It was almost sunrise.
It had been already like six or seven hours since we were flying away from Berk. If we made it this far then we could make it further.
We had to fly one or two days more to get to Johann if he was following his usual route, from the far north-eastern islands to Berk. And I was sure that this days would go by faster than I would think. The only thing I had to be worried about was the food, water and being stealthy enough. I couldn't risk us being seen again by someone we knew.
Thus the reason we were flying above the clouds and pretty close to them. If something seemed off we could just fly in them.
I raised my arms up and then laid back on Phantom's spine. It was such a good feeling to be free to fly again where and when we wanted. We would keep flying till around sunset and then we should find a shelter to stay overnight.
I scratched a bit the scales from his side while my eyes lingered on the sky. The stars flickering faintly on the still slightly dark expanse. There was a breeze coating us in the salty scent of the sea and I felt content.
No nightmares to bother.
No storm.
Not a restriction.
Just me, Phantom and the nature.
„Just some more hours and for sure no one from Berk is gonna find us" I let out a breathy chuckle „Still can't believe we didn't bump into anyone till now"
Phantom stayed quiet for some moments and then started to slow down slightly.
„What is it?" I questioned in disbelief as I straightened back up.
„You might want to swallow back your words" he growled out and kept his gaze fixed on something in front of us.
After following his look I swear I was about to scream in agony.
„How in Hel?!"
I furrowed my brows and clenched my fists. How in the name of Thor did she even get here? I was definitely cursed or something.
„Am I going to get in this stuff for the rest of my life or what?" anger and bits of desperation filled my voice.
„Maybe let's just try on another day then? I don't think we're going to be able to slip away from her"
I glanced down at Phantom as I grabbed tight the pommel of his saddle and pulled on it a bit „No. We're going to dive straight to the water and then try to lose her in that fog" I said sternly and pointed at some thick fog in front of us.
We could make it there in like five minutes at full speed.
„Marianne, I don't think this is such a great idea" he replied slightly doubtfully.
I glanced again at the Razorwhip that was flying towards us, getting closer and closer.
We had to do this fast.
„Just trust me, alright?" I said and petted his neck.
He sighed in defeat and started to fly faster towards the silver dragon.
We were on full speed so as the other dragon and when we were not even fifty feet away I pulled on the pommel „NOW"
Phantom dove straight down to the water, leaving past us a bit of a confused Ingrid shouting from behind.
The Sand Wraith flew as fast as he could towards the fog.
I heard the metallic like sound from the flaps of those wings and turned around to see the Razorwhip following us still, almost catching up.
„Okay, we have to go faster and find a place to hide" I replied hurriedly as I turned back.
The muscles of the dragon tensed up some more and with some last powerful flaps we entered the fog.
I scratched his head and leaned forward, pointing to the left with one of my hands. He flew in that direction fast and soon enough we started to see some sea stacks and small ship wrecks.
I looked around frantically, searching for Ingrid. But I couldn't see anything through the thick fog. I could neither hear the metallic sound from the wings of the Razorwhip. The only sounds where coming from the Sand Wraith's wings, the slight breeze and the small waves that were hitting the stones and wrecks.
„Phantom, slow down a bit" I said slowly as I looked around once more to make sure we lost the duo.
He slowed down and now we were just gliding between the sea stacks. Here and there were scattered sunken ships that surfaced and putrid wrecks. The fog was starting to dissipate slightly, just to reveal more rock formations and ships bestrewed around.
„What is this place…?" I asked quietly as I kept on looking around and Phantom flew slowly between sea stacks and ship wrecks.
„I don't like it. Let's get out of here" growled Phantom with a voice full of awareness and slight grim and slowed down some more.
As my eyes roamed around the place, I spotted a bigger wreck. At least it looked bigger than the others from a bit far behind.
Curiousness shot through my veins and I suddenly felt this urge to take a look. I couldn't explain what it was, but I needed to see something, find something there. It was like some sort of pull, a nudge to go and look.
