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

33: Shaken

   A violent shake shook the Edge.

   I raced up to Hiccup's hut to find Astrid already there.  Of course.  "Hiccup!  Was that -"  Astrid started.  "More intense than normal?  No doubt!"  Hiccup finished.  "Hiccstrid,"  I muttered.

   Hiccup gave me a small glare, then we rushed to the stables.  "Whiplash!"  I yelled, seeing him quickly exit the stables.  "Quick, go find Chroma and take her to a safe place!"  Whiplash nodded and took off toward the other side of the island.  "Careful of the volcano!"  Frostflake roared after him, but he was already gone and out of earshot.

   "Come on!"  I mounted Frostflake and lifted into the air, Astrid and Hiccup already circling the base.  Red-orange molten lava flowed down the side of the mountain and onto the base.  "This is worse than I thought!"  Hiccup called.  "I know, my S!"  Snotlout moaned.

   "Will we be able to clean up after this?"  I wondered aloud, Frostflake burbling worriedly.  "Maybe we can't.  Maybe we have to accept the fact that it's time for us to go."  Astrid flew back around.  

   "After everything that's happened here you want us to just up and leave?"  I demanded.  "Why not?  It's getting way too dangerous!  Besides, that's what YOU did!  TWICE now, I may mention!  And, we never got an explanation for it!  You're just a drifter that comes in and out of our lives every now and then, why should you have any say in if we stay or go?"  Snotlout shot back.

   I winced.  "We need to stabilize the island first.  As soon as the volcano stops spewing, Fishlegs and I can get to work.  Ok?"  Hiccup said.  "In the meantime, start packing up anything that you can escape quickly with if there's a full-scale eruption."

   I nodded.  The next morning, the volcano had finally stopped.  "This is a disaster..."  I muttered, gathering up the few things I had into a gold-colored leather pouch.  Suddenly, I felt firey heat hit my back.  I turned, and there was a fire in my doorway.

   "Frostflake!"  I yelled.  She landed outside and frosted the fire.  I quickly mounted her, scrabbling for a hold as she suddenly took off.  "Frostflake what's going on!?"  I cried.  "The Edge is under attack, we have to move!"  Frostflake hissed back, her sharp, light blue eyes scanning the skies.

   Suddenly, a red blur cut in front of us, and a blast of fire followed it.  Frostflake quickly spun out of the way, hissing in pain as it hit her tail.  "Frostflake!  Are you ok?"  I glanced back at her tail.  "Yeah, I'm fine."  She assured me.  "Right now we have to - ah!"  Frostflake quickly rolled out of the way.

   "Where are the other Riders?"  I asked.  "Over here!"  Fishlegs waved, hovering in the group of Riders above the huts.  "Are those - flyers!?"  Hiccup cried.  I glanced at an orange Singetail that was diving for us.  "On Singetails!"  Burning hate made its way into my voice.  "Forcing them to fight against their will - AGH!"  I leaped off of Frostflake and flashed into a Fire Wraith, bursting forward and cutting two flyers off with my wings.

   A huge red Singetail suddenly came up in front of me, making me halt.  Leaves broke off of the trees as its wings beated against the air.  "Oh no..."  I muttered, quickly turning away.  Frostflake caught my tail with her nose and I flashed back into myself, grabbing her tail.  I quickly climbed back onto her back.

   She stared up at the Singetail with wide, frightened eyes.  "Titan Wing Singetail..."  Her voice was shaking, and her wing beats were fast and uneven.  I narrowed my eyes, trying to see who was riding it, but the sun blocked out most of his features.  All I could make out was one familiar, triumphant, annoying, unforgettable smirk.

   I narrowed my eyes.  "You came back, huh?  After all these years, and you still want to finish this?"  I lifted my head, staring straight into his gaze.  The Singetail's shadow cast over Frostflake and I.  I was startled out of my anger by a familiar call with long-forgotten words.

   "Retreat!"  Hiccup yelled.  My heart skipped a beat as I thought Krogan had ordered his men to back off, before realizing that they were advancing.  I realized the Riders were flying away, and my heart sank.

   "No,"  I growled, staring up at Krogan.  "If you want to finish this, let's finish it now!"  I challenged.  His eyes narrowed slightly.  

   Burning heat and a strong force suddenly flung me off my dragon.  Shock stiffened me as I tried to take deep breaths.  The hit had knocked the breath out of me, and I could barely breathe as the wind rushed around me.  I fell toward the ground and smacked a few trees.  I hissed in pain as I felt cuts form along my arms and neck.  

   I hit the ground - or did I?  It seemed like I hadn't, yet I blacked out anyway - and was suddenly swallowed by shadows.

   What seemed to be ages later, I slowly lifted myself up, rubbing the back of my head.  I was in the stables, Singetails trying to readjust in the cages next to me.  I growled, hating to see them so uncomfortable.

   Then, I lifted my gaze to the man looking at me through the stable door and casting a shadow over me.  With a triumphant smirk on a half-burnt face, it was so familiar, yet so strange.  

   "Hello, Viggo,"  I said.