Journey Part IV
SNOTLOUT
It's been 2 weeks.
2 weeks since the freak dragon attack that almost killed Astrid.
2 weeks since Fishlegs was found.
2 weeks since Stormfly's wing was broken.
2 weeks since since Ruffnut has smiled.
Heck, 2 weeks since anyone has smiled.
Except Tuffnut. He's been having the time of his life. It's profoundly irritating. Wait—I think that's the word. Viggo taught me that. Never used it before. Yay.
Anyway, all Tuff and that giant porcupine do is fly around, shooting fire; not even caring that their friends are dying.
Ruff still hasn't spoken to me. She acts mad, but I know she's just really worried. She seems to care for Fishlegs a great deal. That's also profoundly irritating.
I know I like Ruffnut. She's cute, explosive, and single. What's not to like?
But, whenever I think of her, someone else pops into my head. It makes it impossible to enjoy anything fully, because I always want her to be with me. Nothing seems complete without her there.
This is kinda a secret from everyone. They all think I love Ruffnut, or Heather, or even Astrid. But my mind keeps flying back to a brown-haired, flying girl with a tiny Razorwhip.
'I'll never admit it within 100 miles of that island' I think to myself, 'but I miss you, Minden.'
FISHLEGS
Blackness. Suffocating blackness. And the pain, oh the pain…
I can't move. I can't blink. I can't hear. I can't think. The pain…
The pain disappears. I feel my body lifting up, and I peer down into the hazy darkness. Swirls of color dance across, suddenly, like hundreds of multi-colored dragons, flying across the ocean. Flying across the ocean…that sounds familiar. Something is inside my head, moving around, jostling the beautiful picture. I try to reach out, grab it, focus on it, but it leaps away. What was it?
I start running, but I can tell that it's not working. The thing is getting farther and farther away. The ocean looms behind me, no longer inviting, just cold and black, like a hand reaching out from the sea. The hand moves closer. I try screaming, but no sound comes out. I feel the finger's cold touch…
But then somethings pushes me away.
Not a push, exactly. More like a shove.
I'm catapulted upwards, gravity suddenly not working. The hand falls back, writhing and shrieking. I look back, trying to locate the source of the shove, but I only see a pale oval, and it quickly fades. Some inexplicable warmth that I hadn't noticed before suddenly seems to disappear.
That shove was really hard. I'm a lot closer to that something now, and I seem to be speeding up.
Come on, come on… echoes across the cavern, sounding distant but near at the same time. I didn't say it. I look around in surprise, but I'm not worried. I can somehow feel that I'm alone in the room, and the one outside doesn't want to hurt me. Outside.
Before, the idea seemed impossible. But now…I know there's a different world out there. A better world, without creepy hands and impossible colors. With someone who wants me to be alright. I reach out, my hands grabbing the thought that had escaped me. It slips and slides, trying to escape, but I hold on gritting my teeth. I won't stay here! I…will…not…give…IN!
The ball breaks, and it feels like every single color from the ocean is rushing into my head all at once. It doesn't feel great—but it isn't bad either. Visions, pictures, sounds, memories…
Wait! There's something there…I focus, squinting my eyes, trying to see through the colors…
Oh, by the Gods! Of course!
A sudden sound rips through the cavern. A scream. Instantly, I know the voice is that of the person who saved me. How can I help her? Only one way to find out. I brace myself…
I run straight at the wall in front of me. I'm not even touching the ground as I speed towards the solid rock face.
The wall suddenly turns fragile as paper as I plow through it, into the blinding light beyond…
**Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.** What's that sound?
**Ba-dum.** It's giving me a **Ba-dum** headache.
'It's my heartbeat.' I realize. 'I'm out!…I'm alive…'
Oh no! The scream! I've got to help her…
I struggle one last time, leaping over that last rock in my path, the last sword in my way, the last bump in the road, the last pain in my bones...
Fishlegs' heart started beating again. His chest heaved, and his eyes opened slowly.
If only Ruffnut was there.
But she wasn't…
TUFFNUT
What's that?
I sit up from the ground, every nerve suddenly on alert. Death Ride stirs beside me.
Yeah, I'm sleeping on the ground. With Death Ride. Whenever I go into camp to eat, or get some water, everyone keeps staring at me, not in a good way, but a bad, angry way. Like I'm doing something wrong. Like I should be on my knees, praying and cavorting to the great god Thor to save my dearest friends.
Right when I finally get something that's mine, not ours? No way.
That's why I sleep outside. Away from their eyes. With my two best friends that aren't chickens: Belch and Death Ride. Well, Barf is here too. She isn't a best friend…but it's all right. She's actually okay, considering her rider.
That's not important now though.
I can sense the danger, it's so thick in the air. That's what woke me up. That smell of danger…
Hmmm. Smell…I know I've smelled that before…
I search my brain, trying to find that elusive memory…
Oh yeah! It was on that island we wanted for Garfflvorg, the Death Song. Didn't that island have giant snakes on it? With deadly venom if you even touched them? Bad choice if you ask me. The whole place smelled fishy. Wait. That was it. Fish. The venom smelled like raw fish…
Everything connected at once.
A scream. Fishy smell. That faint sliding sound. The sense of danger. No sentries…
Slitherwings. By the Gods, it had to be those things.
That scream! It was Ruffnut! By the Gods, it had to be her also.
"Come on, Death Ride!"
The dragon wakes up instantly, eyes starting to flame. I'm already on his back, and he's already lifting up, spiraling towards the camp...
The idea of no more 'ours' is no longer enticing.