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WARNING: SLIGHT VIOLENCE. NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO TAG IT, BUT I THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU A WARNING JUST IN CASE. ENJOY.

"Stupid wretch!"

"The witch has cursed us all!"

"She's a demon! She'll tell her beast to kill us!"

The remarks were nothing new. As you walked through your village carrying a large wicker basket filled to the brim with fish, people would often stop and snap these words at you.

You hadn't gotten used to them, but you had learnt to block most of it out, and not let the hurt show while you were around them. You wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

This had been happening every day for the past three months. Some days were worse than others; on certain days the young adults - around fifteen to sixteen years old you guessed - would come out and physically attack you. They'd left you with bruises and wounds all over that had only just healed.

But, did you blame them? Of course not. After all, you’d brought this on yourself.

You should've killed it. You should've ended it before it had gone too far. But...you couldn't. When you had looked into it’s eyes; seen the fear that seemed to mirror your own, you knew you couldn't do it.

And now you were paying the price. Paying the price for saving a creature’s life.

Paying the price for saving a Night Fury.

Nightshade was your only friend now. The Night Fury you had saved three months ago was your only companion. It was comforting to know that you had someone to go to.

But boy, did it make your life hell.

You clicked your tongue as you walked down into the forest that bordered your village; feeling at ease the further you went in. This was Night Fury territory now, and no one from the village would dare enter it. Unless they wanted a plasma blast to the face.

"...Nightshade!" You called, heading towards the place you knew he’d be; just by the lake, where it was cool and sheltered from the sun.

You heard a familiar growling noise, followed by a happy roar as you walked into his ’lair’; you were greeted by the bounding figure of the Night Fury inches away from you.

"Whoa! Easy, boy! Easy!" You laughed, reaching out and petting him gently on his snout, "I haven't been gone that long..."

He responded with a snort, pushing his snout into your hand, making you really feel the small, rough scales that covered his body.

"I brought you more fish," you murmured, motioning to the basket that now sat on the floor. His eyes grew wide; his pupils almost doubling in size, like how a cat’s would when it hunted it’s prey. He nudged you, a small bubbling growl of thanks echoing in his throat. You smiled, and let go of the dragon; walking over to the basket, and tipping the contents onto the floor.

"Not that much, I'm afraid, but it'll have to do. I'll have to make another fishing trip soon..." You sighed, watching as the Night Fury picked at the fish, little noises of satisfaction rumbling in his chest. You allowed a small smile to settle on your lips, and you backed away, choosing to let him eat his meal in peace while you walked over to the small lake, sitting down by it and staring into the water.

The rippling of the water calmed your mind, and you closed your eyes, sighing deeply. You didn't know what to do.

Things had been difficult for you the past three months, and you knew that they weren't going to get better. Most of the village wanted you gone, a few probably wanted you dead. But...did you really want to leave? You'd grown up in this village, and it held so many memories. Were you really going to give all of that up because of a dragon?

The nudge against your shoulder snapped you out of your daze, and as you turned your head and met those bright yellow eyes; eyes that were full of trust and pure, innocent happiness, you knew your answer.

"Nightshade...I think it's time we packed our things and took to the skies, don't you think?"

"Alright...fish for you, water, and enough rations to hopefully last me the winter...hey, if worst comes to worst, I'll just have to...kill something, right?" You murmured, turning to look at Nightshade, who was sniffing your bag. He looked at you, and huffed a little, as if doubting you. You rolled your eyes, patting him on the head gently, before pulling your bag over your shoulder.

"...Okay...now, for the weapons..." You sighed, reaching into your pocket and pulling out a small yet sharp dagger. Nightshade's eyes dilated slightly, and he growled, crouching down at the sight of the blade. You quickly pocketed it, showing your hands to him.

"It's okay, it's okay...it's gone..."

He snorted, slumping down with a huff, yet still his eyes watched you warily.

"...There’s no point in taking my bow and arrows; it's too big, and making arrows is too time-consuming," you murmured to yourself, shrugging, "oh well, I guess the dagger will have to do...ready to go?"

Nightshade jumped to his feet, letting out a small roar in response. You smiled, before mounting the Night Fury.

