"This training is amazing. Wouldn't you say, boy?" I patted Shadow's head. He purred and pushed his head up against me. "I mean, I trust you so I know that you won't screw this up. Besides, it's flying in dark clouds. Dark is perfect for Night Furies."
The twins however, they didn't have as much luck. "How are we supposed to see up here?" Ruffnut asked.
"You aren't." I replied simply. They gave looks of confusion towards me and Hiccup joined my side. "That's the whole point."
"Oh. No, I still don't get it." Tuffnut said.
"When you two can't see, you have to trust Barf and Belch to see for you." Hiccup said then flew into the thicker and darker clouds. "Like this."
"Why does he always have to speak in riddles?" Tuffnut said in frustration.
"He wasn't. He just said-"
"I say we trust us." Ruffnut suggested.
"Yeah, I'm with you, sister." Tuffnut agreed.
"Guys, if you're blind, Barf and Belch can lead you through the clouds, mist or whatever else it may be that you can't see through. You have to trust them." I said.
"Whatever." Tuffnut said. "Belch, up."
At the same time, Ruffnut ordered "Barf, down."
The Zippleback spun in a spiral and began to fall from the air due to the lack of coordination. I saw them fly straight into Fishlegs and all of them were knocked off their dragon and fell into the trees below.
"Well, that can't be good." I said.
The Zippleback tried to split up again since the twins gave the dragon different orders again. "Go for help." From Ruffnut and "Get me down." from Tuffnut.
Fishlegs gave a whistle that caused Meatlug to look at him. He made a couple of hand gestures that made her go down and pick up the twins. She flew back up into the air after that. "It worked. I can't believe it actually worked!" He exclaimed then the branch began to snap from under him.
"I've got you." I said. Shadow used his blazing speed to swoop under Fishlegs as he fell and was able to catch him on his back. "That hand gesture thing you just did with Meatlug, what was that all about?" I asked after turning to look at him.
Hiccup flew up beside me, "Yeah. I'm a bit curious myself."
"Well, if you guys must know, I've been practicing hand signals in case Meatlug and I get seperated. And they seem to have been well recieved." He gestured to the Meatlug as she carried the twins.
"Hand signals, that's incredible, Fishlegs!" Hiccup exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know!"
"We need to start working on those right away."
"Okay, Shadow, fire." I said and made a hand gesture as if I was letting something go. He laid his ears back and fired right above me, I ducked to avoid any sort of stray plasma that could have flown over me.
"Now, let's try a tail slap." I made a half circle with my finger in the air and he followed with a whip of his tail that flew right over me.
"Not bad." I smiled and picked up a spear. I threw it and made a fist, "Catch." Shadow quickly flew for the spear and caught it in his mouth and brought it back to me. He dropped it at my feet.
"Huh, nice one. Now, how about a tackle?" I asked and made a small pushing gesture with my hand. He followed this, too and ran to tackle me. Since I was quite used to this, I just let it happen and my back hit against the stone floor of the academy. "Good job, bud." I patted him.
We all had our attention turned to the twins that, as always, were arguing and this time, it was about their dragons' orders.
"Belch, come." Tuffnut made a 'come here' gesture with both hands.
"Barf, go." Ruffnut pointed away from them.
The dragon tried to split up again but the heads came slapping back together. The twins glared at each other then gave another order.
"Barf, sky." Ruffnut pointed up.
"Belch, ground." Tuffnut pointed down.
The dragon attempted this and the two-headed dragon only did a flip in the air and came crashing back to the ground.
"I win." Tuffnut said.
"What do you think you're doing to my dragon?" Ruffnut asked.
"Your dragon? Puh-lease, you've been breathing in Barf's gas again."
"Yeah, so?"
"Guys, guys." Hiccup caught their attention. "Barf and Belch is one dragon. You have to use one signal at a time."
"Good idea." Ruffnut said and as Tuffnut walked away from her, she ordered with a pushing gesture. "Attack Tuffnut." Barf used his head to ram Tuffnut from behind and sent him flying into Snotlout. It was hard enough to knock them both over. "How's that?" She smirked.
