The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 45: A Split Soul

Ragin was floating, fractured and dispersed, experiencing feelings and memories that weren't his own. But every flittering thought disappeared before he could fully understand what it was all about. Slowly he felt himself being pulled back together, his mind reconstructed piece by piece until he could achieve some semblance of conscious thought. Dreams assaulted him, dreams that felt as though they weren't his own. They were of death and destruction, trepidation and fear. But there was also confusion, as other dreams of love, and satisfaction, and joy flooded through them, creating a storm of emotion that continued to fight back and forth.

As the young rider slowly regained awareness, the first thing he noticed was a splitting headache in his forehead. A groan left his mouth as he rolled over, clutching his head in his hands as he tried to reduce the pain. There was movement to his side, though he didn't bother to notice it. A soothing magic washed over him, and the pain in his head began to fade. His breathing slowly calmed as the pain disappeared, and he turned his head, looking over to the person that had helped him.

"Logan?" he murmured, his voice rasping as though he hadn't used it in weeks.

"Ragin," his master replied, his voice solemn and slightly relieved.

"Where... am I?" he asked, noticing that he was laying in a bed in a familiar stone walled room.

"You're back in New Doru Araeba," replied Logan.

"H... how?" the thief frowned in confusion.

"Your mind was broken Ragin. We had to bring you back here to fix you. It took a while."

"How long?"

"Three weeks."

His eyes widened, and he struggled to get up from the bed he was in. He sat up and was assaulted with nausea as the room span around him. His limbs felt like dead weight, and his throat was parched and dry. He gasped, clutching his neck and coughing violently, his entire body shaking at the effort. Logan reached over and handed him a cup of water. Ragin accepted it gratefully. He had to stop himself from throwing the liquid down his throat, choosing instead to sip slowly, letting the cool water soothe his aching throat.

After he finished, he felt a familiar yet frightening presence in his mind. His eyes turned to look at the slowly wakening dragon on the other side of the room. When he saw what they had done to her he froze. Large, enchanted chains were clasped along Akaysha's claws and neck. A metal muzzle had been secured around her snout. Even her tail had been tied down.

Ragin grew livid with rage, but with his body as it was, he couldn't really do much, "Why is Akaysha chained?"

He felt his master sigh sadly, "Ragin... after what she did in Gilead... do you really expect us to do anything different."

He grunted softly, not replying. He slowly got off the bed, forcing his weakened legs to stand him up, and staggered over to the downed dragoness. He collapsed at her face, gently placing his hand through the muzzle and stroking her scales. A small rumble left her, and her eye opened, the pupil inside wincing at the light. She then turned toward him, a sense of confusion wondering through their bond.

'Ragin... where are we?' she asked softly.

'New Doru Araeba... we've been taken prisoner,' he responded to her.

A deep growl rumbled through her, and Ragin felt the realisation that she was chained flood through her. With an enraged roar, she went to stand, only to be prevented from doing so by the enormous chains holding her neck and legs. Furious anger rushed through her as she attempted to reach deep inside herself to pull out the magic that was so important to her. Only... nothing happened. Confusion followed, and again she attempted to do so, and was again unsuccessful. Ragin hesitated, looking at her, before turning to stare at Logan.