Whispers of Another World

Chapter 11: Unexpected Visitors

   Moon, Amber, and Alaya had survived on the island for long enough.

   Although Moon's wing most likely would keep the scar, although it was barely visible now, it was healed enough for her to fly, and Alaya was done with trying to find more people...after one encounter.  She didn't want to go through that again.

   So Moon and Amber flew back, still uneasy, but not biting each other's head off or sending passive-aggressive comments to one another as they'd done on the island.  Never in her life had Alaya been so grateful that her parents had insisted upon her learning the skills she had.

   Moon and Amber landed, both grateful to snatch the fish from the river and be back to where they called home.  Alaya promptly fell asleep, leaving the old friends to settle down next to her and fall asleep themselves.

   Alaya felt Moon nudge her, rocking her back and forth against the leafy bed she'd laid in.  She glanced up at the morning sky.  Her dragon wanted to go on a sunrise flight.  Well, who was she to argue?

   Alaya carefully mounted Moon, grasping the small metal rings on the saddle she'd managed to craft on the island.  She leaned forward, preparing herself for Moon's take off, just before she shot into the air, the wind pressing against her as she pulled the fluffy part of her black jacket forward to guard her face from the wind.

   Moon flew in an arch against the rising sun, making Alaya see it from the corner of her eye as she dove into the canyons.  She twisted through them, grinning as she burst out the other side just before turning and twisting back inside.

   "Moon!  Alaya!"  Amber hissed as Moon suddenly came to an unnatural halt, nearly flinging Alaya off the front.  "There are people here...with dragons."

   "People?  With dragons?"  A worried expression crossed Alaya's face.  

   "Do you think..?"  Moon left the sentance dangling in the air, and Amber seemed to autocomplete it in her mind.

   "We can't let them stay."  Amber's eyes narrowed dangerously.  "I'll take the black dragon who came on this side of the island, you two handle the chubby brown dragon and his rider on the other side."

   "Okay."  Alaya nodded in agreement as Moon followed the minds of the two.  Alaya and Moon had been murmuring to one another on the way, but as soon as they started walking and spotted the chubby male with a tuft of blond hair covered by a small, rusty helmet, they fell silent.  

   Alaya and Moon carefully made their way up to the rocky ledge that they could follow the man from.  He was humming to himself, and was all alone.  He had a brown, fur-like cloak and didn't seem all that threatening.  But appearances didn't mean everything.

   Alaya (who had taken out her knife before beginning to stalk the man), followed until he reached a dead end.  

   "Oh."  He said in a sort of high-pitched voice.  "Guess I'll have to go another way.  I wonder if Hiccup's having better luck."

   Alaya chuckled quietly, letting a few rocks fall, and the man froze. 

   "Uh...hello?"  He nervously squeaked.  His gaze slowly turned up to where Alaya and Moon stood like shadows, the light cast out from them due to the cliff overhang.  His eyes then widened, and he shrieked.

   Amber was vanished.  She was the master of stealth.  Just because Moon could hear her thoughts didn't take that away from her.

   Which was why she was following the skinny one-legged boy down a canyon that led to the sea at that very moment.

   The boy had stick-like bones and one metal leg with a green tunic and pants as well as a suede vest with Nordic designs embossed at the hem and front closure, and a matching suede boot.  He had short brown hair and clever green eyes.

   Amber didn't see the black dragon that he'd been flying on before, however.  It must've escaped.  She thought, pacing closer to her prey as she watched from above.  Her tail flicked back and forth, flicking some rocks down below.

   The boy tensed, glancing around as he stood in the center of the shadowy canyon as Amber slowly crept down, watching him and staying invisible.  Then, someone shrieked.

   Moon leaped down and landed on the man, whipping her tail across his mouth to get him to be quiet.  He stared up her with wide, terrified light brown eyes.

   "Fishlegs!"  Alaya heard somebody cry.  Her head snapped to the entry into the canyon where a skinny boy was racing in.  He had short, brown hair and skinny bisceps, although where his leg should've been on one side a metal leg replaced it.

   "Get off of him!"  A midnight-black dragon snarled, pulling his lips back to reveal white teeth, pink gums peeking out from underneath the black scales.  He had raised, bat-like wings and flattened ears on his head.  His pupils were slitted like a cat's against the acid-emerald green eyes that were narrowed and focused on Moon.  After a moment of stillness, a blue-purpple glow came from the back of his throat and leaked out from his mouth, and Alaya knew what would happen if she didn't move.

   Yet Moon stayed.

   "Moon get out of the way!"  Alaya shrieked as a blast streaked toward her dragon.  Moon started to scramble away, but the blast hit her side and she pulled back with a grimance, still holding the viking down but now unintentionally.

   "Get.  Off."  The dragon snarled, stalking forward.

   "Easy, bud, easy."  The boy said gently, reaching out a hand as he looked up at Alaya, who stilled.  "Come down."  He called gently.  "We won't hurt you."

   Alaya's gaze narrowed suspiciously.  "You just hurt my dragon, what do you mean 'we won't hurt you'?"  She spat, carefully sliding down the path she knew was there.

   "She attacked us."  The dragon bared his teeth.  

   "Actually, she attacked him, thanks for checking."  Alaya narrowed her eyes.  "A stranger on her territory."

   The dragon looked taken aback for a moment, before snorting a small puff of smoke and creeping toward her, snarling.  "How can you understand me?"  He demanded.  "And why'd you attack our friend?"

   He flicked his tail toward where Moon was shifting away from the chubby guy, who hurriedly rushed over to the other boy, which was when Alaya noticed something:

   His tail.  It had two fins, one of which was replaced by a bright red fabric-like material that had a white figure on it, but it was wrinkled with the fin.

   Not only that, but now that he was mere inches away, and she could feel his hot, curious yet protectively angry breath on her face, she could see several scars, but the scar on his wing and on his neck was the most prominent at that moment.

   Then, Alaya could hear Amber behind the dragon, vanished yet still threatening.  "Don't.  Move."  Amber said in a dark tone.  "Back off."

   "Those contradict."  Alaya pointed out.

   Toothless backed away anyway, being gently tugged by the boy.  By now there was a brown, rocky dragon that had joined the chubby one, out of sight.  Moon was up, Amber had appeared in shades of dark orange and red next to her. 

   Now,  Alaya swore she could hear Amber's voice echoing in her own mind.  who wants to make a move first?

   (Fun fact, those scars actually are there!  Found out today.  Look up 'Toothless scars' and click on images.  Look through those.  They're there.)

   (And a notice for those of you that read but don't follow me:  The updates on this book may be slowed - a lot.  And I'm sorry for that.  Have a good day/night!)