Of Dragons and Digital Monsters Revised Edition

Chapter 4: Trouble is Stirring…

It had been several days since the last snowfall on Berk. Slowly the thick piles of snow were melting away to reveal tender shoots of grass. The ground was muddy and trampled as the foot prints of dragon's and their riders were seen imprinted in the mud. Finally the Devastating Winter was over and the short but sweet summer was about to begin.

Despite it was just dawn on Berk, the villagers were already up and about. The slight chill to the air didn't deter the sturdy Vikings that called Berk home. That was when whooping and hollering rang over the skies of Berk.

Stoick the Vast was riding his dragon Thornado, with his son Hiccup riding Toothless and BurningGreymon flying a few yards behind them. The Beast of Flame was holding the results of a day long hunt in his talons: the body of a large elk. Blood stained the tip of his talons as he had grown used to it since his first hunt.

He remembered the first time he had first gone hunting with the two, and how he nearly threw up his breakfast of smoked salmon and cod at the sight of Stoick delivering the killing blow to the bull elk' head with his hammer. Hiccup was queasy as well, but he seemed a bit more used to it.

" This should provide just enough meet to last into the first weeks of spring and enough hide to make some new clothes." Stoick said with a hearty chuckle. " You were fanstastic out there, using your bow and arrow to weaken the bull elk even as it charged at ya!"

" And you nearly scared me half to death when you grabbed his horns and twisted his neck!" Hiccup said with a fake laugh, his stomach flip flopping at the memory. "Ay, you got to do what is necessary to provide for your village my boy!" Stoick reminded his son as they landed by the Great Hall. BurningGreymon gently rested the elk carcass in a waiting cart that the local butcher used. With a nod to the Beast of Flame, the butcher wheeled his cart to his shop.

The villagers had gotten used to the sight of the mighty Beast of Flame. Many had deep respect for him, since he had proven his worth many times to the villagers. One such time included an enemy raid launched by Alvin the Treacherous and BunringGreymon demolished several of Alvin's ships using his fiery attacks. He also was the reson Alvin was now missing an arm, it was torn off when the two were locked in battle and BurningGreymon came out on top. BurningGreymon also earned a battle scar on his left arm, from where Alvin struck him with his axe and left a deep gash.

However, one thing he had not gotten used to was mating season…

It was a NIGHTMARE for him! He would often be hiding in the Great Hall, trying to get away from the female dragons trying to get him to mate with them. This would often result in fights breaking out across the village between the female dragons. He remembered one embarrassing time when he woke up and was surrounded by hormone-crazed females, some of them trying to TOP him. He flew away as fast as he could to the other side of Berk. Hiccup felt bad for him while Toothless, Barf and Belch and the other male dragons found it very amusing to watch.

But he didn't have to worry about that today. He looked out to the sea as it came alive with the colors of the morning sunrise. He took in a deep breath of salty air, reminding him of his home back in Japan before he headed off to the Digital World.

Home… he realized he had been on Berk for a few months. He knew his family and fellow warriors must have been worried for him. Wondering where he was. But if he was needed here for some reason, then he would stay. He was sent to this world for a reason.

As he observed the daily activities, he noticed something strange on the horizon. A Viking vessel was pulling into the docks, its hull had been demolished and its wooden hide charred. The commotion soon reached further into the village. Stoick recognized the damage from the battle against the Red Death.

"What happened?"Stoick asked the surviving men as he helped them out of their ship. The men were shaking from both cold and fright as they detailed their encounter. It appeared that the island that the former Red Death Queen lived on was inhabited once again. But by a much larger beast. Hiccup remembered a legend saying that before the Queen dies, she will lay 3,000 eggs…

"Dad, we need to check this out." Hiccup said in a morbid tone. Stoick nodded to his son. "We shall hold a meeting right away." BurningGreymon rumbled a bit in curiosity and worry. The other dragons almost seemed to flinch at the mentioning of the Red Death, having lived under her tyrant rule.

[Later that night, in Hiccup's room…]

Toothless was finding that he could not rest easy. He had been reliving memories of the Queen and her ramblings. Tonight, this one certainly gave him a shock

The Queen was growing restless, her aging body guarding the precious eggs she had laid. They were large, around the size of the Viking homes back on Berk. "Night Fury…
" The queen summoned Toothless, who approached the edges of the nest warily. With a bow of his head, he avoided eye contact as he said in a shaky voice, betraying his fear " Y-yes my Queen…"

The Queen study him for a long moment, before snarling " My time is nearly up. And even when I am gone, my offspring will not be safe. A human disquised as a dragon with red and white armor shall arrive to this world.

Soon the dream faded as Toothless awoke with a start. Could she have meant the dragon who called himself "Villieldr Dyr", the "Flame Beast".

He'll find out in due time…

[Author's note: After doing some research, I decided to use Villieldr Dyr, the Norse words for Flame and Beast. BurningGreymon, aka Takuya couldn;'t use his real name for the moment because it would cause suspicion among the Dragons. He knew he needed to blend in with them until he felt they were ready for the truth.]