Chapter Three: Shadows and Ripples
"Gah! Son of a-" Matt shouted in pain, yanking his hand back in pain. A small cut appeared on his fingertip. Growling, Matt looked down at his leather boots. Though he cut himself, again, he finally finished his project. Picking them up, he inspected the metal he lined on the bottom of the boots. Sitting tightly along the soles, the metal seemed to be part of them.
"Well, what do you think bud?" Matt asked, showing them to Wasatch, who was sleeping on his stone bed. "Think it'll let us grind anything?" After seeing Astrid slide down the metal chain a week ago, he decided to modify his boots that would let him grind anything that he wanted to.
Looking at the new addition on the boots, Wasatch tilted his head, unsure of what to think of them.
"Please, contain all that excitement…" Matt huffed sarcastically, glaring at Wasatch. Dropping them on the floor, he then began to pull one on at a time. "Wow…heavier than I expected." He whispered, moving his legs up and down. Honestly, it was probably weighed the same as his snowboard boots, just not as stiff.
"Huh, well, I guess that'll have to do." Matt announced, lightly jumping up and down to test them out. Feeling his leg get slightly aggravated, he quickly stopped. Still recovering from the time it just gave out on him randomly a few days ago, he was more than a little frustrated with it. Letting out a long sigh, he then said "Wanna help me find Hiccup to give him a hard time? He said he would help me with this."
Wasatch growled, laying his head back down and closing his eyes.
"Fine." Matt growled, shaking his head at the lazy dragon "If it wasn't looking like a storm, I'd make you get up!" Turning to walk out of his room, he then waved his hand, saying "Don't worry about me! I'll just limp around until I find him!" Wasatch's head perked back up at hearing Matt talk about a storm.
Ignoring the now interested dragon, Matt kept on walking to test the boots and his leg. Stepping outside onto his deck, he looked up to see Hiccup and Toothless standing at the end of the platform at the clubhouse. Both were looking off into the storm clouds that were becoming darker, and roaring with thunder. Staring up at them, he was suddenly pushed aside by a purple streak that bolted past him. "Uh huh, you love storms more than me!" Matt grunted, gathering his footing after being shoved aside by the excited Skrill. Finally letting a smile grow on his face, he then said "Go on. Go get recharged!"
Wasatch smiled at Matt, and then launched into the air, leaving a trail of white lightning. He often did that whenever he went flying without Matt.
Shaking his head, Matt turned to walk up a ramp towards the clubhouse. It didn't take him long to find a problem with his new metal plated boots. It made anything that was wet almost impossible to walk on. "Great. Forgot to add some kind of tread or something to the metal sheets…" He grunted, doing his best to make sure he wouldn't slip and fall on wet surfaces.
Finally reaching the top of the ramp, Matt let out a long breath of relief. He honestly though that he'd have to take the boots off just to get up it. "How does Hiccup do it with his leg?" He whispered to himself.
Walking around the corner, he was surprised to see Hiccup and Toothless still standing in the exact same spot, not even moving to look at him. Confused, Matt walked as quietly as he could. Getting closer, he then put on his usual carefree smile and swung his arm around Hiccup "Hey pal! You don't suppose you forgot something?"
"Hmm." Hiccup replied simply, not even turning to look at Matt.
His smile disappearing, Matt pulled his arm off of Hiccup and looked out at the storm raging in the distance, trying to see what they were looking for.
"Still no sign of 'em?" Fishlegs asked, walking behind the two.
"Who? Astrid and Stormfly?" Matt asked, turning to face Fishlegs with concern "They're still not back from their early morning flight?"
"Yeah…" Hiccup replied, finally acknowledging Matt's presence "She's never been gone all day like this. Not without telling someone."
"Remember that time she didn't show up for her own surprise party 'cause she was setting up a defensive perimeter around Berk?" Fishlegs quickly replied, a grin forming on his face.
"Yeah…" Hiccup reluctantly agreed, turning around to look at Fishlegs.
