Chapter 38: The Isle of Night
Me: As much as I don't like the ending of this chapter, it has to get written for us to progress any further.
Blaze: You better get Snivels talking again, soon!
Amber: I agree with Blaze. It's not the same with him sick.
Ninjark: Guys, take it easy on Caitlyn, will you?
Blaze: Since when did you become the voice of reason?
Ninjark: Well, Snivels is too sick to talk, so someone has to be!
Me: Let's move on, shall we?
As it turned out, throwing dragon calls around left and right wasn't a very good idea. Folnir, in an attempt to show the younger Pokémon how a proper call was done, had imitated a Thunderdrum's hideous scream at top volume – and now Team Go-Getters was going to have to deal with a real one!
The Thunderdrum flew awkwardly through the sky, its attention fixed on the humans and Pokémon below. Obviously, it had come to this spot hoping to find another one of its kind, but it could only smell a bunch of kids and their partners. Now that it realized it had been fooled, it was not pleased in the least.
"Head for the cave!" yelled Hiccup.
All at once, the dragons sprang into the air, dodging the Thunderdrum's bulk as it made a pass at them. They whooshed over the canyon in no time at all and stopped to hover in front of the cliff wall on the other side. They expected to find the opening to Bork's cave right in front of them – which was why they were so surprised when they didn't find it.
"Wait, where's the cave?" Heather asked with a panicked tone in her voice.
"We just saw it!" protested Astrid, wide-eyed. "There was a hole! There was clearly a hole!"
A distorted screech echoed off of the Odin's Shield formation, reminding Hiccup that they had some very unpleasant company to deal with. Drawing up a lightning-fast, yet undeniably crazy, plan, he called his orders to his friends. "You guys keep looking for the cave, I'll deal with the Thunderdrum."
While they started their search for the entrance to the cave, Hiccup and Toothless soared back up to challenge the Thunderdrum. Unfortunately, its eyes were locked on the Go-Getters that had just landed, picking them out as more helpless than the human riding the Night Fury.
Smog was the first to notice the situation between Hiccup and Toothless, and took off speeding towards the Thunderdrum.
As the semi-aquatic dragon slowed its descent and started chasing the annoying, distracting Smokebreath dragon, Hiccup quickly rallied the rest of Team Go-Getters.
"Do the Thunderdrum calls again!" he ordered.
Considering that their leader's last request was for them to stop making Thunderdrum calls, the younger Pokémon were a little miffed at the contrast. "I wish he'd make up his mind!" huffed Batalla.
Folnir didn't bother to show any hesitation as he took out the Thunderdrum-shaped Dragon Whistle. The Yveltal took in a breath and blew into the whistle with all his might.
Instantly, the Thunderdrum stopped chasing Smog when it heard what sounded like another of its kind. It made a clumsy U-turn and flashed toward the unguarded Yveltal, its mouth open in a snarl and letting loose with an answering scream.
Meanwhile, Astrid and Heather conducted their search for Bork's cave in an increasingly frustrated manner. They had nearly given up trying to figure out how an opening in a mountain could just suddenly disappear.
Blaze and Ninjark weren't having much luck either. The Blaziken commenced beating the wall of rock with her fists out of frustration. "It was right. Here. I swear it was."
Such was her frustration that neither she nor the Frogadier notice that a wild Changewing had turned off its invisibility, stretched out its head, and hissed fiercely at them. Both Pokémon simultaneously turned to look at the dragon's yellow eyes.
In seconds, they found themselves shoved over to the ground while Kickin' Hawk found himself grabbed by a pair of talons and lifted into the air by a pair of wings. The Changewing and the abducted Hawlucha flew up to the very top of the wall and landed there with elegance.
"I try to save my mate, and I get this?!" Kickin' Hawk shouted. "Put me down, now!" But his shouts had no effect on the sly dragon. The wild Changewing turned its snarling face back to its captive.
Kickin' Hawk sighed, "I don't have time for this!"
