Disclaimer: Dream Works and Cressida Cowell own the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.
Finally got this posted. Took a while and it might be shorter than usual, but at least now I know where to take this chapter.
Read, Enjoy, and Review.
When I was a young hatchling, a small little thing, I used to dream about seeing something like this. In my dreams, I was always older, years ahead of where I was. I would have be a proud and noble knight, offering a Herd captive to my Lord and Liege, as was tradition before a Knight ascended to the final rank of Flight Commander and led the King's Flights. But now, looking at this, there was no way I couldn't be sick to my stomach, especially since this was my father I was talking about.
He eventually stopped struggling, giving way to the dragons that tore into him. He didn't scream, didn't whimper, even as the dragons ripped him to shreds. It was only when he had been reduced to a bloody heap, beaten within an inch of death that I managed to see his face again. I wanted to scream, to run out to him and grab him to make sure he was alive in this time of dire need, but the dragons blocked the way, their gazes stony and unfeeling. To them, he wasn't much different from any other. I could only stare as my father was limpy being carried away, like he was nothing more than an oversized sack of potatoes as he was carried off to some hidden place.
I turned to my friends and my family. Hiccup and Mom were both looking like their hearts were torn into a thousand pieces and each my friends could only look with blank, awestruck expressions; even the twins, the only people I knew who could take anything and just roll with the punches, were still reeling from the shock, Barf and Belch doing their best to keep them from falling; Fishlegs was stuck close to Meatlug; Stormfly and Astrid were both looking quite pale; while Hookfang constantly tried to keep Snotlout's jaw from falling off, not an easy feat for a large dragon without hands.
Glancing at my once King, I couldn't help but feel a deep dread bubbling inside my chest just by looking at him. Why would he do this? Especially to my own father!
Right now, I wanted to scream at him, to break him down until he was nothing for what he's done. I would have ran and tried to accomplish the impossible, but Mom pulled me back.
"Our Lord, why do this!?" shouted my Mom, keeping me by her side. "My husband was undeserving of such a fate!"
The King's lifted a massive paw and brought it close our platform. The dragons deposited the my father on the King's limb and it was there he lay bleeding, dying. He looked like he could fall off at any moment, but thankfully he stayed there. "I know you hold infatuation for this one and it is for the sake of you and your sons that I spare him. He is deserving of far greater than this, though admittedly for no fault other than than that of his forefathers'. However, unlike the Oathbreaker I will keep my promise, no matter how much I despise it. I am simply ensuring the best possible outcome."
"Best possible outcome!?" shouted my Mom, she was seething with anger that I never knew she had in him. "How is… doing this to him better?"
"Because he will survive as well as perhaps lead to the sparing your homeland, though it does require me to change my stance on what constitutes as Kindred," the King said. He then did what I couldn't help but think was a shrug of his massive shoulders. "You have sought out to return to your homeland for years Dead Wings, I am simply allowing you return in a way that cannot conflict with your duties."
"Don't call me that!" shouted Mom. "I- I should never have served you!" This almost stunned me out of my own anger at my King. Mom… for pretty much all my life was adamant in serving him. Well, it was about time, as far as I'm concerned.
The King then did sigh that shook the mountain, but me and my Mom stood firm. "I understand that you… hate me for this, but please, understand this was necessary."
"How was any of this necessary!?" I barked, my outrage seeping through my every word. The dragons that once surrounded our father converged around him, not doing anything other than block his way. "My Dad's near dead because of you!"
"Yet he lives. Young Night Fury, please do understand, that this is to your father's benefit," said the King, sounding so sure of himself, I almost believed it to be true. The great dragon brought my father nearer to the platform, enough that we could see him. His arms were elongating and the beginnings of a tail were sprouting from his rear, sticking out the remains of his clothes. Unlike a moment ago when Dad was mostly human except for maybe odd eye colors and some stray scales on his skin, our father had had changed more drastically in mere minutes than he had in several months. "It is unfortunate that I must do this, but your father is otherwise far too resistant, unaccepting. Rest assured, once he transfiguration is completed, he will still serve as your father. Admittedly, that would take more time than I am comfortable spending; his ability to resist is far greater than I thought."
