Chapter #2: The arrival, The Night Fury, and the departure.
Six years Later...
I am now twelve years old, muscular, lean, and ready for anything life thinks it can throw at me. I've mastered all the skills of becoming a warrior, blacksmith, carpenter, farmer, and fisherman. But, most importantly, I've become one of the Vikings, meaning it'll be even easier than before to have some alone time.
I've been sneaking off daily for six long years to train, bond and occasionally steal materials to make things for Nightshadow. Since then, Nightshadow has acquired a removable and lightweight synthetic tailfin that's controlled by a foot pedal on the bottom connected to his saddle.
The saddle itself is also lightweight but strengthened with tight layers of bound leather to make it durable. The saddlebag has pouches for water, food, weapons, tools, and many other useful things for long flights in and around the island. The saddle is comfortable and is easy to adjust for either long, high-speed oriented, or cruising rides.
I make it apparent to fly with only during the night to make it almost impossible to be seen. During the late hours of the night, the two of us learn spins, aerial maneuvers, dives, and battle tactics. I go through agility, endurance and speed drills with him nightly, pushing us both to the peak of our abilities.
I had learned Night Fury can shoot balls of plasma that explode whenever something comes in contact with it. The plasma blast can vary in power and temperature. I've also learned Nightshadow is extremely smart, maybe even smarter than some Vikings.
He understands all the complex commands, hand signals, and subtle gesture I give him, he carries them out precisely. While my time with Night Shadow, I've learned that all dragons speak the same language.
I spent countless hours over the span of years, piecing together the language, letter by letter, syllable, by syllable, word by word. With significant practice and some help from Night Shadow, I eventually became fluent in a language that I didn't even know existed. I have given the language a roughly translated English name.
Dragonese.
Upon learning the language. Nightshadow and I have been talking each other with seemingly no end. We were truly inseparable. He is like a brother to me. Our bond is the strongest there is, and it only continues to get stronger, as the days go by.
We have even learned how to talk with our minds! We could talk from a distance of fifteen miles away! No one could hear our private conversations. No one, but for us. I have shared all my memories, feelings, experiences with Nightshadow.
It was just him and me, nobody could come between us. We are truly just one mind and two bodies. But not everything was as good as it seems. Little did I know, my father ate raw chicken not too long ago. He hasn't been feeling well lately. I've had the village healer, Jackie looks after him. Hopefully, he will come out of this just fine.
Hopefully….
One long week Later….
The second I had seen his ship I ran for the dock, pushing past the other Vikings to get to him first.
"Trader Johann. I have fresh goat milk and wool. Do you happen to have dried Tulip leafs?"
"Sorry young lad, unfortunately, I don't make that trip for another month, a most. Why is it you ask for such particularities?" After hearing this, it felt like an anvil had been dropped on my chest.
"My father will die if he doesn't get the pedals soon, it's the last thing he needs before our healer can give him the cure to what ills him." Trader Johann's face soured upon the news. He then said something that lightened my spirits.
"I can't take you aboard, but If you can follow me to my next stop, where the petals are grown, I will give you half the pedals that they're willing to trade." I smiled and nodded in thanks and left.
Two minutes later, I was talking to Healer Jackie. She told me to immediately get to a boat, grab supplies, and leave. I sprinted out of the house. Herald. I remembered. He was in charge of the inventory at the time. That meant, the weapons we had, the water supply, and the food storage were all under his jurisdiction. He handed me the key to the storage room without a second thought after I explained the situation.
The present
The girl was shocked, she was not expecting me to jump at her from the bushes. Nightshadow was still hidden in the bush, waiting patiently to join in if he was needed. She dodged out of my way, but I wasn't going for her. Just the nadder. It quickly realized this and fired spikes out its tail at me. I had easily dodged the attack and I had stopped running when I reached its blind spot. Right in front of its nose.
That's when I saw the girl charge at me from the corner of my eye. I dropped a small device I had made. It is a small pellet filled to the brim with gunpowder. It hit the floor and I disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. I ran behind the girl while she wondered where I was, and taken her sword without her noticing and put it to her throat.
