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Aesire stepped up to the side of the hole and looked down into it's depths at Galbatorix. Aesire's body was nearly completely drained from the energy required to keep his full Lunarmist active and thus protect him from Galbatorix's influence. Galbatorix looked around at the hole.

"What is this?"

"This," Aesire said, taking a deep breath, "is a trap I set for you almost fifteen years ago."

"Impossible. You couldn't have planned so far in advance."

Aesire began to gasp between bursts of speech. "Your fatal flaw, my former master. It was Nasuada's as well. You plan for the future with the resources you have in the present. You are the one who gave me the ability to set this trap. Shadowlight."

Galbatorix's eyes lit with rage. "You didn't! You couldn't have!"

"I did. When I learned about the three great Elven powers hidden away beneath Dras'Leona, I used Shadowlight to dip into the pool of time and instruct myself to set this trap. You were the discoverer of your own demise."

Galbatorix wrath turned to mocking humor. "What do you think you can do against me? I am a God!"

Eragon staggered up to the edge and looked down on Galbatorix. "If I've learned one thing in the months I've known Aesire, it's that when you think you've got him pinned down is the moment of his most powerful logic."

"Fools," Galbatorix growled. "Even if you trap me in this hole I will find a way out and hunt you down and kill you and every one you love! Starting with that wolf of yours, filthy abomination that she is!"

For the first time since Eragon met him, Aesire did not react with rage at insults directed Hola. Instead he raised his left hand and covered his eyes. "I once told Eragon this, when we first met. My power is similar to magic. I sacrifice my energy to achieve my will, as magic users do."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with this." Aesire moved his hand and the Lunarmist in his eyes morphed and reshaped into their more powerful shape. The air around Aesire began to tremble and his scars and wounds vanished as if they had evaporated. He no longer panted for air. Instead he stood up as straight as an arrow shot into the ground.

"What is that?" Galbatorix asked for the first time, a hint of fear in his voice.

In the same lordly voice, he had once spoken with he said, "This is Lunarmist's most powerful capability. It holds no more standing than magic. Only magic amplified a thousand fold! I will sacrifice in order to gain."

"You did read the words in the book of Lunarmist. That's impossible! I would have known it! I know your every thought before you think it!"

"You're right. However, your power of Futurestar has limits, as the other three do. They're the same as those of reading someone's mind with a magical telepathy. You must touch someone's mind before you can read it."

"I did! You were always inside my range!"

"I was, wasn't I? It makes little difference, however, if you were not paying attention."

"When was I not watching your every thought?"

"When you were chasing me through the halls of this citadel, you stopped for a split moment to direct your black dragon to hold off Saphira. I wasn't outside your range. However, you were distracted long enough for me to do one thing." Aesire took out his hunting knife and showed Galbatorix the reflective edge. "Use Lunarmist on myself and seal away all memories of this trap I set for you until the moment you fell into it."

"You will not stop me," Galbatorix said with overwhelming wrath. "I will be the King over everything! The entire world will bow at my feet!"

"I actually pity you, Galbatorix. You hold onto your delusions of self power because of the need you have to be in control."

"I am in control," Galbatorix growled.

Aesire shook his head. "This is your punishment then. Magic works like Lunarmist. If I sacrifice something of great power, something of great power will be given to me. This fact I read in the Book of Lunarmist."

"Not possible. Durza read every word of it."

Aesire uttered a small burst of laughter. "The Books each have a small paragraph at its back that can only be read by someone that wields the power that the Book speaks of. I am the only one in the world that knows what it said. You are blind Galbatorix. You are the maker of your own demise!"

"Prove it then. What did it say?"

"I will not tell you such things that would help you."

"You will kill me then?"

"Nay. I will do something far worse." Aesire raised his arms out to either side and the wind began burst into a tempest that flowed to them from every angle. It was so powerful that it ripped the throne room around them to pieces. Soon it ripped the ceiling off its founding's and they stood out in the open air. Eragon could hear now the cries of alarm from the solders on the ground. The sky was black with clouds of death birds.

A blue aura of magic protruded an inch of Aesire's body. "I, Aesire of House Nandiall, wielder of the Power of Lunarmist, hereby sign the Contract of Sacrifice. I will sacrifice my power of Lunarmist." Eragon looked over at Aesire with an air of shock. He's giving up his power? "In exchange, I will be granted this one power for this one time only." He lowered his right arm towards Galbatorix but kept his left arm out. "I hereby rip from this man his soul and send it to wonder the land in absolute darkness!" Galbatorix uttered a pained shout and his body jerked upward as the wind burst forth from Aesire. One of the King's eyes opened and looked up at Aesire.

"I will never leave," he ground out. Aesire lowered his left arm and the wind began to push Eragon back as Aesire's sacrifice took hold of Galbatorix's soul and began to drag it out.

"You are finished! Be gone from this place, Evil One. Crawl back to the depths of hell from wince you came! I will not repeat myself! Leave now and I will make easy your journey to the realm of torture!"

"NEVER!"

Aesire clawed his hands into fists and with a finally wrench Galbatorix went slack and Aesire fell down with an exclamation of agony. An explosion deafened Eragon as the wind exploded outward at once. The cloud of black gradually lifted as the birds dispersed under the Elves' influence. Without their chirping, the world was completely silent. Blood pounded in Eragon's ears as he came to a realization that stunned him speechless. It's...over.Finally he dropped down to the ground where he sat on his knees, staring at the ground in front of him.

A cheer went up from the ground below, followed by another and another until it sounded as if every voice in the world sang out with joy and jubilation as Galbatorix was vanquished. The Elves began to sing songs of victory, the soldiers of the Empire threw done their weapons and joined in the celebration, children who had been hiding in the houses of Uru'baen come out and laughed and played.

It's...finally over.

We did it, little one, Saphira said.

For my father. For my uncle. For my brother.

For our teachers. For our ancestors. For the future.

Then Eragon looked down at Aesire, but realized that his vision was blurred by a film of tears that were streaking down his face. He wiped them away and patted Aesire. "Are you alright?"

Aesire lifted his head and Eragon saw blood dripping from his eyes. "I'm...I'm fine," Aesire said, grinding the words out. He sat up and forced his eyes open. Eragon examined them. A line of mist lifted from them as they returned to their normal blue and the bleeding stopped.

"Your Lunarmist..." Aesire smiled as he looked up at the sky.

"Is gone."

"You seem abnormally pleased with that."

"I have just won a game I have been playing for nearly fifteen years. I was growing ill with it, but now to win. The sacrifice of Lunarmist is nothing to me."

He and Aesire stepped up to the side of the ruined citadel tower and looked out at the rejoicing Uru'baen.

The sun rose as they did and the glowing rays of that fiery ball signaled the beginning of a new era in Alagaesia.

"You will be King over all of this, Eragon," Aesire said.

"I do not think I can," he said, doubtfully.

"It is for that very reason that I know you can."