Phew, this one took a while to write, but here it is: the next chapter! Enjoy everyone!
Part 3
Aspiration
Chapter 7: The Girl
Not much happened this morning. Yea, it sucks not being able to do "human" stuff anymore like watching T.V., playing video games, or hell...even reading a book, but after being in this form for months...I guess I'm used to just being like this. Heck...despite everything: this cove ironically became my new home by this point. Unlike the other days when I've been out flying with Hiccup, today he has not showed up by the afternoon: until now that is…
I had spent the day pacing back and forth, or now doing one of my favorite hobbies as a dragon: thinking. Make no mistake, I haven't forgotten that I was once human, and I plan to explain everything to Hiccup. How exactly would I do this, though? I can't really speak to him, and my writing skills are practically flawed like this...probably just need a smaller stick. Something has to be done; however, I have no leads...still...yea I know: surprising...
How would the rider even react if I somehow told him that I used to be a person...would he think I've been cursed by some mad wizard, or maybe by the same Gods he probably prays to? I DOUBT he'd believe me anyway...even though this era may be less centered on science and AHEM...LOGIC...and more focused on mythology and magic. What the heck am I talking about: maybe he WOULD believe me...it's worth a try. I SHOULD do the whole stick thing again next time he comes….
I just hope he's alright...last night's nightmare kind of made me worried for Hiccup…that kid is definitely going to fix the line securing him to me, so we don't have the same incident we had yesterday.
Suddenly, I sniff the air: it's his scent, Hiccup's back!
"Hiccup" I chirp happily without teeth. I stand up to welcome him back, but my dragon ears perk up when I catch another scent...an unfamiliar smell coming from his direction...someone else is here!?
My eyes slit, so I can see farther (which is something that's great to have while in the air by the way.) It doesn't take very long for me to see that a few dozen meters from me is a blond-haired warrior wielding a battleaxe! She's right next to the boy when she tackles him...Hiccup...he's in trouble!
Wasting no time I sprint toward them to stop the stranger before she harms the him!
I roar in my beastly language, "hand on, I'm coming buddy!"
Hearing my incoming roar, she notices me as I charge for her. In response: she moves away from Hiccup and prepares to retaliate. Once I'm close enough I lunge at her, claws and teeth drawn, "get away from him!"
Before anyone of us can make contact with the other, I suddenly see the boy push my target away!?
When they end up on the ground again, he slides her weapon away: disarming the warrior. Good, he disarmed her, now she's gonna get coming here to hurt you Hiccup!
However, before I can move in, he unexpectedly steps in front of her and stops my advance.
What is he doing!? Get out of the way, I retort in dragon tongue.
"It's okay," he begins, "she's a friend."
What!? Then why the heck did she do all of that for!? It seems as though she's lowered her guard at this and I decide to do the same as well, though I'm ready to go again anytime.
"You just scared him" the brown-haired Viking explains as I shake my head slightly. I wasn't scared scared, I mean...yea...I was scared for you Hiccup but...wait...oh...gosh...I'm stupid sometimes, I think to myself.
She backs away slightly, adrenaline still pumping, "I scared him!?" It is at this point the girl realizes what is going on, "who is him!?"
I still narrow my eyes to her in distruct. She didn't know about us, so obviously she could technically tell the others about the cove, or more importantly: the fact that I'm here...and that I can't let happen!
Hiccup moves, "Astrid" he gestures to me, "Toothless," the boy looks toward me with reassurance, "Toothless...Astrid."
I snarl at the intruder. In response, the blond-haired teen gives a look of disapproval and disbelief before finally taking off...not even bothering to retrieve her axe. She's definitely going to go tell the others...
Well then, there she goes...we're so dead…
"we're dead..." Hiccup silently exclaims, as if he was thinking of the same thing. Great minds think alike I guess, I think before turning away, "I'll let you chase after her. I'm going to my corner and regret not eating her."
Well, we could always fly away, have a change of scenery, right?
He just turns back to me, "where do YOU think you're going?" he whined.
"The forest wolves will get her" I grunt back in response as I curl into a ball, but Hiccup arrives and starts pushing me.
"Come on, we gotta catch up with her" he insists before I finally give in.
Alright, alright!
We take off soon afterwards and it doesn't take very long for me to spot her in the forest on her way to Berk. With a smirk, and help from Hiccup, we swoop down and I grab her with a paw before she can go any further. As anyone would in this type of situation, she starts screaming in sheer terror while Hiccup guides me to the top of a sequoia. I drop the girl on a branch just below us as I rest on the very top: which of course causes the tree to bend a bit due to my weight. Astrid struggles to hand on as I rest smugly above.
