What is this? Another chapter out so soon? I know I am surprised myself. People do not give authors enough credit! Anyways, please read and respond! I love feedback and I hope you enjoy another installment of "Love on the Run" as I enjoyed writing it. We are so close to the end!
Kassandra found herself back in her house in Athens. Alastair had ordered her to be kept under observation, to prevent her from escaping again. Thus, she was always followed around by armed guards. Kassandra wondered what was happening to her new friends back in Rome, especially Raeya; that was who she was worried about the most. No doubt those dragons would be chained up and sent to the Flavian Amphitheater, and the riders would be sold as slaves. She couldn't help but think that she was the reason they were all out here. If she hadn't run away in the first place and landed on their island, none of this would have happened.
Well, she wasn't going to just sit there and let the Romans abuse her friends! She was going to get them out and back to where they belonged, she mused. Outrunning the guards was not going to be a problem as they were weighed down with heavy armor and weapons; Not only was their armor heavy, but very noisy. Lassandra could hear them coming from a mile away. The only problem was Lucia. She watched Kassandra like an owl, and made Kassandra work around the house. Lucia made her do so many chores that by the time she was dismissed, the sun had set and Kassandra was too exhausted to run away again. But Kassandra was constantly planning her escape silently in her head.
One day Lucia was making Kassandra do her laundry. Her hands felt painful from all the scrubbing; however her mind was more focused on escaping. Suddenly Lucia came in carrying a goblet of wine and looking very smug. Lucia saw all this as karma for Kassandra threatening her with that dragon.
"Not so tough now are you?" Lucia sneered. "And there's no dragon to save you." Kassandra scowled and gripped the soaked toga she was washing. "You're getting what you deserve running away and turning your back on family."
"My family tuned their back on me when they sold me out to a man I did not love or want anything to do with! Now...where are my friends?" Kassandra demanded. Lucia narrowed her eyes.
"You naive girl. That is our way of life and will always be how things work here. You should be grateful. Any sensible woman would be happy to have a man like Gallus care for you. You are turning your back on our way of life! I would not worry about your friends though...my husband is dealing with them," she said, sipping her wine nonchalantly. "Those thieves and monsters are getting what they deserve too." Kassandra scowled and turned to face her. Lucia frowned. "I didn't tell you to stop stupid girl. Keep washing."
"Make me," Kassandra hissed. Lucia put down her goblet and started forward. When she was close enough Kassandra grabbed a small bronze statue of Apollo that happened to be sitting on a small column and whacked Lucia on the head, knocking her out. Lucia stumbled and fell backwards right into the vat of laundry with a loud splash. Kassandra snickered then ran out of the room before anyone came. Fortunately everyone was distracted with getting their mistress out of the water, and didn't notice Kassandra walk out. She found her steel whip and put it over her shoulder. Then, after making sure the coast was clear, she ran out of the house and towards the harbor.
At the harbor Kassandra found several fishing boats, loaded to the brim with fish. Kassandra looked for one that was unattended and soon found a small fishing boat that could be operated by one person. She didn't hesitate and jumped onto it, quickly surveying around to ensure she was not caught. She then realized that she was still holding the statue of Apollo, having forgotten to put down in her rush to get away. Shrugging, she put it down on the floor of the boat. Next, Kassandra untied the boat from the dock and rowed it away out to sea. When she was out far enough she let down the sail. The wind caught it and carried the ship away from Athens and back towards Rome."Athena give me strength. Let me make it in time for my friends." She prayed.
Hiccup and the rest of his group woke up in a foul smelling dungeon. It was pitch black except for the ray of sunlight that came in through a hole in the ceiling. There was one large door which was being guarded by a large Roman soldier. All the riders had one shackle around their ankles that were chained to the wall. The dragons had more chains on them. Chris looked around the space. There were only three dragons in the dungeons, Raeya was nowhere insight. The remaining dragons had shackles around each of their legs and around their necks. Their wings were chained against their sides with a similar binding Toothless had in the arena, and there mouths were clamped shut with muzzles. Their saddles, and Re's armor had been stripped off them. They all looked badly scuffed up and filthy. Toothless still had open wounds that were starting to look infected and they were all laying on the floor, looking quite miserable.
"Where are we?" Hiccup asked.
"I don't know," Chris said. "In a dungeon of some sort." He knelt beside his dad. Re looked defeated, and a bit humiliated. "Are you okay Dad?" Re just looked at him, unable to speak. He shook his head. The other two riders went to their respective dragons.
"Where's Kassandra and Raeya?" Eret asked. Before anyone could come up with suggestions, the door the dungeon opened. Alastair walked in, flanked by Gallus and his translator. When Alastair saw his prisoners awake, he smirked and spoke to his translator.
"You are awake," said the translator for Alastair. "His majesty welcomes you to Mamertine Prison. But you don't have to worry, you won't be here for long. You men will be slaves and the dragons will go to the Flavian Amphitheater." Toothless wined at the thought of returning back to that horrible place of torture.
"Where's Kassandra and Raeya?" Hiccup demanded, and the translator told Alastair.
"My sister has been taken back to our homeland of Greece, and has been placed under house arrest. You saved us so much work Hiccup! We truly thought we would have to decimate your entire village to get my sister back but you delivered her right to us." said the translator for Alastair. "The black devil has been put to work pulling carts and plows in the fields like a good mule" Alastair suddenly barked orders through the opened door. Several armed soldiers entered the dungeon. Alastair pointed at Re and Chris, and barked more orders. He then said something to the translator.
"You two will come with us to the Oracle," stated the translator. "She'll be very interested in you." The soldiers rushed in and grabbed Chris, clapping his wrists in irons. The others were blocked from going to the rescue by the other soldiers. Chris was pulled roughly to his feet as his arms were yanked up awkwardly. Re jumped up and was about slashed as the soldiers with his claws, however one of the soldiers pulled out his sword and pressed the tip to Chris's throat.
