Hi readers! I'm back with a new update to 'Brothers.'
This chapter is based on one of my favorite episodes from Defenders of Berk: The Eel Effect. Similar to other chapters, this chapter is an alternate version of that episode. I hope you enjoy it!
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Brothers
Chapter 39: The 'Eel' Effect, Part 1
Not even a day after Toothless and I went to the Ex-Queen to see her and Belin, the most memorable thing in recent times would happen on Berk. While we were away, an epidemic would take hold of the village which quickly spread from house to house. Although there had been numerous outbreaks in the past…this one was the worst we would see thus far.
It's so bad that the teens had to consult Gothi, the village elder, regarding the situation on Berk. Apparently, it's a type of illness I've never even heard of before: the locals call it: Eel Pox.
It's bad enough that roughly sixty percent of Berk's population is afflicted, and to have the Chief become sick as well…it meant the situation on the island became desperate.
As the hours passed and things worsened around us, I thought about what could have brought on this plague. Someone had to have deliberately spread it, but how would they…chemical warfare is technically something that wouldn't be waged for centuries…then again this isn't really a realistic setting now is it?
I snap back to reality as I see Astrid arriving at the village square on Stormfly to where we are (with Gothi riding behind with a list on her frail hand.) By this point, everyone else had been quarantined in the Great Hall and there were so few of us up to the challenge of restoring Berk (even the twins and Snotlout are encumbered.)
Oh boy…here we go, I thought, my black ear plate twitches as a result of seeing the list.
I jumped up and made my way to them: hovering over them to see what we needed to get to make a cure.
"WildWing seems excited…" Astrid stated, partially covering her mouth as if to hide a snicker. I rolled my eyes a bit, but soon my attention is turned to the duo approaching us. Hiccup/Toothless, who was trying to find anyone else who was sick in the area, joined us, "we might wanna get started" he said, calling for Toothless.
No one protested and we left for the wilderness to find the ingredients needed to save Berk from its fate.
It took longer than usual but by sunset we gathered all the materials needed: and we met at the beach on Healer's Island. Well, it turned out it wasn't everything actually, for Gothi drew in the sand to communicate to us what was missing…
An eel…a bloody eel…of course…as if I was smart enough to catch on to the fact we needed such an ingredient to heal EEL POX…gosh I'm such an idiot.
For Toothless across from me, he shivered at the revelation…he HATED eels after all, and there was apparently a good reason for that. And it wasn't just any ordinary eel we had to go after but a "Bloodbane Eel."
I scratched my head at that when Fishlegs said that…I've never heard of such an animal before, but apparently, they're found on 'Eel Island.'
I guess today is just one of those weird days…then again what other day isn't?
"I don't like this…" Toothless made his thoughts known to everyone (of course the humans couldn't understand a word.) Stormfly hopped toward him as he stuttered slightly, "it has to be done, you know that."
"I know…but eels…if one so much as…"
I pranced over to the two, looking up at the two with a raised brow. Eels…I don't even have to think long before I reminisce the time Toothless and I were in the cove…back in my first few days being a Night Fury. He, of course, didn't know I was human yet, but he had the urge to protect me at all costs anyway…believing me to be just another Night Fury…one of the last (even though the sentiment remained unchanged when I told him the truth.) Case and point: Hiccup brought fish to feed us, a striped eel slipped in there, and the dragon yanked me away. The native dragon told me to NEVER, under any circumstance, eat one or they'll make me sick.
I always wondered why or how it happens…
"Toothless, Wild and I will head over" Hiccup said as his best friend brought his head up nervously to meet his rider's face, "I know bud, but we'll be in and out of there quick" the Viking picked up his shield and got on his Night Fury. I sighed softly in response, unfurling my wings.
I guess it can't be all bad…right? I mean…they're just a bunch of eels…can't be as bad as coming across a Skrill or a Flightmare?
"Good luck, guys!" Fishlegs bids farewell, waving as Meatlug panted behind him.
"Hold on, you've got…" Astrid shook her head, stopping herself for the three of us has already departed, "the other ingredients…"
"I'm sure it's okay. They'll be back before night" Fish reassures the green/blue-shirted girl, but Astrid still felt uneasy. Still, the two decided to fall back for now with their reptilian companions…until the three of us return.
