Hello everyone,
Left you on a cliffhanger last week and for that I do NOT apologize. I have spent a long time thinking about how to properly do this next chapter. Well I hope you all enjoy it! I won't waste anymore time.
Authors note at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Hello everyone, come join us!"
I turned behind me to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, in ran Eragon, Saphira, Brom, Vanir, Arya, and Carn. They looked panicked at the way they ran inside, as if they had just fought their way into the room.
Which would be odd because I just came from that way. I thought as I observed them.
Carn wielded the Dauthdaert in his right hand as he jogged forward, it was dripping with blood. His clothes didn't look much better. Vanir and Arya looked as immaculate as any elf could after killing people. A talent that extended to all of their race apparently. Brom had apparently learned the skill over the last one-hundred years. He always refused to wear that much armor in battle, claiming he was too skilled and it would only slow him down. Eragon's blood soaked plate dripped the same way that Saphira's maw did. All in all, they looked like proper conquerors.
My thoughts made me look down to my own body. Dried blood practically covered all of my forearms and most of my upper arm. My bare chest had smears and flecks of blood in random places. My lower body looked much better, somehow the ratty pair of pants and too-small shoes came out almost completely unscathed. Luckily my hair and beard were still perfect. I could confidently say that I looked like a warrior slave, come to kill his master.
Suddenly Arya was by my side, with her hands checking all over my body for any wounds I might have accumulated. She did a very fast glance and determined that the blood wasn't mine and turned her attention back to the real threat sitting on the throne.
Must have been lost in the moment. I pondered as I realized that I wasn't paying attention to their approach.
"I am fine." I told her. She looked deep in my eyes and I felt her mind connect with mine.
I am glad you are well. She told me.
I sent her a wink and a grin as I turned my attention to the rest of the party. Their greeting was much less warming, only a nod from the rest of them. I nodded back.
I have missed you. I told Arya just as Galbatorix spoke. It worked.
"Brom. Finally, after all these years we meet again. How long has it been?" Galbatorix taunted.
"I have waited, plotted and planned, and murdered for a hundred years to get to this moment Galbatorix." Brom replied passionately.
Galbatorix nodded along as he spoke. "Oh yes. 'Bane of the thirteen'! Morzan was particularly hateful of you. It wasn't enough for you to kill him, you had to take his love away too, how cruel you have been." Galbatorix replied. "I do hope you have told Eragon that he is your son." Galbatorix's eyes moved to Eragon for a reaction. When he didn't get one, he smiled knowing he wouldn't be able to get under their skin.
Before anyone else could respond. A roar was heard behind us. Thorn flew through the massive doors at the front of the throne room, with Murtagh on his back.
Arya and I melded our minds with those of the rest of our party. I almost staggered at the weight of the minds connected. The Eldunari were the source of my discomfort, over a hundred eldunari of ancient dragons took a toll on someone who should have been expecting it but didn't. I grabbed a hold of my own mind and blocked the chatter from the minds, distancing myself from it.
Sorry, Roran. Eragon's voice sounded in my head. I sent him the mental equivalent of a shrug, saying that it was fine. Murtagh and Thorn circled around us and landed beside Galbatorix. Murtagh climbed out of the saddle, a furious look on his face.
"Hello brother." I spoke as his feet hit the ground.
His features didn't soften and he didn't respond. "Oh don't be rude, Murtagh. Your family greeted you." Galbatorix spoke and mocked the word family with his tone. Murtagh nodded in our direction in response to his wishes.
We were distracted by the huge black mass behind Galbatorix shifting. The mountain of a dragon's tail slithered around the room, and it took a moment for me to be able to make out it's features. It was so big. Finally it opened it's massive eyes and Saphira let out a growl in response. Shruikan didn't even blink at Saphira's growl, he thought her so far beneath him, the King of Dragons. It made sense considering she could fit in his mouth.
Brom suddenly moved forward, looking to catch Galbatorix off guard.
"No!" I yelled.
The world vibrated as Galbatorix spoke the Word again, I recoiled as the information his my mind and left quickly. Then I was brought into the air by an invisible force. The stone in my abdomen burned again.
My limbs snapped to my side, arms and legs splayed out in the same way as when I was being tortured. I could move my head and mouth but that was it. Everyone of our party, even Saphira, was held in the air the same way, and all of them were struggling.
