Selene

Chapter Fifty

Toothless felt dizzy. What just happened?

He glanced around the giant cage. He was in the same place, and so was everyone else, but, it felt like... like something was missing.

Ping!!

Something shot by, dangerously to his head.

Glancing up the dragon suddenly cried out, jumping down and curling into a tight ball against the wall.

Griseomus stood in alarm.

"Hey what's his-"

The soldier followed Toothless gaze and did nearly the exact same thing. "They're out of control," He pointed up at Piranharrow ricocheting off each other and into buildings like metal arrows. He was lucky he ducked when he did, otherwise the tiny dragon that bounced off the wall behind him would have taken his head off.

The red and black scuttleclaw jumped, his eyes wide with terror. He ran to and fro in a frenzy, then not knowing what else to do smashed his head into the dirt.

"They're out of control! Griseomus?"

"Wait a minute," The trainer's voice rose from behind the stone wall. "They're recomposing."

Toothless, the soldier, and even the Scuttleclaw popped his head back out of the ground to see for themselves. All three sighed with relief.

"False alarm." Tacitus sank down. "But what was that for anyway? Alvin just trying to keep us on our toes?"

"I don't know," Griseomus stood warily. "You stay here and keep guard at the horse gate. I'm going to find out what's going on."

"That's right Tacitus," The soldier mocked once he felt his superior was out of hearing. "Stand out here in the open and keep guard while I run away like the wuss I am. Officers, am I right?" He asked the Scuttleclaw.

The dragon shrugged.

"How about a lift?"

Toothless watched, baffled as neither dragon or soldier thought anything of it as the Scuttleclaw let him step onto his head, raising it so the man could squeeze back through the bars above the arena walls. He climbed back down and stood in front of the gate. The fury watched hopefully.

"Thanks. Wish I could release you but Griseomus would skin me alive and then chop me up in tiny pieces and feed me to his "Darling"... not necessarily in that order. Plus I don't have any keys."

Snorting, Toothless went back to pacing. He stretched his wings, making sure they were limber and ready for flight regardless of how well the flying would go without his tail. Things were very, very wrong out there.

Cyrus stood at the doorway with Alvin's horse, peeking around every few seconds to see what he could of the dragons and battle.

This time when he turned, he was startled to find a small, purple dragon sitting on the ground.

"What the...?" He glanced around. Had someone lost one of the Berkian dragons? Or was this something the Wotādīni had trained?

He pointed his spear.

Trooper gave him a lazy eye, hissing.

"That's right, little guy. Just stand right there..." He slowly pulled back for a thrust.

Prick!

"Ow!" He stopped short, looking down. To his shock a brown-haired, green-eyed, peg-legged Viking was on the ground, poking his leg with a dart.

"Hi there." The Viking smiled up.

The spear dropped. Cyrus teetered a second; giving Hiccup just enough time to get to his feet and stop him from falling like downed timber.