An Enemy Appears
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Bachus cursed as another one of their longships was sent to the bottom of the ocean, sunk by rocks and Dragon fire. I kept telling the others he growled to himself. Leave Berk alone, there's plenty of places to raid, easier targets then this place. And safer. He recalled how his pride had led to this battle, and it may have cost him everything he laboured so hard to achieve and gain.
A week before
Bachus Havardsson had been a great raider all of his adult life. He revelled in this role and way of life. A life roaming the seas, raiding and pillaging other tribes for food, drink, good and other items of value, and fighting others was all in a day's work for him. But just because he was great, that did not mean for one moment that the Headtaker was a nice person. Instead of being driven by necessity to survive, he was driven by sheer blood lust and the thrill of inflicting pain and suffering on those he chose or those he deemed unworthy of life. Rather staying than on a island and growing his own, he found it easier to take what rightly belonged others, not that he cared when it came to stabbing someone in the back or cutting down unarmed innocents.
The Headtaker was an imposing form. In his early forties, the Chieftain of the Skull Cleavers tribe was a person to reckoned with. Standing over six feet tall and encased in black armour, he was a barrel chested man, his arms bulged with muscle from years at sea and from years of battle. Jet black hair covered his entire face ending with a thick black beard, even his eyes were black, empty of mercy or pity, lusting only for evil. Around his neck was a thick iron chain of which at the end hung a polished skull, certainly too small to be an adult's. Such was his sickening hobby, collecting the heads of the people he had killed, whether they had been armed or innocent, men, women, children or the old, he did not care. All of them were taken to stripped and polished and added to the Bachus's collection or to be placed on one of the spikes that covered the many ships that made up the Skull Cleavers Grand Fleet.
The Skull Cleavers Grand Fleet had been a force to be reckoned with. Throughout his bloody career, the Headtaker had 'acquired' the loyalty of seven other Chieftains. Some he gained through the promise or wealth, others he intimidated into his service. For the last twenty years, they had been the terror of the seas on the far reaches of the Archipelago. Until recently, many of their raiding ships had travelled on long range raiding voyages away from their usual hunting grounds, few had returned. Those that did return had told the Headtaker grave news.
In all of the years of his reign of terror, the fleets of the Headtaker had never, ever been stopped in their course, beaten and forced to turn back with their tails between their legs. After a few threats of their heads joining his collection, the survivors gave their accounts and stories. Then Bachus's mood shifted from surprise to pure shock with what he discovered.
His ships had encountered two islands south east of their current position. Usually this was never a challenge, in the past, his fleets were able to isolate entire groups of islands and pick them off one by one at their own leisure with ease. This time, however, things had been different.
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SAW VIKINGS RIDING DRAGONS?!' he bellowed at the survivors in front of him.
Many of the crew and guards took a involuntary step back, everyone knew how dangerous and unpredictable their leader could be once he got into one of his moods.
'It's. . . . . .it's true Boss. . . . . . it is', stuttered one of the survivors in terror. 'There were Vikings riding. . . . . .on the backs of Dragons and. . . . . . and turning our ships to splinters. . . . . honest Boss'.
'IF YOU'RE LYING TO ME!' snarled Bachus menacingly. 'I SWEAR YOUR HEAD WILL FIND A NEW HOME ON ONE OF MY BANNERS!'
'It's true Boss. . . . .we saw it with our eyes', another spoke up. 'You know we won't lie to you. . . . . .honest'.
The Headtaker stopped his ranting for a moment to contemplate this. After a long moment of silence, he spoke.
'I suppose you're right about that boys', he finally said.
He sat down on his throne of skulls, scratching his chin in thought. He had heard of the fabled island of Berk, though he never thought it actually existed. Myth or not, he had warned his men to stay away from such an island if it ever existed. He growled in anger. His pride had taken a hit. My forces have been defeated, I will not stand for this. He could not allow this affront to his ships to go unanswered. If he failed to retaliate, his leadership would be shakened and he would lose everything. A threat like this to his authority could cause this to become a reality, especially if that threat involved two islands of Dragon riding Vikings.
'What are the names of these two islands?' he eventually asked.
'Berk and Outcast Island', one survivors piped up, relieved their Chieftain had calmed down. 'Apparently Berk was the first to master Dragon riding'.
'So Berk is the main threat to my exalted leadership. We'll go there first then and slaughter every man, woman and child. That'll show them. An entire island set ablaze and the inhabitant's heads on spikes will send a clear message for those who defy my power'.
'Very good my lord'.
'Did you happen to discover who their leaders are soldier?'
'Yes. . . .yes Bachus. . . . .Outcast Island's leader is Alvin the Treacherous, Berk's Chief is Stoick the Vast'.
'Any generals?' the Headtaker growled.
'I. . . . . . I only know three. . . . . all from Berk'.
'Their names?' Bachus was getting impatient again.
'Ummm. . . . . don't know exactly. . . . just their titles'.
'Which are?' Bachus had picked a skull and had began clenching an gauntlet fist around it. Members of the Skull Cleavers looked on in concern or pure terror. The interviewee shuffled nervously before speaking again.
'Their titles are. . . . . the Pride of Berk. . . . . . .Fearless Hofferson. . . . . .and. . . . . .and Freya's Wrath'.
'Describe them'. The fist tightened around the skull, cracks beginning to form.
'The Pride of Berk is a tall, lean male with reddish brown hair. I. . . .I think he's the Chief's Son. Fearless Hofferson is a pretty blonde of medium height. . . . . .her favoured weapon is an axe'.
'Freya's Wrath?'
'Freya's Wrath. . . . .is a pretty redhead of medium height. . . . .she seems to an archer mostly. All of the kids look like they're only seventeen or eighteen. . . . . .'
'KIDS! SEVENTEEN OR EIGHTEEN!'
The skull in Bachus's hand exploded, sending fragments of bone flying everywhere. The crowd ran for cover as their Chieftain rose to his feet and stomped towards the unfortunate informant, the deck of the ship vibrating with each step made.
'YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THE SHIPS OF MY INVINCBLE WAR MACHINE WERE DEFEATED BY A BUNCH OF KIDS?!'
'And Dragons', his victim whimpered.
The rest of his words were cut off as the Headtaker wrapped his fingers around his neck and lifted him five feet in the air with ease.
'I WILL NOT STAND FOR A BUNCH OF KIDS THINKING THEY CAN STAND UP AGAINST MY SHIPS AND MEN, AND THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT!' Headtaker bellowed, showering his victim with spittle. 'DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!'
'Yes. . . . .' his victim struggled for air. 'Yes. . . . .understood. . . . . .my lord'.
Suddenly the man was dropped to the deck, released. As he recovered his breath, Bachus Havardsson swung around and addressed his fleet.
'WARRIORS OF THE SKULL CLEAVER TRIBE! TODAY, WE GO TO WAR WITH BERK! WE WILL SHOW THESE UPSTARTS THAT I AM A FORCE TO RECKONED WITH, AND THAT I WILL NOT BE DENIED! WE WILL BURN BERK TO THE GROUND! AND WE WILL KILL EVERY MAN, WOMAN, CHILD AND DRAGON! OUR WEAPONS WILL BATH IN THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT AND WE WILL LAUGH AND SPIT OVER THEIR BROKEN BODIES! WE GO TO WARRRRRR!'
As the fleet roared their war cries, the Headtaker walked back towards his throne, as he sat down, he spoke again.
'Yes we will kill them all', he said in a slow, menacing tone. 'But the Pride of Berk is mine to slay'.
New chapter everyone, hope you enjoy it. I'll update soon :)