Part Two #4 Unravel
The village marketplace was filled with people bustling about madly, carrying a multitude oddities with them as they scrambled from place to place. Not much trading or bargaining was going on, in fact, the marketplace had been halted.
"If this is a marketplace, shouldn't there be trading going on?" Gold asked as she watched the people moving about, noting the looks and gawks they were giving her.
"You're quite well informed," Toothless commented with a chuckle. "Actually, we're holding a festival tonight. It's called the Festival of the Moon, and it's to honour those who lost their lives in a terrible war three years ago."
"War?" she questioned, noting that Toothless hadn't told her about Berq's history yet, apart from when he'd first made contact with the humans.
"I'm getting to that, don't worry. First, let me tell you about Berq as a growing centrality for trading and overall general living. Basically, it's taken some time but Berq is now being known as a safe place to live with decent living conditions and little to no poverty. That has made the population bloom to monstrous proportions, now more than ever because they've finally begun to accept the peaceful coexistence between dragons and humans."
"I see..."
"Anyway, Berq has really grown into a mighty civilisation now and we've become the most prominent island country in the archipelago," Toothless continued. "I actually wish I could leave someday and travel a bit, possibly even go to the mainland-"
"How many Night Furies are there on Berq?" she asked, interrupting his ramble. Toothless sighed. I guess she does have a right to know, being one herself. The amount of Night Furies on Berq was one of Berq's greatest secrets – greatest strategic secrets. It was agreed upon that the population would only know about two of them, as both Praze and Viri weren't really in sight of the people, leaving Toothless and Ace who were already known. Though, considering that Toothless was walking around with Gold in plain sight, he may have to rethink that.
"Four," he replied. "Five, if you count yourself." She then smirked, a hint of humour in her demeanour.
"My memory of last night is quite hazy, all I can really remember about those that were there is their eyes. I have no idea how old you all are or what the other three look like, but at least I have that. There would be you, Toothless, with green eyes. Ace, your mate, with purple eyes. Viri, with a green eye and a blue one. Then the last one whose name I don't know... the one with the blue-purple eyes that cured me," she told him, listing off all that she could remember. "You and your mate are... twenty... twenty-four? And Viri too?" she asked and he nodded his head.
"Correct. Those are, indeed, all the Night Furies that reside on Berq and Ace, Viri, and I are all twenty-four. The last one... he prefers to be left alone and doesn't really talk to anyone," Toothless sighed.
"So he's a male... what's his name?" she asked, but was surprised when Toothless shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but if you want to know that you'll have to ask him yourself. I hold a certain amount of respect for him and as such will respect his wishes to remain unknown to those he doesn't... uh, talk to," he replied, sighing as he did so. Praze, why don't you just socialise? You're so difficult.
"And I'm sure that respect will probably keep you from telling me his age and where he is, or anything about him for that matter, so I won't bother," she replied, a strange expression on her features of which Toothless took the liberty of asking about.
"Are you ok?" he asked, a slight look of amusement on his face. She was staring into space and suddenly stopped, turning to him as if she was startled.
"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine..." she replied, her mouth curving into what appeared to be the most intensely curious grin Toothless had ever seen. "I... I'm just fascinated by everything. Dragon-human coexistence, festivals, wars, anti-social Night Furies. It's all just so... intriguing!" she exclaimed with a wide grin. "I can finally use my awesome detective skills, too. Once this is sorted I'm going to go find that other Night Fury and get him to talk." Toothless then chuckled. "What is it?"
"Oh, I doubt that," he mused. "You'd be surprised."
"Yeah and so would he, don't be so skeptical," she replied, a hint of humour but seriousness in her voice. It was strangely unnerving to Toothless, so he just waved it off and decided to think about it later.
"Anyway, let's get lunch first and then we'll head to our next destination so I can talk to you about the war. Sound good?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Lead the way, Mr. Skeptic."