"Okay, Nightshade...nice and quiet...like a shadow...let’s go..."

With that, Nightshade took to the skies, his body shooting up into the cool night air. He levelled out quickly, glancing up at you. You offered him a small grin, before looking out towards the mountains.

"...Okay, our first plan is to-"

Your eyes widened as you heard someone shouting, and your head shot down just in time to see an arrow heading your way. Someone was shooting at you.

"Nightshade! Dodge it!" You yelled, causing the Night Fury to spin out of the way, growling and baring his teeth at the unknown attackers.

"Fly, boy! Fly!" You shrieked as you noticed more arrows being fired, and he wasted no time in taking off towards the mountains.

That was, until an arrow managed to hit the dragon.

You gasped as you heard Nightshade roar in pain, and your eyes widened as you saw where he had been hit; an arrow had managed to bury itself in the junction of his left wing. He flapped his wings, hissing and snarling as the arrow moved around in his wound. You gritted your teeth. It's was no good; he couldn't fly like this. With a gulp, you leaned down and whispered to him.

"Down, boy...down..."

With a growl, he dropped from the sky; managing to land somewhat safely on the ground, albeit in the worse place. He'd managed to land in the middle of the village.

You heard the yells, and climbed off of Nightshade’s back; moving to his wing, and tugging at the arrow. He snarled, and you winced.

"Sorry, boy...but this has to go...now-"

A sudden pain in your side made you cry out, and you collapsed on the floor, coughing.

"Thought you could just leave, did ya?"

The voice made your blood run cold, and you gulped, looking up at the owner.

"...B-brother, I-"

"Save it, _____. You know words won't help you."

Your brother lashed out again, sending his foot into your ribcage. You let out a shriek of pain, causing Nightshade to roar in response. You looked his way, to see him scraping at the ground, trying to get to his feet.

You winced as you felt your brother grip at your hair and tug you away from your dragon. You began to scream; to struggle and lash out with your arms and legs. It didn't do much good however; it only seemed to make him grip tighter at your hair.

He threw you to the floor hard, and you lay there, whimpering. There was no way that you could take him on. He was the definition of strength, and you...well, you were a weakling without Nightshade. You had the brains, but that wouldn't help at all at a time like this. You knew that no one would be open to reason.

Your brother circled you, a smug grin plastered onto his face. He was enjoying this, the sicko.

"...So, want to explain to the rest of us why you were flying off with the devil, _____?" He taunted, motioning to the other villagers who were slowly gathering around you, wary and angered looks on their faces.

"...Mind your own business," you muttered, earning you a kick in the gut, causing you to cough and choke on the air a little.

"Heh...you've got a pretty cocky mouth for someone who's about to die," he chuckled, leaning down and tugging on your hair harshly. You let out a scream, gritting your teeth together in the hopes of muffling your cries. You didn't want to worry Nightshade.

"Please...just let me and Nightshade go...we were leaving because we don't belong here...we were going to-"

"You're right. You don't belong here. You never have, and you never will... And do you think I'm stupid? You'll come back with an army of those things and slaughter us!"

You shook your head rapidly, ignoring the pain.

"I won't! I swear! This will be the last time you see me! I promise!"

You managed to sit up, and you stared at your brother with pleading eyes. He sighed, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You're right. This will be the last time I see you. Before I put you in the ground."

Your eyes widened, and you began to scramble away, letting out a cry of fear as he drew his sword, a sick grin on his face. He stalked towards you, chuckling slightly. You felt your back hit something; a house probably, and you began to shake.

"No...please...please, brother...have mercy..."

He paused, his head cocking to the side in what looked like curiosity.

"Mercy? For someone like you?" He let out a laugh; the sound cold and harsh against your ears, "people like you don't deserve mercy...goodbye, _____."

He raised his sword above his head, moving to strike you down. You slammed your eyes shut, knowing that this was the end. There was no way that you would survive this. Not now.

You heard the sound of air slicing as the sword cut through the air, and you silently prayed to Odin that it would be over quick.

The sound of metal slicing through skin met your ears, and you cringed at the sound, waiting for the pain to begin.

