"ASTRID!" I yelled, panic colouring my tone.
We were so close to getting away when Savage was shot out of a catapult and crashed into Astrid, who was on Stormfly with Heather behind her, grabbing her as he went hurtling to the ground – bringing her with him. When she landed on the ground, Alvin came out of nowhere and grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder and running off with her.
Never in my life have I been so scared for someone.
Toothless and I chased after them, shooting plasma blasts at Alvin in hopes of tripping him up, as Astrid tried to beat his back with her fists and her legs kicking at his chest. We landed when we backed Alvin onto a cliff, leaving him with nowhere to go. Toothless hissed at Alvin and I glared at him.
"Surrender!" Alvin shouted at me, holding Astrid away from him and over the edge. "Or I'll… Well, you know the rest…" He chuckled darkly as Astrid tried to squirm her way out of his grip, grunting from her failing attempts.
My heart stopped. Time slowed down to a stop in my mind. I could see the shock, anger and fear in Astrid's eyes from Alvin's threat. We both knew he would drop her if I didn't, or at the very least act fast enough. The possibility of losing Astrid was very high in chance, leaving me with nothing but the feeling of heartbreak. Sorrow and fear and over-whelming pain surged through my veins from realising that Astrid could die if I didn't do something now…
If I failed, then I'd never get to tell her any the things I wanted to tell her; I'd never get to tell her that I think she's beautiful, that she's the smartest girl I know, that she's the first and last person I think of every day, that she's the toughest girl in Berk and that I admire her strength, that I adore how her nose scrunches up and her eyebrows furrow together when she's thinking hard or is annoyed, that I would gladly give up any dignity I have just to see her smile, that she has the most contagious laugh I've ever heard, that her bravery and fearlessness make me fee like I can do anything, that looking into her sky-blue eyes make me feel like I'm flying, that her smile is the cutest part about her… That I love her…
The heart-break then washed away as unfiltered rage burst through my veins upon realising that if I lose Astrid, it's be because of Alvin – not because I didn't act sooner… If I had the choice, however, to choose on whether or not anyone dies here today… I'd choose for Alvin to die. I just can't let him walk away, alive, after threatening the love of my life like this. He will either be dead, or at the very least seriously maimed.
"Do it, bud." I said, my voice rough with bloodlust as I gave Alvin a death-glare, petting Toothless' head twice. I saw Toothless look at me in shock, along with Astrid, before his eyes hardened and reared up. Alvin looked at Toothless with slight fear in his eyes as Toothless opened his mouth and charged up a red plasma blast.
Blue plasma blasts are used for battle… But red plasma blasts are for finishing the job. I found this out when Toothless and I went fishing the first time – he shot blue plasma blasts at the school of fish into a corner near a cliff, and then he let out a red plasma blast and all of a sudden the fish all floated to the surface… Not one had survived. I then decided that if the red plasma blast kills things, then I would forbid Toothless to use it unless it was absolutely necessary and there was no other way.
I counted this as one of those times.
Toothless was about to shoot when I heard Astrid shout out.
"Hiccup! Don't shoot!" She yelled, her voice tinged with desperation. Toothless immediately ceased the charge and fell back onto all-fours again, and I looked at Astrid with shock and panic. Did she want to die? Or did she have some sort of crazy plan to get herself out of there?
Oh, how I hoped it was the second one…
Within moments of her cry, a purple and yellow Monstrous Nightmare flew up the cliff close enough to knock Alvin forward and let go of Astrid once he hit the ground and lost consciousness. The dragon locked eyes with Astrid, seeming as if it knew her, and I saw Astrid smile at it. Astrid then grabbed the Book of Dragons and the Monstrous Nightmare picked her up with its feet, before throwing her onto its neck and flying away. With Alvin down for the count, and my eyes wide, Toothless and I followed them.
"Who is that?!" I asked when Toothless and I were beside Astrid and the dragon. Astrid then pet the Monstrous Nightmare's face when it turned to look at her, and it gave her a sort of… affectionate glance?
"Just a new friend I made." She replied, looking at me with beaming eyes. With that being said, we caught up to the others in no time.
"What the?! Hey, why are you riding a Monstrous Nightmare?! I'm the one who rides them – you ride Deadly Nadders! Stick to them, woman! Monstrous Nightmares are my territory!" Snotlout yelled, not liking that Astrid had made a new friend who was of the same kind as Hookfang. Everyone rolled their eyes but me, I was too busy staring at Astrid.
I could've lost Astrid today and the realisation of that sank in deep. I never wanted to feel like that again – I never want to have to lose Astrid like that. I don't ever want a repeat of this, ever again. Although I was relieved that we were fine now, and that we were finally going home, I still felt the fear… The fear of someday losing Astrid before I can tell her all of those things, before I can tell her that I love her…
I knew that someday, very soon though, I will be sure to tell her. I promise myself this, even if it is the last thing I do, I will tell her before that day when I finally do lose her for good comes.