Hello, everyone!
I apologize about the delay. School has been rough, but I'm finally on break! Hopefully all of you are as well! C:
I'd like to thank Siganna, TiGGs96, FyrandTheGryffinclaw, TheFuriousNightFury, veije, gaylord420, Flopy, Eonn, Varghul, NightShadow9558, Brenne, Nitroexpress, Nacktgranate, Alexisminas, Crysist, and all anonymous reviewers for leaving your reviews in these trying times. I'd also like to thank my beta Crysist for staying up to ungodly hours of the morning to hammer this chapter out in one go! YEAH LET'S SLEEP NOW.
Anyways, this is a long one, so hopefully that makes up for the wait! I hope all of you enjoy this! Reviews are always immensely appreciated!
Have a great day, and a happy Thanksgiving!
Chapter 13
Hiccup
The fish plopped in front of me. It was big enough to have been a sizable meal for Toothless, no less something as tiny and puny as me.
"Savior," the colorful dragon said with a short bow. He nestled down next to me, head tipped aside. The sunbeams filtering in through the ice above painted opalescent, rainbow stripes across his scales in vivid contrast against the green foliage surrounding us.
I poked the fish, drooping. It was still cold and wet, freshly-caught. I'd watched him fish it out from the hot spring below, which apparently had food in it.
The sun had risen and been up for hours, but I still had no appetite. Even after falling asleep from exhaustion, I had still woken up feeling as though I were drifting along a still, empty ocean. It was everything I could do to wrap my head around what I had learned last night, and I could hardly do even that.
A nearby dragon chirped something to the colorful one in a teasing tone. I caught the words "fish" and "fledgling"; it seemed that she was teasing him about offering such a huge meal to such a small "dragon".
The colorful dragon scoffed and re-adjusted his position to make himself even more dainty. I hunched over.
After all, that was the major problem keeping me from sleeping at night. My skin crawled with the sensation of being a fake, a liar—which, as much as I hated it, I was. These dragons believed my desperate lies, ones that I fought to be the truth.
It was only a matter of time until I was found out—and then what?
I squeezed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath. I needed to keep my strength up. For Toothless.
"…thank you," I sighed, grabbing the meal and holding it close to my mouth. I forced myself to take a bite.
Not a moment later, the colorful dragon leaned forward and helped himself to some, too.
I stopped mid-chew and blinked at him, kind-of offended. I mean, what was the point of giving me food if he was going to take some?
He mirrored my confused expression, nodding and encouraging me to have some more.
Very slowly, I swallowed and took another bite.
With a happy chirp, he went right at it for seconds.
"Why?" I said, exasperated. "Why you like this?"
"Hm?" He asked, cocking his head. I groaned, throwing my head back.
The few dragons lounging close enough to hear chuckled, and the dragoness from before picked up her teasing again. The colorful dragon pretended not to notice, but for the umpteenth time, I took a moment to study their midsts.
The sunlight coming in was distorted in the ice and light fog, filling the cavern in a warm, golden glow. The dragons here equaled Berk's nest in size, but they were dwarfed both by their nest and their King. They all had room to huddle in the sunbeams that shone through the ice pillars above, when it was obvious that normally there would have been some competition for the good spots. What the colorful dragon and the orange dragon had told me last night was true: they really were missing half of their nest...their young.
Something about that sent off alarms in my head.
Even worse than that was another, much more glaring red flag: none of the dragons were leaving. They milled about in their empty shell of a nest, some staring longingly upwards to the skies but none flitting through the jagged ice.
If the dragons who lived here couldn't leave, that wasn't exactly good news for me. I had to get out of here, and fast.
There was just one problem keeping me from doing that.
The King was still in the giant spring below, resting with his nose and tusks just above the water. His body was relaxed like he was sleeping, but every time I had peeked over at him, his eyes were locked on me.
I risked a glance and shuddered. There was no way I would be able to slip out of here with him watching me like that. Not to mention that he wasn't the only one keeping a close eye on me.
The sun winked out. I flinched and threw myself down, my mind flashing back to that horrible night.
With a loud THUMP, the orange dragon landed right next to us. He shot me a look that was supposed to be comforting, but still awkward enough for it to be clear that he'd never actually raised fledglings himself. I sat up somewhat bashfully, scolding myself for getting so worked up over a shadow.
The orange dragon had been gone by the time I'd woken up; I'd never actually seen him standing upright. I was both surprised and unsurprised at how enormous he was, towering up and up over me and the colorful dragon. Yet even that wasn't his most impressive feature. I couldn't hold back a surprised yelp when he yawned and stretched out not one, but two pairs of wings.
He and the colorful dragon bowed to each other, the colorful dragon much deeper and more respectful. They quickly rose...and immediately started up their bickering again.
I took another bite out of the fish as I watched them squabble with each other, not quite sure if I should interrupt this time. The four-winged dragon saw the movement, glanced at me, did a double take, and brightened.
He craned his neck closer and sniffed at the fish.
Through my memories, I heard him call out that final order—that final push that lead to my kidnapping. The colorful dragon had been the one to grab me, but even he had been following orders. I knew now it had been for, apparently, a very dire reason...but that didn't make it any better.
That didn't make me trust him. Or like him.
I narrowed my eyes just a bit and kept my paw resting on the fish, making it clear that I had not invited him to have some. "Sharing" with the colorful dragon was already pushing it...not that I really had a choice in the matter.
The four-winged dragon chuckled with a wry smile and gave me same space. He asked the colorful dragon something in an amused tone, once again using the words "fledgling" and "Savior".
"Yes!" The colorful dragon huffed. He gestured down towards the King and spoke with pride. He seemed to be saying that the King believed him—something I had figured out right away.
The other dragons seemed much less convinced, raising an eyebrow at me in the most exaggerated way possible.
I glanced between the two. In another desperate act, I raised my voice higher and squeaked, "Home! Me no King and me no Savior. Me need go home! Mother and father very worried!"
The colorful dragon moaned in exasperation. The four-winged dragon squinted and snapped his head at a ninety-degree angle. I cringed and rubbed my neck.
"What?" The four-winged dragon drew out.
The colorful dragon shrugged and said something in a nonchalant, casual tone, even throwing his head dismissively.
"H-o-m-e," I ground out in as desperate a voice as possible. "M-e…n-e-e-d—"
The four-winged dragon shushed me, putting his wing over me in a "there, there" gesture. He crooned at me in a baby voice, speaking slower and asking dramatic questions. Among all of it was promises of keeping me safe, of protecting me.
Even though that meant my horrible acting was somehow working, I was seriously getting tired of that. I struggled to keep the annoyance out of my voice as I asked, "Fly me home? Please? M-e…n-o…f-l-y."
The four-winged dragon shot the colorful one a smug look. The colorful dragon lifted his nose with a delicate snort, sitting with his tail wrapped nice and neat around his paws. Then, lifting his wing, the four-winged dragon leaned down until his jaw was inches away from me. I pressed my belly to the ground.
Alright, this was where I drew the line. Even I had enough pride left in me to not let this dragon treat me this way.
"No!" I hissed, swiping a paw at him.
He snickered and clamped his jaw on my leatherwork, lifting me up by my "scruff". The air rushed from my lungs when the fabric pulled taut against my neck. I let out a wheeze, scrabbling at it.
The colorful dragon growled in protest. He was standing up for me, scolding the four-winged dragon even though he was outranked.
With an amused huff, the four-winged dragon readjusted his grip so that his teeth were clamped mostly around my back and stood up. With a single, powerful stroke of his wings, he took off into the air. I had no other choice than to dangle in his jaws, but that didn't stop me from wringing around.
