How to Steal a Dragon's Jewel
There was a slight chill in the air as the Draconians sped over the ocean towards Berk. They had just been told that a priceless diamond had been stolen from their castle. The diamond had been created by the Dragon God, Lord Draco. It had magic powers. It kept the country of Draconia hidden and safe from enemies. Now that it was stolen, the country was out in the open and vulnerable. Re was determined to find the diamond. He and his comrades were on their way from Dragon Island to Berk to get more people to keep an eye out for it. Mid flight Queen Aurora had used her magic to put all their dragon armor on.
They landed in the plaza. The riders were in the Great Hall having lunch. Re announced their arrival. The Berkian dragons could all tell he wasn't in a good mood. The riders heard the roar and came out.
"What is it Re?" Hiccup asked. "You don't look happy."
"A diamond has gone missing from the Draconian Castle." Re said. "Very large, and powerful."
"Don't you have a lot of diamonds?" asked Eret.
"We do," Re said. "But this diamond is magic. Draco created it decades ago and gave it to the castle. Among its various powers, it keeps our lands hidden."
"Oh that diamond," said Astrid. "Avalon showed it to us while we waited for a storm to end so we could take off." They all turned to the young dragonets. They all looked guilty.
"I didn't think it was in any danger," said Avalon.
"So you were among the last ones to see it," said Aurora.
"Does that make us suspects?" asked Hiccup. Re snorted.
"Until its found, everyone's a suspect," he said. "Including my own citizens. If you see it, or know anything let us know."
"What will you do to the thief who took it?" asked Tuffnut.
"I'll try out my new dungeons," Re said. "The more days it remains missing, the more months they'll be locked up with no food, water or daylight. Hopefully this will scare the thief into turning himself in." They all turned around and flew off again.
They headed back to Dragon Island where Serenity and Edelweiss were riding Ruby and Harmony up and down the beach. Harmony had finally acquired armor. Hers was as white as her scales and feathers. On the forehead of her head plate was the Yin Yang symbol. They halted when Re and his comrades landed.
"Any luck?" Serenity asked.
"No," Re said. "But we now have a lead. The riders were the last ones to see the diamond, that narrows my search."
"Can you see where it is Aurora?" Ruby asked. Aurora stared straight a head and her face went blank.
"I can't see where it is specifically," she said. "But I can see that it's not on Draconia at all." They turned and went into the throne room. They flew onto the ledge throne and sat in a circle around the large fire pit. Re lit the fire. Serenity pulled out a book and started reading it.
"What could happen if that diamond is never found?" asked Harmony.
"Humans will take over Draconia," Aurora said. "Re and I will be assassinated as will all rulers that come after us. Dragons will be hunted to extinction, and that disease I mentioned earlier will reach our shores."
"When will this happen?" Tenor asked.
"I don't know," said Aurora. "But it will be soon if we don't find that diamond." She shuddered at the vision she saw.
"I'll search Berk tomorrow," Re said. He laid his head down on his front paws.
"Does Gothi still hate Serenity?" asked Ruby, changing the subject.
"Yes," said Aurora. "And we don't know why still."
"Maybe it's like Snow White," Serenity said. "The old woman became envious of Snow White because she was the fairest in the land." They all gave her a hard look. The book she had in her lap was Sleeping Beauty, it had a picture of a spinning wheel on the cover.
"You've been reading too many fairy tales my dear," Re said. "Perhaps you should put that down for a bit." Serenity obediently closed the book and put it away.
The next day the adult Draconians flew to Berk. Edelweiss and the dragonets stayed behind and played at the tide pools. Aurora and Re deemed them old enough to not have a sitter. The dragons flew over the ocean and soon arrived at Berk's plaza. They landed and the two riders dismounted. The Vikings were in their Great Hall having breakfast, and the dragons were out at sea.
"They'll be in there a while," Tenor said. "We can search their houses."
"Good idea," said Re. "Leave no stone unturned." They split up and went from house to house. They sniffed around in each building. No one found the diamond. They gathered in the plaza again just as the Vikings came out.
"Still looking for that gem?" asked Fishlegs as the riders approached them.
"Yes," Re said. "I wouldn't make such a fuss if it was any old jewel, but if this one isn't found the dragon race will go extinct. I won't rest until it's found. I've already searched your houses."
"You think we took it?" asked Astrid. Re flared his nostrils.
