The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 46: Verdict

Ragin opened his eyes, startled awake by the enormous grating of a massive door. Behind him Akaysha groaned, the dragoness turning her chained muzzle to look at the wall, which had been opened entirely. The two had been waiting for what Ragin estimated to be over a day. He had been bought food a couple of times, each with its own drug, and while he wanted to starve the drug out, he was too weak to even attempt it. It turned out three weeks of comatose really destroyed the body.

He was startled to find nearly the entire wall being slid open, revealing the people behind it. There were six of them, all riders based on the blades at their hips. There was also a dragon waiting, red in colour and a good couple of feet larger than Akaysha. Ragin felt himself go still as he recognised one of the guards. The reddish blond hair of Freya was impossible to miss.

They made eye contact, and she glared at him, the hatred still very evident in her eyes. He sighed, turning his gaze away. Akaysha growled at the six of them, but the red dragon just snarled back, drowning out her warning with his own. It seemed they were ready for the two of them to resist. Ragin placed a hand on Akaysha's shoulder, looking into her eye.

'Don't resist,' he told her, 'It'll just make everything worse.'

She looked at him, struggling with the idea of submitting, but eventually she just lowered her head, sending her reluctant acknowledgement that he was right. Ragin forced himself to his feet, leaning against Akaysha's shoulder for support. He looked at who he knew to be his escorts. They could very well be leading him to his death.

"Put your hands out in front of you," an Urgal stepped forward with a pair of cuffs.

Ragin did as he was told, wincing as the metal was clamped over his wrists. Again Akaysha rumbled, but the red dragon just drowned her out with his own snarl. She looked at him, annoyed. Ragin felt the flickers of rage in her, picturing the other dragon's blood over her talons. At this moment, she hated everyone in the room, everyone except Ragin of course.

'Akaysha,' he warned his dragon again, 'Don't.'

She snorted, looking away. After a couple of moments, another one of the riders approached her, this one a female elf, while the red dragon watched Akaysha closely. They unlocked the chains from her feet and tail, but kept the muzzle and the one trapping her wings.

"Get up," the elf told the dragoness.

Akaysha glared at her, before obeying the order, standing to her feet rather shakily. She was nearly as weak as her rider, and Ragin couldn't help but feel slightly proud of her stubbornness, despite the position they were in. It was only his words that were making her even slightly compliant, and the knowledge that anything she did could end in death.

They forced Akaysha to walk in front, with the red dragon close behind, and Ragin behind him. What Ragin had thought was his old room was actually somewhere at the other side of New Doru Araeba. It led into a hall with a far larger corridor than the one outside his room, that and the fact the wall opened.

As they walked he felt Freya's glare in the back of his head. He forced himself to ignore it. The girl's hatred for him was understandable. It made him a little surprised that she had been chosen for this job, though he guessed she wanted at least some part in making him receive punishment. She was one of the few that he doubted would be satisfied with him simply being exiled.

They reached the main hall, and Ragin was astounded to find a small parade of dragons and their riders waiting for him. They walked through the centre, wary gazes and angry eyes following him along the way. He felt Akaysha's unease, a low grumble constantly vibrating through her body as she lowered her head, like a caged animal. She really wished she still had her magic.