A panting dragon lay in a clearing, half submerged in a stream of water. Steam rose eerily from its scales, like a malevolent phantom waiting to prey on them. She was a Deathgripper, freed from the clutches of evil humans. But something was wrong. Her eyes were black slits, her mouth foamed angrily.
"Are you ok?" asked Pouncer timidly. And with that sound, the dragon snapped. Shrieking like mad, she exploded towards the Nightlights, who fled with cries of terror. The Deathgripper chased them out of the forest, roaring incoherently. She chased them to the edge of a lake, where she collapsed in a smoking heap. Dragons gathered worriedly around the Deathgripper, muttering,
"What happened?"
"Is she ok?"
"Was she just chasing those dragonets?"
"Where is our alpha?"
With a thud, the King of Dragons landed on the shore, dragons parted in respect for him. Toothless approached the Deathgripper and saw his dragonets.
"What happened here?" he commanded, after making sure they were ok.
"Daddy, we found her in the woods, she was all smoking hot and - and then she attacked!" recounted a shaking Dart.
"Something is wrong here," growled Toothless, "why would she just attack?"
"I told you not to allow them in here. I told you it would only bring trouble. It is in their nature," hissed Scythe.
"It is not their fault they were controlled by Grimmel for so long. You know that." argued Toothless. "This dragon is sick."
At that the Deathgripper woke up, gasping, "need water..."
Toothless dragged her to the lake, where she gratefully lapped up water.
"What's your name?" asked Toothless soothingly.
"Hornet," replied the Deathgripper, "thank you for taking care of me. One minute I was enjoying the peace of the forest and the next I'm here! It was as if I teleported!"
"Hornet," said Toothless, "you didn't just teleport. You chased my dragonets here and collapsed!"
"Did I?" she replied, genuinely confused, "Wouldn't I remember if I did? And why would I want to harm a scale on any of these cuties?"
"That's just what I feared," said Toothless, "it's true..."
"What's true daddy?" asked Ruffrunner.
Just a whisper, barely audible, "The Prophecy..."
YOU ARE READING
Poisoned (HTTYD)
FanfictionSomething evil has been released, poisoning the very fibers of the Earth with its presence. Shortly after the events of Stolen, the dragons continue to live in peace in the Hidden World. But when a plague hits, and an ancient prophecy starts to unfo...
