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CHAPTER FOUR
THE GAIN AND LOSS OF A CHIEF
SONGS - Hiccup Confronts Drago and Stoick Saves Hiccup by John Powell
NOTE - Okay it's been two weeks and I'm sorry, but I have officially entered the most important term of grade 12 and man was I not expecting that much of a bucket-load of work. I was expecting it yes, but yeesh. I am super, super sorry. I am instantly writing the next chapter while I have this freedom so I can upload it soon.
Outside of the steely trap I could hear the scraping sounds of metal on rock as we were dragged up onto a beach. The dragon named Hookfang growled from behind me and nuzzled my back. I scrunched my nose at the terrible smell around us. The metal encasement around us stopped moving and I crouched down, out of Hookfang's way. Warriors' cries erupted around us and the sound of metal clanging gave signal to the start of a bloody fight.
"Now," I said. Hookfang snarled and lit himself up, smashing up and through the metal trap. He picked at the enemy Vikings on the ground, snapping at them with his sharp teeth and breathing fire over their heads. He turned to look at me as I swung my axe at a sneering woman and knocked her down.
I climbed up onto his back from his tail and he took up into the air. One of the traps below us was seeping out green gas and the twins on the heads of their zippleback burst out of it.
"Surprise!" Tuffnut cried out to the Vikings below. I rolled my eyes and held onto Hookfang as he turned and swooped, snatching up his rider from between the shoulders of the zippleback.
"Hey, watch it!" Ruffnut sneered, ducking as Hookfang's claws sailed over her head and onto the shoulders of his rider. He chucked him up and Snotlout landed sloppily behind me, grasping onto my shoulder as he pulled himself upright.
"Sorry babe," Snotlout called back. Ruffnut growled as the twins took off away from us. I stood up in a crouch and swung myself around Snotlout so I stood behind him and he took back control of his dragon.
I caught the sight of a familiar black mane and his dark skin and I cringed at the first look of my father in ten years. He was towering over fallen dragons and snarling with animalistic, guttural noises so loud I could hear them from the sky, amidst the battle.
A familiar whistling in the air caught my attention and I stood up behind Snotlout.
"Woah, woah what are you doing?" he said frantically, turning his head to look up at me. I grinned down at him as I ran down Hookfang's back and leapt off the monstrous nightmare.
I landed on Eilidh's back and grinned happily at the familiar motions of her lither body flying through the air.
"Do not leave me again," Eilidh growled at me over her shoulder. I crouched and scratched behind her flaps.
"As long as you promise to never leave me," I answered back. Eilidh roared over to me and shot down, shooting a plasma blast at one of the traps and letting loose two dragons. We zoomed past the zippleback and its riders, taking out a catapult below us.
"Hey that was ours!" Ruffnut shouted. Eilidh swooped back to glide beside them as I lifted my mask to grin at the twins.
"Too slow," I flipped my mask back down and slid myself firmly onto Eilidh's back as she took off once more. We dodged flying rocks and spears as we took out as many crossbows, catapults and traps as we could. The twins' zippleback let loose a long stream of gas and Astrid's Nadder lit it, setting free the remaining captured dragons.
Drago roared from his position on the ground and slammed his spear beside him.
"Take them down!" He snarled fiercely. One of the few crossbows that had survived aimed towards Eilidh and shot out a large set of bolas. Eilidh twisted to the left so that it missed us; however it still knocked Ruffnut off of the back of her zippleback head.
"Eret son of Eret!" she cried out as she fell. The two dragon riders Fishleg's and Snotlout caught her waving arms and carried her to safety. I rolled my eyes as I turned back around and urged Eilidh to make her way to the mountain.
"We need to find Valka," I said. Eilidh snorted and shook her head. Eret and Astrid's nadder was swerving amidst the rocky structure of the mountain and barely missed the shards of ice that exploded around them as more dragon riders burst forth from the mountain.
