Hey guys! Thank you for your patience!
I got sick. Again. Which, I will say, is extremely rare for me; I'm never sick for more that a couple of days a year. Stupid flu season. Then I've had a lot of homework – I mean a LOT of it! And last week I had three back-to-back-to-back swim meets. And sectionals are coming up (where I have to swim my first IM). And there's been a lot of other stuff going on too.
That's about it for delay excuses. To apologize, I wrote an extra-long chapter which took several hours of working for the last two weeks to complete. Go on, it's waiting…
4 – Taking Sides
Part 1 – The Guardians
Somewhere Over the Ocean: The Sleigh
"Can't we take the bloody portal?" Bunny asked for about the fiftieth time.
"Nonsense!" bellowed North. "Reindeer need exercise. They haven't flown for long time. Losing touch. Hya!"
He cracked the reigns with a mighty shout. Bunnymund turned green as a sudden burst of speed shot him back into his seat with great force. He dared to peek over the side of the sleigh, and immediately regretted his decision. They were gliding right above the clouds, wispy white things that floated along like overstretched cotton balls. Far below was the open sea. An unyielding sheet of navy blue, choppy and cold. From their height the water's waves were as small as the whites on Bunny's pinkie fingernail. The very sight of it all caused the Pooka to retch emptily overboard.
Sandy floated over and patted him comfortingly on his back. It was the seventh time Bunny's stomach had decided to act up for the hour they'd been in the air. When he was finished, he hopped over to North.
"How much longer are we going to be up here?"
"Twenty minutes. Why?"
"Twenty! I'm dying here, mate! If I don't see land in the next five, I will literally throw myself overboard and let the sharks take care of me!"
"Technically, the Atlantis Ocean is too cold for sharks, so…" said Jack (which really wasn't helping his short temper). The Pooka glared at the winter spirit coldly.
"Listen here, Frost. Unlike the rest of you sitting back here, I can't fly. So I would really appreciate having some good solid land under my paws again. Got it?"
"Sure sure, whatever you say Kangaroo."
Bunny scowled, but didn't have the energy to argue. Puking up your guts seven times did that to a guy. Meanwhile, North decided to listen to what Bunnymund had foolishly said earlier.
"Five minutes? I can do that!"
The poor Pooka's ears fell, plastered flat onto his head. "Oh please don't!"
Too late. The older man made the reindeer go at their top speed, sprinting through the sky as if there were no tomorrow. Tooth and Sandy immediately went to comfort Bunny, who collapsed onto the wooden bottom as his legs gave under him.
"This is it," he mumbled weakly. "I'm dead."
"You'll be fine!" exclaimed Tooth comfortingly. "You'll see. We'll be on land in no time!"
Even Jack Frost had a few words to say. "Chill out, Kangaroo. It's not like you'll fly off and die or something."
"Just shut up. I could care less about you right now."
Suddenly, a gust of unexpected wind blew with tremendous force. Jack let out a cry and flew over the back of the seats. Bunny jumped up and searched desperately. "Frostbite!"
His worry turned to a scowl as he saw Jack lying safely on his back on the sleigh's runners, staff balanced on his chest and arms tucked behind his head. His legs were crossed and he wore an easy smile. His eyes glinted mischievously. "Aw, so you do care!"
Bunny looked like he was ready to murder the boy right then and there when North shouted, "Land ho!"
"Thank the moon!"
Jack wasn't exactly sure why Bunny was so relieved, considering that Central didn't seem much like 'good solid land'. Still, it was probably better than having no land, so Jack didn't argue with that.
It was one of several landmasses towards the south that had broken away from a continent. These islands were no longer part of the normal land; through the use of magic, they now floated about a mile up above all other places in the world. Only one was known to be close enough to land to have road built up to it; the capital of the world, Central.
Central was by far the largest of these places – nearly twenty miles in length. Being so large, it didn't float well, so the sloping bottom of the island grazed the ocean enough to have ports and trading docks built there. On the other side, which was a plateau that jagged out from the rest of the island, was the Sky. It was one of only seven in the world that had ports for the very rare (and highly expensive, not to mention well-regarded) skyships that sailed the skies, hence the name.
North was guiding the sleigh towards the Sky. "We park reindeer there. Good runway. They need rest."
"Hypocrite much?" muttered Bunny darkly. "I though he said they needed exercise a minute ago."
"We take ship to Berk from here," continued the Russki, disregarding the Pooka's comment. With that, the party descended from the open skies to the landing area.
Central: The Sky (Jack's POV)
For the first time in a long time, it seemed as though Bunny didn't care that I was laughing my ass off at him. He looked so silly; lying in the grass with that look of content on his face as if there were no tomorrow. When he did come to his senses, he scowled.
