The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 42: Daughter of Death

Two dragons flew through the raging storm. One was an elder blue male over two hundred years old, and the other a younger green dragon, also male, who had yet to reach his sixth year. Both had human riders, who shielded their faces against the storm as they tried to fight their way toward the inferno on the other side of the Isenstar lake. The four of them had been resting near Du Weldenvarden, the elven forest, when the storm hit, thinking it would be safer to shelter under the large trees rather than face the weather. But when they felt the power of wild magic erupt along the other side of the lake, they felt it important to check out.

Everything was silent now though. The fire was slowly dwindling and the use of wild magic had dwindled. Now it was just them, fighting through the storm toward the ruins of whatever battle had taken place. They could see the burning mansion, but it was still several kilometres away. Gilead was to their right, the inhabitants of the city having taken shelter from the storm, though the dragons could see a rather large number of soldiers posted along the south-east wall, facing the unnatural fire that still burnt with startling ferocity.

Despite the raging storm and devouring flames everything just seemed incredibly silent, like the world was waiting in suspense for the outcome of the battle to be declared. Luther, the rider of the green dragon, could feel his partner's unease. His dragon, Erandor, had always been a little overly cautious, but this time it was like the green dragon could sense that something horrible had happened in the flames.

'Luther... I think we should-' Erandor's thoughts were cut off as a terrible unworldly scream echoed through the storm, chilling the very air with its sound.

A dark shape rose from the fire, lightning thundering around it in an applause. The dark shape seemed to twist in the air, beating its wings as it threw itself toward the two dragons.

'That's a dragon!' Erandor exclaimed, stopping in the air to hover, confusion and fear spiking through him.

'No dragon could make that noise,' Luther replied, gripping the green rider's sword at his belt.

That was the last thought the two had, as once again wild magic gripped the sky. Both Erander and the blue dragon screamed in pain as an invisible force shattered their wings and obliterated their spine. The riders were crushed into their dragons, no ward strong enough to hold up against such power. Then, like leaves in a storm, the broken bodies of the two dragons and their riders were tossed into the city below.

* * *

Bernard, a foot soldier for the city of Gilead, felt his blood curdle at the sound of the scream. He had never heard anything like it before. It made him think of spirits of the dead reaching up from the depths of hell to possess his soul. Then he felt it. Whatever power it was, was like what had created the fire. It reverberated through his bones and drove fear into the very centre of his heart. The power was unworldly, unnatural for a living thing.

He watched as the two dragons that were flying over Isenstar Lake were crushed by the force of the magic, flinching as even through the storm he heard the crunch of their bones. His fellow soldiers cried out in fear and terrors as the bodies were tossed toward them like rocks. The blue dragon's corpse crushed part of the wall as well as many of his brothers in arms. The smaller green dragon toppled a house more toward the centre of the city.

"Be ready!" the captain of the guard yelled out, trying to sound confident but everyone could hear the fear in his voice.

Shields were raised, bows were drawn, and spears readied as they all turned toward the dark shape that flew toward them. None of them could have possibly been ready as wild magic was turned against them. The dragon roared, and the town exploded in dark fire.