Authors Note: Sorry to everyone who thinks it was cruel of me to harm Thorn like that! I'm not saying whether he is still alive or not, or a few chapters but you will find out soon enough as to whether I killed him or not.
Umaroth landed, and Vrael looked at the gate. Then Vrael uttered a lot of words in the Ancient Language, words that would cause the gates to break. Soon enough, the gates snapped into pieces. Perhaps now would be a good time for you to let Eragon and the others know we're coming and that Thorn is no longer a threat, he told the white dragon.
Umaroth nodded and soon they were heading into the castle itself. Eragon and the others are not far from us. There seems to be something stopping them at the moment, Umaroth replied. Occasionally he was able to get them past merely by flying, at other times, Vrael had to use a spell.
They spotted the others, just as a metal sheet flew out of the wall, cutting a group of twenty magicians, male and female in half. Vrael closed his eyes. That was cruel of Galbatorix indeed. The little girl that was with Eragon and the others fainted and he saw Arya catch her.
Quickly, Vrael and Umaroth joined the others.
Saphira snorted, looking at him. We seem to have a bit of a problem here, she said.
"Yes I saw that," Vrael replied. "It seems that with time, Galbatorix has certainly gone quite mad, though he's cunning as well." He glanced at Elva who was still out of it.
Could we jump across it? Umaroth asked. It was triggered by pressure on the floor, was it not?
"It may be the only option," one of the other elves replied. "At least with both you and Saphira, it will be quicker for us all to get past it."
Umaroth nodded. Surely he will know that we are alive by now. After all, we did take Thorn out.
Vrael studied the trap. "Perhaps, however, there is another way for us to reach the throne room, which is where he is likely hiding. Umaroth and I have been here once before, and while it was over a century ago, I still remember the way. It is less travelled, and he would not ancticipate us to take it."
Eragon looked over at him. "Do you think he would have set as many traps that way?"
"I doubt it. I doubt he would have expected for Umaroth or I to be alive, and we are the only ones here who could have been here when Urubaen was known as Illeria." Vrael smiled. "It would be safer to take that route."
Eragon nodded. "Sounds good to me." Saphira nodded in agreement as well.
As soon as Elva had been revived, they turned and headed off that way. Umaroth and Vrael led the way this time, and indeed no traps did they encounter at all. Finally they reached the two shining doors that marked the entrance to the throne room.
Eragon stepped forwards. "Now what?" he asked, and despite the fact that Vrael could tell he was trying to hide it, he knew the young rider was very uneasy now. "Should we knock?"
"First, let's see if its open," Arya replied.
As soon as Arya started to pull on the door, Vrael watched with some shock that a shimmering mist appeared around him, Umaroth, and the other elves, excluding Saphira. Somehow though, he did not walk with the other elves away. No, the ancient wards he had around him were enough to stop that. "You have to go on, you four. We'll go find them," he said quickly, before he and Umaroth hurried after Blodhgarm and the other spell casters.
As soon as they were through the doorway, Vrael climbed up onto Umaroth's saddle, since the other elves were moving rather fast and Umaroth followed after them a lot quicker. As they entered another room though, Umaroth stopped, and stared at what surrounded him.
It cannot be! Umaroth rumbled.
They are, Vrael replied.
