Legends Unite III | Beast
The Winter Spirit and the newly appointed Autumn Spirit, Guardian of Innovation, had been sitting in the Cove for a period of time now. Jack had yet to recover, but being the energetic boy he was known for as the Guardian of Fun (and Winter), it did not take long for him to start walking around to examine Hiccup's humble abode which was filled with sketches, materials for inventing and etc.
At one point when Jack had finally returned from his little exploration, he asked, "You have a knack for inventing, huh?"
"Y-yeah," Hiccup answered him as he sheepishly scratched his nape. "The mind only has a limited amount of space for all the crazy things you can imagine of, so why not save the space and bring it to reality?"
Jack was fairly impressed with this. Hiccup had already proved himself as an asset and a real Guardian of Innovation to this new circle of Guardians that the Man in the Moon wanted to assemble. The creativity was in him, that was for sure, but Hiccup was also intellectual and deep-thinking, Jack observed.
After awhile, Hiccup brought up the topic of the Guardians again. He was able to grasp the fundamentals of being a Guardian when Jack was explaining about them to him earlier. But then the curiosity crept into Hiccup's mind once more, and suddenly, he wanted to know what this 'Guardian of the Seasons' was all about. He brought up the question earlier on as well, but Jack had missed it in the midst of their engaging conversation then.
"So why me, Jack?" Hiccup tried again as soon as Jack was settled down in front of him. "What have I got to be a part of this new Guardians thing?"
"It's not a 'Guardians thing'," Jack said, sounding almost offended for North and Manny. "It's the 'Guardians of the Seasons'."
"So what is it? What is this all about?"
Jack sighed at Hiccup's persistence. He scratched in between his brows and frowned. "I don't have all the answers right now, Hiccup - but perhaps once we're all complete, we'd get the answers we wanted to our questions from Manny."
Manny, Hiccup thought, right. The so-called 'Man in the Moon'. Jack had immediately sensed Hiccup's cynicism when he had stopped himself from rolling his eyes in time.
"So who else is there until we're complete?" Hiccup asked, crossing his arms after taking a brief glance at the sleeping Toothless who was settled at the other end.
Jack picked up his staff and twirled it around his good hand swiftly. His arm was still broken, though the pain was completely gone. But Hiccup had informed him earlier that he would be needing Toothless' numbing saliva every now and then to ensure that no pain is felt. Other than that, Jack needed something else to fix his broken bones.
"There's this riddle," he muttered, pulling out the folded parchment from his pocket. "It's supposed to help us find the next two Guardians in chronological order. Here, have a go at it." Jack flicked the paper to Hiccup expertly with just a jerk of his wrist.
Hiccup caught it, a little unceremoniously, but still. His brows furrowed as he unfolded it and began to read the riddle.
He didn't tell Jack that he had taken up a bit of the time to read the stanza that described him. It was a fairly accurate description of him, that was for sure. When he was done being mesmerized by his own stanza, he finally perused through the second one:
Bold, rash and adventurous,
Heavy Scottish accent
This feisty one's infelicitous
Her childhood and training well spent
Challenge her to a duel
And she will turn you into gruel
Fetch her a bow and an arrow,
If you do not want to lose your fellow
But mistake her not for a beast
because that would be the least
"I can only make out that perhaps the next Guardian is Scottish and a girl...?" Jack said, patiently waiting for Hiccup's eyes to lift away from the riddle.
Hiccup nodded in agreement, scratching the nape of his head as he pushed himself to brainstorm.
"Well, it says here that she probably has a strong accent - and to be quite honest, the modern Scotsmen I've met did not sound like the old Scotsmen we used to be rivals against with." It was heartening to realise that he was slowly starting to accept his death and the fact that he was now in an unknown century.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked, leaning against his staff.
