HELLO! Okay, so I might be really slow on updating (like, limited to one - or maybe two - a day). THERE ARE ONLY FOUR MORE CHAPTERS IN THIS AFTER THIS ONE (unless more inspiration strikes me). I really like this chapter, for some reason. :) Enjoy!
It was as if a trance had suddenly been brought upon all the others in the house. They couldn't move, nor did they know what to say, or how to respond. Hiccup had until nightfall, and then that was it. He was going to die.
Astrid suddenly wondered what she was thinking. He wasn't going to die, she would never have allowed that! She knew that she and the others could find the cure, just so long as they headed towards Berserk at that instant.
After all, they only had about twelve hours to get to Berserk, find the cure, take it, and get back to Berk in time to administer it to Hiccup.
"Come on then!" Astrid shouted, breaking the other riders from the silence that had fallen over the abode. "We have to leave, now!"
"Hey, she's right!" said Snotlout in agreement. "My cousin's life is on the line, and meanwhile, we're just sitting here doing nothing! Come on, guys! We have to leave!" He and Astrid were the first to run down the stairs, followed quickly by Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and their dragons.
At the last second, just before they ran out the door, Astrid turned around and jogged up the stairs, skipping steps on her way. She didn't even pause in the doorway before she ran over to Hiccup's bedside, swept his bangs away, and kissed his forehead lightly and gently.
"I'll be back," she promised him, although he was unconscious. She didn't care that Stoick, Gothi and Toothless were all watching her at this point. All she cared about was getting back to Berk before Hiccup died. "Don't give up." Then, she raced back down the stairs, meeting with the other riders and dragons once more.
"Let's gather some resources," said Astrid. "And then, we need to hurry. I'll meet you all at the academy, and we'll head off."
They ran outside, followed by their dragons, whom they quickly mounted and headed off in opposite directions. Astrid grabbed her satchel from her house, completely stocked with a water canteen, bandages, and a knife. She shouldered the satchel, mounted Stormfly once more, and then flew towards the academy.
The others were already there, looking both frightened and determined at the same time as they anxiously waited to get going.
"We all here and ready?" Astrid asked, counting mentally. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut...yes, they were all here, and they all had satchels, with their own supplies stocked up with them.
"Okay, then let's go," said Astrid, acting as leader in place of Hiccup. Stormfly took the hint and spread her wings, soaring towards Berserk, the others following her closely, just as the sun rose, bringing light to all the land.
Getting to Berserk alone took a while, even on dragon back. As soon as the island was in sight, the landed their dragons, dismounting, their feet hitting the sand almost in unison.
"Okay, okay, so...let's just, find this thing, and get out of here," said Astrid. "We're looking for a blackish bluish tree with a waxy look, rough feeling, a near-water environment." They split up, walking in different directions, their dragons following their appropriate riders.
They searched for hours, until finally, they heard Ruffnut and Tuffnut's voices ring out.
"I found something!" they both shouted in unison. Astrid instantly raced towards the sounds of their voices, followed by Snotlout, Fishlegs, and their dragons. They found the twins standing, looking at a tree located right near the shore of the beach. It looked just as Gothi had described it, with its waxy blue look and the fact that it was right next to the ocean.
Its branches were thick, looking only slightly blue, and only when the sun shone down upon it. Astrid was suddenly very thankful that it was daytime, or else they wouldn't have even been able to notice the blue hint the bark of the tree carried.
There were no leaves on the tree at all, and yet it didn't look dead. Its branches were healthy and strong, and Astrid knew that if she had climbed it, it would have been able to hold her weight no problem.
Of course, they weren't here to climb trees. Astrid dug through her satchel, taking out her knife after she found it.
"So this is the tree?" said Fishlegs. Astrid noded, stepping forward, digging some of the dirt away from the base of the tree while the other riders moved over to help. The tree roots were almost completely blue, like the ocean, thick, and stiff, like a pencil.
"Well, here we go," said Astrid. She pulled one of the roots, finding the biggest one (she didn't know how much she needed, and she knew that she had to be safe about the amount), and then started to saw it with her knife.
Meanwhile, the other youths and dragons stood guard, looking for Berserker soldiers, expecting them at any given time. If the Berserkers knew that the Berkians were coming, then they must have had someone waiting out for them, ready to capture or attack them. However, no one came, though.
Astrid continued the task of sawing the root, and once she finished, the root no longer attached to the tree, she put the saving medicine in her satchel, along with her knife, and stood, making her way back over to the other dragons and riders.
"Well, that was easy," said Astrid.
"Yeah…" said Snotlout hesitantly. "Too easy, maybe."
"Surprise, surprise!" shouted a voice from behind. The riders froze, turning around slowly, in perfect unison, at the sound and tone of the voice.
"So nice of you guys to be here!" said Dagur the Deranged. "Welcome to Berserk!"