Merida takes off at top speed, dashing in between the trees. She can feel her breathe, but it wasn't shallow. She wasn't gasping for air. She was stronger, faster, and in more shape than she has ever been. Merida jumps over a rock and then rolls to slide under a branch. This is it, she thinks to herself as she runs faster. The trees break and she sees the beach. The beach that she had now called her home for the past two weeks.
"Hyaut!" She hears and her eyebrows furrow, her expression turning into a determined one.
"Don't wait, don't wait, don't wait!" Merida shouts. She hears a shrill and heavy foot stomps. She runs at full speed, inches from the ocean. She jumps just before the shore, reaching with her left hand. Her heart jumps out of her chest as she feels her hand grasp something hard.
"MERRIDA! PULL UP!" Hiccup screams at her from the shore. She huffs watching herself get higher and higher off the ground at full speed, now flying over the ocean. Merida grunts, hoisting her entire body using the handle that Hiccup had designed for ChiChi's saddle. She flings Her legs over the saddle, not without a struggle. Chi Chi was ginormous and her small body was a pea compared to her. Merida is now sideways on ChiChi, and she tries to straighten up without falling off. Her breathe is heavy as she struggles to straddle Chi Chi and grab hold of the impressive saddle Hiccup had created. With a firm grip on the saddle she finally straightens up, latching her feet in the holders on the side. She hears an excited shout from down below.
Merida squints as she flies above the water. She gazes out at the sun and a smile creeps on her face. I did it, Merida thinks to herself, taking the time to look around her, flying in the air for the first time on her own without Hiccup.
"I did it!" Merida shouts excitedly, "I'm flying!"
ChiChi turns it's head a little and lets out a low grunt. It's antenas which are soft and fleshy bend backwards and sweep across her face playfully. Merida laughs and rubs the side of ChiChi's neck.
"Woohoo!" Merida shouts gleefully as her and ChiChi ride in unison. She banks the saddle to the left and ChiChi follows, ducking low to glide close to the water and near the beach. They make a perfect landing, ChiChi's dragon scales reflect sunlight off of them, almost blinding Hiccup as they land.
"Doesn't feel too good, does it?" Merida laughs, sliding off of ChiChi.
"I gotta admit, being blinded isn't fun," Hiccup smiles, "So how was it?"
"AMAZING! Do ya know how far ye can go on tha' thing? It was amazing'! Like we were breathing from the same lung! I've never experienced anythin' like it!
"It's a whole different world up there," Hiccup laughs looking at the horizon, "Every time their wings beat, and your heart pumps, you can feel the whole Earth around you. And for once, everything just feels-"
"Unified," They say at the same time. Hiccup and Merida smile at each other.
"I understand now," Merida takes a deep breathe, "I understand you."
Hiccup can feel his cheeks starting to blush. He quickly turns his head and runs his hands through his hair. He clears his throat and gestures for Merida to follow him.
"So I've been thinking about what you said. About the other clans? I know we need to get there and ChiChi is our only option. I don't know the exact path to get there-"
"I already told ye south!" Merida narrows her eyes, "They all come in from the same direction, but tha's because we only have one way in."
"I know that," Hiccup rolls his eyes and points at the sand, "Which is why I drew this."
Merida's jaw drops as she looks down at the sand map that Hiccup had just drawn. It was rather intricate, showing where the beach was to a relative distance of where DonBruch should be and the other clans. He had even drawn pathways that he saw best fit to get to each. She was surprised that he had paid enough attention to her that he was able to remember and map it. They were at a lack for resources and they needed to get to someplace where they could rally together people to take down Ardus.
"Wow, I'm impressed." Merida says, "This looks just like the map from the castle. The only problem is we don't have the exact distance to each of the kingdoms."
"I was hoping you had a good idea, maybe not of the distance, but how long it will take to get there?" Hiccup suggests, "I should be able to calculate the distance from how long it takes to get there.
"But we could also take a wrong turn. All of these arrows are curved." Merida points at the map, "How will you know when to curve?'
"We follow the current of the seas. They will tell us where there is land. Plus dragons are more in tune to their surroundings then we are. They'll feel a shift, especially when other creatures are present."
"But if yer wrong we'll be trapped at sea." Merida also notes, "And if I have to sacrifice anybody for food, you'd be the first t'go."
Hiccup gulps and laughs nervously, "Well then let's hope that doesn't happen."
"Okey, well we have a somewhat plan. We need to decide where to go first." Merida nods, "Probably the clan that is the closest."
"No!" Hiccup shakes his head, "If we go where is closest, who else do you think is going to make that exact same decision?"
"Ardus," Merida rolls her eyes, "Tha' means MacGuffin."
