Broken Prophecy: How to Train Your Dragon

THE BROKEN PROPHECY Chapter 23

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

Chapter 23

Gypsum slowly waddles past one nest after another. Some holding excited mothers waiting for a sign their eggs are ready to hatch, others with tiny hatchling less than a day old. Her wandering takes her further inland than she would have done naturally, but today she was hunting for something, or someone, specific. Her grin grows as she finally finds a pair of dark dragons nesting near a small hot spring. The larger lifts his head at the sound of the approaching Stone-biter, "Gypsum!" he calls happily. "What brings you out here?"

"Well, you two. Isn't it." She looks at the exhausted lump lying with tail covering her face. "Kari? Are you alright, lil' one?"

Blearly Kari opens her amethyst eyes, and without a word lifts her protective wing. Tucked tightly against the dragoness body are three jet-black eggs. With a brief puff of flame, she once more covers her treasures. "Three?! You laid three!" Gypsum turns to Tannlaus, "Is that normal?"

Chuckling, "Just dropped the last one an hour ago. Normally Shadewings only lay a single egg. My brother was ten years older, and my sister was five." His green eyes filled with awe, "My Kari is something special." He watches his mate in fascination as she falls back on dragon instincts she didn't know she had. "Love you keep warming that one... Is everything alright?"

Kari looks up, "I don't know..."

Gypsum chuckles, "Are you warming just that one egg? Like something, or someone, is telling you he is cold?"

Kari nods, confused.

"That's your son." She announces to the soon-to-be parents. "Males like the extra warmth. I've had enough clutches to know... You warm the eggs and they hatch male... Use your body heat, female." She takes a moment to look at the pair, "Don't fight your instincts on this... You could fight and let them all grow female or warm them all and have all males, but the ones that you 'altered' like that would never be truly happy. They wouldn't be who they were meant to be."

"Are you sure?" Kari asks. "A boy and two girls?" Her voice filled with awe.

The jovial Stone-biter laughs, "Unless you change your heating urges. Most first time mothers are so worried they will get 'something wrong'... Just follow your heart, and let what comes natural happen. The old dragoness looks around the relative solitude. "There are still good nesting spots near Azure and Mita, and Volcus's mate is fairly... pleasant?"

"Is that a hint, you needed to get away from her?" Tannlaus teases. Then looking back to his napping mate. "Thank you, but no. Kari flew over the island three times before she settled here." Stepping around to curl protectively around her, "We may be social, but I agree with her... This solitude just feels right." His jade green eyes watch for her reaction.

The older dragoness gives him a grin, "I understand... I won't keep you, but I will be back to keep you up on the hatchlings." With a flutter and distinctive buzz of wings, the small brown dragon clears the tops of neighboring trees before zipping back toward her own nest, and the male she shares her eggs with.

****

"Yaknog! Get your frothy mug of Snoggletog cheer!" Astrid call to the assembled teens.

"Uggg... What is it?" Tuffnut asks taking a whiff of the putrid smelling concoction.

"Yaknog! Something I whipped up. I thought we could try making a few new Snoggletog traditions. With Snoggletog being tomarrow, I thought I'd try making something in the kitchen." Astrid explains with a wide grin and sparkle in her eye.

"I'll yak nog all over the place if I taste that!" Tuff shouts, completely disgusted by the brew.

"Maybe you want to taste my fist?" Astrid asks in a sweet but menacing tone.

"If you made it, I'm sure it will be delicious." Snotlout chimes in, taking a mug and downing a huge gulp before the smell reaches his nose. The stocky boy freezes in place his mouth filled to overflowing with the nearly toxic drink. Forcing himself to swallow, he glances up at the blond, "You can sure taste the yak..."

"I think that's a fine idea Astrid!" Stoick joins the small gathering, Valka following close behind. "To New traditions!" The Chief takes a mug and in one gulp finishes off the whole thing. Snotlout looks on in terror as his uncle missed the desperate shakes of his head, trying to want him off.

Happily Astrid skips off with her tray of 'cheer'. "Fresh Yaknog! Come and get your fresh mug of merriment!"

Ruffnut looks at the two Vikings clutching their guts, "Are you two crying?"

Valka pats her husband on his broad back, "Will ya' be alrigh' dear?"

Before he can answer a distant roar echoes from the frozen bay. "Volkus?" Snotlout manages to work out between heaving breaths.

"What is that?" Fishlegs points out a largish cloudlike shape just above the horizon. Another roar, followed by another and another. The closer the 'cloud' get to Berk, the more frequent the roaring becomes. "Dragons!" He shouts.

The cloud begins to break up, with the bulk moving off to skirt around the island, and in the direction of Helheim's Gate. A smaller cluster moves swiftly toward the island itself. A small group of Flamerongues, Stone-biters and Thorntails soar toward the center of town, the large hull of a wrecked longboat suspended below them by ropes clenched in their talons and teeth. Leading the flight Tannalus and Kari land, sending up a storm of dust and snow.

Cheers from the villagers drown out the victorious roars of the gathered dragons. Fishlegs rushes forward giving Gypsum a huge hug, The twins find Vomi and Mita, even a teary eyed Snotlout shows his red scaled friend how much he was missed. Valka and Stoick approach the pair of Shadewings.

"Kari, Tannlaus... You brought them back!" Stoick looks in askance at the wreckage now sitting in the center of town. Kari looks over her shoulder and coos. A single black head crests the bow of the ship, huge golden eyes look on in wonder at the non-dragons.

Valka and Astrid cry out in matched squeals of excitement. "Babies! You brought babies!"

A second black head joins the first, then a third. Green eyes and blue join the yellow. With another coo, the three tiny Shadewings flutter awkwardly to join their parents.

Stoick stumbles back, looking between Kari and the three little ones. "Babies? Your babies?" Her silent nod, brings a grin she had never seen on her father's face. Hastily scratching in the dirt, Hi Dad Meet Amber, Starchaser and Jade.

Stoick looks at the hatchling with gold eyes, "Amber?" Seeing Kari nod, he continues. To the green eyed he points, "Jade?" Her nod brings a grin to his face. "Starchaser." He points at the littlest hatchling, only to draw back his hand with a yelp. Hanging from his outstretched hand dangles the fierce blue-eyed dragon, his toothless maw catching Stoick in a vice-like grip.

"Oh dear!" Valka calls, failing to hide the laugh in her voice.

Kari growls, making the tiny dragon look to his mother. "Star, stop biting your Grandfather," she commands.

Not wanting to completely lose his fierce impression, he gives a quick 'chomp' before opening his mouth and dropping to the ground with a thump. Shaking himself off, the tiny dragon saunters to his father's side. Tannlaus throaty warble comes to a sudden stop as his mate sends a glare in his direction.

With calls from the other dragons, the side of the ship quickly becomes over run by a small flood of hatchlings of every type and color. Quickly the town center is filled with humans reuniting with their dragon friends and hatchlings gathering around proud parents.

Happy Snoggletog, Kari writes.

With an arm wrapped around his wife, Stoick reaches out and wraps the other around his dragon-daughter. Hugging them both the big man doesn't know whether to laugh or cry and finally settles on both. "I have my family back!" Tannlaus slips next to his mate, and wraps his wings around the awkward cluster, enveloping everyone together, with the hatchlings rubbing against legs and chasing each other merrily. "Happy Snoggletog!"