Quest Completed
An hour had passed into Hiccup's patrol of the town. So far, nothing. He kept a close eye on the village borders, peering out into the distance for any signs of the black horse. But he'd turned up nothing all this time. He released a yawn, his shift on watch coming to a close not soon enough. He passed through the village square and took a seat on a bench to rest his legs a bit.
"Nothing bud. Maybe the black horse left?" Hiccup said to his partner. He heard Toothless' growl in his mind. "Yeah, who knows?" he said with a shrug. He sighed as he sagged his shoulders and listened to the stillness of the night. The only sounds the sounds of crickets chirping, an owl hooting in the distance, and a nightly breeze blowing through the town.
And with that breeze came absolute silence. Hiccup perked up, on edge and alert as the surrounding noises had gone quiet. Too quiet. Toothless let out a growl into his partner's mind in warning.
"Yeah bud. I noticed," Hiccup whispered as a chill ran up his spine. The only thing disturbing the silence was the wind.
And carried unseen on that wind was black sand. Swirling and dancing aloft as it searched for it's quarry. Soon enough it found it. The sand streamed together out of the air and down, filtering through the cracks of a window where it found two girls sleeping, having dreams.
Dreams it had yet to taste before, dreams that it could twist with fear until they became nightmares.
The sand began to converge on the center of the room before taking shape, rising higher and higher to fill up the space between the two girls' beds. When it was finished there stood a large black horse, black as night with burning amber eyes, and sharp, skeletal features.
It's head shifted back and forth between the resting girls before the darkness which created began to seep out, reaching toward the girl's with black tendrils. The tendrils settled on their heads as it began to feast on their dreams.
Rapunzel sat up in bed with a gasp. Her pleasant dream of painting and baking had suddenly...fallen away. She rubbed her head before looking around the room. She found it strangely dark. So dark she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.
"Merida?" she called out softly. She got no response. "Merida?" she said a little louder. She swallowed as she threw back her blankets and swung her legs out of bed. Her feet made contact with the ground, eliciting a startled yelp at the ice cold feeling of a stone floor hitting her bare soles.
Rapunzel stared at the unseen floor in confusion. The floor of their room was made of wood.
"Merida?" Rapunzel called out again before she stood up. She peered into the dark where Merida's bed should have been. Only to find nothing there. Her mind began to reel in confusion before light began to filter in and illuminate her surroundings. Rapunzel glanced around and froze, stomach dropping in dread and disbelief as she recognized where was.
Back in her tower.
"Nononononononononono!" Rapunzel muttered in panic. Her hands flew up to her hair, grabbing two fistfuls of hair. "NO! I can't be here! I'm out!" she screamed. She ran down the stairs where she knew the window was. She didn't know what was going on. But she sure as hell wasn't going to stay here. She went straight for the window, intent on climbing out.
The window was open and she could see the outside, her freedom, and escape. But before she could reach it the wooden window slammed shut. She reached it, pushing against it with all her might. She eventually resorted to banging on it, trying desperately to get it open. Her breathing started to become rapid, she turned, only to see the wall slowly creeping in on her. Her panic grew, her lungs seemed unable to keep air.
"Let me out! LET ME OUT!" Rapunzel screamed. "Merida! Merida!"
Meanwhile, the red head tossed and turned in her beds, trapped in a nightmare from which she couldn't escape.
The black horse was relishing their distress, their fear. Devouring it, making itself stronger as it trapped the girls in their own minds. It woud keep feasting and feasting until...
Suddenly the door to the room burst open as Hiccup rushed in. The dark horse reared up in surprise, throwing its legs out. Hiccup raised his shield up, blocking the sharp hooves as they struck the surface of his shield. With a grunt Hiccup shoved the horsed back. As it fell, dropping it's feet back onto the wooden floor Hiccup struck it across the face. Then he struck it from the others side, forcing it back and toward the window. As the horse reared up Hiccup slid under it, raising his shield and placing it on it's belly before pushing it upward and out the window.
Hiccup looked down to see the horse thrashing on the ground as it attempted to pick itself up. As it was doing so Hiccup checked on his comrades. He grabbed Rapunzel by the shoulders and shook her.
"Rapunzel, wake up!" Hiccup said loudly. Rapunzel's eyes fluttered before snapping open, only to be met with Hiccup's face a few inches from her own.
She immediately turned a red. "Eep!" she squeaked as she scooted away from him.