No one could miss the look of excitement and adoration that crossed Astrid's face as Hiccup and Toothless spun down and took out traps left, right and centre.
A large man with a long, blonde moustache on the back of an even large rumblehorn took out archers easily as he flew low over the heads of the Vikings. It was an amusing sight indeed on the battlefield and I laughed lightly at the sight of them.
Eilidh grumbled below me and took a sharp turn backwards so we flew back towards the mountain. Cloudjumper rose from between the rock and ice mass and Eilidh strained her wings so we hovered before him. Valka tilted her head in greeting.
"You're alive I see," she said. I grinned at the note of relief in her voice, despite her vague words.
"Ach, you can't get rid of me that easily you know," I chuckled back. I noticed the familiar head of the alpha bewilderbeast behind her and smiled as Ol' Snowy rose from the depths of his refuge. Eilidh brought herself around to fly beside Valka and Cloudjumper and I sat myself upright as the Alpha roared greatly behind us, his icy breath chilling me to the core.
"They will never stand a chance against our dragons," Valka said confidently. I nodded and grabbed the axe from my back and held it tightly in my right arm. The armada below us was large, but our dragons were larger and reigned free.
Eilidh and Cloudjumper moved forward in sync as the Alpha smashed down ice and rock behind us with his large tusks, roaring angrily with distain at the sight of the war before him.
Eilidh dodged in time as Ol' Snowy sent a large stream of ice upon the Viking army. I patted her neck and urged her down, leaning over her side as I lopped at the hands of Vikings who were loading weapons. One of them got a good nick on my shoulder but I kicked him down as we past. I hissed at the pain and ground my teeth as I swapped hands, gripping my axe with my left hand.
Valka had motioned and communicated to the dragons with her dragonese-staff, calling for readied arms and ordering the zipplebacks forwards. The zipplebacks in turn lit themselves up and turned in on themselves so they rolled across the ground, taking down soldiers as the flames licked the ground.
One of the zipplebacks was taken down by a steel net trap that clapped down fast around the dragon, trapping it between the metal and the ice. It was too fast for the dragon to react and it cried out hopelessly to the dragons that flew overhead. Toothless and Hiccup zoomed down to it and I nodded firmly at the comforting sight. It definitely was great to have more than just Valka and myself riding up in the skies.
Eilidh pulled herself to a stop and I stood up slightly from my position turning to see Cloudjumper and Valka crash to the ground with a large net and bolas encasing them. Eilidh roared and twisted around and dove down after them. Valka was thrown from Cloudjumper's back and tumbled to the ground, her staff still held in her hands. She slid up onto her knees as she came to a stop and Eilidh herself stopped from taking me down there.
"Eilidh, we need to get down there, now," I said frantically, digging the heel of my foot into her side. She snapped back at me and I watched with wide eyes as Valka faced off Drago himself. She raised the tip of her staff at Eilidh and I; a warning to not interfere.
Eilidh swooped down instead beside Cloudjumper and I slid from her back, placing my axe back onto my back and instead taking out one of my knives. His wise face turned to mine as I cut at the ropes around him.
"Hey, almost done," I huffed as I sawed at the rope. Cloudjumper's beaks clicked and he raised his head with alertness as he looked over my shoulder. I even felt Eilidh behind me shift uncomfortably at the abominable roar that erupted from the armada's ships.
"Oh the Gods are not with us on this day," I whispered with dread. Drago had brought his own alpha bewilderbeast, a challenger to the throne.
Cloudjumper clicked with unrest behind me.
"We must help our Alpha," he said gruffly, leaning down to nudge my shoulder. The dark bewilderbeast shook water down onto the ground before him as he stomped and crushed everything as he made his way to our Alpha.
Cloudjumper's head snapped around and I followed his line of sight, where Drago was stalking down the fallen Valka. I dropped the knife from my hands and grasped frantically at my battle-axe as I ran over to them. There was still much distance and I pushed myself to run faster as he stood harshly on her chest and ripped off her mask with the tip of his spear. I was almost upon them when a large man with fiery red hair slammed into Drago's side and knocked him off of Valka. I slid across the ice to kneel beside her, looking over her for injuries.
