Hello readers. Apologies for this taking so long. I had a whole boatload of stupid shit that I had to take care of, which in turn left nearly no time for writing. Sorry.
Thank you to those of you who reviewed. I do read and enjoy them.
Enjoy
"Are you certain that's what he said?" Fishlegs wondered, pacing back and forth in their barracks. Astrid sat at the table, fuming as she recalled Night Fury and his singular assault on her in the halls. She'd recovered over the past three days, and now she was back with her squad and back to training full bore. It made no sense though. She couldn't figure out why Night Fury had singled her out, and then spoken the first words any of them had received personally.
"Yes!" She reiterated.
"Norok hahkun vahdin…definitely dovahzul…" Fishlegs mumbled.
"Bullshit!" The twins said together, sitting nearby. "Nobody has spoken dovahzul in five hundred years. It's only written. You know what it means, right Fish?" They sometimes spoke in unison. It was weird and irritating.
He shook his head with a slight shrug. "Yes and no. I know that 'norok' means fierce…but the other two words I don't recognize. Not all of original dovahzul is still written. Many words are entirely unknown."
Astrid rose from the table with a snarl. "Are you insinuating that Night Fury is running around with ancient knowledge in his head? I refuse to believe that!" She snapped, pacing like the dragonblood that she was.
Worse yet about all of it was that Commander Frost claimed to have no idea that Night Fury would strike then. So it was something that he did of his own volition…which still left her knowing just as much as she did before it. Nothing. Aggravating.
"Astrid, lets go back to what you said about the fight," Fishlegs suggested. "You said that not only did his sword chip your bone spikes, but he lit it on fire?"
She nodded, holding up with still harsh red expanse of skin she had on her arm. "Yes! Where does someone find a weapon like that?"
Fishlegs wagged a finger in the air. "That is less important than this: we are finding out more about him. That is only progress."
Snotlout scoffed from his seat, a plate full of mutton in front of him. "Whatever. It's unimportant entirely. Eventually, he'll fuck up and we'll be there to take advantage." He declared, scrunching into a thick steak. Astrid glared at him, loathe for his general attitude of uncaring about this. She didn't know why, but fighting and beating Night Fury was nearly all she cared about at the moment. Never before had something given her such a huge challenge.
She was about to lay into the lazy idiot about that attitude when their barrack door was shoved open. The first thing she noted was the shining light that came off of thoroughly polished armor. Standing in the doorway was General Cloud looking, for lack of any other word, furious.
"Hofferson!" He bellowed once the door slammed against the wall.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm right here. Don't have to yell." She replied, paying at least enough respect to him by standing up straight. Snotlout stood up as well, lazily licking his fingers of the sauce that covered his food.
The General glared at her with stern eyes. "Get your squad ready. You all leave today for the North!"
Astrid's interest was immediately consumed. They were leaving the fortress? "Why?" Was all she asked, deciding to keep her sudden interest and excitement a secret. Didn't want the general seeing that she was actually eager for some action.
Cloud's grumpy look didn't fall away. "We have received word that a research station has fallen under attack. You five and teams of ten will go and reinforce the station and prevent any more attacks until a defensive garrison can be arranged and sent."
Their first action as commanding officers! This would be the perfect time to show that they were above and beyond what Dragonoa needed against Blackreach! Astrid grinned, all toothy as she had visions of battling demons. "How long will we be gone?"
"As long as you're needed, Scalebinder," The general growled. "Do not fuck this up. If that research station falls, I swear that you five will be scraping battleship hulls for the rest of your pathetic existences." With that, he spun and left, not even having the decency to close their door. Not that a general would ever close a door that he had come through.
"Well," The twins said in the silence, grins as wide as Astrid's on the face of every single one of them. "Lets get ready!"
The waves roiled, the sky grey and angry as the teams assembled to head to Norsgaard, the outpost in the north. To better separate who was commanded by whom, each team wore the colors of their Scalebinder. Astrid wore a smug expression of pride as her teams wore the exact same blue that all of them would one day wear as trained soldiers of Dragonoa.
