Smoke in your eyes

The Haddocks were joining the Riders and their siblings at the docks for what for them was a surprise visit from Trader Johan. It was a surprise for them since Boden didn't have a manic episode which under no circumstances had happened before.

He always had a manic episode whenever Johan showed up. That raised a big red flag right off the back. Something was really amiss with this visit.

The others were very jovial to see Johan while the Haddocks were very wary of him as they didn't get the reaction they're accustoming to getting when he came to their shores.

They didn't let on that he'd already sent up a big red flag with them. Instead they let him try to charm them with trying to convince Stoick to buy Valka a pair of stunning pearl earrings whilst the kids were trying to subtly use their gifts to pinpoint what was making things so suspicious already about this unexpected arrival of Johann.

But as they left the boat and Johann hurried past to go to the Great Hall to get something to eat he bumped against Hiccup and in doing so transferred some very fragmented memories into the boy's mind.

He buckled to the ground as his mother helped him up she asked him if he was all right and what did he see. Shaking his head he replied what he just absorbed was like tiny pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and he'd need time to put it together.

Valka and Stoick looked at their other children to ask them what they may've picked up from what they already consider very suspicious of Johann showing up without Boden going manic.

Una stated her intuition was giving nothing but seriously bad vibes as if warning her terrible events were about to unfold and a great danger was coming and may already have arrived.

As for Boden he just started coughing loudly and hard and when asked about it he replied he felt like he was slowly suffocating. Like he was in a room with smoke and chocking on it.

"We need to be cautions with what the children are feeling with their powers, my love. I trust their powers and instincts and my own. And I already feel something is not quite right, don't you?" Valka asked her husband as the five of them head home and he nodded.

"Yes, as Chief you learned to trust your instinct and as a father even more. I also know I truly trust my children not just because of their blessings, but just their own gut feelings. Kids?"

"Yes, Dad/Daddy?"

"Have you made absolutely sure that Johann has not been made aware of your blessing? That he's still in the dark? Since we've forbidden anyone on Berk of speaking of your gifts and we know everyone is loyal unlike Mildew and won't betray the secret. But you've made sure he's not aware of them right?"

"He didn't figure it out during the great freeze when we saw him last time, no, Dad. And we didn't tell him either. We know better to let anyone know about our gifts. Ever since Alvin abducted us." Hiccup said in a knowing way shivering at the memory that was only a few months ago.

"We were forced to tell Heather and Dagur when we helped them escape their psycho cousin Axel. Though no-one knows if they and their father are alive or dead right now. And anyway we feel strongly since they saved our lives from Axel they won't betray our secret," Boden replied honestly.

"I've had no vision telling me of Oswald and his children's fate nor have the voices of Valhalla told me if they ended up there. And I have asked a few times. So I assume Daddy they are alive and on the run. But my own intuition tells me if they are alive they won't betray our secret.

We also know Alvin didn't tell his men about our secret and the only other person knew was Mildew and as far as we known Axel most likely killed him since we didn't see him join him during the events of what we call the Skrill Coup." Una relayed to her daddy.

"Either way we must make sure no-one else ever finds out about your special gifts ever again. You three are in enough danger as it is. We won't have you ever been in danger again because the Gods blessed you three for whatever your threes destiny is."

"Understood. We won't ever tell anyone outside of Berk again. We swear, Mom/Mommy and Dad/Daddy," they vowed as they closed their front door behind them.

The next morning there seemed to be a funny fog linger in the around the village which didn't make a lot sense to Hiccup and his siblings who'd been trying to understand something about the weather and didn't think the weather match the right condition for fog.

However, they did find something quite unsettling as their family came to the main square to hear some complaints and saw something that sounded worse than the complaints.

"What's wrong? You all look upset about something? What's going on?" Hiccup asked the teens who looked very annoyed and Snotlout answered what the ruckus was about.

"We've been listening to since before sun up people complaining about their stuff being stolen last night. They all crying over it like babies in very whiny voices. It's giving me a headache."

"What exactly was stolen?" Boden wanted to know.

