-BRISINGR-

Alauinel shook.

Avela's body seems to be failing.

She forced borrowed muscles to smile as Murtagh's Elfen blade speared for her stomach. The Omshurtag sidestepped to the right, lifting her sword arm while Murtagh sped past her.

Alauinel tsk'd.

"F-foolish," she whispered with a pivot. Avela's rapier crept for Murtagh's neck. The air suddenly grew hot between them.

Murtagh hopped, evading her blow while spinning backwards into Alauinel. She grinned, lowering her head as Avela's curly locks sped past a pointed chin.

Murtagh dropped his sword.

"Brisingrën!"

His hands slapped together, five bullets of fire exploding from his fingertips.

I'm too close-

Alauinel gritted her teeth as her borrowed body stumbled backwards. Pain shot through her nerves, exploding flashes of light coloring wavering vision.

Murtagh threw himself to the ground, rolling as he retrieved his blade, then sprung for Alauinel's left.

Alauinel grimaced, Avela's body screaming while her elbow and knee pinched Murtagh's blade between joints of vermillion armor.

She kicked outwards, throwing Murtagh off-balance. He recoiled backwards, allowing Alauinel to pounce, slicing her rapier down on his exposed forearm.

Her eyes flexed.

Alauinel forced herself to a halt as a torrent of lighting zipped above Murtagh's arm.

She craned Avela's head, a small laugh leaving her while lighting dyed brown skin in an azure hue, lethal energy harmlessly passing white teeth trapped in a stolen grin.

I can't use any magic.

Avela's body seemed to be rejecting her. She swore within her mind as speech scattered.

"I-I'm not so sure you've come to kill me, M-Murtagh" Alauinel began. Murtagh's brows furrowed- he remained silent as he slashed his blade at the air. The embers falling upwards behind him were shaken off their ascent.

He threw his blade at Alauinel, aiming for Avela's neck.

Vrael's sword howled in the air. Alauinel moved to swipe it aside-

The sword stopped short of Avela's rapier, falling to the ground as Murtagh bounded towards her.

"Brisingrën!" He shouted. He suddenly fell to his knees, sliding towards Alauinel. Bare hands slapped together, five spheres of flame sprouting from them with a heavy clap.

Smart, from a lower angle-

Avela's back arched, Alauinel contorting herself to the ground on all fours. Murtagh's spell passed harmlessly overhead, basking Avela's snarl in an orange cloak.

She stabbed for his eyes-

Murtagh kicked upwards as he rolled back, Avela's chin knifing into the air. Blood trickled from the puppet's lips. The witch slid backwards, before jumping into the air.

Alauinel snapped Avela's eyes down at Murtagh, her stolen face framed with wavy hair.

"You could have sent E-Eragon after me. Yet You separate yourself from Thorn.." Alauinel hissed, glancing to the right.

Murtagh's sword was midair again, twirling point over hilt for Avela's brows.

Alauinel forced dark brown eyes to glance over to the blade almost boredly. She-

There was a sudden hoo in the air, a quick, curling whisper that snapped into Avela's eardrums.

Vrael's sword was gone. Directly beside Alauinel, Murtagh hung airborne in the blade's stead.

With an open palm, he grabbed Avela's face with large hands, forcing Alauinel's puppet down to the ground.

"Lichten Einaö Stollez" Murtagh bellowed.

Alauinel grinned.

An Elfen spell.

Lighting burst from Murtagh's palm, imploding the earth behind Avela's head as skin sloughed off of bleaching bone. Avela's eyes boiled within their sockets, blood spraying Murtagh across the face while his fingers flexed between Avela's melting smirk.

THE CORRUPTED DRAGON wept bountifully, shuddering cries shaking the trees free of ash. Flames shot up in the air, curling between pine tops as Thorn weaved against the backdrop of darkening clouds.

Murtagh- Eragon began, speaking to Thorn with a mental link.

He felt Thorn's emotions instantly brush him off.

Murtagh will be fine.

Eragon sensed Thorn's doubt for a whisper of a second.

The dragon faltered, but continued.

For now- we need to focus on taking care of this particular situation. I think we're in danger again.

Eragon smiled despite the hell around them. Then, light brown eyes drifted downwards as Thorn dived.

Eragon regarded the creature, raising his blade, long hair whipping about flushed cheeks.

You were right, Thorn said softly within Eragon's mind.

It's a dragon. Murtagh told me about this one- his name was Absolearet.

The monster dug its head into the ground, curling earth into the flames as it felled swathes of trees.

Before Eragon could think of a reply, the chimera screamed as it jerked its head directly at Thorn's underbelly, snout half buried into the earth. With a whooping cry, an arching spear shot from between Absolearet's maw, deafening all sound as the projectile darkened the world around it.

ERAGON!

Eragon's mind blanked.

Arya?

He heard her, felt her. Danger?

She called me.

He felt it in throes.

Death?

"Eragon!" Thorn roared. The wood exploded in sound as Eragon's sensed snapped back into view. His eyes narrowed into fine slits- he welled up energy within him.

Arya.

