CHAPTER 13
No one slept the rest of the night. No one tried. With Stoick captured, the villagers were whipped in a seemingly endless frenzy. It didn't help that a few inaccurate rumors were traveling among the vikings. Some claimed Stoick was already dead, while others said he had abandoned Berk with the intent on leaving Alvin in charge. Gobber was quick to put a stop to those particular whispers. Despite his relatively unassuming nature, he had an intimate knowledge on exactly how hard to strike someone over the head to send a message without knocking them out.
Tengan had wasted no time in assisting Hiccup the best way she could. The rising sun found her bent low over her desk, an array of books, maps, scrolls, and scrap parchment scattered about her. Her quill moved without pause as her eyes darted across any and all information that could provide help. Maps of Outcast Island and the surrounding waters, the completed wild dragon census, notes on the Berserker's history from Dagur's first visit, and so on. Every once in a while, a small droplet of blood seemed through her bandaged arm and onto the scroll, standing the parchment red with a haphazard pattern.
Rumble, feeding off his rider's frantic mood, alternating between shoving his head and shoulders through the front door as far as he could manage, and pacing in the front yard. He paused halfway through a lap in the well worn line of grass when Kelp fluttered into view, bleary eyed.
Tengan looked up as the Terror glided inside and landed on a perch next to her desk, leg outstretched. "Glad to see you're feeling better." She murmured through a yawn as she untied the attached note, sparing a moment to smooth it flat before reading. "Hmm, Hiccup wants us to meet at the entrance of the Academy." Stretching, she tightly rolled her compilation of notes, slid it into her bag, and stood. "You coming with?" She asked the small dragon.
Kelp warbled in a defeated sort of way, flinching at the sound of her chair scraping along the floor. With a huff and a flick of his tail, he hopped over to her bed and curled up on her pillow.
"I'll take that as a no." She smiled wearily. Pausing just long enough to leave a bowl of water out for him, she stumbled outside, squinting in the sunlight. "Just you and me again Rumble. Let's see what's going on."
The meeting was short and to the point. All of the teens looked ragged, as if they had hand carried a year's worth of supplies up to Gothi's hut. "Fishlegs, why don't you go scout our perimeter for any Berserker ships? The rest of us can head to the Great Hall. Gobber has called a meeting."
"I'll go with Fishlegs." Tengan spoke up.
"No, that's a horrible idea." Hiccup shook his head. "If there are any Berserkers and they see you -"
"They won't aim to kill." Tengan finished flatly. "They know Rumble is part of the Academy now. Dagur would never let them harm 'his precious Skrill'," she finished bitterly. "I'm the only one who can fly freely without risk of death right now and you know it."
Hiccup stared at her for several moments before sighing, shaking his head wearily. "You have a point. Fine. You two go. Stay alert. Come back the moment you see anything unusual."
Tengan smiled back, pressing her notes into the boy's hands. "We'll be fine. Take these. It's all the notes I could pull together last night. They might be of some help." Urging Rumble into the air, she fell into place behind Fishlegs as they made their way towards their usual patrol route.
"So…" Fishlegs began. "I heard Alvin helped us drive back Dagur's attack last night."
Tengan stiffened in the saddle, her jaw tightening. "So? We still can't trust him. He'll try to kill us the moment our backs are turned." Her expression softened as Fishlegs physically flinched at her tone. "...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper with you. Maybe we should talk about something else." She plowed on before he could protest. "Did I tell you what I found out about Rumble's shot limit last week? It seems with each bolt of lightning he absorbs he gets on average-"
The sea stack to their left, a common resting place and playground for wild Terrible Terrors exploded outward, sending rock debris flying in every direction. The two dragons, recovering much faster than their riders from the shock, bolted towards a sheltered outcropping, weaving in between the bits of rock hurtling at them.
A roar shook the surrounding area as a monstrous white serpent ascended from the sea, the falling bits of earth bouncing harmlessly off it's tough hide. The Screaming Death paused in it's ascent, swinging it's massive head from side to side. Finding nothing worth attacking, it veered off in the direction the teens had come from.
"Berk." Fishlegs whispered from their hiding place. "It's eating its way to Berk. We have to get back and warn the others."
"Yes." Tengan agreed, trying to keep her vice as quiet as possible. "But we have to move carefully. If that thing sees us I don't know if the four of us will be enough to hold it off."
Only when the Screaming Death was a white smudge in the distance did the two make their move. Flying as fast as Meatlug could push herself, they found themselves touching down in the center of town in just over an hour.
