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.
"Another dragon!? And it talks!?" The Vikings said in unison. Despite the danger, Hiccup was the most surprised, with Fishlegs being the most enthusiastic. The two knew they would geek out about this later, but the turn of events was too much.
Everyone armed and who knew how to fight drew their weapons as they herded the noblemen to the back. Some knights stood back, readying their bows with arrows held back till the string strained, shakingly showing how it could snap from the tension.
King Fergus ran to the front, armed in both hands. The Celtic king held his two blades ready with a steady breath as he calculated his tactics. He had boasted about his tales of fighting a demon bear before his wife's transformation, but the size of the purple dragon dwarfed the combined length of the allied reptiles. At his right, Lord Macintosh was ready with his mace, with Lord MacGuffin ready with a claymore. Lord Dingwall was seen near the rear, prepared with his mighty spear. The clan heirs stood behind their fathers, ready to fight as Merida held the back with her arrow aimed.
The four men stood ready but were not the only ones to stand at the front. After settling down, Chief Haddock came up with Astrid by his side, with Princess Rapunzel following closely, much to the horror of Eugene and Cassandra. The last two joined the front with Sir Justin, Bart, and Kay as Talia and Queen Elsa came. The ice queen took her place at the front, Princess Anna watching in fear as Kristoff held her tight.
Mim scoffed with fiery laughter as she watched the warriors utilize themselves. Galcrest stood at the front with the forces of Invangarr by their side with Equis. The men of Weselton were ready with crossbows along with the archers of the Swamp Kingdom. The remaining Vikings stood with these men, braver than most, as they glanced at everyone in a show of respect for their impromptu comrade in arms.
Even if everyone had been at each other's throats just now, all the warriors who had been tied up remained in their restraints in the back with shields to protect the representatives, their treachery not forgotten.
The purple dragon guffawed at the tiny display of unity. From her perspective, she could see the cracks in the small army as knights, Celts, and warriors sent glances between her and the swords of others. Some of the noblemen in the back sent faces to their men as if signaling for a moment of selfish thoughts and wants.
The only one the witch could take seriously was probably Conan Dingwall, who towered over everything in the room with his rock-solid muscles and tremendous claymores at the ready. Well, he and the dragons, but they seemed like flies to her stature.
But as everyone prepared themselves, young King Arthur walked forward, clutching his sword as he glared at Mim.
"Mim!" King Arthur pointed at the purple dragon as his men jumped in front of the boy. The stalwart soldiers held their shields together with swords out. They remember the witch and the trouble she caused, making this fight personal.
"Mim?" Merida repeated. She stared in shock at the purple dragon. "That's Mim!? That's the witch what caused all this?!"
The room murmured as they spoke in stupefied shock as they stared. To all but a handful, the now-sprung news added to the chaotic swirl of emotions that had been building over the past few days. However, the Celtic princess's choice of words confused many, almost saying as if everything was the hag's fault. That would be a tough thought to justify, given how the wild-haired girl defended the previous witch earlier.
"She can transform into whatever she wants! And she won't put up a fair fight!" Arthur frantically pointed at the purple dragon.
Mim stood tall, proud of the boy's words. To her, being feared and told of her dishonorable and terrible behavior was like polishing many badges of honor and shining them against the sun's light.
"Then we need to make this quick." Without warning, Queen Elsa put all her effort into using her magical ice. She conjured spikes at the feet of Mim, pushing them back with a powerful gale that spread her cold rage to the ground.
But Mim laughed loudly, taking a deep breath before melting the ice with green flames. Toothless jumped to the front as his wings rose like a shield, protecting Elsa from the firepower.
The ice queen glanced at Toothless, smiling at the midnight dragon as she thanked him.
The roar of the feral dragons filled the Great Hall as they saw Elsa attacked by the violet intruder. Though their minds act on instinct, seeing the ice queen, the one who had been soothing their pain, having her life attempted, boiled their blood more than the psychedelic flames erupting from their bodies. The five beasts flared angrily as they took to the air, their mouths brimming with their reptilian cannonade.
As they fired, Mim snarled at the beasts. She said, "You cretins think you can use what Mim gave you? Ha! Mim will just take what she gave with her might magic!"
Mim opened her draconic jaws, inhaling deeply as she vacuumed the room with a deep suction as everyone held onto to something for their lives. But with the stone floors, only cracks were available for the lucky few as the warriors struck their weapons into the ground to use as anchors. People started reaching out and holding onto each other as the Vikings used the dragons to provide some cover.