"I'm alright, Niya," she soothed, sitting up from the ground. The red-haired man offered a hand to us both and pulled us up easily. "Thank you," she said to him.
"For you my dear, anything," he smiled. I tilted my head and resisted the urge to lift my mask when he looked at me. "You must be Niya. A daughter of my wife is a daughter of mine."
I smiled up at him and the three of us turned to Drago who pushed himself up from the ice and scrutinised us all. I pushed down the violent shiver that fought to rise at being so close to my Father.
The red-haired man moved forward as Drago pushed his shoulders back, the two men circling each other like cats fighting for their territory. Though they were no mere kitty cats.
"Is that-"
"yes," Valka breathed, smiling at her husband. I went through my memory before settling upon the name Stoick to fit the red-haired man, well chief, before me.
There was a loud clashing as the two bewilderbeasts rammed their tusks together, battling each other ferociously on the shores of the refuge. Vikings and dragons alike scattered so they would not be maimed or killed amidst the colossal fight.
"Do you think you can stop-"
"I can do my best," Valka interrupted Stoick, rattling her staff quickly. Cloudjumper and Eilidh landed behind us, faces void of emotion. Valka leapt onto the back of her dragon and Eilidh nipped at the back of my shirt in warning as I stared down Drago. The man who shared my blood merely sneered at the sight of us, not knowing that his daughter stood defiantly before him.
I jumped up onto Eilidh's back and we took off after Cloudjumper and Valka, leaving the chiefs to battle out whatever differences they held.
The Alpha's still held their tusks locked together, both of them roaring aggressively as they chomped down on air, fighting to get a hold of one another. Eilidh and I both winced as Valka and Cloudjumper came up between the faces of the Alpha's and tried to stop them both, yet they resisted wholeheartedly.
Eilidh shot a blast onto the back legs of the dark alpha but Ol' Snowy roared angrily, quite obviously warning us to stay out of it.
"This is their fight," I said, "There is nothing we can do but hold faith that we will win. We will win."
Eilidh roared with horror as the dark Alpha knocked our Alpha skywards and rammed his head down on Ol' Snowy's neck, trapping him between the tusks. I stood on Eilidh's back and screamed out with warning. Valka looked up at me before turning to the Alphas, clasping a hand over her mouth.
The dark alpha pushed Ol' Snowy backwards, tossing him down to the ground with a hard shove. Our Alpha gave one last cry out into the open air before the dark Alpha rammed his tusks into his side.
"No!" I screamed out. Many airborne dragons turned their heads at the sound of their language and I clenched my hands around my battle-axe. The dark Alpha rose from the side of our dead Alpha, raising his head in triumph and calling out to the dragons, calling out to them all to recognise their new alpha. The new King.
I dropped down harshly onto Eilidh's back, leading her away from the call of the new alpha, desperate to get away from the brainwashed dragons and onto the ground to protect her. Eilidh swooped over the heads of Stoick and Drago, the latter raised his spear in acknowledgment of his champion bewilderbeast and shouted; "Finish her!"
He pointed his spear once again in the direction of Valka. Eilidh twisted back around and swooped low again to grab at Stoick's arms as he started running in his wife's direction.
"We'll get to her, don't worry," I shouted down to him, leaning over Eilidh's side to meet his frantic gaze. He nodded to me and set his sights back again on Valka and Cloudjumper. The three of us cried out as Cloudjumper's tail was encased with ice from the breath of the new alpha. His flying was put out but he still flew skywards, though struggle he did.
"Come on Gobber!" Stoick shouted beneath us at the large blond man with the prosthetic leg and arm. He raised his left arm, well mace, in acknowledgement and hurried after us. A rumblehorn travelled just behind Eilidh, a straight-backed, empty seat attached to a saddle on its back. Stoick's dragon.
