Chapter XIX: Flight (2)

Chapter

Ashild:" Alright I admit it. This is pretty cool. It's... wait what's that noise?"

At that very moment, the night fury flew past them and flew below and then up where they were.

Ashild sees that Dragon Slayer and someone else with a similar suit next to him

Ashild:" It's that Dragon Slayer?"

Hiccup:" Oo yeah"

Ashild:" What is he doing here and with a dragon?"

Hiccup:" It's complicated to explain."

DragonSlayer:" What an impressive sight! Right? And who is this with you?"

Hiccup:' they haven't told her yet?' " she a friend."

DragonSlayer:" Nice to meet you."

Ashild:" Same, I have questions aren't you Dragonslayer from berk? And what are you doing with a dragon?"

DragonSlayer:" You know, Ashild, I understand that this may seem strange, especially considering that I kill them, but I have to do it. Stoick saved me and if he says we have to kill them I will do it while I am in Berk even though I don't like doing it. They are wonderful creatures, you just have to understand them and I am looking for the dragons' nest to know why they attack us. they don't attack like that so there is a reason, and if we find out then we can prevent all this."

Ashild just kept silent and forgot to ask about his companion

Ashild:" So what now?"

Hiccup groans.

Ashild:" Hiccup, your final exam is coming. You know you're going to have to kill... (Whispering) ... kill a dragon."

Hiccup:" Don't remind me."

A strange, unearthly din approaches. Slayer and Toothless' ear plates suddenly stand on end. both abruptly dive, dipping into cloud cover.

Hiccup:" Toothless! What's happening? What is it?"

Toothless BARKS at him. 'Quiet!'

Suddenly, out of the dense cloud, a Monstrous Nightmare emerges.

DragonSlayer:" This is going to be interesting. (To Astrid) hang on."

Hiccup:" Get down!"

Hiccup and Astrid duck. The Nightmare calls out. A Zippleback appears on the other side of Toothless, boxing him in.

Ashild:" What's going on?"

DragonSlayer:" We just found it."

Ashild:" Found what?"

DragonSlayer did not answer her

Hiccup:" I don't know. Toothless. You've got to get us out of here, bud."

Toothless HISSES.

Other dragons, previously invisible in the thick clouds, appear all around them. HUNDREDS of them, all carrying fish and game in their talons.

Hiccup: (Whispering) " It looks like they're hauling in their kill."

The Zippleback eyes them ravenously.

Ashild:" What does that make us?"

The dragons BANK and dive in formation, plummeting through the thickening fog and weaving between towering, craggy sea stacks.

They emerge at the base of a massive volcanic caldera, glowing with rivulets of lava. The flock of dragons fall into rank, funneling through a crack, and zipping through a winding tunnel.

DragonSlayer:" The nest."

It gives way to a vast, steamy inner chamber, tiered with pocky shelves. Dragons of all breeds lay about, nested in hordes.

The arriving dragons fly in, dropping the fish and game into a central pit, glowing red and shrouded in mist.

Hiccup is amazed.

Hiccup:" What my dad wouldn't give to find this."

Toothless and Slayer peel away from the procession, landing on a small shadowy shelf to keep a low profile. Hiccup and Ashild peek around, taking in the busy hive of sorts. They watch as the food continues to be dropped into the pit.

Hiccup:" It's satisfying to know that all of our food has been dumped down a hole."

Ashild:" They're not eating any of it."

DragonSlayer:" It's not that, there something else."

Last to arrive is a dim-witted Gronckle. It hovers over the pit and regurgitates his paltry contribution -- a pathetic little fish. As it falls into the steamy pit, a terrible ROAR rings out.

DragonSlayer:" And we are about to find out."

The Gronckle tries to flee, but before it can, a gargantuan dragon head juts from the steamy pit and SNAPS it out of the air. Swallowing it back whole.

Hiccup and Ashild recoil, terrified.

Ashild:" What is that?"

DragonSlayer: (Whispering) " the queen."

The monstrous beast SNIFFS the air, seemingly aware of them. It nears the ledge where Toothless and Slayer are hiding... and ROARS.

Several dragons take flight in fear.

Hiccup:" Alright buddy, we gotta get out of here. Now!"

Toothless and Slayer take flight, barely evading the monster's snapping jaws. The behemoth dragon lunges for them, snatching a Zippleback out of the air instead. Toothless and Slayer disappear into the winged exodus as thousands of dragons flee the caldera in fear.

—————————————————————-

Toothless and Slayer glides into the cove and touches down on the moonlit beach.

Ashild: (her mind reeling, talking Hiccup's ear off) " No, no, it makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers... and that's their queen. It controls them."

She leaps off of Toothless and runs toward the village.

Ashild:" Let's find your dad."

Hiccup:" No, no! Not yet. They'll... kill Toothless."

DragonSlayer and The others just see this

Hiccup:" Ashild, we have to think this through carefully."

Ashild eyes him, incredulous.

Ashild:" Hiccup, we just discovered the dragons' nest...the thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet dragon? Are you serious?"

Hiccup stands firm, resolute.

Hiccup:" Yes."

Ashild's taken aback.

Ashild looks at Slayer

Ashild:" A little help here."

DragonSlayer:" Tell me Ashild what will Stoick do when you start about this?"

Ashild:" uh."

DragonSlayer:" Exactly. First, he's going to ask you how you know this, and when you tell him about toothless, he'll be so angry with hiccups that he's not going to think well because anger blinds you, he's not going to listen to anyone, not even you, and he's not going to listen to you about the rest and third, he will gather the Vikings and go there and what do you think will happen. Just give him some time to think about how to do this, I promise this will all be over soon."

Ashild:" Okay. Then what do we do?"

Hiccup:" Just give me until my final training. I'll figure something out."

Ashild:" Okay."

Ashild PUNCHES Hiccup in the arm.

Ashild:" That's for kidnapping me."

Hiccup looks to Toothless for support. Toothless SNORTS, dismissive.

Ashild grabs him. He braces for another hit. She KISSES Hiccup on the cheek.

Ashild:" That's for, everything else."

In the awkward wake of the moment, Ashild hurries off...

leaving Hiccup RUBBING his cheek, stunned. Toothless hobbles up, eyeing him.

Hiccup:" What are you looking at?"