Seconds passed. No pain. You tensed a little, wondering if you were already dead. You certainly didn't feel like you had passed on; the fear for your brother was still there, and you felt conscious.

With a shaky gulp, you opened your eyes.

The sight was much more horrific than you thought it would be.

You let out a gasp as you saw what had stopped your death. Nightshade stood over you protectively, his legs trembling badly. You saw blood pooling around him, and then noticed the deep gash in his neck. He had jumped in front of you to save you.

You scrambled to your feet, reaching out and touching the Night Fury’s trembling body. His eyes turned to look at you, and he let out a choked growl, before toppling over; landing hard on his side. You dropped to your knees by his side, pulling the dragon’s head into your lap, feeling the tears streaming down your face.

"Nightshade! Stay with me, boy! Stay with me!" You shrieked, glancing down at his wound. You gulped down the bile that had risen into your throat as you saw how deep the gash was, before steeling yourself, and placing your hands to the wound, desperately trying to stop the blood.

You knew it was impossible. But you knew that you had to try. You weren't going to let him die. He was all you had left.

You didn't bother to look up to see if your brother was coming back. In that moment, you didn't even care. You just wanted to keep Nightshade safe.

"Nightshade...speak to me, boy...c’mon..." You murmured gently, stroking his head softly. He offered a small choked sound in response, and you gulped down your cries, choosing to lean down and press your head against his.

"...I’m so sorry...I never wanted this to happen...I'm so sorry..." You whispered, repeating your apology over and over. He growled a little; his way of saying he forgave you. You bit your lip, inhaling shakily.

He slowly turned his head so that he was facing you; it took some effort, and his body twitched as pain flowed through him. You stared at him helplessly, not knowing what to do. You couldn't stop the blood at all, and you knew you had to leave soon, or your brother would kill you both.

Nightshade began to convulse slightly, and your eyes widened, dread churning inside you. That dread slowly turned to confusion as you heard a strange panting sound coming from his now open mouth. What was he doing?

Your question was answered when his convulsing stopped, and he coughed into your lap. It was like he was regurgitating something, like he’d done with you before with his food. You looked down into your lap, and your eyes widened.

In your lap, was one of the darkest dragon scales you had ever seen. It was completely black; darker than any scales you had ever seen on Nightshade before. You reached into your lap and picked it up, watching as it gleamed in the moonlight.

"Nightshade..." You whispered, glancing down at your dragon once again, not sure what to say. He stared back at you, before lifting his head slightly. You leaned down, pressing your forehead against his own as you sniffled.

You felt his tongue; rough and wet against your cheek weakly, before his head dropped into your lap. His eyes closed, and his body twitched a little, before going completely still.

You sat there, completely limp, for what seemed like an eternity. Your eyes were locked on the form of your now dead dragon, and you couldn't take your gaze away from him, no matter how hard you tried.

Nightshade was dead. Nightshade was dead.

And it was all your fault.

You began to shake uncontrollably, gasping for breath as the realisation hit you head on. You gripped at your dragon’s limp form, burying your head against his scales and sobbing.

How? How had this happened? You were both so happy just a couple of hours ago. And now...

You froze as you heard footsteps in the dirt, and you looked up at the form now approaching you. Your eyes locked onto the blurry form of your brother, and you let out a choked sob.

"...I’m not going to kill you, _____...I'm going to let you live with the guilt...you killed ’your’ dragon...you let it die..."

Those words made your blood run cold. This was torture. Why? Why did he have to make you suffer like this?

"...Now, run rabbit. Run...and pray to Odin that I never find you."

It took you a few seconds to register his words, and then you were off; racing past villagers as you ran to escape your brother. You glanced back at Nightshade, but quickly turned your head away; it was too painful to see him in that state.

And so, you ran. You ran until your legs could carry you no further. But still, you knew it wouldn't be enough. Your brother would hunt you down and kill you, you knew it. There was only one choice. You had to leave your island for good.

And, as you sneaked onto a travelling trader’s boat, you knew that this would probably be the last time you'd see it.

Of course, you couldn't wait to get away from it now. At one time, you would've been sad, maybe even regretful, but now, it held nothing but anger and hatred.

All because of that forbidden night.

