Fan-Fic Fridays: "On the Edge of Mystery" Chapter 25: Coming Together

On the Edge of Mystery

Chapter 25

Coming Together

         “Annabeth!” I cried out after finally waking up.  “Ow!”

         I grabbed for my head as I hit some object.  Taking in my surroundings I saw that I am in the Clubhouse and on my bed.  But why would I hit my head, you might ask?  Well, Asvord had a tray full of soup which was now on my belly.

         Asvord as she usually does say, “Jarl, you know that you eat the soup and then in goes to your stomach.  I don’t think you can cut out the ‘middleman’ in this situation.  Let alone try and digest your food through osmosis.”

         “Very funny,” I replied as I rubbed my head now feeling a headache come on and it was not from me hitting the tray.  “At least your sense of humor is still intact.”

         Cazi then piped in as she came over, “Yeah, but I think drinking soup would be easier than eating it.  I guess it depends on what is in the soup… and who cooked it.  What is supposed to be broth can easily be turned into something that isn’t supposed to.”

         “You saying I’m a bad cook?” questioned Asvord.

         “No,” Cazi quickly rebutted.  “I was just stipulating a view point… I wasn’t pointing any fingers.”

         I added, “Sometimes you don’t have to.  Having a lap full of it is pretty self-explanatory.”

         Asvord ignored my remark and asked, “How are you feeling?”

         I cracked a smiled, “Besides the obvious of having a lap full of your soup, all I have is a headache and aches in my stomach… not the kind of ones you are thinking of.”

         Astrid’s voice then rang from my left, behind my peripheral vision, “There’s nothing you could have done to stop her.”

         Sitting up now, I looked to my left to see Hiccup and Astrid standing there; it looks like they had been reviewing a map of some kind as there is one on the table over there.

         “Oh hey,” I stated.  “I mean I understand why Annabeth did it…. But why did she do it?”

         Hiccup answered, “Jarl, you know if any of us were in her position and found out that their dragon was in danger with a possibility of dying, then we would go in a heartbeat to save them.”

         “But some of us might wait for a plan,” I then sighed.  “On the other hand, if any of us thought the threat was imminent we would fly off just like she did.  If only I had reacted and flew off sooner than I did.”

         Asvord folded her arms while looking at me, “Now don’t go blaming yourself.  There are several things each one of us could have done differently, Annabeth included.  But, like you just said if we were in her position.”

         “Have-?” I began to ask.

         “Yes,” Hiccup stopped me.  “We have already searched and searched that part of the sea.  We have gone up and down that stretch on several trips and did not find anything.”

         Astrid added, “Not even a trace of any ships sailing in those waters.”

         Someone then knocked on the door, I told them to come in, and it is Garth.

         “I just found out something,” Garth stated.

         “What?” I asked.

         Garth said, “I know why you blacked out.  As I’m sure you have all figured out by now, you did not blackout because of your fall from your dragon.”

         “Oh,” I interrupted.  “Before you go on, how is Fredrick?”

         Someone else then knocked and let themselves in even before I said otherwise.

         Elsa came in and said, “He’s fine.  A little worried, but fine.  He’s in the main lobby.”

         Knowing my dragon is right there, I got out of my bed and started for my door.  Asvord tried to stop me, but I assured her I am fine.  No one will stop me from seeing my dragon, unless I had injuries preventing me from walking or standing.

         I walked outside my room to greet my dragon.  He is smiling and wagging his tail like crazy to see me… coming very close to knocking furniture over.  Everybody else from my room came out with me.

         “How are you doing, buddy?” I asked my dragon.

         He purred and lifted his head up for me to pet him.

         “As I was saying,” Garth continued.  “When we first got you back, though after finally finding you, your sister examined you for injuries but only found bruises here and there… no knot of any kind on your head.”

         “Hmm,” I said.  “Interesting.  I do now remember that after I did crash on the island below me, I was aware for a minute or two before I did pass out.  But now thinking back on it, several minutes before I started feeling light headed.”

         Garth held his finger up for a second, “Ah, and I know why.  It is the fog, or if you can call it that.  Really it is smog or gas, not caused by moisture condensing into a mist that would be fog.  I’ll have to do some more tests to find out what the is in the smog.”

         Hiccup replied to Garth, “I may have something you can use.  I’ll have to tweak it a little but it should work to house the smog gas.”

         Astrid stated, addressing me, “The island we found you on was in fact Dragon Island, the far side of it.”