Sun leaked through the glass skylight on one side of the triangular wooden ceiling, causing a dappled light effect to take its place on the wall across from the bed. The sounds of unconsciousness slowly began to fade, however, and the occupant began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes to stare blankly at the wall, at the same time wondering why the sunlight had to be so annoying. Go away, bring me rain clouds. That was never going to work, and he knew it. All too well, after countless mornings spent similarly. The easiest fix was to just go to Amicus, but he strangely didn't feel like it whatsoever. What do I want to do today? It didn't take him too long to quickly jump out of bed and climb the stairs to the inside balcony, shutting the curtains firmly before slowly falling backwards off the railing and landing on his bed a few meters away. Answer: Sleep. Unfortunately for him, the second he snuggled back into the warmth of his bed he thought of the night before. Then he knew he wouldn't get any more sleep. There was no way he could stop his active mind now.
Great.
He knew that everyone would be preparing for the festival, so he wondered what Toothless was going to end up doing about Gold. He hadn't paid too much attention, even for the event that had occurred, so he had assumed she was about Toothless, Ace and Viri's age in her mid-twenties. He knew she was possibly dangerous, and that Toothless would know too, so he thought Toothless wouldn't want her around all the villagers during that time. Maybe you can get a mate out of this, Viri, Praze thought with an inward smirk. He also knew he would probably have to deal with what Viri talked about, also. If only the perfect chance came along, then I won't have to waste all those years worth. His eyes slowly widened. No... wait... maybe it has come along? He then quickly decided on something, trying to ignore the cringing feeling he got when he thought about what he was going to have to do. I just need to be ninja... then everything will be fine.
He then shifted in his bed, moving his gaze to the bookshelf by the wall. I should probably throw that journal in a fire, too. The journal that Praze had written earlier was his first attempt at a devious plan that would probably never even come to light. Half of the information in it was fake, including Hiccup making loads of 'firearms' for the people when Ace's was the only one he ever had and ever would make. He also lied about Night Furies only being able to use their abilities and orient when in direct line of sight of a star, when it was completely not the case. They could orient and use their abilities anywhere. Also, he lied about the size of Berq. It was nowhere near forty kilometres, in fact, from the mountain in the centre of the island one could see almost all of Berq, which was only about twenty kilometres long. It was all part of his plan to let the Decree come into possession of the journal and ultimately give him room to devise a plan in any situation. However... that plan was really quite in its early stages. He really needed to revise the journal to make it as believable as possible, even being completely truthful in some parts such as when he spoke about Arc and Berq's population, trading, and defences.
So much work, Praze thought with a groan as he rolled out of bed slowly, falling onto the floor somewhat satisfyingly. He continued to remain there as he stared up at the ceiling, deciding that he really wanted a coffee. He slowly pulled himself off of the floor, brushing himself off as he stood. He took one step and froze. His breath hitched in his chest and his eyes widened before they drooped shut again and he slumped to the ground without a sound.
"Sated?"
"Of course, thank you. You know, Berq is quite a beautiful place," Gold mentioned as both she and Toothless strolled through the forest, the harsh midday sun rejected by the canopy above their heads.
"It is, though there is an island I've been to that is far more beautiful," Toothless replied. "However, let's not get off topic. I believe you were interested in our history?"
Gold nodded. "Indeed, if you could tell me then that would be great. I think I may be able to remember more, possibly, with any sort of new information. It worked before."
"Of course," Toothless smiled, realising he was looking forward to it. "Firstly, what do you remember about your mentor?" he asked, hoping that she would at least tell him that. She seemed to think for a moment, then smiled.
"I suppose you've earned that much. Fine, I'll tell you what I know so far, which isn't exactly a lot. I think I first found her when I was about thirteen or so, and I was looking for someone." Yes, not something, someone. "She trained me in a lot of things... I think... but... ok, I can't remember any more right now."
"Oh well, do you know if you've found them yet? I, myself, have lost someone. I haven't had any time to look for them, though," Toothless muttered. "I wouldn't even know where to start; I don't even remember anything about them, just a possibility of their existence."
"Oh?" Gold asked, turning to him. "A Night Fury, yes?" Toothless nodded. "I think I've been looking for one, too. How do you know who you're looking for, or whatever?"
"I think this Night Fury is my sister, but I can't be entirely sure as I lost my memories from some accident many years ago," Toothless replied.
