[How to Train Your Dragon] Dreams and Reality

In the presence of the Father of the Gods...

I raised my hand and gently touched the dragon's scales, without making a sound.

I swore to the Mother of All that I would regard you as my companion, my dearest friend, and a part of my soul...

The dragon's body curled around me, trembling with each breath.

I smiled.

...And I would never betray you.

No matter what we may go through in the future.

I'm glad I met you.

[How do you face fate?]

I raised an eyebrow. "There's no telling whether it even exists."

[What if it means suffocation and despair, soaked in blood, tears, and the fires of war?]

"I said..." I slowly sat up straight and gripped the dragon's head at the top of my staff. "I don't believe in fate."

[What if it's real?]

"Then we'll raise our weapons against the beings who wove it all and burn their divine thrones." I raised my staff and roared alongside my companion. "I'm a Viking. We'll carve out our own lives!"

Tips:

* First person, relatively slice-of-life, with a slow pace.

* The protagonist is mostly an observer and doesn't change much through the end of Part One.

* Based on the film and TV plotlines, not the games.

* Completely revised everything, from the blurb to the story, all in pursuit of better writing.

* I'll try to update monthly. This story has been on hiatus for three years, and I expect it to actually finish within five. Don't expect too much of me.

Theme: No matter how things turn out, I'm glad I met you.