Hi guys! Not many reviews last chapter- I do hope you are all still reading and enjoying! Thanks again for all the support. Anyways, shoutouts:
HttydBellatrxxx- Thanks! Hiccup always comes in at the right time lol. if you are still at school, then I made it haha. Enjoy the chapter xx
SyrupWriter- Me too! Hiccup will stop at NOTHING to protect Astrid in my eyes. And here it is! Have fun :DD
DANIELA123- Lets see... ;pppp
KinglyRoom59363- Ooh I like that you think that. Just wait and see! Hope you are happy to know it will be a tad longer than that! Maybe 3 more chapters? Sorry, must be a reading error, unless I've missed something when re-reading it. Don't worry, the story is here for a while to come, and I will never stop writing :D.
Httydfangirl123- No problem! Hahahaha it totally works. Just wait and see... soon enough, all your questions will be answered!
Nina (Guest)- Okay, I ill try and take that into account. Short chapters with cliffhangers is kid of my FanFiction style, but I will try and create a happy median :)
Enjoy Chapter 20 guys! *Tosses you virtual chocolate covered raisins*
"Hiccup?!" Astrid stood, eyes wide with shock. Before there was a reply, the NightFury had flown off towards the village to help the others, she supposed.
Fishlegs' jaw had dropped until it was pretty much sitting on Meatlug's back, Valka burst into a fresh set of tears, and Snotlout was simply confused.
"Was that... Hiccup?" He was stunned to the core. His cousin was alive? After everything he had witnessed?
"I thought he was, like, meant to be dead?" Ruffnut joked, but was secretly overjoyed that her friend was okay. She turned to her twin, expecting him to follow up with another comment, but instead he just sat on Barf, silent, in relief.
No one understood. No one could make sense of it. He was alive- okay, maybe that was understandable. But riding a dragon? It was impossible... surely it was impossible?
Their thoughts of confusion melted away, when they heard a groan. Drago began to stir awake. Astrid bolted to Stormfly, axe at the ready, and began hacking at the ropes which bound her. Then, on the 6th saw, they snapped open. The Nadder squawked in appreciation as she clambered to her feet, giving a little shake before signalling to the Viking to mount her. Astrid did so, swiftly, and the two took to the sky, soaring off with the others towards Berk, just as Drago reached up, and clutched his head in pain.
...
It was dark. No, like, really dark. Smoke filled the air and the intense smell began to make him cough. He looked around; ash and rubble were falling more swiftly and in even larger quantities than when the great hall was ablaze. Well, the whole village is burning down, he thought with a sigh, as he pushed onwards through the large clouds of grey. He thought it wise to stay in the air, out of sight of anyone else, and fight from there, before finding Gothi to help Mildew. He soon fingered out that all the aim was directly down at the village, meaning flying so high would make no difference to the battle raging below. The smoke was gradually getting thicker during the decline, and he was stunned it wasn't affecting him more, let alone the wound itself, which apparently had some invisible barrier over it, preventing the blood from flowing out.
Finally making the decision, he scratched the underside of the dragon's chin, who nuzzled him in return, and the two plummeted downwards through the ash, pulling up before they slammed into the ground.
Horrifying. That's one of may ways to describe it. Horrifying, unsettling, terrifying, death-filled, petrifying and was enough to make your blood run cold- however much of it you have left, that is. Wounded Vikings were sprawled all over the ground, crying for help, some still yelling never-ending battle cries. Those fighting were fighting a losing battle, numbers dropping like a pin by the second, more people crying out as flames, weaponry and boiling water damaged their bodies.
Then, amongst them, Hiccup noticed what he was dreading- the dead. The crumpled, bleeding, motionless Vikings who lay beside their friends and family, the handed of them being saved now nil. Those are my people, Hiccup thought. Why could I not protect them? e shuddered, as he glanced at his own wound, as large and gaping as ever and he winced. That should have been me; why is it not?
Soon came what he expected. When a raggedy, injured viking is a-flight on the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself- especially one who they thought to be dead- it causes quite a few acts of confusion. It began with pointing and staring as people registered it was in fact their chief, who had just recently been stabbed by the man holding the attacks on them at that exact moment. Following that, was the calls.
"Hiccup?"
"Chief!"
"How-"
"What-" Villagers began to fight harder and cheer as their leader swooped by, eliminating 3 SnapTrapper riders at once. Hiccup flinched with every shout. He didn't deserve their excitement. He shouldn't bring them motivation. It was all his fault. All his fault... No, he thought abruptly, actually shocking himself. It's not your fault. You need to stop thinking like this, or whatever happens next will be your fault. They need you out there. He straightened in his saddle with a slight shimmy. They need their chief. Suddenly, Stoick's words rang in his ear, making him even more determined and down to earth.
I'm proud to call you my son.
He soared into the destruction, ready for a fight, which he was not going down without.
...
Where is he, Astrid thought, as her and the other riders ploughed through the congregations of ash, dust and smoke. Of course she wanted to help the village, but if Hiccup was okay (somehow), she had to find him.
Valka had finally subsided her tears, and they were all flying seriously through the skies, each knowing their purpose and what they had to do to save Berk. To save their home.
She glanced around, whilst snatching a rider off of a Scauldron and throwing him into the deep, rubble-filled sea, as they neared the shore docking onto the island. The sun was almost fully down now, and darkness began to engulf the sky, along with the village itself. The only real light was from the burning of the buildings and the dragon's fire.
Abruptly, Astrid halted, pulling the others into a swift stop just behind her.
"What are you-" Snotlout was Cut off by a large 'sshhhh' from Astrid, and they all listene intently, thought not really knowing what for. Just as they were about to begin their flight once again, a large screech and the noise of a blast, followed by a purple ball of flames zooming across the sky from the North.
"There!" Astrid pointed in the direction of the Plasma Blast, and they began the journey towards it.
We're coming, Hiccup, She thought.
...
It was getting gradually harder to fight with every move he made, but the adrenaline kept him going. Hiccup scanned the area once more to check for any signs of Drago, before moving slightly towards the East. Blackness had almost overcome the world, but the brightness of the flames was enough to light his way. He attempted not to think of those who lay down their, dying, if not lady dead, from all sorts of wounds which Drago and his armada had caused.
Ooh when I get my hands on him!
"Hiccup!" A female voice interrupted his battle as he jerked around, to see the other riders tearing towards him and Toothless, who was still checking every five minutes if he was okay. He was reassured every time, even though the chief slowly began to feel tiredness growing and looming inside of him. The Nightfury didn't understand quite what had happened to his rider, but was grateful for it, whatever it was.
"Son? You're okay!" Valka was desperately excited as she whizzed ahead, but slowed as she saw the wound which was still very clearly fresh and, she imagined, painful. "Oh son..."
Hiccup wasn't answering. The others were a bit bewildered, but Astrid and Fishlegs watched their leader dart his head around very angle as if searching for something. Then, he locked eyes with it.
"Ummm... Hiccup?" Fishlegs, reached to tap his friends shoulder, but gasped at what he saw instead. Astrid approached beside him, and did the same.
"Hiccup you are not-" Too late. Before Astrid could finish, her betrothed was already in a dive, plummeting towards someone they dreaded.
...
Toothless landed with a thump on the boat, which now had holes pierced through it, to Hiccup's amusement. He spun around, trying to work out the exact location of the man he had seen from the sky. Nothing. He mounted his Nightfury once more, Inferno still in hand, and was about to fly again, passing it off as a trim of the light, when he heard a voice.
"Hello Hiccup," Drago revealed himself from behind a barrel, axe drawn, and a large, horrific smirk plastered across his face.