…
Not even halfway to the island, the sky turned dark, and night followed shortly thereafter. Haddock used his map (thanks to the moon above it helped to illuminate the paper) to guide us and sure enough we stumbled upon Eel Island.
Throughout the journey, the older Night Fury flying across from me was nervous…probably the most I've ever seen him (at least in the moment.) Why is he, one of the most feared dragons in this strange world, so damn afraid of a bunch of small slithery creatures? We're talking about a dragon that bravely stood against foes twice his size…or even the once-terrifying Ex-Queen…there's something else I'm missing. Maybe they're extremely toxic as he says they are…but still…for the moment I found it all faintly ridiculous.
My thoughts are interrupted when I heard the human on him get our attention soon after, "let's head down and check things out" Hiccup suggested. Tooth and I swooped in and began gliding through a wide boreal valley. Sure enough, we look down to see the river…looking all around for any sign of eels. It didn't take long for us to find what we came for.
The moonlight illuminated the surface below and the three of us spotted red snake-like critters jumping in and out of the water. The Viking reeled in disgust, "well…there they are…now how do we get to them…"
He's right…with it being so dark the full moon is all that is giving the human any sense of direction…the easy part is done, now comes the most difficult part of our mission. The black reptile next to me snarls at the sight of the slimy creatures, reminding me of his reaction in the cove.
"I know bud, let's get this done quick."
I flew a bit closer to the water to get a better look (remember: Tooth and I got night vision and what not.)
"Careful, Flint…" the dragon cautioned me, and I arched my head back when I saw some red eels jumping out of the water just below me. An idea popped into my head: I'm going to try and catch one. I reach out my two front paws as I hover just above the river to get one in my grasp as they jump out. Tooth wasn't as sure if my plan would work. He decided to voice his opinion at my bold move.
"Flint, get away-"
But it's too late.
As if on cue…a group of them jumped out of the water and attacked me…biting into my black scales! The overwhelming force and numbers caused me to lose focus on my wings and I panicked…falling into the water as a result.
"Flint!" Toothless roared in sheer terror.
"Wild!" Hiccup said around the same time as his dragon.
As soon as I had ended up underwater, more of them swam up to me and began biting me mercilessly: latching onto me all over my body. As if it were a group effort, they all started pulling me down to drown me. I pawed at some, even ignited others with my plasma bolt while underwater, but there were just too many for just me to handle.
Meanwhile, above the surface, Hiccup patted his dragon quickly, "hurry, bud!" He instructed as Toothless landed by the shore. The dynamic duo leaned over and through the clear water (illuminated by the bright moon) they see me struggling against the group.
"Hold on, Flint!" Tooth grunted in his usual warbles, quickly releasing a plasma blast: it travels through like a bullet toward the eels. The attack killed some while more clung on to me. Unfortunately, there were just too many. This is bad, very bad! What was I thinking!? Of all the things that could happen, I wasn't expecting something like this…no wonder Toothless was so afraid of them!
Before Toothless could jump in to rescue me, Hiccup had a trick up his sleeve...the kid always had a brilliant idea after all. He aimed his Gronckle Iron Shield toward the water and fired the harpoon from the center of the defensive weapon toward me.
While the Viking does this, I continue trying to fend off the eels as I begin suffocating from lack of oxygen. One, in particular, came up to my face, trying to bite at me as I held them away with a paw…moving my head backward as I do.
Bastards! I thought in anger.
I get so frustrated from all this…I've had enough, no more of this! As if I am taken over by a higher Night Fury instinct…I bite into them…eviscerating them with my powerful jaws. Toothless tries again to fire at the eels and it causes them to scatter to avoid getting hit. As he did this, the cable from the harpoon appeared next to me and I quickly grabbed it with my teeth. The tug I made was a cue for Hiccup to pull me up and with the help of his dragon, I am pulled out of the water completely thanks to them. I landed beside them as we all panted in exhaustion.
After a moment, Toothless stood up and walked over to me with a very concerned look running down his snout, "Flint…are you alright?"
Hiccup also recovered and approached me, "little bud?"
Still lying flat on my belly, I slowly look up to them, but suddenly…my head started to hurt…it started banging…like someone is hitting me across the head repeatedly with a baseball bat!
"Ugh…" I groaned in pain, I'm sick out of nowhere…what's-what's happening!? W-wait a minute, I…ate that eel in self-defense…something Toothless told me NEVER to do…does that mean...