"I don't think that's what Hiccup-" Fishlegs began but was cut off.
"Belch, eat Ruffnut." Tuffnut ordered. Belch bit down on Ruffnut and lifted her slightly off the ground.
"Um, ow?" She said, muffled.
"Tuff, come on." Hiccup urged for him to stop.
"Whatever. Belch, drop Ruffnut." Belch let go of Ruffnut and dropped her to the ground.
She shuddered. "I can't work like this." She said.
"Ugh, it's completely unprofessional." Tuffnut said.
"I'm taking my dragon and going home."
"You touch that dragon and I'll-"
"You'll what?"
"I... I don't know, don't rush me. Just... eh, tell you tomorrow." Then both he and Ruffnut ran to their dragon head and began to pull, like it would seperate.
"Okay, guys, leave the dragon out of this." I stepped up slightly. "Come on, we can work something out. Okay, it's over."
"Oh, it's over." Ruffnut agreed.
"Yeah, it's so over, it's under." Tuffnut said. The two grunted and decided to leave the dragon that was now blaming the other head for letting them leave and since they both couldn't follow, they were pretty much stuck there.
"Barf, Belch, it's not your guys's fault." I said comfortingly. "This is just a Thorston thing. They'll get over it, they usually do."
The Zippleback looked towards each other then back at me, the considered what I said then went back to snapping at each others necks.
"Don't worry, Al. They'll be back."
After coming inside the Haddock household, Hiccup and I were greeted by Gobber trying to put the traditional ceremonial belt around Stoic's waist.
"Ah, the cerimonial belt." Hiccup said. "It's that time again?"
"Yep, tomorrow's the annual treaty signing with the Berserkers." Stoic said as he strained while Gobber still tried to fit the belt onto his waist.
"They've got to change that name." Gobber said. "When your chief's Osvald the Agreeable and you haven't been to war in thirty years?"
"Oh, please don't tell me he's bringing that lunatic kid of his." Hiccup almost begged.
"Dagur? Oh, he'll be here."
"Oh, great. And let me guess, I get to keep him from breaking things while Al here fights with him all day and keeps him busy."
"I'll get my hammer." I said and began to walk off.
"Nope. Get back in here." Stoic said.
"Okay." I said and came back inside.
"I actually have more important jobs for the both of you." He said, "Hiccup and Alyssa, you get to hide all the dragons. Afterward, Alyssa, I suggest that you stay away from Dagur."
"Okay, I get why Al has to stay away from Dagur but why hide the dragons from Osvald the Agreeable?"
"Just because we've had peace with them for fifty years, doesn't mean that they still can't go... er..."
"Berserk?" Gobber and I asked.
"Exactly. The dragons can be seen as a sign of aggression. Better blissful than bloody, right?" Stoic said and chuckled a bit afterwards.
"And the last thing we want is another Berserker skirmish." Gobber said. "They tend to play for keeps."
"Just hide the dragons." Stoic said.
"Sir. Yes, sir." I said.
"Back in line, back in line!" Snotlout ordered to the dragons that he was herding.
"Okay, no, uh-uh. Come on, back over this way." I said to the Nightmare, two Nadders, Gronckle and Terror that tried to fly away. The dragons all began to move back in line when Shadow flew to them on his own accord and gave them warning growls.
"Is Dagur coming?" Snotlout asked. "He's so cool."
"Cool? The last time he was here he used me as a knife-throwing target." Hiccup said.
"Then Alyssa tied him to a tree and threatened to burn him." Fishlegs said.
"No, I didn't." I denied. "I tied up his hands and feet and threatened to launch him out of the catapult."
"That was the year before, Al." Hiccup said.
It took a while for it to register in my head and then it finally rang the bell. "Oh, yeah." I said. "Then he broke free and said if I did that again, I'd be dragon food."
"Seriously, though, that guy should be locked in a cage." Astrid said.
"That's what he did to me!" Fishlegs said. "He wouldn't let me eat for three days!"
Snotlout laughed as he would and said "Then he forced-fed you rotten cod heads."
"Thanks, I almost erased that from my memory." He said pitifully.
"Look out, incoming Zippleback!" Astrid warned. Barf and Belch flew past us wildly.
