CHAPTER 10
"Hey Kelp! What did Fishlegs send you with?" Tengan greeted the small dragon as he swooped into the room through the open window. She spent a few moments tickling his chin in appreciation before untying the scroll attached to his leg. "Looks like the new notes on growth and maturation of Typhoomerangs I asked for. Thanks buddy!" She tossed him a scrap of smoked salmon from a small bag attached to her hip before smoothing the scroll flat to copy it.
Kelp purred as he scarfed down the treat. Sated, he hopped off his partner's shoulder and plodded along the bed, leaving small footprints on several scrolls and books along the way. Reaching the lone square foot of bed left unoccupied, he curled into the blankets and closed his eyes for a mid morning snooze.
Tengan spared her dragon a warm smile before turning back to her work. Across her lap lay the Book of Dragons, pages propped open to the Typhoomerang chapter. In front of her, taking up about half of the bed, was her ever evolving and expanding map of Berk and its surrounding islands. The boundaries had well exceeded the scroll she had dedicated to the task. Several overlapping pieces of paper had been haphazardly glued on the edges as their adventures uncovered more of the archipelago. New charcoal marks towards the center indicated the swatches of forest that had burned down in the recent summer fires. Scattered across the rest of the bed were numerous sketches of Kelp as well as lists of dragon traps once used by the vikings and how to dismantle them.
Her bedside stump was unrecognizable. Rolls of parchment, half filled journals, a cup stuffed full of quills, and stacks of scrap paper had transformed the simple table into an oddly shaped mound. At night, she had been forced to start storing the majority of her work under the borrowed bed but that space was rapidly filling as well. It wouldn't be long before she had to start keeping her less frequently used scrolls in the Academy.
"Tengan, you under all that paper?" Astrid chuckled from the doorway.
"Oh ha ha." The darker girl replied, setting down the scroll she was working on. "Did you need something?"
"Bucket and Mulch are overdue from their trip. Hiccup wants a few of us to fly north along their anticipated route. You wanna come? I don't think you have maps of that area yet."
"Noth?" Tengan twisted on the bed to extract her map. "Yeah, the farthest I have that way is the Fireworm queen's nest." Extracting herself from the maze of papers, she stood and began searching for her pack in the controlled chaos. "Just let me grab a few things and I'll be right out. Thanks for the invitation!"
"Don't thank me yet." Astrid scooped Kelp off the bed and out of the way. "The winter ice never completely melts where they were headed. Make sure to bring that yak-hide cloak I lent you."
Tengan was forced to admit she might have been better back on the island in her warm bed, far from the nearest glacier. Despite the extra layers of clothes and Kelp's warm body pressed against her, her fingers had become so numb she found herself unable to hold her charcoal pencils with any dexterity. Growing considerably more worried for the vikings potentially trapped out here, she had stowed her notes in Stormfly's saddlebags and focused her efforts on scanning the water. The sooner they found Bucket and Mulch, the sooner she could plop herself on the hearth in the Great Hall.
"Are you sure they were this far north?" Astrid called out over the howling wind as she shuddered from their blast.
"Aw you girls can't take the cold?" Snotlout jeered, smirking from his saddle.
"No." Astrid snapped back. "We just don't have a heated seat like you do."
"I see them!" Hiccup called over the others. "And it looks like they're in trouble!" Urging Toothless into a dive, he led the others towards an iceberg where the Berkians were being boarded by a Berserker ship. The two were holding up rather impressively on their own despite being outnumbered by nearly ten to one.
"Let's even those odds!" Tengan shouted. "Kelp, trip!" She loosed the Terror into the air, where it darted towards a throng of Berserkers. Gathering speed on the dive, he smashed his armor plated skull into the lower legs of a cluster of men, sending them toppling over on one another.
"Not bad." Astrid commented. "Stormfly, spine shot!" She aimed the Nadder at the attacking ship, encouraging her to let loose onto the rigging. The volley forced several attackers to dive for cover.
"Nice work!" Hiccup cheered as Hookfang and Snotloout set fire to gangplank between the boats. "Now it's our turn." He and Toothless sent plasma blasts into the water, forcing the Berserker ship away with the waves the attack created.
The Riders cheered as the attacking ship began to retreat, the sound devolving to laughter as Kelp harried them with small fire blasts before returning to the safety of his trainer's arms. When all seemed clear they landed on the ice flow and boarded the fishing vessel.
