Disclaimer: I own nothing. Dreamworks owns How to Train Your Dragon. Disney owns Tangled, Frozen, Sword in the Stone, and Brave. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Entertainment One distributed Justin and the Knights of Valor, but Kandor Graphics created it, so they own it.
This takes place after A Tangled Gathering.
As the soldiers scattered, everyone saw Sleuther screeching as his three tails clicked into one. Toothless roared at the enraged ally, trying to dominate through intimidation. But the dragon was larger than before, with his black and yellow body now darker as flames coated it.
"Hiccup!" Fishlegs cried out, running towards Meatlug. "Whatever got Skullcrusher got Sleuther too!"
"I can see that!" Hiccup cried out as he ran towards Toothless.
Astrid had already mounted Stormfly, taking the fight to the air as her dragon flung spines from her tail. The attacks were anything special against the cursed Sleuther, but it did get his attention as the duo flew into the air. They say Valka's dragon, Stormcutter, greeted them with a snarl. The four-winged dragon was transformed, flaming like the others with a crazed look in its eye.
"Looks like we're in for a real fight, Stormfly," Astrid remarked.
Stormfly cried, agreeing as she readied for a fight. The dragon had nothing to fear, with Astrid covering her, putting her trust in the shieldmaiden.
Another roar came as Skullcrusher reappeared, looking crazier than he did last. His battle cries rattled the ground troops, making some soil their armor, taking a place beside Sleuther.
Knights that hadn't shaken or soiled themselves readied their bows and spears, each fixed with a special head to only harm, not kill. Volleys of arrows danced in the sky as they narrowly avoided their target or broke against the dragon's scaly armor. Many scattered as fire plummeted towards them, almost as if the sky was falling.
"Everyone! Hold your shields up and form ranks!" Sir Justin yelled, keeping his body protected with his own shield.
Some knights were frightened but listened as they came together in a phalanx formation. Soon, the group looked like a turtle in its shell as the fire came down. Celts, who came without shields, ran underneath the makeshift shelter as they readied their bows.
Hiccup and Toothless took to the air, separating the inflamed Sleuther and Skullcrusher. The two barrel-rolled through them, taunting the dragons with their cries. The chief looked over his shoulder to see the pair chasing after them.
"Looks like we got their attention," Hiccup commented. He turned back to the front, ensuring his eyes stayed ahead. While the sky was open, a dragon fight meant being aware of your front, back, and every other direction imaginable. But the chief and alpha were never the average dragon flyers, keeping a distance with aerial acrobatics as they dove to the ground.
Sleuther and Skullcrusher flew as quickly as possible, jetting around with feral instinct. The former had more luck closing the distance, leaving the rhino-like dragon behind. And that was what the Vikings needed.
Rushing from the side, Meatlug rammed at Skullcrusher, having waited for the opportunity to strike. While the Rumblehorn was heavily armored, most of its extra protection was in the front, covering the head and beginning of the chest. The rest was of normal scaling, allowing a dragon, like the bulky Gronckle, to knock the wind out of him as he crashed to the ground.
Knights rallied around the downed dragon, readying chains as they surrounded their quarry. But Skullcrusher, even with a primal and savage mindset, still knew what to do, breathing flames around itself, creating a barrier from the warriors while providing some cover.
Chains were thrown, but many missed without proper sight, giving a moment for the feral dragon to rest. Or that would have been the case if King Fergus was not one of the craziest warriors, jumping in with Dagur as they punched the Rumblehorn.
"What's the matter, Skullcrusher? Can't crush any skulls?" Dagur mocked.
"Hah! Is that all yoo got? I've had dinners with more bite than yoo lot!" Fergus taunted with his sword held high.
The Celtic king and Berzerker chief guffawed and taunted the dragon, enraging him further as the flames grew. They paid no mind as Skullcrusher charged forward at great speeds. Despite his size, the dragon could split a ground-level wooden wall. The warriors leaped out of the way as the rampaging beast ran into a wall of chains.
Sir Justin had positioned a group of knights with Sir Bart behind, forcing the dragon into the restraints as more were wrapped around the beast. With hammers, stakes were buried at the end link, bringing the attention of the other dragons.
Sleuther and Stormcutter roared as they flew to attack the men. But Hiccup had Toothless block their path with Stormfly at their left and Meatlug on the right.