Hearing his Pokémon's cry, Hiccup steered Toothless in the direction of the mountain, but was suddenly cut off by the rogue Thunderdrum, who was still chasing after Folnir, who was firing Dark Pulse repeatedly in an attempt to draw the dragon back. It was in that moment Hiccup saw the exposed entrance to Bork's cave, which the Changewing had evidently been guarding.
It was a tough choice to make – save his friends and drive away the wild dragons first, or let the others do that while he snuck in? He and Toothless hovered in the air, paralyzed with indecision.
Suddenly, Astrid was there, hovering beside him. "Go see what you can find!" she called out, encouraging him. "Don't worry about us. We'll handle those overgrown lizards."
One of the lizards in question let out its horribly distorted scream as it continued to pursue Hiccup's Yveltal companion, as if reminding them that it was still there.
Still, Hiccup felt reluctant to leave. "What about Kickin' Hawk?"
"I can get myself out of this!" his voice rang out just then.
Hiccup saw the confidence in Astrid's eyes, and nodded his consent. He knew his friends well enough to know that they could take care of themselves for a few moments. Seeing that he approved, Astrid saluted him and steered Stormfly away, heading toward where the Thunderdrum and Folnir were flying around.
Before Hiccup left, though, he gave one last order. "Heather, Ninjark, see what you can do about that Changewing!"
"On it!" they chimed, and clambered across the cliffside to where Windshear was sitting.
"You're sending them to help the veteran Pokémon?!" wailed Palus.
"We're the ones who need help with wild dragons!" Xylia shouted, barely avoiding a Druddigon's Fire Punch. Evidently, the Cave Pokémon had just recently caught up with its rampaging Thunderdrum comrade.
"I'll be fine!" Kickin' Hawk stated loudly, "Just go help the others!"
Not long after Heather and Ninjark went to help out the group that was trying to deal with the Thunderdrum and Druddigon, a wild Dragalge arrived next to the Changewing. The captured Hawlucha was quite lucky the Mock Kelp Pokémon seemed as curious of him as the Changewing was.
He still needed to find a way out of the situation, though.
Inside the cave, darkness overtook Hiccup as Toothless flew with all speed into the welcoming coolness of the caverns. The sounds of the dragons outside grew fainter and fainter as they went deeper.
"Bork's cave! This is it!" exclaimed Hiccup. "We have to hurry, bud. We don't know how long the gang can hold off those wild dragons."
Back at Team Go-Getters' home, Snivels was resting in his trainer's bed, with Amber spoon-feeding him the medicine Kickin' Hawk had prescribed for his laryngitis. The medication was meant to combat the infection in his throat, but had a side effect of drowsiness. Spike, Terrorspin and Glory were all watching anxiously from across the room, while Lockheed was curled up in the corner for his noontime nap.
Snivels was about to fall asleep himself when remnants of a horrible stench reached his nose. And not just any stench, it was one he was familiar with.
Rotten chicken eggs sitting in spoiled yak milk for three days straight.
There was only one person in the archipelago that had that kind of scent.
Mildew.
Sitting up a little, Snivels scanned the room before his eyes landed on some of Bork's notes that Hiccup left behind in his haste to find the cave containing the map to the Isle of Night. The scent was coming from the sheets of notes. Realization dawned on the sick Servine prince as he tried to get out of bed, only to have Amber push him back down gently.
"Snivsie, you need to rest," she said, "It'll help you get better."
No! He couldn't rest now! He had to warn her! He had to warn Hiccup!
Too late.
He was already asleep.
Folnir, meanwhile, was having considerably more luck than Snivels was. Seeing that his Dark Pulse wasn't drawing off the Thunderdrum, he tried the more powerful Hyper Beam, only to set down on a sea stack as he panted heavily. After using a move like Hyper Beam, a Pokémon couldn't react right away, a fact that Folnir had briefly forgotten. He braced himself for impact as the angry Thunderdrum closed in on him.
Then, a Thunderdrum-like scream echoed through the canyon, prompting the dragon to skip the exposed Yveltal and head for the lip of the gorge. Perched there were Stormfly and Astrid, but not for long – the second she saw the Thunderdrum heading in her direction, the soon-to-be Haddock took her hands away from her mouth and pulled hard on the saddle.