"Shut it, boy. You'd feel the same way too if you were a Pooka."
"You mean all Pooka's are little wussies?" I asked.
Bunny stood up, all 6'1" of him. "Listen Frostbite. You have gone too far this time."
"No time to dawdle!" barked North. "We must go quickly!"
I ducked under Bunny's quick swipe and ran after the older man. Tooth had flitted off elsewhere, a few of her little workers showing up the moment we did to tell her some important news. Behind me came Sandy, walking calmly through the chaotic dock.
North set a brisk pace, parting through the crowd without a problem. I, on the other hand, walked through them. It helped to be invisible sometimes. Still, being invisible didn't make me any faster. I still felt the subconscious need to shoulder through the unyielding crowd.
I finally caught up to North and asked, "So you were saying something about sailing to Berk, right?"
The man seemed a bit bewildered about my question. "Sail? It take six weeks to sail so far. You need to be there in half of time. No, we will fly!"
He swung his arm to the ship, and my breath literally left me.
I didn't realize we were on a loading deck until I followed his arm. Before us was a skyship. Notably the largest skyship I'd ever seen. The thing could easily fit tons of people; it looked as though the body was at least three floors, with hundreds of windows. I could practically imagine the hallways inside. The deck was as long as the runway we'd just been on. Giant red sails were drawn from the masts. The very front – the bow, I think – was the carving of an angel, wings and arms spread to the horizon.
"A beauty, is she not?" North asked proudly. "My personal ship. I call her Северноесияние. But that is Aurora Borealis in Common Tongue."
"The Northern Lights," I whispered, awed. As cool as it all was, it seemed stupidly pointless. "I don't get it. Why bother with the ship? I mean, I could fly to Berk in a couple of hours. Won't it take more time to come down to Central and go back up there?"
"Yes, it will, but it was Man in Moon's orders. We are to stay on ship from here."
"Okay then…"
Bunny snorted, waving a boomerang at me threateningly. "Trust me Frostbite, I didn't agree to this either."
"You're scarier on land, ya know that?" He tsked and turned away.
We made our way to the loading area, where several yetis were giving commands. They snapped to attention when North approached and formed a very militaristic line. "This is crew for journey: Phil, Andy, Robb, Gerald, Maddie, and Henrietta."
"Phil's coming?" I asked. I was sincerely trying not to laugh at the fact that there was a yeti named Henrietta.
"Yes." North looked at him thoughtfully. "He keep Andy in line, make sure he paint things correct color. He tried to paint ship darker brown other day. Ha! Phil stopped him in time."
Honestly, I thought it didn't matter if the ship had ended up a shade darker or not, 'cause it would've looked fine either way, but I kept that thought to myself. Poor Andy; he must've gotten the short end of the stick. I decided to look around. From my standpoint, I could make out the portal that probably led to Santoff Claussen; yetis and super-confused elves were delivering materials and meandering uselessly (respectively). I was getting really tempted to fly through, freeze a few elves, and fly back.
Suddenly, Tooth reappeared, panicked. "Oh no, this is terrible!"
"What is matter?" asked North.
"A few of my babies came and told me Pitch Black came! He's been spotted with several monsters of some sort – I couldn't make it out, the girls were so afraid – and he's attacking the Tooth Palace!"
Bunny was the first to react. "Go," he said. "Find out what he's plotting this time."
Tooth looked at the rest of us for confirmation, which we gave. She smiled. "Thanks guys."
And with that, she winged away.
"We should go after her." I don't know where those words came from, but I said them. The others stared at me. "What? She's could be in danger! We can't let her go out there alone."
Sandy nodded seriously. North gave me a strange look but seemed to agree. Even the silly rabbit considered what I was saying. Then he did something I seriously didn't think he was capable of.
"Frostbite's right. We should get to the sleigh." Bunny hopped over to where the vehicle was. "We going or what?"
North laughed. "You finally warmed up to the sleigh, eh Bunny?"
"I did no such thing. But we've got a fellow Guardian's existence on the line here, so I'll do my best to cope with your ridiculous taste of transportation, mate."
We all clambered in. North cracked the reigns furiously and we shot off faster than before.
I turned to Bunny and Sandy. "What did you mean by her existence is on the line?"
The Sandman looked eager to explain, but I stopped him. "Sorry Sandy, but we've already tried charades earlier. It didn't go to well, remember?"
He seemed really dejected, but didn't argue. Bunny answered my question in his place. "As you're aware, Guardians are selected by the Man in the Moon to become part of his personal guard."
"The Moonlight Guard, right?"
