Chapter 3

Up ahead Eragon could see Saphira with Arya on her back, flying in and out at Shruikan, keeping him at bay and never staying still long enough to let him land a hit. As they neared the aerial battle, Saphira swooped in on Shruikan's left side looking to catch his exposed flank. The black dragon twisted his enormous body around and attempted to strike Saphira with his tail. Saphira tried to change directions to avoid being hit, but she was too close and the giant black dragon too fast. Saphira looked the other way, and Eragon saw his dragon brace herself in preparation for being hit. The impact never came.

The drain of energy Eragon felt was more then he had anticipated. Even with the help of the Eldunari he still felt noticeably weaker. The strength it took to hold back Shruikan's giant tail was immense. He only held it back long enough for Saphira to fly by, but it was long enough to drain a substantial amount energy from him. But it no longer mattered, Saphira and Arya were unharmed and Shruikan was knocked off balance from having his tail stopped mid swing.

Saphira, come fly under us! Eragon shouted to her with his mind. Murtagh looked back and gave Eragon a quizzical look. Eragon just shrugged.

Saphira looked at them approaching and then turned back to Shruikan who was trying to gain the altitude he had lost from losing his balance in the air. She made a dive at the black dragon, and then dodged to the side just as he lashed out with his jaw. Shruikan missed her and it gave Saphira just enough time to put distance between them so she could head over to where Thorn was.

Saphira got closer and then dropped in altitude a little bit so that she would fly right under Thorn. Eragon got up to his feet in a crouched position, clapped Murtagh on the shoulder and thanked Thorn for the lift.

"What if you miss?" asked Murtagh.

"Then she would catch me."

As Saphira passed under Thorn's right side, Eragon jumped off the left.

The timing was perfect. He was in the air for a minute before he landed right in front of Arya in the saddle. He turned his head back and smiled at her, and she returned it in kind. She then wrapped her arm that was not carrying the deathdart around Eragon's chest and he felt himself temporarily get lost in her embrace.

We have been able to keep him busy, but we haven't caused much damage beside what Arya did to his front paw, Saphira said.

"Then I guess its time to fix that,"Eragon replied.

Saphira roared in affirmation and started back towards Shruikan while Thorn and Murtagh did the same. Saphira flew towards Shruikan's left flank while Thorn flew to the other. The black dragon kept switching his gaze from one dragon to the other, keeping tabs on their approach.

Thorn was the first to make a move. He shot towards Shruikan with deadly speed, Murtagh on his shoulders with his sword high above his head. Shruikan turned his body to face the oncoming dragon and rider, and roared at the pair of them. When Thorn was in striking distance, Shruikan swung his arm out to hit them, but Murtagh caught the blow on his sword. The great black dragon hissed as the sword cut into flesh and bone, leaving a streak of blood falling to the ground.

Saphira was heading straight for Shruikan just as Thorn was coming back around. They began to take turns assaulting him from different sides, weaving in and out of his reach while attacking him like a swarm of angry wasps. They continued like that for a while, both dragons flying in and out of Shruikan's reach, trying to catch him off guard long enough to make a wound, or allow their riders to inflict damage, but flying away before he could retaliate.

After a while of relentless flying and dodging, an idea occurred to Eragon. He relayed it to the others, and then found himself once again positioned on Shruikan's flank. Murtagh and Thorn flew to Shruikan's opposite side.

Once both Saphira and Thorn were positioned, they simultaneously flew at the black dragon. As they got in range, Eragon, Arya, and Murtagh lifted their arms as one and released a binding spell at the dragon. It hit Shruikan from both flanks and he was instantly bound up in the air, unable to move as if invisible ropes had been wrapped all around him.

"We won't have much time," Eragon shouted. "He is too big to hold for long. Saphira and Thorn, make it count!"

Eragon didn't need to hold Shruikan forever, just long enough to allow the smaller dragons a chance to freely attack.

It almost worked.

