Chapter Twenty Eight

Toothless, Cybele and Stormfly flew well beyond the mountain peeks and looked down to see what appeared to be a badly burned forest beneath them. Hiccup and Astrid could only stare in disbelief at the carnage. It seemed as if there was no signs of life here, and anyone smart enough would have fled hours ago.

As they flew further ahead, it was than Hiccup and Astrid spotted something in the distance. It was at the edge of the forest, further out in the ocean. But they could clear see what looked like a ship, and surrounding said ship was a rather intimidating looking structure made entirely of ice. Hiccup and Astrid stared at the scene before them in alarm. They'd never seen something like this before, and it was a sight that would have sent anyone else scurrying away.

"What happened here?" Hiccup asked when they got closer. Astrid looked down and swallowed at the sight of a large dragon print in the mud. Something big had caused this. Something big and powerful. Toothless and Cybele looked down at the footprint nervously. The last time they had seen a print like that was when they fought off the Queen. "All right, easy bud," Hiccup tried reassuring his best friend.

"Hiccup!" Astrid said in a warning tone, noticing movement on the icy spires.

Suddenly, a voice cried out, "fire!" and a net was launched at them. Both Cybele and Toothless were able to dodge the incoming net, but Stormfly and Astrid weren't so lucky. Astrid let out a panicked scream as she and Stormfly plummeted towards ocean. Luckily Hiccup had Toothless catch Astrid just before she crashed, but now Stormfly was captured by those men.

Cybele let out a furious roar as she saw the men crowding Stormfly and subduing her. One of the men with black hair wearing a yellow-furred vest, was leading them to tie her up. "Watch the leg! Tie that tail up!" he ordered as he lassoed Stormfly up by her horn.

No human gets away with hurting our friends! Cybele thought as she dove towards the ship, Toothless following. The moment they landed was when Hiccup got off and pulled out his newest weapon, a fire sword he called Inferno. Astrid grabbed the nearest piece of wood and tried using that as a weapon.

"What are you doing?" Astrid demanded as she glared at the men holding down a struggling Stormfly as the men stared at Hiccup's weapon in awe. They were distracted, but their leader clearly was not.

"Back again?" the leader of the group asked before focusing on Toothless and Cybele, who both growled at him aggressively. "Soil my breaches. Those are Night Furies. I thought they were all gone for good," he said in a mocking tone. Cybele only narrowed her eyes and let out a warning growl, causing more than a few of the men to step back. "Look's like our luck's turned for the better, lads!" he exclaimed before planting a foot on Stormfly's horn. "Don't think Drago has one of those in his army."

That peeked their interest.

"Dragon Army?" Astrid muttered, equally as suspicious as Toothless and Cybele. Hiccup, in the meantime, was trying to diffuse the situation before it turned into an all-out battle.

"Look, we don't want any trouble," he told them, careful to avoid making it sound as if they posed a threat.

"Ha! You should've thought of that before you stole all our dragons and blasted our fort to bits," the leader retorted and gestured to what was left of a fort. His men shouted angrily in agreement, earning looks of surprise and confusion from Hiccup and Astrid.

"You think we did all of this?" Hiccup asked in surprise. Then he noticed Cybele's ears prick up in surprise. Her eyes turned to slits as she picked up what he assumed was a familiar scent. Toothless warbled something in alarm that made her spin around, knocking a few of the men aside in the process with her tail-fin.

"Ha! Dragon trapping is hard enough work without do-gooder Dragon Riders sneaking in to rescue them," the leader scoffed while keeping a watchful eye on Stormfly. Hiccup and Astrid exchanged looks of surprise.

"What do gooder—" Hiccup was about to ask something when what the leader said made him think back. "Wait, there are other Dragon Riders?"

And for just a brief moment, he could understand why Cybele had looked so hopeful. He only knew of one other Dragon Rider capable of causing this much damage without breaking a sweat. Astrid seemed to think the same thing as she stared at the icy fortress in amazement. The dragon trapper leader didn't seem all too happy with Hiccup's question.

