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

Chapter 49: The Truth

   I avoided the question by introducing Atali to the Dragon Riders while her Razorwhip, Silver, played with Amber and Amythest (who Atali said was "unusually remarkable").

   Snotlout triex to flirt with her for a moment, but Astrid grabbed his arm and pulled him back over his shoulder where his head hit my boot, which was intentional by me.  We bumped fists.  "Astrid, Kiara, as much as I love having Atali here...what are we going to do about the Dragon Hunters?"  Fishlegs asked.

   "Dragon Hunters?" Atali asked.  "Apparently there's more than one group." I said, my eyes darkening as my voice turned cold.  Astrid and Fishlegs glanced at each other with unsure looks, and an idea sparkled in my thoughts.  It was risky, and probably wouldn't work, but I had a backup plan just in case.

   "Atali, will you come with us to somewhere in a couple of days?  At midnight?" I asked.  Atali hesitated, then nodded.  "But after that I must return to my village on Wingmaiden Island." I nodded.  "Understandable, ok." Atali had already explained to everyone her way of life on her island.

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Atali:

   There was something weird going around my sister's friends, like they all knew something I didn't.  Well, something about me.

   When we landed at a flat island with a boat on the side of it and a ring of flowers poisonous to dragons in the middle at midnight, my suspicions only grew.  Kiara inhaled sharply.  "Kiara, what is it that you're not telling me?" Kiara sighed. "I'm taking you to meet our father." Excitment and unsureness bubbled inside of me.  "Are you sure?"  "Not entirely." She admitted, taking my hand.  "Let's go."

   We approached a dark brown haired man sitting on a chair in front of a table. There was one seat across from him, and one on the side of the table.  I noticed Kiara visibly tense, and her eyes darkened dangerously.  Her voice was cold as she spoke, but somewhat respectful. "Viggo."

   The man's face was half covered by a nasty looking, pale, healed burn mark.  "Are you ok?" I asked.  Kiara snorted beside me.  "Atali." Viggo rose to his feet without a reply.  "So good to finally meet you." He held out a hand, but when I reached out to shake it, Kiara blocked me.

   "I'm confused," I admitted.  "As expected."  Viggo nodded.  He seemed respectable enough, so why was Kiara so cold and tense toward him?  Kiara has always had a good instinct,  I reminded myself.  I had heard of it getting her out of numerous dangerous situations, after all.

   "What's wrong?" I asked her.  Kiara narrowed her eyes at Viggo.  She glared at him with such seething hostility I'd have thought it would've burned a hole right through him, but he remained calm and unflinching as he sat down. 

  The next words that came out my sister's mouth chilled me to the bone.  "He's the head of the Dragon Hunters."