Chapter Fifty-Four: Problems
Wet feet.
There is nothing that wakes you up faster than wet feet.
And there is nothing more disgusting and uncomfortable than wet feet.
Wet feet make you feel cold all over and the squishing sounds your shoes make when you walk can give some people the creeps.
All in all George didn't like having wet feet.
Now he woke up with wet feet.
How? They were in a cave for god's sake!
He peeled himself off the cave floor and then realized that it weren't just his feet that were wet. Everything was wet!
The ground, his trousers, the blanket Kate had given him, his head and arms.
Some water dripped down his neck under his shirt and he shivered.
Admittedly, the water wasn't cold but it certainly wasn't pleasant.
He looked around and with a yelp he was on his feet.
The whole cave was ankle-deep filled with water.
Who could he not have realized that sooner? He normally wasn't a deep sleeper.
"Ah, so you are up at last." He turned around. That Josh guy stood not far away from him, packing a bag.
He others were nowhere to be seen and so where their dragons.
"Where is everyone?" he asked. Not that he cared.
"Out finding a new cave to stay. They told me to wake you and pack up things." George threw one glance at the already packed bags. "And you decided it was too much fun to let me participate in it?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
Josh shrugged.
"I never actually planned on waking you. I mean, you slept trough Kate's screaming when we first found out that the cave was filling up with water! I just wanted to let you drown or at least abandon you. Wouldn't have worked probably seeing Hiccup would not agree with my plan but you can always try."
Gorge growled. Then he said: "At least you're honest." Josh shrugged again. "It's no secret I think we should feet you to the sharks but hey…I was over-voted." "You actually had a vote?" "No, Kate slapped me across the head and told me to shut up so I guess there was no real vote."
George shook his head. This boy had to be retarded or something.
"No not retarded." Josh said as if he was reading his thoughts, making him flinch. "I just see things differently."
"Good to know."
Josh gestured over to the bags.
"Well, are you going to help me or do I really get to abandon you in this cave. Because you will drown if you stay."
For the first time George directed his attention towards the entrance of the cave.
Outside the sky was black.
Maybe because it was still night; maybe because even if it had been day, the light would have been blocked by the massive black storm-clouds that were still visible against the sky.
The sky had a purplish tint, thunder rolled over the sea and lightning crackled through the air. The wind piled the water into waved the height of houses.
Rain poured down from the heavens and sadly into their cave. And because the water could flow nowhere, it had begun to rise.
"Alright alright I'm coming." Josh made a sour face. "Hey, I'm not more excited about this then you are!" he growled. "No, it's not that. It's just that I bet with Kate about it and now I own her five bucks." "You make bets about me coming with you or facing certain death?" "It wasn't certain death. And Hiccup said the same like you." "Oh did he?" "He did."
They were interrupted by a dragon breaking through the thick curtain f rain and landing inside their cave.
It was Kate with Nightlight. She was drenched, her hair stuck to her face and she had trouble holding onto the leather saddle. The rain made the material slick and hard to grab on.
She swept away her hair.
"You guys finished? Hiccup found a place to say. It's further inland. I think we underestimated the size of this Island but it seems to be uninhabited.
And the cave is somewhere closer to the ground. He's checking it out for possible threats." They both nodded.
"We're nearly finished. Just one more bag." Josh said.
"I'll take those. You two take the rest on Zhang." Both boys were about to protest but Kate already had given Nightlight a command and the dragon flew away with some of the bags in her claws.
Josh climbed on Zhangs back. "Well, you're coming?" he asked the disgruntled George. "Yeah yeah."
George climbed behind him onto the dragons back.
By now he'd flown often enough to know that it seemed relatively safe but he didn't like flying. Not at all.
Dragons were filthy. They smelled of sulfur and their eyes seemed to hunt you.
Besides that they made strange noises and flying was a nightmare. That up and down that whole time, the insecurity of nothing between you and the ground except for a scaly body that could breathe fire and had a mind of its own!
No, George didn't like dragons. And flying. And the people that rode them.
Still he had no options left but to hold on onto both Zhang and Josh as the flew through the storm. The dragon's wings fought hard against the forces of nature and the rain whipped so hard around them so that they could barely see.
His heart was beating too fast to be healthy.
Within seconds they were drenched and he shivered. The water was warmer than expected but then again with the wind it was freezing cold.
George's fingers felt like they would fall off any moment.