"Or the time she decided to work on her late night axe throwing skills and surprised Silent Sven?" Fishlegs continued to drone on.
"Yeah, but-"
"Yeah, I don't think he recovered from that…" Fishlegs muttered, looking a little apprehensive about the memory.
"Wait. What?" Matt asked, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Guys! Thank you for trying to make me feel better, but this is different." Hiccup cut in, finally taking control of the conversation.
"How so?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow at Hiccup.
"I don't know…" Hiccup answered, his face getting a disturbed and worried expression "Somethings wrong. I can feel it."
Crack! Thunder roared in the distance with lightning illuminating the dark, dreary clouds.
"Well, Wasatch is having fun." Matt announced, turning to the clouds. Hiccup turned as well, with Toothless still keeping a leery eye out; hoping to see anything.
Matt couldn't help but feel Hiccup's worry. Though he personally didn't think anything was wrong, he knew Hiccup would worry until they got back. Letting out a long sigh, Matt then turned and walked away from them. "Be right back. Gonna get my medical pack."
"Why?" Fishlegs asked, surprised at the comment.
"Oh, just in case we need it." Matt announced, walking along the deck. "I'm ready to leave when you are Hiccup." he continued to say, stopping at the top of a ramp. Turning to Toothless, he then asked "Hey Toothless! Mind calling Wasatch back for me?"
Toothless growled, acknowledging the request. Shooting two plasma blasts into the air, he waited to see the Skrill burst out of the storm filled clouds.
"Thanks Matt. We'll leave immediately." Hiccup said, smiling for the first time since he became worried about Astrid.
"Sounds good. I'll be ready." Matt reaffirmed. Jumping on the ramp, he then skidded down it with his new metal plates. Letting out a shout of joy, he then slid right towards his room.
"That's new." Fishlegs commented, watching Matt disappear into his room.
"Whoa! Whoa! No!" A loud crashing sound thundered out from his room, causing both Hiccup and Fishlegs to burst out laughing.
"That wasn't though!" Hiccup jested, shaking his head.
"Oh screw you guys!" Matt's angry voice shouted from his room "Here I am, offering to help you, and all I get in return is to be made fun of! This is your fault Hiccup! You were supposed to help me with the metal!"
Shaking his head, Hiccup then turned to Toothless. "Come on bud. Let's go find them."
The rain pelted Matt in his face, making almost impossible to see. Night settled in, and the storm grew larger every minute. Hiccup was right, something had to be wrong if Astrid hadn't returned. Grabbing his snowboard goggles that hung around his neck, he pulled up over his eyes. Having changed the lens from tinted to a clear one, thanks to the kit that his old sponsor Dragon Alliance gave him, he was immediately relieved from the bullet like rain drops and could still see in the dark.
Coasting on Wasatch next to Fishlegs, he then knelt down and made sure his feet were strapped down tight enough. It was a habit he got into, as he really didn't want to fall off Wasatch like he did when he first trained him; though that was on his own choice. Suddenly, he saw Hiccup slow to a stop, hovering in place.
"We'll all go in different direction. I'll head south." Hiccup began to order.
"No, I'll head south!" Snotlout quickly argued, making Matt roll his eyes.
"And why is that?" Hiccup asked, looking at Snotlout annoyed at the comment.
"Because Astrid likes to fly south!" He explained "And she'll obviously be expecting me to rescue her!"
Hiccup rolled his eyes at the reason "Like I said, I'll go south. Twins, you go-"
"Splitting up, rain, wind. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a rouge sea beast to leap from the depths of the ocean and pick us off!" Tuffnut began to soapbox. Looking at the other dragon riders, he dramatically added "One by one."
"You know what. Hiccup, you head south. I'll go east and deeper into the storm." Matt suggested, ignoring Tuffnut's rant. "Wasatch can handle the storms better than any of your dragons. Since, well, lightning and all."