"Really? Oh, wait, I'm getting something... maybe I'm in a similar situation to you?" she asked aloud as she struggled with her thoughts. "Maybe I was looking for my sister? No, that doesn't sound right. Brother? Maybe..." she trailed off, and Toothless could do nothing but stare at her.
"Would the name "Hannah" happen to mean anything to you?" he asked, his entire attention completely focused on this moment. She seemed to think for a moment before she turned back to him with a carefree smile.
"Maybe," she replied. "Why? Do you think I might be your sister?" she then asked and he shifted as if were shrugging. Gold then smiled as she turned and continued down the path, looking ahead. "Well, it's not entirely impossible," she added before stopping and turning to him again. "In fact, it seems quite tangible, even." Toothless' eyes widened.
"Wait, really? Have you remembered something more?" Toothless asked with the slightest amount of enthusiasm in his voice, causing Gold to laugh lightly.
"No, not at all," she replied, turning away again. "It's just a feeling. Now, are you going to tell me about this war or not?" she asked in a slightly jesting manner. Toothless let out a sigh.
"Sure."
Toothless had to put his enthusiasm aside to tell her about the war that happened three years ago against the merciless Drago Bludvist. He began with the discovery of the dragon hunters' base and told her about their leader, Drago, before continuing and telling her about Hiccup and his' capture by Valka's hands. As well as the Alpha Bewilderbeast at the nest there, whom regained over all the dragons there. He continued, despite the cringing feeling he got when he thought about it, and told her about the attack on the nest by Drago and the Alpha Bewilderbeast's death by Drago's Alpha Bewilderbeast. Then, the brief war on Berq that ended with Toothless' triumph over Drago's Bewilderbeast and his new Alpha status over all the dragons on Berq.
"So, up to this point, you were the only Night Fury on Berq?" Gold asked and Toothless nodded.
"Yes. Now, can you fly?" he asked. "No more questions?"
"Nope. Oh, that reminds me. I do need to see if can can fly, but my wings do feel normal," she replied as she flexed them, looking over them critically as she did so. "Why?"
"Because, we're going up there," Toothless replied, pointing with his tailfin to a break in the canopy, where the mountain at the centre of the island stood, large and proud. Yes, the mountain. We should be able to get a great view of the island from there. Mt. Astral, as it was known to those on Berq. A suitable name, Toothless thought.
"Oh, I see," Gold replied with a smile, stretching her wings out slightly. "Sounds good, but when is this festival being held?" she asked and at the same time Toothless noticed.
"It's ok, it'll probably be dark when we get to the top but the festival doesn't really start until later on, then I'll have to go help," Toothless replied as he looked at the setting sun. "Also, there are some spectacular things that Hiccup has made using Zippleback gas, and you'll not want to miss it. So, we won't be too long."
"Alright, then let's get going," she replied as she shot into the air, leaving Toothless surprised at her speed. Maybe all female Night Furies are super fast, he thought but quickly dismissed it. Nah, no one's faster than Praze. And he still hasn't had his spinal fins extended. He quickly realised that Gold was waiting for him in the sky, and rushed to join her. "Lead the way," she told him with a smile and Toothless noted her fine flying form. No wonder she's so fast.
"Alright," he replied with a smile.
The marketplace was teeming with rushing people all dashing about with agendas all correlating to the festival. Many were preparing their stalls for people who would be sure to spend more money than usual, thanks to the occasion. Many foreigners had arrived and plenty of empty ships were in the bay; their captains and passengers having hired out the several inns and taverns to the brim as the townspeople madly got everything ready. The island thrived and profited well from the various festivals they held, but the Festival of the Moon was easily the most popular.
Most profitable, indeed, Hiccup thought. These festivals help Berq flourish in our trades, markets and entertainment. It is a time of good company and cherished memories-
"Hiccup, can you please come and help out instead of gazing off into the distance?" Astrid's voice cut through his thoughts. He turned to look at her and smiled weakly, one hand scratching the back of his head and the other holding firmly onto the ring in his pocket. The perfect chance, he thought as he left the window and walked over to where Valka, Astrid and Ace were all helping out with things for the festival and resumed what he had been doing.
