Cloud's Journey: Home

Kill or be Killed?

"WHAT!?" Astrid shouted.

"This is..." Hiccup stared at the carvings in the floor.

"Insane!" Snotlout filled in for him. "Each clue gets harder!"

"This isn't even a clue." Bjorg agreed. "It's babble!"

"I'm sure we can figure it out." Hiccup said. "... a dragon's head must save you."

"This is where you prove your brains, Lad." Bjorg muttered. "I can't make heads nor tails of it."

"I know!" Tuff held up a finger. "We find a severed dragon head and use it to fend off those attacking dragons. Then when we kill them, we split them open, and the clue is inside one of them."

Everyone's eyes widened, except the Dragon Riders' eyes were filled with horror.

"Tuff," Hiccup said. "I think you're in too deep."

"Yeah, are you insane?" Astrid asked. "Since when would you suggest killing a dragon?"

Tuff's mouth fell open but no words came out. Ruff punched him.

"Ok, unlike his tail idea," Hiccup walked to the center of the pit. "This one is wrong. I have a feeling the clue is not talking about a real dragon head."

"Then what is it talking about?" I asked, holding my arm out for Bluewing to perch on. He shook the dirt out of his wings.

"I'm thinking." Hiccup rested an elbow in one hand and a finger on his chin.

"Well, do ye want to take to the skies again, Lad?" Bjorg mocked. "If ye wanna' go ahead."

Hiccup didn't respond from his deep pit of thought. A frown creased his forehead. Then his eyes lit up and he gasped.

"What?" Astrid and I asked at the same time. We glanced at each other.

"It's not a literal dragon head the clue is talking about." Hiccup paced in a circle. "It's a dragon's leadership."

"What?" Bjorg crossed his arms.

"Leadership. A queen dragon is the HEAD of the dragon's herd."

I grinned. "I get it!"

"I do too," Astrid agreed. "But, uh,"

"How will the dragon's head save us?" Fishlegs finished.

"That, I haven't figured out." Hiccup admitted. He glanced to the side, his gaze resting on Tuff.

"Unless..." He pondered. |Tuff was right about something."

"You can't be serious." Astrid retorted.

"There can't possibly be anything helpful in that wild story!" Snotlout agreed.

"It does sound crazy," Hiccup said. "But the clue says '... a dragon's head MUST SAVE you.' Tuff suggested that we use the head to--um--kill those attacking dragons. But what if it really means one of our dragons has to win a battle against them?"

"But all of us combined could not defeat them!" Egil squeaked.

"We didn't actually try." Hiccup told him. "We've faced worse than this."

"I hate it when he's right." Fishlegs whimpered.

"I think it sounds great!" I said. "But how do we defeat the wild dragons?"

"I'll go out alone." Hiccup said.

"You can't!" I blurted.

"Everyone else," He continued. "Will hide until I give the signal to surround them."

I exhaled in relief.

"Sounds great!" Astrid smiled.

"I'm in!" Snotlout grinned.

"We're not missing out!" The twins high fived.

"Ok, let's go." Hiccup jumped into the saddle and Toothless launched himself up, his wings leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"Come on, Bluewing." I said, swinging onto Hookfang before I could think. Snotlout took the driver's seat and we shot out with the others.

In the sky, Hiccup turned around to face us.

"Ok, everyone, get beneath the trees. The wild dragons have to think I'm alone."

My stomach churned as Hookfang flew beneath the treeline. We dodged through tree branches, Snotlout glancing up every now and then.

"I'll watch, you drive." I told him. He nodded with a smile and focused on the obstacles in front of him.

Toothless was a shadow above the leaves, flapping slowly. I watched each movement. When would he be attacked?

"Does he actually know what he's doing?" I whispered, petting Bluewing, who snapped at my finger with a hiss.

"He never does," Snotlout told me, still keeping his eyes ahead. "But somehow, most of his plans work."

"Most of them?" I asked.

"Some get him captured or wounded." Snotlout said.

My throat felt dry.

There was a roar. My eyes snapped upward.

Another shadow was closing in on Toothless, who was flapping faster. More shadows swarmed behind the first one. They split up to surround Hiccup.

Hiccup! I couldn't swallow. Would he make it?

Hissing, the wild reptiles formed a circle around him. I could see him searching for something, maybe escape.

Come on, call for help! I thought. I saw everyone just watching. Help him! I begged in my mind.

"Guys, now!" Hiccup called.

We flung from the trees. The wild dragons grunted, spinning to face us.

"Fire!" Hiccup shouted.

Lava and flame burst against the enemies armored scales. They shook their heads and screamed. Then their eyes narrowed and their mouths opened.

I screamed as a red plasma blast zoomed past my head. More shot past. Hookfang wheeled downwards, his wings beating faster as wild dragon roars shattered his ears.

I looked over my shoulder. The others were being chased too! Red plasma barely missed them.

"It's backfired!" I cried.

And then the worst part. My voice caught in my throat. Hiccup was still surrounded by half of the pack!

I couldn't breath as Toothless fired blue plasma in one dragon's face and dove down to the trees below. The furious dragons dove after him.

Branches whizzed past. The dragon chasing us shrieked.

"Can't we regroup?" I begged Snotlout.

"What?" Snotlout coughed. "If you can get rid of him!"

The dragon behind us roared again.

"Hookfang, fire!" I ordered.

Squawking, Hookfang spread out his wings so we came to a jerking halt. Just when I thought he would spin out of control, he flipped around and fired.

Our enemy screamed in pain as liquid fire burned his eyes. Hookfang didn't stop, the stream of fire kept coming, until the wild dragon flew away crying.

Snotlout stared at me.

I smiled. "Hiccup took me dragon training, you know."