His voice begins echoing in my head, repeated by muttering that is in a different pitch as if it were an echo:
You'll get sick!
Don't touch that!
You must have been dropped as a hatchling!
Don't touch that!
You'll get sick!
Steadily, it all got worse: the same phrases from Toothless were repeated viciously, but that's not all: the world around me begins to distort beyond recognition.
My gosh…what have I done, I thought solemnly amidst my suffering.
Across from me, Toothless the Night Fury knew straight away what happened, shaking his narrow head at what is unfolding in front of him, "no…no…no!"
"It's the eels, isn't it, bud?" Haddock asked his partner before looking down at my pathetic form. Sure enough, the human saw the remnants of one of the Bloodbane Eels stuck in my teeth. Once I opened my reptilian eyes again: both had different-sized pupils…both expanding and narrowing repeatedly. Something that the duo also saw was my mouth…inside it was turning red blood in color as a side effect.
For me, everything just kept getting worse. The whole world and my perception of it became abstract: my two companions became nothing more than a distorted mess to me. And, sure enough, the hallucinations got even worse.
I saw faces…demonic faces…creatures that wanted to torment me for eternity…like my own personal hell…tailor fit for me. The primal side of me told me to run…to escape as fast and as far away as possible.
Before I know it, I'm in the middle of a forest in the middle of the night…alone. Although it seemed like I teleported here, my sense of time was also corrupted…
…
Toothless and Hiccup chased me into the nearby forest. Unbeknownst to me, when Tooth attempted to comfort me, I took one giant step back and made a run. The natural-born dragon made many attempts to try and hold me down, but I always kicked him away.
Now, I'm here, surrounded by voices…human and inhuman…monstrous bellows and banshee cries ringing in my long black ears. It all had no place in our world, but it all took residence in my fragile mind. My senses are overloaded…and I feel like my head could explode at any moment!
Sure enough, the noises drive me to the ground: I dig my claws into the dirt as my ears and earfins lie flat against my head.
I hear the flapping of wings…and at first, I assume it's my "brother" Toothless, but as I slowly looked up, I see a hellish winged demon (vampire-like even) with fire-red eyes flying towards me! I yell out in fright but even my own Night Fury roar is distorted.
Unknown to me, the beast actually was Tooth…flying in to pin me down. See, I was running wildly…out of control…and it seemed as though forcing me down was going to be the only way to help me.
"He's going to end up hurting himself if we don't do something!" Hiccup exclaimed with concern a few moments before Toothless decided to swoop down to catch me. Once the Fury did pin me against a tree, I looked toward them with an intense…almost manic face, "sway-away!" I had said in a slurred, drunken-like, manner.
"Flint…it's me, please…you have to listen…" he began to say to me as he used all his strength to hold me down. Unfortunately for the teenage Night Fury, I'm a lot bigger now, so I could technically get off him…but I, regrettably, shot him instead.
His green eyes widened…but he didn't see it coming: the flash of red light had distracted him. My blast is powerful enough that he, and by extension Hiccup, are thrown back. The opposing Fury had struck a tree behind him in full force as Hiccup went rolling over on the ground across from him.
Unfortunately to my corrupted mind: I was convinced it wasn't Toothless and Hiccup. I decide to take this opportunity to flee…taking flight shortly after. Under such stress and, because I am afflicted, it's not long before I am grounded once again.
While all this happened, Hiccup rushed to see if his best friend is alright. The reptile stood up, shaking his head in the process to ease the pain a little.
"Never seen a blast like that before…now I know why you guys hate eels so much" the boy said, trying to ease the air a bit…his best friend across from him had assumed.
Meanwhile, Not having landed far, I looked back to see the two shadowy demons looking straight at me with their demonic reddish eyes…
I, instinctively, released a plasma shot and then another one. Just as Toothless made an effort to continue the chase, he sensed the projectiles and pushed his human partner out of the way before ducking. I released yet another attack before Tooth, still flat on his stomach, unleashed his reserves. The combination of purple and red causes a brilliant flash and a shockwave that rocks the landscape within a mile radius.
The explosion allowed me to continue my retreat deeper into the forest…toward a hellish-looking glade. As more and more hallucinations appeared, I began firing at them all around relentlessly.