"Are you feeling any better, Ace?" he asked and she turned to him.
"Oh, yes. I think I've gone into heat is all," she replied with a light chuckle, continuing as if she hadn't said anything of the sort.
"Uh... ok, if you say so," Hiccup replied, albeit somewhat awkwardly, before smiling. "Does this mean we'll have little Night Furies running around soon?" he jested.
"Not likely," Ace replied shortly and Hiccup shook his head as if he hadn't said anything of the sort. "Night Furies are more like humans than other dragons when it comes to amount. There's usually only one. So, in answer to the core of the question... there might be... one." She then gave him a cheeky grin and he rolled his eyes.
"Can you ever just be direct? Especially when it's something like this?" he asked.
"Not likely," she repeated.
"Woah..."
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Toothless asked.
"It's amazing, you really can see everything up here!" Gold replied as she looked at the village from where she stood; the tallest point on the mountain. There was the slightest small area of flatness at the top, which was where the two had landed and were surveying from. The air was incredibly thin, also, which made it hard for humans and most dragons to breath up there but not for Night Furies; the binary vascular systems were specifically for thin air as it could draw out every last bit of oxygen so they didn't have to gasp for breath.
"Well, of course," Toothless commented. "But the best part is definitely... sundown," he added, turning to the village where the sun had begun to descend below the blue horizon of water. Gold's eyes widened in awe as she watched the light reflect off the water, before she turned around to look at the other half of the island that normally wasn't viewable because of the mountain. The mountain was central only width-wise, majority of the island rested on the other side where the Cove and other forest was. Praze's house was also there on the opposite coast, but it wasn't viewable from the top of the mountain. Only if you knew exactly where to look, but even then the forest got in the way.
"Wow... it's absolutely incredible. All of it. Berq is such an amazing place!" she exclaimed with a slight laugh before something caught her eye. "Hey, that wouldn't happen to be where that anti-social Night Fury lives, right?" she asked, point into the distance with her tailfin. Toothless followed it to see nothing but trees – very small trees at that. The distance they were at wouldn't merit any distinguishable feature, yet she had somehow picked out exactly where his house was. She must have incredible eyesight, Toothless commented. But still, Praze, you do need to learn to talk to others. I won't tell her, but I not going to deny it either.
"Maybe. I guess you'll just have to check it out sometime," he told her with a light smile before he realised something. "Oh, I just realised. The sun's gone down now, so I have to go and help with the organising so you probably won't see me until later on. If you would like, you can explore the island a bit and the village just make sure you don't interrupt others' jobs. Okay? Also, remember to come and enjoy the festival. You won't want to miss the highlight of the night."
"Of course," she replied with another smile. "I'm just going to rest up here and try and clear my thoughts a little or a while, thanks for everything. Hopefully I'll be able to remember something useful," she added as he nodded and took off. She sighed, muttering her next words aloud. However, she did not expect the accompaniment of a voice inside her head when she did.
"If only everything were as intriguing as this."
If only everything were as intriguing as this.
Her eyes widened and all of a sudden everything was drowned out by an unimaginably high-pitched sound and images began to form in front of her, a burning pain in her head as they did. Is this... my memories r-returning? She couldn't think any more; the pain was becoming unbearable and she felt as if she were losing consciousness but she held on, watching the images flow in front of her. Visual synapses. She watched as a man with a large grin filled her vision, then suddenly there were thousands of dragons chained up in cells, another man, this time time big and burly with a metal arm, silver leaves spilled along the ground, a large pit in the centre of of a massive cave-like area, and the image of a man with white hair covered in blood. Then, suddenly, the ringing in her ears stopped, and everything became clear.
Kill him.
The knock on the door alerted Hiccup to someone outside but Ace had stood up before the person could even knock, knowing the only person it could be.
"Finally showed up, eh?" Ace asked as she opened the door to see Toothless standing there, his green eyes lighting up when he saw her. They both then smiled as they leaned forward and embraced.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked as he leant back, giving her a quick kiss before Hiccup called out from the centre of the room.
