Transported: A Wings of Fire Story

Lovesick

Daniel sat upon the mountain top looking out across the early sunrise.
The horizon was softly littered with trees and other far-off structures that he couldn't make out under the light before it morphed into the vast ocean.

He'd been up on the top to clear his head a little. Something long overdue.
It was quiet, very quiet, almost too quiet, but in a good way.

Hazel's plan was in motion, but the majority of dragons voted for Daniel to stay behind for... obvious reasons.

He sighed, closing his eyes and thinking back to that exact moment, not even that long ago.
He could still remember the conversation word for word.

Daniel's mental world rippled away back to the darkened torch-lit corridors of the academy.
And he found himself in the past moments of last night.

"WHAT!!" Daniel cried out. "What do you mean you want me to stay put!?"

"I said what I mean," Hazel stated. "We can't risk losing you."

"Losing me?! Since when am I so important?!"

"Ever since we realised that you and Animi are connected," Ruin stated.
"There's a reason you're not dead yet despite having done everything possible to get yourself killed. Other dragons have been slaughtered without a second thought, yet you always seem to slip away. You can't think it's just luck at this point."

Daniel hesitated."W-Well, okay, maybe I've gotten out of things a few too many times, but what does that have to do with anything?!"

"It means that Animi wants you alive. The reason remains unknown as of now. But that means we can't risk you going off and starting something again!"
Ruin stated.

Daniel raised a brow.
"But if Animi wants me alive, then isn't that a reason FOR me to go? It means I wouldn't die and I'd make it back safe."

"No. Because wherever you go, death seems to follow." Blossom stated.
"And yeah, I know that seems odd considering I am technically death, but wherever you go, dragons lose their lives; we can't risk something else happening."

"Then what makes you think nothing will happen if I stay here? If dragons die wherever I go, then why should I stay at Jade Mountain?"

Hazel made a face.
"Look, I know you aren't going to agree. But I REALLY think it would be best if you stayed behind on this one, Daniel."
She paused, putting her talons together.
"Please."

Daniel let out a breath.
"Fine. I'll stay."

Hazel sighed, relieved.
"Thanks, Daniel. I really do appreciate it."

Daniel rolled his eyes slightly but eventually nodded in defeat.
"Yep... Gotcha..."

Hazel soon gave a small, saddened face. But eventually walked away. Leaving Daniel to his own thoughts.

Blossom and Ruin soon followed, leaving Daniel feeling small in a cave that was clearly made for beings much larger than he was.

As Hazel moved out of view. Daniel couldn't help feeling he was losing his importance in this world.
His dragon form had been stripped; he was as weak as a twig from any dragon's perspective, and on top of that, he was just told to sit out on what was likely the most important mission to date.

All of this, plus the stress building up in his brain, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the upcoming war on the horizon wasn't much help.

He needed to clear his head properly. Time alone to just think without distractions.
And that he did, after one long trek to the top of Jade Mountain. He found himself lying on the grass with a warm breeze washing over him.