Shruikan's Rider (Inheritance Cycle UA* Fanfiction)

Ch.3 Reversing Time

Alys stared at the heavy book before her, not even reading anymore, just staring. her mind was numb and eyes dry from her long day of research. Immediately after her encounter with Shruikan, she went to her cousin, Queen Nasuada.

She now sat in Ilrea's castle, Nasuada's castle, by a dying candle late at night. She'd searched through every spellbook, she could find for hints on how to help Shruikan, but there wasn't a sign of anything useful.

Alys leaned back, tilting her head back. The pain grew throughout her body, skin started to burn. As she grew tired, a weak connection with Ugauc formed and she would feel his discomfort as her own, the Seithr Oil slowly killing him.

She felt her eyes well. "Why am I here?" She sighed, putting her head in her hands as she leaned her elbows on the desk. "I should be with him, comforting him." Her bottom lip pouted, a lump in her throat forming.

"How goes your research?"

Alys sniffed and wiped her eyes, turning to the voice.

Nasuada drifted towards her, a purple velvet night robe wrapped around her. A candlestick burned in her hand, illuminating her face.

Alys considered her for a moment on how to acknowledge her, as queen or cousin. "Um, not great?" She stuck to casual.

The queen hummed and lowered herself down beside her. "How are you doing?" She whispered, touching her forearm.

Alys pulled her arm away, wincing at the tenderness. She gave her an apologetic look.

Nasuada glanced at her candlestick between them. "Ah, his pain affects you. Even at this distance?"

Alys nodded. "I think it's because he's dying." She admitted softly, something she'd not wanted to, but knew.

Nasuada sighed softly. "I'm so sorry, Al. I can't imagine everything going on, your pain, the emotions, and knowing that." She looked away. "It must be awful."

Alys nodded. "It is..." She stared at the flickering flame as her vision blurred again with tears. She didn't stop them when they fell. "And he's all alone while I'm wasting my time..." Her lips pouted again as she wept, hands covering her face.

Nasuada gave her a pitying looked and hugged her gently. "Oh, Alys."

Alys buried her face in Nasuada's shoulder, holding her in return. "What-What do I do?"

Nasuada thought for a moment. "I think you need to rest, focus on your heart. If you decide to leave this dragon hunt for a while, do so. Ugauc needs you."

Alys sniffed and looked at her. "B-but so does Shru--the other dragon. They're m-miserable."

Her cousin sighed softly. "Then you need to settle on what's most important then. I know you'll figure it out. Your compassion will guide you."

*~*~*~*

Alys took her advice and stayed in the castle for a few extra days. She sat in the guestroom she'd been given and looked through a very old notebook.

Its pages were stained gold and the edges crumbled easily. It contained countless of unfinished scrawlings of spells.

Specifically, Galbatorix's spells from when he first went rogue. There was everything from a spell to sustain a newly-hatched dragonling to his spell to make soldiers not feel pain.

Alys scribbled down his earliest versions of, what she could make out to be, the growth spell he used on Shruikan. He had notes of the effects of each one like; too sudden and painful. He was screaming and bawling. And, extremely slow. Both in pain for days. Need to make it gradual over short spaces of time, often.