Chasing A Storm (School of Dragons)

Chapter One

As the sun rose from the horizon, the people had started to wake up to do their work or continue working anyways. But in a cottage, just a little away from the village, a single fourteen year old girl had been watching the approaching dawn and the awakening people by an empty cottage that overlooked the village and was halfway hidden by some trees. But she soon approached the village, hidden in the shadows. The girl was both relaxed and yet vigilant as she eyed the village warily, as if she was half expecting a sudden attack from something.
She saw a few people were dressed in everything from dirty coats to richest tunics. Their styles ranged from the severe coats of men to the deep colored dresses of women of Berserker. Four drivers with carts and horses jostled each other to get closest to the passengers with their trades. A few porters with stooped backs took remarkable quick steps under the heavy burdens of trunks and bags. Farther inland, the girl could see stands of stands displaying fruits, meats, fish, silks, clothes, paints, and so on. The girl fed off the noise and the calming, but slightly anxious energy of the village as she made her way through the winding streets. A elderly woman nodded in her direction as she and the rider passed by, wishing her a good morning. She saw a blacksmith pounding his metal into shape to itself. A milkmaid was milking a single brown and white cow underneath a shed by a cottage. A young man was making a vase made of clay. A young maid was holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands and started get ready for trading. She saw a few wagons creaked past her and on different trails. She was extra careful as a few playful children accidentally wandered in the way and were soon pulled out of the way by their family. But she raised her head proudly with dignity in the sunlight when she caught a few boys whispering, eyeing her with interest, but she soon gave them an warning glare and they backed off quickly. She soon ran up a hill and saw a couple ships, coming to dock at Breserker Island.
The girl's name is Erika Dawnsky, and she's pretty much the loner of the Berserker Tribe.
Erika had grew up as the child of her father and carries a great deal of their love over her. Erika remembers the stories that parents had told her, revealing a piece of their hidden selves when they told her stories. Their favorite stories were based off the legends and the stories of the dragons and the gods. The missing piece of her father seemed to come to life when he told her of gods and heroes, warriors and dragons, in the myths and legends. All of these stories had brought a special light shining into his eyes.
Erika shook off her thoughts when she enter the cottage at the forest's edge that only she lives at. There was two comfortable beds with feather pillows and a white cotton sheets, one downstairs and one upstairs. Against the other wall was a table with a large collection of books, scrolls, bowls, knives, mortars, pestles, strainers, and other utensils for healing and brews. There was a fireplace built in the center of the cottage, and a pot was hanging over the flames and was bubbling with fish stew.
In the ridge beam above were dozens of clusters of herbs, leaves, flowers, roots, nuts, bark shavings, and seeds. There were some more on the window and in the center of the table. Because of the bundles, the whole cave smelled of sage, sunflower seeds, and oak shavings.
With all of these ingredients and tools Erika's mother used to make his healing powders, pastes, and poultices. Erika had watched her mother crushing leaves or small fruits, mixing powders, straining plants, or applying a mixture of remedies to someone's injury.
Erika's eyes lingered up towards where her parents usually worked at when they're not busy. She remembered laying partly awake night after night, watching her parents work on the other side of the room. Lit by a single lamp, her father would sharpened a pair of traveling knives, her mother mixed brews or potions, they both studied maps and blueprints, or they would both study and extract plants to make her potions. But every time they saw Erika, their expressions softens and gives her each a gentle kiss on Elektra's forehead before bidding her goodnight and watched her fall asleep. Her mother had worked as a healer for the tribe, while her father worked as a scout for Oswald the Agreeable.
The slender and strong fourteen year old girl had decided to have another walk around the village. When she was standing in the shade of the swaying palm trees at edge of the beach, Erika's hair and eyes both seemed dark at first glance, while her skin seemed like a pale contrast to her hair and eyes. But when she stepped out of the shadows, her features had soon showed to be lighter: her long, wavy hair started shimmering in the same shade as the golden sunlight and was cascading over her shoulders. When Erika's eyes caught the sunlight, her eyes sparkled in the same shade as the stormy sea. Her fair skin soon revealed she had spent a fair time in the sun. But the clothes she was wearing is patched in brown and bears a generally unneat, rough look. But something flashed in the morning light from the base of Erika's chest, it was a single silver amulet that has three silvery dragons entwined to each other's tails. While on her back was a wooden bow with strange outlined carvings and a quiver full of arrows strapped onto her back, and a single sword was strapped to her waist.