I raised my hand fast and pointed it „No, let's go check that one"
After Phantom grumbled something under his breathe, he flew slowly towards the front of the ship.
My eyes shifted down and looked at the deck. There was a big, fainted, red pattern drawn on it, like a fist. Some cages made out of a weird green-bluish metal were scattered on the deck. It looked nothing like all the vessels I saw before.
As Phantom started to hover on one place, I moved my gaze to the rotten sail.
Instantly I felt my jaw drop as I stared at the insignia on the old sail. It was the same insignia I had seen in my nightmare, on one of the ships from the docks. It wasn't similar. It was the same.
My mind was racing.
If this was the same insignia then the nightmare wasn't just a nightmare. But it didn't make sense, how could it be even true. I... I didn't understand. I always felt like there was more to that nightmare but I never paid much attention to the feeling. Now that I was staring at the same symbol I started to realize that my subconscious wasn't lying.
There was more to the nightmare and to all of this. But what?
I was so soaked up in my own thoughts that I didn't even hear the dragon approaching us. Suddenly I was thrown off Phantom. I screamed as I plummeted and landed hardly on my back, on the putrid wooden deck, which surprisingly didn't break.
I groaned and rubbed a bit my forehead as I started to get up slowly. The next thing I knew I was tackled back down by someone.
„Get off me!" I shouted and tried to push the person off me but froze when I felt something cold on my bare throat. I gulped a bit and moved my eyes up just to be met by a pair of hazel ones staring down at me.
„Are you kidding me?!" I spat out annoyed.
„Nope" she replied and pressed the dagger a bit harder, almost cutting my skin.
„You don't mind get that thing off? You know, I am going to die if you slit my throat" I trailed off quietly. To say that I wasn't worried about my life was an understatement.
She chuckled a bit darkly and spoke in a mocking tone „And why would I get it off in the first place? Stoick forbid you from leaving the island and here you are, at the Ship Graveyard searching for trouble as always. Well here you got your trouble"
I shifted my gaze to look behind her and saw Phantom arguing with Ingrid's Razorwhip. I moved my eyes back to hers „You aren't going to kill me" I stated as fiercely as I could but my voice was still slightly shaken up.
„You really think I wouldn't if I had to?" she asked in a challenging tone. Her expression was cold but her eyes looked amused.
I cocked an eyebrow not understanding why she could've been amused. My confused expression became even more bewildered when she got up and extended her hand to me to help me get up.
I glared at it and waved her off „I can get up myself"
She gave me a shrug and tucked her dagger back in the small sheath in her boot while I got up. I glanced at Phantom and the Razorwhip and noticed that now they were chatting normally.
Okay?
I moved my gaze back to Ingrid's „Mind explaining what the hell was that?"
„What? You're going back to Berk anyway" she replied simply and chuckled a bit.
I groaned inwardly and furrowed my brows „Again? Come on! I just got away from Berk and I want to fly around for a while, explore or I don't know. I am sick of staying on that damned island and feel like someone locked me in a cage. I want to feel free, not like a prisoner"
„Oh don't start with that" Ingrid complained and I felt a smirk tug at my lips.
„BUT PLEASE MOM. I am not going to do anything bad. I'll be a good kid" I whined and made the best puppy eyes I could.
She stared at me blankly for a moment „Don't look at me like that, and I am not your mom" she averted her eyes from mine but then glanced again at them for a few times.
„Ugh fine. Just quit doing that thing"
I let out a breathy laugh as I started to walk towards the entrance to the main deck while gesturing for Phantom to follow.
„Wait"
Suddenly I felt someone gripping my am. I looked back just to see Ingrid looking at me in disbelief as she let go of my arm.
„You're going into the Reaper? Seriously? You've got nothing better to do with your life?"
„The Reaper?" I raised one of my brows slightly confused „This ship is called the Reaper?"
She nodded her head as I mused for a bit then shrugged „Honestly I don't care. I want to see what's down there" I replied and pointed to the hatch, then marched towards it.