He took us over the cliff and swerved around the stone pillar. My heart dropped.
"N-no—" I gasped.
The four-winged dragon deposited me on a small island right in front of the King. He sank into his nest's weird-looking bow.
I refused, wincing as I rose to my feet. Despite my shoulders hunching under the King's heavy stare, I lifted my head.
The four-winged dragon did a double-take at me, gasped, and whacked me with his tail. He reprimanded me, gesturing at himself and whisper-yelling at me to imitate him.
I returned the look and threw my head with a snort. His jaw fell open, eyes bulging. With a snort, he raised himself to his full height. He set me with one intimidating-looking scowl, looming over me so that I was cast in his shadow.
He was already halfway through a stern lecture that would put Toothless' to shame when the humming reverberating throughout the nest faded.
The King laughed, sending a draft of cold air over us. With a few short words, he dismissed the four-winged dragon.
He was still annoyed with me for my blatant disrespect, but knew better than to stick around. He directed a scornful and commanding hiss at me, and the message was clear: Behave, fledgling!
With that, he took off, swinging back above and nestling down just at the edge of the plateau. Almost all of the dragons in the nest had noticed my unwilling approach, and almost all of them were poking their heads over obstacles to get a good look. Among them, I saw the colorful dragon, the black Two-Walker, and the green Flame-Skin huddled together.
In just a few seconds, everything became quiet and still.
I winced, drawing my wings over my body and crouching close to the ground. The King's eyes pierced deep into me.
The fabric of my wings suddenly seemed so obviously wrong. The hair on my head a dead give-away, my pale and soft skin even more so. The awkward way I crouched there, comfortable but still clearly not moving around the way my body was supposed to.
Without saying a word to me, the King's gaze stripped away all of my nice little disguises, revealing me for the liar I was.
I shivered under his unending stare. What confidence I had left shrunk beneath his massive power.
This was it, I realized. He had been hesitant, lying in wait, allowing me to wander through his nest with the confidence that I would not escape. For whatever reason he had wanted me here, he would succeed, and there was nothing I could do about it. This dragon was twice the size of the Queen, his nestmates equal in number, his island twice the distance from Berk as the Queen's nest.
A wave of hopelessness crashed into me. My heart began to hammer, and sharp zings of anxiety sent my legs rattling. I ducked my head, not in a bow, but under the weight of it all. Our gazes remained locked.
It was stupid to think I could escape. To think that I could pretend to be a fledgling until the dragons threw their paws up and took me home.
I was useless here. These dragons had given me a firm lesson that I would never have any control over my life. That all I could ever do was fall.
In the heaviness of it, a stray thought flickered, like a fire spurting to life.
Toothless.
I swallowed, raising my head even as my legs rattled underneath me.
"Why?" I whispered, locked in his eyes, unable to escape them.
The great King rumbled. Just as he had done last night, he shifted ever-so-slightly. An enormous tusk rose from the shallows, sending a wave over my small island. He placed it just next to me.
He waited.
I knew what it meant.
My limbs shook, but now from something else. I couldn't…I wouldn't willingly hand myself over like that. I…I…
I found myself lost in those deep, old eyes. Despite it all, there was almost a gentleness to them. He had forced me into his nest. But it was clear that he would not force this on me. Not after last time.
I closed my eyes to escape, to collect my scattering thoughts. Without even meaning to, I imagined Toothless to ground myself. I tried to think of what he was doing now...only to droop at the obvious answer.
He was alone on Berk. He was terrified for me.
I knew what he would do.
My chest tightened. My breath caught in my throat. My head swam with dizziness.
Opening my eyes, I lifted a trembling hand. Hesitation held me there, like a shadow had curled around my arm and was straining in the opposite direction. The air became thick and viscous, and it took all of my strength and concentration to push forward.
My fingers brushed against the King's tusk.
There. Just outside my empty shell of magic, there it was. There his magic was. My chest constricted. I bared my teeth in a grimace. For Toothless, I reminded myself. For Toothless, I would do this.
The King watched me, calm and relaxed. He rumbled.
I realized a second too late it was a warning.
…hello…, his voice split through my thoughts, soft and almost unnoticeable.
Pain erupted in my chest. I flinched like he'd smashed his tusk into me. Clenching my eyes shut, I fought for breath suddenly lost and struggled to keep my hand steady.
"It-is-fine," I growled between agonized gasps. "It-is-fine."
He rumbled again. I grit my teeth and braced myself.
…Hello…Savior…
It was "louder" this time. I felt dizzyingly nauseous. Doubt overcame me. What was I doing? Why was I letting him do this to me? How could I be so stupid?
He warned me once more, and my panicked thoughts scrambled like birds startling into the air.
Hello, Savior.
Another rumble.
I am so sorry. Are you well enough to speak?
I peered up at him, shaking so much it made it seem like he was jolting all over the place. Still, I gave a shaken nod.
A slight frown had formed on his muzzle, his gentle eyes concerned and guilty. He rumbled again. This time, it rose up in pitch—a question.
For a moment, I could only try to catch my breath. In an effort to stall, I glanced up at the rest of the nest around us.
Literally all of them were deadlocked on me, staring just as intensely as their King. I grimaced.
Rest assured, you are the only one who can hear me.
I drew my eyes back to the King, somewhat relieved at being not as exposed.
You are the human Savior?
My mouth was dry. I licked my lips. "Why?" I croaked. "Why you need Savior?"
Why… He repeated, contemplating. Closing his eyes, he heaved a great sigh that sent a gale of frigid air over me. My skin prickled with the cold.
We are under great threat, from which only the human Savior can face, the King said wearily. To bring the dragon Savior here is to seal his death. He recollected himself and set me with that stern gaze again. I must know, for your sake. Are you human, or are you dragon?
You're not a dragon anymore, Dad had screamed at me as I'd stood there crouched on four paws, my wings splayed open, immersed in conversation with our nestmates.
Even the King couldn't tell. I stared into his old eyes as my own prickled with frustrated tears.
"I don't know," I breathed, the Norse clumsy and unnatural as it rolled off my tongue.
Pity made his jaw go slack, his brows lower, his eyes soften.
He asked permission to speak again. I almost didn't give it, knowing what he would say next. Still, I nodded.
So you are the human Savior. You have suffered greatly under my orders, and I bear the responsibility. The ends justify the means. Still that is no excuse.
He sighed, worn and sorrowful.
It weighs heavily on my heart to have met you under these circumstances. But I am desperate now, and we have no time left. We need a Savior, but we must also protect the Savior who is vulnerable. You are the ones chosen by the gods, and I will not place one of you directly into your own destruction. That is why my nestmates brought you here, as I know that you and the other Savior would not willingly separate.
He wouldn't throw Toothless...into his own destruction. A chill went down my spine. "No…no understand," I said. "What danger? Why happen? Why danger to dragon Savior? Why...why me?" As I spoke, I gestured in a "go on" manner.
Because my nestmates are disappearing.
He seemed to shrink half in size, eyes cast in shadows. They are being carried off in the wind, without a hint of where they've gone. Almost all of our young have vanished. All of them...gone...
He bowed his great head with a pained moan.
It gave me ample time to absorb his words, to imagine how terrifying it must be to have your young whisked away without any clues of where they'd gone. The thought of it happening on Berk sent a spike a fear plunging through my heart. We hadn't experienced anything like that, except for…
My eyes widened. I stiffened.
The missing Hum-Wing fledgling. The night these dragons had first attempted to kidnap me. She had flown out to sea to prove how far she could go. She had never returned.
