AN: So... This is late. But I promise it's worth the wait! Besides my usual bad timing... I figured I'd do a little self-advertising for a few sentences. I'm assuming that everyone reading this story enjoys the Fantasy/Adventure genre, and I'm actually working on a second one. I don't update it as often, but I would if it got a little more attention. It's called Song of the Wolf: The Lost Legacy. It is a Song of the Lioness/Legend of Zelda crossover. Essentially, it's a rewrite of the Song of the Lioness Quartet books by Tamora Pierce, so you don't need to read the original books if you don't want to (but I do recommend them). Anyways, it's just a recommendation; sense y'all like my writing and this genre, I figured I'd bring your attention to this story. You don't have to think twice about it, but if you're interested, it's there. :)
REVIEWERS!:
C: There's even more going on this chapter! *Incoherent squealing and gurgling* Thank you so much! You are so kind and wonderful! I hope you also have a wonderful day and week! :3
Raxacoricofallapatoreous: Well, the sword is not a fake... But there's more going on, just so you know...
ChaosDragonPrincess: More excitement to come! Not a fake sword, but it's more complicated than you think!
BrawlerGamer: Yeah, I decided not to linger on it too long. The dragons were mostly calm because Hiccup was calm. If Hiccup had been panicked or fearful, the dragons would've gone crazy. Toothless wouldn't let Hiccup wander off with the likes of Alvin without some kind of backup! There's more to come, yes, and don't worry! Everything's gonna work itself out!
FanaticFangirl2602: THANK YOU! IT WAS FUN TO WRITE! I'm always dropping foreshadowing! Sometimes even I don't know what it's about! Hopefully I'll close out the riddle properly! Talia's temper is almost as legendary as Merida's, and Eret will be making plenty more references throughout the series! I'll make sure the quote is used to it's fullest potential! :)
Music: "Wanderer's Lullaby" by Adriana Figueroa
NOTES: Letting go means coming to the realization that some people are a part of your History, but not a part of your Destiny.
Chapter 10: Lady Fate
Meanwhile; in a cavern deep, deep underground, miles under the surface, something shifted. A change in the air that sent ripples across the small pools that were scattered across the cavern, leading into water-filled tunnels that eventually opened up at the bottom of the sea.
But the shift caused more movement than just a few ripples in the water. A slimy, unattractive tentacle slid across the floor, disturbing the peace of the cavern that had lasted for a very long time. As the movement of several different tentacles grew, disrupting the quiet of the secret cave, a giant eyelid, buried under piles and piles of precious metal snapped open. The gigantic, ancient creature that lived in the depths of the sea, guarding something precious for it's master, released a deep, gurgling growl.
Someone had taken something from it's cavern.
Talia crouched low to the ground, peeking out around the side of a large rock that was half on the beach and half in the shallow waters. She opened a small telescope that No-Name had let her borrow, and looked along the coast. Down the beach from them were five men standing guard over the paddle boats that had been docked on the sand. Two of them carried bows and arrows while the rest were armed with swords.
Talia slipped back behind the rock and turned around, facing the inside of the small cove. They were almost a mile out, covered by multiple rocks, the edge of the forest, and a couple of sea stacks that kept the BlueBlazer hidden from view.
After untying the dragons from the ropes that they'd used to pull the ship to the island, Stormfly and the others were kind enough to ferry them over three or four at a time until the whole crew was in the cove, washing themselves with salt water to cover their scent. Now, Talia watched as the last of the crew, consisting of Teeny, Eret, and Humongous, finished washing. Humongous seemed to be a bit squeamish over the cold ocean water, so Eret grabbed him by the back of the neck and shoved him under, dunking him completely in the water before releasing him to cough and sputter from the shock. With a satisfied smirk, Eret sloshed out of the water and onto the sand, his mouth settling into a firm line as Talia, the dragons, and all of the men gathered around.
"How many?" He asked outright, his eyes fixed on Talia's.
"Five guarding the paddle boats. Any others aren't visible or are off somewhere else." She reported, handing the telescope back to No-Name.
"Alright, we're going to try and avoid confrontation for now. If we do this just right, we may be able to get the drop on Alvin before anyone even realizes what's happened." Eret told them, and there were several nods of understanding. "We'll enter the forest here and travel at an angle. That way we'll meet up with Alvin's trail deeper in the woods, and we won't have to worry about our friends on the sand. Ug, Teeny, you two stay here with Meatlug and Barf-and-Belch. Send a signal if you see Cat or Alvin. The rest of us will go after the Treasure Hunting Party."