"Like I said, until it's found everyone's a suspect," he said. "Even my own citizens."
"And you didn't find it," said Hiccup, it wasn't a question. Snotlout put his hands in his pockets.
"So this diamond has magic powers," he said. "What sort of powers?" Re narrowed his eyes.
"It has magic powers," he hissed. "That's all you need to know."
"Can it control people?" asked Snotlout. "Like if I said 'Re bite something'." Suddenly Re's blue eyes went wide and expressionless. He roared and sank his teeth into the closest thing, which unfortunately was Serenity's right shoulder. She screamed in pain. Re was still hypnotized and gripped her shoulder in his strong jaws. Everyone immediately tried to loosen his jaws, without causing more damage. Hookfang looked over at Snotlout who was helping to pry Re's jaws open. Serenity was loosing consciousness. Re's bite wasn't as deadly as Tenor's but it was very painful, like a snakebite. She had already lost feeling in her right arm. Hiccup scratched Re's chin, and he finally let go. Serenity collapsed and Chris caught her before she hit the ground. Her vision was blurry and she could only faintly hear what was going on around her. She couldn't feel her right arm, or move it.
Re went back to normal. He could taste blood in his mouth. He shook his head, clearing it of the spell. He looked around. They were all looking at him with worried expressions on their faces.
"What just happened?" he asked.
"You don't know?" asked Tenor. Re shook his head.
"I just blacked out for a minuet," he said. Aurora looked over at Snotlout.
"I may have a hunch as to what happened," she said slowly. She went up to Snotlout, growling. He backed up intimidated. She quickly wrapped her tail around his legs and swung him upside down. Things fell out of his pockets: gold coins, a sling shot, and the grapefruit sized diamond. It hid the ground and rolled over to where Serenity sat trying to catch her breath. She picked it up and put it on her lap.
"So you're the one who stole my father's diamond," Aurora hissed. "And you just used it to make Re bite Serenity." Hearing this Re looked over to the Dragon Healer. She was clutching her right shoulder, which was bleeding none stop. Her face was pale. Re sat heavily on his haunches.
"Why did you take it?" Aurora hissed at Snotlout.
"I take anything that's big and shiny," said Snotlout. "That's the biggest diamond I've ever seen, and I wanted it." Aurora snorted and flung him clear across the plaza where he landed on his backside. Aurora turned her attention to Serenity, along with everyone else.
Serenity's shoulder was covered in blood. She couldn't feel her arm, but her shoulder burned. Chris had removed her jacket and ripped the shoulder of her green shirt at the seems.
"We need something to stop this bleeding," Chris said. Toothless swung his tail around and used his teeth to remove the red leather on his metal tail fin. He handed it to Chris.
"Thank you," he said. He tied the red leather around Serenity's shoulder. She hissed in pain when it stung. Suddenly she couldn't hold up her head and it landed on something hard and warm. She couldn't see anything through her blurry vision
"We should get her up to the apple tree," she heard Aurora say. "Then we can treat that wound."
"What exactly can that bite cause?" asked Fishlegs.
"Rapid energy drain," said Aurora. "Temporary blindness, paleness, and numbness. The treatment takes 36 hours to work." Serenity felt someone lift her onto her feet. She could walk, but only with support. They began walking towards the Golden Apple Tree.
"Serenity, I'll take that," said Aurora. At first Serenity didn't know what the Queen was talking about. Then she remembered she still had the diamond. She raised her good arm in the direction Aurora's voice had come from, as she couldn't see her. She felt scaly fingers and poky talons worm the diamond out of her hand. Then Serenity blacked out from the pain in her shoulder.
Later she started to come round when she felt something cold and wet on her wounded shoulder. She felt that she was laying on her back on a comfortable bed. She could hear voices around her, but couldn't understand any of them. She opened her eyes, but she still couldn't see. Even after she blinked a few times.
"Where am I?" she asked, starting to panic. "Why can't I see?"
"Calm down," said Aurora. "You in the house next to the apple tree. Your eye sight will return, but not for a while." Serenity took several deep breaths and relaxed. Her good hand searched the air. Her hand touched something scaly.
"It's just me," said Windwalker. She nuzzled Serenity's hand, then went back to licking her wound.
"Where's everyone else?" Serenity asked.
"Dealing with Snotlout," said Aurora. "They're making him return the diamond before he serves time in our dungeon."
