CHAPTER 23
The ships slowed as they drew nearer to the wall of fog. Stoick had ordered the teens' mounts to be secured to the main ship with a short length of rope so that they didn't disappear with their riders while under the influence of the Titan Wing.
"You need to keep their attention on you," Nraseri had warned them. "If they fly off, there's a chance that they'll head straight for the entrance and there'll be no way to find you again."
"But don't we want to get inside?" Snotlout had pointed out. "Isn't that where Hiccup is?"
"We have no clue where Hiccup is," Nraseri had said tersely. "The Nest is like a hive. The closer the dragons are, the more influenced they are. If you get lost in there, you'll be trapped with hundreds of dragons."
Snotlout had paled dramatically.
Another dragon had joined their party, a blue Thunderdrum. It descended and levelled itself with Nraseri and let out a series of booming growls. Nraseri responded in a strange quiet language, reaching up to lay a hand on its head. The Thunderdrum hummed and ascended again, following behind the ships.
Stoick watched Nraseri closely, turning the boat with the movement of the boy's head which twitched in time with the dragons flying ahead. He was paler than when they'd left Berk. He looked like a ragged mess. He leaned against the bow of the ship, too stubborn to sit down and rest. He held his injured arm close to his side. The bandages were already stained an eerie mixture of green and red.
The Thunderdrum rumbled and Nraseri nodded before the dragon flew up again to join the others. Nraseri caught his eye and Stoick handed the ship's controls over to Gobber. The fog had cleared, and land was in sight.
"From what the Thunderdrum told me," Nraseri said when Stoick had joined him, "the Queen is dormant for now. That explains why the raids haven't been happening as often. We can only hope that she'll stay that way for a while longer."
"The Queen?" Stoick asked, his eyes glinting violently. "We could just take her out here and now. End this war before it ends us."
This was their chance. He could save both his son and his village, not to mention all the other islands that surrounded the Nest.
Nraseri turned slowly to him and gave him a deadpan look. "The Queen is the size of a small mountain," he said, void of all emotion. "You wouldn't last a minute."
"The size of a mountain?" Stoick said, incredulous. "There is no such dragon recorded."
"The Book of Dragons barely scratches the surface. The Red Death species isn't even listed. This one happens to also be a Titan Wing and is roughly two thousand years old. The only dragon larger than her is the Bewilderbeast. If you're looking for the reason behind your war it lies with her. She uses a hive mind to control any dragon that comes within her range. Just be grateful that you're not facing her today."
For the first time, Stoick felt a stab of fear. The idea of a dragon that powerful was comprehendible. What if he'd come by himself without the help of the dragons? He would have sailed his people straight to their deaths.
Shaking his head, he peered into the fog. "So, what's the plan?"
Nraseri picked up the wrapped bundle he'd brought with him and unwrapped it. Inside was a saddle. "Once I shift, you're going to have to put this on me. Normally, I can put this on myself, but that was when I could go between forms. Hiccup's going to need more than just a rope to hold on. Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins will distract the dragons and keep them away from the entrance while Astrid and I sneak in. The ships will wait on the shore and distract the dragons from the ground. They won't attack if they're not provoked. We want to keep the damage to a minimum." He held the gaze of every Viking. "They may be your enemies, but they're my kin. Don't kill if you can help it."
"I'm coming with you," Stoick said. There was no way he was staying here while his son was alone.
Nraseri gave him a semblance of a smile, the first one he'd seen since Hiccup's disappearance. "I know." He let out a sharp whistle and the blue Thunderdrum landed on the deck of the ship. "You're coming with me and Astrid. A friend will meet us in the caves. She'll help us get Hiccup back and I'll get rid of the Thornridge."
He stopped, wracked by another bout of coughing and choking. This time, it took longer for Nraseri to recover, and Stoick couldn't help the dread that settled in the pit of his stomach. Nraseri was dying. He saw it in the look of resignation in his eyes. He knew, and so did many of the other Vikings aboard the ship.
He might be a dragon, but he was the boy that had won the hearts of the village first. No one could deny his devotion to Stoick's son.
The ship bumped gently on the stony shore. Nraseri straightened and released his grip on the side of the boat. He checked his sword. "It's time."
Scales sprouted along his face as the boy shifted from human to beast with the grating sound of popping bones. Large wings stretched from his back, and he was a dragon once more. He paused only long enough for them to secure the saddle to his back, then the Night Fury spread his wings and launched himself into the air with a powerful gust of wind.
Stoick hesitated a moment before mounting the Thunderdrum. It looked at him with a disgruntled expression and tipped its wing so that he could climb on and grab the rope. The other riders had released their own dragons and were soaring alongside the Night Fury. He tried to ignore the slight wobble in the Night Fury's flight as he and Astrid flew after him. She caught his eye, concerned.
