Summary:
This story is loosely based on How To Train Your Dragon. However, this is not How To Train Your Dragon retold with Yu-Gi-Oh characters. The beginning is similar but this story has a different plot.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.
I do not own How To Train Your Dragon. It belongs to DreamWorks Animation.
People of the Dragon
Night Fury
"Dragons!" voices all over yelled as blasts of fire rained down on the village. People were running everywhere, some fleeing for their lives while others ran to grab weapons and fight. One person was standing still, standing behind the weapon he had invented.
"Come on," Yugi murmured as he aimed the launcher. All he had to do was wait for one of the dragons to get within range. "Come on."
A high pitched cry rang through the air, a cry that all the humans recognized. They had never seen the creature that produced that cry, but they had given it the name: Night Fury.
Yugi jumped as a black streak appeared in front of him and within range of his launcher. "All right!" he cried as he pulled the trigger.
His weapon fired. For a few seconds, Yugi though he had missed. Then, the Night Fury's cry rang again; although, it sounded as though in pain.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Yugi yelled as he twirled around in happiness. "I did it! I caught a dragon!"
He was interrupted when another dragon attacked him, having heard his yells.
"Ah!" Yugi screamed as he turned and ran.
The dragon, called a Terrible-Terror, followed him and tried to blast him with its fire. Yugi ducked behind a building and tried to keep quiet. He could hear the dragon prowl past the building, so he slowly walked backward away from the Terror.
He froze when his back hit something warm, and he turned his head to see another Terrible-Terror growling at him. The dragon took a deep breathe as it prepared to burn him alive. Yugi flinched back, knowing that he could not get away in time. Just as the dragon was about to fire, a huge hammer slammed into its head.
"Yugi, get away from here!" Yugi's grandfather yelled as he hit the chest of the dragon with his hammer.
Yugi paused only a moment before running to the blacksmith's shop. He slammed and locked the door behind him and stayed there until the sounds of fighting stopped.
After the battle, his grandfather came to find him.
"Yugi!" Solomon yelled as he knocked on the door. "Open this door, Yugi!"
"Yes, Grandpa!" Yugi cried as he unlocked and opened the door.
Solomon glared at him and said, "Go home, Yugi, and wait for me there."
"But, Grandpa, I—" Yugi began, but was interrupted.
"I don't want to hear it, Yugi," Solomon said impatiently as he walked away.
"But I'm serious this time, Grandpa!" Yugi cried. "I actually caught a dragon!"
Solomon snorted in annoyance. "Yeah right, Yugi. Just like the other five times."
Yugi shook his head as he ran ahead of his grandfather. "I'm not wrong this time, Grandpa! I really did catch one!"
"Enough, Yugi!" Solomon yelled, making Yugi keep quiet. "Go. Home."
Yugi was silent for a moment before he bowed his head and said slowly, "Yes, Grandpa." He turned and walked in the direction of his home. However, he never made it there. He looked in the direction of the forest, where he had seen the dragon crash. "I'll show him!" Yugi grabbed the small dagger he always kept on him and ran into the forest.
After walking for nearly thirty minutes, Yugi was beginning to lose hope. "Maybe it landed in a different part of the forest," he muttered to himself. Just as he was about to turn back, he noticed something.
The tops of a group of trees were broken off.
He walked closer to these trees and saw that more trees were broken, but more of the top was broken. Following the path of the shortening trees, Yugi came across a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a dragon.
It's scales were a deep black. It had huge yellow eyes that moved around quickly as it struggled to get itself untangled from the rope encasing it.
Yugi crept foreword and flinched when a small twig broke loudly.
The dragon froze and its eyes turned to Yugi. Its pupils constricted and it growled as it tried to scare Yugi away.
All the air in Yugi's lungs rushed out as he realized that he had, for sure, successfully captured a dragon.
"This is it," Yugi said aloud as he slowly walked closer to the dragon. He raised his dagger as he mentally prepared himself to kill it. "Once I do this, I'll finally be one of them." Yugi pulled his back to strike.
Just as he was about to deliver the blow, the dragon huffed out a breath and its head flopped onto the ground. It closed its eyes as it awaited its death.
Yugi froze. He stared at the creature that had lost all hope of survival and could not find it in him to kill it. Yugi lowered his arm and sighed.
The dragon's eyes flashed open and Yugi touched its scales. It could hear the sound of the ropes being cut.
"Why can't I be like everyone else and—" Yugi broke off as the last rope fell away and the dragon pinned him to the ground. Yugi looked up into the yellow eyes knowing that the dragon was going to kill him. After all, dragons had no sense of mercy.