"Precisely. Now, to become an official Guardian, you need to swear to the oath. The one which you refused to do earlier today." I nodded. He continued, "Once the oath is taken, we are forever bound to MiM and any services he may require. Usually fighting off Pitch Black.
"The thing with Guardians is that each of us has a center."
"North told me about that," I cut in.
"Good. Saves me the explanation. Anyway, this center is something that every child has in them somewhere. Our primary job is to protect the children's faith in these beliefs: Dreams, Memories, Wonder, and Hope. It used to be that if children didn't believe in us, our powers were gone. Thankfully, MiM was able to make it so that we're immortal. As long as there are children who believe in these ideas, there is magic."
"Hold up!" I tried my best to get everything straight. "So, you four are the reason there's magic in the world."
"It's a bit more complicated than that mate, but in a nutshell…yeah."
My mind was a bit blown, I'll admit. I think the other passengers noticed, because Sandy gave me a pat on the back and Bunny watched me in a creepy, calculating sort of way.
"Stay with me kiddo, I'll finish explaining. For whatever reason, the only thing strong enough to misguide a child's faith is fear. Once they are afraid, it takes a combined effort to restore them to their childhood innocence. That's where we come in.
"The whole point of us protecting children is to help influence them to be better adults in the future, as well as ensure that children are happy and well. This is why we need to stop Pitch at all costs. He plans to shatter the faith in children. Then our powers, as well as all the magic in the world, will dwindle and fade. He plans to rise up from the chaos as the next powerful figure."
"So if he wins, then everything we know is gone? What about the Man in the Moon? Surely he'll have enough power to stop Pitch?"
Bunnymund hesitated. "Not during a new moon he won't. His powers wax and wane like the moon itself. The only reason it's always full is because of the magic. Once that's gone – once the Guardians are gone – all Pitch has to do is sit tight until the next new moon and the power is his." He watched me as I tried not to get overwhelmed by the info. "Any questions?"
I nodded. "So what's this whole rumor about being seen if you're a Guardian?"
"It's true. Once you take oath, you will be seen by everyone who cares to notice. On the flip side, if you don't have any believers your powers will be greatly affected. Anything else buggin' ya?"
"Um…yeah. Why do kids know you exist, but the adults don't seem to care?"
"Over the years, we've shown ourselves on occasion to keep the belief going. Not too often, or kids'll be looking constantly for us. But once they grow up, they don't feel the need to believe in us. They, by then, are completely capable of living without the need of 'superstitions' or the likes. All they need are their own minds because their faith in our centers will have strengthened."
I was going to ask more, but North shouted, "We're coming to Portal! Hold on!"
I ran forward to where North stood. Sure enough, there was a swirling blue circle opening up in the sky. The reindeer's hoofs pounded silently, their breathes puffing and snorting, as they were forced into a full-blown sprint.
Air rushed around us like a deadly turbulence as the sleigh shot through the portal. In an instant, we were somewhere I'd never been before.
Tooth Palace (Jack's POV)
Tooth Palace was a magnificent structure. Painted various hues of pink and purple and gold, it floated in a permanent sunset (at least, that's what I've heard). It was literally thousands of random, diamond-shaped spires that decorated the sky. Something, though, was very off with the happy scene.
The first thing I saw was panic. Tooth's ladies were flying to and fro, squeaking to each other as they were chased by dragons. I heard Tooth's voice as she shouted orders to them. That all I could make out. Pure chaos. One fairy was about to be swallowed by a flaming red dragon. I grabbed her before her untimely demise.
"Shh, don't worry," I whispered soothingly. "It's gonna be okay."
North guided the reindeer out of the center of the fight and above it. I stood on the back of the sleigh and looked down. Flames shot in all directions as dragons attacked the fairies, their jaws snapping and wings flapping. I'd never seen a dragon in my life; it was quite terrifying. I'm not exactly compatible with flames, after all.
I looked at the Guardians. They were all ready for battle. North had his dual curving blades out, Bunny his boomerang, and Sandy crafted two golden whips from sand. I gripped my staff and jumped off with a shout, knowing the wind would save me.
We didn't have to fight for long. The dragons were gone in a minute, leaving Tooth's palace accessible. We found her there, flying the golden, sunlit halls in a fever. North landed the sleigh and we rushed over to her.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! They're gone. They're all gone!"
"What's gone?" asked Bunny.
"The teeth!" she cried hoarsely. "All the teeth of the children of Berk. They were taken while I was out on the battle front! How did he know? Why would he take them?"
"Who?" I asked.
"Me."
We all turned around as the cold voice greeted us. A figure rose from the shadows. He was tall and clothed in long black robes. His sharp white teeth flashed as he grinned, amber eyes sparkling maliciously.
