A/N: Welcome to my newest project! First, a quick disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, IT BELONGS TO DREAMWORKS AND CRESSIDA COWELL. And now for a dedication: This story is dedicated to my dear friend, Kaycee, and her dream for adventure. Please enjoy the first chapter!
WARNINGS: minor language, violence, and spoilers for How To Train Your Dragon 2.
"Ow, fricken' shitalki mushrooms!" I yowled, grasping my finger and glaring at the wooden beam. "It's your fault," I hissed at it, pouting as I gazed at the splinter protruding from the pad of my index finger.
"Kat?" I turned, looking for the person who called my name.
"Blu? Help, I've been attacked!" I cried, turning to meet the figure walking down the side of the hill. She raised one red eyebrow as her multi-colored gaze landed on the sliver of wood.
"Kat, I think you're overreacting," she laughed, grasping my finger and yanking on the splinter.
"Ow! You jerk! You don't just yank it out!"
"What was I supposed to do?"
"Give it tender love and care until it packs its bags and moves out," I responded with a pout. She giggled and rolled her eyes, bumping her arm into mine. I looked back at the wood beam and sighed, the amusement fading away.
"Say, can you help me carry this up the hill?" I asked, jabbing a thumb in the plank's direction. She nodded, moving to crouch on the other side of the plank. We lifted it up with a few soft grunts and balanced it on our shoulders, marching underneath its weight. The sun beat down on our backs, causing sweat to trickle down our temples. At the top of the hill, we stopped, placing the beam next to the other that had been hauled up earlier in the day. I gazed at the ocean that crashed against the rocky shore of the island, it's salty smell and fresh breeze lifting my hair and cooling my skin.
"Kat," Blu whispered, her own gaze taking in the common, but still breathtaking view, "Why can't we just leave?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly. I sighed and plopped down on the stack of beams, patting the spot beside me. Once she was seated I pointed at the ocean and gave her a look.
"We are surrounded by ocean, Blu. How would you suggest we get off this island?"
"A boat."
"And how do you suggest we get a boat? Commandeer one of the warships? Smuggle out a flimsy row boat?" She shrugged, her eyes pinning me with that gaze that said she was dead set on this and would not give up.
"Whatever it takes. I'm tired of doing nothing with my life and being unhappy with where it's going," she said, grabbing my shoulder. I sighed again, running a hand through my tangled hair.
"I know. I am too, but we can't just leave. We need food, water, and other supplies. Not to mention that we have to leave without being caught."
"That's the easy part. No one will know we're missing," she said, getting to her feet. I frowned at the truthfulness the words held. No one would ever notice that two unimportant orphans had gone missing. We could be dead and the villagers would never know. With a huff I stood, stretching and twisting. Blu stepped up beside me and linked our arms together, a wide grin set on her face. I pushed her playfully and we both laughed, eager to be rid of the serious atmosphere, though we both know that we would have to address the issue again. The lush woods around us were full of spring time life. Squirrels chased each other over sturdy tree limbs, birds chirped their merry song, leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and the flowers bloomed.
"I love spring time," I whispered, inhaling the clean, fresh pine scented air and closed my eyes, relying on Blu to lead me.
"Me too. The flowers are the best part, though the pollen sucks," she said, rubbing her allergy stuffed nosed. I chuckled and sneezed. Now it was her turn to laugh. We continued on through the forest, chattering about this and that, content with our leisurely pace. We were a mile from the village when I stopped dead, eyes wide.
"Kat, what-?" then she smelled it. Smoke, thick and dark, made lazy patterns in the sky, it's scent disgustingly familiar.
"Dragons," I whispered. Blu tugged me forward and soon we were sprinting toward our village, hearts beating rapidly. We stumbled up the hill that hid our village from the general view and gazed down at the orange and black chaos that was our home. Viking villagers scrambled about, war cries falling from their chapped lips and axes swinging above their heads. Dragons roared their own war cries, diving from the smoke choked sky, fire, talons, and fangs bared.
"Come on!" I screamed over the cacophony, grabbing her wrist and dragging her toward the second largest building in the entire village. The cone like building was on fire, but I slammed into the doors, barreling into the armory. I sprinted over to the weapons rack, leaving Blu at the entrance. I grabbed two soot stained short swords, and tossed one to Blu, who caught it with practiced ease. "Let's go!" I yelled, pushing her out of the collapsing armory and out into the battle. Nadders screeched as they ran through the streets, Gronckles barreled through houses and shacks, Zipplebacks chased sheep through the fields, and Nightmares clung to watchtowers, their bodies aglow with their own burning flames. I held my sword before me, senses on high alert as the battle between vikings and dragons raged on once more. I tensed as a Nadder landed right before us, it's head twitching to the side and its tail enlarging as its spikes prepared to launch. Blu tackled me to the ground as the razor sharp projectiles sailed over our heads and I clambered to my feet, lunging forward with a cry. My sword slid into the Nadder's neck, and I pushed it forward violently before twisting it and tugging it out. The Nadder fell with a gurgling cry, kicking its legs viciously in an attempt to stand, before it fell completely still.
