How to train your Dragon…
Eve of the Solstice
Chapter One
Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD.
Emerald eyes looked sadly upon the heavens, mesmerized by the infinite number of stars glittering and shining so merrily. If only she were one of those stars … maybe then she too could be merry.
But that was not her life. Her life was filled with pain and sadness. She was shunned, looked down upon, out casted, differentiated. She was unlike her clan as they were unlike her.
As a dragon, it was nature's law that she had to be quick, cunning, deadly, and potent. She had to be all these things and all these things had to be her. A dragon was to be feared, not fearful. They were to strike terror into other's hearts, not hide in it.
Dragons were meant to be strong. She was the opposite. She lacked what dragons needed, what they were supposed to have. She wasn't quick, deadly, potent, or strong. She desired to be liked by the ones she met, not feared.
It was these things that set her apart as it was these things that brought so much dislike upon her. In her clan's eyes, she was nothing. If she wasn't the leader's only child, she would've been cast out long before.
Hiccup sighed, resting her head upon her front paws, wrapping her tail around her and curling in on herself.
"Why was I made like this?"
It was a whisper, but it seemed to flow through the wind. The moon and stars did not answer back, but only remained in their merrily position. Hiccup frowned, lifting her head up and looking at her paws.
They were dragon feet. As was her body a dragon's body...So why did she not feel like one?
The moonlight danced over pure white scales as she shifted to sit up. She watched the heavens for a few minutes before something caught her eye; it was a shooting star.
Hiccup quickly closed her eyes. She knew others would find it childish to wish on a star, but her mother had always told her that the stars held powerful magic. They could make any wish come true if they so wanted.
"I wish my father and my clan would accept me."
She opened her eyes and noticed the star had vanished. She could only hope it had heard her wish.
Hiccup glanced behind her to the mouth of the den she shared with her father. She could her his loud snores echoing through it and was glad for the moment of peace without him constantly looking at her with those eyes filled with disappointment.
As the daughter of the leader, she had been expected to be the best. Her mother and father were two of the strongest Snow Furies in her clan's history and the clan had expected her to follow in their footsteps. To say she didn't would be an understatement. She failed miserably at being what they wanted.
She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to drown herself in self-pity. She just had to make the most of it and redeem herself. That's right.
She would show her father and her clan who she really was. She would bring down a Night Fury, the archenemy of her clan. She would show them just how strong and powerful she really was.
Suddenly filled with determination Hiccup nodded and looked to the sky. She had a feeling that today was going to be a new day.
A quick shadow swiftly flew across the moon and if Hiccup hadn't have been looking straight at it, she wouldn't have noticed it. Narrowing her eyes, she watched it closely. She could have sworn she had seen something.
Suddenly, a plasma bolt struck the rock above her causing a shower of rocks to rain down upon her. She yelped and quickly jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding another blast.
"What is this?!"
Hiccup swiveled her head to see her father standing at the edge of the ledge, eyes frantically searching the skies.
He was a massive Snow Fury, rippling with muscles under dull white scales. He easily towered over others in the clan and there was no mistaken that he was the leader. The aura of authority and power radiated off of him.
His eyes soon found hers and he was rushing over.
"Hiccup! Get into the cave and stay there! We're under attack!"
Hiccup pursed her lips and quickly nodded, putting up little fight. She ran into the cave hearing her father's voice boom though the valley they resided in.
"We're under attack! The blasted Night Furies are at it again!"
Hiccup's eyes widened. "Here's my chance. I'll take down a Night Fury and show them all just how good I am."
She waited until her father had left until she crept to the front of the cave.
The leader's den was over all the other dens in the mountain side, being at the very top. From here Hiccup had a vantage point. She could hear and see the angry screeches as white took on black. She frowned. Night Furies had an advantage during the night. You couldn't see them. Snow Furies were sitting ducks.
Screeching rang out as Snow attacked Night and plasma blasts rained down from above. Ice blasts were being fired towards the skies, but few rarely hit their intended target. The Night Furies were too stealthy and far too camouflaged for the Snow Furies to gain any advantage over them.
Two years ago, the Night Furies had discovered the Snow Furies' home and had made it their personal goal to attack them every chance they got. Attacks weren't uncommon and the Night Furies gave no relief to the Snow Furies.
The Snow Furies had been trying for years to find the home of the Night Furies. Search parties were sent out, but hardly any dragon returned. It was said that the Night Furies lived on an isolated island, not far from the island the Snow Furies resided on. Legend said that the island was surrounded by a fog so thick that once you entered, you'd be lost for eternity.
The location of the Night Furies remains unknown.
Hiccup jumped from the ledge and onto the once below. Her father had told her to stay in the cave, like he did every time they attacked, but Hiccup refused to listen, like every time they attacked.
