Left In The Night

Chapter 39

Following the arrival of the egg, life resumed on Berk as usual. Zyrah, Konall, and Rurik became acclimated to the new village, enjoying their time.

Additionally, Blueheart allowed Hiccup and Fishlegs to observe the egg, as long as they kept their hands off it, of course. She demonstrated how Night Furies cared for and incubated their eggs, a singular egg in this case.

She'd dug a shallow hole into the house extension's floor, breathed a gentle fire into it, then rolled the egg into the hole. Surrounded by Night Fury fire constantly.

"Fascinating! They must have a special temperature to keep the egg warm!" Fishlegs remarked.

"Gods, I just hope it doesn't explode like with Gronckle eggs."

"To be fair, Gronckles are the only of the Core 4 species that lay exploding eggs. Nadders, Nightmares, and Zipplebacks don't have that."

"Oh, that's true."

Elsewhere, Zyrah opted for the opportunity to explore Berk, even without Blueheart or her other usual companions. It was a chance for Blueheart to be a bit more acclimated to the feeling of being apart from her rider as she stepped into motherhood, given it would be time-consuming, and most of her attention would be mainly on her future hatchling.

As the raven-haired teen strolled around the village of Berk, she navigated her way through the ever-growing crowd of dragons. Little Terrors scampered around her feet or hovered just overhead like a Junebug. Baby Scuttleclaws squawking for attention, a pair of siblings rushing up to her, only for them to be chased by a burly man.

It was quite mesmerizing. Even though Firewind and Berk had many things in common, being dragon friendly and all, it was evident there were differences as well. Firewind was more of an outward-expanding village, the outskirts growing further into the wild forests of the small island. Contrarily, Berk seemed to expand skywards. Towering buildings and other structures were being constructed higher and higher till they kissed the sky.

It was like Berk wanted to become the sky.

That being said, she admired the adjustments the Berkians had made for their new companions and pets. Feeding stations were everywhere, as were variously sized perches, dragon washing stations as well, and even a contraption intended for fire prevention.

It was quite impressive. And sure, Firewind had beaten Berk in being dragon-friendly, but that wasn't to say it wasn't old-fashioned. Maybe she ought to mention to Kjarr about using technology to better their village.

Hm. A discussion for when she returned home.

As she took in the sights and sounds of Berk, she found her way to the forge, where she could see Gobber hard at work. There was no line at his window, so it was fair to assume it was a light work day.

As if he had a sixth sense, the aging blacksmith looked up and flipped back his protective face shield.

"Ah! Berk's finest guest! How're ye?" He enthusiastically greeted. Zyrah couldn't help but grin in response.

"I'm doing alright, thank you, Gobber."

"'Akin' a good stroll 'round the village?" She nodded.

"It's a lot to take in. Berk is surprisingly much busier than Firewind."

"That right? Fascinatin'. So, what brings you to me humble abode?" He inquired, scratching his braided mustache with his good hand.

Zyrah paused, it had really just been a casual stroll, but as she thought more, the weight of her twin swords on her back suddenly felt heavier. She could catch the scent of old blood reeking from the metal and cries of slain dragons echoing in her ears.