When Erika went by the docks, she gave an inward growl when she saw the Dragon Hunters going into the village after they had gotten off their boats. She hid herself in the shadows once again and watched as the Dragon Hunters begun scaring the villagers. She felt her hackles rise up when she saw the Dragon Hunters scared the village children and those blasted shark-headed idiot numbskulls had laughed at the poor, frightened children. The villagers soon became more guarded, fearful even. All of the chattering fell silent or rather became soft whispers. The parents had grabbed the hands of their children.
Erika hated this feeling as she watched as the villagers gets rudely rebuked and pushed around by the Dragon Hunters. The Dragon Hunters brings nothing, but absolute misery to them all and Chief Dagur is doing nothing except joining those blasted idiotic numbskulls. She absolutely hated this: the prejudice towards her tribe and the enslavement on their own island. Everybody was too scared to speak against Dagur the Deranged and the Dragon Hunters. Dagur has all of those titles for a reason, while the Dragon Hunters have a good deal of weapons and has strength in numbers, while the Bereskers had started to lack their unification and their weapons. Not to mention it was Dagur and the Dragon Hunters' faults for making her loose her family at such a young age and she'll hold a grudge against them for a long time.
Her parents and her older brother had tried to find a way off their island and allied themselves with Berk. They had went to sea to find better lives to live in, though they had faith that Dagur would might become a better leader and will fix his past mistakes. But her family's ship had been led into a storm when they were trying to get away from a ship of Dragon Hunters and her family's ship have been capsized at sea, which made some Erika grow up by her own wits after her grandfather passed away. She couldn't even follow their lead, since they never had the chance to teach her how to sail.
"Crack!" Erika looked down and was surprised to see that her Breserker side had slightly kicked in again; she didn't released how tightly she's been holding the branch, till she heard the sound underneath her grip.
"Say do you hear something?" Erika hid deeper into shadows of the trees when she heard one of the Dragon Hunters speaking a fair distance from her.
"Just shut up and get back to work idiot," snapped the other hunter. "We have to move this thing before it gains its strength again." At this point, the hunter had pointed at a cage halfway dipped into the water.
While the two numbskulls had another brawl and the other Dragon Hunters being the "lucky" onlookers, Erika had inched closer to the beach through the shadows of the forest without getting noticed. She was both amazed and stunned to see the dragon that represents the Breserker Tribe — the legendary Skrill — trapped and chained within the cage.
The Skrill has surprisingly gemlike azure and deep sapphire blue scales that gleams in the pale sunlight. There's also a mix of purple scales on his back, quiet lavender scales on his wings, azure talons, and a purple snout. His body glints with violet and aquamarine like buried jewels, and his wings shimmers in purples and blues, like sapphires and violets tumbled together.
The Skrill seemed to be asleep, since Erika could see the dragon's spines on its back moved up and down slowly as it breathed.
It's probably worn out from struggling, Erika thought as she felt a twinge of pity for the dragon.
That's when the Skrill had slowly opened its eyes, its eyes was in the mixed colors of gold and amber, almost like an electrified wildfire.
The two of them both met each other's eyes. Emotions rolled around inside Erika like a thunderstorm. She don't know whether to feel scared or uncertain or amazed or awed. Feelings like lightning raced between them: fear, anger, curiosity, and amazement.
As they continued looking into each other's eyes, a reflection of their souls is being reflected back from the other's eyes.
But their moment had been ruined when Dagur had came over and finished the fight by knocking both men out by smashing their helmets together. As the two numbskulls had both fell onto the grass, Erika gave a quiet growl and caught the Skrill's eyes.
"Don't worry, I will save you," Erika whispered to the Skrill.
The Skrill's eyes almost seems human, she could see that his eyes carries more intelligence than the average animals on the land. He nodded and had gave a shuddering breath as he went back to sleep.