"What happened here?" Hiccup asked gently.
Mulch sighed. "We thought the Berserkers had hit the iceberg, so we came over to help! They attacked us after we saw… it." He led the teens off the ship and to a patch of ice that had been hacked away. "See? It!"
Tengan stood on her tiptoes to see over Astrid and Hiccup's shoulders, all discomfort from the cold temporarily forgotten in her curiosity. "Is that a-?"
"Dragon." Hiccup finished, brushing loose flakes of snow away from the creature's frozen prison. Around it lay picks, shovels, and axes that must have been thrown down in a hurry when Bucket and Mulch arrived.
"Why would Berserkers be trying to dig it out?" Astrid asked quietly, seemingly more to herself than anyone else.
"I have no idea." Hiccup answered, stooping to pick up one of the discarded picks.
"I-I think I might know." Tengan spoke quietly through chattering teeth, shifting Kelp to her shoulders to free her hands. "Dagur spoke a lot about one dragon in particular back when he visited Berk. I can't see enough of it to know for sure yet, but I think that might be a Skrill."
She brushed a bit of snow away from the encased dragon's face before retracting her hands, blowing on them for warmth.
"Of course!" Hiccup gasped, clasping his forehead. "The Skrill is part of the Berserker crest. That doesn't explain why they would want a frozen one, but we're going to find out."
"Oh great!" Snotlout groaned, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "That means that we have to dig it out!"
Thankfully, Snotlout's assertion was way off. The Berserkers had already freed the block containing the dragon from the surrounding ice. With Bucket and Mulch's help, the small group used spare ropes to tie the potential Skrill to the dragon's saddles before winging back to the academy. After freeing their dragons of the load, they stood in a semicircle around the dragoncicle, watching the setting sun lazily melt the icy prison. While Snotlout and the twins argued what combination of blasting and smashing would be the best way to break the ice, Tengan, along with Hiccup and Fishlegs prowled the perimeter of the block.
"Even curled in this awkward position, the body is quite large." Tengan mumbled, taking a few more notes while Kelp wobbled on his perch atop her head, squeaking his discontent.
"Let's get a closer look." Hiccup smiled "Fishlegs? Think you can give us a slow burn?"
"With pleasure! Meatlug? Lava blast if you please." He gave his Gronkle an appreciative pat as she melted a large chunk of the ice.
"Woah!" all three scholars exclaimed in unison, jostling each other slightly to get a better view. Kelp, tired of the disturbances, took off with an indignant squawk before settling on Stormfly's saddle.
"I knew it!" Tengan screeched, scribbling furiously on her parchment.
"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked, voice quivering "No one has seen one for years. If you're right, this could be huge?!"
"I should check the Book of Dragons to be sure but I think she's right Hiccup." Fishlegs grinned.
"I'll go with you two." Tengan shoved her supplies in her pack, whistling for Kelp. She trotted off after the boys, followed only mildly relucatlanly by Astrid and Kelp; the former complaining to the latter about their mutual friends' obsessive tendencies.
"Do NOT touch that ice while we're gone!" Hiccup called as an afterthought to Snotlout and the twins as they descended on the would-be Skrill.
After confirming Tengan's assessment, the small group reported to the Great Hall, where Stoick was trying to calm down an angry hoard eager to launch a counter attack on their once allies.
"Uh, Dad?" Hiccup cautiously interrupted. "We know why Bucket and Mulch were attacked. The dragon they found is a Skrill."
Stoick flinched ever so slightly in surprise, casting his face in momentary shadow. "Are you sure son?"
"It matches all of the descriptions in the Book of Dragons to a T." Fishlegs supplied eagerly, holding up the book, pages already open to a crude drawing of a Skrill's profile.
"And it matches the Berserker crest." Tengan added, stroking the space between Kelp's horns absentmindedly. "Dagur went on and on about how it looks and what powers it's supposed to supply his tribe. I'd recognize it anywhere. He said it had control over lighting. Could summon it at will."
"Almost" Fishlegs corrected, propping open the book. "It could redirect natural lighting to strike multiple targets at once."
"And store it for later use." Hiccup added eagerly.
"Remind me never to get near one." Astrid commented dryly.
"That's enough." Stoick cut across the teens sternly. "If even half of that is true, we need to get rid of that dragon. Immediately. It's just the excuse Dagur needs to go to war."
"Why not just give it to him?" Astrid asked, arms crossed. "It's just a frozen carcass."
