Author's Notes: This story takes place after 3rd book 'Brisingr' and it focuses on Murtagh and Thorn.

Murtagh is my favorite character and so I am writing my own take on how it's like for him and Thorn to serve under the authority of Galbatorix since the books give no details about it! I really want to know what they have to suffer and how they interact with Galbatorix and his dragon Shruikan. I want to know, man! MAN!

I hope you people enjoy my take on it…Ooer.

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Thorn could not believe him and Murtagh had just killed the last dragon riders of the old, Oromis and Glaedr. It was unreal and that reality made both of them feel even more hopeless since they knew Oromis and Glaedr were probably the only people in the all of Alagaësia that could have helped them escape from Galbatorix's grasp.

But now they were both dead….and they had been killed by their very own hands. And even though, they both knew that Galbatorix had technically killed them by possessing Murtagh's body, they still blamed themselves for it and it was certain that all of Alagaësia would too.

"Youngling, are you alright?" Thorn yelled, loudly in Murtagh's mind. He was currently flying as fast as he could away from the battle. Since he knew they were both in no shape to fight anymore since Glaedr had bitten off some of his tail and the possession had left Murtagh in a weak mental and physical state.

Murtagh didn't response, his mind was blank like he was about to fall unconscious.

"Just hold on," Thorn thought as he quickly spotted a small lake on the landscape below them, he then flew down towards it. When he landed, Murtagh practically rolled off his back onto the ground. He was covered in sweat and blood and was panting, heavily.

Thorn used his teeth and claws to peel off the heavy metal armor Murtagh was wearing, hoping that would cool him down a bit.

Murtagh's breathing slowed down and his eyes fluttered open as he sat up.

"You gave me such a scare!" Thorn sighed in relief as he threw his armor aside. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know…" Murtagh mumbled as he wiped sweat off his brow. He was clearly disturbed by the events that had just past. He shakily pushed himself up and went over to the lake as he began to wash his face in the water.

"Murtagh?" Thorn said, coming behind him. He was beyond worried for Murtagh; he could sense through their bond his mind was very fragile right now.

Murtagh turned around after he was done wiping his face on his black tunic he then sunk to his knees. He looked like he was about to cry but instead whimpered, "He possessed me, Thorn…"

Thorn said nothing. It was very alarming to find out Galbatorix had that kind of power over them.

"I had no control over my body," Mutragh murmured, quietly. "I've never felt so helpless before…and I thought I knew what helpless was…"

Thorn gently touched Murtagh's chest with his nose. He was so sick of seeing Murtagh suffer and he hated how he could do nothing to stop it!

"It's horrible enough that I can't even have any private thoughts of my own but possession?"

"Well at least you killed him against your will," Thorn suddenly whispered. "I killed one of my own kind and there is so very few of us dragons left. I am a disgrace to my kind…"

"You had no choice," Murtagh tried to reason with him as he felt Thorn's pain. "And most dragons die when their riders die…so it's more my felt then anything."

"No it isn't. It's not your fault at all," Thorn huffed out. "It is my fault. I didn't have to bite him in the throat but I did." Thorn knew he had committed a horrible crime against the dragon race and he was going to have to live with that for the rest of his life.

"Well there's still Shruikan, Saphira and that green egg," Murtagh tried to reassure him. "And if Saphira were to mate with you or-

"I will never mate with her because I did not wish for her or our offspring's to become slaves like us!" Thorn growled, angrily. "I'd rather the dragon race die off then that!"

Murtagh had never heard Thorn speak so passively about Saphira and guessed Thorn did like her after all because Murtagh never was sure what Thorn thought about Saphria. Murtagh had to admit she was very beautiful… for a dragon, of course.

Thorn, you must face the inevitable though," Murtagh told him. "Eragon and Saphira will be eventually captured and will be forced to serve him like us."

"Why do you say that?" Thorn snarled as steam came out of his nostrils. Why would he say such horrible things?