Erika refuses to let another innocent life be stuck behind a cage and be treated like an abused object. ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
It was in the middle of the night when Erika had gotten herself more weapons — her older brother's sword, her mother's battle daggers and dragon journal, and her father bow and arrows — she had put on a dark blue mask and a dark blue, almost black, cape to hide her identity. She slipped her hood over head to hide her tied back hair, most of her face is now covered in shadows. Not to mention she had packed a good deal of items hers that's either precious or needed in the future.
A gale-force wind howled throughout the forest from the mountains, it was one of the most terrible thunderstorms Erika had ever seen, even as she quietly followed the men from the hills and shadows. Thunder rumbled in the sky and the lightning flashed in the same shade as the Skrill's scales.
She finally managed to find the cave where wild Skrills are usually brought and were forced to do the Berserker's bidding in the past. She slipped quietly into the cave without being noticed still. She could see torches had been hang onto the walls and the cave walls had been painted with Skrills.
Despite being soaking wet, she continued on and occasionally hiding herself in shadowed corners from passing Dragon Hunters. After Erika soon lit up a small lantern, the flickering light revealed a gap in the rocks in the corner she was hiding in. When she investigated, she found a sort of men made tunnel that seemed to lead farther into the mountain, to a cave system that probably ran all the way through it.
But she noticed a pair of wheel tracks had been made in the ground and was heading into the cave she was investigating.
But how could I get this close to the dragon and try not to harm him? wondered Erika.
She thought of her parents and older brother, and how Erika thought they'd have more time to get to know each other. You never know what could happen. But you should at least take a chance. Nobody's life should be trapped in such misery, even it's the opposite of what you are.
That had made her decision. Holding up the lantern, Erika slipped into the gap and started down the rocky slope.
Erika wandered for what felt like a long time, marking the walls with the pressing of her Breserker pendant whenever she came to a fork in the tunnels. She found caves dripping with stalactites, clambered over rocks like bubbles. She finally arrived to a huge, round cave where Dagur was having an argument with... Is that Alvin the Treacherous? Erika narrowed her eyes and sighed softly. Yup, it's Alvin the Treacherous with the mixed bunch of idiots.
She then stopped when she heard a lot of talking from below. Erika soon hid herself in the shadows, blew out the firelight, and watched on with interest. She soon saw one of the torches reflected off onto something shiny in the center of the cave, where the men were standing outside of.
The arena was almost the same size as the cave. In the center of the circle was a bowl of rock, like an empty lake, with wood at the bottom and sheer walls. There is also a iron-made net covering the arena to keep any dragons from flying away. Erika soon saw the faint outline of the Skrill in the arena, but she noticed that the Skrill wasn't running or flapping his wings.
She stepped deeper into the shadows as the men walked right past her without spotting her. She got out her spyglass and put it up to her left eye, Erika could see what was the problem: There were a pair of chains wrapped over his wings and his talons were both tied by chained hobbles. She has to free him before morning or who knows what Dagur has in store for the poor Skrill.
Erika quickly and quietly walked down towards the caged dragon. She brought out a lock pick from her satchel and had managed to jammed the lock, which had made cage door opened. The Skrill looked at her in either surprise or uncertainty; she wasn't entirely sure. His face was more expressive than a lizard's, but still not at all human.
Erika pulled out one of the thinner knives; it won't be able to cause any damage to the Skrill's scales, but it was sharp enough to cut through the chains without too much of a racket. But the Skrill's spikes flattened against his head and gave a warning growl when he saw the knife in one of her hands.
"Shh, it's alright dragon," whispered Erika as she raised her left hand towards the Skrill. "I'm scared too." On the outside, Erika was calm and brave as she can be. But, on the inside, she was terrified out of her wits. Though, Erika knew in her heart that she was doing the right thing. "But I'm here to help you, my friend." Okay, the Skrill definitely looked surprised there. "I'm guessing you don't have many friends, do you boy?" The Skrill shook his head and continued watching her warily. "You're not the only one. I have a some unfinished business with those Dragon Hunters." Erika was surprised that the Skrill had let her cut his chains with her knife, but he seemed angry that Erika had brought up the Dragon Hunters. "I guess I better tell my life story, so you can understand me better?" The Skrill nodded as Erika start on the last wing-chain. "It happened when I was fourteen years old at the time, just after Dagur had became chief. My family had both went out to the sea to find a better place to live till Dagur find his humility. But a Dragon Hunter's ship had chased them out to sea and into a terrible storm." Erika gave a shaky sigh and fought against the incoming tears. "I'll never forgive those forsaken Dragon Hunters as long as I live." The Skrill growled his agreement and raised his wings, a bit of electricity had been zapped onto his wings and spikes/spines, which had caused a massive hole into the ceiling of the arena and the cave above their heads. But he soon lowered his wings and looked down at Erika as she slipped away her knife and she looked at him in surprise.