"Actually" Fishlegs began. "Because of its internal body temperature, Skrills can stay safely frozen for decades."
As one, the group's heads turned towards the Academy. All of them had the same thought running through their mind. How long would it take Snotlout or the twins to try to break it out?
Turns out the answer was approximately one hour. On their hurried march towards the Academy, a large explosion ripped into the rapidly darkening sky. Breaking into an all out run, the thundering herd of humans arrived just in time to see the Skrill knock Stormfly nearly fifteen feet to the side before escaping, roaring in triumphant rage as it vanished into the night sky.
"I told you guys to leave it alone!" Hiccup glared at the trio of troublemakers.
"Their fault!" Snotlout pointed at the twins with an impressively passive face.
"Hey, it's not our fault! It jumped us" Ruffnut contested.
"Yeah" Tuffnutt affirmed. "It's a very sneaky dragon."
Stoick sighed heavily, glancing from the dark sky to the pieces of broken ice. "When I was a boy, my father's father would tell me of Berserkers fighting with harnessed dragons that brought lightning down from the sky. I always thought it was just a story but…." he stood silently for a long moment, his back to the teens. "You lot need to find that dragon."
"We'll find it, dad. I promise." Hiccup nodded solemnly.
Early the next morning, the group took off in the direction they last saw the Skrill. Tengan, from her perch behind Hiccup, scanned all the notes she could cram onto a single piece of parchment about the Skrill while Kelp beat his wings rapidly to keep up with the larger dragons.
"What are we going to do when we find it?"Astrid asked skeptically.
"Find it. Capture it. Train it." Hiccup replied, eyes darting rapidly across the sky as he searched for the tiniest movement. "Tengan, any luck with how to corner it?"
"Yes" she replied, eyes still fixed on the parchment. "It can't redirect lightning when it's in water."
"Ugh! Where is this thing!" Snotlout cried out. "We've been searching for hours and I'm STARVING!"
"That's it!" Hiccup exclaimed. "Snotlout you're unintentionally brilliant. Fishlegs, what is the Skrill's food of choice?"
Smiling, Fishlegs redirected Meatlug in a shallow dive, taking over as the head of their formation. The group flew over several sheep farms, noting patches of burnt landscape before coming across a gathering storm cloud. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the clouds briefly lit up.
"It's got to be there." Hiccup affirmed, taking over as the lead and guiding the group towards the storm.
Feeling the increased wind, Tengan opened her pack. "Kelp! In!" she called to the Terror, who obeyed without hesitation. Worried the storm might snatch her bag, she tied it securely to Toothless' saddle and secured the top, leaving enough space for Kelp to poke his head out if he were so inclined.
"Everyone else hold back for a moment!" Hiccups held his fist raised, signaling the others to hover. "Maybe if the Skrill sees just one dragon it won't attack! Ready, Tengan?"
"As I'll ever be." Was her uneasy reply. She felt pity for the poor thing lost in the clouds. It had been locked away for who knows how many years before being thrust into a world with unknown people and dragons.
Within moments Toothless had pulled alongside the Skrill, who growled a soft warning at the Night Fury. "Woah there." Hiccup murmured. "You must be hungry and cranky after sleeping for so long." He reached out a hand towards the Skrill.
Tengan, seeing the dragon's eyes narrow, yanked Hiccup's hand out of the way just in time for the Skrill to swing back around and snap. It's mouth gaped open as it collected crackling bolts of lightning in the back of it's throat.
"Toothless, evasive maneuvers!" Hiccup yelled before throwing himself flat in the saddle. They only just rolled out of the line of fire when the others caught up to them, drawn in by the commotion.
The Skrill, sensing an uneven fight, let loose a splintering blast towards the group at random before turning tail and fleeing into the dark cloud cover.
"We need to get it into the water." Hiccup murmured before raising his voice. "You guys stay below the cloud cover. We'll use Toothless' echo sense to find it and drive it down to you. Then we can all push it into the water. Tengan, hop onto Stormfly for this."
Nodding, Tengan retrieved her pack with the disgruntled Kelp stowed safely inside and stood on shaking legs atop Toothless' back. With a large exhale, she jumped off of the Night Fury and landed safely behind Astrid as Stormfly swung into place under her. Resecuring Kelp's pack, she waited with the others as roars echoed overhead. Within moments, the Skrill reappeared close to the water with Hiccup and Toothless close behind.