"When will I see again?" Serenity asked.
"Day after tomorrow," said Aurora. Serenity felt the bandage being put back in place.
"How are you feeling?" Windwalker asked.
"Stiff," Serenity said. She moved her limbs and they did feel stiff. Her bad arm still felt numb, but she could move it. She tried to sit up, but felt a muzzle push her down.
"You should stay there," said Aurora. "Until the others get back." Serenity obediently laid back down.
"Are you hungry?" said Windwalker. Serenity shook her head. She closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, she heard more voices. Her shoulder was really hurting her now. She groaned in pain. She heard footsteps coming her way, they were human.
"Chris?" she whispered. "Is that you?"
"Yes," Chris answered. "It's me." She felt him place his hand on top of hers.
"Am I still inside?" she asked.
"Yes," Chris said. Serenity sat up and leaned on her pillows. She could feel her strength returning to her. Suddenly she gasped when her shoulder burned as the numbness wore off. She clutched her shoulder. She was still wearing the red leather tail fin as a bandage.
"Is your shoulder hurting?" asked Aurora.
"Yes," Serenity hissed. She heard the click of talons on the stone floor as Aurora came over. She heard Chris move out of her way. Then she felt the Queen nudge her hand away gently. Aurora removed the bandage. Then Serenity heard her shuffle about.
"This will hurt," Aurora said. "A lot, but you'll need to stay still or it'll feel worse." Serenity braced herself. Suddenly she felt something poke into her skin. It blazed and stung all at once. Serenity cried out in pain and shock. She stayed still however, despite the urge to shrug away. Then it ended and Aurora put the bandage back on. Her shoulder grew numb again. She calmed down as the pain wore off.
"Usually I'm the one giving those," she said, she recognized it as anesthetics.
"And now you get to receive them," Aurora chuckled. "It's only fair."
"Can I get up now?" Serenity asked.
"Sure," said Aurora. "Be careful." Serenity sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up and swayed a bit. She couldn't see anything, but she knew the way to the door by heart. She slowly walked towards it. Suddenly she walked into something large. She felt it with her hands. She felt cold, slippery armor. She could hear a dragon breathing, but she couldn't tell which one. She felt up its neck, to its head. She could feel horns, so she knew it wasn't Tenor. Then she felt the crest on the dragon's crown.
"Re?" she said.
"Yes it's me," Re said, he sounded unhappy. "I'm so sorry I bit you." He nuzzled her good shoulder. Serenity hugged him.
"I forgive you my king," she said. "I know you didn't mean to bite me." She felt warm wings wrap around her and pulled her closer. She stood back after a while. Re guided her to the door and outside. Serenity could hear more people talking and guessed that the Berkian riders and dragons were there. Re guided her to her chair and she sat down. She could hear Chris sit in his chair beside her.
"Whoa your eyes are are foggy looking," Tuffnut commented. Serenity heard someone hit him.
"So when do we get Snotlout back?" asked Hiccup.
"Don't know," Re said. "As long as it takes for him to value water over gold."
"That could take a long time," said Astrid. "Snotlout is very stubborn."
"Don't you think you could shorten his sentence?" asked Hiccup.
"After what he just made me do?" said Re. "I'm not feeling very flexible." Serenity heard Re snort sharply.
"Please Re?" said Hiccup. "We'll pay what ever price you ask."
"You actually care huh?" Re said, he sounded surprised. "Fine. We'll have a Dragon Race, tomorrow. If you win, Snotlout carries out the rest of his sentence under house arrest, and he never sets foot on my lands again. If I win, he stays where he is until I think he's learned his lesson." There was a long silence as the riders considered this ofer.
"Deal," Hiccup said after a while. "I suppose it's better than going to war." Re gurgled in agreement.
"We'll be back here this time tomorrow," he said.
Serenity stood up and Chris guided her over to where Tenor was kneeling down. She felt around for the saddle. She soon found it and mounted her dragon. Tenor got to his feet. He made his way down to the plaza. Serenity relaxed when she no longer had to feel her way forward. She had once ridden a dragon blindfolded, so she wasn't panicking. Suddenly she felt a whoosh of wind and a lunge forward. Then she heard the beating of large wings. She heard the ocean below, and the cry of seagulls.
Then she felt the thud of Tenor landing on solid ground. He knelt down again and Serenity climbed off. Tenor stood back up. She stroked his neck, feeling his warm black scales.