The Viking shouts in distress, "Hiccup! Get me down from here!
An amused grin runs down my muzzle as I look down toward her. Hiccup, in response, tries to persuade her, "you have to give me a chance to explain!"
In response, she gives a look of utter disgust and that just seems to make my ear twitch in irritation and send a growl out of my throat, "I'm not listening to anything you have to say" she retorts in a sharper tone. Oh man...I was ready to make a saucy reply to her, or maybe just I don't know...shake her off the branch...heh…
Hiccup changes his strategy: knowing that he won't win her over this way, so instead he lets me shake her off and she falls to her death. He and I go back to the cove, calling it a day. Nah! I'm just kidding, as much as I'd like to see that happen right now. Hiccup INSTEAD offers, "then I won't speak, just let me show you...please Astrid."
Realizing that she has no other option, besides you know...falling off, Astrid begins making her way up to us. The rider offers a hand and when she considers taking it, I give a warning rumble to Astrid.
Once the blond teen is on the saddle seated behind him, I think to myself: she's not getting off that easy…
I silently think about what I should do next...I should totally scare her, after all: she was pretty disrespectful to us.
"Now get me down" Astrid orders the boy as that rudeness just fuels my desire to exact my revenge on the brat.
"Toothless"
I shake my head and remove myself from my inner thoughts.
"down gently"
And so, I widen my wings in preparation to take off from here. Hiccup reassures the girl that it will be short and calm, but I have other plans...this won't be short or calm
"Gently…I'll show you gently..."
With a soft mischievous grin, I take off at lightning speed: heading high in the sky while Astrid is barely hanging on. The boy reacts by scolding me like a dog:
"Toothless, what is wrong with you!?"
We climb higher as he continues scolding me, but I ignore it. Hearing the girl, who was so scornful to him, yell in panic amuses me and I just continue with my dirty antics.
"He's not usually like this" the brown-haired boy tries to explain. He probably thinks I'm done with her...oh no, we're not done until she apologizes.
I figure, let's make this like a wild ride at an amusement park: a roller coaster maybe...that'll scare her straight for sure!
Let's see you go an octave higher: Ass-trid!
I fold my wings and Astrid grabs the boy immediately before he realizes what is about to happen, "oh no..." he mutters as I suddenly make a head-first dive toward the water below us. That's when we fall at the speed of a bullet and the female Viking yells much higher than the first time. To soften the impact, I slow down significantly before striking the water and I go in and out like a flying fish: getting both humans wet in the process.
"We need her to like us!"
That's when I decide to stop going in the cold water and instead ascend quickly once again. She hasn't said anything yet...that won't do, I'll try spinning then, and that's exactly what I do next.
"And now he's spinning, thank you for nothing you useless reptile!"
"You're welcome, half-pint, now hang on and don't fall off like last time" I chuckle to Hiccup before diving once again for the ground, though this time I spin in a never-ending circle as I do.
Finally, Astrid says something, and it's what I'd hoped she would say after all that, "okay, I'm sorry...I'm sorry!"
I catch her saying it as I look back.
"Just get me off this thing!"
Alright, alright...that's enough from me.
Halfway down, I spread my wings to stop my descent and glide idly in the air. The two teens behind me breathe a sigh of relief as the three of us are greeted by sunset-colored skies. I climb higher to get a better look at the sudden change of scenery, passing the cloud layer. Astrid finally calms down and, after a moment of confusion, is taken over by a feeling of serenity. The girl looks around and is almost immediately captivated by the beautiful sea of clouds before her, and she extends a hand to touch one in response.
Alright, I'll cut her some slack: I fly upwards, so she can keep touching them and it isn't long before she smiles with joy alongside Hiccup. I continue flying around the stratocumulus until night comes and the clouds are now white in color thanks to the rising moon.
That's not all, for the northern lights show up as well! As I fly through, I catch a glimpse of someone I didn't expect to show up: Friea, who's also flying...albeit farther away and alongside dozens of other dragon spirits. Of course, only I can see them, but the humans behind me are still amazed to be seeing the lights dancing across the sky. I wave to Friea and she seems to give a short smile back and I read it as though she's proud of me. I give a nod to her in understanding. It is then they disappear behind a towering cumulonimbus and my attention turns to Berk: which is just below us now.
Astrid just can't help herself by this point: being among the first of her people to witness their home from a birds-eye view and it's clear she's been won over by all this. I turn my head to check on her and I give a grin of satisfaction...maybe she isn't so bad after all. In fact, now that I think about it...Astrid reminds me a lot of the dragon: Friea. Isn't that a funny thing...heh.
