How to Train Your Dragon - Traitor Among Them

Chapter 3 - Meeting the Gang

The fire crackled, losing its strength. With a tired sigh Lyra stood up and prodded the embers with a stick. A chill went up her spine, and suddenly Lyra felt as though she could feel eyes watching her. Lyra wanted to believe it was only a wild animal. She heard Enya growl but motioned for her to stay put. Lyra continued to stir up the fire, but her other hand lingered close to the hilt of her weapon. Just when Lyra heard movement, it occurred to her that it might not be a dragon rider at all. Was Viggo closer than she realized? Lyra shot up, and wood creaked in the distance. Something was thrown and she drew her weapon and held it in front of her, ready to deflect the large object coming her way. Her eyes widened when she realized it was a net, and it fell on top of her so heavily her feet buckled, and she landed hard on her back. Enya was in front of her in an instant, flapping her wings defensively. She bared her teeth, looking back to check on Lyra, who had angrily pulled the net off her by now.

Lyra didn't even think to draw her hood or pull up her mask. The trespasser had seen her, anyway. Without hesitation Lyra brought her weapon close to her chest, the other hand slightly extended in preparation to fight. She passed Enya in a run and headed in the direction that the net had been launched. She heard running footsteps and focused solely on that, only to be knocked to the ground again. This time, claws tightened around her shoulders, and when Lyra hit the ground, she looked up to see a dark dragon.

The night fury. 

His eyes narrowed to slits, and his expression was one of complete dominance. Lyra matched his fierce gaze and attempted to lift her weapon, but the night fury had her pinned. He reared back slowly and opened his mouth, a purple glow in his throat. Lyra threw herself upward and kicked the night fury in the stomach. He recoiled, shifting his grip in the process. It left enough room for Lyra to move her arm slightly, and she whipped her weapon around as far as it would go. The night fury growled in anguish and let go, the gash starting to bleed. It was likely there were very few instances that occurred; he looked livid. Lyra scrambled up and didn't give the night fury time to think; without hesitation she strode forward. She heard Enya roar in the distance. Was the dragon rider attempting to befriend her? She wondered what he would do when he realized her dragon was fiercely loyal to her. He didn't seem like much of a fighter, which was unusual, but what would happen when he didn't have a choice? Was she wrong about these dragon riders? More specifically, was Viggo wrong? She was trying to get away from picking sides, but suddenly it seemed everyone was competing for her attention.

All this crossed her mind briefly as she lifted the bar at the hilt of her weapon and swung her double-bladed sword in precise strokes, the night fury narrowly missing the blades. She ducked and nearly lost her balance as the night fury flapped its dark wings and shot a plasma blast. Lyra waited until the night fury surged forward, swerving past another blast of purple as she ran. When was very near to his face, she dropped down to a slide and nicked the same leg with her blade. She didn't think the night fury could be any louder; she was wrong. An ear-splitting roar shook the forest, and Lyra hesitated a moment. No, she couldn't back down! Hadn't this dragon tried to kill her when she was pinned? Was he only keeping her occupied until his companion arrived? She had captured and killed dragons before, many years ago. Perhaps the night fury knew that. Her blood was poison. Everything she knew she left behind, and yet it was all she knew. She tried to clear her mind, but the night fury growling made it difficult to focus. 

With a grimace Lyra threw herself forward; her weapon brought upward to meet its target with a downward swing, but the night fury backed up and instead her blade hit the blade of another sword with a metallic ring. The dragon rider had stopped her, gripping his sword tightly with clenched teeth. He fought her strength, and her weapon gradually lifted. His face was close, using his whole weight to finally knock her weapon clean out of her hands.