"Don't try anything dragon," the translator said for Gallus. "We've seen what happens to you when this one is injured. All we have to do is kill him, and we kill you both." Re growled but didn't attack, realizing he was in no position to do anything. The soldiers unlatched the chains binding Re from the wall. They too pulled him towards the door, and Chris was pulled along after him.
A few minutes later, they were pulled out of the dungeon and out of the prison. Every time Re tried to resist, one of the soldiers would crack a whip against his flank. Re roared in pain, and he saw that Chris also felt the whiplash as he reacted simultaneously. No wanting to cause his son anymore pain, he stopped fighting. They were dragged over to a waiting cart that was plenty big enough for Re. The soldiers pulled Re onto the cart and tied him to it, making sure he could not move a muscle. Alastair, Gallus, and many of the soldiers mounted horses. Chris was slung over the back of a mule that was being led by Gallus. A soldier got the draft horses hauling Re to move, and pull the cart away from the prison, with the mounted soldiers following behind. Re hoped someone would help them, because at the moment escape looked impossible.
For the next hour, Re's cart was pulled through the streets of Rome surrounded by every soldier in the entourage. The ride was very bumpy and uncomfortable. He didn't even try to escape anymore, and saved his energy. The convoy soon came to a villa in the middle of a large garden, enclosed by a stone wall. The convoy came to a stop at the gate right before it.
"Get the dragon and the boy down, and bring them," Alastair ordered. The soldiers got off their horses snd did as they were told. Re snarled as they untied him and suddenly whipped several of them with his tail. Another soldier pulled out his own whip and cracked it against Chris's back, leaving a huge gash upon his back. They both cried out in pain when they both felt the whiplash. The soldiers pulled Re off of the cart and towards the villa and Chris was shoved after him. They walked through the gate and up the path towards the villa. Re and Chris were panting with pain.
"I...am sorry. You should not have saved me..." Chris groaned, blood oozing down his back.
Re turned to look at his son, appalled. The sight of his injured son broke his heart and it prompted him to speak finally.
"You...are not a burden...I would...do whatever I could...to protect you..." He uttered lowly.
Chris's eyes widened in shock. "I want to believe you...but I can't..I still do not know who you are...I do not know if I will even get my memory back at all...you are very kind but...why would...why would you do all that..for me?"
Re stared at Chris intently. "Because you are Chris, my son. I love you dearly, and I would do anything to ensure your survival. If you never remember me...then that is fine. You not only have me, but the rest of your family to remind you who you are or...once was."
Chris's eyes widened further. He would have responded but they reached the door and Alastair knocked.
"Oracle, we've brought you something," he called out. The door was opened by an elderly woman dressed in a purple toga with a gold trim.
"Alastair, I was expecting you," she said, wisely. "Now what is it you brought me." Alastair stepped aside so the Oracle could see Re and Chris.
"This man and this dragon have some kind of special connection," said Alastair. "We were wondering what should be done with them." The Oracle came outside and approached Re and Chris. She pulled out a small knife and stabbed Chris in the leg. The Oracle became interested when Re hissed in pain, as though he felt it.
"A shared pain," remarked the Oracle, more to herself. "Bring them, and follow me." She grabbed a chain around Re's neck and pulled him towards the villa. Two soldiers shoved Chris after her.
Inside, there was one large room that was held up by thick marble columns. Windows lined the walls with stained glass. At the back of the room was an alter, with bottles of fluid and a small cauldron on top of it. The Oracle pulled Re over to the altar and the soldiers holding Chris stopped beside him.
"You can release the dragon from his bonds," the Oracle instructed as she went closer to the alter. "But keep a firm hold on that boy, the dragon won't go anywhere if he values the boy's life." Alastair and Gallus took the chains and muzzle. Re growled, but didn't attack when he spotted the small dagger being held against Chris's throat. The Oracle looked at Re.
"Come to me dragon," she smiled. "I need your blood." Re reluctantly approached the Oracle. She pulled out another knife, a clean one, and stabbed it into Re's shoulder. Re roared and Chris clutched his shoulder, as though he had been stabbed. The Oracle took the knife, and the other one that she'd stabbed Chris with, and went over to the cauldron. Re stepped back to where he'd previously been standing which was adjacent to Chris. The Oracle took the knife with Re's blood and tapped a few drops of blood into the cauldron, and spoke a few words in an unknown language. Suddenly her eyes rolled back and her body contorted a bit unnaturally as white smoke erupted out of the cauldron. The Oracle took several deep breaths with her eyes closed. They all waited as silence filled the room.
"I see this dragon," the Oracle started, whimsically. "He has made history for his kind. He...claimed this man as his son, being the first dragon to raise a human. This dragon shared his heart with this boy. They share the same strength, the same pain, and...the same death. He is the first dragon to willingly share his life force with a human, but he won't be last." The smoke cleared and the Oracle gazed at Re. "If this dragon dies, the boy dies. That is a strong bond they have."
She snapped her head towards Re again. "Now why on Zeus's green Earth would you do that for? A beast as powerful as you intentionally making yourself weak by tethering yourself to a human? I must know."
Re looked hesitant to respond.
"Because...he is...my father...I think. What parent..would't..give their life...for their child." Chris shot back as he glared up at the woman. The oracle titled her head and smiled. She then took the knife stained with Chris's blood and repeated the process. More white smoke billowed out from the cauldron.
"I see this boy," the Oracle whispered. "He is destined to be a champion for dragons. He has lived his entire life with them, and fought by their side. Oh, pity, he's lost his memory recently."
"How do you mean champion for dragons?" Alastair asked with a dubious tone. The Oracle gave them a mysterious look.
"He will help to ensure that...dragons and humans no longer live together," she said. Re and Chris exchanged a worried glance.
"No longer live together? That is good yes?" Gallus remarked.
"Perhaps...in our culture we do not entwine our livelihood with that of dragons. But, these two do. This man will see to it that no human comes into contact with those beasts ever again." The Oracle responded. "In fact, something huge will happen soon with him that will change his fate forever. Shame I will not be there to witness."
