TAW Tales: How to Train Your Shifters (#1)

~ Chapter 20 ~

"H-hello?" I stammered, my voice shaking. "Can-can you hear me?"

Hiccup got off his rock and came slowly came closer, his brown eyes wide with surprise. I realized he was way smaller in real-life; he was supposed to be about a year older than me, yet he came up to my eye-line.

He stopped about a metre directly opposite me. For a minute, we stared at eachother, quietly stunned by this explainable and bizarre encounter. It was Hiccup who broke the silence.

"Are you a ghost?" he asked, whispering.

My mouth twitched. "No, I'm not a ghost," I assured him. "I don't know why or how I'm here, to be honest with you."

"Huh." Hiccup scratched the back of his neck. "You look like a ghost."

"Do I?" I glanced down at my hands and gasped. I could see right through them!

"Yeah," Hiccup replied thoughtfully. "Maybe it's an imprint or something?"

"Could be," I murmured. "I mean, I've been here before, so maybe I can teleport part of, I dunno, my spirit or something. But that's not important right now. Hiccup, where are you?"

Hiccup started. "How do you know my name?" he asked in surprise.

I felt myself flicker, like the image on a TV screen. I realized this connection wouldn't last much longer, and suddenly my brain started working much, much faster.

"I'm on your world," I said quickly as I flickered again. "Astrid and the others are worried about you. They're looking for you everywhere."

"But -how-?"

"I don't have much time!" I snapped impatiently. "Just tell me where you are and I can help your friends find you!"

"I don't know where I am!" Hiccup cried hopelessly. "And who are you?"

"My name is-"

The world around me seemed to suck inwards, including Hiccup's scared, pale face. I felt wind roaring through my ears and my lungs felt like all the air was being pulled out of them.

I blinked and gasped. I was staring at a circle of worried faces.

"Willow? Willow, are you okay?" The voices of my friends echoed in my ears, and it took me a little time register what they were saying.

I bolted upright and held my head. "Ow."

"Are you alright, lass?" Gobber stooped down to look at me. "Took a real hit on the nogin it looked like. What happened?"

"I-I don't know..."

I shook my head and got slowly to my feet. The world swam a little around me, but otherwise I felt fine. Apart from my head. That was throbbing.

"SHE'S ALRIGHT!" Gobbber turned and bellowed to the watching crowd. I winced as his voice sent another painful jolt through my head.

"Willow, are you sure you're okay?" Winter asked me nervously.

"Yeah." I breathed in deeply, trying to stead my racing heart.

Then I gasped suddenly.

Something had clicked in my mind.

What had the fortune said?

You are the main characters in this book. Now, you must all experience someone else's tale.

Now you must ALL experience someone else's tale.

I felt my blood freeze. It wasn't just referring to us. It was referring to the other main characters, the ones who we must replace. We must go into their world; and Hiccup was in our world. So that must mean-

I turned to address my friends. "I know where Hiccup is, "I said firmly.

"What!?" they said at the same time.

"Where?" asked Night.

"How?" asked Everest.

"Who?" asked Luna.

"Good job guys, you officially learnt 'Who, What, Where and How' from Grade Two English," I couldn't resist saying.

"Nevermind that!" Moon cuffed me over the head. "Where is he?"

I turned to face her, feeling myself shaking.

"He-He's in our world."