Tale of Nightingale

by Shadow Veil

Chapter 3

Night Fall ducked behind a stone pillar as flames erupting around the rock. He dashed away, not sparing a moment to look at his attackers. Ten years, he thought as he ran, and they still haven’t stopped. He ducked under a low ridge and hid himself in a pile of rubble. Why won’t they leave us alone? He waited several minutes, having built a routine into his hiding, and peaked his head out from the rocks. All clear. He removed himself from the rocks and took flight, going low and oddly fast for one of his size. All this because I hatched later and am smaller than the rest of these brutes.

Night Fall paused by the river, drinking deeply from the sparkling water. He sighed in relief as another day was nearing its end as the sun set, lighting the sky with oranges, purples, and reds. He stared up at the rising moon and thought for a moment about the peace of its solitude. He dismissed these thoughts for he treasured his one friend far too much to wish for solitude. He scanned over his newest wounds, some still weeping blood. He had a pretty bad laceration over his left eye that was blurring his vision, a series of burnt cuts all over his chest, and a bite mark on his right shoulder that was slowly turning his arm crimson. Not the worst day I have had.

Night Fall took to the skies once more, allowing himself to feel the freedom of flight as he glided towards his home. He took his time, he always did, and admired the glow of the full moon as he watched the few creatures that shared the land with the dragons stirred. They awake at night to avoid us, he thought for the hundredth time, clever. Night Fall smiled as he caught sight of his home, a cave just outside the area that the clan had claimed as their own.

His homes was far from large, in fact the cave could only hold a few dragons before it became filled to the mouth. He and Spines didn’t need much space, and since he was young and small he didn’t need to use much space, which left plenty of room to Spines. She hardly used the space, either, content to sit still when they had some peace.

Spines was a lovely dragon, though no one seemed to notice. She was defensive, caring, kind, smart, and attractive despite the various scars on her body. Night Fall had only just begun to notice many things about his friend, such as her posture, the faint glow in her eyes, the way her she moved both gracefully and with purpose, and how different her body was from his. They both were slim, but Spines had an hourglass figure that should have been enticing, while Night Fall looked more like a small tree trunk. Neither had much weight to lose since they rarely ate a full meal, let alone the three they should have.

Night Fall’s eyes widened as he caught the scent of blood, and nearly fainted when he realized it wasn’t his. The scent is coming from the cave! He sent himself into a steep dive, praying to the moon that it was one of Crag’s group who was injured. He pulled up, preventing a devastating crash by the tiniest margin. Night Fall ignored the pain in his own limbs and rushed blindly into the cave, the scent becoming stronger and stronger with each step. Tears began to come to his eyes as he could hear no breathing from the depths, and he tripped over his own feet.

Something broke his fall, though, something far softer than stone and slick with some liquid. Night Fall began to hyperventilate as his eyes adjusted to the darkness all around him and his nose was filled with the scent of blood. He nearly lose what little food he had in his stomach when he saw the crimson body that he had landed on, though he couldn’t stop himself when he saw the yellow patterns.

No, he pleaded, no, no! She promised to stay! Night Fall nearly screamed as he stared at his only hope of salvation and companionship lying motionless on the floor. Her neck was torn out, though the blood had long since stopped, a tiny bit of her spine showed through the reddened mess. Both of her wings had been torn from their sockets and were lying only feet away from what remained of her body. Several ribs were visible and there was a clear hole where the ribs were pushed into the right lung. Her entire lower body was battered and bloody and the scent of males could be smelt from her legs.

Night Fall was frozen in place, his heart making weak efforts to continue beating against the drowning sorrow. In that moment something snapped in Night Fall’s mind, the only tether to his sanity was cut, and he broke. Tears streamed from his eyes as he realized each of the vile things his blood brother had done to her. His stench covered her body, in more ways than one and it undoubtedly he that had torn out her throat.

For the first time in his life Night Fall didn’t feel any fear, only rage. His eyes turned a bright crimson as he roared, flames erupting from his open mouth and covering the top of the cave. He was torn, his young mind unsure of how to take the things being presented to it. Night Fall had fallen. He continued to roar, hoping that all could hear his rage and pain. He began to plan, his only tether to this place was gone, his only friend was dead, he needed to escape. A voice flashed through his mind that told him one way, the easiest way of all, but he refused, remembering what Spines had told him of the land of Equestria and its inhabitants, and his words to her on his first night.

“I will fight them, Spines.” he stated, rising slowly to his feet. “I will escape this hell or die trying.” Night Fall stood tall, tears dried by the flames, “I will escape this cold world, and tell tales of your kindness.” a single tear dropped from Night Fall’s right eye, the iris becoming such a dark blue that it seemed black. “Wait for me should I fail, and wait longer if I succeed, my sister”