Description
WARNING: SLIGHT VIOLENCE. NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO TAG IT, BUT I THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU A WARNING JUST IN CASE. ENJOY.

"Stupid wretch!"

"The witch has cursed us all!"

"She's a demon! She'll tell her beast to kill us!"

The remarks were nothing new. As you walked through your village carrying a large wicker basket filled to the brim with fish, people would often stop and snap these words at you.

You hadn't gotten used to them, but you had learnt to block most of it out, and not let the hurt show while you were around them. You wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

This had been happening every day for the past three months. Some days were worse than others; on certain days the young adults - around fifteen to sixteen years old you guessed - would come out and physically attack you. They'd left you with bruises and wounds all over that had only just healed.

But, did you blame them? Of course not. After all, you’d brought this on yourself.

You should've killed it. You should've ended it before it had gone too far. But...you couldn't. When you had looked into it’s eyes; seen the fear that seemed to mirror your own, you knew you couldn't do it.

And now you were paying the price. Paying the price for saving a creature’s life.

Paying the price for saving a Night Fury.

Nightshade was your only friend now. The Night Fury you had saved three months ago was your only companion. It was comforting to know that you had someone to go to.

But boy, did it make your life hell.

You clicked your tongue as you walked down into the forest that bordered your village; feeling at ease the further you went in. This was Night Fury territory now, and no one from the village would dare enter it. Unless they wanted a plasma blast to the face.

"...Nightshade!" You called, heading towards the place you knew he’d be; just by the lake, where it was cool and sheltered from the sun.

You heard a familiar growling noise, followed by a happy roar as you walked into his ’lair’; you were greeted by the bounding figure of the Night Fury inches away from you.

"Whoa! Easy, boy! Easy!" You laughed, reaching out and petting him gently on his snout, "I haven't been gone that long..."

He responded with a snort, pushing his snout into your hand, making you really feel the small, rough scales that covered his body.

"I brought you more fish," you murmured, motioning to the basket that now sat on the floor. His eyes grew wide; his pupils almost doubling in size, like how a cat’s would when it hunted it’s prey. He nudged you, a small bubbling growl of thanks echoing in his throat. You smiled, and let go of the dragon; walking over to the basket, and tipping the contents onto the floor.

"Not that much, I'm afraid, but it'll have to do. I'll have to make another fishing trip soon..." You sighed, watching as the Night Fury picked at the fish, little noises of satisfaction rumbling in his chest. You allowed a small smile to settle on your lips, and you backed away, choosing to let him eat his meal in peace while you walked over to the small lake, sitting down by it and staring into the water.

The rippling of the water calmed your mind, and you closed your eyes, sighing deeply. You didn't know what to do.

Things had been difficult for you the past three months, and you knew that they weren't going to get better. Most of the village wanted you gone, a few probably wanted you dead. But...did you really want to leave? You'd grown up in this village, and it held so many memories. Were you really going to give all of that up because of a dragon?

The nudge against your shoulder snapped you out of your daze, and as you turned your head and met those bright yellow eyes; eyes that were full of trust and pure, innocent happiness, you knew your answer.

"Nightshade...I think it's time we packed our things and took to the skies, don't you think?"

"Alright...fish for you, water, and enough rations to hopefully last me the winter...hey, if worst comes to worst, I'll just have to...kill something, right?" You murmured, turning to look at Nightshade, who was sniffing your bag. He looked at you, and huffed a little, as if doubting you. You rolled your eyes, patting him on the head gently, before pulling your bag over your shoulder.

"...Okay...now, for the weapons..." You sighed, reaching into your pocket and pulling out a small yet sharp dagger. Nightshade's eyes dilated slightly, and he growled, crouching down at the sight of the blade. You quickly pocketed it, showing your hands to him.

"It's okay, it's okay...it's gone..."

He snorted, slumping down with a huff, yet still his eyes watched you warily.

"...There’s no point in taking my bow and arrows; it's too big, and making arrows is too time-consuming," you murmured to yourself, shrugging, "oh well, I guess the dagger will have to do...ready to go?"

Nightshade jumped to his feet, letting out a small roar in response. You smiled, before mounting the Night Fury.