Hiccup remembered a couple of Scotsmen he had observed when he was out at Loch Ness with Toothless. They had their accents, all right - but the way they spoke involved the use of words that Hiccup had never heard of back then. The Scotsmen that the Hairy Hooligan Tribe often had the most conflicts with always used words related to ancestry, honour, bravery, and what not. They never used terms which referred to trade or leisure, like the modern ones often do nowadays.
And there was a specific group of them whom he was sworn to never be in alliance with. The Scotsmen from Dunbroch. That was basically the only thing that gave arising problems to his tribe. He could only pray that the next Guardian wasn't going to be from there. But either way, he told Jack, "I know a place where the Scottish people were always in conflict with my tribe - we...we, uh, could try there."
Jack failed to hear the part where Hiccup said about being in conflict. "Well," Jack said, pleased, "It's a starting point, right? So where is it?"
Hiccup hesitated. He was already feeling the heavy guilt and shame for having proposed to make a visit to the damned place. He could just feel his whole community looking at him disdainfully from above.
"Dunbroch," he breathed. "It's Dunbroch."
~
Taking a silent breath, the fizzy red haired former princess lifted her bow and fitted a nicely sharpened arrow to it. She closed one eye and aimed down at the fast-flowing river. Salmons were jumping out of the waters, almost as if they're advertising themselves for predators. Such fortune - Merida needed to brush up her archery skills as well as to satisfy her hunger.
She had been going on for three days without food already and as crazy as it seemed she was forcing herself to feel hungry because the hunger pangs had not kicked in at all and it was beyond ridiculousness that she hasn't been starving yet.
She released her fingers from the string of the bow just as she exhaled and watched the arrow sail forth, the attached rope flailing behind. The sharpened head of the arrow nicely pierced through the body of one salmon, and another and then a final third one. When it landed back into the streaming water, Merida began to pull on the rope, reeling her meal onto land. She examined the state of her nicely hunted fish before keeping it in her burlap bag - a souvenir from the long abandoned village of Dunbroch. She secured the bag and threw it over her shoulder to carry it.
She couldn't just feast on it. She still had to go and find a good place to seek solitude where she could set up a bonfire and cook her dinner. As she set off to leave the river bank, she heard what seemed to be the whistling of distant air, signaling movement up in the sky. Instinctively, she looked up in the sky, her arm halfway pulling out another arrow from her sheath. That was when she noticed a strange black creature flying at a high altitude above her. A glint of light was reflected on her and she had to look away to squint her eyes momentarily. But when she looked back up, the sky was clear again.
"Wha' in the world?"
~
"Are you sure it's 'just around the region', Hic?" Jack asked as he soared above a forested area of Scotland. "Maybe we should've used one of the Snow Globes."
Hiccup looked over Toothless' head to search for any signs of civilization below.
"I'm telling you, it is! Using one of your Snow Globes will only cause us to lose our sense of direction."
Jack decided to trust the Viking's navigation skills. "If you say so," he said, shrugging, with a hint of doubt in his voice.
It was going to be sunset soon and they needed to get to Dunbroch as soon as possible before darkness sets in. If it was still occupied, nocturnal guests to the village would be denied access and would be misinterpreted as threats. But if it was deserted, it would be even harder to find it in the dark, considering the absence of lights.
Toothless' head cocked to the side when it spotted something. Both Jack and Hiccup immediately craned their necks to look at the same direction.
"There!" Jack exclaimed immediately after spotting an area where stonewalled infrastructure stood instead of forests.
Hiccup smirked and patted Toothless' back to which it shook under his touch.
"Good job, Tooth."
"Proving yourself useful, huh?" Jack said, smirking at the Night Fury. "That'll compensate for my broken arm."
Toothless grunted bashfully at what he said.
"Hey, he's providing the numbing saliva just to remind you," Hiccup said defensively. Jack merely cocked a brow at him before chuckling shortly.
"C'mon, let's go." And he flew forward, downwards to the stonewalled settlement, with the Night Fury following after.
The sky was already painted a bright orange by the time they were nearing the land of Dunbroch.
