Disclaimer: I don't own HTTYD
A/N: Fun fact/minor disclaimer: I didn't make up the word 'drakaina', it actually is the name of a legendary Greek creature who was usually depicted as a woman from the waist up and a serpent from the waist down. I just appropriated it for my own use ;)
The song for this chapter is 'Crash and Burn' by Savage Garden.
Chapter Nine – Time to Attack
The next day, after breakfast, Hiccup and Toothless planned to meet and chat to their friends in the gathering place. The clusters and pairs of dragons already there were talking amongst themselves; a few of them shot the odd pair furtive glances, and gave them a wider berth than usual. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, all things considered, but Hiccup had grown up in a pretty tight knit village, and he recognised gossiping when he saw it.
When Corona, Ikalen and another friend they'd made, Silver, flew down to meet them, Hiccup said good morning and then asked, "Has something happened?"
Silver shrugged her wings and replied, *Oh, the Queen-to-be fought with Kaythe, that drake who won the challenge over her yesterday. It seemed her first rejection didn't sink in soon enough* she joked.
Hiccup's brow furrowed; that didn't sound like Selena. Toothless' eyes narrowed as well, but for a different reason. *Are you sure that's what everyone's talking about? Because I'm pretty sure I heard a few of them talking about Hiccup* he revealed.
Corona, Silver and Ikalen suddenly all looked sheepish, the way Toothless did when he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't, like sneaking fish out of the storeroom. *Everyone talks about Hiccup…I mean, we've all sort of gotten used to him, but it's still odd, having a human in the nest* Corona pointed out.
*Exactly, and I doubt anyone really believes the rumours about you* Ikalen told Hiccup in an attempt to be helpful. It only made him feel slightly better. Then Silver, who was a tad oblivious, blatantly declared, *Of course not, I mean you don't act anything like a hunter*.
"…Are they saying I'm a hunter?" Hiccup frowned, unable to keep the dismay from his voice, "Is this about what happened in the nursery yesterday?"
Corona winced, her ear-fins flicking back against her head. *We know you didn't mean it, but word got around, and this…silly rumour started, that you were secretly a hunter – but like Ikalen says, nobody really believes it, and…well, there are lots of rumours about you. A lot of them just aren't sure what to make of you…we weren't sure, but Obby would go on and on about the stories you told him and the other kits, and we figured you couldn't be so bad if you were making our son so happy* she purred.
Hiccup sighed…he'd figured there'd be rumours about him, but to hear it confirmed... "I guess this explains why everyone's still so reluctant to trust me" he figured, sitting down on a nearby flattish boulder. The fact that they had several centuries of being wary of humans behind them didn't help either.
Toothless gave a small, irritated snarl and coldly remarked, *I have a pretty good idea of who's spreading these rumours, and one of them is related to me.*
"Yeah…it wouldn't surprise me" Hiccup sighed; apart from Ekeren, Shadow was Toothless' only living family here, and they'd hardly seen the emerald green eyed Night Fury in the last two weeks. Hiccup didn't particularly care about Shadow's clearly low opinion of him, but it bothered him a little that the dragon seemed so willing to cut all ties with his younger brother just because Hiccup was present.
He had a feeling Eclipse was behind his absence somewhat; she seemed to dislike Hiccup even more. Apparently, she'd lost her parents at a young age to humans who tricked her into a trap by acting friendly, which gave her a lifelong distrust of humans. He'd felt sorry for her at first, but it was hard to be truly sympathetic when she'd rejected his attempts to reconcile and was, it appeared, spreading rumours to make him seem worse than he really was.
*I wish they'd just mind their own business. If they don't want anything to do with us, fine, I don't want anything to do with them either; but just because they hate us doesn't mean they have to be such…eel-eaters!* he snarled, frustrated, and then his eyes widened.
The other Night Furies flinched and stared and hissed in disgust. *Toothless!* Corona exclaimed, looking as if someone had actually presented her with an eel.
