Quake, Rattle, and Roll

Serenity sat in her chair watching the ocean. Tenor sat next to her with his head in her lap. They were watching the riders and dragons bustle about the outpost. Hiccup was putting up telescopes and the Twins were building a lookout tower. The afternoon was quiet. Suddenly Fishlegs and Meatlug came up to the yurt.

"Hey Serenity, I want to do some more work with the Dragon Eye," said Fishlegs. Serenity didn't say a word but reached into her saddle bag, which was laying next to her chair, and pulled out the Dragon Eye. She handed it to Fishlegs and he left with Meatlug. Serenity leaned back in her seat. She didn't dare move, as Tenor was fast asleep. She smiled down at him and traced the scales on the top of his head.

Down at the outpost Hiccup was finishing up his last telescope. Both Astrid and Snotlout were present with their dragons. Just as they finished the Twins came up to them announcing that they had finished their lookout tower. The other riders, minus Fishlegs, went down to the lookout tower. But when the Twins reviled it, all they saw was open sky and sea.

"You guys don't disappoint," Snotlout laughed. Suddenly Hiccup heard Fishlegs calling him. He quickly mounted Toothless and flew up to the club house.

Upon arriving Hiccup saw the club house lit up by the Dragon Eye, and the puddles of different colored lava on the floor.

"Fishlegs?" Hiccup called.

"Carful where you step," came Fishlegs's warning from above. Hiccup watched his step, taking care not to step in the lava. Then he looked up to see Fishlegs hovering on Meatlug, a large yellow map behind them on the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked.

"Nothing's wrong," said Fishlegs. "Except I may have made the biggest discovery in the history of dragons." He pointed to a group of symbols on the map.

"Is that...?" Hiccup said, recognizing them.

"Dark Deep," squealed Fishlegs.

"The ancestral home of all the Gronkles," Hiccup said.

"It's real Hiccup," said Fishlegs. "If we can find it, we could unlock so many secrets, not just of the Gronkles but the entire Boulder Class of dragons. Do you understand how amazing this is? I've taken the liberty of charting a course, it's further that we've ever traveled. I'm going to be the first person to ever set foot on Dark Deep."

"Ok, but Toothless and I should go with you just to be safe," said Hiccup.

"Fine you can come too," said Fishlegs, annoyed. "But I'm the first one to set foot on Dark Deep, you can be the second."

"Fair enough," Hiccup said. "And it would probably bring Serenity; we may need a translator."

"Alright," said Fishlegs, still annoyed He and Meatlug flew off. Hiccup grabbed the Dragon Eye, got on Toothless, and followed.

They landed at the yurt. Serenity was brushing the dirt off Tenor's scales. Tenor didn't mind being groomed like he was a horse, the brush felt good on his scales, and Serenity made the brush smell like Dragonnip. They both looked up when Hiccup and Fishlegs landed.

"Hello boys," Serenity said, quite cheerful. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"Fishlegs found the ancestral home of the Gronkles," Hiccup said, handing her the Dragon Eye.

"You mean Dark Deep?" Serenity said, putting the Dragon Eye in her medical bag. Fishlegs become alert.

"How come you know about it?" he asked.

"I learned about it in Draconian geography books and atlases," Serenity said.

"Have you been there?" asked Hiccup.

"I don't know," Serenity said. "I don't carry a map with me, the only map I need is written in the stars. I've camped on many islands that were occupied by dragons, Gronkles included."

"Anyway, I was wondering if you would go with us to Dark Deep," Hiccup said. "In case we need a translator." Serenity looked at Tenor. He nodded his approval.

"Okay," Serenity said.

"I want to be the first one to set foot on the island," said Fishlegs.

"Fair enough," Serenity said. "I won't even set foot on the island, I'll just circle it." She tossed the brush into her saddlebags. Then she quickly saddled her dragon, putting her medical bag on the back. They all mounted their dragons and took off for Dark Deep.

They flew quite fast over the ocean. Fishlegs sang the whole way. Tenor flew above the other two, he found the singing irritating. He and Serenity sang their own songs, something they did on all their travels. The other two riders were very excited about seeing a new island. Eventually said island came into view. The dragons picked up speed and soon arrived. Both Hiccup and Serenity stayed in the air while Fishlegs landed Meatlug. Fishlegs was practically dancing on the spot. The island was made of black, dried lava. The island spread out under a double peaked mountain. There was a large lake full of fresh water, thousands of smooth stones lay on the bottom. There was no greenery in sight, not even a single dead tree.

