Originally posted: Sept 18, 2016

Edited repost: Jan. 3, 2019

Read and Relax!

Hiccup

I ran to the back of the forge where my private work area was squared off. I shoved papers and boxes out of my way as I fished out my latest invention: the Mangler.

It was my latest idea for taking that thing down.

See, it looks simple…until you set it up. Then it becomes a large, double-stringed crossbow designed specifically for launching bolas. I've been working on it for months, but whether or not it was ready for this morning…

I…probably shouldn't jinx myself.

I grabbed ahold of the handles before running out of the forge. I ran past a few other Vikings and brushed off their indignant shouts with flippant responses that I can hardly remember now. I set up the launcher near the most untouched reach of the village. When I was sure it was set, I hurried off to look for my brother.

He had a smaller build like me, and his nimble, shadow-like movements made it hard for anyone to notice him.

It took time, but eventually, I caught sight of his silhouette while he ran through a fray of Vikings. He was doing pretty well at hiding from the Stormcutter, considering the fact that the dragon was a bloodhound when on our trail. Toothless hid under a house's shadow, and I took that opportunity to meet up with him.

I think I nearly gave him a heart attack when I slid right next to him.

"WHAT THE—Hiccup!?" he hissed. "What are you doing here!?"

"Saving your butt!" I hissed back.

"By getting yourself caught in the middle of a crossfire?"

We both cringed when we heard the shriek of the Stormcutter as it approached our general direction. I dared to look from our hiding spot only to see Vikings circling around it. The Stormcutter hardly broke a sweat as it swatted its attackers away like pesky flies.

That…didn't really help my fraying nerves at all.

Toothless probably noticed because he shoved me back into the safety of the shadows.

"Get back to the forge," he demanded.

I swatted away his hands, indignant. "No, just listen, would you?"

Toothless glared but gave me a curt go ahead motion with his hand.

"I have a plan—"

He moaned dramatically. "We're gonna die, aren't we?"

The sound of a nearby explosion seemed to reply for me.

"No. Shut up."

"What do you think Mom'll say at our funeral?"

"I don't know! And I don't care!"

"'My sons were crazy, reckless, and stupid,'" Toothless said in a light, accented voice. "'Mad men in every sense of the word. May Valhalla have mercy on my dearest idiots, and hopefully, they won't blow the place up before the rest of us can join them.'"

…That actually sounded just as rehearsed as it looks on paper.

"Tooooothless!" I cried. "Just. Listen!"

I told him my plan. His glare never wavered, but as long as he hadn't shot me down, I pressed on. His eyes remained narrow and his lips pressed into a frown even after I was finished, but then he sighed.

"You have five minutes to get ready," he said.

I grinned.

Toothless shifted his position and lowered himself into a crouch. He held up his wrapped hand and started counting down.

Five…four…three…

I was prepared to make a mad dash towards the Mangler.

Two…ONE!

The two of us shot off in separate directions.

I took my place behind the Mangler while Toothless shouted and waved his hands until the Stormcutter noticed him. It cocked its head before letting out a loud roar. Toothless ran in my direction while it chased him on foot. Its massive size and lumbering gait didn't hinder it at all as it crashed through people and other dragons in its haste to get Toothless.

I couldn't help but second guess myself as I watched the scene play out. Toothless was fast, and he could dodge almost anything thrown at him. I knew that for a fact, but watching the Stormcutter follow after him like a hurricane of scales and fire…

"He'll be fine," I whispered to myself. "He'll be fine."

Then, finally, he and the dragon were within range.

I peered through the contraption's focal lens as I aimed the machine at the dragon. My nervous energy was being completely funneled into my white-knuckled grip on the Mangler.

Toothless broke into the clearing exactly when the Stormcutter spread open its wings. Just as I'd guessed. Only one set opened, but that was all it needed to become airborne—at least for now.

As he came closer, I heard Toothless shout, "Any day now, Hic!"

Without a word, I sent the bola flying towards the dragon. The recoil knocked me over, but I scrambled to get up fast enough to watch the show. I almost couldn't accept what I saw because it happened so slowly. Toothless dove down and rolled far away from the dragon. The bola whizzed through the air. Imagine my shock when the ropes wrapped around their intended target. The Stormcutter screeched in surprise before hitting the ground in a crumpled heap.

"I hit it," I muttered silently. I still couldn't quite believe what just happened. "I-I hit it!"

"You got it!" Toothless shouted.

I blinked as the reality hit me. My smile spread from ear to ear before I let out an ear-shattering holler. Toothless's victory cry matched my own before we both ran towards the dragon. We could still hear the chaos from the battle in the center of the village, but it became little more than background noise as we approached our personal demon.

Before I could get anywhere near it, Toothless had grabbed my shirt collar. I was about to protest until he silenced me with a sharp frown. He motioned for me to stay behind while he slowly approached the dragon. I scowled but complied.

As we got closer, I took in how massive this thing was. It was bigger than our dad! Bigger than a Nightmare even! It had a flat face that was menacing thanks to its flaming crown and thick brow-like horns. Its glowing yellow eyes sent chills down my spine.

