Welcome to the sequel of Daypeace Encounter. I hope you enjoy this new story as much as the original story. I also hope that you will also support my original work; Battle for the Stars, by purchasing it or at least asking your local library to carry it. Thank you.
Quests are a normal part of Viking life. In fact your not considered a real Viking until you've completed at least one successful quest. The more dangerous the quest the higher the honor and rewards. The question for every teenage Viking is what kind of quest will you decide to go on?
Berk was a bustle of activity for both the Vikings and the dragons. The annual inventory was underway as they took stock of how much of their supplies they had and what they would need to get from the nearby islands to make it through the coming year. The dragons were busy preparing for the coming winter by preparing their little island and making sure they had enough shelter and food to last them until they migrated once more for their mating ritual. The previous year hatchlings had reached juvenile status so while the adults went off to mate they would stay to defend their territory. They wouldn't be mating until they reached about their third year.
At the Dragon Academy the teens were conducting a new training regiment. Nissa was in her dragon form battling against each rider and dragon team. The difference was that the riders were on different dragons. Hiccup and Astrid had swapped dragons while the Twins both rode on Meatlug while Snotlout took Belch and Barf and Fishlegs was on Hookfang. The objective was to learn how to work with another dragon in an emergency.
Nissa smirked as she twisted in between Stormfly and Toothless. Meatlug tried to belly flop on her only to be kicked in the chest. She used her tail blade to slap back the two heads of Belch and Barf before tackling Hookfang to the ground. She let out a chortle as she took to the air. "Come on can't you catch me? I thought you were the best of the best."
"Oh you are just asking for it aren't you? Come on chubby work with me already!"
"Maybe we should rethink our strategy. A head on attack while blazing isn't such a good idea," Fishlegs wailed as the Nightmare set himself on fire. The rider screamed and fell off into the water trough as Nissa misted Hookfang. The Nightmare crashed into the cage doors snoring as if he was a hurricane.
"Come on big girl do a lave blast on her!"
"No, do another belly flop that was fun!"
"Would you two stop arguing already and pay attention to the fight?"
"To late you three!" Nissa laughed trapping them in orange barrier. Whipping around she head butted Snotlout off Belch's head be biting down on Barf's mouth. The result was a mini explosion that took out the dragon. Hearing the incoming spikes she she covered up with her wings deflecting some of the damage. Hiccup was struggling to stay on Stormfly as the Nadder launched another round of spikes. From behind her Astrid was dong her best to make Toothless fly, but was having trouble with the saddle. Giving up flying she ordered Toothless to fire a plasma ball at the same time Stormfly shot out more spikes. At the last second Nissa rolled out the way so both riders were taken out by the others attack. Giggling Nissa reverted to her human form as the riders and dragons picked themselves off the ground. "Well that was a good workout. I haven't had this much fun in a long time."
"You don't have to rub it in. Man why are we doing this anyways? We work best with our dragons so why do we need to know how to ride each others?" Snotlout whined.
"Yeah it feels like a complete waste of our time. We could be doing something useful instead," Ruffnut said. "We could be helping with deconstruction of the old ships for new parts or gathering metal for weapons."
"I'm with my sister on this and I hate chores."
"Guys, this is as important as any chore. Astrid demonstrated the need for us to understand how to work with different dragons when we got the Book back from Alvin. In times of crises we might be separated from our dragons and need to rely on others for help. I know this first session didn't go so well, but if we keep practicing it will work out."
"Hiccup's right everyone. We need to be able to adapt to changes at a moment's notice. Its not just the Outcasts that we have to worry about. The other tribes in the archipelago are just as dangerous and there are still rogue dragons out there. If they decide to come here looking for food we have to be able to defend ourselves."
"We're especially vulnerable right now considering how our supplies are dwindling. Its getting harder to find metals in the woods and the trees are starting to thin out. I heard the adults talking about a raiding trip to get more supplies. Considering how late in the season there might not be anything to plunder."
"You still have the recycled metal from those failed perches you can use. Sure its still a bit charred from all the lightning strikes however it still should be useable right? How about using the leftover material from the Thawfest games. I'm sure there's plenty of that lying around."
