CHAPTER 29: Captured
Hiccup, Eret, Fishlegs, Blavery Borhid, Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut, had all stood at the edge of New Berk, in their wing suits, watching the seas from above as the two sets of boats collided, and it looked like Alvin's men were now retreating.
"Hiccup, when do we go down?" Eret asked.
"Right about now. They've moved close enough to the island for us to take them by surprise. We'll glide down to their armada and destroy whoever they've got defending them. Then, we grab Guddorn." Hiccup insisted, subsequently flipping his Toothless wing suit helmet over his face.
"Good luck, son!" Valka said, as she stood besides Gobber and the two kids.
"Thanks, mum. This'll be our way of finding Astrid and commencing the first step of destroying this evil that's on our old home island.." Hiccup said, his voice sounding echoey due to the helmet covering it.
"I haven't done this for ages, Hiccup, I really don't like heightss?" Fishlegs conceded.
"Oh come on Fishlegs, it's only for now, we agreed to this plan before...we HAVE to do it to save Astrid..."
"I know...but...-"
"AHAH! YOU'RE A BIG BABY!" Tuffnut chuckled, pointing to Fishlegs, to the point Fishlegs had stumbled on his balance.
"YEAH! A BABY ALRIGHT!" Ruffnut added.
"KNOCK IT OFF, YOU GUYS! WE HAVE TO GO DOWN NOW!" Hiccup said, stretching his leather wings of his wing suit out, readying himself for the leap off of New Berk, where he and the rest will subsequently glide through the air onto the armada of Mentranians below.
"I'm ready when you are, Hiccup." Eret proudly nodded, keeping his dignity.
"Same here." Blavery said.
"Remember guys, we want Guddorn alive, he won't be any use to us dead yet." Hiccup reminded everyone.
"ONE, TWO..." Hiccup started sprinting towards the edge of New Berk, with everyone else following him.
Fishlegs hesitated, but he got through his fears due to the significance of the task in hand.
"THREEEEEEEEEE!" Hiccup yelled, whereby he leapt off of New Berk first, subsequently stretching his arms out and letting his wings of his wing suit elevate him within the wind.
He saw the dark seas below through the eye hole of his helmet as he glided through the air.
"PERFECT GUYS, PERFECT..." Hiccup yelled, as the wind roared viciously in his ears as he glided carefully, high up above the seas.
The Hooligans were, to the unawareness of the Mentranians, up above the ongoing battle between Alvin's Outcasts and the Mentranians themselves.
Alvin and his men may have looked stupid for not bringing enough crossbows to counter the Mentranian armada, but their main goal, given to them by Hiccup, was to lure the Mentranians closer to New Berk, so Hiccup & co could glide from the top of the island, in their wing suits, right into Guddorn's armada. They, in reality, didn't expect the Mentranians to put up too much of a resistance. It just so happened to be the case that the Mentranians were much more equipped than Alvin anticipated, with the catapult especially, and the number of crossbows they had.
Their numbers of crossbows were even more dangerous when you considered the venomous arrows, too. In hindsight, the Outcasts probably should've equipped themselves with a ton more weaponry and crossbows, and general ranging gear.
With that catapult, Alvin and his men were two boats down, as it came to be in the last chapter, and although the Outcast Chieftan was soaking with seaweed scented sea water, alongside another fellow Outcast, after the two of them had to jump into the water to avoid being killed by the second catapulted boulder that'd go on to directly hit Alvin's boat, he and his set of boats had widened the gap between themselves and the Mentranians.
"Alvin...that was too close for comfort..."
"I'm so sorry for that happening. Either we underestimated them or we just weren't ready. But they're no longer directly on our trail. MEN, SCOUT THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM AND OURSELVES!" Alvin said, subsequently yelling that last part of his sentence.
The Mentranian armada seemed to be fully intact, although a few of Guddorn's boats had arrows impaled into their structures. Luckily, though, they seemed to no longer be chasing them.
"All clear, Alvin." a couple Outcasts on a nearby boat said.
"All clear."
"They've backed off."
"Good, good. But again, I'm really sorry for that to have happened." Alvin said.