"Okay...in any case, what do we do with them?" Alastair pressed.
"Does not matter to me. All I can do is tell you what you do not know, not what you should do. That dragon is a king where he is from. You caught yourself some peculiar individuals. I dare say too valuable to just let them be slaves."
"Hmmm... thank you Oracle. Your wisdom is greatly appreciated." Alastair thanked before departing with them, clasping them in chains once more.
"What...did she mean...I ensure dragons and humans no longer live together?" Chris proposed to his father. The dragon looked down at him with equal worry and confusion adorning his muzzle.
"I...do not know...all we can do...is wait." Re responded.
Serenity, Tenor, and Windwalker flew over the Roman coastline. Windwalker continued to experiment with her new found ability, confident that this would really help them rescue their friends. Serenity was able to disappear with her by using her Changwing cloak. Tenor stayed very quiet the whole time, trying to keep the feeling of jealousy at bay. He kept his mind focused on getting to Rome. Tenor looked at his rider. Even though her face was covered, he somehow knew that she was anxious.
"Don't worry, we'll find them," he said. "But if we're to succeed in getting them out, you might have to step outside your comfort zone." Serenity looked back at him.
"I'm not fighting," she said.
"Oh, no you can leave that to us," said Windwalker. "But you will have to do what is necessary to get us all out of here. So you're going to see things you won't like, including a lot of violence."
"It'll be stressful for you, but we need you to trust us," Tenor said. "It will all come out okay in the end." Serenity took several deep breaths.
"All right," she said. "I trust you, and I'll try not to cry too much." She stroked Windwalker's neck. Just then she spotted the large city of Rome on the horizon. "We're almost there."
"You should not cry at all Serenity. There are times where fighting is inevitable and there is nothing you can do to stop it." Windwalker commented.
"What are you saying? Crying is wrong?" Serenity asked, a bit hurt.
"Crying is not wrong at all. But...when you cry over a fight that does not affect you in anyway, well..." Tenor trailed off.
"I guess...Chris was right then..." Serenity stated after awhile. "Even my dragons think this way of me."
"No. We do not. Do not put words in our mouth." Windwalker flew closer and looked over at Serenity. "Growing up for you, was terrible. You had a tragic childhood and no one is taking that away from you, or denying it. You are indeed strong Serenity, I have seen it in you. But, there are times when you are vulnerable that your past takes its hold on you and leaves you exposed. We all go through it. I go through it, Tenor goes through it, Re, Aurora, Chris, Hiccup, Toothless...we all have our burdens that make life difficult for us but, we find the strength to not let it define us."
Serenity was quiet but had a confused expression on her face. "My mate is saying that we never lose our demons Serenity. We only learn to live above them." Tenor expressed.
"I...will try that then. Move on, but never forget"
"That is a good way of thinking about it. Remember, we are here for you and only want you to be the best you can be, and not let anything hinder you. No repression, just let it set you free." Tenor smiled.
"We should wait until night fall," Windwalker commented. "We'll have a better advantage." The other two agreed and headed for the hills below. Suddenly they heard the unmistakable roar of a dragon. Both Tenor and Windwalker stopped suddenly and looked around.
"Where did that come from?" Serenity asked. The roar came again. The dragon sounded angry and frustrated. Tenor roared back, and the other dragon answered him. Tenor followed the sound and Windwalker followed him. They soon landed on the grass between two hills. Tenor and Windwalker ran up one of the hills to the very top and on the other side of the hill, was another dragon.
The dragon was the size of a Monstrous Nightmare, and walked like a Monstrous Nightmare. He was charcoal black with dark red wings and rough looking scales. He had a narrow brick like head, and thick neck. He was roaring in frustration and kept trying to reach something on his leg that couldn't be seen from the top of the hill. However, he was having no luck.
Serenity dismounted and removed her balaclava. Both her dragons looked at her. "You going down there?" Tenor asked with caution.
"Yeah, it sounds like he's hurt," Serenity replied. "It'll kill time until night fall."
"But what's he doing out here?" Windwalker thought out loud.
"I'll ask him." She walked down the hill towards the wild dragon. Tenor and Windwalker followed warily. The dragon heard them approaching and visibly tensed. He faced them and roared loudly in surprise. He backed away from them growling, clicking his teeth.
"Oh, it's okay," Serenity said soothingly in Dragontongue. "We're not here to hurt you." Like the other dragons she'd met, this dragon looked taken aback. He stopped growling.
"Did you just talk to me...human?" He sounded young, almost like a young teenager.
"Yes, I can speak the language of the dragons," Serenity responded. "I'm Serenity, this is Tenor and Windwalker." She pointed to the two dragons behind her. "What's your name?"
"My name is Drogon," He sounded content, but not as relaxed as he wanted. Serenity calmly approached him.
"Nice to meet you Drogon," she smiled. She stopped right in front of him. He lowered his head to look her in the eye. Serenity calmly held her hand out to him. Drogon stayed very still for a moment then, he gently pressed his snout into her hand in a dragon handshake. Serenity stroked his snout and traced her hand around the patterns of his scales. Drogon let out a short little purr and blinked his eyes lazily.
"What are you doing here by yourself?"
"I was hunting for food, but then some humans in a boat spotted me and threw their sharp sticks at me." He looked back at his right leg. Serenity followed his gaze. There were three spears sticking out of his leg. "I can't get them out."
"I could probably get them out if you let me. I have a lot of experience healing dragons."
"Yes...please," he begged.
"I'll be right back." She went back over to Tenor and Windwalker. She took her medical bag off Tenor's saddle and carried it back over, walking around to Drogon's injured leg. Drogon looked at the other dragons while she looked at his leg.
"I've never met other dragons before except for my brothers."
"Who are your brothers?" Tenor asked.
"Rhaegal and Viserion," Drogon responded. "While I am adorned with black and red scales, Rhaegal has green and bronze colored palette while Viserion has a cream and gold colored theme. We are the only three dragons where I come from." He looked back at Serenity. "I've also never met a human who could talk to dragons. Our own mother can't even do that."