"Nissa you can stop making fun of us anytime you want. You enjoyed performing at the Thawfest games. I know I should have consulted you about the metal and lightning except for the fact you weren't on the island at the time!"
"Part of my responsibilities is to try to find out more about your neighbors and how to keep peace. The only reason Daypeaces know about lightning being attracted to metal is because of our talks with the descendents of the metal and lightning dragon. How was I suppose to know your god Thor was going to go crazy with creating a storm to show you how much he liked having targets to hit?"
"If you two are done bickering we have to get back to the village now. Honestly you two are worse then the twins sometime if you ask me."
"We'll take that as a compliment!"
The village was a bustle of activity as everyone was taking stock of their supplies and compiling lists for Stoick to review so he could figure out what they needed to replace. The younger children, freed from their lessons for the day, helped their parents out with the counting practicing their numbers and writing. In the skies above the dragons were flying about with their own supplies making up their shelters and making plans. Most of the village still couldn't speak Dragonese yet. However they recognized certain words when they heard them.
"Twenty, twenty one, twenty two catapults. That's three less then last year. I'm also short on a couple of bolos, six hatchets and most of our shields are in need of replacing. You think that peace with the dragons would keep our stock from going down," Gobber complained to Ula who was helping him out.
"You're still trying to restock after someone blew up the armory. I imagine our little kidnapping stunt didn't help things much," Ula commented.
"Well there's no use bellowing over spilled yak milk. We need to see what we can recycle and what we can't use anymore. I'm telling you each year it seems like Berk has less and less to use. Even with the stuff we dug up from that pit it isn't making much of a difference this year."
"Don't forget Queen Rayna will be sending her trading party in a few months. That should help restock your supplies and can't you trade with some of the neighbors your at peace with?"
"Perhaps, but this is the time of the year all the tribes in the area are closely guarding their resources. Even a plundering raid won't help much. Oh don't give me that look raiding is part of Viking tradition!"
"So was dragon slaying, but you don't do that anymore. Honestly sometimes I wonder if you can ever be more peaceful. Hello Steinar, how are the dragons doing on their little island?"
"Better then expected. The adults have managed to carve out a few more caves for the kids and have stocked them with plenty of sand, rocks, and leaves for cold nights. They have water, but clearly not enough on the island to support the entire population. Its no wonder the adults spend more time here. Their food situation is stable for now I worry though they might go through it faster then they anticipate if another surprise storm shows up. Our cousins have become somewhat dependent on the families they have bonded with."
"That's a good thing for relationships; bad if it comes down to who gets fed first in a crises. I hope that everything works out for the tribe."
"Don't you two Berk has had shortages in the past and we've survived. We're hardy people who do whatever it takes to survive."
"I hope you're right Gobber. Still I wonder how well the tribe will last."
That night the Daypeaces had invited the Haddocks and Toothless over for dinner. The Daypeaces had moved into a small comfortable house near the chief's house. The three of them had decorated the home with stuff from Xanadu. The home was very cozy and comfortable. Tonight they had prepared a dish from Xanadu with a mixed fruit dish and a seasoned meat platter with fruit juice. Toothless was snacking on some salted fish from Xanadu which was tastier then the usual cod.
"I forgot how much I enjoyed food from Xanadu. Its nice of you to share. Do you have anymore of this stuff to share with the village?" Hiccup asked as he gobbled up some figs.
"Not really, the last of our supplies from home will only stretch for another two weeks. We have done our best to make our food last, but their are no natural freezers here to keep our food from spoiling," Nissa remarked. "How did the inventory go today?"
"We're nearly done, but its not looking that good. Our supplies are a lot lower then expected. I don't know what we're going to do. Gothi is also worried we might not have enough medicinal herbs to last until the next trading session. I'm starting to wonder if we may need to do some raids to survive."
"We already have antagonized our neighbors by having dragons on our island. I'm certain that raids would ruin any chance we have of forming diplomatic relationships for the future. Instead of raids we need to consider doing some quests. I remember how mom use to go on quests and come back with the most marvelous treasures. She use to bring back gems, food, and a whole lot of cool stuff."
