Chapter 4
The two humans slept all though the night, and clear into the next day. Chris woke up before Serenity. He got up and got dressed, leaving his jacket since the day was warm. He then sat on the bed beside Serenity, she didn't even move. She looked slightly better. Chris gently shook her and she opened her eyes. When she saw Chris she smiled and stretched.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"Better than I did my first few nights here," said Serenity, sitting up. "I haven't slept by myself since I was a child."
"Me neither," Chris said. "This was hard for me too." Serenity smiled with relief. She then glanced towards the front door and the outside world.
"You think they're still mad at me?" she asked.
"They might still be a bit sour," said Chris.
"I should cover that glider with a tarp, so they don't have to look at it," said Serenity. She rushed to get out of bed, but tripped on the loose sheets. Chris caught her before she hit the ground.
"Why the hurry?" he asked. "I think they can handle having it out while you eat breakfast."
"I guess I'm anxious to get back on the dragons' good side," Serenity said, sitting back down on the bed. "I know better than to anger a dragon."
"Are you afraid of them?" asked Chris.
"A bit, at least when they're so mad," said Serenity. She got back up and headed for the closet.
Later after a breakfast of bread and cheese, Serenity went outside and tinkered with the glider. She wanted it to be ready for flying the next time her family left her. She watched the young Draconians run around the lawn, and running in and out of the shallow water. Serenity felt better now that she wasn't alone. She worked quietly.
She was half way through tightening the screws, when Hiccup came up with Toothless at his heels.
"Hello boys," said Serenity.
"You going to fly that again?" Hiccup asked.
"My dragons are here, I don't need it," said Serenity. "I'm putting it away until the next time the leave me again." Toothless nudged her shoulder and Serenity stroked behind his ears.
"You seem to be making things harder for yourself," Hiccup said. "You're not a fighter and you hate being left behind. Maybe if you picked up a skill that could help in battle, that isn't fighting."
"You mean like healing?" Serenity asked.
"Well, yeah, but apart from healing," Hiccup corrected. "Like scouting or search and rescue."
"Those things require a dragon," said Serenity. "I'm no longer fortunate to have a dragon by my side all the time like everyone else is. Those are good suggestions though."
"There are thousands of dragons in this country," Hiccup said. "I'me sure one of them could be a loyal companion for you."
"Yeah," Serenity agreed. "Maybe." She didn't sound convinced.
"I understand your dislike for fighting, trust me I do," said Hiccup. "I don't like hurting anyone either. I've had to win battles the hard way."
"I know," said Serenity. "I suppose I could be more interactive in battle." She grabbed the tarp and pulled it over the glider.
"Do you want to fly it again?" Hiccup asked, bringing the subject back to the glider.
"I do," said Serenity. "But not today." She secured the tarp so it wouldn't blow away in the wind." When done, she went to find the dragons.
She found them on the shore of the lake, a short ways from the house. They were knee-deep in the shallow water looking for frogs and newts, also grazing on the water weeds. Serenity sat on a flat rock, half of which was in the water. She laid on her front so she could see down into the clear water. She watched the fish and frogs. The dragons paid her no heed as they continued looking for snacks. Then Serenity got a sudden urge to go out on her canoe. She jumped to her feet and ran back to the house. Chris was currently showing the Berkian riders how to immobilize a dragon using the pressure points. Serenity paid them no mind and ran right to her canoe. She jumped in and paddled the boat towards the spot where the dragons were. She figured it would be a nice gesture for the dragons seeing her use the present they'd given her.
She reached the spot and paddle the canoe as close to the shore as she could. The dragons looked up as she got closer.
"Thanks for the boat," said Serenity.
"You're welcome," said Aurora. "Say the Berkians and ourselves are having a campfire party tonight, you want to join us?" Serenity considered.
"Alright," she said. "It'll be something to look forward to." The Queen smiled and went back to looking for frogs. Serenity paddled the canoe onward.
