Deathbringer's Acceptance

Chapter 4

A day of flying led Deathbringer to the town of Possibility.

The town had changed a lot since it was first founded a few months after the war. Now, it was a busy village packed with homes, various stores where dragons sold goods, a place for younger dragons to climb and practice flying, and even a school, two of them, as a matter of fact!

Deathbringer found himself a cheap hotel where a better half of his money went to get him a room for a week, keeping the remaining gold on talon just in case he needed it for something or other. Once the week was over, he would probably just camp out in the wilderness. After that, however, Deathbringer had no idea what to do anymore. On his first day in Possibility, which he spent moping in his room, he toyed with the idea of not going back to the rainforest, making a living here in the town, perhaps changing his name and starting fresh. A clean slate.

But Deathbringer knew he couldn't do that. He belonged in the rainforest, that was where he was meant to be. He knew he had to go back sooner or later... That was if Glory would even allow him back. The idea of going back and facing the tribes, and worse, his queen, only made the idea of staying here more appealing to him.

Deathbringer looked to the front of the bar he was staying in, watching the bartender, a rugged-looking Seawing, serve a couple of Mudwings as they walked in. I wonder if I would make a good bartender... Deathbringer thought, tracing the rim of his empty mug with a claw. Deathbringer wasn't a drinker, this was the first time he had consumed alcohol, actually, and by now, he certainly understood the appeal. The two beers he had downed helped loosen him up, but it did nothing to fix the guilt, the regret, the pain.

As much as he wanted more of that light buzz to keep him going, he knew he should stop before it was too late. He didn't want to become so intoxicated he did something he would regret later on, Deathbringer was already in enough trouble as it was, and he didn't need to get kicked out of another place. Plus, his hotel wasn't within walking distance, and flying drunk was a good way to get yourself killed.

Deathbringer looked around, trying to distract himself from his thoughts by listening to the dragons playing music on a small stage. There was a pretty Skywing up on the stage, hard to miss from her bright orange scales and the flowers tattooed on her neck. They made eye contact, and the dragoness' playing faltered as Deathbringer winked at her.

"OI!! You, Nightwing!"

Deathbringer's advances were soon cut short as a large, rather heavy Mudwing carrying a beer approached him, slamming a paw on the table so violently it almost capsized. Deathbringer jumped, and every dragon's attention turned to them.

Deathbringer picked up his fallen mugs, which were thankfully empty. One of them shattered upon hitting the floor, but that was hardly important right now, "Good evening." Deathbringer said politely, "May I help you?"

"I recognize you... You're the dragon who got his tail kicked by the Seawing!" He announced, so loud that probably everyone in the bar, and the building next door, heard.

Gentle murmurs arose from the dragons watching the scene, until someone spoke up, "Wait a minute... It's you! You're the Nightwing who killed Tempest!" It was the bartender who had served him the drinks, the one who looked bored, and a little sleepy. Except now he didn't seem as friendly, with his lip drawn back in a snarl as they made eye contact, "Tempest was my best friend when we were dragonets We trained together to become royal guards" Many of the watching dragons' expressions turned hostile as they heard this, but none of them spoke yet,

"We were supposed to battle side-by-side, but when I got hurt, I had to abandon that dream. The Seawings didn't need a soldier who couldn't fly." He spread his left wing, and the dragons closest to him winced. Ugly gashes covered the insides of his wings, forever crippling, "Losing Tempest was the worst thing that ever happened to me, even worse than losing my flight. I vowed I would find the bastard who took her life. Yesterday I heard a rumor that one of the Dragonets of Destiny defeated a Nightwing in battle and told everyone that this Nightwing had murdered Tempest. Imagine my surprise when that very Nightwing showed up in my bar."