"A quest sounds like it would be a lot of fun. We haven't had much of a chance to simply explore. The closest we ever came was the journey to Xanadu. It would be nice to see what else our corner of the world has to offer."
"The a questing we will go, only instead of a treasure quest it will be a scientific explorer quest!"
"Come again? You want to go questing for science stuff?"
"Oh don't be so literal Stoick. The princess is merely suggesting that the teens go on a quest to explore the rest of the Barbaric Archipelago. In our time here it seems that much of the area still remains a mystery. Considering how Berk is in need of more supplies it would be prudent to explore the area to see if we could find more materials," Ula explained the the chief.
"It would also help the dragons out if we could identify new packs and their territories. I know you haven't been raided since you made peace with our cousins from Dragon Island, but there are still many packs out there that you haven't befriended. I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of any Timberjacks or Skrills should they come searching for more food around here," Steinar added to the group.
"Oh this would be a great chance to see if we could find out what happened to Toothless's pack! I mean its weird to find a Nightfury by himself, especially one being controlled by a dragon queen. Toothless, did you get separated from the pack fifteen years ago, when my kind came to investigate the possibility of a recruit? You don't appear to be much older then twenty or so."
"I can't really recall spending much time with my pack. I was about three years old just reaching adulthood when I got separated from the pack. I recall us flying towards our own private retreat to ride out some bad weather. A storm came out of nowhere. There was ice and heavy rain. We tried to avoid the lightning bolts. I recall my mother trying to help me stay aloft in the storm, but then the winds picked up. I couldn't stay in the air and I remember crashing on a island. When I woke up I was under the spell of the dragon queen and couldn't do anything, but what she wanted. "
"Toothless that's awful. I'm so sorry that you got separated from your family. I wish you had told me sooner. Maybe we could have gone searching for them."
"Where would we even begin to search? Nissa's right when she says my kind haven't been seen in fifteen years. Nightfuries are tough dragons, but we reproduce at a slower rate then most dragon species. Our eggs need more then hot water to avoid exploding. We need sand to keep us at a prime temperature and material to protect our eggs from cracking to soon. Its a miracle if entire clutch hatches."
"Toothless, I can't convey how sorry I am that you were separated from your pack and I'm even sorrier that your kind has gone into hiding to avoid going extinct. I do promise if we are allowed to go on this quest we'll search to the ends of the archipelago to help you find your kind."
"Don't get ahead of yourself Nissa, I still haven't given you permission to go on this quest."
"Come on Dad you always said I needed to go questing to prove myself."
"The last time you went on a quest without permission you ended up buried under a ton of rubble and nearly killed when a treasure chamber fell on top of you."
"I lived through it didn't I? Come on Dad the gang is feeling really restless since we got back from Xanadu. I know you're worried about me going off on another adventure. Still I want another chance to prove myself and this quest could go a long way in helping Berk survive in the long run. I really want to help Toothless find his pack."
"What happens if you run into rogue dragon packs? That Scaldron nearly ate you alive! Then there was the time you nearly got killed by that mother Typhoomrang because you took Torch out of the forest. Just because you have a way with dragons doesn't mean it will protect you from getting hurt."
"Dad, I have an empathy with dragons you know that. I'm also a lot stronger then before. I really want to do this."
"I don't know, we need as many hands as possible to help restock our armory and Mulch and Bucket need help with the animals."
"If we can convince the gang to go with us and one of my Honor Guard chaperons us will you consider letting us go?"
"Yes, if you can do all that then I will give you permission to go."
"Great! Hiccup and I will talk with the gang tomorrow. You won't be sorry!"
The next day at the Academy Hiccup and Nissa were trying their best to convince their friends to go on a quest with them. The riders were a little reluctant to go on such short notice and when the seasons were about to change. Also the purpose of the ques wasn't inspiring some of them.
"You really expect us to go looking for more metals and plants for healing? Come on that's lame! It just sounds like a lot of work mapping out the rest of the archipelago and writing about what we find. If you were talking about finding treasure I be all for it," Snotlout informed them as he groomed Hookfang.