"Some people prized weapons, some of their family heirlooms like drinking goblets and Tuffnut's mace." Astrid replied.

"So you're complaining about people wanting their personal effects back? Or is there something more?" Una guessing there was more.

"Well there is something highly strange about the people who were robbed now that you mention it," Fishlegs spoke up.

"What?"

"All people who lost something are having the same kind of symptoms of being very sick. Look at the twins for example. They're both complaining of severe pain, muscle weakness, numbness and tingling. They've also been very nausea and been vomiting and Ruff's had sever constipation and Tuff's had massive diarriah."

"Have other people experienced these same symptoms who got robbed?" demanded Hiccup at once.

"Yeah, everyone who lost something all have the same strange sickness symptoms and also everyone also lost at least four pounds overnight as well."

"This is very serious. If this thief doesn't just take object but somehow makes people sick when it steals. Stoick I think you know what needs to be done." Valka said in an urgent tone having been listening to this with one ear to her children and the other to the villagers.

"Yes. We need to immediately quarantine those who've become sick and try and find a cure for whatever is ailing them. Valka you need…"

"I'm already on it. I'm going to go straight to Lily and Gothi and see if they can come up with a cure to whatever this sickness is. We still have to find out how these thefts and this sickness are connected."

Hiccup then turned to Astrid and told her in a commanding voice. "Astrid I need you along with the healthy Riders to round up all who are sick and take them to the quarantine spot

. But please first put on your dragon hide gloves and the protective mask we came up with for this crisis. We don't need you getting sick too."

"Are you sure? I mean we still don't get why you think that way."

"We just logically concluded that sickness is most likely spread from either breathing the same air or touching the same thing a person with an illness has touched." Boden surmised which they'd come to this conclusion not long after the eel pox breakout.

"Yeah and we did find out gloves made out of sheded dragon skins and masks out of the same material offer much better protection than the normal fabric available to us. So put on your protective gear and get to it!

We're gonna try and find out more about the thefts and see if we can find the source of the sickness." Una stated firmly as she was already digging through her satchel for her protective gear.

Nodding everyone did gear up and got to it and quickly went about to execute this plan. The Haddock siblings were heavily relying on both their brains and powers to crack this case. As well as some new tools they'd just spent the last few weeks inventing.

Boden was carrying the detective kit full of their new tools perfect for the job. Una was busy taking notes and sketches. Her skills had improved some despite her fine motor skills being affect by her unknown mental illness.

Hiccup was the one really taking a lot of notes as they examined each crime scene very carefully. They inspected every inch carefully and used their eyes, ears and brains.

It didn't take long to concluded whoever did this had done it at night, not been seen, able to get in without a problem and only took things that were mental. It was very puzzling but though most people would've thought ghosts or come up empty-handed the three of them didn't.

They noticed even with their mask on a distinct odor at each crime scene they investigate. It smell very much like smoke but they knew this wasn't from anyone fire pit.

Also they recovered from in the cracks of the floorboards a very fine trace amounts of some blackish gray powder. Careful use tweezers and a glass vile they took the sample back home to analyze closer under another new tool.

Using a new substance they'd discovered while trying to recreate Gronckle Iron, glass they'd invented magnifying glasses and with some doing how to use a lantern's candle to really focus the light in a single light on one spot.

So using many magnifying glasses going further and further down to get down to the bottom they finally were able to get a really close look at this powder and see that it.

"This isn't anything I recognize and we've been looking a lot of things under this thing since we built. This stuff isn't found on Berk for sure." Hiccup turned to his siblings.

"I'm getting very bad vibes from this stuff, BBBFF. I'm sure this stuff is a metal, but it's also a poison because the dead are wailing in my ears very loudly saying we shouldn't be near this stuff." Una informed him as she was hold her ears as if they're about to bleed from the shouting of the voices of the dead.

"What do you think, Boden? What's your opinion? Do your powers or brain have anything to offer?" inquired Hiccup looking up from the sample.