If there was one thing on the side of the kingdoms, dragons were only fireproof on the outside. The combined firepower of the scaly firebreathers was sucked into the witch's mouth, burning her throat on contact and stopping the deep inhale. Mim coughed smoke as she grabbed her throat in pain.
"How that for firepower?" Hiccup taunted with his sword, Inferno out.
But Mim only smiled as the smoke disappeared. She pointed to the dragons and said, "You think Mim was hungry? Ha! The only snack I wanted was their power."
To the surprise of everyone, Skullcrusher, Sleuther, Shattermaster, Grump, and Cloudjumper dropped to the ground as they shrank to their original sizes. The once magically made mad beasts were now depowered into the still fierce creatures the world's kingdoms had learned to fear. Eret, Mala, Dagur, Gobber, and Valka ran to their rides. To the riders, it seemed no harm was done, but it did exhaust some.
"What did you do to them?" Valka pointed her staff at Mim.
"Mim took back what Mim gave. All is possible by the powers of the marvelous, magnificent, mad, mad, madam Mim!" Mim retorted with snorting nostrils as she cackled as her body grew to the size of the castle doors. Whoever shriveled at her height was now ready to change pants as they saw her growth.
"I'm gonna need a bigger sword." Rian Macintosh looked at his sword, Stab Blooder, feeling inadequate as the witch's shadow grew over the room.
"Add more rocks to that," Callum Dingwall added as he stilled his swinging sling. The loaded rock dropped.
"Div ye think they tables bigger? aat least in case ah really get clung. They nivver seem tae mak tham big eneuch." Attie's worried words broke the fear for a moment. If anyone cared, they would ask what he said later.
"Please tell me someone has a plan?" Sir Justin asked his friends. He received only unsure glances and sweaty faces as Mim lowered her head, looking at the crowd with one big eye open.
"Something you wish to say?" Mim taunted.
The tales of knights facing dragons were a rite told over generations since the reptiles were last seen centuries ago. Many of the armored warriors could recall as children how they would find one and slay it for riches and glory, with a few of the noblemen recalling similar conversations before. However, after the reappearance of dragons by Chief Haddock half a year ago, there had been talks of reusing such a ritual, only now to retreat ever thinking about it as they saw the flaming mouth of Mim.
While the knights were ready to lay down their lives to protect the people, the sudden thrust into the dangerous moment made many weak in their knees. The only warriors undeterred in unison were the Vikings.
"You know, I'd rather fight her than the Screaming Death," Fishlegs remarked as he readied his dagger, looking over the purple dragon. "Given her height and form, I'd say those wings are useless."
Mim snaked her head up like a rocket, looking over her body to see her wings flapping aimlessly, unable to lift her heavy form. With a snarling face, she breathed deeply, only for Toothless to roar, firing a round of plasma as Stormfly and Meatlug added their firepower. All three shots hit the hag's head, pushing her mouth up as the flames spewed to the ceiling, melting the rocks above.
"Everyone! Prepare to strike!" King Fergus yelled. At his voice, the Great Hall was filled with the battle cries of his Celtic warriors as the Vikings joined in. Rapunzel joined in as the castle echoed with valor.
Mim was now angrier than before. She had a loathing for all things wholesome, especially sunshine, but now the seemingly unified front of the kingdoms gagged her with rage.
"I hates happy googly togetherness!" Mim yelled with a deep inhale.
"Everyone, prevent her from breath another blast!" Sir Justin cried out.
An arrow rang through the air as the purple dragon's head threw itself forward, piercing an eye as the witch cried out in pain. Everyone looked to the back to see Merida with a cocky smirk, her bowstring dancing in the air, empty of its ammunition. She turned to the crowd as Mim went to pluck the arrow, wailing in pain as she stomped her feet. The ground shook with each step, causing the castle to rumble as dust fell into the room.
"Push her out of the castle! We can't fight here with everyone in danger!" Merida yelled with a hand pointing to the wrecked entrance.
King Fergus and Queen Elinor looked at their daughter with pride, but such emotions were set aside for the present danger to confront. The latter looked around, offering some assistance as she said to her husband, "Dear, I'll get the folks safer inside, you do what you do best!"
King Fergus nodded as he rallied the troops, yelling to the archers to fire. Volleys of arrows flung at Mim, and many were bouncing off against her scaly body. At best, they were a distraction as the men and women of the visiting kingdoms fled through the ground doors further into the castle.
