Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 30

Two weeks had passed since you had escaped Johann's base. The quick succession of events had caught up with you, and you and Amethyst had spent the last fortnight on this island recovering. In the meantime, you had befriended some of the wild dragons living on the island. The truth was, now that the rush of whatever the last few months had consisted of had subsided, you felt incredibly bored, and you weren't quite sure what to do. You realized that, now that you seemed betrayed from all ends, you had nowhere to go back to. At least you had Amethyst - you didn't know what you would do without her. You were sure it was her company that kept you sane in times like this.

You had no idea what to do. You felt utterly useless just surviving on this island. A part of you wanted to simply choose a direction and fly that way forever, whatever it might bring. You remembered Hiccup had always been fascinated by what lay beyond the Archipelago, and you shared that curiosity. As risky as your experiences had been, you lived for the thrill of adventure. You imagined a life where you and Amethyst could soar through the sky anywhere you chose, beyond the knowledge or even imagination of any other viking. And that dream was very possible now.

 Who would stop you? No-one.

Yet, there was one thing that seemed to hold you back. Viggo. Even the thought of him tugged at your heart to stay.

"What are you thinking?!" you said to yourself. The truth was, you weren't thinking. Well, that had got you into trouble before...

"He betrayed you, remember?!" you couldn't help yelling at a tree. Any other time, you would have been embarrassed, but you needed to voice your thoughts. Besides, you were alone on this island apart from a few dragons.

You unsheathed your sword.

"He betrayed me!" you breathed again, clenching the hilt and feeling a serious urge to slash at the tree. A part of you cried out that he hadn't. That he did that to protect you. That he loved you. You still weren't one hundred percent convinced by the letter. What if he was lying again? He was good at that, it seemed. You wanted to believe it, but that would be short-sighted and foolish. Besides, it wasn't as if he had since made any attempt to find you or make sure you had escaped safely. You assumed he was still with Krogan and Johann, probably laughing over your gullibility and failure. You hated that - being tricked - especially by him. You were almost willing to believe that he did at least care about you a bit. Otherwise, what else would explain his actions? Despite this, you stuck by what you had always known and always told yourself: 'Viggo Grimborn is a Dragon Hunter'. Aside from whatever you had shared, that didn't change the fact that he hunted and killed dragons for profit. You were convinced that, if he had had the chance, Amethyst would have befallen no lesser a fate. For that reason alone, you could never be with him the way you had again.

Angry, you struck a small branch with your sword, making it fall to the ground. You heart was racing, and your teeth were clenched in aggravation. Viggo had done this to you. You wouldn't have endured half the pain you had if you had never landed on his island all those months ago with Ember - if you had never left Dragon's Edge - but what choice did you have? Ugh, your mind was going round in hopeless circles.

"Viggo!" you shouted, your shaking, yet defiant, voice echoing through the swaying trees.

"I hate you." you muttered more quietly, but bitterly. The words seemed to carry from your lips in the swift wind. Your heart seemed to scold you, and you weren't entirely sure that what you had said was true, but, for now, it made you feel better.

Amethyst, who had been diligently observing the whole situation unravel, perked up at this comment, as she strode up beside you. You looked down at her, her eyes sparkling with defiance. It seemed she understood what you had said and disagreed with it.