Erika raised her right hand in front of her, she quickly looked away with closed eyes as she suddenly felt unsure of how to befriend one of the most wildest and fiercest dragons that ever lived. The Skrill snorted softly before he leaned into Erika's palm, purring softly, making Erika look up at the blueish-purple dragon in surprise. The dragon's scales felt like a lizard's, smooth and warm, to the touch and she felt the dragon's scales warmed her hand like electrified stones.
The Skrill purred into Erika's hand and and rumbled softly, the two of them looked at each other. He nuzzled Erika's hand and they both met each other's eyes, Erika somehow knew that they were confirmed as equals. The two of them both met each other's eyes. Emotions rolled around inside Erika like a storm. New feelings like lightning raced between them: newly made trust, courage, curiosity, and understanding. Behind those amber eyes seemed to hide more intelligence than seemed possible for any dragon and the dragon's eyes seemed to have the reflection of Erika's soul.
Stormchaser, figured Erika. His name is Stormchaser.
"Go Stormchaser. You must leave." The Skrill snorted and met Erika's eyes, he soon gently nudged Erika towards him with his snout.
Erika felt really stunned that the Stormchaser wants Erika to ride him they had just met today. Erika had heard that it usually takes a long time to train Skrills and they're more wild than Night Furies. That's when the Stormchaser had picked Erika up by the tunic with his mouth. Erika yelped instinctively and Stormchaser jumped, nearly dropping her, then gave her a disgruntled look.
To Erika's complete astonishment forever, Stormchaser lifted her up and set Erika on his back. There was a dip between his spine and his neck that was just the right size for a human to kneel in and which is the place where, Erika had placed her hands on Stormchaser's scales as she felt her heart race in her chest.
Erika gave Stormchaser an uncertain look and Stormchaser seemed to be smirking in a mysterious and yet playful sense. "What are you planning to do NOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!???" Erika shrieked in surprise as Stormchaser leaped into the air.
They were flying. They were FLYING! Erika was flying ON A DRAGON!
Erika hugged Stormchaser's neck, overcome with amazement. His lean and strong muscles rippled, and his wings shaped the wind. Stormchaser swerved and ducked, freeing themselves from the cave and startling some roosting Terrible Terrors. They were up so high, surrounded by the incoming night sky. The mountains went on forever, and there over to the west was the village where the chief and his people live at, while the forest went on till it reach the beaches and cliffs too. The world so much bigger than Erika had thought originally thought.
But when Erika looked up, she soon saw approaching beauty from the sky.
The sky was everywhere, it just went on and on... like nothing could ever fill it up. It was night, but the light of the full moon was dazzling after a lifetime of the loneliness and spluttering fire. Craggy mountain peaks bit into the sky all around them. In the distance, Erika saw the sea that goes on forever. Setting into the sea was the sun, shining a dying ember.
Erika couldn't help, but admired the stars. She had thought she knew the stars from gazing out of the window. She'd never known how many there were, or how they looked silvery snowflakes casted dropped across on a dark velvet cloth.
"Stormchaser, we should probably head towards Berk." The Skrill gave a deep rumble and his eyes showed some worry. "Don't worry, I had heard that Berk had changed for the better." Erika gave a heartbroken and injured look to Breserker Island: the same exact island she had grown up with her family, but had became nothing more than an echo of her former self. "At least, it's better than being stuck at an island who barely has any sense of humility at all."
Skrill rumbled again, but this time, in his agreement. Erika sighed softly and gently petted Stormchaser's scales. She knew that once they leave, there's no turning back.
"WHO STOLE MY SKRILL!!!???" Erika and Stormchaser caught each other's eyes and they both started to laughing quietly. Well, they may be banished from Breserker Island, but at least they had drove Dagur the Deranged crazy and that was just a highlight of their future adventures.