Fishlegs team wore a dark brown, Snotlout's a bright red, Tuffnut yellow and Ruffnut green. They were a colorful bunch, but the binders had chosen the very best they could. All were among the best recruits, and should be fine when they reached the north. All would travel on a single destroyer, apart from the binders, whom would travel naturally.
Despite the bad weather, Astrid and her partners would fly to Norsgaard. The final ability of Scalebinders, and the most iconic – Dragonshift. They could assume the form of their sire species of dragon. It wasn't an ability that made much sense in terms of combat. The change took time, and was in no way possible during the fury of battle. Of course, they could enter battle fully shifted, but they were locked into that form until battle subsided.
In a small pile close by were large packs that contained their weapons, armor and clothes for when they arrived in the north. They would strip down when they changed to save the clothes they currently wore. It was a spectacle that all would watch when it happened, and therefore, the walls and courtyard were full when they prepared.
"Astrid, I think it's time," Fishlegs called, coming over to where she stood with a wide smile. One of the greatest feelings for them was the rush of flying. The unbeatable perspective of the sky. The freedom it provides. Shifting was something Astrid looked forward to each and every day, if she could manage it.
"Perfect." She growled, allowing the magic to flow across her blood. She shed her clothes as the scales began to grow and stretch around her body. Her bones cracked and grew, muscles stretching and folding to accommodate wings. Hollow bones emerged, membranes growing out of them. Her jaw distorted and grew, sharp fangs growing like bony stalactites and stalagmites from it. The tail and spines that was so characteristic of a Deadly Nadder grew from her like an infernal worm.
With a squawk, she spread her wings and roared a torrent of fire into the air, to the awe of the gathered soldiers and the muted applause of a few. With her new dragon eyes, Astrid could easily see General Cloud shaking his head with a frown. She allowed a growl from her belly in amusement at his attempts to pretend like he didn't wish he had the chance to fly.
She glanced over to her team of soldiers and growled at them, nodding her large head at the man she had deemed as her second. He rallied the others and they gathered their supplies together, marching to the docks to board their ship. All around her, the other Scalebinders shifted to giant, biological engines of destruction, roaring and spreading wings as they stretched. Snotlout blew a torrent of flame into the air from his toothy Nightmare maw. The twins, holding easily the most unique change, swung their twin Zippleback heads around grinning madly.
Stomping up beside her was Fishlegs, massive and rotund as a Gronkle, his rock hard hide dappled with stones of various metals. He rumbled lowly as the other teams of human soldiers departed to the docks, carrying everything the fifty five numbered entourage would need in the North.
Astrid squawked back at him, spreading her wings and flapping them several times. The just naturally understood each other while they were shifted, as if the growls and hums and other sounds they made as dragons translated universally to their minds.
"Hofferson!" The yell came out and she turned her draconic visage to the small group walking up to her. As a Nadder, she was one of the smaller dragon species, but nobody could doubt a Nadderbloods ferocity and wild strength. Humans came up to her shoulder, but her fangs could tear one apart, armor or not, in seconds.
"Hurry to Norsgaard," General Cloud commanded flatly. "We will send reinforcements when we are able." He walked off immediately, leaving General Maximus and Commander Frost standing there. The two of them shook their heads at the other general and took more thoughtful stances than the rigid ones the stood in around other leaders.
"You have the right training, Astrid," General Maximus wheezed in the cold air. "You'll be fine. I have faith in you and the others." She, overall, was a tough and unforgiving person to almost anyone and everyone, but Astrid quietly admitted that the man's words brought her an almost childish comfort.
Commander Frost hummed her agreement. "Keep your head, and tell the others the same. Worst thing you can do is lose your focus. Let General Cloud be as stern and irritating as he wants; I'm sending you a regiment as soon as he leaves for the mainland."
Astrid nodded her large head and growled at the other dragons. Commander Frost backed away as they all spread their wings, launching off the ground with mighty pushes of their legs and sweeping flaps of huge wings. Astrid roared in glee as the air whipped past her, feeling the wonderful sensation of being absolutely free in the air, nobody able to command her up here. It didn't matter what was what, she was an individual in the air. She was the master. The mightiest raptor.