"You mean, other than your thieving friend from last night?" he asked while waving his dagger around. "You tell me. You may have an ice-spitting dragon on your side… but we still have a quota to fill. How do you suppose we explain this to Drago Bludvist?"

"Drago What-vist? Does anything you say make sense?" Hiccup asked sarcastically. One of the trappers stepped forward and began speaking for his leader.

"He's expecting a new shipment of dragons for his army by tomorrow," he explained in an icy tone. Another trapper chose that moment to step forward as well.

"And he don't take too kindly to excuses," he added.

Well, their boss sounded fun at parties. The boss of this group suddenly pulled down his vest and revealed something on his chest. Hiccup and Astrid stared at the symbol in appalled horror when they realized he was branded like a common yak. A shiver ran through Hiccup as he remembered what had happened to Aniu. One of the old workers on her island had used a branding iron to keep her in line, and it left a scar on her shoulder that would never heal.

"This is what he gave me the last time I showed up empty-handed. He promised to be far less understanding in the future," he explained in a grim tone and straightened up.

The situation was only getting tense. If this kept up, it was sure to lead to an unnecessary battle. Hiccup thought quickly of a way to get themselves out of this fight.

"Alright, we don't know anything about a dragon thief, or an ice-spitting dragon…" he began uneasily as the men and their leader rose their crossbows. Astrid swallowed when she realized just how close they were to a fight. She noticed the leader of the group had a smug look on his face that she wished she could slap off. "… or your lunatic boss and his dragon army, okay? Just give us back our dragon and we'll go, strange hostile person whom we've never met."

"Oh, where are my manners?" the leader asked with a mocking bow. "I am Eret, son of Eret." He then pulled out one of his swords as if to make a point. "Finest dragon trapper alive, after all, it's not just anyone who can capture two Night Furies."

"And these are Toothless and Cybele," Hiccup said in a tone that said it was time to leave. "I think it's time for us to go." Eret only chuckled in response.

"They all say that. Rush 'em, lads!" he ordered. The trappers started charging at them, but Toothless and Cybele fired plasma blasts at the ice structure behind them. The black managed to knock off a few chunks of ice, blocking their path between the trappers and Riders. Cybele rounded on one of the nearest trappers and swung her tail across his chest, knocking him straight off the ship.

Some of the trappers managed to get past the barricade and charged after them. Cybele was quick to retaliate and threw several of the men off balance while grabbing another one between her teeth. With one swing she was able to send the trapper flying into the ocean next to the other one she had knocked over.

Hiccup turned Inferno on, creating a fire sword that stopped a few of the trappers in their tracks. But their confusion only lasted for a second before they attacked again. Stormfly chose that moment to fire her spines and swipe her tail across the trappers once Astrid cut her free.

"Let's go!" she said after hopping into Stormfly's saddle. Cybele let out one last warning growl before taking off alongside Stormfly and Toothless. Staying would only make things worse. Eret was only just recovering from their attacks when he realized they were gone.

"You will never hold on to those dragons!" he shouted angrily, still fuming over what the other Riders had done to him. "You hear me? Drago is coming for them all!" Arrows were fired in their direction as Cybele, Toothless and Stormfly easily dodged them.

Astrid didn't miss the worried look on Hiccup's face. Hearing what those trappers had said about the Dragon Riders had put them both on edge. Did they have something to do with Aniu? Was she the reason behind all of that destruction? It was hard to believe she was capable of that kind of damage.

"Hiccup, it's been five years," Astrid said, her voice oddly calm despite what had happened. "I don't know whether or not they were talking about her, but even if they were, it's like she won't want anything to do with us."

Why would she leave me behind for all those years? Cybele wondered angrily. Am I not good enough? From what those trappers had said, it sounded like she found another dragon to ride. Whatever the case, Cybele was angry with herself and Aniu for leaving her.

...