"Where are we now?" she asked.
"We're outside your room," Tenor said. Serenity then felt someone grab her hand.
"Is that you Chris?" she asked.
"Yes it is," Chris said. She leaned on his shoulder.
"If I hadn't been standing so close, I'd be able to see you right now," she said. She heard Tenor snort in disapproval.
"Serenity, don't you dare blame yourself," Chris said sternly. "It's no where near your fault."
"Where's Edel?" Serenity asked.
"She's asleep already," Chris said. "It's night time." He remembered that she had no idea how long she'd been sleeping.
"Oh," Serenity said. Chris guided her inside. They both got into bed and fell asleep.
Serenity woke some hours later. She didn't know what time it was, her eyes were still foggy. Her shoulder was hurting again. She listened carefully. She could hear someone snoring softly beside her. She figured it was Chris and that the sun hadn't ridden yet. She could also hear dragons breathing on the floor. She counted four. Suddenly she felt a stab of pain in her shoulder and she hissed. She clutched it as if that would make it go away.
"Aurora," she said in a loud whisper. She heard one of the dragons wake up and get to their feet. She heard the click of talons coming her way.
"What's the matter?" Aurora asked as quietly as she could.
"My shoulder hurts," Serenity whispered. "And I still can't see."
"Don't worry you'll be able to see again," Aurora assured her.
"Am I still wearing the tail fin?" Serenity whispered.
"Yes," said Aurora. "The wound bleeds out sometimes and it's too risky to take it off."
"Won't it be needed?" asked Serenity.
"Hiccup has a few spares," said Aurora. She gave Serenity another dose of anesthetics. She flinched when she felt the needle. Her shoulder grew numb again.
"Is that better?" Aurora asked.
"Yes thank you," Serenity said. She laid down. She felt the Queen's scaly muzzle against her cheek, followed by her slippery tongue.
"Try to get some sleep," the Queen whispered. "You'll start feeling better in the morning." Serenity heard her walk back to her spot next to Re. Soon she fell asleep as the pain went away.
Next thing she knew she felt a tongue on her hand. She opened her eyes, still sightless. She felt around with her hands and felt Tenor's snout. He nudged her hand. Suddenly she started crying.
"What's wrong?" Tenor asked.
"I can't see you," Serenity said. "And I really want to."
"You'll be able to see me tomorrow," Tenor said. "How's your shoulder?"
"It stings," Serenity said as she sat up. She put her feet on the floor. "Where is everyone?" She just realized it was quiet.
"Outside," said Tenor. "We're going to Berk later." Serenity got to her feet, clinging to Tenor's neck. She felt that it was the only way she could see if her hand was touching someone. Tenor led her outside and to her chair beside Chris. Then her hand was touching nothing and she panicked.
"Hey, where'd you go Tenor?" she cried.
"Calm down," Tenor said. She felt him lay his head on her lap and she relaxed again. Then she heard Edelweiss calling her.
"Mama! Mama!" she called. The dragons already told her that Serenity was blind for a while.
"Yes my flower," Serenity answered. She felt Tenor lift his had, then felt her child's hands on her own. She felt around and eventually hoisted Edelweiss onto her lap. The child laid her head on her mother's uninjured shoulder.
"Will you sing something Mama?" she asked. "Please?" Serenity considered. She felt an encouraging nudge from some dragon.
"Perhaps after I drink something," she said finally. She felt scaly hands and poky talons place her water canteen in her hand. She felt it and found that the lid was off. She drank the water then handed it back. She thought for a minuet about what song to sing. After a while she thought of one, and started singing.
Edelweiss... Edelweiss...
Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow
May you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever...
Edelweiss... Edelweiss...
Bless my homeland forever...
When the song ended the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. Edelweiss liked the song for obvious reasons. Serenity sang it at least three times. The others joined in the third time.
"I like that song," Edelweiss said.
"I figured you might," Serenity said.
"Will you sing it again?" Edelweiss asked.
"Later, when you go to sleep," Serenity said.
"Will you sing it every night?" asked Edelweiss.
"Sure," Serenity said. "That will your special song." She felt Edelweiss smile.
