"Dragon's speaking"
'telepathical speaking'
Thinking
"Dragons and Guardians: Riders of Berk
Author's note: Hiccup rides on Toothless's back while Aniu flies using her wings. And Barf and Belch is one dragon. Nava and the other guardians also fly while their wings and Nava and Aniu don't have dragons but they're still part of the Dragon Riders. This note is here just to avoid confusion.
Right now the Dragon Trainer Group consists of: Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Snotlout, Hookfang, Fishlegs, Meatlug, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, BarfBelch, Aniu and Nava.
Chapter 9: Dragon Flower
"Berk is a small island in the middle of nowhere."
Hiccup sat at his desk in his room while Aniu perched on the rafters in her Barn Owl form watching him and Toothless was curled up on his stone bed. Hiccup was drawing a picture of his beloved Night Fury in his notebook and dipped his quill into the ink pot only for it to come out empty. He checked the ink pot and saw that no more ink was inside it. "Looks like I'm out of ink, guys." Hiccup said. "Trader Johann should get here soon." Aniu said, spreading her wings and flying down to perch on Hiccup's desk. Hiccup gently stroked her head feathers.
"So when we get a taste of something new..."
A large ship steadily approached the docks of Berk Village. Bucket was out in his boat on a solo fishing trip when he saw it. "Trader Johann's here! Trader Johann's...aah!" Bucket yelled before accidently capsizing his boat. Traders like Johann only came every two months or so. So this was an occasion that everyone was looking forward to.
"...we tend to go a little overboard."
Trader Johann's ship docked and Vikings gathered around in excitement.
"Unfortunately new isn't always good."
A gangplank was lowered and Trader Johann himself appeared. "Ah, Berk! My favourite of all the islands I travel to." He exclaimed. "Where have you been this time, Trader Johann?" Bucket asked eagerly. "Oh, Bucket. The things I've seen, the people I've met. I'd need a week to regale you. But alas, we have limited time to conduct our business together." Johann said, turning to the crowd of Vikings eagerly waiting to get onto the ship. "Whatever it is you're looking for, I assure you, you'll find it here!" He announced.
Vikings immediately scrambled onto the ship, searching for the things they wanted or just browsing around. "It's all mine. I call dibs on everything." Snotlout said. "I've got food of all sorts, spices, exotic animals..." Johann exclaimed. Tuffnut stopped to look at a moving bag. "Oh, it that one moving?" He asked, reaching out to touch it only to get a big surprise when spikes erupted from it. "Whoa!" Tuffnut yelled, moving on to look at something else. Namara's emerald green eyes lit up when she found a sack full of medical equipment. Fengo was examining some trinkets from other places. "Hey, is this thing from the Kingdom of Alanoria*?" He asked, pointing at something. "Indeed it is, good sir. Oh, are you a guardian?" Trader Johann said. "Yep, I am. My wife, daughter and a family friend moved here a like six months or so ago. And how much does this trinket here cost?" Fengo said. "Depends on what you want to trade for it." Trader Johann said.
Fengo took a pendant in the shape of a Monstrous Nightmare (which was his dragon form) out of his pocket. The chain was made out of low quality gold and the dragon shape was made out of bronze with emeralds for eyes. "Forged it by myself. I had to collect the bronze, gold and emeralds from the blacksmith's and use my own magic to shape it together." Fengo said. "It's beautiful. I know a girl from the kingdom of Alanoria who would love this. Ah, the royal family are very kind, welcoming people." Trader Johann said, taking the necklace and giving Fengo the trinket which was a flag of the kingdom's symbol. The symbol was a red rose in the centre with a pattern of golden stars and white half-moon shapes arching above it. One half of the flag was deep blue while the other half was deep green.
"Hey, Dad. What did you get?" Aniu asked her father. Fengo showed her the flag trinket. "Cool. Sounds like a pretty good kingdom. Maybe, we could visit there one day." Aniu said. Fengo chuckled and ruffled his daughter's golden-brown hair, ignoring her pout. Nava was looking at a pile of books. "This looks interesting." He said, skimming through the pages of a book he was holding.
"Works of art, jewellery, not to mention knowledge." Trader Johann continued while Gobber picked up a prosthetic hand covered in jingle bells. He could use this thing for next Snoggletog since his other one got stolen by a bunch of baby dragons. "Trader Johann, is this your only book of botany?" Fishlegs asked the trader. "Yes, Mister Fishlegs. Why, it was given to me by the author himself." Johann said happily.
"Would you take this necklace? It's made from baby dragon teeth." Fishlegs said, holding up a dragon-fanged necklace. "Fair enough, Mister Fishlegs." Trader Johann said, taking the necklace. Snotlout picked up a mirror and examined his reflection. "Whoo, I'm even better looking than I thought." He said, staring at his reflection with the vanity of a peacock. Astrid twirled a mace in her hands and rolled her eyes with a groan when Snotlout waggled his eyebrows at her flirtatiously.
