A/N-Happy New Year! To get this year off to a good start, here's the last major chapter of Book 2: Expanding Horizons! We'll be wrapping up this story come the weekend, and then it will be time to move on. And, for those of you who guessed on my question from the last two chapters, here's the answer below.
And, a new question: a new dragon is introduced in this chapter, but after writing through this book it turns out I never named it in this book. So, what do you think I came to call it?
Chapter 12
Rescue….and Retribution
It was big. The front door alone was probably 15 feet across, and the stone walls built a good 30 feet in height. These people knew the power of some of the creatures they hunted. Of course, they knew nothing about me.
As I melted through the shadows of the doorframe, I took note of the guards positioned along the top of the walls and all along the inside of the fort. To the left were doors, to the right were more doors, and in front of me was a huge commons area with, unsurprisingly, more doors on the other side. Most of them it was easy to see led to eating areas, maintenance rooms, and other living necessities, but the doors lining the back of the courtyard were larger, and far more heavily armored.
Bingo, I thought, and wafted through the shadows in the walls toward the first armored door on the left. I looked back around to make sure I could locate the exact door later when I managed to find which one held Toothless. Then, I peered into the interior of the first room.
What awaited me wrenched my heart. Lying on the floor, breathing heavily, and chained to the wall, was a magnificent, full-grown Bengal tiger. Its fur was matted, with grime and blood, its tail was kinked, and it looked like it hadn't been fed in days, or had a good cleaning in weeks. Now I had a different fuel for my anger, and I was beginning to boil again. It was already decided, this facility would be no more after we got Toothless and the other captives here out.
I checked into the next cell. Inside was an Asiatic black bear, in the same condition as the tiger. Beside that cell was another holding an arctic wolf. Not a pack, like there should have been, but just one, lonely, abused white wolf. Past that, I found something even worse: a small, triangular headed, large-winged dragon with long, vine-like feelers extending from the back of its head.
Changewing, I thought, how on earth did they manage to get one of those? They're harder to find than Timberjacks! I shook my head, deciding the how wasn't at all important, and flowed into the cell, coming close to the young dragon.
::Are you alright?:: I asked warily. Changewings were known to often be aggressive, but all this one did was jerk its head up to look around. When it did, though, it winced in pain. I could see why easily: a collar of spikes around its neck, the prongs digging in and cutting the skin. ::Who's there?:: the young dragon whispered nervously. It was a young male, from the tone of voice. ::I'm a friend, don't worry. I'm here to help.:: He looked around franticly. ::Please get me out of here!:: he whimpered. ::They're going to kill me!:: ::They won't if I can help it,:: I replied. ::Another friend of mine is here too, and I've brought some people who will help. I will be back very soon.:: The Changewing nodded, his look of pure fear replaced with a shred of hope. I melted into the shadows again, and move to the fifth cell.
::TOOTHLESS!::
I'd finally found him in that cell. He was held down with the same kind of spiked collar, and a thick muzzle binding his snout. Every limb was also chained to the ground. When I yelled, his eyes snapped open, and he looked around for me. ::Hawken? Is that you?:: he asked quietly. ::Yeah, it is.:: I replied. ::I'm here with the rest of the gang; we're going to get you out.::
Toothless' eyes widened. ::How did you find me?:: he queried, lifting his head up slightly. ::A lucky guess,:: I said. ::Some of Ingavar's men came along to help-:: I was cut off when Toothless yelped in pain, and let his head drop to the stone floor again. ::You alright?:: I asked, though I knew the answer already. Toothless shook his head barely, as well as he could. ::No, I'm not. This collar is already taking its toll on me,:: he said sadly.
I narrowed my shadowbound eyes, and glared out into the courtyard. ::I'll be back very soon,:: I growled. ::I have to go get the Vikings, and then we're breaking all of you out of here.:: ::Wait!:: Toothless cried. ::I need to know, before you leave again: is Hiccup here with you?:: I smiled unseen. ::Yes, he is, and he's just about ready to kill to find you.:: ::I know how he feels,:: Toothless replied, sounding relieved, but also menacing. ::Please hurry back.:: ::We will,:: I assured.
As I slid back into the shadows of the courtyard, I spotted a group of people at one of the wooden tables that were unmistakably Viking. I slithered forward, creeping into the shade beneath the table, and listened to their conversation.
"-if they find us, though?" one of them was saying. "Those two scrawny boys won't just let go of that dragon without a fight." "Ah, quit yer worryin'," another replied. "There's any number o' villages we could've gone tae, it's nae likely they'd manage te pick this one first." "Yeah, and we'll be gone by evening anyway, an' the Night Fury will be taken out already tae the hunt tonight," a third added in. An amused chuckle ran around the table.