"Did you just swear?" asked Hiccup; his suspicion was all but confirmed when Toothless avoided his gaze, and he grinned cheekily. "For shame – ow!" he winced when Toothless thwacked him on the back of the head with his tailfin.
*Shut up* his dragon grumbled, *I didn't mean to…*
*Perhaps we should change the subject* suggested Nocte.
"Yeah, but maybe not too much? Cos I've been meaning to ask, you guys say 'for moon's sake' and 'by the moon' a lot, I was wondering, do Night Furies worship the moon?" Hiccup questioned eagerly, "Is it like your god? Do dragons have gods or do you believe in, like, spirits or something? Do you have your own myths and legends?"
*Hiccup!* Toothless nudged him, *We can't answer you if you keep talking* he pointed out, purring in amusement.
"Sorry."
Silver tilted her head in bemusement and said, *The moon is our Mother…and our Egg, I suppose. Haven't we told you this legend?* she asked. Hiccup shook his head and looked curious.
*The first ever Night Furies hatched from the dark side of the moon, in the beginning of the world* Ikalen began the story, *To this day, you can still see the cracks on the other side.*
*And they were white as the moon from which they hatched, not black…but then they grew cold and hungry, so they flew to the sun to steal its fire* Corona continued.
*They bit the sun and swallowed its fire for their own, and the sun tried to burn them to ashes, but it only turned them black and grey before the moon chased it away and saved them, and the sun and moon have been too high to fly to ever since* Silver finished the story.
Hiccup smiled widely; to think, dragons had their own origin myths! At this rate, the Book of Dragons was going to need a second volume. "Wow…that's a great story. It's better than our version" he said without thinking, and then winced. Oops.
The dragons looked puzzled. *Your version?* asked Skylancer.
"Uh, well…Vikings have a, um, saying about Night Furies...it isn't exactly flattering" Hiccup admitted awkwardly. The other dragons were interested now; whilst they each had their quirks and every kind was different, dragons also had a lot in common, and one of those common traits was curiosity. *That's not really surprising* said Ikalen, with an amused purr, *But since you bring it up, you should tell us what it is.*
So he took a deep breath, and explained, "According to our legends, Night Furies are…um…the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."
Instead of being cross as he'd expected, the Night Furies just looked confused; except for Toothless, who was quite entertained by all this. *That is…a bit insulting* Ikalen admitted, *And confusing…I mean, the death part I can sort of understand, we can be deadly…but so could any dragon.*
*Are you sure this legend isn't meant for Lightning-Fangs?* asked Silver, *We don't have anything to do with lightning.*
*Ah, that isn't quite true, my friend* a familiar voice remarked as Ekeren joined their not-so-little group. All of them ducked their heads in respect, Hiccup included. *Mind if I join you?* he asked, his clouded eyes warm.
*Not at all, sir* Corona purred, *You were saying?*
*Well, I couldn't help overhear that last part…now, goodness knows we dragons are quick to anger, or at least you young ones are* Ekeren remarked cheerfully, *But it is said that if one of our kind is pushed right to the edge, their inner fire will burn so hot and bright, it will burst* - he flared his wings - *from them all over, and they will glow with…well, the fury of lightning* he revealed, *A fierce blue light shining from beneath their spines and wings and from their throat.*
"Does that really happen?"
*I've heard of it happening* Silver admitted, *But I've never seen it happen; I always thought it was just a story.*
*They say that any Night Furies who reach that apex become so powerful, they can challenge even the most dangerous dragons imaginable and win* Skylancer added, with awe tinging his tone.
"Does this…effect have a name?" Hiccup asked curiously; the phenomenon intrigued him, and he wanted to put it in the Book of Dragons, but he needed to know what it was called first.
The dragons looked at one another, twitching ear-fins and shrugging wings. *I don't believe we've ever given it a name* Ekeren mused, before suggesting *Perhaps you would like to name it?*
*That's not a very good idea, grandfather* Toothless protested, but he was smiling mirthfully, *You've heard the sort of names Vikings come up with.* The dragons indulged in throaty chuckles at Hiccup's expense; he rolled his eyes good-naturedly and asked, "Are you sure you want me to name it?"