"You ok?" Hiccup asked quickly. She nodded, still red faced. "Good. Our black horse is here. Wake Merida," he told her before he went to the window and leapt out. He landed, spying the dark horse retreating into the distance. Hiccup narrowed his eyes and pointed the face of his shield at it, from center a length of rope fired out before snaking around its neck.
"Gotcha," Hiccup muttered triumphantly. He yelped as the rope went taught and he was suddenly yanked off his feet. He'd misjudged its strength. He got a face and mouthful of dirt as it began dragging him through the town. It took a sharp left, causing Hiccup to slide before slamming into the side of a building.
"Well this is embarrassing," Hiccup said to himself as he was being pulled through the town. With a huff he he pulled on the shield and managed to get his feet under him. He dug his heels into the dirt and tugged hard, slowing the racing horse down until it stopped. "You aren't going anywhere."
"Let's reel it in bud," Hiccup muttered lowly. He heard a growl in his mind as the length of rope coming from the shield began to retract back into it, slowing pulled the horse back as Knight and Implement refused to let it get away. The black horse tried to flee, digging it's hooves into the ground, but being pulled back anyway.
Finally it realized it was fighting a losing battle, and so it turned it's head to face down the Knight. It snorted, eyes narrowing into a glare before it's loosened the sand making up its body, allowing the rope binding it to pass through it's neck. The roped retracted fully back into the shield as Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise.
The horse tensed before charging Hiccup at full speed. Hiccup narrowed his eyes and planted his feet while cocking back his shield arm. He waited and waited as the horse advanced, hooves thundering against the ground as it closed in. As it came within striking distance Hiccup swung, catching the horse on the side of the head with enough force to knock it off its feet. It hit the ground hard, sliding and rolling across the ground before coming to a stop. It stopped on its back, legs kicking at the air as it attempted to right itself.
Meanwhile Hiccup charged it while it was attempting to recover. As he closed the distance he leapt into the air above it, shield poised to strike. As he brought it down the horse suddenly broke apart, breaking into sand and reforming a distance away as Hiccup's shield slammed against the ground where it had been.
Hiccup frowned before standing up and facing the reformed black horse. The horse scraped a hoof against the ground, shaking it's head and snorting at him in agitation.
"That's annoying," Hiccup muttered quietly. He heard Toothless growl in his mind. "I know bud. But I don't want to burn the village down," Hiccup said as his eyes flicked around at all the houses in close proximity. "We need to drive it out of the village," he said to himself and his partner.
The black horse tensed to charge at him again. Hiccup raised his shield up in preparation as it finally charged, hoof digging into the ground and kicking up dirt. But as it was closing the distance a golden flash of light suddenly struck it in the front leg, it went tumbling, breaking apart and reforming. But as it stood up it did so with a noticeable limp, keeping the struck leg elevated ever so slightly.
Hiccup looked to see Merida trotting up to him, golden bow in hand. She strode up to stand in front of him. "Just stand back E-rank. We'll handle this," she said confidentally. She quickly raised her bow up and fired at the horse. As the arrow was dead on to hit it the horse split apart, turning into a cloud of sand before quickly moving away and out of the city.
Merida growled angrily. "It's getting away!" she shouted as she took off after it.
"Merida hold on!" Hiccup shouted after her. He sighed and shook his head. That girl was frustrating. "Alright bud let's get after them."
Merida chased the cloud of sand through the dark forest, determined to not let it get away. But the thing was damn fast, streaming through trees and foliage. Eventually she came to a stop as she lost track of it. She cursed angrily, turning in a circle as she searched for any sign of it.
See it? Rapunzel asked in her mind.
"Nay," she said with an angry breath. Rapunzel's form suddenly gave a flash. She looked down. "Rapunzel, are you almost out of magic?" she asked in surprise. Rapunzel form began to flash faster.
Um...maybe, Rapunzel replied sheepishly.
"How can you be out of energy this quickly. Even if it's night time you should be able to hold your form for a few hours," Merida reminded her as if the knowledge would change anything.
It was that horse, Rapunzel replied. It did something to me. It felt like as if it drained me, she said in her defence.
"Damn it," Merida muttered in frustration. She suddenly heard a twig snap. She supressed a curse as she turned around, making out a black shape among the trees. She lifted her bow and pulled back on the draw string. An arrow of light began to form, but before she cuold let it loose it vanished.