We dodged many dragons but still pushed forward. I winced as Valka slid from Cloudjumper's back, but she caught her hands in a groove, dangling precariously from his side. The new Alpha turned his head as they pulled up just before him, tilting it to the side to glare at the ones he was to kill.
Valka slipped from her hold on Cloudjumper and Eilidh roared in terror.
"Throw me!" Stoick demanded. Eilidh flung him forwards and he caught Valka, slamming them both into the side of the mountain. He fought to let his axe get a good grip in the ice as they slid down, the sharp blade slowing their fall. The pair of them reached the base and Stoick pulled his wife behind a structure of rock to hide them.
"You know what to do," I said to Eilidh. She hissed and shot a plasma blast at the face of the bewilderbeast to draw its attention away from the hidden couple. It turned its attention to us and Eilidh pulled up to swoop over and around its head. I laughed as we circled the alpha, confusing its attention and keeping its gaze on us.
The alpha finally grew frustrated and shook its head violently, knocking us from our course. I heard Valka's cry somewhere below as I slipped from Eilidh's back. I winced at the force and tried not to focus on the ground coming up to greet me. I heard that familiar whistling sound yet still braced myself for impact, even when I felt Eilidh's claws grip around my waist I was still tense. She dropped me onto the ground and came down beside me, nuzzling my side softly. It was most definitely going to bruise judging by the impact of her heroic gesture.
"Sorry," she apologised. I shook my head and swept a hand through my hair, pulling my fingers out quickly when they got caught in the windswept knots. Just before us I could see Hiccup confronting Drago, or as it seemed the other way around as Drago circled Valka's son like a predator preparing for his meal. I adjusted my mask, making sure it sat securely on the upper features of my face.
"Stay close," I said to Eilidh, walking up behind Drago's back. Hiccup's eyes caught mine for a moment before shooting back to the large man before him. Drago had undone latches on left shoulder and I frowned as he took off a metal prosthetic arm. That definitely was not there ten years ago. Eilidh whined and shook herself behind me as she gazed at Drago's back. I took in the long, sweeping cape that he had gotten on one trip he'd taken when I was a little girl. To me then, it was just a foreign leather of an unknown animal. Now I recognised it as the dark skin of a Night Fury. If I had been disgusted with him before, no words could describe the feeling of hatred that grew within.
"I saw my village burn," Drago sneered, moving forwards and causing Hiccup to take steps backwards. "My family taken, but even as a boy I was left with nothing, bound to rise from the fear of dragons."
He paused as he caught sight of me, standing shortly before them both and gripping my axe with my left hand. He sneered over to me from beside Hiccup.
"My men have told me of you, the little birdie," he chuckled darkly, noting my mask and its beak that stopped just over my nose. "Yet I never had the pleasure of meeting you before."
He bowed low mockingly and I grit my teeth.
"The perfect little pair, aren't you," he sneered once more. "The Dragon Master and the Dragon Saviour; the son of Stoick the Vast and, well."
I chuckled as I moved over slowly to stand beside Hiccup. Eilidh growled and bounded over to stand beside Toothless, making a wide berth around Drago. His gaze narrowed on my Night Fury, his teeth bared.
"I know that dragon," he hissed. I reached up and took off my mask, dropping it to the ground beside me.
"Then you'd know me as well," I said, kicking the mask forward to his feet. "The daughter of Drago Bludvist."
I heard Hiccup choke on air beside me and Drago's face took on the most ridiculous expression I'd ever seen on the mighty warrior.
"Stop this now," I said firmly.
"You were dead," he said disbelievingly. His nose scrunched up and his face contorted with rage. "You were dead! This is how you repay your dead mother! By siding with these beasts that took everything from out village!"
"They meant no harm," I shouted back at him. He slammed his spear into the ground beside him and roared. "Valka bore you open to me, she told me the truth of your exploits! They came to our village because of you!"
"They are beasts that need controlling," he growled.