I boiled over again. After all, they'll still treat dragons as evil beasts anyway, I reasoned, as the tip of my tail materialized. I raised it up, and spiked the nearest leg with the sharp edge of one of the tailfins.
"YEEEOOUCCHH!" HE screamed, jumping up and backward, falling over the bench and hard on the ground, grabbing the now bleeding spot on his leg. "Something bit me! Something just bit me!" he squealed. Everyone jumped away from the table, looking under it to try and find the source of the danger. Of course, they couldn't see me, but they could certainly hear me.
"They've already found you," I hissed, my voice low, gravelly and unrecognizable, but I saw the men's eyes widen in realization anyway. "I've already found you," I added, a menacing hiss ending my sentence. At this point the dozen or so Vikings finally got the sense to back away from the table.
"Didja hear that?!" someone asked. The rest nodded slowly. "Something's very wrong here," another replied, and he drew his axe.
It's not like they could have done anything to me, but I decided it was time anyway to go and find everyone else. As I left, the Vikings attacked the table, thinking they could get rid of whatever they heard, and in the process just made themselves look stupid to everyone else in the courtyard. Too bad for them I was already halfway back through the forest before they realized just what it looked like they were doing.
"Fifth door from the left, at the back of the courtyard," I reported as I materialized in front of Stoick and Hiccup and the gang. "The traitors are still there too." I glanced at Hiccup. "And I've decided, we're going to end this very differently than we'd planned. Even if you guys get Toothless back easily, whistle anyway for me. I'm getting the other captives out of that horrid place, and I'm going to raze it to the ground."
There was silence for a minute. "Gee, that's not really like you at all. Is it really that bad?" Astrid asked. "Let's just say I am very surprised Toothless hasn't gone berserk and killed himself going on a rampage already from what they've done to him and the other animals." I watched as Hiccup's eyes darkened dramatically. "Let's go," he growled immediately, and turned to storm off.
As they all headed back to the road and up toward the fortress, I focused on an entirely new image, one that I expected to literally shock the socks off anyone who got in our way. I increased in size, expanding out to be twice the size of a Night Fury, and a long, whip-like tail extended out behind me. At the tip appeared two long jagged tailfins, and my arms flared out, stretching into wide wings that split halfway into three separate wingtips. My neck elongated and jagged horns matching my tailfins stretched from the back of my head. All the while, the color filled in, deep cerulean blue with electric jagged lines of white across my back, and bright cream underneath.
Once I was fully transformed, I shot into the sky, flying just barely under the gray clouds that were beginning to fill the sky. The setting was perfect for what we were about to do, and it wasn't very long at all before I heard Hiccup's whistle echo up to my ears. I grinned and let out a shrieking roar, and arched down, arrowing straight for the center of the fortress, bolts of energy running across my skin as my entire body melted into a glowing streak of pure electricity.
Stoick and Hiccup headed the group as they walked up the path to the fortress. Or, more precisely, Hiccup marched up to the fortress and everyone else hurried to keep up with him. As they approached, a distinguished looking man appeared at the top of the wall above the doors.
"State your name and business here!" the man called down. Stoick looked up as he slowed near the doors. "I am Stoick the Vast of the Hairy Hooligan tribe! We are here on urgent business and must speak with the head of this facility!" The man turned to someone nearby and said something the group could not hear. The other man, a messenger, left and the gatekeeper turned to look back down at them. "Come in, but touch nothing!" he announced.
As the doors slowly cranked open, Hiccup muttered to no one in particular, "Too bad we won't be keeping that promise." They walked in when the doors opened fully, and were met by a pair of guards who escorted them toward a loose arrangement of wooden tables. Stoick and Astrid didn't miss a sudden flurry of activity as a group of men disappeared hurriedly through a nearby doorway.
Less than a minute later, the gatekeeper and messenger appeared, flanking either side of a young, muscular looking man dressed in an outfit of thick leather. "I am Korin," the man introduced. "I own this facility and its adjacent hunting grounds. What is your business in these parts?" Hiccup stood up immediately, determination and a dangerous fire evident in his eyes.
"Three days ago a group of Vikings left our village and made their way here with something very valuable they took from me. I want to get him back, as soon as possible!" Korin raised an eyebrow as Hiccup's words registered. "Him?" he asked amusedly. "Exactly what kind of thing are you looking for?" "A Night Fury."
