Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Fifty-Six: Brilliant

"It doesn't matter," Eragon growled. "We'll still find a way to stop you." My father seemed grimly amused.

"Is that so. How? And why? Think what you are saying. You would stop the first opportunity that Alagaësia has had for true peace in order to sate your over-developed sense of vengeance? You would allow magicians everywhere to continue to have their way, regardless of the harm they cause others? That seems far worse than anything I have done. But this is idle speculation. The finest warriors of the Riders could not defeat me, and you are far from their equal. You never had any hope of overthrowing me. None of you did."

"I killed Durza, and I killed the Ra'zac," Eragon said. "Why not you?"

"I am not as weak as those who serve me. You could not even trounce Murtagh, and he is but a shadow of a shadow. Your father, Morzan, was far more powerful than either of you, and even he could not withstand my might. Besides," My father said as a cruel expression settled on his face. "you are mistaken if you think you destroyed the Ra'zac. The eggs in Dras-Leona weren't the only ones I took from the Lethrblaka. I have others, hidden elsewhere. Soon they shall hatch, and soon the Ra'zac shall once more roam the earth to do my bidding. As for Durza, Shades are easy to make, and they are often more trouble than they are worth. So you see, you have won nothing, boy—nothing but false victories."

The doors to the chamber opened and closed, and the sound of approaching footsteps, the footsteps of both a man and a dragon. Murtagh and Thorn soon appeared in their field of vision. They stopped next to the beginning of the dais, and Murtagh bowed.

"Sir."

"You took longer than I expected," My father said in a deceptively mild voice. As Alethea turned her head to look at Thorn. They both stared each other down, Alethea once again pulled back her lips to reveal her teeth to the younger, male dragon.

"Alethea! Play nice!" I told her sternly. Alethea stopped her low growl and turned her massive head to look at me. "Think of our goal here."

A plume of smoke lifted from her nostrils as my dragon huffed at me.

"The gate was more damaged than I originally thought, sir, and the spells you placed on it made it difficult to repair."

"Do you mean that it's my fault you are tardy?" Murtagh's jaw tightened.

"No, sir. I only mean to explain. Also, part of the hallway was rather ... messy, and that slowed us."

"I see. We shall speak of this later, but for now, there are other matters we must attend to. For one, it is time our guests meet the final member of our party. Moreover, it is high time we had some proper light in here." My eyes flickered over Thorn who had a few scratched here and there on his body.

"Sorry about the shadow Saphira and my dragon, but it was necessary." Thorn let a plume of smoke through his nostrils as his headshot towards me.

"You are not what you say you are." I snorted a little which earned a curious look from Murtagh.

"And who do I say I am?" I replied with a smirk. A low rumble came from Thorn as more smoke poured out of his nostrils. My father struck the flat of his blade against one arm of his throne.

"Naina!" At his command, hundreds of lanterns sprang to life along the walls of the chamber, bathing it with warm, candle-like illumination. The room was still dim about the corners. Scores of pillars and doorways lined the walls, and all about were sculptures and paintings and gilt scrollwork.