Cursed One- How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction

Introduction

A tiny shadow spun under the light of the silver moon, graceful and elegant and steady as the waves that lapped against the sand at her feet.

Her thin legs worked against the beach floor, kicking up sand in a scene of grace and grandeur. Within every few beats of her silent music, she would pause and cast her eyes across the ocean to the tiny lights far in the distance— the fires of a village, separated from her by an ocean and obscured in a wall of mist.

"I'm surprised to see you this close to the ocean."

At the sound of the voice, her smooth rhythm was interrupted. She stumbled.

A large, beastly dragon, crimson body as long and slender as a snake and shimmering scales stamped with yellow markings, beat its wings to hover beside her. "What are you thinking about now?"

She remained silent, refusing to face him.

He opened his oversized jaw, jagged teeth jutting out, and spoke again in a strange, hissing language. "Tell me it's not what I think."

"That's Berk over there... isn't it?" She responded in the same, raspy tongue.

The dragon scowled and stamped his foot sharply. "I knew it."

"You've heard the stories!" She rushed to defend herself. She continued, quieter, in a wistful tone. "They're different."

"That's what you said about the last tribe," the dragon shot back in frustration.

"Just look at what they're doing... they're trai—... er—"

"Go ahead, say it."

She averted her eyes, frowning in the shadows.

"Training. They're training us like we're pets," the dragon insisted.

"You know it's not like that."

"Listen," the dragon stooped his head down so he could stare intently into her eyes. "One day we're going to find the tribe that won't just exile us and send us on our way. They'll kill us. Or worse, they'll send us to Skarde."

The girl winced.

The dragon continued, suddenly sounding weary. "We can't keep doing this. I can't protect you from everything, Runa... Are you even listening to me?"

"You could live with me!"

"No, apparently not," he sighed.

"I could pretend to train you—"

"No!" the dragon shouted, then heaved out a sigh through his nose. "What would your mother say if she could see us... hopping island to island... barely escaping death, living by our breath alone."

Runa turned suddenly to meet his eyes and, in a low, tender voice, replied, "She'd want us to try again."

The dragon returned her gaze, unwavering for a spell. Then, his eyelids slowly closed. "We can't keep this up forever."

"One more time, Ripjaw... that's all I ask. After that, if it doesn't work, I'll give up. We will go to the dragon nest, and it'll be over."

Ripjaw remained with his eyes shut and rumbled deep in his throat, "I'm getting too old for this... You swear by your mother's name, this is the last time?"

Runa nodded sternly.

"Fine. We will try."

A wide smile lit up Runa's face, and she threw her arms around Ripjaw's long neck. "Thank you."

"Runa..." he sighed, returning the embrace with one of his legs. "You're going to get us killed."