Let's see if I can get this one done quicker than the last, eh? I left you hanging for a whole week! Sorry!
Guest: I'll get right on naming the last one! I was hurrying when I uploaded it. Don't be shy, though, I really enjoy reading every review I get! Thank you.
Truth'n'Justice: You're right, something did make her this way. I was hoping some people would pick up on the fact that often-times, she doesn't quite understand what she's doing, or she doesn't want to actually kill people. Someone will end up talking to her eventually. I write action well? Fantastic! I've always wanted to be able to do that. Thank You!
Dead end. Kat stopped, looking around at the dark houses looming over her, gathered in a circle as though creating a ring around her, blocking her in. Huffing, she turned around to head back the way she came, only to find the way blocked by a small, slight figure. Kat drew back, wary but curious. She noted the blonde hair, tightly braided down the girl's shoulder, the hunch of her shoulders, the pale pallor of her skin and the trembling of her clenched fists.
"Astrid...?" She could barely believe her eyes. "But... I thought I finished you!"
"Good thing you didn't then, isn't it?" Astrid's voice was soft. "You knocked me out well, I'll give you that. Quite impressive."
Kat's sword-point hit the floor. Astrid frowned, observing her closely as she tenderly put a hand to the side of her head.
"You're not trying to kill me. Why?" For once, Kat didn't sound brash and confident.
The blonde scowled. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want you to leave us be. Why won't you leave us alone?"
"Because.. because..." She couldn't come up with an answer. Why was she terrorising the town? Kat searched the ground before her as if she was mapping out herself in the dirt. "I... I just..."
"You just what?" Astrid's voice raised as she lost her temper. The runaway recoiled, sharply shaking her head as though clearing it. Her sword rose to it's dangerous ready position, a snarl settled on her lips. Suddenly, Astrid didn't feel so much like shouting. She took a step back.
"What do my motives matter? Is it not enough that I'm here?" The girl growled, bristling and indignant. All of a sudden, her arms were clasped behind her back. Her sword fell to the ground beside her as someone tried to restrain her.
The familiar voice cried out by her ear. "Toothless! Give me a hand here, bud!"
"Get off!" She snarled, twisting herself so that Hiccup stumbled and fell, but he wouldn't let go, bringing her crashing to the ground with him, where Toothless loomed over them both. The Night Fury stretched out before placing his chest right above her and lying down, pinning her to the ground. Through her howls of rage, she never worked out how Hiccup managed to wriggle his way out, but she was well and truly stuck beneath the surprisingly heavy dragon.
"Astrid, we have to get some help with this. Let's find Gobber or my dad. Toothless, you stay here bud. Good job!" Wrapping his arm around her waist, Hiccup supported Astrid as they made their way towards the forge, which couldn't be too far away if they were willing to leave their best friend alone with a maniac.
Kat looked up at Toothless. "You're a beautiful dragon, I'll give you that," She muttered grumpily. Her eyes suddenly lit up."You know, all dragons have pressure points. I think Hiccup knows that better than most. One of Blueflame's is right here, where my knee is. Shall we see if you share it?" Toothless gave a warning snarl, but it didn't stop Kat from thrusting her knee up, deep into the soft part of his belly. The dragon wheezed, crying out for help as he recoiled and curled around the painful pressure point, like a sharp rock digging in under the skin. He tried to shake out the raw feeling as Kat scrabbled to her feet and rushed to snatch up her sword. With a snap, his teeth caught the back of her leather flight-suit, pulling her back and away. The Night Fury ignored the pounding on his snout and the angry curse-words, the kicks to his shoulders and chest. He tossed her to the ground and placed his fore-paws on her shoulder-blades, pinning her down again with a snarl.
That snarl was answered with a great, earth-quaking roar. Blueflame came thundering down from the sky, smashing his great bulk into the Night Fury. Toothless went flying across the ground, but picked himself up very quickly, turning to face his assailant. Blueflame stood over Kat, protecting her, a snarl on his lips. A loud whistle echoed as Toothless' throat filled with thick gas. The large dragon put his head down, shielding himself and his rider with his plated armour as the plasma blast echoed out, then another and another.