"Sounds good. Be careful Matt. Signal if you find her!" Hiccup instructed.
Matt let Wasatch bolt ahead, trying to think of the reason why Astrid would be missing. She always left for early morning flights, and often come back late. But, as Hiccup said earlier, this was different. He was now starting to side with Hiccup and his anxiousness. Something was wrong, and it wasn't just because of the storm. Astrid and Stormfly were more than experienced when it came to storms. In fact, they were the ones that pioneered some techniques to survive a storm while on the back of a dragon.
Grateful he didn't need to worry about that, since Wasatch was a dragon that thrived in such environments, he focused on anything that would be even the slightest source of cover. A small rock pillar; a wrecked, drifting ship; anything really.
Lightning showered the ocean, randomly sending flashes that seemed to create a haunting feeling. "It is a perfect scenario for a sea monster to-" Matt began to say, only to instantly shout at himself "Oh for the love of-. Come on Matt! Don't let that mess with your head!"
Wasatch then roared, gesturing to an object sticking out of the water.
Peering into the shrouded darkness, and through the torrential rain, Matt saw a series of pillars; all near each other.
"Good enough boy. Let's check them out." Matt huffed, wiping his goggles clean to get a better look.
Wasatch gently landed on the tallest rock pillar, leaving enough room for Matt to dismount. Doing so, Matt took a quick glance around. The pillars were all connected, one way or another. Some had actual small pathways, while others had downed trees as bridges. In one of the pillars next to the one he was on, was a cave. A small one, but something that would protect someone and a dragon from the weather.
"Go ahead and stay up in the air, bud." Matt ordered, pulling out his LED flashlight. Though he was living in the past, he still used some of his own stuff.
Wasatch roared, gently lifting off into the air. Hovering around Matt, he watched his rider carefully maneuver around the multiple obstacles.
"Grr…bad time to try out the new boots!" Matt grunted, gripping a rock as he began to lower himself to a smaller pillar. Making sure he still had his last remaining hatchet strapped to him, he then leapt forward onto a boulder that was pinned between two pillars.
Gripping the boulder, he could feel his feet slip a little. Trying to get a hold of something for them, he then shouted "Astrid? Stormfly? You there?"
No response.
"Figures." Matt huffed, finally getting his balance back. Seeing a ledge right before the cave entrance, he then leapt forward onto it. Stumbling, he felt his leg tweak with pain as he fell onto his knee. Gritting his teeth, he wiped the snowboard goggles and shone the light into the cave. A hollowed out room magically emerged from the darkness, revealing a flat ground littered with rocks and other debris. But no evidence of anything or anyone staying there.
Sighing, Matt was about to turn around when a small shimmer caught his attention. Curious, he then stepped deeper into the cave. As he walked into the center of it, he was surprised to see a natural window in the side of the wall. "Huh. Neat." He said out loud, his voice echoing in the cave; which was quickly drowned out by the pouring rain and random thunderclaps. Looking through the cave, he stared over at one of the many rock pillars that were near. A wider one, with a flat top and not as high as the cave he was in, he just looked over to soak in the unique view.
Lightning flashed, revealing something that took his breath away and made his heart skip a beat. A silhouette of a dragon lay there. Blinking, Matt shown his light through the window to see exactly what he saw. As the beam penetrated the darkness, he saw nothing there. Just grass and a few rocks.
"What the…" He whispered, not sure if he really saw something or was living in a horror movie.
Then it hit him. The undeniable feeling. He was being watched. And not by Wasatch. "Wasatch!" He shouted, feeling scared for the first time. His limbs felt like Jell-O and started to shake uncontrollably. Something was hunting him. How long? How far?
Wasatch bolted into the cave, barely large enough for him and Matt to fit in.
Drawing his hatchet, he then explained "Something's here boy! Something's following us!"
Wasatch whirled around, growling at the entrance and letting electricity run up and down his back.
Matt stood by the side of his dragon, ready to help fight if anything did come through. His nerves a wreck, he then cast his mind to what he saw. At least, what he thought he saw.
