Alvin the treacherous was not an easily surprised man. When Stoick the Vast had banished him from Berk, he had known it would have happened sooner or later. When his Whispering Death had birthed a monstrosity, a Screaming Death, he had consoled himself by saying nobody would have expected that. When he had made peace with Berk after almost decades of war, he had been mildly surprised.

What he saw today surprised him.

Hiiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third stood in front of him. Alone. Alvin hadn't seen the boy in months, not since Stoick had invited him to watch the Dragon Races. Hiccup hadn't changed much since then, he still wore a black leather armor, with assorted gadgets attached. His mask no longer had glass lenses but didn't seem relevant. Something seemed off. Hiccup had arrived on Outcast island on the back of a Timberjack, which flew away the moment he landed. His Nightfury was nowhere in sight.

"Where is he?" Hiccup asked.

"Who?,"

"You know who I mean!" Hiccup shouted.

Alvin glanced behind Hiccup to make sure he hadn't made a mistake. Toothless definitely didn't come with him. Does he think I have something to do with that?

"If you mean Toothless-" He started, but something shifted in Hiccup's eyes when he said that, in the next instant a flaming sword stood in Hiccup's hand and pointed at Alvin's throat. The outcasts nearby drew their swords but didn't move any closer.

"Not him,"

Alvin gestured with his hand "Put 'em away boys, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding," He turned back to Hiccup, who seemed to be selecting his words very carefully.

"The Screaming Death it's here isn't it?" Hiccup didn't move his sword. Alvin nodded. Hiccup lowered his blade but kept it flaming. "Take me to him,"

Alvin rubbed his throat but didn't complain. He started walking towards the arena, he motioned for one of the guards to make preparations. Much had changed in the four years The Outcasts had become Berk's allies. The Island was still rocky and impossible to farm, but jagged rocks and underwater caverns were oases for fish. Fishing was easier now that dragons did not hamper every movement or burn down every storage shed.

Whereas before the wild dragons had burnt and terrorized the island. With the help of Hiccup years prior, they now tolerated it. A small number of the population, largely children, had even tamed a few.

Alvin examined Hiccup out of the corner of his eye. He didn't seem that different. Granted he stood straighter then he did five years ago, maybe a bit taller, but that was old news. No something was different, but his mask made it difficult to tell what.

As they pass through the tunnel leading to the arena, Alvin asked, "Is something the matter boy?" Hiccup didn't answer, but Alvin could see his eyes dart towards him through his mask. "Did something happen to Toothless?"

Hiccup turned and slammed into Alvin. He shoved him against a wall and once again placed his sword at his neck. "Don't say his name,"

Alvin hesitated before palming the dagger he had touching Hiccup's chest and holding his arms up in surrender. Hiccup stepped back and walked away, the arena in sight now.

The boy isn't meant to be that strong. Something has changed in him. He thought. He waited and watched as Hiccup walked towards the ledge of the Arena.

The arena was a shadow of what it had once been. A grand shadow but a shadow nonetheless. Five years ago the floor had collapsed when Dagur the Deranged was taken down by one of Hiccup's plans. Since then, the outcasts rarely ventured down the hundred foot pit. Even during the day light never reached the floor, and for some reason dragons avoided it like eels, most of the them anyway.

The first time Alvin had descended he was almost surprised. At the bottom of the pit were dozens of huge holes in the walls and ground, and within moments he had been surrounded by Whispering Deaths. Most of them had left years before, but apparently a few mavericks had split from the others and remained, building a nest. Alvin survived the encounter, the Death's were more curious than angry.

Then it had come.

When the Screaming Death returned Alvin had been surprised. He saw it arrive through the tunnels and ignore the Outcasts completely. Alvin descended later and found it resting with its flight, it had regarded him with one huge red eye before going back to sleep. He returned the next day with a cart of fish. After eating it returned to its rest. This ritual happened for a week every year, before it flew away with the rest of its flight. Alvin wasn't entirely sure why he fed it, probably the influence of the boy standing before him. The other Outcasts were to afraid to even descend.

Alvin watched Hiccup down into the darkness and pause. He drew his Gronckle iron dagger and tested against the floor. It cut two inches into the stone before stopping. Apparently pleased, he ignored the rope offered to him and checked the straps on his armor.

Alvin turned to Mildew, who had appeared from nowhere, "Send a Terror to Stoick, tell him something's wrong with his boy,"

"Anything specifically?" Mildew mumbled. He batted away a Smokebreath that crawled up to Fungus' leg.

Alvin stroked his beard, "Hmm, No. I'm willing to bet he knows better than I about this."

Mildew nodded and rattled his staff above his head, eliciting a small chorus of flapping wings as Terrible Terrors descended around him while he walked away. All of them outside of swatting distance.

Hiccup was now hanging from the edge of the abyss, gazing into the darkness. Alvin stepped over and watched him, "Need a hand?"

Hiccup turned to him, "No,"

He let go of the edge.


"Great White-one, a presence approaches."