She was terrified and then she elbowed me in the jaw and I let go of her. "Stormfly!" The girl screamed. The dragon pelted spikes toward me and I dodged them again and screamed in anger.
"Fire!" The plasma ball had sent the gunpowder ablaze in a decently loud explosion, disorienting the dragon who managed to breathe some of it in. The girl was instantly knocked unconscious and thrown through the air. I managed to catch her bridal style and gently set her down.
The Nadder was thrown backward and it landed on its back, injured but still persistent to fight. I growled at the dragon in its tongue.
"Who are you and where am I?" I held up my arm and crooked my elbow. Using the explosion as a cover, Nightshadow charged another blast and was ready and waiting to fire once more.
I placed my sword against the Nadder's throat, ready to slit its throat if it tried anything funny. The dragon blinked in surprise, either it wasn't expecting to be taken down so easily, or for me to know dragonese. Considering the circumstances, probably both.
Having no other choice, the dragon decided to answer my question. "I am Stormfly and you are on an island your kind calls Berk." It responded still dazed and trying to get up.
"Why did you attack me and my human?" It asked.
"I ask the questions here!" I put all body weight on my foot as I stepped on a soft spot on its torso, stopping its advantages.
Knowing I had the upper hand, it flinched and leaned away from the blade, not wanting to have a taste of its steel.
The girl had woken not too long afterward and she was shocked to see me, a sword was drawn and saving her from the terrifying and ferocious dragon.
Pfffft, yeah right. She jumped to her feet and quickly drew her sword and put it against my throat, demanding to know who I was, completely ignoring the dragon.
"It's a long story, but to be brief. Just know that I was looking for Trader Johann when my ship capsized and I washed up here." I replied.
She took a long look at my ocean soaked, tattered, torn and faded clothes, moppy, unkempt hair, and sunburned skin.
"Look. I- I'm starving, and my throat burns like the fires of Helheim. I haven't eaten in days, and all the seawater was starting to make me puke a few hours ago."
She took another long look at me, glaring at me with this doubtful, inquisitive look before she finally relented.
"Come with me. I'll take you into Berk and see if I can get you something to eat."
"Th- thank you for your kindness."
What I am carrying is sacred to my tribe, could you wait here while I lock it away with the rest of my stuff?" I asked.
"Make it quick." She replied
"Thanks," I said as I walked to where Shadow was hidden and joined him in the bushes.
"How long do I have to wait?" Shadow questioned using his mind as he started to get impatient.
"Until I think it's safe for you to go public. For now, go find something to eat." I said, feeling his hunger as if it were my own. He nodded flew off to a nearby forest, making sure the girl didn't see him. I walked out of the bush about 2 or 3 minutes later.
"Ready to go?" I asked. She nodded.
We walked for about two minutes before we finally arrived at her village, it was cold and snowy, and I regretted not bringing anything warm to wear. My village had a similar layout but was different in more ways than one. I didn't know anybody here, my dad didn't serve as chief. Just then a thought struck my mind. Distracting me from my last statement. My dad, is he still alive? I have to back, but how long was I out on Berk?
All of a sudden many people started running towards me. Not sure if they were friend or foe and I reached for my sword, but instead, grabbed nothing but air. I had forgotten all about leaving my stuff with Nightshadow. The others stopped running when they saw me, they asked me who I was and I replied with my name.
"Yamir, the skillful. I am from the Hairy Heroes tribe and I will soon be the chief if I don't have the supplies I need to make the cure for my father." The girl I had traveled with had gasped in surprise along with who I assumed were her friends.
"We will surely give you what you need." A frail and scrawny Viking had replied. I said that I needed sun-dried tulip petals. They shook their heads.
"We don't have tulips here on Berk, sorry." replied the small Viking. "My name is Hiccup by the way." The frail Viking informed.
"I am Astrid." replied the girl I had traveled with.
"I am Shoutloud" replied a muscular kid.
"I'm Fishlegs" replied a rather chubby kid.
"I'm Ruffnut replied a skinny kid.
"And, I'm Tuffnut." Replied another skinny kid that looked identical to the first.
"So let me straighten this out, you are twins?" I said pointing at Ruffnut and Tuffnut.