"No Drago," I said stiffly. "You're the beast that needs controlling."
He took a faltered step back and shook his dark mane of hair. One could see the family resemblance in both of our hair shades and skin tones. The only difference was my face and body structure, which followed heavily in the likeness of my mother. I knew as he scrutinised me from head to toe that I reminded him much of his dead wife now than what I had looked like ten years ago.
"You are not my daughter," he sneered.
"As you are not my father."
He bared his teeth to us and grabbed a hold of his spear, turning his back to us and instead looking up at the Alpha that had climbed up the side of the mountain, snapping around its head fiercely at any dragons that had tried to defy its call.
"I will save and protect the people of this world," he growled low, rolling his shoulders.
"Then why a dragon army," Hiccup interceded, stepping forward to stand beside me. Drago cracked his fists and spun around on his feet.
"You need dragons to conquer other dragons," he smiled sadistically.
"Or maybe you need dragons to conquer other people," Hiccup spoke louder. I tightened the grip on the axe in my hand and pushed back my shoulders to stare defiantly at my father, encouraging Hiccup to go on. "To control those who follow you and to get rid of those who won't."
Drago only chuckled, the severe scars darkening across his face as his shoulders shook with menacing laughter. "Clever boy."
"The world wants peace," Hiccup continued, placing his hands down and taking a step back so he could stand beside Toothless. "Let me show you, we have the answer back on Berk. Just, let me show you."
"No!" Drago shouted, sweeping back his cape of dragon skin and pointing his spear up at the Alpha. "Let me show you."
He let out a maniacal cry, throwing back his head and screaming loud enough I was sure those who dined on Valhalla could hear him themselves. He spun the spear around his head and the Alpha turned towards Drago, making his way slowly but surefootedly down to our position on the ground.
I sent back a look to Eilidh who peered from over Toothless' back, shaking her scaly head once. I nodded back and knew she would get to me when the chance arrived.
"No dragon can resist the Alpha call," Drago taunted cruelly. "So he who controls the Alpha, controls them all."
He pointed over to the two Night Furies, both of which lowered their heads slightly in submission to the overbearing man. I shook my head in fear.
"No you can't, stop this," I said harshly. Drago laughed and the Alpha stared down upon the Furies of Day and Night, calling to them with the clicking and hissing of his antennae.
I saw Eilidh slam her head into the snow beside Toothless who was doing the same. She pawed at her head and whined low and long.
"Stop this, now!" I roared, raising the axe in my hand and running at my Father. He spun the spear in his hands and jabbed the blunt end of it in my stomach, knocking me down. I hit my head against the ice and stared up at the sky in a daze.
I could hear Hiccup frantically speaking to Toothless and I rolled onto my side, gripping at my stomach and wincing as Drago came up and stood on my hand so I released the grip on my axe.
"In the face of it," he was saying, pointing his spear at Hiccup. "You are nothing."
I took in Toothless' slitted eyes before he snapped his head to his rider, bearing down on the man that was his friend. Eilidh herself came up from behind Toothless and stood tall, bowing her head down to the Alpha.
"What have you done?" I yelled, punching his ankle with my free hand. "Let me go, let me go!"
Drago laughed and took his foot from my hand before reaching down and grabbing at the fabric of my shirt, pulling me up so I dangled in the air before him. My feet just scratched the ground beneath me.
"You think because these creatures stole from you, you should steal from them?" I hissed at him.
"Fair, isn't it?" he growled. "They take my life and I take away their freedom, their right of will. They are mine."
"They are their own beings," I struggled, scratching at his hands.
"Buddy, what's going on?" I could hear Hiccup saying. I kicked out a leg but failed to meet skin. Drago laughed and I moved my head, meeting Eilidh's distant and empty glare.
"Stop this, stop this now," I spoke to her. She tilted her head and growled at me, her head flaps quivering to the tune of the Alpha's call. "Eilidh this is not you."
