Shell- Shocked

Nighttime; approaching The Hunters' Base,

When Viggo's base appeared on the horizon, Toothless angled into a shallow dive … leveling out a few meters above the waves. Hiccup turned in his saddle, "Everyone ready?"
To his immediate left, Astrid nodded, and Stormfly squawked agreement; Hiccup nodded and turned, "A- Team?" – "Aye!" Stoick replied, from his place on Skullcrusher's back; "A- Team!" Gustav cheered, grinning widely. A little further on, Spitelout said "Oh; yes!"
"Berserkers?" Hiccup asked, turning to the next group … Dagur and Shattermaster, Heather and Windshear, and the half- dozen Berserkers that Windshear had agreed to carry. – Dagur laughed; Heather nodded, "You know it!"

As one, humans and dragons looked up… at the silent shadows above them: fifty Night- Furies; there was, as they all knew, no need to ask if they were ready.
Hiccup raised his right hand, and lowered the faceplate of his Night- Fury helm … giving 'the signal'; the Night- Furies split into two groups; one veered to the left, the other right; both would circle around the island … no Hunters would escape that way.

Ten minutes later,

Sentries paced the decks of two ships, crossbows ready; eyes on the skies … alert for signs of movement. Fanghook moved alongside one boat, the side furthest from shore; when a lone sentry approached the rail, Gustav pulled him overboard, and ducked out of sight. "A-a-and … Gustav!" he cheered, under his breath.
Another sentry heard the 'splash' and turned; Spitelout's Deadly- Nadder snatched him up, and dropped him into the ocean. "Spitelout, Spitelout; Oy! Oy! Oy!" Spitelout cheered, softly.

"I guess the trapper's trap can trap the trapper…" hearing movement, behind him, Dagur turned. "Hello; have you met my sister … the Berserker?" Windshear's tail curled around the Hunter, lifting him up, "Hi," Heather called. As they ascended; Dagur called after them, "I promise you: She lives up to the name!"

Four Hunters were hurrying inland, away from the beach; they paused to catch their breath, one looked up and groaned. Hookfang landed in front of them; Snotlout smirked, "Hello!"
Hookfang set himself on fire; the Hunters spun around, attempting to go back the way they'd come; but Meatlug cut them off. "And now it's time to 'introduce the band'," Fishlegs informed them. "I'm Fishlegs; and, on tail- bludgeon, we have… Meatlug!"
Meatlug lunged, bringing her club-like tail around, and sent the three Hunters flying.

Two Hunters were walking, casually, down a stretch of tunnel; noise, from behind them, made them turn; their eyes bulged, and they threw themselves to the floor of the tunnel. – Seconds later, Barf- and- Belch shot over their heads; one head breathing a cloud of gas, the other head preparing to ignite it.
"One for the gold; Two for the show…" Tuff began; "Three to get Barf- and- Belch ready," Ruff continued, "and four to blow!"
The explosion sent several hunters flying off the stone path that snaked around the interior of the Hunters' Base, and made Ryker turn and look up. Before he could do more then grit his teeth; Skullcrusher landed in front of him, Stoick on his back. "Ryker; so nice to see you again."

Ryker chuckled, and drew his sword … just in time for Grump to land on him, forcing the elder Grimborn- brother to the ground. "Even if it's just for a moment," Gobber chimed in.
Toothless landed nearby, and Hiccup dismounted; Stoick nodded to him, "All yours; son."
Hiccup nodded an acknowledgment and approached the tent, Toothless close behind; Astrid, now afoot, axe in-hand, pushed the flap open for him and he ducked inside.
Viggo Grimborn, the Leader of The Dragon Hunters, was sitting at his desk; he saw them enter, went for the weapons rack next to his chair; but Toothless launched a plasma- bolt … knocking the weapons out of reach.
All eyes then went to Viggo's desk: there, next to a 'Maces And Talons' game board … was The Dragon- Eye. Viggo lunged for it, but Hiccup beat him to it, "I'll take that–"

"Really… 'I'll take that'; that's the best you can come up with?" Tuff interjected, incredulous. "This is your moment, 'H'! … Books will be written about it; children will act it out … some adults will act it out, but it won't be as cute as the children." – Mulch and Bucket exchanged a look, and nods; Tuff continued, "You need a killer catch- phrase: One line, that'll withstand the test of time; as the sands, and the oceans pass, your words will remain!" He gestured to Hiccup, "I mean: You've just defeated one of the toughest, most ruthless villains in the world!"

"Ok, I'll tell you what: I'll work on something 'cool' to say to him, when I take him down… Happy?" Hiccup asked, mildly exasperated.

"Au contraire; Mon frère," Tuff said, gesturing to Ruff and himself. "We will work on something better for you to say to him when we take him down. Trust us; we've got you." The Twins turned, and made their way out of the Great Hall, already deep in conversation.

Early afternoon; outside the great- hall,

"A-ha; now that's what I call a plan!" Stoick declared, as he and Hiccup reached the bottom of the stairs leading down from the great- hall. He clapped Hiccup on the shoulder, than set off, through the village … to prepare for what lay ahead.

Hiccup grinned, watching his father go; then a hand gripped his arm, and pulled him aside. "You did it!" Astrid hugged him, than stepped back, beaming. "I'm really proud of you!"

"To be fair; some of those ideas were yours…" Hiccup noted, grinning back. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"We make quite the team, huh?" Astrid asked, resting a hand against the wall formed by the lower portion of the stone steps that led to the hall.

"I certainly think so…" Hiccup agreed, leaning back against the sun-warmed stone of the stairs. Noise, from nearby, made them turn; Toothless and Stormfly were 'playing' nearby, letting the two of them talk.
As they watched, several thoughts that'd been troubling him resurfaced, in his mind.

"I know that look…" Astrid said, turning to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's … 'wrong'," Hiccup sighed. "It's just ... well, Tuff's right: this is huge… Viggo; Berk; The Edge … and my dad, putting his trust in me." He met Astrid's gaze, "If the mission fails, we could lose the Dragon- Eye forever; and that could mean the end of the dragons … they could be hunted, to extinction; and–"

"But, they won't be…" Astrid put a finger over Hiccup's mouth, to stop him. "Because this mission, will not fail."

"And then there's this 'Project Shellfire' thing," Hiccup continued. "I mean; what if…"

"Hiccup; stop." Astrid said, placing her hands on Hiccup's shoulders. "You've spent months planning this; it's going to work." Hiccup managed a smile; they leaned toward one another.

"Oh. My. Thor!" Fishlegs exclaimed, from just above them; Hiccup and Astrid started, leapt back, and looked up. "What are you two– Oh wait, I know: It's so obvious!"

"It is?" Hiccup and Astrid asked, in unison.

"Of course!" Fishlegs grinned. "You're discussing where to hide the Dragon- Eye, when we get it back." Hiccup and Astrid exchanged glances, but Fishlegs seemed not to notice. "Well, Meatlug and I are way ahead of you: We've got hiding places inside our hiding places!"
"Well… I'm going to go give Meatlug some andesite, helps her sleep when she's this excited. Carry on, you two."

Meatlug flew off, both Hiccup and Astrid breathed sighs of relief; Astrid turned to Hiccup, "That was close…"

"Yeah." Hiccup said, nodding; then he frowned, "Wait; why do we care, if they know about this; I mean… it's been three years."

"I mean … we don't, I guess…" Astrid shrugged, her face a little pink. "It's just … it's all so new; I just … want to share it with you, right now, you know?" A brief pause; then she hurriedly added, "Look; we'll tell everyone, I just… want the time to be right."

"Yeah… yeah; I get it," Hiccup said, nodding. "This isn't the time: We can't risk anyone doing anything different … including us." He held out a hand, as he spoke.

Astrid took his hand, in both of hers; pulled him in, and kissed him … on the lips. Then she walked over to Stormfly, and clambered into the saddle on the Deadly- Nadder's back. Once settled, she turned to Hiccup. "Did you seriously think I'd leave here with just a handshake?"

