OMG, I am SO sorry for not updating in nearly two months! I'll post another post tomorrow and if I remember, another one the day after that to make up for it. Things have been crazy and since I finished this F.F ages ago, I do other stuff (mainly my other F.Fs – I'm mainly into Harry Potter-related ones) and forget about it as a result.

Anyways, the battle ;) Don't be so hasty to think about what happened in the end by the way. And I'm aware the outcome was different than Darcie's premonitions, but rather close. Some were more... foreboding, warning dreams.

LadyMalfoyx

The battle raged on, the scent of scorched, dead bodies suffocating all those fighting. As Murtagh and Eragon made haste and flew off into the horizon with Thorn and Saphira, Darcie waited. Kazryth pranced on the spot until she told him to go. He knew about what his rider had seen and it worried him deeply.

Flying into the stenches and sounds of combat, Darcie and Kazryth saw as one, and through this she saw the black dot fly over the horizon. Kazryth's sight locked onto the dot, allowing he and Darcie to get a clear view of Galbatorix laughing maniacally as Shruikan flew closer.

Can you fly low?

I am flying low.

Well... lower?

Not without wrecking all chances of flight for the rest of this battle and for days to come.

Darcie sighed and withdrew from Kazryth's conscious. He found a clearing on the plains and landed with a soft thud. Kull saw this as an opportunity and started coming towards the great green dragon, but with one exhale, Kazryth managed to take out the entire division, roaring in pain as the spear of a shockingly fast thinking Kull sliced an exposed part of his tail.

We could take on the entire Empire's army if you keep that up.

Now's not a good time for sarcasm. Kazryth whipped his tail and took out the Empire's soldiers that were 'sneaking up' behind him.

Darcie merely rolled her eyes as she watched her father and his dragon fly in the opposite direction.

Follow them.

Kazryth grudgingly took off and followed Shruikan until they found Thorn. Murtagh jumped onto the dragon's back and they flew off, trying to loose Galbatorix and the black dragon. Murtagh spun around on the saddle, pulled out his bow and aimed for the exposed part on the other dragon's head. He shot the arrow and it hit the metal just a millimetre below the exposed spot. Shruikan's deafening roar caused many of the footmen to stop their battles and cover their ears.

As the chase raged on, Shruikan slowly got closer to the smaller, red dragon until he was close enough to extend his neck and grab Thorn's tail. Having this thought in mind, Shruikan bit Thorn's tail, causing another angry, pained roar to echo across the plains. Shruikan let go and Thorn spiralled down to the earth and landing on a group of soldiers. An agonizing roar escaped him, a jet of fire coming out and burning another division of Kull and soldiers of the Empire, also accidentally killing some of the Surdans that were locked in battle.

Shruikan landed swiftly on any remaining Surdan soldiers in the area, crushing them instantly. Galbatorix jumped off his back. He went up to the dragon, but saw no rider in the saddle.

Kazryth, who was hovering many yards away, saw this as well. Darcie's eyes widened, but when she saw where Murtagh went, she let out a thankful breath. He crawled to Shruikan's side and behind the black dragon's foreleg.

"No..."

Murtagh stuck his sword in an exposed area behind Shruikan's right foreleg. Quickly retreating, Murtagh watched Shruikan fall, just narrowly missing him. Despite his attempts, the dragon couldn't swivel his head to snap at Murtagh.

Out of nowhere, a force pushed Murtagh backwards and into a rock.

Can you land around here?

Kazryth hummed and carefully dropped to the spot below him, just barely a hundred feet from where Murtagh lay.

"You stupid boy..." Darcie heard Galbatorix chide. "You're like your father - your arrogance is your downfall."

Darcie watched Murtagh get up.

"I am not like my father!" Murtagh snarled. He let a spell loose, but Galbatorix countered it before it hit him.

"And I hear you've made a wench of my daughter. How..." a spell from Galbatorix hit Murtagh and flung him back into the rock. "Tragic. Now, shall I kill you slowly so you feel the pain you've caused me and my empire, or shall it be quick and easy?"

"Neither."

Galbatorix looked beyond Murtagh and saw Darcie nearing. He started laughed.

"What's a little girl like you doing out in a man's battle?" Galbatorix asked with a sinister tone.

"I'm a Rider, I deserve to be out here as much as you," Darcie snapped back. She noticed a scar ran from the corner of his right eye to just under his far left chin. "And you might want to save your dragon before he bleeds to death."

Galbatorix eyed her, and then Shruikan. As he did, a spell was let out from Darcie, and it hit Galbatorix. She swore it actually hit him for a moment, but it bounced off of him and hit Murtagh. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

"I have a better idea - why don't you kill the pathetic boy instead?"

"How about not!" Another spell escaped Darcie, but it merely bounced of Galbatorix and onto Murtagh. He appeared to be having a seizure at this point, his screams making it clear he was still conscious. Galbatorix laughed even harder.

"The more you try to attack me, the more you maim your 'love'," Galbatorix spat the last word.

Shruikan gave a small roar, sounding more like a squeak than anything.

"Like I said, you might want to save your bastard of a dragon."

Momentarily, Darcie saw through Kazryth's eyes. He was hidden at least fifty feet behind Galbatorix, sneaking up behind him slowly.

"You might've grown to like Shruikan if you hadn't have disobeyed orders."

"I would rather eat his dung than grow to like him!" Darcie yelled back at her father.

Before Galbatorix could respond, Kazryth opened his jaws and clamped them around Galbatorix, slowly crushing his bones. The king screamed in godforsaken, torturous agony.

"Now, would you rather be killed slowly so you feel how you've destroyed 'your' empire? Or shall it be quick and easy?" Darcie mimicked just as Kazryth finished him off. Shruikan's squealing roars had died away.

As soon as they did, Darcie ran up to Murtagh. His body was shuddering as he lay on his back. Darcie tried to think of any useful spell, but a grip around her hand stopped her. She looked into the dull, dark eyes of Murtagh.

"You said this would happen... let it happen..."

"No... not like this..." Tears escaped Darcie's eyes and fell until it landed on Murtagh's cheek. His body then shuddered once more, blood below him finally being revealed in a halo around him.

"Your back..."

Murtagh nodded jerkily, his face growing paler.

"You were saved once; you will be saved again..."

Thorn roared in agony as the pain from Murtagh increased. The red dragon shuddered, beginning to panic.

"I'm so sorry..." Murtagh's eyes closed slowly. As they did, Thorn fell.