Hello Ladies and Germs. Seems like everyone enjoyed the last chapter. If you have an idea for a villager just sent a review. No, ON WITH THE SHOW! They're uneven. I'm just going to let them drive off. WRONG SHOW!
The following morning, everyone was gearing up for the expedition.
"Alright, how are we going to go about this?" Hiccup asked. Everyone looked at the young cheif.
"I think he means how are we going to split up the exploring." Damon translated. Everyone nodded in understanding. Hiccup had an idea and began searching the beach. He stopped every now and then to stop and pick up something from the beach.
"Here we go." Hiccup said. He was holding a bunch of conch shells. "If you run into trouble, or find something interesting just blow on this." He explained. "So, groups of two will work. Anyone want to stay here to guard our supplies?"
"I'll stay." Egil volunteered. Hiccup nodded before handing out the shells. They split up: Hiccup and Heather, Damon and Ruffnut, Fishlegs and Atlas, Bjorn and Asta, and Makaio and Canan. Each pair split up in different directions, exploring each part of the island. Spade stayed with Egil, whilst Toothless and Stormwind circled above.
"So, do you have any interest in training a dragon?" Hiccup asked awkwardly. Heather giggled at said awkwardness.
"Maybe. This is all so new to me, I never thought anything like this would happen." Heather said.
"I can agree with you there. I never thought I would train Toothless, and start a tribe." Hiccup said, rubbing the back of his head. The two continued walking, eventually going into yhe woodlands.
"I like it you know." Heather said suddenly. Hiccup looked at her confused.
"Like what?" He asked.
"Your name. I don't think you should change it." She said. Before he could respond, a small cry was heard. The two looked at each other before rushing off towards the cry.
"It seems unreal, doesn't it?" Bjorn asked his wife.
"Aye it does. But a good unreal." Asta said as they travelled the rocky coast. Much of it was erroded away, leaving a large cliff face. Suddenly, a large dragon flew from the cliff. The two cautiously walked to the cliff edge and leaned over, discovering some caves.
"I think that was a Thunderdrum. They be quite dangerous." Bjorn said before the two started walking, much more cautiously, again.
"So your like in charge of our history right?" Ruffnut asked.
"Yep. I also am a teacher i guess." Damon said. "Not sure who I'm going to teach, except maybe Hiccup." He exclaimed.
"Well, I can see you being like Gobber was. In charge of teaching the future kids." Ruffnut said.
"Might be interesting. Have you- what is that?" Damon started before interrupting himself.
"What is what?" Ruffnut asked. Damon held up a hand before turning his head slightly and taking a deep breath. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"I sense something... magical. Be cautious. I cannot make out what exactly it is." He said pulling out his sword. Ruffnut pulled out her spear as they slowly crept forward.
"What do you think this is?" Atlas asked. He and Fishlegs were starring doing a long tunnel, going into the mountain. The soil underneath them was dark, and the air smelled of soot.
"This appears to be a lava tube. The mountains must have a volcano that instead of erupting upwards, gets channeled out through here." Fishlegs said as he rubbed the sude of the rock.
"Should we explore inside?" Atlas asked.
"There doesn't seem to be any indication of dragons coming and going from here. So it should be relatively safe, unless the volcano erupts. It's worth a quick look." Fishlegs said. The two entered the tube and walked for quite some time before the tube opened up into a large cavern. Overhangs littered the walls, and a large pool of magma was roughly thirty feet bellow.
"It is quite hot in here." Atlas said, rubbing the sweat off his forehead. A geyser went off next to them.
"Indeed. You know, this would be a good nest for the dragons. Most of them anyway. If all dragons behave like Damon said with the Screaming death, then Dragons could swarm towards an Alpha, or King or Queen." Fishlegs said, writing down in his notebook. As he observed the room, he noticed two more tubes in the cavern.
"We came from the coast. And that one looks to be headed towards the other side of the islands. We should see if it leads out of here." Altas said, pointing to one of the tubes.
Hiccup had the dagger he was given from Damon in his hand, the other, shielding Heather, in case whatever had made the cry was dangerous. Other than a thousand pound dragon that is. As they got closer, the crying got lounder. Eventually, they arrived at a cliff in the forest. On the other side was a baby dragon.
"Oh, it's just a baby." Heather said. "It looks injured." She said suprised. The baby was metalic silver in color, but there was blood flowing from a few cuts. Before either of them could do anything, a larger silver dragon limped from the surrounding brush. In it's mouth was a sea slug, and it's body was covered in bloody gashes.
"What happened to it?" Heather asked. The dragon limped over to the baby, and nuzzled up to it. The baby stopped crying when it felt it's mother's warmth. The dragon placed the slug down next to the baby before curling up around her baby. Her breath was ragid, and her eyelids half open. As she watched her baby eat, she made noises, talking to the baby. After a moment, the dragon stopped, and her eylids closed, never to open again. The baby cried, somehow knowing her mother had passed from this world. Heather had tears streaming down her cheeks .