Silence for a moment, then Korin burst out laughing. "Oh, that is rich!" he guffawed. "A Night Fury, huh? You think that if I did in fact manage to come into possession of a Night Fury to hunt, that I would just blindly release it to a mere twig of a boy and his friends, because they claim it was theirs?" Korin turned serious, and leveled a glare at Hiccup. "Do you take me for a fool?" Hiccup shook his head. "No, I am beginning to take you for a despicable businessman." He ignored Stoick's protest at his choice of words, and continued. "Toothless and I have been together for more than two years now, and we have been through things you could not possibly imagine if you weren't there." "You speak of this beast as if it were a loyal companion instead of the vicious creature dragons are," Korin scoffed.
"He is," Hiccup replied flatly. The owner scoffed again. "No, I've seen them work, they're vicious creatures, designed to hunt and kill, and therefore be hunted and killed by skilled men like myself." He leaned against the table. "I do in fact have a Night Fury, might as well say it as I can see you're certain there is one here, and I paid top price for that creature. Very little is going to get me to release him, to anyone, for any reason."
In response, Hiccup immediately pulled out one of his swords, aiming the tip at Korin, and Astrid stood up behind him, backing up his decision by pulling out her own axe. One by one, the rest of the Vikings did the same. "Give him back," Hiccup hissed, the fire in his eyes raging, "or I will personally run you through with this." Korin just smiled slightly and shrugged, before snapping his fingers. All around the edges of the walls of the fortress, the guards brought out and leveled crossbows at the Vikings, including the ones at the table.
"You're outnumbered," Korin drawled, taking out a sword of his own and leveling it at Hiccup. "You are not welcome here anymore. Leave, now, and never come back," he threatened. Hiccup's eyes did no job at hiding the rage he now felt, and lifted his sword slightly in preparation to swing.
A hand on his shoulder stopped him, and he whirled to find Astrid, looking at him with a stare that reminded him of everything. Slowly, he nodded, and carefully sheathed his sword. "Hiccup, what are you-" Snotlout began to ask, but a glare from Astrid quieted him, and reminded him there was still a plan. He nodded, and put his mace away, the rest of the group also slowly sheathing their weapons. The Vikings turned, and appeared to start heading for the exit. Korin smiled, and turned away to attend to other business.
Not halfway across the courtyard, Hiccup suddenly stopped and spun around. He put his fingers to his mouth, and gave a loud, piercing whistle. Korin turned and drew his sword again. "What sort of trouble are you trying to get yourself into now, you little-"
TTSSSSSEEEEEEEERRRRRR!
Korin's voice died away as a screaming, shrieking roar echoed across the sky above. All eyes swung upward toward the darkening clouds, as a sudden flash of bright light appeared beneath the belly of the clouds and streaked straight down toward them.
"MOVE!" Korin yelled, diving away as the bolt of 'lightning' struck the center of the courtyard. A crack of thunder sounded, shaking the very air and causing everyone to cover their ears and drop to the ground.
When they looked back again, expecting to see nothing more than a blackened spot on the ground, gasps went up as everyone found instead there to be a buzzing, glowing ball of light where the bolt had struck.
"What in hell's name…" Korin began, but trailed off again as the orb began to expand, swirling outward in a blinding pattern. A blazing vortex of electricity formed, soon towering over Korin and the Vikings.
Even Hiccup was struck speechless as he watched, frozen like all the others, at a spectacle no one alive had ever seen before, though it wouldn't be the last. The top of the vortex began flaring outward and darkening. Triple-split wings appeared, and a long, snake-like neck rose above them. From the side of the electric whirlwind came a whipping, twitching tail. Color began to fill in, deep blue with white lightning streaks racing across the skin of the creature. Finally, the vortex abated completely, fading into the dragon and leaving it appearing like any other normal creature, save for sparks of electricity still racing off the horns and spines on the back. As the dragon lowered itself fully down onto its legs and wings, it glanced toward Hiccup, and grinned ever so slightly. Hiccup saw this and finally managed to shake himself out of his shocked state, smiling back.
"Hawken," he whispered in greeting. The dragon nodded in reply, then suddenly whirled around to face Korin directly, wrapping his tail around the fortress owner before anyone could even think to react.
Seeing my dramatic entrance as having the exact effect I was desiring, I focused on the apparent head of the fort, wrapping my tail around his waist and hoisting him clear off the ground. He struggled and tried to free himself, to no avail as I continued to squeeze tighter each time he moved.
"Someone make this ugly lizard release me!" he screamed. "Not until you give the order to release the Night Fury and the rest of your captives," I hissed threateningly in reply. The man froze, his eyes slowly turning to meet mine in shock.
