into the wall just in time to receive a deep gash on his arm from Tivittica's father. The view shifted slightly to show Tivittica's mother leaning against a chair. Vaelyn had taught her how to use the Ancient Language, but Arianna had always tired quicker than him, and now was no exception. Morzan seized the opportunity at once, and as he was fighting Vaelyn, he shot beams of magic at Arianna.
She dodged the first, but she didn't avoid the second in time. The blast crashed into her, and she let out a scream of pain as she collapsed to the ground. Vaelyn tried to run over to her, but Morzan kept blocking his way. Vaelyn angrily cursed Morzan, who in turn only laughed. A bolt of magic narrowly missed Morzan and crashed into the nearby window.
Finally, Vaelyn was able to reach his wife, but it was too late to save her. She quietly whispered something to him, and then breathed her last. Vaelyn stared at her body in disbelief. "Arianna," he whispered, and then his voice, filled with intense pain and grief, rose. "Arianna—no! Arianna!"
Morzan was speaking now, but Tivittica barely caught the words. She couldn't believe what she had just seen—and she wasn't sure she wanted to see anymore…
Her father was fighting Morzan now, with even more determination than before. Their duel lasted several minutes, until Morzan conjured an image of Arianna. She stood in front of the wall, a plaintive expression on her face. "Vaelyn…"
He hesitated for a second, and that was all Morzan needed, quickly plunging his blade into Vaelyn's chest. A strangled gasp came from the elf's mouth, and he sagged to the ground, shock, pain, and anger flashing in his eyes.
"That's more like it," Morzan said, the satisfaction evident in his voice. Suddenly Vaelyn yelled a phrase in the Ancient Language. Pain erupted across Morzan's chest, and he angrily let out a curse before replying in a similar manner. Silence descended upon the house as Vaelyn struggled to breathe. Morzan chuckled darkly, then walked to the door of the house. He stepped outside, and turned to survey the house…
That's enough, Tivittica thought to Morzan. She knew what would happen next, and had no wish to see anymore.
What's the matter? Everything I showed you actually happened. He paused. Oh, that's the problem, isn't it? You just don't like to be reminded that you abandoned your parents in their time of need.
I didn't abandon them! she thought fiercely. Now get out of my head!
Sore subject for you, isn't it?
Get out! she yelled, struggling to erect her mental barriers. Images of death and destruction filled her mind as she grappled with Morzan. Cruelty and darkness assailed her from all sides, made all the more terrible by the fact that Morzan took pleasure from the images.
More pictures joined the first,among them the image of her childhood home in flames and the feeling of Morzan's satisfaction. Juxtaposed in the background was a picture of Murtagh when he was much younger, his back covered in blood, and Zar'roc on the floor beside him. Blood and fire—the images brought back images of Viribus's last moments, and she suddenly had had enough. Her parents' murderer was right here, in her head! Summoning some of the remaining traces of the lightning's power, she used its strength to shelter her innermost thoughts before expanding her shield outward. Almost immediately, she encountered Morzan, but the lightning and her frustration combined into a powerful wedge that drove him backward. All of her loss, experienced anew, combined with her hatred of him and drove him out.
As Morzan's presence left her mind, she became aware of her surroundings. She realized that she'd fallen to her knees, and that Morzan was still standing behind her, though his sword was now lowered. Tivittica quickly rolled to the side and straightened, feeling slightly disoriented. Morzan was glaring at her now. "Still some fight in you? Let's make this quick, then."
Tivittica lunged at him with her sword by means of reply. He barely blocked it in time, but struck back swiftly. She blocked him, eyes glittering fiercely. "Do you honestly think that you can just strut about, attacking anyone who gets in your way, without suffering any consequences? Well, Brom apparently didn't think so, and neither do I!"
"You're such an irritating, presumptuous female!" Morzan spat. "No wonder your parents didn't try harder to come back to you!"
Tivittica pushed her attack harder, enraged by his statement. Such was her vicious intensity that Morzan found himself forced to the defensive, Tivittica's sword a barely recognizable blur.
They were in the center of the room now, blades locked in deadly combat. A sort of reckless rage had filled Tivittica, and her actions reflected: her movements were fueled by anger yet precise. Several minutes of intense dueling passed, with both Morzan and Tivittica struggling for the upper hand.
