Bonus points to anyone who recognizes the Monstrous Nightmare cameo. Even if it is really obvious, just let me have this. The title is a bit self explanatory, being that the events of this chapter happen during the Shell Shocked episodes :'D
Star: wOW thank you I love u and your kind reviews. It might have to do with the fact that everything is wild chaos. As long as you read it I AM HONORED.
Rawsalmons: Brace yourself for a barrage of really bad dad jokes. Shimmies for ten hours straight.
Mysterious Psycho: D'aaw thank you! She's really stuck in a hilarious in-between on both sides. Everything can only end in tears ; A ;
Lightning struck in the night, jaggedly ripping the sky in two and casting a terrifying shadow on the floor of the stables. The small creature jolted up, coiling and dipping her head low as if ready to pounce. A drum of thunder drowned out her warble for attention, causing her to slink. The blankets provided by the Riders were soft and warm, and one of the opaque cloth items held the unmistakable scent of her guardian—her angry, two-legged, white-haired guardian. Burying her snout into it, the hatchling whimpered deep in her throat.
There were nights that her guardian would sit next to her as she fell asleep. Generally, it was enough to carry her through the evening until dawn. Although, with the sky screaming, it was awfully hard to even fathom rest. Golden eyes wide open, the young Night Fury pawed at her bedding as another flash of light penetrated her vision.
Toothless uncrossed his forelimbs and blinked, disturbed by the raging tempest just outside. The dragon licked his lips and saw his Rider fast asleep at his desk, shoulders rising and falling with each tranquil breath. Scales shifting as he stood, the Night Fury retrieved a wool blanket from the nearby chair. This wasn't the first time Hiccup had poured himself into work, passing out on top of his plans. Jerking his chin up to unfurl the blanket to an appropriate span, the obsidian-hued dragon draped the cozy blanket over Hiccup's shoulders. Normally, he would have nudged him awake and guided him to his cot. But with the strident myriad of noises outside, it was a phenomenon that Hiccup could succumb to sleep.
He was convinced that the combo of thunder and lightning had roused him, but the dragon began to suspect it was something else. Raindrops bounced off his shadowy scales as he cantered outside, opening his wings and taking flight with one powerful beat of his wings. The stable doors were ajar, making it easy for him to bump his head against the entryway. Courteously, he pulled it securely shut to not disturb those slumbering within.
The Night Fury crept inside, his footfalls subdued against the sturdy panels. A low sound emitted from within him at sensing the high-pitched vibrations from deeper in the stables. It was the younger Night Fury. She had certainly been the dragon of interest over the past few weeks. The purplish gold creature was wound in a tight ball, shivering in spite of the tolerable temperature and insulation provided.
Greeting her with a gentle rumble only gained him a quick, fearful glance. The Night Fury treaded lightly around the smaller creature, circling her thrice. On the fourth, he curled around her, closing the loop with a curve of his tail.
0_0_0
Wood cracked, splintered, and flew in all directions, falling lifelessly to the floor from the abuse it suffered. Large chunks of straw and hay tore from the dummy's structure and drifted through the air. Aqua twirled her weapon, decapitating two straw figures in her whirlwind, delivering a swift kick to its midsection for good measure.
She'd been deeply perturbed by making frequent visits to the Edge in order to check on the Riders she apparently shared custody of a Night Fury with. No doubt everyone on that outpost was keeping the hatchling occupied with copious amounts of adoration and attention.
Unable to handle anymore, the wooden support for one of the dummies groaned out in anguish, capitulating to its maltreatment. They had rotated bases again in preparation for the next phase of their plan. Aqua hadn't disclosed anything to either party, feeling suspended in limbo by the decisions she was allowing herself to make. Most of her trips to the outpost were silent, minimizing any interaction with the Riders, except for Heather on occasion, who did not ask prying questions.
The construction of Project Shellfire had died down, given that it was complete. Only the clamor of final preparations had been heard throughout the island. It felt strange that she had so little involvement with the project because of her inconspicuous trips to the outpost. Sliding back to test her footwork, Aqua manipulated her weapon effortlessly over her back to her opposite hand.
"Oof!" A yell and smack simultaneously stopped her training. One of the hunters had stepped too close and fallen victim to the deadly sweep of her metal rod. Brows knitting, the huntress collapsed her weapon and hooked it to her belt.
"Amazing." Monotonously delivering the sardonic compliment in regards to the man passed out at her feet, she awaited the message from the other two.
"Ryker wants to speak to you." The mousier man said. Aqua angled her head, granting permission for them to lead the way.