"Aye-Aye, Captain." Was murmured across the gathered men as they all buzzed with a nervous energy. None of them were too excited about trampling around on a dragon-dominated island when their dragon expert was who-knows-where, but they were all determined to get their little dragon expert back.
Within fifteen minutes, Teeny and Ug had taken up their posts with Meatlug and Barf-and-Belch while the rest of them quietly made their way into the forest, keeping low and watching for any footprints or path markers Alvin and his men might have left behind.
The island was humid and soundless. Completely devoid of any wildlife as far as Talia could tell. The shade of the trees did little to protect them from the heat, causing them to sweat, and she found herself hoping that the sea water would be enough to mask their scents from these horrific creatures Cat had described.
It was fairly easy to track down the trail of footprints leading off into the forest. Alvin and his men had apparently spread out among the trees to sweep the area, and they didn't bother trying to hide their tracks. After following the tracks for a little while, Eret signaled everyone to stop and draw in, gathering them into a group.
"We'll use the trees here to stage an ambush. Four men in the trees, the rest of us will hide in the underbrush." Eret explained, pointing to different spots in the trees and several hiding places on the ground. "But we'll need someone to scout ahead, and to lure Alvin and his men into the trap."
Talia joined the men as they all turned to look at Humongous. The Fraud gulped audibly, his teeth chattering and his hands shaking as he looked back at them in anxiety-ridden terror. Eret sighed, gaining their attention once again.
"As much as I would like to agree to that; we can't trust him. Humongous could turn on us and give us away to Alvin in exchange for a free ride out of here. He stays here, one of us has to go." Eret informed them, and Talia frowned at the sound logic Eret had provided.
"Well, if we can't send Humongous, who will we send?" No-Name asked, and everyone turned to look at him thoughtfully. No-Name seemed to catch on after a long moment of silence, and he too, gulped audibly. "Oh."
Talia fell into place with the rest of the men and Humongous right after No-Name went off into the forest. While four of their men clambered up into the tree positions, Talia set herself behind a large rock along with Eret who was still keeping an eye on Humongous. Talia really didn't blame the Captains caution. Humongous looked like he wanted to run back to the beach screaming and crying, and they hadn't even seen anything yet.
"How well do you think this'll work?" Talia wanted to know, keeping her voice down as she kept her eyes on the trees.
"Honestly? Not the worst odds I've ever had, but definitely not the best. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how everything plays out." Eret replied, offering her a smile despite the negative chances they had of making it out of there in one piece.
They all watched the trees, their nerves on edge and their weapons prepped at their sides as they waited for No-Name's signal... And waited... And Waited. As time wore on, Talia could feel the wavering energy of the men and she, herself, was shifting in her crouched position, beginning to feel uncomfortable from staying in place for too long. Eret's brow furrowed as he scowled at the empty expanse of trees before them, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that No-Name was taking way too much time to lure Alvin and his men out to their ambush. That left them with two possibilities; either No-Name had ran into some trouble and was on his way so getting out of position to check on him would do more harm than good, or he'd been captured and possibly killed and Alvin and his men were now aware of their presence on the island.
Neither option was extremely appealing at that moment.
Just as Eret opened his mouth to mutter something close to Talia's ear, a flicker of movement rustled through the undergrowth. Everyone stiffened, ready for the surprise attack, when No-Name came running towards them for all he was worth, panting, sweating, and stumbling as he raced through the forest.
"RUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNN!" He shrieked, shooting passed all of them and heading towards the beach. They all stared after him, confused, and then looked out towards the trees again. Alvin's men were spread out through the trees, running towards them much like No-Name had. Their weapons were drawn, but they didn't seem to care much about the crew of the BlueBlazer. Talia would even wager that half of them didn't even notice them.
And then she saw it. A man screamed, falling forward and disappearing into the thick underbrush. Snuffling sounds and heavy rustling surrounded where the man had fallen, and an icy chill raced down Talia's spine.
Some of Alvin's men started to race passed them, not even giving them a second glance as snuffling, growling sounds filled the air. Stormfly and Hookfang poked out of their hiding places, looking around with wide, terrified eyes. Stormfly gave a pitched squawk and jumped into the air, flying up and away from the forest floor. Hookfang gave a roar at the rustling shrubbery that was getting closer and closer to them, before following Stormfly's example and flying up into the safety of the sky.