"Did-did you just speak?!" he asked incredulously. I grinned. "Oh, I can do a lot more than talk, and I will before this meeting is done," I drawled. "Now, kindly tell me your name, so I may address you properly." The man regained his stubborn streak. "I'm not going to tell some stupid dragon what my-" "Oh, for the love of… his name is Korin," Hiccup interrupted nearby. "Thank you, Hiccup," I acknowledged, and glared at the man I now knew as Korin.
"I am far more than I seem," I hissed, "and whether you like it or not, every one of these cages will be open and empty before I leave here today." I brought him right up to my snout. "Make it easy on yourself, and open the cages. Now."
In response, Korin spat on my nose. My frown deepened, and I fried the gob of phlegm with an electric charge, smoke curling from my skin. "That your answer?" I asked. Korin didn't move, just glared at me. I sighed. "Very well." I slowly brought my tail down, and Korin breathed out a sigh of relief, thinking he had won and was going to be set down.
He sighed far too soon. I whipped my tail upward, releasing him at the top of the arc, and watched him fly. "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" He vaulted upward, slowed, and then came hurtling back toward earth. Before he hit the ground, of course, I snapped my tail back out and wrapped it around his legs, leaving him hanging upside down and looking particularly frazzled.
I lifted him up face to face with me again. "Still planning on being stupid?" I taunted. Korin's eyes hardened again, and he glanced around at the guards on the fortress walls. "What are you waiting for?!" he yelled. "Shoot it already!"
I heard the click of crossbows being drawn back, and watched nonchalantly as the guards took aim. Lowering Korin down slightly so he wouldn't be in the way, I gave the guards an open shot, and waited.
SCHHEEEWW! SCHEEWWW!
All the better: they fired at the same time, and a ring of arrows streaked through the air. At the same time, a wave of electricity exploded outward from me, striking the arrows midair and warping the arrowheads, the wooden shafts bursting into flame and turning to ash. The remaining useless hunks of metal rained down around me, and I glanced at them unimpressed. Raising up Korin again, I raised my eyebrow. "I can play this game all day," I drawled. "It's your choice when it all stops." Korin groaned. "Fine, fine, I will release the rest, but I am not going to let the Night Fury go."
I closed my eyes and growled in exasperation. I'd had more than enough. Powering up the electrical stores in my muscles, I channeled a low voltage shock into Korin. 25 volts or so, enough to knock him out of his senses, but not enough to seriously hurt him. In any case….
"YAAAAAHHHH!"
I stopped, and his frizzed hair fell back, hanging straight down. He looked at me weakly then, slowly turned and looked at the man nearest to us. "Open the gates," he squeaked quietly. When the man made no move to do as told, Korin yelled, "Open them all! NOW!" The man finally ran off, finding the keys, and began to unlock one door after another. I set Korin down, and watched in amusement for a moment as he attempted to stand, and failed, then walked over to where the other man was unlocking the cells. He wasn't opening them yet, but it didn't matter. He cringed as I loomed over him, but when I didn't make any other move, he continued. Door three…. Four…. Five! I pulled that door open when he unlocked it.
"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup yelled, and bolted forward. I turned and put out my tail to stop him. "What are you doing?!" he snapped, glaring at me and trying to push my tail out of the way. "He's injured," I placated. "Let me help him out first." I lowered my tail, and when Hiccup nodded and stayed put, still steaming, I turned and began to shrink as I morphed back to normal. Gasps echoed, as always, around the compound, and I rolled my eyes in response. "Here we go again," I muttered under my breath.
Sure enough, from behind me came the question: "What on earth are you?" from Korin. I shrugged. "Human," I replied curtly, without turning back. I walked into the cell, and over to Toothless, who barely raised his head due to the collar. There was a lock on each of the chains holding him down, and two on the collar, so I began to turn. "Where are the-" I began, asking for the keys, but then I stopped. Why did I need keys?
I bent down and grabbed the collar first, and sent a jolt of energy through my hands, with one thought. There was a loud CLICK! and the collar fell open, Toothless gasping in relief and looking up at me. I held out my hand, signaling not to move, and leaned forward a little more, examining his neck.
The spike had done a lot of damage already, gouging deep cuts in his neck, and already the faintest signs of infection had begun to set in. I bit my tongue to keep from lashing out, and instead placed my hand on his neck. "Don't move," I said. "This won't hurt, but it could feel a little weird." He nodded slightly, and I focused on the wounds.
Faint light flowed across my fingers, an ethereal glow that extended from my hand across the dragon's skin, and encircled each of the wounds and sunk in. Slowly, the skin closed inward, regrowing and sealing the wounds, all the dried blood and infected tissue sloughing off and leaving behind only the faintest signs that anything had ever been there. Once that was done, I proceeded to rip open the straps of the muzzle, and pulled it off. Toothless opened and closed his mouth a couple times, and then stretched his neck to work out the kinks. "Better?" I asked. ::Yeah,:: he replied, then looked forward out of the cell. I bent down to unlock the chains on Toothless' legs, but before I could…
SCHEEEWWW! BOOOMMMM! "WHOOOAAA!"
