With the poise of a leading dragon, Toothless quietly nudged the door open out into the hallway, tactfully ignoring the wood chips and loose handle from where Meatlug busted in. Strong girl. Note to self, don't find yourself on the business end of those fists.
The light streaming in through the windows was sparse and wispy, moon not yet aligned to project those last few precious rays in. The hall was silvery gray in its dusty probably-way-too-old-to-house-living-beings-ness. Small, excessively drafty holes and bare spots marred the ceiling and stones. Empty sconces lined the walls shamefully, looking all the more pathetic as our party shuffled past quietly. I mean really, what's the point of an empty sconce? The only thing sadder was Hookfang casting hollow glances over his shoulder to the opposite end of the hall. I fall back, pushing my head against his side. We stared at eachother for a while before he just smiled wordlessly and pat my head, staring back ahead with the rest of the group. I detached myself, still staying close.
We got this.
Right?
At the front, Toothless held up an arm as firelight danced from the crack under a door, accompanied by the murmurings of feline voices. I elbowed my way up, trying to find somewhere to peek. The wooden door was of better quality than the ones in the dungeons, while also not being made to keep prisoners. No convenient holes, no windows. There wasn't a keyhole, the door wasn't even locked. I turned back to the group, sheepishly shrugging my shoulders in defeat. Meatlug and Hookfang shared a look before pantomiming beating them up. The rest of us vigorously shook our heads no no no no no no, B.B. doubly so and even going as far as to cross his arms in an X. I squeezed my eyes shut, pacing backwards as I tried thinking things through rationally.
So out of character, I know.
I glared at the door, trying to will the cats away so we could just pass without fuss, but as wonderful as it would be it has long since been established that we? Were not the ones with magic here. Cats one, Dragons zero. I slumped against the wall next to the door as another breezy draft rustled my fur. I looked up at the offending holes. I looked down at the jutting stones that made the walls and floors. I looked further down at my hands. Further more was my feet. Hands and feet that could grab things. Hands and feet that could climb the walls, pull everyone through one of the big holes in the ceiling up onto the roof, where they wouldn't expect us to be because they thought they took away the dragons' ability to fly.
Oho. Ohohohoho. I got an admittedly stupid shiteating smile on my face as I scurried across the hall, looking for the biggest, draftiest, easiest-to-squeeze-a-dragon-through hole. There was one right next to one of the extravagant windows, the uppermost panes were even smashed in a little! I grinned, motioning for my friends to follow my lead as I grabbed a stone in the wall. Then a higher one. Then I found one for my right foot. Followed by my left foot. I dangled off a sconce. The dragons were flabbergasted, obviously startled that their resident corgi was seemingly part spider monkey. The lightbulb went off for Stormfly first, clawed wingtip hands finding the same stones as I with an elegant deftness. I kept climbing, listening to the scratch of everyones claws as we rose.
I sat myself on the top of the thick wall as I pulled myself up onto the roof, partly cloudy sky finally uninterrupted by wall or window. I breathed in the air, sharp and fresh. No more dusty dungeon for us! Pushing myself up onto the shingles of the roof and sticking my arms out to balance myself, I took in the surroundings. We were much, much farther inland than I expected. I had to strain and tiptoe to see the ocean, even with the high vantage point it was barely within the horizon. The building, an ancient dilapitated fort, obscured the view of the rest of the land, save for a sprawling mountainside. I did my best to not look down.
I startled as Toothless tapped my shoulder. I whipped around, almost ready to scream, when he pointed up to a tower with lit yellow windows. It looked like a climb. I heaved a sigh, and took a step forward, when the sound of shattering glass startled me again. A part of the roof had caved in, taking a window with it. B.B. clamped his mouths shut with his hands as he scootched backwards, shingles following in his wake.
From inside, I heard the door we were just creeping around burst open.
"You hear that?!"
"'Course I heard it, you think i'm stupid?!"
Light snaked into the trees, flickering dangerously.
"Ah, it's just the roof again. Let's go back."