"Let's land over there, Tooth," Hiccup said, pointing to a small space among the forests near the settlement. "Can't risk anyone seeing you under the ownership of a Viking." A Viking arriving at his enemy's land with a dragon was a double threat and would attract more problems upon their arrival.
Jack, upon sensing a tone of precaution in Hiccup's voice, nodded and flew ahead. "I'll go check the area to see if it's clear." And after getting an approving nod from Hiccup, Jack flew faster than the Night Fury to go and check the small patch of spacious land among the towering trees.
He landed on a branch at first, before jumping down from it and lightly landing on the trampled soil. It seemed like this had been a spot for other animals to settle on to, considering that the grass on the soil were flattened. He flew back up, passing the overlapping canopies and whistled to Hiccup and Toothless to signal them that the coast was clear.
"You stay here, ok, Toothless?"
Toothless nodded his head as he started to descend onto the ground where Jack was flying above on.
~
Merida dropped the firewoods she had just gathered.
There.
She heard something again. It was a whistle. A human whistle, not like the one before.
"People," she breathed, coming into realisation that she was perhaps no longer alone anymore. Instinctively, she threw the pile of firewood that she had collected and jumped onto a low tree branch before using every ounce of her energy to climb up the tree as fast as possible.
The next thing that happened merely took 3 seconds or less. The moment her head perked up above the canopy of the trees, she caught a glimpse of a huge black magnificent creature descending onto the ground not so far where she was from within the forest. It was the one she had caught sight of earlier on, surely. Merida's heartbeat began to increase as curiosity and anticiption filled her - she had to go see this beast. This was no bear she was used to hunting. She dived back into the canopy and descended as quickly as she could onto the ground.
She puffed out a breath when her feet landed with a large impact. Without stopping for another breath, she scooped up her pile of firewood onto her arm and maneuvered her way through the forest immediately.
~
Jack Frost and Hiccup had left Toothless at the spot where it had landed to ensure that nobody would spot the Night Fury. The two Guardians were racing against time now to reach the stonewalled settlement of Dunbroch before darkness fully sets in.
A hint of dark blue was already appearing from one end of the sky and the two were trying to get away from it as they went through the forest, pushing leaves and branches that blocked their ways. As soon as they reached the end of the forest, they were greeted by the magnificent Dunbroch. Its building were built with brick, wood and mainly stones, and torn flags were draped at poles. Stalls that may have once been a martet place were stripped down to their very wooden materials, shattered and broken. It almost seemed as if a storm had come by overnight to wipe away all forms of existence in the settlement.
"It's deserted - "
" - She can't be here, we might h-have to go back," Hiccup suggested. Besides the fact that he was stepping on a territory that ought to get him stabbed in the back within a minute (if there were people around), the abandoned, derelict settlement spooked him as it reminded him of his tribe back home.
Empty.
"No, we have to at least look," Jack said, waving his hand to show disapproval. "If you had been at the Cove, I wouldn't have been able to find you. The next Guardian might just be hiding around here."
"Whatever you say - but I'm not taking the lead," Hiccup bashfully said. "If the Guardian was from Dunbroch, she's going to kill me without a moment's notice."
Jack gave me a look.
"And I am not exaggerating."
The Winter Spirit shook his head and took the step forward, leading the way to the centre of Dunbroch. He examined their surroundings and even tried calling out for a reply. "Hello? Anyone out here?! We come in peace!"
After a few moments of waiting, with no reply, Jack walked up to the grandest building. It stood out from the rest because it had large wooden doors and towered over the rest of the infrastructure. This must have been the commanding family's home.
Jack motioned Hiccup to help him push the large entrance open, and when they did so, it creaked eerily, with the sound of some wood breaking into half. They were endowed in the dim lighting of the grand hall. There were two flights of stairs on either side of the walls, leading to the other levels.
"We're gonna have to split up."
