FAteD lOvE: I have to have at least one chapter where I got to make fun of Eragon and his silliness. Lol. Glad you liked it.
SidiousSith: One of your guesses is right!
Voyfan7: Ah, how I would love to see Eragon ripped to shreds by Saphira for all the stupid things he does. Thanks for reviewing.
DeadlyCreative: Well, it's not immediately, but I hope this is soon enough.
Gibgib12: Nice to know I was that effective. Thanks for the review.
After one hundred and eleven reviews, twenty-two chapters, forty-seven thousand, six hundred thirty-three words, finally we've reached Eragon's final test:
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Vault of Souls
The doors of the Rock of Kuthian parted and revealed what Eragon and Roran believed to be the Vault of Souls. Though it had to be a stone chamber, the walls could not be seen. Standing in the midst of millions of swirling colors and unrecognizable shapes, was Galbatorix.
He smiled when he saw them and held the purple egg in his hands. "So you have come," he said to them maliciously. Seeing the stunned looks of their faces, he ran his long fingers across the surface of the egg protectively. "This is what you want, is it not?" he asked glancing down at the treasure.
"Give it back!" Eragon shouted, angrily drawing Mor'ranr. "It doesn't belong to you!"
Galbatorix laughed and held the egg aloft above his head. "If you want it, then come and take it from me," he challenged them. "Prove to me that you're worth my attention."
Roran growled furiously; his patience with the maniacal king was just about gone. He drew Otho from its sheath and charged Galbatorix with a loud cry. Eragon tried to stop him, but his cousin couldn't hear him. To him, all that existed was Galbatorix.
Galbatorix raised his hand and sent Roran flying against the wall with a dark flash of black magic, rendering the Green Rider unconscious. "Foolish child," he said with mock sorrow. "Never learned to respect his elders."
"Leave him alone!" Eragon shouted angrily. He reached out for Roran's life and gave a sigh of relief when he saw that he wasn't dead.
Galbatorix's black eyes fell on Eragon. "What did you say?" he asked with amusement. "Who are you to defy me? What makes you think you won't end up like everyone else who has dared to disobey the Rider King? Why should I not kill you where you stand?"
"Because I won't let you," Eragon shouted, though he felt terribly small and insignificant.
Galbatorix laughed again. "You truly are a foolish child. Tell me, boy, what led you to the Rock of Kuthian? Surely, you didn't learn of it on your own."
Eragon felt compelled to tell him the truth. "A werecat told me," he said. "A werecat I met in Teirm."
"Solembum," Galbatorix said in disgust. "And I suppose you've spoken with the herbalist too, Angela? She would have been of great use to me if she hadn't joined the Varden."
"She would have never joined you," Eragon growled, shaking his head.
Galbatorix chuckled. "I suppose you came here in hopes of gaining the powers you need to defeat me? Even with the power of the Souls, you are no match for me."
Eragon stood his ground. He could feel his strength growing and his reflexes sharpening. The Souls were strengthening him, and giving him the power he needed to fight Galbatorix on the same plane. "If you are so confident in your abilities, then why do you not attack? Perhaps you are not as strong as you think," Eragon suggested.
Galbatorix's face contorted in anger at the Blue Rider's words. He set the egg down on the floor and drew his ebony sword. "You are unwise to pick a fight with me, child," he snarled. "You forget that I no longer need you or your dragon. You shall pay the ultimate price for your foolishness!"
Eragon raised Mor'ranr to a defensive position. "If that is my destiny, then so be it," he stated, bracing himself for Galbatorix's attack.
The Rider King attacked with so much strength that Eragon nearly broke under his first assault. The black sword locked Mor'ranr with a loud clang and Eragon stepped back under the force of the attack. Galbatorix drew his blade away from the deadlock and went for a pass towards Eragon's neck. Eragon ducked swiftly and brought Mor'ranr around towards Galbatorix's torso. The King's sword was there to block the attack. It quickly twirled aside and managed to scratch Eragon's right upper arm.
He recoiled a bit from the wound. It wasn't much, but it still stung. Mor'ranr flew up just in time to block an overhead blow from Galbatorix. He knocked his opponent's sword away jabbed at his abdomen, but Galbatorix easily parried.
The Rider King laughed in amusement at Eragon and stepped back, lowering his sword. "You still are a child, aren't you?" he teased.
Eragon growled, "And you are unwise to lower your defenses!" He practically threw himself at the evil King. Mor'ranr, dancing with the colors of the Souls, came dangerously close to Galbatorix's neck before he could swing his sword up to block it. A sadistic smile flashed across the King's face as he threw Eragon to the ground with his strength.
"Now, you will die," Galbatorix announced, flicking his blade to Eragon's quivering throat.
"Not so fast!"
Galbatorix turned quickly, moving his sword from Eragon's throat. Murtagh stood bloody in the doorway to the Vault of Souls with Saphira and Thorn's egg in his hands. His hair, like his face, was covered in blood and his dark eyes gleamed with a murderous glare. "Where is your dragon, Morzanson?" he hissed maliciously. "Have you come to join him in the abyss?"
"No," Murtagh growled, his voice low and menacing. "Thorn is near death. The Varden's best healers and magicians are working to mend him, but I know that it is a task beyond them. I have for his daughter and for the only one strong enough to restore his life. What have you done with Circe?"
Galbatorix approached him slowly with his sword extended in front of him. "You will never find her," he snarled. "And if you do, you won't be able to reach her. Now come to your senses and give me my egg back!"