Then she heard a sigh. "You okay there, Gobber?" She asked. "I'm better than okay, I'm in Valhalla." Gobber sighed, holding a piece of purple silk and rubbing it against his face. Hiccup found a jar of ink and held it up. "Oh, that's pure squid ink, Hiccup. Wrestled from the colossal squid of the northern waters." Johann informed him. "Well, how about this spy glass? You know I made it by myself." Hiccup said, taking a spyglass out of his satchel. "I know, you've given me five just like that one. Unfortunately, I have only two eyes. What else have you got?" the trader said.
"What do you think of this winch? It'll help you pull up your gangplank." Hiccup asked, giving Johann the small object and letting him test it out. "A welcome tool for a working man's ailing shoulders. Consider it done." Johann said, rubbing his sore shoulder. Stoick was testing out a sword by swinging it around.
"Wow, another sword...just what we need." Hiccup said sarcastically. "If you must know, it's not for me. I'm heading off to my yearly meeting with Anglo the Mighty**, chief of the Shivering Shores. The last man who showed up without a gift, left without a head. Johann, what will you take in trade?" Stoick said.
"Stoick! It is but your good graces that I desire when my humble ship passes through Berk." Johann exclaimed. "You'll always be welcome on our shores. I'll be back in five days. Wait, what am I saying? I'll be back in two thanks to Thornado." Stoick chuckled, climbing onto his Thunderdrum's back. Thornado was eager to try out his new saddle and was raring to go. "Up, Thornado." Stoick ordered. The blue Thunderdrum flew into the sky and out of sight. "Ah, men riding dragons. What a magnificent sight." Trader Johann sighed.
"Johann!" A familiar, grumpy old voice snapped. "Mildew!" Johann exclaimed. "Did you bring what I want?" Mildew asked impatiently. "Always straight to the point, I like that." Johann said, showing Mildew the contents of a few baskets. The old man examined them and nodded in satisfaction. "I assume you brought my cabbage as payment." The trader said. Mildew gestured to the basket full of cabbage at his feet. Trader Johann picked the basket up, sniffed it and sighed in satisfaction. "Take these to my house." Mildew ordered him rudely, walking away.
Then a curious Terrible Terror started sniffing at the baskets and trying to eat the contents. "Now, now, little fella, that's not for you." Johann said, reaching out for the dragon but it tried to bite him, not wanting to leave. "Feisty little one, isn't he?" the trader grabbed the little dragon's tail and throwing it aside. Toothless did not like that at all and snarled at Johann, advancing on the trader. "Safe distance, please." Trader Johann said nervously, trying to stop Toothless from getting any closer. "Toothless, no."Hiccup said, stopping his dragon. "Sorry, Johann, he's just being protective." Johann sighed in relief.
Hiccup looked down and noticed that the ink jar had been smashed when Toothless lunged at Trader Johann. "Oh, it's gone." Hiccup muttered in disappointment. "Oh, sorry, lad. That was my last one. But rest assured, I'll find the colossal squid and wrestle you another bottle." Trader Johann said. "Sorry, Hiccup." Toothless said, despite knowing his rider couldn't understand him.
In the Berk Dragon Training Academy, Tuffnut pushed a stone statue of a Viking he had purchased from Johann's ship into the centre of the arena. The other Dragon Trainer were there too. "How does that look?" Tuffnut asked his sister. "Beautiful." Ruffnut answered. "You got them just for the academy?" Hiccup asked. "Yeah, we got them from Trader Johann. We had to give him our great-grandfather's skull but we got to keep his clavicle." Tuffnut told him. "Did you know that a clavicle is the bone that connects your chestbone to your shoulder bone and it's also known as a collarbone?" Aniu asked.
"Yep, we knew that. We're not as dumb as everyone thinks we are." Ruffnut said. "It's about time you guys started taking some pride in this place." Hiccup said before Tuffnut unexpectedly yelled "Duck!"
"What?" Hiccup and Aniu asked before themselves to the ground as Barf and Belch fired at the statue. "That was awesome. I'm gonna take a shot. Fire!" Snotlout yelled, leaping onto his Monstrous Nightmare's saddle. Hookfang spat fire at the statue, knocking it backwards slightly. Stormfly screeched and fired some tail spines at the statue. Meatlug spat out a lava blast, Aniu turned into her dragon form and let out a green plasma blast followed by a normal fire blast. Nava turned into his dragon form and spat a magnesium fire blast, followed by some tail spines and a normal fire blast. All the attacks hit the statue and it was Toothless's turn.
"Go for it, Toothless!" Aniu cheered the Night Fury on. Toothless revved up a plasma blast but sneezed at the last second, missing the statue with a very weak plasma blast. The Night Fury sneezed again and his second (equally weak) plasma blast exploded above Snotlout's head. "That's strange." Hiccup said. "Hey, couldn't you have your dragon cover his mouth when he sneezes?" Snotlout asked angrily. "I'm sorry, but that's never happened before." Hiccup replied. Toothless let out another sneeze, scorching the ground with another weak plasma blast. Hiccup stared at his dragon in concern. "Are you okay, Toothless?" Aniu telepathically asked the Night Fury in concern. "I'm fine." Toothless said, even though he didn't feel or look okay.