Although she wasn't in possession of the right Dragon Whistle, Astrid had still managed to pull off a half-decent Thunderdrum impression just in time to save her fiancé's Yveltal's life. Thank Fjord for that, but now she was the one being chased.
"Thanks...!" Folnir half-called, half-gasped from the bottom of the canyon. "If we all survive...I owe you big time!"
Despite Stormfly's speed and Astrid's quick reflexes, the Thunderdrum still managed to stay on them as they flew in a manner that would have normally shaken an enemy off. Luckily, Blaze and Wavern joined them, doing their best to hinder and harass the Thunderdrum with Blaze's fire attacks and Wavern's talons.
Meanwhile, Kickin' Hawk was still being held captive by the curious Changewing and its equally curious Dragalge comrade. Right now, the Changewing had its tail wrapped around his leg and was dangling him in front of its face, trying to figure out what to do with him. Should it eat him? He didn't look particularly tasty...
An explosion from the battle between Heather, Ninjark and the wild Druddigon drew the two camouflaging dragons to an even higher pillar.
Kickin' Hawk sighed. "This is not how I thought this day was gonna go!"
Toothless touched down on the cave floor, wings spread to their fullest span in order to keep his balance. As Hiccup hopped off of the Night Fury's back, he picked up a large stick that was lying there on the cave floor and began to investigate.
We've flown as far as we can go, Hiccup thought, so this must be the deepest part of Bork's cave...
Out loud, he murmured, "There's gotta be something here...I only wish there was more light in here..."
A draconic warble drew his attention. When he turned around, Toothless shot a quick bolt of blue fire at the stick he was carrying, succeeding in igniting the tip and turning it into a makeshift torch.
"Thanks, bud," said Hiccup, sparing the dragon a grateful smile.
Waving the torch around as he walked, Hiccup milled around the cave, trying to get light into every nook and cranny. He didn't know what he'd find in here, and for all he knew, it could be hidden anywhere. It was best to go slowly and shine his torch at one place at a time.
Finally, he did find something that was worth checking out. He saw it out of the corner of his eye as he passed by a cave wall, a flash of white amidst the dark grey stone.
"What is that?" he murmured, raising the burning branch to better examine it.
The red-orange light revealed that, indeed, there were white markings painted onto the cave wall. But they weren't simply random designs – no, there was a definite pattern to them. At the very top of the wall, near the ceiling, was a big 'X' and some lettering underneath it.
"...It's a map..." Hiccup realized. "A map to the Isle of Night! We did it, Toothless! Okay, I gotta get this down..."
The Night Fury let out a little roar of joy when he heard how excited his friend was, knowing that they had found some good news. Unfortunately, the next sound he heard indicated some less-than-good news.
At the end of the tunnel they had just come through, Toothless could faintly hear rocks crumbling. Then the cavern started to shake, and debris fell down from the ceiling as the tremors grew worse.
Even though he was distracted by the task at hand – copying the map on the wall into his notebook – Hiccup felt the shaking and the pebbles falling down almost immediately. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the sound of a cave-in from near the entrance.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, I need more time!" he begged.
Hurriedly, he continued to scribble down the designs on the wall. The tremors continued to build until it was like the mountain was being shaken from side to side, and Hiccup's torch, which he had propped against the wall to free his hands for his notebook and charcoal stick, fell to the floor and extinguished itself. But even as darkness blanketed Bork's cave once more, Hiccup drew in the final mark on the map.
"That's it!" he exclaimed, snapping his book shut. "Toothless, let's go! We have to get out of here!"
The Thunderdrum missed its mark again. Wavern twisted herself out of the way of the soundwave projectile that whizzed past. The soundwaves kept going until it smashed into the side of the mountain, causing rocks to tumble down over the cave entrance.
Astrid saw, and her heart leapt into her throat. "Hiccup's trapped!" she cried.
