Twenty-Nine: Protects his own
The twins and Fishlegs made the Plaza as the army finished preparing the town. The Marshals looked up as the dragons zoomed over…swooping in to land by the former Berserker Compound.
"They're coming!" Fishlegs whimpered.
"It was awesome!" Tuff shouted. "The Gronckles knocked everybody off their dragons!" There was cheering.
"But they got back on and are coming right behind us!" Ruff admitted,
"Bring them on!" Gustav shouted proudly. "I'm a Hofferson! We fear nothing!" There was more wildly optimistic cheering as Astrid walked to his side and rested his hands on the boy's shoulders.
"Except losing each other," she told him firmly. "You're here to defend the people who are sheltering with us, Gustav. Hiccup is relying on us. I am relying on you!" She paused and hugged him. "Make me proud," she added in a whisper.
"Yes, sis," Gustav said in a reluctant voice. "Come on, Hookie! We can show them how awesome you are later!"
"They're on me tail!" Gobber shouted as Grump whirred in and landed in a sprawl. Leo walked up, smartened up and minus one sling, still fastening a gunbelt round his narrow waist as the blacksmith scrambled from his dragon. "LEO!" he bellowed and threw a relieved hug around the other man. Crushed and almost unable to breathe, Leo patted the big blacksmith's arm.
"Need…air…!" he gasped and Gobber finally released him with an embarrassed grin.
"Good tae have ye back!" he said cheerfully. "Yer know, I've missed yer?" Leo nodded.
"I've you too-you crazy bastard!" he admitted, sighing. "So…Alvin again…" Gobber grabbed his shoulder and he whined in pain: it was the shoulder with the bullet-hole in. "GOBBER! Are you trying to kill me?"
"Nah…distract you…" he grinned without shame or apology. "Yer okay?" Leo nodded.
"Gotta be…or everyone dies," he said grimly, fishing out his pistol and rapidly sliding bullets into the chambers. "Just…promise me one thing, Gobber. If it looks like we aren't gonna win, don't let me be taken by him again?" His eyes were serious, a cold desperation lurking in the remaining emerald orb. "Promise me you'll finish me before that happens?" Gobber stiffened, his eyes staring in pity at the plea and the horror that lay behind it…and then he finally nodded.
"Yer have my word," he sighed as he heard roars echoing towards them. "Head up, laddie! Brace yerself!" Leo whistled through his teeth and Star scampered to his side, growling. The Flightmare didn't like other dragons much and he could sense the fear in his rider. Astrid walked to his side, smiling.
"Please watch my brother," she murmured. He nodded and pointed to a spot with good cover.
"I'll watch you both," he said firmly. "Gustav because you asked me…and you because my nephew would expect it. Now stand back: the soldiers and the townsfolk will meet the attack. Our job is as last line of defence to protect these people!" She huffed at him.
"I'm a Hofferson…I should protect my town!" she protested. "We protect our own!"
"And I'm going to lock you up or have Star paralyse you if you try," Leo told her shortly. "Protect her people. Buildings can be rebuilt-people cannot!" Believe me, I know…
"HERE THEY COME!" Olson yelled as the Armourwing with Drago on his back and his army of riders…along with Alvin and his men on Whispering Deaths…stormed into the town.
"FIRE!" Sergeant Knutsen shouted and the Nadder cavalry aimed and fired their rifles at the attackers. Behind them, their Nadders lined up and fired a ferocious blizzard of spines, cutting down a handful of dragons and attackers…but Drago's armoured dragon shrugged the attack off and roared…and then poured flames down onto the defenders. Their Nadders crouched over the soldiers, protecting them, but the distraction allowed Drago's forces to close to combat range. And then the crack of bullets and the screams and roars filled the air.
The townsfolk were falling back behind the General Store and Astrid could see Lars firing steadily, flanked by a Sven and Drunken Olaf. Someone had actually given Olaf a gun-something Stoick had been adamantly against-and the man was swigging from a bottle of mead when a stray bullet ricocheted off the sign and shattered his bottle. The town drunk stared at the empty glass neck in his hand, screamed and snatched his gun, shooting three of Drago's men dead straight off.
