Chapter 9 - The Red death

Hiccup raises the bolt on the Monstrous Nightmare's pen.

"If you're planning on getting eaten, I'd definitely go with the Gronckle." Hiccup turns to see his fellow recruits, watching him with folded arms. Tuffnut steps forward with a scowl.

"You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon." Tuffnut said. "It's me."

"Uh..." Hiccup was confused

"I love this plan." snotlout smiled going up to him

"I didn't..."

"You're crazy." Ruffnut said, she smiled "I like that." she added

"So? What is the plan?" Astrid asks, Ingrid stood by Hiccup's side, he smiles, glowing in the support of his friends.

The ships follow in line through the gauntlet of rocks as orders are whispered from ship to ship. A dragon head looms out of the fog. The men recoil... only to discover that it's a wrecked ship, impaled high on a gnarled sea stack.

"Ah. I was wondering where that went." Gobber muttered, A clicking buzz becomes audible, growing louder. It fills the sky, converging in one general direction. Stoick sniffs the air.

"Stay low and ready your weapons." Stoick's ship suddenly JERKS to a halt as the keel burrows into shallow black sand. Stoick hops overboard, landing on a sprawling beach. The buzzing suddenly stops. Above him, a craggy volcano towers into the gloom. "We're here." Behind him, several dragon-headed bows pierce the fog.

Hiccup steps back from the door, drawing the Monstrous Nightmare out of its cave. It snorts, stepping into the ring, calmed by Hiccup's outstretched hand - focused on him. the others are bewildered, in awe. Snotlout nervously reaches for a spear laying near his foot. Astrid stops him.

"Uh-uh." she corrected him, Hiccup slows to a stop in front of the teens, with the Nightmare inches from his outstretched hand. He reaches over and grabs Snotlout's trembling hand.

"Wait! What are you..." Snotlout asked, panicing, Ingrid tried not to laugh as she worked on opening the other dragons

"Relax. It's okay... it's okay." Hiccup reasured him. Hiccup replaces his outstretched hand with Snotlout's, putting him in control of the massive beast. The Nightmare snorts, but remains calm. Snotlout, by contrast, chuckles nervously - it's at once terrifying and amazing. The others watch, spellbound. Hiccup turns and walks away.

"Where are you going?!" Snotlout asked, Hiccup pulls a bundle of rope from a supply box.

"You're going to need something to help you hold on." Hiccup explained, The teens eye each other apprehensively, and look up to see all the dragons standing in the ring, facing the teens expectantly. Ingrid was petting the Zippleback and the Gronkle.

On the Dragon Island, Tree trunks were being sharpened and planted into the sand at angled rows. Boulders being loaded into catapult baskets. And a war plan being scratched in the sand. Stoick looms over it, looking determined. His generals are at his sides.

"When we crack this mountain open, all hell is going to break loose." Stoick said

"In my undies. Good thing I brought extras." Gobber said seriously, Stoick turns to face the men.

"No matter how this ends, it ends today." He walks toward the base of the volcano wall, back by several hundred warriors. He raises his arm and drops it. A line of catapults uneleash their two-ton loads into the cliff wall. It cracks and flakes away. Several more hits tear away at the hollow shell of hardened lava. A final boulder shatters the fractured wall, creating a deep, dark opening to the cavern within. Silence. Stock raises his hand, makes a gesture. A flaming bushel is launched into the dark, lighting the wall... choked with dragons. Stoick pulls his hammer and rushes into the cave, brazen. Stoick gives a war cry and hurries into the cave. In a chaotic flurry, the dragons suddenly rush out like bats from a cave. The take to the air, bypassing the axe-swinging Vikings and fleeing the island in a mass exodus. The battle-ready Vikings drop their weapons, confused.

"Is that it?" Gobber asked, Above the island, dragons pour from every crevice, fleeing to the sky. The sound of screeching dragons fades. The vikings cheer.