Her answer came from the near distance. It was Kickin' Hawk, still being dangled upside down by the Changewing's prehensile tail. The dragon had decided that the veteran Hawlucha made a good toy, and was using its tail to continuously move him up and down the side of the pillar like a yo-yo.
"No one ever mention this!" Kickin' Hawk called, "I'm taking this shame to my grave, you hear?!"
Another missed blast from the Thunderdrum outside caused another tremor in Bork's cave, one that was worse than the rest. It was followed by a huge crash that caused another quake, and the cavern instantly went from dim to pitch-black.
With a sinking feeling, Hiccup realized that the sudden loss of light could mean only one thing – the entrance had been blocked.
"This is great," he muttered to Toothless. "We're trapped, and you can't use your shots without bringing the ceiling down on our heads."
Toothless raised his head, sniffing loudly as if he was taking in the scent of the air around them. Hiccup felt a mighty gust of wind as Toothless flared out his wings. The Night Fury let out a roar that rebounded continuously around the cave until it grew unbearable enough to force Hiccup into covering his ears. Toothless's roar bounced off the walls so many times that it sounded like there was a whole pack of Night Furies in there with them. Hiccup yelped with surprise when Toothless grabbed him around the waist and threw him onto his back, and then started flying down a nearby tunnel. Somehow, Hiccup could tell that this passage wasn't the one that led back to the entrance.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the shocked Go-Getter yelled, desperately hanging onto the saddle to prevent being thrown off. "What're you doing?"
Toothless ignored him, and continued his blind flight through the tunnels of Bork's cave.
Which, or course, didn't make any sort of sense to Hiccup, who shouted, "Okay, where are you going...and how are you seeing?!"
To his frustration, the Night Fury still wouldn't give him even a hint. Another tremor rocked the cave, and rocks started to tumble down from the ceiling, filling up the passageway behind them. Wherever Toothless was headed so recklessly, there would be no going back.
And then Hiccup saw light.
They made it out of the tunnel and into the sunset right before the tunnel completely caved in. With a thrust of Toothless's wings, they were back in the air, looking over the outside of Odin's Shield and the surrounding mountains.
"Yes, we got out!" Hiccup whooped. "I don't know how, but I'm not going to look a gift dragon in the mouth..."
There was a sudden rush of wind as Astrid flew by. Relieved, she cried, "Hiccup, you made it!"
Bashfully, he rubbed the back of his head and responded, "Yeah, and please don't ask me how, because to be perfectly honest, I have no idea."
The Thunderdrum chose that moment to appear, bellowing loudly as it charged them. At the urging of their riders, Toothless and Stormfly avoided the semi-aquatic dragon.
"Should I help you drive that Thunderdrum away?" asked Hiccup, a mite awkwardly.
As he said that, Heather and Ninjark flew by on Windshear, whooping and laughing as they chased the Thunderdrum away.
"They've got it under control!" Astrid told him, smiling. "It's really the Pokémon that need help."
"Of course..." he muttered, and then he and Toothless left her and the others to deal with the remaining wild dragons.
They found Kickin' Hawk still in the clutches of the Changewing. However, instead of abusing him, the dragon was now cuddling him with its tail and nuzzling his face amiably. Needless to say, the veteran Hawlucha looked less than pleased.
Hiccup smiled. "Looks like you've made a friend."
"Be glad the Dragalge is rehydrating itself," Kickin' Hawk grumbled.
Toothless shot forward, stopping only a tail's distance away from the Changewing. The wild dragon finally let go of Kickin' Hawk took to the air and, after taking a second to screech angrily at Toothless, flew into the setting sun, narrowly dodging a plasma blast.
"Not another word about this," Kickin' Hawk said, sternly, "Ever!"
After an eventful afternoon, it was high time Team Go-Getters went back to Berk. They turned their backs to Odin's Shield and flew away in their standard flight formation, all of them exhausted and ready for a good night's rest. On the way there, they chatted about how good of a team they had made back on the cliff – but not all the details were crystal clear.
"I still can't believe how you survived that cave-in," remarked Heather, looking over at Hiccup.
