Chapter 28. Sacrifice
Galbatorix had healed himself of the poisonos energy inflicted on him by Jaerden. He walked out of his tent with Shruiken by his side. He stretched and cast a spell to make sure he was cured.
"My lord are you well?" General Rang asked walking up to him.
"I am fine, what is the status of the army?"
"GALBATORIX!" Jaerden shouted in the air before Rang could answer. "Come out and face me you false king… If you dare… I Jaerden apprentice of Orwin Oxheart…"
("And I Draco stone cleaver apprentice to Gaerravar Fire Keeper…")
"DEFY YOU…" They said at the same time.
Galbatorix sneered and jumped up onto Shruiken's back and they leapt into the air. Draco approached from the east descending out of the sky while Shruiken flew up from the ground. There was a resounding bump as both dragons slammed into one another. They bit and clawed at each other as they fell to the ground. Because Draco grew up in the Beor Mountains fighting the great bears and wolves that dwell there he was in better shape than Shruiken. He kicked the black dragon off him and pumped his wings; that combined with a spell Jaerden recited created a tornadoe that touched the ground and began tearing up the empire's camp. Galbatorix pointed a hand at Jaerden crying Garjla. A ball of black energy sprang from his palm, but Jaerden did the same thing. The two balls of energy slammed into each other and popped with a resounding boom like thunder. Draco chased Shruiken in the air, Shruiken turned upside down as he flew and turned his head back and over his chest spewing fire at Draco, but Jaerden's wards protected them.
("Now!") Galbatorix shouted with his mind. In response Shruiken went into a loop and when he came up Shruiken spit a burst of flame from his mouth. Galbatorix began speaking in the ancient language and once again he hurled the burning curse at Jaerden.
Instead of trying to block the magic Jaerden redirected it sending the blast of enchanted fire to Galbatorix's own army. The tormented shouts of his troops rose up into the air as they continued their deadly air duel. ("We are waisting time!") Shruiken shouted with his mind.
The two dragons slammed into one another again and as they fell to the ground both Jaerden and Draco erected spells that would protect their dragons from harm when they hit the ground. When they were ten feet from the ground both Jaerden and Galbatorix jumped free of their saddles. As the dragons thrashed back and forth on the ground fighting each other Jaerden took control of the minds of several soldiers and forced them to attack Galbatorix.
Over fifty soldiers charged him at once, but Galbatorix killed four of them with one slash of Avaless. He used magic to kill the rest and that is when he was tackled by Jaerden from behind. They wrestled back and forth for the next few minutes then Galbatorix threw him off. They got to their feet at the same time drawing their swords, which met in the air with a resounding clang. They fought back and forth inflicting a lot of damage on each other. Jaerden danced left then right swinging his sword in an arc. Galbatorix blocked then he parried, they locked swords and broke the stand off when Jaerden punched Galbatorix in the jaw.
"Your getting slow old man…" Jaerden boasted.
Galbatorix combined all twelve of the death words and cast his spell, but it had no affect on Jaerden. They crossed swords again pushing each other to the limits of their skill and eventually Jaerden wrenched Galbatorix's sword from his hand. Jaerden kicked him in between his legs and down to his knees he went. Jaerden raised his sword Beor to kill Galbatorix, but he grunted as Zarroc's red blade sprouted from his chest.
"My father did invent that spell, but I found a way to break it…" Murtagh said whispering into Jaerden's ear.
Jaerden fell to his knees and laughed as Galbatorix stood up and walked towards him. "Join me I can heal you of the burning curse… and the wound Murtagh just gave you… We can accomplish so much together…"
Jaerden looked over at Draco who was pinned beneath Shruiken and Thorn. "We would rather die…" He replied gathering the last of his strength; "En Shu Tot Neth Gaba Skulbulba Dracos tin Maerden…" With that spell Jaerden ended his life and Draco's as well. Murtagh stood back pulling Zarroc from his back as Galbatorix's face twisted. He turned away, but then he spun around and decapitated Jaerden. He then walked up to Draco's corpse hoping to retrieve his Eldunari from his chest, but it was gone.
"Burn the bodies…" He said to the captain, but their bodies faded away because of some spell. Galbatorix looked over his camp and it was in ruins. It took twenty-seven spellcasters to disrupt the enchanted whirlwind. Fifteen spellcasters died in the attempt, and over three hundred troops died in the fight between Galbatorix and Shruiken. "Do a count of the army and have the captains and commanders gather… Send messages to all corners of my domain… We must replenish my army as soon as possible… empty Teirm if you must…"
As the captain carried out his orders Galbatorix turned his rage on Murtagh and Thorn. It was Murtagh who explained what happened at the rock of kuthian. He calmed down when Shruiken intervened.
"You are right… I would have died if the two of you had not showed up when you did… I am going to kill Eragon… I don't need him, but Saphira must be taken alive… As for Elva and her dragon I want you and Thorn to try and take them alive…"
Thorn and Murtagh wanted their revenge, but what could they do; after an hour Galbatorix met with his commanders and he listened to the sad state of his army.