A/N: Alright, sorry for the the little break I took from you all! Christmas and Finals will do that to a person! But I just got a new computer too to top it all off, so I have to get used to that as well. This is actually my first time really on it, so it's a little confusing. Thanks for bearing with me!
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It was raining. Again. It normally rained on Berk; dreary and sometimes violent weather was never a real shock for the island to encounter, especially during these select few months. But it certainly did not help the already-low mood points of the Vikings that resided there. Over the last few weeks, Berk had gone from a peaceful and relaxed island in recovery from the dragon attack, to tense and rigid, fear around every corner. Not only fear for Night Furies waiting in the dark, but also for families and friends, the entire way that the island was governed. With each passing day, the people got more and more frantic, more and more harsh with one another. And while the harshness originated purely from worry and care, it was destructive all the same.
Unable to fly and perform perimeter-check around the island with the other dragons, Stormfly had taken to sitting off on the sidelines, watching with each passing day as things grew worse and worse. It was a horror in itself, really, how fast things went. How people went from greeting each other early in the morning to snapping into arguments over the simplest things. She could have balanced on the tension that hung between everyone, it was so thick. There was no way to dispel the anger either, no way to rid the people free of their nervousness. For that, Stoick would have to come out and reassure them all that things would be okay. And the Chief rarely ever came out of his home. When he did, it was only to go out on search parties, and to oversee the progress in reenforcing the island. It was never to make things right, or offer assurance to his people.
The Night Furies hadn't been spotted either, not hide nor scale of them. Evidence couldn't even be found of Toothless and Mistyeyes, or Shadowclaw either. The same went for the two missing teenagers: Hiccup and Astrid. With each passing day, the parties that went around the island and scanned the skies reported back the same: 'We couldn't find anything.' When Stormfly had first heard the news of no reports, she had brightened just slightly, hopeful that that would mean things could calm down a little. After all, if they couldn't find anything to worry over, what was there to search for?
But after the first Night Fury attacks, the island would take no chances. They wouldn't give up. Lack of evidence or not, the people of Berk would not let up with their worrying and fighting. It might not have had a true and stable surface to rest on, but it was the idea. The idea of danger and destruction festered in the minds of humans and dragons alike, and once an idea made a home inside of your mind, it would stay there and linger, no matter the consequences that came along with it.
Taking shelter in the overhang of the empty Smithy, Stormfly heaved a hefty sigh, craning her neck and looking up at the cloudy sky that hung over Berk. It had been raining for a few hours now, and the ground around here was already sinking with mud and gunk. She made a small face as she shifted, grimacing as the nasty stuff sunk in between her claws. It would take her days to get rid of the feeling with the way that the rain was coming down. It was a rather small issue, she guessed, but it was a relief to worry about something other than the big picture for once.
She had just watched the latest search party leave about an hour ago. She had observed from the sidelines as the group had trudged into the forest, dragons and humans alike looking disgruntled and irritated. Though she disliked the hostile frustration in their eyes, Stormfly hadn't been able to keep herself from sympathizing with them. After all, she was disgusted enough sitting in the mud puddle that used to be dirt; she didn't even want to think about what the party was going through stumbling through the probably-soaking forest.
She had to give them credit for going out and braving the search. Again. They didn't have much of a choice to begin with, and yet they deserved recognition anyway. The whole island did, really. Despite the inner conflicts that resided there, which were only doubled with the bad weather, each Viking alike had contributed to the effort of protecting Berk from their invisible enemies. The island was fortified and guarded, houses being equipped with things such as walls of metal to protect them from fire and locks to delay any forced entry by a dragon should it come to that. It made the island look eerie, if Stormfly had to admit anything to herself. Looking around, it was a ghost town with steel walls all around. Work done from nonexistent people, it appeared.
Surveying the place around her and frowning at the sight of it, the dragon was surprised to suddenly hear voices. Perking at the growing noises of footsteps and conversation, the Nadder straightened, turning towards the sounds and blinking with confusion. Glancing back and forth and deciding that it wouldn't matter if she got a little wetter, the dragon dashed out from her shelter, hopping over and looking curiously around the corner. Sure enough, looking out towards the ring of trees that marked the start of the forest, she stiffened with shock at the sight that met her. The search party was back already!
"That's not right." She mumbled to herself, voice riddled with puzzlement as she scowled. "They're not due back for another few hours." She had memorized the entire schedule that Berk went under now, and this went against it fully. People reenforcing the island usually spent the first half of the day outside working, and when it got dark they retreated back inside. And Search Parties were meant to be out turning over stones and looking inside hollowed trees for at least a few hours at a time. Rain or shine, they never strayed from that time span. What was going on?
