Chapter 11: Ready the ships

POV – Hiccup

Dad shoves me inside the Great Hall, full of anger. "I should have known. I should have seen the signs" he mutters.

"Dad-"

"We had a deal!" he shouts.

"I know we did- but that was before- oh, it's all so messed up!" I say rubbing my hair, too nervous and scared to speak with clarity. I have way too many things to tell, it's impossible for me to explain. Dad won't believe me, no matter what I say. But I have to try.

"So everything on the ring. A trick? A lie"

"I screwed up.I should've told you before now. Take this out on me. Be mad at me. But please… Just don't hurt Flandre" I beg, trying my best to make my Dad change his ideas.

"The girl? That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?" he yells.

"She was just protecting me! She's not dangerous!"

"They've killed hundreds of us!"

"And we've disturbed and changed all of them!" This makes Stoick think for a moment. "They defend themselves, that's all. They raid us because they have to! They're just following orders! There's… something else on their island-"

"Their island? So you've been to the mansion…"

"Did I say mansion?-"

"How did you find it?"

"I- I didn't! Flandre did. Only a girl that lives there can find the island!" Then, that expression shows up on his face. That expression when he has a dangerous idea that means go against my wishes. And I know exactly what it is.

"Oh, no. Dad, no" Dad ignores me, pushing me aside and walking towards the door. "Dad, it's not what you think! You don't know what you're up against, Dad please! I promise that you can't win this one! No! Dad, no!" I run towards him and grab his arm desperately. "For once in your life could you please just listen to me?" he throws me off his hand, sending me to the ground, and slowly turns to me.

"You've thrown your lot with them. You're not a Viking" he says in a low tone. Then… "You're not my son"

My breathing is about to stop. He didn't just… disown me-

POV – Stoick

"Ready the ships!" I shout, slamming the door. Just then, I almost faint for the severity of what I just done. I lose balance for a moment, then walk towards the docks.

POV – Overview of the docks

All the ships are prepared at the docks. The whole village is waiting for their departure. All the ships begin to be loaded with various weapons and men. The last thing that's loaded in is Flandre, chained to a wooden block and hold down by metal bars covering her midsection, arms and legs, and her wings chained into two short poles. Maybe in sadness or in fear, the elder pulls the two children that are looking at the scene closer to her.

From afar, Hiccup watches everything with the most horrible sadness and guiltiness he ever felt.

"Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate" Stoick orders.

His gaze comes across his heart-broken son. But even if he's still feeling bad for what he did, he just turns around and walks by the side of Flandre.

"Lead us home, devil" he mutters. Flandre looks with fury at him for some seconds, before sadness returns to her, making her lower her head.

POV – Hiccup

I just watch the ships till they are no longer seen. Everything I wanted is lost, and it's my fault. All my fault.

"It's a mess…" I hear Astrid say. Words don't reach my mouth, I'm not able to reply. "You must feel horrible. You've lost everything: your father, your tribe, your best friend-"

"Thank you, for summing that up" I say, starting to get bothered by Astrid. "Why couldn't I have killed that girl when I found her in the woods…" I say, ashamed. Not only by what I said hurt me deep inside, but because it's true, even though I don't want to believe it. "It could've been better, for everyone…"

"Yep, the rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you?" I give her no reply. "Whydidn't you?" she repeats, more concerned about it this time.

"I don't know… I couldn't"

"That's not an answer…"

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?" I ask, slightly angered.

"Because I want to remember what you say, right now"

"Oh for the love of- I was a coward! I was weak! I couldn't kill one of those girls!"

"You said wouldn't that time"

"Whatever!" I snap in a sudden rage. "I wouldn't! Three hundred years and I'm the first Viking who couldn't kill or fight one of those girls!" I say as I turn around.

"First to befriend one, though" Astrid says. It's true. I did what no Viking ever did, and discovered things no Viking ever discovered, thanks to that. "So…" she continues, waiting for my answer.

"I wouldn't kill her… Because she looked as frightened as I was. I looked at her, and I saw myself…"

"I'll bet she's really frightened now… So what are you going to do?" A plan comes to my mind. Not exactly plan, but an idea.

"I don't know. Probably something stupid"

"Good, but you already did that" That's when the real plan comes up.

"Then, something crazy!" I say, starting to run towards the arena.

"That's more like it" Astrid says as she begins to follow me.

POV – Stoick

We are once again on the fog bank. But this time, we are so many more and we have a guide. I watch at front, trying to spot any signals of the island. Gobber walks next to me.

"Listen, Stoick… I was overhearing some of the men just now and, well, some of them, are wondering what it is we're up to here, n- not me, of course… I know you always the man with the plan, but some- not me, are wondering if there's in fact a plan at all, and, what it might be?"

