A/N: SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT but also yay Thursday chapter! Also!
started writing a new fic based on a more supernatural version of the lighthouse, so if you enjoy slow burn psychological thrillers pls don't hesitate to check that out on my profile!
Have a great (soon to be) weekend guys. Thank you again for the support. The fact that people are still reading this makes my day sometimes.
Anyway, on to what you (hopefully) care about.
BRISINGR.
ERAGON'S Vision twirled. Light shrieked across Gillendel's skies, lighting growing treacherous talons-
vomiting from Absolearet's maw. The fallen beast's cries chilled Eragon's resolve.
We'll have to end this soon. I can feel mana rising from within Absolearet Thorn intoned within Eragon's mind.
Eragon silently agreed. Magic was welling up within the beast- but also from somewhere else.
His eyes widened.
Within Gillendel?
Thorn's wings closed against his body. The dragon deftly sped between arcing gates of lethal energy, releasing his wings with a passing rising wind.
Eragon could feel fear building up within Thorn. Though he and Thorn were now mentally linked, their connection would never match the natural ebb and flow between dragon and Rider. As it stood now, they very well could die.
It would take all of their strength to defeat this monster.
Absolearet bellowed, weeps rattling across Eragon's eardrums.
The cursed dragon suddenly charged, shambling forward from a bed of upturned trees, bathed in wine red flames.
Thorn felt Eragon's intent.
The dragon banked downwards, flipping himself over while midair. Eragon leapt from between Thorn's horns, eyes now narrow slits as he dipped into a subtle rage.
His new blade shone brilliantly against the ash that flew across a descending sky.
Absolearet's back ruptured.
Arms, comprised of bleeding flesh and bone, broke forth from Absolearet's skin. They stretched for Eragon, twisting upwards into the air with grasping fingers.
Eragon dived into the sea of limbs. He slashed ancient blade against ruined flesh, bisecting a path downwards towards Absolearet's neck.
Thorn continued flying past, flipping underneath the elder Dragon as Absolearet's massive wings cruelly beat the air.
Eragon continued, cutting away more arms while the ghastly limbs burst from Absolearet's body. Using magic, Eragon forced leather boots to hold themselves against Absolearet's neck. The beast thrashed about, rising in the skies, gibbering cries echoing amongst blackened clouds.
Thorn landed directly below, strong legs finding purchase within Absolearet's hastily made clearing.
Now.
Eragon swung himself counter clockwise around Absolearet's neck, skidding between bird-like eyes. He rolled, placing his palm against hard beak.
"Trenya Obdhulorian!" The spell rang, reverberating through the Rider's body.
Eragon leapt from Absolearet just as the heavens parted-
Wavering light crossing Eragon's pupils.
Thunder roared.
Next, lightning crackled, stabbing through Absolearet's beak. The former dragon screamed in pitiful agony.
At that same moment, Thorn propelled himself upwards.
He opened his mouth, a fine jet of blue fire snaking from between white fangs.
It cut through Absolearet's neck as if a blade, ending the demon's cries.
It was then eerily silent. Only the wind could be heard afterwards, whipping about Eragon's hair as he fell.
Eragon descended, Thorn's shadow passing over him.
The Rider called himself to Thorn's neck, dragon turning himself sideways. Absolearet plummeted past, meeting Gillendel's crumbling forests.
A resounding crash instantly followed, fire snaking upwards as it greedily ate away its newest offering.
MURTAGH DUCKED.
Avela's rapier cut loose strands of hair. The blade stabbed for Murtagh's throat, then slashed upwards. Murtagh forced himself into a roll, chased by Alauinel's puppet.
He turned on the ashen ground, rising with a spin as his sword arched around his body. Alauinel directed her puppet to deflect the blow, sending a resounding clang back to Murtagh's ears.
So she can still perceive her surroundings, Murtagh surmised. He nimbly recovered after being thrown off balance, jogging a few paces backward.
Avela's body didn't pursue. The figure's face was half charred, exposed jaw and bone gracing a slack smile.
Murtagh's hand throbbed. Magic overloaded his veins, gathering within a burning palm.
Just a little more time.
It was then he heard it.