         Hiccup wondered, “When Berk first battled with the Red Death as Toothless unwillingly guided the villagers to the shores of the island, the fog was a big thing that made vikings barely dare venture into those waters.  I wonder if those Berserkers used the smog as cover to escape with…”

         Hiccup trailed off, but I finished the sentence, “With Annabeth and Star Scream.”

         Astrid added, “We were able to keep Anora from flying off.  Good thing too, she would have gone after Annabeth for sure.”

         I had been petting and looking at Fredrick as people were talking, but when Astrid said that, “Astrid… you… are… a genius.  A beautiful… wonderful genius.”

         Astrid kind of blushed and said surprised, “Thank you… I think.”

         Asvord then replied, “I think the smog is starting to make him go coo-coo.”

         “No, it isn’t that,” I said.  “It is what Astrid said,” I then quipped as I went over to the main table where we have Hiccup’s map of the area, “There is something great between her ears… even though she did invent Yak-nog and didn’t know the eggs explode.”

         Astrid then folded her arms and looked perturbed, almost like she would have punched me if I were standing next to her.

         “And he’s back,” Elsa returned.

         Asvord had a fake disappointing look on her face, “Shame too, I thought he would stay like that.”

         “I was using the ‘ol ‘honey and hatchet’ routine,” I replied.  “Thought she would approve.  Guess not.”

         Cazi questioned, to change the subject and move on, “What do you have in mind, Jarl?”

         After looking at the map, I looked up, “Well as Astrid so astutely said, Anora would go after Annabeth in a heartbeat.  Let’s use that to our advantage.  Even though only certain dragons are quite good at tracking, all dragons to some extent can track just as good if not better if it is something they care about.”

         “Jarl’s right,” Hiccup replied.  “We let Anora out, follow her, and she’ll take us to where Annabeth is.”

         Cazi then asked, “Should we leave now or wait until morning?”

         “Morning?” I repeated.

         “Yeah,” Cazi answered.  “It took us all night to find you.”

         “What time is it?” I asked.

         Cazi replied, “Nearly the middle of the night.”

         I thought for a moment, “What do think about us going in the morning, following Anora, and then when she does find Annabeth, we let Anora go, as long as she won’t be in any danger, and plan an attack on their base?”

         “Sounds like a solid plan,” Hiccup replied.

         Cazi asked me, in nearly a pleading voice, “I gotta come with you guys.  I would never forgive myself if I didn’t go and help rescue my sister.  Maybe you can use me and my Skrills as a diversion while you go and find Annabeth.”

         “I wouldn’t stop you from going in this case,” I returned.

         Cazi turn her head a little at me, squinting her eyes, “But… you just said earlier in the day that you didn’t want us to come because the Berserkers would stop at nothing in getting my Skrills and Angie’s.”

         “I did say that,” I stated, now learning back on a support beam to the right of the main table.

         “Okay,” Cazi said.  “Just wanted to make sure.  Although, I am glad I get to come, but at the same time I’m not sure if I want to be mad or not?”

         “How come?” Elsa asked.

         “Well,” Cazi responded.  “Before we left he wanted to be sure Electic, Sparklebolt, and Nina were safe.  Now he doesn’t mind if they come or not.”

         As Cazi was talking, Angie, Ali, and Meen, entered the Clubhouse; Angie added, “Yeah.  Why the sudden change of view?  What about the Berserkers?”

         “What about them?” I said pausing then continued.  “I’m not so sure those were Berserkers, those vikings we battled with.”

         Ali questioned, “Why wouldn’t they be Berserkers?  When we spotted them, they sure looked like Berserkers.”

         “One would think that if something looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck,” I replied.  “But the deception would be a cleverly disguised, realistic looking duck and every time it would open its mouth, someone else close by yet concealed would call out like a duck.”

         Hyrith said, “Well if you put it that way, then anything could be nothing what it seems.”

         Hiccup questioned, “Are you sure about this, Jarl?  Those soldiers and vikings look exactly like Berserkers, not to mention the Berserker ships.”

         Responding I returned, “Ah yes, but do you remember our good ‘ol -friend- Hari Oldeson?  His men plus the ships looked exactly like Berserkers, yet he doesn’t act like a Berserker, talk like one, or battle like one either.”

         There came silence for a minute before Hyrith broke it, “You know, you might just be right about that.”

         “I want to believe I am,” I added.

         Hiccup walked over, “By what you said, what I observed during the battle, and my experience with Berserkers, those vikings just might not be Berserkers.  There were a few things off or odd with how the vikings did things, so even if a few of them are Berserkers, they have been trained by someone else.”