Infuriated, the black dragon bolted forward, but the lull in his attack had given Kat time to loop her arms around the straps of her dragon's saddle. Blueflame lifted into the air, thundering over the roofs, leaving the Night Fury behind in a flurry of wings. Another blast followed them up into the sky, hitting the large beast's tail, knocking his slightly off-balance and leaving a painful-looking scorch mark behind, but he wouldn't stop.
Kat clambered up into the saddle as quickly as she could, sliding her feet into the stirrups, taking hold of the reins looped around one of his back spikes. She directed him back over the town, where Toothless was hurrying towards the forge. Hiccup, Astrid and Gobber were heading back the other way, towards him. With a cruel vengeance, Blueflame swooped down without command and opened his great maw, letting free a flow of blue, fiery liquid, right between them and over Toothless' head and back. The black dragon gave a scream, going into a frenzy of pain and anger, twisting and turning, writhing. His prosthetic tail was burned to cinders in moments.
There was a flurry of activity, people crowded around, tossing water over the wild dragon to relieve him. Once the fire was out, the dragon flopped down onto the scorched grass.
There was a sudden roar. Another dragon, a bright crimson Monstrous Nightmare rose from between the roofs, a nasty snarl on it's face. It levelled out before it's foes. On it's back, a rider clung on to the saddle. Snotlout Jorgenson. He gave a vicious war-cry, a hammer held high as his dragon flew into the fray. A burst of bright flame lit the sky, thundering over Blueflame's armour plating. Hookfang stretched out with cruel, scythe-like claws as he passed by the enemy, raking them down his sides, leaving deep, bloody gashes. Blueflame screeched in protest, swinging around to throw his own fiery attack, but it was too late; Hookfang was out of range.
The Nightmare swung around again, hovering, watching his foe. The dragons were eye-to-eye, sizing one another up. A snarl bubbled up within Hookfang, as it did in Blueflame, the sworn enemies taunting one another. They came closer as everyone turned to watch. Kat looked down at the sea of faces below. Obviously, her plan had failed. Snotlout was not broken; in fact, he was even more vengeful than ever. She cast a glance to where Hiccup and Astrid were doting over Toothless, the poor dragon curled up in a protective ball between them. She didn't know why Blueflame had done that, without her command, taking matters into his own claws.
Hookfang gave a trumpeting call, dashing towards them again. Blueflame charged also, his jaws open, ready to snap down on his enemy's head or wing. He gave a roar as they came together, spewing fire. Hookfang dodged out of the way easily, coming back to snap his long jaws on the other dragon's tail. Blueflame swung around furiously, his jaws crunching all-too-close to his wings. His fore-paws reached out, snatching hold of the Nightmare. His jaws snapped and champed at his throat, trying to get a hold of his neck-flesh to slit his throat. Hookfang screeched, writhing, trying to get away.
On his back, Snotlout ducked a hail of catapult-shots fired by his foe. In a lull, as she opened a new pouch, he hefted his hammer up and tossed it, smirking as he heard a cry from her. The hammer smashed into her stomach, winding her. She wheezed loudly, catching her dragon's attention. He lifted his head to check on her, but again, his neck was too short to see over her broad shoulder-plates.
"You're going down, Kat, just you wait!" Snotlout howled into the rising winds. "You're going to feel what I felt. I'm gonna show you why no-one messes with me!"
"I'm sorry, Snotlout..." There was nothing more Kat could say, tears welling up in her eyes, not just from the pain of his strike. "Please, I know what you're planning. Don't hurt him!"
Snotlout grinned meanly. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to do this. Hookfang, claw him!"
The next few minutes passed in a blur for Kat. She heard the tearing of her dragon's soft under-belly, his scream of pain as he recoiled from the blow. Another strike landed as he tried to get away.
"No!" Kat cried out, throwing her arms around her dragon's neck as his wings collapsed around her and they began to plummet towards the ground. Another cry echoed through the streets. Blueflame closed his eyes, head down, heading for the ground, falling down and down, away from view.
Beware the next chapter if you are of a nervous disposition! It's the one that makes this story a T rating. In fact, it might well need an M if I get too carried away describing Blueflame's wounds. But we'll see. See you next time!