It seemed to take ages to reach the new cave.
When they landed Kate had already dismounted and was lifting the bags over at the war wall.
Hiccup stood in the center of the cave, making a fire-place.
With one snap of his fingers a big fire burned, throwing bizarre shadows against the walls.
A small bit of warmth seeped through Georges cold bones.
They were all shivering, drenched and George was sure the others felt miserable too.
"Alright." Hiccup said and rubbed his hands together. "Change cloths, if we stay any longer in these ones we'll catch our deaths. They we need something to warm up. Josh, you think you can make some of your infamous broth?" Josh nodded. His teeth were chattering to bad to answer properly. "Kate, if you and Josh could make the beds that would be great. Then I will care for the dragons and dry our cloths."
She nodded and Hiccup looked at him.
"Why do you plan me in? I'm not staying." "For the moment you are. And while you're at it, you can be useful." Hiccup said calmly and turned around and walked over to his dragons.
The others did too and Kate disappeared somewhere inside the cave to change more privately.
George still stood there shivering and anger boiled inside his chest.
He didn't have anything to change.
He had nothing; he hadn't planned on being abducted by these muttonheads.
They probably laughed at him right now, hoping that he'd die from hypothermia or similar.
His dark thoughts were interrupted by Josh saying:
"Blondie! Think fast!" and something soft hitting him in the face.
He caught it and enfolded it. They were cloths.
Confused he looked up at Josh.
"They maybe won't fit properly but Hiccup thought the length should be right and their better then what you're wearing."
With that he disappeared again and George stood there, holding the cloth.
"Thanks." He mumbled.
Whatever Josh had cooked from his provisions; it didn't look appealing. Thick and grey with orange bites.
Skeptically George eyed it.
"Better not look at it too closely. It tastes better than it looks, believe me."
He flinched when Hiccup sat down next to him, his own bowl in hands.
He too made sour face but smiled slightly at him before he took a bite.
George put down his bowl.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked angrily.
Hiccup stopped eating.
"Why do I do what?" he asked, sounding honestly confused.
"Being so nice, dragging me along, feeding me, giving me cloths…We are enemies! We should kill each other!"
Now it was Hiccups turn to put down the bowl.
He turned around so he could face him directly.
"Listen George, we maybe didn't have a good start together…" "Understatement of the century." "But you are not my enemy. And I am not your enemy." He ran his hair through his hair and again George could see the Slave-Mark on his temple.
"Why do you think so?"
"I know who my enemy is, okay? And it's not you. We all are not enemies. We all have a common enemy. Most of us just don't know. It's my job to tell them you could say." His voice sounded slightly bitter. "And yes, it's as easy as it sounds."
"Who are us? And what kind of common enemy could there be. I've never heard of such thing before."
"I'd be surprised if you have." Hiccup said and took another spoonful of his dinner.
"Ever heard of Darkness?" "Darkness?" "It doesn't really have a name. Well, it is darkness so I guess it's only naturally that you call it Darkness."
"And what exactly is it?" George asked doubtfully.
"Everything evil there is. It is corruption, it is hate, it is envy, it is dread and despair, it is your darkest, most secret wish, your biggest fears, your imbalance."
A shiver went down Georges' spine. Something in Hiccups voice…
"It was banned eons ago by humans and dragons together. But humans unknowingly have given it chance to rise again. Now humans again have to stand together and fight side by side with dragons to ban it yet again." "And let me guess, you have to do the uniting stuff?" "Yep." "You're not very good at it." "Thanks, I got that myself."
"Why did you drag me along?" Hiccup poked the fire with a stick.
"Honestly?" "Yes." "I don't know. I mean, you've been a total jerk and everything but…it feels right."
George snorted. "Could you be more of a girl? It feels right?" Hiccup shot him a murderous glance. "Hey, I have learned to trust my instincts."
George couldn't argue with that.
"Whatever. The next time we find civilization I want to go back home." "So you can do what? Pretend none of this ever happened? Continue your grudge against my family? I'm sorry for what happened but you can't hold me responsible for something a guy did, I never got know!"
He sounded very angry and got up. "If you want to leave, fine, do it. I'm not holding you back. But I would honestly consider your options."
With that he stalked over to his dragon.
AN: Hello! I'm back!
Finally finished my long course-work and now I'm back into business! I really missed the writing!
So, first new chapter. I know its short but I needed to post something so here is the something.
Review please!
Love Kate!
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