Ingrid groaned annoyed and followed me.
I turned back once again to look at her a bit more confused „You're coming too?"
„Of course. If you end up dying I want to see it" she said cheekily and winked at me.
I clenched my jaw and one of my fists. I wanted to punch her so badly in that moment but reminded myself that I had to stay calm and took a deep breath in to chill.
Then I turned around and opened the hatch. I started to step slowly down on the old ladder and noticed a cramped trap coming out of the wooden floor at the bottom of the stairs.
Someone had been already here before us. It was good and bad. Good because it was most likely that all the traps had been triggered and it pretty safe now. Bad because whatever was on the ship could have been taken already.
I got off the ladder and walked past the trap and further into the gloomy corridor. The wood was creaking quietly under our feet. It was a pregnant silence. Putrid wood. Dark corridor and I had this weird feeling that any moment someone would jump from one of the corners. It was quit scary to be honest.
We kept on walking forward carefully and got in a big, gloomy chamber. On both sides were cells, the doors were made out of the same green-bluish metal as the cages on the deck.
At the end of the room we saw some long, sharp spikes coming out of the decking. Several crossbows were placed between the cells. The door that led into another chamber, right in front, was wrecked.
I started to walk onward when the vessel suddenly shook and I almost fell.
From above we started to hear some loud hissing along with angry roars.
„What in the name of Thor..." Ingrid mumbled out before she started to rush to the ladder then climbed up fast. I followed her hurriedly and what I saw outside shocked me.
Giant eels.
Freaking giant eels.
My eyes searched around for Phantom or Ingrid's dragon but found none of them.
We were almost surrounded by the giant eels. With none of our dragons around. Hooray.
„We're doomed" I commented as I looked back at the hissing beasts.
„Oh really? I haven't noticed" Ingrid snapped back and pulled out one of her daggers.
I looked fast around for a weapon and noticed a nog lying randomly on the deck. I grabbed it and then whacked one of the eels hard. The eel stumbled back and feel into the water.
„Never thought you could even lift a stud" Ingrid exclaimed a bit surprised but mostly sarcastically.
„Thank you kind" I replied annoyed and rolled my eyes.
The dark haired viking pulled out quickly one of her daggers, aimed it at one of the eels and threw it right in its head. The beast let out a small hiss and fell down on the wood with a big thud.
„Bull's eyes. Nice shot!" I cheered. I always knew she was good at dagger throwing, but not like that.
„Well thank you" she retorted while throwing another dagger with the same accuracy „Three down, three more to go"
„You have to teach me to throw like that"
We fought off the rest of the eels and in a couple of minutes all three were down.
Ingrid was cleaning one of her daggers while I was looking around for our dragons. To my disappointment I found nothing. They surely got pretty scared of the eels. I would've too.
I tried what I saw Hiccup do once, the dragon call and noticed that Ingrid looked at me like I ate worms.
„What?" I asked confused.
„Nothing. You sound more like you've got some problems with your head, not like you're calling for the dragons"
I rolled my eyes at her and tried again.
At first there was nothing. But I was patient. After a while I heard two roars. I looked up to see both dragons flying towards the ship and land with two loud thuds.
„Phantom!" „Sekweya!" we both exclaimed at once and hurried to our dragons.
I hugged Phantom tightly and felt relieved, I was more than happy that he was alright.
„I am happy to see you too" he replied a bit out of breath and I pulled away.
He looked at me, guilt feeling his eyes „Sorry that I flew away like that... Especially when you needed me. I got scared because of the eels, you know"
I fixed my eyes with his and scratched his muzzle softly „It's alright. I am sure I would've flew away too if I was in your place. I know how afraid you are of eels. It's fine"
He sighed „Well if you say so"
„Of course I do. You haven't done anything wrong and you shouldn't be blaming yourself. Sometimes we have to face our fears and you just weren't ready"
I felt someone's gaze on the back of my head and turned around just to see Ingrid and Sekweya staring at me oddly.
„What?" I asked confused.