I spun around, feeling an intense heat rush by, and was greeted by the sight of a rising column of smoke emanating from where Korin had been standing. Off to one side was Korin, hair and leather suit slightly smoking, and he was laying on the ground, panting in panic and shock. I pinched the bridge of my nose, and turned to Toothless, who had a furious look on his face.
"What was that for?!" I yelled. ::He deserved it!:: Toothless snapped back. I sighed and switched to Dragonese. ::Maybe so, but he didn't know about dragons. He's only in it for the money, and I not only already gave him what he deserved, but this facility won't be around for much-:: ::My neck was not the only thing they've hurt.::
I shut up, trying to connect the pieces with what he'd just said. ::What do you mean?:: I asked carefully. ::Unlock me, so I can actually get out, and then I can show you,:: he replied. I sighed again, and waved my hand, listening to the satisfying CLICK's as the rest of the locks opened. Toothless got up slowly and stepped forward gingerly, groaning still in pain. As we stepped out of the cell and into the light, I immediately spotted what Toothless was referring to: his tail, from halfway down all the way to the tip, was limp and dragging across the ground, the limpness starting at a noticeable kink. Along his right wing, as well, was a notable bump that shouldn't have been there, and it too, hung looser than it should have. I stopped moving, mouth open, as my eyes flicked between the two injuries and Toothless' burning eyes.
Slowly, I turned around to face Korin again, who noted the look on my face and began to cringe in worry. "You broke his wing and tail?!" I yelled. "WHAT?!" Hiccup followed right after. He ran up to Toothless, stopping in shock upon seeing the breaks, then unsheathed his sword again and spun toward Korin. "How about I show you what breaking a wing feels like to a dragon?" he threatened, advancing on the owner, who now definitely knew he was at great risk.
I held up my hand toward Hiccup. "Go to Toothless, he needs you more than you need revenge," I said. Hiccup stopped, and opened his mouth to protest, but then reluctantly nodded and turned back to his dragon. I however, marched up to Korin, a pair of wings expanding out threateningly and flaring wide. I picked him up by the front of his shirt and looked him straight in the eye. "I am actually very tempted to let those two have their way with you," I warned. "But, we're not animals like you. Dragons are nearly equals to us in all but technology. Actually scratch that, compared to people like you, they're above humans."
I gestured to Toothless, whose pupils went back to slits as he glared at Korin. "You know what it's like for a dragon to lose its flight?" I asked. When he didn't answer, I continued. "You make them lose their wings or tail, make it so they can't fly, not to mention the pain you put them through, it's like me taking you, and cutting off both of your hands and feet. You can't touch things, you can't walk anywhere, and you are useless. Would you like to see what I mean?"
Korin shook his head frantically. "No! No, please, forgive me, I didn't know!" "Yeah, that much is apparent," Astrid commented nearby. I nodded. "A dragon will react to such treatment the same way you would," I continued. "And if I ever see you or any of your men here doing anything like that again, I will support whatever action they decide to take against you." I brought him up so that he could see the lines in my blazing red eyes. "In fact, if I ever hear of you committing any act like this that you or your men have done on any of these poor animals, I will personally find you, drag you back with me and tie you up upside down against the cliffs of Berk for the ravens to enjoy. Kapeesh?"
Needless to say, I was mad. Korin got the message, however, and nodded meekly. I dropped him unceremoniously and walked back over to Hiccup, who was examining the injury on Toothless' tail.
"It's a compound fracture," he said, looking over the large kink. "It's broken in multiple directions. The wing is a more simple fracture could be healed by a splint if we had one." I nodded. "No need for that here though" I said, and looked up at Toothless. "You are going to need to lay down, and stay still. This will probably hurt, a lot."
He did, carefully, and I motioned for Stoick, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and some of the other men to come forward. They walked up to us, and I pointed to Toothless. "I am going to have to straighten his tail, since I don't know if healing it like this will make it actually stay crooked or not and I'm not taking that risk," I explained. "Make sure he does not move. At all." They nodded, and I looked at Hiccup, who was going to hold the wing in place. "Ready?" I asked, and he nodded.