"Okay, Nightshade...nice and quiet...like a shadow...let’s go..."

With that, Nightshade took to the skies, his body shooting up into the cool night air. He levelled out quickly, glancing up at you. You offered him a small grin, before looking out towards the mountains.

"...Okay, our first plan is to-"

Your eyes widened as you heard someone shouting, and your head shot down just in time to see an arrow heading your way. Someone was shooting at you.

"Nightshade! Dodge it!" You yelled, causing the Night Fury to spin out of the way, growling and baring his teeth at the unknown attackers.

"Fly, boy! Fly!" You shrieked as you noticed more arrows being fired, and he wasted no time in taking off towards the mountains.

That was, until an arrow managed to hit the dragon.

You gasped as you heard Nightshade roar in pain, and your eyes widened as you saw where he had been hit; an arrow had managed to bury itself in the junction of his left wing. He flapped his wings, hissing and snarling as the arrow moved around in his wound. You gritted your teeth. It's was no good; he couldn't fly like this. With a gulp, you leaned down and whispered to him.

"Down, boy...down..."

With a growl, he dropped from the sky; managing to land somewhat safely on the ground, albeit in the worse place. He'd managed to land in the middle of the village.

You heard the yells, and climbed off of Nightshade’s back; moving to his wing, and tugging at the arrow. He snarled, and you winced.

"Sorry, boy...but this has to go...now-"

A sudden pain in your side made you cry out, and you collapsed on the floor, coughing.

"Thought you could just leave, did ya?"

The voice made your blood run cold, and you gulped, looking up at the owner.

"...B-brother, I-"

"Save it, _____. You know words won't help you."

Your brother lashed out again, sending his foot into your ribcage. You let out a shriek of pain, causing Nightshade to roar in response. You looked his way, to see him scraping at the ground, trying to get to his feet.

You winced as you felt your brother grip at your hair and tug you away from your dragon. You began to scream; to struggle and lash out with your arms and legs. It didn't do much good however; it only seemed to make him grip tighter at your hair.

He threw you to the floor hard, and you lay there, whimpering. There was no way that you could take him on. He was the definition of strength, and you...well, you were a weakling without Nightshade. You had the brains, but that wouldn't help at all at a time like this. You knew that no one would be open to reason.

Your brother circled you, a smug grin plastered onto his face. He was enjoying this, the sicko.

"...So, want to explain to the rest of us why you were flying off with the devil, _____?" He taunted, motioning to the other villagers who were slowly gathering around you, wary and angered looks on their faces.

"...Mind your own business," you muttered, earning you a kick in the gut, causing you to cough and choke on the air a little.

"Heh...you've got a pretty cocky mouth for someone who's about to die," he chuckled, leaning down and tugging on your hair harshly. You let out a scream, gritting your teeth together in the hopes of muffling your cries. You didn't want to worry Nightshade.

"Please...just let me and Nightshade go...we were leaving because we don't belong here...we were going to-"

"You're right. You don't belong here. You never have, and you never will... And do you think I'm stupid? You'll come back with an army of those things and slaughter us!"

You shook your head rapidly, ignoring the pain.

"I won't! I swear! This will be the last time you see me! I promise!"

You managed to sit up, and you stared at your brother with pleading eyes. He sighed, and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You're right. This will be the last time I see you. Before I put you in the ground."

Your eyes widened, and you began to scramble away, letting out a cry of fear as he drew his sword, a sick grin on his face. He stalked towards you, chuckling slightly. You felt your back hit something; a house probably, and you began to shake.

"No...please...please, brother...have mercy..."

He paused, his head cocking to the side in what looked like curiosity.

"Mercy? For someone like you?" He let out a laugh; the sound cold and harsh against your ears, "people like you don't deserve mercy...goodbye, _____."

He raised his sword above his head, moving to strike you down. You slammed your eyes shut, knowing that this was the end. There was no way that you would survive this. Not now.

You heard the sound of air slicing as the sword cut through the air, and you silently prayed to Odin that it would be over quick.

The sound of metal slicing through skin met your ears, and you cringed at the sound, waiting for the pain to begin.

