First Aquaintance [Baldr, Scratchet]

[Baldr the Bonkers]

DATE & TIME : Midmorning, 14st June, 22 before the H-B war
LOCATION : Hysterian Main village
WEATHER CONDITIONS : Clear Skies
CHARACTERS INVOLVED : Scratchet, Baldr
PREVIOUS THREADS ? None

Baldr opened his eyes to see the clear sky above him. He sat up so he was no long lying on his dragon. That was the best way of saying that his dragon was, he didn’t go by a name…well, he obviously did, but no one knew what the first name he was given since he wouldn’t tell anyone, and he wouldn’t accept any other name that anyone gave him. Baldr’s dragon wasn’t a talkative one really, he preferred to act more feral despite being tamed generations ago and having gone though many partners.

He got up and started to walk back in the direction of the village, leaving the dragon to sleep there for a while longer. Baldr always felt inadequate when with this beast and did feel like he shouldn’t have been chosen by him. He wished that the dragon would treat him like he was a kid every now and then, not just the partner he would have and needed to get to be up to standard.

As he got to the village he heard shouts of annoyance not far into the village. He quickened the pace to see what the commotion was about and as he turned a corner saw her. A Nadder he’d never seen before…causing trouble.

[Scratchet]

A turquoise-coloured Deadly Nadder was starving. She had decided to leave her pack because she was, as usual, the lowest in the pecking order. Not only was she picked on by the others, (verbally, morally and physically) but also she never recieved a decent meal, having to put up with minimal scraps. The midly deformed Deadly Nadder was literally a bag of bones and was desperate for food.

She was so desperate, in fact, that she had decided to risk visiting the human settlement not far away. It was risky. She had heard stories of humans from her childhood, when they used to fight and kill dragons. The people of Hysteria were unaware for a while of what had occurred with the Green Death, until they had come into contact with Berk. Until that time, Vikings had continued to fight dragons, even though they were no longer under threat of a queen-bee-like dragon.

She nervously picked her way around the outskirts of the village, unsure how they would react to her presence - until she saw other dragons in company of the humans... and they weren't being mutilated or killed. The Elders were wrong! The rumours were true! Humans were not evil anymore!

With this boost of confidence, and driven by a grumbling stomach, she marched forwards, desperate for something - anything - to put something edible into her stomach. This was when a horrible stench erupted in her fine-tuned nostrils - raw fish. And lots of it.

The Nadder began to drool, and followed the scent to the coastline, where she saw the biggest haul of fish she had ever seen in her life. No excuses. She had to have it.

She began to run on wobbly stick-like legs, slowly picking up speed until she was right by the net-

The Nadder had bowled over the Viking who was carrying the fish, spilling the net onto the floor. Unfortuneately it was sealed at the top. She cocked her head - the food was unretrieveable, unless she was to eat the net as well. She poked at the net with her toe, unsure and quite let down by such a taunting bait.

Suddenly one of the other Vikings shoved her away quite forcefully, muttering some gibberish tongue. She wasn't hard to push away, she was so weak. Sad, she was going to turn away and search perhaps elsewhere, something easier to snatch, when she saw a human giving a Gronckle a whole basketful of fish.

An idea sparked in her mind. She turned back to the grumbling Vikings, who were recovering their catch. "Hey! I need that, uhh... fish, for uhh... my human!" Some of the Vikings laughed and carried on with their duty. She became more persistent. "Aww come on! My *Master*, uhhh, *really* needs that fish!" Her growling stomach didn't back her argument very well.

"Oh really?" Piped up one of the Vikings further back in Dragonese. "Who's your so-called 'human', then? I know everyone in this village."

With this, her eyes widened. She had no evidence to back this inquiry. Her eyes darted for a solution - maybe there's be a dragonless Viking around? But how to know...

Her eyes fell on a young male further away, who was watching the commotion unfold beneath him. Scratchet's eyes lit up. "Him!" She scurried over the the little boy's side, hoping he wouldn't run away. She bent down to whisper in his ear, a pleading tone accompanying her voice. "Please play along, I am sooooo hungry." She turned once more, looking triumphant at the Fisher-Vikings. "See? This is my Human. He wanted me to deliver food - I mean fish to his shelter."