Something I don't expect from her is that she wraps her arms around my best friend: Hiccup, and the teen can't help but smile. I'm not an expert on teen love...or romance in general for that matter, but hey I guess they hit it off pretty easily, great for them!
We continue traveling parallel to Berk for a bit before I branch off towards the sea: figuring we could keep flying around for just a while longer before returning to the cove.
"Alright, I'll admit...this is pretty cool. It's amazing...he's amazing" she suddenly refers to me.
Aw, that was nice of you to say, I know I'm amazing!
Some time passes by as I continue gliding across the Nordic sea and Astrid silently says to the boy, "so...what now?" it is then she realizes something and leans over to him, "your final exam is tomorrow…"
Final exam? What kind of final exam I wonder? I don't have time to dwell on it because it's getting foggy, and that's when I hear it...and it immediately drills into my mind...sending me into a trance. My eyes sharpen as the appendages on my head twitch back and forth in reaction. I hear her…she's beckoning me...pleading me to return…
With no time to waste: I dive into the fog with the two teens still on me. I can't control myself, I must return to the nest...I must…
It isn't long before we run into other members of the hive with most carrying food back with them. We can all feel her telepathic call. Hiccup tries to persuade me to turn back, but I am drawn to the nest, my mind can't help it. I shake his hand away, pressing forward. They both look around, wondering what exactly is going on, but they'll know soon enough.
All of us dragons start a plunge down toward the rocks below, which are not too far from the island. The two Vikings find themselves the first humans to stumble upon the elusive Dragon Island.
They stare in awe as we approach the volcano and enter it from one of its openings. It isn't long until we stumble upon the center of the nest: the Queen's Chamber.
I look down and examine the large caldera...it is then I realize with much dread that not much food has been getting to the queen...with my absence probably having played a big part in this…
She's sensed me...and the queen has now summoned me here…
"What my dad wouldn't give to find this" Hiccup quietly mumbles behind me, but I don't pay attention, instead I hear the queen's inner thoughts, that sound like whispers, invading my mind.
Fearing for my life, I land high on a cliff and watch the scene from a safe distance. Everybody is throwing what they've found down the red mist below, but it won't be enough to satisfy her hunger.
The humans behind me comment on the scene happening before we catch sight of a Gronckle, the last dragon to deliver food, but it's barely anything: just a small sardine that the boulder class regurgitates. The reptile hovers idly just above the mist before deciding to fly away.
And then it happened...
The Red Death emerges from the mist and devours the Gronckle with a single bite. Hiccup and Astrid witness the murder with horrified faces, having just realized there is a monster far bigger and far more dangerous than they could have ever imagined in their lives to see.
All the lizards around us cower in fear, knowing that the queen is still hungry, and still on the prowl. Right afterwards she begins her retreat back into her safe space, but then she senses my presence. My eyes slit as she communicates with me telepathically.
Night Fury, where have you been? You left the nest...never returned…
I shake my head while a piercing tone rings deep into my brain! S-stop, no more!
I am very disappointed in you...explain yourself-
She stops, noticing two strange scents in the air coming from where I am: it's Hiccup and Astrid and the queen finally recognizes them as humans!
"Alright bud, we gotta get out of here" Hiccup whispers in my ear, but the queen keeps invading my thoughts.
Y-you brought humans here...you-traitor!
"Now!" I heard the teen boy exclaim as the telepathic link between me and the queen end, for she lunges for us! The four-hundred feet tall goliath is fast, but fortunately I'm faster: being a Night Fury and what not.
All the other beasts in the chamber scatter and make it for the safest exit: the top of the volcano where all the lava leaves from. Hundreds, no...thousands, of dragons rush out as the queen, in hunger and in rage, climbs up to try and get the three of us. The behemoth tries again to swallow us, but I narrowly dodge her. Instead, she catches an unsuspecting Zippleback between her jaws.
We manage to escape and we quickly head back to the secluded cove while Astrid puts everything together regarding the nest.
I land as they disembark.
"Let's find your dad" she says this as I walk away from them, wondering to myself what had just happened.
Hiccup stops her in the meantime, looking back to me, "no, not yet, they'll...kill Toothless. We...have to think this through carefully."