"Where's Ruffnut and Tuffnut?" Hiccup asked. "Someone go and get that dragon."
"I'm on it." Snotlout said and flew over Barf and Belch. He jumped off and landed on Belch.
"Snotlout, you need two riders." Hiccup said.
"Or you can have Barf and Belch conjoin their necks by using the red bumps on the back of their neck." I suggested. "That seems easier, doesn't it?"
"Fishlegs, get in there." Hiccup said.
"I'm not really sure this is the best idea!" He said and at the end, Barf knocked him off of Meatlug and caught him on the back of his neck but due to Fishlegs's weight, Barf's gas began to slip out of his mouth. Belch ducked under the gas and kept himself out of the gas's way.
"Hiccup, why don't you ever listen to me?" I asked in frustration.
"Alyssa had a very valid point." Fishlegs said. "It would have been much easier the other way." He gagged a bit. "I don't feel so good."
"It's the gas. Try not to breathe any in." Hiccup said.
"Yeah? That ship has sailed."
"Hey! Somebody tell me how to work this thing!" Snotlout shouted as he climbed up Belch's neck.
"Whatever you do, Snotlout, don't spark!" I said but as I said 'spark' he pinched the skin and scales behind Belch's head and caused him to spark up into the gas. This sent the two flying back but luckily, Hookfang caught them both.
"Okay, now I feel worse." Fishlegs said.
"Then if I were you, I wouldn't think about that rotten cod head sliding down your throat." Snotlout said. Fishlegs couldn't hold it in anymore after that, leaned over and threw up off the side of Hookfang. "Oh, that is disgusting!"
"You guys wait here, Al and I will go get the twins to get that Zippleback under control before the Berserkers-" A horn blared.
"Are here." Astrid finished.
"Great. Just great." Hiccup said. "Come on, Al."
We got back to Stoic by the dock. "Dad, there's some-"
"Not now, son. Osvald is here." He silenced us.
One of the Berserker boats landed in front of the dock and laid out a plank so Osvald and the others could come down. A Berserker stoo up and held a spear in the air, "Presenting the high chief of the Berserker tribe; cracker of skulls, slayer of beasts, the great and fearsome-"
"Osvald the Agreeable?" Gobber asked.
"Dagur the Deranged!" He finished.
Dagur stood behind him and spit off the edge of the boat. He turned towards us and chuckled his usual, sinister chuckle.
"Dagur?" Stoic asked.
"Deranged?" Gobber asked.
"Oh, no." Hiccup said.
"Just great." I said then straighed up, "Ah, if it isn't my old rival/archenemy."
Dagur had the genious idea to throw a knife towards Hiccup. I pulled him towards me and saved him from the knife, though it was high enough to fly over his head but you can't be too safe.
"Oh, perfect." Hiccup said.
We all gave looks of discomfort to each other then watched as he walked down the plank and towards us.
"Dagur? Where's your father?" Stoic asked.
"My father had been 'retired.' He lost his taste for blood. I, on the other hand, am starving." He sang then chuckled. He turned serious after a short moment then looked around, "So, where are you hiding them, Stoic?"
"Hiding what, Dagur?"
"Do I look stupid to you?"
"Ye-" Hiccup covered my mouth.
"Trick question; don't answer it." Gobber warned Stoic.
"We both know what's going on here." He said. "I have an excellent authority that you're amassing an army of dragons."
"Excellent authority?" Stoic asked. "And who would that be, Dagur?"
"Nevermind, just know that if I find it to be true than my armada will attack with the force of 50,000 brave Berserker soldiers."
"Stand down, Dagur. There won't be any need for the armada. Now let's get to the treaty."
"You stay here, I'm going to get Astrid and the others. You can keep Dagur occupied, can't you?" Hiccup said.
"Yeah but Stoic told me to stay away from Dagur."
"Just keep Dagur occupied. No violence, remember that." He said and took off.
"But..." I held up a finger as he ran off and slowly slouched. "This day can't get any better."
"According to the treaty; my visit starts with a tour of Berk, the armoury, the feast in the great hall, the killing area. You do still kill dragons here, hm?"