She spent the rest of the day in the canoe. She only came ashore when it was lunchtime. Serenity felt young again, spending all day out doors only come in for lunch. Before long the sun set and the others had gathered around a campfire on the shore. Serenity paddled the canoe to the dock and tied it down. She got out and went to join them. She sat next to Chris, who was sitting next to Windwalker. The fire was already lit, and getting bigger. There were crates around filled with different kinds of fish, frogs, newts, chicken legs, sausages, and chunks of buffalo and boar.
"Does anyone know any scary stories?" asked Snotlout. "I could use a good scare right now." Serenity figured someone was going to ask this sooner or later.
"I know one," said Aurora. "Since you all know I can see the future, I can tell you this one."
"You mean this hasn't happened yet?" asked Astrid.
"Correct," said Aurora. "It's a few centuries away."
"Let's hear it then," said Hiccup. Aurora made herself comfortable, crossing her front legs.
"It's called the Black Death," she said. She stopped and waited.
"The Black Death?" said Snotlout. "Is this yet another giant dragon we don't know about?"
"This is way worse than a dragon," said Aurora. "The Black Death is a disease, highly contagious and very deadly. The symptoms include high fever, coughing up blood, huge black warts called buboes on the neck and armpits that can get as big as an apple. It takes about 24 hours to kill you. There will be no cure, no predicting it, and no stopping it. The disease will start in the far east and move westward. When it hits Europe it will spread very quickly. Villages the size of Berk will be wiped out within a week or two. It will drive the human race to do terrible things to each other; mostly massacre. Two hundred million men, women, and children will die from this disease." She stopped again, and the atmosphere was quiet.
"Wow, that's intense," said Hiccup. "When will it happen?"
"I can't see when exactly it will start," said Aurora. "All I know is that it will start well after the Viking Age." Suddenly Serenity coughed loudly. They all jumped and looked at her. She looked at them rather sheepishly.
"Sorry," she said in a small voice. She coughed again.
"You okay?" Chris said.
"Yes, it's just the smoke," said Serenity, fanning away the smoke from the campfire. Aurora sat up and fanned away the smoke with her wings, then relit the fire. She settled back down. Just then some of the humans yawned. By now half of the food was gone.
After the fire was put out the group disbursed. Chris, Serenity, Edelweiss, and Black Widow went into the house and went to bed. Serenity found it a bit harder to fall asleep however. She spent some of the night coming up with things to do tomorrow. She planned to hopefully fly on a dragon again, then go back out on her canoe. Soon she ran out of things to think about, and could still not fall asleep. She turned on her side, facing Chris who was asleep. She scooted closer to him. Chris was one of the heaviest sleepers she'd ever met. Serenity kissed his cheek then turned onto her other side. She still couldn't fall asleep and dawn was getting closer. So she decided to get up and take a nap when she did feel sleepy.
Being careful to not wake Chris, she got out of bed and headed for the closet. She changed into a yellow tunic and kaki trousers. She quietly left the room and then the house. It was barely light outside. Serenity went down to the dock and untied the canoe. She hopped in and paddled out of the cove. The lake was very calm. Fireflies and ferries hovered and buzzed over the water. Serenity paddled the canoe until her arms got tired. She stopped and let the boat drift. She laid in the bottom again and rested her head on the seat. She still didn't feel sleepy.
She let her mind go back to the times when she traveled the world on a dragon. She wished she could travel again. There were several dragons she still wanted to meet and still several places she hadn't seen yet like Antarctica, or the islands of the Pacific Ocean, or the Rain Forests.
Back in the house, several hours later Chris woke up and found Serenity missing. He instantly grew concerned. He jumped out of bed and ran outside. He was quick to notice the missing canoe. At that moment Re landed beside him.
"Something wrong?" Re asked.
"Serenity's out on the water, she must have snuck off earlier this morning," Chris said. Re sighed in frustration.
"I'll find her," he said. He spread his wings and took off. He flew low over the water. He soon saw the brightly colored canoe. Serenity was still dozing off in the bottom. This made Re angry. She was still underweight and the fact that she was out here so early, meant that she hadn't slept. Serenity wasn't taking very good care of herself and they only way she would remain in good health was if she had someone around all the time. Re hovered over the canoe.
"SERENITY!" he roared. Serenity sat up quickly, making the boat rock violently. Re glared down at her.