"You sure? That hole looks... Bigger."
"That's how every hole looks, stupid."
"Hey I ain't stupid! You're stupid!"
"You're the one who thinks holes look too big!"
The cats kept bickering as they retreated, the door shutting and taking the light with it. As a group, we exhaled. That was close. Way way way too close. Meatlug only shook her head and forged ahead of the group. I scampered after her, quiet as a mouse. As the roof evened out around its peak, I spied even more fort, completely caved in and uninhabitable. It was truly a miracle that the wing we were just in wasn't equally as reduced to rubble. A miracle, or maybe... I sniffed. No time for that.
As we approached the base of the tower, I peered into the closest window only to reel back.
"What is it this time?" Stormfly whisper-hissed, arms wrapped around eachother self-conciously.
"That's a fuckin' drop! The windows aren't aligned with the stairs!" I whispered back, moving away and gesturing for her to see for herself. She scoffed.
"That's nothing. This one time, my Astrid and I-" I cut her off, fake coughing and flapping my hands before pointing a finger in my mouth, making the sickest expression I could manage. "Oh. Right."
"As fun as breaking our ankles sounds, I think I see something down there." B.B. waved us over, pointing down over the edge of the roof into an overgrown courtyard. We followed his clawed fingertip across mossed-over path up to where it started becoming fort again, large wooden doors fallen askew off their hinges leading inside into the dark.
"Does that even go up into the tower?" Hookfang questioned, tapping his foot impatiently.
"One way to find out." Meatlug murmured, grabbing hold of the overhang before dropping like a stone. She hit the ground gracefully, years of heavy landings having prepared her for the worst.
"That works." Hookfang acquiesced, deflating as he joined her. Stormfly, never one to be outdone, vaulted off next.
"Here, Pepper, let me carry you." B.B. reached out for me. I stepped back.
"I can handle myself, thanks." I waved him off, urging him to go on. Toothless crossed his arms at me as the zippleback leapt down.
"And just how do you plan on getting down?" He questioned. I looked around, eyeing up the courtyard. A little to the left, a bit opposite from where the tower stood dark and ominous, stood the gnarled remains of what probably used to be a hedge, however unkempt. It reached up to the lip of the roof, just barely missing it. I trotted over, trying to look like I knew what I was doing, reaching down and grabbing the swaying branches.
"Like this!" I hummed, sitting down to let my legs dangle off the edge before pushing off, swinging from the wood down to the ground. The hedge rustled angrily as I touched down a little less artfully than i'd have liked, the branches in my clutch snapping off as the dead plant sprung back, clattering against the wall. I dropped the sticks, ignoring the sting in my paw. "Tah-dah?" I shrugged to the party as Toothless dropped down. I scampered back to them, and we made our way to the tower doors. Shoving one of the splintery things out of the way, I stuck my nose in, motioning for the others to follow as I tredged up the spiral staircase.
The higher we went, the more something smelled absolutely rancid.
"Eeyuch, do you guys smell that?" I stopped in my tracks to cover my muzzle. They kept walking ahead of me.
"No? Are you ok?" Stormfly asked, turning to face me as she stepped up.
"I don't smell anything either," Spoke Toothless. "Did you hit your head on something? When we climbed up the wall maybe?" I shook my head vigorously.
"No! Are you guys seriously telling me you don't smell that? It reeks." I whined, jogging to catch up. "And it's only getting worse!"
"Maybe it's a sign we're getting close." B.B. wondered aloud.
"Whatever it is, we're here." Toothless stopped us. At the top of the staircase was a landing, beyond it a door with that same yellow glow sliding underneath. Except something was off. There was no flickering, like firelight. I snuck closer. A single shadow passed, and I picked up muttering. I pressed my ear up against the crack in the door, raising a finger to tell the dragons to stay quiet. I heard pacing, the clicking of nails against stone.
"Oh come on, please pick up, pick up! Work why won't you-ooh!" The voise squeaked as the light flashed, bright even from behind a layer of hardwood and iron.
