Bachel tortures Murtagh for hours, repeatedly demanding that he break and swear fealty to her and Azlagûr. Murtagh uses an old survival tactic from Urû’baen: he obeys lesser commands and agrees to statements when it buys him a reprieve, but he refuses on the central demand. Drugged and unable to seize Bachel’s mind, he can only endure while she questions him about Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Fírnen, Nasuada’s realm, Du Vrangr Gata, and military deployments.

Through Bachel’s questioning, Murtagh realizes that the Draumar may be preparing for a real attack on Nasuada’s realm and that their information network is far better than their remote location suggests. Bachel exploits Murtagh’s guilt over torturing Nasuada in the Hall of the Soothsayer, mocking his weakness and suggesting Nasuada would despise him. Murtagh still refuses, and Bachel resumes the pain before finally dosing him with another vapor she calls the Breath of Azlagûr.

Bachel orders cultists to wash Murtagh at the well before returning him to his cell. In the courtyard, Murtagh sees Thorn bound in iron chains, muzzled, tied, wounded, and dulled by drugs or magic. The sight devastates Murtagh, and Alín, watching from the temple columns, appears shaken before Murtagh is dragged away.

Back in his cell, Murtagh falls into a drugged dream in which he sits on Galbatorix’s throne with Thorn beside him. Eragon, Arya, Orik, Nasuada, and the armies of many races kneel or stand under his command, and Murtagh feels the seductive security of absolute power. The dream offers him a twisted solution: if Murtagh rules everyone, no one can enslave him or Thorn; the vision ends with a black sun descending.

Uvek wakes Murtagh, and Alín soon arrives with food and watered wine. Her hands shake, and Uvek calls her Murtagh’s friend, but Murtagh tastes vorgethan in the food and realizes she has brought both nourishment and the drug that keeps him weak. Starving, Murtagh eats anyway, deciding survival requires accepting the poison.

Murtagh and Uvek speak as prisoners. Uvek explains that Bachel also wants his fealty and that the Draumar seek submission from all they encounter. Murtagh tries and mostly fails to reach Thorn through their weakened bond, reflects on Nasuada’s endurance under Galbatorix, and admits he delayed action in Nal Gorgoth because he wanted to understand the Draumar before acting. Uvek judges that wise but says acting sooner would have spared pain, and Murtagh slips into more drug-induced visions.