Hello ! I am finally back...I-I'm sorry I took s-so long to upload the next c-chapter...Please forgive me ? Please ?

Unfortunately a certain combination of events ( involving a late thanks-giving with american friends and a sadistic french language teacher ) meant I had absolutely very little time to make a chapter that halfway decent to read...On top of that I had to prepare an essay so my tardiness only accumulated.

Please note that if I were ever to place a story on hiatus or simply abandon it, then it would be written everywhere, including the story desc.

Besides all that I hope you enjoy, despite the botch-job...

Rant Over !


The terrifying part wasn't the small sailing boat heading for Dreki's unique beach, no, the scariest part, was the fleet of five Viking long-ships following the small fishing boat. Both Hiccup and Toothless stared in disbelief, this was indeed, quite a problem.

Our four protagonists landed in the tree-line on the rim of the beach. Hidden in the shadows, they had a perfect view of both sea and beach, all while hidden from sight in the dense foliage.

" This might get complicated..." Started Marcus, rather nervously.

Jitters gave a low squawk and rolled his eyes : " You don't say..."

Hiccup ran a hand through his thick auburn hair and stared out towards the approaching ships. He sighed anxiously. Toothless crooned, nuzzled his leg and the boy answered by placing a delicate hand on the dragon's scalp.

" Why the small boat ? " He asked to no one in particular.

" A scouting ship...Maybe...? "

" It's not that far away from the main fleet."

" Yeah...Maybe it's being chased ? "

Silence followed, Toothless and Jitters nodded, Marcus's theory made sense. Hiccup was in deep thought, turning ideas, theories, plans over and over in his head. Eventually, he turned to the Roman and two dragons :

" I suggest we wait for the smaller boat to reach the beach so we can figure out what we're dealing with."

" And if they're hostile ? "

" Then, I guess we just try to..." Hiccup flung his hands in the air in opposite directions. "...Scare them away ? "

Marcus smiled faintly before turning to Toothless. " Well, we do have the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself on our side..."

Toothless rose his ears and beamed with pride and satisfaction. A content smile drew over the fury's face, Jitters snorted in mock disdain.

" You my friend...Are too full of yourself..."

Toothless, just wanted to rub it in. " I never miss any target."

Jitters shifted his weight back and forth restlessly " Well nor do I. "

" Maybe, but I'm never seen by anyone." Crooned the black dragon.

" True..." Toothless's smile grew wider. " ...But we still hear you... all the bloody time ! "

The night fury's smile suddenly faded, Jitters on the other hand, was sniggering to his heart's content.

" Guys ! " Hissed Marcus, gesturing to be quiet. "...I hate to break your rant or whatever but the scout ship just landed."

The dragons fell silent. Hiccup unsheathed his crossbow and deployed it with a snap, he didn't point it at anything in particular, but logic dictated to be ready for anything. The tension could have been cut with a knife, the only sounds were the rustling of wind through the pine-trees and the whooshing of the waves collapsing on the white, gravelly sand.

" Wait here..." Said Hiccup to the dragons. " ...I think it's best if we do the talking."

" I would agree with that" Conceded Jitters. Toothless on the other hand, would never admit to having a weak point in the matters of (peaceful) negotiations, we all know he's hardly the humble type and would concede to anything if the other negotiator simply offered some fish.

So, the ex-Viking and Roman walked out from the shady concealment of the pine tree-line onto the thick sand and towards the beached fishing boat. Curiously, it's only occupant was a middle-aged Viking woman of a thin appearance, now weakly dragging herself out of the boat to collapse onto the sand.

Hiccup couldn't help but note the fact that every single visitor that ever landed on Dreki seemed to arrive in this weak and feeble manner, barely standing due to the seas' cruel treatment to them and their undersized boat.

The woman, who was kneeling on the ground exhausted, looked up to observe the two teenagers slowly walking towards her. Hiccup's pale and freckled skin, formed a sharp contrast with his friend walking besides him who held a dark olive tan. And even though we couldn't see the ex-Viking's face through the helmet, his neck and hands still showed the pale skin nearly as white as the beach's sand.

The Roman, had a hand on the pommel of his sheathed gladius. Hiccup's finger, twitched against the trigger of his crossbow. As mentioned before, the boy would do anything to avoid conflict. But somehow, this situation seemed to hold no hope in that regard, considering the Viking army approaching.

When they reached close enough to the kneeling woman, they stopped. They solemnly stood, just close enough for conversation, but well out of reach.

" Who are you ? " Inquired Marcus. I can't tell you which one was the most hostile : his voice or his glare.