I shook my head. "But Dad, he shouldn't be like this!"
The King sighed again, "Abandon any preconceived notions that allowing him to remain of the Herd is to his benefit. He is better off this way, as are you, youngest child."
"But I'm a boy, a human boy!" I shouted. "I was supposed to be born, not hatched! My being… Kin was lie!"
The King shook his head. "Abandon that falsehood as well. You are Kin, this is truth, whether or not you understand it such. The rest of your family shall either become or return to being Kin and unless you take the necessary steps you'll be left behind."
"What are you talking about?" Toothless shouted. "Earlier, you said something about Mom's...bindings weaken, what's that about?"
"The spell your brother wrought was never meant to last," said the King. "Within a month's time those he applied the spell I had given him will revert."
I turned to Hiccup, wanting to get answers from him. My brother kept his mouth shut, his expression sheepish. I… I really hope he never did any of this willingly. I know he dealt with the King to get the power he wanted to fix… everything, but the idea he could be an accomplice in this madness was a real fear. I had my Mom back and if she turned back into a dragon, would I lose her? Would we go back to how things were before? Hiccup nervously grimaced, but he stepped forward.
"But we had a deal!" Hiccup shouted, turning to fact the King."I… just wanted to have my family home together for the Winter! Not… this!" At least, it sounded like he wasn't intentionally ruining everything.
"And I gave it to you, eldest child," the King said. "A simple exchange on both our parts over a simple service and it has merely come to fruition. I required you to convey a simple message and granting you and your family a winter together was both part of the parcel and an advance payment."
"What message?" I blurted out. Hiccup and I both locked out gazes at the much larger dragon, both of us very, very upset at his choice of actions.
"Simply to bring your father here, not as a warlord with an army at his back, but as a single man." The King then bowed his head, turning to our still father. His changes had stopped for now, but he was not waking up anytime soon.
"You mean…. all of this was just… to lure my husband here!" Hiccup and I could only stare at Mom as she shouted loud enough to rattle loose stone. My brother and I backed away from her, an overwhelming unease taking root in our hearts; neither us wanted to be near her.
"My Flight Commander, you more than anyone knows of his volatility. He would have never accepted any pact made between the two of us, not so long as he never understood our true nature. I have simply made arrangements for the correct circumstances to apply, though admittedly, there were several unforeseen complications; I had never intended your children to be incarcerated needlessly, for instance." Suddenly, I felt my gut sink below my legs, understanding that maybe the whole reason I was sent to sink ships all those months ago on that one fateful night might not have had anything to do with sinking ships.
"But doing this to him! " Mom yelled. "My husband is the most bullheaded man I know, I'll give you that, but, this, this is wrong!"
The King shook his head. "As are many things in this life, that much I have learned well, but did you truly believe that the Herd will accept you once they know of your truths? I have set this scenario aside, for your sake and planned this out for your benefit. I understand that these sacrifices wound you, but outcomes of them can potentially lead to greater benefits, for you and your family…"
Mom suddenly looked like the wind her sails had been taken out. I knew the whole issue about what she did to take care of me still weighed down her heart and I hated the King with a passion for using that against her. She glanced at Hiccup and me, then at Dad, her expression looking worrisome. "But Stoick..."
"Shall survive, but only due to you. Now then, my Flight Commander, you mustn't continue denying what you truly are any more than any of the young should." Then, he turned his attention away from Mom and onto the row of dragons that stayed silent for most of the conversation, more specifically one. "Wouldn't you agree, Nadder?"
"No!" refused the Nadder in question. "My King, you shouldn't be forcing her, not any of them, to turn back if they don't want to!" I turned to Stormfly, a smile on my face. I was glad to have her back, even against this seemingly large enemy.
The King's six eyed gaze seemed to burn with fire, but nothing happened other than a stern talking to. "Perhaps, I shouldn't have bothered asking you, you have after all seem to have chosen to forsake your identity for nothing but mere trinkets and… accommodations."