After everyone left the Academy, Toothless, Stormfly, Aniu and Nava went for a flight around Berk with Hiccup and Astrid riding on their dragon's backs. "Look at those flowers! They're beautiful." Astrid gushed, staring at the ground. "They must've been planted recently." Nava said before Toothless sneezed again and lost control of his flight pattern.
"Whoa, hey! What are you doing?" Astrid exclaimed. "It's not me. Whoa!" Hiccup yelled as Toothless crash-landed, throwing Hiccup off his back and onto the ground. "Toothless, are you okay, bud?" Hiccup asked, kneeling beside his dragon. "I'm not so sure anymore." Toothless groaned. "Maybe, we should take him home." Nava said. "Maybe he's got a cold. Do dragons get colds?" Hiccup said. "I'm not sure and I don't think Toothless has a cold, it seems to be something worse than that." Aniu said, placing her hands on either side of Toothless's scaly head. "Are you alright, Toothless?" Stormfly asked, kneeling beside the Night Fury. "I don't think so, Storm." Toothless told the sky blue Deadly Nadder.
"Whoa, look at that." Astrid said, staring at a very sick looking Terrible Terror flying clumsily through the sky. The little dragon crashed onto the ground and weakly coughed out flames. It was the same Terror who had sniffed and tried to eat what Mildew had purchased. Astrid gently picked it up. "Whatever it is, looks like he's got it too." She said. They ended up taking Toothless home and asked Gobber for help. Namara was helping a Zippleback who had gotten a large thorn stuck in its paw.
"This will fix him right up." Gobber said cheerfully, standing over a cauldron full of a vile green substance. "What is that stuff?" Hiccup asked, tending to Toothless along with Aniu. The Night Fury's stone bed had been brought downstairs and Toothless was curled up on it. "It's best not to ask. Whatever you do, don't touch it." Gobber said, picking the cauldron up and setting it down in front of Toothless who sneezed, accidently spraying Gobber and the cauldron with dragon snot.
"Ah, well, that's ruined. I'll never get that yak to vomit again." Gobber muttered angrily. "There was yak vomit in that stuff?" Aniu asked in disgust. Then the door slammed open and Astrid and Nava ran in. "Hiccup, Aniu, you've gotta see this." Astrid gasped out. "The dragons...they're really sick." Nava said.
Hiccup and Aniu ran outside and the Thorston twins and Snotlout struggling to control their dragons who were flying very erratically. "Easy, easy. Whoa!" Snotlout exclaimed as Hookfang crashed. Barf and Belch crashed down seconds later. "Help her, guys! She's sick! And I'm about to be." Fishlegs screamed as Meatlug spun around uncontrollably and crashed to the ground. Fishlegs fell of her looking green in the face. Arrow, Firesnow. Clobbertail, Lefa and Rila were also very sick. Their hatchlings were in the same state. Everywhere they looked, the village dragons were in various degrees of distress.
"It's spreading to all of the dragons." Aniu said. "How do we stop this?" Hiccup asked. "Gothi and Namara! They'll know what to do!" Gobber exclaimed. Aniu and Nava flew up to Gothi's house and told the elder what was going on. She agreed to come with them right away. Namara came back when Gothi (who had ridden on Aniu's back when the guardian was in her dragon form), Aniu and Nava flew in and landed. They told her about what was happening and Namara and Gothi began examining Toothless.
"What's wrong with him, Mum?" Aniu asked her mother. "The truth is, I don't know, sweetie. In all my years as a healer, I never came across something like what Toothless and the other dragons are experiencing. Perhaps Gothi may have an idea." Namara told her daughter. Gothi took some small bones out of her pocket, shook them and threw the bones onto the ground. The elder stared at the bones. "I heard Gothi can tell when you're going to die just by looking at your fingernails." Astrid said."Ah, that's just an old wives tale, she looks at your tongue." Gobber said.
Gothi started drawing in a dirt patch with her staff. Gobber stood behind her so he could translate. "She says they're reacting to something, like they're allergic." He said. "Allergic? To what?" Hiccup asked. Gothi wrote in the dirt again. "To a moose wearing boots. Eh, shouldn't be hard to find." Gobber said before smacked him in the face with her staff. "I didn't think that was right. Ah, they're allergic to something new that's just come to the island but that still looks like a moose. Ow." Gobber said and Gothi hit him again.
"Well, there a re a lot of new things on the island. Trader Johann was just here." Astrid said. Gothi scribbled in the dirt with her staff again. "She says to get rid of everything immediately. Otherwise, it's just going to get worse. The dragons are going to get sicker." Gobber interpreted. Hiccup and Aniu gave Toothless anxious looks and hugged the Night Fury tightly. After that, it was time for dinner. Nava usually had dinner at Fengo, Namara and Aniu's house and this night was no different.