Suddenly, Morzan's blade flashed past her own, the tip resting on her throat. Tivittica froze, breathing heavily. "So this is how it ends," Morzan said, a satisfied note in his voice. "You've led me on a merry dance, but it ends here." He drew back quickly and thrust his blade forward, but Tivittica darted to the side, unbalancing him for a second. Though he recovered quickly, the distraction was all Tivittica needed to plunge her blade into his heart. As Morzan's eyes widened in surprise, she twisted the blade murmuring, "That was for my parents…and Murtagh."
Morzan didn't reply. Black blood trickled from the wound, but it faded into smoke and vanished. As he slumped forward, his body did the same. "No!" Morzan screamed, but it was too late, and he dissolved into nothingness. The only thing that remained was his sword, which lay on the ground where it had fallen.
Tivittica stared in shock where Morzan had just been. The blade slowly slipped from the ground with a clatter. He's gone…he's truly gone… She felt dazed, as if she were in a dream, and slowly crossed over to Murtagh. She murmured the words to unlock the manacles chaining Murtagh to the wall, and caught him as he fell forward. She gently touched his side and whispered "Waíse heill", using the last bit of the lightning's energy to assist her. When she'd finished, Murtagh straightened and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.
"Don't ever do that again," he whispered in her ear. "You had me scared for a few moments there, and I… I don't want to lose you." He drew back slightly and looked her over, making sure she was ok. Their gazes met, and Tivittica saw all of Murtagh's emotions displayed clearly in his eyes: shock, fear, relief, anxiety, guilt, and something else…
She tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes as he leaned forward and kissed her passionately. Several emotions swept through her as he did, and she tightly wrapped her arms around him. She felt like their kiss could last forever, and she didn't want it to end. And apparently, neither did he…
Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into Tivittica, wrenching her away from Murtagh and slamming her into the opposite wall with incredible force. She didn't have to hear the "crack" to know she'd broken at least one of her ribs. She struggled to pull herself into a slightly upright position, gasping in pain as she did so. She grimly reflected that she might not enough energy to heal herself at all. Looking around, she saw Murtagh standing where she'd left him, staring at her worriedly. His gaze shifted to the back wall, and his eyes widened slightly. Tivittica followed his gaze and mentally kicked herself. Galbatorix had stepped down from the viewing balcony, his expression livid.
"How dare you," he spat with barely controlled fury. "Did you forget that my intention was to punish you? That I wasn't planning on letting you leave without teaching you a lesson you'd never forget first? You're an ignorant, imbecilic fool if you think defeating one of my more talented followers would bring you your freedom!"
"If that was one of your best followers," Tivittica replied calmly, "then I'd hate to see what shape your army is in." It hurt to talk, but she felt a bitter satisfaction as Galbatorix tried with difficulty to suppress his rage.
"You underestimate me," he finally managed. "There is a reason why the Riders fell so quickly when I came to power."
"Yes, treachery and deceit. You can't stand to face someone in a duel honorably, but the need should arise to quietly 'take care' of someone, you're the one to call."
"Oh, really? Be careful how you respond."
"Why?" Tivittica replied, ignoring the dangerous tone in his voice. "Because your ego is at stake? Get over yourself, Galbatorix. I will never call you 'king', and I will never be some loyal follower of you."
"You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, here's something for you to think about!" he shouted a phrase in the Ancient Language, and a metallic silver beam of magic hurtled toward Tivittica. She tried to roll out of the way, but her injured ribs prevented her from doing so quickly enough.
The seconds seemed to slow as the beam materialized into a razor-sharp dagger. Tivittica desperately tried to throw up a force field, but she couldn't seem to find the energy to do so. And suddenly, the weapon thudded into her, slamming her back to the ground with incredible force as torrents of pain swept over her.
"Nooooo!" Murtagh screamed, running towards her. With a contemptuous flick of the wrist, Galbatorix sent Murtagh flying backwards. He landed heavily on the ground.
Galbatorix turned back to Tivittica, who was feebly trying to sit up. "Let that be a lesson to you," he told her, a cruel smile creeping across his face. "Never try to defy me again."
"Or else what?" Murtagh asked, having picked himself up. "You'll let her escape like Eragon did?"
Galbatorix face Murtagh, his eyes narrowing. "The Dragon Rider isn't going to evade me much longer. I have a plan that will take care of multiple problems at once."