"Why are you out here so early?" Re asked sternly.
"I couldn't sleep," said Serenity. Re hissed.
"Get back to shore, now," he ordered. Serenity obeyed and paddled back to the dock. She knew she knew she was in trouble, and she was terrified. She thought about running into the house before Re could scold her, but Re was faster than her.
She soon reached the dock and tied down the canoe, her hands trembling. The last time she was in this much trouble she'd been beaten with a shovel and thrown out to die. She got out of the canoe and Re landed on the dock in front of her. He glared down at Serenity.
"Serenity, you're not a child anymore," he said. "You should be able to take better care of yourself. I don't understand why you have to have someone around all the time in order for you to be in good health. Why were you putting off sleep?"
"I missed you guys," Serenity squeaked. She was waiting for him to maul her to death with claws, teeth, and flames. Re growled in frustration.
"Serenity, you can't expect things to always go your way," he said, his voice getting louder and scarier. "I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell you this. We'er not going to be around you all the time. So you're going to have to toughen up and face the reality that you're on your own now and going to have take care of yourself. If you can't do that, then I don't know what to do with you." Serenity took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She didn't dare burst into tears in front of the angry dragon. Re grabbed her face in his paw, forcing her to look him in the eye. Serenity felt his talons digging into her cheeks.
"Now get back inside that house," Re ordered. "And stay there until we call for you." He shoved her towards the house, harder than he meant. Serenity stumbled and hit the dock, supporting her cheeks were cut and bleeding.
"And don't let me catch you flying that glider through my skies," Re roared. Serenity scrambled to her feet and rushed towards the house as fast as she could. She hoped Chis was still there waiting for her. She kept her tears at bay until she was safely inside. She shut the door and leaned against it. She took several deep breaths.
"Chris! You in here?" she called, her voice breaking. She got no answer. She sighed and went to the bedroom, which was empty. She took her medical bag out from under the bed. She went into the kitchen and set the bag on the counter. She found her jar of Night Fury saliva, a cloth, and a large mirror. She looked at herself in the mirror, to get a look at her wound. Only the right cheek was scratched up. There were four huge scratches, all bleeding and stinging. She soaked the cloth in the Night Fury saliva, and held it to her cheek, pressing it down. She went into the living room, taking the mirror with her, and sat on the sofa. She just sat there and let the Night Fury saliva disinfect the scratches. She was starting to feel faint and nauseous. She took several deep breaths to try and clear her head and calm herself down.
Suddenly the front door opened and closed. Serenity sat up, realizing she'd been falling asleep. She shook herself awake.
"Chris! Is that you?" she called. But it was Hiccup who came into the room. Serenity was surprised. "I don't suppose you vikings have rules about knocking before you enter." She asked.
"No, not really," said Hiccup. "At least not when we are good friends with the person. Anyway, are you okay? I heard all that."
"I'm okay," said Serenity. "It's pretty lucky that I know two people who ride Night Furies." She removed the cloth and looked at herself in the mirror again. The scratches were still bleeding, there were bloodstains on the cloth. She used a clean part of the cloth to wipe the excess blood off her cheek. Hiccup had taken the liberty of fetching her medical bag and placing it next to her.
"Thanks," Serenity said. She got out a strip of gauze and surgical tape. She taped the gauze to her cheek. When she was finished she leaned back on the sofa.
"So, are you going to fly the glider again?" Hiccup asked. Serenity looked at him in surprise.
"You heard what Re said," she exclaimed. "He'd get so angry if I disobeyed him."
"Let be rephrase that," said Hiccup. "Do you want to fly the glider again?"
"Yes I do," said Serenity. "I love flying it, as much as I like flying dragons."
"Then why not do something rebellious for once in your life?" Hiccup said. "Better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission." Serenity sighed, looking a bit nervous.
"Well, okay," she said. "I don't suppose you know where Chris and Windwalker went."
"They're making sure the Twins don't burn down the forest," Hiccup said. "And that the wild dragons are left undisturbed."
"Oh, so they're out there flying?" Serenity asked. Hiccup nodded. Serenity got to her feet, the nausea was going away.
