Chapter XX of Shadow, a work of fan fiction based on Christopher Paolini's InheritanceCycle.
Every Friday, a new chapter will be published, so keep checking!
Reviews. Please. I may discontinue this story soon and start out in another fandom. For now, I'm shortening the chapters. So please, reviews.
Shadow Gïrnięn glanced out the window, spying the giant red dragon flapping towards them, a figure visible on its back. A second, smaller magenta dragon flapped alongside it, a thinner figure perched upon it.
"The Traitor." Shadow's tone, filtered through Gïrnięn's voice, sounded demonic and unnatural.
Queen Nasuada stood up suddenly, staring into the blue.
"Murtagh!"
Which was why she never noticed the spell Shadow Gïrnięn muttered, and that was why she spontaneously combusted. None of Nasuada's court magicians, not even Elva, had foreseen the possibility of igniting Nasuada's body fat simply by introducing oxygen and heat into the system. And although the Queen had once been lean and fit, all the years of desk work and grand political banquets had increased her weight considerably.
Shadow Gïrnięn donned the dragonhide cloak and raised Solus-harmr, smirking. As Nasuada collapsed into a pile of ash, hands, and feet, Shadow Gïrnięn extended his mind toward Cïtirinus. Dies and Nox peeled off of Gïrnięn to wrestle with Cïtirinus mentally, as Gïrnięn started drawing in the energy created from Nasuada's spontaneous combustion, then drawing in the life force of the guards and the servants of the castle, storing it safely in the pommel of Solus-harmr. Clambering over to a now-controlled Shadow Cïtirinus, Shadow Gïrnięn eased into the saddle. Flapping towards Murtagh, Shadow Gïrnięn charged silently, Shadow Cïtirinus almost intangible on the breeze, blending into the darkness of twilight.
Shadow Gïrnięn laughed, the four-part harmony filtered through Gïrnięn's voice. "As the sun sets, darkness falls."
Murtagh's voice resonated through Shadow's mind. You are darkness. You shall fall.
The Shadows soared on the night breeze, charging towards Murtagh and Thorn, dark laughter ringing through the night. Rationales and Dies separated to assault Murtagh and Thorn mentally while Machina and Nox physically assaulted Rider and dragon. As Murtagh was entangled with Rationales, the latter being boosted by some unknown source, he also had to put up more and more wards to defend against increasingly creative death spells.
Thorn, on the other hand, was doing great, pushing Dies down as Nox's brutally straightforward death spells bombarded his wards.
Slowly, it seemed as if Shadow was just about to disable Murtagh, until the magenta dragon and its rider flapped up, and a rather horrified-looking Jinaë swung her sword at Gïrnięn, yet it simply brushed off Shadow Gïrnięn's dragonskin armor. Then, in the corner of his eye, Shadow Gïrnięn spotted the cyan dragon Spinelius, Orœthmis mounted upon him, flapping towards the Shadows. Growling, Shadow left Gïrnięn and Cïtirinus, retreating back into its mind. The shadows swirling around Gïrnięn grew thicker and thicker until they dissipated. Murtagh never noticed as he swung his sword, the blade aiming straight for Gïrnięn's heart.