Do Not Shed a Tear

Tir breathed in the sweet air as a gust carried him high above clouds in the Neverending Sky. He stretched out an azure wing to take a look at himself in the soft, even light and began to plummet before a rough recovery. The colossal creature let out a deep laugh. What a joy to have real wings again, to fly using his own muscles instead of those accursed bones that were his prison for millennia. But Tir was certainly out of practice. Being one of the largest dragons to ever live, he never was the most agile flyer in the first place.
Was that an indigo streak on that wing, dulling his scales? A second look resulted in no less loss of balance. Was it blood? Surely not his blood. Tir felt no pain. Could he even feel pain here? He wasn't sure, being so new to this realm.
Tir looked for a place to land and investigate; some earth below his feet wouldn't hurt to ease the transition either. Despite its name, the Endless Sky, the dragon afterlife, was dotted with mountaintops peeking out of clouds. As he descended he noticed one of the peaks wasn't covered with snow or trees, but with pinpricks of light; interplaying deep purples against dots of white that reminded Tir of the sunlight playing off of mirrored glass. He approached slowly; Tir hadn't landed in a very long time. Then he realized what covered the mountaintop, what created the dazzling light show, and he dove with reckless abandon.
On the peak lay the Unchallenged. One wing draping over the side and the other missing, the impossibly large dragon was the landscape. Indigo-tipped silver scales were continually interrupted with gashes the size of small canyons flowing with rivers of blood.
Tir landed next to the Unchallanged's head, its shadow dwarfing the azure titan. Breath coming slowly, the great king of dragons, creator of this realm, slowly shifted. His right eye had been burned out; the socket still glowing white-hot. His left eye, once a great silver orb, now glassy and dim, turned sluggishly in search of Tir. Indigo blood poured from a gaping hole where one of his colossal horns once grew; a crown broken. The once peerless deity opened a massive maw to greet his long-lost child. Fighting for air, only whispers emerged. "My son, ... that you? ...did not know... my strength... enough. But here... you are," The giant eye finally settled on Tir. "We held... great hall. I... not fly from... this fight." The Unchallenged spoke with satisfaction, turning to sorrow as he drew in one last raspy breath. "I'm sorry I could not find the courage... when you needed me."
With energy spent, the great king's head slumped sideways and his remaining eyelid dropped.
Tir stood before the Unchallenged, still, unsure how to mourn the dying god. How long had he waited to join his creator in this sacred realm; to apologize for giving into the Ancients, to ask for his forgiveness for his failures as champion? How often he'd dreamed about leaving the troubles of the mortal world behind and flying free with his kin. Yet all that was ripped away, not by mortals this time, but by the gods or...
As clouds began to dissipate and mountaintops crumbled, Tir stood tall and stretched his wings. A bright glow caught his azure scales. He looked to this new disturbance, a bright spot in the distance, as dragons flew past in a panic. A small wyvern landed cautiously on the Unchallenged's still body, then after a moment, looked up tentatively to Tir.
"It will not end like this," The titanic azure dragon bellowed. "I am Tir the Torchbearer, Tir the Returned, and I will not let this sanctuary fall to the false god of the sun."
Dragons of all sizes swarmed, encircling and engulfing the mountaintop. The distant light grew brighter, washing away the sky's blue, stirring up winds, and vaporizing clouds. As this blinding glow reached Tir, he spread wings wider than the sky. The light fractured, refracting off his azure scales, bursting into radiant rain, seeding new clouds, and swirling winds in vibrant blues.
Tir looked to the distance from where the light had come, and roared. "This is the ream of the Unchallenged, and I, Tir the Returned am its protector. You have no power here."
As the rains calmed and the dragons dispersed, Tir rested his head against one side of the unchallenged, tapping the once king's remaining horn. It didn't seem as big now. "I will not let your dream crumble. I swear it, father."

Epilogue A brass dragon landed on the peak, approaching slowly the azure titan. Both souls paid respects to their fallen lord.
"Torchbearer," the new arrival spoke first, bowing deeply, "I have received your summons."
Tir returned the gesture. "Old friend, I am glad to see you in one piece."
"As am I, Returned" The brass dragon stretched claws and wings to confirm all were accounted for.
"Oh, dispense with the formalities, please," Both visually relaxed. "What do you know of the Unchallenged's champions"?
The brass dragon pondered this for a moment. "There were rumors of a new champion... did you say champions?"
"Yes, two in fact." Tir smiled at a recent memory. "I had quite the opportunity to meet them before ascending. I am surprised you don't watch over them."
"We have virtually no interaction with the mortal world." The brass dragon replied with obvious sorrow. "I do miss those discussions. What I wouldn't give for a fresh story."
"Tildryn, my friend, we have much to discuss."