Chapter 2 of the new story! And what will happen here, you ask? Well, wait and find out! I was writing out a plan for this one and it was supposed to be a bullet-point plan. Around 16 paragraphs and several hours later, I'm beginning to regret the decision. Oh well, I suppose it still helps!
Guest: Well, most of that is to be found out. However, this not being The Runaway 2, Kat/Bryn will not be making an appearance. You'll have to wait for the next one to see her again!
Hiccupisnotuseless: Once again I am honoured to hear from you. I'm glad you're exited, I think you'll be really please by these 'unexpected friends' because at one time I promised you I'd write about them but I never did. Well, now I have! Also, this isn't necessarily the last you'll hear from me. Until I find another show I'm obsessed with, I guess I'll just have to keep writing here!
: Well well, a Mexican reader! I'm really flattered my stories have reached so far. I'd love to come out writing fluent Spanish/Mexican, but unfortunately, I only speak French as a foreign language. Oh well. Thank You!
Guest: I don't know, really. Any suggestions of shows for me to watch are very welcome! Also, you're welcome for the info and thank you for reviewing!
The commander advanced, sword flashing as he pulled it from its casings and lifted it above his head. His muscles rippled through his bare arms, yellowed teeth bared as he advanced on the helpless individual before him. The rest of his band looked on mockingly, sneering and jeering. Ruffnut shrank away, nervous of the man threatening her life. However, in a way, it was almost a relief. Berk had died, her friends had died, now it was her turn. It seemed almost right.
A leather-clad hand clenched into a fist. Ruffnut looked up into the sky, where the smoke still blotted out the weak sun, where the ash from the fires could still be seen fluttering and floating about in the air. Her gaze fell. He stood before her, seeming as tall as the pines around him, white with ash and scorched, just like everything else.
"Get away from me," She warned, her voice low, gravelly, but it only made him laugh. Her situation was completely out of context, the dullness in her eyes telling a different story, opposing her show of defiance. Snorting, he thrust his fist into her stomach, smirking as she yelped, doubling over and retching. She coughed wetly, hoping this could be over soon. She tried to look him in the eye, but the colours dancing before her made it hard to see straight. Her body was trembling all over.
A sudden screech broke through the ungodly silence. The sneering faces of the group of soldiers were suddenly turned away, searching for the source. They could hear something coming towards them, smashing and roaring its way through the forest. They had no time to react as an enormous pine was brought crashing down atop one of the men, crushing him beneath it. The magnificent silhouette of a dragon reared up from behind it, slamming its tiny fore-legs down upon the aged wood. They could hear the crunch of the soldiers bones, watched the blood wind its way out between the blades of ashy grass.
The Scauldron stood a head and shoulders taller than any other dragon they'd seen, great wings like ladies fans spreading their way out from its glossy shoulders, wider in length than three men were tall. Its colossal mouth opened and closed with snapping motions as it scented the air and peered down with wide, bright eyes. They lingered a moment on the prisoner, hanging her head and wishing it all away, before it gave a most indignant roar and bringing back its head, preparing to fire.
The heat from the shot was staggering, despite the fact that it was water and not fire that this dragon breathed. A long and accurate beam of boiling, scorching water surged forth, engulfing the men who were scurrying to escape. Ruffnut watched as all but the commander, running the opposite way, perished under the Scauldron's unforgiving attack.
"Wow, they were right," She mused, looking over the dead bodies as though they were artefacts in a museum, "Scauldron's water really does melt the skin off your bones."
Suddenly, its gaze was upon her. She lowered her head, preparing for an attack at any second, waiting, just waiting, for death to come. She felt it sniff her over, taking deep drags of her scent, its long nose-horn nudging playfully at her. All of a sudden, she felt the most gentle of tugs on one of her braids. Opening her eyes, she found that the dragon had it in its mouth and was holding it there as though it were an object of comfort. Her brow creased. The dehydration, the pain, the sickness, the inhumanity of everything was clouding her thoughts, but slowly, slowly, she began to piece together a crumbling memory in the back of her mind.