"Doesn't it feel weird when you two do that? I mean, it's not exactly how dragons display affection," he said with a slight smile.
"Oh? And you would know how dragons display affection, wouldn't you? It feels just as natural when we're in this form compared to how we display affection normally," Toothless replied.
"Pretty much sums it up," Ace joined in with a smile before she jumped face-first onto the couch and Toothless and Hiccup both sighed.
"How many times do we have to ask you not to do that?" they both asked at the same time and Ace laughed.
"I can't help it! It's just so nice," Ace replied with a chuckle. "I've just got too much energy."
"Would you like to give some to me then?" Toothless asked and she looked at him. "I'm really worn down from showing Gold around today."
"Sure," she replied, delighting in the fact that she could actually do so as she noted what he said. "Did you find anything out?" she asked as she grabbed his hand, feeling a little energy leave her.
"Ooh – oh, yes, she told me that she could remember something about her mentor, and that she was looking for someone before she had met them," Toothless said, feeling that slight shock he always did when Ace used her ability.
"Oh really?" she asked as she sat down on the couch with Toothless following suit. "Do tell."
"Well, she said her mentor's name was Lilith and that she was with her before she was poisoned, and we also found out that she very well could be my sister," he told her and her eyes widened.
"Really?! Wow, I never even thought about it but now that I am, you're right," she replied before she remembered what else Toothless had said. "Wait... you said Lilith, right?" she asked and he nodded his head. "That name sparks in my memory..." she trailed off, thinking hard. "Oh yeah, that's right. Didn't Viri say that name once before? I think... I think he used it when he was talking about his..." Ace trailed off as her eyes widened even further. Her breath was stuck in her throat as she realised several things at once. "But that would mean..."
"Oh my... you're right!" Toothless exclaimed as Hiccup looked over to them, unaware of what the two had just possibly uncovered.
"Toothless, could you go and play with some of the kids outside? Make them play hide-and-seek or something? They're getting quite loud," he asked and Toothless looked at him before looking back to Ace and he sighed.
"I suppose we can all talk about this later, it might just be a coincidence," he told her as he got up and turned to Hiccup. "But why do I have to go and play with them?"
"You haven't done any work yet," Hiccup replied. "Besides, don't you want to practice a bit?"
Toothless' brow rose. "Practice what?" he asked as Ace jumped up pushed him toward the door.
"Come on, go practice," she smiled and gave him a wink as she opened the door and shoved him out. He turned around, at the same time realising what they were implying.
"H-Hey!" he exclaimed, only to have the door shut on his heated face, hearing chuckles coming from the other side. He shrugged as he sighed, turning away as he did so. "Exactly what sort of practice can one get when dealing with human children?" he muttered to himself. Perhaps baby Night Furies are the same as them – except the ability to fly a breathe fire possibly differentiating them.
The sound of metal clanging against metal resounded throughout the forge as a tall, lean woman walked through the entrance. Her long, flowing black hair was tinted orange in the firelight as she walked around, inspecting several weapons until eventually her presence was noticed. The sounds of metal against metal dropped as a middle-aged man walked over to the counter.
"Like what you see, missy?" he asked, a flirtatious smirk across his features as he watched her pick up a large dagger. He could see it wasn't anything special, and was surprised. He expected her to go for one of the more decorative items on display. "Say, on this fine night of the festival, I'm free if you want to have an... enjoyable evening," he added, chuckling as he did so. He was met with silence as she took one look over the blade and turned back to him. His smile dropped and was instantly replaced with a look of boredom. "Does that suit your needs?" he asked, completely devoid of his previous enthusiasm. She held up the blade and grinned, the type of grin that could only have been described as manic, and the man received no warning for the stinging sensation on his neck. He seemed to look about in confusion from the woman to the blade covered with red before he fell to the ground with a gurgled cry for help, blood seeping from the slit in his neck.
"I do believe so," she muttered, her voice clearly facetious.
Humans are pathetic.