"There will time to look for treasure on this quest. Besides, isn't acquiring knowledge treasure?"
"Not to us it isn't. When would we get to blow things up or fight with other tribes?" Tuffnut asked.
"We'd be investigating unknown islands filled with wild dragons. Who knows who else is out there? We could find a whole new tribe out there for us to befriend."
"Or start a war with, that might be fun until your Dad yells at us."
"Are you guys really that afraid to explore the unknown? I thought you were Vikings! Nothing scares you."
"What happens if one of us gets hurt or we run into trouble? There are so many ways we could die out there. Its almost the changing of the seasons. If we leave now we could get caught out in a bad storm or lost with no way to return home."
"Fishlegs would you stop with the whining? I thought you wanted to have people sing songs of our heroic deeds? This is our chance to prove ourselves in the eyes of the village. If we managed to help with the shortage by finding more supplies the entire village would be indebted to us."
"Astrid's right everyone. I promise this quest will be filled with adventure, danger, and treasures. It could be fun mapping out the rest of our home and helping our village. Not to mention the most important reason for going on this quest."
"Which is to find out what happened to the rest of my pack. All the other dragons have packs with family and friends to help out in the hard times. I have no one besides the rest of you to belong with. I want to know if my family is still alive."
"Toothless we want to help you out really we do its just..."
"Meatlug we all know how you feel about going on a quest when the juveniles are acting up. This is the time of the year we start preparing them for their first long winter alone. Its true they'll be by themselves defending Berk, but we still have a few months before that happens. The kids will be fine without us. They seem to do just fine without us around," Stormfly pointed out to her female friend.
"It would be a lot of fun to meet up with other packs. Find out how they managed to avoid being turned into slaves for most of their lives," Belch spoke up.
"I would personally love a chance to see how we stack up against wild dragons. I bet we could have a good tussle. I always wanted to see if a Zippleback could defeat a Snaptrapper in a fair fight," Barf added.
"You know how I feel on the subject. Any chance to show what an alpha I am is a good day. Plus I wouldn't mind exploring the area to see if we can find something new to eat."
"Always thinking with your stomach aren't you Hookfang? Whoa no need to get violent just stating a fact. So all dragons in favor of going on a dangerous quest roar. Roaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrr!"
"You heard our friends they're ready to go on a quest. Are we really going to disappoint them by refusing them? This is the kind of adventure that legends are born from. We could go down in history as the greatest Vikings whoever lived."
"If Hiccup is this excited about a quest then I'm going to prove myself. I might actually have a chance to show off my new brains. Count me in."
"We're in it. I want to see what's out there."
"Yeah and to fight other dragons and tribes!"
"If Meatlug is going then I'm going."
"Yeah let's do it!"
"This is going to be the best quest ever!"
Later that day Hiccup was confronting his dad about his promise. They were at the forge inspecting the new weapons. Stoick was still reluctant to let his son out of his sight. He was worried that something bad would happen to him even though Ula promised to keep an extra close eye on the boy. "Come on Dad you promised if I could convince the other riders and get a chaperone we could go!"
"Its to dangerous. You don't know what's out there."
"That's the reason we're going on this quest. You spent most of your life searching for the dragon's nest, why can't I spend my time learning more about the archipelago and finding Toothless family? I promise I'll take every precaution and we'll turn around at the first sign of real danger."
"Then that would defeat the purpose of the quest wouldn't it? Stoick, let the boy go. I seem to recall you begging your father to let us go on a quest after you had barely recovered from a dragon bite. You're always going on about how the youngster's need to prove themselves well this is there chance," Gobber insisted looking his best friend in the eye. He knew that Stoick was worried for Hiccup's safety, but at the same time the teen had never wanted to prove himself this much before. This quest, while unusual, would go a long way in helping both Hiccup and Berk grow.
Stoick let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Alright you have my permission to go. Tell the others to start packing for at least a month long quest. I want to inspect everyone bags to make sure you have enough supplies. You'll leave in two days after I write up a list of supplies you'll need to look for."