It was so fast. The flash of lightning only gave him enough time to see that it was something out of place. It wasn't supposed to be there. But his light revealed nothing! Thinking about the shape of the dragon, if it was a dragon, he then realized he probably saw a Changewing. It was on all fours and had wings on its back. Plus it was about the size of one. His nerves calmed a little at this, now having some kind of answer. It made sense really, it was there one second, and then disappeared the next. And the fact that it wasn't detected by Wasatch.
Staring at the entrance, the two then saw something that brought them relief. Plasma blasts in the distance. Hiccup found her.
"Come on bud. Let's get out of here." Matt whispered, climbing on Wasatch's neck. Strapping his feet in, he then yelled "Let's go bud!"
Wasatch then launched into the storm, roaring with his might.
"Let's hope she's alright…" Matt whispered, happy to leave the haunting feeling behind him. Shaking his head, he then said "We got to have a word with Tuffnut about his stories. Definitely put me on edge back there."
"That was way to close…" Matt whispered aloud, saying what everyone was thinking. Staring at the unconscious Astrid on her bed, he just shook his head. All night, Hiccup stayed with her. Now that it was morning, everyone came in to join him; and ask how he found her.
"Yeah, the moment I saw her, her log was swallowed by a wave." Hiccup continued to explain "She was gone after that. Had I not seen her…I don't-"
"Hey, that didn't happen." Fishlegs quickly threw in, cutting off Hiccup "You found her! You saved her!"
"I know…it's just easy to think of what could have happened." Hiccup explained, still not comforted.
"So you saw her sinking." Matt brought back up "What did you do?"
Hiccup shrugged, saying "I just kind of reacted naturally. It happened so fast. I dove in after her. Toothless was right behind me and picked me up as I pulled Astrid to the surface." Hiccup turned to Astrid, who continued to lay still "After we got back into the air, I thought I was too late. She didn't move or say anything." Looking back up at everyone, he then said "Thank Thor she was alright, just exhausted. She must have been holding onto that log for the entire day, because she passed out as soon as saw that Toothless and I found her."
Seeing Astrid lay there, no one said anything; even Snotlout didn't say anything brash like he normally would. It was a close call for not involving a battle or weapons.
"And…no Stormfly?" Fishlegs asked, almost regretting asking it.
Hiccup just stared at Astrid, not saying anything. Everyone knew the answer. She was missing, hopefully not permanently.
"Ugghhh…" Astrid groaned, stirring slightly.
Everyone scooted up closer to see. Matt walked behind Hiccup, who was sitting on a chair right next to where she lay. Watching her, he could see her move more visibly. "Finally waking up…" He whispered quietly, softly patting Hiccup's shoulder, as if reassuring him.
Then, the sight that brought a visible relief to everyone. Her eyes flickered open. What happened next though, caught everyone off guard.
"No! Stormfly!" She shouted, sitting upright in her bed.
"Hey! It's okay, it's okay." Hiccup quickly said, motioning her to lay back down "Just try to relax, Astrid. You had a rough night."
"A hell of a night, by the sounds of it." Matt whispered, looking at her with concern.
"No, no, no. No, no, no." Astrid said, staring down at where she lay with a worried expression "You don't understand! They were all in cages! And they have Stormfly!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. Slow down." Hiccup quickly interrupted, raising his hands to stop her "Cages? What are you talking about? What happened out there?"
Matt couldn't help but feel like something punched him in the gut. Astrid didn't have an accident. She was attacked! "Freakin' Dagur…" He growled to himself so no one could hear him.
Astrid looked at Hiccup, and then up to Matt. She then whispered "Dragon Hunters."
"Wait, come again?" Matt asked, looking at Astrid in shock. That was something he didn't expect. He was ready to hear about how she was attacked by Dagur and Darien.
Matt wasn't the only one that reacted. Everyone let out a gasp, with the twins staring at each other and Fishlegs whimpering.