Alvin was quite surprised at seeing the Mentranian armada backing away and not chasing them on the seas...given they had the upper hand just now, wouldn't it have been a smart move to..from their perspective...have at least attempted to fully conquer his men? Alvin was wondering what the motive behind the Mentranians backing off was, but he was thankful for it; if they hadn't, Alvin himself and his men could've become the next visitors to Mentra's isolation camps.
The armada itself was steering off towards the left. Alvin was careful to mind his position on the edge due to the Mentranians still having their crossbows up high; he didn't want to be impaled with a venomous arrow.
"I think, as Hiccup wanted us to, we've got them close enough to New Berk right here, for them to glide down right into their armada." Alvin nodded, still breathing somewhat rapidly, whilst he was recovering from the panic he gained before, from a near-end experience when he was almost killed.
"I fear, though, we haven't done enough to destroy the outer portions of that armada, to access Guddorn easily..."
"We're only five minutes away from their armada. Once they're distracted with Hiccup and the rest, we can probably sail back towards them and lend them a helping hand. The boy's gonna need it if he's going to rescue Astrid." Alvin said.
The Outcasts were swaying on the vast night seas, as the Mentranian armada started steering to a left direction, their sails blowing gently and slowly in the winds.
"Well done. Our might has been displayed quite thumpingly. Let's head on home." Guddorn proudly declared.
"I think it's safe to say, sir Guddorn, we're in a very good position for Operation Catafly, given the weakness of those vikings just now." the Mentranian captain viking uttered to Guddorn, sounding optimistic.
"The father will be delighted with our ethic, and our will to have done this, and I agree. Catafly is going to be a walk on the waters when the time comes. FOR THE FATHER!"
"FOOOOOOORR THE FATHERRRRRRRRRR!" the armada, being so close together, yelled collectively.
The chant sounded intimidating and threatening given how many had yelled it at the same time, but it was simply Mentra's patriotic way of expressing their joy at victory. They've forced the allies of the Hooligans to waste their weaponry, and they had just demonstrated comfortably their ability to weaken the enemies in any future battle, as shown with the catapult attacks.
In reality, the Outcasts weren't equipped with enough gear or weapons, but still, the Mentranians took this 'triumph' as a victory, and a conclusion of the mission to have held off the Hooligans and their allies whilst the engulfing of the barbaric archipelago continues to go on. That was Hawkon's demand of Guddorn, and he's achieved it.
Applauds and yells of patriotism were rife in the air in the armada, as the Mentranians all adjusted their sails and rotated the poles of them, so they could make their boats sail back into the direction of Mentra. They were all cheerful and spoke amongst each other.
Guddorn studied New Berk's structure as his armada slowly began sailing away. Curious to him was the fact that the island was unlike any other. But once they take over it and win this whole war, New Berk had the potential to become the 'capital' island of Mega Mentra in the event of victory. Similarly to how we have capital cities.
But first, the Mentranians and Berserkers needed to win the war, and so far, they seemed to be doing rather okay.
"ALVIN," Hiccup yelled, as he and the lot glided in the air directly above Alvin's boats, "COME BACK TOWARDS THEM!" he added, only having a certain amount of time to yell the message due to the speed of his glide.
As Hiccup, Eret, Tuffnut and Ruffnut, Fishlegs, Blavery Borhid and Snotlout glided past the Outcasts, towards the Mentranian armada, Alvin looked back at his men with a surge of energy.
"YOU HEARD THE BOY, GUYS!" Alvin instructed.
Hiccup was ahead of everyone else. He had ensured that everyone had their helmets down for when they landed upon one of the boats of the armada, so they could avoid being inflicted with their venomous arrows. The smoothly glided along, and like a missile, they were all sliding down the wind towards the significantly smaller armada in comparison to the ones used to invade Outcast Island.
"Uh, sir?" one of the Mentranians asked Guddorn, sighting what he thought were some sort of floating colours ahead.
"What is it?" Guddorn asked.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" he pointed.
Guddorn noticed it. Instantly, he sat up and backed away on his boat.
"THERE HE IS!" Hiccup yelled to everyone, as they got closer and closer to the armada.
"OPEN YOUR ARROWS UP, MEN! THEY'RE HERE!" Guddorn yelled.