"I hope the dragons are going to get better." Aniu said, staring at the chicken quarter on her plate. "I'm sure the dragons will be a full health again soon." Namara said, placing a hand on her daughter's. "The sooner we find out what's causing this, the sooner everything will be okay." Nava said optimistically. "I heard we have to get rid of everything we brought from Johann and bury it in a pit." Fengo said. "Yeah, we do, Dad." Fengo sighed and began looking for a chest big enough to put the Alanorian flag trinket in. Namara got up and began searching for a chest to put her new medical equipment in. Nava and Aniu were left alone at the table and Nava gently put his hand on Aniu's shoulder. They continued eating in silence until Fishlegs ran in. "Aniu, Nava! There's something wrong with Meatlug, Clobbertail, Stonecruncher and Sweetiepie!" He exclaimed anxiously. Aniu and Nava got up and ran out the door after him.
But they never noticed Heep step out from his hiding place. After failing with the avalanche and freezing the Night Fury's fake tailfin, he decided to do something different. Moving stealthily over to Nava's cup of water, he removed a vial from his pocket, took off the lid and added a few drops of poison into the cup. The poison blended into the water and Heep left. By the time Aniu and Nava got back and Fengo and Namara found what they were looking for, he was long gone and no one knew he was there. Not knowing any better, Nava took a drink from his cup, said goodbye to Aniu and her parents and went back to his room in Astrid's house. He was only living there until his parents arrived from Guardian Island where they were busy tying up loose ends and a house could be built for them.
The next morning, villagers lined up at the freshly dug pit with the stuff they had bought from Trader Johann. "I know this is hard, guys but I promise you, you're doing a good thing. You're helping the dragons." Hiccup said. "It's the least we could do for them." Astrid added. "Goodbye, beautiful." Snotlout said sadly, staring at his mirror before throwing it into the pit. Fishlegs was hastily flicking through the pages of his book, trying to absorb as much information as he could. "What are you doing? Throw it in." Ruffnut said. "I'm sorry, but this botany book is a real page-turner. I gotta know how it ends." Fishlegs said. Ruffnut grabbed the book and threw it into the pit. Silently mourning the loss of his book, Fishlegs went home to check on Meatlug and her family.
Nava and Aniu stood watching everyone. "Nava, are you okay?" Aniu asked, seeing how sick her boyfriend was looking. "I don't know. I woke up this morning feeling sick." Nava groaned. "Maybe you should go home and lie down." Aniu said. "No, I might stay here." Nava said despite how sick he was feeling. Aniu turned around to watch Gobber, Hiccup and Astrid. "I didn't see you throw anything in the pit and I thought I saw you buy something from Trader Johann." She heard Hiccup say. "He did. He brought silk." Astrid said. "Hand it over, Gobber." Hiccup ordered sternly. Aniu turned around to watch other people and didn't hear what Gobber said next. When she turned around again, Gobber was walking away and Hiccup was saying, "I could've gone my whole life without seeing that."
Everyone went home for lunch and Nava joined Aniu and her parents again. "If this works, then the dragons should be up on their feet and flying around again soon." Fengo said. Nava had finished his lunch and gotten up from the table but felt a wave of dizziness and stumbled. "Nava, are you okay?" Namara asked in concern. Nava shook his head, the action making the dizziness worse. "I don't think so. I'm feeling...really...dizzy...all of...a sudden." He managed to say before the dizziness grew worse and he collapsed. "Nava!" Aniu, Fengo and Namara exclaimed, kneeling beside him. Namara checked Nava's temperature and it was high. His face was a sickly pale colour. "His breathing's raspy and his heart rate is slower than normal but showing no signs of slowing down." Namara said.
"What's wrong with him?" Aniu asked in concern. "I don't know. We need to put him in a bed in a room so we can watch over him." Namara said. "He can sleep in my room, it's got enough room for another bed in there." Aniu said. "I'll get his bed from the Hofferson house." Fengo said and went outside. Aniu and Namara heard his wingbeats fade away and carried Nava into Aniu's room and gently put him on Aniu's bed. Aniu turned into her Barn Owl form, perched beside Nava beside on her bed and gently ran her beak through her boyfriend's silver-blonde hair.
Not knowing what happened with Nava, Hiccup woke up from a short nap and looked at Toothless who was lying on his stone bed. "Hey, how about we go out flying? Maybe that will make you feel better." He said. The Night Fury weakly raised his head, looked at his rider and accidently sneezed. Hiccup gasped and ducked as a small plasma blast scorched the bedpost. The boy sighed, it looked like his beloved dragon was still sick.
"Poor guys." Astrid said, kneeling beside Stormfly in the Nadder family's den in the Hofferson house's attic. Arrow was curled up beside his mate and Skyflier, Forestflier and Violet were sleeping in their nests. All of them were sick. "Can't get comfortable, huh? I know what will help." The blonde shield maiden got up and started to walk downstairs. But she had to duck when Stormfly accidently shot tail spines and Arrow accidently sneezed out a blast of magnesium fire at her. Both Deadly Nadder's crooned apologies. "It's alright, you two. I'm a soldier. I've been shot at before." Astrid assured them before sitting down beside the three young Deadly Nadders and stroking their scales. "Hopefully these three will be perfectly healthy when it's time for them to learn how to fly. Oh, that's really soon!" Astrid said. Arrow crooned weakly and Astrid gently rubbed his emerald green facial scales.