"Your mother is human?" Serenity questioned.
"Yeah. Daenerys is her name, but she also goes a lot by Khaleesi. She hatched us and raised us, and that gave her the title Mother of Dragons."
"That's a good title," Serenity nodded. Tenor went over to her.
"So is our new friend going to loose his leg?" He asked, amused.
"No. His skin is very thick, so these spears didn't go in too far. He'll be just fine." She grasped the first spear. Drogon hissed in pain, and gritted his teeth. Serenity quickly pulled the spear out of his leg. Drogon roared in pain, but quieted down when the pain subsided. Serenity immediately washed the wound with Night Fury saliva.
"So where are your brothers?" Windwalker asked Drogon. She looked around as though looking for two more dragons.
"They're at home with Mother in the land of Meereen. Mother is queen there, and she locked my brothers up in a dungeon saying that we were too out of control. I left right before that as mother was telling me to do stuff I did not like."
"And you haven't been back since?" Tenor pressed. "I'm sure your mother's worried about you."
"I can look after myself," Drogon hissed stubbornly. He shook his head and snorted. "And I refuse to be chained up like a dog."
"All dragons leave their mothers eventually, but right now you cannot look after yourself. If you could, you would not have had this spear stuck inside you" Serenity pointed out as she finished cleaning the first wound.
"Yeah that's true. Nothing wrong with leaving your nest, but...I would advise spending as much time with your mother as possible. You may never know when it will be the last time you will see her." Windwalker agreed. Drogon took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down, mumbling. He looked at Serenity again.
"Mother would really like you Serenity."
"You think so," Serenity said thoughtfully, as she pulled out the second spear. Drogon grunted and flinched.
"Yeah, you seem about the same age and you are really good with my kind." Serenity smiled as she cleaned the second wound.
When she was finished with all three wounds, she put her things back into her back. Drogon looked much happier. He gave Serenity a grateful nudge.
"Thank you," he rumbled. Serenity stroked his snout, still smiling.
"You're welcome. So what are you going to do now?" Drogon considered.
"I don't know," he admitted. He looked at Serenity and the two other dragons. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Some friends of ours have been captured by the Romans," Windwalker chimed in. "And we're here to rescue them. We're just waiting for nightfall so the two of us are harder to see." She looked between herself and Tenor.
"Are they dragons too?" Drogon asked, sounding hopeful.
"Some of them and some are humans. One of the dragons is crippled." Drogon tilted his head.
"Can I go with you? I'm pretty good in a fight." Drogon growled with determination. Serenity exchanged a look with the two nightly dragons.
"I suppose," Tenor started. "But there are a few conditions. You have to be a team player, and not argue. The humans you see us rescuing are the only ones you do not harm, alongside Serenity of course. On that note we are open to any ideas from you if you have them."
"Okay," Drogon agreed. Serenity stroked his face.
"And at the end of all this, you should go back to your home and help your mother and brothers." Drogon narrowed his eyes for a moment before sighing in defeat.
"All right. It is a deal then."
"Great. You'll probably miss them by the time this is over."
"Right. So we're waiting for it to get dark?"
"Yes. We'll leave around sundown." Windwalker stated as laid down on the grass and everyone followed suit. Serenity sat between Tenor and Drogon.
"So tell me about these friends you're rescuing while we're waiting." Drogon asked
They waited for the sun go down. Tenor, Serenity, and Windwalker told Drogon about their friends, as well as the friends and family members they'd left back on Berk. Drogon was very interested in Re and Aurora adopting Chris, and Re sharing his heart with him.
"I've never heard of that happening. I've never even heard of a dragon raising a human."
"Well, they did. And they did a pretty good job if you ask me." Tenor responded.
"Shame about his memory. Couldn't this connection of theirs help restore his memory."
"I don't think so," said Serenity. "They share a heart, not a mind. I am uncertain to the full extent of their link. Chris will get his memory back, eventually." She looked sad, and a bit hopeless. "I don't how though." Drogon nudged her.
"Don't loose hope...I'm sure he'll be very happy to see you." Serenity stroked his snout again.
"We are helping to break him out," Windwalker added, "I shall see to it."
"You really care for him, don't you?"
"Of course I do! You care for your mother don't you? Chris is my best friend and I would fly to the ends of the world for him." Windwalker squawked.
Tenor, Serenity, and Windwalker finished telling Drogon their stories. By that time the sun was starting to set, prompting them to their feet and Serenity mounted Tenor. They took off and headed up the coast towards the city. They flew low over the sea for a few minutes. Suddenly the two nightly dragons heard someone calling from below. They stopped and looked around.
"Did you hear that?" Tenor looked around.
"It sounded familiar." Windwalker looked around. They all looked down at the water. They quickly spotted a small fishing boat with one person onboard. That person was waving up at the dragons. Serenity steered Tenor down for a closer look while the other two dragons circled above. "Wait here you two"
"It's Kassandra." Tenor landed on the boat, which was just big enough for him.
"Tenor, I thought that was you," exclaimed Kassandra, sounding so relieved.
"Hi Kassandra," said Tenor, looking slightly amused. "What happen to the rest of the rescue party?"
"We found Chris and Toothless, they had escaped from the Flavian Amphitheater," Kassandra explained. "But then we all got captured by my brother. I was sent back to Athens and placed under house arrest. But I managed to escape, with the help of Apollo here." She held up a small bronze statue of a naked man. "I stole this fishing boat and got back up here. Now I need to find Raeya and get the others out."
"So now we have to rescue all of them?"
"Yes."
"Sweet! This'll be fun then."
"You have any idea where they'll be?" Serenity questioned. Kassandra thought a movement. "They're either back at the Amphitheater or in Mamertine Prison," she said. "It's the only prison in the city."
"Lets go find them then," Serenity decided. "We'll try this prison first."
"We should keep this boat. Toothless is hurt pretty bad and has no tail fin."
