Between Waves and Clouds

18 - Discovering Berk

When Frost finally left the house, the sunlight blinded him for a few seconds. The sky was brighter than in the frozen lands of the north, devoyed of clouds and a deep blue color. The sun was shining bright and, without the usual thick layer of white greyish clouds Frost was used to, its light was yellowish and warmer.

Nuffink held the door for him to step out, then closed it behind them. The three Night Lights didn't wait to start playing and wrestling, running all around them, while the former-merman froze seeing the village.

It was way smaller than Santaklaussen city, but not least impressive. The houses were made of wood, full of vivid colors, and most of the roofs were decorated with wooden figures representing dragons. Some of the creatures were settled on the roofs, especially groups of blue-yellow dragons with spiked crown on their head.

Some tall carved wooden pillars were rising above the houses, they seemed to be made for dragons to perch on it, and Frost also noticed there were some other buildings and contraptions for the dragons, some of them filled with fish. Surely it was the 'all-you-can-eat feeding stations' Nuffink had told him about. A few dragons were actually eating there.

These buildings were that numerous the boy thought this was a village for dragons, not for vikings, even if there was a lot of said vikings among the streets. Joy filled his insides and a broad smile crept on his face, he felt the urge to run everywhere to get a closer look to the houses, the buildings, the dragons, the vikings... well a closer look to everything ! He was so excited ! It was better than everything he had imagined from Nuffink's tales.

However his legs had other plans for him. He wanted to see the village ? They wanted him to kiss the ground. Only one step was enough for the boy to sprawl there. He was soon surounded by dragon laughter and Nuffink's concerned voice.

''You okay ?''

''Stupid legs...'' He mumbled.

He gladly took the viking's hand to get back on his feet, though said feet had troubles to carry him. He leant on his staff and couldn't help but frown in frustration, until a scaly white head rubbed against his arm. It was Pouncer, soflty purring against him. Frost barely had the time to smile they suddenly heard a sort of cackling above their head. It sounded like a dragon, but not like the Night Lights.

Frost looked up and saw a big blue dragon taking off from the roof to land in front of them. The boy backed and fell again, this time on his butt. This dragon was nothing like the Night Lights, and he was huge ! If the three playful black and white dragons reached his shoulders, he doubted he could reach this dragon by stretching his arm up.

The beast was standing on his two hinder legs, the wings seemed to be arms as well. The muzzle looked like a beek and sharp, crooked teeth were coming out of the mouth. He was looking at them from the side, as if his big snout was encumbering his sight. The dragon was the same spiked-crown specie as the others the boy had spotted on the roof, but seeing him so close was impressive... and intimidating.

''Easy, girl.'' Nuffink hushed the dragon.

Oh, so this was a female ? The blond viking stroked her chin, scratching it in a way she seemed to be fond of, judging by how she shook her spiked long tail and the chirp sounds she made. Frost looked in awe at the dragon.

''Frost, this is Stormfly, a Deadly Nadder, and my mother's dragon. Stormfly, this is Frost, he's from the frozen lands of the north.''

''The frozen lands of the north ?!'' A voice exclaimed from a few steps away in the street.

Frost turned around to see a group of vikings who seemed to be roughly the same age as Nuffink and him. There were two girls and two boys. One girl had a rounded face, two dark-blond braids on her shoulder, and green eyes that were far from being as bright as Nuffink's. The other girl had sharper facial features, a taller and more muscular frame, three long braids of dark brown hair hanging on her back, and piercing eyes a light, greyish blue. The first boy looked a lot like the second girl, same hair and eye color, same head shape and nose, though he was shorter and had a pile of short dreadlocks gathered on his shoulder. The second boy was tall and broad, he seemed to be twice the size of Nuffink. He reminded Frost of his brothers but he seemed more friendly. His skin was tanned, his hair jet black and his eyes seemed the perfect middle between blue and green, just like Limönn's scales and hair.