Night Return
The dead silence of winter's night was broken by the sharp cry of a lookout.
"Beast sighted! Black wings approaching from the north!"
The alarm bell rang out, shrill against the frost-laden air. Soldiers rushed to the walls, boots crunching on ice, breath steaming. Weapons were drawn. Ballistae turned. Shadows stretched long under the pale moonlight, each man and woman preparing for death.
But Solace felt it before they saw it.
A warmth stirred beneath his skin. The dragon tattoo coiled around his chest, alive. It pulsed, lines of dark ink burning red as they snaked down his arm, wrapping around his wrist like molten chains. His breath caught in his throat. He knew.
He burst from the barracks, ignoring the cold biting his face, and sprinted toward the wall. Soldiers shouted warnings, but he heard none of them.
"Stand down!" he called out, but the fear in their eyes was stronger than trust.
General Francis stood atop the wall, watching the dark shape descend with solemn calm. Beside him, General David's hand hovered near his sword hilt.
Francis spoke, his voice steady. "Trust him."
David hesitated, then barked the order. "Stand down! Lower your weapons!"
The soldiers obeyed, but tension still thickened the air like frozen fog.
Out of the night sky came a shadow darker than night itself. A vast shape, wings spread wide — scales black as obsidian, edges shimmering with faint silver frost. Each wingbeat stirred the snow on the ground into swirling eddies. The beast landed with a thunderous weight just beyond the outer gate, the impact vibrating through stone and bone alike.
Solace stepped forward.
The dragon lowered its head. Its eyes gleamed golden, ancient and knowing. And then it moved. Wings folded, and it pressed its massive head into Solace's chest.
Solace exhaled shakily, arms rising to embrace the beast. "You've gotten… huge." He laughed softly, voice breaking. "You won't fit through the doors anymore, Night."
The dragon shuddered — a low, resonant sound that rumbled through the ground. Then…
"Dad."
The voice echoed in Solace's mind, deep and steady.
He froze. His heart stumbled in his chest. He pulled back slightly, staring up at the dragon's eyes.
"You can speak?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.
Night nodded.
Solace laughed, choked and full of disbelief. "You really can speak." He rested his forehead against Night's massive snout, and for a long moment, the world felt small and warm again.
The soldiers watched in stunned silence. Murmurs rippled through their ranks. Some stepped back in fear, others in awe.
Lyra appeared at Solace's side, her face softer than he'd seen in weeks. Her gloved hand reached out hesitantly to touch Night's scales. Electricity sparked faintly along her fingers — not from her power, but from the sheer magic thrumming in the dragon's body.
"He's magnificent," she whispered.
Night turned his great head toward her, lowering it so she could touch his brow. He rumbled, soft and approving. Lyra smiled, rare and quiet.
From behind them, measured footsteps approached.
Yssarun.
The god's presence was like a shadow given form, weightless yet impossible to ignore. He walked past the soldiers as if they were mist, stopping a few feet from Solace, Lyra, and Night.
Night's eyes narrowed. A low growl reverberated through his chest.
"It's all right," Solace said gently, placing a calming hand on the dragon's snout.
Yssarun's lips curved faintly in amusement. "A dragon lord," he mused aloud. "A wielder of a divine artifact… and now a dragon lord." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You never cease to surprise me, boy."
Night's wings shifted, snow swirling around them in ghostly patterns.
Solace glanced back at Yssarun. "He's… more than I ever expected."
"I would hope so," Yssarun replied. "The bond you share runs deeper than blood. He is not just a beast… but part of you. Grown from your power. Fed by your will."
Solace looked up at Night again, wonder and responsibility mingling in his chest. "You've grown strong."
Night's golden eyes gleamed. "I've hunted. Fought. Learned."
"You were alone."
Night nodded. "Not alone. Watched. Followed. But… free."
The soldiers still stood frozen, unsure whether they were witnessing a miracle or the beginning of another nightmare.
General Francis broke the silence. He stepped down from the wall, his breath visible in the frozen air. His eyes studied Night carefully.
"He will help us in the war," Francis said, as if sealing it into truth.
General David swallowed hard. "A dragon… an ally." He looked between Solace and Night, awe softening his sharp features. "This changes everything."
Francis' voice lowered. "We've always fought with numbers. Walls. Weapons. But none of that has been enough. Perhaps now… fate has given us a new edge."
Night turned his massive head toward the soldiers, exhaling a breath of warm air that melted the frost at their feet. Slowly, the tension began to ease.
Solace reached up, resting a hand on Night's scaled cheek. "Thank you for coming back."
"Always," Night replied simply.
The night air was cold, but within that moment, standing beside his dragon, Solace felt warmth unlike anything the harsh winter could touch.
Lyra gave a small laugh, shaking her head. "I don't think anyone's going to sleep tonight."
Night shifted his wings slightly, folding them tight against his body. "Home?"
Solace smiled. "Home." He gestured to the open courtyard. "Though you might need your own barracks now."
Yssarun's gaze lingered on Night, thoughtful and almost reverent. "Be cautious," he murmured to Solace. "The bond you share will be tested. Dragons… are loyal, but they are also free. Do not try to chain what was born to soar."
Solace nodded silently.
The soldiers gradually dispersed, murmurs of disbelief following them. But the fear had lessened. Replaced by something close to hope.
As the moon rose higher and the frost deepened, Solace sat in the snow, leaning back against Night's warm side. Lyra sat beside him, silent but present.
The war would come. The beasts would return.
But tonight… Night had come home.
And for the first time in a long while… Solace let himself believe they might endure.