I grabbed Blu's hand and tugged her up and away, fleeing into the shadows of the street, my breath coming in laborious pants. We collapsed against a stone wall, bodies shaking and eyes wide.
"I-I killed it," I gasped, staring at my blood speckled hands. I had never killed a dragon before, though Blu and I sparred frequently. For some reason, the thought was sickening instead of exciting. I was going to puke. I lurched forward, my stomach constricting and my throat burning as my stomach tried to claw its way out of my throat. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and resisted the urge to puke again. I could still smell its blood. Blu stumbled to her feet, grabbing my arm and hoisting me up.
"Come on, Kat," she whispered, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and letting me leen my weight against her. She half dragged me away from the dragon's body and out into the forest, knowing that we could not stay in the village that reeked of death and blood. I had dropped my sword when I...killed….the dragon, and now I felt completely naked in the shadowy forest. Blu clutched her's tightly, knuckles white as she carried me farther into the now quiet woods. "Kat, just breathe."
"Breathing is the problem," I panted, trying to keep the smell out of my nostrils.
"You need to calm down. You did what you had to," she comforted, but I could see the shakiness of her legs and the fear in her eyes.
"I know, but that doesn't make it any less disgusting," I replied, stumbling forward. We stopped near the woodpile from earlier, and it felt like it had been a year ago when we carried a piece up the rocky hill and talked about escape. She let her arm slip off my shoulders and she lowered me onto the pile, collapsing onto it right after.
"Why would they attack us now?" she asked, voice gravelly.
"I don't know," I replied, stretching out as I tried to get my adrenalin pumped body to relax. "How could we ever know the intentions of such creatures?" She said nothing, her grip never relaxing on the hilt of her sword. The ocean crashed and rumbled off in the distance, unaffected by the recent events. Why did killing that Nadder effect me so much? It was normal to kill dragons, and if I hadn't, Blu and I wouldn't be sitting there. I reached up to run a hand through my hair, but paused as my eyes landed on the dark scarlet of blood. I dropped my hand, feeling bile rise up in my throat. I pushed it away and focused on my quaking friend. Her eyes were closed and her shoulders were stiff. A frown furrowed her brows and her eyes fluttered open.
"Kat-" I held my hand up, body stiffening. The trees around as shivered and leaves fluttered to the ground. I could hear the distant thump of something heavy hitting the ground, and it began to grow louder and closer. The sound multiplied as hundreds of trees fell, their trail of destruction growing alarmingly closer.
"Timberjack!" I shouted, pushing Blu down on to the ground and using an arm to shield my head. There was a deafening shriek and I screamed with it, eyes squeezing shut as the tree line right before us collapsed. The ground rumbled and quaked as the dragon landed, its roar ringing through the forest. I grabbed for Blu's sword and scrambled to my feet, placing myself between it and her. My eyes bulged as I took in the size of the dragon. It was gigantic, horrifyingly so, and its glowing amber gaze burned into me. It had no legs, only two hooked talons on each wing that seemed to act as limbs as it slithered forward. It's body was a rusty color, head and talons darkened into a midnight black. The most impressive thing of the terrifying reptile, was its wings. Even folded, the dragon's wings were easily five times the size of a Nightmare's. I was not eager to find out what its full wing span was.
The sword seemed to weigh heavier as I looked at the dragon, images of the blood-choked Nadder filling my mind. I tried to shake them out; tried to focus on the man-eating beast in front of me. Blu had stood, her posture defensive as she held a broken piece of one of the wooden planks in front of her. The dragon crept forward and my grip tightened on the blade.
"Stay back!" I screamed at it, but it either didn't understand or ignored me. Maybe a mix of both. Its wings seemed to grow larger as it moved closer, wiry neck arched and jaw snapping. My heart beat wildly in my chest and I lunged. The dragon screeched, pushing its self back with surprising strength for a dragon without any legs. My sword grazed its snout, leaving a shallow gash that traveled from its left nostril, over its mouth, and to its chin. It seemed shocked at first, but it quickly switched to being furious, a deep, throaty snarl ripping out of its chest. It sprang forward, mouth open and front "feet" out stretched, talons gleaming. Pain flared through my arm and I was flung backwards, back slamming into the wooden pile.
I cried out, falling to my knees and clutching at my upper arm. My pain fogged mind barely registered Blu's scream as she flung herself forward, jumping up and bringing her splintered weapon down onto the dragon's head. It shrieked in anger, jaw snapping at her, but she ignored it, swiping at the animal's neck. it tried to rip through her with its talons, but she rolled beneath the dragon, using it's large size against it. It reared back, tail whipping back and forth. It lost its balance, falling back with a ground shuddering thump, its wings out stretched and flapping uselessly. Blu sprinted away from the upturned Timberjack and slid to a stop beside me.