"Neither can I!" he replied, incredulously. "It was all Toothless, he...he sent out this weird sound, it bounced back toward us, and someone he used it to find his way out."
Captain spoke up, "I don't get it. How do you use sound to guide you?"
Amber came up with an answer immediately. "Zubat do it all the time," she said dismissively. "They can't see, so they use sound to find their way through caves and whatnot."
Keeping the Charmeleon's comment in mind, Astrid pulled a bit on her Deadly Nadder's saddle and edged closer to where Hiccup was flying. "So, did you get anything?" she asked. "Like, maybe a riddle or something, like when we went out to find Hamish's treasure?"
Smugly, Hiccup told her, "A map...to the Isle of Night!"
"Awesome!" Ninjark cheered. "When are we gonna leave?"
"First thing in the morning," replied Hiccup, his ecstasy obvious.
Looking down at Toothless, and reaching down to give the dragon a friendly pat on the head, he murmured, "Toothless, this time tomorrow, you're going to be up to your neck in Night Furies."
A happy growl emerged from Toothless's mouth, and he flapped his wings with excitement fueling his muscles.
Unfortunately for Hiccup, Snivels was still fast asleep when they all got home. Kickin' Hawk's medicine for him was definitely doing its job healing his swollen throat and keeping him well-rested.
Whereas the rest of Team Go-Getters had already gone to bed, Hiccup found himself still wide awake. There was no way he could lay down on his bed and relax when there was such a huge adventure awaiting him in the morning. Knowing that it was impossible to try and get to sleep, he spent his time at his desk, looking over Bork's notes and the map he had copied down.
It's really going to happen, he kept telling himself. We're really going to find more Night Furies. Toothless wasn't the last of his kind after all! He won't be the only Night Fury anymore!
He was thinking this for the umpteenth time when he suddenly found Astrid by his side.
"Try not to stay up too late, Dragon Boy."
Hiccup sighed. "It's just...well, we're finally gonna find more Night Furies. Toothless won't be the only one anymore, and..."
"I know," Astrid said gently, "I'd do the same for Stormfly. But you aren't alone in this, we're all right behind you."
Hiccup gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I know."
He noticed she was still wearing the pendant he'd given her. It reminded him of her devotion to him and her willingness to marry him.
"Astrid?"
"Yes, Hiccup?"
"Can I...may I...kiss you?"
Any other girl would have been taken aback by such a question. Good thing Astrid was tougher than most. "Sure. Just a little one, to prepare me for later."
It was merely a peck. It didn't even last a second. But they could both feel the love hidden behind it. Satisfied, Astrid went upstairs to bed.
Hiccup went to follow her when he came across something in Bork's notes that made him pause. His smile faded away when Hiccup took a closer look at the page in his hand and read it over again.
"There's a reason Night Furies live on the Isle of Night," he realized. Scrutinizing the words closely, he read, "Bork's notes say 'swarms of Night Furies can be extremely hostile to other species'."
He paused. "If the others come with me on their dragons..."
Well, it simply couldn't happen. The others would get chased away. No, Hiccup couldn't risk bringing the entire company with him. It was too dangerous.
"Well, it's just you and me then, bud..." he sighed.
Toothless looked up from his now-empty fish basket and warbled softly, tail swishing back and forth with excitement. Smiling at the Night Fury, Hiccup finished packing up his satchel and slung it over his shoulder.
At last, they were ready.
Down the stairs and out the front door they crept, taking care not to disturb the other Go-Getters. Hiccup held the door open so that Toothless could lope out the doorway and onto the grass outside. Closing the door quietly behind him, Hiccup hopped off the front porch and expertly hoisted himself onto the saddle.
"This is it, Toothless," Hiccup said with a smile. "You're finally going to see that you're not alone. Next stop, the Isle of Night."
Sliding his foot into the stirrup, Hiccup felt that familiar buzz down his spine as they prepared for takeoff. But this time, the buzz energized him more than ever, and when he shivered, it had nothing to do with the chilly night air.