"I can fix that," replied Serenity, dismounting. Tenor took off and joined the other two dragons above. They followed the fishing boat into the Roman harbor, and up the Tiber River. The sun went down and stars came out. The three dragons blended in with the darkness.
Raeya was exhausted as she had been working in the hot sun all day. Alastair and Gallus had sold her to the highest bidder and was now doing the work of a common mule, pulling heavy carts and plows. They'd work her so hard that she was too tired to try to escape. Her only shelter was the stables in a small cage. The smell of horses and mules were almost toxic to Raeya's nostrils. The sun had gone down and the stars were coming up. Raeya was just about to fall asleep, when she heard dragons outside, Night Furies specifically. She lifted her head alert, accidentally bonking it on the roof of the cage. She shook her head and hissed off the temporary discomfort; however, she couldn't stand up in the small cage. Her muscles ached from a whole day of work, but she summoned every last bit of energy and strength she had. She summoned a plasma blast and shot the cage door open. This startled the horses and mules, prompting them to bray and whinny. Raeya didn't hesitate and booked it out of the stables. When she was out in the open she spread her wings and took off before the humans could stop her, vanishing into the dark sky.
She soon spotted three dragon shaped figures circling over the nearby river. She flew over to them and roared to announce her arrival. The dragons paused and hovered. Raeya couldn't tell who they were in the darkness.
"Raeya is that you?" Came the sound of Tenor's voice.
"Yes," Raeya. She sped up and hovered in front of them. Tenor and Windwalker were circling a small fishing boat with another dragon that was the size of a Monstrous Nightmare.
"Tenor, Windwalker, your here!" Raeya exclaimed. "How?"
"We came after you," Windwalker answered.
"And from the looks of things, it was a very good decision," Tenor nodded, "We got you back, so that's two down and six to go."
"Two?" Raeya questioned.
"Kassandra managed to escape on that boat," Tenor responded, pointing to the fishing boat. "We found her just after we ran into our new friend Drogon." He pointed to the larger dragon. Just then the fishing boat headed for the river bank. The dragons flew down to join it where Kassandra and Serenity put down the ramp.
"Raeya you got away!" Kassandra exclaimed when she saw the dragon. Raeya beamed and was about to run to her rider, when a Night Fury's whistle filled the air. Raeya froze as a large Night Fury dove out of the sky and rammed Tenor right in the chest. Tenor was knocked off his feet, and the breath was knocked out of him. He looked to see Rhyax glaring down at him.
"You?!" Tenor yelled, shocked. Rhyax growled
"You're all going to pay for defeating my family," he snarled back, gnashing his teeth. "Starting with you hybrid."
"We were defending our dragonets," Tenor hissed. "But if you insist, give me your best shot." Rhyax snarled and opened his mouth to fire. Tenor opened his mouth and popped out his black teeth. But before either of them could attack. Raeya came out of nowhere and wrestled Rhyax off. Tenor sat up slightly stunned. Windwalker ran over to him.
"Are you okay?" She asked her mate.
"I'm fine," Tenor coughed. They looked to see Rhyax and Raeya clawing and biting at each other. Serenity closed her eyes and sat down behind the ship's railing so she didn't have to watch the fighting. Kassandra pulled out her whip and ran down the ramp onto the shore. She watched in horror as Rhyax pinned Raeya to the ground, and clamped her neck in his teeth, beginning to tear into his sister. Not wanting her dragon to be killed in cold blood, Kassandra uncoiled her whip and cracked against Rhyax's flank. He snarled and launched at her. Kassandra cracked the whip again, striking him across the chest. But that just made him furious He charged at her and head butted her hard in the stomach. She stumbled and fell onto her back, hitting the ground with a solid thunk. Rhyax then slashed his claws across her shoulder, leaving deep bloody gashes in her skin, prompting the female human to cry out in searing pain. Raeya got to her feet and saw Rhyax about to finish off Kassandra. She snarled and rammed Rhyax out of the way and tackled him to the ground. Windwalker turned to Tenor and Drogon.
"You two make sure Serenity isn't having a breakdown," she instructed. "I'll handle this." She took off before either of them could protest. Meanwhile Rhyax managed to get Raeya off him and threw her to the ground. Raeya bounced back up and placed herself between Kassandra and Rhyax.
"You traitor," Rhyax growled. "You are no sister of mine." Raeya ignored him, and went into a defensive stance. Rhyax began building up a plasma blast, but Raeya tackled him before he could fire. They bit and scratched at each other again. Rhyax threw Raeya into a nearby tree, slamming her into it as the tree cracked in half. She gasped as the breath was knocked out of her, disoriented and in pain. Rhyax readied another plasma blast, his fires building up. Out of nowhere, Windwalker flew down at Rhyax and built up a blast of her own, cloaked with invisibility. When it was fully charged she fired it right at Rhyax's chest. He didn't see it coming, and the blast hit him at full force, causing his fire bolt to explode prematurely within his throat. The force of the blast shot him several feet away. He collided with large rock and flipped over it, landing in a heap on the other side and didn't move again. Raeya steadily got up and shook herself. She had several scratches and bites all over her body, but nothing too bad. Windwalker suddenly materialized, hovering overhead. She landed and went over to confirm Rhyax was dead. She listened and waited for movement but found none, confirming her kill. She then went over to Raeya after a few seconds.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Raeya panted. "Thank you. When did you learn to turn invisible?"
"On the way here. It's part of my titan wing."
"I haven't reached titan wing level,"
"Let's find our friends and get home first," reasoned Windwalker.
Raeya nodded in agreement. "I hope Toothless is okay, he was hurt pretty bad last I saw him," she whined.
"Well, we brought our dragon healer. If any of them are hurt, she'll know what to do." They soon arrived at the ship. Serenity hadn't come out of hiding yet and was still cowering behind. Kassandra was sitting up and clutching her shoulder, which was bleeding badly. Raeya ran over to her while Windwalker went to get Serenity. She jumped onto the ship's deck while Tenor and Drogon were standing guard. Windwalker went over to Serenity who was still sitting by the railing, nudging her. Serenity looked up and removed her disguise for the moment.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," exhaled Serenity, taking a deep breath. "I don't think that will get any easier."