"Kat! Kat!" she grabbed my hand and leaned forward, trying to meet by gaze.
"M'okay," I slurred, turning my head upward and giving her a lopsided grin. She sighed with relief and grabbed my uninjured arm.
"We have to get out of here," she said, hauling me to my feet and looking back at the struggling Timberjack. I swayed, vision darkening and pain shooting up from my elbow to my shoulder.
"This really hurts," I groaned, stumbling into Blu.
"Kat, focus!" she hissed at me as I bumped her shoulder with my head.
"Everything's fuzzy," I mumbled. The Timberjack growled and shrieked behind her, trying to pull itself to it's "feet." She lifted my arm, draping it over her shoulders and then grabbed my waist, dragging me forward and into the forest.
"You know," I slurred, "if it gets up, we won't be able to hide from it. You saw what it did to the forest."
"Then what would you suggest I do?" she huffed, tripping over a tree root.
"The ocean," I said, pointing toward the rolling waves, "there's a cave along the mountain side. We have to get to it by swimming and the water'll wash our scent away." Blu nodded, multi-colored eyes sharp as she switched our direction. Descending to the beach was a hassle and I thought for sure I would pass out multiple times. The blood hadn't stopped flowing and had completely drenched my right side, leaving a sticky, crimson trail. It was when we reached the edge of the swirling water that we heard the Timberjack's shrill cry and the sound of trees falling to earth. Blu dragged me into the water hastily, her head bobbing just above the surface. I gritted my teeth against the pain of saltwater swishing against the long, jagged gash on my arm.
"Just a bit farther," Blu whispered to me as she helped me swim forward. I could see the cave on the mountain side and tried to move faster while fighting the dark creeping up on the edges of my vision. My arm throbbed with my erratic heartbeat, blood leaving a trail in the sea behind us. I could hear the Timberjack as it ripped through the forest, it's furious cry sending shivers down my spine. A wave rolled over my head, choking me with its salty taste. Blu pulled me back to the surface, her eyes shining with fatigue as she tried to keep me up. The cave was only a few feet away now, and I was sure the Timberjack was on the beach now. Blu submerged herself and I felt hands push at me from underneath, helping me to climb up into the dark, damp opening. Once I was up, I leaned over the edge and reached out with my good arm, helping Blu up into the cave. We collapsed onto our backs, panting and coughing.
"Come one...let's...get further...in," I gasped, crawling farther into the temporary shelter. She just nodded and followed. We moved into the back of the cave, the pitch black making it impossible to see anything. My back pressed against the wall and my head lolled backward and I closed my stinging eyes. My arm spasmed and I hissed, hand clutching at the wound. I reached down, finding the edge of a pant leg and tugging. The sound of fabric ripping echoed through the shelter and I winced.
"Here," I could feel Blu's hand brush against the torn off fabric and tug it out of my grasp. I guided her to the wound and she expertly tied the fabric over it, tightly in hopes to stop the bleeding.
"Thanks," I sighed, bringing my knees up so I could rest my head against them.
"Kat?"
"Yeah?" Blu hesitated, before saying, "Do you think it'll come after us?"
"The Timberjack? Nah, I heard they hate water," I mumbled.
"How do you think the village is doing?" she asked. I shrugged, then remembered she couldn't see me.
"I don't know, but there's one less Nadder they have to worry about," I chuckled, trying to pass it off as no big deal, but stopped once I felt the nausea build up again.
"Kat, are you okay? What happened with the Nadder-"
"Of course I'm okay. We're vikings. We're supposed to kill dragons," I replied, trying to convince myself that everything was okay.
"Don't lie to me. You hated killing it," she said, her words stabbing me. I was silent and I could hear her sigh.
"I...it just didn't feel right," I whispered, turning away from her. She groped for my shoulder and when she found it, she set it there gently.
"That's okay."
"How? Killing's in our blood!"
"We don't know what's in our blood," she replied. That was true. Neither of us had met our parents, so we really didn't know.
"Still. They were probably vikings that had killed hundreds of dragons before they died, or abandoned us, or disappeared, or whatever," I replied, not willing to let her win this one. Blu muttered something about "stubborn pain" before she just squeezed my shoulder and leaned against me, head resting on my shoulder. I knew she was falling asleep, and I could feel my own eyes and muddled mind cry for the same. I shifted slightly, resting my head on top of hers and closed my eyes. In the distance, a Timberjack screeched in anger, but I was too tired to care.
A/N: And there we have the first chapter! This story will be updated on a weekly basis along with my other stories.
Reviews, suggestions, and constructive criticism are welcomed and appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you next week! BYE :D
