The Deathsong's Harmony

Chapter 1 • I Land on the Island

Present day ...

My wings were tired. I loved flying, but flying day after day for a year was not for me.

I should probably explain why I was flying day after day for a year.

But I won't.

I've been flying day after day for a year and I'm tired. So you'll just have to wait and see. You might be able to figure it out.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. My wings were tired.

Well. I had been flying day after day for a year and when that happens, you get tried. Fast. See, flying is a lot like sprinting, jogging, running, or anything that's not walking. Flying gets you to places faster, but it gets tiring. Now for dragons, it isn't that tiring. Nope! We have stronger muscles and wings! It will still tire you out, though. One way to prevent tiring out too soon is to sail on updrafts. That's what I did for a quarter of my flying. For another quarter I swam.

Yes, Night Furies can swim. We have distant cousins, Sea Furies, who can swim much better than Night Furies. Anyways, I swam for a couple months. It's easy to do unconsciously once you learn how. All dragons have gills (even though some gills are smaller and can't be seen or are under scales) that allow them to breathe under water. So while I slept, I swam through the water. It's really easy if you know how.

Anywhosel, as I flew over sea stacks upon sea stacks, I was looking for a place to spend the night. Maybe the place I found would be the place. My new home. That's what I was hoping for the most. I've never really had a home. My birth mother was killed by a Draco Superior and I barely escaped with my life. I never knew my father. I have been led to believe that he went out after the Draco Superior in revenge and was killed by a Speed Stinger. Then a giant wave came to my family's camp. We had to evacuate. This happened again and again. We were always moving. I woke up one night hearing my Momma say that maybe it was because of me that these things were happening. The next day I fled.

I moseyed around the island rings we were at for a few years before deciding to go further than any Night Fury has ever gone before.

There were tales of a place with humans (called 'Vikings') which was named Berk. A sole Night Fury lived there.

I'm determined to find that Night Fury and ask him something no one has been able to answer.

Well, I haven't found him yet, but I've scented him all over. I've also scented a Gronkle, a Nadder, a Zippleback, and of course, a Nightmare.

I had a Nightmare friend, Dawn, and she left a long time ago with her traveling group of Monstrous Nightmares. I never saw her again, but today I thought I could scent her. This was impossible, of course. She's been gone for a long time. It might have been another scent. 

A breaking sound sounded from my right.

I was in the air.

Air doesn't break. Wind does, but not air.

"H-hello?" I called out.

A dragon which I had thought was a cloud appeared. A Changewing.

My wing beats faltered and I almost fell out of the air.

A voice entered my mind. Hush, it's okay. I'm not here for long. I've come to warn you of the Deathsong's Harmony. Don't get trapped, Echogreen. Don't fall prey to her melody. Rescue the Viking boy's life. The black Night Fury depends on it. Beware of the Deathsong, Echogreen.

The voice faded and was gone. Along with the voice, the dragon faded as well.

To be sure, shock overtook my body. Had a Changewing JUST entered into my mind, told me of impending doom, and then left without a goodbye? That was enough for any sane dragon to fall out of the sky.

Doffing the warning, I straightened out and rapidly flew on. I knew I needed to get to the next island I cam upon. I needed real rest. I needed real sleep. I needed real food - not just fish. A nice boar would do.

If you haven't guessed already, I'm not like most Night Furies. I eat meat. I eat fish. I've been known to eat grass if the need arises.

Yup...completely normal!

~*~                                                                                                                                                                   ~*~

A few hours after the mysterious Changewing had appeared, I found a huge island. In the front it had a huge fortress.

I inhaled deeply. Humans. 

I had only smelled the scent once before. A lone Viking, Smalldog, had happened upon our island. He was just a toddling little fella, so the Night Furies took the boy in. Smalldog's scent quickly became that of a dragon's but under the dragon mask was the human smell.

That's how I knew how to stay away from these people.

"C'mon gang! Let's relocate her!" a teenaged voice called out.

My wings dropped to my sides and I plummeted into the ocean. The wind seared across my eyes and it whistled past my ears. I closed my eyes and dropped into the water.

Time slowed as I looked up through the water.

A Deadly Nadder flew over us as well as a Monstrous Nightmare. A two headed dragon - a Zippleback - flew over as well. Behind it was a Gronkle. And behind that?

A Night Fury.

It's shape was recognizable, but it's tail. It's tail was different. It seemed slightly flimsier and ever so shorter than the other. It was a fake tail.

A distorted voice cut through the water. I couldn't hear words, only a voice.

A quiet, longing melody rippled through the water. I felt drawn to the music, but ... but I couldn't go to it. No. I shouldn't.

A shriek pierced through the water. It amplified as it passed through each kilometer of the ocean. As I was nearer the top, it wasn't as intense as it might have been.

I saw another shape speed through the air. It gripped one of the dragons in its talons - the colorful dragon.

A few seconds later I smelled something iron-y. Then the ocean turned blood-red.