Chapter 3
The sun was well set by the time Tenor and Serenity landed at Ruby and Harmony's cave. Tenor landed on the ledge and folded his wings. Serenity dismounted and got the Cup of Life out of the saddle bag. She entered the cave. Harmony and Ruby were in the same position. Eider laid on Harmony's other side. They both looked up when Serenity entered, Ruby just barely opened his eyes.
"What did she say?" asked Harmony.
"She lent me this," said Serenity, holding up the cup.
"The Cup of Life," said Harmony, recognizing it.
"This will save him," said Serenity. "But need some of your winter supply."
"By all mean," said Harmony. She gestured to the pool with her wing. Serenity went over and knelt beside it.
"Please cup, please save him," she whispered. She then filled the cup with rainwater from the pool. Then she carefully took it over to Ruby and knelt beside him. She placed the cup on the floor in front of his snout. She gently stroked his neck.
"Ruby, wake up," she said. "I brought you something to help you." Ruby opened his eyes. He moaned and lifted his head. Serenity helped support it with her free hand. She placed the cup against his lips. He drank all the water from the cup. When it was empty, Serenity put it back down. Ruby laid his head down.
"Thank you," he said.
"You'll be okay now," Serenity said, remembering what Aurora had said about the cup's magic.
"How long will it take?" asked Harmony.
"I don't know," Serenity confessed. "I've never used the Cup of Life before. But it will work, as long as we have faith in it." This seemed to ease Harmony's mind. She nuzzled Ruby's neck.
"We'll keep this here, in case he gets thirsty again," said Serenity, placing the cup next to her bag. Harmony looked at Tenor.
"You can go back to the castle if you want to Prime Minister," she said. "I'll take Serenity home when she wants to." Tenor nodded, and flew off. Serenity sat on Ruby's other side. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Tenor landed on the balcony outside Chris's room. He entered the room and found Windwalker laying next to the bed, Chris was no where in sight. Windwalker looked up when Tenor entered.
"Serenity didn't come back with you?" she asked.
"No, she's staying with Ruby until he's better," Tenor said. "Where's Chris?"
"He's down in the armory," said Windwalker. "He told me to meet him here. He's distressed about something, I don't know what."
"Well, if anyone can get an answer out of him it's you," Tenor said. He went to the corner of the room and laid down.
"Same with you and Serenity," said Windwalker. "You two are incredibly close. You can always get her to talk."
"It's not that hard," said Tenor. "You just have to get her to warm up to you, without sounding like you're interrogating her. Ruby knows the secret too." Just then they heard the door open and close.
"That'll be him," said Windwalker.
"I'll give you guys a minuet," said Tenor. He got back to his feet, went outside, and took off. Windwalker waited quietly. Chris came up the stairs. He flipped the switch that lifted the metal caps off the glowing crystals. The room lit up.
"Where's Serenity?" he asked, spying the empty bed. "She should have been back by now. I hope she isn't still mad at me."
"Ruby got sick," said Windwalker. "Serenity's taking care of him. I would imagine that she would want to stay near him until he's better. She'll be back, I'm sure." Chris sat on the bed.
"I need to tell her I'm sorry," he said.
"Why?" asked Windwalker.
"I was kind of mad this morning," Chris said. "I had my old drowning nightmare again. It was making me afraid to look at water. She called it Aquaphobia. She offered to help, but I pushed her away. She flew away before I could say I was sorry."
"Hmm, well we can go see her tomorrow," said Windwalker. "Tenor can show us the way. Serenity's probably worried about Ruby, she'll need the reassurance I'm sure."
"You're right, okay," said Chris. "You think she can help me with this Aquaphobia?"
"Well knowing her," said Windwalker. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was nothing she couldn't cure. She really is a wonderful girl."
"That she is," Chris said. "I guess I was just mad that I was having nightmares and she wasn't."
"She's had nightmares before," said Windwalker. "Pretty scary ones."
"Yes, about loosing her family in some way," said Chris.
