A/N- Posted 3/3/16 I don't own HTTYD.
Hello everyone. Sorry that this was a little slow on the update. I spent most of this week working on a coding project for one of my college classes. Fingers crossed, the next update should be on a more predictable time table.
Chapter 29- Emergence
Toothless's POV
The sudden tension in the air was palpable. Neither Hiccup nor I had any idea what Oswald had heard nor how he might react. I curled myself around Hiccup, ready to defend him if necessary. Oswald actually raised an eyebrow at my action. Hopefully he would know better than to try anything.
Finally, Hiccup answered Oswald.
"Yes, however, I would prefer if you stick with my new name, Zeymah. It was given to me by someone that took care of me after I had to leave Berk."
Oswald only nodded. Somehow, Oswald didn't really react as much as I had thought he would. He seemed satisfied with himself like he had put together the final piece of a puzzle. Hiccup continued.
"I will also ask that you don't share my identity with anyone. I have left that life behind and have no interest in returning to it."
"Who am I going to share it with? Or do the other people on this island not know who you are?"
Hiccup barked a loud laugh before answering. "Oswald, the two of us are the only humans on this island. However, we have no intention of holding you here and as I said earlier I would like to reinstate your position as chief. When that day comes I would ask you don't allow the knowledge of my continued existence to spread."
Oswald looked surprised when Hiccup said that there were no other humans beside the two of them on this island.
"You have my word." He solemnly answered.
Hiccup stood up and reached to shake hands with Oswald.
"The hour grows late and I imagine you are as tired as I am. We will continue this discussion in the morning."
Oswald stood and clasped arms with Hiccup.
"Till the morning."
With that Hiccup turned and started heading back to the cove. I stayed for a moment longer though. I stared Oswald down for a moment. I wanted him to know what would happen if he messed with Hiccup. To my surprise Oswald spoke to me.
"You actually care about him, don't you?" He paused for a moment. "Don't worry, dragon, he has nothing to fear from me."
I gave a slight nod of my head before bounding after Hiccup.
It wasn't until we were home that I asked Hiccup what our plan was.
"Dagur, well, to put it simply, he is insane. He is power hungry and very bloodthirsty. He also takes a sadistic pleasure in harming dragons. When I met him during a meeting of the chiefs on Berk he would not stop talking about how he had tortured a Terrible Terror he had caught. It… wasn't pleasant to hear." Hiccup squirmed a little as he remembered how Dagur had described the deed.
"If he has captured dragons and forced them to do his bidding… Well I know that he didn't ask them nicely. We will have to free them as soon as possible. To do that will take careful planning."
"Hiccup, I think you're forgetting we have an entire nest of dragons that would be more than willing to go burn these Vikings to ash and free those dragons. We could go now and be back before sunrise."
Hiccup frowned a little at my words. "The Berserker Horde possess more warships than any three other Viking tribes combined. There would be many casualties with a head on assault and it could cause a backlash that would haunt us for years."
I didn't really see what Hiccup was getting at. We needed to free those dragons. With the dragons we had with us we could attack and have burned the island to the ground before anyone was the wiser.
"Hiccup, the Vikings would all be asleep. We could attack under the cover of darkness and destroy the entire island before any of the Vikings would have a chance to respond."
"NO!" A bit of Hiccup's power leaked through as his emotions skyrocketed. I was confused as to why Hiccup was so adamant. Both of us paused and regarded the other. Now that I looked I could see.
Desperation. Worry. Aversion.
"Hiccup those dragons are suffering…" I was about to continue but Hiccup slouched down next to his bed, I stopped. Hiccup starred at a spot on the floor as he continued.
"Toothless… Did you ever stick around after a dragon raid?"
His question surprised me. I couldn't see how this affected our situation.
"Er… No, the queen always demanded our swift and immediate return."