"Well, you think you can help Kassandra? We still have to find the others before the sun comes up." Serenity got to her feet and got her bag off of Tenor's saddle.
"Try not to think about it too much," Tenor said. "If you do, it'll only upset you more."
"I'll be so glad when this is all over." She left the ship with the three dragons following.
Raeya went over to Kassandra, picking up the whip on the way. She was so moved when Kassandra came to her aid. Raeya gently nudged the girl's uninjured shoulder, causing the human woman to gaze up and meet the dragon's colorful eyes. She carefully stroked Raeya's snout. Raeya set the whip down and warbled softly.
"Thanks, you crazy dragon," Kassandra chuckled. Raeya barked a laugh and licked Kassandra's hand. Raeya then looked at Kassandra's injury. There were four deep gashes, cut across her shoulder. Raeya could not help but let out a sad croon. Kassandra could somehow tell what she was saying.
"Oh, I'll be okay," she assured the dragon. Raeya laid down behind her and Kassandra smiled gratefully back. Just then Serenity and her dragons joined them, forming a small circle around the duo. Serenity knelt down beside Kassandra.
"You okay?" she asked, as she pulled supplies out of her bag.
"My shoulder really hurts," Kassandra pointed out. "But on a more positive note, Raeya and I officially became friends." Serenity smiled.
"Saving your life tends to have to have that affect. Dragons saved my life, and I've been with them ever since." She pulled out a syringe and a vile of Speed Stinger venom.
"Shouldn't you be going to find the others? They probably need you more than I do."
"We still have a few hours until sunrise...and I sew fast." She injected the Speed Stinger venom into Kassandra's shoulder. Kassandra visibly relaxed when the pain went away, leaning back against Raeya's side. Serenity pulled out a needle and thread, beginning to stitch up Kassandra's wounds. The other three dragons waited patiently.
When Kassandra's wounds were all stitched up, and wrapped in bandages, Serenity put her things away.
"You think you'll still be able to fight?"
"I think so," winced Kassandra. "Thank you." Serenity helped her to her feet. Raeya got up as well and nudged her new acknowledged rider.
"We got that out of the way," yipped Tenor, excitedly. "Lets go find those guys." They all agreed. Serenity put her bag on Tenor's saddle, and mounted him. Kassandra picked up her whip and mounted Raeya. They swiftly took off and flew over the main city. They let Kassandra and Raeya be in the lead as Kassandra knew Rome best.
"I'm so ready to fight bad guys," growled Drogon.
"Me too," Tenor concurred. "This will be fun. I wonder if I can be the one that blasts the cell door."
"Fine with me," nodded Windwalker.
Back in the dungeon; Hiccup, Toothless, Eret, and Skullcrusher sat on the floor beyond bored. Hiccup had Toothless's head in his lap. The Night Fury was breathing heavily, indicating that his wounds were still very painful. Toothless shifted and moaned when it hurt.
"Hang in there Bud," Hiccup said, stroking his head. "I'm sure we'll get out of here somehow." While he tried to sound hopeful, he was truthfully terrified. The only way out was if Re, Chris, Kassandra, or Raeya somehow got away. Hiccup slowly dropped his eyes to Toothless, who looked up back at him with equal need and desperation. "Don't worry bud. I will make sure they do nothing bad to you ever again." Hiccup relayed gently before pressing his forehead against the dragon's, who crooned and pressed back with equal emotion. Suddenly there came a loud commotion from outside. There was loud yelling followed by a couple loud explosions. The four of them sat up and stared at the door. A red light suddenly came around the door and a loud familiar screech filled the air. Then, the next second the door was blasted off its hinges by a red plasma blast, and Tenor entered the dungeon with Serenity on his back. Behind them was Kassandra, Raeya, and Windwalker.
"Boy are we glad to see you guys," shuddered Hiccup, feeling like a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders.
"How's that rescue going?" Tenor snickered, amused as Serenity dismounted.
"That is so not funny Tenor," Hiccup grunted slightly annoyed. Serenity came over and knelt beside Toothless.
"Are you guys okay?"
"We're okay," Eret answered. "But Toothless is pretty hurt."
"Yeah he is, I'll patch him up when we get out of here." She glanced around. "Where are Re and Chris?"
"Alastair took them to some Oracle," Hiccup filled in. "He now knows that they feel each other's pain."
"Well lets get you guys out of here first," Tenor decided. "Then go get them." Serenity gently stroked Toothless's muzzle. The dragon opened his eyes and moaned.
"Hi Toothless," Serenity whispered.
"Serenity?" He croaked weakly. "How are you here?"
"We came after you," Serenity replied in a soft tone. "Can you walk? I can get you on a stretcher once we're outside."
"I think so..." Tenor and Kassandra got everyone's shackles off, while Hiccup and Serenity helped get Toothless to his feet. When all the shackles off and everyone was on their feet, they made their way out of the dungeon and out of the prison.
Outside Serenity got her stretcher off of Tenor's saddle and unfolded it on the ground. Then helped get Toothless onto it and laid him down. Just then Drogon, who had been providing lookout, flew down and joined them. Hiccup, Eret, and Skullcrusher were surprised to see him.
"Who is this?" Hiccup asked, curious.
"This is Drogon," said Serenity. "We ran into him on the way here, and he's agreed to help us." Drogon looked down at Hiccup, then looked over at Eret. When Eret met this dragon's eyes, he felt a feeling of recognition came over him even though he'd never met this dragon before. He calmly raised his hand and slowly approached. Drogon seemed silent and likewise slowly approached until his snout was a couple inches away from the human. A few seconds passed before Eret reached forward and stroked Drogon's snout.
"I feel like I know you," Eret said with a bit of wonder. Drogon crooned curiously, staring at the male.
"Have you met this dragon before?" Serenity questioned.