"Hiccup had mentioned he was going to strategize with Gobber at his house after the meeting." Tengan panted as they jogged through the street, dragons trailing behind. "Let's check there first."
Fishlegs, with a surprising burst of manic energy, beat Tengan to the door. "Hiccup!" He cried out, desperately banging on the door. He stumbled through the doorway as it gave way, Tengan squeezing in behind him. "Screaming… coming!"
"Woah woah! Take a breath Fishlegs" Hiccup approached the pair. "What did you two find out there?"
Tengan stepped forward as Fishlegs doubled over, wheezing. "The Screaming Death. We found it on patrol." Her brow furrowed. "It's eating its way to Berk. We don't have much time."
As Hiccup inhaled to respond, Astrid shouldered her way into the house, a scroll clutched in her hand. "Hiccup! This just arrived for you. It's from Dagur."
The air in the warm wooden house seemed to cool and thicken as Hiccup took the scroll. "And the hits just keep on coming." Unrolling it, he quickly read through.
"What does it say?" Astrid asked softly.
"We have until tonight to hand over Toothless and Rumble. If we don't, my father will-" He broke off quickly, tossing the scroll towards the table.
"It's a trap!" Astrid began urgently. "You know that. If we fly anywhere near outcast island-"
Hiccup stopped her with a raised hand. "I need you guys to listen to me. Astrid, Fishlegs, you two are to find the twins and Snotlout. I need you to be ready for the Screaming Death."
"And me?" Tengan asked gently, watching the very slight tremor in Hiccup's legs as he spoke.
"You're coming with me. We're going to save my father." Hiccup finished with a steady glare, almost daring the others to challenge his instructions. When none did he bade Astrid and Fishlegs goodluck before joining Tengan. Only after the two were in the air and a good distance away he spoke again. "We're going to release Alvin and have him show us a safe way onto Outcast Island."
Tengan flinched, her spastic momvement sending Rumble off course for several wingbeats. "You can't be serious. The only reason he has helped us-"
"I know." He cut across her. "Believe me I know. But I need his help now. And yours. I would never ask you to work with him unless it was life or death. But it is. Can I count on you?"
"We have all the notes I compiled." Tengan bleated out. "Those should be enough. We don't need him." Catching Hiccup's desperte gaze, she sighed, grinding her teeth as her nails dug into the pliable leather of Rumble's saddle. For several moments she remained silent, forcing herself to focus on her breathing. Beneath her, she felt Rumble begin to vibrate as a long, low hum reverberated through his body. The sound echoed through her body, coaxing her muscles to relax. "For you and Stoick, I'd do anything." She spoke slowly and clearly. "I owe you both so much. You can count on me for this mission, Hiccup. However," Her thumb found the pommel of her sword. "If he so much as flinches towards either one of us..." She let the unfinished treat hang in the air.
"I see your time spent living with Astrid was well spent." Hiccup commented dryly before nodding. "Understood. And, thank you."
Neither spoke again on the short flight over to the Academy. It had been decided last night, both for Alvin and the citizen's safety that he would be held in one of the empty dragon pens until judgement could be passed. The pair dismounted and walked silently into the arena. Both dragons stuck close behind their riders, wings half raised and lips curled as if in warning. Kelp, somewhat recovered from his night of partying, sat waiting in the center of the arena, chirping in an almost scolding way as he fluttered over to take his usual place on Rumble's head.
"So.." Alvin's voice floated over to the teens, his tone surprisingly light for one facing execution. "How did the town meeting go?" he chuckled mockingly. "Sound like you had them right in the palm of your hands."
Tengan stopped several feet from the bars, fists clenched. She felt the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge as Hiccup continued to approach. Glancing around quickly, she felt a little comfort knowing the dragons seemed to share her apprehension. Toothless had his jaws slightly apart, ready to snap, while a very soft crackling sound had started to emit from Rumble's chest. Even Kelp looked ready to strike, back arched in an effort to look larger.
"Nevermind that." Hiccup waved a hand dismissively as he unlatched the door, letting it swing wide open. "You are going to show us a way onto Outcast Island. We are going there together, Alvin. We are going to bring my father home." He swung into Toothless' saddle before staring down at Alvin, waiting.
Alvin stepped carefully into the sunlight cast about the arena, his eyebrow cocked quizzically. His eyes fell on Tengan and for the briefest moment flickered to the scar across her forehead. After a moment, a grin split his face, the gesture creating a more crazed look than usual.