They sat their all morning talking amongst themselves. They sang more songs. It all made Serenity forget her injury and her temporary blindness. But then the afternoon turned to evening and the dragons readied themselves for the race. Re and Aurora put on their own racing stripes using the tips of their tails. Chris did the rest, Serenity wanted to help but she couldn't see what she was doing. So she stayed in her chair feeling useless. She sang more songs as it was all she could do.
Soon the dragons were all painted. Serenity climbed onto Tenor with his help. Then they all flew to Berk. They soared over the ocean in silence. Soon Serenity felt Tenor land in the plaza.
"Ready to race you lot?" asked Astrid.
"Yeah, that's right," said Tenor said. Serenity felt him go into a playful crouch.
"Are you racing this time Serenity?" asked Hiccup.
"But I can't see," Serenity said. "And I don't want to leave Edelweiss alone."
"You don't have to see," said Astrid. "And you can have Ruby and Harmony look after Edelweiss."
"Ruby's here?" Serenity said. She felt a scaly nose on her hand. She felt around with her hands and soon felt a pair of horns.
"I didn't know you were coming to," she said.
"We've never seen a dragon race," said Ruby. Serenity also felt soft feathers on her hand.
"Is that Harmony?" she asked.
"Yes," said Harmony.
"Will you race?" asked Tenor. "You'll love it, and I can do all the seeing for you." Serenity dismounted.
"No, I'll sit with Ruby and Harmony," she said. She felt around for her guardian dragon. Her fingers brushed against Harmony's soft feathers. Then she felt the white dragon's snout. The two dragons guided her towards the apple tree.
Soon they reached it and Serenity sat in her chair. She felt Edelweiss hug her leg. She lifted the child onto her lap. She could hear Mulch's commentary over the megaphone, and let that tell her what was happening. She heard the horn blow and the crowd cheering. According to the commentary the first sheep was released and automatically picked up by Eret and Skullcrusher. They flew through the course and Skullcrusher lost the sheep to Chris and Windwalker, then it was tossed to Re. Serenity heard the racers fly over the Golden Apple Tree, and Re toss the sheep to Tenor. Serenity knew that both Nightfangs had pulled their teeth into the gums so they didn't kill the sheep, just gave them a scare. The racers flew back into the plaza and Tenor threw the sheep towards their basket, but Astrid and Stormfly came out of no where and bumped the sheep into Berk's basket. The crowd cheered. The next sheep was launched and Hiccup and Toothless caught it. The sheep was tossed from rider to rider. The racers flew through the hanger, and Serenity heard them fly over the tree. Edelweiss clapped her hands and cheered like everyone else. The sheep was snatched by Black Widow and her fellow dragonets flew on all sides of her to give her her chance. They sped into the plaza and Black Widow used her shield and threw the sheep into the Draconian basket. The next sheep was launched and Apollo was the one who caught it. The dragonets shielded him. They taunted and teased the sheep. Every time one of the opponents attempted a steal, the adult dragons blocked them. Apollo tossed the sheep to Avalon and the shield shifted to surround her. They flew over the tree and the sheep was passed to Eider. This was his first race and the other dragonets had to coach him.
"What does Eider's racing stripes look like?" Serenity asked.
"His head is painted like the head of a king eider duck," Harmony said. "Silver, orange, green, and red. The rest of him is painted with amber patches." Serenity pictured it in her head.
"I love this race," Ruby said. "Really beats those sheepdog trials in Scotland that Nessie told me about once."
"Sheepdog trials?" said Harmony, curious.
"Yeah," said Ruby. "One human commands a sheepdog to heard sheep through an obstacle course and into a small pen. It's a lot harder than it sounds because the sheep are so, stupid. I watched a few of them during my many travels, I fell asleep almost at once. There's no adrenaline like this race has. He snorted in annoyance. They went back to watching the race.
Even with their superb teamwork the Draconians didn't get very many sheep into their basket. The Berkians were pretty aggressive. Then at long last the Black Sheep was launched and the racers went nuts from the sounds of it. The sheep was snatched up by the Twins, but that didn't last long as they started fighting over it and lost it to Aurora. The Queen tossed it to Black Widow. She flew as fast as she could though the hanger and over the tree. She was suddenly rammed by Stormfly, and lost the sheep. The Nader flew off with it. When she got to the plaza she went to shoot the sheep into the basket, but Tenor snatched it and threw it into the Draconian basket. The crowd erupted and Edelweiss bounced up and down. Tenor let out a roar of victory. They all landed to await the final score. Gobber added up the points. Then he grabbed the megaphone.