In the marketplace, the beginnings of the festival was bringing sights, sounds and smells to those on Berq. Shop owners had set up stalls filled with souvenirs and trinkets and some traders had even brought ashore their products in an attempt to turn a profit. Some innkeepers had even set up food stalls, selling food from their in-house restaurants. Many new ideas had begun to be implemented thanks to the festivals Berq held – it gave a breathing space for entrepreneurs from across the seas to try and make a living, at the same time adding to the quality of life on Berq. It was amazing just how large a town Berq had become in only a few short years. But then again, what with seafaring and port becoming more and more popular, Berq's location, along with all of the qualities and benefits of Berq itself, has rapidly expanded its existence to many. Some whom were enjoying the festival in its entirety; mingling with the townspeople and enjoying the performances, tastes, sounds and exhilaration up close. Other, more privileged, foreigners were simply relaxing in the harbour on their boats, waiting for the 'main event' that was described to be unmissable.
One woman, who laid on her ship's deck with her eyes to the stars, wasn't so filled with excitement. In fact, she was rather worried. She had short brown hair, her blue eyes reflecting the stars above. She found it rather peaceful laying there, but she simply could not relax completely. Not with what she'd gone through.
I'll get you out, soon, she thought. As soon as the festival is over I cannot delay any longer. Your fate is in my hands and I simply cannot bear it. She then turned over on her side and curled up slightly, a deep sigh leaving her. Hopefully this Chief will understand. They have two Night Furies so if anything they might know about the Decree... I just hope this 'Dragon Master' isn't stubborn. I have spoken on several occasions to those men, Hakuryuu and Hiccup, but I can't believe I haven't seen the Chief. If anything, at least I can have a word with the Night Furies if things don't go my way.
Toothless sighed as he stood in front of the few young Vikings in front of him. Now's not the time to complain, he thought.
As the echoes of the festival began to reach him, he noticed that the wind had picked up and the trees had begun to sway lightly. He was by the forest in front of Hiccup's house, and quite easily noticed the two forms leave the house. It seemed that Hiccup and Astrid had finished with Hiccup's invention, and the two were getting ready to begin the main event. He also noticed Valka had left, and Ace was walking towards him. "Hey," she called out, a smile on her face.
"Hey, Ace. I was just about to sort these kids out," Toothless replied with a grin, watching the kids grow afraid, thinking he was going to punish them for being loud and annoying in front of the Chief's house. "By playing some hide-and-seek," he added, and the concern visibly left the children's face, with a few of them laughing.
"Well, sounds like you're having fun. When you're done, do you want to meet up by the harbour, say, on top of the hill? Then we can watch Hiccup's invention from there. He even said it himself; that spot is the best," Ace replied. He nodded.
"Alright, go on ahead, I'll catch up," he told her and she nodded.
"Okay, don't be late. Hiccup said he'll be starting in about an hour." With that, Ace walked off down the hill and Toothless turned back to the children.
"You've got ten seconds to run away, so go hide!" Toothless exclaimed, and was responded to with laughter and the sounds of screams as kids all ran off in different directions. He then closed his eyes, covering them with his hands. "Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five..."
Behind the tree she was hiding behind, she could hear the sounds of the children messing around with a mature voice speaking out over them all, telling them to calm down. How obnoxious, she thought, then she hear footsteps coming towards them.
"Hey." The woman moved around the tree lightly, trying to look at the eyes of the female newcomer.
"Hey, Ace." That confirms it, then, the woman thought to herself as she shut her eyes, and just focused all her thoughts down to one thing. She had absolutely no doubt in her mind that the man behind her was none other than the Night Fury Alpha of Berq; Toothless. The woman's amethyst eyes and name, as well as the man's emerald eyes and actions, were the only things she needed. She could have just remembered his voice, but she needed something else to be absolutely sure he was the one she killed. She then opened her eyes, and began to perceive the world again, only one thing in her head. Kill him.
"Five..." She gently lifted her back off of the trunk she was leaning on and took a deep breath.
"Four..." Silently, she peered around the tree again to see Toothless with his hands over his eyes, facing away from her.
"Three..." She stepped out from the tree and walked around it out of the forest line, her steps and actions completely silent.