We had thought that she had died. We had stopped looking for her.
The King lifted his head and gave a small, sad sigh. You have suffered losses as well.
I rolled my shoulders in an uncertain shrug. I didn't know for sure if this was the same thing. Gods, I didn't know anything. All I knew was that this was serious enough for the King to kidnap a Savior while trying to protect the other...and that Toothless had no idea that this danger even existed.
The King drew me from my thoughts with another request to speak. I motioned him to go.
I bring you here not to ask you to fight this battle. There are large human nests in this area, and they have grown more violent in the past moons. Many of my nestmates have been hunted by them. I do not expect you to risk your life for us here in these dangerous skies.
But we desperately need your help. I am too weary to bear yet another loss.
The King began to shift his paws. The water splashed in great waves, nearly washing me away. I was forced to hold onto his tusk to stay on the island.
He closed his eyes. Then he lowered his head, and then he placed one enormous paw straight out in front of him. He flared the frills on his sides out as far as they would go.
I reeled, my mouth half-parted in amazement. The dragons above yelped and murmured.
I beg of you, Savior, the King pleaded. May the Dragon of the Sun and Dragoness of the Moon bear witness upon me, that I humbly ask this of you in goodwill.
He bowed his head even more, digging his tusks into the island and water.
Please reveal to me the secrets of soulfire, so that I may vanquish this threat once and for all.
I sucked in a shaky breath.
A moment passed.
"Soulfire?" I finally managed. Fear made my heart pick up again. What was he planning? To use its raw power to blow away his opponents, just like Sphere once had? Just like we had been told never to do?
I am aware that soulfire is a godly power, the King explained. It is only gifted by their grace, and carries their wrath with it. Yet abuse of it reflects that wrath upon the user, corrupting them.
I know this, because I was one of the elders who drove Sphere from the north and into the south.
He took in my flabbergasted expression and gave a hollow chuckle.
Yes…I saw the destruction that he left in his wake in the days before his demise. I promise you, Savior, that I shall not repeat those monstrous deeds. I will not teach my nestmates this technique so that it may be exposed to abuse.
Even through magic, I could feel the fear shaking his words: But the source of the song must be found, and it must be obliterated. If we do not act soon, it will take us all.
Again I looked up at this huge nest, so much like a shell from the outside world. Filled with an palpable emptiness that almost pressed down on its occupants. Adults with graying scales. Adults with wide, fearful, hopeful eyes.
Adults that had attacked Berk mercilessly. Now I understood why they had targeted buildings—to drive humans out, so they could swoop on them to find the human Savior. In doing so, they had made the tribes of the archipelago set their sights on Berk, blaming us for it all.
Yet they had had no trouble attackinghumans who fought back, because apparently they were being hunted. They had gone in search for the "human" Savior, but even now, they treated me as one of them: an equal. A dragon.
I closed my eyes, my thoughts racing. I just wanted to go home. I already had enough of my own problems to deal with.
But if the King was this desperate…what would he do if I said no? What if whatever was scaring him so much went to Berk? What if it targeted our nestmates? Was it better to nip it in the bud here, at the risk of giving this questionable King the magic of the gods? He seemed understanding enough, but he had made it crystal-clear already that he would stop at nothing to defend his nest…just as Toothless and I would for our own.
The King was still sunken into his bow, eyes closed once more—as vulnerable as he could possibly make himself before me.
They really were in trouble. They had gone to enormous lengths to get my help. They needed my help.
It was clear that I was their last hope—one final, last-ditch effort in stopping...whatever was taking their young.
I sighed.
"Me understand," I said slowly, making each syllable distinct. "But me and Toothless Savior together, and us decide together. Need Toothless." As an afterthought, "…sorry."
He lifted his eyes to mine, and they were unsurprised and grieved.
Savior, to bring him here means he could easily share the same fate as our young, the King reminded me. Both of you are young adults, and thus he is susceptible to it. That is why my nestmates brought you here so quickly, to avoid his following them.
"Us go together or us no go," I said with a shake of my head.
The King allowed a small, worn smile onto his lips.
Would you have truly parted ways? After receiving this explanation, would you have accepted that you must leave and he must stay?
I opened my mouth to say a rebuttal, only to stop with a grimace. The King's eyes glinted knowingly.
It is difficult, he sighed. And it is wrong to have separate you so. But it was the only way to guarantee that the both of you remain safe, and to make this request as quickly as possible. There is simply no time for lengthy debates or back-and-forth scouting missions.
I merely wish to learn soul-magic from you and part ways. With such power, disposing of the source shall be simple, and my nestmates may live without fear once again. I beg of you once more, Savior: please pass this knowledge on to me.
I looked him in the eyes. "No."
His nestmates gasped at my blatant refusal. He grimaced and hung his head, looking so defeated that I would have thought his entire nest had already been stolen from him.
I crouched lower, too, feeling more than a little guilty now. I wanted to help them, I really did.
Toothless and Berk came first. Dad came first.
And soulfire was not something that I alone should be able to gift to another dragon, not even an ancient King. As frightening as this was, as desperate as this nest fought, Toothless and I were Saviors and Kings together.
"Sorry," I said earnestly. "But me need Toothless. Us decide together."
No, Savior, the King said, resolved.
He drew up from his bow, blotting out the light above him. His eyes seemed to glow in the sudden darkness, a swift reminder of how outpowered I was here even with my title. He made sure to keep his tusks low enough to be in my reach.
I must apologize again, he said. It was foolish of me to expect your aid, however little choices I have left to protect my nestmates. I have wounded you in more ways than one, and yet you look to me with forgiveness and empathy in your eyes. You are far better a King than I.
He bowed again.
I pray to the Dragon of the Sun and the Dragoness of the Moon that the song does not reach your nest. You may depart whenever you please.
Hope reignited in my heart like dry bramble catching an ember. "Now!" I said, barely keeping myself still and dignified-looking.
The King sighed. That is for the best, yes. My Four-Wing will lead an escort.
He glanced up at his nestmates and spoke to them normally. The nest filled with despairing, confused whimpers and cries.
The four-winged dragon swooped down to the island. He winced under my gaze, embarrassed, and bowed low to me with a deep apology. He threw his head towards his shoulder.
I glanced one more time at the old King.
Take care, Savior, he almost moaned. Keep watch for hunting humans in the south. I have seen many travelling that direction, and my Color-Shifter informed me that he saw many on your journey here. I will wait for you and the dragon Savior to make your decision.
He sounded so vulnerable and afraid—and he was so shameless about it that it gave me second thoughts. The last thing he wanted was for me to leave without helping...and here he was, letting it happen anyways.
He was a lot like the Queen. But he was a lot unlike her, too, and in the ways that mattered.
"We'll come back," I promised. "I'll explain everything to Toothless, and…"
I stopped myself then before I offered something that I might regret.
As weak as my comforts were, the King nearly drooped with relief. His eyes filled with warmth, and a real smile graced his lips. Thank you, Savior.
His voice grew urgent now, Please make haste. The song grows stronger by the day. We have very little time. I beg of you, Savior.
If we wait any longer, there will be no dragon left to save.
I grimaced, nodded one last time, and drew my paw away. The presence just at the edge of my shell of magic dissipated like fog in the morning sun.
The Four-Wing allowed me to climb onto his shoulders. He bowed to the King, and the King bowed one last time to me.
Without so much as a warning, the Four-Wing crouched and launched straight up towards the small gap in the ice spines that led outside. Just behind him, the three dragons whom had first attempted to kidnap me joined him: the Two-Walker, Flame-Skin, and…Color-Shifter.