The woman stared up. She had dark blue eyes and long dark hair that was now thick with salt and sand. It was tied up into three large braids that hung heavily down her back. Her triangular face held a refined jawline, and a relatively lean nose.

She had a thick green cloth tunic with torn sleeves that floated in the wind like a flag and battered leather trousers. She stared for a while, breathing heavily. " Please...You have to help me..." She uttered with a raspy voice, hoarse with thirst.

The Drekians glanced at each other, then turned back to the woman and Hiccup asked : " I suppose it has something to do with that armada over there ? "

The woman nodded pleadingly.

" What do they want ? "

" They want to kill me...Please, I need your help."

" Their motives could be justified..." Noted Marcus, tapping a finger on the ivory pommel of his glaive.

Hesitant silence followed.

Hiccup gestured out at sea with an open hand. " Look... The way I see things, that fleet will probably reach this beach in about ten minutes. I guess you have ten minutes to show us we can trust you."

The woman gulped and pulled herself up to stand. She coughed two or three times and rubbed her hands into her face before looking up and starting : " Look kids I-..."

Marcus cleared his throat disapprovingly, no one would him "kid". The woman nodded and sighed, getting the point before trying again. " I was a healer, in the Skylo clan, two days east from here. One day the chief's son got violently sick and..." She coughed.

" And ? " Inquired Marcus.

" ...And there was nothing I could do. He died...But the Chief...He went mad with grief. He ordered me to be blood-eagled(1) ! He said I poisoned his son, he turned everyone against me...I fled during the night, but they went after me. We've been sailing for two entire days without stopping."

" So... you brought your entire bloodthirsty tribe to our island ? " Confirmed Hiccup. " Oh boy...We're in for a treat..." He sighed.

Marcus bit his lip and turned to Hiccup, awaiting for some sort of action of his part. Hiccup stared back through the helmet. They couldn't leave her, her story seemed relatively plausible and believable. And whatever happened there was very little chance the incoming Viking fleet would just turn-tail and give up now.

" Let's say we believe you..." The helmeted teen finally said. The woman let out a sigh of relief. " Run that way, two hundred metres and you'll get to a small clearing with houses."

Marcus continued Hiccup's instructions. " There you will find a woman, she'll help you."

"Thank you" Exhaled the woman, thrilled. And with that, she ran as fast as she could towards the clearing. The two teens watched her run away until she disappeared into the tree-line before turning back towards the vast sea where approached the ominous fleet.

" We don't even know her name..." Remarked Marcus, slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

" She needs our help."

" Right ! So now we have to cope with all this " He gestured towards the approaching sails on the blue horizon.

" We'll figure it out, Toothless is pretty good at 'convincing' Vikings to run away..." Chuckled Hiccup.

" So he shoots them until they turn and run." Deadpanned the Roman.

" Essentially...Although it would be unfair to just start shooting as soon as they set foot on this beach. We'll ask them to turn and leave, if they don't, we draw our weapons and Jitters and Toothless can start dishing out warning shots while hidden in the tree-line. "

" Great plan, but what happens when those same Vikings make port somewhere else and claim they've seen a pair of teenagers who've befriended a nadder and a night fury ? We might get another army double the size knocking on front door the next day ! "

Hiccup chuckled " Firstly, no Viking will ever willingly go anywhere near a night fury."

" Except you."

" I'm not a Viking. Two, no one will listen to them. People will think it's a made up story to save their honour because they lost a fight to a bunch of nadders."

" Ok then, we get Jitters to shoot a couple of shields and legs."

" Exactly, let's go tell them the plan." Concluded Hiccup, walking back towards the tree-line to meet the dragons.


And so, several minutes later, the two teenagers stood side by side on the beach as the Viking boats beached themselves one by one. The first Viking to disembark, was obviously the chief, for he was the tallest, strongest and fiercest of all. He leaped down from the ship, his brown fur cape flew in his wake and he landed on the beach with a 'thud !'. Other Vikings followed behind him as he walked up to the drekians.

As can be expected from a Viking, the chief wore a grand horned helmet and held an impressive battle-axe in his right hand. The barrel-chested brute had a massive grey beard, though showed no signs of weakness despite his obviously advanced age. His teeth were barred and a glint of unstoppable rage burned in the man's eyes, a thirst for revenge. Suddenly, Hiccup couldn't help but believe the woman's story. That look, was a look similar to the one he found on the mad monstrous nightmare several seasons ago. Although this madness, was not caused by disease, but rather by fierce grief.