"Dragon Hunters?" Hiccup whispered, barely audible. It was obviously a news flash for him.
"A whole fleet of 'em." Astrid continued, looking at Hiccup with worry.
"And they have Stormfly?" Hiccup asked, trying to connect the whole story.
"Yeah, this big, ugly one…Oh! When I get my hands on him!" She growled, curling her fists in anger.
"And…welcome back." Fishlegs replied, shrugging at the angry threat.
"Come on! Let's mount up!" She cried, jumping out of bed and running down the stairs. Stopping at the top of them, she looked up at her friends with confusion, wondering why they weren't moving.
Standing up from his chair, Hiccup then said "You can ride with me."
"Don't worry Astrid, that ugly brute will have to worry about me getting my hands on him too!" Matt growled, walking towards her.
Her face visibly relaxed, letting a small natural smile appear. "Thank you…" She whispered, letting Hiccup walk past.
Matt swung his hatchet down into a barrel, trying to pry it open. The entire group was spread out along the beach where Astrid and Stormfly originally found the Dragon Hunters. "Gah!" He groaned, letting a bunch of old fish slide out of where he pried it open "Ugh, that's gross." Turning to where Hiccup was kneeled down, inspecting an old fire pit, he called out "Nothing in this one either…"
"Grrr, there has to be some clues here. Somewhere. Something!" Astrid growled, getting frustrated that they hadn't found anything.
Hiccup, thinking about what she was saying, asked "How many cages were there?"
"Remember all the cages on the Reaper?" She asked, looking down on him.
"Yeah…" He answered.
"Double it."
Wiping his hatchet's blade clean, Matt walked up to the two "Why does stuff like this always happen to us? Why does it always seem like something always has to go wrong? When there is absolutely no reason for it to."
"We got nothing." Tuffnut interrupted, with Ruffnut walking with him "Just a bunch of trash."
"I knew coming here would be a bad idea. What did we hope to find here anyways?" Snotlout complained, slamming a chest closed. Suddenly, he screamed in pain, dropping onto the sand "Agghh! Something bit me! I'm allergic to Sand Crabs! They make my toes fan out! Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Matt and Astrid were the first ones to arrive at him. Seeing something sticking out of his foot, Astrid knelt down and inspected the foot.
"Whoahoho! Look at you! Rushed right over to help me, didn't you?" Snotlout commented, smiling at Astrid.
"Don't hold your breath." Matt muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Well, you know what that means, Astrid." Snotlout continued to say, ignoring Matt.
Ignoring him, she pulled something out of his foot. Whirling around, she held it up for Matt to see. "This is a Dragon Hunter arrow."
"Or that…" Snotlout huffed, seeing exactly why she came over.
Handing the arrowhead to Matt, she then explained "Stormfly was hit by one of these right before she was caught. She couldn't fly in a straight line after."
Observing it, Matt then passed it to Fishlegs who motioned to hand it over. "Looks like something's coated over it. See that green stuff?"
"I've never seen her act so out of control." Astrid added, watching Fishlegs observe it.
"Ok…interesting." Fishlegs whispered, eyeing the arrowhead. Sniffing it, he then added "Hmm, unexpected." Pressing it against his lips "Oh! Tangy!"
"Mind cluing us in on what 'tangy' and 'unexpected' mean?" Hiccup asked, eyeing Fishlegs strangely.
"I'm guessing its refined Dragon Root." Fishlegs said, eyeing the arrowhead with concern "I heard that at a high concentration, it can overwhelm a dragon's sense completely; making it almost impossible for them to fly."
"That's exactly what happened to Stormfly!" Astrid exclaimed, making the connection.
"Hold up real quick." Matt quickly cut in, catching everyone's attention "You're dealing with someone who is still learning from you guys. What's Dragon Root?"
Fishlegs quickly answered "You know what Dragon Nip is right?"