We shot into the sky. The King began to hum again.
I glanced over my shoulder back at the nest, filled with doubt. It almost felt wrong to refuse to help, to leave them to their fates. Even though they had been the ones to drag me into this, I felt like I was making a mistake. Like I was responsible.
I needed Toothless here. He would have known what to do, what to say. Now I was finding it hard to stay calm, to keep my frantic thoughts from imagining every possible scenario that could happen.
Even if I had promised to come back, had I just sealed their fate?
As if in answer, the dragons below began to wail with terror.
The sound did not soon leave me.
o.O.o
Astrid
"Astrid, shut yer dragon up already!"
"I'm trying, Mom!" I snapped.
Mom slammed the door shut. I sighed, turning to Stormfly.
She made no acknowledgment of me, staring off into space with blank eyes. She was making a sound I'd never heard before. It was almost pretty, thrumming and melodic, kind-of like birdsong.
It was also really creepy.
"Stormfly!" I leapt up and down in front of her, waving my arms around. "Wanna play fetch? Here ya go, girl! Go get it! Go get it!"
My axe clattered to the ground. Stormfly didn't even look at it.
I went to retrieve it myself. The roads were all cleaned up now, and many houses were already being rebuilt. The Chief had put everyone hard at work, including me.
I was officially on "watch Toothless" duty. Apparently, he had almost walked off a cliff. The Chief seemed to think that I was the closest person to him on Berk right now, which meant that I was the lucky Viking who got to chase the skittish Night Fury around. Normally I would have been filled with pride at getting a "special" job that he trusted me enough to ask me to do it. Except…
I couldn't exactly follow Toothless when it took him two seconds to jump up on a roof, send me a sneer, and leap out of sight. I had hoped Stormfly could help out.
She only paused in her thrumming to breathe. She had plopped down where she'd stood yesterday and hadn't moved since. For the entire night she had made noise, disturbing the sleep of everyone in the area. I'd assumed it was just Stormfly being Stormfly until I had woken up this morning and she was still doing it.
"Gods, Hiccup, where are you…" I mumbled to myself, hooking my axe back into my belt. Approaching Stormfly, I held a hand just in front of her.
Normally she would have thrust her nose into my hand, demanding to be petted.
Her eyes remained unfocused. I patted her anyways.
"Come on, girl," I pleaded. "You're starting to freak me out."
Even though I was sure it wouldn't work, I continued to try to get her attention. Offers of pets and treats went unnoticed, and waving objects in her line of sight was just as unsuccessful. Nothing I was doing was working.
I turned my eyes upwards. There were no dragons in sight.
I needed to get help.
With a defeated sigh, I took a step back.
"Stay here, Stormfly," I said. At least for this one, I knew she would listen.
I turned and ran.
o.O.o
I had almost made it to Fishleg's house.
Almost.
"Astrid! Hey, Astrid!"
"Not now, Snotlout!" I said, but stopped anyways. My legs were killing me—not that I was about to let it show.
Snotlout was dragging Hookfang behind him, both of his arms around the Nightmare's muzzle. Hookfang was whining, claws digging into the ground, but still let himself get pulled along. Snotlout had such a tight hold on him that he didn't seem able to open his jaw. He shook his head every couple of seconds.
"Fancy meeting you here! You're going to see Fishlegs too, huh?" Snotlout said. He grunted when Hookfang shook him enough to lift him off the ground.
"Jeez, Snotlout, what're you doing?!" I reprimanded him. "It's not like Hookfang's gonna fly off."
"Yes he is!" Snotlout yelled, eyes wide. "Yesterday he totally tried to ditch me! I had to lock him in my house just to get him to stay!"
I opened my mouth and stopped.
"You…locked a Monstrous Nightmare…inside your house."
"Yup!" Snotlout said like it was no big deal. "Luckily, he figured out I wasn't gonna let him go so easy. But I'm not keepin' my eyes off him! He's gotta learn that we stick together to the death!"
He struck a dramatic pose, throwing his fists to the sky. Hookfang leaned back, working his jaw, and then huffed when Snotlout latched onto him again.
I rolled my eyes and met the poor thing's eyes. He seemed like his normal, meek self…and with the patience of the gods.
"I think you can let go of him," I said. "Stormfly was the same way yesterday, but she's still…weird."
Snotlout's expression fell. His arms went slack, and Hookfang slid away from him, licked his paw, and began rubbing it over his face.
"Weird?" Snotlout repeated. "Like, 'making a lot of annoying noise' weird?"
I nodded. "How'd you get Hookfang out of it?"
"With my natural charm and leadership skills, of course," Snotlout said with bravado. I didn't react to it, and he cut it out. "Well, actually, he kinda just…snapped out of it after awhile. I was holding him down, so I guess he got tired of it?" He reached out to the spot Hookfang's head used to be and did a double-take when he grabbed empty air. "Hookfang, get down here! I'm not letting you go until Fishlegs figures out what your deal is!"
"Actually, if you really want to ask me, I'd say he looks fine."
We both spun around. Fishlegs raised an eyebrow at Snotlout, an expression perfectly mirrored by Meatlug at his side. Hookfang trotted over to her and bobbed his head, and she purred and gave him a lick on the forehead.
"Not that I'm not flattered you want my help, but…why?" He asked. "Aren't you guys supposed to be rebuilding?"
"Yeah." Snotlout shrugged. "Aren't you?"
Fishlegs cringed. "I'm just taking a little break to get Meatlug her favorite snack. We were heading right back, I swear!"
"Well, before you do that, I need your help," I said. "Stormfly's been off since yesterday, and I was hoping you'd know something about it. Or Meatlug."
"Uh…" Fishlegs tapped his fingers together. He looked at Meatlug, and she growled and shook her head. "I'm not sure…how much of a help we can be."
"Ugh, where is Hiccup when you need him!" Snotlout groaned.
"Carried off," I sighed. "Come on. If we're gonna ignore our jobs, let's at least do something so we have a good excuse."
We began to make our way to my house. The sun was still rising and the air was clear, filled with the hammering and shouting of reconstruction. Many of the houses we passed were already well on their way to being finished.
There was a noticeable absence of dragons. I knew that Toothless had been sending out search party after search party, but this…this was playing with fire. We were down at least half of our forces, especially after a good number of them had flown off yesterday.
"Hey, what's your job, anyways?" Fishlegs asked as we walked. "I didn't see you at all today."
Snotlout sent me a crooked grin. "Maybe you could say she's…" He latched onto Hookfang's head again. "Playing Hookie?"
Meatlug groaned.
"Eh? Eh?" Snotlout said. Hookfang wriggled out of his grasp and hid behind Meatlug. "Y'know, 'cause his name is—"
"Yes, Snotlout, we get it," Fishlegs said.
I huffed. "I'm supposed to be watching Toothless."
Fishlegs and Snotlout burst out laughing and Meatlug reared her head back. Hookfang watched some birds fly overhead and snapped at them.
It took them a second to realize I wasn't joking.
"Sucks to be you, Astrid!" Snotlout snickered. He tried to offer me a good-hearted punch on the shoulder, but I caught it in my palm.
"Not really. It's Hiccup we should be worried about." I frowned and added, "And Toothless."
That sucked the humor right out of them. They both grimaced.
"Yeah, Uncle Stoick's getting real worked up over that," Snotlout admitted. "But Hiccup's gotta be back soon, right? I mean, he's Hiccup!" He threw his hands in the air. "And he can talk to dragons and stuff!"
