Chapter 27 - One Survivor:
She woke up to a bright sunrise, light streamed through the cave's entrance straight at her, nearly blinding her. She could not recall the last time she had such a warm and peaceful sleep.
She felt so warm, how was she so warm? She didn't have any blankets.
Vali tried to move, and when she did the warmth suddenly left her. Something was keeping her warm.
She got up as fast as she could, and turned around. Spark the Spike Bolt was lying down there. It had its eyes open and positively smiled at her. The dragon had kept her warm all night.
Even her clothes were warm now. They were still a little damp, but were warm.
She then recalled last night's events. The poster, her decision she made and how the Skrill brought her food.
She then knelt down in front of the Skrill, with a smile on her face and put one gentle hand on its snout.
"Thank you, Spark. I realise now what I have done and what I have to do. That poster you brought, you got it from Myrka, right?"
The dragon nodded, and opened its mouth, revealing another poster. This one was a bit slimy and sticky.
"You brought two? Oh of course you're going to show Hiccup aren't you?" Vali questioned, putting two and two together.
Again, the dragon nodded.
Vali smiled. She walked to the end of the cave, and looked out.
The sun was rising in an almost cloudless sky. However it was not the sun that was the brightest dominator, it was what was covered on the ground.
Snow. Tonnes of it. It covered every square inch of land she could see, except for the ocean to the right. As she looked out across it, she looked to the water. Thinking about Hiccup and the crew.
She hoped they were all right, and had survived the storm overnight.
Vali heard footsteps next to her, and turned to see the Skrill joining her in looking out the cave.
"Okay Spark, I'm sorry for how I treated you. And I want to say after seeing that poster, I know what I will do. I will join the Six, and I promise I will never try to harm any of them or the dragon ever again if I can help it." She vowed.
The Skrill smiled, its mouth extending further around its head, and gestured towards its back.
"Time to go?" She asked.
The Spike Bolt nodded.
Vali cautiously climbed on top of the Skrill, and when she found the right spot to hold onto, she grabbed the spikes protruding from its neck. They served as an easy handle to hold onto.
"Ok, I'm ready. Lets-"
Before she even finished her sentence, the Skrill leapt into the brisk, chilly air. And Vali gripped the spikes even harder, almost chuckling at how fast the dragon took off.
As the dragon flew, Vali studied the surrounding area. The forests were covered in snow, it was impossible for her to see the ground through it. And out into the oceans she couldn't see any boats either.
The wind was very strong now as Spark flew faster, and Vali began to feel very cold quite quickly.
"I hope we can find them!" Vali bellowed over the wind, the Skrill nodded in reply, and sniffed the air.
The Skrill flew lower to the ground now, flying along the coastline. Sniffing and looking from side to side.
After a while the Skrill suddenly stopped and flew in one spot. Vali looked around and saw the boat with its anchor overboard, it was covered in snow. However she didn't see anyone on it. Spark flew over to it, and roared.
Nothing happened. No one came out of the hull. Spark took a deep breath in, and then looked at the white shoreline below. She then flew back to the coastline, then descended and landed on the ground.
Vali stayed on the Skrill, as she began sniffing the ground. Then suddenly the Skrill looked into the forest. The dragon must have been picking up their scent.
"They must have gone into the forest for shelter." Vali whispered to the Skrill.
The Skrill began to walk into the snow covered trees and bushes, and kept on going for quite a while.
Spark then suddenly roared out quite loud, possibly to try and get attention Vali thought to herself.
Then a rather large mound of snow in the distance suddenly raised up and a large dragon emerged. Pushing the snow off it, and revealing at least fifteen Vikings.
"SPARK!" Yelled a familiar voice.
Vali looked over the side of the dragon, and saw Hiccup, Toothless, Kormak and the rest of the crew emerging out.
Hiccup stood up to his fullest height, and saw Spark steadily approaching with Vali on her back.
They had endured a tough night, Toothless had once again saved them. His fire kept them warm, while his body shielded all of them from the snow.