"Guardians," he said with a mock bow. "Oh! And Jack Frost. What a lovely party we've got here."
"Quit fooling around, mate," growled Bunnymund, a boomerang out and ready.
Pitch smiled and folded his grey fingers together. "Bunny. I can taste the hatred coming off of you. It's really quite enticing. Tell me, how are the other Pookas. There aren't too many of them left now, are there?"
Bunny threw the weapon with all his might. It hit nothing.
"You really should learn to control your temper," Pitch said from behind him. "Or you won't know what hits you when it does."
The Auslandian turned around, but was greeted by thin air. The next thing I knew, Pitch was staring into my face a mere few inches from me. "Jack Frost. It's been a long time. Tell me, why are you wasting your time with these so-called Guardians? Are they really that impressive, with all their tricks and shiny toys?"
"What are you getting at?" I muttered
"Nothing really," he sighed. "It was just a question. But tell me Jack, why are you doing this? Do you really plan on becoming a Guardian? There's nothing great about it, I'm sure. After all, take away a child's belief and they are weaker than humans."
I made a swipe for him, but he vanished and walked on the underside of one of the rose-colored pillars. "Now now, Jack. I was only trying to be friendly."
I smirked. "And why would you do that?"
"Simple. You're the only one who understands how I feel. To not be believed in. To not be seen."
I gasped. He didn't need to say that. I didn't want to think about it.
"Quit playing coward and fight like a man!" roared Bunny. "I could take you and whatever you have to offer single-handedly."
Pitch rematerialized in front of our group. "Well, I am in no mood for meaningless fighting. No, we will meet again. Then we'll see who is really stronger – the Guardians, or fear. Take this as a warning."
He turned his back and vanished.
With the immediate threat gone, the others had turned to comfort Tooth. She was crying, legs curled on the ground. "Oh, this is awful. Now how can we continue to Berk? We've lost the source of magic."
"It is okay. We will find way," said North.
I watched for a few moments, then flew away awkwardly. I wasn't close to any of these people; at least, not the kind of close that they were to one another. I didn't know what to do.
A small hand patted me on the shoulder. I looked up to see one of the fairies, the one I had saved, watching me with her curious eyes. I stroked her head gently. "Hey there little fairy. You're like a mini Tooth. Can I call you…Baby Tooth?"
She seemed okay with the name, after consideration. Nodding, she perched on my shoulder. Then Tooth came.
"I was wondering where you'd gone."
"I'm not the most comforting of people," I murmured. Tooth smiled.
"Let me show you something…"
She took my hand, warm and thrumming with life compared to my stiff icy one, and tugged me along. She led me down to the bottom of her floating palace to a cave. It was large and full of boulders, ivy snaking its way across every surface. There was a waterfall too. It froze as I walked over it.
There was only one part of the area that wasn't covered in ivy. On that spot was a painting. Old, a bit faded too, but definitely something I recognized. It was a picture of Tooth flying before a group of children, who were reaching out to her and smiling. The real Tooth knelt in front of it.
"This," she said, gesturing to the painting, "is my purpose."
"Collecting teeth?"
"Yes."
"Um…why?"
She laughed. "I'm sorry, I forgot you didn't know. All baby teeth contain memories. More specifically, a child's most precious memories. My job is to collect these teeth, so if and when there is a time a child needs them, we can access them. That's my center. I'm the Guardian of Memories."
"Really?" It sounded a bit farfetched to me.
"Really. I have, well…had, every child's teeth. Even yours."
"Mine? You mean you have my memories?"
"Had." My hopes shattered instantly. "They were stolen years ago by Pitch. I don't know why he took yours other than to get back at the Man in the Moon."
"Why?"
"Because he created you." Tooth saw my confusion. "Pitch has wanted power for all of his existence. He's tried and failed several times to control the world with fear. That was why the Guardians were created in the first place, to take away his power. Each potential Guardian is made from the will of the Man in the Moon. We're all resurrected to who we are today."
"Resurrected…" I trailed off before gasping. "Are you saying he brought all of us back from the dead?"
"Yes. I still remember when I was. I might tell you some time. Right now, we've got more important things to do. We have to get to Berk. If Pitch stole the teeth of all the children there, then there's got to be a reason behind it." She stood up. "We should get going."
"Right…"
"Is something wrong, Jack?"
She was watching me with her big, violet eyes. I shrugged off her question; I didn't want to tell her how affected I was from the fact that I could regain my memories. "Nothing. It's nothing. Let's get back to the ship."