"I just hope he's okay," Fishlegs said. "I don't know what we'd do without him. Especially if those ones from last night come back. Even Meatlug doesn't get what was up with them."
Meatlug bared her teeth in a snarl.
"Well, I'm more worried about the Bog Burglars," Snotlout groused, pounding a fist in his hand.
I nodded, glancing up and the down the surrounding streets—and stopped in my tracks. "Is that…?"
For a moment, I was just confused. I did a double-take and blinked rapidly, half-wondering if I was hallucinating from all the stress.
"Hey!" I shouted.
Bergthora, my old bread-making mentor, spun around. She sent us a bright grin. "Good mornin', Astrid!" she shouted all the way down the street.
I sent a look at an equally-confused Snotlout and Fishlegs. All of us broke off into a run. We stopped just outside her shop, which had been partially-destroyed by all of the fires and still had part of its roof caved in.
"How's yer families?" Bergthora asked warmly.
"Who cares about that!" Snotlout shouted. "What're you doing with a Monstrous Nightmare?!"
Bergthora was standing right next to a huge, yellow Nightmare, patting its head. The dragon was curled up around her like a giant cat, eyes closed and purring.
"Oh, Rye here?" Bergthora asked. "Dogsbreath gave 'em to me. Said I had to have 'em ta help protect my shop." She pulled some salted meat from her pocket and threw it at the Nightmare. He sniffed for a second, snapped his eyes open, and gobbled it up like he was starving.
Hookfang whined, butted Snotlout's back, and looked pointedly at the pocket Bergthora had gotten the food from. Meatlug grunted at him, and he lowered his head and eyes.
"Wait, wait, wait," Fishlegs rushed. "You said Dogsbreath gave him to you?"
"Sure did!" Bergthora boomed. "A good man, he is. A bit rough 'round the edges, but we can't all be perfect. Normally I'd've given 'em a wallopin' fer bossin' me around, but I didn't mind so much this time. If his tiny Terror can protect his little ones, then I'm more than happy ta work with a Nightmare if that means my children will be safe."
"And where is Dogsbreath right now? When did this happen?" I demanded.
"'bout an hour ago, just in the clearing of Town Square," Bergthora hummed, throwing another treat to her Nightmare and some to Hookfang and Meatlug as well. Meatlug took a delicate nip out of it, while Hookfang essentially took a bite out of the ground. He bounced on his feet and whined, begging for more.
I almost groaned. Suddenly Dogsbreath's questions yesterday made a lot more sense. "Alright, thanks. Guys, let's…"
I hesitated.
Stormfly still needed help. I hated abandoning her like I already had, leaving her to sit alone in the middle of the street. What if she was gone when I came back? How would I find her?
I wasn't about to let Dogsbreath "give away" dragons all on his own, though.
I deflated, gritting my teeth.
"Let's go, guys."
o.O.o
Finding Dogsbreath wasn't too hard, considering how loud he was.
"Who's next?" He hollered, his voice echoing off the buildings.
There was an awkward silence.
"Well, don't make me pick someone!" He shouted. "This is the best way to make sure the dragons stay and protect us!"
I reached the large-ish crowd and shoved my way through.
Dogsbreath stood tall and proud, Noodles perched on his helmet and all puffed up. At his side was a basket of provisions from the last fishing trip.
He threw a finger at a middle-aged man close to him. "You! Your turn!"
"U-uh—" the man stuttered, holding his palms up.
"Noodles, get 'em," Dogsbreath grunted.
With a squeak, Noodles plopped to the ground and scampered to the "chosen one". Even though the man's foot was bigger than him, he snagged the hem of his pants and pulled with all his might, flapping his one wing in an orange blur.
"See how obedient he is?" Dogsbreath bragged, crossing his arms with a smug grin. "My dragon will stop at nothin' fer my family!"
The poor villager crumbled under the peer pressure, stepping forward with wide, anxious eyes.
So did I.
"Dogsbreath, what're you doing?" I said. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and their dragons forced their way to my side.
He let out a huge huff. "Well, someone has ta do this." He turned to the villager and gave him a hard pat on the back. "There ya go. Now then…"
He pursed his lips, reached inside the basket, and pulled out a fish. Then he held it up.
A bunch of really confused dragons stared back, their heads cocked sideways.
Hookfang crept forward, sniffing at the fish, and Dogsbreath waved him off.
"Bah! Not you," he grunted. He raised the fish even higher and shouted, "Come on down now! I've got food fer ya!"
The dragons all looked at each other, chirping and squawking. On the ground, Hookfang was slumping with disappointment and Meatlug was doing a very good job at pulling off Toothless' "unimpressed" look.
Meatlug snorted and growled. Noodles squeaked at her, doing everything he could to look bigger. She lifted a brow.
"How long have you been doing this?" I asked. "I seriously doubt that they'll come down just for—oh, one came down."
A white Nadder with brilliant orange stripes had taken the bait, descending with a few short flaps and landing next to Meatlug and Hookfang. They all bobbed their heads at each other—Meatlug and Hookfang deeper than the Nadder—and focused on the fish.
"You were sayin'?" Dogsbreath said smugly.
I narrowed my eyes. "Dogsbreath, I really think you should leave this to Hiccup and Toothless."
"Well, they ain't here!" He said. To the villager, he raised his voice, "Now, you! What's yer name?"
"T-Thuggory, but I don't need a dragon—"
"Yes ya do!" Dogsbreath snapped. "Do ya want more of 'em ta leave?"
Thuggory cringed and shrugged.
"I'll answer that for ya: ya don't! We got too many enemies ta let 'em go! Now go give this one a reason ta stay!"
He threw the fish in Thuggory's hands and shoved him at the Nadder.
"They're not guard dogs," I exclaimed. "You're doing this all wrong!"
Thuggory hesitated until Dogsbreath gave him another whack on the back. He tiptoed closer to the Nadder, which was shooting looks at Meatlug and Hookfang.
"U-uh, nice Nadder. Pretty Nadder," Thuggory stammered. He held the cod out with shaking hands. "Here ya go, take the fish."
Hookfang lunged for it.
Thuggory squealed and backpedaled, hitting the ground hard. The Nadder flinched, and Meatlug sent a flat look at Hookfang.
"Hookfang!" Snotlout scolded. He put his hands on his hips and glared at his dragon, who crouched low and backed up behind Meatlug. "What's your problem? You could've gotten hurt, and then I would have had to deal with all your whining!"
"Get that one out of here!" Dogsbreath snapped, throwing his arm through the air.
I groaned, putting my head in my hand. How many villagers had Dogsbreath "bonded" to a dragon like this? Giving them the idea that by feeding them, the dragon would go out of its way to protect them? He had the right idea, but this was a recipe for disaster. Expectations would be high, and if the dragons didn't exclusively protect the villagers, then they'd be given up on.
"Dogsbreath, this isn't the right way to do this," I said, squaring my shoulders and looking him in the eye. "You can't forceit."
"Yeah," Fishlegs said. "Hiccup already told you, it's more of a mutual friendship than a deal. Both parties have to choose each other."
Dogsbreath glanced behind me and he grinned. "Well, this is good enough fer me," he said, pointing.
The Nadder had grabbed Thuggory by his arm and was pulling him to his feet. It nosed his hands, sniffing, and then twisted its neck towards the basket.
"Now make it like you!" Dogsbreath encouraged, throwing another fish at Thuggory.
Thuggory was so shaken he caught the fish and instantly dropped it. The Nadder watched it splat to the ground and then blinked at him.
"Uh, that's fer you," Thuggory said, pointing.