"...Scauldy...?" She whispered, almost not believing the word as it came out of her mouth. The dragon crooned softly at the sound of its name, dropping the braid and blinking tamely as she met his gaze. Her friend dropped onto his great, swollen belly, huffing softly, blowing hot breath in her face. "Scauldy! It's you!" She whooped in delight. Maybe all was not lost. Her face broke into a wide grin, all of her boundless energy seemingly restored. "What are you doing here?"
As if in reply, the Scauldron snorted softly, his mouth slightly open as though he, too, was smiling. He pressed his nose into her stomach, not realising until she groaned that it was a tender area. Ruffnut pushed him away with her knee, smiling at his apologetic look. Then, his head was up in the air, looking about, tense, like a coiled spring. He shot up onto his little legs, sniffing deeply. Ruffnut could see the deep swell of his chest as the noise of soldiers coming towards them became apparent.
"Scauldy! Free me and lets get out of here!" She called up. Obligingly, the dragon followed her commands, chewing through the thick ropes to release her and letting her climb up onto his soggy back. The young woman remembered, suddenly, that Scauldrons had to keep their scales damp or their skin would dry out. It was another thing the chief had taught her, another thing to be grateful for. Pushing away any thought of home, she positioned herself at the base of his neck and held tightly to his slick scales as his wings snapped open around him.
Riding Scauldy was not at all like riding her own Zippleback. It took only a single beat of Barf and Belch's wings and she, her brother and the dragon were airborne and soaring off into the sky. For the Scauldron, it took several beats before he could even lift his wide belly into the air. It was full of super-heated water and heavy to lift, but once up, he flew gracefully, up and up and out of reach of those below him. With a snort, Scauldy turned to take his new rider away from the horror of her destroyed home.
"It's gone..." The twin gazed back at the flames, feeling drained of every emotion save for the overwhelming sadness. "Oh, I feel so sick... I just can't believe it; everyone is gone. Will I ever see them again? My brother? My dragon? My friends?" Thinking aloud didn't make it any easier on her. She closed her eyes, tears forcing their way out and down her cheeks. Ruffnut wasn't one to cry; in fact, she despised the emotion; but nothing could hold back the flow of pain and anger that cut deep scars through the white dusting on her cheeks. Falling forward onto Scauldy's neck, she took deep, shaking breaths, trying to calm herself, but she only succeeded in finding a raw pain in her lungs that made her choke and cough herself further into misery.
Scauldy turned back towards Berk, looking over the burning husks of buildings in the centre, still belching out acrid smoke that stung one's eyes and burned one's throat. "Turn around, Scauldy," Ruffnut begged, "I'll be sick if I have to look at it anymore."
However, the dragon refused, looking back at his rider with a soft, achingly adoring gaze, his eyes shining in the flickering firelight. "I said turn back, are you deaf?" His rider growled, hugging her aching stomach miserably, her characteristic scowl plastered on her face. With a huff, Scauldy turned back and dived down, heading straight towards the village. Despite her shouts of protest, he ignored his rider, getting ever closer to the remains of Berk until they were flying right above it.
Only then did his intentions become clear. His head jerked back, before his neck straightened and he released a steady spray of water, dousing the flames in his path like a huge, living fire-hose. To the amazement of Ruffnut, he glided through the columns of fumes and put out every single fire, from enormous forests of flame to tiny, flitting embers. Though the blackened streets still remained as a testament, the fires themselves were gone in an instant. Scauldy turned calmly back, gliding out across the sea and dunking his head below the water so that he could flick it over his dry, cracked belly scales. Ruffnut stretched herself out as much as her bruised midriff would allow, pressing her cheek against the strangely warm but wet skin of the dragon. Somehow, she just found the gesture comforting, like a hug from a dear friend or a brother. There was a strange calm now washing over the twin like a warm wave as she realised what the Scauldron had done for her.
"You did all that for me..." She croaked, closing her streaming eyes and holding her dragon tightly. "Thank you..."
With that, the two disappeared behind the last rays of the setting sun, glinting up from the rippling water below.
How did I do that all in one sitting? And at 00:30 hrs? You know you've done too much when you can see a rippling of colours at the edges of your eyes. I think I'm going to sleep now...
After proof-reading this, I can now say that I don't write utter nonsense when I'm that tired, despite what I was expecting. Just a few bits here and there. Anyway, with it all corrected, it is now ready for all of you!