Ducking low, Stromfly angled her head forward just a little, feeling a flash of guilt at the snooping, but too curious to refrain from eavesdropping. Spitelout was at the head of the group, she realized with a small drop of the stomach. Though a good fighter and warrior, Stormfly knew that nobody could trust the man as far as they could throw him. Not right now anyway, with the island the way that it was. Shooing the thoughts away like a stubborn bur, the Nadder listened in, casting her hearing out as far as she could to hear above the rain.
"…sick and tired of it." Spitelout was proclaiming. "I've been out on FIVE searches in the past TWO days! And I haven't found anything; nobody ever does, even! I don't see why we have to keep wasting our efforts like this. We could be using our skills for much more important things right now other than going out and looking for a few dragons and a pair of kids that obviously aren't here!"
"There's no use in complaining about it." Another voice said, Stormfly's hearing wasn't good enough in the rain for her to distinguish who it was. "We have a job to do, and it was issued by Stoick. We shouldn't have left the search early, Spitelout, I can't believe I let you talk me out it." Again, there was that ever-living sense of anger and hostility in the peoples' tone. "He'll be furious if he finds out that we left before looking everywhere. Let's just go back."
A chorus of agreement rose up from the group at this suggestion. Stormfly peeked out, realizing that they were heading her way. Spitelout was leading the group as usual. Stormfly noticed the anger and fury in each step he took, the Nadder looking down at the footprints he left in the mud behind him, imprinted heavily thanks to his heavy stomps. At the mention of doubling back, his hands clenched tightly. The Viking turned suddenly, shoulders hunching as he rounded on the band of villagers behind him. "No!" He snapped out harshly, the dragoness stiffening at the tone of his voice. "I'm not going back out there! I'm sick of it! I'm tired of going out there and just wasting time! We were talking about it in the forest - don't pretend that you don't agree with me!"
That was odd, Stormfly realized. They were talking as if…
The others exchanged glances, hesitating before giving a small, unanimous nod.
Spitelout sat back a little at this, giving a nod himself. "See?" He said, sounding almost patronizing as he reaffirmed his stance on the matters. "We can't let this go on any longer!" He continued furiously, Stormfly's eyes starting to widen out with realization and horror as they went on. "We get sent out there every day to search for kids we already know aren't out there! The only person that thinks there's still something in that forest besides burned trees is Stoick! We're out there wasting time when we should be spending it helping the island! The Night Furies are the real issue here, and we can't prepare for them as well as we should!"
"Stoick thinks that Hiccup and Astrid are still out there." Stormfly noticed that the voice was the same as before, the only person who was really urging them to calm down and relapse back into the routine. However dry that routine may be, she added a little nervously to herself. "And don't forget, Spitelout: Stoick is still the chief of this village." The Viking went on, shifting uncomfortably as all eyes were on him now. "You can't just pick and chose which orders you want to follow. Or what you want to do each day."
"I've gone on long enough with him!" Spitelout retorted hotly. "I've done my waiting for Stoick to get his head out the clouds! And now I'm sick of it; the rest of the village is sick of it too, don't try denying it! And I'm doing something about it now." He added suddenly, voice dropping with a certain level of anger. Stormfly twitched, claws digging into the ground uncomfortably as she shifted. She watched with wary eyes now, unable to stuff down her feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. "You can come if you like, or you can just wait out here in the pouring rain and go out into a pointless trek in the woods again!"
The Viking turned once he was finished saying this, spinning around and starting for the Great Hall. Stormfly ducked back a little pointlessly as he flashed past her. She didn't want to be seen, though the last thing that Spitelout would have figured probably would be that she had been spying on them. And besides, the man went by much too fast to even begin to notice her in the first place. Out of her shelter now, Stormfly turned and looked back towards the group of Vikings that Spitelout had left behind, allowing a small frown to grace her features as she turned to look their way.
A small fit of bickering seemed to have erupted between them. The Nadder watched fretfully as they bounced back and forth with each other, unsure and frustrated in the situation quite plainly. The dragons started to feel a small hint of relief at the sight. Spitelout had been talking as if he was planning to oppose Stoick; what would happen if the idea were to spread? She didn't even want to fathom the possibility, and yet as she sat there in the pouring rain, Stormfly soon came to the conclusion that no amount of wishing it away would help.
