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Berk in Time - Dragons on a Timeship - Part 2
The Riders landed on the top deck. They quickly noticed that it wasn’t made of wood, rather it seemed to be composed of some metal or other. “A little unusual,” Hiccup commented.
“Try ‘very unusual’,” Astrid said.
“And we don’t see anyone sailing it,” Hiccup said.
“And I didn’t see any oars either,” Fishlegs pointed out.
“No one sailing,” Hiccup said as he looked at the ragged sails. “No oars. What sort of ship is this?”
They heard a sound nearby, a door into a cabin crashed down.
“Is that a…?” Astrid asked.
“Yes,” Hiccup answered. “A dragon. And where there’s one. There are probably others.”
The Rumbleclaw roared.
“Out of the way!” Astrid said.
“Over here!” Nefertiti called from a room at the side.
They all ran over.
“More Dragons,” Spitelout groused. “Perfect.”
“Someone must have captured them. We need to find out who,” Hiccup said. “Berk may be the only safe place.”
“What if this is a trap?” Spitelout asked.
“We’ll escape,” Hiccup said. “We need to find wherever it is being steered from.”
“But how?” Snotlout asked.
After a short time, they found an area with a wheel. “This matches descriptions of how Imperial ships are steered,” Fishlegs said. “But the rest of it doesn’t look Mikelgardian.”
“Nor is it Viking,” Astrid added.
“There is so much to discover,” Hiccup added. “There must be some information here.”
“But would we be able to read it?” Fishlegs asked.
“And before Dad decides that this thing is too close to Berk.”
“Surely he wouldn’t fire on it while we’re still aboard?” Snotlout asked.
“He would,” Spitelout said.
“So, we have to hurry,” Hiccup said.
They found some books at the back of the command area. But no one knew the language, the symbols were completely unfamiliar. “Great!” Spitelout groused.
“Maybe there’s a map,” Fishlegs suggested.
“Like that will help,” Snotlout objected. “We’re completely lost here.”
“Even pictures of the dragons may help a little. But it may take too much time,” Hiccup said.
“So, we look around some more?” Astrid asked.
“Yes. Maybe there’s some mechanism somewhere, or we’ll find spare sails. I know it’s too big for us to tow with our dragons,” Hiccup said.
“That’s an understatement,” Fishlegs said.
“Something like this?” Tuffnut asked. He pulled a lever nearby.
A trapdoor opened and Hiccup, Spitelout and Snotlout fell down to a lower deck.
“What happened?” Nefertiti asked.
“Oh, great!” Astrid responded.
“Oops!” Tuffnut said.
Hiccup and the Jorgensons found themselves in a large space filled with large tank-like objects. “We’re on a lower deck,” Spitelout pointed.
“Trap doors! I hate trap doors!” Hiccup said. “But what is this ship? Are there dragons down here too?”
“There’s a strange sound, like a cats purr,” Snotlout said.
“I hear it too,” Hiccup said. “Some dragons make such a sound too. Fishlegs would know more. But it seems too regular to be a dragon. It could be some of these machines.” He gestured to the devices around him.
“Any idea what they could be?” Spitelout asked.
“Forges, probably,” Hiccup considered.
“If they’re that big…” Spitelout mused.
“Who knows what they make,” Hiccup said.
“You feel some kind of thrumming?” Snotlout asked.
“I do,” Hiccup answered. “There may be someone here, operating one of the forges.”
Spitelout drew his sword! “I’ll be ready.”
“We don’t want to antagonize him,” Hiccup said as the Jorgensons both charged off. “Of course!”
Back on deck, Fishlegs was thinking. “Obviously there are more dragons on board.”
“Over here!” Astrid said. “A nest!”
Fishlegs walked over. “Those look like Zippleback eggs.”
“Zippleback?” Nefertiti asked.
“Our dragon,” Ruffnut explained, pointing to Barf and Belch.
“I see,” Nefertiti said.
“We should probably retreat,” Fishlegs suggested as he pointed towards another Zippleback approaching from further back on the deck.
“Agreed, just don’t break the eggs!” Astrid said.
Down in the ‘forge room’, Spitelout stopped running and sheathed his sword. “There’s nobody here!” he proclaimed.
“Or maybe they’re not just forges,” Hiccup said. “I have read about blacksmiths who attempted to build things that could move carts or small boats.”
“That’s crazy talk,” Spitelout objected.
“They all failed of course. But what if someone succeeded?” Hiccup asked.
“It’s still crazy,” Spitelout said.
“Not as crazy as you think.”
“What are you getting at?” Snotlout asked.
“If I can get it working, we could get the ship to move itself away from Berk.”