"I can see why you travel so much," Hiccup said. "For the thrill of adventure, and knowledge."

"It certainly plays a big part," Serenity said, not bothering to tell the real reason for traveling so much. "But I'm mostly out here helping Tenor find a mate." She patted her dragon's neck. Hiccup and Toothless landed next to Fishlegs. Serenity stayed in the air and circled the island as she promised.

"Where are the Gronkles?" Hiccup wondered aloud. "Do you think we got the wrong island?"

"No," said Fishlegs."That's Gravel Lake, and that's Mt. Grunt." He pointed to the lake, then at the mountain. "This is Dark Deep." Meatlug wondered off and came across a caved in lava tube. She gurgled happily. Fishlegs came to investigate.

"Oh, look Meatlug found some new friends," he said, spotting the three wild Gronkles at the bottom of the lava tube. Meatlug flew into it and approached her fellow Gronkles. There was a red one, a yellow one, and a purple one.

"Hello friends," she called. They turned and saw her.

"Stop," the red one said. "Come no further, it's dangerous." Meatlug stopped.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Where is everyone?"

"They had to fly away to safety," said the yellow Gronkle. "There's a big, mean dragon chasing us all way." At that moment Meatlug was joined by Fishlegs, Hiccup, and Toothless. The wild Gronkles seemed surprised.

"Humans?" the purple one said. "And they have a Night Fury."

"It's okay," said Meatlug. "They're harmless." Suddenly the ground rumbled and shook violently. Everyone grew tense. They saw something rolling towards them.

"Runaway boulder!" Hiccup cried. Toothless shot a plasma blast at it, but it made no dent. The boulder came at them at high speed. They turned and ran from it. Hiccup mounted Toothless mid-run. The boulder continued gaining on them. Hiccup and Toothless quickly shoved the Gronkles and Fishlegs out of the way in the nick of time. The boulder rolled passed them. They all breathed a sigh of relief. But then the boulder came rolling back the opposite direction.

"Fishlegs, when was the last time you saw a boulder roll uphill?" Hiccup called.

"Um, never," Fishlegs had time to say before they started running again. They ran into a smaller tunnel off the main one, again the boulder rolled passed. They waited until the boulder was well out of sight, before emerging. Hiccup and Toothless led the way towards the exit. But then the boulder came barreling towards them a third time. Suddenly the boulder burst open to reveal that it was a large dragon. It was hornet shaped, it had spikes all over its body, small powerful wings, and a split bottom jaw. It glared at the intruders. Then it smashed it's tail against the walls of the lava tube. Rocks showered down. Toothless covered the two riders with his wings, sheltering them from the rocks.

"Impressive," said Fishlegs. "Defiantly a Boulder Class. Hey Hiccup, how about Catastrophic Quaken for a name?"

"Well I think we should name it later and focus on not getting killed by it now," said Hiccup. He got on Toothless, and the Night Fury shot plasma blasts at the Quaken. This pissed it off further. It charged at them.

Serenity and Tenor circled the island waiting for the other two to come out of the lava tube. They hadn't said much as they were both admiring the island. They were oblivious to the events going on in the lava tube. Suddenly Hiccup and Fishlegs flew out, followed by the Quaken. It rolled into a ball and fell back towards the ground. It hit the ground, causing a shockwave to ripple though the air. It hit the two dragons, throwing them off balance. Luckily Hiccup and Fishlegs managed to stay in the saddle. The Quaken roared, all three of its jaws open wide. Toothless continued to fire at it, while Fishlegs and Meatlug beckoned the wild Gronkles to follow them. Serenity steered Tenor after them, as they left Dark Deep.

They got back to Dragon's Edge. The three wild Gronkles join all the others that had come from Dark Deep. There were at least fifty of them. They began running around, happy to see each other. The riders weren't very happy.

"So this is where all the Gronkles from Dark Deep went," said Hiccup.

"They must have flown all the way here," said Fishlegs, impressed. "Gronkles may be slow, but they are tenacious."

