I only own my own OCs. You probably know already, but I still have to say: Mental speech in ' ' and ancient language translations at the bottom of the page. Hope you like Chapter 20. P.S. I'm halfway done guys!

"Brisingr." I felt the small amount of brush I'd managed to collect smolder, and I winced. Fire was my enemy. Right now, I was blind, helpless, and badly burned, with nothing to defend myself. I curled up at the flame, scared of its bite, yet warmed by its glow. I was so tired from running in darkness through the desert, I wanted to just lay down and sleep, but I knew Galbatorix's soul would seek me out again soon. But that fact didn't push my sleep out of mind. I yawned, and told myself, "Stay alert... Stay awake..." I did find one thing I could think about, though. I wouldn't have the strength to reflect to Eragon or Arya, even if I had my mirror shard.

I thought about Quin though, and he had seen part of the battle, so when he escaped, and I had hope he might further warn the others about this "spirit form" trick. I racked my already fried mind for information, and I remembered something from an old scroll. Spirit form could be held temporary for ten hours, or it became permanent. I needed to warn Eragon and Arya somehow! I- "Any plans for the evening, child? Your friends are coming to visit early." I swung in the direction of the Shade's voice, but everything faded just as quickly with a searing attack, and the smell of my skin burning.

~Time Skip~

Why? Me? I had to be the most unlucky elf in the world. I was sick of being bait, being trapped, and I was about ready to blast Galbatorix so hard in the head, he could crawl back to the shadowy place he'd been before this. I could tell that I was hanging from my hands, because when I tried to move, chain links chinked above me. I was so tired and frustrated, I just screamed. I let all my anger flow into this one release. Afterwards, I felt better, relaxed if it was possible. But it didn't last. "I've been wanting to hear that for a long time, daughter." The spite and malice in the Shade's voice surprised me, as if he'd gotten a double dose of anger. I heard again, "Brisingr!" I hated that word now. It was Galbatorix's favorite. Why else make it the emblem of the fallen Empire? I felt the flame fly past, missing my head by (what sounded like) a few inches.

He shot at me like this for a good while, and at some point, he decided to taunt me. "I will be kind, and remove the spell over your eyes when I kill your friends, just so you won't have to listen to screams alone." I wriggled, trying to grab the chain over me, but I was too weak. "Brisingr!" This hit landed; a medium-sized burn on my right hip. I bit my tongue to hold back a scream, and thought of the pain. I channeled it into on attack, and I felt the pain, the anger, I felt it all gather into something I'd never felt before. The Shade laughed. "It appears you have learned a new trick, girl. But it will not save you. Brisingr!" "Kveykva!" We launched our elements at the same time, and they clashed between us, lightning and fire. I didn't know how I was expelling it, but I didn't feel an energy decrease, either. I couldn't see, but I could feel where the lightning was, and I wasn't winning, but the lightning wasn't giving in, either.

I didn't know what to do. THere was nothing I could do but keep up the attack. Unless... I quickly shot a weaker bolt above me, and I tumbled to the ground. I heard wood crackle behind he, and I guessed I had been hanging from a (now incinerated) tree. I quickly lifted my hands and continued the power contest, chains dangling and clinking from my wrists. But for once, I wished I didn't have such advanced senses. Even against a Shade, an elf can hear and (usually) see better, and I was the first to hear the beating wings. I turned to the sound, and the Shade took advantage of this, blasting me in the chest, and I flew backwards into the still flaming remains of the tree. I felt the same hot-cold feeling, but I still stumbled the best I could to my feet, but quickly fell forward. I was at least out of the fire, but I was now a dragon's length from the Shade, who was walking ever closer. I tried to get up, but when I got to my knees, the Shade's boot fell on my back, and cold metal was on my neck.