"Aim for the eye!" Callum swung his sling as hard as he could, striking the plunged shaft in the purple dragon's eye, sinking it further as the witch screamed. The men followed his example with adjusted aim. The Dingwall heir went to Conan, pointing at the witch's feet.
The large Dingwall warrior understood and ran up to the dragon, pushing at her feet, only to be kicked back into the troops by the witch's flailing. It was a valiant effort, but not even the might of the muscular warrior could single-handedly fight a dragon. However, it did earn the admiration of some of the Invangarr troops, particularly the women.
However, it made the gears in Rapunzel's head turn as she formulated a plan.
"That's it!" Rapunzel had Eugene hold her up for a moment. She whistled loudly, gaining the dragons' attention as she made a few gestures with her hands. To the astonishment of the Vikings, their rides nodded as the beasts now grabbed their riders and took to the sky.
"It still amazes me how you can charm people into listening to you, especially with dragons," Hiccup commented as he mounted Toothless.
"It's a gift." Rapunzel innocently smiled as the chief joined his people. By her side, Eugene connected the dots on his wife's plan. The princess turned to Merida, still in the back with her bow ready, and gestured to the archers. "Merida!"
The Celtic princess nodded, yelling to the archers and then to her father. Sir Justin received a look from King Fergus, understanding non vocally, as he gathered troops with the help of Sir Bart and Sir Kay. The Clans of MacGuffin, Macintosh, and Dingwall readied their men. The knights of the other kingdoms kept to the background, protecting the people as the warriors of Invangarr charged at Mim, only to be swiped away by a purple tail.
When Mim finally got the arrow out, she turned red as fire vented out of her ears.
"That's it! No more trickery! Mim is going to roast you all!—"
"Fire!" Merida yelled as she and the archers fired their rounds, all aiming for the eyes.
But the weakness would not be exploited a second time as the purple dragon hid her face behind her tail. A dark chuckle was heard as flames built, but her head felt hot as smoke gathered. Sniffing the air, Mim looked around as she smelled something burning, only to realize her shaggy hair had been set aflame.
"That's for our dragons!" Astrid laughed in triumph, scratching Stormfly on the side of her head. The Deadly Nadder cooed in affection.
This angered the witch as she readied to flambe the dragon rider, but in her rage, her head was lifted from the safety of her tail, allowing the next volley of arrows to hit her eyes again. Flailing in pain once more, the witch held her eyes as the flames grew, but pain erupted in her stomach as Skulllcrusher flew in with Meatlug and Shattermaster, pushing her back as others like Toothless and CLoudjumper came behind the witch and pulled from behind.
"And this is for our dragons too!" Eret hollered in joy.
Warriors from the ground readied themselves as Mim yelled in pain. The purple dragon stepped forward with her clawed feet, and she went to take back control of the fight. She hated losing more than sunshine and would not leave without victory.
But the transformed witch could not find proper footing as ice covered the ground. The cold sheet grew to a blanket, too thick for the massive talons to grip, as it rose higher. Elsa had used the distraction to conjure the ice, focusing all her magical might on keeping the chaotic witch sliding back as she conjured another gale of cold wind.
"Everyone, now!" King Fergus ran forward with the clan lords, warriors, and knights. They ran around the ice, going to the back of the witch as they jumped with all their might. Aiming at the tail, a few warriors like Fergus and Conan grabbed hold as they brought it down to others, now dragging the witch out of the castle as she was forced onto the green fields of the Highlands.
The men cheered, forming up for the second round as Mim got up. The witch, still in dragon form, spewed fire in a tantrum, clearing room for herself as she snarled and howled. The small army surrounded her, shields in the front with spears as swords and archers held the back. In the sky, the dragon riders circled silently to strike.
The scene was the form of a classic battle against dragons as the witch started to think about her entrance earlier. Pride would not let her change forms, these soldiers were not wizards, and Queen Elsa's repertoire was limited to ice. They were to be no threat to her, but the dragons had become more irritating.
"Give it up, Mim!" King Arthur was seen at the smashed entrance to the castle, yelling at the top of his lungs. The young king has slipped through everyone, intending to see things to the end, knowing no fear. "You can't expect to fight everyone and win!"
Mim clicked her tongue, shaking her head as a feral grin formed, fangs slipping through her lips. Her pride outweighed her size.