"Come on guys, let's catch up later. We should get back to the boat, if it's still there." Kormak suddenly announced, before Hiccup said anything.
Asan nodded, "'e's absolutely right. Men, pack up, let's go!" He instructed.
"The boat is still there, don't worry." Vali was happy to inform them.
Toothless led the way. Pushing the snow and carving a path in it for the crew to follow behind. Toothless walked straight past the Skrill, and made a huff, before continuing.
So everybody pitched in, and with both of the dragons help, they successfully managed to get all the crew and the dragons safely back onto the boat. Though it took a while to clear all the snow off.
Once all was done, and they were sailing towards Dyflin once again, Asan stayed with the crew in helping navigate the ship. However Hiccup, Toothless, Kormak, Vali and Spark all got together on the rear of the ship to talk.
"Now look, before we begin," Hiccup started, "There is one thing I would like to ask of you Spark. Yesterday afternoon, we're not sure if you heard it, but a loud horn was sounded far into the distance. It was a call of need. I was wondering, because Toothless can't fly, could you possibly take me and Kormak and help us find it?"
"It might have come from Dyflin, we aren't sure. So we would like to fly there just to simply check things." Hiccup requested.
"Yes of course, when?" Spark replied. Standing up.
"Now would be great. I'll just have to tell Asan, then we can go."
Spark nodded. "Sure."
"Hiccup-" Vali began.
"It's all right Vali. I'll talk with you when we get back, okay? This is urgent." Hiccup interrupted, he was desperate to talk to Vali too and find out what happened, but that call of need was more important at this time.
Vali nodded understandingly.
Hiccup stood up and walked over to Asan.
"All right." Asan replied, once Hiccup explained. "V'en you return, please tell me vhat 'appened if anyt'ing did. Please 'urry and 'elp my people if zey need it."
Hiccup shook hands with him. "Of course."
With that done, Hiccup walked over to Toothless. "We'll be as quick as we can bud. Look after Vali and the crew for me. I'll see you soon."
Toothless nodded and leant his head into Hiccup's chest. "You be careful Hiccup. I can't help you till you get back. Please don't get hurt."
"I promise buddy."
Hiccup now walked over to the Skrill, and asked, "May I?" He gestured at the Skrill's back, indicating that he would like to climb aboard.
"Yes." Spark replied.
He hopped onto the dragon, and held out his hand for Kormak.
He took it and he climbed on too, and sat behind Hiccup.
"We won't be long." Hiccup announced to the crew.
"Good luck." Asan spoke.
Spark now pounced into the air, and climbed into the sky very quickly. Kormak wrapped his arms around Hiccup to avoid falling off while Hiccup himself grabbed onto Spark's spikes.
"It should only take us around a few hours. I'll be flying very fast." Spark said.
"Really? Well don't overexert yourself Spark." Hiccup cautioned.
Spark chuckled.
"So, do you want me to tell you what happened with Vali and myself?" Spark asked, as she picked up her pace.
"Only if you want to." Hiccup replied. "Although it might be best to let Vali explain if she wants to. Because then Kormak will understand. If you explain I have to translate everything for Kormak to hear."
"Oh please." Kormak broke in. "I'm more than happy to wait for Vali, you don't need to translate for me, Spark you go on ahead and tell Hiccup. I'll just sit here and think to myself."
Hiccup turned around to look at him. "You sure?"
Kormak deadpanned at Hiccup, so he turned around again and smiled. "All right, go ahead Spark."
"Well firstly," Began the Spike Bolt, "You should read this. This is what mainly made Vali change her mind. I helped, but this is what set the arrow free. I found this in Myrka when I snuck in. I got some fish for Vali at one point from the Myrkian fish stores, and saw this nailed to a wall."
The Skrill turned its head around as much as it could, and Hiccup saw a piece of parchment stuck to its tongue which was waving in the wind out of its mouth.
Hiccup leant forward and just managed to reach the sticky paper, and began reading. Kormak leant over his shoulder and read it too.