They leapt into the star-speckled sky, and soon, they had left Berk far behind.
Discovery, drama, and – most importantly – family awaited them.
As planned, the entirety of Team Go-Getters met up at the Dragon Academy bright and early, their saddlebags filled and ready to go. But the longer they sat there on the dragons' backs, the more it became apparent that something wasn't right.
"Where's Hiccup?" questioned Amber, yawning.
A dawning realization rose upon Astrid. It had to be...no, it couldn't! Hiccup wouldn't...would he?
Snivels woke up sometime after everyone else had left, panic filled his eyes when he realized he was alone in the house.
He cleared his throat. Was it safe for him to talk, yet? Deciding to take a chance, he called out, "Hello?"
Not a single rasp or cough.
But there was no one answering.
He was lucky to notice a small and familiar book sitting open on the table next to Hiccup's bed. After flipping through it – there were quite a few sketches of Toothless inside – Snivels came across a hastily-scribbled map on one of the middle pages. Knowing that it had be the map from Bork's Cave, Snivels headed outside, breathing heavily and talking to himself.
"You're losing it, Snivels, calm down! This is not your fault. All you have to do is tell your friends what's going on, and they'll understand completely that you were only trying to warn Hiccup of what he's headed into. There is no reason to lose your head. And whatever you do, you absolutely, positively, must. Not. Panic."
His walk slowed to a stop as he spoke those last three words. He was quiet for a few brief seconds before he suddenly started screaming his head off and took off running towards the Dragon Academy.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! HICCUP'S A GONER! HE'S A GONER! HE'S A GONER! HE'S A GONER!"
At the Academy, Astrid was the first to hear Snivels approaching. It wasn't that hard, given the fact he was practically screaming bloody murder. "Snivels? What are you doing?"
The Servine prince nearly threw himself at his future trainer-in-law's boots, breaking down completely into hysterics. "It's all my fault! I tried to warn you guys! The medication was too strong!"
Now Blaze was as confused as Astrid was. "Snivels, what are you talking about?"
After taking a few deep breaths, Snivels did his best to try and explain the situation.
"InoticedBork'snotesabouttheIsleofNighthadMildew'sscentonthemandIwantedtowarnHiccupbutthemedicinemademefallasleepandnowHiccup'sheadedtotheIsleofNightaswespeakonlytherearen'tanyNightFuriesontheislandbecauseit'sreallyatrap!"
He was talking so fast, it didn't help the rest of Team Go-Getters understand anything at all.
"Could you start again from that first 'Isle of Night'?" Ninjark asked.
Snivels took in another breath before finally calming down enough to say it outright. "The notes and map are FAKE!"
Astrid couldn't stop herself from gasping out loud.
Heather muttered, "Oh, no."
"I tried to warn you guys," Snivels said, "Hiccup's heading into a trap!"
"Then we need to warn him," Heather said as she and Ninjark mounted Windshear. "And fast!"
Astrid nearly rolled her eyes. "How are we going to find him? He could be anywhere in the archipelago!"
Snivels stood up. "I can track his scent. But we need to hurry, the wedding's in four days!"
All of Team Go-Getters that had been present at the Academy mounted the dragons and took off into the sky in record time. But a single negative thought passed through Astrid's mind as she reached up and grabbed the pendant Hiccup had given her.
Were they too late?
After flying over the vast ocean for hours – all through the night and well into the morning, to be exact – the water finally gave way to land. The unmistakable features of an island passed underneath Hiccup and Toothless, and they both couldn't contain a shiver of anticipation.
They soared down to land, and they became the first human-and-dragon pair to set foot on the Isle of Night.
When Hiccup walked forward, he noticed that Toothless seemed reluctant to follow. "Trust me, bud," he soothed. "Relax. If my map is right, you're going to like what we find here."
The two of them continued to explore the island, finding absolutely no signs of life except for small bushes and the occasional tree growing out from between the cracks in the rocky ground. The only sounds were the constant lapping of the waves on the coastline, and the wind rustling the leaves on the bushes. Just as Bork's notes said, there didn't seem to be any signs of other dragons living on the island.