Toothless moved to Hiccup's side; they watched the Nadder and her rider gained altitude, then vanished from view. The Night- Fury warbled something, and Hiccup nodded. "Yeah; I know... she's something else, bud."

That night,

Hiccup and Toothless flew at the head of their formation; the others arrayed behind them, in perfect formation. At least, they were; right up until, not an hour from their destination; The Twins' Zippleback pulled up alongside of Toothless.
From her place, on the right head; Ruff called, "Ok; we've been giving this a lot of thought, and here's what we've got so far…"
The Zippleback crossed its necks, so Tuff was closest to Hiccup. "'Is that an axe in your face, or are you just happy to see me?'" Hiccup raised an eyebrow, but said nothing; Tuff got the message, "No? Ok; not a problem…"
The Zippleback uncrossed its necks; Ruff cleared her throat, "Viggo: This is going to hurt you, a lot more than it's going to hurt me!" She grinned, expecting a reaction; Hiccup neither moved, nor spoke.
A long moment passed, in silence; then the Zippleback again crossed its necks, and Tuff presented his next 'catch phrase'. "Good night, and goo-o-d luck…" he frowned, "No, wait: that wasn't it…"

"Give it a rest, will you?" Snotlout called, losing his 'patience'.

Tuff shot him a look, "We didn't say you were involved in this; Snot-lout."

"Although that line wasn't half- bad…" Ruff commented, her expression thoughtful. "Give it a rest; will you, Viggo?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Hiccup began; then he spotted an island … the island, on the horizon. "Ok; we're almost there… everyone get in position!" He glanced up, at the Night- Furies above them, and lowered the visor of his dragon- helm … hiding his face from view.

Fanghook rose out of the water, alongside the nearest Hunter- ship; his rider started to say, "Ah; Gus–" his eyes widened, "stave…?"; a moment later, Spitelout and his Deadly- Nadder swooped in. "Oy…?" – The two Hunter- ships … were half- sunken wrecks.

Dagur and Shattermaster were staring at the smoking ruins of a catapult; Vorg, and the other three Berserkers Windshear had flown in, had scouted the immediate area … and reported no trace of the Dragon- Hunters.
Windshear came in to hover; Heather exchanged a look with Dagur, and gazed around the deserted base. "What's going on?"

The Twins and their Zippleback rose into the air; Ruff raised her hands, palm up, and shrugged. Snotlout scowled, "What a rip-off!"
Fishlegs sighed, "Well; it looks like someone else beat us to it…" – Meatlug and Hookfang moved to join Skullcrusher and Grump; on the ground, a stones throw from Viggo's tent.
"The question is…" Stoick said, turning to them, "Who?"

Toothless came in for a landing; Hiccup dismounted, and made his way forward … toward Viggo's tent. Astrid met him by the entrance, axe at the ready; and lifted the flap for Hiccup and Toothless. – The interior of the tent was in disarray … as though it had been ransacked.

"We'll get the others, and search the island…" Stoick informed them. This was followed by the sound of footsteps, as the riders who'd dismounted clambered back into their saddles; then wing beats … as other dragons and riders rose into the sky.

Astrid opened her mouth, than closed it; she stepped away from the entrance, allowing the flap to close; and joined Stormfly … who was keeping watch, near the entrance to the tent.
There was silence for a count of ten; then a crash, from inside the tent; and Hiccup's raised voice saying "Oh, Thor; what is it going to take to catch this guy?"
Astrid flinched, and felt a fresh wave of hatred course through her; of Viggo, and everything he represented… 'This was supposed to be Hiccup's big–'
Before she could finish the thought; Hiccup's voice again sounded from inside the tent, "You here that; bud?" – Toothless warbled a reply, then came the sound of something heavy being shifted; an angry growl from Toothless, and the words "Whoa, whoa, whoa; hold your fire!"

Then another; all- too- familiar voice; said, "I never imagined these words would come out of this mouth, but… 'My dear Hiccup; I am overjoyed to see you'."

Ten minutes later,

Viggo was now seated on a wooden stool, on the side of the tent furthest from the entrance. Hiccup stood a few feet in front of him; Astrid about five feet to Hiccup's right, The Twins and Fishlegs stood between them and the tent entrance.
"What happened here?" Hiccup demanded. "Viggo: Where is the Dragon- Eye?"

The instant the words left his mouth, Stoick stormed into the tent, and across to Viggo. "You've come after my son; you've come after my home," he grabbed Viggo by the throat and lifted him into the air, "now you get to deal with me!"

"Dad, wait…" Hiccup stepped forward, "'Revenge is not a plan'; remember?"

"That was for you; son," Stoick pointed out. "For me, it goes down a treat."

"Let Viggo speak," Hiccup pressed. Stoick relented, and released his grip on Viggo's throat; Stoick moved to one side, and Hiccup turned to Viggo.

Viggo took several deep breathes; then said, "Ryker has lost all sense of reason; he's on his own, and unfortunately, has managed to sway the soft minds of the Dragon- Hunters. My brother, has turned them on their leader."

"And that, right there, is why I'd rather have a sister; any day of the week," Tuff commented; Ruff raised a hand, grinning. "Not you, obviously … a different sister." – Ruff scowled at him.

"Ryker's plan, as simpleminded as it is," Viggo continued, "is to wipeout the Dragon- Riders and all of your allies."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Yeah; and… how is that different from every other bad guy we've ever dealt with?"

"And defeated," Fishlegs added, jabbing a finger toward Viggo.

"The difference, my dear Hiccup, is 'Project Shellfire'…" Viggo countered; he turned to The Twins, "You remember that, don't you?"

"Just remember: 'If Viggo, you go'!" Ruff said, getting in Viggo's face.

Astrid leaned toward Hiccup, "Don't tell them I said this, but that one's actually not bad…" Hiccup met her eyes; gave her a barely perceptible nod, a flicker of a smile.

"That's right…" Tuff said, coming forward. "It's your day to burn, and we're the torch with the fire that burns!"

Viggo frowned at Tuffnut; then turned to Hiccup, "I'm sorry; did I miss something?"

"Uh, guys; maybe not now…" Ruff and Tuff backed away; Hiccup turned to Viggo, "Tell me what 'Project Shellfire' is; we know it's some sort of weapon, is it a boat … a dragon?"

"In due time, I will divulge all…" Viggo promised. "Project Shellfire; the location of the Dragon- Eye, but only if you help me stop my brother and send me on my way."

"Yak- dung," Snotlout 'coughed'. "I'm sorry; I had something in my lying throat."

"Snotlout's right, Hiccup…" Fishlegs chimed in. "We shouldn't trust Viggo as far as we can throw him."

"Agreed; trusting me is… shall we say, 'a stretch'." Viggo acknowledged. "Therefore, as a show of good faith, I will tell you where and when my brother will strike next … give you time to save some of your allies, which he systematically intends to destroy."
The interior of the tent fell silent; Hiccup and his father exchanged glances, then everyone's attention returned to Viggo. "The next attack will be on The Defenders of The Wing; followed by The Outcasts…" he turned to Heather and Dagur, "Berserkers, and of course, Berk itself … in no particular order. While Ryker is no tactical- genius, he still manages to hold some things 'close to the vest'."
Hiccup glanced around, then nodded toward the tent entrance; his message was clear, 'lets talk outside'. As the others filed out; Viggo called "Time is of the essence, Hiccup; it is the ability to make expeditious decisions that saves lives."

Outside Viggo's tent,

"There is no way we're believing one word this guy says." Astrid said, adamantly, gesturing toward the tent.

"Well; we can't just ignore it," Hiccup pointed out. "Astrid: There're too many lives at stake."

"Agreed…" Stoick announced, placing a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Gobber and I will bring the Auxiliary- Riders back to Berk, just in case."

Hiccup nodded, "Heather, Dagur; go make sure Berserker- Island is ready. I've studied the plans your team helped The Twins steal; I don't know what this 'weapon' does, but it's safe to say the thing packs a punch." – Heather and Dagur nodded; they, and the warriors they'd brought with them, hurried towards Shattermaster and Windshear.