Somewhere Over the Ocean: The Ship (Jack's POV)
We were in the air for at least an hour by then. I'd already explored the Crow's Nest, the bedrooms, Captain's Quarters, the kitchen, and the weapons' storage. I've gotta admit, that collection of blades and guns was quite impressive. Too bad I'd never use them (thanks to the fact Bunny doesn't trust me).
Okay, not really that bad. I mean, I have a staff! What more would I need?
I went back on the main deck. It was shiny as though it'd been just swabbed. My feet left icy prints behind, confirming that water was there and washed away the grime. I didn't really care. I just took my time to walk up to the bow. When I got there, I looked out to the view unveiling before my eyes.
All I could say was, "Wow…"
The sky billowed out around the ship, engulfing us in clouds and air and freedom. The grey-to-white clouds, soft and puffy, created a thick blanket that separated the ship from world below. The wind called to me, but I chose not to answer it. I guided it to the sails instead, hearing them snap out taunt and continue our endless gliding.
Everywhere I looked, there was light. Stars seemed to sparkle like the purest snow from every angle of the inky sky. Glittering, reflecting on my eyes in an endless river of diamonds. And there was the moon. Full and larger than I'd ever seen it before. It seemed to swallow up half of the horizon with its glory. Rays of moonlight danced across the wooden deck of the ship as if they were trying to retrace my footsteps, shooting over the clouds to create shadows of light and dark, yet somehow never overwhelming the glow of the stars.
Something about this surreal landscape was more than I could take.
I turned away, feeling cold (abnormally so for my standards) for the first time in decades. Why had I never been able to see this beauty before? I'd flown the skies for three hundred years, and this was the first time I'd ever noticed the moon and the stars and the clouds like that. How could I have been so blind?
I was about to hop down and go back to bed when Toothiana fluttered out. She came over to me. "Do you mind if I sit here."
Instead of replying, I gestured with my staff to the opposite side of the bow. She smiled to me a smile that said 'thank you' and sat down to the angel's left. We stayed like that for a moment, bodies facing each other but eyes looking out to the horizon. Finally, Tooth broke the silence.
"Jack, about today…with your teeth...I don't know what to say, but I'm so-"
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault." She looked up and it was my turn to smile. "It happened years ago anyway. Just another reason for us to find Pitch and stop him from whatever he's planning to do, right?"
"I guess," Tooth replied with a small shrug.
We sat for a moment more in companionable silence. Finally, I decided to ask a question that'd been bugging me.
"Tooth?"
"Yes Jack?"
"What other duties to you have?" She seemed a bit confused, so I continued. "I mean, aside from being the Guardian of Memories. North designs toys and builds ships, Sandy brings children dreams, Bunny is something I could care less about, so what do you do aside from being a Guardian?"
"I'm the spy."
"Say what?" I hadn't been expecting that. Maybe a teacher or something, but a spy?
She laughed at my expression. "It's true. With all the other fairies I can cover just about any area of the world when it comes to hidden spies. They act as my eyes and ears, really. I'm just the 'mastermind.'" Tooth said this while making little quotation marks with her fingers. "There are even a few mice around Eurasia that help in that division. And a lovely bunch of young marsupials in Auslandia!"
I sat there, digesting the information. "So when do you come into play?"
"I sort through all of it. Filing, compiling, delivering to the Man in the Moon; it's everything I do." Toothiana looked out over the sea of clouds and sighed a bit. "I do miss it though…"
"Miss what?"
She threw her arms out to the horizon. "All of this! Seeing the world. I remember the sleeping faces of every child I'd ever taken a tooth from, including yours. That's what kept me going half the time. All of them so peaceful, lying there in the night. It was part of my purpose."
"You mean you haven't been out in the field for years?" I asked. She nodded slowly. "But you're the Tooth Fairy! Does that mean you aren't the one collecting the teeth anymore?"
Tooth shrugged.
"How long since you've been out?"
"Oh, you know, about four hundred and fifty-six years," she replied, a hint of pride and sadness in the answer.
"So being a Guardian is that busy?"
"It can be, but then again I'm the one who sorts through all the information. It's a bit hectic, but I feel better with all the work to do. It keeps me busy the way I like it. Don't think it as a put-off from becoming a Guardian though, Jack. I'm probably the busiest out of anyone, except maybe Sandy. He's got a whole world of kids relying on his dreams for a good night's rest."
I thought about it for a while. Tooth smiled. "I'm sure the others can explain their own stories and purposes better than I can."
"Even Sandy?"
"Especially Sandy. Sure, he can't talk, but he can share a dream with you. It's really something!" She fluttered up. "Well, goodnight Jack."
"Yeah," I replied. "Goodnight."