Just before the two dragons smashed into Shruikan, the spell that bound him was suddenly severed. Without hesitating, Shruikan flipped himself upside down and dove to the ground. Saphira and Thorn had to swerve to avoid hitting each other in Shruikan's sudden absence.

Looking down, Eragon saw Shruikan open his massive wings and take off in a new direction. Eragon urged Saphira after the fleeing dragon and she tucked into a dive with Thorn right behind. Shruikan was flying fast, but the smaller dragons gained on him even faster.

"Is he running?" Arya asked over the wind. Eragon just shrugged.

Shruikan was heading back towards the inner parts of the city. Eragon could see all the people that were down below, their eyes looking up at the events taking place in the sky. It was an eerie sight to see so many people not moving, just staring. It was as if they had all been turned to stone and would forever more gaze out at the heavens.

"Why did the spell break?" Eragon asked over the howl of the wind.

"I'm not sure," Arya said. "Maybe we didn't have enough energy to last as long as we needed."

"I thought about that, but wouldn't it have tapered off? That felt like it was cut with a knife."

Arya didn't respond and Eragon looked ahead to Shruikan. If the dragon veered off a little he would hit the open market square, but instead his direction aimed for the city center where the buildings grew more crowded. At the center of the buildings was the palace…

The broken spell, the change in direction, Shruikan wasn't retreating.

He was returning.

As the realization sunk in, the king's castle came into view. Standing on top of the tallest dome structure that housed the throne room was a lone figure with torn clothes flapping in the wind. He stood in a powerful stance with arms folded. There was no mistaking it. Galbatorix was alive and well.

Saphira pulled out of her dive and Eragon watched as Galbatorix raised his hand straight up in the air. Shruikan flew low, and caught the king in his forepaw. Galbatorix was whisked off the roof of the castle in the massive dragon's grip and then pulled himself up and into the saddle using just his upper body strength. It was frighteningly impressive.

The king and his dragon turned around and flew back towards Eragon and the others. Once Galbatorix was within earshot, Shruikan stopped moving forward and hovered where he was, flapping just enough to keep him up. The king looked at both dragons and their respective riders and then a big smile cracked across his face.

The site was unsettling.

"My my, you two have advanced much farther then I would have ever thought possible in the time that you have been riders," the king said. "The riders of old would have never been able to summon a spell like that at your age even with the help of the Eldunari. It seems I have been too negligent with my wards in recent years, but that was easily fixed. Make no mistake, I will not be caught off guard so easily again, but I do congratulate you on doing what no one has done in hundreds of years."

"However, as unfortunate as it is for you, it does not change anything. By the end of this day, Eragon, you will swear your loyalty to me in the binding powers of the ancient language. Once you are under my control, everyone else will follow. Then, finally, we may have peace throughout Alagaesia. That's all I have ever wanted. A path to end all this meaningless fighting throughout our land and bring in a new era of peace and prosperity. You are that path, Eragon. Can't you see that?"

Eragon wanted nothing more then to be able to agree with the Galbatorix. However, he new that under the king's rule there would never be peace no matter how good he made it sound.

"I will never swear my loyalty to you. You are just going to have to try and kill me instead," Eragon said. Galbatorix's smile broadened even more but at the same time his face took on an evil feature.

"Oh, I don't think it will come to that, youngling," said Galbatorix

Eragon adjusted his grip on Brisingr and then said to Saphira, Are you ready?

Absolutely, she responded.

It was her steely determination that gave him strength. He felt Arya's arm tighten around his mid section and could feel her breathing become purposefully calm. He could sense it from both of them. They knew what was about to happen and they were ready. Eragon looked over at Murtagh and caught his glance. They stared at each other for a moment, and then he nodded. The real battle was about to begin. The one that would decide the fate of Alagaesia forever.

Eragon and Murtagh lifted up their swords and Arya raised the deathdart.

"Well then, shall we find out?" Eragon said back to Galbatorix. Saphira arched her neck and roared, loosing a jet of fire from her mouth. Thorn on her left side did the same. Then, with a single downward flap of their wings, Saphira and Thorn took off. Ahead of them Shruiken roared in anticipation.