One by one, each man separated to rush after Spitelout, throwing up mud and water as they raced after him in an attempt to catch up. Stormfly watched with round eyes, prickles stiffening as she got up to her feet as if to object. Only the one Viking was left— the one that had objected to the whole thing in the first place. Looking at him now, Stormfly couldn't put a name to the face that was standing by and watching the others rush away. But suddenly she wished that she did. Because so far, this specific person was the only one who didn't seem to agree with what was going on. Or at least was open enough about it to try and persuade Spitelout to reconsider his thinking.
The man sighed heavily as he found himself alone, not noticing Stormfly as she looked curiously his way. Instead, the Viking turned, shoulders hunched as he started back the way he had come. Retracing his steps, the unnamed figure started back into the trees, to finish the wet and dreary job that he had started. That he had been ordered to do. Stormfly watched him go, wanting to wail aloud at the new predicament. Should I go and help him? She asked silently to herself, blinking at the prospect. I could give him company, even if I don't know his name. I could go out and look for Astrid again. And two searchers are better than one, after all.
But she glanced over her shoulder, to the way that Spitelout had led the others, feeling a twinge of disappointment and irritation. It was too odd, she decided after a moment's hesitation. The situation and way of speaking were far too out of the normal for her not to follow up on the case. She would go out and look for Astrid afterwards, she promised inwardly. Right now, she wanted to watch how this would play out. Because so far, thinking back to all the things that had been said, she knew that it wouldn't led to anything good.
Bracing herself against the hammering raindrops and trying her best to stay quiet enough through the mud, Stormfly turned around and hopped gingerly after the others. She was covered head to toe in mud and gunk by now, it would probably take weeks to get the feeling off of her scales. Nevertheless, it wasn't going to stop her from trooping all the way up to the Great Hall. Slinking through the darkness, she realized that she could hear the voices of more villagers up ahead. An odd thing to notice, considering that hardly anyone was out after dark anymore with the threats of attacks against the island. But now it sounded like nearly all the adults were up ahead speaking and conversing.
Quickening her pace and puffing a little as she started to run, Stormfly finally caught view of the Great Hall. And her heart immediately skipped a beat when she did. She had been right: nearly each adult in Berk seemed to be outside now. Most were heading up to the Hall just like her, coming out of their houses and being roused by the noise outside. They braved the rain to see what was going on, soaked through already by the time they got up to the large steps. Most of them looked almost hopeful as they waded through the thick mud; most probably hoped for good news or at least stable news to hold onto than what they have been given the past few days.
Spitelout was standing on the steps of the Great Hall, looking around with his hands on his hips as he surveyed the growing crowd with yet another small nod. Stormfly scowled at the expression, taking a seat a ways away as she plopped down to the mud. No sense in waiting anymore, she guessed. Or hiding, for that matter. What was done was done, and they certainly weren't going to find fault in a stray dragon curious in the mass. Sitting there neatly and trying not to draw too much attention to herself, Stormfly looked around carefully, shifting in the wet dirt as she waited.
Spitelout raised his voice once most people got settled, a look of anger and irritability clear on his face. "Does anybody know where Stoick is!?" He shouted over the rain, looking expectantly to the people clustered around in front of him. Glances were passed this way and that, raised eyebrows and patronizing mumbles sounding below the hum of the rain. Stormfly rolled her eyes at the ridiculous question, her worry breaking a moment to be replaced by her own sharpness. Of course nobody knew for sure where Stoick was; nobody ever did anymore. He could be anywhere and the Village would have absolutely no knowledge.
"What's this all about?" An angry voice suddenly rose out the crowd, clashing against a rumble of thunder as it was shouted aloud. Stormfly immediately broke out of her inner thoughts, grimacing away as she recognized the voice clear as day. She turned, twisting her head to look back as Gobber pushed his way through to the front of the horde. His eyes were narrowed and his face was clouded over as he looked up to glower at Spitelout. When the man made no move to answer right away, Gobber repeated himself. "What're you doing up there?" He demanded harshly. "You're wasting time is what you're doing! Now get down before you make yourself look even more stupid!"
"I'm doing what should have been done a long time ago!" Spitelout retorted, meeting Gobber's glare with his own. "The entire village has been wasting time! Time and effort we could be using to arm Berk for what's coming!" Gobber crossed his arms over his chest, opening his mouth to say something but being cut off as Spitelout continued. "We can't keep searching and searching and searching for days on end! And Stoick isn't helping with him being shut up inside all day while we're doing the work for everything out here!"