"Your father never found the tour nessecary." Stoic said.
"As you can see, I'm not my father. Am I?" He taunted. There was a staredown between the two then Dagur smirked. Stoic reached for the sword on his belt but Gobber stopped him.
"Not in front of the armada." He said.
"Hey, let's do this thing, huh?" I grinned. "A good, old tour of Berk. Let's go. Come, come." I made an excited head gesture.
"Ah, walking, walking." Gobber said. "This is the food storage. This is where we-"
"Ooh, ooh! Let me guess... store your food." Dagur rolled his eyes.
"No wonder they made him chief." Gobber said.
I saw Barf and Belch run by. Hiccup and Astrid followed, "Barf, Belch! Come back here!" He whispered. I smacked a hand to my forehead. This is a disaster so far.
"Boring!" Dagur sang. "I want to see the dragon killing things!"
"Okay, let's go." I said.
It didn't take long for Dagur to get a sword and begin to swing it around. "You want some of this, Gronckle? How 'bout you, Nadder? That's right; plead. Plead for your pathetic dragon lives." He threw the sword into a shield between Stoic and Gobber.
"I'm about to repaint this sword." Stoic said and pulled the sword from the shield. Dagur had already gotten a hold of his own sword and swung it around wildly.
"I'd be glad to accompany you but Hiccup told me not to fight." I sighed with boredom.
"Why don't we get to signing that treaty now?" Gobber asked and put a hand in front of us.
"Sounds like my father. 'Sign the treaty, Dagur.' 'Leave that chicken alone, Dagur!' 'Ooh, ooh! Put down that axe, Dagur!'" He mocked.
"You're father was a great man, and I'll not have you disrespect him." Stoic stepped forth.
"My father was... a coward. I intend to return the Berserkers to their former glory. Something he was... uncapable of doing."
"At least your father showed you some love and respect, lucky man." I folded my arms and looked away. "I was stuck with Slade."
"Ah, Slade." Dagur sighed happily. "The times we've had."
Barf and Belch ran past the door outside with Astrid following them. I slouched a bit and puffed a cheek out after seeing them pass by the door. "Zippleback." Stoic said.
"I knew it! Where is it?" He drew the sword and pointed it around towards the door. "Let me kill it!"
Gobber feigned laughter and shut the door. "Ah, that Stoic; always the prankster."
Stoic tapped my arm, "Go out there and help them with that dragon." He said and gave a push to me from behind.
I snuck out without being noticed by Dagur. Wait, that's a serious problem. Dagur will usually leave me alone when he has something to say to me. This can't be good. Does he know about the Outcasts? Oh, Thor, help me.
"Al, I thought I told you stay with Dagur and keep him occupied." Hiccup said.
"Stoic told me to help with the dragon." I said. "You know, Barf and Belch." I pointed up as they hung over the door and were latched to the wall.
"Ugh, guys you can't be here!" Hiccup whispered. "Oh, come on. Think like Ruffnut and Tuffnut, I can't believe I just said that. Barf, Belch; sky!" He ordered and began to try and wave them off but they didn't move.
"Okay, Barf, sky!" I said.
Hiccup gave the same order to Belch but they still didn't move.
Dagur's voice came closer to the door and it opened. Hiccup winced and I just stared up at him boredly. "No bloodstains, pity. Ah, Hiccup, there you are. I see that you're still with your girlfriend. How is your relationship so healthy?"
He always gets after us like that. He's been keeping this joke up for years.
Hiccup compltely ignored what was said and turned the conversation in a whole new direction. "Dagur! I was just thinking about you. Hey, remember that time we went swimming and you tried to drown me?" He gave a nervous laugh as he spoke.
Dagur mocked a laugh then said "Yes, I also remember your girlfriend 'taught me a lesson' and beat me with a piece of coral she picked up from the bottom of the water." He pointed at me accusingly.
I mocked a laugh right back at him, "Oh, the laughs we had." I said with my hands on my hips. "How about when Hiccup and I were sitting on the edge of the cliff and talking then you came up to push him off but I punched you where no man claims he should be punched?" I laughed again.