"No, I've never seen him before in my life," Eret called out after awhile of staring. "And I remember every dragon I've ever trapped. I can't explain it." Hiccup turned back to his own dragon.
"Will Toothless be okay?" Hiccup asked nervously.
"He should be fine," She then looked at Drogon. "Drogon will you help carry this stretcher back to the ship?" Drogon turned from Eret to her.
"Sure," he shrugged. When Toothless was secured on the stretcher, Serenity secured it around Drogon's neck before mounting him. Kasssandra got on Raeya, Eret got on Skullcrusher, and Hiccup got on Tenor. They took off and Drogon carefully lifted the stretcher off the ground with some coaching from Serenity.
They headed back over the city and back towards where the fishing boat was waiting. Drogon carefully set the stretcher down on the deck of the boat where Serenity untied the stretcher from Drogon's neck before landing on the adjacent ground. Serenity got off, got her bag from Tenor's saddle, and went onto the boat to attend to Toothless. Raeya looked over at Tenor as he laid down on the grass before going over to him.
"Hey Tenor, can I ask you something?"
He looked at her, a bit surprised. "Go ahead," he said.
"You were abused and shunned too," started Raeya. "The king and queen didn't like you at all, but yet they still let you stay in their castle, why?"
"Because from what I heard, the last time they turned a dragon away because they looked different," Tenor gave her a subtle smile. "Lord Draco suspended them from the throne and said if they ever did it again they would be removed from the throne for good." Raeya appeared surprised.
"They were punished for turning us away?"
"Yes, Draco created Draconia so all dragons could have a place to go, even the odd looking ones like us. He was not happy when the king and queen actually turn someone away because they had no where else to go." Tenor rolled his eyes. "Re's parents were very superstitious. You weren't the only one who suffered because of that." He looked at her sympathetically.
"Do you like the way you look?" Raeya posed after a moment of silence. Tenor thought a moment.
"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't," he admitted slowly. "It took me ages, to find a mate. Every time a female turned me down, I would really hate my appearance. I would always wonder why Draco made me this way. Serenity, Aurora, and Re would always talk me out of giving up."
"But you like the way you look now?"
"Yes...yes I do. It took awhile, but I don't hate how I look anymore."
"I kept thinking my different colored eyes were a curse from Draco. That's how so many other dragons saw it and it affected my entire life and family because of it."
"Well I don't think they're a curse. They match the bluest sea and greenest grass. They are quite beautiful and lovely to admire." Tenor complimented. Raeya did a double take, shocked but flattered at the compliment.
"I thought Draco abandoned me when Re's parents turned us away," she sighed.
"Yeah I thought that every time I was attacked by other dragons," Tenor answered, "I thought Draco had abandoned me, and was just letting these dragons attack me. But later in my life I learned that it was the other dragons that were doing abandoning, not him. Every time I got attacked, Re and Aurora always seemed to know where I was. They always found me and healed my wounds." Tenor smiled at her. "Draco never abandoned you either, the king and queen did." Just then Windwalker came up to them. They looked over at her.
"What are you two talking about?" She uttered as she trotted over to the two.
"Just some freak to freak talk," Tenor laughed.
"I see," nodded Windwalker.
"Don't worry," Raeya assured. "I have no intention of getting in between the two of you like my brother did. It wouldn't be fair to either of you, and especially wouldn't be fair to your child Black Widow. It's just...I don't have much of a family anymore." Tenor and Windwalker exchanged a glance.
"I'm sorry Raeya," Tenor said lowly, eyes sympathetic.
"It's okay...you were protecting your children. I don't blame you at all."
"Don't blame yourself either," Windwalker chimed in. "They made the decision to put our children in danger, and they suffered the consequences." Raeya silently nodded. "Anyway, we need to go find Re and Chris."
"Right," Tenor agreed. They followed Windwalker onto the deck of the boat where Serenity was still sewing up Toothless's wounds.
"How's he doing?" Tenor asked his rider.
"He'll be fine," Serenity responded, "But I'm not done stitching him up."
"We still need to find Re and Chris," Hiccup added with concern.
"You guys go find them," Serenity addressed the group. "I'll stay here and finish up." Hiccup looked down at her.
"Are you sure?" The chief of Berk asked.
"Yes. Trust me he'll be as good new by the time you get back."
"But, you'll be defenseless if the Romans find you," Tenor warbled with worry.
"I'll stay behind and guard her," Drogon offered. "I'll guard her like I would my mother"
"Okay...Well...moonlight's wasting. Lets go find those two and go home"
Kassandra mounted Raeya, Eret mounted Skullcrusher, and Hiccup got on Tenor.
"We'll be back as soon as we find them," Tenor reassured. They all took off and headed for the city, and Serenity went back to stitching up Toothless's wounds.
Back on Berk, Avalon and her friends tried their hand at running the dragon side of the village. It was a big job, and it was pretty hard as dragons kept arguing over space and food and the dragonets couldn't break up the arguments. Then there were other young dragonets who would chase farm animals and steal unattended food. Avalon and her friends could not get a handle on them at all.
By the end of the day, the dragonets were beyond exhausted. They were laying on the cliff behind Hiccup's house, groaning with exhaustion.
"That was hard," Apollo huffed.
"Yeah," Avalon agreed. "I don't think we fixed anything." Just the Astrid landed Sormfly on the cliff near them, followed by Aurora.
"Wow, you guys look worn out," chuckled Astrid as she dismounted. Aurora laid down beside the dragonets and stared at them fondly.
"We had a really hard time filling in for Toothless," Avalon responded. "I feel like we really let him down." He laid her head down on her front talons.
"Oh, you didn't let him down. This was only your first time acting chief."
"You've still got a lot of work to do," Aurora nodded.
"You should have seen Hiccup his first time acting chief," Astrid giggled. "He wasn't much better. Toothless had to keep roaring at the angry mob to get them quiet, because Hiccup couldn't make his voice loud enough. And the villagers still wouldn't listen to him."