"So you never saw. You never saw the carnage that dragon fire leaves, the stench of burnt flesh, the families that will never be whole again, the tears of children as they beg for their parents who they will never see again, the homes, and memories they hold, going up in smoke."
Hiccup looked me in the eye.
"Without a doubt, Dagur is evil and deserves to die. The same can probably be said of most of his lieutenants. That doesn't mean that all the Vikings of the Berserker tribe are evil though. Most of them are innocents and many know not what they do. Sure, we could burn it. We could burn it all. But, could you order their deaths and live with yourself afterwards? Because I can't."
I was stunned I often forgot how destructive the raids must have been. I never realized the horrors that we had unleashed on the Vikings. I had never considered that we looked like monsters to them.
"I am sorry Hiccup. I didn't know." I really didn't know how to respond to that.
"It is okay Toothless. I don't blame you or the other dragons. If anything I blame the queen. But, if we are to lead this colony I refuse to let us be reduced to monsters. We need to find a way of freeing those dragons with the fewest casualties possible."
Hiccup paused and licked his lips.
"If at all possible I hope to eventually secure a truce between the dragons and the Vikings of the archipelago. To do that though we must prove that we aren't the beasts that they perceive us to be."
As Hiccup continued laying out his plans I noticed something. Hiccup was including himself among the dragons. He considered himself one of us! Though he had technically been one of us ever since the meeting with Odin in the dream state, to see Hiccup acknowledging who he was and who had become I found humbling, and my pride in Hiccup soared.
Hiccup let out a tired yawn and lay his head against his bed frame.
"Well it has been a long and eventful day. We should get some rest."
With that Hiccup got up and climbed into the cloths and hides on his bed. I walked over to my slab but did not go to sleep. There was still one more thing I needed to do before I went to sleep.
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Hiccup's POV
I was exhausted and was ready for a full nights rest. As I lay there though I noticed that Toothless wasn't going to sleep. I could feel through the bond that something was bothering him. I was about to ask him what was bothering him but he then stood up and padded out the door.
Curious I got up and followed him stealthily. Toothless could have easily detected me, be it by smell, hearing, or via our mental connection, however he remained oblivious to my presence as whatever troubled him had his complete attention.
I was confused at first as he appeared to be heading towards the beach where Oswald had landed. I had a moments concern that Toothless might do something drastic in a bid to protect before dismissing the idea as ludicrous. I was proven right when he changed course and headed deeper into the woods.
A few minutes later he arrived in a clearing. I remained hidden in the foliage and watched. I was surprised to see the bodies of the three dragons from earlier that Toothless had killed in his rage. Why had he ordered them brought here? I decided I would just wait and see.
Then, Toothless lowered his head and began to speak.
"I… I am sorry, my fellow dragons. I was quick to anger and for my folly you paid the price. I failed you. I was supposed to help the Kaal Dov but instead I was lazy and insecure. I alienated you and in so, have humiliated myself. And now… when I come to beg your forgiveness it is too late. I am sorry that I abandoned you and the Kaal Dov. While I cannot have your forgiveness, I can give you my promise. My promise that I will not fail in my duty again and never again shall I strike down one of our own in anger. I swear this."
I was shocked to hear his speech. Toothless raised his head and continued.
"Go now, my kin, until me meet again in the next life."
With those final words he drew back his head a let forth a stream of magic and plasma that enveloped the three dead dragons. Within seconds their bodies were burning. I knew there was nothing I could say. This was something Toothless felt he had to do. That didn't mean however that he had to do it alone.
Quietly, I stood up and walked forward. Toothless didn't know I was there until I put my hand on his shoulder. Immediately I could feel him stiffen. I didn't say anything, neither of us did. We stood there, together, watching as the dead were claimed by the flames.
That night, I made a promise too. That no dragon would ever have reason to believe that I was acting in my own self-interest and using them for my benefit.
Together we stood there, neither of us saying anything. We stayed there until the last of their remains had been consumed in flame.