The Vikings looked at each other before bursting out laughing. "Are you serious?" One finally managed to say after laughing himself to tears. "He's the Nephew-Of-The-Son-Of-The-Chief! He already has a dragon, and it's *definitely* not you!"

'Crap.' Was all the Nadder could think. She had chosen... poorly.

[Baldr the Bonkers]

Baldr looked at the dragon as it was pleading for food, he could see how malnourished the dragon was. He knew that he shouldn’t feel sorry for wild dragons because you never know what they’re like, after all, they could be Viking killers. But he did pity her, anything that got that unnaturally thin deserved it.

Then she looked at her and proclaimed him as her human. He froze at the statement; the thought of being made another dragon’s human caused it. He didn’t need the idea. She scuttled over to him and whispered into his ear her plea. He didn’t know what to say to what was happening around him, should he go against it or go along with it. She did need the food.

Before he could decide though they started laughing and telling her how stupid she’d been choosing him. “And?” Baldr finally said, bravery finally coming back to him, “sure he’s not mine, but I’ll vouch for her anyway.”

“What? Why?” a Viking asked.

“Look at…” he paused, “you a he or a she?” he whispered in her ear. He heard laughter from the fishermen. “Serious, she’s not well, she needs food.”

“You know we can’t just give fish out to dragons.” The fisherman said, “If we did we’d have to feed every dragon on this island.”

“But…” Baldr started, he knew he wasn’t going to get them to change; he was only nine after all. He was going to try though.

“What’s going on here?” a booming voice from behind them proclaimed. Baldr turned to see his Granddad, the chief.

[Scratchet]

The Deadly Nadder grinned when the boy decided to back him up nevertheless. He then asked her if she was a girl or a boy. She snorted in offense. "I'm a female, of course! Do you think I look like a male?!" Even in her hunger addled state, she didn't like being taken for a male of the species. To dragons, it was evident, but she didn't realise this obviousness wasn't as clear for humans.

But he was trying to get her the food... She might let him off just this once if he suceeds.

Meanwhile the boy and the men were arguing. She wondered if she could saunter in and just take the food whilst they were arguing. No... there were four of the men, more eyes to spot her with.

Suddenly a new voice boomed behind them, his voice like thunder. Alright. This was getting a little out of hand. Scratchet only wanted food, not an argument. She was still in the mindset of a pecking order. This new Viking looked scary.

As they bickered, Scratchet looked at the bag of fish, which the Vikings had put down now. She looked at the Vikings. She wasn't going to wait for them. She was hungry and there was food right in front of her. Right now, words didn't really make much of an impression on her.

She stalked away a little, letting the hollering Vikings be. She was going to take the net again. One factor she didn't realise was that she was deathly weak. And the net was heavy.

She tried to drag the net away, as she did so the net slowly tore, letting a few fish free. It left a trail as she hauled the weight. Unfortunately, she only got about fifteen metres away before a Viking noticed.

"She's getting away!" He exclaimed, chasing after her. He opened her mouth, hoping to dodge the Viking's attack, but the net got caught in her teeth, leaving her rooted to the spot, letting her get tackled by the Viking. Her head crashed against the ground. She was so weak she could barely resist.

Her stomach pained. The food was so tauntingly close... If only she could reach forwards and take a bite...

[Baldr the Bonkers]

As the fishermen gave their biased account of what was happening, Baldr didn’t know if his granddad’s appearance was a godsend or a curse, he was going to try and use it as the latter.

“Why are you arguing with them, boy, you know we can’t just give away food!”[/color]

“I know that, sir, but I felt sorry for her, she’s can’t have ha…”[/color]

Before he’d finished his defence one of the fishermen exclaimed, “She’s getting away!”[/color] The two for them turned and saw that the Nadder had been dragging the net of fish, with some falling out of the net in a trail behind her. The fishermen charged at her.