The eldest Grimborn sibling appeared to be returning from a voyage of some sort, trudging with heavily placed steps down the gangplank. Stony eyes set dead ahead, he crossed the docks and continued past the stacked supply crates. A few men of the elite guard followed behind him in strict formation, "Ah, jus' who I wanted to see." Escorted by two men who had been sent to retrieve her, Aqua stopped a fair distance in front of him.
"Would it be too much to ask to make this quick?" She still had to give report to Viggo before sneaking off to the Edge once again. What had become of her routine? Deeply disconcerted by the fact that Ryker began to laugh at her request, the huntress could not shake the gnawing intuition of something being off.
"Not at all!" The last time he was this cordial to her, she was fourteen and sorely losing a sparring match against him. "In fact, it'll be quicker than y'think." A grin stretched across his features, gravel in his voice made rougher by the lower tone "Nothin' personal. I actually really like ya." Placing a hand over his chest to illustrate his point, Ryker began to see the epiphany spark on her face.
Definitely not liking the direction this conversation was going, Aqua slid her foot back, readying a deadly spin. Her hand hadn't even grazed her weapon before a dull pain numbed her head, and everything went black.
"Or maybe it is."
0_0_0
Her vision was only a blurred line, smeared indecipherably before her. The sound of fighting reached her first, as if she'd been thrown into the center of a raging battlefield with clashing swords and flying arrows. An urgent plea for her to awaken eased her closer to consciousness. Unfortunately, it also returned the throbbing sensation from where she'd been clubbed in the back of her skull. Someone was shaking her, repeating her name louder with each passing second.
Groggily, Aqua murmured something, obtaining full control of her cognizance. "Viggo?" His sword was drawn while his opposite arm held her upright, shouldering her every now and then. "Did you knock me out?" Words slurring together, Aqua sat up and gingerly tapped the back of her head. More questions popped up at seeing the destroyed tents, thick black smoke, and ransacked crates littered across the hunter base.
"No, my dear girl, pull yourself together!" Having to snatch her weapon midair from a toss, Aqua jumped to her feet, seeing a handful of hunters charging at them from all angles.
"Did I miss something?!" Back to back, the duo readied their weapons. Swinging at a diagonal slant, Aqua's blunt weapon cracked against a hunter's jaw, the awful sound causing the rest to baulk. Viciously, she shot forth, knocking the wind out of one opponent with her staff and parrying a slash meant to take her arm off. Driving her rod into the ground, Aqua vaulted and kicked an attacker straight in the chest.
"My brother appears to have taken matters into his own hands." Viggo's combat style was visibly calmer, utilizing minimal movement to conserve as much energy permissible. He leaned back in a smooth arc from the thrust of a spear, shoulder tilting to avoid the tip. Slightly adjusting the degree of his sword defended an attack from his side, the man dispatched the wave of hunters with ease. A glance over his shoulder alerted him to Aqua's triumph in clearing a path.
Demonstrating a speed that would make a Night Fury green with envy, Aqua launched herself at her partner in battle, hearing the arrows whizz by her ear, slicing the fabric of her tunic. She knocked him to the ground, acting as a shield for any other stray projectiles.
"You're kidding, right?" On their feet in an instant, the two raced for cover.
"I truly wish I was." Something was shoved into her hands. "Now go! You know where to meet me." Still hearing the inside of her skull pounding, Aqua looked down.
She ran her thumbs over the metal rings and drawn runes of the ancient artifact. The lens sitting in the open mouth of the Dragon Eye reflected the day's light. Easily, the cylinder could be tucked under her arm, "What?! No I don't. You can't just always assume I know these things." She'd had just about enough of his vagueness, and the implication that he was staying behind angered her even further. Taking her by the elbow shoving her around a decimated tent, the man kept his blade up.
"People underestimate you, they always have, and that is their first mistake." She finally peered at his eyes, wrought with a foreign emotion, likely brought upon by the actions of his own brother. Hurt, she guessed. "Maces and Talons, Aquaria." His grip didn't relent as he spun her to face him, sharply arching a brow; he contemplated his next fragment of advice. "Be safe."
Time was of the essence, and he clearly wasn't about to sit her down and explain the nuances of his backup plan. "That actually doesn't heELP!" Viggo had let go, leaving the huntress without the support to prevent falling fast down a steep slope. Clutching the item he had entrusted her with to her chest, she stretched out her fingers emptily at his fading form.