In the Ingerman family house, Fishlegs was rubbing Meatlug's hind paws and telling the four Gronckles a story. "Once upon a time, there was a little princess named Meatlug, the most beautiful dragon in all the land. She had a handsome mate named Clobbertail and two wonderful hatchlings named Stonecruncher and Sweetiepie. People would come from miles around to..." That was when Meatlug let out a fart. Stonecruncher and Sweetiepie gave their mother a look while Fishlegs tried not to smell it. "No, it's okay, girl. Smells just like rose petals and...uhhh." He tried to assure his dragon but fainted.
The riders ended up taking their dragons outside. "We got rid of everyone from Trader Johann but our dragons still aren't getting better, they're getting worse." Fishlegs said anxiously. "Well, let's make a list. Maybe there's somebody who has bought something from Trader Johann but hasn't thrown it into the pit." Hiccup said. "Yeah, there must've been somebody who didn't want to given up what they bought." Astrid agreed. "If I find out who was holding back, I am gonna be so mad, Hookfang and his family were so sick, I was up all night scraping dragon barf off the walls. And Firesnow accidently nearly set the room on fire." Snotlout said angrily.
"Yeah, well, Barf and Belch are dead and LefaRila and BoomerBanger are dying!" Tuffnut exclaimed. Everyone present let out huge gasps. "Just kidding! But, they're barely moving anymore." Tuffnut said hastily. The sight and sound of the three Zippleback's breathing calmed everyone down slightly. "They just sit there. They won't blow anything up." Ruffnut said. Aniu walked up to them. "Hey, guys." She said, sounding upset and tired. "Hey, Aniu. Where's Nava?" Hiccup asked. "Nava told me he was feeling sick this morning and he collapsed when we were eating lunch. He's just woken up and Mum thinks he's been poisoned." Aniu told them. "Is Nava okay?" Astrid asked, her voice trembling. "He's fine right now, but he's still feeling sick and dizzy." Aniu said.
Hiccup was about to say something when a dragon's roar and his father's voice was heard. "Hiccup, put this in the Book of Dragons: Never fly on a stomach full of undercooked mutton. The Shivering Shores will never be the same." Stoick said as Thornado landed beside the cave where he and Sonica lived. Then, the chief saw the sick dragons and the anxious teens. "What is it? What's wrong?" He asked in concern.
"It's the dragons, Dad. They're sick and getting worse." Hiccup said. Astrid put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder for emotional support. "Every dragon?" Stoick asked. "Nava's sick too, we think he's been poisoned." Aniu said sadly. Stoick frowned. This was sounding very bad.
That night, Stoick put a few logs into the fire pit that Fengo had ignited. Thornado had discovered that his mate was also sick and was staying with her. "Poor guy. What do you think happened?" He asked, kneeling beside Toothless. "I don't know. Gothi says they're allergic to something new to the island but we think we've gotten rid of everything." Hiccup said.
"But if the dragons aren't getting better..." Stoick began. "...then something must still be here that's making them sick." Hiccup finished. Then Hiccup, Stoick and Aniu heard a sneeze. They ran outside and saw that Thornado had also gotten sick. The Thunderdrum let out another sneeze and Stoick pushed Hiccup and Aniu aside before they were hit by a sonic blast.
"Sneezing, that's the first symptom." Aniu said. "But he was fine until we got back." Stoick said. "Um, we should retrace your steps." Hiccup said. "I'll go and get the others." Aniu hollered and ran off. Soon, she came back with the Dragon Riders and Stoick walked over to the Thunderdrum's cave. "Well, this is where I landed." He said. "Well, let's look around for anything unusual." Hiccup said. "Does that count?" Fishlegs asked, pointing at the Thorston twins who were in the middle of a head-butting contest.
"I'm seeing stars." Ruffnut said. "No way, me too." Tuffnut replied. "Hmm, nothing unusual here. What is it?" Astrid asked, seeing Hiccup and Aniu staring at a bush of flowers. Both teens walked over to the bush and Hiccup plucked a flower. "Ah, does anyone ever remember seeing these flowers before?" he asked. "They were here when I got back." Stoick said. "Astrid said something about them before Toothless crashed the first time." Aniu said. Fishlegs took the flower out of Hiccup's hand.
"It looks an awful lot like the Blue Oleander. I recognize it from my botany book. Chapter 8." He said. "Is there anything specific you can remember?" Hiccup asked. "They're very beautiful, very soft, perennial...and poisonous to reptiles!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "Which means poisonous to dragons!" Hiccup exclaimed. Fishlegs threw the flower away as if it had burned him. "This is serious. Did your book say anything about a cure?" Hiccup asked.
