Chapter Sixty-One: Shifting in the sand
"How much is left?"
"Not much."
"How much?"
"Maybe three whole water-skins and one pot."
"We have to be careful."
"We have to find humans."
"That we also have to do."
"I somehow doubt there are any. I mean Hiccup, come on, shouldn't we have found some by now?"
"I don't know."
"That we did know."
"Shut it George."
"It's not like I asked for it."
"I know Hiccup."
"Isn't there anything we can do against this blasted heat?"
"We could burry you in the sand."
"Josh!"
"What, it's true!"
"Ha ha, very funny."
"Well, you George were the one who said that this couldn't be going on forever."
"How was I suppose to know that it could?"
"Well, if you didn't know, why didn't you shut up?"
"Guys, calm down. You're wasting energy and water."
"Yeah yeah."
"'Yeah, yeah' means the same as 'bite me'."
"Shut up Josh!"
Silence…
"I've got san din my shoes."
Hiccup pulled the makeshift hat lower over his eyes to shield them from the blinding brightness of the afternoon sun over the white desert sands.
For three days they'd been walking through the endless world made from sand and rocks.
The days felt like your skin was melting off your bones and the nights were so freezing cold that they always had a hue fire burning.
There were no animals, no vegetation, just sand and rocks and more sand and more rocks.
Walking was difficult in the sand. And exhausting.
Yes, walking.
Hiccup knew the sudden change of weather was affecting their dragons too and they had very little water so he didn't want them to overpower themselves.
Except for Kate.
Kate was lying on Nightlights back as the dragons walked beside Hiccup, spending most of the time delirious from her fever.
The wound was infected but Hiccup tried hard to keep it at bay. He knew once the infection spread through her whole body, it was over.
Another reason why he panicked. It wasn't only their decreasing water supplies but also how ill she really was.
Long nights they had debated what had attacked them.
Sometimes she would wake up for a few minutes and ask what was the matter. She was never fully coherent.
He threw a glance at her. She was sweating and he had to keep her hydrated.
Next to him Toothless nudged his side.
True, dragons only needed little water but Hiccup knew that their dragons were thirsty too.
He patted the dragons scaly head.
"Its gonna be alright bud. We've made it this far, we won't let this sand best us."
They kept walking.
There was little conversation.
Nobody really felt like talking.
They made a short rest and each got a small sip of precious water.
Hours went by and Hiccup felt like they were walking in circles. Everything looked the same. His head spun wildly and his eyes burned.
He was sweaty and his cloths itched on his skin.
His friends looked equally exhausted and pained.
It was in the late afternoon, when George, who was walking ahead of them suddenly stopped- Josh, who was walking behind him with his eyes fixed on the ground, ran into him, stumbled and fell backwards in the sand.
"Hey." He complained. George didn't acknowledge him at all just started with huge eyes and panic written all over his face somewhere ahead of him.
Hiccup looked around.
"George? What's the matter?" he asked silently.
"That…there…didn't you see?" he stammered and pointed ahead to where huge sand-dune rose in front of them.
"See what?" Hiccup asked warily.
George shut his mouth.
"Nothing." He finally said.
"Let's get going again."
The incident was soon forgotten.
But during the last hours of sunlight George again stopped walking.
"What now?" Josh asked.
"Look at these." The older boy said and pointed at what he was standing in front.
The gathered around it.
Hiccup was surprised they had noticed it at all.
It was a stone column, maybe four feet high.
It was made from grey stone, round and smooth. In its surface symbols and words were etched.
Hiccup tried to read them.
"Ward off the evil…protect the…innocent…warn and secure the walking wanderer." He translated for them.
"Meaning?" Josh asked.
"Maybe it's like a borderline?" Hiccup guessed.
"In the desert?" George said with raised eyebrows.
"It could be." Hiccup said.
Both boys snorted.
"Yeah sure." They said simultaneously.
"Whatever." Hiccup said.
"It's a sign for human activity."
"Not necessarily. Who knows how old this stone could be?" George said.
Hiccup glared at him.
"This is the only lead so far. We have to take it."
"I don't know about you but I don't like this." Josh said silently and looked around.
"Only you." George said and moved on.
"At least we're not walking in a circle." Hiccup mumbled.
The sun was setting over the desert illuminating everything in soft pinks and oranges and reds and purples.
Hiccups felt like made from lead. He staggered next to Toothless, who was supporting him while walking.
Finally he said: "Alright, we'll camp here tonight. Get your things ready."
Wordless his two companions did as told.
Their situation was so miserable none felt like complaining even more because it wouldn't change anything.
Carefully Hiccup lifted Kate from Nightlights back and laid her softly down on her bedroll that Josh had already spread.
He stroked her cheek and whispered: "Kate? Katie? Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered open. They were still glassy and unfocused.
"Hm?" she asked.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tiered. Hot. Hurts." She coaxed. "Thirsty." She added. "Here, small sips." He held one of their last water-skins to her lips and let her have a small gulp.
"More?" she asked. "One more." He agreed.
"More?" she asked.
Hiccup chewed his lip.
"I'm sorry Kate, but we're running low on water. Try to sleep a bit."
She already was.
Sighing he got up and fetched one of the blankets and tugged her in.
He kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well."
It was silent around the campfire. No one felt like talking. They were exhausted. The dragons were all sleeping.
Hiccup starred at the sky without seeing. His thoughts were far away.
He thought about how a few months ago his biggest problems had been to impress his father and to get Astrid to notice him.
Now he was fighting for the sake of the world.
Against an unimaginable evil force as old as time itself.
He'd found out about his true family origin and his ancestry.
He was traveling the whole world trying to gain allies. This, by the way, wasn't going good. He had more enemies than allies.
He had trouble with the gods and his inner turmoil didn't help either.
Plus one of his friends was wounded, probably dying and he probably had condemned them all to a death by dehydration.
Things were really looking peachy.
Above that he had a quarrel with a god.
Yes, his life had never been easier.
He rolled onto his side, facing the endless dark dunes.
He squinted his eyes.
Wait a second…
That dune wasn't there a moment ago…
Or?
No…probably a trick, an optical illusion. After all dunes couldn't move…
There again. It had moved.
Yeah right and shadow creatures that attack my friends aren't realistic either.
He sat up.
"Did you see that?" he asked silently.
The two other boys looked up.
"What?" they asked. And Josh added: "Not you too."
"I'm pretty sure the sand over there was moving. First I thought it was a dune. But now…" Hiccup said and got up.
The others followed him.
They starred intensely at the dune Hiccup was referring too.
For probably ten minutes they just stood and starred then George whispered: "Over there."
And pointed left of the great sand dune.
The sand was without a doubt moving there and it was a massive movement.
"What do you think it is?" Josh whispered.
"I don't know. It's common believe that there are no dragons in Kinkal."
"So what could it be?"
"I don't know and I'm not sure I want to."
"You think it's hostile?" George asked.
"Don't jinx it. Let's hope not."
Then Hiccup added: "But we shouldn't take any risks."
He willed his hands to catch fire and set the sand in a wide circle around the camp on fire.
They burned at least six feet high and formed a thick barricade between them and whatever was out there.
"I'll take the first watch." Hiccup offered. The others nodded and went to sleep.
It didn't come easy to them.
And outside the flame barrier the sand shifted on…