"Vikings we have a winner," he said. "The Draconians got the black sheep which ended the game, however the Berkians got more sheep in their basket. Therefore, Berk wins the dragon race." The crowd cheered. Serenity smiled and leaned back in her chair.
"Well, that was a fine race wasn't it?" Ruby said. Serenity heard him get to his feet. She and Edelweiss followed suit. They got on Harmony, bareback, and they walked down to the plaza. When they got there all the racers were talking.
"So we won the race," Hiccup was saying.
"Yes," said Re. "You can come get Snotlout tomorrow, I don't want him making a run and trying to steal that diamond again."
"I'm surprised he hasn't broken out yet," said Fishlegs. "He can break out of any cell." Re chuckled.
"Well he's going to have a hard time breaking out of my prison," he said. "I don't use cells. You'll see tomorrow."
"Say Harmony," said Hiccup. "I was wondering why you have feathery wings and no other dragon does?" Serenity felt Harmony sigh.
"You were born a runt am I correct? The smallest of the bunch?" she said with Serenity translating.
"Yeah," Hiccup said.
"Well, I'll tell you a little secret," Harmony said. "So was I." Everyone gasped.
"Really?" said Hiccup.
"Yes," said Harmony. "When I hatched I was the size of a rat, while other Whippertail hatchlings are the size of piglets. I was muddy brown, and my wings were too small for flying. The other dragons didn't think I was going to survive, and they abandoned me. Luckily I live in Apple Grove, so food wasn't a problem. I pretty much had to raise myself. I prayed to Lord Draco to make me beautiful. The years went by and the next thing I knew I was a grown dragon. I looked at myself in a nearby pond and I looked like this. White and very beautiful indeed. I went back to my village and they were all impressed and very sorry that they had mistreated me. They think I must be a descendent of a southwestern jungle dragon called the Quetzalcoatl, they have feathery wings. Until I met Ruby I was a hermit, living by myself."
"Wow," said Astrid. "Hard to picture you as a runt." Harmony purred, Serenity felt her scales vibrate.
"Our kind has runts as well," Aurora said. "We should go fishing, I'm feeling hungry after all that."
"Oh me too," Re said.
"What time is it?" asked Serenity.
"It's sunset," said Ruby. "That race lasted all afternoon." He must have spotted the sad look on his ward's face because he added. "Don't worry you'll be able to see the sunrise tomorrow."
The Draconians took off and headed back to Dragon Island. They dropped off the humans and headed out to sea. Serenity sat in her chair and Edelweiss sat on her lap. Serenity felt wind on her face and smelt rain.
"Is there a storm coming?" she asked.
"Looks like it," Chris said. As if on cue a loud rumble of thunder boomed in the distance. The three of them went inside. Edelweiss ran off to her room to wait for Black Widow to return.
"One more night of being blind," Serenity said enthusiastically.
"Strengthens your other senses doesn't it?" Chris said. Serenity murmured in agreement.
"That's probably what makes dragons such good predators, they use all their senses at once," she said. Then she yawned.
"You tired already?" Chris said.
"Sure, the sooner I get my vision back, the sooner I can go back to work," Serenity said. Then she gasped in pain as her wounded shoulder began to sting again. She sat heavily on the bed. She felt Chris sit next to her. He removed the bandage and examined the wound.
"It's bleeding again," he said. He untied the bandage and retied it, making it tighter.
"That must have been a really bad bite," Serenity said.
"Yeah it's pretty deep," Chris said. "Dad has very big teeth, and quite sharp. But I'm glad it wasn't Tenor that bit you." Serenity murmured in agreement.
"Well, his bite would have been painless," she said. "I wouldn't have felt a thing." Then she shuddered.
It started to rain out side which caused the dragons to come in early from the sea. Aurora went to check on Serenity before they all turned in for the night. She gave her more anesthetics and Serenity's arm went numb again. Just before Serenity went to bed herself, she went to Edelweiss's room and sang her to sleep with her special song. Afterwords she turned in, happy that her eyesight would return.
The following morning Chris was the first to wake up, followed by Windwalker and Tenor. Tenor went over to Serenity, who was still asleep. He nudged her good shoulder. She opened her eyes and Tenor was happy to see that her eyes were no longer grey and foggy, but their usual emerald green. She smiled when she could see again. She sat up and hugged Tenor's snout.