"WHO'S HERE?!"
"THE HOOLIGANS! THEY'RE IN THOSE WING SUITS!"
"SIR-" the Mentranian was cut off as Hiccup pelted the Mentranian with his metal leg as he made the first landing on one of the boats.
His black scaly armour of Toothless's wingsuit meant that he wasn't able to be seen just now. But Hiccup had found himself surrounded by a bunch of Berserkers and Mentranians.
Eret & co had landed next, and as Hiccup studied the vicinity, he was quickly interrupted by a bunch of arrows being pelted into his scaly gear from the attacking Mentranians.
"HICCUP, WATCH YOUR BACK!" Eret yelled, shoving Hiccup out of the way as everyone became engulfed by the numbers of Mentranians.
Eret had rushed into a charging Berserker who had equipped a steel mace, as he nearly slammed Hiccup with it. Eret kept his helmet on as Hiccup snatched the crossbow up from the fallen Mentranian he had kicked, after being shoved by Eret.
Eret had pelted the incoming Berserker with a hard, aching fist to the stomach, prompting the Berserker to drop his weaponry.
"GET IN THE SEAS YA WALKING MOUNTAIN!" Eret raged, as he gripped the struggling, in-pain Berserker and tossed him overboard into the seas.
"FIRE THEM ALL UP, MEN! THEIR ARMOUR'S COUNTERING OUR ARROWS!" Guddorn yelled, on the front boat, directly ahead of the Hooligans.
He was careful to keep his distance. The Hooligans, as they were all being bounced off with tons of arrows from Guddorn's own men, seemed to be countering them all due to those wing suits. Guddorn looked behind himself as he had contemplated potentially escaping capture by the Hooligans by swimming away.
"Don't worry sir, we've got them held off, you'll be safe." the captain had insisted to Guddorn.
"SNOTLOUT, FISHLEGS-" Hiccup struggled, as he found himself dodging and ducking around numerous attempts by a couple of Mentranians on the packed initial boat to hit him helmet first with their crossbows, "TRY AND GET ON THE OTHER BOATS!"
"BLAVERY, YOU LOOK FOR GUDDORN!" Hiccup subsequently yelled, as the cries of rage and yells emitted from the boats as the battle enraged.
More and More Mentranians hopped across their boats, as did Berserkers, to the one the Hooligans had landed on, and were currently still on. Hiccup was struggling. The more he dodged and ducked, and subsequently whacked his acquired crossbow into the heads of the fanatic vikings, the more they seemed to double in numbers. Eret at the moment was still dealing with the remaining Berserkers.
"GUDDORN, WE'RE COMING FOR YOU!" Blavery yelled, as he tried to push his way through the maze of Mentranians in the midst of their vicious cries of rage under their scaly face masks.
Hiccup felt a couple of arms wrap themselves around his armpits, and like a flat object, he was pulled down to the wooden floor of the boat back first, held down by about five to ten Mentranians. The speed at which he was pulled down had made the boat shake briefly. He simply became overwhelmed with the numbers.
"TUFFNUT! RUFFNUT! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Hiccup yelled, as he felt a boot forcefully pressed upon his chest to keep himself down.
"It's time to say goodbye, 'Chief'..." one Mentranian uttered from the side.
"MISSED US! HAHA! YOU CAN'T IMPALE US EITHER! DORKS!" Tuffnut yelled, as he felt his gear be tapped by a bunch of arrows being fired by the Mentranians as the fanatical vikings were now all on the boat the Hooligans were on.
"HICCUP, I CAN'T- AAARGHHH!" Blavery yelled, as he too was caught amongst a maze of Mentranians, as their yells and rages had ran rife in his ears.
He too was forced down to the ground, back first with a dangerous thud, as the Mentranians intended on ripping off all their helmets to inflict their arrows head first into them. Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, were all grabbed in the same manner due to the numbers overwhelming them. They were doomed.
"ARGH, NO! NO! SNOTLOUT-"
"I CAN'T, HICCUP, I CAN'T!"
Hiccup felt a couple of palms grasp tightly onto his black helmet that was covering his face. He couldn't raise his hands up enough to prevent them from opening it. Sweat began leaking down his forehead and cheeks under the helmet as the Mentranians kept him on the ground by his legs, his arms, and his chest. It felt like it was game over.