I don't hear this since I'm in my own little world right now...I've been loyal to the Queen and the nest…she thinks...I went there to kill her...what would the nest do now that the Red Death considers me a traitor? Will they send drones after us...will she herself come looking for me? It doesn't matter anymore...as long as Hiccup is safe...I'm loyal to HIM now. What I had said long ago that Friea was the ONLY FRIEND you get ONCE in your life...I was wrong...Hiccup is ANOTHER, and I'll be damned if I let anyone touch him...
I drink water from the pond before I look over to the boy.
What, I grunt softly, looking toward Astrid, but I decide to just go back to doing what I was doing. Not even thirty seconds afterwards I witness the girl kissing Hiccup before leaving the cove. I walk over to Hiccup, stopping next to him.
"She kissed you, I can't believe she just kissed you" I chirp in dragonese, turning to him.
"What are you looking at" the teen retorts before I look away.
Today's a weird day, I think to myself.
...
Hiccup left not too long after, figuring he should get ready for his "exam" tomorrow, which I still have no idea what it is.
I can't sleep...I just keep having earlier events replay in my head the whole time. Then I see her coming: the RazorWhip...the one and only...Friea.
"How was your flight" she asks, sitting beside me as she always does and I chuckle in return, "good, we almost died" I say sarcastically, referring to the first full flight Hiccup and I had taken the previous day. She rolls her eyes playfully in response, crossing her arms as she rests beside me.
"I meant the one today" she retorts.
"Oh" I mutter softly, "well, Hiccup introduced me to another person..."
"The female Viking" Friea asks as I nod.
"She isn't half-bad...once you get to know her...kinda like you" I give a smug look to the dragon as she raises an eyebrow to this.
"And what's that supposed to mean!?"
"heh" I look away, "I decided to play around with the newcomer and then we fly around in the sky...and she seemed to love it, much like Hiccup...that's when I saw you up there with the other spirits...then after that..." I stop before I delve into more serious matters, "Friea...the Queen...we went back to the nest...it's gotten worse...way worse than it ever has been since I've been around."
The RazorWhip listens intently, thinking to herself as she glows the same colors as the northern lights, "she's eating the others..." she mumbles softly.
"This has to end...somehow...but...how..." I stand up as I pace back and forth and Friea watches me in silence, "maybe...maybe I can convince the others to pack up and leave the nest...but then the Queen...we could all team up and take down the Queen! We won't have to do this anymore, dragons WON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ANYMORE...we could find our own world...our own nest...where we can all live peacefully and not like SAVAGES. Dragon or viking...no one else has to die!" I growled to myself as I make my short speech.
"You're talking like someone who should be a leader" she simply adds as I stop myself and turn to her.
"This is your destiny...to lead them...to a better place" she suddenly adds as I stop pacing to look back to her.
"Who...me!? Of all people in this world...or any OTHER world...me!? Why would it be me!?" I retort quite harshly, though it's all towards myself.
"Because...you have experience as both a dragon AND a human, and you're unlike the others...you stand out and you have qualities to be GREAT...just imagine: you and Hiccup, what you both can achieve together.
I look down at the floor, simply muttering, "I guess...it's just that-I just miss my home...even if it was a shit-hole...I miss knowing what my REAL name is...but then again...Hiccup…and everything else here...it feel like it's definitely something more...I just don't know what to do…" I murmur as I slump down on the floor, placing my muzzle against the dirt, "I had a nightmare the other night before...I lost Hiccup like how I lost everyone else in my life...Hiccup...he needs me...and...I need him. I think after much though I realized who he is to me...he's my other half."
Friea walks over and places a wing on me, "I think you got it from here." She said this as I looked up to her: wait, what is going on? I stand up to approach her, "what do you mean" I ask in confusion.
"Toothless...m-my time here is over. I've helped you enough, I am confident you will be fine from here" Friea says as I give a bewildered expression to her before it dawns upon me what is happening. No...no...no!
I run up to her before I start noticing light leaving her scales which head up toward the lights above, "no Friea...don't go! Please, stay!" I grab her paw with mine as I roar in desperation.
She gives a hard look toward me, as if to tell me she really DOESN'T want to leave...so WHY...WHY IS SHE LEAVING!? Why does this have to happen!?
I let go of her, collapsing onto the ground, covering my face with my paws. The next thing I know I feel the tip of her wing catching a tear going down my face, and I look up in return: gazing deep into her eyes with my own eyes.
Suddenly she kisses me on the cheek and I am taken a back slightly by this, "you are my other half. We'll see each other again someday" she says before dissipating: her spirit rises into the sky to meet with the other dragons from the migration.
"Good...bye...Friea" I stop crying as I stand up, still looking at the majestic scenery above, "thank you for being my guardian, I'll never forget you. I'll do my best, I promise."