Finally, they stopped walking when they came across a downwards slope leading into an ominous-looking clearing. Two huge mountains rose up to block the sunlight, plunging the clearing into shadow. The rocky, uneven terrain was dominated by a natural platform that had a slope retreating back into the shadows. It looked almost like it led into the lair of a beast, a beast that could walk to the top of its platform and survey its territory.
This was as good a place as any to start.
"Alright, you ready?" Hiccup asked Toothless.
The Night Fury didn't make a sound, but either way, he seemed to be encouraging his rider to go on and do what he had to do. Giving him a nod, Hiccup took out his Dragon Whistle and raised it to his mouth.
"Here goes..." he said, and blew into the contraption.
"AAOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"
The howl that came from the Dragon Whistle slowly faded into the distance, and was soon replaced by silence, leaving Hiccup with a sense of suspense that felt like it was tearing him apart from the inside. Would this work? Were there really Night Furies here? Was this even the right island?
Right as he was about to try again, a very familiar noise came from the other side of the clearing. There was no doubt about it.
"I can't believe it!" enthused Hiccup. "Did you hear that?"
Toothless nodded enthusiastically, briefly rearing onto his hind legs to excitedly wave his front paws in the air. He threw his head back and let out a roar.
Moments later...
"AAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHH!"
A massive black figure emerged from the shadows.
"Bork was right," Hiccup breathed. Suddenly, he broke into a giddy grin so wide that it threatened to tear his face in two. "Go on! Go get 'em, Toothless!"
Happy to finally hear the voice of another of his species, Toothless bounded across the rocks and landed at the bottom of the slope, wings outstretched to keep him balanced when he hit the ground – but he hesitated. He turned his gaze up to where Hiccup still stood, almost like he was scared.
"Go on!" his human friend said again.
Toothless nodded, and, with his enthusiasm renewed, continued making his way across the clearing to meet the other Night Fury. It was just standing there, stock-still, like it was waiting to see what the newcomer would do...
Suddenly, there was another growl, but not that of a Night Fury. Back on the ledge, Hiccup jumped at the sound and whirled around to see if there was anything behind him. There was – a chimera-looking Pokémon that had a very complex brown helmet masking its entire head. The strange Pokémon settled down under a small tree, keeping its eyes on the leader of the Go-Getters.
"Hold on," Hiccup muttered, "If other species stay away from this island, why would there be a Pokémon here...?"
A horrible feeling flooded through him, bringing with it a hot flash of panic, a desire to run away and never come back. Evidently, Toothless felt it, too. Down in the clearing, he growled and bared his teeth, wings raised threateningly. He slowly backed away from the motionless Night Fury, no longer as trusting as he had been a second ago.
Something wasn't right here.
"Toothless, come back!" shouted Hiccup.
The horrifying and unmistakable sound of a bolas twirling through the air reached Hiccup's ears, and Toothless was suddenly on the ground, roaring and thrashing in an effort to get free. Armored Vikings rushed forward to subdue their prey.
Desperately, Hiccup began to head toward his downed dragon friend, with no rescue plan or escape plan in mind – just the uncontrollable desire to help him. Then, strong hands grabbed each of his arms and forced them behind his back, and the scrawny Haddock boy was pushed roughly onto his stomach.
When he craned his neck so that he was looking forward, his eyes widened when he saw who was standing in front of him.
"Amazingly realistic!" laughed Alvin the Treacherous. "Wouldn't ya say, Hiccup?"
Beside Alvin was his second-in-command Savage, who pushed a Night Fury-shaped statue forward on a set of wheels. It was undoubtedly the same one that had been used to lure Toothless away from his rider. So it had been a clever trap, set up by the Outcasts.
But how?
"What do you want, Alvin?" Hiccup grunted, straining against the weight of the Outcast who held him prisoner.
His arch nemesis let out a hearty guffaw. "I want me own dragon trainer! And by the look of things, I got one."
"Who says I'm going to train your dragons?" he shot back, defiant until the end.