A Night- Fury female, who'd landed nearby, several minutes earlier; spoke up, then. 'I'll gather the rest of our kin, bring them to The Dragons' Edge … in case this is a diversion, meant to lure you away from your base.'

Hiccup nodded a silent 'thank you', and the black- dragon shot into the sky; he turned to the others, "The rest of us will go check on the Defenders of The Wing."

"And… what about Viggo?" Astrid asked, gesturing at the tent.

"I guess he's coming with us," Hiccup sighed. "There's no other way; Astrid…" – She didn't look pleased, but nodded.

The following morning; the Island of the Wing,

They arrived at the Island of The Wing a few hours before noon; their reaction, to the sight of Viggo with his arms tied behind his back, was … mixed.
As Throk lead Viggo off, to a cell; Mala tapped Hiccup on the shoulder, "Hiccup Haddoc; I am going to assume there's a sane reason you'd even think of bringing this man into our home."

"Mala… I don't trust him either; but, if what he says is true; you could be in grave danger," Hiccup explained.

"It's not just the Defenders of The Wing I am concerned with," Queen Mala elaborated. "There's something else we must protect, at all costs; this way…"
The riders and dragons followed Mala to a pool of lava, near the base of the volcano; as they drew nearer, they saw it … the baby- Eruptadon, eating molten lava from the pool.
"He hatched a few weeks past," Mala explained. "He must be protected, and must keep his hunger satiated; he's too young and frail to survive anything else–"

Something slammed into the ground, a few hundred feet away; blasting chunks of rock off rock off of a nearby cliff, and making the ground shake. More fiery missiles followed the first … 'orbs' of blue fire, trailing smoke. Shouts filled the air, as the black- garbed figures rushed to find shelter. Toothless fired a plasma- blast at a boulder that was bearing down on the baby- Eruptadon's pool; then leapt back, only just evading another of the blasts.

"Hiccup; we need to get the baby- Eruptadon out of here!" Fishlegs said, urgently.

"Yes; please!" Mala agreed; "Fishlegs; go!" Hiccup said, nodding, gesturing further inland.

Fishlegs gently picked up the baby- dragon; and turned to the Great- Protector, "We'll protect him as he were one of our own, we promise!" – The Great- Protector nodded, reluctantly; Fishlegs clambered onto Meatlug's back, and the three of them rose into the sky … heading further inland.

"Believe me now, Hiccup?" Viggo shouted to them, from his cell; a shallow pit, in the ground, with a locked grate over the entrance.

"Not even remotely," Hiccup replied. "Mala, Throk; you and your men keep Viggo locked- down. We're going to fly into the attack, and find the source." – He, and the other riders, hurriedly mounted their dragons; moments later, they were in the air … dodging the fiery projectiles, as they plummeted toward the island below.

A few minutes in; Tuff called, "Not that we're ones to complain … about a totally awesome situation; but … hey, Hiccup … why are we doing this?"

"We have to find the source," Hiccup replied. "The only way to do that is to fly towards it…" Toothless swerved, suddenly … barely dodging another of the projectiles.

"Hiccup; that was way too close!" Astrid called. "Maybe you should go back; guard Viggo…"

Toothless pulled back, drawing up alongside Stormfly; Hiccup turned to her, "Astrid: We talked about this … it has to be business- as- usual. … Toothless and I will be fine; you need to stay focused, and keep moving forward … no matter what." – Astrid's eyes were bright; but she took a deep breath, and nodded.

The dragons pressed forward, through the clouds; and, finally, into open air. Ahead of them, they saw two Hunter- ships. Hiccup pointed, "There… Down there!"
The dragons surged towards the ships: launching fire-blasts before the crews had time to react to their arrival, and dodging arrows as they rose out of firing- range. The blasts had limited effect, however … these ships had been reinforced with Gronkle- iron.

As the dragons regrouped, Astrid spotted more of the fiery missiles rising into the sky; pointing, she called "There; behind that sea- stack!"

"Cover us!" Hiccup shouted, to the others; then Toothless and Stormfly shot towards the sea- stack, circling around it. They circled around it, from opposite sides; meeting on the other side, where they found … nothing.

Back at The Island of The Wing,

"He escaped?" Astrid asked, incredulously … gesturing to the grate that, when they'd left, had been secured over the entrance to Viggo's cell.

"The explosions allowed him to slip away…" Throk admitted, turning to face Hiccup; he clapped a hand over his chest, "I have failed you."

Snotlout opened his mouth; Hiccup shot him a look, and turned to the others. "We can't focus on Viggo right now, anyways… We need to get back to The Edge; we don't know where the next attack will happen." He turned to Mala, and Throk. "Of course: you and your tribe are welcome to come with us."

"No; we must defend our home," Mala replied. "But I do have a favor to ask: I fear that the baby- Eruptadon will not be safe here…"

"Don't worry; Mala," Fishlegs reassured her. "Meatlug and I were made for this!" He patted the baby- dragon; who was snacking on a puddle of lava, provided by Meatlug. "We'll keep this little guy safe, no matter what." – Mala nodded, a silent 'thank you'.

"Alright…" Hiccup nodded to Mala and Throk. "Send a Terror- Mail, if you need us."

That afternoon, the Dragon's Edge clubhouse; Hiccup and Astrid,

"The problem is; we've been thinking like Viggo," Hiccup noted. "We need to start thinking like Ryker…"

"Good luck with that." Astrid lowered her gaze; then continued, "Listen; I'm sorry, for…"

"Me too," Hiccup interjected. "Look; we have to put our personal feelings aside, and accept the risks … we can only protect each other to a point, like we've been doing for years."

"I know, I know; you're right … I lost my head," Astrid sighed. "It won't happen again."

"It is nice you know you care, though…" Hiccup commented.

"If you don't know that by now…" Astrid eyes gleamed, as they met his; they leaned toward one another, hands held … then the door to the strategy- room burst open, and they spun to face it.

The Twins leapt into the room; Tuff burst out, "'HA: Looks like she's got the mace, and I've got the talons! So; Viggo; it's game- over, and we haven't even–"

"Tuffnut!" Hiccup and Astrid interrupted, in unison.

"Yeah; you're right…" Tuff admitted, stroking his chin with one hand. "I would have the mace, not her … everyone knows I'm a 'mace- man' at heart." Next to him, Ruff grinned and nodded. "Guilty as charged; good looking- out, 'H'!" They turned, and left the room.

"Ok, well; that's … awful." Hiccup said, turning to Astrid; then the two of them turned back to the table, and the map they'd been examining. "Alright: lets assume that Viggo is telling the truth… If you were Ryker, which island would you hit next?"
They considered the map; then, at the same time; pointed to and said, "Outcast Island."

Late that evening; the Straits of Baldur,

"Ok; not that I don't love hanging out with you guys," Snotlout began, "but how does hovering over an empty ocean do us any good?"

"They can't reach the Archipelagos without passing through the Straits of Baldur," Astrid explained … again. (First it had been Ruff, then Tuff … and now Snotlout.)

"And when they do, they're going to come through us…" Hiccup, who was scanning the ocean ahead of them with a spyglass, finished.

"Hey; 'Hoff'," Tuff called; Astrid (Hofferson) rolled her eyes, but turned in her saddle. "Which of these do you like more…?"
Ruff presented the first option: "'My name is Hiccup Haddoc; submit, of be filleted where you stand and fed to my favorite yak!' or…"
"'Oh, you want a 'battle', Viggo; well, how about I give you a 'war' instead? It's bigger, and there's more fighting!'"

For a moment, Astrid just stared at them; finally she said, "Hiccup doesn't even have a 'favorite yak'."

"What about 'Yak-itty'?" Ruff asked, grinning.

"That's my yak; pal," Snotlout interjected. "'Yak-itty Jorgenson'."

"And, by the way, we don't want a war; guys." Hiccup pointed out, lowering the spyglass, and glancing back. He brought the spyglass back to his eye, and went back to scanning the ocean ahead; moments later, he added "Hunter- Ship; heading due- south!"