“Look at her Granddad, she can’t even lift up the net, I doubt she could fly! I know we’re not supposed to help wild dragons, but I doubt this dragon would be able to help herself it we didn’t.[/color]

The Chief watched the scene in front of him for a few moments, looking at his grandson, “Alright, but this is on your head, you got that? If we’re going to help her, you’re going to be the one doing it from now on; anything she does will be accountable to you.”[/color] Baldr nodded readily, “Let her go men, take the netted fish and continue about your work.”[/color]

The fishermen, looked at each other for a moment, then they took the net from the dragon and started to pick up the dropped fish, descruntled at how they were probably rubbish now. “Can I use them?” they looked at Baldr, perplexed, “since you don’t seem to like them, can I use them.” They weren’t much, but they’d be something to give to the staving dragon.

“You heard him,”[/color] The chief said. They stood there for a second as the fishermen shrugged and got back to work, “You’d better realise what you’ve got yourself into.”[/color] He started to walk back into the main part of the village, and you better hope that you can talk your parents round to the idea of an extra dragon, as well as talking him round to the idea too.”[/color]

Baldr shuddered slightly as he started to pick up the trail of fish, as he started to actually see what he had gotten himself into. His parents would see why he’d done this, but would his dragon? He pushed this thought away for now as he walked up to the Nadder, kneelt down and offered the fish to her, “here you go girl, have it.”[/i][/color]

[Scratchet]

When will this end? When will she finally be released from this hold? When will she finally recieve food? The Viking's grips were strong, the Nadder could barely do anything in resistance.

She closed her eyes... Maybe the Elders were right, humans really are evil...

Before the thought came to it's conclusion, the grumbling Vikings finally released their hold upon her. She could get up now, if she wanted to. But she was terribly weak. Reopening her eyes, she watched as the lost goal was taken away.

She managed to heave a sigh, her stomach had stopped grumbling a long time ago, only pain resonated from the area. Perhaps she was destined for this end, just as nature intended...

“Here you go girl, have it.”

'What's this...' Focusing her vision, and shifting her head slightly so she could see what was in front of her, she first noticed the armful of fish. They were all mucky, covered in gravel and silt, and bruised from being dragged and dropped on the ground. The Turquoise Nadder didn't care. She forced her mouth open to accept the fish. This better not be a cruel joke.

The slimy fish on her tongue was like a godsend. She quickly swallowed it, her stomach begging for more.

"More... Please." She begged, finally looking up to her saviour. It was the same boy from before. She hadn't expected him to follow through her failed scheme until the end.

After a couple more fish, she was feeling better already, but still devastatingly hungry. She was used to eating only small portions. "Who are you, hatchling? My plan failed at the very beginnning... Why do you still help me?" She finally mustered.

[Baldr the Bonkers]

Baldr smiled as the nadder quickly eat down the food and asked for more. He fed the fishes one by one. He laughed at how she’d called him hatchling, he’d always loved how dragons would you their terminology for mammals. “My name’s Baldr, I’m this place’s leader’s grandson. What’s your name?” [/i][/color] He then heard her question and look sadly at her.


“I couldn’t just leave you like you are, I don’t think you’d survive much longer the way you look. What happened to you?”[/color][/i] He listened to the response, which had pauses every now and then for him to feed her another fish, and then said, “I was able to get this for you without anything extra this time, but this place doesn’t like to hand out. We can feed you, and I think you’d be able to get strong again, but you’ll have to work for us so that I’ll be allowed to give you more fish. That alright for you?”[/i][/color]


He heard movement behind him, he turned to see his dragon standing there, looking at the two of them half surprised half quizzical. “Oh…Hi there,”[/i][/color] Baldr muttered, he felt really nervous about this moment, and had hoped he’d have had a bit more time to prepare for it. But he didn’t so he had to just go straight in. “This is…erm…”[/i][/color] he paused for a second looking at her, she’d not got a name. He might as well give her one, “Scratchet.”[/i][/color]

[Scratchet]

The kid, who had now introduced himself as Baldr, asked the name of the Nadder. Her eyes softened a little.

