Caleri and her friends woke before the sun and flew in the direction of the Wise Islands. The flight took a few hours because of a strong headwind, and the Vikings were relatively quiet. The only time they spoke was so they could tell each other where they were going.
When they finally landed, the dragons were exhausted and starving. The teens fed them fish and rested for a few minutes before making the journey to the center of the island. The elders lived inside the mountain in the middle of the island and it was said that they were one hundred years old. Caleri felt intimidated that the old Vikings had called to meet her, and she kept trying to figure out what this could be about. The dragons were restless, something about the island just made them uneasy.
"How much longer?" complained Fangmouth. "My whole body aches from that long ride and walking on this uneven ground is not helping." Wingstorm playfully smacked him in the face with her tail.
"Shut it, don't you think we are tired, too? We had to fly all that way as well, you know," she mock growled. Fangmouth smiled and looked at Sila. She had been quiet the entire journey, and was only staring at the ground. Wingstorm walked up to her younger sister and gently nudged her side.
"Is there something bothering you?" she asked Sila. The black and silver dragon just shook her head and sighed.
"This island doesn't feel right, like it was made as a place to kill us," she whispered. Caleri turned around and looked at her dragon in concern.
"Sila, are you sure everything is fine?" the Viking asked. Sila gave her friend a weak smile before looking at the ground again.
The group continued to walk in silence until they came across the main entrance to the elder's cave. The opening, looked menacing, like the gaping maw of a giant sea dragon. Stalactites and stalagmites formed sharp, teeth-like projections just after the lip of the ceiling. Meridia started to shiver in fear and Buff squeezed her forearm. A warm breeze drifted out of the cave, making it seem even more menacing.
"Come, our children," echoed a cracking voice form deep within. Caleri took a shuddering breathe and took a step inside. Sila moved and walked close to Caleri, helping her maneuver over the rocks and avoid the deep cracks in the ground.
The air grew warmer as they walked and a light from a fire could be seen ahead. The cave tunnel broadened out into a cavern and a medium sized fire sat in the middle. Seven elderly Vikings sat on rocks chiseled into chairs circled around the edge and at the very back was a large rock throne. The oldest Viking sat there, her white hair missing in small patches around her skull. Her eyes were sunken and dark, yet still sparkled with life.
"Caleri and friends, welcome," she croaked. She slowly wobbled to her feet and took a shaky step forward. "We are glad you came. The prophecy has begun," the elder said. The seven others repeated her and she gazed skyward.
"What prophecy?" Caleri said in a wobbly voice. Sila nudged her and Caleri placed her hand on her back.
"A dragon will rise to change man and dragon kind for eternity. She will be born from greatness, and her rider will speak the dragon tongue. Together they must face the Viking world's greatest enemy, and save everything," they all said in unison. Sila and Caleri looked at each other before Caleri took a step forward.
"Why can I speak to Sila but no other dragon?" the girl asked.
"You were born on the day when the gods block the sun. Any Viking born this day is bestowed with a gift from the gods. Only two other known Vikings have been born on this day. They gave you the gift of the dragon tongue, which was jump started when you met Sila. As you age you will be able to understand more of what other dragons say," the lead elder said.
"But why us? Why are we chosen?" Sila asked. Caleri translated and the elder smiled thoughtfully.
"Destiny, it is the fate Odin has given you," was all she said before turning around and sitting back in her chair. "Now go, trouble is on the horizon. Be ready to ride on the day of need." With a wave of the old woman's hand, the fire dimmed to a low burn and the elders seemed to disappear. The Vikings climbed on their dragon's backs and walked back outside. The sun was low in the sky, signaling they had been in for hours.
"Were we really gone that long?" Caleri asked. Buff and Meridia shook their heads in agreement. "Come on Sila, let's go home." Sila nodded and shot into the air.