Alvin only smirked and stepped aside, allowing Hiccup to get a good view of Toothless. The Night Fury was muzzled and bound with ropes, making even the slightest movement next to impossible. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself was currently at the mercy of four well-armed Outcast soldiers.
"He does," Alvin replied, his smirk never fading.
The message was obvious – do as Alvin said, or Toothless wouldn't stand a chance.
But how?
That was what Hiccup asked next, the only question on his mind, the only thing he wanted to know. "How did you do this? How'd you know I'd come here?"
He only got another sadistic grin in reply.
Their work done, the Outcasts were preparing to leave the Isle of Night for good. And it was on their ship where Hiccup made a disastrous discovery that shocked him to his core.
Much like the time when the disastrous thunderstorm had hit Berk, and the locals had been frightened into believing anything they were told, Toothless had nearly been bound and chained to the deck of a ship and was ready to be shipped off elsewhere. Only this time, Hiccup was joining the dragon, and they weren't being sent away by their own people.
He struggled to sit up despite the ropes binding his arms to his sides, and managed to prop himself up against the mast. He watched as the Outcasts marched up the gangplank in single file, until finally, he was faced with someone he thought he'd never see climbing aboard an Outcast boat.
It was none other than Mildew, followed closely by his pet sheep Fungus.
"Mildew?" asked Hiccup, eyes widening. "What're you doing here?" He'd assumed that the ugly old hermit had ended up stranded in the middle of the ocean, or even starved to death.
"Ah, look at you," Mildew replied, his voice full of false regret. "The brightest boy on the island, trapped and outwitted by a silly old man and his sheep."
A glint of malice ignited his otherwise dull eyes, and the slightest hint of a smirk caused the corner of his mouth to twitch.
The world began falling into focus for Hiccup, and what he realized made his blood run cold. "How...How could you do this?" he whispered.
Sickeningly casually, Mildew answered him, "It's your fault, Hiccup. You read our false Bork notes, you followed the map, and you walked right into our trap. Alvin wanted a dragon trainer, I wanted the dragons driven off of Berk. And it's all because of your love for a dragon. And this time, your pathetic little snake isn't here to help you."
Suddenly overwhelmed with anger, Hiccup tried in vain to lunge at the new Outcast. "You leave Snivels out of this!"
Finished with the Haddock boy, Mildew walked away with a scornful shake of his head. He grumbled under his breath, "Little good-for-nothing beast."
Hiccup heard what the old man had said about his friend. He wanted to retort back, but he knew it would be in vain.
"Raise the sails!" bellowed Alvin. "We're headed home...to Outcast Island!"
His soldiers raised a hearty cheer of victory and started to ready their ship for the long trip back home.
Nobody on the ship noticed the chimera-like Pokémon Hiccup saw which provided him with his first clue that things weren't what they seemed on the Isle of Night. The Pokémon's eyes glared through its helmet as it watched the burly Vikings sail off with a restrained Hiccup and his beloved Night Fury friend. It quickly formulated a plan in its head.
Outcasts - attack.
Night Fury - rescue.
Scrawny, helpless hero - rescue and maybe befriend.
The Pokémon rose to its feet and ran towards one of the smaller ships that only had a small handful Vikings operating the vessel. The chimera-like Pokémon jumped onto the stern of the ship, digging its powerful front claws into the wood to keep from falling off. With the small vessel taking the rear, the chances of him ever being spotted were slim to none. Even from the very back of the pack, the Pokémon kept his eyes on the duo it needed to rescue from the dirty clutches of the evil Vikings.
Because that's what he was created for.
Me: Three guesses to what the new Pokémon is. Though I'm sure Double S will be able to figure out in a femtosecond.
Blaze: A what?
Snivels: It's a measurement of time, referring to one quadrillionth of a second.
Ninjark: And who's Double S?
Me: Cottonmouth25. Double S is my way of saying "Spore Serpent," which is another name he goes by.
Ninjark: I think I get it.
Snivels: I hope good old Double S will drop us a review, soon!