Disclaimer: HTTYD does not belong to the author
Everything else is by Travis Church
A young boy strode slowly up a dirty path, where the grass pushed itself through the stone pathway and the dirt kissed the stones. His dragon carefully walked at his side to be sure of that the boy would not fall down if the slope was too much.
The two finally made their way to the apex of the path and were flabbergasted at what they saw.
Lights, a chain of people organized in a loose circlet, glittering in the night! The image overwhelmed the two. As they descended the path, the boy smelt wine while the dragon smelt meat and fish. The smoke from the cooking pit flirted with the smoke from the fireplace who danced with the smoke from the numerous torches. This festival of smoke rose up to the night sky and twirled itself around pale beams of light and cradled tiny starry gems.
The two descended even further down the path and listened as the noise evolved into something more distinct and something more pleasant. The cries of laughter rose above the loud speeches of neighbors and friends. The sound of music climbed above the attempted songs of man. Oh Gods, what a feast!
The two were in awe of the beautiful chaos. The ring of people moved in rhythm with the music, twisting and turning and running around. Their garments swept dust and smoke away from the center of the festival and pulled in even more dancers. The sounds and smells marinated together outside the ring and, like a burst of fire, they flooded inside the halo and exploded outwards. And when the festivities erupted from the circle, a tremor resounded throughout the area; a tremor that was laced with vibrancy and good humors! The two could feel the adrenaline and ecstasy build inside their hearts as they descended the weathered road.
But when they finished the slope, all eyes laid upon them. The music and laughter died as quickly as a piece of wheat in a flame. The smoke swirled around the moon, creating a thick column of light that shone intensely on the two. The boy could feel their eyes shift downwards to see his false leg and to the side to spot a red tailfin against black scales.
"Uhh," the boy began awkwardly, "We're here to see," he fumbled in his pack to find a piece of paper, "Tergus?"
The crowed all sighed and started to speak jubilantly at the name in indistinct and dissimilar voices. The murmur stopped when a single voice cried out, "Please! Here!"
The duo approached the sound and saw a single woman, the wrinkles in her light olive skin made thin shadows on her face and her eyes shone dully in the soft moonlight. "Are you the dragon tamer we asked for?"
The boy nodded slowly.
"Thank our savior!" She hugged the boy with fair sized arms and when she straightened her back she bent over and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "You have arrived. Please follow me."
The crowd parted a pathway for the duo and led them past the glimmering navy tiles that lined the floor and to a large wooden doorway decorated in golden ornaments. She, the boy, and his dragon pushed the doors inside and shut them when they could slide in.
Only fire lit the insides of this chamber. There were no murals, no glittering tiles, no smells of wine and meat, it was indeed a modest descending chamber—perhaps even Spartan. The old woman brushed her wild grain colored hair away from her face and called out to the two to hurry. "Please," she added.
They continued to descend until the floor stopped sloping downwards. She motioned them underneath a stone archway and into an extremely bare room.
There were only two things that were in this room: a fire pit and a strange man.
The woman ran to the man, whose skin was much lighter in the light than hers, and gave him a hug before whispering something inaudible.
"Tergus," she said gesturing to the two guests, "This is the dragon tamer we have heard so much about."
The man rubbed his face and approached the two. The boy saw that his eyes sagged in exhaustion but his face still held its young vigor.
The boy expected some snide comment about how thin he is or how young he was but no remark came.
With an outstretched light tanned hand, the man asked with pleading brown eyes, "Will you help me?"
The boy took the hand and shook it lightly. The man's eyes lit up with joy and the man, the boy, and the dragon approached the fire pit. The woman whispered something to the man and she left the duo to do the task they have been summoned to do.
The two visitors looked deep into the pit and saw a thin oval shape emerge from the feathery blaze. Their eyes honed into the image and saw an egg of some sort.
"I've been at this for days," the man started in a baritone voice. "And everyone's expecting it to hatch anytime soon. But I don't know what to do!" He cried out. "I tried different types of woods, throwing incendiary material, I even gave multiple prayers. I just don't know what to do," he wearily said.
The boy looked at the char and to his dragon and watched as his dragon guided a blue flare from his lips to the pyre.
"We've got to wait. I think that's all we need." The boy said.
"Then we pray," the man kneeled at the fireplace, "Will you join me?"
The boy kneeled alongside the man and his dragon sat on his haunches. The woman was long gone and took away her motherly presence, but there was something still in the air…