Tommy had soon realized that the dragon was at the waterfall very often, Tommy even thought it might live there. He spent a lot of time watching the dragon, and he even decided to call it a night light instead of just an odd night fury because of the light scales on it. The only times Tommy wasn't watching the night light, he was at training, eating, or asleep. Tommy hadn't gotten any better at the training, especially since he didn't really want to hurt the dragons unless he had to, unlike the others.
It had taken him a whole day to gather up the courage to do it, but Tommy finally decided to approach the night light. He hoped he could eventually get the makeshift bandage off, maybe even replace it if he had too. Tommy had only found himself more interested and liking dragons more when he watched the dragon, and he hoped that there was a chance he could maybe befriend the dragon. Maybe he could befriend other dragons as well, but he kept that hope squashed down until he befriended the night light. If he actually managed to, and didn't suffer a horrible death.
Climbing down the cliff slowly, Tommy was careful not to make any loud noises. He didn't fancy getting thrown into the pond again, though he preferred it over the dragon straight up killing him. He wondered how long the dragon's mercy would last if he kept bothering it... Tommy quickly pushed that thought away, not wanting to lose the courage it took him so long to get. Of course, there was a thin line between courage and stupidity and Tommy was most definitely crossing it with what he was doing. Not that knowing that stopped him climbing down or made him rethink what he was doing. He wasn't going to turn back now, not when this likely was his only chance of figuring out what dragons really were.
He finally reached the ground below the cliff, picking up the fish he had dropped down before he started climbing down. He hoped bringing the dragon some food as some kind of offering or whatever, the dragon wouldn't try to kill him immediately. But when Tommy glanced around the clearing, he didn't see the dragon anywhere. He had made sure the dragon was there before he climbed down, so not seeing it made Tommy's heart begin to race in fear.
Tommy walked forward, furthering towards the lake and farther away from the cliff, putting himself in a much more open view than before. He kept his ears and eyes open as he walked, the smell of raw fish filling his nostrils as his heart continued to beat hard. He heard a small growl-like sound, and stopped dead in his tracks.
The night light he had been watching suddenly came into view, slowly moving in front of him. It didn't seem necessarily aggressive, but it didn't seem real friendly either. It slowly approached him, eyeing the fish in his hands. Tommy held his hands out farther in front of him, offering the fish to the dragon.offering the fish to the dragon. The dragon eyed him and the fish, moving its eyes between the two. Suddenly, it grabbed the fish and it slipped down its throat before Tommy even realized that the fish wasn't in his hand anymore. The dragon's pupils widened, and it started approaching Tommy even more.
"Um, I, I don't, I don't have any more fish-" Tommy said, backing away. He tripped and took a couple wobbly steps back, before falling down. The dragon bent down and opened his mouth... only for a gagging noise to come out of its throat which caused half of a fish to fall into Tommy's lap. The dragon looked expectantly at Tommy, almost as if it wanted home to- he had to stop himself from gagging once he realized the dragon wanted him to eat the fish.
He slowly picked it up, bringing the slimy fish to his mouth. He took a deep breath, before taking a bite of it and trying not to cringe. It definitely wasn't good, but it wasn't the worst thing Tommy had ever eaten. He still remembers that awful mutton Wilbur made one time. Tommy winced as soon as the memory came up, the loss of his brother still feeling fresh somehow. The dragon looked pleased, and Tommy was glad he didn't have to eat anymore of the fish. He looked up at the dragon and smiled, hoping that this was the first step to a new, unlikely, and most definitely forbidden, friendship.
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Over the next few days, Tommy and the dragon, who he had named Mellohi, had gotten closer. She, Tommy had decided the night light was a she, had even let Tommy touch her and take off the make-shift bandage. Despite how sad it might sound, Tommy considered Mellohi his best, and only, friend. Mellohi seemed to consider him her friend as well, so that was nice. Surprisingly, the closer he got with the dragon the easier it was for Tommy to get through training as he learned tricks to defeat the dragons without hurting them.
Tommy could see the pointed and confused looks the others have him, as if they didn't believe he had somehow magically gotten good at the training. Nether, even Sam seemed surprised at Tommy's rapid improvement! He was just glad that none of them suspected that he was friends with a dragon or anything like that, at least not that he knew of. The other Vikings in the village seemed to slowly start liking him more, which made Tommy feel guilty knowing that in a way he was tricking them.
He sighed gently, pushing his body against the black and white dragon as he tried to push away thoughts of expectations, suspicions, guilt, and dread, so he could just relax. Mellohi gave a little huff and a sound of content as she pressed her head against Tommy's arm. It was moments like these that made Tommy feel whole, that made him feel like the gods truly did have a plan for him and he really had a purpose. He might not be completely sure what that plan or purpose was, but he felt like he was okay with that now.
He sat up slightly, raising his hand to gently pet Mellohi on the head. Tommy knew that he could never go back to how he was before he met her, to trying to kill dragons and hating them. Maybe it was true that most dragons were monsters and would always choose to kill if given the choice, but Tommy didn't believe that and he knew that he would never be able to give up dragons. Would never be able to give up Mellohi. It might be weird for him to have attached himself to Mellohi and dragons in general, but it just felt right to Tommy, like he'd finally found a piece he hadn't known was missing.
It hurt to know that he could never be the person his father wanted him to be, that he could never be the one to carry on the family legacy. But even though it hurt, it didn't change Tommy's mind. He wouldn't fight this war against the dragons, and he had no plans to fight his fellow Vikings. Maybe one day he would have to choose a side, but that day hadn't come yet and so for now Tommy would live in between it all. After all, it wasn't like he alone could stop this war, even if he had Mellohi's help. He also didn't want to put her in danger.
Tommy eventually got up, and stretched. The sun was about to set soon, and Tommy was supposed to be back at the village, specifically at the watchtower near the arena, by sunset for a lesson about dragon spotting. Sam was going to be there, but there was also supposed to be another if he remembered correctly. He wasn't sure who that teacher was, but he had a few guesses. There were only so many watchers in the village after all.
Mellohi raised her head and looked at Tommy when he got up. He reached over and pet her head lightly, scratching behind her ear a little. "I'll be back tomorrow girl." Tommy said, petting her neck slightly before leaving. Mellohi made a small noise, and watched as he left. Tommy wasn't entirely sure what she did when he was gone, but he trusted that she could defend herself. She always seemed happy when he came to visit, though maybe that was because he brought food with him most of the time.
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On the Backs of Beast
FanfictionTommy wasn't weak, no matter what other people thought. He was strong, and like the rest of his family he would kill a dragon. His village had been fighting dragons since before he was even born, and although most people would move if dragons attack...