"She died, protecting her child, leaving it all alone." Heather sobbed. She turned her head into Hiccups shoulder. Hiccup awkwardly comforted the girl. As he did so, a thought came to him.
"What if it didn't have to be alone?" Hiccup asked. Heather pulled her head out of Hiccups shoulder, a confused look on her face.
"What?" She asked. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose red.
"What if you raise it?" Hiccup suggested. "It will give you time to build the emotional bond needed for a rider and dragon, and who knows, you might really enjoy it." Hiccup suggested.
"But I don't know how to raise a dragon." Heather said.
"I can help you. And so can Toothless, and the others." Hiccup explained.
"I'll do it." She said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. The two carefully climbed down the cliff side and crouched behind some shrubs.
"Alright, here's what you need to do. For one, that baby is in distress, it's mother just died, right next to it in fact. So be extra careful. First, announce your presence. I don't know what kind of dragon that is, so I can't tell you it's abilities. Once you announce yourself, keep talking, but in a soothing andcalm way. Once you get close to it, reach your hand out, and slow down till you are very close. At that point, let the dragon come to you. If it starts tensing up, slowly walk back." Hiccup explained. "You got it?"
"I think so." She said. Hiccup nodded before Heather stood up from the shrubs and approached the hatchling. "Hey there cutie." She announced. The baby turned it's head side to side, trying to find the voice. "It's okay. My name's Heather. I want to help you." Heather spoke. The dragon finally found the source of the voice and turned it's head towards Heather. "There I am. Everything is okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to be your friend." Heather said calmly. The baby cocked it's head in confusion.
"It's alright little one, no need to worry." She said before she slowed down and extended her arm. "My friends and I want to help you. Will you let us do that?" Heather asked. Her hand stopped about five feet from the dragons snout. The dragon sniffed the air for a moment before placing it's head in Heathers palm. Both teens let out a sigh of relief.
"It's okay. My friend Hiccup is going to come out now. Don't be scared." Heather whispered. She motioned over to Hiccup, who stood from his hiding spot and walked over.
"I'm glad that's over. Good job." Hiccup said. The baby backed away from Hiccup slightly as it heard him. "I wonder what that is about." Hiccup said aloud.
"It could just be the dragon's instincts. Isn't Fishlegs like a walking Dragon book? Maybe he or Damon would know." Heather suggested.
"Can you see what it is?" Ruffnut whispered.
"No, I'm blind." Damon said, not turning around. This caused Ruffnut to walk right into a large Yew tree. Damon smirked at this. "It's quite rude to walk into trees Ruffnut."
"I dare say it is." Came a voice. Both humans looked around for the owner, but couldn't find one.
"Excuse me but, who are you? And do you mind coming out?" Damon asked.
"My name is Yew Braid, as you Humans would say. As to coming out, I'm already here." Yew Braid said.
"You speak." Damon said in awe.
"What's speaking?" Ruffnut asked confused.
"Yew braid is. He is a speaking tree. Very rare beings they are, as old as some gods, and some even posses farsight, like Tyr and Mimir." Damon explained.
"A very good description, but not quite right. I am a Treeling, or a Treant as some would say." Yew Braid spoke. The large Yew that Ruffnut had run into started to twist and shake, as it was lifted off the ground by two earthy legs. Part of the trunk, and earth around it separated into two arms, and a barky face could be seen.
"Wow." Ruffnut said unintelligently.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Yew Braid. I am Damon, user of the vanir, and a druid. This is Ruffnut, a friend of mine." Damon announced.
"Welcome, Druid Damon. Friend Ruffnut. Might I ask what is man doing so far from the main land of Midgard?" Yew Braid asked.
"We've come, seeking sanctuary from our enemies, as we have allied ourselves with the dragons." Damon explained.
"Oh my, how interesting. I've not heard a tale such as this in many a century. Are there more of you?" Yew Braid asked.
"Indeed, there are eleven of us total, and three dragons between. We are allies with a tribe not too far from here. But we seek to build a land were dragon and man can live together." Damon explained.
"Very well then, Druid Damon, friend Ruffnut, I wish to speak to your chief, if you are not so. You must gain my permission to build on these islands. I am it's guardian, and have been for many a winter." Yew braid said as he stretched his limbs.
"Very well, Guardian Yew Braid, I shall bring you to Hiccup, Dragon Chief of our tribe." Damon said.
As the two walked off, Ruffnut was dumbfounded. She quickly ran to catch up with the blind druid. "Damon. Why are we bringing Yew Braid to Hiccup? And why are you talking so weird?" Ruffnut asked.
"Treants, and talking tree's for that matter, are very polite, and follow a sort of code. I never met one until now, but I've read about them." Damon explained. "As for why I'm bringing Yew Braid to Hiccup, there's a few reasons. The first is that Hiccup would like to know about him. The second, is that he is the islands guardian. We do not want to anger him, even with our dragons."
After finding a large open spot in the woods, Damon blew on his shell. The sound echoed through the forest, alerting Spade from above. The dragon flew down and landed next to them, prepared for danger. His color had changed to a maroon tint.
