𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐄, how to train your dragon ¹

xiv. Whispers of Death

"Did you see what it could be?"

Before Bucket could answer, Toothless's roar brought them all to his attention. Spinning around, they watched him dive down into the hole. Hiccup ran for the edge. The teens followed with Stoick and Gobber at their heels. The ground beneath them trembled. Valkyrie held her hand back to Zephyr as he growled, nervous on his feet. He sensed something they didn't, which didn't make Valkyrie feel any better.

If one closed their eyes, they could hear something ... something other than the low grumbling and growling that rocketed the earth underfoot. Valkyrie frowned, tilting her head to the left as she tried to make it out. It was almost a whistle ... maybe a whisper ... it was hard to tell. But it sure sent chills down her spine.

"What is that sound?" whispered Astrid, brows furrowed.

"Huh, whatever it is," said Gobber, eyeing the ground cautiously, "it's giving me the willies!" he started to back away, and it wasn't long before the others followed, creating a wide birth between them and the gaping hole. The rumbling and whispers grew louder and louder, until something exploded up and out.

Once the dust fell away, Valkyrie could see what it was.

Her knees trembled.

It was a dragon━a terrifying dragon at that. Long and slender, it held no legs with small wings. But it was menacing on it's own without a giant wingspan. The dragon's tail was armed with spikes━in fact, its entire body was. Razor sharp spikes wrapped around it's scales from head to tail. A crown of thorns circled its forehead, large and pointed. They flared back as it roared, showing rows and rows of teeth━all the way down its throat.

Snotlout let out a whimpering gasp━sounding much like Fishlegs, to everyone's shock. "Whoa━look at the size of that thing!"

"Do I have to?!" cried Fishlegs, hiding his face in his hands.

Astrid shot him a glare, "Dragons!" she told the group of them. "Now! Everyone!"

Zephyr was ready. Valkyrie hoisted herself up onto her saddle and into the air. The others followed and the dragon narrowed its eyes at them all. He seemed to be searching for something, and Valkyrie didn't know how could he even see with eyes milky white and bloodshot.

"Uh ..." Snotlout clung onto Hookfang's horns. "I don't like the way it's eyeballing me!"

"Don't worry," Fishlegs whimpered, "it's not just you."

"Thanks, big relief!"

Not finding what he was looking for, the spiked dragon dived back into the hole with a screech that rattled Valkyrie's ears. The rumbling didn't disappear.

Astrid reared back in Stormfly's saddle, eyes wide. "What ... was ... that?" she let out.

"Whatever it was," said Tuffnut, "I want one!"

Valkyrie frowned at him.

Fishlegs stared at the gaping hole, looking very pale. "If ... If I had to take a guess," he began, trembling, "I'd say that was a Whispering Death."

"Whoa ..." murmured Tuffnut, eyes wide and a grin appearing onto his face. "Great name." He covered Belch's ears and whispered to his sister, "So much better than Zippleback."

Barf sent him a look, huffing a breath of gas into his face in his displeasure. Tuffnut gagged.

Bucket backed up to the houses, looking around with wide eyes and shaking legs. "Where'd it go?!" he cried. "Why is it here?! What's it gonna do to us━?!" he stamped his foot to Mulch, "━Why aren't you slapping me to snap me out of this?!"