Broken Prophecy: How to Train Your Dragon

THE BROKEN PROPHECY Chapter 10

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

Chapter 10

Gothi?! Kari lies in shock, Gothi does not talk. Can Gothi even talk?

"Of course I can talk... I CHOOSE not to, because my silence makes people listen." Even being blind as she is, Kari can almost imagine the wry smile on the wizened face. "Your fathers did a real good job, they did. If that youngster didn't come sooner I might not have been able to help."

"Sorry," Kari mutters submissively. "I couldn't stop them... I don't know if I even want to stop them now."

That brings a sharp smack of the old woman's walking stick against the least bruised part of the dragon's head. "Now, none of that... I didn't help birth you to let you go and give up now."

"Maybe it's the head injury, but it almost sounds like you can understand me." Kari huffs. "And what do you mean 'helped birth' me?"

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup." The old woman makes a disappointed clicking with her tongue, "Course I can understand you... Wouldn't do me much good to talk to you in this shape if I couldn't. Now shush... I'm trying to check you for injuries my ointments won't be enough to fix."

HICCUP!? She knows who I am!  The befuddled dragon lies shivering.

"Of course I know it's you... I just said so didn't I. NOW, shush! You are thinking too loud."  Kari feels the wise-woman run her hand along her flank, "Oh dear! On top of everything else, your going into heat?" With a deep sigh, "Alright young one. You have a serious decision to make. I can't stop your cycle, but I can 'delay' it a bit. So you need to decide... Are you going to live or die. I won't waste my time trying to heal you if you are going to throw away your life be refusing your new bodies needs."

"How is this possible? How can you understand me? How did I become a dragon?."

Kari can hear the exasperation in the Elder's voice, "I'm not going to get any piece until you get answers am I?... I am Gothi, or at least that's what I'm called in the archipelago, although I have gone by other names. My sisters and I have been watching over the archipelago for a very long time. Watching for signs of a prophecy we made a many, many years ago." The old woman shuffles around, washing the open sores and cuts in the dark scaled hide. "Before you ask... The prophecy has to do with the ultimate fate of Viking and dragon. 'One will come, born to a Leader of Men. A Viking unlike any. Who will bring Union or Ruin to Men and Dragon alike.' Now as to HOW you came to be like this..." Kari hears the old woman's staff rattle and shake. "There was a powerful spell placed on you. Did you find anything unusual that might have been cursed? No? How about a stranger to the village?"

Kari was about to deny seeing anyone like that, but the memory of the grey eyed man flashes before her.

"Grey eyes? Red-gold hair? Scars and burns on his face?" she asks, plucking the image from the young dragon's head. The old woman stops her ministrations, and to Kari's ears sounds like she has sat down. "You poor thing... That sounds like Loki... His magick has always been born of chaos and change and fire... Looks like he gave you the whole treatment, too. He turned you into a dragon, rare, powerful, and female at that". The old woman chuckles, "He's had more than a little experience on this side of the fence, so it makes sense he would change your gender, hoping to cause as much mayhem as possible." Once more the weathered hands begin rubbing some foul smelling salve into the gaps of scales that had been damaged by the repeated beatings.

"So? What's it going to be, eh? Are you going to just give up, or are you going to fight and live?"

"What's the point? Tannlaus hates me. I was a poor excuse for a Viking, now I'm a poor excuse for a dragon."

With a disappointed sigh, Gothi removes her hands from the wounded dragon. "You've made your decision then?"

Before Kari can put it to words, a strange tickle in the back of her mind catches her attention. A tickle like she felt what seemed like a lifetime ago. Lifting her head, her ears stand upright, swiveling back and forth frantically. "Tannlaus?"

As if in answer, a high pitched whistle cuts through the air, followed by an explosion that shakes the pens, sending a cloud of dust to settle on her snout and making her sneeze. "Kari!" a voice shouts, "Kari, answer me!"

"She is in the last cell! Over here, next to mine. She hasn't eaten anything in days, and they have been beating her badly". Gypsum calls out, her voice filled with worry.

A familiar squeaky voice pipes up from her rear legs, "Pretty Kari is leaving?"

"I can't leave, Swift. I can't fly, I can't see, I can barely move. Gothi, you need to get out of here!"

"What's a Gothi?" asks the diminutive dragon.

Kari sniffs around, finding no trace of the old wise woman, as though she was never there. "Never mind, Swift." She feels the small Wyrmling settle upon her broad head. The tiny dragon grabs a pair of her fringe with his rear feet, and gently holds her head with his front.

"Swift go with friend Kari? Swift be eyes?"

Amazed by the tiny dragon's loyalty, Kari can only nod mutely, rewarding her with a happy trill and purr from her tiny rider. A blast of plasma rattles her, as dust and shards of wood explode into her cell. She can feel the little dragon bristle up, "Stay back! Swift protect friend Kari!"

"Kari?" A warm voice, a balm to her shattered nerves echoes in her cell. "I'm so sorry..." The larger dragon pushes past the ruined gate, and finds the cell is barely large enough for Kari herself. Growling in frustration, "I'm too large to pull you out, can you come out on your own? We must hurry, the two-legs will be coming soon."

"Ach, let me in. You're too big." A strange voice, feminine and muffled enters the cell. The scent of hundreds of dragons hang on her, but fail to completely mask the unmistakable scent of human. The stranger's voice, while muffled, clearly speaks Norse. "Ohh, ya poor dear. Look at ya... Ya, hadna eaten in awhile by the looks o' it". Kari hears the swoosh and firm clack of wood against stone, setting some small rattles into motion. "Cloudjumper, free the others. Let's see who we have to work with."

The sound of dragonbreath burning away the gates and joyous cries from her fellow captives gives the young dragon some hope. "We are smaller, Shadewing. We can get around to her other side and push her out." she can hear Gypsum say.

"Gypsum and Azurestorm help?" asks the Wyrmling perched atop Kari's head.

"Yes Swift, we are going to help." The first brush by the elder female makes Kari flinch. "It's alright. We will be as gentle as we can."

Azurestorm hisses through her teeth, "How could they do this?"

"Later! We need to get her out, so that big dragon can lift and carry her." Gypsum cuts her short.

There is a loud crash outside the pens, as Volcus lets loose a wall shaking roar of victory. "We've brought down the metal web, we can fly free now!"

With a firm nudge of her broad snout, and powerful legs, Gypsum and Azurestorm make good headway pushing the Kari from her cell. "Where will we go? I don't much like the idea of returning to the nest, and Kari certainly won't survive there."

The strange, muffled voice calls in Norse from somewhere above her, "Now Cliffjumper, be very gentle." Kari feels fresh wind buffeting her form, and massive paws hook her under the arms and in front of her hips. With just a few powerful flaps, the trio are airborne. Swift gives his friend a minute-by-minute account of the trip, but soon the gentle rocking made by the giant's rhythmic flight has Kari lulled into a half sleep. As unconsciousness claims her once more, she hears Tannlaus talking about a safe nest, and the offer of a new home.