*There's no harm in making a suggestion* Ekeren said reasonably. Silver perked her ears up eagerly, and remarked, *If we're making suggestions, how about 'Fire Glow', or 'Lightning Glow'?*
Corona swiped a paw at her half-teasingly and retorted *That sounds too obvious; it ought to be a bit mysterious – and less of a mouthful.*
Silver retaliated the swiping paw with a hiss and swipe of her own. *Let's see you come up with something better!*
"Guys, guys, come on!" Hiccup protested, "Let's not start bickering over this, of all things."
The two females backed down and looked sheepish. *What do you think it should be called?* asked Silver; Hiccup blinked in surprise. They really wanted him to pick a name…he thought hard, not wanting to mess it up. The way Ekeren described it reminded him of the time Toothless had eaten some of the algae fed on by the Flightmare, and started glowing blue…which in turn reminded him of Arvindale's Fire. He had an idea…he wasn't sure about it, but an encouraging nudge from Toothless gave him the courage to say it aloud anyway.
"Um, how about…Fury's Fire?" he suggested, "Y'know, cos it only happens to Night Furies, and only when they're really, well, furious…it's a play on words…"
*I like it. It sounds cool* Toothless gave him a gummy, happy smile, and he couldn't help but smile back.
*Indeed; it's very fitting* Ekeren purred approvingly, a sentiment echoed by the other dragons. Even Dusk admitted, albeit slightly begrudgingly, that the name was acceptable. *I suppose it's settled then; Fury's Fire it is* Ekeren declared firmly.
A thought occurred to Hiccup and he asked, "Hey, Silver? Did, uh, did Selena really fight with someone? That doesn't sound like her."
*Yes, she did – right in the middle of the tunnel. He sort of had it coming, though, if you ask me – Kaythe has always been persistent, and not always in a good way* Silver revealed as she absently nibbled at an itch on her foreleg.
*With all respect to our Queen-to-be, her continuous refusal to choose a mate is hardly helping the matter* Nocte remarked with a disapproving snort.
Hiccup's brow furrowed a bit and he inquired, "Shouldn't it be her choice if she wants to have a mate or not?"
*She is going to have to choose one eventually.*
*We're not saying she should choose a mate just because they fought off all the competition* Corona assured Hiccup, *That's not why I chose Ikalen, after all* she purred, nuzzling her own mate. He returned the nuzzle and explained to Hiccup, *Selena is the Queen-to-be; she's the most desirable available female in the pack. So long as she refuses to choose a mate, every eligible drake in the nest will be competing for her affections. Once she chooses a mate, the rest will back down.*
*Unless it's Kaythe* Silver quipped.
"But it's like she said, she's not choosing a mate because they're all competing over her" Hiccup pointed out. It reminded him of all the times Astrid had rejected Snotlout's attempts to flirt with her, usually by tossing the guy into a wall. He resisted the urge to smirk as he casually asked, "Could, uh, could she choose a mate who wasn't from this pack? Or who was, but had gone to a different one?"
Toothless rolled his eyes and groaned. *Must you keep bringing this up?*
*Are you attracted to her?* Silver asked curiously; Toothless winced as he realised that much like his rider, he'd said exactly the wrong thing. He felt like such an egg-for-brains…
Corona gave an amused purr and remarked, *I never thought about that, but she seems to like you. Goodness knows she goes out of her way to spend time with you and Hiccup.*
*That's just because we're friends!* he protested with an embarrassed whine, *I mean, yes, she's very nice…* and she smells so good and her eyes are so bright and lively and she's funny and caring… *B-but you know, she belongs here and I'll be going home to my own pack. Now can we please change the subject, for real this time?* he pleaded. Hiccup laughed and scratched him under the chin. "Sure, buddy. What do you want to talk about?"
