As the Riders and the Foresworn clashed above Vroengard, a life and death struggle was playing out between two former friends on the outskirts of the city. A man atop a crimson dragon, and a man atop an aquamarine dragon dueled above the battlefield that had once been the peaceful home of the Dragon Riders. Everything seemed to unfold in the blink of an eye. One moment, Brom and Saphira were actually winning. Saphira had Ragnarök's neck her jaws and was on the verge of killing the crimson dragon. The next, it all came tumbling down. Brom felt Saphira tense up and roar in pain, and he felt as if a hot shard of metal was bring driven into his chest, feeling her pain as his own. Though he couldn't see it, he knew that Morzan had stabbed her in the chest. Saphira lost her grip on Ragnarök and began to tumble from the sky. The cyan dragoness struggled to control her descent but the flames and smoke made it impossible to see. Brom held on for dear life as he saw the ground rushing toward him. The next thing he knew, Saphira slammed into the side of a hill and began to tumble head over tail down the slope. The impact threw Brom from the saddle and everything went black as he slammed into the ground. Saphira rolled right over him and narrowly avoided crushing the unconscious Rider. She slid to a stop further down the hill and lay motionless on the ground.

Brom wasn't sure how long he was unconscious. When he came to, smoke and ash were blowing past him and a massive mushroom shaped cloud hung in the sky over where the city of Doru Araeba once stood. The ridge had shielded them from the bast. As his mind cleared and Brom took in the devastation around him, a frantic thought crossed his mind.

"Saphira!" the young Rider shouted, almost leaping to his feet.

And then he saw her lying on her side not far away with her wings were splayed out beside her. Saphira's eyes were closed and she was almost completely motionless except for the rising and falling of her sides as she drew labored breaths. Brom ran to her side and knelt beside his wounded dragon. Her beautiful aquamarine scales were stained with blood from the various wounds she had suffered in battle, not to mention the injuries she had sustained in the crash, but the most distressing injury was the stab wound right over her heart inflicted by Morzan. Brom felt a horrible sense of dread come over him.

"Saphira…" Brom said in barely a whisper as he placed a hand on the side of the cyan dragon's face, stroking her just below the eye. He was almost startled when Saphira let out a cough and a gasp for air.

Dear One… she said weakly.

Brom wrapped his arms around her neck, holding her close to him. He could feel her pain as his own. The blood from her wounds stained his robes, but he didn't care about that.

"Come on, Saphira. We have to go!" Brom urged, but Saphira didn't move.

Oh Brom… I haven't the strength… the dragon said weakly, lifting her head slightly and staring at her Rider. Oromis was right. We should have heeded his words.

Brom could see fear, pain, and despair in Saphira's eyes as she spoke.

Brom, come closer. Saphira said, her mental voice shaky. Brom obeyed and Saphira nuzzled him comfortingly.

"This is all my fault…" Brom wept. "I promised your mother I'd protect you."

No, Brom. The fault was mine. Saphira said weakly, gasping for air and laying her head down on the ground. It was my choice to come here. This isn't your fault. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Saphira coughed and gagged as her raspy breaths became shorter and more labored. Though the young Rider kept trying to convince himself otherwise, he knew in his heart that she wasn't going to make it.

"Please don't leave me, Saphira! I need you!"

Nothing else mattered at that point. The sounds of the battle still raging in the distance seemed to fade away, as if Brom and Saphira were the last beings left in the world. Brom tied to summon energy and pointed his hand at her. The healing spell was on the tip of his tongue.

Brom, don't try it. You'll only kill yourself too. Saphira gasped weakly.

"I can't lose you…" Brom whispered, placing a hand on the side of his dragon's face, tears rolling down his face.

I don't want to die, but we can't choose our time. Brom could hear the dread and fear in Saphira's voice as she spoke those words. he saw a tear roll down her face. He embraced her and held her close.

Just promise me something, Brom. Saphira struggled for breath as she spoke.

"Anything."

Promise me that you won't give into madness. Don't let yourself become consumed by revenge. Don't become like Galbatorix. Please promise me, Dear One.

Brom pressed his face against Saphira's forehead and wept.

Promise me…

"I promise…" Brom whispered, trying to maintain his composure. But how could he? The partner-of-his-heart-and-mind was dying before his very eyes and there was nothing he could do to save her.

Saphira made a horrible gagging sound as she became weaker by the second.

Brom, I love you more than you'll ever know. You're my best friend.

"And you're mine." Brom whispered, tears rolling down his face.

Saphira laid her head down and stared off into the distance. She let out one last ragged breath and then her body suddenly became still. Brom felt her consciousness fade from his mind. Her cyan eyes stared blankly into the distance.

"Saphira… no! Please!" Brom pleaded as he felt a piece of his soul and his very identity being torn away.

Saphira, dragon of Brom, student of Glaedr, and daughter of Erenthus and Razinir, was gone.

Brom finally lost it. He broke down, weeping uncontrollably beside the broken body of his best friend. He took his hands and closed her eyes for her. He would never know how long he remained beside her. Years later, it would all seem like a blur. After what seemed like an eternity, Brom heard the sound of a dragon land nearby. He wrapped his arms around Saphira's neck, prepared to die beside his fallen dragon. Turning his head, he saw a black dragon standing nearby and he felt for sure that Galbatorix and the accursed Shruikan had found him. However, the Rider who approached him was a young woman. She paused beside Brom, speaking to him in a frantic tone, but Brom paid no heed to what she said. Her words were meaningless to him. He just buried his face in Saphira's scales, weeping uncontrollably. However, the next thing Brom knew, the stranger grabbed him and before he could do anything, she had wrenched him away from Saphira and began to drag him toward her dragon.

"Saphira!" Brom screamed as he was dragged away from his companion. Again and again he screamed her name, but she couldn't hear him.

Moments later, the woman had placed Brom on the back of her black dragon and they were flying away from the burn isle of Vroengard, toward the mainland and to an uncertain future.