"We've done it!" Spitelout cheered. Stoick doesn't celebrate. Something is not right. He hears something. Stoick turns to peer down the dark throat of the cavern. A deep, rumbling roar echoes from the cavern. The ground underfoot trembles. The ships rock. Their sails fill with a blast of air. The cheering stops. Stoick's expression sinks.

"This isn't over. Form your ranks! Hold together!" SToick said, The men scramble to organize themselves. "Get clear!" The ground cracks. Stone tears away, cascading like an avalanche. And through the settling debris, the silhouette of a gargantuan dragon emerges - THE RED DEATH. Stirred and furious.

"Beard of Thor...what is that?" Gobber asked

"Odin help us." Stocik gasped "Catapults!" The Vikings score direct hits. The burning stones bounce off the dragon's skin. The Red Death focuses on the catapults. It crushes the first one - smashing it and its crew, rattling the beach races toward the second catapult. He leaps and pushes a Viking out of the way just before the dragon crushes him under his forepaw. The Vikings scramble in all directions.

"Get to the ships!" A viking yelled

"No! NO!" Stoick yelled, The Red Death blasts the ships like a mile-long flamethrower. The sails are torched. Vikings dive overboard and masts come Joins Stoick.

"I was a fool." Stoick said, guilt-ridden, Hiccup and Ingrid were right... The monster raises its head to the sky and bellows. The sound shakes the beach, knocking Vikings off their feet. This island is his. Stoick stops a Viking General. "Lead the men to the far side of the island." he said

"Right." Spitelout turns to the others. "Everybody to the far side of the island!" The Vikings scatter into the rocks like ants. Satisfied with the ships destruction, The Red Death turns its attention back to the Vikings. They seem to have vanished. It sniffs the air, searching for their scent. Gobber drops in beside Stoick, like two soldiers in a trench. Fire blasts over head, causing them to duck.

"Gobber, go with the men." Stoick told him

"I think I'll stay, just in case you're thinking of doing something crazy." Gobber said,Stoick grabs him.

"I can buy them a few minutes if I give that thing someone to hunt." Stoick explained, Gobber removes Stoick's hand. Clenches his forearm, determined.

"Then I can double that time." Gobber answers, Stoick grins. Friends to the bitter end. They break cover and dash into the open, splitting up. Stoick rips a sharpened post from the ground and hurls it into the monster's face.

"HERE!" Stoick yells

"NO, HERE!" Gobber said, equally loud. It spots both of them. He fuels up to fire, glancing back and forth between the two men. He focuses on Stoick."Come on! Fight me!" "

No, me!" Stoick says, The Red Death remains focused on Stoick - this is it. It rears back and inhales. Gas begins to amass, when...KABLAM! A BLAST explodes against the back of The Red Death's head. It turns distracted, as... ... a Nadder punches through the flames, banking across the sky. Followed by a Monstrous Nightmare, a Zippleback, and a Gronckle. They roll in unison, revealing the recruits riding on their backs. Hiccup leads, with Astrid clinging to his waist. Ingrid was on the Nightmare with Snotlout. Gobber and Stocik watch slack-jawed, in awe.

"Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs! Move Fishlegs!" Hiccup calls. The monster shakes off the blast and snaps in their wake. Hiccup directs his squadron out of harm's way. They climb out of reach and circle each other.

"Look at us, we're on a dragon! We're on dragons, all of us!" Tuffnut cheered

"Up, let's move it!" Hiccup said, The dragons climb past the Red Death. Gobber hobbles over to Stoick.

"Every bit the boar-headed, stubborn Viking you ever were." Gobber told him. Stoick is speechless as the group circles over the dragon's head.

"Fishlegs, break it down." Hiccup said

"Okay. Heavily armored skull and tail made for bashing and clear of both." Fishlegs said

"Small eyes, large nostrils. Relies on hearing and smell." Ingrid finished

"Okay. Lout, Legs, hang in its blind spot. Make some noise, keep it confused. Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has a shot limit. Make it mad." Hiccup said, the Gronkle got close to Hiccup and Astrid, so Ingrid could go with them.