The White-one awoke. But kept its eyes shut. Content to ignore. Nothing was a threat to it. Anything that could not threaten it was a not threat to its soft-spoken brothers.

"It is not a Skyling" Spoke one.

"It is not the exiled Alpha." Spoke another.

This piqued its interest. Many humans it had seen in it's time, rarely would they approach knowing he was near. Only The Vast, the Exiled Alpha, and the Child of Sky and Fire had approached without fear.

Its brothers woke up one by one, each speaking words heard only by skylings and themselves, steadily rising into a silent cacophony that disturbed its rest.

"It does not bring food,"

"Nor other skylings,"

"It's smell is not of life,"

"Impudence!"

"Should we scare it?"

"Should we bite it?"

"Should we kill it?"

Silence descended upon the last question. The White-one didn't answer, it was not its place to rule its brother's actions. It extended its senses in the direction its brothers had and hesitated, the presence was both familiar and alien. Not quite skyling and not quite human.

The sound of metal scraping against stone reached its ears followed by the tapping of human foot and more metal. The White-one turned his head and opened its eyes, watching the intruder. It wore black cattle skin and green sheep fur. In its hands were a tooth of metal and a claw of metal. Its left leg was of human make.

The intruder's hand moved and the claw was set alight with flame, illuminating 20 feet around. Immediately the brothers lifted their wings and started the whispers. Whispers that even the small ears of humans could hear and understand. The intruder paused before dropping the claw and the tooth. But the whispers did not stop.

It started to walk towards the White-one, unfazed by the darkness beyond the light of its claw, or the whispers that continued to harass him.

"Arrogance,"

"Deception"

"Child of dirt,"

As it approached, it removed pieces of its cattle skin and sheep fur, one at a time its eyes never shifting from the White-one's own.

"Failure,"

"Outcast,"

"Slaver,"

"Frightened whelp"

"Friendless,"

"Cripple"

"Alone,"

"Brother of Dirt,"

At the last one it removed its helmet and turned to the brother which had said that. The White-one snapped awake as it felt the presence of an Alpha descend. In the darkness the intruder's eyes narrowed and slanted, an impossibility among the humans.

The brother shrank back as if struck by the skyfather. It's whispers became whimpers as it tried to escape the overwhelming presence placed upon it.

The White-one watched impassively, having recognized the intruder. It watched as its brother struggled mentally, spikes flying wildly, and its shrieks of fear before finally succumbing and falling to floor, bowing before the intruder.

"So the Child of Sky and Fire returns," It chuckled and rose from the ground. It looked at its contrite brother and reasserted control before turning to the one known as Hiccup among its kind.

He stood naked but for a cloth wrapped around his waste. "I have come for you Screaming Death,"

The brothers shifted back, it was unheard of for a human to know The Speech.

Again the there was a rumbling noise that made the air vibrate as the White-one chuckled, louder this time "Very good Child, you have surprised me again. You may call me Nidhogg." Nidhogg looked up before continuing, "Where is your Brother of Night that I may congratulate his bond to such a human?"

Hiccup snarled and his eyes narrowed again. A wave of pressure hit the Nidhogg. The Nidhogg was not its brothers though, and it flicked the pressure aside as a child would an insect. Hiccup reacted as if he had been slapped and put a hand to the side of his face but turned back just as angry as before.

"You would be wise to not try that again, my patience grows thin."

"I need your help,"

"No,"

"That was not a choice,"

"And who are you to make me? Child,"

"I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk, The First Dragon Rider, Child of Sky and Fire and Alpha to the Dragons of Berk,"

He paused. Then looked at him again. His arrow narrowed into slits and his presence became ancient and old, Dark and of Lightning. That of a dragon.

"You will do as I say or I will bring a thousand dragons to you and brothers and root your kin from this land. I will bring a thousand vikings to chain you deep beneath the earth until the horns of Ragnarok call. And when you die, I shall scatter your ashes to the wind so that none know of your passing,"

"IMPUDENT WHELP!" The Nidhogg screamed, a terrible scream that made the air rip and the sky tear and the walls crack. Its brothers cowered and hid in their tunnels and the earth shook as if Thor himself had struck the ground. "I am the descendant of the Jörmungandr, The World Serpent, and have the blood of gods. I will be young when your children's children have become dust. I will see you rise again among the dead at the call of Ragnarok before I grow old. Do not presume to your presence is anything but a spark in my existence."

The Nidhogg lifted itself higher before shooting towards Hiccup, A meteor of destruction.

Hiccup was not afraid. Hiccup did not move. He did not flinch when the hundreds of teeth and the black maw covered him in shadows darker then the pit. Nor when he felt the first of its fangs puncture his arms and neck. He waited.

The Nidhogg stopped. It removed its fangs and tasted the blood and considered. Then it laughed. Great bellowing laughs. Unlike before though the air did not shimmer or break nor was a sound made. For the laugh was of The Speech. When one spoke in The Speech, feelings cannot be hidden.

