"This is the end. The end of all your tyranny, Galbatorix!" Eragon cried. The battle had been long and grueling, but with the help of the Varden wearing him down, Eragon now stood over Galbatorix, victorious at last. His leg pinned him as the sword lowered for the final blow. From above, Saphira was in a likewise situation. She had Shruikan blooded and barely afloat. Galbatorix, though tired, seemed unfazed.

With a cold laugh, he replied, "No, Rider. You shall join your brother in his servitude. I shall never fall…not so long as your brother serves me."

Eragon gave him a puzzled look. It was true that Murtagh seemed to have disappeared in the midst of all the fighting. Giving a worried glance to the area around him, Eragon asked, "What do you mean?"

"Why ruin the fun and tell you?" Galbatorix mocked.

To this, Eragon pricked the Rider King's neck, threatening, "I could do it, you know. I could kill you right now and be over with it. Your troops would give up the fighting. And we shall have peace. But I am curious, how can you possibly still think you have the upper hand?"

"I'll show you. Ertla!" Galbatorix suddenly barked. At first nothing happened. Then there came a titanic boom chased by a thread of green lightning. But instead of retreating like normal lightning, this lightning gathered in an oval along the floor of the courtyard. It swam like a metallic pool, swirling around and around. Eragon found he couldn't move a muscle. It was as if he was in the sight of a Ra'zac.

"What sort of magic is this?" Eragon groweled, puzzled as to why he couldn't even turn his head to look at the Rider King, just that pool.

"The likes of which the world has never seen…"Galbatorix hissed out. Then he addressed someone Eragon could not see, "Nice for you to join us, boy. Just in the nick of time, too. Just like you. Who do you think you are anyway? No matter. Now's the time. Push him in."

What Eragon could not see was the smirk Murtagh had on his face. He unsheathed Zar'roc. The red blade gleefully reflected the blood driping down a wound on the Rider King's head. "I think not. I have but to distract you and Eragon can kill you. You can only up hold the memorize part for so long." Eragon snickered. It was true. Even now, he felt the magic which held him lessening. Though the pool didn't even shiver. What is that thing?

"Tith'r manou! I command you to knock him in!" Murtagh fought the Rider King's knowledge of his true name. But his legs would not listen to his will. He took one, resistant step towards the two.

"No." he growled. Each hesitant step could be counted by this word. "No. No. No. No!" Just as it seemed he would obey, Eragon regained his willpower.

This, time it was the Rider King whom gasped the word, "No." But Murtagh, still under the control of his true name, continued to fight himself.

"Do it Eragon! Kill him now! Rend his bloody head from his body! Before I can…ehh…reach you!" Murtagh yelled. But the blue rider hesitated. It was all that was needed. Galbatorix had regained a bit of his strength, enough to be able to push Eragon off him. The Rider lost his balance, falling right into the pool of light. The last thing he heard in that world was has brother's cry. "No!!!!"

As soon as she felt her rider's worry, Saphira began to dive towards him. Suddenly, she could barely feel his presence at all. Then it was gone, but not before she saw his hand falling into the pool. She rushed after him, Shruikan on her tail.

"No! He must not have his dragon with him!" Galbatorix raged as he saw her. He began to close it. As Saphira saw it shutting, she sped up. Just it time, she dove in, the room left just barely large enough for her tail.

"I'll deal with you later. First I must gather my strength. Then, we shall follow them. Your precious 'brother,' is in for quite the surprise…" Galbatorix spat as he wiped the blood from his forehead. He smiled menacingly, thinking of how the thorns in his side were fairing. Murtagh simply sat, dumbstruck at what had just happened.

"I failed you, brother…"

Eragon slowly began to regain consciousness. His head spun as he looked up at the evening sky. It felt like the time Snowfire kicked him. He sat up slowly; shocked that he was in a much different world…

He looked into the strange place in which he had fallen. He saw he was on a hill top, giving him a great vantage point. He turned towards the setting sun and had to wipe his eyes once or twice to ensure he wasn't dreaming. Monstrous trees loomed overhead…wait, were they really trees? They were metallic in the rays of sunset. Little lights dotted them and there was one more problem with them. Most of them were shaped like perfect squares. At there feet, little creatures, like ants in the forest, scurried about. Most were metallic and were odd colors like blue and red and green. At their heads were lights, brightening their paths. They seemed to be always moving, only stopping at smaller trees with odd things that a person put in what Eragon supposed must be their mouths.

Eragon looked up to see two things. One was that Saphira was gracefully gliding down to him. It made him feel more comfortable to know she was here too. But above her, odd, massive birds flew towards the strange forest. They touched down none to far from where they were. Then more strange ants massed around them as they moved towards a strange, stubby tree.

Turning towards the opposite direction, Eragon saw a welcome sight. Mountains. They were monstrous as the Spine's. In between them was a valley resembling all too much his homeland. A river flowed out from between them. Familiar houses dotted the valley. But those strange ants still covered the mountains. He quivered when he realized that those "ants" were about a quarter of the size of Saphira. How people lived here with those monsters about, he would never know.

"Where in Alagaesia are we?" Eragon mused.

Little one, I don't think we are in Alagaesia anymore…