Stormfly backed aside, looking embarrassed as she took a glancing look at the object tied to her leg. Though she was a Nadder now, she had Astrid tie her scarf to her foot, possibly as an appeal to fashion. She quickly took it off and then handed it over to me.
"Hey, you don't need do that!" I said. I hated the King for doing this to my friend, but there was little I could do; I mean, it wasn't like any of us could deny him, especially since this was his home turf.
"Well, it's not like I need it," she said, her face turning slightly purple from the blush of red.
"You're a terrible liar!" Astrid interjected, her gaze still focused on the King.
The King then shifted his gaze over to Hookfang. "And what of you, Nightmare, perhaps you seek to return home? Your sister may not be here at the moment, but I am sure she will welcome you back with open wings."
I turned to Hookfang, who seemed like he was about to snap at any moment. We hadn't really paid much attention to each other in the past months, but we were arguably better friends as simply boys than we ever were as dragons. Maybe it had to do with the fact neither of us were being forced to spend time together. Either way, I wasn't going to leave him hanging. "Don't worry about it, just say what you think you need to say."
Hookfang, relieved, nodded his head and turned back to the King. "I think I would rather stay with my Liege and my friend, all things considered. "
Snotlout gave a big smile, a little proud of that statement. "Heh, knew it!"
The King glowered at them both. "I suppose it was my mistake for allowing your grandfather nominate you to be a Squire. You had little will or desire to do so on your own."
Hookfang backed away, looking somewhat ashamed.
Snotlout noticed this. "Hey!" he snapped, but the King didn't pay him any attention.
"Regardless, perhaps it is my fault for… inuring to sloth and disinteresting you from returning home, but I suppose serving another Kin works just as well." Hookfang looked down at the floor like he wanted to pretend no one could see him. The King was definitely striking a low blow; no matter how polite he sounded, he was shaming my friends and I hated him for it.
He then turned to Meatlug, who gave out a squeak, sounding more like a mouse than a dragon. "M-my Lord!" she bowed hastily.
"Arise," declared the King. Meatlug did so. "Now, don't you wish to return?"
"I do!" Meaglug declared, her voice unsteady and shrill. "I've learned so much about from them my time away, their culture, their technology; that knowledge should be shared with all Kin."
The King glowered as every bit as upset as when the others refused to return back to the nest. "That would be unwise, the Herd have little to offer us." He turned to Fishlegs. "I take it this is the one that inspired you to take such action?"
Fishlegs nodded, just as nervous. "Uh… yes sir!" he declared, nervously. Under normal circumstances, he would never have been able to know what the King said to him, but the spell the King created was still in place, completely shattering the limitations of speech.
The King looked at him thoughtfully, as if considering something. "Hm, I suppose out of many potential… mates the Gronckle could have chosen, you do not seem too ill suited, barring the obvious."
"Uh, thank you?" cried the larger boy. Then, Fishlegs and Meatlug both blushed, for reasons I couldn't understand. I mean, I don't think either of them were really, well, an item, were they? I mean, it's not like holding hands for minutes at a time really meant things, did it?
"I suppose that problem should work itself out, eventually, but I advise against informing our Kin of what you learned among the Herd." Then, the great dragon turned to the Zippleback, Barf and Belch. "And as for you, what decision have you made?"
The two heads finally stopped trying to keep the twins from falling over to take notice and bowed politely to the King. Both heads bared their teeth in nervous smiles.
"We must decline-" said Barf.
Belch added, "We have prior commitments."
"Yeah!" Tuffnut added. "We've got plans ()"
Ruffnut nodded her head. "It's going to be awesome!"
Then, the four of them all bashed their heads together and dizzily shambled off in seperate directions, muttering gibberish along the way.
"I suppose that is the most valid reason to refuse," the King muttered. "One can hardly allow prior commitments to expire."
It was at this time, Trader Al, Ruseclaw, or whatever his real name was, decided to fly over to much larger dragon. "My Lord, I warned you this would happen if you sent them along with me; now they have been corrupt due to their time among the Herd!"