*Anything but me.*
Hauke stood on the headland of the fjord, gazing down upon the procession of rattling cages that were being dragged, pushed and carried (to the accompaniment of much groaning and swearing) down the rough, steep path to the Dark Tide. Almost every single cage contained a dragon, caught in these very forests…although none of them, to his displeasure, held a Night Fury. In between setting traps and hunting for game, his men had staked out the mountain that Hauke suspected held the Night Fury's nest.
In the daytime, they saw not a hint of any jet black dragons…and at night, even when they fired up flares and flaming catapults, the elusive beasts were illuminated but in glimpses, too high to fire at. They could see large holes dotting the flanks of the ancient volcano, and he'd ordered his men to search out open ones or dig out the ones that were caved in.
It had seemed like an excellent plan, until the first three men to attempt this were found dead half a mile away from the mountain. Suddenly, everyone else was incredibly reluctant, no matter how much he threatened them.
Even the other dragons had proved difficult to capture; unbeknownst to Hauke, Hiccup had managed to persuade a few of the Night Furies to spread the word about the hunters, in an attempt to help dragons to avoid the bait and traps. A lot of them had been caught trying to help each other escape; one would come to tear or burn through a simple rope net, only to be snapped by iron traps that clamped their limbs painfully but didn't draw blood. Hauke needed his cargo to be as undamaged as possible.
They had been there for two weeks, and they were already two days behind schedule…but Hauke knew he would be rewarded handsomely if he captured a Night Fury. It was obvious that the beasts were residing in the ancient volcano, and finally, his patience had reached its limit. His second-in-command approached, scruffy brown beard blowing in the wind. "Tell the men that once the dragons are loaded and secure, to prepare for an assault on that volcano" Hauke ordered, pointing to the ancient mount.
"Yes, sir" Gunnhild replied with a curt nod. That was what Hauke liked about Gunnhild – he never asked questions aloud, but something about him made Hauke want to keep talking. Perhaps it was because Gunnhild himself hardly ever spoke, and when he did it was mostly like grunting.
So he decided to elaborate. "Tell them that they need to prepare as much as possible, because tonight, we are going to capture a Night Fury" he explained. Gunnhild betrayed his curiosity with only a slight quirk of the eyebrow; Hauke sighed and elaborated further. "It is painfully obvious, to only myself it seems, that there are night furies nesting within the tunnels that snake throughout that mountain" – he turned to point up to the jagged peak.
"The beasts know we're here…they are hiding from us. They fear us, Gunnhild. And with good reason", Hauke cracked his knuckles and continued, "We simply need to capture one of them. More than one would be even better, but even just a single Night Fury would change our fortunes forever…in both senses of the word, if you see what I mean."
Gunnhild actually didn't quite see what he meant, but he nodded anyway. "Why tonight?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm glad you asked. These dragons come out at night – the clue is in the name – and we've heard and seen their fire blasts in the distance. When they're out hunting, the nest will be less occupied, less defended. In fact, we can target and capture the dragons attempting to defend it…no sense in getting ourselves lost in those tunnels, now is there?"
"No, sir" Gunnhild agreed. He gave a throaty cough and nodded to Hauke, saying "I shall go and spread the news to the others. We'll bag ourselves a Night Fury tonight, sir – I feel it in my bones."
Hauke returned to gazing out over the ocean, ignoring the growls and muffled shrieks of the dragons, lost in thought. Idly, he wondered if they would come across Hiccup's skeleton…he imagined the dragons had already devoured his flesh. There was no way he could still be alive, not with such a deep wound. It was possible that his crippled excuse for a Night Fury still lived, unless it had been killed by its fellows in an attempt at mercy because it couldn't fly and feed itself. Shaking his head, Hauke put the thoughts of the mysterious vanishing rider out of his mind, and went to prepare for the night ahead.