Between Hiccup's enhanced vision, and spyglass, it was twenty minutes, before the others saw anything. When the ships came into view; Snotlout frowned, "Is that a white flag?"

"Yeah; it is…" Hiccup confirmed. "But that's not the weirdest part… See: Ryker's waving it."

Fifteen minutes later; the deck of Ryker's ship,

By the time the dragons reached the ships; the decks had been cleared, save for Ryker. Eyes peeled for signs of trickery, the dragons set down; the riders dismounted, and made their way forward.
"Funny… That's the exact same story Viggo told us," Hiccup commented … once they'd heard Ryker out, "but he said you're the one that flipped."
To his left, Astrid's axe was in her hands and Stormfly's tail was raised; Toothless stood to his right … ready to attack. The other riders and dragons were arrayed around them.

Ryker raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah; then where is he?" he raised his hands, palms up; Hiccup and Astrid exchanged glances, the other Riders and Dragons did likewise.
"Let me ask you this: Between Viggo, and myself, who has more of an interest in you?" he pointed at Hiccup; another pause, Ryker nodded. "You see… It's Viggo who's lost his mind; it's Viggo who came up with, and built, the Shellfire; it's Viggo who wants a war!" he smirked. "But it's Ryker, who has the Dragon- Eye."

"Great; where is it?" Hiccup asked, direct and to the point.

"Oh, don't worry; it's safely hidden," Ryker 'assured' them. "Think about it… If Viggo had the Shellfire, and the Dragon- Eye, what would he do? He'd set … you … up." He extended his arms to either side … gazing around, at the other Dragons and Riders. "And that, is exactly what my beloved brother, is doing."

Ruff and Tuff exchanged uneasy looks; Snotlout snorted, "Well that's just great… Another lunatic dragon- hunter that we can't trust."
Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a glance, then noise to one side made Hiccup turn; his eyes widened, "The Shellfire!"

Heads turned, and they saw the familiar bursts of blue fire; exploding against the rising cliffs of an island … on the distant horizon. Astrid frowned, "But what's it attacking?"

Hiccup unrolled a map, found their position, than moved his finger across … to identify the besieged island. His eyes narrowed, and he held the map for Astrid to see; she gasped, "We have to go help them; Hiccup!" – She, and the other riders, rushed to mount their dragons.

"Help who?" Snotlout asked, as he clambered onto Hookfang's back.

"Heather and Dagur!" Astrid replied; "Berserker Island; now!" Hiccup agreed.

As they rose into the air; Ryker pointed toward Berserker Island, and called, "You see; Hiccup; that attack proves what I've been saying… Bring me Viggo, and I will give you what you want; otherwise, I'll disappear for good … along with the Dragon- Eye."
Hiccup's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing; Toothless shot into the sky … Stormfly followed with Astrid on her back, the other dragons and riders close behind.

As they sped toward Berserker Island, Astrid turned to Hiccup. "What are you thinking?" The Twins, who'd been muttering to one another, fell silent; all eyes went to Hiccup.

"This is too convenient; the Shellfire happens to attack a nearby island, right when Ryker meets with us?" Hiccup began, his eyes never leaving the island ahead. "I'm not sure who–"

"So… what; Ryker has the Dragon- Eye, and the Shellfire?" Snotlout asked, incredulously. "Well, that's just perfect!"

"Not now Snotlout!" Astrid called, giving Snotlout an irritated look; to Hiccup she added, "You were saying?"

Hiccup nodded to Astrid; then continued, "I'm not sure who's telling the truth; but if either Viggo or Ryker had both the Dragon- Eye and the Shellfire, they wouldn't be trying to make a deal with us… Both of them say they'll give us the Dragon- Eye if we help them take the other one out; and both claim the other has control of the Shellfire." He looked around, "If Ryker has The Hunters, and the Shellfire…"

Astrid cursed under her breath, "That means Viggo has the Dragon- Eye … or at least knows where it is; and since he's escaped, who knows where it is now?"

"There's a lot we don't know," Hiccup admitted. "But Viggo isn't gone … he and I, we haven't finished our 'game'; sooner or later, he'll come looking for us. Right now, we've got other things to worry about…" he nodded ahead of them.
They had crossed almost half the distance to the island, by now. As the Riders turned to take in the scene, two familiar shapes rose into the sky, and sped towards them.

"Brother!" Dagur called, when they were close enough to hear; Heather shook her head, "Hiccup… It came at us out of nowhere!" The instant the words were out of her mouth, one of the fiery blasts came their way; the dragons dodged, it streaked passed, but more followed.

When there was a lull, in the barrage; Astrid called, "Hiccup; Staying together won't help, we need to split–divide our forces..."

Hiccup nodded, "You're with me. The rest of you, go with Heather and Dagur; save who you can, and meet us back on The Edge."

"And where are you two going?" Snotlout asked, looking from Hiccup to Astrid.

Hiccup lowered the visor of his helmet, "To figure out what this 'Shellfire' thing is; stop it … once and for all." Toothless and Stormfly turned and sped off in the direction the attacks were coming from. The rest of the dragons continued on … to Berserker Island.

Five minutes later; Hiccup and Astrid,

Toothless and Stormfly sped towards a bank of fog, which concealed whatever was launching the blasts they constantly had to dodge. They sped entered the fogbank, and dipped lower … below the current wave of attacks.
"Come on!" Hiccup urged; his voice reverberating from beneath his dragon- helm, "We need to close the distance, before it can disappear!"

"There!" Astrid said, pointing at something in the water, as the mist cleared ahead of them.

"I see it…" Hiccup confirmed, lifting the visor of his helm for a better look. "It looks like a ship…" Toothless and Stormfly adjusted their course, heading towards it; suddenly the vessel heaved up, out of the water … a massive creature, a dragon, appeared beneath it!
The dragon opened its mouth; launched three of the blue fire-blasts, into the sky; then vanished beneath the waves … leaving only the ship they'd spotted. Then it rose again, fired three more blasts, and then vanished … again.

"What is that?" Hiccup asked, wide-eyed; Toothless shook his head, bewildered. 'I've never seen … or heard, of anything like it…' Hiccup shook his head; turned to Astrid, "'Project- Shellfire isn't a ship, or a dragon … it's both; they've weaponized a dragon!"

A moment later, they were spotted; a shout of "Dragon Riders!" rose, from somewhere below them. They watched as several Hunters ran along the vessel, disappearing into several hatches; then the dragon turned away from Berserker Island and dove … vanishing, ship and all, beneath the waves.
"And that's why it's so hard to find, and defend against!" Astrid realized, her eyes wide.

Hiccup lowered the visor of his helm, "I'm going after it; we'll meet you back here!" Before Astrid could open her mouth to argue, Toothless dove; moments later, Rider and Night- Fury vanished beneath the waves.
They weren't gone long, however; moments later, they reappeared at the surface; then rejoined Astrid and Stormfly, in the air. Hiccup shook his head; lifting the visor of his black- helm, "Too fast, and too deep…"

'It can't stay down for long; there are Hunters under those hatches,' Stormfly noted.

"True," Hiccup agreed. "But we don't know which direction it's headed, or where it's going to come up…" he sighed, "We've got to get back to The Edge to regroup."
Astrid nodded agreement; Toothless and Stormfly angled towards The Edge.

Early evening; the clubhouse on Dragon's Edge,

"Tidal- Class for sure; if I had to guess, I'd say Titan- Wing…" Hiccup summarized. "Bigger than a Submaripper; long- range firing capabilities."

"But Tidal- Class dragons don't attack humans; Hiccup," Fishlegs pointed out. "They just don't… it's not in their nature!" Next to him, Meatlug tossed up a glop of magma, for the baby- Eruptadon, who snatched it out of the air.

"I know; Fishlegs; The Hunters are forcing it to attack," Hiccup said, nodding agreement.

"Subjugation…" Tuffnut said, from the corner where he and Ruff were standing; everyone, human and dragon, turned to stare; Tuff shrugged, "What? I listen and learn, people."

Hiccup turned, "Dagur, Heather; I'm sorry about Berserker Island … we all are."