Eret and Talia looked at each other, eyes wide.
"RETREAT!" Eret shouted as they all burst into sprints, racing through the forest. "GET BACK TO THE SHIP!"
The fine, cool sand beneath his bare feet was soft, and his fingers skimmed along the rough stone walls of the narrow pathway as he walked. Toothless could barely fit through the passage, having to wriggle and squeeze through tight spots while Hiccup and Sharpshot slipped through with ease.
The pale blue light they'd started following always seemed just out of reach, constantly drifting away from them as they moved farther and farther along the path, traveling deeper and deeper under the surface. Hiccup didn't stop once, though, and Toothless and Sharpshot followed close behind him, remaining silent as Hiccup chased after the mysterious glow.
After what felt like hours of weaving and walking along the narrow path, the pale light finally stayed shining at the end of the tunnel. Hiccup quickened his pace a little, reaching the end and peering into a giant underground cavern. Pools of water littered the ground, smelling of salt water and no doubt leading out to the ocean. Piles and piles and piles of gold shimmered in the natural light of the cavern that came from nowhere and yet everywhere at once. Endless gold pieces, gold chalices and goblets, diamonds and rubies, precious gems and stones, fine weapons and elegant jewelry. The greatest treasure one could ever lay eyes upon. It was all piled up on top of itself in crazy giant mountains. Mound after mound of glittering treasure.
"The Lost Treasure of Grimbeard the Ghastly." Hiccup breathed, eyes wide with awe and wonder as he slowly wandered farther into the hidden cavern.
"This is where the riddle ends, I suppose. We've found deaths head, I sniffed your trail to follow you here, and now here we are; underground." Toothless mused thoughtfully, lumbering up beside Hiccup as he stared at all of the glimmering treasure. "You must be Grimbeard's True Heir, then."
"How on earth can all of this be for me?" Hiccup asked, standing in the midst of endless riches.
"Grimbeard left his treasure here because I told him to."
Hiccup, Toothless, and Sharpshot all jumped in fright at the sudden voice and whirled around to look for the source. The soothing, wispy voice belonged to a being of utter beauty. She was light and smoke, gently formed in the image of a seven foot tall woman, clothed in flowing gowns of wisping clouds and breezes. Her hair cascading down her back in tumbling curls of smoke, and her eyes were completely white with the light that radiated from her. She floated at the top a small dais at the back of the cavern, broken and cracked with time and buried beneath Grimbeard's fortune. The air around her whispered and sang, as Wisps floated all about her.
"You're the Queen of the Wisps." Hiccup whispered, slowly falling down to his knees before the magnificent being. Toothless and Sharpshot stayed back, bowing their heads while keeping their eyes on Hiccup and the woman. "Lady Fate."
The Queen of the Will o' the Wisps, better known as Lady Fate, was a being difficult to describe. To some she was a spirit with great power, to others she was a goddess. The only thing that every creature could agree upon was that she only revealed herself to the Greatest of Seers. Her most trusted children, to whom she gave prophecies and visions of the future. She lead those gifted in her craft, showing them only what is necessary. Her faithful Wisps guided people to their fate. And she knew the Destiny of every living creature.
But Hiccup was no Seer, yet there she stood before him. And she smiled, softly.
"Hello, Little Prince." Her gentle, calming voice washed over Hiccup like water from a stream. "You have come very far, but a long and dangerous path lays ahead of you."
"What do you mean?" Hiccup questioned desperately, leaning forward onto his palms as he kept his full attention fixed on Fate, herself. "Please, I just want to learn how to control what's inside me."
"Precious Child, your Destiny is so much more than you realize." Lady Fate replied, her gaze fond and patient. "You are the Heir to more than just these simple treasures of man. You are Destined for great things -"
"But what if I don't want to be?!" Hiccup cried, interrupting the Lady Fate, who paused as her smile fell into a curious line. "I never wanted to be anything special!" Hiccup continued as hot, frustrated tears bubbled down his cheeks. "I just wanted to be good enough! For my tribe! My Dad!... My friends..." Hiccup's voice cracked and broke as more tears poured down his cheeks and his breath caught in his throat. Toothless crooned worriedly, but stayed where he was. Hiccup sniffled and looked up after catching his breath only a little. "Why am I always losing the people that I love?..."
