Cursed One- How to Train Your Dragon Fanfiction

Chapter Ten- The Sea Salt Ruins

We touched down on the outskirts of the island.

I slid from Ripjaw's talons and forced myself to look around to hide the fact that my heart was thumping painfully against my ribs. Everything was covered in a thick layer of mist, like a blanket hiding mysteries inside, and the air was heavy with unnatural silence. Every step I took was a struggle, as if I expected some horrid memory to jump into my face at any moment.

Hiccup approached me from behind and smiled, but there was something faltering in his face— like he felt some premonition inside warning him something was wrong.

"You ready?" he asked.

I returned the smile halfheartedly. "I am."

Our group headed off into the mist.

It felt like forever that we walked in the emptiness, barely able to see more than a few feet in front of us, an uphill climb delving into the sheer curtains of fog. Minutes passed, but the sunlight was never enough to clear the hovering clouds.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Snotlout eventually began whining. "It feels like we've been walking in circles."

"I hate to agree with him," Fishlegs added, sounding a bit nervous. "But we've been walking for a while, Hiccup."

Hiccup hesitated for a spell, setting his hands on his hips. "You're right... Maybe we should find a place to set up camp for the day. It doesn't seem like this fog is going anywhere today."

The words barely left his mouth before something small skittered past his feet in a dark blur. He jumped back, tearing his sword from its sheath. "What was that?"

There was a growl from somewhere in the smog, and the rest of the group jumped into their battle positions.

Fishlegs scowled. "Smokebreaths. I should've known."

As if it had been summoned by its name, a little grey dragon appeared in front of Fishlegs and cocked its head at him.

"Uh... hello." Fishlegs murmured. "We didn't mean to intrude on your—"

The Smokebreath leaped into his face, and he screamed.

Just like that, dozens of the little dragons poured out of the fog and surrounded us.

I watched in horror as everyone disappeared under a layer of black smoke. All I could hear was the sound of metal clanking, grunting, and growling.

Ripjaw appeared and wrapped himself around me protectively. A Smokebreath leaped from the darkness and Ripjaw swatted, slamming it into the ground under his long talons. Another sprung from the clouds, and I swung around to dodge it, then kicked the creature away so it could not attack. Suddenly, a burst of smoke engulfed my head. I staggered, coughing.

Hiccup's voice shouted, "Get on your dragons! We can lose them faster in the air!"

Without hesitating, Ripjaw clasped me in his claws and leaped into the air. I hacked and blinked tears from my eyes to see the other riders around me, their dragons beating their wings frantically.

"They're following us!" Astrid growled in frustration.

"I see something up ahead." Fishlegs called out. "What is that?"

A tower passed us, decrepit and decaying and leaning off to one side as if about to tip over. For a moment, we all stared, until the tower disappeared in the mist, replaced by a still pursuing horde of Smothering Smokebreaths.

My body was ripped backwards as a grip yanked on my neck. A Smokebreath was latched to my cloak. I screamed and kicked, desperately trying to release myself as it sunk its claws in.

"Stop! We aren't here to hurt you!" I exclaimed in dragonese.

"Runa!" Ripjaw hissed.

The Smokebreath hesitated, tilting its head curiously. Its blue eyes widened.

Suddenly, Snotlout and Hookfang appeared. Hookfang shot billows of fire dangerously close to both me and the Smokebreath. The little dragon yowled and tried to escape, but its talons were stuck in my cloak. I gagged as the collar choked me. Finally, the clasp gave out. The Smokebreath spun back to his clan, taking my cloak with him, and Hookfang leaned away.

"No! My cloak!" I shouted, lurching backwards. Ripjaw sucked in a breath and nearly dropped me. He lunged to regain his hold on my shoulders.

Unfortunately, while he was distracted, another tower popped into view.

"Ripjaw, watch out!" I screamed.

We collided with the building and flailed downwards into the dark.

"Runa!" someone shouted.

Ripjaw wrapped around me, and then I felt his body collide against the ground with a jolt. He groaned and rolled. I spilled out onto the ground. Above me were piles of Smokebreaths heading right for us.

With a scream, I threw my hands over my head. But nothing ever touched me.

When I opened my eyes, there was one Smokebreath poised in determination in front of his clan, growling and snorting to them. They glanced collectively up at me. Then, to my amazement, they turned together and scuttled off into their clouds of smoke.

The single Smokebreath that saved me cast me a meaningful glance with his blue eyes, let out a happy chirp, and followed his clan.

By the time the other riders landed around me, I was up against Ripjaw, checking his body for any wounds.

"They're... gone..." Fishlegs observed in awe.

"We must've left their territory." Hiccup guessed, shrugging his shoulders. At his side, Toothless was eyeing me with a skeptical glare.

"Hiccup, look at this," Astrid's voice suddenly cut in. I hesitated, returning Toothless's gaze for a long moment, then directed my attention to Astrid and Hiccup a few feet away.

They were standing on the edge of a steep hill, and Hiccup cast a single concerned glance back at me. A cold stone of fear settled in my stomach. I already knew exactly what they had found.

Surely enough, I clambered over Ripjaw and joined them to see a desolate landscape of destruction before me. Tiny, cold rain drops like needles began to drizzle from the white sky.

Silently, in awe, we headed into the wreckage. Homes so destroyed they no longer even resembled buildings. Massive ditches in the ground. Random battle weapons scattered about.

I found I did not have to test my acting skills. Flashbacks came washing over me like the ocean current as I wandered, a ghost in the emptiness.

"Maybe we read the map wrong?" Hiccup questioned, lifting the large paper to his face.

Before I could hear anything else, I wandered off behind the houses. I had to get away before they could see me, my chest heaving and tears overflowing down my face.

I could see flames, and I could hear screaming. I stifled a cry and clamped my hands over my head, stumbling directly into a broken barrel that collapsed with a clatter. More scenes flared in my brain. Flashing silver axes and swords colliding. Buildings crumbling.

"What are you doing?"

On instinct, I wheeled around and slammed the speaker into the walls of a decrepit building.

My vision suddenly cleared, and I blinked to see Snotlout's stunned face. My hands were clasped tightly over his wrists, pinning him. Despite him being many times bigger than I was, he just gawked at me in surprise.

I yanked back, hiding my tear streaked face and trying to keep my body from shaking. There was silence for a moment besides the whimpering I was unable to conceal.

Snotlout stared at me for a spell, obviously unsure what to do or say, but then he hesitantly took a step forward and raised his hand out. "Runa—"

I pulled away at first, but then my gaze met his deep, ocean eyes, reaching out to me.

Ripjaw suddenly butted between us, wrapping himself around me and ushering me away. Snotlout and I maintained eye contact, but eventually, I lowered my head to lean against Ripjaw's warm scales, under his wing where I could hide from the icy rain.