Ragin sat on the bed, staring at the stone wall across from him blankly. Nothing seemed real, as if the whole world around him had dissipated into nothingness. He barely registered being dragged back to his room, barely registered as Akaysha's unconscious body was carried, lain on the other side of the room, where she was silently snoring, unaware of the death sentence looming over her rider's head.

They had told him it would be the following morning. That meant that day was the last day of his life. He had thought those exact words before... on multiple occasions, but they had never meant so much as they did now. Before, the life-threatening situations he had come across had been beatable. He had been able to fight back, to run, to disappear. But now, as he sat there, drugged and unarmed, to say the situation was hopeless was an understatement. Never had death been so inevitable.

Every thought, every inkling of escape was gone from his mind. He didn't have any of the usual tools he had for escaping such a prison. Even if he could, there would be no way he could break Akaysha out of their as well, not without bringing the entirety of New Doru Araeba onto them. Still, he would rather that than sit there waiting for his last moment. But there was nothing else he could do. After everything he had fought through, everything he had suffered, this was to be his fate.

It was nearly odd when the door grated open slightly, allowing two figures to slip inside. Ragin blinked, shaking his head, turning to look at the two intruders with surprise, wondering who wanted to come and gloat at their victory. He nearly froze when he recognised them both. One was Logan, his old master come to say goodbye. The other was Eragon himself, come to pay Ragin one last visit before the leader of the riders ended his life.

Ragin didn't say anything. He just masked his expression, staring at the two of elder riders with a blank face. He appreciated that Logan had tried to defend him. But Eragon was the one who had sentenced him in the first place. Elder rider or not, Ragin was not about to give anything away.

Eragon sighed softly when he saw the rider, sitting on his bed. He then turned to Akaysha. The sleeping dragoness had been rechained to the wall, unable to do anything even if she wanted to. He knelt by her, and with a soft word in the ancient language he released her from the spell that had her in her slumber. She jolted awake with a snarl, the chains rattling as they held her still.

She blinked, seeming confused for a moment, before her snarl intensified as she saw the man responsible for their current predicament. She struggled to stand. Ragin could feel her anger as she tried to lash out, to open her mouth and let flames spill into the room, but the chains would not let her go. She ended her tirade with a small whine, the hopelessness of their situation fully baring down upon her.

"I thought you were going to start everything tomorrow," Ragin spoke softly, judging that Eragon had decided to break their bond now rather than wait until later.

"That's not why I'm here," Eragon said, standing up and looking toward the broken rider.

"Then why?"

"I'm here to offer you both an ultimatum."

Ragin's eyes narrowed, and Akaysha grew incredibly still. Ragin could feel her suspicion on the back of his mind, only her curiosity of what Eragon could possibly offer them. He could feel her studying his memories of the events and felt her grow livid when she found the death sentence hanging over his head. But she remained silent, though he knew that both Eragon and Logan could feel the anger in her glare.

"What ultimatum?" Ragin asked.

"An alternate punishment if you will," Eragon continued, "One that is arguably just as bad, but you probably won't think so."

'What is it?' Akaysha asked, her mental voice full of suspicion.

"You are going to accept a curse," he spoke directly to Ragin, "A curse that will define the rest of your life, however long it is."

"A... curse?" Ragin asked, confused, "What curse?"

The leader of the riders smiled slightly. Speaking a couple of words in the ancient language, he reached out a hand a pulled a sword, seemingly out of nowhere. Ragin grunted in surprise when he recognised the blade. It was Wyrda, his rider's blade.

"Let me explain why I'm doing this first," Eragon began, gripping the handle of the sword, "You see, it seems that wild magic didn't exactly disappear from the world... it simply removed itself and was transferred into something else. I do not think it would be possible to completely get rid of it."

Ragin's eyes focused on the sword, remembering how he had funnelled a lot of the power of that day into the blade.

