Barf and Belch yawned as they woke up that mourning, throwing the then sleeping Butt and Head off them. Tuffnut walked in with two baskets of fish. "Mourning boys and girl" he smiled. Barf and Belch chirped as the two stuffed their heads into their breakfast. Butt dove in aswell while Head nudged his trainer affectionately.
At that point, Gobber walked in on them. "Mourning Gobber" called Tuffnut as the man walked, or rather hobbled, over. "Mourning Tuffnut, listen have you seen that cousin of yers" he asked. "Halburg you mean? I can't say I have though he is probably up at his house, why do you ask?" Tuffnut quizzed.
"Well, I was wondering if anybody bought anything yesterday as a few things are missing from my shop" Gobber said. "Like?" asked Tuffnut. "Well, a trowel, hatchet, bola, dagger, knife and a grappling rope to name a few" Gobber said. "I'll go up to Halburg and ask him for ya" Tuffnut said.
"Thanks Tuff" smiled Gobber as he walked off. Tuffnut then walked off to where Torch was. "Hello my boy, how ya been" smiled Tuffnut. Torch nudged his trainer kindly before setting him behind his horns. "Right Torch, to the house of a cousin" Tuffnut said.
The spectacular Typhommerang flew out of the stable and got flustered looks from other dragons, to which the dragon grinned at. "Yes boy, you do take after me" Tuff said proudly.
The house with the wood-carved four heads of a Snaptrapper above the door frame came into view. When Torch touched down in the back yard, Tuff noticed something was off. "Is it a little too quiet here?" he asked Torch who shrugged. The Thorston boy then ventured into the house to go see what was what.
"Halburg, you in here?" asked Tuffnut. The dreadlocked man searched his entire house before moving onto everything else in the house. "Smoke, Spark, Belle, Twist, any of you guys? Where are they?" Tuffnut asked to which the only other individual there, Torch, just shrugged.
Tuffnut then went back to the stables to check and see if anybody was there. He checked on Frill and found that the Hobblegrunt was deliberating avoid eye contact with Tuffnut. "Ok then? Come on Torch, let's check with my sister since he won't give us an answer" shrugged Tuffnut while gesturing to Frill who merely snorted.
Torch landed in front of Ruffnut and Fishleg's house and Tuffnut knocked on the door. Fishlegs opened it and before he could say anything, Tuffnut was yelling at the back of the room, shouting "Ruffnut, can we talk?"
Ruffnut stomped down the stairs furiously and glared at her brother. "What do you want?" she snapped. "To know where our little cousin is" retorted Tuffnut. Ruffnut went from looking like her normal, hateful mourning person to a wide-eyed carer. "Come, sit down, Fishlegs, can you leave us for a while" she said softly to which the husky man obliged and went outside to the dragons.
"So, what is this about Halburg?" asked Ruffnut. "Well, I went to his house after Gobber asked me to get him. When I got to his house, he was gone along with all his dragons, except Frill. I saw Frill this mourning and was very guilty looking" Tuffnut said and Ruffnut immediately buried her head into her hands. "What's wrong sis?" asked Tuffnut.
"Oh this is my fault, I shouldn't have left him on his own" Ruffnut groaned and mumbled through her hands. "Why, what happened?" asked Tuffnut. "Hiccup refused Halburg's proposition to go on an exploration for Quake. Halburg and his dragons have totally gone searching for him and Thor knows where they are now" Ruffnut grumbled and flattened her head onto the table. Tuffnut growled and said "So, this is Hiccup's fault?"
"Sort of, unintentionally though" Ruffnut added. Tuffnut moved his chair out and walked outside to Torch. "Tuffnut, what are you doing?" asked Ruffnut as he sat on Torch's saddle. "Paying Hiccup a visit" growled Tuffnut and flew off. Ruffnut's eyes widened and she called for Trancemare and flew after him. Fishlegs looked at the two fly off before going back to rubbing Meatlug while Scauldy and Spikeback played.
Torch landed abruptly infront of the Haddok household which caught the attention of the various dragons outside, including Toothless, Stormfly, Cloudjumper, Gruff, Incognito and Thornshade. Ruffnut landed after him; just there to make sure he didn't do something he would regret.