"Your courage does you credit Child of Sky and Fire. Not even the Exiled Alpha would lie so boldly nor would your sire have stood as firm,"

At the mention of his sire, Hiccup flinched and clenched and unclenched his fist. The Nidhogg noticed this but did not speak of it.

"But I will never bow to Man, Child or Skyling,"

"You won't bow. We will be equals, brothers until our task is complete,"

The Nidhogg considered this for a moment then did its best approximation of a nod.

"What is our endeavor brother?"

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "Revenge."


Four hours later

Astrid flew towards Outcast Island. Hiccup had been missing the entire day. Fishlegs, Snotlout and the Twins had gone to the other islands and tribes to search, while Astrid went to Alvin. As she flew she saw the debris of hundred of ships. Blood was in the water and the sharks were in a frenzy.

There had been a battle here.

She recognized the first emblem immediately, the Skrill, emblem of the Berserkers. As she looked for the emblem of the outcasts she didn't find it. Finally she gave up and continued to Outcast island.

She flew above the island and dropped herself off at the Arena, where Alvin stood, directing his men. The Cage over the arena had been shattered from within but that was not what caught her attention. Hundreds of Berserkers lay around on the floor. Outcasts, dragons and Mildew darted between them. Most seemed tired or half drowned, but a few had black spikes in their skin, more drill-like than a Nadders. One man had a white spike so large it impaled his entire arm.

When Alvin spotted her he gestured to a few guards to return to the wounded prisoners then walked over, "Astrid? Why isn't Stoick here? I sent him a message hours ago." He raised his hand to help her down. She got down, ignoring her surprise and asked.

"Did the Berserkers attack? What happened?"

"Hiccup that's what!" Alvin spoke with a sneer, "I sent for Stoick where is he?"

Astrid's face fell as she said this but before she could say something Mildew returned.

"Alvin, the Terror just returned with your message still attached. I don't understand it. I've seen them fly straight through a tornado and get the message delivered."

Alvin's eyes widened, he turned back to Astrid and realized what had happened.

"No..." Alvin roared and grabbed Astrid by her throat and lifted her into the air, "Tell me who was it that did it?"

The instant he touched her, Stormfly screeched and whipped her tail at him. Mildew was faster still. Realizing a moment before what was about to occur, he rattled his staff and pointed at the Nadder. Before it could let loose its spikes, a dozen Terrors jumped it and knocked it over. But they wouldn't distract her for long.

Alvin ignored the scuffle and pressed Astrid's neck harder, "Who. Did. IT!" He shouted. His face had contorted with anger, the veins in his arm extended like like malformed roots.

Astrid panicked she kicked his shoulder but it didn't budge. Alvin the Treacherous was one of two Vikings who could truthfully claim they could overpower a dragon, the kicks of Shieldmaiden were little compared to Dragons.

Astrid forced herself to calm down as she felt her vision start to cloud. She retaliated again but instead of attacking she brought her legs up and coiled them around his arm and swung herself towards his back. She smiled briefly as she heard his shoulder dislocate, but gasped in pain as she hit the ground, and the wind was forced out of her lungs.

By this time Stormfly had rid herself of the Terrors and picked her up, "Wait girl," Stormfly crooned in anger, worried about her rider but stopped ten feet away from where Alvin was now on one knee. She dropped to her knees for a moment and leaned on Stormfly's leg as she caught her breath, chasing away the dark corners of her vision.

"What the Hel was that?"

Alvin said nothing.

"You attacked me!"

He remained silent.

Astrid reached for her axe, and pointed it at him. "Do you want wa-"

"Who did it." Alvin looked up from the floor. He was no longer angry. At least his face did not show it. Astrid thought she could see something else in his eyes but it fell behind a wall of dark steel.

Astrid paused before answering, "Drago Bludvist," She omitted the details.

Alvin stood up and looked at his arm. He motioned for Mildew to examine him. Mildew looked for a moment before grabbing his arm and twisting it sharply, there was an audible click. Alvin shifted his shoulder and didn't complain.

'That would have hurt' Astrid thought.

"Is he dead?"

"No." She sighed and looked away but kept her axe on him, "No he's not dead,"

A flash of anger threatened to engulf him again, his eyes once again burned with intense anger and hatred. But it disappeared as quickly as it came. "Come we have much to talk about," He started to walk away but Astrid didn't move.

"You think that aft-"

"Astrid Hofferson, Shieldmaiden of Berk, I apologize for my conduct and I swear by Thor will strive to make amends for my rash action," He didn't turn around, but neither did he voice his statement in his usual sneering tone.

Astrid stood shocked for a moment. In the five years their tribes had been united, Alvin had never apologized for any of his actions, whether regarding his most recent exploits or those that got him banished he had never admitted fault in his actions.

Astrid decided to put the incident behind her, for now. She strapped her Axe to her back and walked towards him a few steps behind, Stormfly at her side.

Alvin stopped just before they went into a cave and looked over his shoulder. "He wasn't the only one was he?"

Astrid was more prepared for this question. But she shook her head, not wanting to speak, otherwise she might start crying again.

"Toothless is dead."