sorry for the wait but i couldnt think of what to write, and then i was in the shower and everything just suddenly came to me, so i wrote it XD

and i know this has nothing to do with eragon, but breaking dawn was amazing!! i went to he midnight release and stayed up till 3 reading it, then finished it in 2 days, it's probably my fav out of the whole series, so read it if you havent yet!! lol

anyway...claimer : i own this story, some of the characters, the plot, Shifters, and some other stuff, the rest is CP's :D

also, breaking dawn is Stephenie meyer's, lol

and of course this song needed to be in here somewhere...i promise that if i put more songs in they won't all be avril lavigne, i don't even like her that much anyway, lol.

67. - Life amongst death

You're not alone
Together we stand
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand
When it gets cold
And it feels like the end
There's no place to go
You know I won't give in
No I won't give in

Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

So far away
I wish you were here
Before it's too late, this could all disappear
Before the doors close
And it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend
Yeah, yeah

-Avril Lavigne "Keep holding on"

This so isn't good, I muttered as we aligned ourselves in the sky, our wings pumping in union and outraged growls ripping from between our fangs. Nine against four, we were so screwed.

Ya think? Dorran hissed back, his claws slashing through the air in anger.

Well friends, this looks like the end… Eragon thought to us, his voice determined and his sword muscles flexing experimentally.

We're not dead yet, I murmured back, my tail lashing threateningly.

Galbatorix and Murtagh are ours, Eragon said and I saw his hand travel down Saphira's neck, lovingly stroking the scales in what looked like a silent goodbye. He knew he wasn't going to make it, and when he died, his dragon would too.

I bellowed and surged forwards, all my anger and pain centered in that one roar. Here were the creatures that had caused so much hurt for everyone, and if they weren't destroyed the carnage would continue until there was nothing left to live for and life would just seem pointless. Now was their time to die.

Despite what Eragon had said, I headed straight towards the king, air filling my lungs as I prepared to throw flames into their evil faces. But before I could get any closer Shruikan dipped his wings and soared away back towards the towers, his movements taunting and inviting us to battle.

I hissed in anger and was about to follow when something crashed into my side, sending me spinning head over heels through the air, my breath coming up short causing me to choke on the fire that had been rising in my throat.

I managed to whip my wings out and steady myself before I was hit again, but at least this time I had been prepared for it. Instead of focusing on rightening myself I went with the force, tumbling through the air, then snapping my wings out again to travel with the momentum and aim myself back at the thing that had attacked me, one of the bird-creatures.

I took it by surprise when I collided with it, almost knocking the human/bird off its back, then I soared around and attacked it from the back, my talons sinking into its strange leathery and hairless flesh.

The creature screamed, its rider hissed and fire collected on its hands, its burning palms aimed towards me as it crawled down its mounts' spine in between the two bat-like wings.

"So you want to play with fire do you?" I asked it, smiling as its bug eyes widened as I spoke. Then I let loose a torrent of flame straight into its still gaping mouth and it was incinerated from the inside out. I pushed the charred and vile-smelling body out the way, paying no mind as it fell down onto the soldiers below. I propelled myself along the monsters back and reached for its neck with my fangs, smiling with satisfaction as my jaws clamped down and its wing beats slowed as blood welled around the indentions.

It withered, twisting and turning violently as it tried to throw me off, but to no avail. It died and fell to the ground, crushing some of the king's soldiers with its grotesque body, and I turned to see the other one fall to the ground with Dorran flying over it, his eyes bright from an adrenaline rush.

Eragon was fighting Murtagh and looked like he was in trouble, one of Saphira's legs floundering uselessly while the others were entwined with Thorn's in a struggle of raking talons and fangs. I couldn't see the riders from where I was, but it looked like the one in the red armor was overpowering the other in silver and I looked anxiously at Dorran, then the remaining dragon hovering a few leagues away.

Dorran, help Eragon, I'll take care of this last one, I thought to the dark dragon, not waiting for an answer before surging off to confront the mud-colored dragon, its attention on the fighting below, not even noticing when I was within burning distance of it.

I drew in a breath, preparing to incinerate it, when it turned to me and I stopped short, confusion rippling through my mind. A single silver tear traveled down its snout, dropping through the sky and onto the blood-stained ground below. But what startled me was the tree that suddenly sprouted from the barren earth where the liquid splashed, its green leaves in full bloom and its sudden appearance startling several of the kings soldiers just long enough to have their throats slit by our army.

"I do not wish to fight you, but I am afraid I have no choice." The dragon said and I stared as the voice was distinctly female and she spoke with her mouth. She was a Shifter too, but it seemed that she didn't want to be a part of this battle, and I could perhaps use that to my advantage.

"There is always a choice, nothing is stopping you from just walking away now." I replied, smiling as she realized that we were two of the same species.

She sighed and looked down again, and when I followed her gaze I saw the tree wither, the leaves turning brown and falling to the earth, covering the fresh blood with a flood of dead foliage.

"I'm afraid there is. The king has more ties on me than you think. I'm sorry for what is about to happen, just remember that I didn't want to do this." She said, then suddenly rocketed towards me, her talons outstretched and wild fury in her dark amber eyes. I rolled out of her way and flipped to face her, only to dodge again as she hurtled towards me, her actions uncontrolled and instinctual.

Then it hit me. She was a Shifter that had so many souls in her that her humanity had all but diminished, any of it that she'd had left had been centered in that one conversation, and now had been spent.

I dodged another attack and a glimpse of silver caught my eye. My gaze shot to her right ankle and I saw a silver band wrapped around her leg, onyx and ruby gemstones glimmering with a white light with the souls inside. Supposedly that was how the king was controlling her, making emotions and different souls overtake her body at his will, that was so messed up.

At least now I knew what needed to be done to save her, because I didn't particularly want to kill her if she didn't even really know what she was doing.

I let her collide into me, but this time I grabbed onto her leg and tore at the metal with my fangs, then tried melting it with fire, but nothing worked. Stupid king and his freaking magic.

There was nothing for it; I would have to defeat the king so his followers would be free from his enchantments, unless they were following him willingly of course.

I sped away from the attacking dragon and headed towards the dark tower where I'd seen the king and his cursed dragon disappear to. I circled the stone but there was no noticeable entrance, then something red caught my eye. It was a crimson gentian flower, completely out of place on the lifeless dark stone, not to mention an unnatural color for such a flower.

I pressed my nose against the petals and flinched back as the tip of my scales disappeared into the solid-looking rock.

Curious, I pushed my head up against the flower and my eyesight shifted to peer into a dark hallway, blood-red cloth hanging like tapestries all the way to a thick dark metal door at the end, large enough for two dragons to pass through side by side comfortably.

I stalked up to it and took a deep breath, splaying my claws out and bracing myself for perhaps the riskiest battle of my life.

This is it, I thought to myself, I'm sorry Dorran.

Then I barged through the only barrier between myself and the king, knowing that I was most likely going to my death.

yes the whole flower and dissapearing wall thing was from the first chapter of Brisingr, lol. thought i might put that in there to get this story related to the new book too, lol. only 40 more days till it comes out... :D

dont really have much to say now...except...

PLEASE REVIEW!! reviews keep the chapters coming people...

-Firesilk:D