Pheda glanced down. You picking up on anything yet?

Honest shook her head. 'Not yet. Wait. . . no. Never mind. I think I got Starflinger's trail. Everlynh was with her.' She flew faster. 'With the head start they've got, though, it'll be difficult to catch up. Star's faster than a Deadly Nadder ramped up on chicken when she wants to be, and she can be pretty cunning, besides.'

Honest picked up her pace still more. 'The smell's getting stronger. They can't be far-'

With a cry of surprise, she reared back, braking sharply, so suddenly what Pheda nearly flew off her back. 'Aaagh, what the-?'

What? Pheda asked urgently. What is it?

Honest didn't need to answer - in a moment, the rider saw it too. A group of five ships below them, armed, and sailing in tight formation. She was pretty sure that she could make out a black dragon on the deck of the one in the middle one, but she wasn't certain.

Apparently, Honest saw it too. 'That dragon on the flagship looks an awful lot like Starflinger, Pheda.'

I agree, Pheda responded. But if that's Star, then where's Everlynh?

Honest's eyes narrowed. 'Good point. We need a plan. Now.'

She paused. 'Wait. Someone's coming on deck.'

Pheda saw him too, and muttered something incoherent under her breath. I don't think that there's time for a plan, Honest. Whether that dragon is Starflinger or not is beside the point. It's a dragon. We need to act now, or never.

After a moment, Honest nodded. 'I guess I have to agree with that. Take a page out of Hookfang's playbook, and figure it out as we go.'

What's that supposed to mean?

'Oh, never mind.'

Honest beat her wings hard to gain a small amount of altitude, then tucked them tightly against her sides as she dove.

Honest, remember, Pheda said, fighting's not a priority at the moment. We get that dragon, then we go, and we don't stop to ask questions. Got it?

'Got it.'

Honest let loose a shot of fire, which connected with the side of the flagship with an explosion of plasma flame. She spread her wings, the momentum from the dive carrying her through the smoke with ease. She dropped to the deck, and, snarling threateningly, assumed a threatening position as Pheda slid from her back, drawing her sword.

The dragon, bruised cruelly, rolled over in the net, again struggling to free itself. It was a Night Fury, no question, and its light blue-green eyes and white dorsal plates identified it as none other than Starflinger. A small face peeked out from beneath one of her wings. Everlynh. So Star had hidden her, shielded her from the barrage of blows that she had surely experienced.

Pheda focused her eyes on the one who must be the leader. Gripping her sword tightly, but not too much so, she stepped away from Honest to the side, facing the man. "Who are you?"

He laughed, a soft, cold chuckle. "Why, don't you know, Berkian?"

Pheda stared back at him, her eyes never leaving his chiseled face.

He shrugged. "I guess not. I am General Arvelon, and I know whom you seek. You, and the girl."

Honest crept along, unnoticed toward Starflinger, and began to work the net off her. 'Pheda. Keep him distracted, okay? Every second helps.'

Got it, Pheda answered, then, to the General, she said, "Oh, really? And who would that be?"

"Don't toy with me, girl," the General snarled, his calm demeanor beginning to dissipate. "We both know who I'm talking about. 'The Missing', I'm told you call them. An apt name, to be sure, though not to me."

"Quit messing around," Pheda said evenly, resisting the urge to glance out of the corner of her eye, towards Honest. That would only draw unwanted attention to the dragon. "What do you want?"

"That's easy," the General said, fingering the strap that bound his mace to his back. He left his weapon in its place, though. Smart. "I want what you have. The dragons."

"What do you mean?" Pheda asked, though not entirely because she wanted to know. Honest, you almost done?

'Yeah.'

Good.

"Dragons are prosperity," the General said. "When your former Chief, Hiccup Haddock the Third, sent all the dragons of the world into hiding, he didn't consider what that would do to all of the other tribes, in and outside the Archipelago. How do you feed your family when dragons, your entire source of income, have completely vanished? If you're lucky, you have one or two in cages, but what if you don't? That's the reality that hundreds of Dragon Hunters faced. My grandfather spent the rest of his life searching for the dragons after that, and my father after him, and my older brother. Then I searched. My father had told me once that he suspected that the Dragon Riders had had something to do with the dragons' sudden disappearance, and that was one of the first things I investigated. As it turned out, he was right. I found New Berk easily enough, and coming up with a plan to draw the dragons out of hiding was easy enough, though it didn't go quite as I had hoped. I was interrupted, and thus had to improvise."

"What's your point?" Pheda snarled. "I didn't come here to hear your life story."

"Why do you want us?" shouted a young voice. Everlynh. "Why do you want me?"

Honest crept over to Pheda, followed by Starflinger. Both had their hackles, raised, and the latter let out a snarl.

"Everlynh," Pheda said, not taking her eyes from the General. "Back off. He's not safe."

The General laughed, ignoring her, and turned his attention to Everlynh. "Everlynh Haddock, what a pleasure it is to see you again."

Did he just say. . . Haddock? Everlynh stepped back, stunned. "What do you. . . what do you mean?"

"Oh, child," the General said, his voice softening. Pheda could tell that his tone was fake, though. "You see, I know who your parents are."

Everlynh stared. "Who. . . who?"

"Oh, girl, your parents," the General said, then stopped. He seemed to be savoring the moment, the suspense he was causing in the child. "Your parents are from New Berk, and their names. . ." here he paused again, much to Everlynh's dismay, "are Milehck Haddock and Lindyr Kint. And they are both very. . . very dead."

Everlynh flinched. They've been dead. All this time, when I was hoping that I would find them one day, they haven't been alive at all. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Pheda was equally stunned. My sister is dead, she vaguely realized. Zephyr's son is dead. Their child. . . is Everlynh. Everlynh is my niece, and the granddaughter of the Chieftess. Wait. . . what?! She simply couldn't make her brain process it.

"As a potential eventual heir to the Chiefdom of New Berk," the General continued, "you were a potential a threat. That is why I kept you hidden. But now. . . well. . . you are a threat. However, I'm nothing if not a generous man. I'll give you a choice, Everlynh: join me, or perish, right here, right now."

He must have killed my parents, Everlynh realized. I can't listen to him. He can't be trusted. The unexpected news had put her in shock, though, and she could barely manage a shake of the head.

"Hm," said the General. "Pity."

He shrugged. "Oh well. I'll get over it."

He removed his mace, then dropped it on the ground, and undid the strap that served as its sheath, tossing it to the opposite side of the deck, then kicked the mace after it.

Everlynh felt a wave of dread wash over her. What's he doing? Should I run? But she couldn't run. She couldn't even move. It was as though something was holding her in place.

Then the General's body began to change, his human features fading.