"The energy in your blade is... astounding. Practically unlimited if I may say, and both Logan and I believe it holds the key to returning wild magic to the world, even if we are not sure entirely how," Eragon began, "My curse will bind you to this blade and the energy inside. It will force you into the world, force you to run, force you to never remain in the same place for long. It will control your very fate. Out there you will search and search for the way to return wild magic to the world, and even when you do find it you will not be able to do so, not until the time is right to do so."

"Wait... so my choice is death or be handed the most powerful weapon in existence?" Ragin said, "Why would you do that?"

"Because Ragin... you know the price of such power. You have felt it. You know how to control it. And you want a chance to redeem yourself," Eragon said, "And this curse will prevent you from using it with evil intentions... or at least the repercussions for doing so will be incredibly damaging for you."

"Like what?"

"Every time you use this magic with without specific permission from Logan and I, it will force you to relive your most painful memory."

Ragin's mind flashed back to when Akaysha was forcefully changed into a monster, and he shivered. The idea of reliving that again... he would rather die. Now he understood why this curse would be worse than death. It would drive him and control him, forcing him to search for the solution to return wild magic to the world. Every action he took, every decision he made, would be for that purpose. It would be much like what Tharin did to Akaysha... but without the internal change.

"Surely even you don't have the power to do this," Ragin said.

"There are many things about the ancient language and its power that even the Black Hand didn't know, young rider," Eragon continued, "It is most certainly possible for me."

"And what about Akaysha?" Ragin said, "What will happen to her?"

"It will be hard to get far without your partner of your heart and mind to guide you," Logan spoke with a small smile, and Ragin felt Akaysha's sharp surprise at the words.

He felt the dragon's disbelief, then the excitement. They weren't going to get separated? Sure... it would come at a price, but this was better than anything they could have hoped for. She looked at Ragin, her anger dissipating quickly. He could feel her old excitement coming back. Her eagerness to fly. Her relief that he wouldn't be taken from her.

"If... if this is what you were going to do... then what was with the charade before?" he asked Eragon.

The leader of the riders grew grim, "What Akaysha and you did is very serious Ragin. It wasn't only damaging to you but damaging to the riders as well. News has travelled through the whole world of a single dragon massacring an entire city and thousands of its citizens. People are scared. The king is scared. If I hadn't of acted so strictly in that court than I would only be fuelling the fear. In fact, only Logan and I, as well as our dragons, know of this idea."

"Oh. So... how do I get out of here then?"

Eragon's smile returned, and he pulled a bag out of thin air. It was quite a familiar sack. He tossed it at the thief, and Ragin caught it. He opened the bag and looked inside, surprised to find his clothes, as well as several small daggers and few vials of the familiar blue liquid that he had made to combat the effects of the drug he was currently under.

"If you can't get yourself out of here with what I've just given you and the sword, then I'm afraid there is nothing more than I can do," Eragon said, "So, what is your decision?"

Ragin stared at the sack, then back at Eragon, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because Ragin, despite what you've done, you are not the first person I've met who has been forced into undesirable situations. Nor the first rider who has done evil by the will of another. If he didn't deserve death, then you do not either," Eragon replied, "And despite what Theaden says, you are nothing like Galbatorix."

Ragin couldn't help but grin slightly at that, "Very well, I accept."

Eragon nodded, holding out the blade. He then began to speak, an enchanting melody echoing from his mouth filled with the magic of the ancient language. Ragin felt the magic crawling over him and the sword, binding the two of them together. The spell Eragon sang was unlike any he had heard before. As he had guessed, it was a curse designed to drive him and follow him, shaping his very fate. It spoke of a connection to the sword, one that nearly mirrored his connection to Akaysha. He was the only one that would ever be able to use Wyrda comfortably, and the only one able to access the energy within. If he ever lost the sword, or it was stolen, he would suffer an itch in the back of his mind that would get progressively worse until he was reunited with the sword. As Eragon had explained before, the curse forced him to relive his worst memory if he ever did use the energy within the blade, for any but the most precise circumstances, like an order from Eragon.