Hiccup sighed. After finishing the note. "Honestly, what is the matter with Vikings in this world…"
Kormak took the note out of his hand, and read it now to himself.
"This would have upset her a fair amount I bet." He guessed.
"Yes." Spark grimaced. "I think she changed last night. I'm pretty sure she will join us in uniting the Six now. She has nothing left for her like me."
"Well, that's good and bad news at the same time." Hiccup confessed. Putting a hand through his hair. "I mean, now that this has happened, Vali looks certain to join the Six. But one day when we return to Myrka, I figure Vali will stop at nothing to have Harun killed or tortured or something."
"I can understand that." Kormak echoed in, holding the note out away from him to Hiccup, as if it could give him some nasty disease. "Do you still want the note?"
Hiccup shook his head. "Tear it up. No one needs it now."
Kormak tore it into pieces, and let it go into the wind. Floating off to never be seen again.
"You know what, don't worry. We'll talk about Vali later with her. That note was depressing enough." Hiccup decided, with Spark and Kormak agreeing silently.
On Dyflin…
"It's okay." He was trying to re-assure the boy, but he knew it wasn't working. There wasn't much he could do. He knew that.
Trader Johann and Polk had survived the storm, and had just come out of a cave they found in the forest.
Polk had managed to sleep against Johann, but Johann himself hadn't had any. When Polk finally woke up, they went outside and when they saw the ruins of Dyflin, Polk burst into tears again.
Most of the forest was now gone too. The fire burnt at least half of it, but when the storm came that put out the fires. Dyflin now was just a rocky island with no village, little forest and rubble.
Johann really hoped that horn had brought some people. He was worried after all, for his own sake and Polks.
He held Polk in his arms, and walked through the rest of the forest, until he was out in the open. The chest containing the note he found was back in the cave.
Then he saw Dyflin's wharf, and his boat was still moored to it, but the mast and sail were snapped in half. He would not be able to sail anymore without one.
He decided that the only place he could go now was his boat. So he quickly went back and grabbed the chest in the cave before heading back to the boat. He was glad he had boots on, as he treaded through the snow.
He put Polk down on his bed inside the boat. The boat did have snow on it, but enough for Johann to move out of his way. Johann sat down on a chair beside the crying boy on the bed, and put his hands on his face.
What am I going to do? I don't know how to care for children. Should I blow into the horn again to try and get attention?
Hang on, food. That was an important thought Johann just got. "I'll be back in a minute Polk, I'm just getting some food." He said.
"Don-don't leave." Polk cried, opening his eyes and looking at Johann.
"I'll only be just outside the room for a minute, then I'll be right back." He explained.
A couple hours after, they both were still in the room and Johann finally thought he needed to blow the horn again. He raced upstairs and grabbed it, and then went onto the main deck.
He looked around again, and couldn't see any boats anywhere.
Back on the dragon Spark, heading to Dyflin…
"I think we're nearly there." Spark spoke. Breaking the silence.
Hiccup and Kormak had been virtually silent for most of the trip. They both had just been thinking to themselves.
"Okay." Hiccup replied, sitting a little further back.
Suddenly a much clearer and loud booming sound was heard.
"The horn!" Hiccup yelled. "That was much louder and closer!"
"That's gotta be coming from Dyflin. They must need help now!"
Spark picked up her pace even more. And began to fly faster, her old wounds starting to hurt a little.
"Careful Spark, don't injure yourself."
The dragon paid them no mind, and began to angle downwards towards the ground. They were flying up very high just above some clouds, but as they descended, the ocean became visible when they went through the clouds.
Lower and lower they flew, till Spark levelled off and flew at a good height.
"Oh no…" Spark mumbled.
"What?!" Hiccup gulped. Looking around madly, then as he looked ahead, he saw it.
Kormak saw it too.
An almost bare island. Some black trees, and only a few green ones left.
Ash and rubble littering the ground, the sight horrifying them.
"No… No…" Kormak muttered. His face went white.
Spark sped up, and finally landed on the island. Right in the middle.
They both got off.
Kormak knelt down to the ground. "NOOO!" He screamed.