Lady Fate looked at him with a deep sadness and sympathy.
"Sometimes even the Greatest Love has to end, so your Destiny can Begin." Her voice was hushed, but clearly heard in the quiet of the cavern. Hiccup watched her for a moment, hoping, praying, that she would say more, but then bowed his head as choked sobs racked his shoulders. "Wandering Child, I have waited many years for you to come for your inheritance because I know where your journey will lead you, and I pray you never lose the goodness in your Heart. But did you not set out on this voyage to discover what you are? Who you are to become?"
"Well, yes, but I need to know. If I don't, I'll never learn how to control the magic inside me. I'll just keep hurting people, no matter how hard I try not to..." Hiccup admitted, swiping at his eyes with his torn and dirty sleeve before looking up at the Great Lady. "But that's not what this is about, is it?"
"I believe you know your Destiny more than you are willing to admit." Lady Fate returned quietly, but firmly. Hiccup hung his head once more, sitting back on his heels and letting his hands fall into his lap.
"I never wanted any of this." Hiccup murmured, his eyes dry and itchy while his cheeks were damp and puffy. "I just wanted to fit in. To be Normal."
"It is understandable. You have walked this path since your birth, and many have tried, and many will continue to try, to tell you you're wrong. But you are the dawn of a new day that is slowly waking." She told him, her gentle glow shimmering against the piles of gold. "One day you will look back and realize the doubt that you feel now, as you try to figure everything out, is not what life is about. This world will never stop trying to define you, but it can not take what is inside you."
"How can I face the whole world when I'm still searching for who I am?" Hiccup asked softly, feeling small and rather hopeless.
"You are a masterpiece still in the making, dear one. What you're searching for does not lay somewhere out there, it is inside your own heart, and, in time, you will find it." Lady Fate comforted him. "For now, be assured that you are right where you need to be, and soon you will find your own way."
A quiet rumble, followed by a small tremor in the ground and dust falling from the ceiling of the cave, caused Hiccup, Toothless, and Sharpshot to look up and around warily. Lady Fate tilted her eyes upwards, still as calm and serene as when they'd first entered, and then she looked back down at Hiccup.
"Alvin the Treacherous has caused a great disruption on the island. Removing the sword from the chest has awakened the ancient guardian left here by Grimbeard the Ghastly to protect the treasure." She informed him. "I fear he has endangered your companions who have come here to save you."
"What?" Hiccup gasped, his mind flashing from Eret to Talia to the rest of the crew in only a few seconds. "I have to go! I have to help them!" He said, shooting onto his feet.
"You need not my permission, young Prince. But go with the knowledge that this treasure belongs solely to you, and you may always return for it." The Queen of the Wisps smiled softly and moved to the side of the dais, revealing a throne carved in the traditional Viking fashion. A high back topped with two posts and a decorative head in the middle. Runes and designs were carved into the front posts and sides of the wooden throne, a simple but powerful throne. Resting on the seat was an old blade, simple and plain, slightly rusted from the salt air.
Hiccup ran forward, leaping over the three small steps leading up to the dais, and grabbed the sword with his left hand. He looked down at his right arm, cradled against his side, and frowned. It was stupid to go running into battle with a dislocated arm, but he couldn't see where he had much of a choice. The bleeding from the cut on his chest had stopped, and his right shoulder had faded to a dull ache. He'd just have to make due and hope to survive.
"Thank you." He murmured, turning to look at Lady Fate once again, but when he turned around she was already gone. He, Toothless, and Sharpshot were alone in the cavern.
Branches and twigs whipped and snapped against her arms and legs. The wind rushed passed her as she raced through the forest, running as fast as she could. Her heart was pounding, sweat was beading on her forehead, and lungs burned.
Talia burst through the treeline along with the rest of her crewmates and Alvin's men, the sand slowing her pace despite her best efforts to keep going. The men were diving into the few paddle boats available and jumping into the sea to try and swim away. Talia was only half way down the sand when she felt one of the snuffling creatures behind her lunge at her leg. She yelped and twisted, and the extra long claw of a Skullion missed her Achilles, biting into had mid-calf instead.
With a cry of terror, Talia lost balance as pain shot up and down her leg. She fell hard into the sand on her side, and instantly there were two Skullions upon her. Without thinking her fist flew out and caught one of the dragons in the snout, making it yelp and back away as she kicked the other one in the forehead, pushing herself backwards with her hands.