I grabbed Toothless' tail just above and below the break, and carefully began to move it so that it aligned properly. I could see the bones and joints underneath the skin, and worked to make sure they were all in proper place. As I did so, Toothless immediately shrieked in agony and began to struggle, but the Vikings managed to keep him held down enough so that I and Hiccup could keep the bones straight. I closed my eyes and focused, and felt the power flow across my skin and into Toothless.
The feeling beneath my hands was one of the strangest I've ever experienced. Slowly, Toothless stopped squirming, and I felt the bones realign properly and completely under the skin and muscle, and reconnect. They weren't fully straight, but I could feel them move into position on their own. After a minute or two, I felt no more movement, or anything still out of place under my touch, and I glanced at Hiccup, who nodded and pointed at the wing. I stood up, and motioned for everyone to do the same, save for Hiccup, who moved to hold Toothless' head as he got up.
Slowly, Toothless got to his feet, then turned and flicked his tail carefully, experimentally. Both tailfins flared, and all his wings did the same. His eyes widened and went round, and he first turned to Hiccup and gave him a lick, then looked at me. ::Thank you,:: he said. ::I don't ever want to feel that again.:: "Neither do I," I replied, and Toothless turned back to Hiccup.
As the two properly greeted each other (properly meaning Toothless bowled Hiccup to the ground and began licking him mercilessly, Hiccup laughing and weakly fighting back), I noted another important, missing detail. I turned to Korin again, who cringed in response, expecting another outburst. "Where's his saddle?" I asked. Korin blinked, then his face turned to a look of confusion. "What saddle?" he queried back. I sighed and turned to the rest of our group. "Anyone happen to see where our traitors went?" Stoick nodded and gestured behind me toward a set of closed doors. "A group of people rushed into there when we arrived, I would bet my beard it was them." I smiled, and sauntered over to the doors. Listening in, I heard anxious mutterings inside.
When I opened the doors, sure enough, I was met with a dozen owlish stares from our missing Vikings. There was silence for a minute, then, from somewhere in the back, came, "Told ye they'd find us." I smirked and glanced behind me. "Anyone have a rope I could borrow?"
Apparently there was at least one guard who wanted to try and get on my good side, as a long coil of thick woven rope was tossed down from above a couple seconds later. "Thank you," I said, and began to unravel it, tying a quick slip knot into a loop and facing the runaways. I grinned, and tossed the loop around the group of men, yanking it very tightly once it was around all of them.
"OOOOFF!" "Hey, what gives?!" "Can't…breathe…."
I shrugged as the complaints began from the pressure of the rope. "Just giving you guys the same treatment I'm sure you gave Toothless," I explained, before turning around and pulling again on the rope, knocking the group off their feet and dragging them out into the dirt of the courtyard.
"Now, where's the saddle?" I hissed. One of the men, probably the one who voiced the 'told you' earlier, looked up. "O-on the ship," he blurted. I nodded and turned toward Stoick, holding out the rope to him. "Take them with you," I said, "and secure the ship. I'll meet you in Sturmlein in a short while." Stoick nodded, taking the rope, and began to belt out instructions to the group with us. They took out an ancient looking version of handcuffs, and after securing the men, they headed out.
I walked over to Hiccup and Toothless, who were still caught in the moment of finally being able to see each other again, and tapped on their shoulders. "Oh, uh, hi," Hiccup said sheepishly. "You should probably get going," I said. "It won't be too comfortable, but I'm sure Toothless can still carry you without the saddle." I glanced at Toothless. "Just don't drop him," I said jokingly. He snorted, and turned to Hiccup, bending down to let him climb on, then turned and carefully took off. However, he did not leave before smacking Korin in the face with his tailfins.
I snorted, and turned to walk toward the door of the cell that held the Changewing. Before I reached it, though, I stopped. "Oh, why deal with them all one at a time?" I wondered out loud. "I can just do it all at once, I'm sure." I backed up until I could see all the doors in my range of vision, and spread my hands outward.
A flash of light raced outward, into the doors, and they swung open, followed by the sounds of locks on the chains and other holdfasts opening and falling to the ground. Once the doors had fully swung open, a dozen and a half or so different animals came crawling out slowly, all of them not looking in good shape at all. I stole another glare at Korin, who had back up to a wall and was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. I growled, and looked back at the animals, flicking my hand again and releasing another wave of energy.
The cuts and scrapes crisscrossing the hides of the animals disappeared, and most of them stood up straighter as their strength returned to them, and began to bare their fangs at all the people around them. I sighed and thought hard, before raising my arms over my head to gain their attention and waving a hand again. Kind of hard to believe that mind control of any sort would be within my realm of ability, or even any sort of okay level, but knowledge of a sort could be passed to other creatures, instinctual forms of trust and understanding that can allow for rudimentary training or problem solving.
