Beside Berk

Rain dew ran along the bright foliage which glistened in the spring sun.

Despite the fresh feeling of the early morning weather, the young boys face remained painted with pain.

The loss of his father stung at him as he prepared a suitable burial place for his father, lining the walls with his fathers weapons and valuables. That being said, the two did not own much of anything. Their remaining family life consisted of farming and hunting to survive on their abandoned island.

Eventually, he finished the burial, with his father now buried beneath the earth leaving him all alone.

"Oh Odin, please guide my father to Valhalla"

While his father did not die in battle, his entire life had been spent battling.

The boy sang a short prayer for his fathers passage before turning around and heading down the hill.

The boys battle axe draped along the dirt floor, creating a small indent in the floor following his path. His body lacked any energy to do anything, yet he had to muster himself to get back to work otherwise he would not survive on his lonesome.

Dark clouds began to smother the sky as the minutes went by.

Suddenly, a deep resounding voice startled the moping boy. His steps lost traction as he stumbled forward.

"Sigmund, Heir to the Kykvendi Clan. Your trial is upon you. Complete it and your boons will be bountiful, but should you fail, your life will be forfeit."

The boy named Sigmund reoriented himself moments before his face ate the dirt, his expression struck with confusion.

"Wait? Who?"

It didn't take long before he assumed a battle position with his axe braced in front of him. His father had raised him to be a battle ready warrior, despite his calmer disposition. 

His hands gripped the axe firmly as he scanned the area looking for any signs of people, or a clue as to the origin of the voice. As his mind raced, Sigmund continuously analysed the words and characteristics of the voice, like a hunter appraising it's prey. 

"That voice was too clear to be hidden... It sounded like it was right beside me..."

When he reached this conclusion, Sigmund's guard eased slightly before turning towards his house and closing the door. His thoughts were clear as he looked out from his small window, scanning the surroundings for anything out of place once more.

Yet no matter how much he looked, it was the same desolate landscape, empty roads and torched buildings that tell the tale of the past.

"What on earth was that then?"

Time went by as usual, with Sigmund returning to the fields to tend to the animals. As they say, time waits for no man.

Sigmund spent the day like normal, and drifted off to sleep as the moon rose high into the sky.

Unlike the day before, the next morning started abruptly, unlike any before.

Excruciating pain rattled the boys body as though his body was being stabbed continuously with millions of small blades.

His left arm burned as he twisted in agony, his usually calm appearance was contorted in pain and dread.

Despite this, his brain raced as it thought of possible reasons and solutions to his current situation.

As he looked down, he noticed a growing purple symbol etching itself along the side of his ribcage, encroaching upon his chest and shoulder. He watched as the design twisted and turned like vines around him, seizing its prey.

"This is way too out of my depth..."

With that thought, his vision grew hazier before a familiar darkness crept in.

Once more Sigmund awoke as the sun shone brightly in the sky. His body was completely drained of energy as he forced himself up.

Inspecting his body, his eyes stared at the obvious alteration on his body, a large purple mark had dyed him, like ivy growing upon a tree.

"Wait a moment.. Is that-"

The more Sigmund stared at the mark, the more its shape seemed familiar. While not an exact copy, the tip of the mark which rest upon his shoulder resembled a reptile or more specifically, a dragon.

He shook his arm slightly, feeling for any discomfort, but other than the draining tiredness, not even a trace of pain or soreness could be felt from the tattoo.

"I don't suppose it will come off after a wash... Well... at least it look's cool..."

A defeated smile swept across his face as he looked down towards the mess he had made when he first woke up.

He sighed before starting to clean up once more.

With his bizarre morning experience, Sigmund left his house with heavy shoulders as he realised the time.

By his calculations, he had no more than a few hours before it was night out and he had yet to do any of the jobs he needed.

"Looks like I better prioritise the fields and dinner before it gets dark"

He had no fear of the dark, neither did he mind working until late. What truly hastened Sigmund was the thunderous clouds off to the distance, large black clouds that threatened to devour the sun.

Thus began the storm preparations - covering the field, locking up the few animals he had as well as boarding up the windows to his house.

On nights such as this, Sigmund spent his time writing in his notebooks. He had taken up the hobby of documenting the world around him, from the fauna to the flora.

Despite having no teacher to speak of, his knowledge had grown to the point that even his father would consult him on some issues.

He continued writing and reading like this for hours, until the thunder begun to sound, its crashing and roaring silenced the world.

"Is it me or does this feel even more dangerous than usual?"

Sigmund murmured to himself as he peeked through the slats on the window. The lightning illuminated the sky, as though a war of the heavens was taking place above.

The roars of thunder refused to cease as blue rays of electricity shot through the clouds.

"This is strange... that lightning looks alive..."

Sigmund wrote and drew sketches of the lightning as he watched the magnificent light display above.

That was until the thunder turned into shrieks of pain.

His eyes opened wide as he saw a smoking object come crashing down, its destination the far shore of the island.

The rain continued to fall, however the lightning and thunder settled.

"Is this what I think it is?"