"Can't a man even have a medishinal drink around her?" he shouted angrily, fishing a flask from his back pocket and taking a long pull. "Aaah! Much better."
Larson and Arvidson were up on their Nightmares, meeting the enemy in the air and dodging and firing efficiently while Olson was directing the battle from the ground. The soldiers were falling steadily and there had been casualties among the defenders as well…but Astrid's eyes widened as an orange and brown Monstrous Nightmare raced past her and into the fray.
"HOOKFANG! FOR BERK!" Gustav shouted.
"GUSTAV!" Astrid screamed, turning and making for Stormfly-but Leo was quicker, grabbing her and hauling her back. He shoved her into Gobber's arms, his face suddenly calm.
"Hold her!" he shouted, leaping onto Starlight. "Okay, Star…time to fight for what's ours!" And with a roar, the Flightmare shot up into the air. Astrid struggled fiercely.
"Let me go!" she shouted. "No! He can't hope to stop them!" Gobber stared at her…and shook his head reluctantly.
"But he could rescue your brother," he murmured, seeing the glowing dragon spin and dive under a volley of rifle-fire. Astrid shook her head.
"He'll be killed!" she said despairingly. "And where is Hiccup?"
oOo
The impact all but knocked the Sheriff from the dragon's saddle and somehow, he managed to keep his foot jammed on the tail control pedal, through his side was agonising and breathing was more painful than he could have imagined. Toothless rolled inwards, gently throwing his rider back onto the saddle as his wings pumped and they dodged through the last few yards of falling rock…and then they were out into the clear sky, an enormous orange dust cloud erupting and enveloping them. Coughing, grimacing in pain at the act and breathing hard from sheer adrenaline overload, Hiccup stared down into the cavernous space below him, shattered blocks of rock haphazardly piled amid the rolling dust.
"Let's hope that holds him," he sighed and pulled Toothless round. "Now let's get back to Berk, Bud! I doubt either of them will have honoured the deal. I hope you've got some ideas because I'm out!"
Toothless warbled as he accelerated up over the ridge and down to the town of Berk, seeing flashes of explosions and dragons rising and swooping above the houses. Hand automatically reaching for the rifle, Hiccup snatched it and leaned to his left, taking Toothless in a barrel roll as the pair shot into Berk, the high pitched whistle of the Night Fury causing everyone to freeze…
…and then Toothless fired plasma blast after plasma blast into the attackers as they rolled…and as they came out of the roll, Hiccup blasted away with his rifle, each shot lethal. A dozen men fell from his first rifle, thirteen from his second before he tossed the Winchesters aside and swooped round, firing away and driving Drago's troops back.
Gustav raced by, almost knocking him from the saddle and he swore vividly, ducking a volley of shots as the boy swooped again, whooping. Flipping round, Hiccup stared after him-and then felt a surge of relief as the glowing dragon with the familiar lean shape swooped round to intercept. Gustav gave a scream as a bola brought the Monstrous Nightmare down…and men began to close on the struggling boy. But Star whizzed over, releasing his paralysing mist and freezing man and dragon alike. Spinning on a wingtip, they swooped down and grabbed the bound and frozen boy and dragon with Hiccup and the defenders covering them. Leo dumped the pair among the cages and leapt down, grabbing a knife and sawing the boy free, then hauling him off the dragon. Without hesitation, he slapped Gustav hard.
"Owww!" the boy protested, blinking and raising a hand to his cheek.
"For once, do as you are told!" Leo shouted at him. "You almost got yourself, your dragon, me, Star, Hiccup and Toothless killed. You have a damned job here-so DO IT! Is that clear?" The boy looked up in shock and nodded, cowed.
"Sorry," he mumbled, then looked up as Astrid raced to his side, staring at him…then giving him a big hug.
"I am so mad at you!" she said, hugging him. "Just watch over the other kids, okay?" He nodded, embarrassed.
"S-sorry, sis," he mumbled. "I-I just wanted to help…" She stroked his face.
"Then help Gobber protect the Compound…while I go and help Hiccup…" she said and glanced up…to see Leo and Star already in the air, hovering protectively in front of the half-demolished wall. Alvin and his men were advancing inexorably towards the ruined house, the shushing of their Whispering Deaths audible even over the gun battle raging at the far end of the Plaza. Astrid raced forward, pulling her pistol and covering them as they closed on Leo. Alvin's dark eyes widened in shock at the man facing him.