They returned to Berk later that afternoon, passing Gothi's house along the way. Cybele noticed a group of Terrible Terrors perched on the roof of her house, either resting in the sunlight or squabbling with one another like a flock of sparrows.

Cybele spotted the Viking Teens who had grown into adults over the last five years flying around on their dragons. They were shouting and whooping with laughter loud enough to startle the Terrible Terrors, and annoy Gothi as she emerged from her house.

Down below she spotted the forge where Gobber, the new Dragon Dentist was working with a Hideous Zippleback with blue and yellow scales. Cybele hadn't found the time to remember all of the names of the dragons living on this island. There were just too many, and she never had the need to remember them.

She spotted Zena working alongside Shockwave to help younger kids understand that Skrills were not the dangerous beasts people used to make them out to be. Zena had learned early on how to control Shockwave's electricity. He was friendly enough, but Cybele still didn't trust Zena.

"Ah-ha-ha, there he is, the pride of Berk!" Stoick yelled proudly as they reached the forge.

"Look who's finally decided to show up for work!" Gobber added, looking at Hiccup for a brief moment.

"Hey, uh, dad, can we have a word?" Hiccup asked warily.

"Something you're itching to tell me, son?" Stoick asked, placing an arm over his shoulder. Cybele only rolled her eyes at the sight.

Stoick never listened to what Hiccup actually had to say. It was just something Cybele had gotten used to over the last five years. She eyed them curiously as they walked into the forge, and Stoick put on an apron, something she rarely saw him wear.

"Ah, not quite the itch you're probably thinking of, but yes," Hiccup replied carefully.

"Ah, good man!" Stoick said cheerfully, tossing Hiccup an apron of his own. "Now, lesson one: A Chief's duty is to his people, so…" Stoick paused and looked at one of the wooden pieces that had a number carved into it. "Forty-one!"

"Wha— Could we please talk somewhere more private?" Hiccup demanded, amazed by his father's lack of interest. And as usual, Stoick ignored him.

"Forty—"

"That's me! That's me! I'm next to you, I was ahead of you!" one Viking shouted. "'Scuse me, I've been here all day," the Viking said as he pushed his way through the crowd to the front counter. "Okay, Okay. I want two of those high seaters, with lots of spikes and big storage compartments."

"Absolutely, you got it, sir!" Stoick replied.

"Ah, dad, this is a little more important than building saddles," Hiccup tried getting his father's attention again.

"Ah, lesson two. No task is too small when it comes to serving your people," Stoick went on while ignoring Hiccup for the umpteenth time. Cybele exchanged a worried look with Toothless.

"It's like he's pretending not to notice what Hiccup is saying," she grumbled crossly.

"Well, whatever he does, it should be done soon. His father is too blind to see the dangers that are happening outside of Berk," Toothless added.

"Dad!" Hiccup exclaimed in exasperation.

"Oh, excuse me, Grump," Stoick apologized as he stepped over a massive Hotburple. Grump was Gobber's dragon, and had a head that made up most of it's body and a club-like tail that was similar to Meatlug's.

"Ah, Grump, you let the forge die! Light it up again!" Gobber yelled. Grump opened one eye and lazily pointed his snout towards the forge. Cybele rolled her eyes when Grump let out a lava blast that lit the forge on fire. Gobber groaned in annoyance when a flame ignited on a piece of cloth, and Cybele pulled down on a chain. Seconds later and the fire was put out by a bucket filled with water. "Thanks, Cybele," Gobber thanked her once it was put out. "That's it, Grump. You're going up for adoption!"

"Like that would ever happen," Cybele warbled in amusement.

Despite their constant arguments, Gobber actually enjoyed Grump's company. Cybele often passed the forge and would hear Gobber singing to Grump when he was in a good mood. Which, lately, happened a lot.

"Go on, have a way," Stoick said, gesturing to a tool kit as Cybele and Toothless joined them, along with the other Riders.