Rapunzel's weapon form gave off a final flash of light before Rapunzel fell on top of Merida in her human form. The girl's looked at each other in panic, essentially unarmed before leaping to their feet and looking into the trees. The black shape moved, getting closer to them. Rapunzel let out an eep as she ducked behind Merida, clutching her arm in fear.
Merida stood her ground, drawing a small dagger hidden in her boot. She narrowed her eyes before slowly backing away. As a Knight Merida could hold her own physically if she had to. But Rapunzel was vulnerable. While the girl was quite athletic in her own right she was no match for a monster.
The black thing suddenly stepped into the open. And as Merida got a glimpse at it she froze. The thing had taken on a different form. A form that walked on two legs and towered over them. Merida dropped her arm, staring at the one thing she feared. The dagger in her hand fell to the ground.
"Merida," Rapunzel whispered as she shook her arm. The red head didn't respond, still frozen in fear. "Merida we need to run! Merida! What's wrong?" she asked. She'd never seen Merida like this. They'd faced many things on their travels and Merida had always face them head on.
The thing took a step closer, and then another, and another. Rapunzel grabbed Merida's hand before dragging her away as fast as she could. The black creature stared after them, feasting on the red head's fear as it began to grow in size and bulk. It was about to give chase, not wanting to let it's meal escape just yet, intent on hunting them and keeping their fear incited before a shadow passed overhead.
It looked up to see as something flew over its head. It heard something hit the ground behind it, and it whirled around to face it as a result.
The only thing it saw were flames.
"Merida! Snap out of it! Merida!" Rapunzel shouted in her friend's face. The red head remained stock still, eyes wide and glazed over. With no other idea Rapunzel swiftly slapped her across the face.
"Ow!" Merida cried as she snapped from her trance. She placed a hand over her cheek. "The hell Rapunzel?" she cried indignantly.
"Well you were frozen solid!" Rapunzel said in her defense.
"What? No I wasn't," Merida replied hotly.
"It doesn't matter. We need to regroup with Hic-"
As Rapunzel was expressing her interest in regrouping with Hiccup light and heat suddenly radiated through the trees. The girls shouted in alarm, shielding their eyes in from the suddenly flash. When it subsided they could smell burnt wood and earth. They exhcanged a glance before they began to make their way toward it.
They eventually found themselve where they'd been moments ago. Save the trees and ground around them were scorched black. And even stranger still there was a black figure standing in the center of them. The girls inched closer to the standing black shape, finding it to be a statue made of black glass.
"What the heck?" Merida whispered in confusion. She reached a hand out to touch it when they heard a rustle in the trees.
"Oh hey! There you guys are!" The girls glanced to the side to see Hiccup emerging from the tree line, shield still strapped to his arm. "Well that's weird," he said as he made his way up to the black glass statue.
"Aye. What did this?" Merida said in confusion.
"It's a mystery. I guess we'll never know," Hiccup said with a shrug. He raised his shield arm up and swung it hard. The girls leapt back with a yelp as the statue shattered, breaking away into pieces. "It's dead now. Mission accomplished," he said with a smile.
He looked to the girls. "Shall we head back?" The girls nodded as they followed him back to the village. But as they did they looked back, still wondering what had blackened the area.
The trio stepped through the portal, arriving back at school in the early afternoon the next day. They happily told the villagers that the black horse was dead. But if the problems persisted they could contact the academy or the official knights of the kingdom.
As they walked back into school they were greeted by Anna and Jack.
"Hey guys! You're back!" Anna said cheerfully.
"Hey guys. Quest go ok?" Jack asked.
"Yeah. I got to go report to North and return the travel globe," Hiccup said. He looked to the girls. "You guys can go unpack and relax," he told them. They nodded before he made his way to the headmaster's office.
"So what was it?" Anna asked curiously.
"I don't ken. Some kind of...creature made of sand," Merida told them.
"Weird," Jack said rubbing his chin. "Well you guys got it, so I guess that's all that matters," he said with a shrug.
Inside the headmaster's office Hiccup placed the travel globe into the headmasters desk and reported on their quest. He couldn't help but notice how the headmaster's eyes seemed to narrow in anger at the mention of the sand creature.
"That will be all Hiccup," North said to dismiss him.
"Yes sir," Hiccup said respectfully before leaving.
North let out a breath in his office, wondering if this new development meant what he thought it did. He hoped that if it did the children at the school would be prepared to face it.
new chap. sorry for the wait