A collective gasp rose up from the crowd, eyes wide as Spitelout went so far as to blandly state his stance on the matter. Nobody ever truly opposed Stoick; he was the Chief of Berk, he was their leader. Who was anyone else to defy him? And yet Stormfly could see on every face around her that this was what the village had been waiting for. Even as the people gasped with shock, they were silently agreeing. Each human waiting below were covering their mouths, stiff with shock, and thinking: 'That's what's wrong here.' 'That's what's amiss.' 'Someone finally said it.'
Everyone excluding Gobber himself. Instead, the man raised a shaking hand, eyes wild with anger and fury. "You've no right to stake a claim against Stoick!" He yelled, sounding as if the words had only tripled his fury. Spitelout scowled at the harsh yell, but he didn't interrupt, to his credit. "You've got no idea where you're sticking your nose, Spitelout, so I suggest that you take back what you just said and get your head straight before you go saying things that you aren't aware of yourself!"
"But I am aware of it!" Spitelout roared, getting a touch more angry himself. "Everyone is aware of how Stoick isn't leading right anymore! And at a time like this, we need someone who will take care of Berk! Not ship out its best fighters to go and wander around some dripping forest! We're isolated right now because we're not working together! We're separated, and we're isolated, and we're-"
"Shut up!" Gobber sapped irritably. "Take it back or I'll come up there and-"
"Take what back?" The voice was quiet, not nearly as loud as either Gobber's or Spitelout's. Not even close to the volume. But everyone immediately went silent as it entered the picture, people stiffening and eyes widening as they turned back to face it. Villagers stumbled backwards, allowing a space in the crowd and letting Stoick come through. It was the first time in a forever it seemed the the man had appeared, and when he had, he had never stayed out for long at all. Much less talked in front of the entire village like this! His eyes were narrowed into small slits, and Stormfly found herself crouching backwards, cooing nervously under her breath as Stoick glared at Spitelout. "What's going on here?" He asked carefully. Frankly, Stormfly would have preferred to have him screaming.
But Spitelout didn't seem to feel the same fright and anxiousness as everyone else did. He merely met the stare with his own hard one, taking up charge noticeably as he spoke for everyone with this. "We're tired." He growled, watching as Gobber started to take a step back for Stoick. "We're sick and tired of wasting time with searching for your son and his friend." He said lowly. "We need to spend time fortifying the island, and yet you sent us out there every day to look for something that obviously isn't there! While you spend all day inside your house doing absolutely nothing to help the cause!"
Stoick was speaking harshly before he could even begin to finish. "Hiccup is out there!" He shouted wildly, Stormfly freezing at the odd tone in the Chief's voice. Was it caring? …Love? Or just plain madness? "Him and the Night Furies! They're out in the forest still, and if we find them, we put the whole thing to rest! Don't you see? This is the best way to solve things! I'm Chief, I know the ways of this island, and so you listen to me!" He was yelling by the time he was done, Stormfly wincing away from the volume that had risen so much. But she couldn't hold back a small thrill of fear. Did Stoick truly believe that that was the reason for this? Did he truly think that that was what would fix things? Or how things worked?
"No!" Spitelout objected harshly. "No, Stoick, that's not what I am going to do! I refuse to listen to you anymore! And anyone else that thinks so can speak up now too!" Once again, glances were exchanged, along with furtive murmurings and questions spoken low beneath the drone of rain. Stoick glared at the crowd as this started up, scowling deeply now as his fists clenched at his sides. "You see, Stoick!?" Spitelout asked furiously. "We're done playing your game of hide-and-seek! And we're done with dealing with a leader who isn't fit to take charge!"
"I am Chief of this island." Stoick said, voice a low growl once more. "I make the rules, and you follow them. It's a hard time enough already, don't go making it harder by doing something like this." He snarled.
Spitelout only held his gaze, jaw locked backwards as he met the words with his small challenge. "I already have." He declared, almost neatly.
Stoick growled a moment before taking a small step forward. "I forbid you." He growled warningly, Stormfly going rigid with the amount of venom in his tone. "Do you hear me? I forbid you from doing this." The crowd rippled with anxiousness at the new order, and at the new voice that the Chief had adopted. It was obvious that nobody else was going to speak up, they were all relying on Spitelout to carry through with the fight now. "You're not allowed."
