Authors Note: Hello! :) :) :)
Chapter 4: Book Of Dragons
(Hiccup POV)
I give a small glance back at Elsa before taking off through the streets towards the forest. The cold air bites at my skin but I ignore it just running. The Gronckle almost killed me.
A dragon always goes for the kill.
But the Night Fury didn't. Why? That promise about dragons just doesn't seem right anymore. The Night Fury didn't kill me, so maybe not all dragons are bad.
I slow my run into a walk and stare at the forest around me for a moment. I've never been teased by the trees, the trees accept me for who I am. I'm not good enough for Berk. Just useless. The title fits me more than I want to admit.
I release a long breath.
Ah air. It's wonderful, what would we do without it? We'd die. I shake the thought from my head and stand still for a moment looking down at my feet as I stare at the ground. It's the same clearing where the Night Fury almost killed me. Where I released it.
A life for a life.
I purse my lips slightly before moving forward and grabbing a piece of the bola off the ground staring at it for a moment letting the weight balance off in my hands, "So why didn't you?"
Where is that dragon anyway? I didn't see it leave Berk so maybe it's still in Raven Point. I'm not doing anything else of great importance. I set the rock down and scan around myself for a moment. I walk forward in the direction the Night Fury scapermed off too yesterday , was it really yesterday?
I swing over a fallen tree and start to pick my way through the forest.
After about an hour of stumbling through the forest, I spot a small opening in the distance. It's a crack between two stones, leading into a cove. I've been in it a few times but not since I was younger. I've stayed more near the village as I've gotten older.
I duck into the opening and under a root sticking between the two stones. Dedicated tree.
I stare at the cove around me, there's a pond covering it with a small waterfall pouring fresh water into it constantly. Wild plants and other vegetation cover the ground along with several spots of dirt. The pond takes up most of the space in the cove, leaving little room for anything else beyond a few trees near the lake. There's no Night Fury.
"Well this was stupid." I mutter to myself and look down.
A black blob, circular and shiney lies at my feet a trail following after it. My eyebrows knit together. What the? I lean down and take the blob into my hand, it's gruff, cold and feels oddly like silk and glass at the same time. A...dragon scale maybe. I can't think of anything else it would be. But to what dragon-AH!
A shadow leaps over me causing me to fall back in shock the scale slipping from my fingers. I hardly give it a second thought staring upwards towards the dragon.
The Night Fury.
The dragon claws at the top of the cove wall before falling back towards the ground, it twists around mid fall and glides across the pond crashing on the other side.
Whoa.
My eyes widen with amazement and I scan around myself. Come on, come on, come-there! A small ledge rests a few feet away from me, a better stalking view than my current position. I grab the edge of the wall and swing onto the wall.
My feet scrape against the edge of the ledge and a few rocks fall towards the ground. I stare at it for several moments closing my gaping jaw. The dragon is a jet black with two wings and a set of smaller wings on it's tail and tailfins at the edge of it's tail. What am I doing!?
My fingers scramble backwards as I don't remove my gaze from the Night Fury trying to track down my notebook. The Night Fury leaps into the air heading for the edge of the cove. The dragon's tail loops under its chest and it falls back towards the earth smashing against the unforgiving ground.
I do a quick sketch of the dragon and pull back the book to look at the dragon as it lets out a blast in frustration. Nope, not two tailfins, just one. I scrub the left one away and shake my head slightly my bangs falling in front of my eyes. "Why don't you just fly away?" I murmur.
The dragon takes towards the air again and ends up with the same result: No flight, and another crash next to the pond. I sigh and sit back on my heels. Is it my fault? The Night Fury was flying fine before I hit it with the bola, what If I've crippled it?
I rest my hand against the stone and my fingers fall lax for a moment the pencil slipping from my fingers. Cats get back here! I reach for the pencil but the wood rolls from beyond my grasp hitting the pond ground with a soft thud. I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment before I feel a gaze on me.
I open my eyes hesitantly.
I lift my head and meet eyes with the Night Fury. The dragon holds my gaze. It's not hostile, wary yes, but not hostile. Curious.
I tilt my head slightly and the dragon mimics me holding my gaze unblinking. Something wet lands on my nose and I look up at the sky in shock staring at the clouds. They're dark and angry looking. Yup, there's the storm.
Yay.
I turn around and scramble back up the edge my gaze flickering towards the dragon. The dragon turns away from me and I shake my head slightly moving through the passage that brought me into the cove. I break into the forest again as a light snowfall begins to fall.
Ah man.
I move forward and give a soft curse under my breath. I shove my notebook into my vests hidden pocket before breaking into a run towards the village. If I run quick enough, I should make it to shelter before the snow decides to become a blizzard.
Weird, though, winter doesn't start for a few weeks. Weather does whatever it wants though, especially on Berk. We have about four seasons: Winter, devastating winter, lethal winter and a horrible excuse for spring.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts looking forward trying not to ram into a tree. I reach the village in record time and weave through the empty streets, when I make it to the steps of the Great Hall I inwardly kick myself.