"Keep them away from the knights! Make sure they can't free Skullcrusher!" Hiccup ordered as Toothless roared in agreement.
Astrid and Stormfly were ready, arming themselves with an axe and tail spikes. While Meatlug stared at the two, Fishlegs was looking around as he noticed one dragon missing.
"Uh, Hiccup? Where's Grump?" Fishlegs asked.
As if Loki, Norse trickster god, worked his chaos into the fight, the Vikings saw the lumpy orange dragon as he flew through the knights, scattering and knocking them down.
Gobber ran up, taking a stand in front of the path of his dragon with his arms out. He had his only hand acting like a claw as his mace prosthetic was in front. He saw how his friend flew with his eyes closed, indicating how his ride fell asleep while flying again, a trait unique to the Hot Burple.
However, the two didn't collide as bolos were thrown at Grump. The sleeping dragon's wings were tied, making him crash to the ground only feet away from the Viking in front. The dragon roared before yawning and going back to sleep. How he could do so under the stress of the grimora was anyone's guess, but Grump had always been a lazy dragon. Perhaps it was just his nature.
"Nice throw," Gobber said with a smile. But his face dropped as he saw the same men who threw the knot charge with swords out. The look in their eye told of their murderous intent, prompting the man to take a stand against them.
"If ye think yoo're gonna hurt my Grump, you're gonna have to go through me!" Gobber boasted.
More knights drew out spears, swords, and war hammers, walking towards Skullcrusher as the dragon roared against his chains. Sir Justin readied his blade, wanting to reason first, but was ignored as someone threw him aside, along with anyone else who interfered.
"What are you doing?!" Sir Justin yelled, getting back up.
"Ending this charade. These beasts are too dangerous to roam free, and it's clear the Vikings can't control them. So we must put an end to them," one of the knights said. His colors showed him from the kingdom of Bayangor. His words had knights coming to his side. Their bows aimed only at the reptiles with arrowheads reinforced to pierce through the scales.
Men of Corona, Arrendelle, Gablyonia, and DunBroch ran towards them with swords and hammers, but several volleys of arrows flew before and steel clashed. Toothless, Stormfly, and Meatlug maneuvered around the tiny skewers, but the same was not said for Cloudjumper, who took an arrow to the knee and shoulder. Such wounds were inconsequential and would heal without worries, but they agitated the dragon, who dove like a hawk.
The dragon riders tried to follow, but they were now busy handling Sleuther and another volley of arrows. They could only fly acrobatically as the Stormcutter gripped two men while flames another pair, flipping in the air as she tossed the knights into nearby trees.
"Scatter and regroup!" a knight cried out. The men separated as the feral dragon circled around, eying the warriors. A few Invangarrians jumped at her, trying to wrestle the reptile, but found her flames too much as they spread.
But one warrior made another attempt.
It was Conan, the Goliath of the Dingwall clan. The giant he'd hold the dragon before tying her up with the chains. The flames burned, but it wasn't enough to phase him as he pinned the Stormcutter to the ground, much to everyone's astonishment.
"I forgot he was here," Dagur commented. He flexed an arm, pondering their difference in strength.
"Get the dragon!" a knight from Galcrest yelled. He held his sword out, but he was the only one to charge, not noticing until the giant muscle man swatted him away with minimal effort.
Conan stared with a stoic frown, scaring the knights back. They had seen the warrior's power, brushing off anyone who had fought him in the tournaments if they were not too scared to fight him.
"Stand your ground," the one of that from Bayangor said. He brought out a small pouch, tossing it in his hand as he stared down the giant.
Everyone looked at the man in silent disbelief. Fully armored or not, the knight's physique paled compared to the Celtic giant, whose muscles could be mistaken for rocks.
Conna stomped over to the smaller knight, intending to end things quickly. To his surprise, the armored man put on a cocky grin as he threw the pouch. It was caught with ease.
Have a nice nap, barbarian," the knight said, throwing a dagger at the sack.
Powder came forth as the wind blew it toward the Celtic warrior. The effects were immediate, making the bulky man drowsy before he crashed into the ground, shaking the battlefield like a small earthquake.
"That can't be good," Gobber said.
"That can't be good," Hiccup repeated as he, Toothless, and the other riders circled Sleughter. Things were beginning to look hectic as the battle returned to its chaos. Knights were now aiming their bows again.
