Guardians Rising

23: Fortress

Fortunately, the fire had not burned long enough to destroy all the leads, and Eret and Skullcrusher had been able, after some difficulty, to find the trail again. As the cool breeze of early evening had begun to blow, the five of them set out again.

Now, with the dying glow of the sun behind them and the wind whistling in their ears once more, they flew. Hiccup gazed silently ahead, thinking about his friend. Even though he had only known Jack for a few days, he had liked the irrepressible white-haired boy and was eager to find him. He glanced over at Astrid and Merida who seemed to be engaged in some conversation, but he couldn't hear them over the wind, so he fixed his gaze ahead once more.

Just then, Rapunzel giggled behind him. "What?" he asked, without turning his head.

"Oh, sorry," said Rapunzel, and giggled again. "I was just listening to those two." She gestured to Merida and Astrid. Hiccup blinked, surprised.

"Wait," he said, "you . ." but he trailed off when they rounded the side of a cliff.

Before them stood a massive stone mountain, it's peak draped with snow and it's sides shrouded in mist. He flew up beside Eret, who had stopped and was hovering in midair.

"This doesn't make sense," Eret said. "The trail leads right into the mountains. Literally." Hiccup narrowed his eyes, then said,

"How could- y'know maybe . . " He glided slowly forward on Toothless.

Suddenly, Toothless's outstretched wing brushed against the rock . .

And passed right through it.

The dragon recoiled with a bellow, starting backwards and jerking Hiccup and Rapunzel almost out of the saddle. "It's - it's not real!" Hiccup exclaimed breathlessly. The others stared at the "rock" wall incredulously.

"How could it not be real?" asked Astrid.

"I have . . no idea," replied Hiccup.

Before anyone could say anything more, Merida broke in.

"Oh, let's jus' go in!" Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, shrugged, then glided towards it.

They had moved barely three feet when Toothless began growling. Then, a moment later, Stormfly and Skullcrusher joined in. "What's up, girl?" Astrid asked her dragon. But Stormfly's growls only grew more urgent with every flap of her wings. "I don't think the dragons are okay with this, Hiccup."

"Yeah," Hiccup replied, "I got that too. Let's fly down to the bottom and see if we can get in there." They circled away from the not-so-real mountainside and headed for the grassy slopes far below.

A moment later, they landed, raising a small cloud of dust as they did. The five humans swung themselves down off the dragons and headed for the mysterious wall.

They halted right before it, each one of them feeling a strange misgiving .

Hiccup took the lead, stepping forward, right through the insubstantial barrier.

Astrid went after, followed by Merida, Eret, and finally, a very nervous Rapunzel.

Behind them, the three dragons sat still, silently mourning for their masters, who they knew might never be seen again.

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