Flight of the Night (How To Train Your Dragon Fanfiction)

Losing a Friend

Coughing woke up Stormchaser. Her head bobbed upward and her ears twitched upward in confusion. She turned her head to the back of the den and in the moonlight she saw Wind Racer sitting upright. His whole body was raked with coughs and something bright red and pungent came out of his mouth.

"Wind Racer," whispered Stormchaser as she leaned forward and crept out from under Thunderheart's body and strode toward the pup. "Are you alright?"

Wind Racer looked up and licked the red substance from his mouth. "Fine," he rasped. "Just got something in my throat."

Stormchaser wasn't convinced. She continued forward but when she got close to Wind Racer he pushed her away and a growl rolling his throat. "Don't come any closer! What I have you don't want," he warned as he let out another painful sounding cough.

"I thought you said it was nothing," pointed out Stormchaser as she twitched her ears but she was sure that Wind Racer was probably just trying to hide it from her.

Wind Racer let out a growl which turned into a stressed cough. "Okay maybe it's not nothing but you can't tell Russet Feather. She'll worry too much."

Stormchaser sat down heavily and looked into Wind Racer's eyes. They were milky and glazed over and seemed absent. She tilted her head. "Can you at least tell me what's wrong so I don't have to worry as much," she coaxed gingerly.

Wind Racer shrugged a bit. "It's called blood-cough. It's when the blood in the body liquifies and comes out everywhere. I'll be dead in a quarter moon or so, tops."

"Dead," echoed Stormchaser, loud enough to stir Heavystep who lifted his own head and yawned, exposing his lovely pearl white teeth.

"Who said dead," he asked in his booming voice.

"Quiet," begged Wind Racer as he lashed his tail. "Nobody else can wake up or we'll have mayhem."

Heavystep nodded before he looked at Wind Racer and tilted his head. "Why is their blood dripping from your mouth?"

Wind Racer lifted a paw and swiped it away gingery. "It's nothing," he assured reluctantly as he turned his head away. "Just something lodged in there."

Stormchaser shook her head. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to make you not worry."

Heavystep nodded slowly before he looked to Wind Racer with his eyes pleading. "Please tell me what's wrong, Wind Racer. It's not good to keep these things from those who care about you."

Wind Racer let out a growl before he turned his head away from cough and more blood flowed from his open mouth. "Wind Racer," breathed Stormchaser as she saw that this time he was struggling for breath and the blood dripped from his eyes and ears as well before landing on his paws.

"Wind Racer," gasped Stormchaser she saw him throw his whole body forward and land on the ground. His body convulsed and seized up, his eyes rolling back in his head. She looked to Heavystep madly. "Go get Russet Feather!"

He didn't hesitate and darted forward, his tail whipping across Darkflight's vision. Darkflight perked up and licked his jaws. "What's going on?"

"It's Wind Racer," explained Stormchaser as she shook in terror at the twitching wolf in front of her. "Something's wrong with him."

Skypacer grunted as she roused herself and shook herself a bit. She sensed something was wrong and pushed toward Stormchaser, her tail lashing against Thunderheart's nose. Thunderheart growled and rushed to his paws. "Can't a dragon get some sleep around here?"

Russet Feather suddenly surged forward into the den with Heavystep trailing. "What's wrong?"

Stormchaser let out a growl and everyone froze where they were except for Wind Racer. "We all need to calm down," instructed Stormchaser as she lashed her tail. "Everyone is awake because of Wind Racer. There's something very wrong with him."

"Wind Racer," cried Russet Feather as she pushed past Skypacer toward the withering wolf. "Wind Racer!"

She stretched out a paw and felt his convulsing body. "Wind Racer," she repeated as she tried to wake him up but he thrashing around madly, blood dripping from his fangs. "Wind Racer please!"

Stormchaser took a step back and pressed her flank against Thunderheart's. "Something is terribly wrong with Wind Racer," she confessed. "And I don't know what to do."

Russet Feather stretched out a paw and rested it on Wind Racer's shoulder. The wolf stopped thrashing and he seemed to relax, taking in a deep breath.

"Wind Racer," breathed Russet Feather as she pushed her nose against Wind Racer's neck to feel his faint pulse. "Wind Racer can you hear me?"

Wind Racer blinked open his eyes and took in a raspy breath. "Russet Feather," he asked as he spat more blood on the ground. "Is that you?"

"Yes it's me. I'm right here," she breathed as she lowered her head and licked him between the ears. "Everything is going to be alright."

"I don't think it is," Wind Racer argued as more blood flowed from his mouth. "Russet Feather I think I'm going to die."

Tears sprang to Russet Feather's eyes. "No you're not," she augured as she looked into his hazy eyes. "I'll get Dream Berry and she'll be able to help or do something or, or-"

Wind Racer lifted a shaky paw and it rested it against Russet Feather's cheek. "It's too late," he confessed as he smiled timidly at Russet Feather. "Take care Russet Feather. I'm going to see my mother, father, and sister now."

"No," cried Russet Feather as her fur stood on end. "Everything will be fine. Just hold on!"

Wind Racer's eyes flicked a bit as they began to close. "I love you Russet Feather. You were like a mother to me. I'll see you one day." With that his tail gave one more twitch before it was still. His chest heaved before it went still and the whole den seemed to be silent in grief.

"No," wailed Russet Feather as she sat over Wind Racer, tears pouring down her eyes. "Wind Racer no!"

Stormchaser sat and her heart crackled inside of her. She looked to Wind Racer and saw his soul rising from his body. He chased his tail a bit before she saw him bound into the stars after his sister. She sighed heavily, wondering if this was her fault for breaking her ties with Starbound.