Stryke Out (HTTYD x Reader)

Chapter 1

Flying through the dark, warmish summer night on the back of your Dragon, a Razorwhip named Zyphur, you breathe a sigh of relief. You have been hunted for weeks, hopping from one island to the next through the archipelago, searching for a new place to call home.

Your village and whole island, once a wonderful place called Vanir, was burned to the ground when the Dragon Hunters attacked. Your parents, Chief Halbert and Chieftess Sif, sent you for aid from a warrior named Valka who had visited your village only a few months earlier curious about your village's connection with dragons. But it was too late to save your village or the dragons who had peacefully lived alongside you. For as you rose into the night sky, a powerful explosion from an imprisoned Shellshocker dragon blew the island, and everyone on it, to Helhiem.

Suddenly, Zyphur gives a terrible, fearful cry as a bola rockets past you. Ripping you out of your memories. It clips her wing, but she manages to right herself just in time to be hit by another, sending you both spinning out of control. You rub Zyphur's neck as she pulls up mere inches from the water.

"It's ok, girl." You whisper soothingly, trying to calm you both. "We'll find somewhere to rest soon."

You look around frantically searching for a place to settle down for a rest, promising yourself that you'll check Zyphur for any unknown injuries before falling asleep. That dragon could be so stubborn when it came to asking for help, yet again so could you.

The darkness of the moonless night offered little solice or respite. Worrying for your weary dragon, knowing that neither of you had gotten much sleep recently, you search the horizon again.

There, just a little ways ahead, you spot a rocky outcropping jutting up out of the infinite blue. Please don't be another barren seastack! You pray pleadingly. Not knowing and not caring due to exhaustion, you let Zyphur land on the pebble strewn beach. Disregarding your promise, you both pass out as you hit the hard earth.

oOo

Your eyes snap open as the mid-morning sun beats down on your aching body. You look around the beach properly in the bright daylight. Your father always said Twenty seconds of observation could be the difference between afterlife in Valhalla or Helhiem.

You notice in those few seconds that Zyphur has wondered off. Believing her curiosity got the better of her, you get up and follow the beach until you stumble upon a seemingly abandoned Dragon Hunters camp with two derilicked ships and a handful of cages made of dragon-proof iron.

Your heart racing with anxiety, you call out. "Zyphur!" You listen for a moment, praying for a response. "Zyphur? Where are you, girl?"

A strangely familiar scent floats past your nostrils. Was that sea slugs? You wondered. Knowing that your dragon loved to follow her nose, you let the fishy scent guide you into a dark cave at the end of the beach.

As you enter the mouth of the cave, you pull a jar of Monsterous Nightmare gel out of your pack and shake it until the kinetic energy causes the gel to ignite. Living with dragons for more than a hundred years sure had it perks. You thought as you held the jar out in front of you with your left hand, using your right to guide you along the rocky wall.

"Zyphur? You in here?" You call out again as you descend a steep staircase.

A roar of distress reverberates off the walls of the cavern, giving some clue to the size of the space. You recognize the shrill notes as panic fills you to almost bursting. You race down the rest of the stairs, tripping at the bottom, and sprawling across the floor. You place the jar in the center of the floor to illuminate the whole chamber. Pulling yourself to your feet, you examine the space, discovering half a dozen small chambers off the main one with some of the entrances blocked by jagged bars that jutted this way and that like snowflake fractals.

You spy a Gronkle in one, a Speedstinger in another, and finally Zyphur, her eyes full of pain and panic. One of the bars had punched a hole through her left wing. You can feel her anguish pulsating around the small chamber. You rush to her, frantically searching for a way to free your trapped companion.

Zyphur shrieks again, this time higher and louder than before, as she tries to push you away. Understanding that she is only trying to save you, but knowing-fearing-if you leave her there is little to no chance of finding her again, you stubbornly stay by her side as the light from the jar begins to fade. You try to push yourself through the bars with the final flickers of light, but it is useless.

Giving up on trying to get the bars open, your other senses start to pick up on the fact that you are no longer alone. You hear voices coming from the beach. You strain to listen better before Z lets out another scream.

You hear two other dragons growling from just outside the cave's mouth and a boyish voice say, "Yeah, really wrong. C'mon!"

You press yourself down into the shadows, keeping a hand on Zyphur's muzzle as the strangers enter the cave. Hoping to provide as much comfort to your Dragon as you can while simultaneously piecing together an escape plan for both of you, you fall back on your instincts for observation and silently watch from your cramped hiding place.

You see a two dragons - one a Monsterous Nightmare and the other a Night Fury- a buff, stocky, hot-headed viking and leading the group, a tall, lanky figure with one long made of metal and tousled auburn hair that reminds you of someone you used to know. You study the group carefully, weary to not let them near your dragon and uncertain what they'd do if they find you.

The tall boy goes over to the chamber with the Speedstinger in it, only to be spooked when it tries to attack him. You hold back a giggle, your village had long ago discovered a way to tame the Speedstingers and, armed with that knowledge, they no longer posed a threat to you or your Dragon.

He backs up quickly as the other boy says, "So Hiccup! Question, question, question: how are we going to free those vicious and wild dragons" Hey, they aren't all wild! "without being... Uh, I don't know... EATEN ALIVE?!" He yells the last few words, which spooks the dragons even more.

Your eyes widen at the sound of Hiccup's name. You knew you recognized this boy. He was the spitting image of his mother and Valka had spoken highly of him during her last visit, though she had claimed that they hadn't met face to face. Who could blame her for being boastful, he looked like he was walking in her footsteps.

Zyphur gives another low cry of pain but you pat her neck, silently trying to sooth her. Praying that you could figure out a way to get you both out of there alive, you almost miss Hiccup's reply.

"There's got to be a switch or lever somewhere." Why didn't I think of that? "Once we get them free, we'll just wait them out." Both boys look around the chamber, too preoccupied to notice you by Zyphur's possible tomb.

"Anything?" Hiccup inquires.

"Yep!" The burly boy responds as he pulls a lever on the far wall. A portcullis drops from the ceiling trapping you, Hiccup, and the Night Fury.

Um... This can't be good? You think as Hiccup bellows, "Snotlout!"

Snotlout, hurrying to fix his mistake, states, "Hang on! I'll get you out of there!" as he pushes the lever back up.

A purple gas suddenly envelopes the chamber, making you cough and wheeze. A wave of fear crashes over you as you recognize the weapon the Dragon Hunters used as their first attack on your island: Aerosolized Dragon Root.

As you start to fade, you hear the boys redouble their efforts to escape, making it abundantly clear that they had never seen these kinds of weapons before. Their crazed conversation fills your thoughts as your body sags to the floor.

"Ok Bud! Time to go!" Hiccup tells the Night Fury before the Dragon Root gas starts to take them. It's no use on those bars. You think as the Night Fury blasts the bars to no avail.

"That's not good!" Snotlout shouts panicked as the other two captives start to lose consciousness. The Night Fury looses the battle first, while you and Hiccup strain to fight the effects.

You pat Zyphur one more time apologetically. I'll see you in Valhalla, Z. You think as Hiccup weakly shouts, "Go, go, go! Get help! Go!" before his body slumps to the ground with you joining him moments later.