Heart of a Dragon Whisper (An RTTE Fanfic)

Chapter 52

"All right, gang. Fan out and keep your eyes peeled. We have no idea what we're flying into." Hiccup called out over the rushing wind. 

"You can say that again." I muttered, Lilac soaring close to Starfire as we flew over the volcanic island. After a few minutes of circling over the village, our dragons descended, landing around the statue. 

"Hiccup Haddock, thank the ancients, you received our message." Mala remarked as we walked up to her and her red-headed warrior. 

"Mala. Throk. What happened? Is it hunters?" 

"No. Something much worse." Mala claimed, stepping up to a smooth stone pedestal. I glanced up and gasped. Sitting at the top of the pedestal was a smooth stone dragon egg, flaming hot embers sending a faint fiery glow across its smooth surface. 

"This would appear to be an egg-mergency. Or some might call it 'emergency egg-may." Tuffnut joked, snorting like a boar. I turned, glaring at the male Twin. 

"Really, Tuffnut? Can't you see that this is a serious matter. That" I hissed, gesturing to the egg atop the pedestal, "is an Eruptodon egg." 

"Precisely, and unlike other dragons, Eruptodons only produce a single egg in their lifetime. Our tribe has been waiting generations for our Great Protector to have an heir. And now, it has finally happened." Mala explained, Throk stepping up next to her. 

"So, this should be a time for celebration, shouldn't it?" Fishlegs asked. We all glanced around, Storm and I taking note of how everyone turned away, letting out sad sighs. 

"Fishlegs... Eruptodon eggs can only hatch under special conditions." I informed, touching the pedestal with a gentle hand. 

"The Eruptodon is born of flame and its egg requires the life-giving lava of its ancestral nesting site, a cavern deep inside the Grand Volcano." 

"So, what's it doing out here?" Hiccup asked, earning despaired looks from Mala and Throk. 

"Follow us." Mala said, turning away before walking off, Throk and the rest of the riders following. I hesitated for a moment, glancing over my shoulder at Lilac whose eyes locked with mine. I nodded towards the egg, giving her a silent order to keep an eye on it before following the others. Mala led us to where the Eruptodon lay, weak from the birthing of the egg I could only assume. I watched as Throk kneeled beside the dragon, petting its rocky scales soothingly. "The birth weakened our already aged Great Protector, so much so that she cannot fly to the sacred site." 

"We were able to spare the egg, but without proper nesting, it will not hatch." Throk explained. 

"Our only option is to transport the egg ourselves before the lava rises and floods the cavern." Our group steps up to the edge of the volcano's opening, molten lava bubbling below us. "The future of our entire civilization rest on this egg's survival. If it fails to hatch, the Great Protector will not have an heir. And if there is no Eruptodon to eat the lava from the volcano, the island and our tribe is doomed." I turned away from the group, eyeing the entrance to the cavern with an intense stare that burned as hot as the lava below. 

"Mala, we will deliver that egg into the volcano." I broke my stare away from the cavern to glance over at Hiccup as Snotlout pushed past Fishlegs, stepping up beside him. 

"When you say 'we will', you actually mean 'you will', right?"Snotlout asked, putting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. I noticed Storm roll her eyes at her brother before she stepped up and smacked him upside the head. He quickly retreated, not wanting to get hit again. 

"Honestly though, Hiccup, I admire your optimism, but how exactly are we going to get a dragon egg into a volcano when the lava is obviously rising?" Storm was right. The only way to get down there was to fly down there, but with the lava rising, time was limited. 

"By the looks of the lava, we have a small window, but it should be just enough time to get in and get out." 

"Exactly. You thinking what I'm thinking, Fishlegs?" Snotlout gags. 

"Here it comes. Another Hicclegs love fest." If only that were the case. 

"I'll fly the egg down." Both Hiccup and Fishlegs said at the same time. All of us stared at the two knowledge weirdos in shock. This had never happened before. 

"Uh, Hiccup, I think you mean I should fly the egg down, because Gronckles are accustomed to lava." 

"Well, that's true, yeah, but a Night Fury has the distinct speed advantage, don't you think?" I rolled my eyes, snorting in laughter slightly as I turned my attention back to the volcano. 

"Gentlemen. Time is waning." I heard Mala tell the two. I was going to ignore the rest of her pep talk, but her next words surprised me enough to make me whirl around. "Melia the Merciful and her Night Fury will fly the egg to the cavern."

<Dun duh duuuuuuuuh!!! Another fantastic cliffhanger. Again, I know this isn't exactly the direction of the episode, but I need to give Melia more episode action. Also, I'm sorry it's taking so long for me to update, but I just started another year of school, so I'm seriously stressed with everything going on. I promise to update as much as I can, but it may take time. Love you all! Do skorogo!!! (That's "See you later!!!" in Russian)>