"What are we going to do Hiccup?" asked Astrid. "They're out of control, they can't stay here."

"Yeah there may be a problem with that," said Hiccup.

"They've been chased from their home by a bigger dragon," said Fishlegs. "The Catastrophic Quaken to be exact."

"Really, you let one lousy dragon take over Meatlug's entire island?" scoffed Snotlout.

"It's not that simple Snotlout," said Fishlegs. Snotlout wondered off laughing.

Serenity rode Tenor back to their yurt. Serenity dismounted and unsaddled Tenor. She hadn't said a word the whole time. She put her saddle on it's rack. She put her medical bag beside her chair and sat down. Tenor laid down beside her, and went back to sleep. Serenity pulled out the Dragon Eye and examined it.

"Do you think Re and Aurora would be interested in this thing?" she asked.

"I'm sure they would," Tenor said, without opening his eyes.

"You think they'll come out here?" Serenity asked. "They'd love this island."

"Well, they might," Tenor yawned. "Depends on how satisfied they are with their wall."

"I'll send them a Hermes Dragon," Serenity said. She was the only human in the world who could summon a Hermes Dragon. She pulled out pen and paper and began writing a message to the king and queen. She told them about Dragon's Edge, the Dragon Eye, and about Dagur. She asked how the wall was coming along. Then she called a Hermes Dragon.

Hermes Dragons lived in the Dragon Heaven, in Lord Draco's glass cathedral. The dragons called them whenever they needed a message delivered. There were thousands of them living there, and flew to whatever dragon summoned them. The all looked the same, but in different colors. The had the head, beak, body, eyes, and legs of an eagle, the usual dragon wings, the neck of a alpaca, tail of a snake, and the horns of a goat. They were the size of a vulture and flew faster than a Night Fury.

A black and green Hermes Dragon flew down and landed on Tenor's head. She let out a vulture-like screech.

"Thank you for coming," Serenity said. "Please take this to Re and Aurora." The Hermes Dragon lowered her head and Serenity tied the letter to her horn. The Hermes Dragon spread her wings and took off, she was out of sight in seconds. Serenity leaned back in her seat with a sigh. She felt exhausted after the day's events. The sun was setting.

Fishlegs and Meatlug went up to Hiccup who was making adjustments to Toothless's tail. Fishlegs had been offered a chance to learn to fight the Quaken by Snotlout. But Fishlegs, like Serenity, didn't approve of fighting. Hiccup looked up from his work.

"Yes Fishlegs?" he said.

"What are you doing?" Fishlegs asked casually.

"I'm trying to strengthen this end piece," Hiccup said. "Toothless keeps bending it every time he makes turns." Toothless nudged his head under Hiccup's hand.

"I was wondering what the plan was," said Fishlegs.

"Plan?" Hiccup asked, confused.

"About the Quaken, how we're going to get rid of it?" Fishlegs explained.

"Oh, yeah," said Hiccup. "I've been thinking about that, and I'm not sure we should get rid of it."

"What?" Fishlegs exclaimed. Hiccup tried to sound understanding.

"Look Fishlegs, I'm not so sure that we have the right to interfere," he said. "That's what happens in nature all the time. The Quaken has taken over the island for now, and sooner or later a bigger dragon will chase the Quaken away. I'm sorry Fishlegs." He then turned and walked off. Fishlegs pondered this. He made up his mind to fight the Quaken anyway, no matter what Hiccup said.

The next day Fishlegs went up to Snotlout, who was still asleep. Hookfang woke up immediately. Fishlegs stood over Snotlout.

"I can't believe I'm actually about to say this," Fishlegs said. "Teach me everything you know Snotlout." Snotlout seemed all too pleased. They got right to work. Snotlout and Hookfang trained Fishlegs and Meatlug to take on the Quaken. They agreed to keep it all from Hiccup. But while they were training, Hiccup always seemed to walk by quite a lot. Hiccup had his suspicions.

They spent days training. Fishlegs caught on steadily. One afternoon they were taking a break. Meatlug watched the two humans. At that moment Tenor landed next to her.

"Hello sir," Meatlug said. "What brings you out here?"

"I was cooling off from a run," Tenor said. "I saw you all and came to investigate."