"There more to this stuff then being a tainted metal, Hiccup." Boden said with very strong convection. "If you look closer there definitely dragon scales mixed in with it. I think we're dealing with both dragons and a metal poisoning. But what dragons deal with metal that could possibly be poisoned?"

And at that moment the answer to their question came right into the room. They hadn't notice it was almost sundown but it looked like the thieves wanted to get started early and they wanted the very special tools as well as gifts that happened to be in Hiccup's bedroom where they'd been doing this analyze.

"Help! Help! Keep your mouths covered!" Hiccup screamed as smoked filled the room and they all barely managed to tighten their masks around the mouths and noses to keep from breathing in the toxic smoke surrounding them.

Then sound of something racing up the stairs and flapping of three powerful sets of wings blew the smoke away revealing culprits to thieves and the sickness. Smoldering Smokebreaths!

And they were trying to take away the precious gifts their dad had given them before they'd revealed the truth to them. Spurred on by anger they managed to rip the helmet, pendant and ring out of their grasp and the only thing they did manage to snatch was a water pitcher but they didn't come out the bedroom unscathed.

The three dragons were so enraged about the home invasion the managed each claw on of the fleeing dragons as they made a way with that stupid water pitcher.

"Thank you, guys. You saved our gifts and equipment. Which we really need right now. And thanks for saving our lives as well. Hiccup quickly analyze these scales and see if the mysterious metal is present in the dragon scales and blood." Boden told his brother who nodded.

"Toothless you and your siblings need to fan the house out so whatever smoke was in the house is cleaned out immediately. Quickly!" ordered Una and the dragons got to work fanning the air and by the time the moon fully rose in the sky Hiccup had it all.

"Those Smokebreaths aren't just stealing our metal to make us defenseless. They're also making us sick with their smoke. Their smoke breath? Whoever sent them our way obviously feed them large amounts of whatever this toxic metal is!"

"And I'm guessing if you breathe enough in it gets you sick very quickly and symptoms start immediately. But are they permanent and more importantly can they be reversed before they do become permanent?" Boden wanted to know.

"I don't know brother. But let's get all we do know and these samples to Lily Luka and Gothi so they know what they're battling so they can make a cure and also find Mom and Dad."

"Then let's find Johan, brothers. He's the one to have most likely brought them! After all Boden didn't have a manic episodes and this all happened right after he came and they had to have come with him!"

Nodding they got on their dragons and quickly found their parents and also Lily Luka and explained all they found out and what almost happened to them in their home.

"Oh my! This is terrible. What can we do?!" the small group that was gathered around of extra people wanted to know.

"Well for starters now that we know this is a metal poisoning and that Gothi and her niece have the source of the poisoning they can begin to work on an antidote. But anyone whose just been robbed and breathed in that smoke got to get to quarantine right now," Hiccup stated firmly.

"Stormy!" called Stoick as Thornado's sister came when she was called and looked up at Stoick with bright eyes. "Can you please help round up all that are sick and get them to Great Hall so we can provide them with medical care later?"

She gave a bellow and pleased smile and took off to do her duty to her big brother rider.

"Okay so we at least know the source of what's making us sick and we've got people who can hopefully reverse it. But now we need to talk to Johann and find out where he came across that scrap metal that obviously brought them to Berk!" shook Valka with anger.

"Well since everyone was kicked out of the Great Hall which is being used for quarantine, Mommy he's mostly likely in the town square talking everyone's ear off with his rambling.

"Let's go have some words with that trader then," her daddy replied.

Yes in fact Johann was eating two large pieces of chicken and talking a few healthy villagers' ears off. But when he saw the Chief and his family approach he shut up especially when Stoick yanked the chicken out of his hands.

"Johann we need to have a talk now."

"Yeah, story time over. It's time for the truth and not tall tales. Where did you get that scrap metal?" demanded Valka.

"Sorry Mrs. Haddock I can't reveal my sources. You know how business is," he hedge not really wanting to answer the family.

That's when the images that been so fragments in Hiccup's mind since yesterday formed a perfect picture in his mind and he saw exactly what had transpired. And he pointed a finger at Johann and yelled in an accusatory way.

