Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 2

It was dusk as you traveled to Viggo's base on your new dragon. Looking at his deep crimson scales, you decided to call him Ember. It would be night by the time you got to Dragon Hunter Island, so Ember would be able to adapt his scales to blend in with the night sky, and hopefully your dark clothes and armor would enable you to reach the island undetected. You felt bad for not telling any of the other riders what you were doing, but you didn't want them to interfere. Besides, you didn't really trust them. Although they had never directly told you, it was clear to you that they thought you weren't as skillful or as able a Dragon Rider as them. Particularly Hiccup and Astrid – you'd seen them exchange sceptical glances in the past. Whether they had intended for you to notice or not, you weren't sure. In short, whether deliberately or not, they had always made you feel detached from the team. You had Ember now, at least.

A frigid wind blowing in your face and waving through your hair, brought you back to reality, where you found yourself biting your lip, and your arms tensed. Looking down, you realized you had almost reached the island. It was weird riding a dragon that you could scarcely see, but you were certain that this would keep you practically invisible. 'Remember your mission!', you told yourself, 'you don't want them to know you're there - only gather information about whatever they're planning and then get out before they realize they're being infiltrated!' You could see Dragon Hunters on guard on sea stacks all around the island, but they didn't spot you as you smoothly glided down to the island, on your perfectly camouflaged dragon.

"You stay here." You whispered to Ember once you reached a densely forested area of the island, away from the main, hunter-filled parts. "I'll be back later but, in the meantime, make sure you don't get spotted."

With knowing eyes, the dragon gave a curt nod and squawk of understanding, as you turned towards the trees, and began trekking to the center of the island.

You were now almost at the heart of the island. You were coming to the fringe of the forest, which gave way to a huge clearing where you could see some kind of construction in progress. From the number of Dragon Hunters working on the project itself, plus all of the Dragon Hunters meticulously patrolling the area, you figured that this project must by very important, and its uses were probably not going to be in your favor. It looked like some sort of giant ship. But something was different about it – something that you couldn't quite place your finger on. What you immediately realized was that it was made out of dragon proof metal, and looked pretty much indestructible. You knew that you wouldn't be able to stop this project on your own, but if you got some information about it, you could at least warn Hiccup, however much he annoyed you.

Your heart jolted as, from the corner of your eye, you caught sight of Viggo walking towards the structure, no doubt checking to see if it was almost completed which, from what you could see, it was. His hands were clasped behind his back, as usual, and he proceeded with a satisfied smirk that told you that whatever this project was, he intended to use it against the riders. Close behind him, was Ryker. Upon closer inspection you noticed at hint of frustration on Ryker's face. Jealously perhaps? That Viggo had formulated a devious plan to wipe out the Dragon Riders, without informing him of all the details? You knew that Viggo seemed to enjoy mocking his older brother on account of  his inferior intellect, and that Ryker was now on the verge of outrage.

Your curiosity urged you to investigate further. Ducking behind barrels and tents, you made your way closer to the structure. It looked even more foreboding as it loomed above you.

Your stealth often served you well, and now was no exception, as you hid in the shadow of the ship. You had lost sight of Viggo and Ryker, assuming that they had moved on to another part of the island. Suddenly, hearing the footsteps of a Dragon Hunter approaching you from behind, you sprang into the nearest tent, hoping he hadn't seen you. You watched him walk past, your pulse still racing, and let out a small sigh of relief, when he was out of earshot. Your back pressed against the wall of the tent. You drew away from it sharply, realizing that it was made out of Zippleback hide. How could they do such things to dragons? Putting an end to dragon hunting was motivation alone to stop this project before Viggo could put it into action. You instantly thought of Ember, hoping he was okay in the forest.

As you stood up, and were about to walk out of the tent, a large sheet of parchment on a wooden table, in the center of the tent, caught your attention. Checking nobody was nearby, you took a step forward, towards the table, peering down at the parchment. Your eyes widened as you read the plans for the ship. It wasn't just a ship. It was a ship that would be attached to a Shellfire dragon – a huge tidal class dragon that would have the capacity to inflict unimaginable damage and destruction wherever Viggo wanted! There were other details too, but you didn't have time to read them, as footsteps sounded outside the tent. You ducked behind a barrel, taking the Project Shellfire plans with you. The footsteps grew fainter as the Dragon Hunter walked past without seeing you, but you knew it was a matter of time before you got caught. You had found what you came for – you had information about Viggo's next plan. Now you had to get out, or the information would be useless.

Checking that the coast was clear, you sprinted from the tent, darting behind boxes and blocks of dragon proof metal, as you picked your way back towards the trees.
'Phew!' The bushes were only a few meters away now. You sprang towards them but, suddenly, you heard a yell split the air:

"Intruder! Heading towards the eastern forest! Get her!" a Dragon Hunter shouted at the top of his voice. Your blood ran cold, your limbs numb, as you turned to see countless Dragon Hunters charging towards you. There were too many to stand and fight – you had to run. But your feet wouldn't move.

'Run!' you screamed at yourself in your head. Adrenaline pulsing through your veins, you sprinted into the undergrowth, tearing through the trees, the Dragon Hunters close behind. You had to get the plans back to Dragon's Edge; you hadn't read all the information from them, and there certainly wasn't time to do that now. Pausing briefly, you slipped the plans into a small hole at the roots of a nearby oak tree, probably an abandoned rabbit burrow. Then you carried on running, where exactly, you didn't know. You whistled frenziedly as you sprinted aimlessly through the trees, hoping that Ember would come for you. But the Changewing was nowhere to be seen. Had had abandoned you? You skidded to a halt as you came to the top of a cliff. Breathlessly panting, you turned to face the Dragon Hunters. Thanks to your speed and agility, you had at least gained some ground. Now, you ran left, into an area of denser vegetation that you hoped would conceal you. You crouched beneath a large bush, regaining your breath. You could hear the hunters in the distance, but you seemed to have lost them for now. Feeling accomplished, you gave a weak smile, stepping backwards to figure out which way to go next. As you stepped backwards, however, your shoulder blades hit something solid and, before you had a chance to turn to see what you had backed into, your hands were thrust behind your back, and tied cruelly tight. Two hands clenched your shoulders as you attempted to struggle free, and you heard an ominous rumble of laughter from the man behind you – it was Ryker. Giving a growl of annoyance, you glared at him ferociously.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing here?" he questioned in a mocking tone.

"I'll tell you that when boars fly!" you retorted.

"Oh, you're the defiant type, I see... Well, don't worry, Viggo will soon have you spilling information, whether you like it or not!" He gave a low chuckle.

You made no attempt to answer. You had no interest in engaging in conversation with this man. Instead, you focused on giving him the coldest expression you could conjure.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed  this chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who reads my work!