"At least we managed to save most of our people," Heather said; she turned to her brother, "But to rebuild…" her sentence drifted off; Dagur put an arm around her shoulders.

"I've been trying, really hard, to manage my anger; Hiccup," Dagur said, "but Viggo; he gots to go."

"Hey; that's my line!" Snotlout interjected, turning on Dagur.

"Sorry; Snot-hat…" Dagur said, turning back to Hiccup. "But seriously: Viggo's got to go."

'Then it seems we've found something we can agree on…' a voice said, from the door; it was one of the Night- Furies, who'd come to reinforce The Edge. He turned to Hiccup and Toothless, and growled something … in the Language of The Dragons; as he spoke, two more Night- Furies landed next to the first.

Hiccup's expression became thoughtful; Astrid raised an eyebrow, "Ok… What happened?"

"I … need to get some fresh air," Hiccup gave Astrid a quick kiss on the cheek, than climbed onto Toothless's back. "We'll be back before you know it."
Toothless, and the other Night- Furies spread their wings, and rose into the darkening sky.

On a ledge; overlooking the ocean,

Rider and Night- Fury swooped past the stretch of cliff; circled around, and came in for a landing. Hiccup dismounted, walked to the edge, and sat down; one leg hanging over the edge. "Looks peaceful, doesn't it…" Toothless warbled agreement, and came to sit next to him; Hiccup sighed, "I always have at least a gut feeling for something to do; but this time…"

A voice behind them said, "Perhaps I can help?" Rider and Dragon spun to face the speaker; Viggo raised an eyebrow, "I hope you didn't think I'd leave you hanging in the wind… I'm nothing if not a man of my word; Hiccup."
A brief pause followed; then Viggo continued, "Let me guess: Ryker told you I was the one who went rogue…" Hiccup said nothing; he chuckled, "I figured as much; probably offered you peace, and the Dragon- Eye … neither of which he is willing, or able, to give you."
As he spoke, both Hiccup and Toothless noticed he was gesturing only with his left hand; his right hand remained, unwaveringly, behind his back.

"Oh, and you are?" Hiccup asked, keeping his voice level.

Viggo gave a small smile, and approached them; Toothless prepared to launch a plasma- bolt, but Hiccup gestured for him to wait. Viggo stopped about fifteen feet in front of them, "As I said, my dear Hiccup; you help me stop my brother, and I'll give you what you desire."

"Which is exactly what he said … almost to the word," Hiccup noted.

"But he, conveniently, couldn't produce it … could he," Viggo countered.

"And you can?" Hiccup pressed; Viggo's eyes narrowed. "Yeah; that's what I–" Viggo brought his right hand out from behind his back … holding the Dragon- Eye.

Hiccup grinned; raised his hand in the air, than snapped his fingers closed, to form a fist. The 'shadows' rippled, behind Viggo, disgorging a dozen Night- Furies … half as many more appeared from beyond the edge of the cliff.
One Night- Fury slammed into Viggo, causing him to lose his grip on the Dragon- Eye; it flew threw the air, and Hiccup caught it. "Now, lets go… We've got a lot to talk about; Viggo."

Viggo blinked; recovered, and nodded. "Indeed we do; lets be off, then."

The clubhouse,

Hiccup and Toothless entered the clubhouse to find that little had changed; everyone noticed his arrival, and gathered around. Astrid; of course; was the first to speak, "Hiccup; what happened?"

"Two things…" Hiccup announced, "One…" he produced the Dragon- Eye from behind his back; gasps of surprise filled the room, "And … 'Two'…" as he spoke the second word, a Night- Fury appeared in the doorway; tossing Viggo Grimborn onto the clubhouse floor.

Five minutes later; the dragon- stables,

"Hiccup: You must reconsider!" Viggo insisted, as Astrid and Hiccup shoved him into a cell … closing, and locking, the door behind him.

"I'm sorry; Viggo," Hiccup said, firmly. "There's just too much bad- blood for us to trust that you'd do anything but try to … you know."

Astrid turned to Hiccup, frowning. "You're 'sorry'?"

Hiccup shrugged, "Not really, no; I'm just being polite … no need to lower myself to his level, right?"

Astrid nodded, "Fair point"; Viggo scowled, "I'm standing right here, you know." Hiccup and Astrid nodded in unison, "We know."

"And the Dragon- Eye's return," Viggo pressed. "It did nothing to assuage your concerns?"

"Not enough." Astrid confirmed, as she finished securing the lock on Viggo's cell.

"Ryker will attack this island with my Shellfire dragon," Viggo continued. "I'm afraid he won't rest until all of you are … well, you know."

"Well… That's encouraging, as always; Viggo," Hiccup noted.

"You see: that's just it," Viggo pressed. "I could be of considerable assistance, in helping you to defend your home, if you would allow me."

"We'll take that under advisement," Astrid said coolly, her arms crossed.

"They're here!" Tuffnut said, hurrying into the stables, closely followed by Ruffnut. "Well… I mean, not 'here', exactly, but very soon. Soon they will be here. I'm thinking we might need to start getting ready."

Hiccup sighed, Astrid's eyes narrowed; Viggo raised an eyebrow, "With reports like that, I'm amazed your Riders managed to thwart any of my plans." – Everyone ignored him.

"Translation; Ruff?" Hiccup asked, turning to Tuff's sister.

"Dragon- Hunters; multiple ships, headed this way," Ruffnut summarized.

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look, and went to mount their dragons; as they passed The Twins, he said, "Make sure he doesn't try to escape."

"Don't worry; 'H'; we've got this." Tuff assured them, as Ruff nodded agreement; once they were alone, they turned to Viggo. "So… Viggo; Veeg-ster; can we bounce something off you?"

Some time later; the dragon- arena,

"Ok, gang…" Hiccup said, pacing in front of the assembled Riders. "We have until dawn; they'll be in range by then."

Snotlout stepped forward, "I've had a thought … now, follow me on this, come along for the ride: I don't know about you guys, but I'm not completely attached to this place… let it burn to the ground." The others just stared at him; he continued, "I mean it's been fun; great views; but is it worth dying over? … That's what you've got to ask yourselves; all right, lets take a vote…" – He raised his hand, the only one to do so.

"Snotlout; if we don't stop them here, where do you think they're going to go next?" Hiccup asked; Snotlout looked at him, uncomprehendingly; Hiccup continued, "Berk. They're going to go to Berk … our Berk. We have to make our stand here, and do whatever it takes to stop them; we also have the Night- Furies. … We can do this; we just have to be ready."

"So that's one 'nay'," Snotlout concluded. "No surprises there…"

Hiccup turned to the others, "Dagur; can you and Shattermaster cover the back side of The Edge; with the time you've spent, sneaking around, you should have an advantage."

"On our way." Dagur said, nodding; he paused, turning back to Hiccup. "And, uh, I consider that a compliment, by the way … the 'sneaking around' part."

"Of … course you do." Hiccup acknowledged, as Dagur clambered onto Shattermaster's back, and the green- Gronkle rose into the sky. To the others; he continued, "Snotlout; you and Hookfang get the Gronkle- iron walls up, on the huts…" Snotlout nodded, reluctantly. "Fishlegs; take the Eruptadon- hatchling to the center of the island, find a safe place to hide."

"Wait; he gets to hide?" Snotlout perked up "we can hide just as well!" nodding to Hookfang.

Hookfang turned to his rider; he growled, eyes narrowing. 'You're kidding, right?'

"Hey, hey: 'There's no crying in Maces And Talons' … we think." Snotlout groaned, Astrid rolled her eyes; Hiccup turned to see Ruff and Tuff coming towards them. "It's our catch- phrase," Tuff continued. "It's already got the 'Viggo stamp- of- approval'."

"That's awesome." Hiccup said, without enthusiasm. "Ruff, Tuff, and Heather; you take on the first wave of ships. We'll keep the Night- Furies in reserve until we really need the extra firepower, and so they don't reveal their presence too early on."

"Don't worry your pretty little head," Ruffnut reassured them. "We're on it."