"Unfortunately."
"Well, it's not like they are better off! They never had any friends help them out while they were trapped, they pretty much spent the whole duration in prison and suffering death threats every day!" declared my brother, clearly sarcastic. Hiccup stepped forward to meet the King, looking as mad as I felt. He had no weapons with him, but the dragons who stood in between him and the great creature backed away. "I mean, it was you who ordered them to go to the village, so don't you think that you have to give them a little choice in this?"
I joined beside him, not because I didn't want to look like a coward in comparison, but because I wanted to let the King knew how I felt about all this. "You don't get to decide to for us!"
"Your opinions are noted," the massive dragon declared, his eyes focusing on us exclusively. "Does anyone else feel that way?"
The first to come join us was Stormfly, who gave me a light lick to my back as she approached.
Astrid seemed to hesitate for a moment, but eventually she joined in after.
To my surprise, the rest of our friends, both dragon and human, came to step behind us, wordlessly challenging the King despite the fact he could flatten us all with a wave of his hands.
"So is that how it is?" the great dragon murmured. He gently deposited my Dad's still form onto one of the nearby platforms and focused his six eyes on all of is. "Then, so be it…" the King then raised one of his massive paws and then I think I realized the folly of what we had just done.
Both my brother and I turned to each other, our expressions pale. We both immediately understood that we might have just led our friends into some sort of death sentence… and there was now nothing we could do to stop it. We challenged the King's authority too strongly and now we had to pay for it.
The only one who never joined us in defying was Mom, who was begging in front of the greater dragon, her hands wildly making up desperate gestures. "No, don't do this my Lord!"
"It is no longer my choice, but theirs," said the great dragon. "I know they are your children and some may be your students, but they must learn the hard way there is a price to everything."
"Give them a head start, give them time to run!" declared my Mom much to my surprise. For as long as I knew her, Mom never let me run away from anything, ever.
"And what do you have to offer in exchange?"
"Me." She then approached the dragon and bowed all the way to the ground. "I'll serve you once more, without hesitation, just let them go!"
"Mom, don't do this!" I shouted.
"I mean, it's my crazy plan, you don't have to do another!"
"I already have your service, but I suppose enough time to mount would be sufficient," mused the King, sounding like he wasn't paying any attention to us.
Mom nodded at the King and then turn to Hiccup and me. "Okay, now you two should get going now, while you still have the chance."
"But Mom!"
"What about-" I asked
"I said go!" she screamed. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of dread, slam into me like it was a tangible feeling. Mom didn't change form, but I felt scared of her, just as things were months before. Those words, they felt so powerful, ringing in my ears constantly. Hiccup and I could only stare in bewilderment at what Mom had just did. Was that her gift, her power bestowed upon her by the King. "What are you waiting for, go!"
Hiccup and I felt compelled to obey, the raw fear our mother gave us wasn't the kind of thing we felt like resisting. We both got up on Stormfly along with Astrid, while the other teenagers got on their respective dragon partners.
Then, everyone took off and flew out the mouth of the volcano.
"I hate leaving Mom and Dad behind!" I shouted, as we left the mountain. I hoped I would see my parents again, because now after I finally had them, I hated the idea of suddenly losing them again.
"She'll be fine!" assured Astrid. "She's wasn't one of the toughest Flight Commanders for nothing!"
Then, things got worse for all of us. The King, for as large of a dragon as he was, did not fit through the sky entrance of the volcano's mouth. Instead, he made the mouth bigger. Stone and rock burst out in random directions, scattering debris as the large dragon tore its way through.
The twins both gave awed expressions and colorful descriptions of how they would pull off that stunt, meanwhile, everyone else took the situation more seriously.
"I just hope we survive to find out!" declared Hiccup.
"Thick skull, perfect for bashing through stoney walls…" Fishlegs muttered.
"Better hang on!"shouted Stormfly, swooping downward to gain momentum faster.