Tooth smiled one last time and went inside. I was getting a bit tired, despite not needing to sleep, but I chose to stay out. Letting the cool air tousle my hair around, I looked out over the horizon at the moonlit sky again, retracing all that I'd learned that day.
I had a lot of going-over to do.
Part 2 – The Vikings
Berk: The Main Hall (Hiccup's POV)
The weather didn't hold up for long. I got back late for the second day in a row. It was raining thick sheets of icy wetness that soaked through my thin clothes and plastered my hair to my head. Trying not to shiver, I pushed open the heavy doors to the Main Hall and entered.
The doors themselves were art; I'd spent many days alone admiring the intricacy of the carvings. There were swirls and intertwining knots, both carved and wrought of metal. They were painted various shades of golds and browns. Probably paint brought by traders years ago. Now, though, I didn't have the time to regard them. Working as an apprentice did that to my free time.
The Main Hall was the largest building, as well as the oldest, in Berk. The only one to have survived multiple dragon attacks over the years, it's located by the mountain where the town rests on, practically built into it. The ceilings were high, taller than the tallest buildings, taller than ten men standing on each other's shoulders.
The stone floor was smoothed down into steps and flat eating/meeting areas from generations of feet walking over it. The walls, also stone, were covered in tapestries and paintings of Viking leaders past; I remember being younger and forced to recite the names of these leaders to my father. Several statues of the gods adorned the empty floor, another thing I remember being forced to look at for many winter afternoons.
Towering pillars of ancient trees supported ceiling beams that disappeared from sight. All that could be made out were candle holders built into them that were lit every day by some of the volunteers who usually stayed in Berk all year.
The few Vikings who weren't on the raid – mostly the elderly, the craftsmen, and a few dunderheads – were seated, eating. They ignored me; I did likewise. In the tables and benches nearest the doors were the other teens, Gobber amongst them and teaching away.
"All right, where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?" I heard him ask as I came in.
She answered smoothly, "I mistimed my somersault dive. It was sloppy. Threw off my reverse tumble."
"Yeah," Ruffnut sighed boredly, "we noticed."
"No, no, you were great!" And there was Snotlout trying to woo Astrid again. Couldn't he see she wasn't interested? I gave up before I even started. "What was so…'Astrid.'"
"She's right," said Gobber. "You have to be tough on yourselves. Where did Hiccup go wrong?"
And now they knew I was here. I walked over and picked up my dinner plate – one extra-large chicken leg as always. Though there was plenty of room on the bench they were sitting at, Snotlout shuffled over so I couldn't sit with them. All eyes were on me now. He sneered.
I rolled my eyes. Rather than challenging my cousin, I walked away to the empty table nearby; I would still be able to hear Gobber and not have to deal with their hatred tonight.
"Uh, he showed up?" suggested Ruffnut as Snotlout continued to glare at me.
"He didn't get eaten," added Tuffnut.
I grabbed a flask of weak mead from Snot's other side; he slid over as if I wanted to sit between him and Fishlegs (which I didn't).
"He's never where he should be."
Astrid's condescending tone took the cake, even though she refused to look at me until she said it. I could feel her eyes boring into my skull as I took a seat away from them.
"Thank you, Astrid." Gobber, to my benefit, cuffed the twins across the head with his hand as he passed them. "You need to live and breathe this stuff. Not just hang around the sidelines. If you want to be able to fight dragons, you have to know about them."
He cleared the table with his hand (now it was his drinking mug) and tossed down a book he had no doubt stored in his enormous back pocket. "The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of."
I sneaked a glance over my shoulder to where everyone was. The twins and my idiot cousin didn't seem to care much about it. Fishlegs was nodding enthusiastically. Astrid looked up for a moment, but immediately looked away once the initial interest had died away.
Thunder sounded, echoing around the hall. Gobber listened considerately. "No attacks tonight," he concluded. "Study up."
He left.
Tuffnut, who was trying to balance a dagger on the table, jolted. The weapon fell with a clatter. "Wait, you mean read?"
"While we're still alive?" asked his twin incredulously.
Snotlout banged the table violently. Seriously, he has anger management issues. "Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about." Okay, did I mention he's a bit on the simple-minded side too?
Fishlegs, on the other hand, was getting more and more excited. "I've read it, like, seven times! There's this water dragon that spits boiling water and your face, a-and another one that buries itself for like a week, and there's this one-"
"Yeah, cool," deadpanned Tuffnut while making a hand gesture that clearly said 'shut up.' "There was a chance that I was going to read it…"
"…but now…" finished Ruff.
Fishlegs looked hurt. I would've given him a pat on the back, but that would probably ruin his reputation and my chances of ever being accepted by those guys.