Tilting its head, the Nadder sniffed at Thuggory some more and stooped. It swallowed the fish—and immediately began dry-heaving.
Thuggory had only taken a few steps backwards when the Nadder regurgitated half of the fish right into his hands. Then it chirped, opened its wings, and flew away.
"W-what?" Thuggory exclaimed, dropping the fish with disgust.
"Yeah, yeah, get used to that," Dogsbreath said. He raised his voice and pointed. "Now after it! And bring it that fish!"
"Y-yes, sir!" Thuggory gasped. He picked up the fish and sprinted away in the direction the Nadder had flown.
I raised a brow at Dogsbreath. He smirked right back.
"Well, this is going to work out wonderfully," Fishlegs groaned.
Dogsbreath's eyes flicked behind us and he did a double-take. His confident grin gave way to a stern, almost blank expression. The crowd around us grew very silent.
I whipped around to see the Chief parting the crowd, Toothless at his side.
The Chief looked justifiably suspicious. Toothless was exhausted, his head low and wings and tail dragging on the ground.
"Can someone please explain to me why none of you are working?" The Chief demanded to all of the guilty bystanders. "And why I just saw Thuggory chase a Nadder down the street with a half-eaten fish?"
"I'm gettin' people ta work with dragons," Dogsbreath said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fer extra protection."
Toothless took this in and straightened up with visible effort. He sent a sharp snort at Noodles. The Terror pressed close to Dogsbreath, whining. After a few seconds of it, Toothless' eyes widened, and he dropped his head with a moan.
The Chief glanced at me. I shook my head.
"All of you, back to work!" He commanded.
The crowd scattered, leaving us standing alone with Dogsbreath.
Dogsbreath and the Chief stared into each other, each none too happy to see the other.
"This is something better-suited for my son," the Chief eventually said.
"Yer son's been carried off, Chief," Dogsbreath returned in a calm, somber tone. "Nobody has ever returned from that."
Toothless lifted himself up, showed his teeth, and gave a breathy hiss.
The Chief clenched his fists and leaned in close. "Get back to work," he said, his voice steady and low.
Dogsbreath sighed, but did what he was told. "Very well," he grumbled, locking the basket and shouldering it. "Let's be off then, Noodles."
Noodles bowed at Toothless, squeaking. Without another word, the odd duo departed.
The Chief waited for them to get out of earshot and then got right to business. He turned to me and the others. "The same goes for you three. Snotlout, Fishlegs, go help with repairs. We need to get everyone out of Town Hall as fast as we can before disease starts spreading."
"Yes, Chief!" My friends said, eager to escape before they got punished. They scrambled away, their dragons on their heels.
With everyone gone, the Chief settled me a stern look. I cringed, knowing that I looked like I was slacking just as much as everyone else.
"I appreciate you keeping a handle on things, Astrid, but you have a job as well," the Chief said. "Leave that to me."
"Y-yes, Chief," I said. I glanced at Toothless. His expression was difficult, if not impossible to read. "Have you heard any news?"
Toothless drooped, twisting his neck to look north. The Chief shook his head with a sigh.
"No," he said sullenly. "The search parties have not returned. Toothless thinks it a bad idea to chase after them with ships, but…"
We looked at Toothless. His head was low and his ears flattened.
"I'll give 'em a few more hours," the Chief said. "Then we take matters into our own hands. I'll be preparing the ships at the docks. In the meantime, you two keep watch out for anything."
He said this pointedly. What he really meant was: Astrid, do your job and keep an eye on Toothless like I told you to.
"Yes, Chief," I said, trying not to look as nervous as I felt.
An idea came to mind and I straightened out, suddenly hopeful. "And Toothless, I actually really need your help with something. It's Stormfly."
He snapped his head up, eyes wide. I had a feeling he already knew what I was going to say, but I spoke anyways.
"There's something wrong with her."
o.O.o
Stormfly was still making noise in the same exact spot as I'd left her. I didn't know if that was good or bad.
Toothless hissed, pinning his ears and leaning away. He shook his head and took a step backwards.
"She started doing this when those dragons showed up last night," I said. I put a hand on her nose and sighed when she didn't respond. "Snotlout said the same thing happened to Hookfang, but he snapped out of it after awhile."
Toothless was shaking his head every couple of seconds, his back arched and wings fluttering. He lashed his tail and sent a sharp hiss at Stormfly.
No response.
"Do you know what it is?" I almost begged Toothless. "Can you make her stop?"
"Please make her stop," a villager down the street shouted. I glared at him and turned to Toothless.
He seemed to have frozen in place, his wide eyes locked on Stormfly.
I swallowed as my heart picked up the pace. Was it that bad?
"Toothless?" I asked, slipping away from Stormfly and towards him. "What—what's wrong with her?! You're freaking me out here!"
I put a hand on his forehead, just as I had yesterday when he'd been like this.
He jolted to attention and shook his head, baring his teeth.
I backed away to give him some space, putting my hand back on Stormfly again. "Alright, so…you're just as confused about it as I am."
His eyes met mine, filled with confusion and turmoil. After a second, he nodded.
I faced Stormfly, stepping directly in front of her. "Come on, girl," I whispered. "Aren't you getting tired of this?"
I tried to recollect everything Snotlout had told me. I seriously doubted that I needed to throw Stormfly in my house for her to get better. But that was the only difference between him and me.
I sighed, grabbing onto Stormfly's cheekbones with both of my hands.
Stormfly did nothing.
"I guess…let's get you inside, then," I mumbled. "It's the only lead we've got."
Still I didn't move—I knew that dragging her inside wasn't the answer, and that it would only complicate things. Snotlout had done something without realizing it, I just knew it.
Was this…permanent?
I tightened my grip, squaring up. No, I knew from Snotlout that it was temporary. I just had to figure out what he did.
There was a short bark next to me. I jumped, stepping away.
Toothless had ghosted his way to my side. He still took the time to give me a look before he turned to my dragon, his ears pressed as tight against his skull as he could get. He growled at her, loud and distinct. He even reared up on his shaking hind legs, giving her a short bat on the nose before he fell back down.
Stormfly loved to play. She should have been ecstatic. Instead she stared straight forward.
"Oh, Stormfly," I whisper, reaching out and grabbing onto her again. I hugged her to my chest and rested my forehead against hers. "Please snap out of it."
Closing my eyes, I let the moment drag out, wracking my brain for what to do based on what I knew.
The absence of sound was the first thing I noticed.
I jolted upright. "Stormfly?!"
She still had that distant look in her eyes—but she had stopped making that horrible sound, which was better than nothing.
Toothless threw his head in a "go on" motion and turned to Stormfly, speaking to her.
I ran a hand over her forehead. "Stormfly? C'mon, girl, snap outta it."
For several seconds, she did nothing but blink.
Then she leapt to her feet with a loud screech, spinning in a tight circle.
"Woah!" I yelped, ducking just as her tail swung around. "Stormfly! Calm down!"
Stormfly flapped her wings, tail barbs poised and eyes wild.
Toothless leapt in front of me, reared up with open wings, and roared.
The sudden silence made my ears ring. I peeked around Toothless.
Stormfly had flinched away, crouching against the dirt with her head lowered. She shook her head, clucking, and scratched at it with her hind paw.
Her eyes caught mine. She froze mid-scratch.
With a shriek, Stormfly charged, wings flapping. She bowled me over, teeth flashing in the sunlight, and flattened me against the ground with her talons—
—and began licking me.
"Ah! Stormfly!" I wheezed, trying to bat her off. "Gross! Down, girl!"