She only continued to growl harsher and Drago grabbed at my chin, moving my gaze to meet his once more.
"They killed our family and took you away from me," he sneered. "Yet you still move to protect them. Your mother is dead, those babies were killed, your uncle is dead; because of them."
"No Dad," I huffed out from between his greasy fingers. "Because of you. You lured the dragons to our island, you hunted them down so they hunted you. They were protecting themselves."
"Come on Toothless, knock it off," Hiccup's cry came from somewhere behind me. I gripped onto the forearms of my father and glared up at him.
"Stop it Drago, don't do this," I said. "You said you wanted to protect the people from dragons."
He chuckled and dropped me to the ground, taking a step back.
"The world can survive with a few less for the cause I suppose," he growled, turning his back to me. Eilidh stalked past me and joined the side of Drago, her tale swishing as she walked away from me.
"Hiccup!" Stoick's mighty cry echoed across the ice. I scrambled to my feet and sent one more lingering look at Eilidh's retreating figure before diving for my battle-axe. I slipped as I got to my feet and steadied myself on my hands before pushing up onto my feet, ignoring the pounding in my ribs and head and stumbling across the ground.
"Dad, no!" Hiccup cried. There was a bright light as Toothless fired a plasma blast and I quickened my pace, steadying the grip on my axe.
I rounded the corner and slid across the ice on my knees, chucking my axe to the side as I came to a stop beside Toothless, who was heaving in deep breathes, smoke seeping from the sides of his mouth. Hiccup instantly sat up and looked over to his father, who lay still on his side.
"Dad?" he asked. I felt my chest clench as I realised what had happened. Hiccup stood quickly to his feet and rushed to the side of Stoick, sweeping off rubble and ice that had fallen on the chief.
"No, no Dad," he said frantically. I got up and went over to help him move the larger rocks, pushing Stoick onto his back.
"Dad!" Hiccup cried out hopelessly, as we tried to push him onto his back. Valka came running up to us, her breath hitching as she looked down at her husband and son.
"Stoick," she whispered. She came over to help us move him over, sitting close to Hiccup as the pair of them searched for life. Valka pressed her ear close to his chest and Hiccup shook his head, muttering hopelessly.
"No," he whispered. Valka sobbed and sat up, looking up to meet her son's eyes and shaking her head softly. "No!"
Toothless growled and I watched him shake his head, regaining his senses around him as he left the Alpha's control.
"Oh Gods above," I spoke softly. The other dragon riders swooped down upon their dragons. Astrid slid from her Nadder's back and instantly ran to the side of Hiccup. The blonde man named Gobber and everyone came then, to see their fallen chief. I stood up from his side and took a step back. This was neither my place nor my business. I didn't know the man, so I left him to those who did.
Toothless nudged past me and I let him go, walking past Fishleg's, Snotlout, Eret and the twins, instead focusing on the retreating backs of Drago and Eilidh.
"Let her go!" I cried out harshly. The twins and Eret jumped at my tone and let me pass as I stalked the back of my father, weaponless. "You foul, pathetic excuse for a man! What would your wife say? What would Brietta say to this all?!"
He stopped but did not face me. "Brietta is dead. She died with my remorse and my compassion."
He continued on, Eilidh taking to the air obediently at the call of the Alpha. I shouted curses at his back and fell to my knees, trying desperately to keep Eilidh in my sight as she turned her back on me.
"It's not her fault," I whispered to myself, my heart breaking at the sight of another member of my family being torn from my life.
My hair blew over my shoulder as a hulking shape tried to take to the air. Toothless landed to the ground again, his red tail fin closed in on itself as he tried to take to the air with the other dragons under the Alpha's call. The dragons of the riders behind me all flew above Toothless and took to the skies.
We had lost. The world was ripe for the taking now, at the hands of Drago Bludvist and his dragons.
Unfortunately last chapter, I received no new reviews which was a bum. Cause that was two weeks ago. So anywho, please review, favourite and follow. It would be much appreciated thank you!