CHAPTER 22
Toothless didn't even make it a few meters out of the cove before he crashed back down into the shallow water. He growled in pain and frustration and flapped his unresponsive wings, but to no avail. His chest burned feverously, and his vision flickered. His scales melted away of their own accord and someone wrenched him from the water by the back of his shirt and dumped him on the ground.
Toothless shook his head, trying to clear the water and pain away. Something cold touched his neck and he glared up the blade of Astrid's axe into her frightened eyes.
Stoick stood over him, his form massive and imposing, his hand gripping his own axe.
"Are you beast or human?" the Chief of Berk demanded. "Answer me!"
Toothless spared a glance up at the sky before turning his attention to the three Vikings in front of him. There was no hope of getting out of it, not that it mattered anymore. What mattered was Hiccup,
"I'm both," he said.
"Why shouldn't I kill you now?" Stoick demanded.
Toothless narrowed his eyes. They really didn't have time for this. He needed to go after Hiccup. "Because I'm your only hope in finding your son. Only a dragon can find the Nest."
Stoick stared at him long and hard. Eventually, he lowered his weapon and rubbed his face. "Where is my son?"
"He's been taken by a Titan Wing. It was after the amulet. Hiccup took it so it went after him."
"It's true," Astrid said. "It went straight for Hiccup. What's so special about this amulet?" she demanded.
Toothless swallowed, his mouth dry. "It turns me human. It's the key to stopping the war between Vikings and dragons."
"So how are you human now if you need the amulet?" That was Gobber.
"I've been wearing it for years. I guess I've stored up enough power." He winced. "I don't know how long I've got before I use it all."
"What happens then?" Stoick asked.
Toothless met his eye. "Then you won't have to worry about me anymore."
There was a long pause.
"I'll help you, dragon," the chief said. "But once we get my son back, I'll decide what to do with you."
Toothless lowered his gaze to the ground. "That's…fair."
He stood unsteadily. "We need to move. Hiccup is injured. The amulet will keep him alive, but I don't how long it will last. We need to get to the ring. Those dragons trust me. They'll help. I can get there faster."
"They'll kill ye before ye step foot into the village," Gobber argued.
"Gobber's right," Astrid said. "I'm coming with you."
Toothless eyed them. They were right. Of course, they were. There was no chance that he'll be able to get away from a whole village as weak as he was. "Fine. Meet us there," he said to the others.
He closed his eyes and shifted. The pain was terrible, but he forced himself to complete the transformation. The Night Fury shook his head and nodded to Astrid. She hesitated before straightening her back and climbing on. He checked that she was holding on and bounded out of the Cove. She clung to his neck as they raced through the forest faster than Toothless had ever run before. Every step sent jolts through his entire body, but he urged himself onwards. They had to make it. They had to save him.
Astrid let out an alarmed shout as leathery wings flapped overhead and Thistle Foot landed next to them, barely breaking its stride.
"I heard screaming," the Deadly Nadder said. "Where is Hiccup?"
"He's been taken."
The Nadder chirped in concern. "What can I do?"
A plan was forming in his mind. "Go find the Thunderdrum in the caves and follow me."
The Nadder bowed her head low—an amazing feat while still running and dodging trees—and flew off.
They burst out of the forest and bounded through the village, Astrid clinging tightly to Toothless' neck. People shouted in alarm, many jumping out of the way as he ran at break-neck speed toward the arena. He slowed only when they passed the teens, almost bowling Snotlout over.
"What the—Astrid?"
"Come on," she yelled.
Villagers were crowding around them, shouting and trying to block his path, but he unfurled his wings and flew over them, narrowly missing an axe. The arena doors were shut. He let out a plasma blast and the doors exploded and shot through the smoke and landed heavily in the middle of the arena.
Vikings poured in behind him, weapons drawn, shouting for answers when they saw Astrid. The teens pushed through.
"Astrid." Snotlout came as close as he dared. "What are you doing?"
Astrid slid off Toothless' back and put a hand on his head. "The chief will explain. Just wait."
"That is a Night Fury, lass," Spitelout spat. He pushed his way through the crowd, his sword clasped in his hand. "We should kill it before it kills us." The crowd yelled in agreement.
"STOP IT, THE LOT OF YOU!" Stoick bellowed. The crowd parted for him and Gobber and Toothless breathed a sigh of relief. "No one is to harm him."
Spitelout clenched his sword in rage. "Have you gone mad, Stoick? That there is a Night Fury! the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself!"