"We'll go see her tomorrow, and you can sort this out," said Windwalker.
"If she's not too busy with her job," said Chris.
"Think positive Chris," said Windwalker. "I'm sure she'll spare a few minuets." She got to her feet. Chris stroked her neck. He then laid down on the bed. Windwalker laid her head on his stomach. He absentmindedly stroked her head. They were quiet for several minuets.
"Maybe we can take the Berkiens to Apple Grove," Windwalker suggested.
"Good idea," said Chris. "They've almost seen the whole castle, except for the dungeons." He yawned, his eyes grew heavier.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen the dungeons," said Windwalker. She laid back down beside the bed. She waited for Tenor to return. Soon they both fell asleep.
Next morning Windwalker and Chris got up, to find it raining. Tenor was laying next to Windwalker. He got to his feet and stretched.
"What's on the agenda for today?" he asked.
"I want to go find Serenity," Chris said, sitting up. He told Tenor everything he told Windwalker the night before. Tenor listened with both ears up. When the explanation was finished, Tenor tutted slightly.
"Well, of course I'll take you to their cave," he said. "I plan on going back there myself. Just as soon as I show the Berkians our dungeons."
"Maybe they'll want to come too," said Windwalker.
"Let's snap to it then," Tenor said. He turned towards the open window and walked out onto the balcony. Chris put on his coat and mounted Windwalker. Both dragons spread their wings and took off. They flew down to the entrance hall where the Berkians were waiting.
"So where are these dungeons?" asked Snotlout.
"They're way underground," said Tenor. "At least a mile or two under the castle." He reached into his pocket. He clamped something gold in his jaws. He went over to a nearby suit of dragon armor.
"Stand close to the door," Tenor ordered. They all moved to the doors, next to Chris and Windwalker. Tenor place the small round medallion he had, into a round imprint in the head plate of the dragon armor. He turned it, making a series of clicks. The middle of the floor swung downward, revealing a dark hole. The riders got on their dragons. Fishlegs and Meatlug were looking at it, fearfully.
"We're not actually going down there are we?" said Fishlegs.
"You don't have to come Fishlegs," said Tenor. "This place is only dangerous if you're a prisoner." He spread his wings and flew down into the shaft. He heard several dragons following him.
They flew through the darkness, passed the passage that lead to the vaults. Soon a speck of light appeared at the end of the shaft. Tenor slowed down and landed on the very bottom of the shaft. The others landed next to him. They were in a large, windowless room. The only light came from the small glowing crystals that lined the floor. The only way forward was a dark tunnel. It had even less light than the chamber.
"This way," Tenor said excitedly. "Stay close though, it's easy to get lost in here." He started down the tunnel. The others followed, rather hesitantly. Chris and Windwalker brought up the rear. They made their way through the tunnel.
Soon they heard the sound of water. They came onto a large platform over a large grotto, deep under the castle and lagoon. The ceiling arched high over a body of very deep water. Several, medium sized, round platforms were placed randomly in the water. Over each platform was a large, round, hallowed out stone, suspended by heavy chains. A fain, bluish light came from the high ceiling. The riders looked up at what looked like stars overhead.
"What is that?" asked Astrid.
"Glowworms," said Tenor. "These dungeons are inescapable."
"How, so?" asked Snotlout skeptically. "Anyone can just swim over here."
"Well, if any prisoner tried escaping, they'd meet Fin and the Sharkfangs," said Tenor, with a smirk. He ran his tail through the water. Suddenly dark, shark fins poked out of the water. They swam around the platforms. Each fin was a different shade of grey and silver. One suddenly turned and headed for the riders, who backed up. Then a creature crawled out of the water.
It was as big as a Great White Shark. It had the head and neck of a frilled shark, the body of a blue shark, the tail and dorsal fin of a great white shark, the wings of a flying fish, and the legs of an alligator. This particular one had the colors and spots of a leopard shark. It had large dark eyes and a set of four gills on each side of its head.
"Hello Fin," said Tenor.