He fell to his knees and leant his head on the ground, tears streaming from his eyes. His family and the village was destroyed.
Hiccup however walked around and surveyed the damage.
This couldn't have been a dragon raid. He thought. They simply don't attack like this.
"WHY?!" Hiccup bellowed into the sky. He stomped his feet angrily on the ground. "WHY DO THIS?!"
Hiccup walked into the forest, or what was left of it, wondering if those dragons he left there would still be there. He looked and looked but couldn't find them.
He felt dreadful, and at fault. Hiccup thought this was his fault, but he didn't know how or why.
Why had this happened? And how?
"HELP!"
The sudden yell shook Hiccup out of his thoughts, and he sprinted out of the forest.
He then noticed two things at once. There was a boat with a broken mast and sail moored to Dyflin's wharf, how had he not noticed that before? And secondly, someone was running off the wharf onto the land yelling.
Hiccup ran over to him, as he passed Kormak who looked up, while the Skrill walked slowly from behind.
"I say you know there's a dragon behind you!" Screamed the man, as Hiccup ran over to him.
"I know, it's friendly! Don't worry!" Hiccup yelled back, until finally both men stopped running, as they both recognised each other.
"Trader Johann?"
"Master Hiccup?"
"Oh you're alive!" Johann then grabbed Hiccup and pulled him into a hug. "Master Hiccup I thought you were… you were…"
Hiccup half smiled. "No, I'm not dead. But this village here is. What happened?"
Trader Johann released him and his smile was wiped off his face.
"I have no idea lad. I only left Berk some weeks ago. I could see the smoke from Berk and as I sailed here I just realised it was gone. When I got here, I found a survivor. He's a young boy-"
"WHAT!" Hiccup gasped. "Where is he?!"
"In my ship, he's been crying- wait!" Hiccup wasted no time and sprinted to Johann's boat. He ran down stairs and threw open the door, when a young boy suddenly leapt out of bed with a terrified look on his face.
"POLK! You're alive!" Hiccup felt relieved.
"Get away from me!" The terrified boy spoke.
"It's all right, I won't hurt you. I'm Hiccup remember?" He spoke gently to the boy.
Hiccup instead ran upstairs again and bellowed, "KORMAK! Come here quick!"
Faster than a bolt of lightning, Kormak sprinted to the wharves. Hiccup led him downstairs and then opened Polk's door.
For a moment, both of the two brothers stared at each other, not believing what they saw.
"POLK!" Kormak screamed. And he raced to his little brother, and held him up in his arms before hugging him. "Kor-Kormaky!" Both of them burst into more tears.
"It's all right little man. I'm here now. I'm back. I'm going to look after you." And Hiccup watched on with tears coming to his own eyes, as two long lost brothers become reunited once again.
"K-k-ko-kormak mum and the v-v-village are-" The little boy tried to speak.
"I know buddy, I know. I'm going to be taking care of you now."
Hiccup continued to watch in silence, before a presence stood next to him.
"Master Hiccup, there is something I must show you." It was Johann.
Hiccup turned to him and wiped a tear out of his eyes. "Okay, what is it?"
Johann walked into the room and grabbed a small chest. "Let's go upstairs." Hiccup nodded and walked upstairs into the sunlight.
Once on the main deck, Hiccup saw the Skrill was still slowly walking towards the boat.
"Don't worry about the dragon. It's a friend. I'll explain later." Hiccup hoped that would be enough to assure Johann, as he had more pressing matters.
Johann said nothing and opened the chest. "I found this poster nailed to a scorched wooden pole here when I arrived. It's addressed to you." Trader Johann withdrew a piece of parchment.
Hiccup took it and examined it. It said To Hiccup Haddock. And underneath it, was a bright blood red coloured letter. Hiccup sniffed the red, and it smelt like dried blood. Whoever wrote this wrote it in blood.
It was a giant letter, and the letter was K.
What in the world is that supposed to mean? He thought to himself.
The note had no other content on it.
"Any ideas?" Johann asked.
