The Haddock Twins: Defenders of Berk

The Eel Effect

"Nonsense." Stoick managed to say as he coughed. He gave a big sneeze on Hiccup, which the younger boy was able to protect himself from using his shield. "I won't be grounded by the sniffles."

That's when Astrid and Gothi flew into the Academy. "We've got the list of ingredients, and it's a big one." Astrid said, holding the long parchment.

"Well, then we better get moving." Hiccup said.

"Yep, that medicine isn't gonna make itself." Hicca agreed.

"I should be going with you." Stoick insisted, before he sneezed again.

"Dad, Berk needs a healthy chief, not a sick dragon rider. We can handle this." Hiccup reassured.

"You better be in the Great Hall resting by the time we get back." Hicca said sternly as she and the others got on their dragons.

Stoick coughed. "All right. I'll stay here with the rest of the invalids. Be safe, kids."

"When are we not safe?" Hiccup asked. Stoick just gave his son a look that said 'seriously?'. Even Hicca gave her twin a look of disbelief. "Uh, don't answer that!" He amended. He and the others flew off to their destination.

Pretty soon, they landed and Hicca took the time to look around the island in admiration. "Ah, Healers' Island. This land has the best climate and conditions to grow all the different types of medicinal herbs." She stated

Hiccup got the list of ingredients from Astrid and gathered the others in a circle. "Okay, gang, we've got a lot of ground to cover. Let's get to work."

With guidance from Hicca and Gothi, the teens went to work gathering their assigned ingredients.

Snotlout found a plant and now needed Hookfang to lightly roast it. "Buckthorn root."

Hookfang give a fireball at Snotlout, giving the full blast to Snotlout and just enough heat for the plant. "Lightly roasted." Snotlout coughed out. "Hookfang..." Was all he managed to say before dodging another fireball from the snickering dragon.

Fishlegs and Meatlug successfully gathered their assigned ingredients. "A dozen rock blossoms." Fishlegs decided to reward Meatlug for her work. "Hmm, 12 rocks for 12 rock blossoms." Meatlug happily ate up all the rocks. Astrid, Raeda, Hicca and Hiccup were also successful in gathering their ingredients.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut took a longer time getting their ingredients because Tuffnut had trouble climbing up a ledge for a wild Daga plant. "One wild Daga plant." Tuffnut grunted as he repeatedly got hit in the face with rocks falling from above. "There's got to be an easier... oof! (grunts) way to do th... Ouch! Ow! Ow!" Unbeknownst to him, his twin and their dragon were already on top of them ledge, sitting next to said plant. Ruffnut was actually the one throwing the rocks down at Tuffnut.

Soon the Dragon Riders regrouped with all the ingredients they were suppose to get.

"Think that's everything, right?" Hiccup asked Hicca and Gothi, who were looking at all the ingredients.

Hicca shook her head. "We're missing one."

Fishlegs look at the inscription Gothi made in the sand. "She says the last item isn't on Healer's island. The key ingredient for curing eel pox is a blood-bane eel. Where do we find one of those?"

"Well, great. 'Cause we're not gonna be able to search the whole ocean this afternoon. We need at least a long weekend for that, you know? Maybe even into Monday night." Tuffnut rambled on before Gothi hit him in the head with her staff. The elderly then drew something in the sand.

"She says, 'don't interrupt'." Hicca translated. Gothi continued to draw as Hicca took over translating. "We have to head North to..." She gasped as she saw the name of the place. "Eel island."