Astrid rolled her eyes, "I'm not worried."; Ruff rolled her eyes, "I'm talking to Hiccup…" she turned to Hiccup and added, "You'll have it before you can say 'ultimate destruction', my friend." – The Twins, and Heather, mounted their dragons, and rose into the sky.

Once the others were gone, Hiccup and Astrid turned to face one another; they held hands, and after a moment, Astrid spoke. "I know we need to get going, too, but first…"
They kissed; remaining together for a pair of heartbeats, and then they separated.

The following morning; a little after dawn,

Hunters rushed to and fro, preparing for the assault. As Dragon's Edge appeared, in the distance, the metal- portion of 'Project Shellfire' rose from the ocean … towards the rear of their formation. Hatches opened, in the deck, and more Hunters emerged.
Ryker raised his voice, "Remember: I don't want prisoners … I want bodies!"

Dragon's Edge,

Snotlout was at work, hammering a Gronkle- iron sheet onto one of the huts, when he spotted the first wave of fire-blasts bearing down on them. "Incoming!"
Fortunately, the first wave of blasts slammed into a stretch of cliff: close to their base, but not a direct hit.

"Everyone to their huts," Hiccup ordered. "We have to wait- out the initial attack!" The Riders rushed to their dragons, which flew them to their respective huts, then crouched down behind them.
When Viggo felt the first impacts; he rushed to the bars of his cell, "Fools!"

Ruff, Tuff … and Snotlout;

Ruff sat glumly on the floor of their hut; watching as Tuff rummaged through a pile of fallen crates, searching for "Chicken!" Tuff grinned, picked up his pet; who'd been spooked by an earlier volley, and taken shelter under the crates; and sat down, a few feet away from Ruff … and their 'other guest'.

"So… What's wrong with your hut?" Ruff asked, directing the words at Snotlout.

"I was so busy doing everyone else's' that I forgot about mine!" Snotlout; who's job it had been to prep the Gronkle- iron shielding for the huts; admitted, shakily.
Another blast hit; Snotlout dove under a table, and Chicken panicked and fled for cover … just as she had the last time.

Hiccup and Toothless;

As another blast hit, Toothless growled irritably; pacing around the interior of the hut he and Hiccup shared. Hiccup, who was kneeling behind a table; for a little extra cover; nodded agreement, "I know; bud; this is no fun for me either."

Astrid and Heather;

Astrid and Heather were sitting behind their table, listening as the attacks struck various parts of the outpost. The worst sounds, by far, was that of wooden planks shattering; since there was no way of knowing where the sounds were coming from, and it was all- too- easy to imagine the worst. – "I hope the others are ok…" Astrid said, anxiously.

"Astrid: I'm sure Hiccup and Toothless are safe…" Heather said, turned to her. Turning away, she raised her voice and called, "How're you two 'girls' doing out there?"
Stormfly and Windshear both squawked separate replies; Heather and Astrid both breathed sighs of relief. Then another blast struck, somewhere nearby: An empty barrel fell from a nearby stack, and Astrid's axe; which she'd set, blade down, next to her; fell to the floor.

Fishlegs, Meatlug, and the baby- Eruptadon;

Fishlegs and Meatlug emerged from the tunnel they'd used, to get from The Edge to the islands' more- distant mountain ranges. "You see; little guy…" Fishlegs said, soothingly, to the baby- Eruptadon. "We're safe here; nothing can get near us–"
A ball of blue light fell from the sky, trailing a column of smoke. It slammed into a mountain a few miles in front of them, sending chunks of stone flying; a moment later, another slammed into the upper part of the mountain rising above them. "Except for that…" he amended, exchanging a worried look with Meatlug.

The clubhouse; after the initial attack,

Five minutes after the barrage of fiery missiles subsided, the riders and dragons cautiously ventured into the open. Astrid and Heather than rushed for their dragons, and made for the clubhouse; the base was in rough shape, but all of the huts seemed to be intact.
They found Hiccup and Toothless at the clubhouse, along with Ruff and Tuff. Astrid leapt forward, throwing her arms around Hiccup; he hugged her back, then … after a moment, they separated.

"Ok: I don't know about any of you, but there is no way I'm sitting through that again." Snotlout announced, striding into the clubhouse. "We have dragons; we should be out there, sinking those ships!"

"The fire isn't coming from the ships; it's coming from the Shellfire," Hiccup pointed out.

"I hate to be the one to say 'I told you so'." Viggo said, entering behind Snotlout.

"How did you get out?" Hiccup asked, incredulously.

"My friend; Snotlout; was good enough to allow me to use the facilities." Viggo explained, clapping Snotlout on the shoulder.

"Oh, he did; did he?" Hiccup asked; both he and Astrid glaring daggers at Snotlout.

"What: he scares me." Snotlout admitted, shrugging. "Besides: When you've got to go, you've got to go… And who knows that, better than me."

"Hiccup: You must allow me to assist you … for the sake of us all." Viggo implored, coming forward. "The Shellfire's range is over a mile: Ryker is using ships; my ships, to be exact; to protect it."

"Then we need to get past the ships," Astrid concluded.

"And we'd better do it quickly," Hiccup agreed. "Toothless; I think it's time to bring in 'the family'." The Night- Fury nodded, and loped out of the clubhouse; a moment later, they could hear him calling to his kin. An instant later, there came a chorus of replies.

"Hey; what about me?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup, who'd just asked a few of the Night- Furies to bring Viggo back to his cell; shot Snotlout a look, "Why don't you keep an eye on your 'new best friend' there?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Snotlout asked, incredulously.

"It's not supposed to be fun." Hiccup said, pointedly.

Minutes later,

Toothless sped through the sky; Stormfly to his right, Windshear to his left, and twenty- five Night- Furies just behind them. The Hunter- Fleet was dead- ahead.
"Ok; we need to slow them down, a little; and move on," Hiccup decided. "They fire at us, we fire back; but our priority is still–" a blast from the Shellfire, and a volley of Hunter- arrows, cut his sentence short.
Stormfly, and Windshear dodged the arrows; a few clattered off of Hiccup's armor, and Toothless's scales. The Night- Furies, with them, accelerated: attacking the Hunter- Fleet.
Having been informed of The Hunters' reinforced decking; they targeted masts, sails, and … of course, The Hunters themselves. In thirty seconds, they were again forming up … around Toothless, Stormfly, and Windshear … on the far side of The Hunter fleet.

When, at last, they spotted the Shellfire; their entire group came up short, hovering in place as they took in the scene before them.
Three Hunter- Ships defended the Shellfire: One to the right, another to the left, and a third some distance behind the massive dragon. To either side of the vessel, ladders extended to a lower platform; massive chains, secured to the platform on one end, vanished into the ocean … securing the Hunter- vessel to the Shellfire's back. A line of Hunters also stood along the lower platform; raising war- hammers, and bringing them down on the dragon's back … with every series of impacts, the Shell-Shocker would rear up, and fire a volley.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Hiccup asked, finally, turning to Astrid and Heather.

"Unfortunately…" Astrid acknowledged.

"And we can't take them out without endangering the dragon," Heather noted.

"I'm pretty sure that was their plan," Astrid agreed. As she spoke, the Hunters again brought their war- hammers down; the Shellfire fired, forcing the dragons to dodge.

A moment later, the Hunters below spotted them, and began firing volleys of arrows. A familiar laugh drifted up to them; Hiccup turned, and spotted Ryker, standing on the upper deck of The Hunters' new weapon. Hiccup's eyes narrowed; he turned to the others, "Back to The Edge; we need to regroup!"
They dragons turned … to find Snotlout and Hookfang rising to join them; Hiccup frowned, "Whoa… Aren't you supposed to be guarding Viggo?" his eyes drifted back to The Edge, and widened. "Is that the stables on fire?"

"You said not to let him out; no matter what," Snotlout argued.

Hiccup shook his head, "Snotlout; use your brain!"

"Good Thor; you're so material!" Snotlout replied. "Egret taught me that; I don't know what it means."

"Go; we'll be fine," Astrid called.