Suddenly, the dragon jumped off of him and flew away, somewhat wobbly. Yugi let out a breathe as the sound of the dragon's wing beats faded away.
Getting up, Yugi wiped the dirt of his back and fainted.
Yugi's grandfather was waiting for Yugi when he arrived home.
"So," Solomon said as Yugi closed the door behind him, "where have you been?"
"You know, around," Yugi said vaguely.
Solomon scowled. "I told you to come home."
"I'm sorry, Grandpa."
Solomon sighed. "Just go to your room Yugi," he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Yes, Grandpa," Yugi said miserably as he slowly climbed the stairs.
The entire second floor was Yugi's room. He had his bed, some cabinets, and desk that contains many sheets of paper containing drawings and plans for inventions. Yugi sat at his desk and grabbed a blank sheet of paper. Whenever he was upset, Yugi would draw to relax.
Grabbing a pencil, Yugi let his hand wander across the page. He didn't even notice what it was he was drawing until he was done.
It was the dragon.
"Ugh!" Yugi groaned as he crumbled the sheet of paper and threw it in the trash.
Yugi threw himself on his bed, not caring that he was still dressed. He closed his eyes and made himself fall asleep.
Yugi woke up to the alarms blazing.
He jumped up from bed, still wearing his clothes from the day before, and rushed downstairs and out the door.
Much like the day before, everyone was running around, yelling and screaming at each other. Yugi looked around and saw no danger, no dragons.
So why were the alarms going off?
"What's going on?" Yugi asked someone running past.
The man didn't even glance at him and as he continued on and yelled, "A dragon is approaching!"
"A dragon?" Yugi asked himself. "As in one?" He ran to the cliffs which overlooking the sea and saw the black dot that was heading their way. "Why is there only one?"
"I don't know," his grandfather said suddenly, making Yugi jump, as he had not realized that his grandfather was behind him. "This is very strange." Solomon looked over his shoulder and yelled, "Arthur!"
Arthur, the village's second-in-command, ran up to Yugi's grandfather and asked, "Yes, Solomon?"
"What do you think?" Solomon asked as they all stared at the everly approaching black dot.
Arthur glared at the dot. "I don't know. Dragons are too stupid to try and trick us. Maybe this one's lost its marbles, or something."
Yugi ignored the adults as he continued to watch the incoming dragon. As it got closer, Yugi realized that it was the same kind of dragon he had met last night, a Night Fury. However, something was different about this one. It had some kind of bulge on its back. Yugi's eyes widened as he realized just what that bulge was.
"Yugi, go to the house and stay there," his grandfather said as he tried to push Yugi away.
"Wait a minute, Grandpa!" Yugi cried as he stared wide-eyed as who and what was coming. "There's someone riding that dragon!"
"What!" Solomon and Author cried as they both squinted at the dragon.
Solomon's eyes were the first to widen. "You're right." He turned to the villagers behind them, who held their weapons high as they prepared to fight. "Don't kill it right away. There's a human on its back!"
Murmurs of, "A human!" and "Riding a dragon?" spread through the warriors.
They all watched as the dragon dived down to land.
Its wing beats created a strong enough wing to make most everyone close their eyes. This Night Fury was nearly three times as big as the one Yugi had captured. It must have been a young one. However, this one was an adult.
The man who sat on a strange looking saddle on the dragon's back, unhooked some belts which held him on and jumped down. He or she wore a black cloak with a hood, which hid their face. This person was very short compared to most people, but still taller than Yugi and his grandfather.
The person raised their arms, covered in a black, long-sleeved shirt with black gloves, to pull down the hood.
Yugi gasped as the person realized himself to be a man. He looked so similar to Yugi that they could have been mistaken for brothers. His tri-colored hair rose into spikes with several blonde bangs reaching up into the black of the spikes. He had a face with high cheek bones and sharp, crimson colored eyes.
"Hello," the man said in a deep, baritone.
"Hello," Solomon replied slowly, not hiding his distaste of the creature standing next to the man. "And you are?"
"My name is Atemu," the man said as he bowed his head slightly. "I am the ruler of Salanthia."
"Salanthia?" Solomon asked skeptically. "I've never heard of such a place."
"I am not surprised," Atemu said with a chuckle. "My people tend to avoid other cultures."
The Night Fury next to Atemu yawned suddenly, making everyone but Atemu jump.