"That's my specialty." Ruff smiled

"Since when? Everyone knows I'm more irritating. See." Tuff makes an irritaing sound, whilst turning the poor Zipplebacks head upside down.

"Just do what I told you. I'll be back as soon as I can." Hiccup said

"Don't worry, we got it covered!" tuff said

"Yeah!" Fishlegs nodded, Ingrid, Hiccup and Astrid peel away. The teens bank and dive toward the monster, splitting up. The Twins race alongside the monster's head, taunting it.

"Troll!" Tuff jeered

"Butt Elf!" Ruff said

"Bride of Grendel!" Tuff laughed, The Red Death unloads a spray of fire at the twins. They barely dodge it. Fishlegs and Snotlout hang behind its eyes, banging away at their shields, making a Red Death opens all SIX of its eyes, spotting them.

"Uh, this thing doesn't have a blind spot." Fishlegs panicked. Meanwhile,Hiccup,Ingrid and Asrtid were searching for Toothless. Hiccup spots him among the burning ships.

"There!" He steers the Nadder over the deck and hands Astrid the reins. He lines up his jump... and hops off, guarding his face from the flames. He lands on the burning deck, Ingrid quickly follows.

"Go help the others!" hiccup told Astrid.

"Good luck!" Ingrid added as Astrid and the Nadder take off. The twins fight way to Toothless. Hiccup unbuckles the muzzle. Toothless shrieks.

"Okay, hold on. Hold on." He began to help Ingrid, who had start to work on the chains.

Fishlegs and Snotlout clang their weapons against their shields clang their weapons against their shields, making the monster wince.

"It's working."Snotlout cheered, The huge beast starts to sway its head dizzily.

"Yeah! It's working." They didn't notice that the noise is also confusing the Gronckle and the Monstrous Nightmare. Both dragons lose their bearings. The Red Death thrashes, knocking Snotlout off of his dragon and onto the monster's gigantic head. Snotlout bounces across the top and comes to a stop just shy of the hundred foot drop.

"Agghh!" Snotlout yelled, Fishlegs' Gronckle goes down in a spin of confusion.

"I've lost power on the Gronckle. Snotlout! Do something!" Legs hurls Snotlout his hammer. The Gronkle crashes and skids to a stop... "I'm okay!" ... then flips over, crushing Fishlegs." Less okay."

"I can't miss!" Snotlout raises the hammer and hammers the monster's eyes, playing whack-a-mole. "What's wrong buddy, got something in your eye?" Astrid flies by on her Nadder, catching Snotlout in all his heroics.

"Yeah! You're the Viking!" she cheers, Snotlout grins, finally vindicated in her eyes. In his distraction, he gets thrown and lands heavily on one of the Red Death's spines - clinging precariously. A close call.

"Whoa!" Snotlout yelled, The monster's tail sweeps across the burning ships, snapping masts like twigs. We follow one down as it crashes onto a deck, casuing The twins to back off. Ingrd was already tiring, the heat and smoke was caughing her to have trouble breathing. they can't budge them. Fire licks at their clothes. They looks up to see The Red Death blasting at the teens, enraged. The monster's giant foot crashes through frame, smashing the bow under its impressive weight. Ingrid, Hiccup and Toothless are thrown into the water in a maelstrom of burning planks and rigging. Ingrid and Hiccup swim towards Toothless. They're all caught in a mess of rigging, being dragged down. The heavy palette settles into the rocky bottom like an anchor. Toothless has stopped struggling. Hiccup takes one more hopeless tug at the chains - he's almost out of air. Suddenly, a meaty hand grabs Hiccup and Ingrid. Stoick explodes to the surface, pulling his children to the shoreline through flaming debris. He lays him down, under the shelter of an overhanging rock.

