The entire series we've been told, over and over, that Galbatorix is stronger than Eragon. It has been really, exhaustively stablished that Galbatorix's power is god-like at this point, and Eragon doesn't stand a spitting chance in hell of overpowering him.
We've also been told he doesn't need to. The key won't be to overpower him, but to outthink him. Eragon has to find something he didn't account for. He has to attack the one way Galbatorix didn't predict.
And it was just, empathy. The one thing Eragon had that Galbatorix didn't. The only way he's better and stronger. Eragon cares about the people who got hurt, and Galbatorix doesn't, so he never thinks to protect himself from their grief.
image description: a blue ceramic jar with a lid that looks like a UFO with a black-and-white cow on top. It has bright green raised ovals like windows spiraling around the lid. The jar's body is blue with green streaks on it. The inside of the lid has a green UFO beam painted on it, and inside the jar is a mini galaxy with a black UFO in the middle.
image descriptions: the jar body overturned to show that its foot has oval notches cut into it and painted the same bright green as the raised "windows". Also, a photo of the jar from above, showcasing the spiral of windows and the cow.
Though he is but a simple farmhand from Ordon, Rancher is exceptionally brave, often going out of his way to help those in need. Possessing a heart of gold and dogged loyalty to his greatest good, Rancher is the ideal hero. The only thing marring her perfect image is a shadowy form and a regret that boiled his blood.
A huge thanks to @wildsage00 for all the help with her design! I really appreciated your guidance and advice with this one <3 she looks wonderful
Some fun facts about her under the cut!
This MIGHT just shock you, but he loves Ordonian Goats. Sometimes she wishes she could have been turned into a goat rather than a wolf--they're more friendly, but still powerful and not to be trifled with. It still hurts him that the goats hate her wolf form so much.
Bugs!!!! Every once and awhile, she'll go out to the city and help Agitha with her bug preservation, and he ended up learning a lot about them! His favourite sub family of bugs is Holoptilinae (a subfamily of Reduviinae, or Assassin bugs) because of their feathery little legs! Also, he WILL give you a huge rant about how Daddy Long Leg ""spiders"" aren't actually spiders (Minish would agree).
Rancher is their best horse rider in the group and physically the strongest next to Engie (guess a lot of chucking coal into a furnace makes you pretty physically strong). She can (and will) lift a fully grown Ordonian goat if she has to.
its crazy how i have actively avoided drawing fusions but then i saw the sbi designs and literally could not stop myself. i passed out and woke up and he existed.
anyways he has healing amber bubbles because why not! (there is nothing traumatic about constantly being Brought Into Existence only to solve problems) (he is okay) (trust me)
I've been thinking on and off about Dreamtale for months, the way it left off with the twins perpetually clashing and how it adds to their mythological vibe... and I guess my mind couldn't let it go until it came up with a way to offer their story closure.
And that's how I got stuck on the idea of Dream and Nightmare always being two halves of a whole, Dark Crystal style, until I came up with a fusion– the guardian of emotion.
Maybe Nightmare ripped the golden fruit from Dream, maybe Dream got desperate and tried to separate Nightmare's SOUL from the black fruit, but either way, after they were absorbed or absorbed by the apples, maybe their SOULs would also involuntarily absorb each other if given the chance. Like they were always meant to succeed their sacred tree.
I really like interpreting Nightmare's tentacles as roots, leaving Swap!Dream's feathered wings to be the leafy branches.
Their motif would be an eclipse to combine Dream and Nightmare's motifs, and as for a name... Wake? Dawn? Psyche? Psyche... Psyche.