"You know why! Galbatorix is too strong and even though Eragon has Glaedr's Eldunarí, Galbatorix has dozens and dozens of them. He will win this war and start the new dragon riders that he has been dreaming of."

"I'm glad you still have hope," Thorn snorted, sneeringly.

Murtagh just shrugged, apathetically.

A nerve snap in Thorn when he growled, furiously, "So you really think we're going to be his slaves forever? I don't understand you at all! At least you have had felt freedom before I was born into this! I should be the one with no hope! What is wrong with you? Why do you think this way?"

"What do you expect from me?" Murtagh cried out, hysterically. "My body was not even mine an hour ago!"

Thorn went up to Murtagh and put his wings around him, trying to comfort him. "Youngling, I didn't mean to snap at you…I'm just as upset as you are but it does make me extreme sad to see you this hopeless-

"I am hopeless! I have no hope and there is no hope for you or me!"

Thorn squeezed him tighter towards him. "Shut up, no you're not. We can get through this-

"HOW?" Murtagh yelled, trying to push him away. "We don't even have a will anymore we are merely his puppets now!"

"Murtagh, you are the strongest willed human I have ever known. You have survived so much so you can survive this too. And we still have one more hope that Eragon mention….changing our true names?"

Murtagh finally slumped against Thorn as he held in a sob. He had forgotten about that and then smiled, weakly at Thorn. "Aye, there is still one more hope."

Thorn nodded in agreement as he cradled Murtagh.

I don't know what I'd do without you. The only reason I have gone on this long is because of you."

"Same, little one."

"MURTAGH!" Galbatorix's loud voice suddenly rung through both their heads. "Get. Back. Here. Now."

When his presence left their minds Murtagh erratically asked, "Do you think he heard us?"

Thorn said nothing because he didn't know and he knew there were times Galbatorix could access their minds without them even knowing it. But they both did know for sure Galbatorix was blaming them for not getting Glaedr's Eldunarí.

Murtagh stepped away from Thorn as he nervously cracked his knuckles. He had no idea what he was going to say to the king. How could he have possibly gotten Glaedr's Eldunarí since Galbatorix had been controlling him? So if Galbatorix should blame anyone it should be himself but Murtagh knew he wouldn't and he and Thorn were going to get the punishment for it.

But Murtagh finally noticed Thorn's injured tail and forgot about all that for the moment. "Thorn, why didn't you say anything?" Murtagh asked as he went over to his tail to examine it. "Here I'll heal it before we go-

"No," Thorn interrupted, moving his tail away. "You are going to need you're strength, little one."

"Well at least let me bandage it or something," Murtagh insisted as he went over to Thorn's side so he could get some dressing from the supply bag from the saddle. He pulled some bandages out and went over to wrap it around Thorn's tail.

"Are you still able to fly like this?" Murtagh asked as he examined Thorn's tail. A big chunk of the end of his tail was missing and Murtagh wandered if it would affect his flying.

"It's only a little," Thorn shrugged, nonchalantly. "If he had bitten anymore off then maybe...but I'm okay."

"Maybe the king can heal it better?" Murtagh commented as he continued wrapping the bandages around his tail.

"No thanks," Thorn growled, wiggling his tail away after Murtagh finished bandaging him. "I don't need anymore of his help...with unnaturally growing parts of my body."

Murtagh said nothing to that as he climbed back on Thorn's saddle. He didn't even want to remember how Galbatorix sped up Thorn's growth spurts and how it effected Thorn mental and physical.

He hated that man...on some many different levels.

Thorn could feel Murtagh began to tremble on his back when he sat back down on the saddle and knew he was beyond terrified of the punishment that awaited them back at Urû'baen.