Tengan fought to keep from drawing her sword right then. "You ride with Hiccup. I'll be right behind you the entire time. Don't even think abo-"
"Yeah yeah," Alvin cut across her as he climbed into the saddle, settling into place behind Hiccup. "Nice scar. Very becoming. You should thank whoever gave it to you."
Tengan slid her sword from the belt a couple inches as Rumble snarled. "I could give you one to match and throw you to a wild dragon. See how well you cope."
"Easy, Tengan." Hiccup held a hand up to her before urging Toothless into the air. The Night Fury looked rather displeased with his second passenger but listened all the same.
Rumble took to the air immediately after, lining himself just above and behind Toothless where they could keep all eyes on Alvin. Kelp alternated between perching on Rumble's head and Tengan's shoulder, hissing with displeasure at Alvin's back every once in a while.
As soon as the dragons cleared the arena they picked up speed, aided by a convenient tailwind. Alvin, after taking one glance at the water slipping by underneath them, clamped down on Hiccup's shoulders for support.
Before Tengan could react, Toothless buffeted the larger viking with his wings until he loosened up.
Tengan scoffed, the anxiety in her chest loosening a bit as she watched Alvin fret in the saddle. "Good" she murmured to Kelp, ticking the small dragon's chin. "If he's this spooked in the air he wouldn't dare try to wrestle for control of Toothless." She smiled as Rumble seemed to hum in agreement.
Hiccup broke the silence after several minutes of listening to the dragons' wingbeats. "So," He began, scratching the top of Toothless' head. "Word on the street is that you and my father used to be best friends."
Tengan blinked curiously, urging Rumble to fly alongside the Night Fury. 'How could he have betrayed his home? His best friend?' She wondered, the old flare of anger and fear rising in her once again.
"That was a long time ago." Alvin grumbled. Noticing the two teens rapt interest he sighed and continued. "Your father and I were tasked with protecting Berk. Stoick was the chief's son so he was in command. I was just a soldier."
Hiccup flinched. "Sounds like me and Snotlout." He mumbled to himself.
Either not hearing, or not caring about the interruption, Alvin continued. "One night the village was attacked by a Monstrous Nightmare. Stoick and I disagreed on how to defend the village. I disobeyed orders and it led to a few…. injuries." He sighed, shoulders sagging. "Things were never the same after that. Once Stoick became chief, I knew it was only a matter of time until he banished me."
Tengan chewed on her bottom lip as Rumble fell back into his old position, digesting the information. Alvin had seemed genuinely upset that he had lost his friendship with Stoick, but she could not and would not forget how he had left her for dead when given the opportunity. She silently wondered what could happen to Snotlout if he were permanently banned from the Academy. What happens to a person when their pride leads to them losing everyone they hold dear?
"Well on that cheery note," Hiccup sarcastically broke through the quiet that had settled on the group. "We're here. But how do we get through? We can't fly over the island. They'll see us."
"That's why we'll be flying under it!" Alvin spoke confidently, pointed at a darker than normal patch of war off the shore of one of the island's many rocky cliff faces.
"What? That's insane!" Tengan spoke harshly, eyeing the water apprehensively. She briefly met Hiccup's gaze and knew they were thinking about the same thing. Once Rumble hit the water he'd be unable to harness his lightning, leaving them significantly more vulnerable.
"I thought you two were going to trust me!" Alvin called out. "Moment of truth! We have to dive in right there!" He pointed once more.
"We have to do it. Now, Toothless!" Hiccup urged the Night Fury under the water and out of sight.
Tengan swore loudly before placing a comforting hand on Rumble's side, her other arm locked around Kelp's body. "We have to follow them." She sighed as her dragon hesitated. "I know, I don't want to either. But Hiccup and Toothless might be in danger. Besides, you're a Skrill! There's more to you than just lightning blasts! Now, come on Rumble. Show me what you got!" Gripping tightly, she forced a lungful of air in as he dove into the water. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she caught a glimpse of a black smudge disappearing into a cave up ahead. Pointing towards the smudge, she laid as flat as she could on Rumble's back, trying to ignore the strain in her lungs as seconds ticked by. Kelp wriggled slightly in her grip but she held fast, terrified if she shifted him the slightest bit he'd be torn from her arms and swept away by the current.
They followed the others through the submerged cave for what felt like an eternity. Finally, as her lungs began to scream and burn, Rumble angled upwards, breaking the surface of the water. Gulping down fresh, cool air, she released the Terrible Terror and glanced around, relieved to see the others clambering onto a rocky bank on the far side of the cave. Climbing out of the water, Tengan shivered for several seconds before Rumble tucked her under his wing and against his side for a moment, letting his body heat flow into her. Kelp wiggled his way into the embrace as well, adding a considerable amount of heat, given his size.