"Two..." Using her fingers, she flicked the dagger in her hand around so the blade was protruding out from the back of her hand.
"One..." Taking one more step towards him, she began to raise her arm above her head, aiming for where his heart would be. Then, she readied the muscles in her arm as she began to bring the sword down. "Here comes the beast of the sky, O cloudless skies be your downfall," he finished and the girl stopped and froze, time coming to a standstill as the voice played in her head, and the sight of a small Night Fury with a cheeky grin on its face began to fill her mind as those words played, but from such a younger voice. ...one. Here comes the beast of the sky...
A sharp clang alerted Toothless to something behind him and he jumped, turning at the same time and bringing himself into a defensive stance. "What are you-" he began but stopped as he saw the woman before him. He looked at the dagger on the ground, and back to the woman as he watched her chest and shoulders move ever so slightly, helping him notice the small sounds the were coming from her mouth which, in turn, helped him notice the tears that were dripping from her face. She was looking to the ground, her black hair covering her eyes. He moved forward, confused, as the woman looked up. He could see her more clearly, and noticed she was quite young before he noticed her eyes and his eyes widened. "G-Gold...?" Toothless called out, tentatively, unsure of what he was saying. He looked into her eyes and could only stare at the amount of emotions that were flooding through them.
"Y-Yeah... I guess it was pretty ingenious of me," the girl muttered as she wiped her eyes. "I was pretty smart, wasn't I? I guess it doesn't matter now. I'm not surprised you don't remember," she said, before stopping. "That's not the important thing here. Silva, I need you to restrain me, right now, I can only hold on for so long..." she muttered as she held her arm with the other, her fingers beginning to twitch.
"W-Why...? Y-You can... orient?" Toothless could only mutter. He was so confused, but something was causing him to tremble until, suddenly, Gold stopped her own trembling and her face turned blank as she casually walked towards the dagger and picked it up. Toothless froze. She grinned. The next few moments seemed to go slow as she surged towards him and the dagger was thrust towards his chest. W-What!? Toothless thought but he couldn't do anything, his body was frozen. He was about to scream out until suddenly there was the slightest disturbance in the air near him and someone appeared, reaching an arm out to jab their hand into Gold's side with an extreme amount of speed, causing time to resume and Gold's limp body to fall to the ground. Toothless looked up to see the face of Viri, questions all over his lips.
"What... was that..." he muttered, staring at Gold's body on the ground as Toothless got up and just stood there, trying to come to terms with what had just occurred.
"I-I... I think t-that was... Gold..." he mumbled, his body suddenly cold. He looked down, hoping not to see a blade sticking out of his chest and was relieved to see that he was completely fine. He then took a deep breath and finally regained his senses. "We need to restrain her, and quickly, before she wakes up."
"Alright, where?" Viri asked as he bent down and picked up Gold's lifeless form. Toothless then turned, looked at Hiccup's dark house.
"Hiccup's. Everyone has left already, we can deal with her there."
After a few moments of becoming conscious, Gold opened her eyes to the sight of the interior of a house and the ropes that had securely bound her to the chair she was in. Her face was blank, and as soon as she saw him her eyes didn't leave the man with the green eyes. Kill him.
"Oh, you're awake?" Viri asked as he turned to her, and Toothless followed only to be met by her gaze.
"Gold?" he asked. She remained silent. Viri then turned to Toothless.
"Silva, I think... I think the extent of her poisoning was more severe than I thought. After what you've just told me, and with how she's acting right now, there's no doubt," Viri said as she looked at Gold. "It's Ma Huang. A non-lethal silvery leaf that, when prepared properly, can produce a state in which any individual is highly susceptible to suggestion. In other words, mind-control." Toothless' eyes widened as he looked between the two of them, and decided to ask.
"Then why didn't she kill me? If she had been conditioned to kill me, why did she hesitate when I had my back turned? Why did she start crying?"
Viri paused for a moment to think before answering. "Well... I think she was still under the effect of the other poison – the nerium oleander. She may have regained her memory," he replied.
"Wait... so it snapped her out of the Ma Huang, or whatever, and she was able to speak as herself? Why didn't it last?" Toothless asked.