"Now Stormfly!" Astrid cried out, urging the Nadder to release a red hot jet of flame above the fleeing dragon. "It's working!"
Tengan frowned. She could see the Skrill's breathing had become labored and it's wing beats were a bit more erratic. She worried that if they managed to get it in the water, it would be unable to keep it's head above the surface long enough for the Riders to secure it in a makeshift sling.
Her concern for the Skrill quickly shifted into one for their own safety as several volleys of arrows forced the group to scatter. Squinting at the water, she was able to make out a small fleet of three ships with a familiar crest on the mainsail.
"Is that-" Astrid started, eyes also trained on the boats.
"Berserkers!" Hiccup cried. "Get out of range before they reload!"
"No, we can't!" Tengan spun in the saddle. "The Skrill is exhausted. If we don't keep drawing their fire, it'll be shot down!"
"And if we don't, we'll be shot down!" Astrid cried out, executing a tight loop to avoid a crossbow bolt.
"She's got a point." Hiccup conceded. "Astrid, take Snotlout and Fishlegs and keep drawing their fire. The twins and I will go after the Skrill!"
Tengan loosened the top of her pack and extracted the Terror. "Alright, Kelp. Stick to Stormfly and let them have it!" The terror growled eagerly before unfolding its wings and letting the wind rip him from her arms. He settled into place at Stormfly's right flank before following them into a dive bomb attack on the nearest ship.
Above the chaos of the close range battle, an enormous explosion erupted into the sky. It seemed Belch had ignited every last puff of Barf's gas. The resulting concussive wave seemed to have done the trick, as the Skrill fell unconscious from the sky, plunging in the water well away from the Berserker fleet who immediately turned to give chase.
"No!" Tengan screamed. "Astrid, we have to save it!" She leaned dangerously over the side of Stormfly's saddle to get a better view. The three ships had already begun to close in on the dragon and a fourth, appearing from behind a nearby sea stack had already pulled up alongside it, the crew throwing a chain net over the still dragon's body.
"It's too dangerous!" Astrid contended "We'll never be able to get in between the Skrill and the ship."
Thinking quickly, Tengan took a deep steadying breath. "I have an idea. Make one more pass as close to the Skrill as you can."
"Fall back everyone!" Hiccup called, turning in the air to hover out of range. "We have to regroup!"
"Astrid, please!" Tengan gripped her shoulder. "It will drown! Just one more pass."
Astrid glanced between the lifeless dragon bobbing like a cork and the retreating forms of her friends. "You better know what you're doing." she growled before turning Stormfly into a steep dive.
"I do. I promise. Kelp!" she cried out to the Terror as it tried to follow. "Guard Hiccup!" she pointed towards the Night Fury and felt a small bit of her anxiety ease as he reluctantly obeyed. Turning back around in the saddle, she swung one leg over the side as the ship grew closer.
"Wait what are you-" Astrid cried out as they hit the bottom of the dive.
Without a word, Tengan let herself slip off of the saddle and plunged into the icy water. The cold burned her skin as her lungs seized up. Fighting to break the surface of the water, she quickly paddled towards the floating mass of the Skrill, drowning out the jeers from the bloodthirsty vikings with her own ragged, halting breaths. Gripping the metal chains surrounding its body, she climbed hand over hand to the massive head. The Skrill's eyes were glazed orange slits as its nostrils dipped below the dark water.
Gritting her teeth against the numbing sensation creeping into her limbs, Tengan dove under the waves and shouldered the massive dragon's snout, forcing it above the water. In her desperate kicking, the chains wrapped tightly around her ankle. Every kick seemed to drag her further under the water, until she could only catch a precious breath for herself every few seconds. Through it all she managed to keep the Skrill's head above water, praying to all the gods she had ever heard of or read about that it was still alive.
The chain binding her tightened suddenly as the net containing her and the Skrill was slowly, agonizingly, dragged out of the water. Air filled her lungs in great greedy gasps as the cheers of the surrounding vikings filled her ears. Dangling painfully from one ankle, her eyes struggled to focus on a blurry, bulky shape standing before her, fists proudly pressed against his hips.
"Well, well. Look at what we got 'ere boys." A deep, rumbling voice droned.
Before she could open her mouth to retort, the men supporting the weight of her and the dragon still confined in the net released their grip. Tumbling towards the deck, her head smashed against the hard, wooden flooring of the ship, and she knew no more.