The Soul of a Dragon

Chapter 66

Vara

The wind whips through my hair as Aria and I soar above the trees. It feels incredible to be flying with her again, the sensation both exhilarating and comforting. This is home. I feel free. Her wings beat powerfully beneath me, and I can feel her strength returning, a far cry from the fragile state she was in just days ago. We've both been through so much, but I can sense that she's ready, that we're ready to face whatever comes next. Damn, I've missed her so much - us, together.

We haven't been flying for long. Despite the slightly awkward moment, everybody basically told Hiccup and I that they suspected everything, all of us have been pretty quiet. There's an ominous stillness in the air that makes me uneasy. The islands we've passed so far are deserted, eerily calm, as if every living thing has been wiped away. Aria is tense beneath me, her muscles coiled and ready for action. I give her a reassuring pat on the neck, to which she answers with a croon, but my own nerves are on edge, too.

Ahead of us, Hiccup and Toothless lead the way. I can't help but fawn over the black leather and dragon scale armour stretching over those muscles. This is really not the time and place for that, Vara. Grimmel is out there, and he's stronger than we anticipated. That's what I need to focus on. Not the feel of Hiccup's mouth claiming mine, or his hands setting my skin on fire.

Suddenly, Aria lets out a low growl, and I startle back to reality. I see it too - a massive shadow moving through the trees below. My heart skips a beat as the...what?! The Lycanwing emerges, its eyes glowing with that same malevolent light I remember from our last encounter. It's even larger than before, and the unexpectedly early sight of it freezes the blood in my veins.

"Everyone, watch out!" Hiccup bellows, but we barely have time to react.

The Lycanwing roars, a sound so powerful it could rival the sonic blast of the Thunderdrum. Aria instinctively veers to the left, and I hold on tightly as we dodge a blast of fire that scorches the sky where we were just moments ago. My heart pounds in my chest as I realize how close we came to being incinerated.

"Thanks, girl! You totally saved our butts!" I shout over the wind, guiding her back toward the others. She chirps as if saying "Duh" and I frown at the way she struggles to beat her wings more powerfully.

We regroup, forming a tight circle in the sky. The Lycanwing circles below us, its eyes locked on our every move. It's as if it's toying with us, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Its dark scales stand out against the blue morning sky, highlighting its unusual presence. It is now that I see the green vials sticking out of a metal headband. Grimmel. I can feel the tension in the air, the fear mixed with fury that none of us dare to voice. He's here somewhere.

Hiccup is the first to act. "We need to split up!" he orders. "It can't chase all of us at once. We'll confuse it and take it down together!" More lowly and with a growl that heats my core for all the wrong reasons, he adds, "We'll wait here. Grimmel will find us and we're going to be ready."

I nod. We've faced dangerous dragons before, albeit nothing like this, but we're more ready than a boar fighting Chicken. I can feel Aria's breathing flow through me and ground me.

We scatter in different directions, each of us hoping to draw the Lycanwing's attention away from the others. Aria and I dive toward the trees, using the dense foliage as cover. She's not strong enough yet to use her own method of camouflaging. I can hear the roars of the Lycanwing behind us, feel the heat of its flames as it chases Hiccup and Toothless through the sky. I can hear the others yell to each other. But I don't dare look back. If we're going to survive this, we need to stay focused.

"Keep moving, girl," I urge Aria. "We can't let it corner us."

She barks in response, her sleek wings propelling us forward with all the speed she can muster. But no matter how fast we fly, I can't shake the feeling that the Lycanwing is right behind us, ready to strike at any moment. I don't dare to push Aria's strength any further.