"Come on." Alvin gestured impatiently towards a dark, gaping hole in the wall of the cave. "That tunnel will take us straight to the heart of the island. I've got a man on the inside who says it's clean. No way Dagur knows about it."
Hiccup shared an apprehensive glance with Tengan before following Alvin into the dark tunnel, Toothless at his elbow. They followed the path for several minutes, listening intently for any movement. "So, who is this man on the inside?" He whispered.
Tengan, hearing a shuffling sound, looked up, spotting a familiar, knee high ball of wool sticking close to a rather thin and hunched viking. "I think I know who it is." She spat bitterly.
Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise as Alvin greeted the newcomer. "Mildew? This traitor is your guy on the inside?!"
"Well, he's always been faithful to me." Alvin responded flatly, shrugging off their concerns.
Tengan shot Mildew a glare before turning her attention to the cages along the chamber. Each one had a Whispering Death collared and chained to the wall. The one in the farthest alcove was, by far, the largest of the group. Littered around her were "Eggs!" Tengan cried out a little louder than she intended. "Hiccup. Come look at this!"
Hiccup trotted over, eyes glued on the nest. "So this is where all of those eggs came from?" He asked, glancing at Alvin and Mildew. "Every egg? Including the large, red one?"
"Yeah," Mildew said flatly. "Wondered about that one. How did it turn out?"
Hiccup scowled momentarily before brightening, digging in his pocket for the driest piece of parchment he could find. "Tengan, let me borrow Kelp. We need to get a message back to Berk."
Tengan handed over the Terror, brow furrowed. "You don't think-"
"That's exactly what I think." Hiccup nodded as he quickly tied the note to Kelp's leg and handed him back. "We need to warn the others. It's just possible this is what the Screaming Death is looking for."
Tengan held Kelp up on her outstretched arm. "Kelp, head home as fast as you can without being seen." She spoke more to ease her own nerves than to explain to her dragon. "Find Astrid if you can. Be safe, Little One." She kissed the top of his bony head before lifting him up to a small gap in the wall of the cave where grayish sunshine spilled through. She held her breath for several moments as Kelp wiggled fiercely to fit through the opening, releasing it only when the dragon and the scroll made it safely through the gap in the wall. Turning back to the group, she found them huddled.
"Ok." Hiccup began as Tengan joined their circle. "Here is what we're going to do."
Several minutes later, Tengan and Hiccup crept up to the arena, moving slowly to avoid creating unnecessary noise. "Are you sure they'll follow through?" She whispered urgently. "Who's to say they won't turn us in?" She held up her hand, indicating to the dragons crawling behind them to stop as a Berserker soldier walked by.
"Alvin wants his island back and Mildew is tired of playing nursemaid." Hiccup whispered back. "They'll do their part. You ready?"
"No." Tengan sighed, a smile tugging at her lips despite her best efforts. "I may have called Dagur a few unsavory things the last time we saw each other."
Hiccup chuckled under his breath. "Good luck!" Motioning to Toothless, the pair began circling clockwise around the large central cage, towards an unsuspecting guard.
Tengan motioned for Rumble to follow as she followed a counter clockwise path. Together, they crept up on three guards stationed along the perimeter, knocking each out with either sword or tail. Tengan flinched sympathetically as Rumble dispatched the last one, noticing his blows were falling a bit heavier than usual. She couldn't and wouldn't blame him; neither of them were all too thrilled with sneaking back into the place that once held them captive.
They met back up with Hiccup and Toothless at the entrance of the arena. Glancing around warily, the four made their way slowly inside.
"That's strange." Tengan spoke slowly, her voice just loud enough to carry. "I expected more guards on the outside. And I don't see any in here. What's going on?"
As if on cue, several bolas were fired from multiple angles at the group, forcing them to scatter. Hiccup deflected a few away from himself and Toothless using his shield while Tengan and Rumble, armed solely for offense, were forced to jump, twist, and dodge away from the projectiles.
Exhaling heavily from the exertion, Tengan chanced a glance at her companions. Eyes flicking upward, she noticed a half second too late that Toothless had been herded under a suspended cage. "Look out!" She cried as the cage clattered to the ground, penning the Night Fury in. Whipping her head around, she spotted Rumble being backed into a large puddle of water by a pair of Outcasts. Roaring with rage, Tengan charged the pair, drawing her sword in the process. Launching herself on the back of the first one, the two toppled over onto the hard stone ground. Raising her blade reflexively, she barely blocked the second guard's weapon. Catching the telltale whistle of a dragon's tail whipping through the air, she managed to duck safely out of the way as Rumble's tail bowled the second viking over. Straightening, Tengan smiled at her dragon, reaching out to pat his side in thanks. Before she could make contact, a heavy chain net clattered onto the Skrill form above, pinning him to the wet floor.