"I... I don't have a name. " She mumbled, accepting another fish. Baldr began to explain his motives in helping her. She felt a lot of gratitude towards this young boy.

Soon he had ran out of fish, and she was begging for more, but he told her she would have to work to get more food. Work for food? That was the best thing she had heard so far in her life. Perhaps that was why dragons spent time with humans - for a chance at an easy meal.

"I owe you my life, Baldr. I'll do anything for you. And for food." She said, accepting his offer.

Suddenly Baldr turned around, noticing something. The dragon shifted her head more, to find a dragon she had never seen before enter her vision. Though the turquoise beast was on the floor, she was sure that, when standing, she would tower over him.

Baldr greeted the dragon, as if they already knew each other. Was this the other dragon that the evil fisherman was on about? The Nadder could smell nervousness on the little boy. It was as if the relationship between him and his dragon was slightly hostile.

He introduced her to the beast. But then... he named her. Scratchet's eyes opened very wide. If her head was raised off the ground, she might have opened it in shock. He gave her a name! She played the sound around in her mind, Scratchet, Scratchet... Scratchet. She liked it. A lot. Well, she was elated that she had a name, regardless! She had known not to be picky a long time ago. With a giddy grin on her face she watched the new dragon's reactions. She was probably going to have to live alongside him.

The newly named Scratchet had no idea why the relationship between these two was tense, but she couldn't care less. She had a name, Scratchet, and the possibility of food, not just scraps.

Maybe her plan worked after all, just not the way she had envisioned it. Her new live was about to begin.

"Hello!" She finally said. She had almost forgotten to speak. Elation was clear in her voice.

[Baldr the Bonkers]

Baldr then went into a full account of what had happened and what he had gotten himself into. He knew he had to tell his dragon all of that, it would be the only way Baldr felt he’d be able to talk him round to the idea.

When he’d finished however, his dragon surprised him, “Scratchet is it?” Baldr blinked in surprise. He knew his dragon could speak, but he had rarely known it to speak, and never to someone or something he’d never met before. Scratchet seemed to like the fact she now had a name and had been out of it the whole conversation so far. She said hello to his dragon. “It’s nice to meet you Scratchet, I’m sure you’ve like it here if you don’t mind going with some of their little rules.”[/color]

Baldr’s dragon then walked up to him and then nudged him with his head towards the unique saddle that baldr’s dragon used. He had obviously carried it with him here and then dropped it when he got here so he could talk. “Time for some flying,”[/color] Baldr nodded, picked up the saddle and started attaching it to his dragon. “Want to come with us Scratchet? Only if you’re up for it of course.”[/color]

[Scratchet]

Scratchet grinned as the dragon welcomed her into the village. he seemed nice enough. She didn't yet understand why Baldr had felt nervous around his dragon. The Nadder observed as it desposited some equipment in front of the human. Quickly realising it was a sort of saddle she didn't say much.

Instead she decided to struggle to her feet. The fish was a great energy boost, though most of the energy would come later. her thin legs wobbled slightly under her weight. It didn't bother her much - she had been like this for a while now. Besides, she was going to get lots of food and be strong now. Nothing could wipe that toothy smile from her face.

Baldr's dragon then invited her to fly. She stretched her stubby wings, that could only just get her airborne, if she was stronger. She beat them, feeling the downforce of air, but nothing substantial to actually get her off the ground.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. It was made clear to her in her early days that a dragon was most vulnerable when it couldn't fly. "I have to get these two feet sturdy on the earth, anyway." She excused, pawing the ground lightly with one of her feet.

She watched the boy and his dragon take off, spiraling into the open airs. Scratchet watched them, with a smirk on her face. 'One day I'll be like that,' She thought. 'I'll be just as awesome in the sky, just you wait!'

Once they had finally disappeared from view, her head descended back to earth. In the distance she could see the fishermen. She trotted up and decided to pester them for more food. She was fully justified now, after all.

She would also have to get used to rules and regulation, and quickly learn to disrespect them.