He stopped before the teenagers as he towered over the pair. Behind him, stood fifty armed Vikings, needless to say the chief was feeling pretty confident. But little did the Vikings know, that merely twenty meters from where they stood, lurked the most dangerous of dragons as well as the best shooter of all nadders.

Hiccup surprisingly, was the first to speak up. Now, you know as well as I, that Hiccup was never the confrontational type. He simply couldn't impose his will through force, he had numerous problems in matters of intimidation. So, it is logical to assume that he would be the last one to speak up against the Viking chief, who stood twice the size as his own father.

But Hiccup was the first one to speak. And when he did, he made sure he was in an environment he knew well : Sarcasm.

" And what might bring you and your fine army to our sandy door-step ? " The teenager bowed mockingly "We would invite you over for supper, but unfortunately I'm not sure we'd have enough food for all of you...Or room as a matter of fact..."

" YOU BETTER STOP YOUR LITTLE GAME KID ! " Howled the man, brandishing his axe in the frail boy's direction.

Hiccup laughed through the helmet. " Please... Don't call me kid...You wouldn't want me calling you 'Grandpa' now, would you ?"

" TELL ME WHERE SHE IS ! "

" Who ? The owner of this boat ? Oh, she's somewhere on our island..."

" I SAW YOU TALKING TO HER WHEN SHE GOT HER, WE'RE GONNA GET HER, AND I SUGGEST YOU STAY OUT OF OUR WAY ! "

" Woah ! Whoah ! Woah ! Whoah ! " Exclaimed Marcus. " You, aren't going anywhere."

The man was beet red, he was so enraged he looked like he was going to explode and take the island with him, leaving nothing but a giant steaming crater.

" SPEAK AGAIN ROMAN... AND IT'll BE MY PLEASURE TO DECAPITATE YOUR TINY TANNED HEAD ! "

Marcus flinched, for a Roman who was taught the art of war, combat and honour, it was hard for him to avoid drawing his sword right this second and make the man pay for the insult. But he admirably kept his rage chained up.

Hiccup, intervened. " At least his head is full...But in all seriousness though, we must ask you to leave."

" WHY IS THAT ? SHRIMP ?! "

" Because we can't allow you to simply walk fifty tons of brainless brawn armed with battle-axes onto our island."

" WHY YOU- ! "

Hiccup simply held up a hand, somehow interrupting the stupefied Viking, confused that he was interrupted by the toothpick of a boy. " No, really, you should leave. I never had many friends, but it turns out I know how to pick the best ones. "

The Viking leader snapped, as expected. It was inevitable. The man's battle-axe tore through the air in an attempt to decapitate Hiccup while accompanied by a ferocious battle-cry, but the small teenager dodged nimbly.

At that moment, a purple plasma bolt followed by a fire-ball and six poisonous nadder spikes shot out from the tree-line.

Both explosive projectiles hit the ground near the Vikings as planned, throwing up sand with a deafening explosion for each. The spikes, impacted with thighs, shields, bums and arms, causing four howls of pain to fill the air in the following seconds.

Chaos ensued.

The Vikings, didn't linger long. Upon hearing the monstrous roar of the undetectable night fury as well as witnessing the incoming fire-power from the tree-line they turned and ran as fast as their buff legs could carry them, carrying their paralysed ( by fear ) or wounded friends with them. Battle-axes and shield were dropped in their wake, in the hope of a faster escape.

The chief, quickly realized his total loss of control over the situation and reluctantly ran after his men, shouting : " TO THE BOATS ! "

Soon enough, the beach was clear and the Vikings were sailing off as fast as the wind permitted.

" I have never seen grown men run away so fast in my life..." Exclaimed Marcus, buckling with uncontrollable laughter.

" I didn't know these people could reach such high notes, some of those scream were so high-pitched..." Added Hiccup, chuckling through the helmet.

The dragons walked out from the tree-line up to the two teenagers.

" That was fun ! " Concluded Toothless.

" I suppose a bit of target practise couldn't hurt..." Conceded Jitters.

Marcus, recovered from his fit of mirth, and lost his smile. He soberly stated : " Right...We should get back to the clearing...To be honest, I'm not sure how Lu would react to the woman's sudden appearance. "

" With a bit of luck she didn't stab our guest." Chuckled Hiccup. And with that, the two humans climbed on their friend's backs, and the two pairs shot up into the air.


(1) A terrible Viking practise, it's a ritualistic execution consisting in severing the ribs from the spine and pulling the two parts of one's back in order to form wing-like shapes.

I hope you enjoyed, and that your keyboard isn't covered in vomit after reader what's above.

Please let me know how bad the chapter was by leaving a review !