"Oh… let's hope this isn't the biggest mistake of our lives; bud," Hiccup told Toothless. To the others he added, "Slow them down as much as you can, then meet us back on The Edge!" Toothless turned, and sped towards the burning stables.

Fishlegs, Meatlug, and the baby- Eruptadon,

As the three of them stood at the entrance to their tunnel, another of the incoming fire-blasts struck the top of a nearby mountain peek; as the smoke and debris cleared, a reddish substance began to flow into view.
"Oh; no…" Fishlegs murmured, eyes widening. "The volcano's been woken-up; if it erupts, The Edge… is going to sink into the ocean! Unless…" his glanced down at the Eruptadon- hatchling, visibly excited at the sight of the lava. "Of course; come on, Meatlug!"

Dagur and Shattermaster;

When the green- Gronkle and his rider reached the far side of The Edge, they discovered that several Hunter- Ships had pulled ashore. Their crews had encircled the Triple- Stryke; despite the dragon's fighting skill, it was clearly outnumbered.
"Ok, Shattermaster; time for a lesson on 'bullying'! Dagur exclaimed; Shattermaster rumbled agreement, and dove towards the Hunters. One blast of molten- rock, from the green- Gronkle, was enough to force The Hunters back.
As Shattermaster ascended; Dagur turned to the Triple- Stryke, "Go free; Mr. Triple- Stryke; find refuge in the forest!" – The wild- dragon nodded, and bolted for cover.
Then a boulder; fired from the one of the ships; slammed into them, and they fell to the beach. Dagur could tell, at a glance, that Shattermaster was hurt; he rushed to his dragon's side, murmured something encouraging; and then drew his sword, clearly ready to go down defending his dragon- partner.
Before he and The Hunters could close, four shadowy shapes shot past them. In the time it took Dagur to blink; the Hunter- Ships were sinking, and the Night- Furies were closing on the Hunters who'd made it ashore. – Then it was over … at least, for the moment.

Dagur grinned; nodding up the Night- Furies, "Thanks for the save!"

'Don't read too much into it; Dagur…' the nearest Night- Fury called; Dagur sighed, nodding. Then the black- dragon's voice softened, if only a little. 'You are making progress, however … perhaps you can change, after all.'
Before Dagur could respond to that, the Night- Furies … had vanished from view.

The stables,

By the time Hiccup and Toothless reached the stables; the entire structure was engulfed in flames. Toothless landed inside the stables; Hiccup discounted, rushed to unlock Viggo's cell, and swung the door open.
"Hiccup…" Viggo wheeze, as Hiccup helped him to his feet. "You came all the way back to rescue me; I'm honored."

"Yeah; don't be." Hiccup replied curtly. "If I left you here to die, it would make me no better than you…" They stumbled out of the stables, Toothless at Hiccup's side.

"Well; you'll be glad you returned…" Viggo promised, as he gulped down lungful's of fresh air. "I can help; if you will allow me."

"How… How can you help?" Hiccup demanded, already clambering onto Toothless's back.

"I can advise you; on defeating my brother, and stopping the Shellfire." Viggo pointed out.

"You've got that all figured out, do you?"

"Well, as luck would have it, I do…" Viggo replied. Hiccup sighed, and held out a hand to help Viggo up, behind him.

'Don't get comfortable; Viggo…' Toothless warned, turning to glare at Viggo.

"You can talk?" Viggo asked, gaping at the Night- Fury, and only barely managing to keep his seat on the dragon's back. – Neither Hiccup nor Toothless bothered to reply; the black- dragon spread his wings, and took off.

Ten minutes later; inside The Dome,

"Ok; I'm confused…" Snotlout admitted. "I thought you said 'keep him in his cell' … you can't toy with my emotions like this; Hiccup; I'm too fragile, right now!"
The other riders, save for Fishlegs, were gathered around; their dragons, meanwhile, took shelter behind it.

"He's right … I mean, sort of." Astrid said, stepping forward, crossing her arms. "I mean: Are we really trusting Viggo to be on the loose, especially now?"

"Well, if Viggo can help figure out how to stop this attack…" Hiccup began.

"What if he can't; what if he won't?" Astrid interjected. "What if this is all part of 'the plan'; we just walked into it?"

"Then … we just walked into it," Hiccup replied, pulling his Night- Fury helm on, over his head. "But I'm making the call: Viggo and I are going to take this thing down."
He and Viggo clambered onto Toothless's back; the entrance to The Dome opened just wide enough for them to exit; Hiccup glanced back, at Astrid; then they took off. Astrid watched them go … her worry, and uncertainty, visible on her face.

Hiccup and Viggo;

The three of them flew in silence, for a time; finally Viggo said, "You know … there's word of a tournament, to be hosted by the Tribe of The Whispering Trees…"

"Oh; is that right…" Hiccup asked, without interest.

"Maces And Talons," Viggo elaborated. "The winner, apparently, receives a life-size game set, made of solid- gold…"

"Lucky him." Hiccup replied, in the same tone.

"My poor, dear, Hiccup; relationships can be… complicated, am I right?" Hiccup turned in the saddle to glare at him, then back to what lay ahead; Viggo continued, "And while I can't place myself directly in your shoes; I can, most surely, empathize with your situation."

"You can, can you?" Hiccup asked, keeping his tone even.

"Absolutely; to be in love with a girl who is your partner in battle?" Viggo shook his head, "Not sure how I would balance such a precarious situation; it can certainly cloud the mind, impair judgment … make even the simplest of decisions vexing."

At this, Hiccup lost his patience; he turned, "You know what's 'vexing'; Viggo; is why you're rambling on, trying to get inside my head. I'd think that, by now, you'd have given up. You see I'm focused; I'm clear, decisive… What I am not is your friend, ally, or … Maces And Talons buddy. So lets leave our personal- lives out of this, and just get down to business."

Viggo raised an eyebrow, "I'm only trying to help."

"Well; if you want to help," Hiccup gestured at the empty ocean around them, "why don't you tell us where we're going, and what we're doing?"

Several moments passed in silence; then Viggo said, "Stop; dragon." Toothless growled, low in his throat, but slowed to a stop.

"And… what's going on; what are we doing?" Hiccup asked, he sensed movement behind him, chose to feign ignorance.

"Yes…" Viggo agreed. "So it would appear…" he raised a knife, as though in preparation to strike.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you…" Astrid said, from behind them; Viggo froze, Hiccup turned and saw the knife he was holding.

Viggo turned, "Astrid; I'm afraid you may have misinterpreted the situation."

"No; I think I've interpreted it pretty well," Astrid countered. "Now drop it."

"Exactly what I'd planned all along," Viggo claimed. "Give us a moment; Astrid; and all will be revealed … I assure you." He dropped the knife into the water, below them.
For several moments, nothing happened; then a disturbance formed in the water, as something rose to the surface.

"So the dagger was to stir up the water; and cause the Submaripper to surface." Hiccup concluded, turning to Viggo. "But… how does this help us with the Shellfire?"

"Hiccup; the Submaripper is the natural, and hated, enemy of the Shellfire," Viggo chuckled. "A little fact I kept in my tunic for a day just like this."
Hiccup cupped his hands to his mouth, and called to the Submaripper … in the language of dragons; the dragon roared back, and set off in the direction of Dragon's Edge.
The dragon- hunter gaped at Hiccup, "You can talk to them too?" – Hiccup ignored him.

Dragon's Edge,

"Fire!" a Hunter- Captain shouted, and a volley of arrows rose into the air. Hookfang dodged, and blasted fire at the ship, scattering the Hunters.
Barf- and- Belch landed on another boat, pinning two Hunters to the deck; one head breathed gas into the hold, the other ignited it; the explosion tore through the hull of the ship, and it began to sink.
Windshear blasted fire at another boat, and it began to sink: apparently lacking Gronkle- iron reinforcements. Another blast from the Shellfire arched over them, and Heather glanced back toward The Edge with concern.
Before the bolt could reach its target, a Night- Fury intercepted it with a plasma- bolt … causing it to explode in midair. Now that the Night- Furies had joined the fight, only a few of the Shellfire's fire-blasts made it to The Edge. It was a temporary solution, though, and they all knew it. – Heather turned to the others, "Come on!"

