The Soul of a Dragon

Chapter 55

Liv

Before

The salty breeze swept through my hair as I perched on the edge of the craggy cliff, overlooking the sprawling expanse of Berk Island. The sun dipped low, casting a warm, golden hue across the landscape, but within me, a tempest brewed.

Tuffnut. A name that echoed – no, roared – through my thoughts, filled with conflicting emotions. He was a whirlwind of laughter and unpredictability, a person who had somehow managed to burrow into the depths of my heart despite the hurt he'd caused.

Against all odds, despite him hurting me, I had fallen for him. His mischievous charm and infectious spirit were a magnetic force that drew me in, even amidst the turmoil he stirred within me.

Yet, here we were, standing at the edge of a precipice in more ways than one. I had ventured to the cliff seeking closure, hoping for a chance to unravel the tangled threads of emotions that bound us together. Hoping for an apology. Hoping for an explanation. And, in truth, hoping for a second chance.

But then, without warning, he flung himself backwards off the cliff. My heart lurched into my throat and I instinctively reached out as if I could stop his reckless plunge. But a voice in my head said: "That's such a Tuffnut-thing to do."

I screamed but, of course, his dragon catcheed him mid-fall and that bastard flew away. My gasp of shock transformed into a mixture of disbelief and bemusement. Now, I watch, wide-eyed, as Tuffnut and his dragon soar away into the horizon, leaving me dumbfounded on the cliff's edge. By now, any sane woman would have faced her back to him. But even though he can be a pretty huge coward, I see those feelings for me burn like a fire in his eyes before he jumped off the cliff. And that fuels my stubbornness to call for Sharphorn but, being my other half, she's already waiting for me. I smile.

A sardonic smile dances on my lips. "I'm coming for you, Thorston. You're not getting rid of me that easily," I murmur. I refuse to let him make a dramatic exit without explaining things first. You gotta earn these things, ya know?

I realise I sound like a crazy and obsessed woman. I am not. I think.

Together with Sharphorn, I take flight, chasing after the minuscule speck in the sky that is Tuffnut. The wind roars past us as I literally chase that idiot across the entire island. Yet, all I feel is a rush of tumultuous emotions propelling my pursuit. I feel alive.

Finally, on a remote stretch of the island, I corner him. Landing gracefully nearby, I see Tuffnut immediately stumble over his words, failing desperately to connect words into sentences. I jump off Sharphorn's back and pet her neck, because she's got Tuffnut in her killer-vision focus. You don't want to be the centre of that focus. I kind of think it's funny, though. The more steps I take towards Tuffnut, the more he backs up.

"This is getting ridiculous, don't you think?" I ask with a sigh. I love a good chase but I am still the girl that needs answers. Even if all I get is a clear 'No', I'd be satisfied to know where I am at.

Finally, Tuffnut finds his voice. "Liv, I... I know I've messed up. Big time. And I'm sorry. I've been an idiot and I shouldn't have treated you the way I did nor let my own fears of not being enough affect you."

I blink in astonishment. He never ceases to surprise me, that's for sure.

With a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, I soften my voice, "Tuffnut, what are you trying to say?"

Taking a deep breath, Tuffnut continues, his tone more earnest than I have ever heard before. "I've hidden a lot behind the jokes and the stunts. But next to being afraid that I am not good enough and knowing that you deserve better, I am scared of letting anyone in, I guess."

He pauses, collecting his thoughts, his gaze shifting between me and the horizon. "I've never met anyone like you. I will never understand why, but you see me and you like me for me. It fricking terrifies me."

My brows furrow slightly and empathy laces my features. I ask truly baffled, "Terrify you? Me? Why?"

"Because despite having known you for a small while, I already feel like I've known you for ages. You accept traits of mine that others call weird. You light up my world every time you smile and even more so when I am the reason you do so. You make me want to be better. You make me want to be the person you see in me without being ashamed of myself," Tuffnut admits, his eyes firmly on mine. It almost feels like a Skrill's electric sparks set my nerves on fire.

"I've messed up, hurt you, and I hate that I've done that. But I can't stand the thought of losing you because of my stupidity," he confessess. "I know I've just jumped off a cliff and then quite literally fled, but that's the thing. You still came after me. Not angry. Not annoyed. Simply because you know I need a little push. Liv, I want to make things right. I want to show you the real me, the guy who cares deeply for you. I want to try, for you."

I feel a wave of emotions wash over me – surprise, empathy, and hope. I reach out and pull him into a hug, but he has other plans and crashes his lips onto mine. All of that vulnerability and passion flows into the kiss and it weakens me to my core. I don't know what the heck I got myself into with this guy, but I know I'm happy. That's all that counts.

Present day

I think back to the kiss Tuff and I exchanged right before two dark talons appeared out of the blue and grabbed my shoulders. It kind of seems like a story that's been told too many times, right? Those stories that get passed down from person to person, each and every one of them adding their own little lies and twists to it, until it becomes pure fantasy based on a corner of dust which is supposed to be the truth. Also, in those stories, every time right when there's a happy moment, something 'unexpected' happens to destroy that illusion. Well, I feel like I am in one of those fucking stories.

My headache worsens with the unrelenting shaking of the cage I am being kept in on the back of a green Monstrous Nightmare. They are famous for their large and voluminous wing movements. I feel sick to my stomach and have bruises all over my body from crashing into the steel bars over and over again. Not that that is the worst thing about all of this. Yes, I was kidnapped. But the more appalling thing is those dragons. Those poor creatures. They look they are being fed just enough to survive and the shackles around their feet and legs, as well as the muffles clamming their mouths shut and the metal sticking out of their skin, are all horrendous products of torture. Some of these dragon species do not seem familiar but I quickly put two and two together by the fact that they resemble other well-known species – they're hybrids. These monsters went against Mother Nature. I haven't gotten the chance to gather much logistics yet, but my father taught me well and I manage to read lips, facial expressions, and even some sign language. All I know up until now, is that we are headed somewhere to the east – the origin of my clan – and they need me to navigate and find something. Apparently, I know the location of something they want. I have no damn idea what it is and I definitely don't know about it. Yet, here I am. Super story.

I don't know how long we've been flying. I bet Tuff and the gang are already on their way to get me. It feels like ages since that kiss. That is why I am so surprised to see land rise on the horizon. Rich with giant trees and the waves clashing upon the sandy coastline, I feel a sense of coming home. Suddenly, flahses of my father and the bedtime stories he used to tell me to help me sleep appear as clear as a sharp-edged crystal cutting through my mind. I know why they've come here and taken me along with them. Suddenly, I know what they are after. And it is not good.