Free Web NovelChapter 85: Setting Sail
Lucian stood in front of the mirror in his room, staring at his reflection. After a few moments, he undid the transformation. The black scales and massive werebear frame receded, replaced by his normal human body. Unfortunately, his clothes had been completely destroyed in the process.
He sighed, grabbing a new set of clothes from his bag and putting them on.
"I really should stack up on more clothes," he muttered. "They keep getting destroyed lately."
Once dressed, he sat back down on the bed. With everything quiet, Lucian decided it was time to open the last two Special Blind Boxes.
[Do you want to open the Special Blind Boxes from: Queen Elinor and Witch Ester?]
"Yes."
The system chimed softly.
[Congratulations! You have opened the Special Blind Box from Queen Elinor and gained a passive ability: Grace Under Pressure.]
[Congratulations! You have opened the Special Blind Box from Witch Ester and gained: Wisp Guidance.]
Lucian felt a strange calmness wash over his mind. His thoughts became sharper, clearer, and steadier.
[Grace Under Pressure: The ability to remain perfectly calm, composed, and clear-minded no matter how chaotic or dangerous the situation becomes.]
[Wisp Guidance: An active skill that allows the host to summon Will-o’-the-Wisps to guide him to hidden locations, lost people, or important objects that he is looking for. The wisps can also reveal illusions or weak magical barriers.]
Lucian smiled faintly. Both rewards were excellent. Grace Under Pressure would be invaluable in future battles and political situations, while Wisp Guidance was perfect for exploration.
He let out a long sigh and slumped back onto the bed.
"Tomorrow is going to be a long day..."
---
The next morning, the port of DunBroch was lively with activity.
The clans was preparing to depart. Stoick stood at the docks, one hand on Hiccup’s shoulder.
"Just stay safe out there," Stoick said gruffly. "Keep in touch, and come back home when your adventures are done."
"I will, Dad," Hiccup replied with a small smile.
Stoick then looked at Lucian and the rest of the gang. "Same goes for all of you. Specially you, Lucian. Berk will always be open to you."
"Aye, Chief! We’ll come back as soon as we can!" Tuffnut said cheerfully.
"Thank you" Lucian said.
Stoick nodded, then he and Gobber, along with the other Vikings, boarded their longship. They said their final goodbyes to King Fergus and Queen Elinor before rowing away.
As they left, King Fergus suddenly jumped into a small boat and chased after the Clan Dingwall ship, having spotted his three sons aboard it.
Lucian chuckled at the sight.
Snotlout crossed his arms. "Alright, now that they’re gone... can somebody tell me HOW THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO THAT LAND YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT?!"
"We have dragons, duh!" Ruffnut laughed, nudging Tuffnut.
"We literally have tons of stuff to carry! Like my precious gold and jewelry!" Snotlout complained, hugging one of his crates.
Lucian smirked. "Don’t worry about it. I’ve got just the right thing."
He pulled out a small bottle from his satchel. Inside was a tiny greenish model of a ship.
"What’s that? A toy?" Tuffnut asked, leaning in.
"How is that supposed to help us?" Snotlout scoffed.
"Patience," Lucian said.
He walked to the water’s edge, uncorked the bottle, and tilted it.
The tiny ship flew out of the bottle and rapidly expanded the moment it touched the sea. In seconds, a massive, haunting vessel materialized before them. A grand ship with dark wooden hulls reinforced with silver nd green accents, eerie glowing runes along the sides, and tall masts that seemed to pierce the sky. It looked ancient yet powerful, like something out of legend.
"By Odin’s beard..." Astrid whispered, eyes wide. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
The rest of the gang stared in stunned silence. Even Lucian was momentarily speechless.
"It’s... bigger than I expected," he muttered. "Good thing I didn’t open it back at the house in Berk."
He turned to the group with a grin. "Well... shall we depart?"
____
The gang quickly loaded their belongings, crates of treasure, food supplies, and other goods they had acquired in DunBroch.
Lucian helped Ariel lift one of her heavier crates, which was filled with elegant dresses and clothes gifted by Queen Elinor. Ariel had mostly worn Viking-style clothing until now, but the Queen had insisted she try more refined outfits.
As they finished loading, none of them noticed a certain redheaded figure stealthily climbing up the side of the ship and slipping aboard.