"Like your plan to capture Farthên Dur?" Murtagh answered coolly, walking to where Tivittica lay. He ignored the flash of anger in the king's eyes and knelt beside Tivittica.
Looking down, he was surprised by just how much blood there was. It seemed to be an excessive amount, and it took a moment for it to sink in that it was all her blood. His heart skipped a couple of beats as he tried to determine just how badly she was injured. "Tivittica?" he whispered, afraid to move her.
Her eyes, which had been closed, fluttered open. Relief coursed through Murtagh's body as he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "How…" he hesitated, not sure he really wanted the answer. "How bad is it?"
"I won't lie to you—it's pretty bad. But I seem to be holding up alright, and the fact that I can even talk to you is a good sign." She closed her eyes again briefly, and he desperately wanted to gather her in his arms and hold her close. But he didn't want to make her injury worse, so he settled for slipping his hand into hers.
"Don't worry," he murmured to her, pushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you." He glanced up to see Galbatorix watching them with interest. "What do you want?" Murtagh demanded, slightly unsettled by the thoughtful look on the king's face. "You've already made your point."
"A moment ago, I would've said that I wanted her dead…but I have something better in mind. I'll return shortly, but don't bother trying to escape. I doubt Tivittica can handle another punishment." With a malicious chuckle, he turned and walked towards the door at the back of the room.
"Murtagh, quick," Tivittica whispered urgently. "Take the dagger and throw it at Galbatorix for me."
"Are you sure?" Murtagh asked. "If I remove the dagger, it may do more damage than good, and I don't want to hurt you more."
"Yes! Do it while you still—" She broke off, coughing. Murtagh looked at her worriedly, then carefully pulled the dagger out. Her eyes clouded with pain, but he forced himself to turn around. By now, Galbatorix had opened the door, and Murtagh quickly stood and threw the dagger with deadly precision.
At that moment, Galbatorix stepped inside the hall, closing the door behind him. Murtagh cursed under his breath in frustration, even as he realized that Galbatorix probably had wards around him that would prevent that sort that thing from happening. But to Murtagh's astonishment, the dagger didn't embed itself in the door—it went right through. What the…?
An angry shout came form the hall beyond the door, and suddenly, it burst open. Galbatorix stormed back into the room, blood trickling from his shoulder. "How dare you!" he spat, anger accentuating every word as he glared at Murtagh and Tivittica. He shouted a phrase in the Ancient Language that sent a chill down Murtagh's spine and made Tivittica gasp.
Nothing happened.
Murtagh, who had kept his eyes locked on Galbatorix since his reentrance into the room, saw a flicker of shock in the king's eyes. As if sensing Murtagh's gaze on him, he snapped, "I'll deal with you later", and strode out of the room.
Murtagh felt overwhelmed and a tad bit confused. "What the heck just happened?"
"Galbatorix just tried to kill us but his magic…just didn't work."
"So that's what those words meant," Murtagh said, filing them away in the back of his mind for further reference. "But why didn't his magic work? That's not the kind of thing that would just…stop."
"I'm not sure, but maybe—" She broke off, coughing again, and this time blood came with it.
Murtagh knelt beside her again, concerned. Her face was incredibly pale and looked as though she had bled more. "Can you heal yourself?"
"I doubt it. I'd probably kill myself if I tried to." She started to laugh at the irony of her statement, but quickly stopped.
"Use my energy. All you need to do is a basic healing of the most damaged areas, right? I'll let you into my mind, though whether I give you permission or not doesn't seem to matter much."
Tivittica smiled. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." She closed her eyes and murmured, "Waíse heill."
Her eyes suddenly flew open, fear and panic flashing in them. "Waíse heill. Waíse heill." But nothing happened.
"What's wrong?" Murtagh asked, concern and anxiety splashed across her features.
"My magic, Murtagh… It's gone."
A/N: Read this part again:
"Rïsa (rise)!" Morzan barked. Tivittica found herself suspended in the air, unable to move despite her desperate struggles. "Thrysta (compress)," Morzan murmured, a malevolent gleam in his eyes. Tivittica lost her grip on her sword as a crushing weight smashed into her lungs. She couldn't breathe… couldn't… breathe…
Wouldn't you agree that Morzan sounds like a Sith Lord? ;)
Chapter 22 on the way, hopefully by the end of this month. Let me know what you think so far!!!