The crowd yelled in agreement, and a few took a step closer to the dragon. Astrid raised her axe, daring them to take another step.
"SILENCE!" Stoick yelled and the crowd stopped immediately. "That dragon is the only hope in finding my son. I will not let anyone stand in my way."
The crowd murmured amongst themselves.
Someone spoke up. "Where is yer son, Stoick?"
Stoick's stony gaze raked over the crowd. "He was taken by a beast of the Nest." The arena was silent, and he nodded toward the Night Fury. "He is the only one who can lead us. I will say this once and once only. Anyone who lays a finger on that dragon will answer to me."
When no one said a word, Stoick nodded to the Toothless, and he closed his eyes and willed himself to shift. His wings folded in on themselves and the sound of popping bones was audible. Scales melted into skin and claws into fingers. It hurt. It hurt so much.
He swayed on his feet. Astrid stepped forward to help him, but he waved her away and stood, looking out into the crowd.
"Demon!" someone yelled.
"Quiet," Stoick snapped. "I have made a deal with him. Nraseri will explain what's happened. He has a plan."
Toothless straightened and faced the crowd. "Hiccup has been taken to the Nest in Helheim's Gate. The only way to get there is to follow a dragon. The enemy we're facing is a monster. It will stop at nothing, and it's just got its hands on something that is a threat to all of us. We need to get Hiccup back before it's too late. And the only way to do that is for us to set aside our feud and work together."
"Why should we believe you? How do we know you won't just leave Hiccup?"
Toothless narrowed his eyes at the Viking who has said that. "I have protected him for longer you could imagine. The thing the dragon has taken is the thing that keeps me alive. Don't think for a second that I wouldn't trade it to keep him safe."
Still, some looked unconvinced.
"Oh, come on!" Astrid shouted. "This is Nraseri. You guys know him. We all know him. Do you honestly think he'd leave Hiccup of all people?"
"Yeah!" one of the twins said, punching the air.
Astrid rolled her eyes. "If you still aren't convinced, then stay behind. But I'm going." She turned to Toothless and spoke in a low voice so that only he could hear. "Hiccup trusts you. He told me that dragons were different. Prove it." Louder, she said, "What's the plan?"
And like that, the tension eased.
Toothless walked over to Stormfly's cage and put a hand on the lever. "There are four dragons behind those doors. All of them are willing to fight for us to end this war."
He turned to the teens. "You five know them best. They will be willing to be tamed by you. After, if they choose, they will be released." He looked up at Stoick when he said the last part, offering no room for negotiation. Stoick's hand tightened around his axe but he inclined his head.
Toothless opened the Nadder's cage and stepped back. Stormfly was waiting just behind the door. She tilted her head, puzzled. He stretched his hand out toward her.
"Flyer of Storms,"he saidsoftly. "I bring you your freedom."
Stormfly looked up at the crowds of Vikings and to the teens behind him. She met his eyes and edged forward.
Toothless beckoned to Astrid who took a hesitant step forward and eyed the dragon apprehensively. Toothless gently placed her hand on the Nadder's snout. Stormfly pressed in, pupils dilating. She stepped back and chittered, ruffling her wings with excitement. "Yes. I like this one."
The twins were, unsurprisingly, very excited. The Zippleback suited them well. The same went for the Gronckle and Fishlegs. Snotlout was last. Toothless coaxed the Monstrous Nightmare out of the cage and took his hand. The Viking flinched and tried to pull back, but Toothless's grip was iron. He placed Snotlout's hand on the dragon's snout. The Monstrous Nightmare hummed, and its pupils dilated.
Snotlout let out a short laugh. "Wait," he said, panicked when Toothless moved away. "Where're you going?"
Toothless pulled out the rope from one of the many crates. "You're going to need this."
The sun was setting by the time the ships were ready. A few dozen Vikings on three heavily armed ships, four dragons in the air, their riders clinging to their backs with only rope as support.
Toothless couldn't leave fast enough. Stormfly had given him a ride to the caves so that he could pick up his saddle. He had a feeling that he was going to need it. He hefted the wrapped bundle under his arm and boarded the ship with Gobber and Stoick, taking a moment longer than usual to get used to the rocking of the water.
There was a familiar chirp and Thistle Foot landed on the deck, startling some Vikings. She tilted its head to one side, looking pleased. The Thunderdrum followed, although it didn't land, eying the ships.
"What has happened," he asked, tail twitching at the sight of Vikings and sharp weapons.
"The Thornridge has taken my friend and the amulet," Toothless explained. "We are headed for the Nest. Please, I know we only just met, but if you help me bring them home, then I will forever be in your debt."