"Little one, do not be scared," Thorn told him as he jumped off from the ground. "There is nothing new he could do to us-

"That's not true…Murtagh winced as he held on tight to Thorn's reins. "He always finds some new way to torture us…"

Thorn said nothing to that as he flew towards the south. He felt so horrible he could do nothing to ease Murtagh suffering, it made him physically sick.

He also hated how Galbatorix would torture Murtagh and make him watch. And it was obvious that Galbatorix knew that so instead of torturing Thorn when he did something bad, he just make him watch Murtagh be tortured. But Thorn didn't get out torture completely either, sometimes Shruikan punish him if he misbehaved.

Thorn remembered a time when he used to admire Shruikan. He had thought Shruikan was the greatest dragon ever to live but that admiration soon turned into loathing after the first few moments of meeting him…

"He's so small," Galbatorix commented as he examined Thorn. He then grabbed at Thorn's wings and spread them, wanting to see how long they were.

The Labrador dog sized Thorn, uncomfortably backed away from him and went to Murtagh's side, feeling a violated. He had just met this man a few minutes ago but yet he was touching him like he was a pet or something.

"He's only eight weeks old," Murtagh stated, bending down to Thorn's height and comforting him. "He's still a baby..."

"I am not a baby!" Thorn growled, angrily as he pulled away from him too. "I told I have been in that egg for thousand years!" He already felt humiliated enough with the King picking at his body, he didn't need Murtagh doing it too!

Murtagh said nothing but then thought, 'I'm trying to help you!'

Galbatorix only smiled at Thorn little outburst and then chucked, "How cute he's just as spirited… like his rider."

Murtagh looked away as he began to chew on lip. He had been dreading this day when he had to bring Thorn to Galbatorix ever since Thorn had hatched for him.

Galbatorix had surprisingly left Murtagh alone for two months with Thorn after he hatched which were the best two months he had ever had. He felt so glad he wasn't alone anymore; he didn't have to face Galbatorix alone anymore. But now he was afraid of what he was going to do to Thorn and him…

Unlike Murtagh, Thorn was beyond ecstatic being here. He wasn't exactly thrilled about meeting the old King but what he was excited about was meeting Shruikan. He couldn't believe he was going to meet another dragon! He was so happy to know he wasn't alone, there was another dragon!

"Do you want to meet Shruikan, Thorn?" Galbatorix suddenly asked Thorn like he had been reading his mind.

Thorn almost bounced from his spot as he shrieked, "Oh yes of course your majesty! Thank you!"

Galbatorix smirked at Murtagh who just looked away but then said, "Shruikan come."

The ground suddenly began to shake as they all felt a massive figure walk into the throne room from behind Galbatorix throne chair. And huge couldn't even describe how big Shruikan was, he practically took up half the throne room and made Thorn look like a sick kitten. He was quite frightening looking as well with his large yellow eyes, sharp teeth, long talons and midnight black scales that covered his large body.

"Little one,"Shruikan deep voice rumbled, loudly.

Thorn nervously bowed his head low. "It is an honor to meet you, Shruikan."

"Yes I'm sure it is," he said, coldly. "And I prefer you call me master since I am going to be your teacher for now on, red scales."

"Oh really?" Thorn perked up as his tail began to waggle, wildly. "I am so honor you want me to be your student! Thank you so much, my master."

Shruikan said nothing as he narrowed his large yellow eyes.

Galbatorix continued to smile as he watched them but then suggested, "Shruikan, why don't you help Thorn learn how to fly? Or have you figured it out yet, Thorn?"

Thorn shook his head, embarrassed.

"Well then why don't you two do that since me and Murtagh have much to discuss."

Murtagh paled but Thorn ignored his fear that came radiating off him, Thorn was way into Shruikan to notice Murtagh's fear.

Shruikan glared down at Thorn but finally growled, "Come."

Thorn followed after him, not even giving Murtagh a glace back.

"Have fun, you two," Galbatorix laughed after them.

Shruikan huffed, sounding annoyed in response.