"Long has it been since I had ever partaken in any hunt or defended my right to rule by my own merits!" said the King. He busted through the mouth and for the first time in since ever, I saw the King's body in its entirety. His head was tiny in comparison to his massive form, endowed with massive muscles and thick carapace at every angle. Worst of all, he had wings, massive things that could block out the entire sun over Berk if he so desired. He unfurled his wings and with surprising speed, he dove in right after us.
"Stormfly, faster! We need to get out here!" I shouted.
Everyone flew off, diving as fast and as far as they could in beeline, but the King was right at our tails, almost close enough to make one biting lunge. It was so unfair, the King was so massive, yet he was so fast, fast enough that I had little doubt he could have chased after me if I was the one flying against him.
Meatlug and Fishlegs were the slowest, almost with in reach. The King opened his massive maw, drawing in air before would set his breath alight. There was nothing we could do.
Then something happened. The King was stopped in his tracks. I don't mean he let us go, I mean something stopped him.
There was a brief, a very intense flash of light and instead of following us, the King reeled his head away, like something was in the way.
Every one of my friends continued flying away, but kept a close eye on the great dragon. Whatever force did that, I thanked whoever left it behind. Maybe Hiccup was right about those gods, the Aesir, helping us out every now and again.
The King gave us all hateful looks and then proceeded to draw closer, yet upon getting closer, the King was suddenly pushed back by an intense flash of light. Still angry, the great dragon then slammed his entire body at whatever mostly invisible force held him back, lightning burst from the ground, forming a wall of flashing light and searing electricity. The King might have had sheer physical power, but the wall held firm, pushing the great dragon back.
The King was forced to break off from his attack, his immense body burnt from the lightning, but not as badly as he was from when he went into my Dad's head. As soon as he stopped trying, to force himself through, the wall of lightning vanished, disappearing just right where the land of the King's island met the sea. Angered, the large dragon blew out a torrent of flame, one that could have turned entire blocks of my home village to cinders if only it could bypass the wall of electricity that held it back.
"Okay, Thor, if you're the one who's did this, thanks!" said my brother, a maddened look on his face.
"I would not be praising the one who holds Mjolnir for this. He had no involvement, neither did that self-centered flirt whose vanity knows no bounds," said the Kinghis voice still managing to be boom against my ear drums even though we were flying away. He then laughed, almost as though he was pleased. "I must admit, I am mildly surprised the one who bound me to this place would leave behind a second layer of wards, one that I had never known about in all of these centuries. Weaker and far more fragile than my primary binds, but definitely an impediment to my immediate escape."
I breathed a sigh of relief, as did most of my friends. The King wasn't going to kill us just yet.
"-But." The King then drew one of his massive paws and then drew it close to the invisible wall. Lightning surged again to block the paw and though the King did not cry out in agony, it was easy to tell he was being hurt. He bared his massive teeth and then… he forced it through the wall of lighting, reaching just outside the wall. He pulled his fore arm back and instead of the wall disappearing entirely like it did before, the wall spent several extra seconds flashing erratically around the place where the King pushed his forearm through. And right at that exact spot, there was a hole in the wall of lightning, as if he somehow managed to leave lasting damage. My heart sunk, my fears once again were real. "These bindings will not hold me forever, soon, I will truly be free."
Then, as Stormfly took us further away from the King, he vanished behind the veil of fog that guarded the island.
"Okay, that was a close call," muttered Astrid.
"Uh, yeah, no kidding," agreed Hiccup, sounding equally relieved and distressed. "The King almost had us.
"He is no King," I said bitterly, only just barely able to contain the mess of emotions strangling my heart.
"Toothless?" Stormfly questioned, turning her head back at me.
"I refuse to acknowledge him as king, a lord, or anything of that sort," I half shouted. "From now on, we'll call him something else." As soon as I was able to think of anything but plans for how to rid the world of him.
I hated how he kept dragons and humans at each other's throats because of his own biases against humans, when he was capable of such great hypocrisy himself. I hated how he used my family and friend to enact this insane gambit, using all of us as nothing but cogs in his machines, only by wanting to reward us on his own term. But most of all, I hated that he took my Mom and Dad away from me.
No matter what it took, I was going to face that dragon and slay it.