"We're training to take on the Quaken," Meatlug said. "You saw him back there."

"Yes," Tenor said. "He seemed awfully grouchy."

"Maybe you can do something," Meatlug suggested.

"Like what?" Tenor ask.

"Fight him," Meatlug said. "Be the one who chases the Quaken away."

"There are other ways of getting the island back," Tenor said. "Besides running or fighting. You could try talking to the Quaken, and see why he's been chasing you away." Meatlug considered.

"And what if that doesn't work and he continues to chase the Gronkles away?" she asked. "It would get awfully crowded if they lived here."

"Well, there are of course other places for dragons to go," Tenor said. "Berk for one, Dragon Island."

"Or Draconia itself," Meatlug said. Tenor smiled at her.

"See, you don't need me," he said. "If that Quaken wants to be alone, then that's his problem."

"Is this how you, Re, and Aurora run Draconia?" Meatlug asked. Tenor nodded.

"It really works a treat," he said. At that moment Fishlegs called Meatlug over.

"Thanks Tenor," Meatlug said as she went over. Tenor beamed.

"Man, I love my job," he said to himself. He spread his wings and flew back.

When he got back to the yurt he could smell smoked salmon, which made his mouth water. He landed and found Serenity making it. She didn't particularly like salmon, but Tenor loved it. She finished up and put the salmon into a basket, and gave it to Tenor.

"Thanks," he said. He dug in and Serenity leaned back in her chair. She drank water from her canteen.

"What about you?" Tenor asked.

"Don't worry about me," Serenity said. "I had a few apples. Besides you caught that salmon, I just cooked for you." Tenor turned back to his fish. When he finished he nuzzled Serenity's scarred cheek.

"Thank you, you're the best," he said. Serenity hugged his head and kissed his muzzle. He laid down and put his head in her lap.

"How was your run?" Serenity asked.

"It felt good," Tenor said. He stretched his wings out and let them soak up the sunlight. He wasn't wearing his saddle or his armor, just his crown.

"You know Tenor, I'm starting to think you have a tiny bit of wild stallion in you," Serenity said. "You love to run more than any dragon I know."

"Hmmm, perhaps," Tenor said with a yawn. He dozed off and Serenity watched the ocean until the sunset.

The next day Tenor and Serenity went flying. They went over the ocean, then over the island. A few of the other riders were doing the same. Serenity flew alone, with Tenor. Tenor wished she would fly with the other riders, to help her get over her fear of humans. Suddenly Hiccup and Toothless pulled up along side them.

"Hello boys," Serenity said.

"Have either of you seen Fishlegs and Snotlout training to take on the Quaken?" Hiccup asked. "I get the feeling they've been doing it behind my back."

"I've seen them," Tenor said. "But I didn't know you weren't told."

"Thanks," Hiccup said. He steered Toothless away. Tenor and Serenity flew back to their yurt. Serenity dismounted and unsaddled Tenor. Serenity sat in her chair, and Tenor ran into the woods. Serenity didn't mind, Tenor was a free spirit.

Tenor galloped through the woods at high speed. He spotted Hiccup and Toothless flying overhead. He followed them from the ground. He eventually came to a clearing where he saw Fishlegs, Snotlout, and their dragons. Hiccup landed next to Tenor.

"Caught in the act," Hiccup said. Toothless followed into the clearing, Tenor flew onto a strong tree branch so he could watch from above.

"I knew you were up to something," Hiccup said. "Fishlegs have you been training to fight the Quaken?"

"You don't have to answer that," said Snotlout, all too quickly.

"Oh, yes he does," Hiccup said, sternly.

"Okay, yes," Fishlegs confessed. "But only because we can't just sit here and do nothing. You want to talk about nature Hiccup? The Dragon Eye says that Gronkles are supposed to be on Dark Deep." Hiccup crossed his arms deep in thought.

"I get it Fishlegs, they're supposed to be on Dark Deep," he said. "And you know what, we will find a way to make that happen. But you can't listen to Snotlout, that has disaster written all over it. Fighting the Quaken, that's not you Fishlegs." Fishlegs considered this. Hiccup turned and left, Toothless at his heels. Fishlegs wanted to listen to Hiccup, but he didn't see a whole lot of options outside of fighting the Quaken. He marched up Snotlout. He had made up his mind.

