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

21: Grim News

   I woke up four weeks later. The four weeks had been uneventful, and five days before my shoulder had fully healed. I ran out onto the balcony area and leaped off of it, Frostflake catching me with a burbling sound. She sounded like she was scolding me, but I didn't care. We had gone back to Oleander Island two days before, happy to find my Gronkle Iron sword but not any Dragon Hunters.

I had explained what Viggo had tried to do with Hiccup, and the dragons had instantly helped the Riders to destroy the other flower Hiccup had taken from Viggo. However, I could hear panic arising from Hiccup's hut. "Let's go check it out, girl," I said.

   Hiccup was coughing, and I instantly wondered if this had something to do with the flower that Viggo had handed him.  Did it get caused by touch?  No, because then Viggo would also put himself in danger.  The air around him?  Viggo would still have put himself in danger.  Maybe it affected Hiccup over time?  No, because then the rest of the riders would be sick, too.

   Maybe I was just being paranoid.

   "I see Frostflake didn't help you all that much, did she?"  A familiar, chocolatey voice commented from the doorway.  I glanced down at the ground, seeing a familiar body shape formed by shadows next to mine.  I whirled around, and Viggo was standing in the doorway.  Frostflake growled, frost gathered in her throat.  I tensed, my hand on my sword handle.  

   "What did you do to him?"  I challenged.  "Nothing,"  Viggo raised his eyebrows and lifted his hands in surrender.  "Do you really think I could've -"

   "Of course you could have Viggo, it's you,"  I said, drawing my sword and racing at him.  To my surprise, he met my blade with his own.  "Please, I'm only here to talk."  He said.  "There's nothing to talk about!"  I hissed, knocking his legs out from under him with mine.  He was quick to get to his feet.

   "Kiara, please, do you really want to fight here?  Fight now?"  Viggo asked, parrying my blow with his sword.  I stumbled back, breathing heavily.  I glanced back at Hiccup, then turned my look back to Viggo.  "Get out of here,"  I growled, narrowing my eyes at him.  "Very well."  He sheathed his sword and stalked off.

   Over the next day, Hiccup got worse.  His face and skin had started to turn pink, and he had become unresponsive, although his eyes were still open.  They seemed to be covered with a milky white film.  After a lot of research, Fishlegs and I finally came to the conclusion that it was Viggo's flower.

   When all of the Riders - except for Hiccup, of course, were assembled - Fishlegs and I explained the sickness caused by the flower.  "It's called the Pink Flu,"  Fishlegs said.  "It can be transferred through touch unless you have the cure on your hand or whatever you are touching."  "Which must explain why Viggo hasn't gotten it."  Astrid chimed in.  "Yeah-ha, that's great, what about, the cure?"  Snotlout asked.

   "The cure is a clear slime that comes off of Clearswim Eels."  I read.  "They're almost as rare as the plant itself, and they only inhabit one island, which is filled with these flowers.  It's called Clearsky Island.  We only have two more days, or Hiccup will die.  We need to go now."

   "Wait, alone?  Without Hiccup?"  Astrid asked.  "We don't need Hiccup, we can go do this on our own!  It's just getting some slime, right?"  Snotlout asked.  "Actually, it's not."  I sighed.  "Clearsky Island is one of the main dragon hunter ports...it will be heavily guarded, and no doubt about it, Viggo will be waiting for us."  Heather agreed.  "And Clearswim Eels are, well, eels.  Plus, their bite gives you the Pink Flu just as effectively."  I added.

   "Just great."  Snotlout muttered.  "Aw yeah, let's go!"  Ruffnut said.  "Locked and loaded!"  Tuffnut chuckled.  "Wait, you muttonheads!  If we're doing this, we're going to need..."  Astrid started.  "A plan."  I nodded.  "And I think I've got one."

      When we arrived at Clearsky Island, we discovered that it was way more defended than anticipated.  When I narrowed my eyes, I could just see Viggo's shoulder plate through the leaves of the trees.  "Fire!"  I yelled, blasted frost at the catapults that had carefully aimed at us.  Astrid and Heather joined me, while Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the Twins took out the ballistas.  We swooped further into the island, where Viggo was commanding for something.  After a moment of studying us, I saw him smirk.  He must've noticed that the raid lacked Hiccup, and knew his plan had worked.

   "Viggo!"  I yelled down to him, glaring down while the others covered me.  "You have one chance.  Give me the antidote, or you're done!"  Frostflake had frost gathered in her throat.  The edge of Viggo's mouth curled up into a triumphant smirk once again.  "Oh, Kiara, you have many admirable qualities, but ruthlessness is not one of them."  

   "Eeeeeergh,"  I growled.  "Give me.  The antidote."  The feeling of the wind against my air signaled the Riders' arrival.  "Very well then,"  Viggo smirked yet again and walked over to the edge of a cliff.  He held out the pouch, and I could see some sort of sludge inside.  The slime!  "You want the antidote?"  He smirked (gosh that was getting annoying).  "Go get it."  He dropped the pouch, and Frostflake and I dove for it.

   The jagged spikes below the cliff edge grew closer and closer, and closer.  Finally, we snatched up the pouch and pulled up just before the spikes.  When I opened it, I saw an egg and some Cavern Crasher slime.  "Ugh!  He used the egg to add the weight needed to make it drop!"  I groaned.

   "How are we supposed to get the antidote now!?"  Snotlout yelled.  "From...down there..."  My voice became shaking as I pointed to the Clearswim Eels jumping out of the ocean depths below.