The Thunderdrum hummed. "You need not be in my debt, Nraseri. I would do it all the same. I know of some kin on the islands that will gladly help destroy the Deceiver. I will bring them and follow you."
A spark of hope bloomed in his chest. "Thank you, friend. May the wind make you swift."
Toothless turned to Thistle Foot as the Thunderdrum flew off and put a hand on her beak. "Listen,"he said, looking the dragon in the eye. He tied a rope loosely around her neck and secured a folded letter to her ankle. He pulled out the ruined dagger he'd grabbed from the forge and held it in front of her nose. "Head to the Bog-Burglar Islands. Find a girl with wild hair. Her name is Camicazi. er HddBring her and meet us at the Nest."
The Nadder chirped, "Yes, Nraseri."She launched into the air, making the ship sway.
"What did you say to the Nadder?" Astrid asked.
"I sent for backup."
"It just listened to you. Did you tame it too, or is it because of what you are?" Stoick asked, an acid tone in his voice.
"No," Toothless said, looking Stoick in the eye. "Hiccup trained her."
There was a cold silence. "What?"
"He taught himself how to. I gave him pointers."
"So, it was all a trick? A lie?"
Toothless narrowed his eyes. "He beat each and every dragon. Isn't that the point of dragon training?"
"This is a distortion of our teachings."
"You teach your children to kill."
"Your kind has killed hundreds of us."
"And you've killed thousands of us," he shot back, his voice rising in frustration. "The humans have torn families apart, ripped hatchlings from their parents, and slaughtered my clan. The Night Furies protected you. We drove your enemies to the far corners of the Archipelago, and we suffered in silence. And in return, you slaughter our kin. You're wrong. And Hiccup knows that too. He took everything he'd learned and used it for something other than soiling his hands without our blood. He's much smarter than you give him credit for."
"I know my son," the chief snapped. "I know he's smart, but he's not a warrior. I thought that something would change once he got what he wanted, that he'd finally grown up enough to lead this village and take this seriously, but all this has shown me that he would rather throw his lot in with your kind than protect his people."
Toothless bristled. His fists curled at his sides, shaking with anger. "When was the last time you actually acknowledged him before the raid? Before the training? When was the last time you saw him as a son, and not a failure?"
"Hiccup is everything to me!"
"Have you told him that? All of this," he threw his hands in the air around him, "he's done for you. This war? He's trying to end it even if that means that you will never accept him. A chief listens to his people, Stoick. Hiccup listened to the dragons. He listened to them and he listened to me because he saw the glaring truth that has been staring you in the face for years, something that you missed.
"You didn't even listen to him when he said that he shot down a Night Fury, which he did, and by the gods, it hurt!" His whole body was shaking uncontrollably now. There were so many eyes on him, but he didn't care anymore. "He could have killed me then and brought a dragon's heart back to you, and he almost did. He had his dagger ready and I couldn't do a thing, but he set me free. And he did it because he had compassion for one of the most feared beasts in the Barbaric Archipelago.
"He is a better Viking than any of you will ever be, but he doesn't know that because no matter how hard he tries, you are too stubborn to accept him for who he is. You wonder why he chose to spend more time with the dragons and it's because they don't feel the need to judge him for every little mistake—" Toothless choked and started coughing. His hands flew to his chest, grasping at empty air. His lungs felt as if they were tearing themselves apart. Bright green blood splattered on the deck of the ship.
Gobber steadied him, patting him lightly on his back. His eyes were watering, and he dashed tears away and wiped his mouth. He was aware of all the Vikings watching him, some peering at him from the other ship. Above, the dragons hovered nervously.
He wouldn't meet Stoick's eye, not because he was ashamed of his outburst, but because he could see the glare of his glowing eyes on the scales of his armour. He closed them, willing the glow to disappear, but he only managed to dim them slightly.
A tense hush had fallen over the Vikings and the dragons.
"You're right, Nraseri," Stoick said quietly. His voice carried a weight that settled in the chests of each and every one of them. "I…I'll admit that maybe I don't know my son as well as I thought. I am a chief, but I should be his father first. I haven't been there for him, and I have been…blinded by the past few days. But there is one thing that remains the same. I do not want to lose Hiccup any more than I already have. I do not want to lose my son." Stoick dropped a hand on Toothless' shoulder with a gentleness that he didn't know the man possessed. He knelt down in front of him and look him straight on, not flinching at the green-gage glow that created shadows across his face. "We're listening. All of us. Tell us what to do."