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The next morning came far too early. Toothless and I got up as usual and watched the dragons of our nest celebrating a new day. As the column of dragons and fire swept up and through the sky I remembered the events of the previous day.
Toothless and I walked down to the beach to meet up with Oswald. When we arrived we found Oswald sitting on the prow of his vessel looking out over the island. He noticed our approach and gave a gruff nod before hopping down.
We exchanged pleasantries before Oswald's eyes returned to looking over the forest. I was about to ask what he was looking for when he spoke up.
"What were they doing?"
A bit put off by the question I responded, "What was who doing?"
Oswald looked like at me like I was crazy or something for not noticing. "The dragons of course, flying about and spewing fire and all that. It woke me up."
Realization dawned on me. "It is a ritual the dragons do every morning to celebrate the rising of the sun and the new day."
Oswald again looked out over the forest, his expression unreadable.
"It was beautiful…" he said with a whisper. I stared at him surprise. I never expected those words to ever come from a Viking in regard to dragons. Oswald shook his head as he realized he had spoken aloud and turned back to me.
"So, yesterday you mentioned you wanted to help me reclaim my tribe?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes. I believe it's going to take some planning though. At the same time we must make haste. I won't leave those dragons there any longer than I must."
I saw Oswald studying me. It wasn't a moment later that he questioned me.
"Zeymah, before we continue in our endeavor… I must ask, why are you here?"
"That is a long story." I paused wondering if I should tell Oswald our tale. "Toothless?"
Sensing my unspoken question Toothless looked at Oswald for a moment before giving me a brief nod of his head.
"Oswald, take a seat this is going to take a while." With that we all settled down, Oswald resting against his ship and I leaning against Toothless who had half way curled around me and decided he was going to sleep while I told Oswald our story.
I spent the rest of the morning conveying to Oswald the journey that had brought Toothless and I to this island and the unique position we now held. Oswald was surprised to learn that the dragon that now rested but an arm's length away was the infamous Night Fury. I noticed him shifting uneasily after that.
I forewent telling him about Snoutlout or our trips to the Dream State, deciding that he didn't need to know about those events. Nor did I tell him about the magic that surrounded dragons. That particular tidbit of information was too dangerous to share.
Oswald didn't believe me when I told him about the queen that had previously resided in Helhiem's Gate. It wasn't until I nudged Toothless awake and asked him to confirm what I said that Oswald even started to accept my words as true.
It was about noon when I finally finished the story. Oswald took a moment and leant back against his ship. I knew this was going to take him a while to wrap his head around. While, Oswald was contemplating my words Luna flew up and deposited fish for all of us to eat. Toothless woke up at the smell of food and together we ate with gusto. When we finished our meal Luna lay down a few feet from Toothless and I and went to sleep. It wasn't long before Toothless was asleep as well.
With food in his belly and the time taken thinking Oswald looked ready to discuss our plan of action.
"Well we certainly aren't lacking in firepower." Oswald started unsteadily. The idea that at any moment I could order an entire nest of dragons to rain fire on my foes had visibly shaken Oswald.
However, it wouldn't do anyone any good for Oswald to be questioning our motives.
"We did consider an all-out attack on the Berserker fleet. We have the numbers and the tactical advantage that if we had wanted we could have gone last night, burned the Berserker tribe to ash, free the dragons, and be back before the sun had risen. The idea was quickly dismissed. I don't believe that all the people of your tribe are guilty of Dagur's crimes, nor do I believe that the whole tribe should be condemned to death. It is my hope to eventually bring peace between dragon and man. Thus, I hope to minimize the casualties on both sides for this endeavor of ours."
I paused to let my words sink in with Oswald.
"However, if it comes between the lives of Vikings and the lives of the dragons under my protection my choice is clear and final. I take my position as the Champion of Dragons very seriously. Do we have an understanding?"
Oswald nodded, "A chief protects his own. I can respect that."
