Bad Day
What brought him around was the grumbling of the Wing-less hatchling. The young one sounded angry, and that second he knew. He knew that this, right now, was the last moment of his life. His heart sped up. None of the Wing-less two-leggers would let him live. His body began to ache. If the hatchling was too young to do it then it would bring others. However from the sounds the hatchling was making, the young one seemed big enough to be able to do the deed. Very well, he thought, another dead to add to the toll taken from the brethren by these Wing-less beings.
The hatchling was in front of him now, talking to himself. Unaware that he was awake, not that it should concern the hatchling. He could do nothing tied up as he was. Well he could shove off the limb the hatchling tried to place upon him. There was no way he would let him claim dominance that way, bad enough he was as good as dead.
The hatchling looked him in the eye, he looked back. There was something there, something that made him…different. But no, he thought, as he saw the shiny small metal stick. This hatchling was just like the rest of them, he would be dead in few moments. Letting his head fall back, he closed his eyes. No need to see it. The hatchling shouted something now.
Scared, he realized, he was scared of the hatchling. He had never been scared of one of them before. Cautious, angry, shocked, wary yes but never before had he been scared. That made it worse. He waited, and waited, and waited… Where was the pain? The blackness?
Suddenly the fallen Night Fury realized something. He could move a little. He opened his eyes as he heard the hatchling cutting the long vines that held him. The hatchling was letting him free? No, it must be a trick of some sort, a hunt perhaps? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't let the hatchling play with him. Perhaps he thought him to weak to get away. He would show the hatchling. Perhaps he could protect again.
Another of the vines was cut and he ripped through the rest and pounced. This hatchling would not play with him. He was strong, even if his body ached and felt like it was burning, though he knew he was immune to fire, he would not let this hatchling play with him, freeing him then making a hunt of him. He would not be afraid of it.
The protector slammed the young one into a rock; the hatchling looked surprised, taken back by the suddenness of the attack and therefore unable to fight back. That was good, it also looked scared. He opened his mouth. He would show the hatchling who was the most powerful. He drew in air and… let out a great cry, loud enough to have left the hatchling temporarily dazed.
Then turned and flew away. Or tried to, he hadn't noticed before but something was wrong. He couldn't steer right. He kept trying to turn one way only to realize he couldn't as he crashed into trees. There was something wrong with his tail. He would need to inspect it, but he needed to get away. Away fro-
THUMP!
He had fallen into one of the big holes, the ones that where big and had rocks around it. He had been so focused on getting away from the young one that he had not looked where he was going. Now, he was stuck in one of the big holes. It had water, and he could smell a faint smell of swimmers, but as he tried and tried he realized the rocks were too high, too smooth, he could not leave. Not good. This day could not get worse.