The other dragons circled, dove, glided, rolled and played around her, each of them no doubt feeling the same excitement and happiness at being so powerful and free once again. She swept over the walls towards the docks, floating over the ship that would take their teams north while the dragons flew. The troops all glanced up as she flew by, some calling cheers while others chose to silently bear witness to the greatest form of Dragonoa soldier.
The intelligence they had been given regarding what has happened at this research station was perilously thin. It was a bit unusual, but she had reasoned that it was due to the information being as new as a day old. There may literally not be any more info that was pertinent to them at this moment.
After an hour, she was getting impatient with the operation. Why the ship was still moored at the dock was a mystery to her. It appeared that everything they needed was loaded and ready. The troops were mulling about the deck, lounging against the mast or leaning on the banister. Her sharp eyes and sharper yet nose noted at the same time a man coming to stand behind her. From his smell, oily and dank, he worked aboard this ship.
"Commander." She wasn't an actual commander, but being the appointed one in command of this mission granted her the temporary title. She knew that one day, it wouldn't be temporary. She would always been called Commander eventually.
She took two steps to turn and glare at him, her eyes narrowing on the man. He wasn't simply a worker. He had to be the Captain of a ship here in Helheim. Safe assumption that he was the captain of her ship. Her ship that was an hour behind schedule. She growled in acknowledgement of his presence. Shifted Scalebinders could not speak. Nothing to do with ability, but dragon tongues and lips didn't exactly condone speaking.
"I am Eret, son of Eret and Captain of the Hunter. We are about to depart. I wanted to report the delay to you personally. There was an issue with supply being stored. We had a deck give way."
A whole deck? Maybe it was simply a hole. Regardless, Astrid growled in irritation. Allowing the magic to pull, she slowly changed back to her human form. It was a pestering sensation, not being able to take off on wings at a moment's urge, but she needed to speak with this captain and ensure that nothing was going to happen to her ship.
When she was finally changed, her back facing him, she grunted. "Cloak. Give." She ordered. A rustle of clothing and the garment was draped onto her shoulders. She grabbed the hem of it and pulled it shut before turning to glare.
"Now what the fuck went wrong?"
Captain Eret held out a calming hand. "Nothing serious. An old set of planks bent and broke when crates were placed on them. The issue has been resolved, new planks installed and reinforced. Lucky too, there was nearly nothing left to repair with."
"What does that mean?" She demanded.
He sighed. "I am not a member of the Dragonoa Fleet. It is luck that I was called to this task. The Hunter is a private transport vessel. I was contracted to deliver materials here, to Helheim. When I heard of the job to take an emergency force North, I offered my ship. Things have not been very lucrative recently."
Astrid snorted. "Your money problems are not my concern. Will the ship sink on this journey?"
He shook his head. "Not a chance. The hull is reinforced ironwood. It won't sink."
Astrid nodded. "Good. Get moving. Norsgaard will not defend itself." She tossed his cloak back to him and immediately began shifting back to her dragon form. The captain stood and watched in awe for a few moments before running back down the slope towards the ship. By the time Astrid had finished the change, the mooring lines were being drawn and the sails unfurled.
The ship plowed through the heavy waves and turned North, gliding through the water with a firm and dogged determination. High above it, flying in formation, the Scalebinders kept a watchful eye west, to where the dark lands of Blackreach loomed in the haze. If the demons have made inroads up North, there was a distinct possibility that they would lay in ambush for reinforcements. The demons were savage and bloodthirsty, not stupid. They had to know that reinforcements would come from Helheim. If they really wanted Norsgaard…they would be waiting for them.
For hours they flew, the ocean having calmed and the winds lightly blowing beneath their wings. So far, nothing had been out of the norm. Even with the grey clouds still hanging like a dreary blanket over the sky, visibility was well far enough to spot any sort of ambush. Nothing was materializing though, and Astrid was fine with that. Occasionally, she would dive down to fly beside the ship to ensure that nothing was amiss, but after a few minutes she would return to the skies.