"Tengan watch out!" Hiccup called as he struggled against the door of Toothless' cage.
Tengan spun on her heel, raising her blade. She turned just in time to see several swordpoints inches from her throat. Snarling, she slowly bent down, laying her sword flat on the ground before straightening. Across the arena, Hiccup was similarly occupied, his shield discarded next to the iron cage.
"Welcome back to outcast island." A taunting voice floated over the arena as a viking strolled into view. Savage sneered at Hiccup before turning to Tengan. "It's been a while."
"Not long enough." Tengan snapped back, flinching backwards as the swordpoints closed in. Her grimace turned into a smirk as Rumble growled. "Careful guys. Skrills are known to be extremely territorial. Wouldn't want to get on his bad side."
"Good to know!" A voice directly behind Tengan called out cheerfully. Dagur, hands clasped behind his back, circled the netted Skrill, his eyes gleaming. "You know, I have to thank you for taking such good care of my dragon. Really!" Dagur stopped directly in front of Tengan, a cocky smirk on his face. "You know seeing as I am… how did you put it? Such a 'pathetic excuse for a chief'!" His smirk faded into a dark scowl before he turned to face Hiccup and Toothless. "Look at this. The two best dragons on Berk. All for me!" He giggled fervently.
"Easy, Rumble." Tengan spoke soothingly as the Skrill struggled violently in his bonds, eyes rolling.
"First thing we have to do is change that name." Dagur scoffed, turning his attention back to Rumble. "No pizzaz whatsoever. It needs to strike fear in the hearts of all my enemies!" Approaching the thrashing dragon, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "No no, Rumble won't do." Sighing, he turned back to view the captives. Grining, he snapped his fingers at a pair of guards "Put Hiccup with his father! We'll dispose of them later. Leave this one-" unsheathing his weapon, he pointed the axe at Tengan. "With me. We have a lot to discuss about my dragon."
Tengan watched, wide eyed, as Hiccup was herded away. Her heart sank as she watched Toothless slam repeatedly against the cage wall, crying out to his rider. Feeling a dull ache in her injured arm as the guards grabbed her, she struggled against them as they quickly bound her wrists and forced her into a sitting position in front of Rumble.
"Settle down." Dagur growled at her as he waved off the other men. "I have to say, I'm mighty disappointed in you, Tengan."
"I'm sorry, what?" Tengan blurted out before she could stop herself, tilting her neck back obscenely to maintain eye contact with the young chief.
Dagur's face split into a grin. "I mean really, why have you been wasting all your time and efforts on Berk?" He spat the word out in disgust. "Not just anyone can command a Skrill. You'd be much better suited as a Berserker."
Tengan rolled her eyes. "Not this again. I am never going to help you, Dagur! Get that through your thick skull!" Her eyes glanced around the arena for any sign of the ambush they had planned with Alvin and Mildew. 'I hope you were right to trust them Hiccup.' she thought bitterly. 'If they fall through we're all doomed.'
"Oh, I think you will." Dagur bent over slightly, eyes flicking between her and Rumble. "You see, I know just how lovey-dovey you all are with the dragons back on Berk. You'd never want to see a dragon injured." He reached a hand out over her to place it on Rumble's head, flinching back slightly when the dragon lunged forward as far as the net would allow. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. The Skrill will be mine one way or another. You can either help him adjust or…" he motioned behind him to a few waiting men. "...we'll break him in." Chuckling at Tengan's horrified expression he continued. "Now I'd be willing to overlook your past outbursts and let you stick around if you agree. Who knows, behave well enough, and I might let you feed my dragon every once in a while. The choice is yours."
Tengan bit her tongue until she felt the coppery taste of blood seep into her mouth. Swallowing both her pride and frustration (as well as a few drops of blood), she exhaled slowly. 'I need to keep him talking. Stall until Alvin and Mildew can make their move. If they're ever going to.' Forcing an expression of concern and curiousness on her face, she met Dagur's gaze evenly. "What will happen to the others? Toothless, Hiccup, and Stoick?"
