Howling Echoes - A How to Train Your Dragon Story, The Echoes, Book 1

4: Trickery

   "Um, excuse me, Your Majesty, what dragon is this?"  Fishlegs asked nervously, pointing to an Eruptodon statue.

   Mala looked up at the statue with evident pride.  "That is our Great Protector.  He eats the lava from the volcano.  If it weren't for him, our whole village would be burnt to the ground."  Snotlout laughed and pointed up at the smoking volcano.  "Well, it looks like your 'Great Protector' is asleep on the job."
   Mala looked up.  "Let us check it out for you."  Hiccup suggested.  "We can be there in just -"  "No, Hiccup Haddock while you are here I ask that you respect our ways.  You may come with us...on foot."  Mala interrupted.  Hiccup nodded.  "Have it your way."

   I signal Frostflake to look out for danger from above, and she took off.

   We neared the volcano.  Mala gasped.  "The Eruptodon has never let the lava get this far!"  We ran faster toward the volcano.  At the entrance, Mala gasped while Snotlout argued with his dragon in the background.  "There should be guards here."
   When we ran into the area Mala whirled around.  "The Eruptodon is gone!"  "Could he just be on a different part of the island?"  Hiccup suggested quickly.  "No, the Eruptodon never strays far from its food source!"  Mala cried.

   "Hiccup,"  Astrid picked up an arrow, tinted green.  She licked it, then spat on the ground.  She held the arrow out.  "Dragon Hunters."  Hiccup rushed over.  "Oh no - Viggo wasn't trying to keep us from this island!  He was trying to use us as a distraction!  How did I miss that!?"

   Mala got up from studying an arrow.  "So it was true.  You really were just a distraction after all.  I was actually starting to believe you."  Her grip was shaky as she snapped the arrow in half with her thumb.  "Wait, no, Mala, it's not what you think -"  Hiccup started.  "Silence!  You have served your master well.  Without the Eruptodon to stop the lava flow the fate of my village is set, but so is yours!"  Mala snapped.  The rest of us were getting surrounded.  "I warned you about what would happen if I found out you were lying to me!"  Frostflake landed in front of me, defending me, so I missed what Mala said.  

   "Now I will kill you myself,"  Mala growled.

   Hiccup glanced around.  "STOP!"  He yelled.  Some of the Defenders of the Wing hesitated, but it didn't do much more.  "Ok, you're right, you were tricked, but we were tricked, too!  Viggo used us to steal your Eruptodon, but without us knowing!  We'll prove it to you, we'll find your Eruptodon.  I'll even leave some people here to help combat the lava."  Mala narrowed her eyes.  "Only your best."  "Heather's a survivalist, she's dealt with lava before.  And, Ruff and Tuff -"  He glanced at whatever in the world those two were doing.  "let's just say they have a lot of experience...cleaning up stuff."

   Hiccup signaled to Toothless to stand down.  "I will allow you to help in the search for our Great Protector on one condition:  I will be coming with you."  Hiccup looked surprised for a moment.  "I thought you didn't fly."  "I will do whatever it takes to save our Great Protector,"  Mala said.  "But if you fail me, I will kill you.  If you betray me, I will kill you.  If I think at any time -"  "You will kill me,"  Hiccup finished.  "Understood."

   Toothless and Frostflake started growled at some bushes while Snotlout blabbered to Hiccup in the background.  Hookfang made him fall over.

   "What is it, bud?"  Hiccup asked his friend.  Suddenly three arrows shot out of the bushes straight for Mala.  Snotlout got up, annoyed, and the arrows hit his helmet.  Mala looked at Snotlout, then dove into the bushes.  A few moments later, two hunters were dragged out.

   "Which way did they go?  Tell us!"  Astrid demanded.  The hunters shook their heads.  Toothless roared in their faces.  "They - they went north with the dragon!"  One of them blurted.

   Heather and the twins went off to start working on the lava as the rest of us saddled up.  Well, I didn't actually HAVE a saddle, I just rode bareback.  

   Mala for whatever reason chose to ride with Snotlout, but none of us questioned it.  We flew north and soon found a hunter ship.  Hiccup suggested Mala and Snotlout hanging back.

   "Um, Hiccup!?"  I called when we were out of earshot of Mala and they were searching the deck for 'Viggo' and 'Ryker'.  "Yeah?"  He called back.  "I've never been in a battle with hunter ships before!"  I called.  "Anything I might need to know?"  "Stay away from those dragon root arrows!  They'll overwhelm your dragon and make it impossible to fly!  Catapults will knock you out of the sky, nets will catch you, you know."  Hiccup replied.

   "Let me rephrase that:  I've been in contact with just about 0 humans in my lifetime."  I amended.  "Well, then it's a great time to learn!  Astrid called.  "No sign of Viggo or Ryker!"

   "They must be below deck."  Hiccup said.  "Just do your best!"  I nodded.  Frostflake burbled in agreement.  

   Hiccup dove and blasted the ship.  I followed and Frostflake froze the mast, the dove down and used her tail to slice it away.  Stormfly shot spines and fire at the boat.  After we finished up with that (most of the damage done by Toothless and Stormfly) Hiccup gravely reported that Viggo, Ryker, and the Eruptodon weren't there.  After a 'pardon' from Snotlout or whatever, stuff I didn't know about, Hiccup gasped.

   "Classic Maces and Talons move!"  He gasped.  "What's Maces and -"  I started.  "We'll show you sometime."  Astrid cut me off.  "Viggo's going to use the Eruptodon to destroy our home!"