Chapter 15: Illness Strikes

For all my HTTYD fans, we're about to go into uncharted territory. For all my Balto fans, y'all finally getting some attention. Despite most of the storyline being an Alaskan HTTYD, we're also going to have a few moments that you would see in the movie Balto. And if you're not familiar with Balto, Nostalgia Critic did a 1st-time viewing vid. & a review vid. about the movie on Youtube.

I should be getting ahead with my homework, but inspiration struck me, so here we are again. Hopeful this will sate all of us, so that you guys have more content and I can get back to my school work.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Balto or How to Train your Dragon. They both belong to their respective owners and this is just for fun, NOT for profit.

(Hiccup POV)

When I went to bed that night, I focused on connecting with Toothless. When I opened my eyes, I would myself surrounded by swirls of bluish mist and unveiled Toothless sitting among it.

"Hello Hiccup."

"Hey Toothless. I'd love to pick up from that chat about Nadders, but I have a question."

"What is it?"

"You said that the spirits connected our An'gix, right?"

"Correct."

"Is there any other way someone can have a connection like that?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I think I say another set of eyes. Yellow ones. But I only say them once, and I haven't had any encounters with other wolves like I did with you."

Toothless got up a hobbled as he paced around until, he whispered something under his breath.

"What?"

"ilaanux hixtal (*1) or blood pact. If you made a promise by blood or made a promise with a blood relative that you have a strong connection to, then there's a chance you can telepathically connect with them through the spiritual plain."

"I never promised anyone with my blood before. My dad isn't familiar with Atkan Aleut rituals, so he wouldn't know how to do stuff like that. And my mom's been dead for years, so..." I stopped thinking it over for a second.

"You mother could have been trying to contact you?"

"Maybe, but why yellow eyes? Everyone always told me that she had grayish-blue eyes."

Toothless couldn't help but shrug his shoulders at that. After thinking about it longer that probably necessary, he just decided to move on and talk about something else until we woke up.

The next morning, I woke up to an empty house, which wasn't too unusual when Dad has to go to his duties early in the morning. I grabbed some strips salted meat and glass of milk before heading out. Since today was the day, they would select who in wolf training would get to kill their first wolf in the arena, I was expecting the town to be buzzing to get to the arena.

However, to my surprise, everyone was heading to and crowding the clinic. I sprinted over there and in seemed like half of the village was there. Everyone in the waiting room was either pacing the floor, had their head in their hands, hugging and comforting each other. At the door leading to the back, I could hear coughing like someone was hacking up a lung. I kept looking for someone to ask what was going on, but everyone would either choke up or tell me that they weren't sure, until I found Astrid.

"Hey, Astrid what's going on?"

"I'm not sure. My mom and dad had been coughing a bit since they came back from the hunting party. When they got up this morning, my dad passed out. We took him here and not too long after that my mom passed out too." They haven't said anything about them yet."

As if on que, my dad came from out the back with Gobber and Spitlout dashing past him and out the door.

"I sorry for the delay everyone, but I finally got news from the doctors. Everyone's that here because of their loved on pasted out, they have diphtheria to various degrees. This was due to some that went on the raid without properly being vaccinated first. We almost out of anti-toxins that would cure the illness, but I just sent Gobber and Spitlout to send telegrams to nearby towns to see if they can spare any. I need everyone to hold on tight for us as we try to get this sorted out."

He sped walked out the room, before anyone could bombard him with questions. But that didn't stop me and a few others from following him. When we caught up to him, he was at the radio station, but locked the doors to keep everyone out. Around 15 minutes before Dad came out again with Gobber and Spitlout rushing past him.

"Alright, I have some good news. There's enough anti-toxin serum from a few towns some ways off and they're going to transport them to the town of Bob-Burglar. Since it'll take a little more than a week to get there and back, I'm sending Spitlout since he has the fastest long-distance dogs at of late. Even as I speak, he'll be off..."

I weaved out of the crowd that was still listening to my dad. I ducked through the alleyways until I was at a slit a house away from the Louts. I peeked around the corner to see Gobber, Snotlout, and Spitlout packing a slightly larger than average sled. I had to strain my ears a little, but I could make out some of their conversation.

"Are your sure that you don't want me to come with you?" I heard Gobber asked.

"I'll be fine Gobber." I heard Spitlout chuckle a reply. "I could honestly do this on my own, but since Stoick insisted I bring someone, by boy Snot will watch my back like he has in every sled race since he was 10."

"There's a difference between the sled race and this current situation."

"I know. My nephew Gustav is in the clinic too, you know." I could see the grim look on his face. "Apparently, the illness carried from my cousin and infected him since he didn't get his shots for this year yet. The last thing that I want to do is add-on to her guilt by not coming back in time."

"We'll make it." Snotlout said, surprisingly without his usual cocky tone. "We'll be back before they even realize it."

"Aye." Spitlout gave a satisfied grunt. "That's everything let's head out while there's still day light."

Gobber double checked the knots & jumper cables on their supplies as Snotlout hopped into the cargo bed with them and Spitlout took position on the floor boards on the back of the sled.

"Let's do this boys! Hike!"

The dogs took off and were on the horizon by the time anyone came to see them off.

(*1) ilaanux = relative; hixtal = promise. I would have loved to find a direct translation to blood, but the closest thing that I found meant "to prick" or "let out blood".

Other Atkan Aleut Translations used:

- An'gix = state of mind or guts

Thanks for all those that reviewed, every little bit helps. If you're new to the story, please let me know what you think with a review. Constructive criticism is accepted, but no flames please. And don't be too shy to check out some of my other stories.