"Now that was rude, Brom. I hadn't even greeted my old friends. Umaroth-elda, it is good to see you again, even if I can't truly see you." Galbatorix scolded and greeted at the same time. His eyes moved to a space to the left of Eragon's head.
I melded my mind with the other closer than before, but protected myself from the weight of the Eldunari's minds.
Stop struggling, wait for the right moment. I scolded my party. Almost immediately, the veins in their heads and body disappeared, retreating into their body as they gave up the struggle.
The stone of my necklace burned in my stomach, reminding me it was there. I thought it odd it was acting up, as there was enchantments against discomfort.
"Very well." Galbatorix spoke again. "You will have to get through Murtagh here to get to me, if you defeat him. I promise I will let you cut me down." Galbatorix's face screamed glee as he waved his hand and Brom fell to the floor. Luckily he landed on his feet gracefully with Oromis' golden blade Naegling in his right hand.
"Murtagh, meet your father and mother's murderer. You could say he is responsible for everything that has happened to you." Galbatorix baited Murtagh, and he took the bait.
Zar'roc slid out of its sheath and Murtagh stepped forward.
"You know better than that, Murtagh. Brom ended the misery of your childhood." I retorted to him. "How many more scars would you have, had Brom not ended his reign?" I asked.
Murtagh's head snapped to mine and the look of rage he had on his face turned to one of sorrow, as if he had no choice to fight Brom.
He doesn't have a choice. I broadcasted my thoughts to my companions, and they all knew I was right.
"Don't kill him Brom." I asked but it came out like pleading, begging.
Brom nodded and I felt bad for placing that handicap on him, there was no way he would win with Galbatorix here if he didn't go for the kill.
"I'm sorry it's come to this." Brom spoke as he took his stance with his father figures sword in his hand, pointed to Oromis' killer.
Murtagh stood opposite of him, with his father's sword in his hand, pointed at Morzan's killer. "Me too."
Poetic. I heard from a deep booming voice I assumed was Umaroth just as their swords clashed.
The stone in my gut burned again and I instinctively reached out to it, to see if it was losing energy. I was immediately met with the knowledge of the Word, the Name of Magic. The syllables came to me and it took everything I had not to utter it out loud, and give away my trump card. I grunted just as the sound of two swords of brightsteel clashing. The blades screamed at each other every time they met.
Murtagh and Brom were a blur of motion, moving with the speed only master swordsmen could. They both stood around the same height and had similar reaches. To Brom, it must have felt like dueling Morzan again. To Murtagh, it must have been comparable to a more skilled Eragon. They danced around each other, neither getting the upper hand.
In the meantime I was trying to cope with the knowledge in my mind. I had to detach my mind from the party, as I couldn't concentrate with their stray thoughts entering my mind. Arya's head turned, recognizing my discomfort. Worry stretched across her face. It was an unpleasant feeling.
I uttered the Word in my mind and luckily the world didn't shake in response, it didn't give me up. I immediately began to plan, because I knew I had the key to dismantling Galbatorix's wards. The problem is that I didn't have Murtagh's insider knowledge on the exact make-up of his wards.
Brom elbowed Murtagh in the nose, Murtagh rolled with the blow and created distance. When he turned back to face Brom, his nose was red but not broken.
"Good. Your skills haven't dulled Brom, that is good." Galbatorix whispered to all of us. "Now stop holding back, strike Murtagh down like you did his father."
Brom attacked, beginning the next salvo of blows. I was still thinking of ways around the wards.
I could change words of protection to those of vulnerability. But that would change all of the wards in the world, quickly. So many people would be vulnerable immediately. So many elves that would have normally been safe because of their wards, cut down. Is it worth it? I asked myself.
I decided I needed a second opinion. My mind reached out to my party, still connected to my necklace. I held the information of the Word back in my necklace, so that nobody would be overwhelmed and speak it out loud, giving us up.
I was met with panic.
He knows the Name. Umaroth spoke to everyone. We must strike.
Wait! I yelled, getting everyone's attention. I have learned the Word! Don't do anything, buy us time for me to prepare to take down his wards with the Word.
How? Eragon asked me. It keeps slipping from our minds.
He has warded the information from sticking in anyone's mind. I have a way around it that would take too long to explain. Just buy my time! I told them all quickly. I am going to take down everyone's wards, I am going to switch words around. DO NOT USE THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE TO CAST, do you all understand?
I got mental agreements from everyone. Even Brom sent a mental nod as he parried a strike from Murtagh and moved inside his guard.
