The Primordial of the Hunt Meets Eragon

Fare Thee Well

Previously:

The lights dimmed. Lines on Galabatorix's face deepened. "What have you done?" His voice was hollow and strained. "What have you done?"

Eragon grinned tiredly. "Made you understand."

Galabatorix looked at him with horror. His body was shaking, face contorting. "You will not get the better of me, boy. You...will...not..."

My eyes widened. The magic was gathering around him and his dragon. I knew he was going to blow himself up but Atropos would kill me if I let him to that. So I did the first thing that came to my mind.

As the build up of power coming from Galabatorix was cut off and the echoes of the Word I had said mere seconds ago faded away, the king's eyes widened.

"What have you done?" He demanded, his voice much higher than it was before.

"I took your magic away." I told him carelessly. "My sisters had plans for you and they can't exactly carry them out if you blow yourself up, now can they?"

Galabatorix's face started turning red. "No!"

I clapped my hands and turned to Ethan. "Tie him up, you and Bianca can take him over to my sisters as soon as Nasuada is done with him."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Shut up."

"I can't believe it's over just like that," Eragon said, staring at where Ethan was leading the former king out of the throne room.

"Oh, we're not done yet." I said, rubbing my face with my hand in anticipation of the exhaustion I would be feeling in the next few weeks. "We need to fix Shruikan, appoint someone as a ruler in Galabatorix's place and take care of some logistical details that I won't be doing, thankfully."

"Oh, we know who is going to be the next ruler, don't pretend you don't know," Silena scolded.

"Yes, Nasuada is going to be excellent, now let's get cracking." I said. "We need to clear the treasury of the insane Eldunarí that Tori has and find Jack and Jessie's parents." I eyed them to the side of the Throne room, waiting nervously next to Silena. "Come this way, kids," I called as I started for the doors. "We'll go find your parents first."

Two pairs of scampering feet followed me and Blackjack as we left the Throne room and eventually entered a courtyard outside the citadel.

Stepping into the city, I glanced at the two children to see what they thought about what they saw. Jessie was likely too young to know what it all meant but Jack might know.

Fires had risen up around the rest of the city. Large pillars of smoke created a haze of blackness that almost blocked the sun. People ran from their houses to the outer wall, the soldiers and servants from the citadel joined them, giving Blackjack and I a large berth.

With a suppressed groan from the tightness in my muscles, I crouched down to Jack and Jessie's level. "Do you know where your parents are?"

They nodded and Jack pointed to a smoldering house on the left.

I frowned, an uneasy feeling came over me as I saw the house. It didn't look too damaged but no one was trying to put out the many fires that were spotting it like so many other people were doing.

"Wait here," I told them. "I am going to make sure it's safe and that they are there."

Without waiting for an ok, I dashed to the doors and tentatively opened the door. The smell of burning flesh was the first thing I noticed. I didn't want to look further, as my heart had sunk so low, I knew hope was lost. Yet, I pushed forward. I needed to know for sure.