White.
That's what Randy saw as he woke up, his gaze blurry and his body relaxed, as if he had been in a deep sleep. His eyes opened as he rose up, expecting to see his bed. However, his mouth went into a frown, and his body trembled slightly upon seeing the area around him.
There was nothing there. It was like a blank page, yet it felt extremely vast and limitless, and even as he stood, the white floor beneath Randy gave him that same tension that looking down from a very tall cliff would. When he looked around, his heart stopped for a moment.
Across from him was an armchair, and on it was...what he'd call a human.
Randy felt his stomach turn while staring at its white fancy clothes, maybe meeting its black pupils, and its warm smile. It was a human, alright, a man...woman? Was this the uncanny valley that made Randy uneasy while looking at this person?
"Be not afraid, my son."
Despite sounding soft and quiet, it was as if a harsh gust of wind pelted against Randy. It felt threatening against his skin, as if ready to claw and tear at his limbs and slowly pull out his fingernails, but something kept it at bay.
"I...apologise for my voice," It spoke again, this time much more softer and stifled, "you wouldn't exist if I raised it a decibel higher,"
Randy felt a chill when it said that. He wanted to know what this person, creature, thing was, and maybe it could tell him where he was.
"So...Randy Garno,"
He didn't know what weirded him out more, the fact that this person knew his name, or the clipboard that magically appeared within its hands.
"...Who-"
"Mmhmm," It mumbled, reading the pages, before looking at him with a raised eyebrow, "Likes metal?"
"The music,"
"Ah, yes," The person let out a large smile from ear to ear that added to its uncanniness, "What's your favourite band?"
Randy stared at it, wondering why it was even asking these questions. Regardless, he answered.
"Can't be certain, but I find Judas Priest cool as of now,"
"Interesting..." It spoke, reading more until coming across another thing, "...Thalassophobia?"
"That's my fear," Randy decided to explain, "it happened-"
"-when you were a boy, playing in a lake until you decided to look down, and didn't see the bottom?"
His back straightened from not only the thought of that memory, but the fact that this thing knew exactly what happened. Randy wanted to speak, but a lump formed in his throat, and he hesitated.
The person lowered the board and stared at him once again. Deeply. As if it were looking directly at his soul. Its human eyes...yet inhuman gaze gripped Randy's pounding heart, as if warning him not to move an inch. Not saying he couldn't move, but not saying it was safe to do so.
"I know you...Randy," It said nonchalantly, crossing one of its legs, "I know everything about you,"
Randy's breath hitched at that. After a while, the person's imposing gaze softened just enough for him to inhale.
"That's why I am offering you a test,"
"A test?" He narrowed his eyes with both curiosity and a little bit of dread, not knowing what to expect, "What kind of test?"
"You'll see," It let out another wide smile, this one stretching its lips.
"First Question," It continued, lifting a gloved hand and holding up a finger, "Where do you think you are?"
Randy paused and looked around. He already knew of the strange dynamics of this room, but regardless, he was asked a question, and from the being's quiet yet clear tone, he had to answer.
"Um..."
"Take your time," It said with amusement, "you have no timer attached, Randy,"
"...If I'm being frank, I'm in an extremely large white room, obviously," He responded, "but where? I don't know, am I in a different country?"
He heard a stifled chuckle from the person, and that made Randy clutch his head in severe pain, groaning. Fortunately, the laugh wasn't long, so the pain disappeared immediately.
"I will not laugh again," It said, "however...one hint...you are not on earth anymore,"
"W-What!?"
The creature simply nodded, not adding anything more.
"You can't just say that and not explain!" Randy yelled and let out a deep sigh, "If I'm not on earth...then...Am I on the moon? Mars? Jupiter? Am I in the solar system at all?"
There was no response from the person.
"Am I in a different galaxy?" By now, Randy's answers became more bewildering and ridiculous to him, and maybe, just maybe, a sense of dread dripped more and more from each word, "A...different universe? M-Multiverse?"
It let out another large smile from ear to ear.
"Who do you think I am?"
The next question made Randy pause. Technically, he didn't answer the first question, nor did this thing make any indication that he got the right answer, and instead jumped to the next one. He began to wonder if this creature had something else up its sleeve.
"Mmm..." Randy murmured, pondering hard, "...You keep your voice quiet. Your laughter or even speaking at a louder tone could kill me, and your face...there is something off...you aren't human,"
The creature smiled once again.
"It's...quite uncanny, wouldn't you say, Randy?"
"..."
"What do you think I want from you?"
Randy thought for a moment, finding the question a little bit alarming. What did this creature want from him, and why was he being tested in the first place?
"...Am I in hell? Are you the devil in disguise, waiting for the right time to torture me? Am I in purgatory? Are you going to do experiments with me? Please don't say yes...I-I want to get home to my family,"
The creature raised an eyebrow unnaturally high, the human eyeball exposed with its full roundness. It grinned right after.
"Do you think that you are alive?"
