Chapter 9: Burning
Contains strong language and abuse.
After HTTYD2
(Eret's POV)
I stare at the man before me. He's not pleased with our lack of dragons.
"Six hours later, the branding iron is ready. Gustavo, you hold her back. Halstein, you and Kensley hold Eret back." Becky's breath quickens as Gustavo holds her back, thinking Drago will be branding her.
"Drago, please don't do this. She doesn't deserve this." I start, but it's not until Halstein and Kensley push me onto my back that Becky and I both realize what Drago is doing:
Drago is forcing Becky to watch the branding take place.
Drago takes the branding iron off of the hot coals – where it had been absorbing the heat for hours – and takes his place over me...
He puts the branding iron on my chest, and I try not to scream. Becky pleads for Drago to stop, but he doesn't listen.
As soon as the branding iron leaves my chest, Becky runs to my side after breaking out of one of Drago's men's grasps.
"You belong to me now." Drago tells me. Becky flinches, but I don't know why.
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here. Oh, my Eret. I'm so sorry this happened to you." One of Drago's men tries to drag Becky away from me, but, to both our surprises, Drago stops him.
"Leave her be. I'll have better use of her later."
"You're a monster." Becky tells Drago while he is still in earshot.
"What did you call me, girl?" Drago asks her, gripping her left upper arm hard as she stands up.
"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" She screams, not caring about the consequences.
That's my girl.
Drago slaps her across her face, but even as she turns to face him again, she's still glaring daggers at him; Drago simply walks away. She comes back to my side.
"Are you all right, darling?" I ask her. I can feel myself slipping away, but I'm determined to stay alive; Becky needs me.
But my chest...it's burning with the fire of a thousand suns.
"I'm fine."
I cough, struggling to catch my breath.
"Shhhh. Try to relax. I'm going to do what I can." She gently puts a cloth on the burn, and is surprised to feel my heartbeat getting slower, rather than faster.
"Eret, you...you'll be fine. We can get through this. You can get through this."
"Becky, my darling?"
"Yes, Eret?" Tears start falling down Becky's cheeks as she grips my hand to help me stay awake. The burn just seems to keep getting more and more painful by the second.
"I...I love you." I exhale for the last time, and I miss Becky's "I love you, too, my Eret."
But the branding mark...it's still burning intensely.
Eret, wake up.
Eret.
Eret!
I bolt up, breathing hard and shaking. My branding mark still burns, even about a year later.
"Shhhh. You're okay, baby. I'm here. You're safe." Becky whispers to me.
"M-my branding mark...it's burning."
"You were dreaming about it, weren't you?"
I nod. I lean on my wife, tears trailing down my cheeks. She puts her arms around me.
"In the night terror...I...I died. From the branding. I can't leave you...I can't...you need me."
"And you need me, Eret. I won't leave you."
"It hurt...it hurt so so much. I felt like I was going to die then. I can't believe he branded me himself. The pain I felt that day...the worst physical pain I had ever felt."
"I'm so sorry, Eret. I'm so so sorry."
I can still feel the lashes from the whip across my back and arms and shoulders.
"He's gonna find me...he's gonna find me again." My breath starts to quicken.
"Shhh. He's not going to find you, Eret. We'll make sure of it."
I struggle to catch my breath, and it's then I realize...
"I. Can't. Breathe."
"Shit. I've got to get you to Gothi." Becky gets up, and helps me up and down the stairs to her dragon, Amethyst, who is with Skullcrusher in our personal stables out back.
"Here, baby. You get on in front of me. Amethyst, please take us to Gothi's, girl." Amethyst rises into the sky, but I barely notice.
"Hang in there, Eret. We'll be there soon."
(Becky's POV)
We soon land in front of Gothi's hut, and I help Eret off of Amethyst.
"Amethyst, go get Fishlegs." Amethyst squawks and flies off. I knock on Gothi's door, Eret leaning on me.
"Gothi! We need your help!" Gothi opens the door and ushers us in.
"Gothi, he can't breathe. Please help him." Gothi gestures for me to help him into the bed, so I do.
Eret places his hand where the branding scar is. Gothi hands me a cloth so I can dab the sweat from Eret's forehead.
"Shhh. You'll be okay. I've got you, my sweet Eret."
Eret's breaths don't get any slower, but they don't get any quicker, either.
"Eret, honey, you've got to try to slow your breathing. I'm sure your scar hurts, but your hyperventilating will only make it worse." I help Eret copy my breathing patterns, and soon enough, Eret's breathing returns to normal.
Fishlegs soon arrives to translate whatever Gothi says.
"Is he okay?" Fishlegs asks me.
"Night terror about his branding. Woke up with his scar burning." I explain to Fishlegs.
"He's...he's going to find me again...hurt me again."
"Shhh, baby. Eret, we won't let him get to you again. I promise. We won't let him anywhere near you. Try to rest."
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."
"I won't leave you, Eret. I promise. I'm right here. I'll be right here." I start stroking Eret's hair, wishing there was more I could do for him. I continue dabbing at his forehead.
"Gothi says she wants to keep him here for observation until sunrise."
"Fine by me. Whatever helps him."
Fishlegs soon leaves, not needed anymore, and Eret falls asleep, his breathing steady once again.
I place my head on the edge of the bed, one of my hands holding one of Eret's, and I soon fall asleep.
~.~
(Eret's POV)
Hours pass before I wake up, as told by the daylight peeking in through the window. I look to my left to see my Becky asleep, my hand encased in one of hers. I lean back in the bed, not tired anymore, but not wanting to wake up my wife, my saving grace.
I wouldn't have been able to get through the night if it weren't for her, and I'll be forever grateful to her for that, and then some.
I watch Becky sleep, and she soon opens her eyes, soon sitting up to yawn (sorry) and stretch.
"Hey, you. How are you?" Becky begins to stroke my hair.
"I'm doing pretty well. My scar isn't hurting as much. Becky?"
"Yes?"
"Do you really believe he won't come back?"
"Oh, honey, I can't guarantee that he won't come back. But I can guarantee this: Drago is gonna have to get through me to get to you. And I won't let him anywhere near you."
"What if he wants you?"
"I'll fight like Hel to keep him away from both of us. I promise. He...Drago's already broken me. He can't and won't break me again. I'll make sure he doesn't break you again."
A few minutes pass as Becky and I just stare at each other, completely in love.
I know whatever trials we may face, we'll face them together.
As one.