Unbeknownst to Hauke and Gunnhild, in the bushes nearby crouched a Terrible Terror, or as his kind called themselves, a Biter. He was named Yellow, because of his coloration, and he'd been hunting a rat when he saw a human approaching and skittered into the bushes to hide. Yellow was too afraid to fly away, especially when he saw all the spikes on the human and realised that this was one of the hunters he'd heard about.
Crouched in the bushes, little Yellow heard everything the two large, scary humans said – something about attacking a nest, and capturing a Night Fury. Like most dragons, especially the smaller ones, Yellow didn't always make the right connections. It didn't occur to him to go and warn the Night Furies about the hunters…that would mean going into their nest, and nests were not to be trespassed in.
Instead he turned his attention back to hunting, because he was very hungry…but he ended up telling another Biter who squabbled with him over his kill about the hunters, and she told another, and it was passed around from dragon to dragon until finally, one of them had the sense to warn a small hunting party of three Night Furies that there were humans planning to attack their nest.
The first that Hiccup and Toothless heard of it, they were in the nursery, regaling the kits with the story of the Flightmare. Hiccup had gotten so into the story that he'd started to pace back and forth, hands waving everywhere. Then again, when dragons told stories they often acted them out somewhat, moving about to better describe what had happened, so the kits didn't think it was odd.
He was just describing how the Flightmare had tried to paralyse them, when suddenly he heard a thought-spoken command - *Come.* In unison the adults stiffened, Toothless included, and fixed their suddenly slit pupiled gazes on the cave entrance. Hiccup was as bewildered as the kits. "Uh, guys?" he asked unsurely, waving a hand in front of Toothless' unsettlingly blank gaze. He was relieved when his dragon blinked, pupils returning to normal.
*The Queen wants us to gather… Come on, Obsidian* Penumbra, who was watching over her nephew in Corona's place, rose to her paws and began to chivvy the youngsters out of the cave. Hiccup returned to Toothless' side and walked along beside his dragon. "What's going on?" he asked curiously.
At some point the dragons had explained to him that the ability to hypnotise wasn't unique to the Red Death - all Queens and Alphas could do it to some degree, although only the most powerful could hypnotise dragons that were not their own kind. In fact, hypnosis was the wrong word…force of will would be more accurate. Dragons had an instinct to obey and respect their alpha, and the alphas themselves would with time, develop the ability to turn their thought-speak into irresistible commands. The only ones who couldn't hear said commands were the kits and fledglings.
He'd asked then, out of curiosity, who was the alpha of their pack at home. Toothless had told him that the Berk pack didn't have an alpha, per se – after the defeat of the Red Death, the dragons of her pack had scattered throughout the archipelago, with the majority of them nesting on Berk. He suggested that in a way, Hiccup himself was the Alpha of their pack, since the dragons listened to him more than they did any other human. Hiccup had just laughed and said he could barely picture himself as the Chief of the Hooligan Tribe, let alone as the Alpha of the Pack of Berk.
Selena had pointed out something that threw them both for a loop; since Toothless had fired the blow that killed the previous Queen, he'd defeated her in single combat and thus should have been the Alpha. They were both reminded of the numerous times that Toothless had told his fellow dragons to back off, or calmed them down, or led them…so perhaps the dragon's instinct to follow an alpha was still kicking in, even if they didn't outright acknowledge him as Alpha. To be honest, Toothless could no more imagine himself as the Alpha of their pack than could Hiccup.
They arrived in the gathering place; the kits hurried off to find their parents, and everyone perched on ledges or gathered on the floor, heedless of the rain that was falling through the opening high above. Queen Phoebe stood on her ledge, with the Elders perched above and behind her, and Selena beside her, Luna peeking out from beneath her elder sister's wing. The little kit caught Hiccup's eye and waved her tail at him; he smiled in spite of himself and gave her a little wave back, before returning his attention to the Queen.
When everyone was present and waiting, the Queen flared her wings for attention and revealed, *A hunting party has recently returned with a warning from other dragons- the human hunters who have been stalking our nest are coming tonight to attack it.*