"Well, bless me! I thought yer was dead!" he exclaimed. "But 'ere yer are…well, some of yer…" Leo's face tightened.
"Hilarious, Alvin," he shouted. "But you failed…and this time, I've got my dragon and you haven't sneaked up behind me and clubbed me unconscious! You don't have me bound and helpless!"
"That can be arranged!" he sneered, seeing the flash of uncertainty on his face. "Yer know this town is mine now, Leo! The Sheriff is dead and yer can join 'im soon enough! Just surrender and I'll be merciful!"
"Like you were to me? To my sister? To my nephew?" Leo shouted, rising slowly on Star. "You know what dragon this is?"
"A useless one," Alvin sneered. Don't see 'im shooting no fire!" Leo smiled and leaned forward.
"Hear that, Star?" he murmured. "You wanna let that one go?"
Starlight roared and a mist sprayed fiercely over the opposing dragons. Alvin jerked his Whispering Death sideways but his men froze and all fell from the sky. With a roar, Alvin charged at the glowing dragon and Star dinked sideways, though the whip-like tail of the Whispering Death opened a raw weal in Star's flank. Instantly, the dragon rose, glowing so fiercely that he was like a star in the gathering twilight. Of course, Lars' store was now on fire, casting much-needed light across the Plaza but Alvin found his dragon shying from the Flightmare. With a roar, he drew his pistol and fired wildly at the dragon and rider.
And then a huge roar shook through the Plaza, swiftly followed by an enormous white shape with glowing red eyes and a long spined tail. Hiccup's head snapped round and he groaned. "Does this guy never give up?" he protested as Toothless snapped round, roaring a challenge. But the Screaming Death accelerated and the Night Fury shot upwards, looping the loop over the town before accelerating downwards…with the Screaming Death in hot pursuit. Toothless pulled up at the last minute, his paws and wingtips actually kissing the dust of the Plaza as he raced by with Hiccup almost lying flat on his back…but the Screaming Death hit with an impact that shook the entire town, causing the front of the Berserker house to completely fall off and Lars's burning store to collapse.
Instantly, Drago charged Toothless and his Armourwing slammed into the Night Fury, knocking the rider from the saddle. Hiccup curled up and though he hit the ground hard, he rolled and avoided serious injury…though Toothless fell from the air by him. Immediately, Drago's dragon fired ferociously at him, the flames boiling off the fireproof hide of the dragon and the wings wrapped protectively around his rider. But the cloth of the tail and the fine wires burned away and grounded the black dragon as he roared furiously at the enemy. Drago roared and pointed with his hook-and men and dragons surged forward at the vulnerable pair.
Then a blue shape raced over with a squawk, pistol firing as Stormfly knocked half a dozen attacking dragons sideways and Astrid winged four men surrounding her boyfriend. She swooped round and charged another pair, slashing them with the Nadder's claws. "Stormfly-spine shot!" she shouted and the blue Nadder accurately impaled another three men and dragons boxing Hiccup in. A Monstrous Nightmare rose, intervening between her and a scarlet and yellow Nadder that rose behind her, planning a lethal sneak attack. Marshal Olson gasped as he took the spines meant for Astrid…then fell dead to the dirt.
Star swooped low over the Plaza, the Flightmare misting the men surrounding his nephew as Alvin's dragon closed in hot pursuit. They pulled up wildly as shots cracked around Leo. Starlight roared in pain as three holes were punched in his wings…and then they folded and he fell from the sky, dropping away from Alvin and diving under the Whispering Death before opening his wings and gliding through. Before Alvin could react, Star had shot up, wings pumping as his rider snatched his pistol in his intact right hand. Two shots to the eyes took out the Whispering Death…and before Alvin could react to the death of his dragon, Leo lined up and fired, the rest of the pistol emptied into his chest. The big man stared at Leo for a long, disbelieving moment.
"But I took yer trigger finger!" he mouthed. Leo gave a small, grim smile, raising both his hands as if in surrender, his maimed left hand displayed alongside the right-still clutching the gun.