„You just were... It was like you were talking with your dragon" she replied with a bewildered expression on her face „We can't understand them. It's not like we can have a conversation with them. So why do you keep talking with your dragon like you actually understand what he's saying?"
I glared at her coldly „What's your deal? Does it bother you somehow or I don't know? That I treat my dragon like an actual person and just like a pet as many others do? Have any problems with it?"
„No" she replied shortly and hopped on her Razorwhip. Sekweya spread her wings and they were about to fly up.
„Wait. Where are you going?" I asked not averting my gaze from her.
„Away from creeps" she snapped back and with that they shot up in the air and disappeared into the clouds.
I was bubbling with rage. How could she call me a creep? She should look at herself when she's hurrying away or when she's mumbling something to herself or whenever she's sneaking through the village.
I took in a deep breath to calm myself down and turned back to Phantom „Did you see that?! She thinks she's the perfection itself or what? Creeps pff"
„She just doesn't know that you can understand dragons and from her point of view it looks strange that you're talking like this to me. You know it yourself already. Maybe tell her?"
„I am not going to tell her anything about this. What if she tells someone else and they'll kill me? Catch me? Torture me or whatever. Or what if she's going to think that I am gone? A psycho, nuts, crazy, mad, shall I go on?" I snapped back and then felt a hot fume shot right in my face.
I coughed a bit „Hey!" I shouted and the next thing I knew I was on Phantom's back „Wait. Where are we going?"
„After your future friend" he replied and flew up fast into the clouds.
„No! Not going to happen! I can't be friends with such a moron!"
He sniffed a bit the air, not paying attention to me and flew quickly into a direction. Obviously following the duo.
„Stop complaining already. You did a great job together when you got rid of the eels. I am sure of it. If you wouldn't have... then... well..." he looked in front, not wanting to look at me because I knew how he felt. Guilty that he just flew away when I needed him.
I shook my head a bit in disapproval „She thinks I am a freak and if she hears that I can understand dragons she's going to think that I am totally gone"
„Well, you don't have much of a choice now" he said calmly.
Then I noticed the Razorwhip in front of us „There's no way I am apologizing for being ‚weird' from her point of view. She should apologize because she called me a creep" I stated firmly and crossed my arms over my chest.
Phantom flew closer to them and now we were gliding next to Sekweya.
Silence.
Neither me or Ingrid said anything or exchanged glances.
After a while I was done with the silence and decided to say something otherwise we would fly like this forever.
„So? Want to apologize or I go fly away?"
She gave me a long look and rolled her eyes annoyed.
„Ugh fine... I am sincerely sorry for calling you a creep because you're talking to your dragon which is actually pretty odd" she scratched her nape a bit „I don't even get why I am apologizing to be honest"
I groaned inwardly and rolled my eyes at her „Whatever. Apology accepted"
And we fell back in silence.
As we kept on flying, we started to hear some arrows whistling through the air, dragon roars, splashes and explosions. I didn't even get time to ask where we were going that suddenly some arrows flew up right in front of us.
Our dragons came to a halt and then dove down and out of the clouds.
There were some ships like the wreck we've been on today. Men firing arrows, chains, boulders and spears from them.
Some dragons were blasting the ships and freeing the caged dragons. It was a Nadder, a Gronckle, a Monstrous Nightmare and a Zippleback.
Suddenly I heard a high pitched sound then saw a purple blast shooting in the side of the ship that made the vessel start to sink.
A Night Fury! It was Hiccup and the gang!
Me and Phantom kept somewhat of distance and followed Toothless with our eyes.
All of them were our idols since I got to know about them and for Phantom since he started to fly and I told him about all of them. He never got to see any of the riders but he was surely more than giddy to meet them and their dragons.
Both of us weren't even paying to attention to what was happening around us.
„ANKER!"
I snapped out of my ‚trance' and my eyes shot to Ingrid who was looking at something to my right.
I looked fast in that direction and saw a big boulder flying straight towards us.
„Oh no..."
