Soon Joel was there with us, him sitting beside me, Starlight next to Nighstar.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He said.
"Yeah," I said.
"It is."
I finally had a chance to relax, to think, to just be away from Grimel and the war about to start. A war for the dragon's very survival. It all depended on us.
But for now, we could just... let go. Forget for just a moment that it was us who would fight for the dragons. For just a second we were free.
"Joel, can I go for a flight on my own?" I asked him.
"Yeah, just please be careful." He said.
"I will. I promise." I told him, getting up and mounting Nighstar.
The alpha then spread his wings and took off into the sky. We soared higher and higher, flying above the clouds, above the sea, above the world, where no one would find us.
I let the sun bathe me in its radiance, its warm light washing over me.
Nighstar roared in joy and dived towards the clouds, plunging through them and plunging straight towards the sea. Then he leveled out, one wing skimming the water.
I whooped in joy and excitement. It had been awhile since we had done anything like this, and I had forgotten how good it felt. Ocean spray wet my face, cool and salty.
ll around us Thunderdrums leapt out of the water like dolphins. We dived underneath their wings and dodged their tails as the dived back into the depths of the ocean. We were free. I whooped again, spreading my arms wide and letting joy fill my heart and spirit. The spirit of a dragon, soaring higher and higher, untamed. Wild. Free.
Nighstar then spotted a brewing storm, lightning flashing and thunder rolling. He flew towards it, drawn to its power.
The wind came up beneath Nighstar and lifted him higher into the swirling grey clouds. He didn't fight it, but instead let it take him where he wanted it, curving his wings to let it lift him faster.
And then he dived. The clouds rushed passed us, wind screamed in my ears and rain hit us. Lightening flashes lit up the storm, small flashes if light in the dark. Nighstar shot a plasma blast into the clouds and we disappeared and reappeared in a different part of the storm where the winds weren't as strong. We glided through the clouds, at home in the fury if the storm. Nighstar roared a challenge at the clouds and the thunder answered back.
He was the alpha, and he was in charge. That's when I noticed that the spines lining his back and the markings on his head were glowing blue like when he first became alpha. It was like he was embracing the same power again, letting it course through him.
I rubbed him under the chin. Minutes later we came out on the other side of the storm over the Screaming Isles.
We followed the separate islands to the Hidden World and returned home, still exhilarated from the flight.
"You two had a good time," Joel said, looking us up and down.
We were both soaked from flying through the storm, and I was still breathing a little hard from the adrenaline.
"Yeah," I said, walking into the cave and trying ti dry off my hair.
Behind me Nighstar shook himself, flinging water droplets everywhere. I shook my head, a smile on my face.
Then Joel kindly stepped out of cave as I changed into dry clothes. After that was done I took Nighstar's saddle off and hung it up to dry.
"Did you check the island?" I asked Joel.
"Yes. The wounded dragons are doing well and the island is recovering from the damage." He said, coming back into the cave.
"And the other islands?"
"All fine. He hasn't made a made since the new-island-that-we-have-yet-to-name." He said, looking at me.
"Oh, so you want me to come up with the name?" I asked him.
"I named the Night Isles." He said.
"True." I said.
"How about... Sky Island for the mountains?" I offered.
"I like it." Said Joel.
"So we have a deal?" I asked.
"Yeah." He said reluctantly.
I smiled.
Sky Island. It's appropriate. I thought, thinking of the soaring mountains and deep valleys.
Suddenly Nighstar came bounding into the cave and tackled me.
"Bud! Whoa, please... YOU KNOW THAT DOESN'T WASH OUT OF MY CLOTHES!!" I yelled as he licked me.
I heard Joel laughing in the background as I finally got Nighstar off of me.
"Now I have to change again!" I cried, dismayed.
Nighstar cuffed my shoulder with his head playfully.
"What's up with you?" I asked him, rubbing him under the chin.
He hummed with pleasure and closed his eyes. 
"Did the flight make you giddy?" I asked.
He hummed in response and went to the mouth of the cave, beckoning me to follow.
"One minute, let me change first." I said.
And do we went through the routine again, me changing clothes and Joel stepping out of the cave. When Nightstar cane back in I told him to behave.
"All along his back glowed blue." I said told Joel a little while later.
"When we were in the storm it was like he harnessed the powers he got when he became alpha agin." I said.
Joel was quiet before he said "He could have accessed them and made his abilities stronger, it isn't impossible, just... rare." He said.
Nighstar hummed as I ran a hand along his spine.
"He is special." I said, looking at him.
He stared at me, his blue eyes alive with joy and curiosity.
"You are the last Night Fury left as far as we know." I said to him.
"We haven't found other ones yet, but who knows, we might." I said as much to Nightstar as to Joel.
"Maybe there's one Grimel hasn't killed yet."
"Maybe there's another Night Fury."