He held out his hand, freezing the lighting spear for a split second, allowing Thorn to twist out of harm's way.

Eragon lurched forward, gasping for breath. The spell racked his body. He felt blood well up in his mouth.

Absolearet was powerful. Stopping the spear for that brief second cost Eragon dearly.

Not yet, Eragon grimaced.

Absoleartet's descending spear exploded in the distance, beckoning a burst of ash that swam into the air.

Eragon felt a surge of Thorn's mana flow through him.

We need to find a way to keep it still, the Dragon echoed between Eragon's ears.

Absolearet suddenly flared leathery wings, raising them high above his snake-like body. With a moaning whimper, the beast threw them back down to the earth.

The transfigured beast took to the air heavily, pulsating force throwing Thorn backwards across wavering, incandescent flames.

I've never felt anything like this before. Alauinel.. she must've used more than Letherbalka.

Eragon felt Thorn's agreement within their shared link.

It's significantly more powerful than Avela-

That name again. Eragon's mind suddenly remembered Oromis' teachings.

The Forsworn.

Avela Massieo. A human Rider hailing from the Southling Kings. Avela's dragon, Absolearet. Despite their dark nature, Oromis freely stated he looked upon them both with favor before their fall.

What was more, Eragon knew Avela was male.

The figure that he saw bore a feminine shape, visible despite the armor it wore. Its face and hair were also much softer- it bore a distinct look that Eragon wasn't naive enough to assume was Avela's own natural appearance.

Something had happened, just like with Absolearet. A joining of bodies.

It was clearly a different technique than Vizcelia's temporary takeover, this was more.. physical, more present in the real world.

But that wasn't what was bothering him.

Murtagh knows something. He may not know all of it, but he knows something.

Eragon heard Murtagh's voice within his mind.

"I didn't think she'd survive.." he'd said.

A chill crept up Eragon's spine.

Thorn felt Eragon's unease.

He said nothing.

The dragon righted himself in the air, Eragon repositioning his body between Thorn's horns.

Before anything, we need to stop Absolearet.

On that front there's no deception between us.

Eragon had to smirk at Thorn's tone, despite the implication. Further within himself however, his suspicions bordered on truth.

It's possible Murtagh's actions caught even Thorn by surprise, but the dragon did know something as well. Something about...

"Alauinel," Murtagh slashed his sword across a belly of rising smoke. He stared into blackened eye sockets. Avela's face was now half charred skull, muscle exposed between cracking skin.

Despite his disbelief, Alauinel was still alive.

Avela's skeletal lower jaw snapped open, blood pouring between white teeth.

Avela's muscles contorted into a tormented smile.

"I sense it w-within y-you. His magic." Alauinel chirped.

Murtagh's eyes darkened.

"I know that's the only thing that can actually hurt you."

"Your efforts are w-wasted on Avela," Alauinel rasped.

"Don't play me for the same fool I was in Uru'baen," Murtagh warned harshly, raising his blade.

"You spread yourself too thin. The power, the mind you gave to Vizcelia is separate from you. The real you."

"If you die here, the wisps you split from yourself will crumble."

"There is much you d-don't know, Murtagh. Though losing this body would be to my chagrin." Alauinel jerked Avela's scorched head to the right, narrowly evading Vrael's sharp edge as Murtagh stabbed into the earth.

He pulled the ancient blade back with a slight jump, magic flowing around his free hand.

Alauinel kicked the ground underneath Avela's body, landing shakily on wavering legs.

Murtagh narrowed his eyes.

She's in pain.

If anything, she wants to retain basic physical functions. She wants to be able to move.

Murtagh lowered his eyes, watching blood drip from Avela's stomach and onto the blackened ground. The flames seemed to be getting closer, more wild.

He wasn't able to see- no, sense Eragon or Thorn.

I can also safely assume Alauinel doesn't have the abilities Vizcelia did.

Absolearet was where the power was. in this state, she alone lacked strength to dominate opponents like Vizcelia could.

"I don't know how you're doing this, but I do know you can't maintain several puppets for much longer."

Murtagh swung his blade before a resolute body.

"Eldunari or not," he rushed for Alauinel.

Avela's body unnaturally leaned forward, shambling into a ferocious sprint, rapier raised.

Ancient riders blades, the color of blood, clanged as they twisted into a snakelike dance.

NEXT CHAPTER 1/16/20

ALAUINEL'S WISH

A/N: sorry for ending this chapter here. The conclusion to this fight and the one with Absolearet will be in the next chapter.

I wrote these two chapters across a few days and as weird as it sounds, the plot flows better with them separated.

Also, *one* person messaged me asking how to pronounce "Alauinel" so I guess I'll answer here too!

I say it in my head like "Ah-la-Oooen-elle"

There it is. That's the author's note. Oh one more thing- after this weeks chapter I'll be switching to a monthly release schedule. I know it's probably annoying to randomly start getting 2-4 weekly notifications from me, so a monthly schedule will prevent that as I DO have a lot of content to post!

I also *might* post a portion of my story on this (probably near the end of BRISINGR, which yes, is coming. Ur all gonna be really mad actually :)