Gobber was shouting commands as they readied the catapults. He gave Spitelout a thumbs up and the chief's brother-in-arms raised his hand. A hush fell over the island. it was silent save for the flapping of the dragons' wings. Spitelout made a fist, and the catapults sang as the rope was cut and boulders whipped through the air. They slammed into the wall of the Nest. one, two, four, six. Cracks formed and chunks of wood broke off and tumbled to the ground. From the back of the dragon, Stoick watched as a hole appeared in the side of the mountain.
A part of him was envious that he could not be there, staring down into the hole. He'd dreamed of that moment for most of his life, the need steeling itself the night he'd lost his wife. He wavered for a moment, then tore his eyes away from the hole. He had to trust his warriors. His job was to find his son.
He nudged his mount toward the Night Fury as a fiery bale of tinder was let loose and plunged into the hole. The Vikings let out a war cry. Roars answered and dragons poured out of the hole. Hundreds, thousands. He felt a jolt as more and more emerged.
The Thunderdrum levelled up next to Astrid and Nraseri. The two humans were silent as the dragons flew up and around the mountain. An opening loomed in front of them and Nraseri glided in, the two Vikings not far behind.
They dismounted. The dragons didn't follow. Stoick glanced back at them. They didn't fly away like he'd almost expected them to. Instead, they just waited, shifting from one foot to the other, agitated.
The tunnels were stifling. They wound deeper and deeper into the mountain, opening into caverns half the size of the village or branching off into narrow cervices that not even the smallest Viking could fit through. Stoick clutched his hammer, feeling more out of his depth than he'd like to admit. He was in the Dragon's Nest; something he had always dreamed about but never truly thought possible. He should have been delighted, but as he breathed the warm, stale air and felt the low thrum of thousands of dragons in his bones, he wanted nothing more than to be back on Berk with his son, safe.
That's why we're here, he reminded himself. So that they could rescue Hiccup and get out of this cursed place.
How foolish he had been to think that he and his ships could ever hope to destroy this place.
The Queen is the size of a mountain. Stoick didn't have any difficulty imagining that now.
He didn't know how long they walked for. Long enough for sweat to drench his clothes. He wiped a hand across his damp brow. Astrid was faring better. Her face was set like stone, her eyes sharp. The faint red glow that came from gods know where glinted off her axe which was held at the ready in a loose grip. She had always been streaks ahead of others her age. Her uncle would be proud.
They turned a corner and stopped. Rocks barred their path. Nraseri inhaled and shot a plasma blast at the barricade. The sound echoed off the walls.
"So much for a surprise attack," Astrid muttered.
Nraseri flicked his tail at her. They continued forward, winding deeper and deeper into the nest. The tunnel forked again, this time into three openings, and Nraseri hesitated.
The glow had grown brighter. Glancing up revealed thousands of Fireworms clinging to the upper walls of the tunnel. Stoick scanned the tunnel, looking for something—anything—that could help lead them to Hiccup.
The far-right tunnel was facing away from the others. Something dark caught his eye and he moved to inspect it.
Deep grooves cut into the walls. He looked toward the other tunnels. The one in the middle had the same deep grooves. And on the ground, dark droplets littered the mouth of the tunnel. Nraseri sniffed it. He jerked back, pupils narrowing to thin slits. A low growl emitted from his throat.
Stoick knelt and touched the dark smear. His fingers came back red.
"Odin help us. Hiccup."
Astrid looked like she was going to be sick. Stoick was ready to be. He stood, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat.
The Night Fury lifted his head and stared down the tunnel, tail lashing. Then he felt completely still. His ears pricked up and he let out a rumbling hum that reverbed in Stoick's chest.
Astrid cast a look at Stoick who looked as lost as he did.
"Can you sense the amulet?" she asked.
The dragon shook itself and nodded.
A chittering sound made them spin around. The purple Deadly Nadder ruffled its wings, looking pleased with itself. A familiar wild-haired girl slid off its back. "You know, when I said I wanted to go on an adventure, this wasn't what I had in mind. Hullo, Chief," Camicazi said, resting her sword on one shoulder. "Nraseri."
"You knew," Astrid said.
"Oh, I've known for years. But I'll admit, this isn't how I thought that you guys would find out or that I'd be riding a dragon to the Nest while my mum thinks I'm out fishing. But a heist is what we do best, so I'm not complaining. By the way, I could hear that blast from a way away, so whatever you're going to do, do it fast."
Stoick finally found his voice. "We need to keep moving."
"Right. Hiccup's in danger." She swatted Nraseri lightly. "I can't leave you two alone for a minute, can I?"
Nraseri grumbled. Then, his ears pricked up. He sprung forward and disappeared down the tunnel.
"And there he goes again without an explanation." Camicazi shook her head. "Does one of you want to tell me what the plan is?"
Stoick and Astrid shared a look.
"We're getting my son back and we're getting as far away from here as possible," Stoick said.
"Wonderful." She grinned sharply. "I've always wanted to loot a dragon's nest."