Chapter Fourteen: Battling the Red Death

"When we break open this mountain, all hell is going to break loose," Stoick growled, going over the battle plan with his brother, Spitelout, Gobber and Astrid's aunt, Helga.

"And my undies," Gobber added, trying to lighten the mood. "Good thing I brought extra." Spitelout rolled his eyes.

"No matter how this ends, it ends today!" Stoick shouted, giving the signal for the catapults. A large hole was smashed in the side of the mountain and Stoick sent for a flare, revealing thousands of dragons. He charged, the rest of the tribe following, and the dragons fled. Within seconds, they had flown into the skies. Gobber couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Is that it?" he wondered. Shrugging, he turned to the tribe. "We've done it!" A roar sounded from inside the mountain and Stoick knew they still had work to do.

"This isn't over!" he yelled. "Stay in your ranks and hold together!" The roar became unbearable and Stoick had to flee from the entrance. The entire side of the mountain shattered to reveal the most frightening thing any Viking had ever seen. The Red Death.

"Beard of Thor!" Gobber exclaimed. "What is that?" Someone shouted to head for the ships but Stoick yelled not to. Moments later, the Red Death incinerated the fleet, including the boat Toothless was trapped on.

"Smart, that one," Gobber commented dryly.

"I was a fool," Stoick grumbled. This was his fault. If only he'd listened to Astrid and Hiccup beforehand. It was too late now. He turned to Spitelout. "Lead the men to the far side of the island!" Gobber stayed put. "You go, too, Gobber."

"I think I'll stay," Gobber smirked. "Just in case you're thinking of doing something crazy."

"I can buy them some time if I give that thing something to hunt!" Stoick snapped. Gobber grasped his friend's arm.

"Then I can double that time."

Stoick grinned. His friend was a true one. They grew up together and now they would die together. They each tried to bring the Red Death's attention to themselves. Stoick narrowly missed the beast's eye with a wooden stake. It eyed both men, wondering which to kill first, prepared to end both of their lives with a blast of flame when...

BAM!

A blast of flame hit its head! The flash startled the Vikings and they looked up to see dragons! The training dragons at that. Then, Stoick heard something that really startled him.

"Ruff, Tuff! Watch your backs!" Astrid yelled from the Deadly Nadder at the front of the formation. "Move, Fishlegs!" It was the teens and they...

"Look!" Ruffnut shouted. "We're on a dragon! We're on dragons! All of us!" She and her twin brother were riding a head of the Zippleback each. Fishlegs was flying the Gronkle; Snotlout was mounted on the Monstrous Nightmare and Hiccup was just behind Astrid on the Deadly Nadder.

"Every bit the bull-headed and stubborn Vikings her parents, you and Val ever were," Gobber tutted. Stoick nodded sheepishly. Meanwhile, on the dragons...

"Okay, Fishlegs!" Astrid called. Despite her usual clumsiness, she had really come to her own now. "Break it down." If anyone could give an on-the-spot-analysis of a dragon, it was Fishlegs.

"Okay," Fishlegs nodded. "Heavily armoured skull and tail made for bashing and crushing – stay clear of both. Small eyes; large nostrils; relies on hearing and smell!" Astrid nodded. Time to put Dragon Training to the test.

"Right. Lout, Legs, hang out in its blind spot," she instructed. "Make lots of noise – keep it confused. Ruff, Tuff, find out if that thing has a shot limit. Make it mad!"

"That's my specialty!" Ruffnut grinned evilly.

"Since when?" Tuffnut frowned. "Everyone knows I'm more irritating." He hung upside down on his head of the Zippleback but Astrid intervened before a fight could ensue.

"Just do as I say!" she pleaded, desperately. "I'll be back as soon as I can." She sped off with Hiccup to find Toothless. Only with him, did they stand a chance.

"Don't worry!" Snotlout called. "We've got it covered!" The twins set to work instantly.

"Troll!" Tuffnut snickered.

"Mud elf!" Ruffnut jeered.

"Bride of Grendel!" Tuffnut added before they sped off, narrowly avoiding a column of fire. Meanwhile...

"Uh, this thing doesn't have a blind spot!" Fishlegs yelped. No matter where they were, one of the Red Death's six eyes was on him and Snotlout at all times. In the mean time, Astrid had spotted Toothless on the burning ships.