She knew she was her father's only child and all that he had left of her mother, but she had to prove herself. She had to show him that she could be just like them.
Hiccup narrowly missed a plasma blast, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by the falling rocks. She looked to the sky and saw silhouettes darting in front of the stars. She was about to fire a warning shot at them but lost her footing when the Night Fury fired first.
The ledge below her shattered in an explosion of rock as the plasma blast made impact with it. She screeched as she was sent tumbling down the mountain side, rocks falling along with her, hitting her. She hit a ledge and rolled, her claws scrambling to find a grip on the rocky surface. Hiccup slid along the ledge, finally screeching to a stop.
Chunks of rock tumbled onto the ledge, some hitting her body. She hissed from the impact and looked up.
She had fallen quite a ways down the mountain side. Hiccup groaned, checking over herself. She was a bit beat up, a few scratches here and there, but overall she was fine. She stood, with a little bit of difficulty, and flinched when a cracking sound was heard.
She looked down to see cracks running along the ledge. Heavier rocks tumbled down the mountain side towards her. She sprung up in time as the ledge broke, her wings boosting her up, but her escape was short lived as a plasma blast hit her right wing, sending her smashing into the rock wall. She screeched from the searing pain and scrambled to find footing on the rock. Her claws scraped along the wall as she slid. Hiccup tried flapping her wings, but the searing pain in her right wing stopped her.
She couldn't fly away.
Making a split second decision, Hiccup pushed herself off of the side of the rock surface and twisted, wings out as she tried to glide to the ground.
It pained her to keep her wing out and pain soon won over as she spiraled out of control. The earth was coming up fast and Hiccup braced herself for the rocky landing.
She met the earth with a sickening thud, rolling and sliding across the rocky earth until she hit a tree, coming to a stop.
Hiccup groaned. Every movement she made hurt.
She slowly opened her eyes and glanced blearily around. Fire crackled around her and she realized most of the brush and undergrowth of the valley was on fire.
Hiccup slowly pushed herself up, wincing at the spikes of pain coursing through her. She checked the damage and winced when she saw her wing. It was bent at an odd angle, the scales around it scorched from the blast. She must have broken it on the landing.
"Dangit." She hissed, trying to move the wing, but cried out when it twitched.
It was definitely broken and she knew she was in trouble. The screeches of her fellow clan mates and of the enemy told her that the attack wasn't over. Blasts still rained down from above and Hiccup knew that with a broken wing, she had to find a place to hide. She was in no condition to do anything right now.
Slowly, she stood, testing the weight on each of her legs. Luckily, she hadn't seriously injured any of her legs and could still walk.
Hiccup sighed in relief. She glanced wearily around, looking for a way of escape. She was too far to make a run for the caves. Her bright scales gave her away in the night. The other dragons must have thought her dead and left her alone. She was lucky so far.
Just as she was about to step forward, about to take her chances of running under the overhang a few feet away, a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"My, my. What have you done to yourself, young one?"
Heart pounding, Hiccup glanced fearfully behind her only to see nothing. A shadow moved out of the corner of her eye and she swiveled to face it, only to be met with nothing.
"Poor thing." The voice growled. "Such a beauty. Too bad I have to kill you."
Hiccup breathed heavily, frantically searching for the owner of the voice. Not knowing where the voice was coming from, she didn't chance running as she could unknowingly run straight into the enemy.
There was a heavy thump behind her and she froze.
"I like my prey to look me in the eyes before they die." The voice growled. "I want the last thing they ever see to be me, slowly draining the life from them."
Hiccup clenched her eyes shut. She knew this voice.
"I'm not a patient dragon." This time, the growl was fiercer and Hiccup flinched.
Slowly, Hiccup turned, eyes narrowed. What she saw nearly stopped her heart.
Behind her stood one of the biggest Night Furies she had ever laid eyes on. It was blacker than night with a huge wingspan. It was covered in old scars and fresh blood, but they thing that scared her the most were its eyes.
Its eyes were the darkest red she had ever seen. However, it wasn't the first time she had ever seen them. Something in her memory, something from long, long ago, tugged at her mind.
She was only a hatchling at the time. Her mother had told her to stay in the den because her father had important business to attend to. She and her mother waited all night for her father to return…but he never did. Not soon enough, anyways.
There had been a noise at the front of the cave. Her mother had thought it was her father and went to greet him.
Hiccup remembered playing with a strand of grass, but stopped when something stepped on it. Confused, she had looked up, only to look at the face of a monster.
The crimson eyes stared murderously at her. Something was dripping from its head and when Hiccup glanced down, she could tell from the moonlight that it was something red.
Terrified, she had followed the liquid trail with her eyes to the front of the cave where a pool of it had started to form.