Dagur's grin widened. "Well, originally, I planned on taking Hiccup's Night Fury for myself. Ah, that would have been glorious. But, when I found out you had been keeping my Skrill safe all this time…" he broke off to laugh, shoulders shaking with the effort. "...it was just meant to be. Besides, if we made the Night Fury the new symbol of the Berserkers we would have had to repaint the shields, replace all the sails, not to mention my belt buckle. Would have cost way too much." He shook his head, holding his hands up for emphasis. "Now, I'll use the Skrill to destroy that Night Fury once and for all right in front of Hiccup!"
"You can't honestly expect me to help you kill a dragon!" Tengan cried out in enerest, struggling against her bonds as Rumble growled behind her.
"You don't really have a choice in that matter." Dagur sneered, voice dropping. "Either you help me recondition that Skrill and live." He paused. "Or, I make you watch my men break the will of your precious dragon before killing that Night Fury, you, Hiccup, and Stoick all in one blow!"
"I-" Tengan gulped, turning to gaze at Rumble. The dragon, exhausted from struggling laid mostly still under the net, chest heaving. "I have to think about it."
"Seriously!?" Dagur cried out, hands flying to his helmet. "What is with you Dragon Riders? These choices are so easy!" He stomped a path back and forth in front of her several times, thinking. "Why don't we make the choice easier for you then." He spoke up after a moment. "Savage! Bring them back out here!"
Tengan watched helplessly as Hiccup and Stoick, bound more severely than she had been, were pushed and prodded back into the arena. Briefly meeting Hiccup's gaze, she searched his face for any indication the plan had either succeeded or failed.
"Tengan here is having a hard time making a decision." Dagur spoke to the father and son, grinning wildly as he paced along the arena. "I told her she could either help me, thereby sparing all your lives at the cost of one Night Fury, or, I could have her watch me break the will of her dragon before killing you all." He paused to sigh deeply, putting on a show of mock disappointment. "Seems like an easy choice no? She begs to differ. So, I figured we could move things on a bit faster. You now have as long as it takes me to come up with a more suitable name for my Skrill to decide. After that-" He shrugged, making a show to swing his axe with the motion. "Now let's see... What about StormKiller? DeathBlaster? It's got to have something like Death or Killer in the name..."
Tengan, trying again to silently get Hiccup's attention, almost missed the flurry of movement as one of the viking's standing guard near her was sucked into the earth. Jumping in mild surprise, she willed herself to stay perfectly silent. She watched, wide eyed as Dagur meandered around the arena, monologuing the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed name "DeathKiller" while failing to notice several members of his guard being yanked unceremoniously underground.
With an earth-shattering explosion, multiple Whispering Deaths erupted from the arena floor, making good use of the holes carved by the vikings they had forced underground. As the dragons shattered the arena's cage in several places, the ground beneath, weakened by the new tunnels, continued to tremble, shifting unevenly at the fissure points. Clutching the tail of the largest tunneling dragon was-
"Alvin!" Tengan cried out, feeling actually relieved to see the maniac for once. Catching his eye she waited impatiently for the former Outcast leader to toss Mildew at Toothless' cage before he approached. "Thought you weren't going to come through for a minute there." She admitted as he cut her bondings and threw the net off of Rumble.
"You need to learn to trust more, lass." He mocked lightly, handing over her discarded blade. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Stoick and his brat seem to need a little help." With a furious cry, he turned his back on the pair and plunged into the fray, scrambling to clear a path.
"Let's help him out." Tengan grineed, climbing into Rumble's saddle as he leapt clear of the puddle. "Rumble, if you please."
The Skrill, stretching his wings to their fullest, formidable size, roared a challenge to the mix of Berserkers and Outcasts before releasing a large bolt of lighting right in the thickest cluster of men, quite literally blasting the path clear between themselves and the bound Berkians.
Crying out in exuberance, Tengan, mindful of her partner's wings, slashed downward upon their foes, the adrenaline from the battle drowning out everything but the movements of her sword, the cries of her dragon, and the fire in her limbs. It had been far too long since her last real battle, and she realized with a thrill, her first real clash since bonding with Rumble. Sparing a quick glance at her companions, she made a mental note to ask Stoick for tips on unarmed combat watching him physically toss a Berserker into the waiting maw of a passing Whispering Death.
The arena, battered as it was by the tunneling dragons, shuddered violently from the force of the battle. Cracking open in the center, a large section of the floor gave way, dropping several enemies into darkness along with a familiar black dragon.
"Toothless, NO!" Hiccup yelled out over the fray, scrambling to reach the edge.