They went outside. Serenity looked around, Re was no where in sight. She hurried over to the glider and uncovered it. Hiccup rejoined Toothless who had been waiting in the shade of a nearby tree. They flew off and joined their friends. Serenity untied the glider from the ground and walked it up the hill. There was a strong breeze that lifted the glider, as though it were eager to take off. Serenity reached the top and looked around again. Re still wasn't in sight. She knew she would get in trouble again. But she still missed flying, and maybe her other friends would back her up. Slightly comforted by this possibility, she took off and glided over the lake. She passed some of the other dragons.
Little did she know that Re was watching her from above. His insides boiled with rage and fury. Serenity had disobeyed him; she's left the house and she was flying the glider. Re didn't want that thing in his skies. He growled with pure anger and dived after her at high speed. When he was in range he roared and shot fire at the glider, setting it ablaze. Serenity began choking on the smoke and the glider rapidly fell towards the ground. Serenity began to panic.
"Help!" she cried, her voice weak from inhaling smoke. Thankfully Chris and Windwalker had seen the commotion and flew to the rescue. Re opened his mouth for another blast.
"Dad no!" Chris cried. Thinking fast Windwalker unlocked her titan wing and shot a powerful plasma blast at the king. It hit him in the head, knocking him out. Chris felt the blast as well, experiencing a throbbing headache. But quickly forgot about it when Serenity cried for help again. The glider was fully engulfed in flames. Chris quickly steered Windwalker after her. They sped after the doomed glider, quickly catching up with it. They could hear Serenity coughing and struggling to breathe.
"Serenity!" Chris called.
"Chris!" Serenity choked out as loud as she could.
"Hang on!" Chris called back. He steered Windwalker underneath the glider, smoke, and flames. Serenity didn't look injured but she did look terrified.
"Let go we'll catch you!" Chris called. He could see the pure fear in her eyes. The ground was rapidly approaching. Serenity let go of the control bar and she fell away from the burning glider. Chris and Windwalker dived after her. Windwalker managed to snag her right leg, dragging her though the air backwards.
At long last they landed in front of the little blue house. Windwalker carefully set Serenity down on the grass before landing herself. Chris jumped off and ran to Serenity's side. She was still having trouble breathing. She coughed and jus lay there trying to catch her breath. Chris knelt beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. Serenity didn't answer. But sat up and tried to calm herself. Chris sat on the ground and let her lean on him. He then turned to Windwalker.
"Go find my mother, quickly," he said. Windwalker nodded and took off without another word. Chris turned back to Serenity, as she started to calm down.
"Thanks," she gasped out.
"Are you hurt?" Chris asked.
"No," said Serenity. She calmed down more and more. She now felt exhausted. Just then Windwalker returned with the queen. Aurora was instantly concerned.
"What happened this time?" she asked.
"She was flying on her glider and Dad shot her down," Chris said. Aurora closed her eyes in shame.
"He really hates those things," she said. "Serenity flying one makes him think she has no use of dragons anymore."
"That's not true," said Serenity. "I love you guys." When she turned to face Aurora, the queen was quick to notice the scratches on her face.
"What did you do to your face?" Aurora asked. "Re hurt you didn't he?" Serenity just nodded. Everyone was sad and shocked by this. Chris hugged her tightly. Windwalker shifted guiltily.
"I never meant for this to happen," she said. "I made the suggestion to leave her here, so she wouldn't get hurt anymore." Aurora took a deep breath.
"It appears that that idea didn't work," she said. "I'll go find Re and revive him, he owes you an apology." She spread her wings and took off. Chris and Windwalker helped Serenity to her feet. She seemed to be recovering steadily. She looked at Chris and gave him a grateful kiss on the cheek.
Soon the riders of Berk came back for the night, Aurora, Re, and Tenor soon followed. Serenity stood on her own too feet. She wobbled a bit but stayed standing. She looked Re right in the eye. Suddenly she glared at him.