"I remember that," Aurora agreed. "He did get better after a while."
"Are we allowed to ask for help?" Avalon asked.
"Yes you are. The other riders' dragons agreed to help you out tomorrow and any other day should you need it."
This seemed to give the dragonets some relief. They all yawned and laid their heads down.
"We'll let you sleep now. You'll need all the rest you can get." She got back on Stormfly and they headed to their house. Aurora made herself comfortable next to the dragonets where they all curled up and fell asleep.
The next day the dragonets met up with Hookfang and Toothless's other friends. They smiled when the dragonets joined them.
"Hey how are you guys doing this morning?" Meatlug asked.
"We're okay," responded Avalon. "Though I have no idea how we're going to handle this place." She glanced around the village.
"Well, we're going to help you," rumbled Hookfang. "You're not alone with this." Avalon took a deep breath.
"All right...Let's get started." They headed down into the village. It was a lot easier this time around. The Avalon was able to make herself heard with the help of the adult dragons. There weren't as many arguments to break up, which also made things easier. This enabled the dragonets to feel better and not feel so alone.
Before they knew it, the sun was going down. Astrid and Aurora met up with the dragonets in the plaza, appearing happier and more confident.
"How're they doing?" Aurora asked Hookfang.
"They're doing fine," Hookfang relayed. "Things went better for them today." Aurora smiled and nuzzled the children in turn.
"Nice job guys," she commented proudly. "I bet you're tired again."
"We are, and hungry too," Apollo yawned
"You guys can stay at our house until the others come back," Astrid decided. Aurora nodded gratefully.
"Thank you Astrid. You can take Edelweiss while I go find these young dragons something to eat." Edelweiss looked a bit excited, and a bit nervous. She clutched Black Widow's neckBlack Widow nuzzled her.
While the dragons left, Edelweiss sat in Stoic's old chair with a steaming bowel of soup. Astrid and Valka did their usual work around the house while Edelweiss ate her soup silently. This was actually her third bowel of soup; she'd been so hungry after everything that had happened.
She finished her soup and put the empty bowel aside before curling up into a ball on the large chair. "You all finished?" Valka questioned while bearing a warm smile.
"Yes, thank you," said Edelweiss. Valka took the bowel away to wash it.
"Are you feeling okay?" Astrid asked with concern. "You look worried."
Edelweiss took a deep breath. "I'm just worried about my parents," she admitted. "And the others. I hope they're okay out there."
"They'll be fine," said Valka. She handed Edelweiss a cup of hot tea. Edelweiss took it gratefully and sipped it.
A short while later the Draconians came back from hunting and Astrid let them in.
"Thank you, again," said Aurora. The three dragonets curled up in a huddle next to the fire pit. Aurora laid down next to them while Edelweiss stayed where she was.
"We appreciate you guys helping us out," thanked Astrid to the dragonets. "And it's good that you keep trying even though it's hard."
"From this experience, I've come to the conclusion that running a village is not fun," groaned Avalon. "I'm just glad we don't have to run the human side of the village."
"But running a village is important," Aurora spoke. "And it's good practice for you."
"These dragons, and vikings, will do anything to protect their home," added Astrid. "Which is why I often get strict and scary."
"I don't think I could ever be as strict as you," whined Avalon. "Not all the time anyway."
"Every leader has to be strict sometimes," consoled Aurora. "Toothless gets strict when he has to be."
"Strict leaders aren't fun," Edelweiss uttered. "They scare me."
"That's sometimes intentional," Astrid explained, "I want to make sure that everyone's doing their part and not slacking off." Edelweiss curled into a ball against the back of the chair.
"Strict leaders don't have to be fun," Aurora said with a bit of authority. "They just have to do their job well. It's no different back home and you guys will likely be in a position where you will have to be just as strict. Remember, there are times and places for things. For example, there are times where I am your mother and there are times I have to be the queen of Draconia. Every leader will have to go through with this." Avalon yawned and stretched her limbs.
"Well, I'm off to bed," Astrid stated with a bit of a yawn as well. "We have another long day tomorrow."
"Maybe Daddy and the others will come back tomorrow," Apollo exclaimed with some ray of hope.
"I hope so," Aurora agreed. She yawned too, as yawns were contagious like the plague.
Astrid went upstairs, and soon the Draconians had the ground floor to themselves. Edelweiss got off the chair and joined her friends laying beside her grandmother. Aurora curled up around them.
"Can we hear a night time story Mama?" Avalon peeped up. Aurora considered.
"All right," she nodded. She took a deep breath. "Did you know that Draconia is not the dragons' original homeland?"
"No," Apollo answered, speaking for the others.
"The dragons' original homeland is much older than Draconia," Aurora began. "Draconia knows it as Draco's Nest. He created it billions of years ago, way before the Dinosaurs, and put thousands of eggs inside it. The eggs hatched and the first dragons grew up in that nest, before eventually leaving it to explore the world. Some of them returned to the Nest to hatch their eggs, and some created their own nests for hatching their eggs."
"Cool," Black Widow marveled. "So where is this nest?"
"The entrance is marked by a great waterfall in the middle of the ocean," Aurora continued. "Inside the Nest there is said to be plants and fungus that were made by Draco specifically for dragons. The crystals provided light, similar to our glowing crystals. I believe some of those plants and fungus were eaten by the first dragons, and that's what gave them their fiery breath. In the center of the Nest is a giant enchanted sunstone that actually produces real sunlight, and follows the cycle of the sun. A dragon could live their whole lives in that Nest."
"Wow, I hope we can see this place someday," Apollo said lowly as he blinked his eyes to stay awake, "Do dragons still live there?"
"I believe so," Aurora replied. "And yes someday you may see this place. I've never seen it." The young ones were lost in thought trying to imagine Draco's Nest. They wormed closer to Aurora and drifted off to sleep one by one.
"Thank you Mama," murmured Avalon before she fell asleep.
"You're welcome. Good night young ones." The queen laid her head down on her front talons and fell asleep as well.