The Great Beyond

Chapter 74: Family Matters (Reign)

              The stinging smell of smoke poked and prodded at my nostrils, invigorating each of my senses. Singetails were disappearing off into the distance, while Flyers cried out from the water that their ship was sinking into. We'd managed to actually catch up to the Flyers this time before they attacked another island, attempting to capture more dragons. This had been a victory, but it hadn't exactly been easy, contrary to our other fights with them.

"Sinking Johann's ships—it's not just a job, it's a calling," Ruff sighed happily.

"Yeah, so what are we calling him this time?"

The twins started shouting insults down at the water, despite the fact that Johann wasn't here, and therefore, couldn't actually hear them.

"Am I the only one who noticed that no matter how many Singetails we free, Johann always seems to find more?" Snotlout asked, genuinely bringing up a good point.

I hadn't noticed it until he pointed it out, but the Singetail supply had been remaining steady. We'd been fighting with Johann and his men for over a month at this point, but the Flyers always had enough Singetails, and maybe more, to keep coming after us and other islands and dragons. At that point, I would've thought they'd at least have a reduced armada.

"You know, Snotlout, you are the only one who noticed," Astrid observed sarcastically. "You could fill a book with all the things that only you and your genius brain noticed."

"A book, you say? Hmm. The World According to Snotlout or The Wit and Wisdom of Snotlout." Despite the situation, I couldn't resist taking a shot.

"A short story," I laughed.

"A work of fiction," Hiccup taunted.

"Very funny." Out of nowhere, Snotlout removed a book and monocle and began to write in it with a charcoal pencil. "Chapter one—'The Many Ways I Am Unappreciated.'"

"Where did you get a book?" I groaned. "Never mind. So not important."

Suddenly, Fishlegs cried out from the island below us, revealing a Singetail that had been trapped underneath a tree. She appeared to be breathing, but definitely had been injured in the fight. Desperate to help her, we all landed down near Fishlegs and slid off our dragons. Hiccup and I rushed to the dragon's side and tried to assess the damage. The twins, on the other hand, proved to be anything but useful, declaring her dead after Fishlegs revealed he had been the cause behind the accident.

"Relax, Fishlegs. She'll come to eventually," Hiccup assured him.

Both of our attentions were drawn over to the other side of the dragon as Toothless purred and Shriek nuzzled her. I set a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, asserting that I'd get up and investigate, then I crossed around to the other side. Shriek and Toothless worked together to pull up the wing, revealing small spots of orange-ish material spread across her side.

"Uh, Hiccup?" He made his way over, tapping against the pieces once he noticed them. "Is that Deathsong amber?"

"Yeah." He stood again and set a hand against my arm. "How did that get there?"

Panic flooded through me when I realized there were only a couple of sources that amber could realistically come from.

"What if Krogan found out where we hid Garff?" I asked worriedly, placing a hand against Hiccup's chest in an attempt to find some sort of comfort.