22 Fancy Meeting You Here

"EVERYONE GET TO YOUR DRAGONS; WE ATTACK AT ONCE!"

"WHOA whoa slow down Hiccup" Mulch begged "it's too risky to attack now, they'll see us coming."

"We're keeping a close eye on the two ships we've found" Kara informed Hiccup "and I suggest that you go check out the situation yourself first before you rush in."

"Alright... alright" Hiccup took a deep breath and looked around again while trying to think. There was something wrong; something very wrong but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Even though he was now well rested, his head still hurt a little as a result of the light tap from Kara's shield so he sat down on a rock for a while and rubbed the lump on his head.

"Are you okay Hiccup?"

"I'll be fine Victor; it's just a little headache from the... VICTOR... HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GET HERE?"

"Young Victor joined us back at Port Yoric" Olaf smiled as he patted the boys head "his big brother is on the Mighty Ivar but he thought it would a good idea for the lad to learn about Viking ships while we were learning about Elydonian ships; he's a fast learner too."

'OF COURSE HE'S A FAST LEARNER, THAT'S HIS JOB; HE'S AN IMPERIAL SPY FROM NEW LOREN" Hiccup was beginning to think everyone had gone crazy "HAVE YOU ALL GONE CRAZY?"

Olaf look at the young boy with surprise "Are you really an enemy spy lad?"

"No sir; I'm the assistant to the apprentice of an enemy spy sir."

"Oh... well" Olaf pondered "I guess that's alright then."

"No... no... it's not alright" Hiccup fumed.

"But we left New Loren months ago" Victor protested "Master Darius didn't lie to you sir; he's not working for General Karoc anymore sir."

"See Hiccup" Olaf grinned "they're working for King Joric now."

"Well... strictly speaking sir... we're not working for anyone, but we're definitely NOT working against you; Master Darius just wants to..." Victor suddenly realised he was saying too much.

"Wants to what?" Olaf asked.

"He wants to go to Berk and learn how to track dragons without being detected" Hiccup noted "it's kind of an obsession."

Hiccup had become accustomed to having a dragon nuzzling him almost constantly as he went about his business but he was not used to having two pushing on him from both left and right at the same time. He turned to Stormfly and began to rub her chin as he looked at Little Freya suspiciously.

"And what's your excuse."

"I thought Astrid might need her dragon back" she looked back innocently.

"Someone else could have brought Stormfly" Hiccup noted accusingly.

"I was worried about Mummy too."

"She and Agnar arrived on Lookout Island while we were breaking camp" Kara informed Hiccup "so we brought them with us."

"AGNAR'S HERE TOO?" Hiccup was close to exploding.

"Over here Chief" Agnar waved from the back.

"I told you to stay on Berk" Hiccup fumed "they need someone with knowledge of healing and medicine."

"And they have Gothi."

"GOTHI DOESN'T SPEAK! AND THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN INTERPRET HER ARE PRISONERS, OR HERE ON THIS ISLAND!"

"Oh she'll be alright" Agnar dismissed Hiccup's concerns.

"Now I know how my father feels when I don't listen to him" Hiccup sighed.

"It's over there now" the Imperial Soldier shivered as he pointed.

"I wish I knew what it was" his companion remarked "it's making me nervous."

"Did you ever see the 'Thing in the Tower'?"

"Are you kidding me? No one ever saw the thing in the tower; it was like a ghost."

"Some people say it was a ghost."

"Ghosts don't bite people's heads off."

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING OVER THERE?" the commander of the prisoner detail barked.

"Err... nothing sir" both men saluted.

"Well stop doing nothing and do something; the prisoners have rested long enough so get back on the road...NOW!"

"Yes sir, right away sir."

All the guards began poking and kicking the Vikings and sailors and ordered them all to recommence the march towards the New Loren capital. The officer in charge could not believe his good fortune because less than a minute later, a long procession of elite soldiers came down the road from the capital on horseback and in the very centre of the troops, rode the Imperial Guard escorting the Emperors carriage; it would not have been good for the officer's health if the Emperor had found them all sitting by the side of the road. As the prisoners marched passed the Imperial Coach two of the Vikings whispered to each other.