Toothless pawed her away, allowing me room to sit up. He began to rumble, but Stormfly interrupted him with several squawks and whistles, bouncing in place.
With a snort, I began to laugh. Stormfly wriggled with excitement and charged me again, throwing her head into my arms.
"Good girl!" I cried, petting her in all her favorite spots. "Oh, good girl, Stormfly! You did it! Yes, you did!"
Toothless rolled his eyes at the baby-talk, but that didn't stop me. I hugged Stormfly close and repeated myself over and over, like if I stopped then she would turn back into whatever that was again. Stormfly was all for the attention she was getting, chirping excitedly and barely keeping herself still. She stepped on me a few times, but I didn't care—I'd take that a thousand times if it meant that she was okay.
"Don't you ever do that again," I said, clutching her close. "You hear me, Stormfly?"
She purred, settling down next to me. With a happy chirp, she swung her tail around Toothless and literally dragged him closer to us. He pulled away with a grunt, and Stormfly began to whine at him.
"Sorry," I snickered, patting Stormfly to get her to stop asking him to cuddle. "But, really…thank you, Toothless. I really needed your help to snap her out of it."
He shrugged, looking away with half-lidded eyes and limp wings.
I frowned.
"I know it's hard," I said, reaching a hand out to him. "And I know it doesn't help seeing a…'reunion' like this. But I know everything's going to be okay, Toothless."
He stared, unreadable.
Then he pressed his nose to my hand and twisted away, staring off in the distance like it never happened.
I dropped my hand and said, "You need a break. When was the last time you slept? Before the raid?"
No response. That meant "yes".
I sent him an admonishing look, one he very quickly leered at. "You need to take care of yourself, too, Toothless," I said. "What if those dragons come back? How much help are you gonna be if you're dead on your feet, huh?"
He snorted, throwing his head.
"C'mon," I said, patting the ground next to Stormfly and me. "Just rest a little, and you'll feel much better when you wake up."
Toothless hesitated and shook his head, turning back towards the way we'd come.
"Toothless. Sleep. Now." I shrugged, leaning as casually as I could against Stormfly. "Or I'll just go tell the Chief that you're acting weird—which you are, by the way—and that I really, really think he should keep an eye on you. Y'know, to make sure you stay safe."
Toothless halted and studied me, searching for a bluff. I did everything I could to keep a straight face.
With an over-exaggerated groan, Toothless returned to our spot and thumped to the ground. Stormfly chattered excitedly, cuddling up right next to him and curling her tail around him. He huffed grumpily and tried to look uninterested, staring north.
He couldn't hide how he pressed closer to Stormfly, though. Or the slight purr he allowed to rise from his chest. He'd been stretched far too thin in these past two days.
"There you go," I whispered. I reached out to give him some much-needed comfort.
He was already asleep.
o.O.o
Hiccup
We were far from the King's half-empty, shell-like nest.
We were flying at such speeds that the ocean turned to smooth silk below us. The Four-Wing was rushing the escort, flying at full speed without rest. It was all I could do to hang on for dear life.
The King had been serious when he'd asked us to "make haste"; we were going pretty dang fast.
So fast that we had no reaction time.
The Color-Shifter screeched.
A blast of frigid air thundered into us from below, followed by a gale of fog. It rushed past us like an explosion, obscuring everything from sight before I could even cry out in alarm.
The Four-Wing shrieked and flailed his wings, sending us careening back and forth. With precious seconds to spare, he twisted so that his back was to the tailwind. We blasted through the sudden, dense fog, barely able to breath from the sheer rush of it.
It took almost a full minute to stop, the gale was so powerful. When we finally slowed down to a less-lethal pace, the Four-Wing cried out for his nestmates. Their voices echoed around us, filled with fear and confusion.
"W-what?!" I hissed, whipping my head around and shivering. The temperature had plummeted and my hands were already going numb.
The Four-Wing shouted into the mass of gray, swung his tail down, and threw us upwards. I struggled to hold on as the water condensed on his scales and made them slippery.
We flew higher and higher. The air thinned.
I was starting to feel lightheaded when the world suddenly burst with light. We spiraled up into the clear air and kept going. A second passed, and then another, and another...
When the Four-Wing finally leveled out, the two of us let out horrified, amazed gasps.
The sudden cloud cover was easily the size of a few islands. It stretched out like a thundercloud in all directions, a huge swath over the ocean. Cold air was coming off of it. It had all but materialized from the ocean below, and had spread faster than even a Shadow-Blender could fly.
Even up here, I could just barely make out…something. It was vibrating in my chest and ears, just noticeable enough to bother me. I shook my head.
The Four-Wing roared to his nestmates. If they responded, their voices were muffled in the fog.
He glanced over his shoulder, asking me an apprehensive question and nodding back down towards the fog.
I shook my head. The last thing we needed to do was go back down there to...whatever that was. "Like this," I said. Clenching my fist, I held it up and moved my other hand just over it in a straight line.
He gave the same military-like chirp of understanding his nestmates gave their King. I clamped onto him, and he dove. Just before going back in, he pulled up and skimmed just over the cloud. Again he cried out, and I joined in with him, shouting into the mists.
His nestmates' voices were all over the place—they seemed to be coming from multiple directions, sometimes shifting in position so rapidly that it was startling.
The vibration grew louder to the point that I could hear it…kind of. It was an enormous sound, something that grinded against my eardrums and made me clench my teeth. The Four-Wing noticed it as well, growling at it with rising anxiety.
I tightened my grip on the Four-Wing as fear and anxiety began to blend into panic. Something was going on here, and every inch of me was screaming to get away.
Light fluttered through the fog up ahead. The Four-Wing banked perpendicular to it, careful not to fly directly over it.
The fog swelled with a second explosion. A dragon screeched.
The Flame-Skin burst into the clear air hundreds of feet ahead, spotted us, and thrust his wings open to slow down. He leveled out just next to us and gave a relieved greeting.
The Four-Wing growled and spat a whirlwind of fire in front of us, cutting down through the fog. With a quick command, he reared up and flared all four of his wings, pumping them as hard as he could to create a pocket of safety below. The Flame-Skin did the same.
Both of them were shaking their heads and flying unsteadily. I myself was feeling a little woozy.
A black blur burst from one end, sped through the pocket, and went straight back in. A second later, and the black Two-Walker dipped out from the fog and scrambled over to us, relieved. All that was left was the Color-Shifter.
Everyone was snarling in terror and anger. I shivered from the cold, glancing back and forth in desperate search of anything that could hint at what was happening or where the Color-Shifter was.
A dragon raced through the pocket.
A dull, brown one.
A hush fell over us.
With a soft click, the Four-Wing ducked away from the pocket and back out over the fog, out of sight. The black Two-Walker hissed a question, and the Flame-Skin shushed her.
The impossible fog had already reached out to the horizon. If the Color-Shifter had lost his way down there…
I bared my teeth. The fog, the stillness, the fearful silence…
It was just like the ocean outside the Queen's nest.
My head seemed to be filling with buzzing insects. The Four-Wing was suffering the same, shaking his head. One half of his body leaned back down into the fog, and with a start, he righted himself.
We flew in timid silence, the only sound being the air rushing past and the vibrations below. Every now and then, the deathly quiet was broken by the muffled cry of a dragon—but now we didn't know for sure if it was the Color-Shifter. Not now, when we knew that we weren't alone.
The Four-Wing took us further and further south. The fog stretched on endlessly, surreally, impossibly.
Through the corner of my eye, I spotted a darker spot—an edge. It was southeast rather than straight south.
