atla one shots

28 - HTTYD AU

The familiar screech starts building, and before I know it, the Night Fury blurs past - at an admittedly slower speed - and then twirls and heads back, building up the second blast. And then the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the impossible happens... A bola comes swinging out of nowhere and wraps around the Night Fury's body, forcing his wings to his side and leading him into a collision course with the ground.

The moan that leaves him is one of pain and I wince, even as I start to run towards the village, as dust and other things fly into the air as the Night Fury crashes into the middle of town. I push myself harder, knowing the middle of town has Uncle Iroh, the other teens and quite possibly my father. They will not hesitate to kill the Night Fury, weak and downed as he is.

As I race through, I spot something I had hoped would never happen: the Night Fury trapped, a ring of vikings surrounding him and weapons ready, though only one is aimed, Uncle Iroh in front of him with his crossbow raised and ready, father and the other teens standing behind and to the side of him. I know exactly what's going to happen, and regardless of what happens, of the consequences, of anything other than my only friend living, I crash to my knees in front of the Night Fury and throw out of my arms.

The sudden silence is something I'm used to, and I use it to pull out my dagger and start cutting the ropes, hopefully it's enough that he can escape without too much trouble. He stands, wings flinging out and snapping the ropes, as he takes off, his roar echoing in the land. I watch him, not bothering to look at any of the others, knowing exactly what their reactions are going to be. Aang won't be too bothered, but the others will be. I let a dragon, our sworn enemy, escape, but worse than that - far worse than that - I helped it escape of my own free choice.

I watch the Night Fury land on a part of the mountain that overhangs enough to see the village and sit down. And then my vision is covered in nothing but the red of my father's robes as he raises a hand and slaps me, forcing me to the ground. I moan, but he takes his chance and stomps his foot on my ribs, at least one or two snapping under the pressure. He's a lot heavier then me and I haven't been eating well since father eats in the Hall, but never let's me in there unless it's necessary to survival.

"How. Dare.You. You are my son, you are the heir to this great village...and you chose to turn your back on us for a dragon?!?!"

"What great village? Father, if I can even call you that, I have seen nothing but the bad side of this town. The nicest person is Uncle Iroh, and even I'm not sure he counts because he's nice to everyone, no matter what. You treat me as nothing but a disappointment and a piece of trash you need to take out when you do acknowledge me, but otherwise ignore me. The town, they follow your lead. Everyone humiliates me, abuses me, humiliates me and breaks me. I have limbs out of alignment because they healed all weird, because no medics would help me. I have nothing and nobody in this town. These clothes and some drawings, that's all I have to my name."

"But to a DRAGON?!?! How dare you, boy! You aren't my son. You are to leave this island, but first you are to be lashed. You must suffer for your treason against the people and dead of your village. You've been telling them to raid us, it's obvious to me now. Get him ready. I want it done in a few moments. Now!"

I wince, but don't bother fighting as everything happens - two villagers holding me to the side, while the others place two wooden poles into the ground and then make sure the links are in place, before backing up - and then I'm being forced to my knees, chains fixing my arms in position. They won't remove my shirt as is tradition, they want me dead and this will increase chances of infection. I sigh, but hang my head against my chest and brace myself.

That doesn't mean I'm ready for the first lashing or the several after that. A glance up shows that the Night Fury,  is pacing and glaring at the town, as though imagining it on fire...not that I could blame him. My thoughts distract me and the next lash brings a cry out of me before I can bite it back. The others laugh, obviously this is something they were waiting for - but so too was he, for the second the sound reaches him, the Night Fury is descending with all the glory of death and lightning itself. It lands behind me, crouched and ready, grabbing the whip in it's mouth and yanking it away, before chewing and spitting it aside.

"Toothless... Hey, you doin ok?"

He comes in front of me and croons, eyeing the blood dripping from where my shoulders had been hit, gently nudging my chest with his head. I grin and lean my forehead to his, before a yell from the surrounding vikings reminds me we are surrounded.

I start pulling on my chains, trying to have them either break or for them to get away from the poles long enough for us to escape.  Toothless helps and snaps the chains in two - great jaw strength, gotta remember that - and then I jump on his back, grabbing a hold gently with my legs as he takes off. We don't get far, the bleeding will kill me and Toothless seems to know, because he lands back on the mountain.

"It's ok bud, it's ok. Just have to clean and bandage the wounds, and then rest while they heal. I'll be fine, I promise. Just help me down and then let me get my shirt off."

I slide off his back and wince slightly as I land on me knees, before offering him my hands. He gently bites the chains between my hands, and I use the freedom to remove the strips of shirt on my back, wincing and whining when I dig my nails too deep into a wound in order to get the shirt out, but knowing it's necessary for long term survival.

"Ok, now I just have to clean them and we can rest for a little while. What do you think? We good?"

Toothless grumbles behind me, but moves closer, looking over my back and peering into the wounds, making sure none of the shirt is still in it. I hear him whine, and then a tongue is running along my back. I flinch and try to move away, protests on my tongue, but the pain is fading, and I decide to trust Toothless' trust in his own abilities. After all, he puts protecting me above everything else, why would he hurt me now?

There's a pit-pit-pit sound from outside, and I look, only to see the glimpse of clothing hiding behind the cave entrance. I wince, that means they followed and we must leave now. No time to get a new shirt or cover the wounds, and that is a risk we're going to have to take.

"Come on, Toothless, we have to go. It's not safe here."

"No, wait, don't leave! Please!"

Aang jumps from the cave entrance hands up and blocking the only exit. We both tense, but I also know he's not going to hurt us, unless absolutely necessary.

"It's ok, Toothless, he's ok. He's a friend. He won't hurt us, because he knows you are a fire breathing lizard that can kill him in seconds, will he?"

"I don't think the threats are necessary."

"Makes Toothless feel better. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize. They kinda forced me to do it."

I wince, and hide it quickly. That means we're going to be ambushed. I pat Toothless, an unknown signal to him, and then jump on his back, careful as he races forward, acknowledging Aang's help with a gentle tap to his back, and then we're flying, and the Eldrthrope is falling behind us. Free at last, I throw my arms out to the side, ignoring the pain and laugh.