"I don't know, because somebody made me throw into a pit." Fishlegs said. "Well, go and dig it up!" Aniu snapped, worry over the dragons and Nava making her nearly lose control of herself. Fishlegs ran off. "I don't understand, where did these flowers even come from?" Astrid asked. "Mildew. I saw him plant them the other night." Tuffnut said. "And you didn't think that was strange?" Astrid and Aniu asked, crossing their arms and glaring at Tuffnut.
"No. Well, maybe. I don't know, quit pressuring me!" Tuffnut exclaimed, looking away from the two girls angry looks. Thornado let out another sneeze and Stoick ducked. "Well, let's go and pay the old man a visit." He said, straightening his helmet.
"Well, so what if I planted some flowers? The town square has never looked better. I was merely trying to spread some beauty and happiness." Mildew said after Stoick, Hiccup, Astrid and Aniu knocked on his door and told him about the flowers. "Since when have you cared about beauty or happiness?" Astrid asked rudely.
"We all know how selfish you are Mildew so cut the act." Aniu hissed. "You did this." Hiccup said, glaring at Mildew. Stoick listened to and watched the teen's exchanges with Mildew. "What? Me?" Mildew feigned shock. "Well, I had no inkling that these flowers had special properties. It's true I'm no friend of the dragons but in this case on my life, I wasn't trying to harm them. "Mildew defended himself. Stoick decided enough had been said and ushered the teens out the door. "Let's go." He said. Before they were out of earshot, Aniu heard Mildew sneer "Ah, the poor, poor dragons." She thought about giving him another punch in the near future.
They went back to the town square and Fishlegs ran over to them with his botany book clutched in large hand. "Looks like you found your botany book." Aniu said. "What does it say?" Astrid asked. But poor Fishlegs looked like he was about to cry. "Calm down, take a deep breath and talk to us." Hiccup said. "My botany book says that blue oleanders are poisonous to reptiles and dragons are reptiles." Fishlegs spoke. "We know that. Was there anything else?" Aniu asked gently.
Fishlegs put the botany book in his pocket, took out the Book of Dragons and opened it. "Not in here but I remembered the Book of Dragons talked about a dragon that feeds on the blue oleander. It's called the Scauldron. In a perfect world, if it eats the flowers, maybe its venom can be used as a antidote like with snakes and spiders. But alas, we do not live in a perfect world." Fishlegs showed them the page with a picture of a Scauldron on it. "Look, the Scauldron has no venom."
"No, but it looks cool." Tuffnut said, staring at the picture. "Don't you understand, the book says no venom!" Fishlegs exclaimed, close to freaking out. "Okay, got it, no venom. Golly, write it on your forehead." Tuffnut said. "The book is wrong!" Gobber said as he dramatically stepped out the forge. "I've dealt with a Scauldron before. They're sixty-feet long with razor-sharp teeth. It'll shoot boiling hot water that melts the flesh from your bones. The Scauldron has no fear, no conscience. But what a Scauldron does have is venom and lots of it."
The Thorston twins stared at him along with everyone else. "I'm out." Tuffnut said flatly, walking away. "I'm with him." Ruffnut said, following her brother. Just then, Fengo and Namara flew in. "Mum, Dad, how's Nava?" Aniu asked desperately. "Did you find out what he's been poisoned with?" Hiccup asked. "Nava has gotten a bit worse and we found out that poison he was infected with has an antidote and that is Scauldron venom." Namara said. "Well, it turns out that we need Scauldron venom to cure the dragons." Aniu said.
"Alright, you guys stay here and take care of the dragons." Hiccup said. "What are you gonna do?" Fishlegs asked nervously. "Dad, Gobber, Fengo, Namara, Aniu, let's go find ourselves a Scauldron." Hiccup said. "I thought you'd never ask!" Gobber exclaimed. Hiccup and Aniu glanced at each other and narrowed their eyes in determination. But before they left, Hiccup and Stoick went to check on their dragons while Aniu went to check on Nava.
"Look at that thing." Hiccup whispered, staring at the picture of the Scauldron in the Book of Dragons. He knelt down beside Toothless. "You just hold on, bud. I'll be back before you know it." Hiccup said, stroking his Night Fury's head.
Aniu walked into her room and saw Nava lying on his bed. "Are you okay, Nava?" She asked gently. Nava coughed weakly. "I don't know if I'm okay or not." He rasped out. Aniu sighed. "Mum and Dad learned the antidote to what you were poisoned with is Scauldron venom. We're going out to find a Scauldron and harvest its venom." She gave the news. Nava sighed in relief. "That's good…" He managed to say before his face turned green and he vomited into the bucket beside his bed which Namara had put there just in case he needed it. "Mum! Dad! Nava just vomited!" Aniu screamed.
Fengo and Namara ran upstairs followed by Astrid's parents, Ingrid and Arthur Hofferson. "We have to get that Scauldron venom as soon as possible." Namara said. "My husband and I will stay here and watch over him until you return." Ingrid said. "Thank you, Mrs Hofferson." Aniu sighed in relief. "Just call me Arthur and her Ingrid, young one." Arthur said.
