Broken Prophecy: How to Train Your Dragon

THE BROKEN PROPHECY Chapter 9

This is a fanfic and I make no money from this. Original copyrights belong to Dreamworks and Cresedia Cowell

Chapter 9

Each morning brings a new day of training. On the second day, Azurestorm gets to chase the young Vikings around the arena. Giving them a day of shield practice. Afterwards, Gobber delivers another bucket of scraps to the individual dragons, saving the last bit for Kari along with another round of beatings. The third day gives the kids a second chance with Gypsum. Again, after training, Gobber spends extra time hammering away on the docile dragon, keeping her exhausted and demoralized. The routine seems set in stone, when it changes suddenly on the fifth day.  Kari's gate opens revealing not Gobber, but Astrid.

Astrid watches the dragon warily, as she enters the cell. Working in silence, the young blond pours the bucket of scraps into the trough. The stench coming from it is enough to put her off her own dinner, but seeing the ebon dragon making no moves toward the food, nor any aggressive moves against her, piques her curiosity and examine the dragon closer. Astrid had been prepared to rage and hate against the monster that killed Hiccup. Her gaze falls upon the beasts torn and bruised hide. Scales having fallen out in large patches caused by the daily beatings. One large amethyst eye never leaves the young warrior, the other is too swollen to be of use. After filling the trough with the last scraps in her bucket she chokes at the smell. "Gods that reeks. Why aren't you eating?" Astrid approaches the cowering dragon, and with hand outstretched comes within inches of touching the Night Fury's snout.

"Hofferson!!" the unmistakable voice of the village chief shouts. "What in Hel's name are you doing? That devil will take your hand as easily as... Odin that's foul!" He waves his hand before his face, trying to clear away the stench of rotting fish.

"Sorry sir, I didn't know you had come back." Astrid steps back. "It hasn't eaten since we brought it in. I don't think it has the strength to fight back... I... I think it's dying."

"This is the mighty Night Fury?" Stock taunts. "THIS is the devil that took my son from me?" His fist pulls back, and like a thunderbolt he strikes. The force of the blow rocks the helpless Night Fury's head back. "This is the devil that has terrorized MY village for years?" Another blow, followed by a kick, then another punch. Kari loses count of how many blows she takes before unconsciousness claims her. Her last thought as the world spirals into blissful darkness is, Maybe this time I won't wake up.

Astrid watches helplessly as Stoick and Gobber rain blows down on the unresisting dragon. She had always hated dragons. She hated the damage they would bring down on the village. She hated how much livestock and supplies they would make off with, leading to lean winters. Even her family disgrace, all linked to dragons. But it had always been a detached hatred, hatred of some faceless thing. Now that thing had a face... Despite the years of living with that fear, that hatred, she couldn't help but feel pity for the black dragon lying on the floor before her. The beating it received could only be described as systematic. The Chief and blacksmith only stopping when their own hands become too bruised and sore to continue.

Slipping back into the pen after Stoick and Gobber had left, Astrid moves to the beaten dragon. Dipping a clean rag into the water trough, Astrid gently begins cleaning the beast's wounds. Focusing on its eyes. The left had been swollen and caked in dirt and blood, now the right was looking very much the same. "Why? Why do this? It won't bring Hiccup back!" Even her gentle ministrations makes the dragon whimper. "You need more help than I can give..." An idea strikes her, "Gothi!! She can help!" Astrid gets up, and after locking the heavy wooden gate behind her, runs to the highest point in the village to bring the Elder back. In her haste, the blond Vikingg misses the quiet scratching at her feet, and the barely legible scrawl in the dirt, Hiccup me.

In the dreamless void, Kari feels no pain, no regret, no loneliness. All these things come crashing back down upon her as she slowly drags herself back from the abyss. Her breath comes in shallow gasps that bring new levels of pain. Heat rises behind sightless eyes, her mind is clouded but the idea of a fever seems about right. Something cool and damp, gently dabs at her eyes, bringing an involuntary whimper from her. A voice, distorted by the ringing in her ears, sounds gentle and familiar. The sounds don't seem to make much sense but a single word, 'Gothi' sounds important. Through the haze of pain, she realizes she needs to make them understand. Her claw works at the ground, but without seeing her progress she only hopes someone can read it. A moment later the cool dampness disappears and the 'THOOM' of the gate slamming shut rings in her head. 'Alone again...' she muses, 'A brief moment of gentleness and then I'm abandoned all over again'.

"Kari? Sweety?" Even in her addled state, the gravelly voice of Gypsum is clear. "Are you still with us?" The distress in her voice makes Kari cringe.

Every breath is a knife carving her chest up from the inside, but despite herself she answers, "I'm still here". Her voice sounds so soft, so pained.

"No one should be going through that... You should be out there, finding a nest and preparing for your first clutch with Tannlaus."

'First clutch? Why would she be worried about that now?'   Kari is baffled, but informs the older dragon, "Tannlaus hates me".

"Now what would give you that idea? I've never heard that male ever say a bad thing about another dragon".

"He told me so... He said I lied to him... That I played him for a fool..." Kari breath comes in a heaving sob, making her growl in agony. "Maybe I did lie, maybe I just didn't tell him the whole truth. I wasn't raised by dragons... I don't know anything about dragons... even about being a proper one!"

Gypsum is quiet for a time, the silence stretches for what seems an eternity. "How little do you know?"

"I can't fly, I don't know how to hunt or fish. Tannlaus had just begun to teach me how to breath fire."

There is a long moment of silence from the elder dragon, "Do you know about taking a mate? Kari, this is important, how much DO you know?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Kari shifts as the pain sends another bolt through her, making her breath hitch in her chest, "This really isn't the best..."

Gypsum interrupts with a snort, "Kari... I'm sorry youngling... You are what 15, 16 seasons old? Have you been feeling achy, itchy, feverish?"

"How?"

"Your scent is getting stronger, your body is trying to entice a male for mating." the elder dragon says matter-of-factly. "I can smell it from here."

"Well I'm not going to let anyone..."

"Listen!! You may not know or understand what is happening, because, you say you were not raised by dragons, but a female's first season is their worst."

On top of the physical trauma, now I have to deal with this? "What do you mean 'their worst'."

Kari can tell from Gypsum's tone, she is deadly serious. "A female's first cycle is the hardest. It marks the changes making a youngling into an adult, but if a female can't or doesn't take a mate and lay eggs, she dies."

Kari grunts a mirthless laugh. "That's just about perfect. If the beatings don't kill me, my own body will... One way or the other, it will be over soon," she says as she rests her head on her forelimbs.

The sound of chains lifting the bar on her gate silences the dragons. Kari can smell Astrid and another entering the pen. The 'other' smells of herbs and dust. "Can you do anything for it, Gothi?" Astrid asks. Kari lies still as small weathered hands poke and prod her scaly hide. The sound of scratching catches her attention. "I need to find those mushrooms, and herbs from your hut?" She hears Astrid ask, followed by more scratching. "Okay, I'll go get them, and the hot water too." The sound of booted feet fades into the distance, followed by an agonizing silence.

"So... This is where you've gone off too, eh?" says a voice that Kari could only describe as ancient. The dragon tries to stand, only to collapse in pain, GOTHI?!