"How are you feeling today?" he asked.
"Much better," Serenity said. No sooner had she said that that her shoulder started hurting again. She cringed and clutched her shoulder. She peeled back the bandage and saw the wound for the first time. There were puncture wounds the size of strawberries on both sides of her shoulder and they were bleeding. The red leather was bloodstained.
"Wow," she gasped. She put the bandage back in place. "Why hasn't it healed yet?"
"Re's saliva is still in your system," Tenor said. "It won't let the wounds close up. But we're heading home today and the Healer Dragons will take care of it. Unless you know what to do."
"Well I would have sewn it up," Serenity said. "Then redress it, but that takes two hands and I won't be able to get to the ones on the back. That and I've never actually sewn up human skin, only dragons." She stood up and hugged Tenor again. Then she put on her boots and jacket. Chris was just putting his shirt on. She saw the brand mark on his back that he had gotten when he was twelve. It said sampah, which meant trash in Malay. She sighed and looked at the ground. For a few seconds she wished she was still blind. She sat down on the bed again with her hat in hand. Chris turned around and saw the sad look on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Is it your shoulder?"
"No," Serenity said. "It's what's on your back. It's unbearable to think of someone burning you with a scalding hot branding iron." Chris sat next to her.
"It's just as unbearable to think of someone hitting you with a shovel," he said. He gently ran his fingers along the almost invisible scar on her cheek. At that moment the other Draconians landed on the balcony. Chris, Serenity, Edelweiss, and their dragons went out to join them.
"The Berkians will be here any minuet to get Snotlout," Aurora said. "We can take off home right afterwords." Chris and Serenity mounted their dragons, and Edelweiss mounted Eider. They flew down to the Throne room just as they spotted the Berkian riders heading for the island. They all landed inside the throne room.
"So where's Snotlout?" asked Hiccup.
"Right this way," Re said. He turned around and faced the ledge throne. Aurora used her magic to open a pair of secret doors that led even deeper into the mountain. The went down a dark hallway made of dried magma.
They went down the hallway, which twisted and turned. Soon it came to a set of doors that were made of solid steel and iron. Standing on either side of the doors was a tall green Speed Stinger.
"Speed Stingers?" said Astrid, amazed.
"Yes, they make excellent prison guards," Re said. "They have their own special way in and out." He pointed to a tall, narrow corridor. It was too narrow for humans but perfect for the Stingers.
"Any prisoner we have will have a real hard time trying to get passed them," Tenor said. "That is if they can get passed the acid pit." Aurora used her magic again to open the prison doors. They all walked through and came out onto a ledge that looked over a very deep pit. At the bottom of the pit was a large pool of Changewing acid that lit the camber with an erie green light. The walls were honeycombed with large hexagon shaped holes. In the center of the room were several pedestals that were also hexagon shaped. The riders realized that this was the dungeon. Both the pedestals and the holes in the wall were the cells, there was no way out without falling into the pool of acid below.
"Wow, this is a pretty unique dungeon," said Fishlegs.
"I have a similar design at the Draconian Castle," Re said. "But I use tar instead of acid. Wait here." He spread his wings and took off. He soared to one of the holes in the wall, high above the acid pit. He went so high that the others couldn't see him. They soon heard Snotlout protesting, then yelling as Re dived towards the acid pit. He dropped Snotlout onto the ledge and landed again. Snotlout had his hands shackled behind his back. Re cracked his tail like a whip and shoved Snotlout forward.
"Move," he hissed. He snapped his jaws at the back of Snotlouts neck.
They all slowly made their way towards the exit. When they reached the beach outside Aurora used her magic to take the shackles off. Hookfang glided down and landed next to his rider. He had spent the last few days on Dragon Island, in the cave he used to occupy during the reign of the Red Death.
"Thanks for not killing him sire," Hookfang said. Re just nodded. But Snotlout wasn't happy.
"I'll teach you to lock me up," he shouted. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Draco's diamond. He thrusted it in Re's face. The Dragon King screeched and reared up. Snotlout waved the diamond in all the dragons' faces. They roared and flailed around. Then Snotlout turned it on Re again. Re shot fire in the sky. Then Re turned towards Serenity again, his eyes glaring and cold.
"Re what are you doing?" she asked scared. "Stop."