Tuffnut pounded his fist on the door which was followed by Astrid opening it. "Oh hay Tuff, hay Ruff, what can I do for you?" smiled Astrid. "Hiccup, where is he" growled Tuffnut. "Astrid, what is this, oh hay Thorstons, what's up" asked Hiccup as he entered the doorway.
Tuffnut growled and shoved him back inside and which was followed by Astrid closing the door after Ruffnut had also entered. "Don't you 'hay' me Haddok, what did you say exactly to my cousin yesterday. Word perfect I want" Tuffnut said. "What do you mean? Is Halburg ok?" Hiccup said. "Well I don't know if he is ok as I don't know where he is" Tuffnut growled. "All I said to him was 'I can't allow it. I will not risk your life, your friends and families lives and your dragons to a mere hunch'" Hiccup replied. "So if this were Toothless gone, you would do nothing? Don't tell me you wouldn't because you would take any chance so I don't see why not let us find Quake, even if it is a hunch" Tuffnut growled.
Hiccup raised a hand but dropped it at the realisation. Toothless was his best friend and he would do anything for him. Aswell, he would also have done the same if it were Sharpshot, Thornshade, Stormfly and several others. Halburg was probably feeling the same way for Quake. "Right then, Tuffnut, you may take your dragons, Heather and Eret with you to find Halburg. This is a rescue mission only. If you do find dragon hunters, do not engage" Hiccup said in defeat. Ruffnut and Tuffnut thanked Hiccup and left.
"Right then, I'll find Heather, Windshear, Eret, Skullcrusher and Skrillchiller, you go get Head, Barf and Belch and Deathride" Ruffnut said to which Tuffnut nodded they hopped onto Torch and Trancemare respectively.
Several islands away from Berk
Halburg with his nine dragons were all flying on in the direction of where the Dragon Hunter's had their former base. "Alright then guys, let's find our boy" smiled Halburg as the island came into view. Unbeknownst to Halburg and the dragons, a convoy of twelve ships of two different tribes were approaching, the people aboard unaware of the boy and dragons aswell.
Halburg looked at the map while he sat in Frostbite's saddle with the others behind him. After a while, he spotted the spiral turned area of the pit where the Hunter's base was. "It may be abandoned but it may still have some dragons here" Halburg said.
The nine touched down on top of the road leading to the bottom of the pit and Arrow stepped forward. Halburg then told Frostbite to step forward as behind his saddle was Quake's old one, the only thing Halburg had left of him. "Right then girl, find him" Halburg asked and Arrow sniffed the saddle.
She led the group with her nose to the ground while the others all followed her. Bloom, Petal, Stem and Spark kept watch out with their eyes darting in all directions while Rose and Smoke kept their bodies following the group and on the track.
Petal then started squawking when Arrow was about to turn off the track into a tunnel. "Petal, what is it girl?" asked Halburg while he and the Snaptrapper stayed outside with the other eight inside. Halburg took out a spy-glass from his satchel and peered through it to the top of the pit.
"Is that Viggo and Ryker? What would they be doing here? Hang on a second, that's Amethyst and her pirates. They're probably here to exchange those dragons but why would they come down here?" Halburg pondered. "Come on girls and boys, let's get inside before they see us, Arrow, continue forwards" Halburg said.
Arrow did so and they continued, eventually reaching a vast section of caves, with several dragon cages and cells. Halburg gasped and had to motivate his dragons to keep moving at the sight of rotten dragon carcases and skeletons. Eventually, they reached the back of the cave and found some dragons strangely alive.
A Typhommerang, Smothering Smokebreath, Devilish Dervish and a Skrill all growled at the trainer but their eyes softened at the other dragons. "You poor things, here, Blizzard, Spines, Twist, Smoke and Spark, here guys" he called over his dragons that were all carrying four fish baskets each. He kept two for Quake but set out the remaining ones for the four dragons.
The Typhommerang had a yellow head, a pink body and blue wing tips. The Smokebreath was greyish-green with red and blue markings. The Devilish Dervish was pale white-cream with black and purple horns and spikes with orange claws. The Skrill was grassy green with a lighter underbelly and blue wings. The four were incredibly skinny and malnourished.