"With all due respect, Stoick, I don't take orders from you anymore." Spitelout said icily, refusing to budge from the platform he had created for himself. "You're not in charge of me anymore; you can't lead properly so I refuse to follow you." The words were short-clipped and adamant, simple in the way that they were executed. But they executed a meaning much more heavier than a simple 'No.' It was much more than that, and Stormfly watched with dismal expression as it seemed to spread.
People separated from the crowd, going up to stand beside Spitelout, adopting the man's look as they too gave Stoick a hard look. Agreement rose like balloons from each person, and one by one they went up to agree as well with the new involvement. Lines were drawn as each minute passed, and the sound of the rain reigned fully, broken only by murmurs from the crowd, some filled with certainty, others filled with confusion and shock. Stoick was rigid, stiff as a board as he watched with disbelief as more and more people seemed to turn on him.
It had been predictable, Stomfly figured to herself. Days and weeks had gone by with only the smallest bit of instructions from the Chief, and mostly they were just to keep searching and fortifying. No means of actions or no words of assurances that they would pull through, or that they would be alright. And now, days and days later, they were finally putting their foot down. It could be at the worst possible time or the best with the threat of the Night Furies getting worse and worse. It could be a logical decision based on true thought…or it could just be based on the wild fear the now encased the Village like a vise. Either way, this was a permanent kind of change; people couldn't change their minds once it was made, and once bridges were crossed, they were immediately burned.
Gradually, the people came to a rest. More than half the village seemed to stand behind Spitelout now, staring at Stoick rather blankly, as if they had no idea what to do from here on. It was silent for a long time, a time that was filled with the hammering of water against mud, the rumble of thunder, and the clash of lightning. A storm of all sorts there now, taking place right over the very heart of the land. Stormfly was holding her breath now, her eyes fixed on the figure of Stoick, waiting for the worst possible reaction and dreading every second that led up to it.
Gobber and a few others were the only ones still around the man, and they all looked shocked at those who had turned, as if they couldn't even begin to wrap their minds around what had happened. And that couldn't be too far away from the truth, she figured. Stoick was still stiff at the foot of the Great Hall, looking as if he were made of stone. His eyes blazed as he stood rigidly, and yet there was another emotion in his depths as well. A certain kind of…weariness. A tiredness that lingered in the back of his mind like a dark cloud. And it slowly grew more and more apparent the longer he stood there.
It was still a few minutes until he spoke. And when he did, his voice was strained and clenched, tight in every aspect. "…Traitors." He growled, the simple word slicing through the rain like a razor-sharp weapon. "You're all traitors; every last one of you." Stoick droned, voice flat and dead. "So quick to leave…" Suddenly, his neck snapped up, eyes blazing to life once more as Stormfly took a hesitant step backwards, nearly slipping in the mud. "Fine." He growled suddenly, voice scraping oddly against his throat as he let out the snarl. "Fine!" He roared, the crowd blinking at this. "You're on your own now!" He shouted. "You're on your own for the Night Furies! See if I help you now!"
Spitelout narrowed his eyes, a little red in the face by now. "Fine." He agreed curtly, seeming to realize that he had won this little debate, or at least he had gotten more people on his side. "We'll do what we think is best now." He pressed again, looking fed-up as he stared Stoick's way. "And we'll get more done than we ever could with you." The villagers behind him mulled anxiously, glancing back and forth before giving out small nods of agreement. That was it then. That was the final confirmation.
What would Stoick do now? What could he possible manage without the support of his people behind him? Stormfly looked anxiously towards the Chief, tattered wings twitching at her sides as she winced a little bit. His expression was clouded again, the same odd tiredness that he had gained mingling with the anger and betrayal that now raged over his facial expression. It was like watching hot air and cold air mix together to create a tornado: frightening and yet interesting at the same time. Stoick was fumbling a moment, teeth gnashed together almost painfully.
Finally, the man spun around without another word, looking as if he were bearing some type of invisible weight as he started back the way that he had come, heading back for his home. Was that it, then? Stormfly looked from one half of the village to the other, wondering how on earth things could get any worse. How would the island possibly function together accordingly if it was divided as sharply as it was now? Head reeling, Stormfly suddenly wished for nothing more than to be able to be understood by the humans. If only so she could get up and roar some sense into the villagers of Berk.
She was just about to try doing it anyway, when suddenly a separate voice made itself known acros the island. A shout that came from the ocean. Perking at this and following the lead of everyone else, Stormfly turned, twisting around so that she could look in the direction that it had come from. Even Stoick paused in his turmoil, stopping short in his strides as he turned as well. A group of dragons were barreling towards them, Stormfly feeling a fresh wave of nostalgia as she recognized the group of her friends, and Hiccup's close group as well. She probably would have been with them if she had not been so terribly injured in the Night Fury Ambush.
