Age of the Dragons (HTTYD Fanfiction)

Chapter 50

Okay, just to be clear, two things went wrong in publishing this chapter. First of all, I said in Chapter 49 that I would publish this chapter last Sunday, although my update schedule indicates I should have published it on Tuesday (yesterday)! I can't even remember my own deadlines! Second of all, I tried to publish this chapter on Sunday, and it didn't go through! Eh, it's Wednesday now, not *too* far off from Tuesday.

Dragons walked in long, sad lines, prodded painfully along by Grim Gnashers. The great long chains of ash-stained, defeated reptiles moved through the Hidden World, heading to their allocated quarters, where they would be forced to die fighting Grim Gnashers or slave away to pamper the species that had somehow dominated the home of the dragons.

Around them, grinning Grim Gnashers were tearing through the land, covering the glowing mushrooms and crystals in a thick layer of ash that more closely resembled the desired habitat of the hunting dragons. The Hidden World was quickly becoming a desolate wasteland.

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Azure cowered in a cave, trying to avoid the patrols of Grim Gnashers searching for wayward or hiding dragons. He had barely managed to slip away in the chaos, but his safety did hardly anything to ease his fearful and sad heart.

I'm a coward. The leader was right. He thought for the millionth time. But try as he might, he could not get himself to move, nor see anything that he, just a lowly, weak Monstrous Nightmare could do.

Memories echoed around his head, pain and suffering at the hands of the leader, and ridicule from everyone else. Slowly, his hope and will to live had diminished, leaving him solemn and unmoving.

Then, suddenly, Azure remembered Tyler. The boy with the same uncrushable spirit as he had, a jovial and caring friend. And even through the difficulties of training, Tyler was a beacon of hope. And even though Tyler was no longer there, his memory still shone out, reawakening Azure's will.

And suddenly, hope returned to Azure. Strengthening his will, he levered himself to his feet. And instead of avoiding or fearing, he truly began to think, to strategize, like a True Leader.

Then, he smiled. Because for the first time in his life, he knew exactly what to do.

It's time to pull off the most risky maneuver ever! he thought to himself, and he took off, shooting out of the cave.

The tribes subjugated in the initial attack had been saved for last, since they were on the fringes of the Hidden World. So Azure found his tribe still defeated on the ground when he appeared at the edge of the tribal area.

A Grim Gnasher patrolled through the streets, looking on the bodies of the suffering dragons with morbid pleasure. Azure wrinkled his nose, and waited for the guard to fly off.

He didn't have to wait long.

Then, Azure sprang into action, creeping between the dwellings until he found the central circle.

And there was the leader, and a circle of his most trusted guards, sprawled on the ground, barely intact. But when Azure approached, the leader raised his head, looking upon the blue Monstrous Nightmare with disdain.

'Why have you come back, Ngoglyn.' he asked in a weak but angry voice, 'to lie down with the rest of your tribe? Well, you don't deserve it, you failure!' The word coward echoed around the square, each Monstrous Nightmare repeating it angrily.

But this time, Azure didn't flinch away. 'My name is Azure, not Ngoglyn.' he said in a hard tone, 'and if I'm a failure, then how come you were defeated.' The Leader looked shocked. Azure's face was hard, and the leader could plainly see that Azure's resolve was much greater than his own.