Hiccup hugged his dad thanking him before running off with Toothless to tell his friends the good news. Stoick watched his son go feeling pride at the man he was becoming. He was sure if Val was still alive she'd be proud of their son as well. He was still concerned for Hiccup's safety, but he knew his friends, especially Nissa and Toothless, wouldn't let him get hurt.
"Don't look so worried, Hiccup's stronger then he looks and considering he has streaks of purple in his hair that's saying a lot."
"This isn't something to joke about Gobber. In case you haven't notice every time the teens go on a quest Hiccup gets hurt or nearly dies. He lost his leg against the Red Death, nearly died in a cave in for the search of Hamish the Seconds treasure, and almost became dragon when he was on Xanadu. Let's not forget what happened when he went with you on the search for the Bone Knapper. I think with that kind of track record I have every right to be concerned for his safety."
"Stoick, we're Vikings. Its an occupational hazard that we nearly lose our lives on quests. If I recall correctly Val nearly lost her life on several quests she went on, but somehow managed to survive. Hiccup's inherited her talent to survive risky situations. I think she would approve of how he's handled himself on his quests."
"I know she would be proud, but I can't stop worrying about him. I understand why he wants to go on this particular quest so badly, but..."
"But nothing everything will work out fine. Just give the teens a chance to prove themselves. It will go to helping Berk in the long run."
At the Daypeace's house Nissa was busy packing her travel bags. Since she was use to going on journeys she was an expert when it came to packing the essentials; extra clothes, warm sleeping bag, notebooks and colored pencils for recording stuff, healing herbs, and a map. She was also packing extra food, water and her mace. In the rafters above she heard Ula packing their camping supplies along with anything else they would need. "This is so exciting! Our first Viking quest, oh I can imagine the fun we're going to have."
"We'll be having fun indeed, but more importantly princess we'll be assisting in an essential mission of discovery. I am looking forward to using my cartographer skills. Its not often I get to practice them," Ula replied from above. "I wish you were coming with us Steinar. Keeping an eye on seven teenagers and a pack of dragons will not be easy."
"Hey I'm not that much trouble! I'm very mature for my age. I'm practically an adult."
"Until you turn a hundred and thirty five my princess you will be treated as the teen you are. You're friends may have had a few personality changes yet some of them can be difficult to get along with. I pray to Helios that the Twins and Snotlout don't decide to cause to much trouble."
"If they start to act up their dragons will knock some sense into them."
"Violence is never the answer to the problem. Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself on the island?"
"Ula, stop worrying about me. Everything will be fine. I'm going to make sure that Stoick doesn't go stir crazy while your gone. Just try to relax and enjoy this trip."
"Somehow I doubt this trip will be anything except relaxing."
The other riders were also busy making preparations for their trip. While Gobber gave the dragons a check up to make sure they were all healthy enough for the trip the kids with their families help were packing their bags. Snotlout wanted to take a whole arsenal of weapons with him, but his mother forced him to pack some extra blankets and tools they might need for gathering supplies. She also reminded him to bathe so that wild animals wouldn't scent him for dinner. Fishlegs mother made sure that her son packed extra flint and torches for night. The Twins were charged with carrying the food/care kit for the dragons. Astrid made sure they had enough extra warm clothes for chilly nights and Hiccup packed some metal for repairing Toothless tail fin. In the end they had enough supplies to last them a month on the trip.
Two days later everyone got up bright and early. The dragons had eaten a big breakfast and their scales were gleaming in the sunlight after being cleaned and tended to. The riders tacked on their saddlebags double checking everything. Ula gave all the teens a lecture about staying with the group and the consequences of what would happen should they fail to listen to what she said. Several people had come to see them off. Stoick was also there to give the usual questing speech.
"The seven of you are embarking on a dangerous quest seeking out both treasure and knowledge. You will encounter many dangers on your journey. Never forget your training that will help you survive. This quest if successful will bring about much glory for all of you. We shall sing songs in praise if you return successfully. Take care of one another helping each other to survive. Please be careful."
"Don't worry Dad, everything will be okay. We'll be back in a month safe and sound. Everyone ready? Then lets fly!" Cheers and shouts trailed behind them as the riders took off in a northeastern direction. The new quest had begun.