Lost and Found

Chapter 11: When We Lose

Hammering in my chest, my heart pounds against my rib cage. I don't want to believe it. I can't believe it. Yet it's right before my eyes. The king is dead. There is a new alpha now. One that does not appear to be as benevolent as its predecessor.

The gray bewilderbeast pants heavily before his eyes turn to slits, and he roars loudly. Most of the dragons flock to him and begin circling above his head. It's disheartening to watch.

"Inara, come on. We have to get out of here." Valka states, and we quickly begin putting some distance between us and the new alpha. But unfortunately, our retreat does not go unnoticed.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see the gray dragon glaring at us while taking in a deep breath. The air around us loses all warmth. Sensing our urgency and the danger, Atlas and Cloudjumper speed up and try to get into the nest, but a blast of ice follows us. We turn to avoid it. Atlas makes it; however, Couldjumper's tail gets frozen. Unable to fly as fast or as well, Cloudjumper tries in one last attempt to get to cover.

Atlas follows behind them, ready to help, but a sudden swarm of dragons makes it near impossible to follow our friends. I hear Valka shout and notice one of the dragons shoved her off Cloudjumper.

"Valka!" I scream as she hangs for a moment before losing her grip and falling. The swarm dissipates, and I see Stoick catch Valka. The two slide down the side of the mountain and quickly hide behind some ice as the bewilderbeast searches for them. Looking up, I see Cloudjumper find a safe land spot as he tries desperately to get the ice off his tail.

Anger runs through my veins again as I look down at where Drago stands smugly. I reach for my sword and pull it out so quickly the metal rings in the crisp air. Atlas dives down, racing toward the dark-clad man. I scream out in rage, jumping from Atlas' back as she passes. I push myself into a roll before springing up to my feet.

"The young one." Drago mutters as he recognizes me.

I swing my sword around and charge. Drago blocks my attack with his bullhook. The metal-on-metal sound rings in my ears. My blade slides off the bullhook, and I dive and roll out of the way as Drago swings down hard. His weapon collides with the stone ground. As I get behind him, I kick him in the back, adding to his momentum, which makes him stumble forward a bit.

Drago whips around with a snarl, circularly swinging his bullhook as he steps closer to me. I take steps back to avoid getting hit in the face with the swinging weapon. Adjusting my grip on my sword, I raise it to hit the bullhook. At the same time, I tap the hilt allowing the blade to break apart, becoming as flexible as a rope. The strength at which Drago swings his weapon causes my sword to get wrapped around it. I let the momentum pull me through the air as I jump. I kick off a nearby wall of ice and knee Drago in the face.

I land on my feet as Drago stumbles with a shout. Double tapping the hilt returns my sword to its rigid state. Drago looks absolutely fuming as he stares down at me. One moment feels like a thousand before we charge at each other again. I drop to my knees and slide under his swing. It feels like slow motion as I watch the bullhook glide over my face. Spinning on my knees, I jump to my feet and swing at Drago. He blocks it with his bullhook and uses the hooked end to twist my sword out of my grasp. It leaves a path in the snow as it slides along the ground.

Before I have a second to react, Drago grabs me by my shoulder and tosses me to the ground. I brace myself as I roll a bit. I yelp in pain as my head hits the ground. A gasp leaves my mouth as my back hits a wall of ice. A little way in front of me, I see my discarded and broken mask.

My vision blurs and shifts slightly as I see him walking toward me.

"You should know when to give up, little dragon rider." Drago laughs. Before he can get any closer, a voice echoes across the snow and ice.