Fury (A How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Wandering Souls

"Thora! You have to run!"

My mother stands in front of me, her blonde braid black with soot and her armour broken. I'm only seven, my eyes wide with fear when I look up at her dirtied face. Fire burns all around us and the cries of dragons can be heard above our heads, causing my little body to shake with nervousness. The creatures' eyes seem to glow blood red and their skin seems to blend with the smoke in the air, only adding to the aura of fear.

"We aren't getting away this time. These dragons...it's too much." She kneels down and gently grasps my shoulders. "Run. Don't worry about your father and I. We'll be fine."

"But momma..." I start.

"No, Thora."

She smiles weakly. I wrap my arms around her in a tight hug, her broken armour making me feel almost safe. She returns the embrace, kissing my cheek as tears run down her face.

"I love you, baby girl. Don't ever forget that," she whispers as she gets to her feet.

She gives me a light shove, setting me running. I hear her shout out an inaudible phrase as a fireball explodes behind me, the heat searing my back. I dash towards the trees, my lungs burning with inhalation of smoke in the air. I look back only once as I reach the tree line, tears filling my eyes as my village slowly falls to the terror of the dragons.

I wake with a start, my body trembling and a cold sweat coating my forehead. I calm my rapid heartbeat with deep breath, placing my hand on my forehead. That dream...it's always that dream. No matter how far away I get from that time, from that place, and yet I can't forget.

I feel as though the stories I was told as a child were just that when I experience this dream; stories. Everyone perished. The end. The story is over and I am the only one who can pass on the words. I choose not to. It doesn't matter anymore.

I sit up, brushing myself off as I readjust my purple tunic. My canopy of twigs and leaves that I made yesterday kept me dry, something I thank Odin for softly. I move out from under it, looking to the pale morning sky not yet touched by the sun. My mouth stretches out in a yawn as I get the kinks out of my back, my auburn hair turning almost flame orange in the morning light.

"Nightstar?" I call into the brisk air.

There's silence for a moment, but I don't panic. I relax, braiding my hair swiftly so that the length falls down my back. Then, I hear a whooshing sound followed by a soft thump. A large dark mass appears to my right, lurking in the shadows. When I look into the trees, two blue eyes stare back at me.

"Don't keep me waiting," I say, my tone holding a teasing feel.

My dragon comes out, flashing the goofy grin that I've grown accustomed to. She shambles over to me and licks my face lovingly, covering me in a generous dollop of dragon slobber.

"Woah! Hey! Hey! Nightstar!" I laugh, shoving her away.

She wags her long tail, a rumbling laugh shaking her sleek body. I scratch between her long ear plates, still shaking my head at her.

Like I'm doing a lot nowadays, I think of the night I discovered Nightstar. I was eleven, I suppose she was around the same age. I had spent the last four years of my life travelling on foot to nearby villages, but I never stayed long. People don't appreciate my presence, hence why I never stay around them for too long. I'm a Viking, we're tough. We know how to survive on our own.

As it turns out, I'm a lot better at befriending dragons than people. Nightstar warmed up to me rather quickly after that night, and I was flying with her like a pro by the time I turned twelve. She's been with me ever since; all nine years after that day. Dragons become fiercely loyal once you befriend them, I've learned.

I'm twenty now. I don't know if there are other dragon riders like me or if I'm the only one who's tried taming them, and part of me highly doubts that many have...save for a place called Berk.

The very thought of a place filled with dragon riders is like a dream carried by the whispers of the wind. I think that's the main reason that I've never tried to find it. It's too good to be true. Besides, the idea of actually trying to assimilate into a new society after thirteen years repulses me. They have no need for a girl with no ties to her name.

"You ready to go?" I ask.

Nightstar growls happily in return. I climb onto her back, my thighs tightening around her midsection. Riding bareback isn't easy, but I've mastered it. It comes as naturally as breathing.

Nightstar soars into the air on my command. I whoop as we climb higher and higher, bursting through the treetops as the branches and leaves scratch at my face. I only laugh, the sunrise staining the sky vibrant colours of orange, pink, and red. Flying makes me feel so free, so alive. If I could fly by myself, I doubt that I'd ever come down.

There's a whole day ahead of us and a great big world to explore, and I can't wait to get started.

—————

Nightstar and I sit beside a fire as night falls, the snaps and pops soothing to my ears. I warm myself, drying out my damp clothes as I roast a fish over our makeshift spit. Nightstar gnaws on her own plentiful pile of meat, content purrs shaking her body. I chew my dinner thoughtfully, watching the flickering embers.

"I was thinking," I say around a mouthful of cod. "Maybe we should find somewhere to settle down."

Nightstar looks at me with a curious gaze, her ears perking up. Why is that? I imagine her asking.

"I'm just...tired of moving around and not having a home. We've explored all over this place, or so it seems," I continue with a slight sigh in my voice. "I've been thinking about Berk. In one of the towns, I heard that they've changed...maybe they're dragon riders too."

She snorts and lies down. I doubt it.

"Maybe...maybe they'll know what you are. Maybe there will be other dragons like you," I say with a sort of naïve hope in my voice. "But...when it all comes down to it, perhaps I am simply striving for someplace to call home." I shut my eyes. "We're just two nobodies...they wouldn't need us anyways."

Nightstar smiles lightly and closes her eyes, drifting off to sleep with her full belly aimed at the fire. I go and lie down beside her, her scales warm. Her wings wrap around me, blocking out the cold of the incoming night.

"Goodnight, girl."