Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 19

You didn't trust yourself with the egg. What would happen when it hatched? What if it realized what you had let happen to Ember? The thought still made your heart throb. You had intended to leave this island as soon as Ember had recovered, but obviously that hadn't happened, and there were no other dragons that you'd bonded with enough, that you could fly away from the island on. Besides, what would your next move be? Wait for Hiccup and the riders to launch another attack? No - you were safer here, that was for sure.

 You still weren't quite sure of Viggo's motives. Of course, you knew about the plan you and he had formulated together; but you couldn't understand why Viggo had been so intent on keeping the Changewing egg. Why not use another dragon that the hunters had already captured to carry out the mission? Surely it would be quicker and easier to train an adult dragon, instead of raising a newborn Changewing. You were sure a Changewing could be sold for a considerable price, and Viggo was a businessman, after all. Well, there was no way you would let him touch one scale on your dragon. You were fed up of losing dragons. If you hadn't been fiercely protective before, you certainly were now, gripping the egg tighter. 

Then again, you remembered how genuinely sincere Viggo had seemed as he handed the egg over to you, and your temper softened. Perhaps it was because he knew how much Ember meant to you. Perhaps he knew how much it would have hurt you to give this egg away. But then, why should Viggo care about your feelings? In recent weeks, it had become increasingly apparent to you that he did care about you, whatever that meant...

The truth was, you enjoyed his company - he actually listened to what you had to say, and it was possible to have a both perceptive and sincere conversation with him. He acknowledged your ideas, unlike the riders who had nearly always shunned what you had to say. You couldn't help excitement tingling through you every time you thought of him.

You thought about Ember a lot. The pain never really ebbed away, but you learnt to bear it. You knew he would have wanted you to look after the egg, and that's exactly what you now intended to do. You wouldn't let Viggo's ambition put the Changewing in danger. This egg was now the most important thing in your life and you felt that, if you looked after it, you could somehow make it up to Ember. You knew Ember would have done the same thing all over again, if it meant saving you. That's what it meant to have truly bonded with a dragon and earned its loyalty.

It was growing cold as winter approached (well, colder - it was never exactly warm in the Archipelago, even in the summer).

You sat on your bed, in the tent you now slept in on Dragon Hunter Island. You had been there for a month now, since you'd first landed there, having been hit by one of Stormfly's spines. Most of the hunters seemed to have sort of accepted you, but Lars#2 still gave you a tough time occasionally. You heard him snickering with a few other hunters, every time you walked past. You knew they weren't worth you losing your temper over, so most of the time you ignored them, and shook off the few disjointed fragments of the conversation that you heard.

It was almost midnight. The Changewing egg was clasped protectively between your hands, as you looked at it and repeatedly promised yourself that you would always protect it. You noticed a strange warmth heating your fingers.  The temperature of the egg was rising, and a faint vibration came from inside, gradually at first, and then rapidly. Your heart leapt.

'It must be hatching!' You thought to yourself, as you placed the egg down on the rug in front of the fire. The egg seemed to change color more and more quickly, and the vibrations became more violent, until it seemed to be bouncing on the floor in front of you. After about ten minutes of watching the intensity increase, the outer crystal-like shell of the egg began to erupt, and a burst of colors formed a cloud in the air in front of you. When the colors cleared, you saw a small Changewing looking innocently up at you, her amber eyes wide with wonder at the world, and the first living thing she had encountered - you.

 You had thought there was something different about the egg, when you first looked at it, and it was now revealed. Although the dragon standing before you was unmistakably a Changewing, some of her features were unlike anything you had ever observed in the species before. You had only ever encountered Changewings with bright crimson scales, like Ember. This dragon, however, possessed deep indigo scales, that evolved to a cool, midnight blue at the tips of each wing. And, rather than having two horns that protruded from either side of its head, there were instead two short spikes that stretched directly backwards from either side of her head. The spikes were silver, like the armor of a Razorwhip, and the dancing flames of the fire reflected and glistened in them, mesmerizing you for a moment. Your previous worries flooded away, as you looked at the fresh and determined expression on the young dragon's face.

 You slowly leaned down towards her, gently stretching out your hand towards her. You maintained contact with her bright amber eyes, and gave a smile as she instinctively pressed her snout to your palm. The formalities of bonding seemed to be over, as the young hatchling jumped into your arms, benefiting from the warmth of your body. You laughed softly, as she nuzzled closer to you. Being the only creature this dragon had seen, it seemed the bond the two of you shared was already closer than that between a normal rider and their dragon.

"Hello there." you said softly, wrapping your arms around the dragon, whose eyes were already growing heavy with tiredness. "I know, I'll call you Amethyst. I'm (Y/n). Don't worry, I'm here to look after you. You'll always be safe with me. I promise."

A/N: Introducing Amethyst! I thought it would be interesting to make her a bit different to  the average Changewing - hopefully you like the description of her! She should be really cool in the chapters to come!