Riders of B E R K

Part 74: The Long Road

Seventy Four: The Long Road

I was on edge, every sense straining as we walked along the sterile metal corridor in the base. The cells were identical to those in the Grimborn base at Veidimadurinnfloi but the place had an airier feel: I was in Drago's base. Heather, after her taunting, was striding ahead, her slim shape still sheathed in the silver flight suit designed to match her Razorwhip. Except that Windshear was safely back in BERK and I was here, at her mercy. And I suspected that Heather had no mercy.

The guards were walking behind me, their visors down, giving me no way to make eye contact or try to appeal to them. It looked like Drago had thought everything out-but I was still wearing my flight suit, meaning I was moderately bulletproof as well. Yet Stormfly was here and so was Cami and all her family. And somehow, I needed to get away-because I needed to be with Hiccup.

And then I was in a space, an arena surrounded on all sides by stone walls about twelve feet high, interspersed with the barred doors to cages containing depressed-looking dragons. As I scanned them, I saw them cringe back: all were cramped and several had been mistreated. It broke my heart to see them, a treacherous memory of how timid and battered Myrkr had been when she first arrived. There was dirt and possibly some blood underfoot and as I looked, the guards backed away as Heather turned to face me, her gun in her hand.

"So here we are," she gloated, her voice harsh. "And do you know what we do here?"

"Torture innocent creatures?" I suggested sarcastically. She chuckled.

"Lord Drago has more dragons than you can possibly imagine," she said coldly. "More dangerous and varied than Hiccup could dream of. But he is not sentimental about them. He knows they are tools-to rule those who will bow to him..."

"...and destroy those who won't," I finished, recalling the images from the Icelandic Coup. She nodded.

"His Bewilderbeast controls them all-the Alpha species. Far more of a King of Dragons than that defective Night fury ever could be..."

"And yet Drago is obsessed about getting his hands on Toothless, isn't he," I continued, gauging her mood.

"Because he is the key," Heather said reluctantly. "Because he is the ultimate strike weapon that can deliver a devastating coup at supersonic speed and below any radar..."

"And for him, you need Hiccup," I said. "You tried before."

"Lord Drago agrees that we need insurance," she said with a cruel smile. "His fiancee. How nice."

"Eret still loves you," I told her. "He still loves you." And for a moment, there was uncertainty in her green eyes, a brief softening of her merciless expression.

"Eret..." she breathed. I nodded.

"Heather-he still wants you back," I said softly. "Please...I can help you..."

Her expression closed.

"You helped him kill my brothers!" she snapped. I sighed inwardly: I had blown it.

"You need to look in the mirror," I retorted. "Your friends Alvin and Spitelout killed Ozzie. And Dagur was trying to kill me and Hiccup. He was killed in self defence."

"And I will kill you in revenge..." she sneered.

"Except you need me to control Hiccup," I told her evenly. "And he's not stupid. He will demand proof of life. And you cannot force me to tell you intimate details of our relationship...and I'm betting that toxin you used on me is in extremely short supply." But she gave a cruel smirk.

"We discipline those who defy their training," she murmured as I heard a familiar squawk and my heart sank. Three handlers dragged Stormfly into the arena by another gate, her posture scared-but when she saw me, her head lifted and she gave a hopeful trill. And then Heather levelled her gun at the Nadder.