"I see that Ghost has the horses spooked" Gobber grinned as some of the mounted soldiers suddenly found it difficult to control their steeds.

"I think he has some of our guards a bit worried too" Stoick nodded with a smile.

"I never realised just how handy it is having a Changewing around" Gobber pondered "we should try and train up a few more when all this is over with. I must admit that I wasn't sure when Hiccup and Astrid brought Ghost back with them last autumn, but there's no doubt about it now; he's a real asset."

"Chalk another one up to the best dragon trainers on Berk" Stoick declared with a smirk on his face.

"Aye..." Gobber noted in his best deadpan voice "you must be very proud."

"Naturally" Stoicks grin doubled in size.

A long, unpleasant face emerged from the Imperial Coach and spoke to the head of the Emperor's personal guards who in turn called out loudly for both processions to halt immediately. As soon as this had been accomplished, the owner of the unpleasant face stepped out and hurried to the front of the prisoners.

"I am Borges; trusted advisor to His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Scias the Great."

"He's laying it on a bit thick" Gobber whispered.

"Which one of you is Stoick the Viking Chief?" Borges concluded his short speech.

Stoick the Vast began to open his mouth in reply but was soon cut off.

"I'm Stoick the Vast" Gobber stepped forward.

Before Borges could react to the revelation, Spitelout also cried out.

"No, I'm Stoick... over here."

Thorfinn and Odd were the next two to declare their Stoickness before several others joined in, including one particularly confused Viking who declared his name to be Spartacus.

"And what about you" Borges asked an Elydonian Sailor "I suppose your name is Stoick as well."

"Me... no" he replied "my name is Brian... the so is my wife's."

"Leave them Borges" Emperor Scias called out from his coach "Let the guards take them all to the cells. You may torture them later; I want to meet King Joric and see my dragons."

Astrid's prediction about the restless dragons had come true not long after she had given it, but the situation had been getting steadily worse as the hours passed. The sailors and soldiers from New Loren would have been nervous enough in the present circumstances, but the fact that Fotherington had disguised himself as one of them, and had spent the last several hours moving throughout the ship spreading rumours about the coming Dragon Apocalypse, did not help their mood at all. As much as he did not want to admit it, General Karoc was beginning to see that what Astrid had warned him about, was right and he would have to act quickly. He did not have much time left before the ships would arrive in port and he knew that his reputation with the Emperor would suffer greatly if he handed over a ship full of crazed and angry dragons, but if they could be calmed down and presented as trained and noble creatures... that would certainly be better for his health and his future.

"Alright" he declared to the Dragon Riders "I am not as pigheaded as you supposed and I admit that I was wrong; now what do you suggest we do to make those dragons calm and happy again?"

"Let them go" Fishlegs said simply.

"But since we know you won't do that, let us take them out for a short flight so they can stretch their wings and feed themselves" Astrid declared.

"There is no way that I am letting you take all the dragons out at once" Karoc sneered.

"Okay then; half at a time" Astrid compromised.

"So you can all escape with half your dragons? I don't think so."

"We wouldn't leave half our dragons behind" Ruffnut declared in a huff.

"We wouldn't leave one behind" Fishlegs added and the girls nodded in agreement.

"Then you're all foolish" Karoc sneered "I'll let one of you go to take half the dragons out. But if you're not back within half an hour, the boy loses his hands and if you're not back in an hour, he loses his life and then I move on to the girl; do I make myself clear?"

"As crystal" Fishlegs gulped.

"And I thought Borges was cruel" Astrid glared.

"If Borges were here, he would cut off one of the boys hands now just to show you that he means business" General Karoc grinned "but I am happy to settle for a finger if it will help you get the message."

"NO!" Astrid cried out "I... I get the message."

"Any idea where the other ships are?" Hiccup asked as he surveyed the vessels below.

"There are two possibilities I can think of; either they went on ahead with some of the prisoners because they were faster or..." Kara began.

"Or what?"

"Or they were sunk when the morons tried to put dragons on board."