"He's going to see what it is to almost lose something of value," Snotlout said, corrupted by the diamond's power. He used it to keep the others from interfering, including Hookfang. Re flared his wings and prowled closer to Serenity, gnashing his teeth. He stalked her towards the jetty. She begged him to stop, but the diamond's power was too strong. He couldn't even hear his family calling him back to sanity. They couldn't move as Snotlout used the diamond to keep them rooted to the spot. Re pushed Serenity right to the edge of the jetty. Then he lunged forward, knocking her into the water. Everyone shouted 'no' over the sound of a splash. Snotlout lifted the spell, releasing everyone including Re. They rushed to the edge of the jetty and Re circled overhead. Aurora pinned down Snotlout and snatched the diamond from him. Ruby took off and dived into the water after his ward.
"She can swim right?" said Astrid.
"Yeah," Tenor said. "But unfortunately there is a very strong current going around this island, that's what brings us food."
They all watched the water anxiously. Re paced back and fourth in the air. Then Ruby came back out, empty taloned. He landed in front of the others, he looked destroyed.
"Did you find her?" asked Tenor anxiously. Ruby sat on his haunches and looked at the ground sadly. He shook his head.
"The current swept her away before I could grab her," he said. "She's gone." Everyone felt like a bolt of lighting hit them. Aurora clutched the diamond in her talons. She wanted to throw it away, but knew she had to get it back to the Draconian Castle. No one said a word. Edelweiss was crying, wanting her mother. They all looked out at the horizon, hoping Serenity would pop back up. Re landed on the beach, he had lost the energy needed for flying. Suddenly Serenity's hat bobbed to the surface and Chris snagged it.
"We should get going," Aurora said after a long silence. "I want to get this diamond back where it belongs." No one moved for a few minuets. Edelweiss clutched Chris's pant leg. He looked down at her with empty eyes. She had Serenity's green eyes and round face. But Chris couldn't decide if that was good or bad. He picked her up and she hugged him.
"I wuv Daddy," she said, her eyes had run out of tears.
"I love you too Edel," Chris said. Aurora coiled her tail around Snotlout. Then she put the diamond to his forehead. There was a flash of white light. Then Aurora released him.
"What was that?" asked Ruffnut.
"Brainwash," Aurora said. "He'll forget all about this diamond, and all future treasure will be invisible to him so he can't steal it."
"You're not going to declare war?" asked Astrid.
"I'm pretty sure Serenity wouldn't want a war fought on her behalf," Re said glumly. "Especially between her closest friends."
"Good point," said Astrid.
Chris and Edelweiss reluctantly got on their dragons. The Draconains readied themselves for take off. The air felt very heavy.
"Really sorry guys," Hiccup said. "She was pretty importuned to us too."
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about her getting hurt all the time," said Tenor, trying in vain to be optimistic. The Draconians took one last look at the ocean, then they took off and headed back towards home. No one said anything, their minds where back 24 hours when their Dragon Healer was with them, blind but alive. Then Ruby started singing quietly, though they caught every word.
Gotta hold on easy as I let you go
Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born
You're beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl
When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone
Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown
Sometimes you're asleep I whisper "I Love You!" in the moonlight at your door
As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy Love You More!"
You're beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.
The song ended but no one felt any better. They continued to fly in silence, all the way back to their own waters. They flew over the dense field of sea stacks that surrounded the whole country. Behind the sea stacks was the large wall Re build. The minuet the diamond crossed into Draconian waters a dense fog covered the sea stacks.
Soon they reached the Golden Gates. They flew towards the castle.
"You know what blows my mind about you lot," said Windwalker as they landed on the front lawn. "This family is quite large, and yet we all go to pieces if just one get injured or goes missing."
"Yes," Aurora said. "It comes from with loving each other so much."
"Maybe she's still alive," Chris said. "The ocean is full of sea dragons. Maybe one of them picked her up."
"Perhaps," Re said. "I just hope a sea dragon finds her, instead of Vikings."
"At least we have a reason to hope," Aurora said. Chris looked at Serenity's hat.
Chris, Edelweiss, and their dragons went up to their room. When they got there the first thing they saw, was Serenity's wedding dress. The window was open and an ocean breeze made the skirt of the dress wave like a white flag. In front of it on the small table was the book Cinderella. Chris put Serenity's medical bag on the table behind the book, and placed her hat on top of the bag. They would stay there until Serenity returned, if ever.