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

~ Chapter 39 ~

"How can that thing even lift you?"

I slowly turned around in the saddle and everyone's eyes drifted over to Zero.

He shrugged. "What? If I was that dragon, I would've fallen out the sky by now."

He, Night and Winter burst out laughing.

"Do they EVER take ANYTHING seriously?" Astrid asked me, looking abashed.

"'Course not," I replied, laughing.

"Think my weight's somethin' to laugh about, do yeh?" Alvin snarled, baring his teeth. He gestured for the two Whispering Deaths at his side to inch closer.

Wavebreaker hissed, the spines along his head flaring upwards like a frilled-neck lizard. The Whispering Deaths chattered uneasily, but the Vikings on top of them kept them in line.

"You'll never take Berk," Astrid piped up boldy behind me. "Stoick knows you're coming, and he's prepared. You'll have to get past hundreds of dragons and Vikings before you even see Berk's shores."

Alvin raised his eyebrow. "If Stoick knows," he said gruffly, "Then why are you lot comin' all the way out 'ere to blow up our ships?" He hesitated, thinking. "Unless... you're 'ere without 'is permission."

Alvin's face split in a malevolent grin when none of us contradicted him.

"Oh, yes," said a sleezy voice behind him. "Stoick doesn't know they're here."

Alvin turned and edged to the side, revealing a thin, shallow face with wiry, matted grey whiskers and a serious underbite.

Mildew.

He was sitting on top of another Whispering Death, although I saw another, tougher-looking Viking sititng behind him, controlling the beast. That figured. Mildew hated dragons. Tucked under his arm was a bored-looking sheep, which baaed dully.

"Hush now, Fungus," Mildew cooed, his voice nasally, as he patted the sheep's head. He turned back to us, an evil glint in his eye.

"You!" Astrid urged Stormfly forward, but the ring of Whispering Deaths closed in tigher, forcing us to hover back-to-back.

Mildew pretended to look hurt. "Astrid, what d'you mean? I've been taken against my will and forced to live with them on this despicable island."

"You liar!" Winter cried from Stormfly's talons. "You're evil! You betrayed Hiccup, like, five times!"

Mildew gave Winter a blank look.

"Enough of this," Alvin piped up, turning once again to face us. "We still 'ave enough ships to make it into Berk, and as for you lot - " He glared at us, "-We're in desperate need of new dragon trainers. It's just a lucky thing that you came when you did."

"Mate, we know nothing about training dragons!" Zero protested. Chameleon gave a purr of agreement and whipped his tail over his back, cuffing Zero over the head.

"Ow!" Zero complained. "See what I mean?"

"Hmmm... you could be right..." Alvin looked at me thoughtfully. "But what about 'er? 'Er's isn't bein' a pain."

"Yeah," Night butted in enthusiastically. "That dragon was, like, super wild and then Willow tamed it, so if you're gonna kidnap any of us, it should be her."

I whipped around and Death-Stared her. "Night! Seriously?!"

Night gave me her cheeky grin. "What? I don't want to be a prisoner."

"If you won't be a prisoner," Alvin went on nastily, "Then you'll die."

Night swallowed. "Okay, the prisoner's fine."

"Too late." Alvin grinned. "Attack!"

At once, the ring of Whispering Deaths rushed in on us. Instinctively, our dragons either dove downwards or shot upwards, leaving the Whispering Deaths to crash into one another with squwarks of alarm and pain.

"Get them!" Alvin's voice roared over the noise.

"Get the ships!" Astrid's desperate shout rang out. "If we're going down, at least take the ships with you!"

Two Whispering Deaths suddenly appeared from below, stopping me and Wavebreaker in our tracks towards an intact ship. The Vikings on top grinned stupidly.

"Willow DUCK!"

I had just enough time to flatten myself against Wavebreaker's back before a ball of molten lava soared over the top of me, so close that it singed some of my hairs.

It exploded right between the two Whispering Deaths, who screwed up their eyes with agonized screeches and dove back down towards the earth.

I glanced over my shoulder and Night smiled at me on top of Greytooth, waving her hands.

"Thanks Night!" I called before diving downwards.

The wind whipped past my face, buffeting my hair and clothes. I caught sight of one of the ships that was still operational and I felt the fire ignite within Wavebreaker's skin. His mouth snappped open and a bolt of bio-electricity burst out.

It exploded on the ship's hull, which instantly went up in flames. The crew aboard yelled and dove into the sea as Wavebreaker and I soared past above them.

"Yes!" I shouted in excitement as we swung around.

"Well done, Willow!"

I glanced to the side to see Zero cutting through the air beside me.

"You finally blasted one, while we've been blasting them for ages!" he called to me mockingly.

"Oh, shut it!" I retorted, leaning sideways to guide Wavebreaker towards another ship.

There was a scream behind me and, on instinct, I veered Wavebreaker around to see what had happened. My eyes widened.

Nets and Whispering Deaths came out of nowhere, slamming into the flanks of my friends' dragons and sending them plummeting.

Two Whispering Deaths sidled up to Zero and the two Vikings threw what looked like a think fishing net over him and Chameleon, wrapping around the dragon and boy and making it impossible for them to escape, even with Chameleon's camoflage.

Another net came out of nowhere and snatched Night and Greytooth out of the sky. The Little Shadow had just enough time to frantically flap towards the coast before his stregnth gave out and they slammed into the rocky shoreline, writhing beneath the ropes.

A white blurr shot past me and when my eyes adjusted I realised it was Winter in snow-owl form, streaking towards Alvin.

"Winter, no-!"

Before I could finish my cry, something heavy slammed into Wavebreaker's side again, sending us plummeting towards the crashing waves below.

I looked up into the twisted face of Mildew.