"Oh I hope that wasn't it" Hiccup worried "I'd hate to think that any of our dragons may have gone down with the ship."

Hiccup remembered quite vividly how Toothless had almost drowned while chained to the deck of his father's longship during the battle against the Red Death on Dragon Island. The thought of that fate befalling the dragons he had known and loved for the last two years made him sick to his stomach.

"Don't worry Babe; all the dragons are alive, but they're not all very happy at the moment."

"Well that's a relief" Hiccup sighed "Now all we have to... ASTRID!"

Only Hiccup knew how worried he was about her, and only Astrid knew how much she missed Hiccup, but some of the other Dragon Riders got a slight hint when Hiccup moved his new metal foot into the forward position causing his dragons tail to flatten out. He looped Toothless in a half barrel roll and swept over the top of Viper and his rider; it wasn't easy to kiss when flying upside down but luckily Hiccup knew exactly what he was doing.

"Awwwww, that's sweet" Kara declared while the other riders just smiled and sighed.

"I was so worried about you" Hiccup declared as Toothless completed his roll and levelled off again.

"And I missed you too" Astrid replied "but we don't have much time; I've got to get back."

"WHAT!? You can't go back."

"I have to Hiccup; Karoc only let me out to keep the dragons from tearing the ship apart and if I'm late getting them back, Fishlegs gets his hands cut off."

"Damn" Hiccup fumed "how long have you got?"

"Not long now, but I should be able to meet up with you again when I take out the rest of the dragons."

"How is everyone?" he asked nervously.

"Only Fishlegs and Ruffnut are still on the Mighty Ivar; all the others were sent on ahead on faster ships they called Clippers."

"HA; I was right" Kara boasted.

"I know there are some dead" Astrid continued "but the only one I saw was Fjori; Your dad's okay though and so is Gobber."

"How about Big Freya? Her daughter is worried."

"She's fine; just some bruises" Astrid smiled "and get this; Fotherington is on board with us. He was posing as an Elydonian sailor, but now he's stolen some New Loren clothes and is helping us cause unrest amongst our captors."

"It figures" Hiccup sighed "Victor was on the Sharktooth: do you know where Darius is?"

"I haven't seen him since the attack so I assume he is either with your Dad, or he drowned when the Noble Pigg went down."

"I think it would take more than a sinking ship to stop Darius Gershwin" Hiccup noted.

"Me too Babe; well... I'd better go... I love you."

"I love you more... and so does she."

Astrid turned her head to where Hiccup was pointing and broke into a joyous smile.

"Stormfly! It's so good to see you girl; I have to take Viper back or Karoc's men will notice the change" she noted to Hiccup "but I'll ride a Nadder next time so I can swap and take Stormfly back with me."

She turned back to her dragon and sent her the hand signals to follow Hiccup; Stormfly cried out in acknowledgment of the order.

"See you soon Babe" Astrid waved as she swooped away.

Hiccup sighed deeply as Viper and his beautiful rider grew smaller in the distance; the knot in his gut tightened as he tried his best to keep his mind on the job at hand.

"Starkard and I will stay here with Stormfly till Astrid gets back; I want you to head back to the island and prepare everyone for attack" Hiccup ordered Kara "We go tonight."

Celebrity Jellyfish: A couple of short stories today.

As many of you know, when I'm not writing or playing Minecraft, I work as a bus driver. Before I started doing that, I was a driver for a Luxury Hire Car company so I occasionally got to take celebs to and from the airport and their hotels, but (and it's a big but) they were usually locals so nobody out side South Australia would know most of them.

As for the jellyfish, I was on a Night Training dive in the late 1980's when we were surrounded by a... what do you call a group of jellyfish; a school, a swarm? Okay then... I was surrounded by a big bunch of little jellyfish; the bell was about the size of an average fist, and the stingers were about 18 inches long. Fortunately I was in a full wetsuit so I managed to avoid getting stung... almost. At the end of the dive, one of the jellyfish got caught on the top of my face mask when I broke the surface. I picked it up by the bell and put it back in the water, but I ended up with 3 parallel red lines across my forehead where the stingers got me... ouch.