Legends of Darkstalkers and Nightriders

Chapter 7: Violet

Emma’s POV

“Yeah, so, what's it to you?” Sadie asked, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Astrid.

Astrid glared back. “Should we take them back to the jail?” she asked Hiccup.

“Go ahead, try. Probably won’t work out for you,” I muttered.

“What for?” Sadie asked. “We didn’t do anything wrong?”

“You’re dangerous,” she snapped back.

“Try and lock us up then,” Sadie challenged, drawing her knives. “See how far you get before I put one of these between your eyes.”

“She’s not kidding,” Blaze added.

“Yeah? Neither am I,” Astrid retorted, pulling out her ax.

“Calm down, Astrid, give them a chance,” Hiccup said, using his hand to lower her axe.

“We don’t mean any harm,” I said. “We’re just...trying to find our place in the world, I guess.”

Astrid studied us suspiciously. “Then what about the legends?”

I groaned. “For once, can someone just ignore the stupid legends? They’re campfire stories.”

“Well, are they true?” Astrid asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“No, not for the most part,” Sadie said.

“We’re only dangerous if we have to be,” I added. “Just like everyone else, we protect ourselves, that’s all.”

Sadie looked from Hiccup to Astrid. “Let’s just go, guys,” she said. “We’re obviously not wanted here.” She mounted Stardancer.

“Wait,” Hiccup said. “You both have Night Furies, you can’t just--”

“What? Leave?” she snapped. “Watch me.”

Blaze and I sat on Nova, ready to leap into the air. I looked down at my saddle bag. “Echo?” I said, not seeing the hatchling in the bag. “Echo?” I called again, a little louder.

The hatchling popped its head out of Hiccup’s Night Fury’s saddle bag. “What are you doing?” I asked, relieved that her hatchling was okay.

“A hatchling?!” Hiccup exclaimed. “You have a hatchling too?!”

“Let’s go, Emma,” Sadie said, almost pleading.

“Alright,” I agreed. ”Hand me Echo, would you?” I asked Hiccup.

He hesitated, but gently picked up the hatchling and handed her over, the baby dragon leaping into my arms and licking my cheek. I carefully tucked her in the saddle bag. “Alright, let’s go then,” I said.

We took off into the air, but Hiccup and Astrid followed us.

“Would you get lost and stay that way?” Sadie called, irritated.

They both hesitated and Sadie turned, blasting air at them. The wind caused them to fly back and Sadie and I seized the opportunity to shoot into the clouds. We hovered in the white mist for a few minutes.

“Are they gone?” Blaze asked finally, impatient.

“For good measure,” Sadie said, standing on Stardancer’s back. “Let’s send them on a wild goose chase.” Then with a grin, she jumped from her dragon’s back and dove back down through the clouds.

I followed her to see where the others were. Hiccup and Astrid followed Sadie closely. Sadie dove below another cluster of clouds, hiding in them as Hiccup and Astrid followed, not sure where she was anymore. She waited for them to go off looking for her before rejoining Blaze and I.