Chapter 26. Shadeslayer
Selena is in the heat of battle when she realizes Eragon is gone. She reaches out with her mind and feels Eragon deep beneath Tronjheim and he is not alone. ("ERAGON!") She shouts with her mind, but he closes off his mind to her.
"Durza! I have been looking for you!" Eragon says drawing Unbitr.
Durza laughs, "Then you are a bigger fool than all the Riders of old…"
("Eragon run!") Saphira says to his mind, but he ignores her.
"Still underestimating me…"
Durza draws his sword, "I will admit you caught me off guard…Take my word when I say it won't happen again…"
"I didn't know how to kill you then…Now I do…"
They circle each other and with each circuit they get closer to one another, "You think a few lessons from your mother makes you ready to face a Shade?"
"Why don't we find out!"
Once again Eragon shocks Durza by attacking not only with his sword, but his mind as well. His attacks are meant to kill both mentally and physically. Then Durza recovers and pushes Eragon out of his mind at the same time his sword is pushed to the side as he tried to take Eragon's sword arm. Eragon switches to his left arm to throw the Shade off, it works and he slashes Durza across his chest. Durza is unharmed but his armor has a huge gash in it.
Durza switches tactics to search for the source of Eragon's wards. When he finds it he starts to whisper a quick spell. The ring on Eragon's finger shatters into small pieces releasing the energy stored within. Eragon grabs the energy with his mind and recites his own spell. The energy from the ring gathers together into a ball and it is hurled at Durza. Durza's armor is ripped apart, his lip is cut, both his ears drums burst, as he hits his back. He goes into a backwards roll and comes up on his feet.
Eragon smiles and rushes forward, but he slides to a stop as Durza's armor repairs and the wounds he received magically heals. "See boy! You are outclassed and no match for me…For over 200 years have I been studying magic…No one can compete with me save the King!"
Durza leaps at Eragon and attacks with brutal force holding back nothing. The only thing Eragon can do is stay on the defensive and look for an opening where he can stab Durza through the heart. His mental defenses start to falter as well. His initial anger at trying to keep the future where his mother dies from coming true is dwindling fast. Eragon can feel his mother desperately making her way towards him even though he closed his mind off to her.
("SAPHIRA!") He shouts with his mind.
("We are coming! Arya is healing my wounds as fast as she can…")
Durza thrusts forward and wrenches Eragon sword from his hand. That is when Eragon leaps at Durza. They wrestle across the ground, but the Shade is too strong. He grabs Eragon by the throat. He tries to move Durza's hand, but he is too strong. Then with the last of his strength Eragon jabs his fingers into Durza's eyes. He roars in pain and throws Eragon off the top of him. Eragon sails through the air for seven feet and hits the ground back first. He sits up coughing, trying desperately to get air into his body.
He points his hand at Unbitr, "Risa oln Unbitr…" The sword leaps off the ground, but before it can reach his hand Durza bashes Eragon's wrist breaking it. Eragon howls in pain as Durza spins around him and slashes across his back. Eragon can feel the sword cutting through his armor and laying open his back. He falls to his knees as images of his vison rush forward. He can also feel his mother as Durza whispers something into his ear.
"The King will be pleased…Now where is your Dragon Saphira?"
It happened so fast that Durza didn't realize before it actually happened, "Get away from my son!" Selena ran at a speed Eragon didn't think a human could produce. She leaps with her feet sticking out and drop kicks Durza. He tumbles across the ground five times and stops on one knee. Selena had been following the whole time.
"WITCH! I will kill you!"
"Mother no!" Eragon says falling to his stomach and desperately crawls to his sword.
Selena fights like mother bear protecting her cub. She slashes Durza on the cheek and catches him on the neck. He knocks her left sword from her hand, then they lock up. Selena pulls him down and raises her feet. Durza lands on his feet and spins into Selena bashing her in the head with the pummel of his sword. Then he slashes her across the back and plunges his sword into her.
"NO!" Eragon screams watching as his mother arches her body forward. As he pulls the blade from her back Selena falls to her knees and then her stomach.
"Now my young Rider…"
Durza is cut off as a great boom fills the air. He looks up to find the Star Sapphire shattering Eragon's blue Dragon Saphira diving towards them through the debris. Arya is on Saphira with her hand poited out. Eragon smiles not looking up as he can feel through Saphira what's happening. He smiles as he can feel the fire erupting through her body and exiting through her mouth. A fresh wave of strength flows through Eragon and he whispers, "Risa oln Unbitr…"
Once again the blade leaps off the ground as Eragon leaps off his knees. Durza looks down just as Eragon reaches him wrapping his hand around Unbitr's pummel. He plunges his sword into chest, "BRISINGER!" A blue flame leaps across the blade which is planted in Durza's chest. A thin line of blood falls down the right side of his mouth. His skin becomes transparent and Eragon can see four swirling lights in black smoke writhing inside. His skin cracked and shattered freeing the spirits. The lights swirl around Eragon passing in and out of his body. He laughs as Saphira lands, then the spirits fly off in different directions.
"Eragon!" Arya screams jumping off Saphira. She gasps at his back and Saphira whimpers.
Eragon crawls on his knees towards his mother and turns her on her back. "M…y…son! Y…yo…y...you di…d…it!"
"Stay with me mother…"
Selena's mouth has blood and her face is dirty from lying face down in the dirt. "I…am…proud of you…Hel…p…your…bro…th…er!"
She closes her eyes, "NO! I won't let you die! "WAISE HEILL!"
"Eragon!" Arya says trying to pull him away, but he snatches his arm away.