"Find the mansion and take in"

"Oh, of course. Send them running. The old Viking fallback. Nice and simple-" I hush Gobber when I notice Flandre is… sensing something. We must be close. I move towards the stern, pushing aside the men. "Step aside"

I hold the tiller, watching the girl. She moves her head to one direction. Then to another direction. Like she's being forced to lead us to the mansion.

POV – Hiccup

I stare nervously at Remilia's enclosure. It's morning already, but there are these storm clouds again, so my plan might still work.

"If you're planning on getting killed, I'll definitely go with Ran" says a voice behind me. I turn around, and see Fishlegs, Astrid, Snoutlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"You were wise to seek help from the world's- deadliest- weapon" Tuffnut says, getting closer to me.

"Uh…"

"It's me-" Before he can continue, Snoutlout pushes him away.

"I, love this plan!"

"I didn't…" Again, Ruffnut pushes him away.

"You're crazy!" She leans closer to me. "I like that…" she adds in a lower tone. Astrid grabs her horned helmet and gets her out of the way.

"So? What's the plan?"

I just smile. This is definitely going to work.

POV – Stoick

On our long way through the fog, we see a ship hanging upside-down.

"That's not very encouraging…" someone whispers.

"Ah, I was wondering where that went" Gobber says.

Then, Flandre starts getting nervous. A strange buzzing is heard.

"Stay low. Ready your weapons" I order as the ships hit a rocky shore. We are here. A mansion surrounded by a red lava circle stands there. I make my way towards the prow, and observe the building. Some girl must've spotted us, as I see a purple figure disappearing in the roof.

"We're here" I mutter. I jump off the ship. As I land, the buzzing immediately stops, making me look around.

POV – Hiccup

Slowly, I lead Remilia out of the enclosure, my palm outstretched. Now that there isn't any threat here, she seems to be calm.

POV – Astrid

All the class seems to be enjoying this. Fishlegs and Ruffnut watch amazed, Tuffnut grins with excitement, Snoutlout… is scared? Well, that's new. Maybe he's too much scared, as he grabs a broken spear. I slap his arm.

"Uh-uh"

He puts down the weapon. Now, Hiccup leads the girl right towards us. Towards Snoutlout, actually.

POV – Hiccup

I grab Snoutlout's arm. "Wait, what are you-" I silence him, then Remilia gives him a short hiss. He better doesn't do any stupidity. I grab his arm again.

"It's ok, it's ok" I say, extending his arm. "Now look away" I whisper to Snoutlout. Insecure, he does what I told him, and happens what happened that day in the cove; Remilia repeats Snoutlout's gesture. He looks at front again, now laughing with joy. I walk towards a wooden box.

"Where you going?" Snoutlout asks, once again, scared. I rummage the box, and find some ropes.

"You're gonna need something to help you hold on" I say as I pick up some. All the teens look at the doors. Ran is the only one out.

POV – Stoick

All weapons are set up. Me and some of the men watch a battle plan traced in the sand.

"When these walls break open, all hell is going to break loose" I warn them.

"And my undies! Good thing I brought extras" Gobber says.

"No matter how it ends, it ends today!" I say loudly for all the warriors to hear. I lift up my hand, and signal the catapults to fire. They hit the walls in front of us, making an opening. I walk towards the mansion and stop in front of the dark tunnel. There's no light. No sound. Nothing. I signal the catapults again with my axe. One of them fires a burning payload that soars deep inside into the mansion. I see them; the light lets me see four girls in the entrance, waiting for us, observing our movements. The first though that comes to my head is that they're highly outnumbered. With a battle cry, I get inside and try to hit the girls with my weapon, but they all run away in pure fear. When they already came out, tons of fairies follow them. They do not attack anyone. No one manages to hit them. They just fly away.

POV – Flandre

All of them are running away. All of them. Patchi, Sakuya, Hong… Even Cirno, Daiyousei and other fairies living in the island fly away. This is not going to end in a good way, I feel it. They enraged Him.

POV – Stoick

"Is that it?" Gobber says, confused. He shrugs and walks towards the men.

"We've done it!" someone shouts, making the rest of the warriors yell victoriously. All but me. Something is not right. From the shore, I see Flandre desperately trying to get away. There's something more here.

"This isn't over!" I warn as I turn around. "Form your ranks, hold together!"

There's silence for a moment, right before a deafening roar is heard from the insides of the mansion. A roar so strong that it's wind is able to push us a few feet away. Then, the walls and the ground start to crack, making an earthquake around the beach.