"Yes, good times." He said through gritted teeth and walked past us a bit. "Just a minute. Something is going on here." He said.
"Dagur, please I can explain." Hiccup said and I put a hand over his mouth.
"We aren't dating, dang it." I rolled my eyes irritably.
"Where is it?" Dagur asked. Hiccup tried to speak and push my hand away but was unable to prevail. "Your leg." He pointed out and I let go of Hiccup. He looked up and saw that Barf and Belch were gone. "Nevermind, I heard all about it."
"You did, did you?" I asked with a cocked brow.
"Yes, I did." He began to get closer to me. "The two of you, the Red Death, the both of you defeated it all on your own?"
"Uh," Hiccup's voice got higher, "Me? Look at me, how is that even possible?"
"Right? That's what I thought, too." He said and Hiccup sighed but tensed again when he said "But then I heard about the trained dragons and it got me, well, uh, kind of tingly."
"It made you pee?" I asked flatly and he glared at me.
"Train dragons? How would you train dragons?" Hiccup asked.
"I don't know. How would you?" He asked tauntingly.
I cleared my throat, "Anyhow, Dagur." I pushed him away from Hiccup by the chest gently. "Some rocks fell near Raven Point and crushed his leg. We didn't really have a choice." I shrugged.
"Oh, is that what happened?" He moved back towards me.
"Of course it is." I smiled much too sweetly.
He glared at me while my too-sweet smile grew into a dark and manical smirk. "I can easily charge you with threatening a chief." He threatened me. "All it takes is one simple order and and Berserker soldiers will come and take you away. Not to mention, the release of the armada."
I rose my brows with amusement then Hiccup cut in. "All right then, who's hungry?" Hiccup asked to break the tension.
"Oh yeah." I nodded and clasped my hands together. "Dinner time. May I escort you to the great hall, my liege?" I bowed with an arm under my chest towards Dagur in a formal gesture.
Stoic finally came outside and said, "It's this way, Dagur."
"Hold it, I need to speak with Alyssa for a moment." He halted Stoic.
"Can't you speak in the great hall?"
"No. I need somewhere more private." He smirked.
"I'm sure that there should be more than enough activity going on in the great hall so we could just talk there. Now, he said that it's this way, Dagur." I pushed him from behind gently so he could walk in that direction. "The sooner we're there, the sooner that we're able to talk."
We all heard a Zippleback growling and this made Stoic and Dagur turn to Hiccup and I. Hiccup patted my shoulder, "Whoa, Al. Hungry much? You sound like a dragon."
I wanted to smack myself in the forehead but I nodded. "It's about time we get to the feast in the great hall. I skipped breakfast and I am starving. And Hiccup, you need to eat, too. 'You need some meat on ya, ya talkin' fishbone!'" I mocked the Viking accent and put an arm over his shoulder.
"Thanks, Al." He responded flatly and rolled his eyes.
"This way, Dagur." Stoic repeated and pushed him on then turned back to Hiccup and I. "You two get that dragon under control."
"Shouldn't I be keeping Dagur busy?" I asked. "And I know that you told me to stay away from him but you're going to have to trust me. And if whatever he has to tell me is important, I'll tell you if it serious."
He inspected me up and down to see if I was lying and finally sighed, "Then yes, you may come and 'keep Dagur busy.' Just be careful with him. You'll never know what tricks the deranged monster will do, especially as chief."
"Please, I'm just as insane. I threatened to shoot him out of that catapult, remember?" I laughed and walked off.
"Finally, now Alyssa, come here. We have something to discuss." Dagur said and I sighed.
"Sure thing." I walked to where he was and looked at him pure boredom etched across my face. "So you have something that you need to tell me, don't you? Spit it out then."
"I know your secret." He whispered sinisterly with his usual deranged smirk on his face.
"Which one?" I tilted my head innocently. "Okay, if this is about the sword in the armoury two years ago, that wasn't my fault. The shelf fell and it broke."
"What? No, you numbskull." He whacked me in the side of the head and it frustrated me to no end that I couldn't hit back. "I suspect that you still don't know that you aren't a Hooligan." He said rather calmly and ran his fingers over a, well, a dagger.