I settled back against Toothless. "I do pray that it doesn't come to that, but if there is anything I do know about war it is that war is uncertain."
We were about to continue our discussion when a Terrible Terror came down and joined us. I immediately recognized her as the Terror I had sent to Yang during my recovery from the fight with the queen.
Confused and slightly worried I beckoned the small dragon over. I retrieved the small message that was tied to her paw before she scampered up my side and rested around my neck as the Terrors were apt to do. The note was short.
Honored Kaal Dov
Dragons are attacking Droutt. We believe them to be under the control of the Berserkers. You must come to Droutt with all possible speed.
With respect. Yang.
Oswald noticed my concern.
"What is it?"
"Dagur is on the move. He has attacked Droutt." I replied while I nudged Toothless awake.
"Already? I expected it would have taken him longer to rally his forces."
"I must reach Droutt with all possible speed."
"I am coming with you." Oswald declared as he stood up. I had to pause for a moment deciding if it was worth even trying to discourage him.
"Ask Luna if she would be willing to carry you there." At the sound of her name Luna looked up. Seeing how quickly she had responded I suspected she never had actually gone to sleep.
Oswald appeared apprehensive about asking a dragon for anything, but he walked over to Luna all the same.
"Dragon, er, Luna. Would you be so kind as to take me to Droutt?"
Luna tilted her head as if contemplating his words. I knew she was just messing with him but it was funny nonetheless. After a few moments Luna gave a slight nod before lowering herself for Oswald to climb on.
As Oswald clambered on I gave him some advice. "Hold on and trust Luna to do all the flying. She won't let you fall." I paused as I finished getting in the saddle and strapping myself in. "Oh, and don't look down."
Before we left I sent the Terror to Rajah to summon more dragons to go to Droutt. I had a suspicion we would need the reinforcements.
With that Toothless and Luna shot into the air. I watched Oswald as he gripped Luna's neck. I worried he might strangle her, but Luna assured me she was fine. We raced at best possible speed for Droutt hoping we would get there before it was too late.
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Toothless's POV
Hiccup and I were worried. Dagur had already made his move and we had been caught unprepared. However, Droutt was in danger and this did give us an opportunity learn more and possibly rescue the dragons.
It was also amusing to see Oswald trying to desperately stay on Luna, even though Luna was flying steadily. Unfortunately, his struggling was throwing Luna off balance. I didn't want his fear to cause problems for Luna so I drifted closer to him and growled quietly. Hiccup noticed and gave a glance at Oswald to see what was the matter.
"You need to stop trying so much. Just relax and trust Luna, your struggling is throwing her off balance and threatening both of you."
Oswald glowered a little but he stopped his fidgeting.
The rest of the flight proved uneventful and we made good time. Within the hour Droutt appeared on the horizon. As we got closer though it became apparent something was desperately wrong. Columns of smoke smeared the horizon.
"Luna!" I shouted over the wind. "Land on the beach were we first arrived and keep Oswald safe."
With a nod Luna began her descent the wind drowning out Oswald's protests.
I increased speed. Droutt looked to be in trouble. Seconds later we were high above the village. The fighting had hit a lull and the Berserker fleet remained just off shore. Both sides were taking a moment to lick their wounds and prepare for the next bout of fighting.
We were about to head down to check on the village when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Deciding it could be important I drifted over.
I noticed a few Berserker ships sneaking away from the rest of the fleet and heading for the back of the island. I directed Hiccup's attention to the devious vessels and began my attack run. Magic and fire combined and my distinctive shriek began to build. Seconds later the masts of the three vessels were destroyed and fires were licking at the hulls of the vessels. The Berserkers on board never knew what hit them. The crippled ships began to limp back to the fleet leaving Droutt safe for a few minutes longer.
Seeing as the lull wouldn't last much longer we decided we should land now and try to get an understanding of the situation so as to best know how to help. I angled down and we landed behind Yang's forge. No reason to be spotted just yet.
