Through A Dragon's Eye (A Httyd Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty-five: Vanaheim

No. sparks Blitzfire firmly.

"What?" I ask.

I said no. We are not going to Vanaheim. That's the resting place for DRAGONS.

"I just want to find something.. anything of my father. I- I just found out he died there."

I already said no didn't I? Besides, us Skrills don't even go there. We bury ourselves in the ice and slowly drift off into a never-ending sleep...

"But it's my father..."

And how do you think the Dragon Riders would feel if you suddenly abandoned them right after they started to trust you again?

I sigh. "You have a point..." I look across the ocean again. Somewhere in the vast expanse of blue was the remains of a father that had all but faded from my memory. "..but I want to... no, need to learn about some of the things he did while he was chief all those years..."

Well, I'm not going, and I'm going to tell Grespin not to take you.. so therefore, you won't be making the trip anytime soon. sparks Blitzfire.

I grump at her. "Then I'll just have to find another way!" I storm away from Blitzfire, feeling my face flush with anger. Blitzfire huffs and makes no move to follow me.

Once I am far away, an idea lights in my mind, and I head up the mountain volcano. A well worn path is embedded into the cliff and snakes up the mountain in a rocky spiral. I trod up it quickly, looking behind me every once and a while to make sure no one is following me.

The path comes to an abrupt stop in front of me. To my right, carved into the mountain, is a cave. In that cave, I can hear the faint sound of steady breathing. Softly, I call out, "Afternoon? Afternoon, it's me Draira." The breathing falters slightly before continuing in a steady rhythm. "Come on.. I know you're awake.. can you please help me?" No change. "Come on you big, scaley lizard! Get up already! Blitzfire and Grespin won't help me!" On an afterthought I add, "Please?" The golden flame colored Titanwing Monstrous Nightmare inside huffs and finally emerges from the depths of the cave in all of his glory. "Thank you! Now, is it possible that you could take me to Vanaheim?" At the Nightmare's snort of surprise, I continue, "My dad.. well I just found out he died there, and I want to look for something that might connect me to him." Afternoon looks at me with sympathy and croons gently. "It's fine. I thought he was dead since I was young. Kinda hit me again though..." The Nightmare wraps its huge wings around me to comfort me, and I relish their security away from the world. As Afternoon lifts his wings again, I sniff and reply, "Thanks." Afternoon snorts as if to say It was nothing. I smile. So, when will you be ready to leave. Afternoon smirks and picks me up with his talons. He then proceeds to throw me onto his back where I land with a soft thud. "I'll take that as a right now."

We soar over the water just below the clouds, where the sky seems to just touch the water. While not as fast as Grespin or Blitzfire, Afternoon speeds across the ocean with amazingly good time. I can feel his wings as they pump up and down with amazing power.

Soon, a island comes into view. From our aerial view, I can tell with a start that most of it is the bones of a humongous dragon. "Wow," I breathe, and Afternoon croons as well. He dives past ancient old statues.. Sentinels.. that looked almost as if they were carved from stone. From my knowledge, they're blind, but have incredible other senses.

Afternoon dips down as a scent of fire comes through the air. I scrunch my nose slightly, feeling the smokey air fill my nostrils. We pass a few graves of dragons, and I spot Gronkles, Deadly Nadders, Hideous Zipplebacks, and even a pile of burning Monstrous Nightmare bones. But, that isn't where the smoke is coming from. Past a Grove of trees, right next to the huge dragon skeleton, there is grey smoke billowing out in a wispy spiral. "There." I point to the smoke, but Afternoon is already gliding over.

The first thing I notice is the hut. Nothing like the ones in our old village, this hut is made of many wooden planks in a triangle shaped formation. Along the bottom and around the door are stones, presumedly to keep the hut standing upright. As we fly closer, I can see that the door itself is made of wood and has the Berserker symbol on it. Next to the hut is a pile of rocks with a Berserker helmet on top. Your father... I gulp, feeling the tears leaking out of my eyes once again. It is around these rocks that the fire burns, flickering around his final resting place like a serpent.

Afternoon lands softly, and I slowly get off. My feet are filled with lead and my eyes are heavy with grief. It takes ages of walking to be able to come in front of the mound, ages of looking at my father's helmet in the flames, ages of regretting every moment that I didn't spend with him. At the edge of the burial, I simply collapse, clutching the dirt beneath me with trembling fingers. Tears are slowly trickling out of my eyes. "I did this," I whisper, guilt clogging up any reasonable or coherent thought. "I never should have left. If I had stayed in those bushes just like he told me to, I could've spent my life with him, with my siblings, instead of being alone." I look to the sky, the tears flowing freely now. "Why?! WHY?! I try to forget.. I've done everything in my power to repent.. yet somehow... SOMEHOW I am still punished for my past actions. I've done everything! I've saved innocent creatures, I've never been a bully to others, I've practiced to be strong.. so that I can take the pain meant for others yet still I am punished.. still I am tortured.. and still I cause everyone I love to die or hate me!" My head drops as the tears soak into the dirt, tainting the land with their salt and grief. "Why?" The last part is a croaking whisper. I feel my throat clog up and my head pound, yet I still stare at the ground.. crying my heart and soul out in huge sobs. A wing curls around me, and I lean into it. "Thank you." Afternoon croons in response, and I lay against him as the tears pour out, leaving my heart aching and empty...