"Looks like it. Is that going to be an issue?"
"No...no... not at all.. but the clan's son is..." Merida starts.
"Oh please don't tell me you have a long lost love or something," Hiccup raises his eyebrow.
"Are you kiddin' me? I wouldn't be in to that blabberin' lip biter if he was tha last man on Earth!" Merida narrows his eyes, "Besides, you won't be able to understan' a word he says anyway."
"Well, we're going to have to make it work. Promise you'll play nice?" Hiccup asks. Merida scowls with her arms folded. Hiccup inches closer, "Merrrridaaaa. Will you play nice?"
Still she is unmoved by his childish antics. He starts to poke at her arm, and then moves to her cheeks. Merida fights back laughter as she swats him away.
"Okey! Okey! I'll play nice." Merida rolls her eyes, "But we're going to need more supplies than we have if we want to make it there more flesh than bone."
"Lucky for us, I've been doing a bit of gathering," Hiccup beams.
"Ye, and I've been doing all the hunting. Boy have the tides turned," Merida chuckles. Hiccup rolls his eyes.
"When do we leave?" Hiccup asks.
"Immediately," Merida says, "We've already wasted enough time. Yer stupid as a door mat if you think I'm going to sit here and wait around while my kingdom is under siege."
"Well, it's already been sieged-" Hiccup bites his lip as Merida gives him the death glare, "You're right, you're right. We will leave immediately. I'll, uh... I'll go get the snack baskets I've been hoarding."
Merida nods, knowing she was going to have to do the same thing. They had been taking secret trips to the edges of the kingdom, searching for leftover supplies. She had gotten lucky enough to find some storage baskets and containers she and Hiccup had been using for fresh water. They had acquired items like knives, overused pots and pans, and spare clothes. The clothes had been an exceptional win for Merida. No one said being a girl was easy, and it didn't help parading around in a torn and tattered dress. This time she had traded for a more battle friendly look. A pair of pants and a sheer flowing skirt that she had torn and sewn to drape across the sides and the back of the pants. She had found a pair of boots that made it easier to run in, and also kept the sand out of her shoe. She had on a plain white v neck tee, but had found an elegant shawl that stops mid waist, is short sleeved, and ties at the base of her neck to make it more feminine. She also had stolen a few more items, just to make sure the two of them always had fresh clothes. Merida felt bad stealing from her people, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
As the sun set, Merida and Hiccup reconvene with their supplies. Hiccup had lulled ChiChi to sleep a few hours back, making sure she was well rested for the journey. They knew ChiChi would be flying for a while with little chance of finding a place to land. Merida sits on the sand and watches the horizon while Hiccup finishes attaching their baskets to ChiChi's saddle.
"Merida," Hiccup calls to her. Merida turns to him and stands to her feet. She walks towards him, "Are you ready?"
"No," Merida responds, "But I have to be. For my kingdom. For your village."
Hiccup takes her hand in his. He feels her flinch a bit, but he holds on. "For our people."
Merida nods and he can sense the fear in her soul. For a second the Earth stood still. For a second everything was okay. For a second, neither one of them had fear. Or doubt. Or regret. Or sadness. All they felt was each other in the moment where they were right now. But they couldn't stay like that. They couldn't ignore their past or where they needed to go. People were counting on them. They needed to do this for everyone that is suffering and sacrificed their lives to follow them.
"Let's ride."
They hear an ear piercing screech. It was a screech enough to shake the entire clan. People poke their heads out of the huts and cottages, curious at the noise. People gasp as they see a rush of unknown flying birds. Some run with their children, ducking and hiding. A child in the streets with dark black wavy hair screams at the top of her lungs. She holds in her left hand a homemade plush of a rabbit. It is enough to catch the attention of a Boneknapper. This dragon collects the bones of dead dragons for armor. A dog barks and jumps in front of the girl, showing its sharp teeth.
The Boneknapper lands, cocking it's head to the side. The dark barks and growls again. The Boneknapper's pupil's turn from wide to narrow and the Bone knapper let's out a roar that scares the dog. He runs away, the child running with him. The Bonknapper runs to keep up, ten times faster than the dog and the little girl he is about to crush them both with one stomp but a someone grabs them and rolls them out of the way. The Boneknapper is now in the middle of Macintosh Square, squashing their water well. The leaders son stands to his feet, whisking his hair out of his face.
An army of men follow suit standing behind him while the little girl and dog flee to safety. Four other dragons land next to the Boneknapper.
"Ey! You betta get out of here before we feed ye bodies to the kraken!" Lord Macintosh screams.
Next to the Boneknapper is a Deadly Nadder. A woman slides off of it. The young Macintosh's jaw drops, but he quickly composes himself.