"I can't believe I'm saying, but we need to free the dragon before they slay them," Hiccup said as Toothless cooed in agreement. The two dove to the ground, making the Night fury's signature screech as they went to the ground, making some of the men duck. With a plasma blast, the chief reluctantly freed Skullcrusher, Grump, and Cloudjumper. With the feral dragons now free and renumbered, the fight became more complex as the Viking land.
Sir Justin and the forces of Corona and Gabylonia came to their side as they held their shields. They locked eyes with the forces of Invangarr, Weselton, Galcrest, and Bayangor. A boat came from above as the feral dragons landed with purple flames. The only force remaining were the Celts.
"What is this?!" King Fergus yelled with rage. He pointed at the feral dragons, who waited for the humans to strike. "I thought we were here to hold the dragons, not hunt them down!"
A warrior of Invangarr walked forward. She was burly with muscles and a scar that ran through her right eye. With her spear aimed at the Celts, she spoke.
"Invangarr fights for strength. These dragons challenge that and threaten us. Do you chose to fight or flee?" She said.
Fergus was astonished, looking at his men, perplexed by this outcome.
"Have you been drinking from the same waters as these dragons!?" Fergus retorted.
"She's right. So what's it gonna be? Are you with us or against us?" This time a knight came forward from the crowd. The field was split into three, with the knights now facing each other and the dragons. The beasts had proved difficult, but seeing men brandish weapons against them was a crisis they did not need.
The feral dragons roared as they dove, the dragon riders flying at them as the ground troops prepared to let their weapons talk. But before the sparks flew, a blue mist came to the middle, erupting in an explosion that formed the largest spike of ice ever seen. There was only one person who could perform such an act, and Queen Elsa
Back at the purple tent, another had joined the duo, pouring another bottle of wine as they sat down. The explosion had shaken them up, but the third member assured the event was insignificant to the matter.
"War is but one part of politics. Whoever thinks the world never brinks on it, is a fool. Invangarr believes such cause, hence why they boast strong military forces," the first man said. "And it's why they eagerly jumped at the chance of battle."
"That is the choice of these barbarians," the second scoffed. He chuckled to himself, swirling the glass and its contents. "But I admit the Invagarrians have a speck of intelligence."
"Indeed. I've been waiting to see which side the accepts take, but it seems they were persistent in being neutral, hosting all the kingdoms. It seems if you want answers, throw a rock," the third said. He glanced at the first chuckling darkly. "Though in this case, it seems you threw something better."
The first man didn't reply, going over to the holes in the tent. Picking up a tipped drape, he watched the continued repair of the festival. People were hammering away as anything salvageable was brought out of the borders for any repairs. Celts and knights kept a watch out, staring at the skies.
"Hmph. Barbarians. Trying to pick up the pieces already torn apart," the man said. He put down the damaged curtain and walked over to the counter.
Three more glasses were poured and picked up as the others walked up. Clinking in a toast, the trio downed the glasses before leaving to integrate themselves into the clean-up crew.
"Then I see you all again after the dust has cleared," the second said.
Everyone froze in fear as the icy stalagmite thawed in place. In the only opening, Queen Elsa was seen with Princesses Rapunzel and Merida. Eugene was behind with Cassandra, bringing more men with them along with the clan heirs.
"It seems not everyone was in agreement, but that is no longer a surprise," Queen Elsa said with an icy tone. Gone was the neutral mask as disappointment and quiet anger flared in her eyes.
Merida drew her bow, aiming at the knights of Galcrest, Weselton, and Bayangor. She noted how Invangarr's forces held their spears ready, glaring at the soldier before she heard her father's voice.
"Merida! What are you doing here?" King Fergus asked with flailing arms as he gestured his daughter to leave. "Get out of here! These galoots mean to kill!"
But the king's daughter did not move, keeping her bow drawn.
"If they want a fight, then they just picked one with us," Merida spat out. She fired an arrow, knocking several swords out of knight hands as the clan heirs laughed.
King Fergus shed a tear of joy seeing his daughter's fearlessness. Dangerous as the situation is, it was heartwarming to see his little princess growing up, making the man raise his blade as the roar of the dragon fight above signaled like a battle horn.
The knights of Gabylonia and Corona worked in tandem with the Celts as Elsa froze the ground beneath. With the ice queen's magic, the battle was in their favor, making g the knights and warriors slip. But some of the Invangarr warriors wised up, stomping their feet against the thin sheet of ice, cracking it as they charged.