"Re, I don't appreciate being treated like a prisoner!" she said boldly, her voice got louder with every word. "I don't understand why you're being so hypocritical and selfish. You wanted me to live independent, yet you shoot me out of the sky like a dragon trapper and deny me my freedom. You also abuse me like my original family did. I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS ABUSE, I WILL NOT BE YOUR SLAVE OR PRISONER! You can kill me if you want to, because I would rather be dead than in bondage again!" Everyone was taken aback by this, Re included. Serenity was usually so quiet and obedient. Her fists were clenched and she stood at her full height. Re was at a loss for words.
"I'll be inside if you need me," Serenity said, still very angry. She turned on her heels and went inside the house, slamming the door and making a loud, angry THUD! Everyone was very quiet.
"That. Was. AWESOME!" Tenor said, overly excited. "Who knew Serenity, of all people, had the guts to stand up for herself." Aurora turned to Re.
"She's right you know," said the queen. "We have been treating her like a prisoner." Re sighed.
"You're right," he said. "And I'm very sorry for all that I've done to her. I guess I was just upset that I had to leave her behind."
"Well, I don't want to leave her again," said Chris.
"I don't either," Tenor added. At that moment Hiccup and Astrid stepped forward.
"If we may make a suggestion," said Hiccup. "Why not let Serenity, Chris, Edelweiss, and all their dragons live in this house during the winter, then bring them all up to the Archipelago, Serenity included. When you guys go into the arena, Tenor takes her out flying early in the morning like Toothless and I do. Then he could drop her off on Berk before joining you guys, that way she can do her job. I'm pretty sure she'd be much happier. We would keep her busy until you guys were finished." Re and Aurora turned to Tenor.
"You okay with that Tenor?" Re asked.
"Yes," Tenor said. "If it meant she never had to be alone again."
"I'll go see what she thinks," Chris said. "Hopefully she's cooled off by now." He went into the house.
He found Serenity in the living room, pacing. She still looked under stress. She turned when she saw Chris standing there. She didn't look angry, she looked sheepish again She gave him a tiny smile.
"That was pretty impressive," said Chris, proudly. Serenity bit her lip nervously.
"What's happening to me Chris?" she asked.
"You're becoming your own person," Chris said. "It's nothing bad."
"Well, okay," said Serenity. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be a fighter." Chris put his hands up in surrender.
"That's totally fine," he said. "Speaking up, and standing up for yourself is not fighting. You don't like the way you're being treated and you say so, that's not fighting." He approached her and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest.
"I'm so proud of you," he said. Serenity smiled wider, she couldn't deny that she felt proud of herself too. They pulled apart, but just a little bit. Chris held her face in his hands, and stared into her eyes.
"Man, I thought I had you all figured out," he said. "But you took me completely by surprise." He then pressed his lips to hers. Serenity wrapped her arms around his neck, the kiss made her feel a lot better. They broke apart after a few minuets. Serenity hugged him again.
"You should come back outside," Chris said. "Dad has something he wants to tell you, and we've come up with a solution to all of this." Serenity stepped back.
"Okay," she said. She followed him outside where the others waited.
Everyone looked up when they came out. Chris took Serenity's hand held it firmly. Re approached them. He no longer looked angry. He looked Serenity in the eye.
"Serenity, I'm very sorry for attacking you and hurting you," Re said. Serenity smiled warmly at him. She let go of Chris's hand and threw her arms around the green dragon's neck.
"I forgive you Re," she said, in her honey sweet voice. "I'm sorry too." Re wrapped his wings around her.
"Don't worry, we have a plan to set you free," he said. "And you won't be alone so much." Serenity stepped back and rejoined Chris.
They told her Hiccup's idea. And Serenity liked the sound of it better than being left behind all alone. She smiled when they finished.
"Now that we know you are capable of handling yourself," said Aurora. "We won't be able to be around all the time, but we can for most of the time."
"Once a weak?" Serenity asked. "Or everyday?" Re and Aurora exchanged a glance.
"Once a weak," said Re. "You think you can handle that?"
"Yes sir," said Serenity, her voice was noticeably stronger. She looked around at the others in the group. "Thank you." Then she yawned.
"Now, will you please get some rest?" Re asked. "You look beyond exhausted." Serenity smiled sleepily. She turned and went back inside again. Chris followed, and they both went back to sleep. For the first time in a long time, Serenity fell asleep with a confident smile.