"Yeah, okay, like a kraken is actually real?" The woman laughs.
"As real as yer pesky dragons! What do ye want?" Lord Macintosh asks.
"It's obvious," his son replies, "She's here for me!"
"For you?" The woman scoffs, "And what would I want with you?"
"To marry me of course," He rolls his eyes, flipping his hair, "I knew it'd get around how beautiful and amazing I am. Merida was stupid not to take me."
"Ugh, you sound like this annoying pig head named Snoutloud that I killed ages ago." the woman groans.
"What is yer business here?" Lord Macintosh asks.
"Taking over." The woman says plainly, "The names Astrid. On behalf of King Ardus, I demand you tell you men to stand down."
"Ardus! That man was executed long ago!" Lord Macintosh says. The army gasp as Ardus hops off of a Dimflight and tosses a sack on the ground. They hear a grunt. Astrid walks over to the sack and opens it, pulling the former King Fergus by the root of his hair. He is tied up from head to toe, bloodied and bruised.
"As I said," Astrid says, "Stand. Down."
"Fergus!" Lord Macintosh gasps before glaring at Ardus, "This is not how the line of power works! We will not bow to you as long as the kingdom's royal family still stands!"
"Funny, I would have thought you would have wanted a chance to rule," Ardus laughs.
"Well ye aren't offering that to us, now are ya?" Lord Macintosh crosses his arms, "I may be coo coo cachoo in the head, but I know a fraud when I see one!"
"So we kill him then," Astrid whips out her sword, "That's an easy fix. We already have the rest of the family in the dungeon. Well, all except one. And that's where we are going to need your help."
Lord Macintosh and his son exchange glances. "You aren't here to destroy us?"
"Destroy you? Of course not! This was just a little bit of an intimidation greeting, why don't we call it." Astrid crosses her arms, "Like you said, you won't bow unless the whole royal family has fallen. We are missing one hotheaded member of the family."
"Merida," Lord Macintosh whispers.
"So you're going to help us find her." Astrid states.
"Why should we help you?" Lord Macintosh glares, "If yer just going to take us over, ye might as well do it now."
"I'm sorry," Astrid laughs, "I think I led you astray. Help us, and we'll just take over the land. If you don't help us, we'll just kill everyone in the and take the rest of the village for ourselves."
"You monster! How dare you threaten this village!"
"Listen buddy, we can always just salvage the goods, burn the whole clan to a crisp and rebuild with my people. Or, you can save your people and help us take over the other two clans. But the choice is yours. Either way you lose. Just depends how many losses are you going to have." Astrid observes her nails, sharpening them with the edge of her sword.
Lord Macintosh's son looks to his father desperately. He turns to face his men, all struck with fear. They have gone up against army's twice their numbers, performed the most dangerous expeditions, fought monsters fueled by ancient magic, but never before have they been faced by such a ruthless human. Most of them wonder if they even are human, riding in on demons, threatening to slay an entire clan without so much as blinking an eye.
Lord Macintosh's breathe is heavy. He closes his eyes and bows his head, threatening a tear to stream from his face.
"Dad? What are you-"
"My men, are your men. We pledge our allegiance to you in exchange for the safety of the people. My son will act as an aide to find the princess." Lord Macintosh says with a shaky voice. He puts a hand to his chest and falls to one knee. Lord Macintosh's son, Ryan, gasps. But with sad eyes and a heavy heart he follows his father.
"I will do what I must," Ryan Macintosh says, his mind immediately remembering how brave Princess Merida was. Never before had he met a girl like Merida. She was brave, stubborn, beautiful, strong, courageous, but light hearted. She had become an inspiration to the four clans, and her story had become legend. Now he was tasked with bringing down the one girl that had raised him up from the pit of his selfishness which he will readily admit is not even close to perfect.
"Perfect. Your clan will be spared. But mark my words, make one move at betrayal and you will watch everything you love burn. Now Ryan Macintosh. Come with me," Astrid demands, "We have a job for you."
Writer's message:
SORRRRY for taking like... I dunno... 2 years to update? I started going to work and school full time to finish college faster and writing took a backseat. I tend to switch my hobbies every so often and writing took a backseat to activities like fashion design, and music mixing/dj. I'm taking a small break from fashion and it looks like writing is back in rotation so be on the lookout for story updates across all of my stories. Especially the following: "Till Death Do Us Part" , "Incredibly Inside Out" , "Tron's Revival: Glitches and Heroes" , "Descendant's Revenge" , and the brand new story "Welcome to ToonTown". Thanks for reading and being patient! Sincerely yours ~ JayJayBird28