The second half of the spell talked about the drive to find the solution to wild magic. It forced him to never be able to stay in one place for long. Whenever he started to grow comfortable, a situation would make him move on. He had no idea how the curse would make that happen, but the amount of power Eragon was putting into the spell assured it would. It seemed the basic purpose of the spell meant he would never be able to live life comfortably. But if Akaysha was with him, he didn't care.

As the spell finished Eragon stepped back, the magic dwindling from him. He seemed a bit out of breath, but the strength required to cast such a spell was immense. Ragin was slightly in awe. The fact he was still standing made the young rider wonder just how powerful the leader of the riders really was.

"I trust you can take it from here," Eragon said, "You can use the power of the sword to escape here. But Ragin... if you kill anyone know that Saphira and I will personally hunt you down and give you the punishment you were originally given. Not even the power of the sword will save you."

He spoke in the ancient language, so Ragin knew he was telling the truth. He shivered slightly at the thought of the giant blue dragonesses descending upon them, claws outstretched and ready to tear them to pieces.

"I won't," promised the rogue rider in the ancient language, and Akaysha echoed his promise.

"Good."

With that the two riders left, leaving Ragin to get ready for his escape.

* * *

It was late in the night, and Ragin felt strangely calm. He had dressed himself in his usual dark garb, the comfortable clothing feeling like home. The daggers were strapped around his waist, and Wyrda was in its sheath at his hip. He hadn't unchained Akaysha yet, as he didn't want to alert the guards outside with the massive clanking of metal chains. The dragoness watched him with excitement, and he felt her adrenaline soar when she regarded him dressed in his assassin's garb. He smiled at her anticipation.

"You ready?" he asked her with a grin.

'Most definitely,' the dragoness replied, anticipation curling through her.

He walked over to her, drawing on the unending energy with Wyrda, and cast a simple spell, shattering the chains. Akaysha got to her feet, shaking out her wings. She gripped the muzzle that still occupied her head with her claws, and with an angry snarl pulled at it. It wasn't coming off easily, but with a quick spell from her rider the clips holding it to her neck unlatched, and she flung it to the ground with an enormous clang. He heard the cries of surprise from the people guarding his door.

Without waiting for them to react, Ragin quickly bound up onto Akaysha's scaled back. Eragon hadn't given him the luxury of a saddle. The door behind him opened, the guards rushing inside. They froze when they spotted Ragin seated comfortably on the back of an unchained and angry dragoness.

"Letta!" one of the guards yelled out, but the spell bounced harmlessly off one of the many wards Ragin had spent hours covering both Akaysha and himself with.

Smiling slightly, Ragin reached into the deep energy inside of Wyrda, pulling it to the fore. He shoved out his hand at the wall, calling out a single word, "Jierda!"

The entire stone wall that lead to the outside exploded outwards in a million pieces. With a triumphant roar Akaysha took a running leap, spreading her starlight wings as they launched themselves into the sky. A number of dragons were already in the air, ready to meet the two. But once again Ragin pulled at the energy within the blade.

"Letta!" he called, freezing all the dragons as well as their riders in place, the energy pouring through him like that of wild magic.

Akaysha careened past them, the joy in finally able to fly again spreading through her as though she was just remembering the delight of the sky. Ragin fuelled her energy with the sword, deciding to take this chance to experiment, considering he had so much power to play with. With a grin he used one of the words in the enchanted language, but instead of directing it at himself like he usually did, he pushed the word into Akaysha, and her wings were suddenly enhance, and she shot forward like an arrow from a bow.

He let out a whoop of excitement. This was much better. Not so fast the wind broke his body, but fast enough that they were reaching speeds like if Akaysha was plummeting from the sky. The energy to continue the spell for so long was immense, but with the power of the sword it felt like nothing.

Just when they thought they were home free however a dragon appeared from the mountains, its orange scales glittering in the moonlight and the red-haired rider on its back with her blade drawn. Freya, and her dragon Haraytor. Akaysha pulled herself to a stop, and for a moment the only sound was the beating of dragons' wings.

