Howling Echoes - A How to Train Your Dragon Story, The Echoes, Book 1

5: Defending the Edge

   Frostflake was surprisingly faster than the others.

   Unfourtanitly, we didn't know the way to the Edge, so that didn't really help.

   By the time we got there, the Eruptodon was let loose.  "Why would they go here?"  I called.  "The snow peak is a dormant volcano!"  Hiccup explained.  "Oh.  Oh.  That's bad.  That's really, really bad."  I said.

   "Ya don't say!?"  Snotlout called.  "Ok, we need to get to the -"  Hiccup started.

   "Um...Hiccup."  I interrupted, pointing.  "I don't think we're getting to the island anytime soon."  "Why not?"  He asked.  I rolled my eyes and pointed at the ships guarding the front and sides of the edge.  Hunters were already in the base.  When I glanced back there were ships boxing us in from the back.  "Take a wild guess."
   "We can't let the Eruptodon chew through the volcano!  It will destroy the edge, and all of the dragons relocated here will have nowhere to go!"  Hiccup yelled.

   "I was just saying..."  I muttered.  Frostflake roared at me and dove toward a ship.  "What are you doing!?"  I yelled at her.  She quickly pulled up as arrows shot at her.  "Bad idea, Frostflake, bad idea,"  I said, turning back.

   Hiccup had just finished explaining a plan.  "Hiccup, how long are we going to wait here!?  The Eruptodon won't wait for us, and these hunters are closing in quickly!"  I cried, narrowly avoiding a boulder to Frostflake's wing.

   "You, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Astrid worry about the boats.  Let me take care of the ballista."  Hiccup said.  I gave him an unsure look.  "Ok..."

   Hiccup flew straight for the ballista (what was he doing!?) as I turned and frosted a mass.  Frostflake sliced it with her tail and a roar.  I saw two people standing on a deck on the biggest boat.  
   "Viggo and Ryker,"  Astrid called to me.  "The leaders."  Her gaze was filled with hatred.  Snotlout had retreated into the sky.  

   "Hopefully the twins and Heather are having better luck!"  I called.  Frostflake frosted a net and sliced right through it.  

   We dove closer to Viggo and Ryker's boat but were a little more overwhelmed.  I could barely hear Ryker and Viggo below after Hiccup and Mala took care of the ballista.  

   "Viggo."  Ryker pointed up at us.  "Hm.  Never seen that dragon before."  Viggo said.  "Another Dragon Rider,"  Ryker growled.  "Perhaps, but a predictable one,"  Viggo replied calmly.   

   "Everyone, to the Edge!"  My attention was taken off of the brothers as Hiccup burst toward the dormant volcano.  Frostflake roared at Viggo at Ryker and shot after him.

   When we got there the Eruptodon was powering through the volcano's crust.  "It's no use, he's in a feeding frenzy!"  Mala cried.  Frostflake roared at Meatlug, and I got the message.  "Meatlug!"  I called.  "Of course!"  Fishlegs said.  Meatlug tried barfing lava, but it didn't work.

   "She must've used the last of her lava in the battle!"  Fishlegs cried.  Meatlug roared, and a bunch of Gronkles came over and started spewing lava.  The Eruptodon followed the trail away from the peak.  Frostflake and I followed.

   "Ok, am I the only one that finds this a little gross?"  Snotlout asked.  "I do, too!"  I called.

   Astrid sighed.  "Kiara, don't encourage him."  I didn't understand what she meant but went back to watching the Eruptodon anyways.