"I don't see anything…" Snotlout called, as they passed through a curtain of smoke. Then the Shellfire surfaced, just a few hundred feet ahead of them. "Scratch that!"

Ryker scowled up at them, from where he stood on the upper- deck of their vessel, on the Shellfire's back. To his men he shouted, "More dragon- riders; take them down!"
His men rushed to fire rotating- ballistae, one the decks of the remaining ships. Hookfang and The Twins' Zippleback narrowly dodged separate barrages by diving into the sea; they rose to the surface, a moment later, but had no safe route back into the sky.
Then Windshear was forced to veer, suddenly; Heather fell into the ocean, kicked to the surface, and clung to a piece of floating debris … from one of the Hunter- ships.

"Time to finish them off; do it!" Ryker's shout reached their ears; to either side, his men hefted their war- hammers … and brought them down.

"Oh, boy; this is going to hurt…" Snotlout said, eyes widening.

"And there's no cover out here," Heather agreed.

Moments before the Shellfire launched its volley, something slammed into it from below; Hunters went flying, Viggo lost his footing, as another massive dragon rose into view. Then both dragons vanished beneath the surface.

"What. Was. That?" Tuffnut asked, wide-eyed.

"That, my friend, was a Submaripper!" Ruff replied, grinning.

"Where did that come from?" Snotlout asked, "And why is it… helping us?" As he asked the second question, Toothless and Stormfly appeared out of the smoke, above them.

"They made it!" Heather exclaimed, "Thank Thor!" As she spoke, the two massive tidal- class dragons rose back to the surface … facing- off.

"Ok: The Shellfire's tied-up with the Submaripper; this may be our best chance to take-out the rest of the ships!" Hiccup called; to his friends, and the Night- Furies who'd joined them.
The Night- Furies immediately moved-in to cover the downed riders: Windshear picked-up Heather, while Hookfang and Barf- and- Belch likewise took to the skies.

The Submaripper and Shellfire had already destroyed several ships, in the course of their battle; constantly diving and resurfacing, thoroughly disorienting the Hunters now clinging to their safety- handles.
"You stay, and fight like Hunters!" Ryker bellowed to his men; a wave crashed over them, washing several away. "Come back here; do you hear me?"

Hiccup took in the scene, "Viggo: I need to drop you on the beach, you're slowing us down."

"Pity," Viggo commented. "I was going to enjoy watching Ryker go down with the ship." Toothless doubled back to the beach; Viggo dropped to the ground, "We may be adversaries; Hiccup; but my respect for you is beyond what I could possibly put into words."

As Toothless was turning to rejoin the fight, they spotted Dagur and Shattermaster … who was clearly injured. As Toothless set down, a tremor shook the island; Hiccup turned to Dagur, "You need to get Shattermaster back to Berk; send for Gobber, he can help."

Dagur shook his head, "Shattermaster can fly, but he can't carry any extra weight–" before he could finish, then Triple- Stryke lumbered into view. His stingers unraveled, picked Dagur up, and set him down on his back … a clear message.
"Thanks big guy…" he gave the wild- dragon a pat, then turned to Hiccup. "What about you?"

Hiccup nodded toward the volcano, "I have a feeling Fishlegs is in trouble. Go; 'brother'; your dragons needs you." – Dagur blinked, surprised to hear Hiccup call him 'brother'; then he nodded. The two dragons spread their wings, and took to the sky.

Meanwhile,

"And that's the last of them…" Heather said, with satisfaction, as the last of the Hunter- ships succumbed to the Night- Furies' attacks.
They heard Ryker shouting something, and turned in that direction … just in time to see the Shellfire rear up, and the chains that ran across its underside snap. The entire metal- vessel, that was 'Project Shellfire', fell away from the dragon. It landed, upside down, in the ocean; a moment later, the Submaripper created a whirlpool … pulling the vessel beneath the waves, for the last time.

"Oh. My. Thor!" Tuffnut cheered. "The Submaripper; Submaripper-rama!"

"Hate the smell; love the dragon," Ruffnut agreed.

Windshear, Hookfang, and Barf- and- Belch retreated to a safe distance; then they, and the Shellfire, watched as the whirlpool pulled in the rest of the Hunter- Ships. After a time, the Shellfire turned, and vanished beneath the waves.

The Edges' volcano,

Toothless set down on a ledge, near the summit of the volcano; Fishlegs and Meatlug hurried to join them. "Hiccup: The baby has slowed the flow of lava; the volcano is finally stable!" Fishlegs reported, gesturing to the baby- Eruptadon, as he spoke.

Hiccup nodded, "Go get the others; we need to do a flyover, to make sure the island is really out of danger." – Fishlegs nodded, clambered onto Meatlug's back, and they took off.
To Toothless he added, "We'll be ok; bud; this nightmare looks like it's finally over…"

"Are you sure about that?" Viggo sat behind Astrid, on Stormfly's back; one arm wrapped around her, the other gripping her own axe … holding the blade to her throat.

"Let me guess…" Hiccup said, eyes narrowing. "You want the Dragon- Eye, in exchange for Astrid."

"Oh; it sounds so much colder when you say it like that … but yes," Viggo confirmed. "While I do appreciate your assistance putting my brother back in his rightful place, I must insist that you return it to where it belongs … with me."

Hiccup retrieved the Dragon- Eye from Toothless's saddlebag; Astrid gasped, "Hiccup: don't even think about it!"

"Oh; come now…" Viggo pressed. "Are you really going to sacrifice your future; all the wonderful years you have ahead of you; for that?"

"Well… When you put it that way; Viggo; no I'm not!" Hiccup brought his arm back, and threw the Dragon- Eye; Astrid seized her opening, grabbing her axe out of Viggo's hand, turning to shove him off of Stormfly's Viggo had already jumped down, he ran forward; his attention fixed on the Dragon- Eye ... moments later, it vanished into the volcano. The Dragon- Eye... was gone.

Viggo stopped short, mere feet from the rim of the volcano; he rounded on Hiccup, gritting his teeth. "This. Is. Not. Over … Hiccup Had–" A loud 'crack' cut the sentence short; a line appeared, running left to fight, a few inches in front of Viggo.

"Oh; I think it is…" Hiccup said, softly. "Beaten at your own game… how embarrassing. Good- bye; Viggo Grimborn; give my regards to The Valkyries." – As he spoke the last word, the ground beneath Viggo's feet crumbled; he cried out, and fell … into the volcano.

"Are you 'ok'?" Astrid asked, joining him; Hiccup nodded, "I'll be fine."

"It's finally over…" Astrid said, her eyes on Hiccup's face. "It is over… right?"

"Yeah; of course…" Hiccup took a few steps back from the ledge; then turned to face her, "Definitely."

"I should've listened to you…" Astrid said, in a rush. "You are our leader; our relationship can't get in the way of that … it won't happen again."

"Just promise you won't stop telling me what you're thinking…" Hiccup told her, his tone gentle. "Astrid: I rely on you; it's what makes us … 'us'." He extended a hand, "Deal?"

Astrid took his hand, in both of hers; said, "Deal", and kissed him on the lips. They separated, briefly, and then Hiccup kissed her. – A chorus of gasps made them turn, and they found the rest of the riders … and their dragons, staring at them.
"This…" Snotlout began; "Changes…" Fishlegs continued; "Everything!" Ruffnut finished.
Tuffnut frowned, "Well… Not really; I mean, it has been almost three years."
Ruffnut nodded, "Fair point, actually"; Fishlegs nodded, "Can't argue with that."

They charged forward, for a group- hug; then stepped back. Hiccup; his left hand holding Astrid's right; said, "Alright, gang: Once more around the island… let's make sure The Edge is secure."
Everyone nodded, hurrying to mount their dragons; when their riders were in place, the dragons spread their wings, and rose into the sky. As they rose up, above the island, a sudden tremor made them turn.
A massive column of smoke was rising from the islands' volcano; there was another tremor, and an explosion… The volcano was erupting.

To Be Continued…