Hiccup shook his head. "No, none."
Hiccup folded the note and put it in his pocket. "Thank you Johann. We have a boat coming just over a week away, with Chief Asan and some crew members coming. I see your boat is damaged, together with our boats we might have enough material to re-build your mast. How long have you been here?"
Johann nodded. "Thank you. Only arrived yesterday. But I'll be happy to help the crew re-build some houses or anything if they choose to. My next tribe to sail to is the Bog Burglars, and I'm due there in a month. I might be able to take some Vikings with me and buy some materials from them and then come back here."
Hiccup smiled. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. And also sometime soon, I'd like to talk to you about some other matters. But for now we have to look after Polk and inform the Dyflin crew what has happened here."
"Yes Master Hiccup."
Hiccup turned around and looked at the Skrill. "Spark, are you up for one more flight today?"
The Skrill nodded. "Yes, but only one more. I don't have the energy to fly that fast much more today."
"I understand. I need to go back to Dyflin's boat with Asan and Toothless and tell them what's happened here. Then we'll stay there for the night and possibly come back tomorrow." Hiccup explained, he thought about it and that seemed the best idea at the moment.
"I'll just go and tell Kormak."
With that done, Hiccup walked down the steps into the hull of the ship, and found Kormak and Polk.
"Kormak, may I speak with-"
"Of course." He interrupted, "I'll be back soon Polky!" Kormak assured his little brother.
Together they walked upstairs, and stood up on the deck.
"I'm going to go back with the Skrill to the boat, and tell the crew what has happened so they can be prepared for it. I was thinking it might be best for you to stay here with Polk and Johann for the time being. I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with some supplies and food. Is that all right?"
Kormak nodded. "Yes. But be aware that this will not go down kindly with Chief Asan. He will be furious when he sees this and will be very, very sad. He loved his village. But anyway you have to tell him. Give my best to Toothless and Vali too."
"Sure. Thank you. See you soon." Hiccup shook hands with him, then headed back upstairs.
"Johann, can you look after-"
"Yes! Just go and tell them. We'll be here when you get back tomorrow. I have enough supplies for a few days anyway." Johann assured.
"All right all right." Hiccup replied, climbing onto Spark.
"That is really unsettling. I do not understand…" Johann mumbled to himself as he saw Hiccup climb onto a dragon. "How in the-"
"I'll explain later Johann, I promise." Hiccup said. "Or maybe ask Kormak, he might tell you."
Trader Johann replied saying, "I might just do that a bit later. Bye!" And so, Spark the Skrill leapt into the air and once again headed east to find Dyflin's boat.
Four hours later, it was approaching evening, when Hiccup and Spark finally arrived back at the boat.
Toothless, Asan and Vali were all waiting for them on the main deck.
Spark landed gently on the boat, and Hiccup disembarked. The Skrill walked around the crowd of Vikings and curled up to sleep on the deck.
Hiccup held his face in his hands, before looking at the crowd. He knew the news was not going to go down well with any of them. So he decided to start with the good news.
"Okay, everyone if I could have your attention please." Hiccup called out to all the crew.
"I have some good and horrible news to bring to you. I'll start with the good." Hiccup began, sitting down as Toothless walked over and sat down next to him.
Asan stood at the front, very worried.
"Firstly, the call of need horn that was sounded came from Trader Johann. He arrived at Dyflin yesterday, and he sounded the horn because he is currently looking after a young boy. I'm happy to say, Polk, Kormak's younger brother has survived and Kormak is now looking after him with Johann."
"However, his mast and sail on his ship has been broken and we'll need to help fix it or find a new one for him. He is planning to travel to the Bog Burglars within a month and he'll take a few Dyflin Vikings with him if they want to come and buy some materials needed."
"The bad news I bring, is not pleasant in the least. We do not believe this was caused by a dragon raid, but some other horrifying catastrophe." Hiccup now looked right into Asan's eyes, and said, "With a heavy heart, with young Polk being the only survivor, I'm so sorry to bring the news that Dyflin has been completely destroyed."