Snotlout, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut were all making their landing, obviously unaware of the obscene situation that the island had just gone through. They made a rather ungraceful touch-down with the mud and the rain, but that seemed the least of their problems. Fishlegs jumped off of Meatlug first, looking worried and scared witless as he hit the ground running. The others followed, looking a little more at ease with whatever news they had in tow with them. Yet, that was the way it normally was, Stormfly figured.
"What is it?" Gobber asked, the first to act in any way as he went over to meet Fishlegs halfway. The boy looked severely overworked, and Stormfly let her own frown cross over her face at the sight of him. What could make him react in such a way? Behind her, the villagers were slowly becoming more frantic, all of their fears - real or not - were ignited at the panicked youth.
Fishlegs skidded to a stop, bending over a little at the waist as he gasped for air. Snotlout rolled his eyes, coming to a stop beside his friend and crossing his arms over his chest. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were giggling to each other, looking more than excited as they stayed near their Zippleback. "Spit it out, lad!" Gobber snapped, a little impatiently as he said this now. "You're getting everyone in a knot! It better be good with the way you've gone and shook them all up!" He said, crossly this time.
Snotlout started to speak, giving another moody sigh as he did so. "We went out to do a perimeter search." He said, speaking rather calmly in comparison to Fishlegs. But Stormfly could detect a small hint of concern in the boy's voice as well. And Gobber did as well as he listened carefully. What was Stoick doing? Stormfly turned towards the man, wondering whether or not it should have been him speaking to the kids. But the man was still silent and stoney, merely watching from the sidelines with a heavy stare of resignation. He was obviously not going to speak up about anything now.
"And we were planning on coming back once it started really pouring." Snotlout said, voice wrinkling as he pointed out the horrid weather conditions. "But Ruffnut and Tuffnut saw something, and we figured that it would be more useful to go out and track it down." You mean you just wanted an excuse not to come back here. Stormfly corrected mentally, knowing the teens better than most as she gave a wry smile. But then again, I can't blame them. I would have probably done the same thing if I could. But for all her jokes, she couldn't relax anymore. Had they really found something out there? Something useful? Her heart soared a little hopefully. Had they found Astrid?
"It was the only thing we'd seen for hours besides rain, so." Tuffnut drawled from their drasgons. A shrug was offered in replacement for an ending to the thought as it merely trailed off suggestively.
Gobber nodded. "Yeah." He agreed impatiently. "And?"
"We followed it for a while." Snotlout said, Fishlegs still gasping for breath. "It didn't seem to notice us. Or if it did, it didn't seem to care. We followed it for a while; the rain made it really hard to see what it was really, so I didn't think there was much use in still going after it. Once we got closer, it turned out to be a dragon. Like… I don't know, one that got loose from the island and was just flying around."
"But it wasn't." Gobber said, slowly stiffening now as he eyed Fishlegs. "It wouldn't have been, otherwise 'Legs wouldn't be gaping like a fish out of water."
"No." Snotlout shook his head. "It was a dragon, but it wasn't one from here."
Stoick looked up now, eyes hardened like two stones. Spitelout's eyes narrowed as well, his fists clenching at his sides so that he resembled Gobber's own figure. The villagers slowly started to talk, shocked phrases and shouts for children rushed through the crowd like wildfire. Men took steps closer to their wives, and the mothers immediately broke away to make a dash for their houses and their kids. Stormfly shot to her feet, stumbling backwards and out of the way as her head spun. She grew dizzy all of a sudden, eyes wide as the moon as she looked at the teenagers with horror. It couldn't be true. It couldn't. Not now. Not after what had just happened. Please let it be a joke. She prayed silently to anybody who would listen. Please let them just be pulling our legs.
But the plea was a worthless one.
Fishlegs finally got his breath back, his head snapping up reveal his eyes, widened with hysteria and panic. He looked at the people around him, at the scrambling families and the horror-locked others that could only stare blankly his way, waiting for the confirmation to come that would push everyone over the edge fully.
And come it did.
The boy sucked in a sharp breath, voice tight as he gave a shrill shout. "Night Furies!"
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A/N: Once again, sorry for the really long wait! Hopefully this will make up for it!
This took a lot of hassle and work to put up onto here, so if something is wrong with the format, please be gentle. New computer and everything really diminishes the whole 'ease' factor of the equation!
Please review! More reviews make faster updates!