"Momma!" She screamed, seeing her mother lying motionless at the mouth of the cave.
The monster in front of her chuckled before it raised a paw, claws poised.
There was an anguished roar before something barreled into the monster. Using the distraction, Hiccup ran as fast as she could to her mother.
"Momma! Come on, Mama! Hurry! Get up!" She nosed her mother. "The monster's gonna get us if we don't leave!"
Shaking, Hiccup stared into the eyes of the monster from years long ago. The monster that had killed her mother.
"Fritjof." She muttered, visibly shaken.
The Night Fury in front of her cackled manically, smiling a bloody tooth filled smile. "So you remember me. I remember you too, Hiccup. I've come to finish the job."
Fritjof. The leader of the Night Furies. To catch a glimpse of him was exceedingly rare. He hardly ever joined in on attacks. He was elusive, but when he did show his face, someone always died.
Hiccup glared. "Why are you doing this?"
Fritjof looked as if he had been offended. "Why? Why?!" He then laughed, cocking his head to the side. "Your father took everything from me, Hiccup, so I'm gonna show him just how much pain he caused me and I will not stop until my revenge is complete."
Hiccup slowly took a step back. Fritjof didn't seem to notice and only watched her.
Hiccup knew she only had two options; fight or flight.
Fritjof was much too strong to fight and would easily overpower her. Her only option was to outrun him…if she could.
Mustering up the courage, Hiccup suddenly turned and took off, rushing through the burning brush and out onto the battle field.
Fritjof merely watched her go, a smirk forming on his face.
"That's it, little piggy. Run. Run as fast as you can."
Hiccup pushed her legs to their limits, running as fast as she could. At first, she thought she had escaped him, but the sudden sound of heavy footsteps on the ground behind her proved her wrong. Heart beating erratically, she swerved through the boulders, trying to lose him.
A shadow fell over her and she looked up to see Fritjof flying above her, watching her.
Hiccup pursed her lips and swung around, heading in the opposite direction. If she could make it to the forest, she could shake him off. This was Snow Fury territory. She knew it like the back of her paw.
Rushing through the fighting dragons, she avoided the blasts being shot, both Night and Snow fury blasts, and spotted a narrow opening in the rock wall ahead.
"Come on!" She growled, pushing her aching body to move faster.
She was almost home free when a piercing pain ripped down her sides and a heavy weight fell on top of her. She screeched, rolling across the ground from the heavy weight. The claws dug into her sides, only increasing their intensity as they clawed their way across her back.
She gathered all the strength she had in her and threw herself back so that Fritjof was on his back with her back on him.
He roared in fury as she pulled herself from his grasp and quickly shot off.
The pain was nearly unbearable, but she had to keep going. She had to escape this monster.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a large Snow Fury battling a smaller Night Fury, seeming to have the upper hand. Her heart nearly soared with relief.
Fritjof tackled her just as she screamed out to the Snow Fury.
"DAD!"
Stoic looked up at the scream and his heart stopped at what he saw.
Hiccup screamed in pain as the claws raked across her scales. Her wing was caught painfully between her and the ground and she nearly cried.
Hiccup looked up to see teeth fast approaching and she braced herself for the pain….
It never came. Instead, just like years before, a white blur tackled Fritjof, pulling him from her and sending them tumbling to the ground beside her.
Her eyes widened when she saw that it was her father. He was quick to recover and looked over at her.
"Run Hiccup!"
Never before had she been so glad to follow her father's order. Hiccup quickly pushed herself to her feet and took off, adrenaline pumping through her.
She made it to the hole in the wall and rushed through it, the sound of her father's roar sounding behind her.
Gasping, she ran through the tunnel, breaking through the exit and into the forest. Hiccup continued to run, knowing she had to gain a good distance between herself and the fight.
It was dark, the only light being that of the full moon. She narrowly dodged trees, ignoring the painful gashes and her injured wing.
The sound of fighting got further and further away. Glancing back, Hiccup didn't see shape until it was too late.
She barreled into something hard and solid, sending her and whatever it was to the ground.
She groaned, wincing from the pain rolling through her in waves. Blearily she glanced behind her to see a dark figure stand.
Her heart stopped when it looked back at her, teeth bared.
She was looking into the eyes of a Night Fury.
AN: Yes, this story has some of the same plot as my old story, Forbidden Love, but I loved that story so much that I had to write this one. I took that story down a long time ago because I was going to rewrite and fix it. I guess you could say this is the rewritten version?
Anywho~ I'm sorry if there are any grammatical errors. I apologize. (Not that good with grammar) I should be able to get a regular update pattern set soon, so hope for the best!
Remember, it's always polite to review!
~Scarlet