“That’s a big if!”
“I know it is. I have no idea how these forges work!” Hiccup said throwing his hands in the air.
“Try ‘very unusual’,” Astrid said.
“And we don’t see anyone sailing it,” Hiccup said.
“And I didn’t see any oars either,” Fishlegs pointed out.
“No one sailing,” Hiccup said as he looked at the ragged sails. “No oars. What sort of ship is this?”
They heard a sound nearby, a door into a cabin crashed down.
“Is that a…?” Astrid asked.
“Yes,” Hiccup answered. “A dragon. And where there’s one. There are probably others.”
The Rumbleclaw roared.
“Out of the way!” Astrid said.
“Over here!” Nefertiti called from a room at the side.
They all ran over.
“More Dragons,” Spitelout groused. “Perfect.”
“Someone must have captured them. We need to find out who,” Hiccup said. “Berk may be the only safe place.”
“What if this is a trap?” Spitelout asked.
“We’ll escape,” Hiccup said. “We need to find wherever it is being steered from.”
“But how?” Snotlout asked.
After a short time, they found an area with a wheel. “This matches descriptions of how Imperial ships are steered,” Fishlegs said. “But the rest of it doesn’t look Mikelgardian.”
“Nor is it Viking,” Astrid added.
“There is so much to discover,” Hiccup added. “There must be some information here.”
“But would we be able to read it?” Fishlegs asked.
“And before Dad decides that this thing is too close to Berk.”
“Surely he wouldn’t fire on it while we’re still aboard?” Snotlout asked.
“He would,” Spitelout said.
“So, we have to hurry,” Hiccup said.
They found some books at the back of the command area. But no one knew the language, the symbols were completely unfamiliar. “Great!” Spitelout groused.
“Maybe there’s a map,” Fishlegs suggested.
“Like that will help,” Snotlout objected. “We’re completely lost here.”
“Even pictures of the dragons may help a little. But it may take too much time,” Hiccup said.
“So, we look around some more?” Astrid asked.
“Yes. Maybe there’s some mechanism somewhere, or we’ll find spare sails. I know it’s too big for us to tow with our dragons,” Hiccup said.
“That’s an understatement,” Fishlegs said.
“Something like this?” Tuffnut asked. He pulled a lever nearby.
A trapdoor opened and Hiccup, Spitelout and Snotlout fell down to a lower deck.
“What happened?” Nefertiti asked.
“Oh, great!” Astrid responded.
“Oops!” Tuffnut said.
Hiccup and the Jorgensons found themselves in a large space filled with large tank-like objects. “We’re on a lower deck,” Spitelout pointed.
“Trap doors! I hate trap doors!” Hiccup said. “But what is this ship? Are there dragons down here too?”
“There’s a strange sound, like a cats purr,” Snotlout said.
“I hear it too,” Hiccup said. “Some dragons make such a sound too. Fishlegs would know more. But it seems too regular to be a dragon. It could be some of these machines.” He gestured to the devices around him.
“Any idea what they could be?” Spitelout asked.
“Forges, probably,” Hiccup considered.
“If they’re that big…” Spitelout mused.
“Who knows what they make,” Hiccup said.
“You feel some kind of thrumming?” Snotlout asked.
“I do,” Hiccup answered. “There may be someone here, operating one of the forges.”
Spitelout drew his sword! “I’ll be ready.”
“We don’t want to antagonize him,” Hiccup said as the Jorgensons both charged off. “Of course!”
Back on deck, Fishlegs was thinking. “Obviously there are more dragons on board.”
“Over here!” Astrid said. “A nest!”
Fishlegs walked over. “Those look like Zippleback eggs.”
“Zippleback?” Nefertiti asked.
“Our dragon,” Ruffnut explained, pointing to Barf and Belch.
“I see,” Nefertiti said.
“We should probably retreat,” Fishlegs suggested as he pointed towards another Zippleback approaching from further back on the deck.
“Agreed, just don’t break the eggs!” Astrid said.
Down in the ‘forge room’, Spitelout stopped running and sheathed his sword. “There’s nobody here!” he proclaimed.
“Or maybe they’re not just forges,” Hiccup said. “I have read about blacksmiths who attempted to build things that could move carts or small boats.”
“That’s crazy talk,” Spitelout objected.
“They all failed of course. But what if someone succeeded?” Hiccup asked.
“It’s still crazy,” Spitelout said.
“Not as crazy as you think.”
“What are you getting at?” Snotlout asked.
“If I can get it working, we could get the ship to move itself away from Berk.”
“That’s a big if!”
“I know it is. I have no idea how these forges work!” Hiccup said throwing his hands in the air.