It was curious. Militarily, there should have been forces all over the seas. Unless the attack was only a brief raid, they should see something coming. Someone waiting for them to delay any reinforcements. But they saw only water, whales and the Hunter, silently pushing North, the sails still full.
They wouldn't reach Norsgaard for another two days. Maybe tomorrow would bring more action to the seas. Maybe she was being too hopeful to find combat so close to Helheim. Oceanic defenses meant nothing to her. Their fire would sink any ship, or ships, that appeared between them and Norsgaard. She growled at the others, signaling that she would take first watch during the coming night. They skated off formation, gliding down to the ship to shift back to human form.
It would be five hours before she was relieved. Lucky for her, she had honed her in flight endurance to the very best she could. She would still be full of strength by the time Fishlegs flew back up. She would enjoy the solitude of the air while she could. The dead night was cool on her back and in her lungs. She flew lower to the seas so she could keep an eye on the ship while most of the crew slept. The skeleton crew that manned the ship during the evening hours knew what to do when something went awry, but other than that they simply sat on crates or barrels, silently throwing dice, carving, or doing whatever it was sailors chose to do in those quiet hours of night.
She herself found this wide open space in the north strange. Everywhere in their world there were islands, small and large, dotting the seas. Even the largest of open oceans had their features. This area, in the farthest northern reaches of the Fang Ocean, was bare. Just flat ocean for as far as they eye could sea at this moment. By mid-day tomorrow, she may be able to just barely see the start of the archipelago that housed Norsgaard, but for now, there was nothing.
She rumbled a growl and shook herself, loving the feel of the cool air between her scales. She was ready and eager to do battle with the dark beings of Blackreach, but at the same time she was worried. She knew that she could last. Knew that she could hold her own against any sort of abomination that came upon them, but she could not say the same for her men. She had trained for years before even having arrived at Helheim, and they had been here for just shy of a year and a half already.
Some of her men may have only had that long to train. Granted, it was Helheim; only the best even got in, but on top of that, a year and a half at the mighty fortress might as well be three years at any other fort on the mainland. She wanted those with her on this mission to live; she would begin to tailor them. To train them to fight alongside a dragon. It was a crucial ability to have, and it would set them apart. She was sure that the others felt the same way, especially the twins. Their ability to breathe gas and detonate it was something that could result in heavy casualties, both friendly and not. Training soldiers to fight alongside them was the difference between life and death.
She heard the buzz of Fishlegs wings before she saw him, but soon, he was flying alongside her, growling and rumbling to her to descend and sleep. She squawked at him a few times, bidding good luck and offering report of what she saw, which was nothing. Once done, she skated off, angling her wings and dropping towards the ship. She saw the wide open area where she would land to change.
The next moment, she was plunging into the freezing waters, something small and black clinging to her, fangs drilled into her rear leg. She snapped her tail to bear, slamming it back and into the creature that attacked her. It let go with a shrill, bubbling shriek as Astrid fought to the surface. With powerful pumps of her wings, she lifted herself away and roared a torrent of flames into the air, the warning signal.
In the new light, she saw a swarm of creatures flying around them, all black like giant bats. The other binders were running out of the ship and changing as they did, troops around them wielding crossbows and covering them while they changed to their dragon forms. Astrid snapped her jaws, easily carving one of the smaller creatures in two as a fireball from above claimed two more, Fishlegs diving straight at them.
Astrid let the pain in her leg fuel her as she brought her tail to bear, firing volleys of spikes into the swarm of beasts. A bright light burst to life as Snotlout lit his entire body into a blazing inferno, illuminating the night and giving line of sight to all, both Scalebinder and human. A huge bolt fired nearby, and Astrid spun to see Eret, son of Eret seated in a large ballistae mounted on the deck, bolts sitting in a large crate next to him and a sailor loading.
She roared again, firing spikes this way and that at the dark creatures. Blackreach would have to do more than send evil bats to kill Scalebinders.
Hope you all enjoyed! I hope I can work faster than I did for this chapter in future.
Just as the disclaimer, if I do abandon this, I will post about it. If you simply haven't heard or nothing has been posted, it just means I cannot find time to write and/or am having issues with the chapter.
Have a good day!