"There!" she cried, giving the driving seat to Hiccup and jumping down. "Go help the others!" she called. Hiccup nodded and flew off. Astrid began the struggle to free her friend. Meanwhile...

"It's working!" Fishlegs crowed. The Red Death was becoming increasingly confused as Fishlegs and Snotlout banged their weapons against their shields. Trouble was, it worked on their dragons as well. Snotlout found himself thrown off Hookfang and onto the Red Death's back.

"I've lost power over the Gronkle!" Fishlegs yelped, chucking his hammer to Snotlout. "Snotlout, do something!" The Gronkle crash landed. "I'm okay!" Fishlegs called. Spoke too soon – the Gronkle flipped on top of him. "Less okay!"

"I can't miss!" Snotlout jeered, banging the hammer against the beast's eyes. "What's wrong, buddy? Got something in your eye?" Hiccup flew by at that moment.

"Yeah! You're the Viking!" he called. Distracted by the rare compliment from his cousin, Snotlout miss timed a hit and was sent onto the dragon's side. Meanwhile, Astrid was still trying to free Toothless but to no avail. Not to mention, the fact that the ship was on fire wasn't helping. Eventually, they went under but Astrid wouldn't give up. She tugged on the chains but she was running out of breath...

She opened her eyes, spluttering on the rocks. She just saw a familiar figure vanish into the water.

"Stoick?" she coughed. Seconds, later, Toothless emerged, Stoick in his paws. He landed some distance away and indicated the Red Death. Astrid didn't need to speak Dragonese to understand what her best friend meant.

"You got it, boy!" she grinned, running over. She hopped on and fixed her harness when something stopped her.

"Astrid!" Stoick exclaimed. "I'm sorry. For... for everything."

"Yeah, me too," Astrid sighed as her chief held her hand.

"You don't have to go up there," Stoick explained. Astrid knew that. But her friends were in danger, as was her village.

"Hiccup's still up there," she pointed out sadly. "Besides, we're Vikings," she grinned. "It's an occupational hazard."

"Your parents would be proud, Astrid," Stoick nodded solemnly. Astrid felt tears well up in her eyes. "And I'm proud... to call you my daughter-in-law." Astrid's heart burst with pride.

"Thanks, Stoick," she murmured before taking off. Hiccup grinned as he saw the black Night Fury take to the skies.

"She's up!" he announced. He flew over to the twins. "Get Snotlout out of there!"

"I'm on it!" Ruffnut nodded.

"No, I'm on it!" Tuffnut spat.

"I was on it first!"

"Let me try!"

Miraculously, Snotlout managed to jump onto the Zippleback whilst the twins were arguing. Wow, the gods really were on the teens' side for once.

"I can't believe that worked!" he cried. Hiccup began to fly after them but he didn't seem to be moving. Daring a peek back, all he saw was a cavern of teeth – he and his dragon were being sucked towards it. Desperately he tried to escape but it was hopeless.

"Dear, gods...I am not gonna die this way!" he cried out. Then, as if answering his not-so-subtle call for help...

SCREECH!

BANG!

Hiccup found himself tumbling towards the ground. Great. Escape death by being swallowed alive, now facing death by smashing against the ground at 100+mph. This time he was able to scream but the ground never came.

"Did you get him?" Astrid asked Toothless. Toothless looked down to see Hiccup in his paws, upside down but grinning and very much alive. Toothless smiled his gummy grin back. After dropping Hiccup off at a safe spot, Astrid shot off again. Hiccup could only watch as his girlfriend...no, his fiancée...flew towards the monster.

For a moment, Hiccup felt compelled to call the Deadly Nadder and chase after the Nordic Blonde and the Night Fury to help fight the Red Death but something stopped him. He knew two things: one was that he would never stand a chance of catching up with the dragon-rider duo and the other was that this wasn't his battle to fight - it was Astrid's. Hiccup's heart wrenched - he hadn't had time to give her any encouragement, or how he really felt...better late than never. He knew Astrid couldn't hear him, but he said it regardless.

"Go."

AN: Okay, before anyone else asks - yes, I will be doing the TV series after this is finished. How to Start a Dragon Academy is currently in the works but don't expect it to be posted for a while. Also, don't expect another update for a couple of weeks just to give you some advance warning.