"It is mine more than it is yours," insisted Murtagh. "Never again will any dragon be forced to submit to you. The new age is coming." He set the egg down on the threshold and drew Zar'roc. The fresh blood of soldiers still gleamed on its scarlet blade. "The new age has no place for you."
"You and I are alike, Murtagh," Galbatorix told him. "I am not the only one who will do whatever it takes to get what I want."
"Do not try to seduce me with your lies!" Murtagh yelled in fury. "What I want is quite different from what you want."
Galbatorix laughed. "Is that so?" he asked. "I can think of one similarity right now: we both want each other dead!" With those words, he attacked quickly and it was all Murtagh could do to block. His muscles strained under the pressure.
Swiftly, he pulled Zar'roc from the deadly embrace and stepped backward. "But I want you dead for the help of the common good," he said, breathing heavily. "You want me dead so you can continue your reign of terror."
"Perhaps," said Galbatorix, "But do not try to tell me that you do not desire power. You father did, and he was my favorite servant."
"Do not speak to me of that man!" Murtagh snarled. "I am not my father!" He jumped at Galbatorix with Zar'roc blazing in his hands.
Galbatorix grinned and kept Murtagh at bay easily, for he had not absorbed the power of the Souls like Eragon had. Soon enough, Galbatorix grew tired of their little game and knocked Zar'roc aside, leaving Murtagh defenseless and trembling in front of the Rider King.
Smiling malevolently at Murtagh, Galbatorix kicked the Red Rider to the ground and poised his black blade at Murtagh's throat. "Pity you have to die, really," said Galbatorix. "You could have been great, you know."
And just as Galbatorix was about to plunge his sword into Murtagh's chest Eragon, having regained his footing and strength, let out a wild yell and charged Galbatorix. The Rider King spun around just in time to block Eragon's sword.
"Brave of you, boy," he spat in Eragon's face. "But you shall not escape this alive. Neither will your friends!"
And so began to most fierce battle Eragon had ever experienced. Strengthened by his anger towards the King and given powers beyond mortal men by the Vault of Souls, Eragon found he was able to match the King with a blade. Galbatorix was hard pressed to block and parry Eragon's relentless assault. Gasping for breath, he stepped backwards.
"You are strong," he admitted, breathing heavily. "But you still do not know the full extent of my power."
Eragon glared at him, unable to speak because he had to catch his breath. He didn't like where Galbatorix was going with this. Then he remembered the magic.
Galbatorix grinned maniacally and Eragon found himself held tightly in place by invisible bindings. He could not move and he could not speak. No matter how hard he tried to release the bindings without speaking, Galbatorix kept them tightly in place. He twirled his sword in his hands as he watched with pleasure the struggling Eragon.
"Oh dear," said Galbatorix with mock concern. "What will you do now? The all mighty Shadeslayer has finally reached the end of his lucky streak, and the end of his life. Nobody can help you now."
"You're wrong."
Murtagh had finally recovered from Galbatorix's attacks and was on his feet again with Zar'roc in his hand. Galbatorix turned and laughed at him. "Won't you ever learn, Murtagh? You cannot defeat me." The Rider King sent him flying through the colorful swirls of the Souls and into the stonewall that lurked out of sight. A loud thud and Murtagh's screams echoed through the chamber. Slowly, the Rider King turned back to Eragon, expecting to end the battle.
But Murtagh had not failed to save his brother. That little distraction was all Eragon needed, for Galbatorix had become weaker throughout their battle and Eragon had been able to break his magical bindings when he wasn't paying attention. When Galbatorix turned back to Eragon, he turned right into Mor'ranr, impaling himself on his enemy's sword.
Galbatorix shrieked in agony and yanked Mor'ranr out of his chest. Blood poured from the wound, but the Rider King did not falter in his assault on Eragon. "Do you really think you can kill me?" he demanded madly. Now he sounded more like a crazy man than a famed ruler. Peels of maniacal laughter rang throughout the castle. "It's not that easy, boy! Power such as mine can never be completely vanquished! I am invincible! You will never destroy me!"
Galbatorix came at a terrified Eragon with both the swords and Eragon backed away in fear. "You may kill me now, but I shall return. The Rider King Galbatorix shall never be forgotten!"
Without thinking, Eragon shouted the first word in the ancient language to come to mind as Galbatorix lunged at him. "BRISINGR!" he exclaimed, putting all his strength behind the word and hoping it would accomplish its purpose.
Galbatorix howled in anguish and despair as his very flesh burst into fire. He was burning up from the inside out! His mind was helpless and the words that would douse the flames fell out of his grasp. The swords fell to the ground with a loud clatter as Galbatorix screamed again, writhing in pain and agony. Eragon watched in amazement as the dreaded Black Rider incinerated and turned to ash before his eyes.
Now Eragon of Carvahall had not only killed the dreaded Shade Durza, but also the vile and despicable King Galbatorix. He fell to his knees, taking deep breaths and trying to steady himself. He was horribly dizzy and was astonished that the amount of energy needed to set a person with so much power on fire hadn't killed him. Slowly, he made his way to his feet and looked around.
The swirling Souls had vanished and the walls of the chamber were visible once again. With Galbatorix's death, all those imprisoned in the Vault of Souls had been set free. Roran lay slumped against a wall and Murtagh was not far from him. They were both still alive and breathing. Eragon's eyes finally fell on the purple dragon egg. He rose steadily to his feet to pick it up and return it to Saphira.
But before he could take even one step, he fell over unconscious.