"On no." Tengan gassed "Rumble! We have to help!" She cried out, softly tapping her heels to her dragon's side to urge him forward. They had made it halfway across the arena when he was forced to come to a screeching halt. Several dozen more men had entered the fray, forming a wall between them, and Hiccup.
"And just where do you think you're going?!" Dagur cried out. "You still have something of mine." He snarled, holding his axe before him.
Tengan and Rumble snarled back in unison as she mirrored his pose with her own weapon. "He was never yours! Rumble CHOSE me. Now get out of our way!"
Waving at his men to stand down, Dagur approached slowly. "Oh, we'll see about that." With a cry, he leapt forward, bringing his axe down on her blade with a clash of sparks.
Tengan gripped her sword with both hands, struggling to disengage safely. Her eyes burned with fury and desperation. This had to end quickly. They had to get to Toothless.
Rumble, sensing her struggle, swung his tail around, curving his body in a half moon position to gain more leverage. Curling his head inward, he snapped his jaws over his shoulder at their attacker, struggling to reach him from the odd position.
Dagur disengaged at the last moment, jumping out of range of the Skrill's teeth as the dragon backed off. "Easy there boy. Come to Daddy." He cooed, gesturing towards the furious dragon.
Rumble, taking a few small steps back, hissed with malice. Above them, the metal cage covering the top of the arena groaned loudly as it sank inward several feet. Shifting his clawed feet, Rumble swept his head from side to side, searching for a way out.
"Dagur, you need to end this!" Tengan yelled, still holding her sword at the ready. "The arena is collapsing. Let us through or we'll all die here!"
"Not until you hand over my dragon!" He bellowed, charging once more. As he closed the distance, a wall of green gas flowed between them, followed by a small explosion.
Tengan, face breaking in a huge smile, gazed up at the twins on Barf and Belch. "You guys got our note! Thanks for the help but Hiccup needs you more! Toothless fell in that ditch!"
"On it!" The siblings cried out in unison as the Zippleback veered off towards the gaping hole on the other side of the arena.
As the smoke cleared, Stormfly thudded down next to Rumble. Astrid, her own axe already raised for battle, smiled across at Tengan. "Can't let you have all the fun! Besides, we have to get out of here before Fishlegs catches up with the Screaming Death."
Dagur, momentarily stunned by the blast, staggered back into view. He glanced behind at his men to find their resolve had broken at the sight of the other Riders. Many had already clambered over the crumbling arena wall to safety as the ground shook beneath them once more. "Cowards!" He yelled out to them desperately before facing the girls. "No matter. I can take you both by myself! I WILL have my Skrill." With a crazed laugh, he charged once more.
"Stormfly, single spine shot!" Astrid cried out, tapping the back of the Nadder's head. She smirked as the spine found its mark, sending Dagur's axe spinning wildly in the air to clatter to the floor about a dozen feet away.
"I think we can take it from here." Tengan smirked down at her unarmed foe. "Rumble?"
Mouth parting to expose several jagged teeth, the dragon stalked forward. A low noise halfway between a hiss and a growl escaped his gaping maw.
"Now now." Dagur began, backing up a few steps. "We can discuss this."
"Oh, I'm sure we could." Tengan teased, sliding her sword back into her belt. "I just prefer it this way." With a small nudge of her heels, she urged Rumble forward. She had to stifle a laugh at the boy-chief's expression of terror as Rumble snatched him up by the scruff, shook him wildly like a wet kitten before tossing him clear beyond the boundaries of the arena. From the mixed sounds of whimpering and familiar cackling, Tengan would have bet her favorite quill Dagur had landed not too far from where Alvin had been waiting.
"That's one problem." Astrid said with a satisfied nod. "Now all we have to worry about is the-"
The bone jarring, telltale roar of the Screaming Death announced it's imminent arrival. The force of the cry sent the arena into another series of quakes as the ground shuddered.
Hiccup, newly reunited with Toothless, soared into the air with the twins close behind. "I found the Screaming Death's mother! We just need to make sure they see each other."
"Uh, can we get out of here first?" Ruffnut interjected. "While I'm LOVING all this chaos, it looks like the cage is about to collapse."
"Noted." Hiccup led the group out through one of the large holes in the suspended cage courteously provided by the rampaging dragons. Hovering above the wreckage, he glanced quickly between the advancing behemoth and the large female Whispering Death, he called out to the group. "They've seen each other. Now all we have to do is get them together and get clear of this place." He waited until Fishlegs was within hailing distance. "Now Fishlegs! Drop it now!"