"Yes." They replied simultaneously.
"But wait, how did you know that we didn't tell you, Astrid did you tell him we were twins?" Ruffnut asked.
"No, she didn't," I answered. "You two look alike and you look about the same age," I replied as several dragons appear behind them. Fear struck me almost instantly.
"Dragons! Get back!" I yelled to alert the others and instinctively pushed the other teens behind me. Hiccup seemed confused, before a moment of realization crossed his mind.
"We've made peace with the dragons of Berk. They are companions." Hiccup quickly explained.
"... What?" I asked.
"They're not our enemies. They won't attack you." Hiccup reiterated.
"B-but how? That's impossible!" I stated.
As if on cue, several dragons broke formation and landed near us, all their eyes on me.
"Is that a night fury?" I asked Hiccup, pointing at the dragon that landed next to him. Hiccup nodded.
"This is my dragon and closest friend, Toothless.
I blinked in shock another night fury, Nightshadow had thought he was the last one, but I was looking at a second one right here!
"He is the last of his kind. He's on his own." Hiccup said in a sad tone.
I smirked.
"Why are you smirking?" Hiccup asked.
I set two fingers in my mouth and whistled. Shadow came running at full speed and tackled the first dragon he set his eyes on which happened to be a green zippleback.
Within mere seconds, both of its heads pinned to the ground as an overprotective Night Fury charged a fireball, getting ready to blow them to pieces.
He looked up at me and realized I was fine and came to the logical conclusion that I just wanted to get his attention. He apologized to the zippleback in dragonese and gave the dragon some space.
The zippleback nodded in understanding. Then Nightshadow had seen Toothless in the corner of his eye and blinked in shock. Toothless had made the same reaction.
"You're not as alone as we once thought," I told Nightshadow using my mind.
He took one long look at Toothless as Toothless stared back at Nightshadow. Toothless walked Hiccup's side, and Shadow walked to mine.
The nadder walked to Astrid's side. The zippleback had walked in between the twins. A grockle had walked to Fishlegs' side and a Monstrous Nightmare had walked to Snoutloud's side.
"So, these are your respective dragons?" I had asked the group they all replied with a yes. Each teen had told me the name, and breed of their dragons. I, in return, told them a bit about Shadow. They all looked shocked, even the dragons.
"How do you know so much about Night Fury?" They asked.
"Eight years of close-up studying and learning did the trick," I answered. Hiccup requested that I meet his father. Stoick the Vast. Hiccup had said his father was the Chief of the hairy hooligans, his tribe. I had accepted the offer and followed Hiccup to his house, to meet his father. I told Night Shadow to stay behind, he nodded.
"So. You shipwrecked here on Berk, young lad?" I was talking to Stoick the Vast.
"Yes," I answered.
"Do you have an idea on how far you are from your island?" He asked.
"No," I answered uncomfortably. "May I see a map?" He nodded.
"I'll be right back." Stoick the Vast had left the main room and came back a minute later holding a large map and handed it to me. I quickly unfolded the map and set it on the table for everyone to see. Hiccup pointed to an island in the center. "This is where you are now." I nodded.
"If Berserker Island is here-" I said pointing to it then went on to find my island. I started to move my finger around the map looking for Dragonblood island and came up with nothing. I looked up at Hiccup, disappointed.
"My island is not listed on this map, do you have a bigger one perchance?" I asked.
"No, we do not. Sorry, this is the biggest map we have. The rest is uncharted." Stoick the Vast replied.
"Well, now I know the basis of my location. Thank you for your help."
"Not a problem, sorry we don't have what you were looking for." Answered Stoick the Vast.
I shook my head. "You did all you could. That's all I can ask." He nodded and I exited the house.
I whistled for Nightshadow, and he'd arrived a minute later, right outside the door and bent down to let me climb on. I climbed into the saddle and began to fly off when Stoick the Vast had stopped me.
" Is your dragon, by any chance?" Stoick asked.
I nodded. "Sure is. He's named Nightshadow." I replied.
"Hm. Good to know." Stoick commented.
With that being the end of the conversation, I smiled and flew off in the general direction of DragonBlood island.