"Of course. Used it to calm down some of those wild Nadders on that one trip last month." Matt confirmed "Why?"
"Dragon Root is the exact opposite. Instead of calming down dragons, its makes them aggressive." He explained. Looking at the arrowhead, he then suggested "Only Boulder Class dragons are immune to the Dragon Root's affects. Which would explain why Stormfly was unable to fly after being hit! Her senses were overwhelmed!" Then a lot quitter, whispered "Think of it. Just one quiver of these arrows could decimate an entire flock of dragons."
"Or a group of dragon riders." Matt threw in grimly, looking at Hiccup with concern.
Astrid looked distraught, staring at the arrowhead. Finally, she moaned "How are we going to find her? We have no idea where they're going!"
"No…maybe not." Hiccup agreed, looking methodical. Grabbing the arrowhead, he stared at it and said "But we know where they've been."
Everyone began to nod, knowing full well what Hiccup meant. Well, all except Matt.
"Am I missing something here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow "Gotta remember guys, I'm a newbie when you start talking about some of your dragon lingo. Or references."
Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, then to Matt and simply said. "The Reaper."
A long flight later, about mid-afternoon, Matt found himself standing on the top deck of the ship called The Reaper. Where Hiccup had found the Dragon Eye and started their crazy adventures since.
"So…let me get this straight." Matt began to say out loud, looking down at the main deck "This was the Dragon Hunter's old ship. Abandoned for who knows what reason. Right?"
"Correct." Fishlegs acknowledged, looking over the side of the ship.
"And, according to Astrid, and Stormfly missing, those Dragon Hunters are still active. Am I still on the right path?"
"Yes…" Fishlegs said slowly, turning to look up at Matt with curiosity.
"And we're just…I don't know, standing up here, in the open, not keeping watch; right?"
"And your point?" Fishlegs asked, putting his hands on his hips.
"SO WHY ARE WE STANDING UP HERE, AND NOT WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US?!" Matt yelled, a vein bulging.
"Oh come on Matt! Come down here and help us look for anything that might help us track the dragon hunters!" Fishlegs retorted, turning around to take a look near the bow of the ship "Maps, coordinates, hidden compartments, anything!"
"There's nothing here! Someone's totally looted this boat!" Tuffnut cried out, staring into an empty crate.
"Yeah, well, where do you think Dagur got all his dragon hunting gear from?" Matt suggested, walking down the stairs to meet up with them "Remember most of it was on his fleet when we sank it to save Heather and Hiccup?"
Expecting to hear a happy comment from the twins about the destruction, he was surprised to hear Ruffnut say "This ship gives me the creeps."
"Sunken ship? Dragon Hunters? The creeps…" Tuffnut began to say "I bet this place is crawling with ghosts and other such spirits! All planning on dragging us down to the dark Viking underworld! Where they will torture us by tickling for eternity!"
"Oh! Nilfheim?" Ruffnut gasped, staring at her brother in horror.
Matt just stared at them with a confused look. "Ooohh-what's Niflheim?" He asked, confused at the word, only to be interrupted by Snotlout who shouted: "Niflheim?! I knew coming here was a bad idea!"
Rolling his eyes, Matt simply walked away from them and towards some crates that were stacked atop each other.
"What did we hope to find here anyway?" Snotlout continued to rant.
Still trying to ignore him, he then heard him shout in surprise, followed by a loud crash. Whirling around, he burst out laughing. Right where Snotlout was standing, he fell completely through the deck and landed in a storage room below.
All those on deck stared down into the hole, seeing Snotlout spread over crates and barrels.
"Get me outta here!" He shouted in pain, his eyes closed.
"What if that's what the ghosts want us to do?" Tuffnut asked, staring down at Snotlout.
"TUFFNUT!" Snotlout shouted, glaring at him angrily.
"Get him out. I'll go check out those crates." Matt announced, turning to walk back where he came from. Just as he was approaching, Wasatch bolted out of the fog and landed right next to him.