"It's alright Spade we're fine. Can you go get the other's?" Damon asked. The Hobblegrunt nodded, changing a purple color, before flying off.
"Ah, a hobblegrunt, you weren't lying when you said you were friends of dragons." Yew Braid said. They waited a half hour for everyone to arrive on the backs of the dragons. Durring that time, Yew Braid had settled down once more, looking like a large Yew. The only ones with an changes to them were Heather, who was holding a littled dragon, and Atlas and Fishlegs, who were smoking slightly.
"Well, since everyone is here, we might as well announce our findings as we still have daylight." Hiccup said once everyone was settled.
"Where's Stormwind?" Damon asked.
"I think he went back to the ships to watch over them." Egil said. Damon nodded.
"So, since you called everyone Damon, Ruffnut, how about you start." Hiccup stated. Damon nodded before turning to the Yew tree, confusing the others.
"Guardian Yew Braid. Before you ars the only members of the dragon riders." Damon said, getting more puzzled looks. He then turned to Hiccup. "Dragon Chief Hiccup, rider of the Night Fury Toothless, Behold, Yew Braid, Guardian of these Islands." Damon said before stepping back. To everyone else's supprise, the Tree started to stand.
"Good Evening to you all. Dragon Chief Hiccup, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Yew Braid said, placing a hand over his chest and bowing. Hiccup awkwardly did the same after a motion from Damon.
"A-A pleasure... Guardian Yew Braid." Hiccup said, still a bit suprised. Damon nodded, indicating he was doing well. "Is there another reason you wished to see me, besides to introduce yourself?" Hiccup asked, his training as Chief coming out.
"Indeed there is. I cannot allow you to live here, without some stipulations. The first is to not over use the land. Switch your crops every year to heal the soil. The second, replant the trees you cut down. They are my friends, and they realise they will be used, but wish for new children to grow in their places. Finally, defend these lands till your dying breath." Yew Braid explained.
"These are reasonable requestions, Guardian Yew Braid. If I may, I have a few for you as well. Help us learn. The smartest of us is Damon here, but even his knowledge is limited. The other is for you to help us defend our new home." Hiccup asked.
"I'd be delighted to. We have an accord then. You may settle upon these lands." Yew Braid said before sitting back down into the earth.
"Thank you." Hiccup said before turning back to the rest of the group. "Does anyone else, besides Heather have anything to report?" He asked. Everyone except Egil nodded. "Alright, lets start with Bjorn and Asta." Hiccup said, saying their names for Yew Braid's benefit.
"We found some caves on the eastern cliffs. There were some Thunderdrums living in it." Bjorn said.
"Dangerous species they are, we will need to befriend them." Fishlegs said. "As for us, we found a cave system in in the mountains, and a dormant Volcano. It looks perfect for a nesting ground in the future." Fishlegs continued.
"Thank you Fishlegs, Atlas. Makaio, Canan?" Hiccup asked.
"We found a pretty good place to start the village. Its on the norther island, near the mountain range. There's two waterfalls that lead into the forests, and the land is clear and slightly hilly, but otherwise fine." Makaio said. Hiccup nodded before turning to Heather.
"Heather, care to tell the story?" Hiccup asked. Heather nodded befofe giving a recount of what happened in the woods.
"Tis a sad tale, the Razorwhip's are. The male of the species actively eats the hatchlings. The mother you saw probably fought off a larger male, before dying. Might I have a look at the hatchling?" Yew Braid asked. Heather nodded before handing over the dragon. Yew Braid narrowed his eye's as he examined the hatchling. "She is a female. This means that she will be fine around girls that she meets until she's older, then she will be wary of them, especially if she's nesting. As for boys, She will immediately distrust any who come near her until they are proven trustworthy, no matter the species. She eats fish, and Sea slugs." The Treant said before returning the dragon. The Razorwhip noticeably relaxed once she was back in Heather's arms.
"Thank you for that Yew Braid. Egil, Was everything fine at the shore?" Hiccup asked.
"Yeah, nothing to report." The carpenter said.
"Good, then lets get some food and rest, and we'll go to the spot Makaio and Canan found tomorrow. Yew Braid, will you join us?" Hiccup asked.
"I am fine, thank you, Dragon Chief Hiccup. I will find this area you have scouted and wait there till you arrive." The Treant said before lumbering off. They walked back to the ships and ate some rations before going to sleep for the night.
Hiccup: Dragon Chief, warrior, blacksmith
Damon: Druid, historian, and warrior
Fishlegs: Researcher, warrior
Ruffnut: Warrior, guard
Atlas: Warrior, hunter
Bjorn: Stone Cutter, warrior
Asta: Farmer
Heather: Warrior
Egil: Carpenter and hunter
Makaio: Fisherman
Canan: Fisherwoman
Yew Braid: Helpful wise tree, Guardian of the islands.
Oh thank god it saved. The app does this really annoying thing where if you write too much without saving it won't save and deletes everything you worked on from your last save. Welp, I hope everyone enjoyed. Its currently past midnight, snowing, and i need sleep. I bid you all adieu.