Good, when I start casting, Eragon and the Eldunari need to attack Galbatorix's mind, distract him so that I can finish the casting. Carn, Arya and Saphira go for Shruikan immediately when we drop, he must be killed. Hopefully Thorn will ignore you. Vanir, when I finish, go for Murtagh and keep him distracted. Do not kill him. Eragon, I need you to keep his mind occupied for me to attack once his wards are down. Understood?
There were no objections, and I took that for a good sign. I immediately started constructing the spell I needed, placing words in odd positions. It was an extremely taxing mental exercise.
The screaming of brightsteel on brightsteel resumed for me and I forced myself to look at the deadly duel, so that Galbatorix wouldn't be alarmed.
"That is enough don't you think Murtagh?" Galbatorix spoke.
The effect was immediate. Murtagh's strikes suddenly became more powerful and faster as he became aided by magic. Where before they were on even grounds with skill. Now Brom was at a disadvantage. Every parry, every deflection took a little more out of Brom.
I knew I had to hurry as Brom was about to be struck down by Murtagh, who had no choice but to do it.
Suddenly Brom overextended with an overhand strike and Murtagh didn't let the opportunity pass. The world slowed as Murtagh turned his body, missing the swing and brought Zar'roc up dragging it along Brom's side, cutting into his left ribs, and possibly deeper to his lung.
"NO!" I yelled and it was echoed by Eragon.
Brom staggered for a moment as his hand dipped to the wound, feeling the blood rush out of him. Murtagh finished his swing facing away from Brom and continued to look away, unable to watch the man die.
Clapping began and I looked up to see Galbatorix smiling and bringing his hands together in joy. Then he stopped abruptly and looked down to Brom with a frown. I followed his line of site and looked at my mentor also.
Brom was whispering, in the Ancient Language. And Galbatorix was going to stop him from healing himself. Something that I could not allow to happen.
"NOW!"
I yelled and they reacted immediately attacking Galbatorix's mind with full force.
At my will, my necklace dropped all of the wards on my body. Then I reached into the energy within my necklace and spoke.
The world shook again as I spoke the Word. I closed my eyes as I focused on my task.
All of us dropped to the ground after my first five words, as I switched the word for binding to freeing.
Carn and Arya lept onto Saphira's back as she was already flapping her wings to take to the air.
Vanir leapt at Murtagh and kicked him away from the throne, a good ten feet before he could react.
I started speaking again and changed the twenty words of protection I knew to words of not only vulnerability, but also random things such as ease and problem. It had to take me at least two minutes, a lifetime in a battle. Words that I knew, once thrown into a sentence for wards, would prove catastrophic. Everyone would know to drop the wards quickly as they felt the effects. At least I hoped so.
As I finished speaking, I opened my eyes to see lights streaming around Galbatorix as the changes took place. It was a lot like what I would have expected Wyrden would have looked like right before his death underneath Dras-Leona in the books.
There was a roar behind Galbatorix and as I saw a green piece of light pierce into Shruikan's head and immediately come out the other side of his body, obviously aided by magic that couldn't have been casted with the Ancient Language. Galbatorix waved a hand and I reacted immediately by reaching into my stone and grabbing the store of energy within. I willed myself to stick to the ground as a shockwave poured over the battlefield.
Everyone but me went ass over tit, and then Galbatorix stood up. My body moved without me reacting as the lights stopped streaming around Galbatorix. I started sprinting to him.
His wards are removed. I deduced. Now attack before he can apply more.
Galbatorix saw my approach and raised his hand wordlessly casting a spell to make me stop. I was still connected to my necklace and also cast to keep me moving. I took three steps before almost all of the power in my necklace drained. The once massive ocean of energy fell to the size of a small pond within two seconds. Luckily those three steps were close enough for him to quit the spell knowing that I was too close to him.
Galbatorix's face grimaced and his hand twitched to his head, I knew Eragon and the Eldunari must have attacked his mind again. He drew Vrael's blade from its sheath to prepare for my attack. I realized I still had my stolen, inferior blade in my hand and something in my mind told me to grab the blade in a reverse style, I obeyed.
I jumped as high as I ever have in the air and brought the blade in a slash from Galbatorix's left shoulder to his right hip.
Vrael's blade swung with purpose to block and instead of cutting through my sword, it just broke in half. The other half of my sword fell from my grip because of the fracture and the shock it sent up my right arm.