Wind howled across the tips of trees, buffeting burning leaves across Murtagh's vision. A shockwave ensued, crashing bedlam rocking the ground beneath him.
The dark Rider frowned.
Absolearet.
Alauinel would pay for what she had done to the dragon. Silently, he thanked
Thorn for ending the noble being's pain.
Avela's skin cracked into a deeper smile. A fresh stream of blood descended from ruined muscle, staining Avela's teeth.
"Your face nearly w-whispers to me, Murtagh." Alauinel stepped borrowed legs forward, ash framing her figure.
"It b-betrays you."
Avela dropped his rapier.
Avela's joints suddenly cracked. Legs turned on themselves as if broken by invisible hands. A scream rose from within stolen lungs.
Murtagh watched in horror while Avela crumbled to the ground, twisting and convulsing.
Bones visibly popped from the writhing mass, until finally, the movement stopped.
Limbs realigned in a cruel dance.
Avela's waist turned, kicking legs upwards. In the same movement Alauinel's puppet retrieved the rapier with unnatural precision.
The phantom stood then, eerie and still.
Avela's body snapped into movement. Murtagh's eyes widened in surprise-
She's faster? He barely had time to think. Thin blade slashed across his cheek, drawing blood. Alauinel had closed the distance between them in seconds.
Their swords whipped through the air.
Murtagh felt himself being driven backward. Alauinel seemed to be everywhere at once.
Above, below-
Blood sprayed onto the ground. Murtagh grimaced. His skin opened at the base of his waist down to a quivering right thigh.
Avela whipped his rapier free of blood, directed by Alauinel's control.
The Witch pounced. She slid between two desperate slashes, curling into Murtagh's chest.
Her breath parted dark locks.
Avela's free arm twisted past Murtagh's elbow, pulling him closer.
The puppet's sword changed grip behind Murtagh's shoulders.
She plans to impale us both-
Murtagh placed his hand on Avela's chestplate. Dark magic screamed from
his body, felling the air around him.
As he spoke, red smoke whispered from his teeth.
"Verulschen Aüs."
Silence.
Murtagh's vision faded. Screams filled the air.
Black, etherlike fire ringed across Avela's chest. The doomed Rider was thrown backwards, arms cut from torso. Within the ring embering upon green armor, a hole ate away flesh and bone.
Murtagh opened his eyes, looking at the burning forest through a gaping chest.
A halting laugh emerged from full lips, tanned by Alagaesia's southern sun.
"I have to say I didn't e-expect that."
Wide brown eyes flexed towards Murtagh, constricted in pain.
"I-I felt what you were doing."
Murtagh stepped forward.
"Before I kill you-"
Alauinel smiled, then continued.
"Gathering magic in your right hand-I thought y-you planned to-"
Murtagh bellowed, slashing Vrael's blade for Avela's neck.
The point stopped short.
"Y-you hesitate." Alauinel purred with self satisfaction.
Galbatorix.
The old King's face flashed before Murtagh's eyes.
The youth's gaze hardened.
"Killing you now- or whatever body you're wearing- would be pointless."
"A very astute assumption." Alauinel answered.
Murtagh's brows sharpened in anger.
"Don't think I can't sense you. It's taking all you have just to continue wearing that husk."
She's waiting for something. That's why she hasn't abandoned it yet.
Murtagh thought of Nasuada then. Next, his son.
Murtagh needed to ensure he could defeat Alauinel. He wasn't foolish enough to think the battle would end here. While he had the position of power, he knew he needed information from her.
Anything will help. If I could base some sort of plan from what she tells me...
"I don't have the energy to play charades." Alauinel said. Avela fell to one knee in exhaustion.
"You're r-right. I want to keep this body.. if possible. Though if I lost it, Vizcelia would carry out my will. I suppose it would c-complicate matters.."
"I'm not going to ask how you did it. I want to know why." Murtagh hissed. Vrael's blade dug into Avela's neck, drawing blood.
"For Him." Alauinel answered.
Him?
"Gholhbhor?" Murtagh's voice spiked in rage.
"He is the only solution. Even as a child, I knew that to be true. Morzan simply gave shape to an innate reality I already understood."