"Hello Prime Minister," said Fin. His voice was slimy and high pitched. He glanced at the group. "You bring me fresh meat?" He began sniffing Fishlegs.
"Sorry, Fin but these ones are our allies," said Tenor. Fin seemed almost disappointed. He gave Fishlegs a sly look.
"Fin is the warden," Tenor explained. "And the leader of this particular group of Sharkfangs."
"Sharkfangs?" said Astrid curiously.
"Yeah, Sharkfangs," said Tenor. "They have the same hunting instincts and abilities as sharks. But they can be even more unpredictable. They can walk on land, fly, and swim. They can't really fly like the rest of us, they can only glide for a few miles before they have to go back under. They have a set of teeth at the back of their throat that they can shoot out at will. Those teeth are toxic, paralyzing the victim instantly. Their attack is the quickest of any dragon." Fin growled and sneered.
"Wow, I like the sound of these guys," said Tuffnut, waving his finger in front of Fin's face. Fin snapped his jaws at him. Inside his mouth were large, jagged shark teeth laid back on the top and bottom of his jaws. Then Fin turned to Tenor.
"Is that all you wanted me for Prime Minister?" he asked.
"There is one other thing actually," said Tenor. "Perhaps you can show these vikings how the cells work." Fin sneered. He looked at each rider in turn.
"I need a volunteer," he said. "Anyone?"
"Me," said the Twins in unison, putting their hands in the air. Fin sneered wider. Then he turned towards the water. He let out a loud hiss. A dark grey Sharkfang crawled out of the water beside Fin. The two of them chatted for a minuet. Then they began pushing the Twins towards the water, snapping their jaws at them. When they reached the water's edge Fin and the other Sharkfang took off, snagging the Twins in the process. They glided gracefully over the water. They dropped the Twins on the nearest platform. Fin nodded towards another Sharfang who pulled an underwater leaver. The big stone over the platform dropped down onto it, trapping the Twins inside. Instantly three Sharkfangs began circling the cell.
"There are no lights in those cells," Tenor explained. "It's all dark."
"Don't you think that's overkill?" said Astrid.
"No," said Tenor. "No prisoner has ever escaped these dungeons."
"I can believe that," said Eret, as the Sharkfangs retrieved the Twins. "It's a lot more excessive than Berk's jail."
"Excessive you say?" said Tenor. "Have any of your prisoners escaped?"
"Heather did once," said Hiccup. "Twice, actually."
"Well, she wouldn't have been able to break out of here," Tenor said. Fin glided down and landed next to him.
"Thank you Fin, you have been most helpful," Tenor said. Fin beamed.
"My pleasure Prim Minister sir," he said. Then he turned and slithered back into the water. The Sharkfangs disbursed and the water became vacant once more.
"How long can they stay out of the water?" asked Eret. Tenor sucked in a huge breath.
"Ooh, an hour or two," he said. "But they can stay underwater for eternity. Now, I must head to Apple Grove to check on Serenity. The rest of my comrades wish to join me. You lot may come too if you want."
"Sure," said Hiccup. "We've explored the whole norther coast. What are those tall, narrow buildings with the lights coming out of the top?"
"That would be a lighthouse," said Tenor. "Very helpful to dragons trying to find their way home through the storm." He turned and wen back through the tunnel, the others followed.
They made their way back up to the entrance hall. They were briefly blinded by the light after being under ground for so long. Re, Aurora, and the three dragonets were waiting for them, Edelweiss was mounted on Apollo. Tenor turned the key and the doors closed. Tenor handed the medallion to Re, who put it in his pocket.
"So, how do you like my dungeons?" Re asked.
"Very unique," said Astrid. "Bit excessive."
"But unescapable," said Re. The riders mounted their dragons.
"They have agreed to come with us to Apple Grove," said Tenor.
"Oh, good," said Aurora.
"We brought camping gear," said Hiccup. "So Ruby and Harmony won't feel cramped."