I landed in a crouch on his right side and had to duck under Galbatorix's counter swing that would have beheaded me. Vrael's sword cut into the throne beside us.
I swung my left fist in a punch that had all of my strength and leverage in it. I made contact with his right ribs and felt them crumble under my superior biology.
I used the momentum to throw a kick with my right leg and he lifted his left arm up to block it, it folded under the force of my leg. The momentum sent Galbatorix backwards to hit the throne and he sat back down unintentionally. Vrael's sword ripped from his hand as it was still stuck in the throne.
The gleam of metal hit my right eye and I reacted immediately by jumping up, twisting for leverage, and grabbing the broken shard of blade flying in the air with my right hand.
I continued my momentum and drove the blade straight through his forehead, splitting the crown on his head, piercing through his brain, and coming out the other side to stab into the marble throne.
His body fell limp.
The world stood still.
The shuffling sounds of fighting stopped behind me as I stood into the eyes of the tyrant. I let go of the blade and stood up above him, breathing hard. Galbatorix's vessel stared off into space, no longer functioning. It would have slid off of the throne had I not impaled him on it through his skull.
I just stood there for a good moment, letting the realization that it was over sink in.
It's not over. I thought to myself, realizing that the battle was still raging outside. I grabbed the body of Galbatorix and ripped it off the throne. Brain matter and blood flew because of the action.
I grabbed him by the arm and turned around. All of my companions stood around me, even Murtagh. They all had a tired look on their face, as they all knew it was over.
I moved forward holding on to the arm of Galbatorix's body and drug him. They split, letting me pass them. Brom nodded at me, holding his side and I almost stopped to finish healing his wounds. The look on his face told me to keep walking, so I did.
I walked towards the front of the throne room. Time passed quickly as I moved through the doors into the grand entrance to the castle. I could hear footsteps behind me as everyone followed, even the dragons stayed on foot.
The pillars passed by me. Or did I pass by them? I wondered as I walked like I was floating on air.
The sunlight hit my face as I passed into the open air. In front of me was a set of very wide, very steep marble steps. I looked out over it and could see the city. It was up in smoke.
The battle had progressed to right in front of the castle. I could see a sea of black and red in front of me with their backs turned. My army was cutting through them.
We won everything. I realized.
I reached into the necklace in my gut and without saying any words I cast a spell to amplify the sounds coming from my voice.
"ENOUGH!"
The sound reverberated throughout the whole city, traveling to every body within the walls according to my will and magic.
Everything stopped and the mass of bodies in front of me turned to me.
"Galbatorix is dead." I said in a normal tone and willed the sound to reach everyone's ears.
I reached behind me and grabbed Galbatorix's body. I threw it down the steps in front of me. Blood smeared across them as he rolled.
Something came over me and I flexed every muscle in my body and screamed to the heavens, I cut the magic off first of course.
"AHHHHHHH!"
It was a cry of triumph. The dragons behind me joined and their roars shook the buildings around us and rattled the windows, I could feel the heat from the fire leaving their maw. The Varden reciprocated my cry and voices of a hundred thousand soldiers hit my ears. Horns of Urgals sounded out. The empires soldiers dropped their weapons all across the city.
When they stopped I saw a lone rider approach. The crowd of black and red imperial soldiers split and I made out the man on the back of the horse.
Jormundur.
He dismounted when he reached the front, took five steps towards me before turning around. He took his helmet off, drew his sword from his waist and pointed it to the air.
"LONG LIVE THE KING! STRONGHAMMER!"
He pointed his sword towards me and then laid it across both of his palms as if offering it to me, then he dropped to his knees. The crowd echoed man and urgal dropped to their knees, and offered their weapons up.
"STRONGHAMMER!"
"STRONGHAMMER!"
"STRONGHAMMER!"
"STRONGHAMMER!"
A/N: STRONGHAMMER!
We have reached the climax. I really thought about drawing the fight between him and Galbatorix out. But when I had it down on paper, it just felt so ...off. So I rewrote it without any plans in mind and this is the result. A raw telling of what I think the story should have come down to.
No empathy spell, just raw tactics from Roran and using what he's got. Not to mention a shit ton of luck.
So what do we think about it everyone? Did we like it? What about Murtagh and Brom's duel? I thought that was cool and poetic. What about how Galbatorix died? RORAN BEING CROWNED KING?!
Let's talk in the reviews!
P.S. We still have an Epilogue to go so that's why it's not complete.