Soul of the Sky (HTTYD Runaway Fic)

Don't Have To Fight (To Feel Alive)

So, here I was. I should have been elated. Finally, a chance to murder an intelligent being! I thought sarcastically to myself. After yesterday, everything had changed. I felt conflicted about... pretty much everything, to be honest. Gobber's 'pep talk' hadn't helped me at all. When the other teens walked into the ring, they did exactly what I'd expected them to do. Ridicule me, ignore Fishlegs and make dumb statements about how it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.
Yay. Pain. Lovely.

Fishlegs was the closest thing I had to a friend on this island. We were really close when we were younger, but he'd distanced himself from me as we grew up. I couldn't blame him. Being friends with 'Hiccup the Useless' was an easy way to get picked on. As Gobber listed the dragon species we would learn to fight, he whispered facts about each of them in my ear. Without seeming to, I tried to memorise everything he'd said. Those facts could come in handy later on. I was jerked out of my thoughts as Gobber grinned mischievously.

"I believe in learning on the job." I recognised that look. Oh no.
That, my friends, is what I like to call the 'someone is about to be seriously injured' look. Otherwise known as Gobber's subtle warning that things are about to get a whole lot more interesting. Or that someone's going to break something.
Sometimes I think that Gobber is related to the twins.
Then I remember that the twins are themselves. At least Gobber is mostly sane.

All hell broke loose as he yanked the locking bar off, freeing the Gronckle from its cage. "Today is about survival." Gobber announced cheerily as we scattered in terror. "If you get blasted, you're out!"
One by one, the teens were picked off until only me and Astrid were left. I made a weak attempt at engaging her in conversation. Hey, anything to distract from sudden death! As usual, I managed to be an awkward dork about it and embarrass myself again. "So, I guess it's just you and me."

"Nope." Astrid replied. "Just you." she added as she rolled away. The Gronckle's blast hit my shield and sent it rolling across the arena. Panickedly, I chased after it. Thanks a lot, Astrid. I can't believe I thought you were cool.

The Gronckle came up behind me and crashed into me, slamming me against the wall. It opened its mouth to shoot, ready to send me to Valhalla. Out of nowhere, Gobber hooked its jaw and yanked it away.
Its last shot passed a hair's breadth from me. He spun the dragon around, yelling insults at it as he pushed it back into its cage. The one-legged Viking turned around, looking uncharacteristically somber. "Remember, a dragon will always," he paused to look significantly at me. "Always."

"Go for the kill."

* * * * *

"So why didn't you?" I whispered to myself. I stood in the spot where I had found the downed Fury the day before. The day my entire world had been flipped upside down.
Following a trail of black scales, I came out above a basin with a lake in the middle. To my shock, the black dragon that had nearly killed me paced near the center. Why didn't it leave?
It launched itself into the air, flapping its wings in a desperate attempt to gain height. The creature crashed into hard into the wall, its claws scraping the rock. It roared in frustration as it tried again.

I watched from above, quickly sketching the dragon in my book. "Why don't you just fly away?" I wondered aloud. My question was answered when it landed again. Its left tailwing was missing, a raw patch of flesh leaking blood. It looked burned, like the body part had been ripped away and the Fury had cauterised it with its own flames. I winced at the mental image. Was that my fault too?

With a deliberate stroke of the pencil, I erased the missing half. Leaning out again to get a better view, I was surprised when my pencil dropped from my hand. Hehe. Oops. I'm dead again.
The dragon had clearly heard the pencil hit the ground. It looked up slowly to face me, its intense emerald eyes boring into mine. I scrambled up and out of the basin, my mind awhirl with a multitude of confusing emotions. I had felt a sense of connection with that dragon. It had spared my life. Why?