"There must have been some pretty strong emotions in her head for that to have even worked, like, something must have happened. Can you think of anything?"
"Well... she said she was looking for something..." Maybe I was looking for my sister? No, that doesn't sound right. Brother? Maybe... Toothless' eyes widened. Wait, if she found her brother... then maybe... maybe she is my sister! "Gold..." Toothless called out, and moved slightly, as if she understood. But her gaze remained on him.
"..."
"What do you want?" Toothless asked.
"..."
"Okay... why did you hesitate and start crying when you could have easily killed me?"
"..."
"This is going nowhere... why don't I cure her so she can tell us herself?" Viri asked as he stepped back.
"Wow... why did I even bother start trying to talk to her when you could have already healed her?" Toothless asked, shoving his head into his palm. However, he laughed anyway. "Seriously, Viri..."
"... Viri..." Toothless and Viri stopped and turned to Gold, who had suddenly spoken. "Viri... son of Lilith and Shiro... Reconstruction... eligible..." They both froze.
"W-Wha... w-what...?" Viri's words were stagnant and filled with stupor. He couldn't even comprehend what was happening, even more so when Gold's eyes began to glow. Then, she disappeared, leaving behind a blue haze. The ropes that had held her became slack and fell onto the chair as they turned behind them, finding Gold standing there, her body twisting into a combat stance. Toothless eye's widened. "She... reconstructed... no. She... used my ability! She has peripheralisation!" Viri exclaimed as Gold suddenly accelerated towards Toothless.
"Crap!" Toothless yelled as he dodged a fist, falling into the wall. "Wha-" he couldn't complete his exclamation when Gold's next punch barely missed his head, burying itself into the stone wall. Toothless looked up at it and his eyes widened. She cracked a stone wall with her fist! My head was there! He quickly jumped up and dodged another fist as he noticed Viri standing there, watching dumbly. "VIRI!" Toothless yelled out, snapping him out of his trance. "Make the cure – NOW!" Suddenly Viri sprang into action, knowing he could leave it in Toothless' hands.
It took him a few seconds, but Toothless knew what he had to do. He quickly jumped back, placing his hands on the sword on his waist as he drew it. Gold didn't seem to take too much note to it, thinking he wouldn't use it, and ran towards him at full speed again. I'm sorry, Toothless thought as he twisted the grip in his hands, turning the blade so that the blunt edge was facing forward. In seconds, Gold had reached him. In seconds, she was on the floor.
Toothless sighed in relief as he sheathed his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had expected the fight to have gone on longer, but then again. Gold wasn't exactly right in the head. And the Decree did this to her... His eyes then widened as he remember. What if she is my sister? I just knocked her out, quite violently, by hitting her, quite hard, in the head with a sword.
"Done!" Viri exclaimed as he rushed over to where Gold laid on the floor. He'd reconstructed to his house to get supplies but, fortunately, the cure was simple enough to make and didn't take too long. Viri slowly leaned down and poured a liquid into her mouth, lifting her head up to allow the liquid to go down her throat. Then, it was done. All they had to do was wait. But Toothless... his head began to burn.
"Toothless..." Viri began, his hands beginning to tremble. "She said-"
"I know, Viri... I was speaking to her about it before she... clicked. She said that her mentor's name was Lilith... which would mean-"
"My mother is alive... possibly my father, too."
"Another thing too..." Toothless trailed off as he noticed the blood on Gold's knuckles, presumably from when she punched the wall.
"Yes?"
"There's no doubt about it. She's my sister. I remember."
A/N
Well... a few of you saw it coming. Love how we already had some "Graze" shippers even though they haven't even met yet. You might have to call it "Hraze." ;)
A lot of things happened this chapter, I hope you all remember it all. Now it's finally come to the point where your brain starts turning to mush ;)
Thanks to;
Colinou
Moonchaser the Night Fury
Tess
simba71999
Sag1ttar1us
King Tyras
QuiteARandomFan
Padfoot
Phsyro
mathmonkey167
and aaronbrogdale08.
Hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review with your thoughts.