Bright and early the following morning Fishlegs and Snotlout saddled up their dragons and flew away, before any of the other riders even woke up. They flew back to Dark Deep. They reached it by the end of the morning. Fishlegs was nervous the whole time.

"I feel kind of bad sneaking away," he said, speaking his mind.

"You did the right thing Fishlegs," said Snotlout. "You can take on this dragon and reclaim Dark Deep for the Gronkles." They approached the island and landed on the rocky shore. At first things were quiet, but then the ground started to rumble and shake. Fishlegs and Snotlout looked up a towering rock. The Quaken burst through the rock and glared down at the intruders.

"You didn't tell me he was this big," said Snotlout, panicking.

"You said I did the right thing," said Fishlegs.

"That was before I saw it!" Snotlout shouted. The Quaken roared at them. Both Hookfang and Meatlug felt dwarfed by it.

"You know what, I'm going to go get some help," Snotlout said. He mounted Hookfang as fast as he could. They took off leaving Fishlegs and Meatlug behind. Fishlegs turned to his dragon.

"Hiccup was right, this isn't us," he said. He was about to mount up and follow Snotlout, but he stopped. He looked at the Quaken again. A feeling of determination came over him.

"We have no choice, we're the Gronkle's only hope," he got on Meatlug. "For the Gronkles of Dark Deep!" Meatlug roared at the top of her lungs. They took off and charged at the Quaken.

Snotlout and Hookfang flew from the island at top speed. In the distance he spotted the other riders. Hookfang picked up speed. They reached the group, Serenity and Tenor were among them.

"Snotlout, where's Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked.

"You know that Quaken was a lot bigger than he said it was," said Snotlout.

"So you just left him there?" said Hiccup, horrified. The riders flew towards the island at top speed, Snotlout reluctantly followed. They circled the island looking for Fishlegs. It didn't take them long at all. They spotted Fishlegs and Meatlug cornered by the Quaken. It rolled into a ball and rolled towards them. Meatlug watched it get closer. Then she remembered what Tenor said. Just before the Quaken smashed Fishlegs, Meatlug ran between the two. The Quaken opened up and stopped just shy of the Gronkle. He looked down at her.

"Why are you doing this?" Meatlug asked, sternly. "What have the Gronkles done to you?" The Quaken sighed.

"Look, it's not you guys," he said. "I'm just not used to company."

"So, you ran everyone off?" Meatlug asked. "What for?"

"I'm too used to being alone," the Quaken said. "And the Gronkles wouldn't leave me be. I was getting annoyed."

"Well you could have just said that," said Meatlug. "If you let the Gronkles live here and be a little bit nicer to them, they will give you your space. All you have to do is ask." The Quaken considered.

"You don't have to be alone anymore," Meatlug added. The Quaken sighed again.

"Alright," he said. "I will give it a try." Meatlug beamed and nuzzled him. Just then the other Gronkles came back and hovered around the Quaken. He looked up at them with a more friendly demeanor.

"Who's hungry?" he said, cheerfully. They all wondered off, and the riders landed their dragons.

"What was that all about?" asked Astrid. They all looked at Serenity. She began speaking to Meatlug in Dragontongue. They waited anxiously, then Serenity spoke normally again.

"She said Tenor gave her the idea to negotiate with the Quaken, instead of fighting him," Serenity explained. "Apparently the Quaken wasn't used to having so much company, and the Gronkles kept bugging him. But he's going to make a solid effort to coexist with them." She patted Tenor on the neck.

With this problem solved, the riders took off again and headed back to Dragon's Edge, leaving the happy Gronkles with their new friend. On the way Astrid looked at Tenor.

"It's really incredible that you haven't found a mate yet Tenor," she said. "You're so noble and wise."

"I'm the only dragon in the world who looks like this," Tenor said. "Finding a mate is almost impossible." Serenity stroked his neck again.

"You'll find someone Tenor, I know you will," Astrid said. Tenor looked as though he didn't believe it. He was so deep in thought that he forgot to flap his wings to keep himself aloft. But he quickly did so, before he fell out of the sky. Tenor's mind was focused on his misfortune the entire way back.