Stryke Out (HTTYD x Reader)

Chapter 6

"I'll think about it." You say uncertainly.

Hiccup's face falls and you roll over to bury your face into Zyphur's side.

"Thanks, really. But first we need a plan for how to fake the fight. Otherwise one of us is going to lose big time." And I'm pretty sure it's going to be me. You say, yawning.

"Not gonna happen. Like I said before, if we can't think of something, our dragons will." You hear Hiccup say as the heavy curtain of your eyelids close.

oOo

Blue flames lick at your face. Purple gas fills your lungs. The crack of splintering wood overhead makes you panic. Run! Your mind tells you, but your legs refuse to move. Hel on Midgard, that's the only conclusion you can come to as you unglue your frozen body, just in time. You race outside as shouts for help from dying men and strange animalistic screams fill your ears until your head starts pounding. A strong hand squeezes your shoulder, gently placing your bag into its proper place before the stern voice orders you to go. Everywhere you look there is carnage, the bodies of men, women, and dragons strewn over the ground like a battlefield. Your peacefully home gone in a matter of moments. You shake the tears away. If there is any chance of escape, your senses have to be clear. You look up into your father's loving yet terrified chocolatey brown eyes as he places you securely into the saddle he crafted the day you brought Zyphur home. He yells at you to go as another blast vaporizes the forge. The armoury already a smouldering pile of ruin. You frantically search around for another solution, any other solution, as your mother kisses your cheek. Remember we love you, spoken in unison, are their last words. Zyphur rockets into the air a moment before a final blast envelopes your home in angry blue flames. Darkness and despair overtake you as you slide sideways out of the saddle. Falling... Falling... Falling...

oOo

You sit bolt upright as a scream erupts from your cracked lips. Hiccup is leaning over you, concern written in the lines on his face.

"Y/n, you ok?" He asks as he sits down beside you.

Your gaze scans the cell anxiously as Zyphur lays her head in your lap. You look into her bright purple eyes until the memories fade into the background. Your breaths slow to a normal rate and your heart stills its furious pounding.

Feeling self-conscious, with all eyes in the cell on you, you grab Hiccup's hand and give it a little squeeze. "I'm ok..."

"Now," You add in a whisper as you hug Zyphur weakly.

You look into Hiccup's eyes and smile as he runs a hand through his disheveled mop. He smiles back and nudges you encouragingly.

"Bad dream?" He asks quietly.

You nod. "Thank you for summing that up."

He smiles again, sadder this time. "You know I sometimes still have nightmares about when I fought the Red Death." A shiver runs through his whole body. "And then I wake up to this." He adds patting his metal leg. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's normal especially after what you've been through."

"Hiccup Haddock, everyone, the voice of reason." Gods, I was wrong about him. You laugh as he takes a mocking bow.

Then the seriousness of the situation settles back over you like a heavy blanket.

"Any luck getting them to trust you?" You ask as you study the battered dragons around you.

"Not yet. You missed it. The Nadder almost spiked me to the wall and the Nightmare lit itself. I was surprised when the heat didn't wake you up. That's why..." He stopped because the look you gave him was enough to tell him that you understood.

Your eyes fall on the Gronckle who is licking the wall close to the door. He seems like he'd be the best place to start. You think as you walk over to him.

"Hey there, big fella! You hungry?" You say soothingly as you cautiously approach the poor creature.

You take a moment to study the cuts that over its body from its muzzle to its bulbous, knobby tail. You feel the other dragons' eyes boring into your back as you call to Hiccup.

"Can I borrow your leg?" You ask pointedly.

"What? Why?" He inquires as he comes over.

You gesture from the wall to the Gronckle. Hiccup's eyes light up with understanding. He takes off his metal leg and, leaning against you for support, whacks it against the wall until a chunk of rock breaks off. He reattaches his leg while you feed the rock to the starving dragon.

"There ya go. A nice, delicious rock. That tastes good, doesn't it?" You murmur soothingly as the dragon munches happily. "Good Gronckle. That's it." You get down on one knee and reach out your hand. "Ok, let's try this."

Cautiously the Gronckle presses its muzzle into your hand. You gently rub your hand over its head, keeping your eyes on theirs and whispering reassuringly into its ear. But as Hiccup steps closer, the Gronckle starts to growl. You back away and look at him sadly, mouthing the word sorry.

He give you a lopsided smile and shrugs. "It's a start."