"I-I am grateful to him for teaching me. I mean t-that." Avela graced Murtagh with another bleeding grin.
"It's ironic. Out of all the r-religions in this world- all of those foolish deities. Only the God of death exists."
Murtagh frowned.
"And you mean to control death?"
"I mean to b-become it."
Murtagh drove the blade halfway across Avela's throat. Blood fell freely from the cut, staining the ground with a gentle drip.
"Search my thoughts. They should be tangible to y-you. I speak truthfully." Alauinel said.
Murtagh knew already. Her innermost desires were still hidden, and he couldn't perceive even the beginning of her thoughts. However, he was skilled enough to confirm Alauinel wasn't lying.
His blade shook.
"How would you become Gholhbhor?"
"The Eldunari were only a p-piece." Alauinel began.
"Power is nothing without plan. Even with the raw strength of the Eldunari, I wouldn't be able to contain Him."
"I needed to p-prepare a vessel. But not just t-that."
Avela's eyelids lowered, partly covering charred sockets that bled tears of blood.
"The only h-hope I-I had to c-control him.. c-control It.. was to take Gholhbhor's mind from within. Planting a s-seed of myself inside God's consciousness."
Alauinel continued.
"I-I allowed myself to be killed by Islanzadi, though I had hoped I would have m-more time. Everything is linked in Raza'cul.. the realm of the dead."
Murtagh gritted his teeth.
"Once your soul left your body-"
Blood pulsed from Avela's teeth.
"You're almost as b-bright as your Father. I researched the connection between Riders and their Dragons- the convergences between their spirits. I was able to r-replicate those bonds.. and place them on three homunculus bodies. Once I died, my soul was split between them."
Avela's head lifted up towards Murtagh, before turning down at the blade that was halfway dug into a brown neck.
"One of those bodies was d-designed to nullify Gholhbhor's mind, making God nothing more than a mindless r-reservoir of unlimited energy."
Murtagh had heard enough. He silently cut through Avela's neck-
The ground ruptured underneath him.
Pale arms, ending in hands covered with mouths and eyes, broke free from the ashen earth. Murtagh jumped backwards, pulling Vrael's sword with him. The arms surrounded Avela, encapsulating the puppet as the earth quaked.
Confusion took Murtagh's mind.
It can't be.
He heard sobbing emanating from below, whispering upwards towards his ears.
Absolearet is still alive-
Murtagh forced himself backwards with magic as the earth roared open. Absolearet emerged, cackling with sorrowful whines. The dragon's body was awash with gashes as exposed muscles re-built themselves, pulled together by tendons of flesh.
The massive beast rose before Murtagh, eclipsing the moon above. At the crest of Absolearet's head, Murtagh saw the faint outline of Avela's upper body.
"The final stage begins now, Murtagh. My other has...made it. To the place beyond." Alauinel's voice echoed throughout the burning forest.
Murtagh lifted his sword.
"I won't allow it!" He bellowed.
Dark magic is the only thing I can-
Pain..?
Murtagh looked downwards.
Five fingers stabbed into his chest, and another five closed around his spine. He could feel them, feel their cold and searing touch.
Behind him, two snakelike arms tunneled from the ground. Murtagh grimaced, coughing up blood.
He quivered silently, claret spit falling from between tightly shut lips.
"MURTAGH!"
Thorn..?
Murtagh fell backwards. His vision faded- he thought he saw Absolearet rise against the night sky, but he wasn't sure. Everything was growing black.
I'm in so much pain.
Murtagh! Please! Thorn's voice welled within him.
I can't breathe.
Nasuada.
Thorn..
He felt something warm, felt it course through him. He tried, desperately, to grasp onto it- but it slipped through his fingers.
He felt a surge of pain- but it was something else. Not from him, but her.
Nasuada?
A feeble smile echoed upon Murtagh's paling lips.
Not a son. A daughter.
Please don't let her find them, Thorn.
Thorn said something to him. He couldn't hear, not even within his own mind.
Murtagh opened his eyes, and saw nothing.
He died.
A/N: as I said previously, chapters will be monthly now. Released on the 20th.
NEXT CHAPTER: THE CRUELTY OF FEAR