Comet and I sped through the air, in perfect sync, zipping through clouds and gliding alongside the vast wingspans of some TimberJacks. I smiled as I felt the cool air brush my face, the wind whipping my hair and trailing off to the unknown behind me. I had been living with Valka for the past few months, and she was teaching me the ways of the dragons. She taught me tricks and facts about each dragon that I never could have fathomed.
Having grown up with Night Furies, there wasn't much Valka could teach me about Comet, but the wondrous things she taught me about the other dragon species awed me. She was so knowledgeable. She knew every secret each dragon had to show, and it made me wonder how long she had been studying them. I was intrigued by her relationship with Cloudjumper in particular. They shared a bond so strong, it reminded me of my homeland. Cloudjumper was always at her side, and seemed to understand and feel her presence as much as she felt his. They communicated wordlessly, as Comet and I did. I had only ever seen a bond as strong among my people. I stroked underneath Comet's chin, and she lifted her head, cooing lightly at my touch.
I needed no commands to communicate with Comet. Our minds were one, and my thoughts belonged to her as well. I laid low over her back, clinging to a small leather ring that hung around her neck. A small pendant hung from the front, a bright, brilliant green that matched her emerald eyes. A cluster of reddish-brown feathers hung from the base of her left ear, flying back and fluttering against my arm. The feathers were a symbol of my place among our tribe. My father was chief, fiercely protective of his people, and yet a keeper of peace. I could picture his soft brown eyes as he watched me grow alongside Comet. I could feel the tickle of his short, brown beard against my cheek as he rocked me to sleep each night.
I took a deep breath, remembering him perched in his tall wooden chair in the Great Hall. I remembered seeing the bright red feathers that hung from DarkFire's ears. DarkFire was his dragon, a dragon fit for the chieftain of our clan. DarkFire was strong, heavily built, and protective. Just like my father. But the memory that was blazed so vividly in my mind was too dreadful to recall, so with a heavy heart I forced myself to push back my thoughts of home.
I gently brushed the feathers with two of my fingers, retraining my eyes upon the vast ocean below us. I saw ships, sails splayed, and knew all too well of the dragon trappers who waited upon them. My mouth slipped into a frown as I saw a commotion on one of the decks. The trappers were running around in a frenzy, collecting spears and swords and pointing over the edge of the rail, into the water. The surface was bubbling and shifting, but we were too high in the air for me to discern what laid beneath the waves. Comet flew down, but I felt a growing apprehension as we approached the boat.
"Wait." The verbal command was unnecessary, as Comet sensed my premonition, but my suspicion manifested into words. We hovered above, in midair, as a great white mass surged up from the sea, blasting ice onto the tiny, now insignificant ships. The Bewilderbeast.
We dove down a little closer, trying to get a better view through the dense cloud cover. Then I saw what the mighty dragon was after- a wooden fort situated on a small patch of land. Crossbows and spears and nets littered the fort, and dragon cries pierced through the armored walls. Anger surged up in me, and I fought to control my fury. Comet glanced over her shoulder at me, concerned. I sat upright again, watching the Bewilderbeast, wishing I could aid in the rescue of the dragons but fearful to intervene.
Icy blasts shot through the fort, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions. Swords and axes clanged against the ice as they dropped to the ground, forgotten as their wielders fled in terror. My chest tightened as the trapped dragons failed to appear. I scanned the ruins for any sign of them, worried that they had been injured by the ice. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a whirlwind of color. From behind the icy pinnacles, hundreds of trapped dragons freed their wings, and relief flooded me as I saw them take to the sky. The Bewilderbeast, having saved the captive dragons, turned back and abandoned the now desolated fort. Comet flew down and landed on one of the icy spears, peering curiously below into the shattered wooden remains.
A razor net flew from the crevice in front of us, slashing Comet's cheek and slicing across my shoulder. I let out a pained cry, grasping my shoulder, losing hold of Comet. I lost my balance as Comet recoiled from the attack, scrabbling for a handhold, finding none. I plummeted down towards the jagged ice, my stomach rising up into my throat.
Comet let out a heart-wrenching cry and plunged after me, reaching out for me. I began to feel light-headed as I fell, time seeming to slow around me. Comet's panicked face appeared, dark red blood dripping from the slash across her cheek. I called out to her, scared, terrified, before I slammed against something below me and my world went dark.