"How's my dragon warriors?" Stoick asked Thornado and Sonica. Both Thunderdrums let out low, weak croons. Stoick placed two rolled-up blankets under both tidal dragons chins. Thornado and Sonica gave him grateful looks. "I spent my entire life trying to kill dragons now look at me." Stoick sighed. He stood up and saw his son behind him. "Dad, it's time. The boat's ready." Hiccup said. Stoick glanced at his Thunderdrums and Fengo, Namara and Aniu flew up to them.
Around two hours later, they were in a boat out on an open sea with Mildew and two sailors. "This is an outrage! I dug up all the flowers, I did my part." Mildew complained. "We're all out here because of you, Mildew. If we have to put our lives at risk, then so do you." Stoick snapped. "You have no proof, Stoick. You can't blame me every time something goes amiss with your precious dragons." Mildew sneered and stomped off. "That guy really needs to shipped off the island so we won't have to put up with him all the time." Aniu muttered. "Yeah, if we put him on a dragon-less island it is a win-win." Hiccup whispered back.
"All right, Stoick. What's the plan?" Gobber asked, holding a bucket with a lid over it. "Hiccup, Aniu, when Gobber, Fengo, Namara and I secure the Scauldron's head, Sven will wedge its jaws open, we'll need you two to…" Stoick said, giving his son the bucket. "…drain the venom into this bucket, sail back to Berk and administer the antidote, got it." Hiccup and Aniu said.
"Very well then. Let's get started." Fengo said, clapping his hands together. Aniu picked up a basket full of blue oleander flowers and held them over the side of the boat. "This is what Scauldrons eat. It'll draw them to the boat." Hiccup said and began brushing out the flowers into the water, leaving a trail. An hour passed and there was no sign of a Scauldron. Mildew made his impatience known by yelling "Ah, this is not working. It was a stupid idea to begin with!"
Hiccup and Aniu glared at him. Fengo and Namara looked like they were going to give the old man a piece of their minds. "Easy, you four. That's not why we're here." Stoick calmed them down. "But that is." Gobber said, staring at the water. Everyone looked and saw a large, dark shape swimming around them. "Scauldron." Stoick and Fengo whispered. Its tail and head rose out of the water briefly.
"I may need to go to the toilet again." Gobber muttered. "We need to lure the Scauldron up on deck." Hiccup said, spreading some flowers out on the ground. "Oh, that's a great idea. Get it on the ship where it can have at us all!" Mildew snapped. "Gobber, Fengo, secure its neck with these!" Stoick ordered, throwing ropes with hooks attached to the two men. "Namara and I will lasso its horn."
The four adults got into position. "Where did it go?" Gobber asked. Everyone waited tensely in anticipation. Sven let out a startled yelp when his oar was plucked out of his hands and pulled into the water. A plume of water shot through the ocean's surface and hit the boat, sending it flying into the air. The Scauldron's head rose above the water, allowing everyone to get a good look at it. Mildew in particular screamed and ran away from it.
The great big Tidal class dragon put its front paws on the ship, causing it to tilt upwards and send people and objects sliding down in the Scauldron's direction. Hiccup and Aniu screamed as they slid down the deck as well. Their parents screamed their child's names and Stoick grabbed Hiccup while Fengo and Namara grabbed their daughter by her wings.
The Scauldron ate every blue oleander it could find and Stoick and Namara lassoed its nasal horn. Gobber and Fengo threw their hooked ropes around the Scauldron's neck. The boat fell back into its proper position. "We can't let it get back into the water." Stoick told his companions. "Oh, he's a strong one." Gobber grunted, struggling to keep the sea dragon's head above the water. "Sven, we need that barrel now!" Stoick shouted.
Sven walked forward with a large barrel in his hands. "I got the bucket!" Hiccup said loudly. "Careful son, you don't want to get that venom in you!" Stoick exclaimed. "Yes, I know, Dad. If I do, I'll be dead in less than twenty-four hours." Hiccup said. Sven successfully threw the barrel into the Scauldron's mouth, wedging its jaws open. "Haha!" Sven laughed in triumph. But he forgot about the tail. "Sven, look out!" Fengo shouted as the Scauldron shattered the barrel in its mouth and struck Sven with its tail, throwing him overboard. Fengo, who had ran forward to help Sven, got thrown overboard as well. "Fengo!"/ "Dad!" Namara and Aniu screamed.
Hiccup prepared the bucket in his hands and didn't notice the Scauldron's tail raise up behind him. Stoick however did notice and shoved Hiccup aside. The Scauldron's tail hit him instead. Stoick was barely able to pin the sea dragon's tail down. "I got its tail!" He alerted everyone. "Hiccup, Aniu, grab your dad's lines!" Gobber ordered. Hiccup and Aniu grabbed the ropes and looped them around a piece of wood. "Got it!" Both teens yelled.