"NOT SO FAST, COWAARDSSSS!" Eret yelled, rushing into the entirety of the Mentranians, just as they were trying to yank off the helmets of everyone.
Eret's gigantic size and arms meant that he could bulldoze right into the Mentranians, and that's precisely what he did. Fishlegs had joined in as well, as he and Eret rushed around the boat, having dealt with the Berserkers, (subsequently tossing them all into the water), ramming a mace that Eret had acquired, and Fishlegs, ramming a crossbow, into all of the Mentranians.
"HOP ON OVER BOYS!" Alvin yelled, Hiccup hearing his voice as he felt the Mentranians retreat, and he could hear a whole range of bodies collapse to the boat floor.
Just like that, as the Mentranians retreated, the armada had been emptied of the fanatical vikings, as the majority of them were knocked out and dropped over the boats into the waters.
The Outcasts had hopped on over to the armada as their set of boats finally arrived. Eret grabbed a couple of the Mentranians and sent them headbutting into each other, subsequently knocking them out.
At this point, a quarter of the Outcasts were on the Mentranian boats as more continued to arrive; the only boat remaining with the fanatics was the one with Guddorn. The night time was in its entirety as the boats, now besides the Outcast boats, had roamed and floated upon the deep seas near New Berk, as a few tiny portions of the seas shined a reflection of the moon above.
A peaceful night like this was the occurring conditions of a brutal battle on the seas. Crazy, but it was to be expected.
"ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?!" Alvin yelled.
"I'VE ONLY JUST GONE AND DEALT WITH THESE FANATICS MYSELF MAN!" Eret replied.
"GREAT JOB, ERET, GREAT JOB, EVERYONE. WHERE'S GUDDORN?!" Hiccup yelled, as the Mentranians were either on the floor, knocked out from Eret and Fishlegs just now, or in the waters.
Hiccup was quick to bounce back onto his feet, on the middle boat of the armada as one more was directly ahead; the one with Guddorn and his captain on it.
"QUICK, GET OUT OF HERE! WE'VE RAN OUT OF OUR ARROWS!" A couple of other Mentranians commanded, as they had managed to get out of the sight of the Hooligans in the midst of the battle just now, to sail back to Mentra, knowing full well their commander in Guddorn was still vulnerable.
"HE'S OVER HERE, HICCUP! HE'S TRYING TO SAIL AWAY!" Blavery pointed, as Fishlegs, Eret, Alvin, Tuffnut and Ruffnut, and Snotlout all began pursuing the edge of the boat they were in, as the gap between Guddorn's boat and their boat widened.
"WHAT'RE YOU IDIOTS DOING?! SAIL AWAY! SAIL AWAY!" Guddorn yelled to the Mentranian captain, just as Hiccup had leapt over the small gap, leaping up onto the boat, as did Eret subsequently.
Eret tackled down the captain besides Guddorn, and Alvin was quick to tackle down the other Mentranian. Hiccup, feeling a surge of anger as he rushed over to Guddorn, as Hawkon's right hand viking was just about to leap into the seas, to avoid being captured by Hiccup, had leapt upon the body of Guddorn and had taken him down.
Angered with a red steaming face, Hiccup kept Guddorn down as the fanatical armada leader struggled. Hiccup pelted Guddorn in the face with a couple of punches as everyone else, from the Outcasts and the Hooligans, hopped onto the boat with them.
Hiccup continued to pelt Guddorn with hammer-like fists in terms of their force. He felt so angry and on the verge of crying, whilst committing the physical attacks on Guddorn, because of him knowing that the fanatic he had on the boat ground right now was a prominent figure of not just the Mentranian regime on Old Berk, but a prominent figure in the disappearance of Astrid. He was so angry as he kept punching him.
The armada was defeated, and the result has ended up with the Outcasts and the Hooligans successfully capturing the first of four prominent vikings of Mentra, in Guddorn the Glorious. Hiccup couldn't calm himself down as he continued to pelt Guddorn with his fists. He wanted answers about Astrid, and answers he'll definitely be getting once they get the fanatic onto New Berk in a position of vulnerability.