With his feet dangling dangerously over the ever, Hiccup stared out into the distance, looking at the setting sun, his head likely full of thoughts about the day's events. I couldn't blame him, there was… so much that happened today. As I made my approach he turned his head to me and asked me a question. "Astrid, is this what it's like?" he said, then clarrified. "Losing, well, you know..."
Though he didn't really explain what he actually refered to, it's not hard to figure it out. I should know, I lost an uncle once upon a time. I nodded and took a seat beside him, putting my feet over the edge. "It's terrible," I confirmed. "You're so… overwhelmed that all you can do is just lash out or weep half the time."
Hiccup looked at me as if I said something unbelievable. "You… weep?"
"Only when no one could see me!" I sighed. I mean, really, I was like five at the time; of course that hit me hard. Pretty much the only thing I could do to keep myself from breaking up in public was plot out vengeance.
Hiccup nodded his head and turned back to the ocean, his face still dour. Thor, this was the worst I had ever seen him look, I mean, he didn't even return a joke! "Just when I finally thought everything was going perfectly fine, this happens. I guess that just goes to show me that I'm still nothing but a big screw up that only really ever seems to dig my entire family in a deeper ditch."
"That's not true!" I replied.
Hiccup threw his arms in the air. "My Mom and Dad are being held captive by the King and Toothless… well, you know what Toothless is doing."
"At least he's working through his emotions," I pointed out. Well, at least I hope he was. He did kind of lock himself to Gobber's workshop ever since we got back and who knows what kind of harebrained ploy that kid could come up with.
"I still could hear the explosions from here!" Hiccup shouted. And as if on cue, a small explosion hit our ears, barely audible, but definitely there. In the distance, right where Gobber's workshop was, we could see clouds of smoke billowing out. "Who knows what he's doing in there!" Hiccup then put down his arms and then slumped his shoulders.
"Well, apparently, he does," I said. "But the real question is… what are you going to do?"
Hiccup shrugged and then turned to the door behind us. "I don't know, that's why I'm here; I need to speak to Gothi." We were both stationed on the Village Elder, Gothi's front… lawn, dangling our legs over the edge. "I knocked on her door and told her I needed her advice, but she still hasn't come out.
"That's good then," I nodded. At least my boy friend at least had some idea of what to do, but I think I needed to expand his options a little. So, I handed him a familiar black book, one that he hasn't opened in the past few months. "But, how about this?"
Hiccup's eyes flashed with the spark of inspiration, ideas coming clearly coming to the forefront of his mind. He was definitely thinking of how he could use it. "Well, I'll need the Latin book too, but what about it?"
I flipped open the page to the one item that start this, the potion that originally made Hiccup turn into a Night Fury and made this mess. "I know that the King said that eventually the spell he gave you will no longer work…"
Hiccup sighed. "Don't remind me; I'm not looking forward to being a Night Fury."
I continued, "But maybe you can use this."
"How?"
I shrugged. "It's clear we can't fight him the way we do other dragons, but maybe we'd have better odds if we had more dragons backing us up."
Hiccup looked at me as if I was the one who had the crazy ideas. Come to think of it, the idea was kind of crazy in of itself. I mean, dragons were fire proof right? What good did turning into a dragon offer against another dragon that was bigger than you?
Then, the door to Gothi's house openned. Hiccup and I climbed to our feet as the small statured elder approached us… with a scroll of parchment in hand.
Hiccup and I then quickly gave her a short, polite bow."Gothi, I want to know, what should I do this situation? My Mom and Dad are… well, held captive and that's just the tip of the ice berg! I don't know what to do here!"
The elder nodded and then handed Hiccup the parchment in her arms.
Hiccup's expression suddenly turned sullen and glancing at the paper, I could tell why. At the top of the parchment were these words, forming perhaps the strangest title I had ever seen, "'A Message by 'Old Wrinkly' to His Grandsons. Yes, Both of Them.'"
Some of you probably already have your guesses over what's happening next, some of you will be proven right, some of you disproven wrong. You'll have to see next chapter.
