The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 40: A Shattered Shell

Rain fell in sheets over the destroyed mansion, the fire hissing and sizzling through the storm. Wind bellowed through the forest only fuelling the flames. The forest glowed red as the heat spread out with the flames, engulfing anything that got in the way. But it was beginning to dwindle, the rain and storm slowly winning the battle.

Ragin felt the water slowly seeping into his clothes. A drop of water ran down his forehead and fell from the tip of his nose, causing an almost irresistible urge to sneeze. But he couldn't move. The magic that held him was not something he would be able to escape even if he was able to access the energy of an entire army. It was hopeless.

Akaysha sat nervously behind him, her tail twitching anxiously. He couldn't feel her thoughts or feelings, the ring blocking any mental communication, but he could see it. He could see her fear, see her anger as she glared upon the man that had dared use her true name against her. He could see her wanting to pounce, wanting to pour fire from her mouth until Tharin was but ashes. Instead she held her own rider, her own partner of heart and mind, in place in order to save the man she so despised.

Tharin stumbled over to his half burnt throne, collapsing onto it with an exhausted huff. The exhaustion of trying to break both his enemies minds, as well as hold up his wards against Ragin's onslaught had nearly killed him. He could feel his head growing heavy and his body falling limp, but the perverse satisfaction of his accomplishment kept him awake. So he just sat there, not saying anything as the rain began to kill the fire burning up what was left of his mansion. Akaysha stayed where she was, simply holding Ragin still with her magic as she was ordered to do.

After a couple of minutes of tense silence Tharin began to laugh. It started of almost like a giggle, as though the man had had such a funny thought that he couldn't help but have a physical response. But then it grew louder and louder, the hysterical sound mixing in with the steaming fire and sweltering rain, the wind picking up the sounds and mixing them together like a band. Tharin laughed and laughed until he struggled to breath, his hand holding his stomach and tears in his eyes. As his laughter died down he spat up the bile that had begun to gather in his mouth, coughing as he tried to catch his breath.

"What's so funny?" Ragin gritted his teeth uneasily.

"Oh... haha... it's just," Tharin tried saying, his mirth still not quite gone, "It's just... you know... the ridiculousness of it all."

Ragin glared at him, which his enemy must of found equally hilarious as he began laughing again. It took Tharin another minute or so to calm down to an appropriate level for speech. He got up from his throne and began to limp toward Ragin.

"Akaysha dear," he rasped, "Pin him against a wall or something, and trap him so he can't escape."

Almost immediately Ragin felt his body moved. Akaysha dragged him with her magic, as he was picked up and helplessly tossed against one of the remaining pillars. The fire around it instantly went out, which he suspected was Akaysha's doing, and his back pressed against it. The wood of the pillar suddenly grew up and around his arms, legs and chest, trapping him against the pillar.

"You know... it's just funny," Tharin's speech was broken up by the occasional uncontrolled laugh, "You have been... one of my most successful employees... but also... the greatest pain in my arse!"

Tharin slowly walked toward Ragin's prone body, laughing as he talked, "You... have, single-handed, dealt me more damage... than any one person... or group... has ever done. You... stole my dragon... pushing my work back years. You... you disappeared to a place... where even I... where even I couldn't find you. For months I might add. Then... then when you did appear again... killed every assassin I sent to find you. Then... when I finally do the job myself... you somehow still survive... and come back... throwing the power I gave you... back in my face. You... destroyed my home... killed all my body guards... revealed my operation to the world! But... despite all of that... I now have you... trapped here... with everything you hold dear in my grasp! Isn't that just hilarious! You've taken everything away from me! Now... now I get to do the same!"