Hiccup hopped off of the saddle and began to walk towards the village center.
"Could you stay here? Out of sight. I don't want you freaking out the villagers without cause."
I grumbled but I could see the logic behind his words so I gave him a short nod.
"Thanks bud. I'll call for you if I need you." With that he bounded off.
However I had no intention of just sitting here. I stalked after him, hiding in the shadows. If he needed me I was going to be close.
It wasn't long before he found the village plaza. Several Vikings were milling about either tending to the wounded, gathering weapons and supplies, or organizing the warriors. Hiccup walked up behind Yang and tapped him on the shoulder. Yang spun around and looked down in surprise at Hiccup.
"Zeymah! You're here, good. As you can see the Berserkers are attacking and somehow they have several dragons helping them."
"I know Yang." Hiccup then proceeded to fill Yang into the events that had transpired the last two days. Meanwhile I kept an eye out for any trouble. Trouble always seemed to find Hiccup and it didn't look like this time would be any different. A pair of Vikings took notice of Hiccup and immediately went away. A few minutes later they returned, with a man I presumed to be the chief.
The two men picked Hiccup up by the shoulders and turned him around to face the chief. I prepared to leap in to intervene should the need arise.
"Looks mighty suspicious, Zeymah. You leave somehow without warning and then reappear a few weeks later in the middle of an invasion. Is that what you were here for? To spy on us?"
Yang was about to speak up but Hiccup waved him off. I was proud that Hiccup didn't even hesitate in the face of this Viking. He stood strong and didn't falter in his words.
"If I were a spy, why would I come back now? I mean from what I've seen you can't hold out for much longer against the forces arrayed against you."
"Then why are you here." Suspicion lacing his words.
"I have come to help you, of course. How could I not after the kindness you showed me when I, um, shipwrecked here."
"But you didn't shipwreck did you? We never found any wreckage, and your claim of sailing right before deep winter was simply ludicrous."
Seeing as things were going nowhere and the chief was still suspicious I prodded Hiccup's mind to let him know I was near. I knew Hiccup wanted to avoid conflict if at all possible, but we both knew how stubborn Vikings could be and I wasn't willing to trust them with my brother's life. Hiccup returned the mental contact and asked for a moment more.
"Is it so hard to believe that there are still people that just want to do the right thing?" Hiccup paused. The chief was about to speak up when Hiccup sighed and continued. "Do you really want to know how I got here? I must warn you however, my means aren't conventional." He stared the chief in the eye, daring him.
To his credit the chief barely flinched at Hiccup's challenge. After a moments consideration he gave a short nod.
Hiccup continued to look the chief in the eye. "Toothless, would you mind joining us?"
The four Vikings looked confused at Hiccup's words, however my entrance had been announced. As I leapt I decided that the two Vikings that had been holding Hiccup needed to be put in their place. As I landed silently behind Hiccup I used my wings to knock them to the ground. Hiccup guessing my intentions managed to stay standing despite the two next to him being sent sprawling.
A brief snarl on my part cemented my presence. I then stood beside Hiccup ready to shred any who would dare hurt him. The two Vikings I had hit started crawling away before getting up and drawing their weapons. Yang looked on with mild surprise. Ack, the chief, gave me a look over before looking back at Hiccup, his eyes wide.
Both sides, stared at each other waiting to see how the other would react.
Then Ack began laughing. A deep hearty laugh that surprised all of us. "This is a Night Fury isn't it? Well this explains a lot and what happened to the Berserkers a few minutes ago. Come, let us talk!"
A/N- Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and/or reviewed. Your continued support is what keeps this story going.
Last chapter netted ten reviews, or almost two hours of writing time. Normally, that would have been most of a chapter written. However, after a poll from my reviewers it was unanimously decided that the chapters should be longer. Thus I will now be striving to write longer and longer chapters until someone tells me to stop. This chapter came out just over 4,000 words.