Ragin could feel the confliction in Akaysha. Haraytor was, after all, the father of her egg. But his rider hated her own with understandable conviction. Even now they could see the anger and rage on Freya's face as she faced them alone, clutching the sword far too tightly.

"You will not escape!" she yelled, using magic to enhance her voice.

Ragin smiled slightly, "You think you alone will stop us!?"

With a cry Freya shoved her sword forward, and Haraytor charged, albeit a little hesitantly. Akaysha, still enhanced by Ragin's spell, shot upward, easily dodging the reckless attack. Ragin redirected the energy to trap her with the same spell he had used on the other riders.

Freya's cry of rage echoed over the mountain side. Akaysha pulled into a hover beside them, allowing Ragin to study the girl on dragon back. She looked at him with pure hatred in his eyes. Hatred he understood.

"I'm truly sorry Freya," he told her.

"I'll never forgive you," she cried at him, "I will make sure you get what you deserve! No matter what!"

Ragin sighed, "I guess we will meet again then."

"Damn right we will. And next time you won't be so lucky!" she said to him.

"Maybe not," he replied, "But when you do... promise me one thing."

"I'm not promising anything!"

"Promise me that if you do try to kill me, do it with the blade. Face to face. No dragons. No magic. Just us," the words echoed through Ragin's mind, mirroring what his own mentor had told him so long ago when faced with such hatred.

She hesitated, surprise flashing through her face, before her eyes narrowed, speaking in the ancient language, "Very well, next time we meet. The sword. No dragons. No magic. I promise."

"As do I," he grinned, mirroring her oath, "Now that that's over with."

With a burst of magic, he shoved her off her dragon. Haraytor let out a cry, and Ragin allowed him to break out of the spell and dive after his rider. Akaysha let out a slight chuckle, turning and flying into the sky with a flap of her wings.

'Now what, my partner of heart and mind?' she asked with a long purr.

'Now,' the rogue rider replied, 'we fly.'

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Hey guys! Final chapter of the Rogue Rider! For your enjoyment. Part of me feel like this was a little rushed for a last chapter, but to be honest I really enjoyed writing it, and I don't know what I would change. There will be an epilogue, just to tie up a few of the loose ends, and it may lead into another Eragon Fanfiction.... but I don't know if I'll write it. 

But this book was a whirlwind to write. Definitely my most emotional story, and it was also my first time writing from the point of view of an anti-hero like character. I think I did it justice, but that is up to you guys to decide. There will be a Q and A section at the end of this book as well for you guys to ask any questions

As usual, I've got a few questions for you as well...

Which is your favourite character? For me... it is a really difficult choice between Ragin and Akaysha. As I said, its the first time I've really written from the point of view of a character with some questionable morals... and I think that puts Ragin slightly ahead of his dragon partner it terms of my favourite character. To write him... I had to get into a very interesting head space. 

Your favourite chapter? This may make me sound like a psychopath... but A Shattered Shell was my favourite chapter... for a couple of reasons. I've never gotten so emotional writing a chapter... and for the first time I feel as if I was able to convey those emotions like I wanted to. Most of the time when writing such traumatic scenes I feel like I don't convey exactly what I want the readers to feel... but this time was different. Rereading the chapter, it was like I felt when I was writing it. That being said, it is the darkest chapter I've ever written, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to do something like that again. But I can never know.

What can I do better? I think I had a few too many characters in the book, which made it hard to put characterisation into them. There were a few characters that seemed important, but just never came back up again after they disappeared from the story. Examples include the riders that captured Ragin and Akaysha in the first place, like Eon, and I never came back to Uthun, the Urgal remnant of the Black Hand, who was quite an interesting character for me.

But yeah guys... this is the end. The epilogue will be out as soon as I can get it. I can't promise anymore Eragon fanfics, as I kinda want to focus on my own stories for a little while, but I won't say it can't happen. Anyway, this is me signing out of the Rogue Rider one final time. Until next time... See Ya!

Pennator^^