Andlátkyn; Vandr Sanses unin Alagaësia

To Greet a King

As distant echoes of roars faded behind them, the team of infiltrators- if they could even be called that- arrived before tremendous gold doors, displaying a full-size oak tree upon them, leaves arching until they conjoined with their roots. It was uncannily familiar, closely resembling a celtic rune of the World Tree. The main difference were two branches in the middle of the trunk that divided the circle into four quadrants.

The top left displayed elves marching through a forest, the right showing humans building castles and weapons while the bottom left had Urgals burning and slaughtering a village, the bottom right had dwarves mining caves. Scattered throughout the tree itself were a variety of unknown creatures and more familiar ones such as werecats and Ra'zac. The middle beheld a dragon with its tail clamped in its jaws, reminiscent of an ouroboros. This grand door was all that was left between them and Galbatorix.

"Now what?" Eragon asked. Blue huffed in a mixture of thrill, fear and amusement.
"I suppose we open the door."
"We can't knock?" Unity spoke up suddenly, only a voice.
"First, let's see if it's open." Arya pointed out.

So, they all prepared themselves for what lay on the other side, Arya and Elva gripping the handle of the left door- only for everything around the elven spellcasters with them to freeze, unmoving. It was as if they had been frozen in time.
With a dull clank, a door to the left slid open and they delicately floated towards it. Arya lunged with the Dauthdaert, but to no avail. They escaped ahead of her and the door thudded shut before she could follow.
Even after slamming the spear into the crack, the door remained unyielding.

Spinning, Arya faced them and cast out with her thoughts. Umaroth, I need your help to open this wall.
"They are alive and safe." Unity noted before the white dragon spoke.
No, Galbatorix is sure to have hidden your companions well. Trying to find them will only waste energy and place us in even greater danger.

Her scowl deepened. Then we play into his hand, Umaroth-elda. He wants to divide us and make us weaker. If we continue without them, it will be that much easier for Galbatorix to defeat us.
Yes, little one. But think you not also that the Egg-breaker might want us to pursue them? He might want us to forget him in our anger and concern, and rush blindly into another of his traps.

Why would he go through so much trouble? He could have captured Eragon, Saphira, Eldgath, Dauthíblaka, Istalrífreohr, and the rest of the Eldunarí even as he captured Blödhgarm and the others, but he didn't. She pointed out. Internally, both Unity and Loyalty doubted their Voices could be so easily bound as Umaroth suggested something else.

Perhaps he wants us to exhaust ourselves before we confront him or before he attempts to break us.
At that, Arya looked down, composing herself before lifting her eyes again with a mask of calm.
What, then, should we do, Ebrithil?
We hope that Galbatorix will not kill Blödhgarm or the others- not immediately, at least- and we continue on until we find the king.

Perturbed, Arya accepted that answer, moving on to open the door, Elva standing with her, small hand also on the spear. She struggled slightly, face revealing strain as the massive door opened. Blue grimaced in sympathy, waving a hand and nudging it along with the magic that shared his name, GB pawing the right side open hesitantly.

Beyond the doorway was a tremendous chamber of shadows. On either side of the entrance, a row of erisdar- flameless lanterns- hung from iron poles, illuminating the path and little else. Nearly a full 500 feet away they ended at the bottom of a platform in which upon sat a throne. On said seat was a single, shadowed figure. The only one there.

ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʜɪꜱ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ.. Loyalty noted faintly, cautious. The man held a sword in his lap, a pale, unnaturally white thing, gleaming coldly in the dark space. Without a word, the five of them started forward.