He yelled, "Well if it isn't my little murderer. I suppose you want her, but one step closer, and you'll be getting a corpse. Drop your weapons and send your dragons away, or my sword goes down." I felt the metal press harder, not breaking the skin, but close. I knew what was going to happen. And I had to stop it. Galbatorix planned this well; save me, they die, let me die, they lose focus and die anyway. And there was no doubt I would die afterwards, but more painfully. I wasn't sure anymore about the Shade's plan to possess Eragon now, though. But I had to do something. And I was going to do something.

I quickly spun on my back, knocking the Shade's feet out from under him, and I ran to Eragon's voice. "Vraela! Come on!" I heard footsteps in front and behind me, and Iquickly ran full out, brushing against the form in front of me. "What has he done to you?" I heard Arya's voice, and I whispered, "Quin?" She didn't reply, but it could have been that swords were clashing; Eragon and the Shade! I heard the blades crack and spark against each other, and when Eragon yelled, "Brisingr!" I winced from the new memories of fire. I quickly pushed away my fear, but it still lingered, and visions of flame passed through my mind. I quickly asked, "Arya? Do you know how to reverse this?" I waved a hand in front of my eyes, and she answered, "I... Ah!" We both suddenly hit the ground, and I felt someone over us, and I didn't think Eragon would do that. I brushed against a branch, and I grabbed it, hoping it would suffice for protection. I swiped and slashed, but I didn't connect, and I was on my back, so I wasn't expecting success.

The branch was suddenly gone, ripped out of my hands, and I felt a hand on my forehead. I could see! But I didn't like the picture that slowly came to me. We were near a gorge, and Arya had rolled threateningly close to the edge, and Eragon was sprawled on the ground, Brisingr next to his hand. The Shade was over me, looming like a dark mountain, and he forced my up to my knees, pulled my arms behind my back, and twined the chains together, holding me in this position. He lowered himself to my ear and whispered menacingly, "I told you I would make you watch their demise." I watched, helpless and defeated, as he yelled, "Brisingr! Malthinae! Jierda!" A circle of flame erupted around me, and I struggled to escape the black rage. I knew that he was attacking my friends, too, but my mind was absorbed by terror. Through a flicker of the black, I saw a crack spreading around Arya's small ledge, and though Eragon looked fine, the Shade was walking towards him. The ring around me began to shrink, drawing closer to me. I was frozen with fear. I could have released lightning, but lightning starts fires. But I remembered the lightning dome I'd made the last time I'd seen the Shade.

I focused hard, thinking about what it had looked like, and I was very thankful when a dark cloud began to funnel around me, the same green lightning flickering. I called one bolt to slice open the chains, and this happened. I rubbed my wrists, and realized; this wasn't just lightning. I saw water swirling in my cloud, and it was descending to the ground around me, dousing the flames and making a tornado. I looked at the Edda River below, and I thought of the winds picking up the water. Another funnel descended from the white and green sky, and soon, a hurricane was to my left, and a tornado twirled around me. I saw the ledge under Arya splitting badly, and I threw a hand her way. From my fingers, another cyclone ripped her way, and as the rock collapsed, Arya was levitated on my wind. But Eragon was still immobile, and the Shade was leaning over him, reaching for him...

I screamed as loud as I could, "NO!" My hurricane rushed forward, spiraling towards them, and I quickly shot a tornado to grab Eragon before he was caught in it. I watched as Galbatorix was absorbed into the eye of my hurricane, though the eye wasn't as calm as it should have been. The water seemed to harden as it pelted him, the winds whipping like rope on his back. But even this was too good a death for him. I rose into the air on a funnel, and flew towards him. I had the air force him into the side and to hold him, only his head out of the miniature squall. I glared at him, but smiled. "You know, maybe I am a match for you. And yes, I did learn a new trick." I put my hand into the storm over him, and I pulled a liquid spear from the storm. I held it for a moment before it turned to ice, and the entire hurricane froze, the Shade trapped in the cold. I touched the area over his chest, and he yelled, "No! I am Galbatorix! I' am the most powerful-" "Shut up." I thrust the spear into his chest, and one last screech, and the Shade was no more.

Brisingr- fire
Malthinae- bind
jierda- break