"Hey bud!" Matt said with a smile, lifting the lid off of one crate "See anything?"
The Skrill shook his head, smiling at the same time.
"Well, I guess that's good and bad." Matt whispered, realizing they were getting nowhere with finding out where Stormfly was. Shaking his head, he overlooked the massive ship graveyard that surrounded them. It was infinite! If it weren't for the fog, he was sure the ships would lay out as far as he could see!
Wasatch then bumped Matt in the back, shocking him.
Smiling, Matt reached up and began to pat his friend "We'll tear them apart for taking our friend; won't we boy?"
Wasatch growled, standing up straight and sticking out his chest; affirming what Matt said.
"I mean, that'd be a blessing actually!" Matt began to joke, returning his attention to the crates "Imagine what Astrid's going to do to them!"
Wasatch smiled, looking over Matt to see what was in the crate.
Staring at the empty crate, Matt's smile began to fade. Before they could blast these Dragon Hunters, they were going to have to find them first. Closing the lid, a movement from the corner of his eye quickly caught his attention. Whirling around to see whatever it was, he was surprised to see nothing but the floating remains of a ship.
"Ugh, come on! Mind's playing tricks on me again…" Matt growled, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. Opening them again, he was saw something that disturbed him. Ripples appearing from behind the wrecked ship. Like something splashed the water.
"Come on Wasatch!" Matt shouted, jumping on the back of the surprised Skrill.
Fishlegs and Ruffnut watched in confusion as Matt bolted into the fog, leaving Tuffnut to help Snotlout out of the hole. They were barely able to make out the ship he landed on.
"I know I saw something! I know it!" Matt said out loud, jumping off of Wasatch. Walking on the half sunk deck, he carefully observed the where the water lapsed on the deck to see if there was any evidence of a disturbance. Walking up and down the deck, staring at the floor, he finally concluded that there was nothing.
Looking up, Matt then began to make way to the cabin, half submerged in the water. "Stay here boy." He ordered, drawing his hatchet as he approached the broken door "Make sure nothing comes behind me."
Wasatch growled while eyeing the fog warily, acknowledging the order.
Pulling the broken door down, Matt trekked into the debris filled room. It was a mess. Hardly anything was actually in one piece. A table had three broken legs, a chair was completely smashed up, a set of drawers had nothing in them and were missing a few panels, and then the stairs that led down deeper into the hold of the ship were smashed away as well.
"Man, wonder what this ship's story is?" He whispered, walking over to the broken stairway. Observing the hold that was filled with water, he could see that nothing was really worth checking out. Turning around, he then cautiously made his way out of the cabin. Sighing, he shook his head and looked up to see Wasatch staring at something on the mast. Curious, Matt walked around his dragon and saw what he was looking at. A claw mark. Fresh too.
There it was again, the same feeling he had from last night at the pillars. He was being watched. Just as scared as last time, Matt forced himself to stay calm. Looking around, he could see the fog getting thicker, making the Reaper barely, if at all, visible. Seeing that, he knew he had to get back. He didn't know what, or even why, but he knew he had to. It was real, the feeling he had; he and Wasatch were in danger.
"Get us back bud!" Matt shouted, leaping on Wasatch's neck.
Not questioning why, Wasatch launched into the air, leaving lightning marks in the moist deck. Flying back to the deck of the Reaper, he was happy to see that Astrid and Hiccup had come up from below.
"Where'd you go to?" Hiccup called out, seeing Matt land violently on the deck.
Glancing back at where he came from, Matt ignored the question and quickly asked "Has anyone seen anything? A dragon? Any kind of animal?"
Shocked at the question, Hiccup shook his head "No! Not once! Why?"
Astrid then cut in, saying "Are you saying you saw Stormfly?!"
"What? No!" Matt quickly replied, looking at her with a worried expression. Seeing that he had put everyone's nerves on edge, he let out a long sigh. He didn't even know why he was so scared. It was just a real feeling he was getting. He couldn't explain it!
