Welcome back, time for a new chapter and maybe a new character.
The group was quiet as they flew away from the battle zone, the only sound coming from them being the flapping of their wings as they flew on.
"Night, what's the plan now?" Viper asked quietly through the wind, "Not sure what to do now from the huge revelation."
Night shook his head, "New Zeeland is not a powerful nation, but with them helping the Chinese and Russians out..." he hesitated at that last part, "We have to go back home and inform the navy."
Night turned and saw Jasper shaking in the air while trying to fly, looking pale as he did so. He sighed when he saw the sight of the poor dragon, "We are landing for the night," he said as he turned to look at Shade.
"Shade, where is the closest island to here?" Night asked the pale colored dragon. Shade pulled a map of the ocean out of his pack, and looked at it, taking note from where they were heading, "There should be one not too far from here, a couple degrees to the east," he answered.
Night nodded his head in thanks, "All right, let's go everyone." Night said as he made the correction, turning a bit too the right with the others following his lead.
It didn't take them long to spot the small island, they lapped it as they slowed down to land. The beach they landed on was dark, the only thing able to be seen was the light of the full moon reflecting off the water into the beach.
"Everyone get some rest, we are heading going tomorrow and we are not stopping for any brakes," Night said as he went to lay down.
"Night..." Jasper muttered as he walked up to the now practically invisible dragon.
Night shook his head, "No, you need to take a rest and process everything, it's my fault I never got you ready for the fight like that."
"How would you get me ready?" Jasper asked quietly.
A young, still human Daniel walked through the woods, carrying a rifle. Snow on the ground crunching as he slowly... walked through the woods, trying to stay quiet.
Daniel looked to his right and his dad was just partially behind him, grabbing him to stop, "Dan, over this hill, there is a flat where I have been planting clover all year, there aught to be a deer digging for some right about now."
Daniel nodded his head, slowly creeping forwards up the hill, trying to hold his breath and watch his step. He made it to the top of the hill and sure enough, a doe was chewing on a bald spot of snow that held the greens.
He lifted the rifle to his shoulder and found the doe on the scope. He flicked the safety and the deer's head bolted up to try and spot the noise.
Dan panicked and pulled the trigger.
CRACK!
The doe went down bleating, thrashing around in the snow, kicking it up everywhere.
His dad ran up the hill and spotted the flying snow from the kicking, he sighed, "You hit it in the spine..." he continued forwards, "Well come on, we got work to do." Dan frowned but nodded, the deer wasn't dead.
They walked up to the deer that wasn't able to move now but still thrashed it's head.
"Come here Daniel..."
Daniel came up besides his dad who was now sitting at the side of the doe, he handed him a knife.
"Wha-"
"Slit it's throat, we need to put him out of it's misery," His dad said sternly, "You hit it's spine, and now it's crippled."
Daniel stayed quiet, hesitating.
"Come on Daniel, the more you wait, the more she suffers,"
Daniel bowed his head and stuck the knife into the deer's throat, finally quieting the bleating deer. Blood poured out of its throat... but it was finally dead.
His dad nodded, "Let's get this thing dressed and get back home, it's getting cold out here."
Night shook his head from the memory, he had a bit of... practice before the war started.
"That doesn't matter, I should have prepared you for the moment but I didn't," Night said sternly, "It's my fault so I am not going to get upset at you any more for it."
Jasper slowly nodded his head, "Thank you..." he said as he started to walk away, laying down for the night.
Night closed his eyes, shaking his head before laying it down. Had he... gotten too used to the killing? He shook his head again, it's way too late right now to start feeling guilty about it.
He opened his eyes again to see a large field with hills and mountains surrounding him in the distance.
"Where am I?" Night muttered as he slowly stood up, having not recognized where he was. This wasn't the beach.
"Helo again."
Night rapidly turned around and spotted a dragon that looked allot like him, except she was a female.
She had a slightly more gray complexion to her scales that shined, a silver teardrop scale next to her eyes.
"Who are you?" Night asked, backing up in worry. There are only supposed to be four dragons in this world...
The female chuckled, "We have met, but you have never seen me before."
Night was confused, "We have met- what, when?" he asked, shaking his head.
"Mmm, I have talked to you, at the island before the battle," she answered.
Night's eyes grew in recognition to the voice, "Who are you?" he asked, now standing more straight since she didn't act hostile.
She lightly laughed, "I go by many names, but you can call me Hope," she said as she sat down in front of him.
Night nodded his head, he looked around him at the hills and mountains. A sense of deja-vu hitting him, "Where are we?" he asked Hope.
"Your subconscious, it takes the form of where you feel the most comfort," She explained.
Night's eyes grew in realization again, how could have he forgot...
Home... back at the farm.
His eyes shrunk again in confusion, "My subconscious?"
She started to look annoyed at that, like she was scolding herself more than him, "I am speaking through your mind."
"How?" he said as he shook his head, "What?"
She sighed, "That's not important right now, but your friend is about to need you."
Night couldn't say it enough, "What?"
She smiled, "I shall see you soon... NightWing."
The world around him rapidly started decaying away in a blur, his eyes re-opening to the island around him. He heard a sniffling sound to his right, Jasper shuffling in his sleep and the quiet sounds of weeping was heard.
Night frowned as he stood up, walking over to the brown dragon. He laid down next to him and covered the dragon with a wing, "I am sorry."
He tried to sleep but he couldn't do so. What... on earth was that?
The deer hunting story hits really hard on me right now since what happened was based off a hunting trip that happened to me. Also tomorrow is rifle season for deer... Wish me to be fast and accurate.