"I can save her!" Arya looks at Saphira who just stares.
Then Selena coughs and her eyes pop open, "Let me go!" She says looking up.
"Never!"
Selena shakes her head, "Yo…u…can…" She spits up blood, "…pour…all the…ener…gy…int…o…me you want…It won't help…"
("Saphira help me!") But she does nothing. ("SAPHIRA!") Eragon looks at Arya, "Help me…You know more about healing than anyone here in the Varden…Help her!"
Tears fall down Arya's cheeks, "Her wounds are too extensive…I can't…"
Selena closes her eyes again, "No…NO! WAISE HEILL…" Eragon tries to heal Selena, but he cannot and passes out from all the energy he poured into her.
Eragon walks up to his house, the fields have been harvested, the barn is fixed and he hears voices inside. When he enters his house Bronn, Serena, Murtagh, and Roran are there. "Where have you been Eragon?"
He smiles, "Is this real?"
"Of course it is…"
("ERAGON!")
He looks toward the front door then back at his family but they are gone. The kitchen has spider webs all over and there is dust and leaves in the kitchen as if no one has lived in the house for ages. ("ERAGON!")
When Eragon goes outside he finds himself in the desert, "There you are Cairsab…" A man says.
"Cairsab? My name is…My name is…"
"Stop playing games Cairsab! We have work to do…"
Then they are surrounded by dozens of people who banish Cairsab and his father from the village because Cairsab's father is accused of being an oath-breaker. Then three years later Cairsab's father is killed by bandits. Cairsab barely escapes, wondering the desert until he meets Haeg.
"Teach me!" Cairsab demands.
"Why?"
"Because I want revenge…Teach me and I will swear myself to your service…"
Haeg agrees and tutors Cairsab in the art of summoning spirits. Cairsab grows stronger everyday, then trajedy hits. Haeg is enjured during an exercise. Finally the day comes when Cairsab has his revenge against the bandits who killed his father. He also travels to the village and exposes the real men who framed his father. He curses the village and leaves with Haeg. Then he meets a woman, Angela by name. Cairsab wants a fight, but Haeg fears the woman.
"We could have beaten her together…"
"No Cairsab…She would have killed us both…"
Three years later an old enemy of Haeg's appears. The two men had been bitter rivals and apprenticed to the same Master. But Haeg betrayed both men. Cairsab wishes to help, but Haeg refuses his help. The man has become more powerful and kills Haeg. Cairsab watches as his master dies and fights the man. Cairsab in anger summons three more spirits, he looses control and they turn on him…
DURZA is born and DURZA kills the man, "I am Durza…Let all be ware…" Durza is sixteen ears old he looks at his hands…The right hand has a strange mark on it…
"My name is not Durza…It is…" Durza looks up at the sky, it is red and black with lightening flashing across the sky. Then a light breaks the clouds and as it grows the sky clears up.
"Your name is Eragon!" A voice says, "And you have rid the land of great evil…"
The doubt was washed away and Eragon remembered his life and all his adventures since finding Saphira's egg. "I am Eragon! The Blue rider…Who are you?"
"I am known by many names…Osthato Chetowä, The Mourning Sage, and Togira Ikonoka, The-Cripple-Who-Is-Whole…I have watched you Eragon Shadeslayer from the moment you entered the Beor Mountains…"
"How do I know you are not Galbatorix?"
There was a feint growl, ("I am Osthato Chetowä, The Mourning Sage, and Togira Ikonoka, The-Cripple-Who-Is-Whole…" ) He repeated in the ancient language.
"Forgive me I mean no offense…"
"Trust Arya and go with her I will see you when you reach Ellesmera…Go now Eragon and may the stars watch over you…"
"Wait don't leave me…"
When Eragon awoke he awoke to Arya sleeping by his bed. He looks at Saphira who is sleeping as well. Saphira's eye pops open, then Arya awakes and smiles, "My mother? Where is her body?"
Arya sighs, "The Dwarves have repaired her body for a burial ritual…I placed spells on it to preserve her until you awoke…"
He starts to cry, "I should have been able to save her…"
Arya kisses his forehead, "She died saving your life…It may not be of comfort to you…But all parents who love their children will do anything for them…Even die!" Arya stands up and leaves the room.
Eragon watches until she is gone, then he turns his eys toward Saphira, ("I am sorry…") Saphira says. ("No magic in the world could have saved her…")
("I am not angry with you…I just wish I was more powerful…Stronger! We need to go to Ellesmera…with all speed…")
("I agree!")
That is when Arya returns with Ajihad, Angela, Orick, and Solembum, "Thank Ishzanpaur you are alive…" Ajihad says.
"Hello Shadeslayer…" Orick says.
"That is what everyone is calling you…" Ajihad says.
"How went the battle?"
"We have won!" Orick yells.
Ajihad smiles, "When you killed Durza, the Urgals awoke from whatever spell they were under…They started fighting each other…This allowed us to drive them off…Scouts are searching the tunnels for any remnants…Jormunder and Hrothgar are leading a force to Orthiad to finish them off…But the battle is won…"
Eragon tries to sit up, but Angela shoves him back down, "You are not healed yet…"
"I need to tend to my mother…"
"Rest Eragon!" Ajihad says, "Your mother's body is being tended too…When you are strong enough she will be given a heros honor…"
Eragon had to stay in bed for the next three days. Then he stands on a raised platform before the Varden and the Dwarves. When Eragon and Spahira appear a thunderous cheer erupts, "SHADESLAYER! SHADESLAYER! SHADESLAYER!" They cheer even louder when Eragon raises Unbitr over his head.