The Quest For Hope

Dragon's Gate: Chapter Three

Screams and fearful streamed past the windowsill. Elsa and Pabbie ran to the window, unnerved by the sudden confusion and yells from the courtyard. Chickens clucked loudly as their baskets overturned. Flower petals and dust flew as people stampeded by. Laughter faded under the commotion. Elsa scanned the courtyard for her friends. Her heart relaxed as Anna's Strawberry-blonde hair swept past her, tucked under Kristoff's protective arm. 

Her heart caught in her chest as her eyes settled back on the fountain base. A distorted imaged reflected on its surface. Elsa's eyes darted up, caught between fear and curiosity. Her heart pounded as the dragon flew above her. The same silver dragon she saw when exploring Dragon's Gate.

The whooshed with the strength of the dragon's wings as she soared above them, circling the kingdom. Elsa screamed and grabbed her neck.

"What is it?" Pabbie asked, concerned. Her eyes flitted between her and the dragon that dominated the sky.

"I don't know. It feels like I've been burned." She twisted around and peered into a reflective jar. "Do you see anything?"

Pabbie looked closer and gasped. "Princess, what had happened? Did you touch something? Did the tea drop on you?" Concern etches his face as he fumbled for a cool cloth to dab the round red mark on Elsa's neck 

"No, I was just looking out of the window with you, and my neck started to burn." She swept her hair to the side and pulled her necklace off to keep it from touching her blistering skin, sending rainbows reflecting around the room.

Pabbie's jaw dropped as he saw the reflections. "How can this be?" He whispered. "Elsa, where did you get that necklace?"

Something in his time alerted her, and she instinctively tightened her grip. "Jack gave the shell to me last summer, at the betrothal ball. He said he found it while he was searching for me, by the lake." Her eyes glazed over as the memories of that night played through her mind. "I had it made into a necklace so it would always be close to my heart."

"Can I see it?" He asked, holding his hand out to take it.

Elsa looked down tentatively before handing it over. "I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it. Jack wouldn't have given me something dangerous." Her voice quieted, and her heart beat wildly as she watched Pabbie handle it. Her stomach knotted ad the lingering silence increased her unease.

Closing his fist over the shell, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

After a moment, his eyes popped open. "It all makes sense," he said excitedly. "Princess, this isn't a shell. Do you see the reflective rays?" He lifted it, its sparkling rainbow reflecting on the room's jars. 

"Yes," she whispered. "It's one of my favourite things about the necklace. What does it mean?"

Pabbie leaned in closer and looked her in the eyes. "this means you've been wearing your very own dragon scale." Pabbie laughed. "Your mother knew what she was talking about." He jumped up and paced the room his eyes wide and as bright as his smile. "A dragon," he mused under his breath.

Elsa watched his excitement impatiently. "What do you mean? My mother may have known, but I don't. What's going on?"

He stopped pacing. "Do you know much of the history of the dragons?" He asked.

Elsa shook her head. "No, not too much, just the old stories people tell. Are these tales real?"

"To a degree," he agreed, "but usually there's a big part that's left out. Here you go," he said handing back her necklace and leading her to a chair, risking a quick glance at the sky outside. "Where to begin?" He mused.

"Thousand of years ago, the dragons roamed freely, living harmoniously with us humans. We stayed out of their territory, and they left us alone until we discovered the magic and power in dragon eggs. That peaceful partnership ended as our desire for power and money surpassed our appreciation for peace. No one was immune to their greed, even here in Arendelle. We went after their eggs, hunted the dragons, and tried to steal their magic. The blue dragon emblem that waves on our flags symbolise the capture of the most powerful dragon in history." He stopped and looked at her before he continued. "I don't know why this silver dragon s back, and I don't know why it burned you, but that's one of her scales you have. It might simply be reacting to her presence. A dragon is magical, even the scales, and maybe being so close has recharged it."

Her heart fluttered as she flipped the scale over in her hands, examining it closely and letting his words sink in. Her mind struggled with his words, hearing a new level of deception and darkness to their history.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," Pabbie said, pursing his lips. "Excuse me. I really must go see the king. Your mother mentioned the prophecy, and her words may hold the clues to solving this mystery. There's no time to wait." He paused for a brief moment, then grabbed his books and fled.  

Elsa watched him go, racing from the apothecary shop through the courtyard and into the main gates. She fiddled with the scale, feeling the magic tingle beneath her fingertips.

King Agnarr and Prince Hiccup shuddered and knelt down as the beast roared, releasing on last breath of fire and smoke before disappearing over the forest. Hiccup stood first. Sweeping over the courtyard, he watched the men and women scurry away, disappearing into corners, hiding beneath boxes and barrels. Relief washed over him as Anna's strawberry-blonde hair peeked out from beneath Kristoff's arms. Reassured, he shifted his attention back to his father, watching the fear disappear behind his guarded gaze. 

"Father, what do we do now?" Hiccup asked tentatively, his own body still trembling.

"I don't know, I don't know," the king said, his voice trailing off as he scanned the distance and then the interior of the courtyard. Men and women slowly peeked out from beneath their hiding spots, surveying the sky and stopping at the walls. The villager's voices rose until the roar of the dragon paled in comparison. Demands and questions rang out that they weren't prepared to answer. His fingers tightened over the edges of his robe, pulling it straight as he gathered himself together.

The pangs of doubt and worry running through Hiccup's mind stopped, recognising the strength in his father's demeanour. Always the steady figurehead, his father bore the eight of their kingdom's worries. Hiccup's short reverie broke as his father looked him in the eyes.

"First things first. We must make sure the villagers are okay, that the grounds are still standing, then gather our men and devise a plan. I'll send out the guards, you gather the royals, and we'll meet in the study. There isn't much time. There's no telling what will happen next."

The king turned and headed off to the throne room, leaving Hiccup the focus of the stares from below. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on the edge. Taking a deep breath, he started down the stairs, braving the awaiting crowd.