"You think these little people can stop me? They are nothing to my powers. I can transform into whatever I want and use the most powerful of spells! I am the magnificent, marvelous, mad, mad, Madam—" Before she could finish, something had lodged in her throat. The witch coughed as she felt the object go down with a fiery burp. She looked around for the suspect and saw a catapult, a relic of the kingdom's history, at the castle wall, with the witch of the woods next to it.
"Fire! Aim for her mouth again!" the witch commanded. A glass vial flew from the weapon to the purple dragon.
Mim caught and shallowed the glass vial with a loud gulp in a show of arrogance and power. Pausing with a pop of her lips, the witch patted her stomach as she felt a rumbling. The warriors around her pause as they watch her belly shake with increasing ferocity before it spreads to every inch of the dragon's form. After a few seconds, a loud burp is heard as puffs of smoke come out of every pore on the transformed hag.
With smacking lips, the purple dragon gave a wicked laugh as she said, "He he he! Was that supposed to stop me?" She leaned toward the Highland witch with her hands on her hips. "Next time you feed a purple dragon, it will be your hide!"
Despite the great distance between them, Merida wanted to run up to the witch of the woods. While barely knowing the elderly woman, there was no way the princess would allow any member of her kingdom to be eaten, and part of her knew the elderly lady to be an innocent woman. All she could do was stand there in fear.
"Don't worry, dearie." The witch waved at the Celtic princess. Wearing a smile, she pointed to Mim. "I don't think she knows what is going to happen. Some witch."
Merida's body shivered as she glanced at the witch. With wavering emotions, nothing could be processed properly in her mind as her mentality peaked as the ground shook with the stamping feet of the dragon Mim.
"Some witch!?" Mim huffed out fire as she spoke. "Do you know who you are dealing with!? I am the magnificent, marvelous, mad, mad, Madam—"
Mim stopped her tantrum as her body heated up with fire spewing from her mouth, turning red as fire and starting to glow. But this was not intentional as she clapped her jaw shut. The dragon form shook and rumbled again, and before long, the fire erupted out the other end, rocketing her off the ground a few feet up, causing her to land on her butt.
Remnants of the crowd of noblemen and ladies were seen murmuring amongst themselves as they witnessed the fiery exhaust. They were not dragon experts, but even they knew the reptiles did not expel flames in such a manner. The unorthodox action dissipated their fear as they watched.
Everyone turned to see the witch of the woods laughing loudly.
"And it seems you don't know better than to ingest random drinks!" The witch walked past Merida with jubilant feet. "That potion was meant for the sick dragons, but I'm sure this'll stop you as well. Of course, being a witch, this won't be pretty.
Mim growled but gagged on a nasty burp as her body shook again. Psychadelic spots grew on her body, like the dragons during their feral illness, becoming warts as puss spewed like magma. It burned the witch from both inside and out, making her weak by the minute. Arrogant pride was replaced with anger as Mim said, "Don't thnk this is over. I don't like peace, and I know another that won't! She'll end you all! Mark my words!"
Mim conjured her powers as magical sparks danced around her as she slowly vanished. Men charged forward but met only air as they heard the hag's voice.
"I hate peace! I hate it! You'll be at each other's throats! Mim will make sure of it, like how she sent you these brutes!"
The dragon riders landed beside the warriors, partially sad they did not get a second round against the witch while dismounting their rides. Chief Haddock kept on Toothless as the two stared at the last location Mim was, worried about her influence. And they were not the only ones, as Elsa and Rapunzel whispered to each other.
But the people cheered, happy the battle was over despite the damage to the fields, festival, and castle. But the royals knew better as they walked back to the Great Hall of Castle DunBroch as they saw the representatives and dignitaries reenter.
Normally I'd post this on a Friday, but after the last chapter, I wanted to update this as soon as possible. I would have done so last Friday, but preparations for Thanksgiving held me up. The last chapter depressed me as I posted. I had been powering through to update it, yet felt terrible about it. However, I'm on some stronger medication, something I purposely never talked about, and my writing is picking up exponentially, so with pride, I give you all this. For the next chapter, I'll try to have it up this Friday. I thank everyone for their follows, favorites, and reviews, keeping my spirits up as I wrote this.
So, Happy belated Thanksgiving, everyone!
I am thankful for your reviews:
RonaldM40196867: The rulers are responsible. It's just that they have different ideals and philosophies that can clash with others. Toothless is my all-time favorite! There's no changing that.
MORTAL18: You know, I'm still on the ropes about that. I need to see the movie first, meaning to, and then I'll go over the myths and lore the movie uses.
ashketchumlover22: I'm making multiple. Right now, I guestimate there will be around six books.