Ch. 10- Darkness Came

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When I woke up, I did a few things to my inferno before heading out to play with Emerald. While I was at the blacksmith shop I saw an old design for a shield, so I copied it down, impressed with how much it could do, and planned to make me one of my own. I also saw a way to make a special iron, shiny and tough. Gronkle iron. I wrote the list down in my journal, planning to make a dagger and shield with the special iron.

"Just a quick lap around the island, girl, I'm busy today," I told Emerald, getting on her.

It was still dark so we didn't worry about anyone seeing us, with Emerald being a night fury and all. Although I didn't have my flight suit on, so if dad was awake and saw me, he would know who I am. Luckily, we didn't have any issues and landed in the cove just as the sun started to rise. I took the gear off Emerald and quickly headed home.

Only Bard was up when I got back, and he was busy with Spikestone.

I went to my room, got my design journal and started on the Gronkle iron shield and dagger.

After I finished the dagger and basics for the shield I looked at the small list of rocks that a Gronkle needs to eat to make Gronkle iron. I made a quick map on where the ingredients were.

"Where did you get that?" someone asked as I was finishing up.

"Oh, hey, Blade. This? I found it in the blacksmith this morning. Look, I also found designs for an old shield, pretty sweet, uh?"

"Cool! Look, it can turn into a crossbow!"

"Blade, Star, what are you two doing?" dad asked, outside my open door.

"Nothing," we answered in unison. We looked at each other before we busted out laughing. Blade laughed so hard he fell on the floor.

"Ha ha," dad laughed as he walked over to us. I quickly put a small piece of ribbon in my journal as a place holder and shut it before putting it randomly on the shelf with my other journals. He looked at the self, suspicious, for I normally show him my drawings when I draw, but this time I wasn't drawing.

"Hey, dad," I said when Blade stopped laughing. "Is breakfast ready?"

"Almost. What were you two doing?" he asked, making a quick glance at the shelf above my desk.

"Nothing much, just showing Blade a few of my drawings," I answered with a small shrug.

"Might I see them?" he asked.

I nodded before pulling out an old journal, every page in it was filled with drawings. I handed him the journal with a closed eyed smile. He took it when my eyes opened, his eyes still held suspicion as he looked at the cover of the journal before opening it. He didn't fail to know this was not the journal from earlier. He looked at a few pictures, smiling at some of them, before hand it back to me with a thank you.

"Breakfast!" mom shouted.

I set the journal on my desk as we went downstairs to eat.

"Dad?" I asked at the end of breakfast.

"Yes, Star?"

"Can I come with you today?" I asked.

He smiled, "Of course, baby girl. Today's a busy day though, so I have to go now."

"Okay. I'm just going to grab a few things, be back in a minute," I said, running up the stairs. I grabbed my bag with the Berk crest on it and threw in a drawing and design journal, along with a couple pencils and some ink. I quickly raced downstairs and grabbed a cup with a lid and filled it with water from the bucket I got yesterday before putting that in my bag as well. "I'm ready!" I said, running outside where dad was putting a saddle on Toothless.

"Okay." We got on Toothless, me in front of dad, and flew around the village, helping people that needed him.

"What you got there, girl?" someone in a cloak asked, as I drew a picture of Emerald, absent mindedly. I gasped and quickly scribbled all over the page. "Don't do that, girl," he said, grabbing my hand to stop me from doing any more damage, which so far was just a single line across the page.

"It's a picture of a night fury," I answered, yanking my arm away.

"It's a lovely picture, and you're a lovely girl." As those words escaped his mouth I remembered his horrid voice.

Not to let him know I knew who he was, I put my journal back in my bag and stood up. "Yeah, I guess," I said, shyly. "l wouldn't say though so." I kept my head down as I spoke.

"Why not, lovely girl?" he said.

I looked out of the corner of my eyes to see if dad was around. Or anyone for that matter. No one. Darn. "I don't know," I said with a shrug, turning to my right as I spoke. I now faced towards the center of the village, which was always busy around this time. "I gotta go," I said, after I started running.

"Oh, no you don't," he said, grabbing my arm.

"Daddy! Help! Help me! Somebody! Somebody, hel-" his hand went over my mouth.

"Star? Starfire?" I heard dad call out, running from around a house. "Starfire!" he yelled when he saw the guy run off, my in his arms. "Hey stop! Stop! Leave my daughter alone! Toothless!" Dad chased after us.

Toothless came in front of my kidnapper as soon as dad called for him, and growled at him. My kidnapper stopped running, and dad came from behind him, along with a few other villagers.

"Stop right there," dad demanded.

The man pulled out a dagger and held it at my throat, then turned around. His arm was lifting me by my torso, holding my feet above the ground, his hand covering my mouth, his other hand had a dagger pressing into my throat.

"Take one more step closer and you'll be saying goodbye to your precious daughter."

"Everyone, get back," dad said, taking a step back himself, his eyes filled with worry as tears fell out of mine. "Now, please, don't hurt her."

"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt her. What kind of father would hurt their own daughter?"

Dad looked at him confused, before his eyes widened in realization. "Please, don't take her away. Please," he begged.

"She will be the daughter I never had. She will come with me. And finally, she will never see you again!"

"Hiccup?" mom asked, entering the crowd. She froze when she saw me, Bard and Blade right behind her. "Starfire!" she took a step forward.

"Astrid don't!" Dad yelled, grabbing onto her arm, his foot moving slightly forward.

"I warned you!" my kidnapper pressed the dagger into my throat. I screamed and even with his hand covering my mouth, it was loud. Blood ran down my throat and then the dagger had less pressure against my neck. He released his hand against my mouth and got a better grip on me. "Take one more step closer, and I won't be so merciful," he chuckled as I gasped for air.

"Mommy! Daddy!" I gasped, eyes begging for me to close them.

"Starfire," mom cried, tears spilling as she fell to the ground, on her knees. "Starfire!"

Dad gave an ever so slight nod, and I was suddenly shot forward.

My eyes widen a bit as I was thrown forward, my kidnapper releasing me. Toothless had fired a plasma blast at him from behind.

Dad caught me as I started to fall, just barely pulling me away from my kidnapper before he fell on top of me.

"Starfire," he cried, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Dad- daddy," I gasped, struggling for air.

"Starfire," mom said.

"I. Love. You. Both," I managed to say in between gasps of air. I needed to say that before I died. The sticky blood dripped down my throat as I tried to breathe.

"Starfire! Stay with me! Stay with us, Starfire!" mom cried.

And there I lay, in my father's arms, him on one side and mom on the other, as my struggle for air became harder and harder.

Until the darkness came.

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Cliffhanger? Check.