"...Wait, what do you mean by that? Didn't you kidnap me? If I died, then how did I get here? Isn't something supposed to happen?"
"You did perish, Randy,"
His heart sank after hearing that news, but with what hope he had, Randy needed to make sure. Was it telling the truth? Sure, its voice was lethal, as it said itself, but for all he knew this thing could be an alien.
"How would you know? Are you a god?"
"...If that's your preferred word, then yes,"
"Wait a minute..." Randy quivered, "...you are god? Like, god-god? This will put all those atheists' knickers in a twist,"
"So will all those who pray,"
"Huh?" Randy narrowed his eyes as the creature, "You are god, aren't you? Maybe I don't know which god...but you are a god,"
"To explain everything to a mortal like you...it would be like taking the grand scope of your universe and beyond..." It tilted its head, "...and stuffing it into your brain,"
"Okay..."
"For a lack of a better word, it's too much for your cognitive thinking and you'd merely go insane,"
The creature placed the clipboard on the armrest and interlocked its hands.
"I am something you'd never understand...and shouldn't..."
There was this tinge of finality to its words. It wasn't saying that Randy couldn't continue to question it, but more so that he would be wasting his time. That thought made him gulp.
"Be it as it may, you passed the test," It spoke, a bit of satisfaction in its voice, "there is a task I'd like for you to do,"
"A task?"
"Correct...you are to be transported to the world of How To Train Your Dragon," The creature let out a small smirk, "...to be correct, it's a similar world,"
Randy raised an eyebrow.
"It's not actually the same world, because you'll be there," It explained more, "it's a makeshift, but you needn't worry, for I tweaked it a little so you could exist,"
"Yeah..." Randy shook his head in amazement, "...I'm not complaining, but that's really convenient that you chose a world I'm-"
"-Familiar with? Why yes," The creature smirked again, "it makes things a tad bit easier for you to enter something you are knowledgeable with...but remember, just because you are familiar with it, doesn't mean you know it,"
All Randy could do was nod as it spoke again.
"So, to get to the point, you'll enter a world you'll know nothing about, in a body unfamiliar to your own,"
It paused, staring at him again, as if it was trying to get at something. Randy understood.
"A new body?"
"More so a new dragon body,"
"..." Randy paused for a moment, "Did I hear that right?"
"You'll be a dragon, Randy,"
"I-I don't know whether to feel excited or scared,"
"You are already scared,"
"..."
Randy decided to speak again.
"So, I'll be reborn?"
"Transported," The creature corrected, waving a dismissive hand, "I could let you hatch and grow up, but I doubt that's very entertaining for you, so I have decided to let you just begin as an adult...around the same age you died, as you were young,"
A string of curiosity entered Randy's mind.
"What type of dragon will I be?"
The creature responded by looking away. It seemed to think deeply, the air around it, if Randy could call it that, seemed to steam as if he was seeing a mirage.
"A Stormcutter,"
Randy shrugged. The only Stormcutter he could remember was Cloudjumper from the second movie, and he wasn't even disappointed, for he really did like the design of the Stormcutter with their four wings that looked like an X-fighter from Star Wars. Now that he thought about it, he liked it for its look, and never thought if it would be good to live as one.
"That is the task, Randy," The creature looked back at him, the human face it still had on a tiny bit off centre, "to live as a Stormcutter, are you up for it?"
"Uh..." Randy stammered for a moment, not really knowing why he was hesitating or not, "...what if I refused?"
It gave him a big smile.
"You would not say no,"
He narrowed his eyes.
"...You would say no out of spite,"
"Alright, I accept,"
"Good,"
For the first time, the creature stood up. Now looking up, Randy hadn't noticed how tall it was; he had no frame of reference, but if he had to guess, no human could be that tall. No human would have their skin expanded and stretched to its breaking point. That made his arm hairs stand on end.
Of course, it wasn't human, after all.
"I will also give to you a good luck charm,"
Randy looked around the creature, expecting a necklace or an amulet.
"It will be given to you once you are transported,"
"What is it for?"
"For your battles with other dragons...and vikings," It explained, "see it as a 'power boost' in a sense...but that doesn't mean you are invincible, unless you are smart about it,"
"A power boost, huh?" The thought made his heart beat with burning excitement, "That will help a little..."
"It will," With that, the creature moved a hand forward, the movement quick. Randy noticed how certain parts of the arm were longer than they should've been, but the suit it wore covered most of it. At least the hand was the same, "Remember, take your time with this task and have fun,"
Despite the abnormal body ligaments, Randy shook the creature's hand. It froze his palm. In a sense, it felt lifeless yet alive.
"Farewell, Randy..."
Suddenly, the white room faded away.
Into darkness it disappeared, but just as quickly as it went, like an old lightbulb, the ground turned green even faster. The slow yet massive crash of waves against a steep rock side echoed nearby, and so did a calm wind and the rustle of leaves swaying around with the breeze. It was familiar as it was unsettling.
Randy had awakened.