Chapter seven. I can't believe I'm already on chapter 7 and I'm nowhere near being done with the story! [Haven't even hit the middle, really]

Oh well, thank you for the info Evil Unicorn Overlord, and for the compliment AeonFirebrand, and Son of the Universe.

Here's Chapter 7!

Percy's POV – Over the Spine

We were close.

We were close to Uru'baen.

And, we were close to Galbatorix.

The energy and Eldunarí we received on Vroengard will help us, but it will depend on whether or not we are ready.

I'm ready. Although, afterwards, I don't think I'll ever want to fight in a war again. I had just gotten out of the war with Kronos, which took five years of my life, and thrust into this war, but my presence here seemed to change things greatly.

The Varden was no longer unfairly outmatched. It had four Riders on its side, were as the Empire only has one.

One very powerful Rider, albeit, but only one.

Oromis says that if we keep flying at this pace, we'll reach Uru'baen within two hours.

Then we'll let our dragons rest and wait for the rest of the Varden, dwarves, and elves to get here, then we'll attack.

/^\

It was as Oromis had said; we arrived a little before the second hour.

To our surprise, the Varden and Dwarves were already there, waiting for us, and the elves were only half a day's march to our location.

I slipped out Alexō after he landed, and he and the other dragons walked away to rest.

I was pretty tired myself.

"Oromis-"

"Yes, Percy you can sleep."

I thanked my teacher and found an open cot.

My dreams were blissfully uneventful.

/^\

I was awoken by someone yelling, "Elves! Elves! The elves have arrived!"

I shook the sleep from my brain and stated putting on my armor.

First the chain mail that goes under the armor, then the green greaves and shin guards, and finally my green chest plate.

Everything had been molded to match Alexō's scales, in color and in looks. I looked like a small two-legged dragon-human hybrid.

Then I strapped my belt around my waist, and hung my two swords on either side. Riptide on my left hip, and Adurna on my right.

I slipped the ring I found in the chest yesterday on the pointer finger on my left hand.

I slung my shield over my back.

When Alexō saw me, he said, you look like a two-legged version of me. But it will protect you, probably more so than Eragon's armor.

I don't even need all of this. I can go into a battle with only a chest plate on and live.

How so?

A couple months ago, I killed an old King that was trying to retake the throne. His name was Kronos. But I wouldn't have been able to if I hadn't become nearly invincible. There's a tiny spot in the small of my back, and that's the only place on me that's vulnerable. Swords and arrows just bounce off of me anywhere else.

Really?

Really, it's true. Saved my life a million times. If not more.

Alexō was kind of in awe about my Curse of Achilles.

I looked out at the giant mass of the elven army that was approaching.

Alexō spoke again. Can I try it?

Try to what? Get what I have?

No, I want to see if it bounces off of you.

Okay go ahead. He flicked a claw at an exposed section of my arm; the claw touched it and bounced off, just like I said it would.

That is just weird. It's unnatural for people to be so invincible.

I know, I don't like t either, but it will probably come in handy in the battle with Galbatorix.

Alexō seemed to agree. True.

We were quiet the rest of the time until the elves stopped marching in front of us.

Queen Islanzadí strode up to my fellow Dragon Riders and myself.

We exchanged the formal elf greeting and we led her to Nasuada.

They talked for a few hours and then Nasuada said the words.

"Get in position!" That means we're going to fight the King! Finally.

All the Riders got in position and flew out towards the citadel in the center of the city.

It took us less than ten minutes to find his throne room.

A young man with sharp features and wonderful clothes sat upon a throne wit a golden crown upon his head.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me." His voice was deep, and smooth. It was like listening to a deeper version of my father's voice.

A black curtain shifted in a breeze behind Galbatorix.

Wait, that's not a curtain! That's Shruikan! The dragon was much larger than he was supposed to be.

I saw a part of his neck, and it was the same size as Alexō's broad shoulders. I saw a part of his wing, and it was ten times larger than Glaedr's wings.

This dragon was massive.

Oromis and Glaedr launched themselves and Galbatorix.

He flicked his hand to the left and Shruikan stood, snapping at the senior Dragon Riders like they were flies.

Glaedr breathed fire at Shruikan, and he launched himself high into the air, breaking the ceiling and taking the fight outside.

Glaedr and Shruikan swung around and around each other extremely fast, the former trying to get to an open spot on his larger foe.

But alas, his tries were a failure, as Shruikan hit Glaedr in his underbelly, a spike pierced through his belly and out through his back.

Then in one swift motion, Shruikan bobbed his head and swallowed Oromis whole.

"No!" I put as much energy behind my words as I could, and everything around me was blown back, including Galbatorix.

Glaedr spun out of the air and slammed into the ground.

He craned his neck and in less the a couple second, a large golden stone was gorged from his throat and onto the ground.

His Eldunarí.

I unsheathed both my swords, Adurna and Riptide, and attacked Galbatorix.

A white blade appeared in his hand, and blocked both my downward strikes.

"You'll have to do better than that, weakling."

I shoved him back and spun, swinging Adurna in a wide circle from the left, as I brought Riptide down in a chance to catch him off-guard. He blocked my side attack and his wards stopped the attack from Riptide.

He lunged forward, but I sidestepped and kicked him in the back.

He rolled and turned to face me.

He assumed a defensive position and started walking towards me.

I held my swords in front of me, and started running towards him. I jumped in the air and brought my swords down, clanging with his sword above his head.

I landed behind him.

Before I could react, he shoved his elbow back, slamming it into my nose.

I was knocked to the ground, letting me see the air above me.

The dragons and Arya were fighting the demon Shruikan.

I leapt to my feet and faced off with the evil King again.

I struck at him again and again.