Right. Gobber wanted to meet for dinner to discuss training today. Not like there's much to talk about, 'hey, I didn't die!' 'wow good job!'
When I take the first step onto the Great Halls step's the snow falls heavily to a minor blizzard. I grumble under my breath and look up angrily at the weather. Effective, I might get it to proceed with what it was already doing.
The edges of my hair are frozen into little icicles and stick to my forehead, not helping in the warmth department in the slightest. I shove the large doors open about two minutes later shivering. I rub my arms and hug myself for a moment before looking around the large space for the Gobber and the other trainees.
The room is mostly empty except for the odd Viking here and there. "Alright, where did Snotlout go wrong in the ring today?" Gobber asks. I turn my head right towards the table and spot the teens scattered across the table. Elsa and the twins sit on one side well Fishlegs and Snotlout sit on the other.
"I..uh...wasn't ready. My sword play was sloppy." Snotlout says after a pause,"But it was still great, right Elsa?" Snotlout asks and looks up at the Arendelle with a small smile. She gives a weak smile but returns to staring at the table.
"Ha, yeah, we noticed Snotlout." Ruffnut says with a huff. I look at the blonde before I grab a plate of chicken of the table. Snotlout scoots over preventing me from sitting next to them. I wouldn't have anyway. Probably.
I move towards a table and feel Gobber's gaze on my freezing form, "Right. So where did Hiccup go wrong in the ring today?" I inwardly groan. Really? You could've asked anyone else!
"Uh, he showed up." Ruffnut lists.
"He didn't get eaten?" Tuffnut offers.
"He's never where he should be." Snotlout concludes.
"Thank you Snotlout." Gobber says sarcastically. Yeah. Thanks. Really appreciate it. Gobber grabs a book from who knows where and tosses it onto their table. "The Dragon Manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of." Gobber says. The wind howls outside and Gobber gives my shivering form a half look. "No attacks tonight, study up." He commands and walks off.
Tuffnut stops trying to get a knife to stand perfectly straight up and it clatters on the table."Wait. Read?" He asks sounding genuinely horrified.
"Well we're still alive?" Ruffnut adds.
"Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell stuff you about?" Snotlout demands and slams his fist onto the table. Several cups bounce and I sigh getting to my feet and heading towards the table.
Fishlegs perks up, "Oh Oh! I've read it like seventy times! There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water in your face. And-and there's this other one that buries itself for a week-" Tuffnut holds up a hand and closes it in a 'be quiet' gesture Fishlegs slams his mouth shut imminently.
"Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that…" Tuffnut says, Ruffnut finishes his sentence.
"But now?"
Snotlout stands,"You guys read, I'll go kill." Snotlout says and walks off the twins scramble to their feet and chase after the boy Fishlegs quickly following. I reach the table and stare at Elsa for a moment.
"So I guess we'll share…?" I ask. Elsa looks up at me her eyes flashing with an unreadable expression.
"Read it." She assures and shoves it towards me. She walks off without looking back at me and I stare at her back for a moment.
"Oh, all mine then, that's great I'll see you-" The door slams shut and I let out a long sigh resting my fingers on the edges of the book. "Tomorrow." Of course you will, we're in the same training class.
I bite my inner lip and move towards the fire in the center of the Great Hall sitting next to it and resting the Book of Dragons on my side. I've read it dozens of times but once more can't hurt, besides I want to see if I've missed anything about the Night Fury.
There has to be something on the dragon, even a footnote or something. I lift my hands over the fire letting the flames warm my fingers. The sparks leap towards the air, carefree and happy in the sky.
After a few minutes the final Vikings leave the Great Hall leaving me, the book and the fire by ourselves.
I grab the thick book and set it on my lap leaning against the table edge as I start to read. Strike class, Mystery class, Fear class.
Thunderdrum: this reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tidepools. When startled the the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Wow. A real charmer. I flip the page.
Timberjack: this gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees, extremely dangerous. Kill on sight.
The wind picks up speed sending a screeching howl to echo around the Hall. I jump and twist around with a yelp looking back towards the door. Nothing bursts through the wood and I force myself to relax. Breathe.
Scauldron: sprays scalding water at it's vitom, Extremely dangerous.
I flip through several more pages:
Changewing: even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on , Zippleback, The Skrill, Boneknapper, Snow Wraith, Whispering Death.
I stop and stare at the long snakelike dragon. I start whipping through the pages. Burns its victims, Chokes it's victims, Turns it's victims inside out, extremely dangerous, extremely dangerous, kill on sight, kill on sight.
I turn to the next page what I'm looking for.
Night Fury. Speed: Unknown. Size: Unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you.
But I'm still alive.
Right?
I grab my notebook from my vest and stare at it for a moment my hand shakey before I flip it to the sketch tossing it onto the manual.
Authors Note: =D Please review!