The Skullions growled, recollecting themselves, and Talia took that one second to glance behind her. She saw an old, hollowed tree trunk sticking out of the sand a few feet behind her, and quickly scrambled over to it on her hands and knees. She slipped into the hollowed trunk just in the nick of time as vicious fangs snapped the air where her foot had been just before she yanked it into the tree.
The Skullion was too large to fit through the hole in the trunk and follow her, but it pushed it's giant, quivering nose through the gap, and it started to gnaw at the wood around the hole. Talia grabbed a bone lying on the ground next to her and shoved it as hard as she could up one enormous nostril.
The Skullion fell back with a howl of anguish, and Talia sighed in relief through her ragged breath. Then there was a sickening crash to her right as another Skullion started clawing at the tree... And then another... And another... Talia could hear horrible scratchings as they worried away with their teeth, trying to break through the wood. All around her, at the edges of the tree trunk, he could hear the scrabbling sound of creatures digging through the sand and biting at old, brittle bark. It was only a question of time before one of them broke through.
Talia swiped at another nose that appeared at the hole, the impact breaking the bone she'd armed herself with. The snap of the bone was followed by a smash as a Skullion's extra long claw pierced through the wood from behind Talia, just to the right of her head. Talia jumped and screamed as she tried to scrabble away, unsure of which hole to watch.
There was another crash that came from above her head, but before she could react a large hand reached down and grabbed her upper arm, pulling her up to the top of the hollowed tree. Talia gasped and looked up as Eret set her on the opposite edge of the ring that was the top of the tree.
"Come on, kid! We've got to get out of here!" He asked, raising his voice over the sounds of the Skullions growling, snuffling, and clawing. Talia could only stare up at him, still in shock as her heart raced in her chest. Eret was looking down at the horde of Skullions surrounding the tree, probably formulating some kind of escape, but when Talia didn't say anything he looked up, his eyes flashing with worry and sternness. "Talia!?" He said a little loud, still holding onto both of her biceps.
"You- You came back for me?" Talia stuttered out, unable to hide her utter astonishment.
"Of course I did!" Eret replied, offering her a half-smile. "I'd never leave you or Cat behind." A crash cut through the pause in action, wobbling the tree as the Skullions snarled and snapped. Eret held tight to Talia's arms, keeping them both steady until the tree stopped wobbling and then continued. "But if we want any hope of finding Cat, we're gonna have to save ourselves first! Are you ready?"
"No!" Talia replied immediately.
"Me neither!" Eret agreed, but they leaned all of their weight towards the ocean anyways. There were two cracks and a pop as the tree tilted and broke, suspended in the air for a moment as it fell towards the sand. "JUMP!"
Skullions rushed to get out of the way of the log, and Eret and Talia leaped off, lunging as far out on the sand as they possibly could. They hit the sand running, only stumbling a little, and they raced for the ocean with the countless pack of Skullions on their heels.
Sand turned to stone as they ran, reaching an underwater cove that didn't exist when the tide was out. The snuffling and the scraping of claws against stone had them pounding across the slippery rock despite the exhaustion in their muscles and the burning of their lungs. Talia could feel the Skullions snapping at her feet as she and Eret finally reached the end of the rock, throwing themselves off of the barely-above-the-water stone slab and into the icy waves. The Skullions pushed and piled at the very edge of the shore, snuffling out after them as Talia and Eret resurfaced after their dive into the water.
"We did it!" Talia exclaimed, her hair hanging limp from the soaking even in it's braid. "We're alive!"
Eret laughed and nodded. "We'd better start swimming. No use saving ourselves from the Skullions if we just stay here and drown!"
Talia nodded in agreement and followed Eret as they started swimming out to sea, in the general direction of where they'd hidden the BlueBlazer, but before they got very far the shadow of a ship much longer, they climbed the ladder. They were hauled onto the ship by a couple of their own crewmates, including No-Name, and they collapsed to the deck, soaked and exhausted, as they tried to catch their breath.
But when Talia looked over at Eret, her smile instantly dropped into a frown. Eret had braced himself on one knee, glaring daggers up at Alvin the Treacherous and his men. The villains held their swords, axes, and bows pointed directly at Talia, Eret, and the rest of the crew of the BlueBlazer.
"Welcome aboard, maties!" Alvin grinned maliciously.