We fought for a long while, until I started getting clumsy.

He kicked the hand that held Riptide, and it flew behind me. Then he shouted something, and I was knocked backwards.

I laid on the floor, groaning, and panting for breath. When I looked at Galbatorix, He was fighting Eragon and Murtagh, and he was sweating.

I smiled to myself. I, a young and inexperienced Dragon Rider, had made a more than hundred year old Dragon Rider sweat.

I rolled over and drew some energy from the emerald on the pommel of Adurna.

New energy surged through my veins.

I was about to get up when I heard Galbatorix yell something, probably in the ancient language, but I had absolutely no idea what he had said.

Everything stopped. Eragon and Murtagh had stopped mid-swing. I had been stopped while pushing myself up from the floor.

Arya and all the dragons, including Shruikan, were stuck in mid-air.

"Ah, you fools. I will win; I cannot lose. I am unstoppable! I have the true name of the ancient language! I can control magic like no other!"

Now. Everyone seemed to have head it, and everyone seemed to know what it meant.

I made my thoughts into a spear, which I threw at Galbatorix's mind.

It bounced off at first, but as I looked around, I found a small foot hole near the bottom of his defenses. I shoved the spear into the wall, and like I predicted, his defenses came crumbling down.

Everyone continued what they were doing. Eragon and Murtagh continued to fight Galbatorix hand-to-hand, and the dragons kept fighting overhead.

Galbatorix said something and Murtagh went flying backwards, unconscious.

I stood to my feet and attacked Galbatorix from the front beside Eragon.

I saw Riptide laying a few feet behind Galbatorix.

My distraction allowed Galbatorix to kick me in the chest, sending me back a few feet.

As I laid there, sprawled out on the floor, I saw Galbatorix overpower Eragon and send him to the floor, with his sword held over his head.

I felt Eragon start a spell.

The Eldunarí started adding to the spell.

This was my chance. I sprung to my feet and raced towards Riptide.

I swooped it up front the ground and at the exact moment, the spell was cast, and Galbatorix clutched his head with his hands.

"Ahh! The pain! Make it stop!" Eragon and I catch each others gaze for a moment, and then we lunged at the same time.

Riptide, being in my left hand, entered Galbatorix's back and erupted through his chest, piercing his left lung. Adurna was a bit lower, entered his lower back at n upward angle, and went straight through his heart.

Brisingr erupted from Galbatorix's back, through the King's stomach.

I let the grip on my swords lessen.

A mighty roar rang out through the air. Shruikan had been distracted by his Rider's death, and that allowed the other dragons and Arya to kill the mighty beast.

The corpse of the giant beast fell from the sky and landed with a loud thud and a strong vibration.

I pulled my swords out of Galbatorix's back while Eragon pulled his out of the evil King's front.

I caught Eragon's eyes.

"Would you like to do the honors, or should I?"

Eragon looked down spitefully at his enemy. "I'll do it." He raised Brisingr above his head and brought it down, cutting off Galbatorix's head.

The dragons landed on the other side of the throne room.

He's dead, finally. Alexō was silent for a moment. Percy! The eggs!

My expression brightened. The eggs! Dragons aren't extinct!

Alexō sent me pure joy over our link.

"He's dead. Thank the gods," I said.

"Yes, he's dead," Eragon agrees. I hear the relief in his voice.

"Did you catch what the true name of the ancient language was?" I asked him.

"Yes, here." He says it twice, once to remove the forgetting spells on everyone in the room, and another to let us know what it was.

"Thank you, Eragon. Raising the Riders will be easier now," Arya says. She walks over and kisses him on the cheek. I notice the blood that rushed to his cheeks.

"Thurra," I whisper, and Glaedr's Eldunarí is not longer covered in saliva. I pick it up and carry it out with us.

/^\

After the battle, Nasuada was crowned High Queen, and many feasted on the meat of the finest cows in the land, but I didn't. I was disgusted at the thought of eating something that had been alive.

So I had finer fruits and vegetables. I even tasted some mead.

"Wow, this is really good!" I took another swig.

I was honestly happy here in Alagaësia. Yea, I missed Annabeth and Grover, but here I wasn't being hunted every second of every day. I could just live, or fly with my dragon.

If the gods decided that I had to come back to Earth, I would severely miss Arya, Eragon, and Murtagh.

The night wore on, but the most spectacular event was yet to occur.

As Murtagh and I stood before Queen Islanzadí, a bright light shone to our left.

Many people screamed and ran, but I covered my eyes, and waited for the light to subside.

In its place, was the same thin Zeus-look-alike.

"Perseus, I am Gûntera. It was I who created the elves, and as a gift for dispatching that Galbatorix, I wish to present a present to each of you. The gift of being true elves." He walked towards me, his stride long and fast, but his footsteps light.

He touched my forehead with his forefinger, and then a blinding light shone and searing pain shot through my body.

I fell to the ground, with my eyes clamped shut, and let the blackness take me.

/^\

When I awoke, I was not in the Varden camp, or anywhere near it. I still had my armor and swords equipped and on my person, so if I was going to be attacked, I would be able to protect myself.

I stood swiftly.

I felt good; better, stronger than I had in a long time, but I also felt exposed, raw.

I felt like a thousand volts of energy were surging through my body.

I looked down at my hands, even scratch, scar or blemish had disappeared, leaving my skin unmarked.

I looked around; Alexō laid snoozing a few feet away.

A chest was at my feet.

When I opened it, it had all of my things from my time with the Varden and the elves.

Alexō? I prodded his mind with my own, until he had awoken.

Yes, small friend?

We're not with the Varden. Or anywhere…. That's when I saw it, the red and green of the strawberry fields, even in Alagaësia.

A/N: And that wraps up CH7! What'd you think?