These fighters pushed away many knights like pebbles, leaving the Celts and Vikings to push back. Even with the combined effort of the latter, Invangarr showed their power, putting the forces in a deadlock of brute strength. The women's bulging muscles were not for show, making the men realize they never woke up Conan, who was still sleeping through this fight.
"It seems we're not the strong warriors we thought we were," Gobber strained against the Invangarrians.
"Aye...to think there are those just as powerful as vikin's," King Fergus grunted.
"Fur DunBorch! Let s ding-doon some skulls!" cried Attie MacGuffin.
The boys jumped onto the warriors. They might not be as strong but could provide the proper distraction as they pulled on the women's hair. The tactic didn't hurt, but it annoyed the Invagarrians enough to swat the byos away, giving the edge needed for the Vikings and Celts to push them back.
Rapunzel threw a rope towards Sir Justin, who pulled with his might as the two tripped the women. As they fell to the ground, Queen Elsa froze them with piles of snow before transforming the powder into ice. For all their strength, the Invagarrian's choice of little armor worked against them as they shivered in their icy containment.
Elsa looked up to see the dragon riders flying circles around the feral dragons. Whistling loudly, she caught the attention of Toothless, who turned to see her gesture to the ground, conjuring a snowflake. The dragon alpha nodded in understanding as he looped around and dove.
"Toothless, what are you doing?" Hiccup asked. Hearing a warble from his dragon, the chief decided to trust his best friend as he tagged along.
The Alpha cried to his pack, making them follow as the dragons flew after them. With quick reflexes, the dragon riders halted their dive into skimming along the ground, avoiding the warriors and knights below as they flew by the ice queen.
Sleuther, Skullcrusher, Grump, and Cloudjumper did not have such luck, crashing into the ground and men before returning to the air, ramming through the crowd as Elsa walked in front of them to the Viking's horror.
"Queen Elsa?!" Chief Haddock cried out. As Elsa leveled the playing field, he got up, freezing the dragons in ice blocks.
The ice didn't hold, melting soon after containing the flaming dragons. However, instead of feeling threatened, the beasts seemed calmer if not for the flames growing again. The dragons paused after being freed, staring at the ice queen. One by one, the creatures crept towards the woman with seemingly innocent eyes. Astrid, Merida, the Vikings, the Celts, and some knights ran to protect the queen.
"Why do I get the feeling I might have made things worse," Elsa said, backing away. She didn't feel like she did any damage but somehow enticed the dragons.
No sooner did she utter those words did the dragons charge with some burning brighter. The knights they left behind began throwing spears, hoping to end the reptiles' lives.
But Elsa conjured a massive wall from underneath, forcing the reptiles to rise and scatter as they flew away, or that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, the beast hovered around the wall, making them open targets if any of the knights could aim without being punched.
Summoning a massive wind, the ice queen used her magic to make the air rage like a sea in a storm. The snow and ice acted like lightning, ready to strike the other dragons.
"This should keep them busy," Queen Elsa said.
But Chief Haddock walked up, examining the winds and dragons with doubt. Fishlegs and Astrid joined him, squinting their eyes as they watched.
"Uh...your ice queeness...I think the dragons like it," Fishlegs commented.
"Huh?" Elsa stared into the mist, seeing the dragons slowed down, not doing anything to get out, but staying in.
When she saw how instead of panicking, the flaming dragon gurgled in pleasant joy instead of being the ferocious, rampaging beasts from before, the queen instantly knew her ice was more of a comfort than a threat. The creatures would have been mistaken for scaly house pets rolling in the grass. The befuddlement took everyone present by surprise, mouthing their emotions as they tried to understand the situation.
Even King Fergus and Chief Dagur couldn't hold up their arms, their weapons dropped from their limp hands as the soldiers they were fighting did the same.
"The magic," Rapunzel spoke as she walked up. Her hand, still gripping her frying pan as it hit the back of a stray Invangarrian warrior. "It's soothing them."
The forces of Galcrest, Weselton, Invangarr, and Baynagor were soon defeated as they stared at the dragons. The men had taken the moment to aim, allowing the dragon-allied forces to contain and disarm them.
"Please tell me it's finally over," one of the knights begged. Others asked similar thoughts as they saw the dragons grounded.
"Not even close," Astrid said. She twirled her axe, looking at Cassandra as the girls prepared to fight.