"Hm? Of course I'm a Hooligan. I was born and raised on Berk." I folded my arms. "Why? Is there something wrong?"
"Yes, that mother of yours wasn't a Berkian at all. She's Berserker." He said it all as if he's known this for years and if unveiling a big secret.
"I know, she told me. The whole village already knows that." I smiled.
See, my mother was indeed Berserker and she had only came and visited Berk during one of their peace treaty signings. She thought much of the homes, culture and whatnot of Berk and after geeting permission from Osvald, she was allowed to stay there.
"Huh? I'm pretty sure that you didn't know that at all. My sources told me." He pointed the dagger at my throat.
I pushed it away calmly and tilted my head innocently once again. "Yes, very well. I'm the child of a Berserker. Your point?"
He had his eyes narrowed then decided to smirk once again, he changed the conversation a bit. "Your father, Slade. Amazing man, do you know where he's gone?" He put his hands over his hips.
"Gone?" I said boredly. "He hasn't been around for a while, not like I'm complaining."
"Yes, I know. You have no idea where he is do you?" He asked as he verbally pried at me a little more. The look on his face said that he very well knew the answer, though.
"Hm?" I asked skeptically.
"Never you mind, little Aly." He mocked and pinched my cheek. I let out a low growl of irritation and pulled back while roughly rubbing my cheek. "Well, let the feast begin." He put his hands in the air.
"Sure thing." I said and rubbed the cheek he had pinched harshly still. I laughed slightly as I sat next to Hiccup though. "He tried telling me something I already know, he thought I didn't know I'm half-Berserker. The moron thought that it was a secret."
"Wow, he's really got to catch up on the times then." He looked at the water in his mug. "I mean, your attitude alone says 'I am Berserker! Fear me!' He mocked the Viking accent that he knows very well I don't have.
"I know." I laughed.
"A toast; to death in battle!" Dagur rose his mug into the air.
The rest of the Vikings stood up with their mugs in the air and cheered "To Osvald!"
Dagur sat back down with a glare on his face which wasn't unusual. "Fine, whatever. 'To Osvald! To Osvald! To Osvald!' Blabbedy-blabbedy-bleh!" He mocked then got out a knife and drove into the bowl sitting in front of him with absolute anger coursing through him.
"Aww, someone's getting frustrated." I mockingly cooed.
"Shut up!" He drew the knife out and pointed it at me.
"Try me." I got a wild and crazy look in my eyes.
"With pleasure!" He readied to throw the knife and I only tilted my head with an insane grin spreading across my face, the wild look still in my eyes.
"How about instead of that cheery exchange, we finally get to signing this treaty and send you on your way?" Gobber suggested and my face fell back to normal, I rubbed my cheeks from the insane grin stretching the muscles in my face.
"Fine, let's sign that treaty. Bring us the dragon's blood!" He announced.
"Uh, did you say..." Hiccup began then I finished for him.
"Dragon's blood?"
Stoic gave somewhat of a nervous laugh and stood up. "Don't be ridiculous, Dagur. Your father and I haven't signed in dragon's blood for years."
"Why would that be a problem, Stoic? Unless, of course, you don't kill dragons anymore." He said the last part tauntingly, as to be expected.
"We still kill dragons." He said.
Gobber decided to cut in, "The problem is; we've killed so many there isn't a dragon within two hundred miles of here." There was a banging on the door then Barf and Belch burst through the door, I smacked a hand to my forehead. Of course that would happen. "Except that one."
"A Zippleback! It's a sign! A head for each chief!" Dagur laughed and pounded a fist against the table then shook Stoic by the arms with excitement. "It's gonna be amazing!" He stood on the table and threw his knife down, "Tonight, we hunt dragon!"
His Berserker soldiers cheered.
"You need to find that dragon before he does." Stoic whispered to us.
"Sure thing." I nodded.
"No, Al, you stay behind and keep Dagur busy." Hiccup said.
"Hiccup, would you stop passing me back to Dagur?" I asked. "I'm going with you guys this time and you aren't going to stop me."
"Al, would you just... oh, fine." He sighed in defeat.