Legends of Darkstalkers and Nightriders

Chapter 22: Sacrifice

Sadie's POV

After parting ways with Emma, Stardancer and I flew until we couldn't fly anymore, landing on a small island with a nice little cove and a freshwater stream with a cave nearby. Since it was dark when we landed we went into the cave and pretty much collapsed on the floor, quickly falling asleep.

The next morning, the first thing I did after waking up was take a bath in the stream, scrubbing myself clean and at the same time, washing all the memories from the last few years to the farthest corners of my mind and burying them there. I washed all the ash out of my hair, letting the blue highlights show.

Over the next few weeks I let the dark side of me through, attacking small trading ships and sinking them after taking a few things of value and occasionally, robbing the weary traveler or store I came across. For the first time in my life, I actually was the Nightrider. The monster, the legend everyone claimed I was, and I didn't care. I didn't care about anyone or anything else.

The morning of my birthday I headed to outcast island with Stardancer. I sat in the clearing where my house had once stood and leaned against the chimney, the chest of drawings sitting open beside me as I drew a few more to add to it.

I finished my last one and studied it with a sigh before tucking it into the chest, fingering the hidden compartment where I kept the one picture I wanted to forget, the one I never could.

I shut the lid as I hear a banshee like shriek behind me and turn to see Blaze land nearby on Nova. I scowled. "What are you doing here?"

He dismounted and angrily shoved a note into my hand. "It's Emma. Read." He waited for me to finish. "You'd better go save her, Sadie, this is your mess. None of this would have happened if you had just given him the stupid book in the first place, or even if we hadn't met, that would've been better. Either way, you're going to go get her back, right now."

I handed him back the letter. "Let me see if I can't bust her out first," I said, the last thing I wanted to do was face Hiccup again.

"Good," he said. "And if anything happens to her, I'm holding you personally responsible."

I sighs. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Wait here, and I mean right here. Don't move and don't touch anything." I locked the chest and placed it back in the hidden compartment beneath the chimney, putting the key back around my neck and tucking it into my shirt. I gave Blaze a stern look before taking off, heading for the Outcast village.

I found Emma locked in a cell in the dungeon, two guards standing outside her cell. There was no way I was getting her out, not by myself so I flew back to where I'd left Blaze only to find that he'd taken my chest out of the compartment and had somehow gotten Nova to blast it open.

There were no words to describe the rage coursing through me. "Oh HELL, no! What part of don't move and don't touch anything didn't you understand?!"

"Yeah, well I don't trust you, and I'm aware the feeling is mutual," he retorted. "What is all this?"

"None of your damn business!" I snapped, snatching the drawings from his hands and stuffing them back in the chest. "Have you no respect for anything of mine that I want to keep private?! This is mine, okay! M-I-N-E, mine!! That means you stay out of it, period!!" I put the chest carefully away again, unable to hold back the tears that had started streaming down my cheeks.

"I tried to respect your privacy, but you just lie to us all the time! I lost respect for you a long time ago! And now my sister is in danger because of you!"

I turned to face him. "Oh so you nosing through my things is all my fault?! This is private, Blaze! It was never meant to be shared with anyone! This was for me and my-" I stopped, unable to continue as a sob escaped and I fell to my knees beside the chimney, resting my head against the stones.

Blaze sighed and fell silent for several minutes. "I'm sorry," he said finally, his voice quiet. "It's just...Emma is the only thing in this world that I have left and I want to keep her safe. But I crossed a line."

I let myself cry for several minutes before falling silent again, hiccuping for a few minutes. "Will you promise me something?"

"What?" he asked softly.

"I'll get Emma back, but you don't breath a word of this to anyone, not even Emma."

He sighed. "Fine. All you are is secrets, Sadie, it will eat you alive someday," he added softly.

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Think what you want," I said softly. "This place stays untouched by anyone else." I forced myself to my feet again and turned to look at him. "Promise me."

He pursed his lips for a moment. "I promise."

I nodded, satisfied before taking off again, this time to face my uncle.

I landed outside the main hall, not bothering to hide myself. "Come out here, Alvin! Come out here and face me!"

For a long moment there was no response, then he appeared at the top of the steps. "You have what I want?"

"Yes. Now where's Emma?"

"Let me see it first."

"You're looking at it," I replied, tapping the side of my head with a finger. "I have a photographic memory, I've seen every page in that book and I can remake it for you."

He studied me for a long moment. "Prove it."

"Got some paper I can borrow?"

He nodded to one of his men and a few minutes later one of them approaches me with a piece of paper and a pencil. I quickly sketched a copy of the one page I'd seen out of the Book of Dragons.

When I finished the man held his hand out for the page, but I shook my head. "Emma first."

Alvin nodded to another man and he disappeared, reappearing a moment later with Emma in tow, who looked fine other than the bandage on her shoulder.

Emma blinked a few times from the bright sun before her gaze landed on me, looking relieved. "Sadie."

I smiled slightly before handing the man the paper which he in turn took to Alvin. Alvin studied it for a moment before nodding. "Alright, this will work. Put the cuffs on her."

A man came toward me with cuffs and in response I sent a blast of air his way, knocking him over. "Let her go first."

"Then what assurance do I have that you'll stay?" Alvin asked.

I shrugged. "Guess you just have to trust me. But I can assure you that as long as you have her you're not getting anything else from me."

Alvin's eyes narrowed and he stared at me for a long moment before nodding at the man holding Emma.

He took her cuffs off, letting her go.

I nodded toward the forest. "Blaze is waiting for you. Go"

"I can't just leave you," she said.

"Yes, you can," I said. "I'll be fine, just go."

She hesitated for a long moment before heading into the tree line.

I wait until she's out of sight before whispering softly, "Look after Stardancer for me," and willing the wind to carry my voice to her ears before letting Alvin's men cuff me and take me inside, locking me in a cell.

Written by: Ultimate_Dreamer7

Hope you guys enjoy! :)