Snot stood up and said decisively, "You guys read, I'll go kill things!"
Everyone but Astrid made sounds of protest and ran out of the hall after him. Fishlegs was saying something about a dragon that had a spine like trees. The door banged shut behind them; suddenly, it was a lot quieter there. Mustering my courage, I walked over to Astrid who now sat alone.
"So I guess we'll share?"
"Read it," she said, flicking the book towards me.
"O-oh, wow, all for me. Great, okay! I guess I'll see you-" The door slammed shut. I sighed. "—tomorrow."
a few hours later…
I was the last person in the Main Hall. It was well into the night, and the storm had continued to brew into a horrible lightning storm. I'd chosen to stay by the fire and dry off. No point in going back to an empty house just to have to start my own fire. Firewood is heavy, especially when it's stored in the village and the house is at the top of the hill.
Though the fires in the hall had died down quite a bit, they still held a warm, friendly glow. Most of the candles were lit too. I took the nearest one and made my way back to the dinner table. The Book of Dragons was sitting right where Astrid had left it. Its leather-bound pages were whispering to me, telling me to open them up and read their contents.
I opened it to its first page. The table of contents.
"Dragon classifications," I read outloud. "Strike class, fear class, mystery class…"
There were more, but I decided to flip through it. Maybe I'm not obsessed like Fishlegs, but I've got some interests in dragons.
"The Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight.
"Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor-sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees. Extremely dangerous, kill on sight.
"Scauldron." This must have been the one Fish was babbling about. "Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous."
Thunder sounded, making the hall shake. I gave a cry. The force of the storm had forced the doors to fly open and bang against the wall. Seeing that there was no immediate threat, I turned back to the book.
"Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight."
I began to flip through. "Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Bone Knapper. Whispering Death."
I frowned. Something about the book seemed very repetitive. "Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight."
Then, there was a page with few words and no illustrations. Completely blank. I looked at the label and my blood ran cold. "Night Fury. Size: unknown. Speed: unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance: hide and pray it does not find you."
I sat stone still. I didn't realize how little we Vikings knew about the Night Fury. No one had even seen its size or guessed its speed, let along know what it looked like. I reached into my inner pocket and pulled out my notebook. The page was still marked from before.
I opened it and tossed the sketch over the blank page where one should've been. I was the first Viking to have any proof. Somehow, that was something I wanted to keep secret for now. Why, I do not know.
The Sea: Viking Raiding Party
Stoick the Vast, chief of Vikings, looked up from the map. Three ships were there, full of all the able-bodied Vikings in Berk. They were bobbing in front of the fog that marked the untold boundary between man and beast. This was it. They were sailing before the maze of stone and fire, the surrounding clouds high as mountains and dark as Fate.
"I can almost smell them," he murmured to his brother, Spitelout. "They're close."
He turned to the men on his ship. "Take us in."
"Hard to port. To Helheim's Gate." From the other two ships, the same cries came. "Hard to port! Hard to port! Steady!"
Within seconds, the ships were completely engulfed. No one could see one from the other, nor what was ahead or what came behind. It was an environment of fear, but no Viking would ever show fear in the eyes of danger. It was the way.
Stoick placed a hand on the hammer at his side, fingering it and praying to the gods for the best. He heard the sound of wings. Sharp wings. A Timberjack, most likely. The great leader pulled out his weapon and became ready in stance.
A bolt of fire shot down at them. He bellowed a ferocious battle cry and attacked.
Berk: Dragon Training Arena (Hiccup's POV)
It was another grey morning, and we were all in the ring. It had been transformed into a hectic maze of wooden boards. All the others were running through it, but I could hardly care. Now that I'd found the perfect vantage point to talk to Gobber from, I was badgering him about my findings the night before.
"Hey, you know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there, like, another book, or a sequel? Maybe a Night Fury pamphlet?"
A fireball came whizzing by, just missing me. Not my axe, however. The whole head was blown apart. Sorry Dad; looks like I won't be defending anyone anytime soon. At least I had my shield.
"Focus Hiccup!" Gobber shouted. I looked up to see a Deadly Nadder running at me. "You're not even trying!"
I ran. Right, left, right. The Nadder was above me, hopping from maze piece to maze piece. I was hoping there wasn't any dead ends.
Gobber, caring not of our potential fatality, was teaching. "Today's lesson is about attack! Nadders are quick and light on their feet. You're job is to be quicker and lighter."
The Nadder's attention diverted from me to Fishlegs. Its tail spikes stood straight and it fired an array of stunning needles at the poor guy. He was screaming, so I guess it meant he was still okay.
