Later
Hiccup entered the Great Hall where Stoick, Gobber, Viggo, and Ryker were talking before the feast. He knew that Viggo must have returned with a wild aggressive dragon for him to fight. But unlike all those years ago, he wasn't going to run away. Hiccup was planning on taming whatever Viggo throws at him. He only hopes that Berk will stand with him. When Hiccup took a seat, many of the villagers were gathering in the Hall. Viggo sat to Hiccup's right and Stoick to his left. Stoick got everyone's attention and they looked to their Chief. "Viggo has returned with a fierce dragon for Hiccup to fight and because of the Dragon Rider raids, it will take place tomorrow morning." Stoick said and the Hall cheered. Time was running out and Hiccup knew this was his last night to get the idea that dragons aren't monsters to them. As the Hall ate and told of the glory they will have with Hiccup, he tried to find out what he was facing from Stoick and Gobber but he got nothing making his chances worst.
Later
Astrid learned of what the dragon Hiccup will be facing looks like and some of its abilities. From what she heard, Hiccup will need a miracle to survive the creature. After the feast was over, she walked outside with everyone else. But she hid behind a statue and waited. After some time of waiting, she saw Hiccup and Stoick walking side by side talking. She wondered what the two were talking about. But when Stoick went to his hut, Hiccup walked to the Forge. Astrid took another path to the Forge. When she arrived, Hiccup was sitting on a bench.
"I hope you got some better news than me." Hiccup greeted Astrid.
"The dragon you're facing has large tusks, a stinger, and fires acid flames." Astrid reported and she could tell Hiccup was nervous. Astrid sat next to him. "Hiccup, don't worry. If anyone can train a new aggressive dragon, it's you."
"Thanks." Hiccup replied with a small smile. The two were silent for a few moments.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Astrid asked knowing that everything they have done comes to this.
"I have a plan, but if Viggo makes a move, I need you and Gustav to get the dragons to safety." Hiccup answered before looking at Astrid's eyes. "Promise me you guys won't take unnecessary risks."
"I promise." Astrid replied before the two left the Forge separately.
New Morning
Hiccup took a deep breath as the crowd of Berkians and Hunters cheered for Hiccup. Gobber gave him some words of comfort, but he wasn't listening to the Blacksmith. He was listening to the roars of the Deathgripper. It sounded agitated and hateful. But the crowd cheered thinking it would be a glorious act. Hiccup knew that Viggo may have chosen a dragon that may threaten all of them. Which means that Hiccup needs to keep the dragon's attention on him. Not his village. When Gobber opened the gate, Hiccup walked through with Inferno in hand and his shield on his arm. Stoick stood up calming the cheers. "Today my son, the Pride of Berk becomes a true Viking!" he yelled and the crowd cheered. "Release the dragon!"
The gate was opened and the dragon charged out. Hiccup blocked the front pincer with his shield but was forced to the ground. Hiccup ignited Inferno and slammed the fuller of the blade against the Dragon's head. It backed up as the Rider bolted back to his feet. The Deathgripper opened its mouth and fired its acid breath. Hiccup blocked it with his shield but he saw acid fly past him igniting in an inferno. He slowly walked to the side to place himself in front of the dragon and the gate. The plan was to use the Deathgripper's own acid to melt the gate and let it escape. Hopefully it'll try to fly away and not attack Berk. When he was in position, he quickly got of the blast and the acid melted the gate as expected. Gobber ran for cover while Hiccup circled the Deathgripper waving his sword around. Now the Berkians were murmuring among themselves.
"Kill it already!" Stoick ordered and the Deathgripper noticed the escape route. It ran but before it could a Dragon Root arrow struck in its back leg. It collapsed under the fire of more arrows. Hiccup turned to a smirking Viggo. "Kill it now!"
"No!" yelled to the shock of the village but not the Hunters.
"So it is true. You're one of them!" Stoick yelled before Hiccup heard Astrid yell. He looked to see Ryker and his Hunters holding her.
"Dragons aren't the monsters you think they are! They're kind and gentle creatures trying to survive just like us!" Hiccup pleaded to the amusement of Viggo. "Everything I've done, I've done with them. My stories of fighting the Red Death and Drago forces, I down with dragons! I would never have survived without them!"
"They killed hundreds of us!" Stoick yelled.
"And we killed thousands of them!" Hiccup replied. "They aren't monsters! I learned how to live in peace with them! I believe Berk can do the same!"