Hiccup and Toothless, having recovered again, looked onward. Hicc had a look of absolute shock running down his freckled exterior. The endless blasts rocking the horizon made him shiver, "he should be out of shots…I can't believe it!"
The Chieftain's son figured the increase in shot limit had something to do with the effects of eating the cursed eel…
Toothless, next to him, is deathly concerned. When the Fury was a hatchling like when Flint was, he heard stories from his small tribe about how dragon-kind would die from exposure to the fish (yes, eels are fish, surprise!)
W-what if…no! He can't let that happen to his dragon-human brother! Something has to be done to help Callahan…he's suffering enough from all this, but how can they help!? There MUST be something that can help them, Toothless thought.
Sure enough, as if on cue, the duo hears the flapping of wings and looks over to see a Gronckle approaching from the depths of the forest. It's not just any ordinary one either…it's Meatlug!
Fishlegs is on her back and happily exclaims, "Hiccup, I finally found you!" The chubby boy said, dismounting as the moon lit up the area around the four.
"Fish-it's so good to see you!" Haddock sighed.
"I heard the explosions, what's going on?" The other boy asked, looking around as his Gronckle ate rocks around her.
"Ah…we've got a situation on our hands…" another explosion rocked the surrounding area before Hiccup recovered, "WildWing ate a Bloodbane Eel and they've gone berserk."
Fishlegs pointed to the carnage around them, "d-did he do this" he asked before 'ToothCup' nodded at the same time.
"We have Eel Island to thank for this…" the scrawny boy scoffed silently.
"-Wait, didn't you say WildWing ate an eel?" The bigger teen across from them jumped at that as if his reaction was a bit delayed (something he didn't do often as he (would like to brag at Snotlout) was one of the smarter members of the Dragon Riders.)
"Yeah…that's what I said" Haddock retorted amusingly, moving towards Meatlug: finding a net inside one of her satchels. The boy laid out the net on the ground in front of his human friend as Toothless scanned the area for danger, "you think we can trap a Night Fury with just a net?" Legs interjected, crouching down to be eye level with the other Viking. The sixteen-year-old Night Fury walked up to his human counterpart and nudged him…warbling with worry at the same time.
"I know, bud, but we have to stop him before he hurts himself…or someone else…"
"Hiccup, by the way…I don't mean to hurry you or anything but things on Berk are getting worse" Fish fidgeted his fingers in anxiousness.
"Why am I not surprised…" the brown-haired Viking quipped before finishing the trap, "alright, let's get airborne and look for WildWing."
Once the four members of Berk are in the air, Toothless gets Hiccup's attention and the latter looks down to see marks all over the ground below, "uh…that's something…"
Fish and Meatlug followed the other duo further down to inspect the markings below them. Fishlegs soon gasped upon seeing the charred 'symbols.'
"Typhoomerang marks…"
"And they're the only dragons that eat eels…" it suddenly dawned on Hiccup once he stated this.
"That makes sense," unfortunately for Fishlegs, the realization hadn't hit him yet, "Eel Island and Typhoomerang…it's a perfect place for them! There must be dozens of them around here!" He said excitedly before looking to Haddock and Toothless across from him (who had a, not so, excited face about it.)
Fishlegs looks away, clearing his throat as Meatlug chuckled, "that's a problem…" that's when it finally hit him.
As they fly in search of me, Fishlegs, again, faces Haddock, "so…you said Wild had warm scales, right?" He asked regarding something that was discussed between them not too long ago.
"Yeah…and his coughs had an explosive effect" Hiccup answered.
"Okay…so then all of that sounds like…"
"Eel Pox…" Hiccup muttered softly. So, he's having symptoms like everyone back on Berk, he thought to himself, "Fishlegs…maybe if an eel cures the sickness for humans…maybe the medicine will have the same effect on WildWing!" Toothless got excited at this, hoping that Hiccup's hypothesis was correct.
"Maybe…b-but what if it doesn't?" As Legs said this, Tooth growled at him as the boy yelped. The Night Fury didn't want Hiccup's idea to go to waste…they should do it!
"You got a better idea?" His rider asked in a rather serious tone.
"Actually, no…let's go with your plan" Fishlegs finished.
And so, the group begin making their way through the forest…hoping to catch me in time, but unbeknownst to them: something would soon happen to me that would change the course of everything.
And I mean…everything.
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Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed this recent update. I'll try and get the next chapter out ASAP, I'll see you all next time!