Atemu laughed. "Don't worry, she won't hurt anyone." He turned to the dragon. "Right, Lioth." He said the last word with a heavier accent than when he was speaking, which made Yugi believe that it was said in another language.
Lioth, as that was apparently the dragons' name, rubbed her, as apparently it was a girl, head against Atemu's shoulder. He spoke more of that foreign language to her.
"Enough!" Solomon interrupted Atemu as he was annoyed that he could not understand what Atemu was saying. "Why are you here?"
Atemu's smile faded away and his looked at Solomon seriously. "I am here to get my dragon back."
"Your dragon back?" Arthur asked with an eyebrow raised. "What makes you think we have a dragon? Let alone your dragon?"
"I know because," he pointed at Lioth next to him, "he is her son."
Yugi realized that Atemu was referring to the dragon he had caught and freed.
"She can sense that her offspring is close," Atemu continued.
Solomon shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'm afraid we have no—"
Yugi interrupted him. "I know where he is."
"What?" many voices yelled, his grandfather's being the loudest.
Atemu's eyes were focused on him. "Where?"
"Ignore him," Solomon said as he pushed Yugi back. "He doesn't know where some dragon's at."
"Yes I do, Grandpa!" Yugi said as he jumped away from his grandfather. "I told you last night I caught a dragon!"
"You caught him?" Atemu asked angrily, although he was ignored.
"You did not such thing, Yugi!" Solomon yelled. "Stop making up stories and—"
"I'm not making up stories!" Yugi yelled. "Why can't you believe me just once?! I caught a dragon last night that looked just like her!" He pointed to Lioth, who stared at him knowingly.
"Show me where," Atemu said loudly as he interrupted the two. He climbed back onto Lioth, who kneeled down to allow him to get on. He fastened the belts that held his legs to the saddle and held his hand out to Yugi. "Get on."
"He is not getting on that monster!" Solomon yelled angrily as he turned to Atemu.
At being called a monster, Lioth growled at Solomon, which made a lot of people point their weapons at her and Atemu to say something sharp at her in the foreign tongue.
Yugi didn't know why he did it, and he knew it was a stupid thing to do, but he ran out from behind his grandfather and grabbed Atemu's outstretched hand. Atemu pulled him up easily and as soon as he was sitting, Lioth bent down and leapt into the air.
This was the greatest day of Yugi's life.
"Whoa," he murmured as they glided high above the forest. Yugi couldn't help but hold out his arms just so that he could feel more of the wind against his skin. He heard a chuckle behind him, and he looked over his shoulder at Atemu. "What?"
"Nothing," Atemu replied with a slight twitch of his lips giving away his amusement.
Yugi narrowed his head and looked back ahead. "What is it like to wake up each day and to know that the sky itself is within your reach?" he asked as he raised an arm to the clouds and closed his fist as though he could grab one.
The question made Atemu frown. "Why do your people hate dragons so much?"
"They attack us and eat our herds." Yugi looked back at Atemu with an eyebrow raised. "Why?"
"I am merely curious. At home, dragons and humans live with one another. We depend on one another. We provide for one another."
Yugi sighed. "I wish I could see your home."
"Maybe one day you will," Atemu said softly before he looked down at the forest below. "Now, where is the dragon?"
"Oh!" Yugi cried, having forgotten why they were flying. Yugi looked around and tried to find a familiar landmark. It was difficult, as Yugi was not used to finding his usual landmarks from the air. "That way!" he yelled and pointed.
Atemu yelled something and Lioth turned.
"There it is!" Yugi yelled as they neared a large opening. After nearly getting them lost, Yugi was very happy to have found the thing.
Atemu said something again and Lioth dived toward the opening. Down near the water, they saw the dragon, and it saw them.
With a cry Lioth landed near the dragon hard. It didn't bother her, but the humans riding her were jostled. Atemu released the straps from his legs and he pulled Yugi away from the happy dragons saying, "Let's leave them be."
"Why?"
Atemu chuckled. "That's her son, remember. She's been very worried about him." He moved to a big rock and plopped down on it and padded the space next to him. "Come sit."
"Okay," Yugi said shyly as he sat next to Atemu.
They sat there in silence for a while and just watched the two dragons. The silence was broken by Atemu, who scared the crap out of Yugi. He stared yelling loud and angrily at the young dragon, but, of course, Yugi couldn't tell what he was saying.
His yelling made both dragons stop and stared at him as Atemu walked up to the young dragon and grabbed its tail.
There was definitely something wrong with it. The tail had one fin on the left side, but not one on the other, which was strange. Yugi looked over at Lioth's tail to see if that was normal, but she had two fins, one on each side.