"Enough of this!" Stoick yelled before turning to leave. "You're no Viking. You're not my son."
Gustav watched what just happened with his spyglass. Hiccup was forced to surrender because Ryker got Astrid. He saw the Hunter cheer for their victory, but Berk had mixed feelings on the matter. Gobber was saddened to see Hiccup and Astrid taken away. But he followed Stoick and Viggo to the Great Hall. Gustav knew he had to do something. So he looked at the crowd to see who could join him and who would gladly cut Gustav to pieces. After several minutes he picked who to recruit. He grabbed a book and began writing notes to lure them into the woods.
Later
Fishlegs walked in the woods with the letter someone left on his doorstep. With everything that happened, he was nervous. Hiccup was a friend but Fishlegs left the Viking to be friends with Snoutlout and picked on him. When Hiccup left, Fishlegs blamed himself for being a total jerk. But when he returned, Fishlegs was happy that Hiccup forgave him. Now Hiccup was a prisoner and Fishlegs blamed himself. He wished he saw the signs sooner. Now he was in the woods while Hunters were flocking into Berk. When Fishlegs reached the location for the meeting, he saw no one. Then he heard someone yell behind him. Fishlegs screamed as he fell down. Then he heard the laugh of two annoyances. He stood back up and turned to the Twins. "Really you two. You brought me out here for a prank?"
"Sorry, but it was so easy." Tuffnut replied laughing.
"Besides we thought you brought us out here." Ruffnut remarked and Fishlegs spotted a Monstrous Nightmare and a Deadly Nadder behind them.
"Dragons!" Fishlegs yelled as the Twins turned to see the large beasts. None of them were armed which proves to be their undoing.
"Don't panic. They're friends." Gustav remarked behind them. They turned to see the young boy.
"You're with the Riders too?" Tuffnut asked and a dark dragon walked behind Gustav. Fishlegs raised his shaking arm.
"Night Fury." he whispered shakily.
"Don't worry, this is Toothless. Hiccup's best friend." Gustav remarked and Fishlegs knees nearly collapsed.
"So why are we here?" Tuffnut asked as the Nightmare sniffed him.
"I need your guy's help to rescue Hiccup and Astrid." Gustav answered and the three turned to the boy.
"Why us?" Fishlegs asked and the Night Fury looked down at Gustav.
"Because I think you guys want to help Hiccup. After all of the years of bullying and he forgave you guys, you saw his amazing inventions, and when he was captured you three looked concerned for him. So I'm asking for your help." Gustav answered and the three looked at each other than the dragons.
Later
Hiccup and Astrid were locked in a cage while the Hunters laughed at his failure in the ring. He inspected their surroundings to find nothing he can use for escape. Ryker took all of his gear and locked them up. Hiccup wasn't surprised if Viggo has his gear now. Viggo has everything now. His gear, his weapons, his designs. Everything Hiccup created was going to be used against dragons and the Riders. He failed big time. Bigger than Johann and Krogan learning where the King of Dragons was. Now he has no chance of escape and to make it worse, Astrid was with him. As he leaned on the metal bars, Astrid put her hand on his shoulder.
"It isn't your fault." Astrid comforted, but Hiccup just brushed her hand away.
"But it is. Everything I have done was in vain and to top it off, Viggo has everything I built. Everyway I beat him is in his hands." Hiccup replied seeing the trapped Deathgripper chewing on its cage.
"Hiccup. You showed me something amazing and gave me something new." Astrid remarked forcing the Dragon Rider to turn. The two locked eyes. "Before you let me ride on Toothless the only thing I could ever do was kill dragons and look for the lost heir of Berk. But that was all I was. Thanks to you I could do so much more. I've done so much more. I trained a Deadly Nadder and flew in the clouds with her. Not because I was a Viking. Because of you." she added shoving her finger in his chest. "So don't you dare give up." she finished before inspecting the cage door. But before Hiccup had a chance he heard a scuffle down the hall and seconds later a Hunter was thrown against the wall. Toothless ran to the cage and jumped in joy. Moments later Gustav, the Twins, Hookfang, and Stormfly joined them.
"I told you to stay at the Cove." Hiccup said and Gustav shrugged.
"Had to rescue you." Gustav answered as Tuffnut handed his keys.
"So you recruit the Twins?" Astrid remarked as the cage was opened.