The beasts calmed down as I transferred their trust toward me, something any sentient creature would not be affected by, and it showed as the tigers and wolves and other animals started to follow me, but the Changewing did not appear.
::Are you here, friend? You said you would be back to help,:: I heard from by the door that once held the dragon. I peered closer, and spotted the barest outline of the Changewing's head blending into the wood and stone. I spread my arms out wide. ::I'm right here,:: I said, ::right in front of you.:: The Changewing turned to look at me, and slowly left his camouflaged state to crawl toward me.
::You were the one I heard?:: he asked carefully. I nodded. His eye widened in realization. ::Oh! Then that means you're the-:: I held up a hand. ::Yes, yes, I know, but we don't have time for that right now. We need to leave first.:: I gestured to the gate, and with another hand wave and flash of light, it swung open as well. I held out my hands to the other animals, and pointed toward the door.
To the great surprise of Korin and the guards, again, they obeyed, if a little slowly, and trotted out the gate onto the road outside. I glanced down at the Changewing. ::Stay with them, make sure none wander off.:: He nodded, and flew out the gate, while I changed to Night Fury and lifted up over the wall. Before heading down the road, though, I turned and looked down at the fortress below.
"If you wish to stay alive, I would suggest every single one of you leave this facility immediately!" I bellowed, loud enough for everyone within a mile to hear me. Then, I watched as the men below scrambled to exit the rooms with whatever they could carry, and out the gate out front. I gave them five minutes to make sure everyone was out of the way, before rising up a little higher, taking a deep breath and building up the gas in my throat, and igniting it, firing a bluish, pulsating plasma orb at the base of the nearest wall.
It wasn't an ordinary Night Fury fireball though. It exploded on contact, but the flames raced outward along the wooden beams and in between the cracks in the stone at a supernatural place. Within 30 seconds, the entire structure was ablaze, the stones crumbling and falling apart as explosions corrupted the supports and ripped through the bricks. Another five minutes, and the entire fortress collapsed, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble and crackling wood.
I nodded in satisfaction, before I began to coast down toward the group of exotic animals below, landing in front of them and walking toward the village. With a little persuasion from the Changewing, they all began to follow me as well.
"What in the world?" Harald sputtered as I and my little parade came waltzing into the village along the main road. I stopped, the animals slowing down behind me, and turned to the governor. "If I can inquire, do you know of anyone in this village, or passing through, who is well traveled in this world, or at least has some basic knowledge of far off places?" I asked. Harald pursed his lips in confusion, before taking another glance at the circus behind me and putting the pieces together. "Uh, well, um, there are a couple sailors who live here who've, uh, been as far as Indonesia, I know." I nodded, then gestured to the traveling zoo. "Good. These animals, as I'm sure you can guess, are not from around here, and need to get back to where they belong. Don't worry too much about them, they are wild animals but I've, uh, 'trained' them to an extent, so they shouldn't be too much danger."
Harald nodded. "That will be a bit expensive." "I'm sure you can get the money you need from the men who ran the facility. And I'm also sure you'll be happy to help here, considering the reception we were given when we arrived." He looked down sheepishly at my comment. "Yes, I do sincerely apologize about that, but I'm sure you understand this is an unprecedented situation you put us into here." I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure it's not something that will happen again either."
Harald glanced up at the road, then back at the animals that were milling about on the street. "I am, uh, assuming the dreadful fort up there is no longer in business then?" he queried. I smirked slightly at this. "Let's just say anyone coming through here again on such errands will find themselves at a disappointing dead end." "Very well. Though, I must ask, what of the Changewing there?" he inquired. "They don't exactly have a set home, save for just up here in the north." "He'll come with me," I replied, turning toward the village below. "Now, would you be so kind as to tell me where Stoick and Hiccup may be at?" Harald gestured at the docks. "I'm sure they're still taking care of those troublemakers you came here for, and that, uh, Night Fury you found." I nodded. "Thanks. Now, just one more thing to take care of…"
I took a couple of minutes getting the circus act I rescued to follow Harald instead of me, and told him just to lead them down to the docks to the ships that would take care of them, along with a few care instructions I knew of. Then I flew to the docks myself with the Changewing, leaving the village leader looking somewhat lost and overwhelmed with his new task.
As we flew, I turned to the Changewing, who was still looking extremely skittish, though that was understandable considering what he'd just been through. ::You don't have to be afraid anymore,:: I said. ::The people we are going to go see, you can trust them with your life.:: ::Are you sure?:: he asked anxiously. I nodded. ::I already have, many times,:: I said. The other dragon nodded slowly, and I glanced down at the village below, passing by us until the docks appeared on the ocean's shore.