Had it broken off when it crashed?
Now, Atemu started yelling in something Yugi could understand. "Ra, damn it all! This will take weeks to heal! I can't stay here for weeks! I have to go home! Damn it!"
"What's wrong?" Yugi asked quietly, afraid that Atemu's anger may be redirected to him.
"Part of his tail is missing! His tail! He needs this in order to control the direction of his flying. It's how he turns! Without it, he can't fly!"
Then, Yugi remembered something his grandfather had told him.
A downed dragon is a dead dragon.
"Is he gonna die?" Yugi asked softly.
Atemu's gaze quickly turned to him and seemed to almost be looking in him. The man stared at him for a moment before answering, "So long as I bring him food, he'll be fine until the tail heals." He looked back at the dragon. "No wonder he didn't come home. He couldn't."
To Yugi, it felt like a hand was slowly squeezing on his throat. He didn't know why this was suddenly upsetting him so much. Maybe it was because he had not realized how dependent on others he had made the young dragon. All alone, the thing would have starved to death. If Atemu had never come, Yugi would have left the dragon alone, thinking that it fine, and would have inadvertently killed it.
Tears were all ready building in his eyes. One broke free and trailed down his cheek as he croaked, "I'm sorry!"
Atemu looked at him with wide eyes. Yugi state was a surprise to him and Atemu did not know why the young boy was crying. Atemu walked up to him and asked, "What for?"
Yugi rose his hands to his face and covered his eyes. Ashamed to be crying in front of a total stranger. "This is all my fault! I made the catapult and I fired at it! I attempted to kill! I set it free without a worry of how it would survive on its own! I did it! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Yugi fell to his knees, sobbing, and Atemu didn't know what to say or do. If it had been anyone else, Atemu would have probably been furious. After all, this boy attacked his dragon. However, Atemu couldn't find it in himself to be angry. Something about this boy made it impossible for Atemu to be angry.
Atemu opened his mouth to say something, when a quite rumble made him pause and look over his shoulder at the young, black dragon.
It was slowly walking forward, low to the ground, with its eyes focused on Yugi, who was paying no attention and didn't notice the dragon's presence until it was upon him.
Yugi's sobbing stopped as he felt a puff of air blown onto his hair. He looked up and was surprised to see the dragon's face right in front of his. He didn't flinch as the dragon stared at him, and he stared back.
Atemu kept his eyes on the two as he walked backward toward Lioth. He glanced at the mother dragon quickly. She was watching the two boys with interest, just as he was. He turned back to watch what happened.
Yugi stared into those huge yellow eyes of the dragon and felt the sudden compulsion to touch it. Slowly, he raised his right hand. The dragon didn't flinch, but watched his hand carefully as it rose and slowly reached out. Gently, Yugi rested his hand on the dragon's muzzle.
Instantly, his hand was burning. Yugi tried to pull his arm back, but his hand would not move, as though there was some kind of adhesive keeping his hand there. He closed his eyes to try to deal with the pain. It quickly escalated, the burning moving up his right arm. Yugi cried out as he brought his left hand up to pull his right arm away.
"No," Atemu murmured softly as he grasped Yugi's left arm and held it still. "I promise, it will be over soon."
"It hurts," Yugi whimpered. The pain was staying in his right arm, but it continued to get worse.
"I know it hurts," Atemu said softly and ran a hand through Yugi's hair, "but it will end soon and everything will be better. I promise."
Yugi could feel Atemu continue to comb his fingers through his hair, and he was thankful for it. It helped distract him, slightly, from pain.
Then, suddenly, the pain was gone. His right arm was left feeling strangely cool and he was exhausted.
"Go to sleep, Yugi," Atemu whispered as the man laid Yugi down against something warm and smooth.
"Okay," Yugi murmured, only slightly lucid.
The warm, smooth thing hummed under Yugi and lulled him into sleep.
Kaede.
Even though Yugi was almost asleep, he was awake enough to know that he did not recognize that voice. It wasn't deep enough to be Atem's.
My name is Kaede.
Finished: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
I have been writing bits and pieces of this for a long time now. I hope you guys like this so far.
I don't how credible this is but I got the name Kaede from www . 2000-names . com. It says that Kaede is a "Japanese unisex name meaning 'maple.'" I didn't choose the name for its meaning. I like the way it looks.
This won't be a long story. I originally planned for it to be a one-shot but as I have been writing this chapter, I have deviated from what I had originally planned. So, I'll do one more chapter, maybe two.
Please Review!