It was just…laying there.

Toothless crouched down slowly, and I copied his movements. He crept towards the dragon's face, and it was then that I realized it was watching us.

"Six years," Toothless said. I didn't know whether he was talking to me or the Stormcutter. "You've been tormenting us for six years."

Then he pulled a dagger out of his pocket. It was a curved blade weapon I'd given him years ago. It was designed for creating lethal wounds by twisting the blade after it's plunged into its target.

"No more." With one last scathing look at the Stormcutter, he looked up at me and offered me the dagger. "You want to do it? You did catch him after all."

I gulped and shook my head without a second thought. I immediately cringed, regretful. Before I could take it back, Toothless's eyes softened, and he nodded. Thank Thor.

Toothless turned back to the dragon and readied his dagger. It glinted in the fiery light that surrounded our village.

I peered at the dragon to gauge its reaction. Its eyes weren't slitted like I thought they would be. Those eyes were…dilated. Calm even. They never stopped looking at Toothless. It was like the dragon didn't even notice the dagger.

Something's off here.

"Too—"

KABOOM!

The explosion drowned my voice out before I could speak anymore. Behind us, a Zippleback left a now-destroyed food storage tucked near the island's cliffside. Following it was a Monstrous Nightmare that flew out of the billowing smoke screen with game in its talons. The Stormcutter roared, momentarily taking my attention away from the other two dragons. However, its roar had also caught the attention of the Monstrous Nightmare.

Oh, gods.

Toothless

The moment I saw the Nightmare barreling towards us, I grabbed Hiccup and pulled him away from the area. He was caught off guard and stumbled, but I hoisted him back to his feet quick enough to keep us a good distance away from the newcomer.

"Wait! What about the Stormcutter!?" Hiccup cried.

I looked back at the dragon as it struggled to free itself from its bonds. I shook my head. "It can't move! Someone else will handle it!"

"But—!"

"Right now, that devil is the last of our problems!" I shouted. That piped him down.

I ran down the sloped land, constantly looking back in search of the Nightmare. It shot flames at us that missed by pure luck alone. I cursed and kept running.

I couldn't go at my fastest without leaving Hiccup behind by accident. He huffed and puffed behind me, and he was already working up a sweat. I couldn't slow down either.

My wrapped hand gave me a surprisingly strong grip on Hiccup, but I was clammy from sweat underneath the cloth. The raging dragon behind us was coming closer and closer.

Then the stupidest thing happened. I wasn't looking where I was going, and I tripped over something hard. It could have been anything from a rock to an abandoned weapon; I never found out. I hit the ground hard with Hiccup not too far behind me. He cried out as we tumbled the rest of the way down the slope. I cursed before looking behind myself

Big mistake number two.

The dragon was closing in on us. Fast. A fireball whizzed over us and hit a nearby pole, setting it alight. The impact was explosive, and the heat burned my face from where I laid.

I saw the dragon out of the corner of my eye. I scrambled to my knees, helping Hiccup along the way, but we'd lost too much ground. My heart rate thundered in my ears, and I couldn't understand a word of Hiccup's babble.

Just as the beast opened its maw to fill it with ignition gas, I did the best thing I could: I kept Hiccup behind me, in spite of his immediate protests, and I braced myself for the attack.

That attack never came.

I don't know where Dad came from, but hearing his war cry sent a wave of relief over me. My muscles eventually relaxed as Hiccup and I watched Dad take on the dragon. He'd barreled the beast over, throwing it across from him. It slid to a stop before it and Dad proceeded to circle one another. The Nightmare tried to spew more fire at him, but nothing came out.

Its shot limit had been reached.

"You're all out," Dad said darkly.

He took on the Nightmare without any weapons. He sailed a bone-shattering punch into the dragon's jaw, and a series of powerful thrusts and kicks sent it reeling. After a brief scuffle where Dad had the upper hand, the Nightmare roared. It spread out its wings and took off in the other direction. A retreat.

Around us, all the other dragons were retreating as well. I could spot hoards of dragons carrying away sheep and fish and other food. Livestock bleated and wailed helplessly as they were carried off.

Hiccup shifted under me, and I scrambled back onto my feet. Dad's thunderous glower never strayed from us.

That's not good.

Before he could say anything though…Remember that pole I mentioned earlier? Well, the base had been eaten away enough to send the entire structure toppling. It crashed down into the lower docks, and its torch head rolled off after its first impact. It continued to bounce its way down into the port.

Hiccup flinched every time he heard a crash. I cringed.

That will probably need to be fixed later…

Once the rolling stopped, things became eerily silent. Livestock in the distance let out some last-ditch bawls for help which would inevitably go unheard. It really sucked to be an animal right then.

After a moment, Hiccup broke the silence. "Sorry…Dad."

Small haddocks counted as animals, didn't they?

Dad's narrowed glare said it all. We were so dead.

Yep, yep, yep.

Monday tomorrow; update another day!

— Tenchiko