Darkness fell and the dragon squirmed uncomfortably in his harness. He did not screech, nor did he try to get away for his human was here and he knew she would not let any harm come to him. He had known for many years she was special, his protector. He remembered so well when they first met.
She had been out on the far side of the island, the area full of sharp drops and cliffs, an area usually too dangerous for humans to go, especially as it was the only place in Hysteria that dragons still came to. He had not known why she had been out there, a small helpless looking child barely older than seven. The first thing he recalled about their meeting was what had bought him down. He himself had only been very small back then and his flying had been weak, erratic and he could not ride the storm or lightning very well. A great storm had hit and the God's, he had first thought, had sought to smite him. He now knew they had been sending him to his destiny, they had blessed him. He'd tumbled through the air and crashed down on one of the rocky cliffs. The lightning had still sought him but he could not channel it properly and so it built up inside him and burst forth uncontrollably. He had felt so weak and helpless. He dragged himself into a cave cut into this treacherous cliff side and had collapsed in there, believing he would never wake up.
But he had. When he had awoken his eyes had looked upon a pair of bright green eyes that were full of fear and sadness. The girl had obviously sought shelter from the storm as he had. She had not expected to find him here. They had stared at each other for a few moments before he began to growl at her, hoping it would be enough to scare her away. He knew humans to be dangerous and vile creatures. Especially those who lived on Hysteria. He had not got enough strength to fight her for long should she attack. But she was a very a tiny human he noticed. Her hair was dripping and there was as much fear in her eyes as there was in his. Perhaps even more in hers. He'd fired a warning shot, or intended to. The resulting blast of white fire had been more powerful than he had intended but she dodged it and crouched low, her hands outstretched as if trying to keep him at a distance, but yet they were not threatening; only frightened. He had growled again but then she had done something truly bizarre. She had begun to sing. To this day, no matter how restless he grew her voice could soothe him, even if all she did was speak to him.
On that stormy night though she had sung softly to him, some sort of lullaby, it must have been a human song he had thought at first, but then she had kept singing, and there was something hauntingly familiar about it. Though she sang with a human voice, using human words, the song that she sang was dragonsong. He had calmed instantly as she sang soothingly to him, her small voice somehow drowned out the thunder and rain despite being rather quiet. She had slowly crept forwards towards him, keeping her hands out as she sang, but never getting quite close enough to touch him. She had dipped her head slightly as she sang the final part of the song, closing her eyes and keeping her hands out. In that moment he knew he could trust her. For that song was known only to a few rare humans, to those that had become known as Dragon-Whisperers. And a Dragon-Whisperer was not a threat to him. He had crept forwards himself and placed his head against the palm of her hand, letting out a contented rumble from the back of his throat as his skin made contact with hers. She had opened her eyes and looked at him surprised but the instant their eyes had locked, she had smiled and relaxed, stroking him from tip of his snout to the end of his tail.
"It's ok little one." She had whispered, even though he was still far larger than she, "You're safe now. I'll look after you. I promise." And he knew she meant it.
He let out a contented rumble now. She was his human and she had always protected him. After their first encounter she would sneak back to see him often and began to train him, first with hand signals and calls, he would fly and she would stand on the ground and watch. Then finally she had climbed upon his back and they had soared through the air together. She worked tirelessly to care for him and to fashion a saddle that would allow her to ride him without suffering from his lightning. She'd created a whole suit, and weapons for battle that would not cause her to suffer. The sword was her greatest achievement. Of course, she had been hit by his lightning before. She had a lightning scar on her arm from it, but that had been long ago and he had struggled so much after it had happened. Fearful he may harm her again he tried to leave her. She would not permit it. She loved him and so fought against him so that they might stay together. Honestly, he had not minded at all. When she bought him first to her village he had been fearful and rightly so, for her father, or the man she called father was a cruel man and an evil chief. He created this vile harness for him but she always protected him from her father's wrath. More than once she had thrown herself between him and the whip and suffered greatly for it. She had never let him down and so he stayed here now, no matter how uneasy it made him. He would not abandon her. Even though he could sense the Night Fury, his ancestors' enemy. Even though he sensed it was close, he would not leave her side.
"Sparky?" Came a soft whisper from the darkened corner of the room. "Sparky are you ok?"
He grumbled a response to tell her he was. "Oh good." She breathed and he felt her hands on his back. "I'm getting you out of here Sparky. I'm to go ashore tomorrow, but I'll not leave you here alone with them. Father will hate it, and I'll be punished later, but I don't care." She spat as she drew a short knife from her belt and cut through the harness bonds that held him. She then placed his saddle back on him and he rumbled happily, he quite liked having his saddle on, despite it making him appear tame and weak to allow a human upon his back, for him it was a mark of his bond with her. Once the saddle was firmly in place she clambered onto his back.
"Keep the lightning to a minimum ok boy? As soon as we're off the boat I want you to head for the clouds, we'll need to disappear." He grumbled again to show he understood and they slipped silently out of the door and onto the deck. "Ready boy? Evasive cloud manoeuvres!" She whispered and he shot into the sky with the blazing speed that characterised all the dragons in Strike class. He headed straight for the clouds and they flew on towards the island of Berk. He sensed the Night Fury, it was getting ever closer and a part of him longed to turn back, but he did not. For she was determined to go to this island and succeed in her mission. He was not sure about it, but until he was certain, he would not confront her nor stop her.
"It's ok boy. I know you sense it, the Night Fury. But it is saddened and held against its will. We shall end its misery in time. I will not let it harm you."
They flew closer and closer to the island and as they came to be almost overhead, the left the safety of the clouds and headed for the forest below. Everything was going fine, that is until they heard it. The call of the Night Fury. Sparky panicked, a small ripple of lightning ran down the length of his body and fired into the night sky, giving away their position. The Night Fury came into view. Camicazi laid herself low on Sparky's body, hiding herself from view.
"Sparky we have to find somewhere to hide." She breathed keeping a hand on the side of his head to keep him calm. He tried to fly down but the Night Fury screeched at him and the fight began. It blasted at him three times, all of which he dodged, but he feared for Camicazi's safety. She was in more danger, she had more to lose. He took a risk in order to save and assist her. He dived towards the Night Fury, facing his fear if only for a second, blasting it with lightning, it flew high above him to escape the lightning and he dived for the safety of the trees. As he flew towards the forest floor, certain they were safe, a blast hit him. He went spiralling out of control but managed to throw Camicazi off his back before crashing down into a small cove in the forest...