The high-speed combat roll she initiated softened her impact. By the time she could have an opening to look back, there was nothing in view. Running to where she kept her slalom sled, the woman rewound her brain to sort through Viggo's ambiguous instructions. She recalled one Maces and Talons match where she had won, and, by all accounts, should not have. When confronted on letting her achieve victory, he had deflected her question, and had also taken the opportunity to chastise her. It was the same day they'd lured out a Submaripper. That had to be something.
All of her brainpower pinpointed on that singular match, piecing apart every aspect she could magnify. Her first advantage was right after she'd slayed the traitor piece, when she cornered him on an island, just beneath the center division on the board. The dragon piece had been felled there, along with two hunters to the eruption of a volcano. "Caldera Cay," The exact location on the board, were it to be overlaid on a map. As well, the volcano and dragon only added to the parallel he had wanted her to see.
Skidding past a fallen tree, Aqua moved elegantly under the cover of the sweeping, barren hills of the island. There was no evidence of anyone giving chase, but she did not falter with her end goal in mind.
A screech of despair that rose above the chaos altered her course. She emerged from behind a stone pillar to see a cage that had been pushed out of the fortified base in the scuffle. It was now being pulled to sea, the dragon inside struggling against the sucking sand. The cage must have been separated from the flock, discarded in the grand scheme of things. Inside, the Monstrous Nightmare ignited itself in flame, convinced that it would increase its chances of escape.
"Stop! Stop! You're going to sink yourself faster." The dragon squawked and burned its gaze into her. It's aquamarine scales melded with a light greenish yellow color. Sand flew up and tarnished its spotted wings, spraying salt into its eyes. The creature's demise was none of her business, and any obedient soldier wouldn't have strayed from the mission. She'd clearly been spending too much time around the Riders. "Don't move." Her tone suggested that she'd punctually slaughter the Nightmare herself if it did not obey.
Conceding by nudging the tip of its horned muzzle against the cage, the creature bellowed sadly. Aquaria jammed her staff into the latch and pushed it at a deliberate slant. The lock detached and the gate swung open, freeing the creature. In gratitude, it trotted after her as she darted off. "No! Do not follow me, I will end you…" Its purple splashed snout pushed against her elbow. The huntress swatted at it.
It was hurt.
"GuuuUH I didn't sign up for this." When, in fact, she did sign up for it. Her hand shot into her bag, startling the dragon, pulling out the salve she'd been using for her own face blemish. She then smeared it along the interior of its wing, right where the appendage bowed. The Nightmare jumped away, but felt a cooling sensation move along its striped wing. She noted its tough, viridian hide scored with scars. One knotted rope of scar tissue caught Aqua's eye: it tracked down the dragon's spine, gnarled like the root of a dead tree. "It's not magic. Do not try to fly yet or I will de-scale you." She sneered as it continued to follow her, "Of course, I have to have a multi-colored beacon on my tail." The Nightmare was a vibrant assortment of forest colors that she did not need as a giant attention grabbing flag. Complete with not only stripes, but also… spots.
Before she could say anything, it decided to split trails and find shelter, allowing the salve to absorb enough to subside the pain of unfolding its wing. Soon it would seek refuge in a cave elsewhere. The dragon turned its head to bid her farewell, a promise emanating in its lilac-rimmed yellow eyes.
One day, it would return the favor.
0_0_0
Caldera Cay, home to the Eruptodon and Defenders of the Wing, was more challenging to infiltrate than the usual fortress. Were it even the right place for her to be, she would have to learn the hard way. Pulling a loose branch over the sled for some semblance of cover, Aqua grunted with effort whilst dragging a scout who had been unfortunate enough to detect her arrival. He would be passed out for a decent amount of time, and if no one discerned his absence, then it would make matters less complicated.
Relief knocked into her like an overcoming wave as the Riders soared over the island, carrying a passenger that she recognized. Deftly concealing the Dragon Eye in her satchel, the huntress honed her abilities of stealth to close the distance between her and the main village. Three precise strikes stole the consciousness of one of the stationed guards, allowing her to take up his vantage point.
The first bombardment from the Shellfire shook the whole island to its core, smaller plasma projectiles exploding from the initial impact. Rapidly firing, high-pitched whistles signaled the next barrage of attacks. Blinding light flashed into her vision as the plasma detonated like mortars against the mountainside. The team of Riders took off to meet the threat while the islanders held battle stations in the fray.
That was her cue. As another shrill whistle pulsed her eardrums, Aqua dove for the fortified grating on the ground that had been partially damaged by the Shellfire boulders. She jammed her staff into the dented opening and popped it off. Pushing it away, she peered into the pit.