"Got two," he said coldly as Alvin fell from the saddle and sprawled dead on the ground, his lifeless dragon landing beside him. Breathing heavily, Leo landed Star and stared at the man who had haunted his nightmares for twenty years.
"That's for you, Val," he whispered.
The Armourwing poured a river of metal-melting fire onto Hiccup but Toothless jumped forward, wrapping his wings around the man, then lifting his head and giving a roar of fury. Suddenly, a blue glow started in his throat and spread down his spine and along his wings. He roared again and every other dragon suddenly roared back, eyes fixed on the black dragon. Hiccup stared at his friend, astonished as Toothless rose to his feet and sat back on his haunches, roaring. Every other dragon landed, all eyes fixated on the Night Fury now. And then the dragons all dipped forward in a bow.
"WHAT?" Drago roared, kicking his dragon and roaring-but the Armourwing completely ignored him. Hiccup gave a small smile as he reached for his gun-and then a scream had him turning and running to one side. Astrid had been hauled from her docile and mesmerised Nadder and was being held helplessly one of Drago's men, a huge bald specimen with muscles like melons and a flat, cruel face. A knife was pressed to her neck. Hiccup heard the click of a gun as he turned and saw Drago lifting his own gun.
"Let her go!" the Sheriff growled.
"Release my dragons!" the Outlaw demanded.
"It's an Alpha glow," Fishlegs squeaked from the doorway of his shop with the twins. "Toothless is an Alpha, a dragon capable of commanding all dragons. And they cannot disobey him…"
"He must have unconsciously accessed the power when he needed to protect his friend and had no other means," Leo realised. "He did it for Hiccup!"
"Did you know you could do this?" Hiccup muttered to the Night Fury. Toothless rolled his eyes, still glowing fiercely. The small warble was no answer.
"Then we can make a deal," Drago growled. "The dragon for your girl! I need a dragon that can command all others…"
"And that is why you can't have him!" Hiccup said, his hand on the grip of his own pistol.
"Then you need to find another girl…" Drago sneered, his eyes flicking to his man. "Veiran-if you will…"
"WAIT!" Hiccup's voice was urgent.
"And so you give away your advantage!" Drago sneered.
"I am the Sheriff-everyone is my responsibility," he said clearly. "Be a man, Drago. Face me…for Toothless and the town."
Astrid shook her head, feeling the cold metal bite against her skin. "No, babe! Don't!" she moaned.
"Accepted!" Drago growled, walking forward and holstering his pistol. His powerful right hand hovered millimetres from his own gun. "On three…"
His men and the townsfolk all raced back, the Berkians swiftly reloading their weapons in preparation as they watched. Larson paused and an obscure scrap of intelligence came to him. He raced forward to the Sheriff and clasped his shoulder.
"Good luck," he murmured in a low voice, staring into the bright emerald eyes. "I hope you're as quick as I've seen before. But remember, Drago has never lost a duel…" And he leaned forward. "…because he always fires on 'two'," he breathed and then turned away. Hiccup gave no sign that he had heard, his face impassive as the Marshal withdrew to stand by his one surviving comrade.
"ONE…" Drago announced. Astrid stared at the two men and began to pray. Toothless intensified his glow, making sure every dragon was still. Gobber narrowed his eyes as he stood up and stared at the confrontation. Leo's hand started very slowly to curl around his pistol. Drunken Olaf gently fell over.
"TWO…"
There was the simultaneous sound of two shots. Hiccup felt a white-hot pain in his side but his own pistol was still reverberating in his hand…and he could see the circular hole right over the Outlaw's heart. Drago's dark, dead eyes stared, uncomprehending…
…the sound of two shots echoed as Leo finished Veiran and he fell away, dead, releasing Astrid. The remaining soldiers, Marshals and townspeople of Berk instantly covered the remaining outlaws and Outcasts, stunned by the death of both their leaders…
"…but how…?' Drago breathed. "I had you beaten…I never lose…I am Deathbringer…"
"A Sheriff Protects his own." The words echoed up and down the Plaza.
…and Drago finally pitched to the ground with a dull thud. Hiccup looked up and saw Astrid, safe.
"Berk…is saved," he breathed with utter relief. "Milady…I hope you have room for some more dragons…"