~
Merida had her arrow ready already. She walked with her bow and arrow facing the ground as she stealthily crept up to the area where she saw the large black beast descend upon. It was near. She could tell from the strange, contradicting directions of the wind. The beast's breathing must have been strong or near enough to cause a change in the low wind direction. She heard a low rumbling noise and instinctively followed it, hiding herself behind a thick bush. She peered through its leaves and she nearly gasped. There it was. The beast. It was comfortably settled on the patch of land surrounded by the tall trees. That was her own bonfire place - where she sets up traps and sleeps on when night time falls. And now this beast was terrorizing it. She needed a better angle to examine the beast closer, so she slowly backtracked from the bush.
That was when her feet accidently stepped on a thin branch and - crick! - the branch broke and the noise it made was enough for the beast to perk up in attention. Merida's eyes widened in attention and she lifted her bow up immediately, preparing to release the arrow the moment the beast locates her.
~
Hiccup searched the upper levels of the building. It looked twice as abandoned as the outside. He entered a room, a spider web clinging onto the door from which he had gained entry from, and was welcomed to what seemed like a bedroom with a large bed enough to fit two. He looked around, and saw a half-done tapestry hanging by the window. The poor artist must've left it in order to escape the tragic end of Dunbroch, or must have died before he could finish it. Hiccup approached the tapestry to take a closer look. It was of a girl, with fiery red hair and the strangest hue of green and cerulean blue eyes. There was a strange look she gave in the artwork - almost as if she was restrained, or was it fear in her face? Whatever it was, the small smile on her face looked barely genuine. Almost as if it had taken every ounce of energy for her to muster a small grin. Hiccup was indeed intrigued. What ever happened to this girl? He took the incomplete tapestry and kept it despite his Viking conscience telling him not to. Dunbroch was no longer existent - what harm could the Vikings' nemesis do to him?
That was when he heard the chilling roar of a dragon. And only one name could come up to his mind.
Toothless.
He scurried out of the room, down to the main hall of the building as he shouted for Jack. "JACK! Where are you! JACK!"
Jack came flying out of the second level and when he saw Hiccup, it was as if their minds were one.
"Toothless," he muttered to Hiccup with bewildered eyes. And without saying anything else, he flew down and picked Hiccup up, carrying him by his upper arms as he flew out of the building, racing back to where they had left Toothless within the forest.
~
Merida had swung forth, jumping from one branch to another to escape the beast’s searching eyes. It had perked up in attention when Merida broke the piece of fallen branch, and now, it was searching the whole place for the trespasser.
Merida locked her gaze on another branch, higher up from the neighbouring tree. She took a deep breath and lounged towards it, her arms reaching out desperately to catch it as the beast circled the area.
But the tips of her fingers barely grazed on the bottom of the branch when she fell to the ground, the impact hurting the joints in her arms. Toothless saw her, and made a noise just as Merida picked herself up immediately and made a dash into the trees.
Toothless, however, was too fast for her. He had flown over her and blocked her away immediately, frowning at her. At this, Merida spun around to make a dash for the other side, only to end up in the same situation again. When Toothless stood on its haunches and flapped his wings majestically, Merida couldn’t help but falling backwards and gasping. She was willing herself not to show any signs of fear because that was the first thing no hunter should do. Fear was a form of weakness that the enemy could use to his advantage.
With her back on the ground, Merida pulled out an arrow immediately and set it on her bow, aiming for the beast.
“NO!” She heard a voice yell just as she released the arrow. Toothless’ attention was taken away by Hiccup’s voice, just when he felt a piercing jab on his left wing.
Toothless growled in pain as it fell on its back and moaned in agony. Jack Frost let go of Hiccup who had immediately scrambled up towards his dragon. He too flew over to the injured beast and examined the injury that was now oozing blood.
“Who are ya and why do yeh have this beast?”
The two Guardians turned to look over their shoulders, to turn their gaze upon the owner of the voice and their eyes widened. Merida had her three arrows aimed at each and one of them at once, prepared to release them upon any movement they make.
“I think we’ve found her, Hic,” Jack muttered softly to Hiccup.