Fury of the Sun

PART II: 18. Battle of the Blinded

And then I opened my eyes.

. . .

Chaos erupted around me. I couldn't understand the shouts and yells, and I was having trouble moving. I felt almost normal, only tail-less, and wingless, and small... I looked down to find hands covered in skin, feet, arms, legs, a body- a naked body. I covered myself for their sakes, because though I wasn't exactly bothered - I'd been naked the majority of my life, technically - I knew it wasn't appropriate.

"Don't look," Astrid was saying with obvious embarrassment to Hiccup, who had his eyes closed tightly and was looking away with flaming cheeks. Astrid inspected my face before saying, "Hang on. Stormfly!" she called to her dragon. She pulled a cloak out of one of the bags hanging on her saddle, and gave it to me. I quickly draped it over my small figure and Astrid told Hiccup he could open his eyes.

I wasn't looking at him, though. Around us, everything had become a blur of movement and noise. I felt a shuddering through my legs and saw, with blurry eyes, the movement of the huge Bewilderbeast. Orvask was shouting loudly and it pained my head. Everything was too bright and loud and intense for me, and I was having trouble understanding what happened. I supposed I was human. And alive.

I put my hands over my ears to block out the noise and Hiccup and Astrid instantly became worried. Hiccup seemed afraid of touching me for some reason; probably he was too embarrassed about seeing me, well, naked. Astrid however, held my head so I would look at her, and I saw her mouth 'what's wrong?'. I shook my head stiffly, insisting there was nothing they could help with. She helped me stand on shaky legs which I had trouble controlling, and guided me onto Stormfly, who carried me back to the entrance arch, where it was quieter. Two large fires lit up the entrance brightly.

The Deadly Nadder returned to Astrid, and I watched on as she and Hiccup discussed something quickly. Hiccup gave a firm nod. As Astrid took off on Stormfly, he looked back at me with a smile full of awe. I tried to smile back, but I was sure it looked like a grimace.

My brain seemed to be struggling with the intensity of the change. I kept trying to move things that weren't there, and adjusting to the different muscles and bones was difficult. My eyes were much weaker and I had trouble seeing at first, because I was accustomed to the excellent vision of a dragon. Sounds were duller too, and I felt like I couldn't smell a thing compared to before. I almost pitied my own race.

A far away memory surfaced suddenly.

I thought back to the events today. This morning felt like years ago. Help me out, I whined, my eyes blurring and the pain in my chest worsening as I looked up at the stars. I would have given up then and there if it weren't for the answer I received.

"It's almost time
He's done his part
Now return the help
And save his heart."

I stared at the stars, not understanding. Save his heart? Literally, or figuratively? I guess the time would come when I would see.

Well, the time came all right, and here I was, human, because I'd saved Hiccup's life. I'd... saved his heart. I chuckled slightly, the sound feeling strange in my throat, and brushed back a lock of my hair. My black hair. It had changed, from before. I faintly remembered the colour of my hair before I changed, and this was different. It was a shimmering black, which looked dark steel grey if the firelight hit it right. It was reminiscent of a Night Fury's scales, I noted with another chuff of laughter. It reached down my back, and was scruffy and unkempt. I tried brushing my hands through it, but I guessed that sprouting hair all of a sudden didn't exactly leave it glossy and knot-free.

I closed my eyes when they started to hurt, and leaned against the side of the archway to make myself comfortable. I was tired, exhausted even. After all, I'd just changed literally every physical part of me.