"Dad..."The twins muttered, overwelled. Did he just save them? Stoick dives back into the water between flaming flotsam. Toothless was slowly drowning. Stoick appears in front of him. Toothless freezes. Stoick tears the chains off of the yoke and lets it float free. Momentary stillness. They eye each other, through the churned up bubbles. Toothless lunges out of the bars - grabbing Stoick. BOOM! In an explosion of sea water, Toothless lands on the shore, setting Stoick down and releasing him. Hiccup is awed. The ground rumbles underfoot. The monster screeches. Its massive claws stomp around in the smoke. Stoick gives way as Toothless mounts the rock and raises his wings. He turns to Hiccup and Ingrid,snorting 'Let's Go'

"You got it, bud." Hiccup climbs onto Toothless and buckles himself in, Ingrid gets on behind him.

"You're not doing this alone, brother." She smiles, then Stoick grabs Hiccup's arm and Ingrid's hand.

"Hiccup, Ingrid. I'm sorry...for everything." Stoick said

"Yeah...me too." Hiccup told him, Ingrid nodded

"You don't have to go up there." Stoick said

"We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard." Ingrid qouted his words, they exchange smiles.

" I'm proud to call you my children." the twins beam, taken aback.

"Thanks dad." they smiled, Stoick lets go. Hiccup spurs Toothless on, charged with his father's belief in him. They rocket into the sky as Stoick watches.

Astrid sees Toothless streaking through the sky, gaining altitude.

"They're up!" Astrid yelled, She turns to Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who are arguing and throwing punches at each other. "Get Snotlout out of there!" in mid-punch the twins look over to see Snotlout stranded on the monster's head. They eye each other.

"I'm on it! I'm on it!" They said together

"I'm on it first! I'm ahead of you." Tuff looked at Ruff. The twins spot Snotlout on the giant dragon and steer their Zippleback in his direction.

"Hey! Let me drive!" Ruff growled, The twins peel off, arguing as they race each other to the monster. Snotlout sees the Zippleback diving toward him and dashes down the Red Death's head. He runs up the end of its horn... As the twins sweep past, both missing him... but perfectly snatching him where the necks merge. Ruff and Tuff eye each other, surprised and impressed.

"I can't believe that worked." tuff admitted, The Red Death spots Astrid and inhales, preparing to blast. She and her Nadder get caught in the suction, pulled toward the monster's gaping mouth.

The Vikings watch with dread. They hear the familiar whir of the...

"Night Fury! Get down!" Gobber yelled, all the vikings ducked, A massive blasts jolts the Red Death's head sideways. Astrid is thrown clear of its mouth... and her Nadder. She tumbles through the air. The ground races toward her, when... She's suddenly caught by the leg. She looks up to see Toothless. "Did you get her?" hiccup asked, Toothless, looks down, Astrid looks at him and smiled, he smiled back with his toothless gums. They fly over the crowd of Vikings and set Astrid down, mid- run. They circle back to reengage - a black speck against the clouds.

"Go." Astrid said, breathless. Ingrid, Hiccup and Toothless rocket past the Red Death's head and climb, higher and higher.

"That thing has wings!" Ingrid pointed out

"Okay, let's see if it can use them!" Hiccup pulls Toothless into a turn. They plummet, gaining tremendous speed. The wind buffets them as they target the Red Death as super sonic speed. KABLAM! Toothless unloads a fireball against the Red Death's wings. It goes down with a rumble as they climb anew. The Vikings shield themselves from the dust of the fallen monster... as its wings unfold and extend. dust and rocks fell from the unused wings.

Hiccup looks back as they put distance between them.

"Do you think that did it?" Ingrid asked, Suddenly, the enraged behemoth rises into frame... flapping its wings furiously. A daunting sight.

"Well, he can said, Toothless dives into the tangled sea stacks - they weave through the rock like rabbits through a briar. The Red Death snaps at them, but cannot reach them. the twins and Toothless pull ahead. The Red Death smashes through the canopy of rock and pulls in behind Toothless. He bursts through fifty-foot formations like they were saplings.

"We are not going to lose it like this Hiccup!" Ingrid said. Stoick, Gobber, and the Teens watch as Hiccup, Ingrid and Toothless streak past, weaving through sea stacks.