"Very considerate," said Re. "Their cave is rather small. That's why we will be staying in our own house in Apple Grove"
"You have a house in Apple Grove?" said Valka, interested.
"We have a house in every city," said Re. Then the dragonets got restless.
"Can we go already?" Avalon wined. "I want to see Eider."
"Alright, let's go," said Aurora. They made their way outside. The rain had stopped for the moment, but the sky remained the same color grey.
"Do you get a lot of rain here?" asked Hiccup.
"Oh yes," said Re. "It dries up later in the year. But during the late spring and early summer, it can be quite wet." The dragons spread their wings and took off. Tenor led the way towards Apple Grove.
They flew over the Draconian landscape. There were other dragons flying in the sky, as well as other creatures such as; giant eagles and Phoenixes. There were more dragons here than the Berkians had ever seen. They greeted the royal dragons and the allies.
Soon they reached the forest of Golden Apple Trees. It covered the landscape like a thick, golden blanket. The dragons soared over the mountains and soon spotted the city of Apple Grove. The city sat at the bottom of a shallow, yet wide valley. Buildings sat amongst the apple tree. In the center of the city, was an enormous glass building in the shape of an apple. It glittered in the faint light. The royal dragons and the Berkians headed for the glass apple, but Tenor, Windwalker, Chris, and Black Widow continued onward towards Ruby and Harmony's cave.
They soon landed on the ledge outside the cave. It was very quiet inside. The air smelled of wet wood and camp fire. Chris dismounted and lead the way into the cave. Harmony was attending to the fire pit, Eider was munching on a large pike, and Ruby and Serenity were sound asleep next to the fire. It was quite warm inside. Chris went over and knelt beside Serenity. She was wearing her riding uniform and had her hair in a pair of pigtails. Chris gently gripped her hand. She stirred and opened her eyes. When she saw Chris, she smiled sleepily.
"Hello," she said.
"Hi," Chris said, he sounded nervous. "Can we talk for a minuet?" Serenity sat up and yawned. She looked over at Ruby.
"Sure," she said. "I think I can spare a minuet." Chris helped her to her feet. She was a bit wobbly.
"Hello, Tenor, Windwalker, Black Widow," she said.
"Hello lovely," Tenor said. "We'll call you if Ruby needs you."
"Thanks," said Serenity. She and Chris went outside. They followed a small path that went down to the edge of the lake. Chris came to a stop next to a small tree. Serenity stood next to him, holding his hand.
"Serenity, I am really sorry about what I said the other day," Chris began, looking her in the eye. "I didn't mean what I said." Serenity gripped his hand tighter.
"I was just frustrated that I was having nightmares and you weren't," Chris went on. "But I guess I had forgot that you did have nightmares before. I would have said this earlier, but you had flown off to help Ruby and I don't blame you for that. I am really sorry, I hope you can forgive me." Before he'd even finished the sentence Serenity threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.
"Of course I forgive you," she said. "I was ready to forgive you right away, but I wasn't sure if you were ready for it." Chris breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her back.
"I really missed you last night," he said. Serenity smiled, not wanting to let go.
"I missed you too," she said. "Did you have anymore nightmares?"
"No, luckily," Chris said. "But I still have trouble looking at water, without thinking about drowning."
"Water is my best remedy," Serenity said. "It's really helping Ruby as we speak."
"How's he doing?" Chris asked. Serenity finally let go of him, but still held his hand.
"Well, he hasn't woken up yet," she said. "But I still have faith that the Cup of Life will help him recover. I give him water with it whenever he gets thirsty."
"Then he'll be just fine," Chris assured her. She smiled at him gratefully.
"While we're waiting," she said. "How about we rid you of your aquaphobia." Chris took a deep breath.
"Alright," he said.
"It'll be okay," said Serenity gently. "It's only a lake, not the ocean."
"It's still really big, and deep," said Chris. Serenity put a hand on his shoulder. "But alright, if it will get rid of my nightmares." With that they headed for the edge of the lake.