"Pull it in! Use the mast to wench it jaws open!" Stoick shouted. Fengo and Sven climb back on board as Gobber, Namara, Hiccup and Aniu strained to pull the Scauldron's head forward and were barely able to get its jaws on both sides of the mast. Mildew was hiding behind the mast, doing absolutely nothing to make himself useful. "Mildew, grab the bucket!" Stoick yelled at him. "Hold on! It's one thing for me to..." The old man started to protest. "Grab the bucket or I'll throw you overboard myself!" Stoick shouted.
Mildew whimpered and glanced at the Scauldron's razor-sharp-toothed jaws on either side of him. Then, a whistling sound started from between the Scauldron's jaws as the sea dragon began to use its signature move. "Everyone, take cover!" Stoick yelled. Everyone ran to the nearest hiding places or found something they could shield themselves with. A large gush of boiling hot water spurted out from the Scauldron's mouth and knocked down the mast.
The ropes holding the Scauldron's nasal horn and neck snapped, allowing the sea dragon to free itself. Mildew saw the Scauldron staring at him, screamed and ran, not knowing he had a blue oleander flower stuck on the back of his tunic. The Scauldron lunged forward and bit Mildew's back (at least it wasn't his backside) as it grabbed the flower and swam away. The old man screamed in pain and dropped to the deck.
"It's gone." Hiccup and Aniu said sadly. "And you can cet the last place its coming back to is the ship." Gobber and Fengo muttered. "We didn't get the venom." Stoick and Namara sighed. Then, they all turned when they heard a scream and saw Mildew writhing on the ground, holding his back. "Yes, we did." Hiccup and Aniu grinned. "Get this poison out of me!" Mildew wailed. "Oh, we will." Hiccup said. "Karma's a monster, isn't it?" Fengo smirked. "You do something bad, it comes back to bite you." Namara grinned.
Back on Berk, Mildew was taken to the blacksmith's so Gobber and Namara could get the venom out of him. The dragon riders, Aniu and Fengo were waiting outside. "Can you believe we're all just standing around her waiting for something to come out of Mildew's back?" Tuffnut asked, enjoying Mildew's screams, cries and whimpers of pain.
In the forge, Gobber picked up an object. "Wait, wait, wait. Isn't there something smaller you can use?" Mildew asked, not wanting anymore pain. "Eh, probably." Gobber shrugged and stabbed Mildew with the tool to suck the venom out. The old man screamed in pain again. "That's the sound of our dragons and Nava getting better." Astrid smirked. Gobber walked outside carrying a jar full of the venom. "I've seen a Nadder's spine slice through a man's eyeball like a grape. I watched my own hand get devoured by a Monstrous Nightmare. And that old man needs to bath himself more often. Here, take this to your dragons and Nava." He said, giving the jar to Hiccup and walked away. "Thanks, Gobber!" Hiccup and Aniu called after the blacksmith and dragon dentist's retreating form. Gobber turned around, gave them a salute and walked away again.
Afterwards, Stoick paced outside Thornado and Sonica's cave and went inside his house. "Relax, Dad. It's gonna be okay." Hiccup said, stroking Toothless's head and waiting for the antidote to take its affect. Stoick sighed and went outside to check on the Thunderdrums again. "Dad, they're coming around." Hiccup said, walking outside with Toothless, who was at full health again. Inside the cave, Thornado and Sonica opened their eyes and walked outside. "Thornado! Sonica!" Stoick exclaimed, giving both Thunderdrums a rub on the heads. "How are you feeling, bud?" Hiccup asked, stroking Toothless on the head. The Night Fury shot a plasma blast into the sky. "Good to have you back, bud.' Hiccup said. Following Toothless's example, Thornado and Sonica let out sonic blasts.
In her house, Aniu paced around her room after Nava had been given the antidote. Slowly, Nava opened his sapphire blue eyes. "Aniu?" He asked. Aniu slowly spun around and saw her boyfriend sitting up in bed. Her emerald green eyes widened and she sat down on Nava's bed. "How are you feeling?" She asked. "Much better thanks to you." Nava said, smiling at her then he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Aniu smiled and gave Nava a hug. "Mum, Dad. Nava's alright now." She called down the stairs. "That's a relief." Her parents called back. Around the village, dragons were also healed.
The next morning, Hiccup was completing his drawing of Toothless in his notebook while Aniu perched on the rafters in her owl form.
"A deadly flower, a venomous sea dragon and Mildew's back. Three things I never thought I'd have to deal with in the same day but I'll do anything for dragon and friends."
Hiccup looked up, smiled at Toothless and Aniu then looked out of his window. The dragon riders were riding their flying dragons with Nava following behind them.
*The Kingdom of Alanoria will show up in a future story after How to Train your dragon and guardian 2: Secret of the Ice Caves. (my retelling of How to Train your dragon 2).
**The Shivering Shore's chief's name comes from guardiandragon98's fanfic story Dragons and Guardians. It's a How to Train Your Dragon and Rise of the Guardians crossover.
***Heep was introduced in Dragons and Guardians: Riders of Berk episode 3: Animal House when Hiccup and his friends are sledding down the snowy mountain.
This chapter was twelve pages long on Microsoft Office.
Updated: 26.11.2015