         Everybody in the room then agreed with what Hiccup and I said, for each one of them -accept Hiccup and Astrid- were there the first time we met Hari or when we just battled with them earlier today, or both; plus, the few who went out on the scouting trip and saw the ships.

         Angie asked an important question, “So when do we leave?”

         Sighing, I answered, “As much as I want to leave right now to go find her… between the darkness, fog, and being able to try and keep up with Anora when we let her go… we probably better leave first thing in the morning.”

         “Why don’t you just ride Anora?” Cazi suggested.

         “You know,” I perked up a little.  “That’s a great idea.”  Then saying to myself, “This way when Anora finds Annabeth, I’ll be much closer to rescue her and keep Anora safe in the process.”

         “And,” Angie spoke up.  “I could take Fredrick so your dragon would be with you… and I would get to come with your guys as well as be sure Nina is safe.”

         “Sounds like a good idea,” I said.  “Think you can handle Fredrick?”

         “I think I can,” replied Angie.

         Cazi then said, “I think I want to do the same, but because Annabeth is my sister, I have to go.  But how do I do that?”

         Astrid responded… finally getting over my remark…, “You could double with me.  As Stormfly flies in, I could let you off to join with the fight.  Then when we get Annabeth, we can come by and pick you up.  Plus, strategically, saving your best dragons for a surprise will add better chances for success later down the road.”

         “I’m pretty sure they did see at least Cazi’s one Skrill, if not Angie’s,” I replied.  “But they only saw it once and if those guys report back not seeing a Skrill… but a Night Fury… whoever is in charge and leading these men will turn their attention to Hiccup and Toothless and will give us a bigger in road to move in even if they saw all three Skrills.  No offense Hiccup.”

         “None taken,” Hiccup gave a small smile.  “We use that tactic quite a bit.”

         “Well we better get some sleep and rest before we leave in the morning,” I said, also grunting a little as I started to walk forward.  “Cazi.  Better go and make sure Anora won’t get out before we let her out.”

         “I think I’ll spend the night out there with her,” Cazi replied.  “She might at least calm down with me out there because I’m as close to Annabeth as she is going to get.”

         Asvord came over and poked at me, “Speaking of which, you need to get some rest of your own.  You’re still banged up a little bit-.”

         I said while she spoke, “Yes, yes.  I know.  I’m going.”

         Asvord continued, “Also, Hiccup and Astrid, you can bed down in the front two rooms of the Clubhouse.  We use those rooms for other things, but we also have extra beds in there for any visitors that would come and spend the night.”

         Asvord led Hiccup and Astrid to the rooms; both of them then retrieved their gear from their saddles and started to bed down in their respective rooms.  I do not know if they realize it or not but Hiccup gets the Stable Room and Astrid got the Cleaning Room where we keep each respective tools for the outpost…. The Stable Boy and the Cleaning Girl.

         The rest of my friends who were in the Clubhouse went out to their huts to get some rest; Cazi though went to the Stables to be with Anora.  Asvord made sure I was alright and asked me if I needed anything.  I assured her I am fine and just needed to get some more rest.  Elsa did the same thing, I just said the same thing again; because they are just caring and wanting to be sure I am fine… though this is the “only time” they will be “nice” to me.

         Asvord and Elsa walked off to their room, I went to mine.  I got in bed a fell asleep rather fast.

         A voice whisper came to me, “Jarl, Jarl.  Can you hear me?”

         I opened my eyes, but what I saw was not my room, but some other dark place.  It is dark enough that I could barely make out anything.  There were a few men walking around and someone in the corner near me that I could not recognize.  I knew I had to be dreaming because it felt real but at the same time not.  Another reason why it has to be a dream is I could not find my voice to reply.

         “Jarl, I don’t know if you can hear me, just a fool’s gamble, but I am fine,” said the voice.  “I may have not wanted to go at first, but when I understood things, I may want to actually stay and help.  I just don’t know.  I’m confused.  I miss you.  I need your help.”

         “Jarl, Jarl,” came another voice.

         “Annabeth, I’m here!” I said quickly.

         “Wake up Jarl, it is just me Asvord.”

         Becoming aware that I am back in my room… I actually have no memory of what I dreamt.  It might be because I woke up to fast or was awakened by someone else; however, all I know is Annabeth is alright but she needs me.

Here is the link to my next chapter: http://forum.schoolofdragons.com/content/edge-mystery-chapter-26-going-unknown#comment-487035