"You got it from Axel didn't you?! You went to the Berserks Island to trade and they sold it too you saying they braved Breakneck Bog and you thought it was such a good deal?!

Isn't that what happened?! Or is that what you're planning on telling us as a lie to make up for making a deal with an ax-murder?!"

"You must be a very good guesser Master Hiccup or something more is going on."

"I've just got a good brain in my head and I know when someone is lying through their teeth. And you're lying big time Johann. So fuss up! Did you or did you not get that scrap pile from Axel?!"

"You all have to understand he did tell me he got from Breakneck Bog! But I didn't know about the dragons or the fact they're poisoned! He just said make sure Berk got it or he slip me something and I die a slow and painful death! So I just did what he told me to do!

You've seen what he's like! What choice did I have?!"

"You could've done the right thing and told us what was going on and we could've gotten rid of the scrap metal without leaving us defenseless and half the people sick or endanger of dying! Or you might have had the guts to give your own life for others!" spat Boden enraged.

"You talk is all these tall tales of yours of so many heroic deeds but when it comes to do the right thing here and now your just a coward! You knew you were deliver a weapon of death! And you could've dumped it or anything and yet you didn't warn us or anything!

How do you live with yourself hurting people who have done nothing but been kind to you?!" Una looked ready to punch him in the nose and likely break it.

"Children! This is getting us nowhere. Johann we'll talk about your lack of character another time. We as the people of Berk now need to think about how to help ourselves." Valka stated swiftly as she hurried her children away.

"What are we going to do Mommy?! He's a snake! How can we ever trust him again?!"

"I don't know, sweetheart. But for now we to do two more things. We need to find the metal and also find a way to cleanse it of this poison. We'll leave the job of pulling the metal apart to Gobber.

Stoick? Go tell Gobber to go meet up with Lilly and Gothi so they may put their heads together to figure out how to save the people and also decontaminate the metal once we find it and pull it apart from this new nest that the Smokebreaths have surely built."

"I don't think we have time to fan out all the house of Berk and anyway any linger traces amounts of this metal in the air could make us sick again, Mom." Hiccup pointed out.

"Then how do you suggest we cleanse the homes and make sure the village doesn't have relapse or get sick again."

"Dotta, Skullette and Firefang Anquetils. They can sense and banish evil. Doesn't poison count as evil, Mom? You always call it evil. Surely they can cast out the evil in the village and make sure the last of its out?" Boden suggested.

"It's crazy enough to work. It's better than nothing. Can you have the Riders try to find the metal?" their mother asked.

"Well get on it but someone has to look for Axel because surely he's coming to destroy us. This was his plan and he'll be coming soon to kill us all and we need to think of a plan to get rid of him by then!" Una said in trembling fear.

It didn't take too long to get most of the plan executed as in Gothi, Lily and Gobber were all working together to heal the sick and figure out how to cleanse the metal.

Valka's other friends were helping in quarantine to treat the sick thankfully not having been robbed so they didn't have the poisoning and all were wearing the protective gear that her children had invented.

The Anquetils were busy cleansing the village of the evil of poison. That did happen to fall just under the line of evil, as it came from a murderer, so since it was a weapon of a murderer it was evil, so they could banish it.

The Haddocks, the Riders and their siblings found the nest but also heard at the same time Axel had been spotted on the horizon with an armada. Realizing they needed to get rid of him and the only option they had was to kill two birds with one stone they took it.

With what little metal that wasn't poisoned they flew quickly out before he even knew what hit him and dumped it on his boats. The tainted Smokebreaths not only dismantled his ships but also gave his crew an acute poisoning.

Consequently he was forced to retreat and give them all the antidote to his own poison and himself it or lose his army and his own life.

The next day was spent treating the people who were victims of the poisoning while also decontaminating the metal. Then to punish Johann for his role in this the Haddock kids force him to take the Smokebreaths back to Breakneck Bog and made sure themselves he did it.

This was gonna be three days no-one in the history of Berk ever forgot!