We glided downward, flaring our wings and landing next to the ship that was taken, and were soon spotted by Fireworm, who was on the deck. ::Took you long enough!:: she growled down. ::What, did you stop for a picnic on your way back?:: ::Ha, ha, very funny,:: I retorted back. ::Like I said earlier, there were some loose ends that needed, eh, 'tying up'. Are Toothless and Hiccup in there somewhere?:: The Nightmare nodded in reply, and I shrank back to normal and walked up the gangplank, our new friend tagging along behind me.
Sure enough, I found them just below deck, at the other end of the ship, and Hiccup had managed to fit on nearly all of Toothless' gear on. Of course, there was a lot less nowadays, what with no prosthetic fin needing controls and gears, but it would take anyone a good long time to saddle up a Night Fury who wouldn't hold still. Before I could make my presence known, though, Stoick appeared.
"There ye are," he noted. "We aren't yet ready te head out, but we should be by evening." He glanced at the Changewing, who shrunk behind me, and smiled. "And make sure yer new friend there knows he's safe with us, no need te hide from me." "I'm working on it," I deadpanned. "It's going to take some time. On another note, however, what are we going to do with all of Ingavar's men? And I mean both the traitors and the ones who came with us." "Ye don't remember?" Stoick asked, raising an eyebrow. "And I thought you kept track of details like that. Ingavar's already on 'is way here, remember?" I stood there for a second, before it clicked. "Oh, yeah. Right." Stoick just chuckled a little as he left, while I stood there looking like a dork for a moment before turning to Hiccup to help him keep Toothless still.
By evening, everything was ready for us to head back, and Toothless had gotten his flight with Hiccup in. It was too late to start heading out, again, but we were lent an empty warehouse in the village to stay the night in. Most of us would be heading off bright and early, and so tried to get to sleep as fast as possible. The only one who wasn't able to stop fidgeting was our newcomer.
::Look, no one around here has hurt you up to this point, and they're not going to,:: I reassured the restless Changewing. He looked up at me. ::How can you be so sure?:: he asked. ::I heard stories of people like this who have fought dragons for hundreds of years, and every human I've come across until now has either tried to kill or capture me.:: I chuckled. ::That tells me you haven't been up further north any time recently, have you?:: He shook his head in response, and I continued. ::A few years ago, the war was ended between the Vikings and dragons, due to the acts of the Night Fury and the brunette over there.:: I gestured to Toothless and Hiccup, who were lying together on a mattress we'd dragged in, and already drifting off to sleep. The Changewing turned and glanced at them. ::They ended it?:: ::Uh huh. And other than a few isolated incidents there hasn't been much trouble since concerning the two races.::
The Changewing finally lay down, and looked at me. ::So when did you arrive there?:: he asked. I shrugged. ::Eh, only around a year ago, actually. But, I'll admit, we've been through enough during that time that I've had to save their rear ends, and vice versa, multiple times.::
The Changewing snorted. :All you can do, and you've owed them your life before?:: ::It was only a few days ago I found all my secrets,:: I explained, ::and I'm sure there's plenty I still don't know::. It was getting a little chilly in the room, so I morphed to Night Fury and curled up on my own mat to ward off the cold of the night. ::I know for a fact, though,:: I continued, ::that you can absolutely trust my friends here, especially those two,:: I gestured to Hiccup and Toothless again with my tail, ::and Astrid, the blonde girl by the Nadder, Thorn.:: I nodded to where she and Thorn lay in the corner, near Hiccup.
::I… I will try, then,:: the Changewing said softly, finally curling up and blending with the dirt and hay on the floor. ::I forgot to tell you: my name is Spitfire, by the way.:: I cracked an eye open, and smirked. ::Well, it's nice to meet you Spitfire. Quite the fitting name, too. My name is Hawken.::
Spitfire snorted. ::Now that's one I've never heard before.:: ::I'm not exactly from around here,:: I admonished. ::Well, I like it, though.:: ::Thanks,:: I said quietly, before finally closing my eye again. Not long after, everyone was peacefully sleeping, resting up for the final flight back to Berk in the morning.
A/N-So there you go! One last chapter for this book, and then we'll move on. And, as a little extra incentive, if I get enough reviews before then I may just post the first chapter of Book 3 this weekend as well! If not, well, there's an extra week of waiting before Book 3 begins, as per the original schedule.
And, I have decided I will begin my own Book of Dragons to go along with this series. It's up to my readers, however, which dragon I start it off with. So, read, review, and answer my two new questions: what do you think the new dragon in this chapter is called, and what dragon should I begin the Book of Dragons with? Answer away!