"Woohoo! Yeah!" the teens cheered, A moment later the Red Death smashes the sea stacks to dust in hot pursuit. The Vikings mood is quenched.

Ingrid, Hiccup and Toothless can't slow the monster down. Hiccup eyes the clouds above. An idea hits him. He locks eyes with Toothless.

"Okay Toothless, time to disappear." Toothless pulls into a steep climb, heading toward the clouds. "Come on bud!" The Red Death follows, closing in fast.

"Here it comes!" Ingrid warned as she heard the building gas. BLAST! They narrowly dodge a column of flame and smoke. They reach the low-hanging clouds and pierce them. The monsterfollows, immediately losing them in the hampered visibility. It roars irritably. From out of nowhere, Toothless dives at the huge dragon, blasting and punchating a hole in its wing. Toothless and Hiccup are gone again before the dragon can get a shot at them.

The Vikings stare up at the sky listening to the resounding booms and watching flashes light up the clouds. Gobber places a hand on Stoick's shoulder.

Ingrid holds onto Hiccup as Toothless dives in again and again, using the clouds to hide and surprise as they puncture the monster's bellows in frustration and whirls around, unleashing fire blindly, in all directions. Hiccup sees the glow of fire cutting towards them.

"Watch out!" Hiccup said, The random blast clips Toothless' tail. It's heavily damaged, the tail begins to burn. Ingrid watched it.

"We don't have much time, Hiccup." She said

"Okay, time's up. Let's see if this works." He pulls Toothless into a turn. They fly directly into the Red Death's face, taunting it. "Come on! Is that the best you can do!?" Toothless utters an insult too, and they jackknife into a steep dive. The Red Death pursues. Toothless pumps his wings, racing faster than he's ever gone before. The Twins and Toothless stay just ahead of the Red Death - no longer trying to evade it. Hiccup glances back to check the tail - it's disintegrating. "Stay with me buddy. We're good. Just a little bit longer." The Red Death closes the gap. Hiccup tucks in and holds Toothless steady - allowing the monster to set its sights on them. It narrows its eyes. " Hold, Toothless." The Red Death opens his mouth. The familiar gas hiss emanates from his throat - ignition is coming. "NOW!" Hiccup HITS the pedals hard as Toothless extends one wing. They pivot in place, hurtling directly into the Red Death's mouth. Toothless fires point blank down the monster's throat. Its amassing gas is ignited, backfiring into the monster, erupting in a chain of blasts throughout its body.

"We have to get out of it's way, or ww're going down too." Ingrid said, as they burst from the clouds, the Red Death hot on their tail, exploding from within. It glances forward and sees the ground rushing up. It throws open its wings, attempting to put on the brakes, but the punctured, damaged wings can't stop its momentum, Ingrid grinned triumptantly, as she looked back and saw that. As the Red Death chokes on the expanding fireball, he sees Toothless suddenly pull out of the dive, streaking up, past its head. The Red Death hits the ground, head-first. It explodes like the Hindenburg. Ingrid, Hiccup and Toothless weave through the monster's massive back plates, wings, and flailing legs - a high-speed recall of the free fall slalom run. The expanding fireball races toward them, about to swallow them. They manage to clear the obstacles. Hiccup glances back. They're outrunning the fireball.

"HICCUP!" Ingrid yelled, He looks forward just in time to see the monster's massive club tail careening toward them. He tries to shift their direction. The last shreds of Toothless' tail tear away. Hiccup's pedals go dead.

"No. No." they can't maneuver - they're dead in the air. The giant club tail clips Toothless, Hiccup from the harness and Ingird who was hold his shoulders. sending them tumbling against the backdrop of the fast-approaching fireball. Ingrid was able to grab Toothless' leg, but he struggles with all his might to reach the unconscious Hiccup. But the fireball swallows them both. The Vikings watch in horror as Hiccup, Ingrid and Toothless disappear into the boiling inferno.