"Yes?" A familiar feminine annoyance drawled. The original cat fumbled with something, awkwardly laughing loudly.
"Ah, miss Whittney! Boss, how are you? Might I just say you look as lovely as ev-"
"Get to the point, Tiger," she growled, "After that little setback earlier I needn't have my time wasted, especially not by you." The cat producing the light, Tiger, fumbled again, producing a ripple in the glow.
"Ah yes yes of course, right, um, well, about that, we uh, haven't managed to find them yet, but,"
"You HAVEN'T?!" Whittney screeched, making Tiger jump.
"Y-yes but! I do uh, I do believe that I um, might be getting a hold of this thing and I just wanted to let you know, miss, That I think I can take them on by myself!" Tiger stuttered, sounding proud regardless. He must have been able to see Whittney's face, because he kept going. "Oh uh, let me prove it. Please watch!"
"This had better be good."
"It is! Don't worry miss!" And at that, I heard the skittering of paws and heavy breathing as the light steadily became brighter. I shot away from the door, eyes wide, as the sound of shattering glass broke through in a flash, repeatedly like rapid gunfire. I winced, covering my ears. The stench became worse, paired with the smell of burnt stone. I gagged. Someone grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away, though I couldn't tell who. A maniacal laugh rung out as it ceased.
"Excemplary performance, Tiger. I give you permission to destroy those wretched lizards." Whittney purred.
"Th-thank you, miss! I-" Tiger was interrupted by her sickening lilt.
"Except, one last thing," She hummed, "Leave their leader and that mutt alive. I have plans for them."
"Of-of course, miss! I won't let you down!" Tiger stumbled.
"You won't."
The light died, and with it took the stench. I straightened myself out, accepting an arm offered to me from Hookfang. A thunk, followed by the clicking of flint, and the dark was replaced by the light of fire.
"What do we do now?" B.B. whispered.
"I think," I breathed in, still nauseous, "That we're gonna have to fight a magical cat." Everyone shuffled, trying to stay quiet.
"She's right..." Meatlug sighed.
"Are you sure you're up for it? You looked like you were about to puke." Hookfang asked, rubbing the back of my head comfortingly. My ears flicked up at the touch.
"Yeah. Yeah i'm good. Whatever that... Tiger... Cat was doing, it made that horrible smell." I explained, getting strange glances.
"Could it be the magic you're smelling?" Toothless pondered, "That wouldn't explain why we can't."
"It's the only lead we've got, I'll take it." I cracked my neck and stretched. "Are we ready?"
"I'll break the door on three." Meatlug declared, moving to the front. "One."
Stormfly flexed her spines. B.B. got into a running position.
"Two."
Hookfang breathed heavily, tail whipping. Toothless only glared at the door as he took his place behind Meatlug. I stepped back.
"THREE!"
We were in.
Author's note, author's note, time to read her thoughts and stuff!
Why do I hear boss music.
In all seriousness yes it's true, a bigger fight is indeed approaching! Get excited. Do it. Do it now. Another thing to get excited for is, drumroll if you would please...
The third installment of my Halloween series, How Hiccup Died 3! Coming soon to theaters October thirty-first. Mark your calendars. Because there's nothing happening at all on that particular day of this particular month that would have you marking it on your calendars anyway. Nothing at all. Nope.
Sarcasm. It's my bread and butter. Kind of like reviews. The kind you should be leaving. On this chapter, even. Ok i'll stop now.
In the ever so important tale of the one and only me, the schoolboard has decided that students will return to on-campus learning by the start of the next semester, starting around the end of January. Of course they reserve the right to Change Their Minds, the bastards, and I very well could just never go back. What a way to spend senior year.
If you-know-who dies from you-know-what, I'm hosting the BIGGEST FUCKING SHINDIG THIS SIDE OF THE PLANET. Nobody's invited, social distancing and all, but THE PRINCIPLE STANDS.
I'll make punch and cookies!- Carly