"And Fishlegs, but he's destroying you weapon designs at the Forge and your home." Ruffnut added as the Riders got on their dragons. Hiccup sighed but with the Twins here he could use their destructive help.
"Can you two cause a distraction?" Hiccup asked.
"What kind of distraction?" Tuffnut asked rubbing his chin.
"Big explosion." Hiccup answered and the Twins smiled devilishly.
Elsewhere
"How could you not tell me my own son was a Dragon Rider?" Stoick yelled at Viggo as the Hunter inspected Hiccup's gear.
"Would you have believed me?" Viggo asked and Stoick knew the answer all too well.
"I still don't like this. Hiccup is a good boy. He does care for Berk." Gobber remarked and the Chief turned to his old friend.
"He raided our own people." Stoick replied.
"And he has done more than anyone on Berk has done for the past three hundred years. He found the Nest and killed the Queen. He never wanted the glory. He just wanted Berk to be safe and what did we do? We locked him up." Gobber added and the two faced each other in rage.
"Enough of the past. We need to focus on the present. Our best chance against Drago and the Riders is still the King of Dragons. Which Hiccup knows its location." Viggo remarked and the two Vikings turned to the Hunter.
"So how do we get the location?" Gobber asked before explosions echoed from outside. The three rushed out of the Hall to see three of Viggo's ships in flames. Then he spotted Ryker with the Twin being dragged from behind.
"Caught these two liting Monstrous Nightmare Gel on our fleet." Ryker reported and Stoick towered over them.
"Explain yourselves." the Chief ordered.
"Well see we want to blow something up and Ruffnut wanted to see how easy it was to blow up one of the Hunter's ships." Tuffnut started.
"So we snuck onboard one and rigged it to blow." Ruffnut added.
"But then we thought why stop there?" Tuff added.
"So we did the same thing." Ruff said.
"Twice!" Tuff exclaimed.
"Ugh. At least it wasn't Gustav." Stoick remarked knowing that the young boy was with the Riders as they speak.
"Who is this Gustav?" Viggo asked.
"Another traitor. He is on the Rider's outpost now." Stoick answered and Viggo ran for the Hall to the confusion of Stoick.
"We're out of time!" Gustav yelled to Hiccup and Astrid as the two packed Hiccup's gear. The two climbed on their dragons and rushed to the kid who was getting on Hookfang. Hiccup tossed Gustav a satchel of canisters.
"Remember the plan. Destroy the defenses and my inventions." Hiccup repeated the plan and the two nodded. Then they burst through the doors and flew in the sky. Toothless made his iconic whistle as they glided to the shed where Hiccup's inventions. Toothless fired a plasma blast turning the shed into flames. They soared back up and Hiccup saw explosions hitting Berk's catapults, bola launchers, and Hiccup's Launchers. When the three of them reunited, they flew into the sky. They turned and dive bombed the ship with the Deathgripper. They blasted the deck and the Deathgripper flew out. The Riders and four dragons flew out of range of the Dragon Root Arrows. They didn't have the power to engage all of Viggo's fleet, but they were going to get the power. Until then Hiccup would escort the Deathgripper to safety while Gustav and Astrid pick up the Twins.
"Your boy still impresses me." Viggo remarked to the stunned Stoick the Vast. In mere moments, Berk lost many of its defenses. Hiccup proved to be a great warrior and commander. It made Stoick feel pride for his son. But the Dragons were an issue.
"Gobber rebuild what we lost and ready all remaining defenses." Stoick ordered and two dragons swopped in at high speed grabbing the Twins.
"Ha! Take that Vigster!" Tuffnut yelled as the traitors cheered mocking the Hunters.
Today I was filled with more hope for Ukraine after hearing of an attack on Russian soil from two Ukrainian Helicopters. The first attack of a foreign power since World War II. (If I am correct. Please let me know if I'm wrong. I like history.) For the past month, Russia leveled a free country and now that country is pushing back. The Russian military has failed in every area of their war. They butchered thousands of innocent men, women, and children while letting their own soldiers starve and freeze to death. Leaving their wounded to die. History will remember Putin as a fascist, egotistic, foolish, genocidal murderer. To my Ukrainian readers. Remember that you are strong. Russia has struggled to get where they are now while your people has stand bravely against an empire. Stay strong and you'll get stronger as the days go by. Hopefully this madness ends soon.
