Deception (A Dragons Race to the Edge Fanfic)

Chapter 18

"I believe it will soon be time to put our plan into action, once the final preparations have been arranged, of course." Viggo said as you walked by his side, confirming the final details of the mission you had been planning. It had been two weeks since Ember's death and, although you ceaselessly thought about him, you knew you had to keep pushing forwards, like you had with your previous dragon.

"Yes, but it'll be a lot harder without Ember. Our arrival won't be as secretive, and we won't be able to make any quick escapes if we get caught. "

"It'll certainly delay us, but I believe there may be a way around that." Viggo resolved. You were slightly annoyed that the plan would have to be postponed. At the same time, however, a part of you was relieved at this prospect. This meant that you would have to spend longer on the island. Longer with Viggo. You tried to convince yourself that you feelings were normal - you had been expelled from the riders and left feeling undervalued and alone. And, in your time of need, this man had offered you hospitality, respect and sympathy. You persuaded yourself that it was only natural that you had begun to enjoy Viggo's company. However, you couldn't ignore a part of you deep within that told you it was more than that...

"Anyway," it seemed he wanted to change the subject. "I wanted to tell you something."

"Oh," you said,"What's that?" You were genuinely curious.

He was about to answer you when, without warning, the earth began shaking violently beneath your feet, knocking you off balance. You stumbled backwards, your back being forced against a tree trunk, which you managed to use to steady yourself. Meanwhile, Viggo stumbled forwards, knocking against you. When the shaking ceased, you found Viggo's face a few inches from yours, as he stumbled against you, leaning his left arm on the tree to regain his balance.

'Well, this is awkward.' You thought to yourself. You remained rooted to the spot, and your heart raced as you searched his face. You had never looked at his face this close up before. You noticed three precise scars stretching down the left side of his neck. You had briefly glimpsed them from a distance before, but it was only upon further inspection that you realized the scars looked oddly familiar. You might not be as knowledgeable about dragons as Fishlegs, but you recognized the shape of the talons from Ember, and realized that those scars must have been made by a Changewing.  Not wanting him to realize what you were thinking, you lifted your gaze to look at his face. Your stomach jolted a little when your eyes met his for a moment. Although it felt like you had been studying each other for an eternity, in truth this had probably only lasted a few seconds. You had an idea of what could be causing this whole time-slowing sensation, but you weren't ready to accept it quite yet. 

After a moment, when the shaking of the ground had ceased, you both came to your senses. Viggo backed away, neatly brushing himself off. You released your pressure on the tree, and did the same, trying to retrieve your mind from wherever it had wandered off to.

"Was that an earthquake?" you questioned, trying to sound rational, as if you had lost all sense of reason in the previous moment.

"No, they're Catastrophic Quakens. We use them to mine different minerals on the island. It's far more efficient than doing it by hand."

"Oh, smart." But, hold on a second, they're innocent dragons...

There was a small pause, as you remembered the conversation you had been having before.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to tell me something?" you pressed.

"Yes." He said, reaching into his pocket. He revealed a small, spherical crystal, that glistened as various colors gradually fluctuated inside. You were mesmerized by the object, and your heart lurched as you recognized what it was.

"Is that a... Changewing egg?" the words slipped out of your mouth. You were positive it was. You recognized it from the time Fishlegs had accidentally brought one back to Berk from Changewing island."

"Precisely."

"But, where did you get it? You know, if you took that from Changewing Island, the Changewings will hunt it down, and won't leave until they retrieve their egg."

"I found it in your dragon's cage, after you had returned to your tent." This information struck confusion within you. It didn't make sense.

"But how? What..."

"After a Changewing egg is laid, it is entrusted to both the males and females to protect and care for it. For whatever reason, I believe your dragon must have obtained this egg, and thus seen it as his duty to protect it."

"I'm assuming you learnt that from the Dragon Eye?"

Viggo nodded in confirmation.

It didn't make sense - when would Ember have found this egg? He hadn't had it when you first met him and, besides, wouldn't you have noticed? Then it hit you: the day of the Shellfire attack, you and Ember had spent the morning on Changewing island. You had let him  socialize with the other dragons, while you explored the island further.  He must have acquired the egg then, and been guarding it ever since. It still amazed you how you hadn't noticed. But, you supposed, Changewings were extremely secretive and elusive creatures. Perhaps Changewings possessed a pouch you weren't aware of in order to keep the egg safe? Or perhaps the egg was able to camouflage itself with the scales of an adult Changewing as a defense mechanism? You weren't quite sure - Changewings were mystery class dragons, after all. However, all that mattered right now was that this egg, Ember's egg, had come into your possession, and it was now your responsibility to make the right decision.

"We should return it to Changewing island." you concluded. It hurt you to say it, but you thought it would be best.

"On the contrary, there is the possibility that we could train it." Viggo suggested. "If trained, it could be of considerable use to us. Furthermore, without an adult dragon's protection, its chances of survival are already significantly lower. It needs you, (Y/n)."

The vibrant colors gleamed through his fingers. You examined the alternating glow of colors. It calmed you, and instinctively pulled you towards it. For some reason, it seemed different compared to other Changewing eggs you had observed, but you couldn't quite place how so. Looking at it almost brought a tear to your eye, as you remembered Ember. You couldn't let this dragon die like Ember. But, at the same time, you felt that this dragon would be safer without you.

Viggo could see you thinking hard.

"I know this is difficult for you. But I promise we won't let any harm come to this dragon. I will ensure  the necessary measures are put in place to protect it. You have my word." His reply seemed sincere, as though he somewhat cared for the well-being of the egg himself. And, something else, you had never heard Viggo promise before.

"Okay..." you said skeptically. "As long as we keep it from harm."

"We will." He assured you, placing the egg gently in your hand, "I promise."

A/N: Really hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took quite a while to write, but it was fun, so hopefully you liked reading it!