Clicking my tongue, I pointed towards it.
The Four-Wing swooped around, banking so sharply that I was nearly thrown off. We were ahead of the edge, and so had to double-back into the fog to get to it. It didn't matter, though; the end was in sight. My skin was crawling with the sensation of being watched, of closeness to the Queen, and I needed out.
I could only hope that the Color-Shifter had seen the edge, too. Even as we neared it, movement flickered around it. There were a few bursts of fire.
We got close enough to hear battle cries.
I stiffened, straightening up and craning my neck to see as best as I could. The Four-Wing clucked and started to take us away, and I gave a desperate shriek, "No!"
He asked a baffled question, but I was too focused on the voices.
On the accents.
"HELLO!" I screamed for all I was worth, giving up our secrecy altogether. "ME HERE! HICCUP HERE!"
There was a pause. My heart lifted with joy. They'd heard me—they'd heard me!
"ME HERE!" I shrieked. "ME—"
The air ripped apart.
To describe it as a sound would be like describing the ocean as a drop of water. It rattled every one of my bones, shaking me down to my very core. It sent spots swarming across my vision as it tore at my ears, banging against them with the force of a hammer. I clenched my eyes shut and threw my paws over my ears, but it made no difference. It was godly in size, so powerful that I could feel the vibrations pounding through the air around us.
The Four-Wing tipped unsteadily from side to side, shaking his head violently.
My stomach lurched. Fear pulsed through my veins.
The Four-Wing lost his balance and spiraled out of control. I fell into the fog.
Oh, gods! Oh, Dragon of the Sun!
I let myself fall a second to figure out which way was up—and then threw my wings open and flipped over. I squinted against the freezing fog, struggling to breathe and gasping.
The world-consuming roar faded. The vibrations returned, louder this time.
"Me here," I tried to shout, but I couldn't hear my own voice. My ears were ringing so loudly that they drowned out all other sound.
I hung there in that fog, almost floating, the only indication I was moving being the air skirting past me.
With frantic breaths, I whipped my head back and forth for any sign of the escort. I couldn't see them—I couldn't see anything. I could barely see the tips of my fingers in this dense fog. Lower and lower I glided. We had been so high up that I wasn't worried about crashing into the ocean—yet.
The vibrations were all that was left. I couldn't hear it anymore, but I could feel it, dancing at the edge of my awareness.
I turned my full attention on it.
It…it wasn't magic. Stalking around my empty shell proved nothing new. It was definitely a sound—a loud one at that, and something far away judging by how dim it felt.
Focusing more on what I could perceive of it, my head began to spin. It suddenly seemed to swarm my awareness. It was…it was almost…
...familiar.
The dull fog suddenly dissipated. The ocean burst out in front of me, a vibrant blue that nearly blinded me, leaving me squinting until my eyes readjusted to the bright reflection.
I got my bearings and almost dropped out of the sky. A sudden jolt of understanding came over me at why we had heard and seen fighting.
There were ships.
They had all turned away from the mass of fog reaching up to the heavens, but I had lost a lot of altitude. I was low enough to have been able to pull my wings and land somewhat safely.
They saw me at the same time I saw them. They scrambled around the decks.
I swayed midair, trapped, and cried out uselessly for the dragons. If I couldn't even hear myself, I knew there was no chance they'd be able to hear me.
A blur rushed towards me. On instinct, I tucked my wings in and fell.
The net went right over me. I snapped my wings open and threw a paw down, banking out of the way of a second.
"STOP!" I shouted in Norse below. I had no clue if it was loud enough to be heard.
Another net—I clutched my wings in again.
They predicted that this time. The second net smacked into me just below the first. I was dragged down, down!
White-hot fear overwhelmed me. I clawed at the bindings as the ocean rushed up to meet me, a slick surface that promised to tear me apart on impact. A terrified shriek that I couldn't hear ripped from my throat. My vision went white with the reflections off the waters.
"No!" I howled, but to who, I didn't know.
I was going to die. I was going to die and Toothless would never know. He would never find me, he would always despair over not knowing what happened, he would blame himself every second of every day, he would be alone—
The net lurched to a halt. My breath left me in a whoosh and my head lurched. Sparks swam across my vision, and it took several seconds for me to blink them away and look up.
The elder Hum-Wing bared her teeth and roared. She was squinting, her ears twitching and flight unsteady. She looked like she was in a lot of pain, shaking her head every couple of seconds.
It didn't stop me from crying out in delight, so relieved to finally see a familiar face.
The horizon lurched sideways. Another net went sailing past.
The elder swooped over the fleet, spitting a fireball below. She put all of her energy into flying up and out of range.
The next net came from behind, a blur in the periphery of my vision. By the time I had snapped around to face it, it was already too late. It curled around the elder, tangling in her wings.
My insides flip-flopped as we began to fall. The Hum-Wing flung me up towards her and wrapped her body around me.
A huge, bone-cracking impact sent brilliant lights flickering across my eyes, filling me with nausea.
I couldn't breathe. We were—we were captured—we were in a net—!
The elder was rumbling with a snarl. She held on tight, but couldn't keep her grip. Something yanked me out of her grasp.
My ears were still screaming with pain. My entire body ached from the fall. I could still hardly see, blinded by the sudden bright sunlight and the force of the impact. A growing, pounding migraine made all of it worse, amplifying the pain and nausea and sparks spattering across my eyes.
Panic found easy footing and flooded through me.
I wrenched around, baring my teeth and clawing at the silhouettes working around me. They were dancing back and forth like shadows, the sun above them beaming and blinding.
The net loosened. Rough hands latched onto my arms and yanked me out of it. I was being pulled this way and that by every limb, and with each jolt my migraine worsened, more spikes of light flashing through my vision.
"No!" I gasped, kicking and writhing. My head was pounding, my thoughts swarming, my breath gone, my limbs throbbing from the impact.
Something rammed into my chest, pinning my arms against a form behind me.
I sank my teeth into it.
Blood filled my mouth. I was thrown to the ground. Someone kicked me, knocking the air out of me. I curled up, clenching my eyes shut against the onslaught, desperately trying to throw my arms up to protect my head. I tried to curl up under my wings and tail, but couldn't.
Everything grew still. The ringing in my ears began to fade, allowing me to hear the waves crashing into the ships and the elder's terrified growls.
It all caught up to me at once.
Horror crushed me there, grinding me into the deck with the weight of what I'd done.
I'd…attacked someone.
I'd bitten someone.
The phantom shadow, ever present, began to laugh. I grit my teeth and clawed at my hair.
"No," I whimpered. "No, no, no…"
"Would'ya listen to that," a woman was shouting, but her voice sounded tinny and muffled. "Ya hear the unholy sounds it's makin'?"
Everything was swirling around me. The Kill Ring—I was back in my cage, Dad was there—he was bleeding, I'd bitten him, I'd hurt him, he hatedme, he was going to kill me!
Not now! I begged. Please, not now!
Something solid and hard rammed into my stomach and flipped me onto my back. A scream ripped from my throat. The elder shrieked with outrage.
Through the pain and panic, I forced my eyes open and squinted. There was someone standing over me, pinning me with their foot.
The shadow swirled through my mind, distracting me, threatening to overcome me with memories. Being hunted. The Kill Ring. Dad.
It's not real!
I forced every ounce of strength into focusing on the person holding me down—the person in the real world, in the present, not my father.
Realization set in, and I wished I hadn't.
A nasty grin spread across the face of Bertha, Chieftain of the Bog Burglars.
"Well," she sneered. "I guess that saves us a trip."