"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"
Gobber ignored him, picking at his teeth. "Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it and strike!"
I ran past the twins and hid behind the corner as they ran into the Nadder. I peeked to watch. The dragon stared at the two and sniffed them. Ruffnut, unfortunately, caught a wiff of her brother too.
"Ugh, do you ever bathe?"
Well, Vikings aren't exactly the most cleanly of creatures. Tuff seemed to like that thinking. "If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot."
She butted heads with him. "How about I give you one?"
When they chose to look up, they barely had a moment before a jet of fire came at them. I ran away as well.
"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot, not so much." Gobber chuckled at his own humor. I came to a stop as I saw him.
"So, how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?"
He seemed really peeved to see me. "No one's ever done it and lived to tell the tale. Now get back in there!"
"Okay, okay, but hypothetically-"
"Hiccup!" I turned to the source of the loud whisper. It was Astrid. She was crouching with Snotlout. "Get down. The dragon's right there."
Snot nodded. I tiptoed over to them and knelt down beside them. Astrid was checking around the corner. I could hear the Nadder making its way through the maze. After a moment, her face turned into a determined scowl. She gave us the thumbs up.
Astrid tumbled gracefully to the next wall undetected. She used her shield as a lever. Snotlout followed without a hitch. I, on the other hand, didn't have enough arm strength to push off. The shield landed with a loud clank on the stone.
The Nadder noticed me and ran by, jaws snapping. It hopped up onto the tops of the walls and went after Astrid and Snotlout. I didn't see what happened, but the walls were thin enough that I could hear every word.
"Watch out, babe," said Snotlout cockily, "I'll take care of this."
Her indignant shout told me he'd shoved her out of the way. Trying to impress, obviously. Then there was a sound of metal hitting wood. So he missed. I swore the Nadder was laughing at him.
"The sun was in my eyes!" And now the cover-up. It was cloudy outside today. "What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I can do that, but I don't have time."
Astrid and the Nadder came barreling straight at me as Snotlout ran down an adjacent path. Astrid turned left and the Nadder crashed into the wall. It was a perfect toppling effect. All the walls were falling around us. Snotlout, who was oblivious, was prattling off some nonsense about daytime and cats.
As my fellow peers went back into panic mode, I turned my attention back to Gobber. "Has anyone ever seen one napping?"
"Hiccup!" Gobber shouted, pointing.
Astrid was leaping over the mess of falling timbers, the Nadder right behind her. She shouted my name and came leaping at me. What, was I supposed to catch her? Instead, I landed heavily on my back. She fell on top of me, the force knocking the breath out of me. I groaned a bit.
As the dust cleared, Ruff and Tuff watched her trying to untangle our limbs. She wasn't gentle about it, I'll tell you that.
"Ooooh, love on the battlefield!" hooted Tuffnut.
Ruffnut scoffed. "She can do better."
"H-here, let me…why don't you…?"
Astrid ignored me and smacked my hand away. She pushed off with my chest (making me shut up again) and stood. The Nadder, which had flown into a pile of debris, was picking itself up again. It shook its head and looked ready to charge.
Astrid gasped and grabbed the hilt of her battle axe. Unfortunately, the blade was buried deep into my shield. She tried to yank it out, but the thing wouldn't budge. It hurt. A lot. I was shouting "ow ow ow" to deaf ears. Astrid then used her boot, pulled the shield off my arm, and stepped on my face before confronting the dragon. One swing later and my shield was no longer.
Neither was the Nadder's fighting will, it seemed. The creature shook its head and limped away.
"Well done, Astrid," said Gobber calmly.
Her breathing, panicky, subsided and she turned towards me with a cold glare. "Is this some kind of a joke to you? All of this training, is it for nothing in your eyes?"
I looked up from where I was curled up on the ground. "What do you mean?"
"Hiccup, grow up. You're going to be our chief someday. Dragons are the enemy, and we are your allies. We're not gonna be able to sit on the sidelines anymore. That means we don't have time for stupid fantasies like killing Night Furies."
"That wasn't what I mea-"
Astrid cut me off by pointing her axe at me. "Our parents' war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on."
With that, she walked away, leaving me on the ground bearing the stares from the others.
Thank you for reading. If you have time, please write something for me in the magical box of joy right under this chapter. I actually read those words you guys to leave. Many make me feel good about myself! Too egotistical? Sorry.
If you have a chance, though, I do appreciate some feedback, even criticism. And thank you to anyone who's already done so before! I promise you, I'm working as fast as I can with my busy schedule while trying to keep some quality to my work.
Happy Early Super Bowl Sunday (for those who watch American football)!
-Sushi