Halburg took Blizzard, Smoke and Spark down to the end of the cave, leaving the other dragons with the four to stand guard. They eventually found themselves over-looking a ring where they found a sleeping Whispering Death. "Quake, this has to be him" Halburg whispered.
The two dragons and trainer went to the entrance of the ring and were on the opposite side to the dragon. "Quake, is that you boy?" asked Halburg as he walked on the ground littered with several holes. The dragon then awoke and fitted the colouration of Quake perfectly; light yellowish-green with pink spikes and a blueish-yellow under belly.
He was skinny and like the other dragons they saw, however, he had a viscous look in his eyes. He had blood stained on him and looked in poor shape, a few spines missing, several scars and bruises. His eyes were bloodshot and evil. One of his canines was missing aswell. He also wore a spike collar which was chained to the ground by the strong green metal used by the hunters.
Smoke, Spark and Blizzard saw his viscous state and went into a fighting stance either side of Halburg. "Quake, are you in there boy" asked Halburg, who now had his staff unhooked. The dragon growled and roared. "Easy guys don't hurt him. He obviously has had a traumatic few years" Halburg told the two dragons.
Quake roared and charged at Smoke and Spark but got hit back by Blizzard's horns. Quake hit her back with his tail but Smoke and Spark jumped onto his back and latched each jaw onto his wings. The Whispering Death, which was now acting like a fighting terrier or cockerel, was not going down easy. Even though Blizzard, Smoke and Spark themselves had been in plenty of fights and were skilled fighters, they were struggling with Quake.
Halburg tried to avoid the spines and fire of his former Whispering Death that he no longer recognised. Smoke and Spark blasted at Quake while Blizzard pushed him back with a wing-blast. Quake whipped his tail at Blizzard and knocked her down. "Blizzard" exclaimed Halburg who ran to her, holding onto her snout and began to comfort her.
Smoke and Spark's eyes widened and then narrowed. Blizzard was their self-proclaimed sister and if anybody hurt her, regardless who they were, they would have Smoke and Spark to answer to. Smoke and Spark put themselves between the injured Nightmare and chained, blood-thirsty Whispering Death.
Quake roared but Smoke shot gas which was then followed by a powerful stream of sparks in the direction. "Don't hurt him boys, just pin him down" Halburg cried out, his staff clutched in his opposite hand to the one that was petting Blizzard's snow-white snout.
Unbeknownst to the four in the ring, large streams of fire, acid and snow were being shot with screeches, drowned out by the sound of Quake, Smoke and Spark, were up the cavern system. The Skrill, Typhommerang, Devilish Dervish and Smothering Smokebreath were all growling in their cages but largely ignored by the attackers.
Back in the ring, Quake was putting up a fight with skills that bested those of Smoke and Spark, the Whispering Death was malnourished and starving so, after what seemed like hours but in reality was only two of fighting, Quake grew sloppy in his moves.
His tail strikes and head bashes were weak and Smoke and Spark sent one final blast that pinned him down. Once he was firmly pinned, Halburg helped Blizzard to her feet, with the assistance of a fat halibut to motivate her. Blizzard, with her strength restored, held down Quake's tail while Smoke and Spark held onto the wings and the jaw clamped shut.
Halburg walked into the ring with two baskets of fish that had been left outside. Quake looked at the boy but didn't hold the former, innocent look that Halburg had raised. "Hay boy, how ya been" said Halburg. Quake growled.
"Boy, it's me, Halburg, and that is Smoke, Spark and Blizzard. Spines and Belle are waiting for you out there in the caves. Frill is waiting for you back on Berk. You also have new dragons to keep you company but I need you to come back boy, remember who I am, who they are, who you are" Halburg spoke. Quake growled but eyes widened when Halburg stuck out his hand, just slightly infront of him. "Boy, please remember, to remember is all I'm asking" Halburg said.
Quake was uncertain but at those last words, an entire wave of memories washed over his spiked head and clouded his previous few years of torment that had occurred.