Seconds passed. No pain. You tensed a little, wondering if you were already dead. You certainly didn't feel like you had passed on; the fear for your brother was still there, and you felt conscious.

With a shaky gulp, you opened your eyes.

The sight was much more horrific than you thought it would be.

You let out a gasp as you saw what had stopped your death. Nightshade stood over you protectively, his legs trembling badly. You saw blood pooling around him, and then noticed the deep gash in his neck. He had jumped in front of you to save you.

You scrambled to your feet, reaching out and touching the Night Fury’s trembling body. His eyes turned to look at you, and he let out a choked growl, before toppling over; landing hard on his side. You dropped to your knees by his side, pulling the dragon’s head into your lap, feeling the tears streaming down your face.

"Nightshade! Stay with me, boy! Stay with me!" You shrieked, glancing down at his wound. You gulped down the bile that had risen into your throat as you saw how deep the gash was, before steeling yourself, and placing your hands to the wound, desperately trying to stop the blood.

You knew it was impossible. But you knew that you had to try. You weren't going to let him die. He was all you had left.

You didn't bother to look up to see if your brother was coming back. In that moment, you didn't even care. You just wanted to keep Nightshade safe.

"Nightshade...speak to me, boy...c’mon..." You murmured gently, stroking his head softly. He offered a small choked sound in response, and you gulped down your cries, choosing to lean down and press your head against his.

"...I’m so sorry...I never wanted this to happen...I'm so sorry..." You whispered, repeating your apology over and over. He growled a little; his way of saying he forgave you. You bit your lip, inhaling shakily.

He slowly turned his head so that he was facing you; it took some effort, and his body twitched as pain flowed through him. You stared at him helplessly, not knowing what to do. You couldn't stop the blood at all, and you knew you had to leave soon, or your brother would kill you both.

Nightshade began to convulse slightly, and your eyes widened, dread churning inside you. That dread slowly turned to confusion as you heard a strange panting sound coming from his now open mouth. What was he doing?

Your question was answered when his convulsing stopped, and he coughed into your lap. It was like he was regurgitating something, like he’d done with you before with his food. You looked down into your lap, and your eyes widened.

In your lap, was one of the darkest dragon scales you had ever seen. It was completely black; darker than any scales you had ever seen on Nightshade before. You reached into your lap and picked it up, watching as it gleamed in the moonlight.

"Nightshade..." You whispered, glancing down at your dragon once again, not sure what to say. He stared back at you, before lifting his head slightly. You leaned down, pressing your forehead against his own as you sniffled.

You felt his tongue; rough and wet against your cheek weakly, before his head dropped into your lap. His eyes closed, and his body twitched a little, before going completely still.

You sat there, completely limp, for what seemed like an eternity. Your eyes were locked on the form of your now dead dragon, and you couldn't take your gaze away from him, no matter how hard you tried.

Nightshade was dead. Nightshade was dead.

And it was all your fault.

You began to shake uncontrollably, gasping for breath as the realisation hit you head on. You gripped at your dragon’s limp form, burying your head against his scales and sobbing.

How? How had this happened? You were both so happy just a couple of hours ago. And now...

You froze as you heard footsteps in the dirt, and you looked up at the form now approaching you. Your eyes locked onto the blurry form of your brother, and you let out a choked sob.

"...I’m not going to kill you, _____...I'm going to let you live with the guilt...you killed ’your’ dragon...you let it die..."

Those words made your blood run cold. This was torture. Why? Why did he have to make you suffer like this?

"...Now, run rabbit. Run...and pray to Odin that I never find you."

It took you a few seconds to register his words, and then you were off; racing past villagers as you ran to escape your brother. You glanced back at Nightshade, but quickly turned your head away; it was too painful to see him in that state.

And so, you ran. You ran until your legs could carry you no further. But still, you knew it wouldn't be enough. Your brother would hunt you down and kill you, you knew it. There was only one choice. You had to leave your island for good.

And, as you sneaked onto a travelling trader’s boat, you knew that this would probably be the last time you'd see it.

Of course, you couldn't wait to get away from it now. At one time, you would've been sad, maybe even regretful, but now, it held nothing but anger and hatred.

All because of that forbidden night.