"So how old are you, master?" Thorn asked Shruikan as they walked away into the cave behind the Galbatorix's throne chair.

"Older then you."

"How many other dragons have you known?"

"Many."

Thorn didn't say anything else until fifteen minutes later when they finally reached the end of the cave where it led into a large open field. It was a mile away from the castle and this is where Shruikan would reside, rest, and feed when he wasn't with Galbatorix.

"Where are we?" Thorn asked, looking around amazed. He had never been to a place like this.

"You haven't been outside the castle yet, have you?" Shruikan asked, observing Thorn's reaction to everything.

"No, but I have seen this kind of place in Murtagh's mind before."

Shruikan let his large wings spread out as he walked towards the lake but then retorted, "That's very sad."

Thorn had nothing to say to that so instead he asked, "Is it hard to fly, master?"

Shruikan laughed, cruelly. "Even the most idiotic dragons are able to fly."

I am not an idiot!" Thorn yelled before even thinking of who he was talking to.

"No, maybe you're not any idiot but you are stupid!" Shruikan snapped, turning back around so he could tower over the smaller dragon. "You aren't even a year old and you haven't even been out in the real world. You literally don't know anything." He snorted as he looked away and then mumbled, "This is why I hated younger dragons, they all are beyond arrogant."

"I'm not-

"If you back talk to me one more time, I'll rip your wings off!" Shruikan snarled as he eyes began to flare, angrily.

"You-

Thorn didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence when Shruikan suddenly slammed him down with his claws on his back, pinning him to the ground.

"You do not speak unless spoken too!" Shruikan roared in face, loudly. "You are not my equal, you are lower than a dog to me."

Thorn began trembling, he had never been so scared in his short life. He then let a wince out when Shruikan snapped his large fangs right by his throat.

"When I'm through with you, you will know your place, little one…"

Thorn pushed that grisly memory aside as he landed gracefully in the dreary courtyard behind the massive the Urû'baen castle.

"Oh not him," Murtagh sighed when he saw Eamon the magician, waiting for them near the castle's entrance. "I can't deal with him right now."

Eamon was Thorn's and Murtagh's caretaker which really meant he just kept an eye on both of them for Galbatorix. He was practically their babysitter and would report every single detail about them to Galbatorix. He was highly irritating since he would regularly go through their stuff. Eamon had long brown hair he wore in a ponytail and he had high forehead with brown beady eyes. He was wearing that smug smile that he wore all the time when he stated, "Our majesty wants to see you and Thorn in the main hallway."

Murtagh said nothing as he jumped off Thorn's back and began walking slowly towards the castle.

"He does not seem please…" Eamon whispered way too happily.

Murtagh ignored him as he walked inside the castle with Eamon in the lead. Thorn followed them behind, lowering his head down around the door frame but when he got inside he straighten up. Inside the castle, it was big enough for a dragon to walk around with ease.

"You're shaking." Eamon commented, nastily. "If you just obeyed our majesty then he wouldn't have to punish you, you know?"

Murtagh ignored him again as he held his head up high. He knew Eamon just wanted a reaction from him and he was not going to give him that satisfaction. Though, he had to admit Eamon was not as bad as the twins. At least he knew he could take down Eamon if he wanted to but when the Twins were still alive, he didn't stand a chance. He sometimes hated the twins more than Galbatorix because unlike Galbatorix, they used to torment and torture him for sport. He was so glad that Roran killed them and they were gone for good but yet those horrible memories still lingered in his mind…

No one said anything as they all walked down the poorly lighted hallways but Murtagh could feel his heart race faster and faster with each step he took.

"Be strong…little one," Thorn tried to encourage him. "It will all be over soon…"

When they reached the large throne room doors, Eamon gave them a sadistic smile before he pushed them open. And Murtagh gulped when he saw Galbatorix and Shruikan waiting for them…

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What do you guys think? Am I any good at writing Inheritance cycle fanfics?

Please review XD