"Your timing is impeccable." Shielding himself from the Shellfire blasts, Viggo lowered his arm at the sight of the huntress.
"I'm late." She translated, holding out a hand and bracing herself. The moment she felt his grasp secure on her forearm, she pulled with all the strength her arms could muster. Another boom inhibited their balance, but gave them just enough time to slip away. Aqua turned to check on the auburn-haired guard who was supposed to be in charge of the prisoner. His stature, radiating raw power, tackled one of his comrades away from falling debris, ushering a few more people away from the chaos. No matter the case, he was occupied.
0_0_0
Dull, throbbing pulses echoed in the back of her head, the noise drowning almost everything else out. Fortunately, the pulse gradually faded into a hushed rhythm, the volume receding. Her breathing had long since regulated itself by the time the snowy-haired girl found her mental anchor.
"Do you have it?" Once they were clear, Aqua returned the Dragon Eye to his possession. The man took it eagerly, as if being parted from it for a full day was most unbearable. He inspected it for any damage it might have suffered under her care, flipping over the valued relic for good measure. When satisfied with the assessment, he looked to study her with the same intensity. "Aqua." She almost expected a thank-you by the sympathetic way he addressed her. "You look awful."
A sheepish smile that bordered along a grimace broke into chiming laughter at his observation, "When you told me to be safe, I didn't really expect you to push me off a ledge." A resolute snort punctuated her words. Yet, the more she thought of it, the more she realized she should not have been surprised. Even so, she was one of his tools, and no one had use for a broken tool. The beginnings of a smile reached his face, but he quashed it before it got farther than the tightening of his cheeks.
"Were you able to predict the next move?" Brushing off the materials used to hide her sled, the girl double-checked its propeller and worn wooden seat. Modifying it for tempestuous waves instead of the unforgiving ice terrain was one of her more prudent decisions.
"The Edge." There were a few problems with taking him to the outpost. The first was something along the lines of the fact that there was a young Night Fury being raised over there. And the second was that if the Riders caught a glimpse of her, they would question her relentlessly on Hunter agendas.
The voyage to the Edge, avoiding unnecessary contact with the scouts upon leaving the island, was a long one to spend in silence. Aqua sat with her back to the Hunter Chief—former Chief, she supposed. No storms plagued the seas, and the swell of the water was smoothly cut through by the sled's steady speed.
"What's going to happen to Ryker?" She would be naïve to assume that his treachery would warrant a curt slap on the wrist, and assimilation into how things used to be. Although the young woman was cautiously optimistic toward that notion, there was little to indicate that outcome.
"Whatever must be done." Hollowness in his voice did nothing to dissipate the dread flooding her stomach.
Viggo had hardly spared a thought towards the ramifications of his brother's actions—at least not the sentiment. A cold, bitter voice in the back of his head chided him. Petty emotions were not something he could afford to have chewing his focus. Defeating his sibling was now the sole purpose he'd undertaken, by any means necessary. Ryker had been overzealous, and he was prepared to exploit that. An icy feeling pierced through him, a thousand needles that made his nerves sing with devastation. It was a sharp, cutting agony that he couldn't recognize as anything but betrayal.
Daunting eyes stared out at the endless sea, then vanished behind his eyelids as he tried to reason out what would be the final, definitive move on the board. A dim thought flickered like a dying light. The Hunter opened his eyes, reacquainting himself with the stinging ocean spray. His companion was quiet, her emotion trying to wage war on reason, but crippled by the presence of someone that struggled to feel far too many things.
The Hunter's eyes found the weapon Aqua had crafted for herself after the adequate mastery of basic combat techniques. It felt like eons ago that he had shared with her the abilities she was now able to showcase, piecing together ideas and theories that might work in a hypothetical combat situation. How…quaint and bright, the memory seemed. Children were quite malleable. An ideal template to mold into whatever one saw fit for their uses. However, truth be told, he hadn't fathomed that the end-result would be here now—slightly discombobulated and reaching down her tunic to remove a leaf that had gotten a tad too friendly.
"You should rest. I can take us the rest of the way." The offer was absent in delivery, as if he weren't all there. Aqua's incredulous stare brought him back entirely, his brow furrowing nonverbally to inquire what was wrong.
"I—sorry. You're being nice, and its kind of scaring me." Resting her elbow on the curved sides of the sled railing she'd remade to be taller in order to buffer the lapping water, the woman pushed aside the concept of him log-rolling her overboard. "Besides. I'm not even tired."
Literally, less than ten minutes later, she had fallen asleep.
Thank you for reading!