"Yeah, but seriously, we need to tell you about this new land we came across," Hiccup insisted.

"Another one?" Gobber asked in surprise. He then pulled out a hammer from his prosthetic arm. Hiccup was the one who designed a way for Gobber to pick and choose different tools for his prosthetic arm, which came in handy depending on what situation he was in.

"Were there any new dragons?" Fishlegs asked eagerly.

"We didn't stick around long enough to find out," Hiccup replied. "These folks weren't particularly friendly."

That was an understatement. Cybele snorted at the memory of Eret claiming that she would never truly be free. She knew that he was lying; she would always remain free.

"Oh, really?" Gobber asked in surprise. "Your Night Furies and Deadly Nadder didn't bring them cheering to the rooftops?"

"No, no. This was different," Hiccup replied. "They weren't your standard run of the mill who-has I've really come to enjoy." Hiccup paused to adjust the saddle form after giving it shape. "These guys were trappers… Dragon trappers."

"You should've seen the fort all blown apart and stuck in giant spikes of ice," Astrid added. "It was weird."

"I've never seen anything like it," Hiccup said with a firm nod.

"They also mentioned an ice-spitting dragon and another Dragon Rider," Astrid put in warily.

"The Dragon Rider wouldn't happen to be who I think it is, right?" Zena asked, surprised to hear this bit of news.

Hiccup gave her a grim look that said he was thinking the same thing. Astrid only shook her head, knowing this was only giving them false hope.

"A-And worse of all, they thought we did it!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Ya know, you two are gonna get yourselves into serious trouble one of these days," Gobber said while using his prosthetic brush to comb his mustache. "Not everyone appreciates this way of life."

"Gobber's right," Stoick agreed with his right-hand-man as he pulled off a piece of leather from the saddle and placed it on Gobber's table. "Best we keep our own. Besides, we'll have more important uses for your time." Stoick then turned on the saw blade and rubbed his hands excitedly. "Once we make the big announcement."

Hiccup let out a sigh of frustration and pulled the lever that powered the saw blade.

"Dad, they are building a dragon army, or-or at least the guy they're working for is," he tried explaining. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Hiccup with surprised and worried expressions. "Ah, Drago Bloody-fist or something…" Hiccup paused as he tried to remember the name Eret had given him.

Stoick's eyes widened with horror and he exchanged look with Gobber before they both nodded. Both men weren't thrilled with the news Hiccup had to share with them. Maybe that was why Stoick tried to ignore him all the time. He didn't like anything with bad news.

"I'll bloody his fist if he tries to steal my dragon!" Tuffnut proclaimed, slamming his fist into his hand.

"Or mine!" Ruffnut added.

"Ugh, you're such a moron," Tuffnut groaned in annoyance.

"A beautiful moron," Fishlegs said dreamily.

"Yeah," Snotlout agreed with equal affection. Ruffnut only groaned in disgust at their approach. Stoick's expression grew serious as he grabbed Hiccup by the shoulder.

"Bludvist. Drago Bludvist," he said in a tone that suggested this was far worse than Hiccup could have imagined. Cybele narrowed her eyes when she noticed fear in Stoick's eyes. Real fear, which was something she never saw in his eyes.

"Uh, yeah," Hiccup replied in confusion. Then his eyes widened when he realized what Stoick implied. "Wait, do you know him?" Stoick didn't answer. Instead he glanced at Gobber once more as they stood there in awkward silence.

"We need to move."


AN: I'm updating every story aside from a Different Hiccup, because I'll be leaving for vacation tomorrow. I won't be back until next Sunday, with no Internet access. By the way, has anyone heard Mumford and Son's new album, if anyone is interested in them? If not, than I highly recommend them :) Their newest EP has such an awesome African vibe to it! Also, just checking to see if anyone reads my crazy ANs ;)

MMM - Well, she definitely doesn't love him, but I think she feels a little pity, even if she kills with no remorse. And hopefully this chapter answers that question ;)

dracologistmaster - Thanks!