The dragons propped themselves back up. They looked no worse for wear except for a few dirty scales. The ferally enhanced fire-breathers stormed over with Skullcrusher leading the pack. The Horndrill snorted fire, snarling with loose snaps of his head. He and the others started to act wilder, flailing their front legs or arms like they lost control.
Some of the knights panicked, almost dropping their weapons and shields, but most glanced at each other. These men reached into their quivers, carrying more arrows and readying them.
"Hold your fire!" Chief Haddock cried out with his hands up.
"Yoo heard him!" King Fergus bellowed.
The men aimed their weapons toward the captured knights, focusing on keeping the outcome peaceful with less bloodshed.
Skullcrusher dropped, exhausted by the fight, with a crash. He panted heavily as the others started mimicking his actions. Fishlegs ran over, worried sick as Valka followed. Many of the warriors looked confused, wondering what happened, but the remainder watched with bloodlust, wanting to end things, but they kept a facade of patience as they waited.
"Fishlegs, what's going on?" Hiccup walked up to the dragons. Toothless gave a concerned warble as he studied his pack members.
"I think it's whatever caused the transformation. The flames are too much. Their scales protect them, but it's starting to cook them alive—"
"—Which is why they went after Elsa." Hiccup turned to the ice queen. "Your ice was coooling them off, saving them. Which could mean that while the grimora made them feral—"
"—the flames are becoming fatal!" Hiccup and Fishlegs finished the statement in sync.
"Fascinating, but how does that help us turn them back?" Astrid asked, holding her axe tight.
"The witch!" Merida shouted, running over to the dragons. Hiccup and Fishlegs stared at her with perplexing faces, almost similar to a bird looking at a breadcrumb.
The knights of Bayangor and Galcrest stared, sharing glances at one another, disliking the development. Some put their hands on hidden daggers, only to feel the tip of a blade at their throats from their captors. Sir Bart could be seen eyeing the runner-ups of this battle for any suspicious movement.
"Merida, what are yoo talking about?" King Fergus asked, rushing towards his daughter.
"There's a witch that came from London, her name is Mim," Rapunzel explained. "She took a potion from a witch here and did this to the dragons."
"Aye! If we were to bring the dragons back—"
"Then she could heal them and bring an end to this madness!" Hiccup finished, smiling with his fellow Vikings. Toothless wagged his tail, going up and licking the princess for saving his pack.
Merida laughed, petting the dragon as she got up. The clan heirs joined in, guffawing at the victory. Well, not all of them.
"What are we gonna do about them?" Callum Dingwall asked. The boy walked up to Conan, tickling the man's feet as the latter giggled awake, much to everyone's horrific confusion.
Everyone looked at the tied-up knights. Obviously, their kingdoms would not allow the dragons to be healed without a verbal or physical fight. But this meant the return to Castle DunBroch would be riddled with strife.
With stoic sternness, King Fergus walked up to the men, staring at them with hidden emotions. Obviously, he would take his sword out and cut them down for their transgressions, not only against the dragons but towards his daughter and their people. But the games were meant to be peaceful, no blood was to be spilled.
Forcing them up, he pushed them forward, ordering his men to hold their weapons while keeping the knights in line. The king went to his daughter, putting a hand on her face.
"Yoor mum and ah will take care o it," he said.
Merida nodded, holding herself together. She began marching with everyone as Queen Elsa conjured an icy sled to drag the feral dragon back. The ice queen would keep the beasts calm as everyone made their way back to the castle.
This was a hassle, getting through writer's block. When this story is over, I will comb over this fic, adding details to give a better narrative flow and fixing any errors. Right now, I'm just glad to update this fic, keeping my word that I want to finish this before the end of the new year. Anyway, this fic series has a Tv Trope page. Go to it and give it some love because I do not know every trope that would pertain to the stories.
I will try to update this story the coming Friday as well. Let me know if there are any errors in the narrative. Believe it or not, it makes me happy when I'm shown my mistakes or pointed out how wrong I am.
Thank you for leaving a comment:
RonaldM40196867: Yes.
Jebest4781: Thanks!
hateme101: Elsa is not a spirit. I won't be following that detail from Frozen II.
israelsanchez2021: No problem!
Equilized Enigma: Thanks!
ashketchumlover22: The two have come to an understanding, with Justin wondering about the tales of Knights slaying dragons, but that will be look into in the next book.