"Matt? Are you ok?" Hiccup asked, grabbing his arm and looking at him with concern.
Matt hadn't realized it until Hiccup grabbed him, but he was shaking. Getting angry with himself, he then jerked his arm away "I don't know! I guess I've been on edge since last night."
"Why were you on edge last night?" Fishlegs asked, raising and eyebrow "Storms don't usually bother you."
"It wasn't the storm. It was-" Matt began to say, only to stop as instantly. Looking at everyone, he then let out another sigh, this time to vent the frustration building inside of him. "Listen, I don't know what's going on. But Wasatch and I had a…interesting experience last night."
"What? And you didn't tell us?" Hiccup asked, looking at Matt with more concern.
"We were all kind of preoccupied with Astrid. You know, priorities." Matt explained sarcastically, looking back at Hiccup.
"Enough mystery! Tell us what happened!" Astrid growled "We're not getting any closer to finding Stormfly! We need to go to Changewing Island!"
"Why are we going to Changewing Isl- you know what, never mind. Explain it to me when we fly there." Matt huffed, finally feeling his heart relax. The worried feeling he had was gone, though he wasn't sure if it was because he was near friends or if he wasn't being watched. "Last night, while looking for Astrid, Wasatch and I came across a group of rock pillars. Thinking Astrid could have taken shelter there, we decided to check them out." Matt then looked over at Hiccup, his expression softening. "Found a cave in one that had a natural window, or a hole in it. So, because it was interesting, I went to look outside of it. Saw nothing out of the ordinary until there was a lightning flash."
"Oh man. Lightning flashes." Tuffnut said, nodding with approval. Cupping his hand over his mouth, he whispered "Gets me every time too."
"Anyways!" Matt loudly threw his voice to drown out Tuffnut "I thought I saw a dragon silhouette on another one of the pillars. I shone my light over where I saw it, and bam, nothing there."
"What kind of dragon?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.
Matt shrugged "I have no idea. I originally thought it was a Changewing. It was on all four legs and had two wings on its back. But honestly, I'm not even sure about that! I only saw it with the split second light I had with the lightning!"
"So, how did that put you on edge?" Snotlout asked, a smirk growing on his face. Sticking out his lips, he then joked "Scaaweey dark have you cwying? Callween for mommy?"
Matt's face turned to stone as he whispered "I wish I could call for my mom...hell, my dad even."
Snotlout instantly shut up; realizing what he said. Everyone else glared at him, knowing he crossed a line.
Ignoring the awkward moment, Matt then explained "Listen, I don't exactly know what scared me. I just suddenly felt like I was being followed. I thought Wasatch and I were being hunted. Honestly, it was the first time I was paralyzed with fear! I didn't want to move! I didn't want to go outside of the cave!" Gesturing to Hiccup, he then explained "That's when we saw your signal that you found her. That was more than enough reason for us to leave." Turning to where the ship he explored was, even though it was concealed by the fog, he then added "I brushed off the experience, thinking I was just tired and worried about Astrid. But then…I swear I saw something on that wrecked ship when I was checking out some crates. I didn't think it was anything, since the fog and all, but then there was something that disturbed the water. I went to check it out and found nothing. Well, unless you count a claw mark I found on the mast." Looking at Hiccup and Astrid, he finished with saying "It was fresh. Like literally made barely. As soon as I saw it, I got the same feeling I had last night. That's why I came back so fast."
Hiccup just stared at Matt, concerned with the story. "Do you think a dragon is stalking you?" he asked.
"I don't know. And frankly, it doesn't matter." Matt answered, shrugging his shoulders "Right now, let's get Stormfly back and kick these Dragon Hunter's butts. Then we can worry about this."
Astrid then spoke up, this time not as frantic "Matt, you help me get Stormfly back, I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Dragon, or not."
Smiling for the first time since exploring the ship, Matt whispered "I was already expecting you to do that. You still owe me for saving you."