"Oh, thank Odin." Fishlegs all but sobbed in relief as he released the dragon root lure into the sea below before swooping down to hide in the cluster of hovering dragons. "You all have no idea what we went through to get here! Have you ever seen a Screaming Death's mouth from the inside? Because we have!"
The group watched with bated breath as the mother and son dragons called out to each other, slowly closing the gap. Their expressions shifted to ones of outrage as Dagur, who somehow gave Alvin the slip, along with a few men, quickly caught onto the plan and lassoed the mother, forcibly yanking her to the ground as she cried out to her child.
"Dagur, no!" Hiccup shouted as the group touched down a safe distance from the thrashing dragon. "You don't know what you're doing! Let her go before you destroy us all!"
"Now why would I do that?" Dagur mocked. "Hello? I'm deranged, remember?"
"Welp, you can't argue with logic like that." Tuffnut stated flatly, crossing his arms across Belch's horns.
The Screaming Death, noticing his mother's struggles, roared desperately before raking its coils along the island, leaving deep trenches of crushed rock in its wake. The resulting trauma created another tremor that reverberated through the island, throwing several people and dragons off balance.
"Back off, Hiccup!" Dagur yelled, yanking a spear from one of his men and holding it to the dragon's throat. "You know that if I destroy her, that thing will kill us all."
"He's right." Hiccup snarled, waving to the other riders to stand down. "Everyone, back off. Dagur, what could you possibly want from this?"
"Now that you mention it, I might be interested in a trade." Dagur's focus shifted to Rumble, a greedy grin spreading across his face.
Before anyone else could respond, Tengan slid out of her saddle, temper finally boiling over. "I HAVE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU!" She roared, stomping across the space between them. Completely forgetting her dragon, her sword and even the weapon clutched in Dagur's hands, she laughed herself at the momentarily stunned boy. Colliding directly into his chest, she began pummeling every inch of his face and body she could reach, earning quite a few shallow puncture marks on her hands where her fists made contact with the spikes on his armor.
Dagur, stunned by the sudden outburst, tumbled backwards, spear clattering to the ground. He warded off the blows he could catch, although several still managed to break through to make solid contact. "Look who's finally angry!" He taunted, catching her wrist with one hand, his fingers entirely encasing the smaller girl's joint. Laughing maniacally, he shifted the two of them over, rolling and taking a few well placed face and gut punches before pinning her to the ground beneath him. "I can see why DeathKiller took a liking to you. Anything else on your mind?" He taunted, grinning despite his split lip.
Tengan struggled, baring her teeth for several seconds before glancing over his shoulder and towards the sky. Returning her gaze to Dagur, she grinned back. "Two things. His name is Rumble."
Rolling his eyes, Dagur pressed her captured wrist to the ground above her head, bringing their faces closer together. "And the second thing?"
"Oh, I'll let him tell you." Tengan all but whispered, eyes flicking to the sky once more.
"Never retreat, never surrender!" Snotlout cheered from high above, diving towards the fray on Hookfang. With a whooping cry, he urged the Monstrous Nightmare to flame up.
Hookfang obeyed, twisting his body in a complicated spiral to concentrate the flames cascading off his body. Once the ball of fire was large enough, he slammed his wings forward, sending the wall of flames barreling towards the group of Berserkers. The resulting shockwave sent most of the attackers flying, freeing the Whispering Death in the process.
"What in the-" Dagur started, only to be thrown several feet off of Tengan as Rumble slammed his bony head into his unprotected side.
"Thanks." Tengan struggled to her feet, whole body sore from her exertion. She hung her head slightly at her dragon's angry glare before climbing into the saddle again. "I know, I know. That was stupid. Good thing I have you to watch my back." She stifled a chuckle as Rumble shuffled his wings and huffed. "And I owe you an entire bucket of eels when we get back." Taking to the air, she smirked as she caught sight of Dagur, wheezing from being hit in the ribs was scruffed and dragged to his feet by a very irate Alvin.
"Why'd ya go and run off on me, boy? We were just starting to have fun." Alvin smirked on the last word, eyes glinting maliciously.
Tengan turned her attention back to the newly freed dragons just in time to see the Whispering Death mother nuzzle each of her offspring in turn. Wincing slightly, she urged Rumble to land among the rest of their group gathered on the island's cliffside as they watched the herd of Whispering Deaths and the Screaming Death head off the shore and into the distance, thankfully, in the opposite direction of Berk.
Snotlout touched down moments after, face set with determination. "Ok, so I know I wasn't following orders Hiccup, but Tengan clearly needed help and-"
"Snotlout" Hiccup interrupted gently. "You did the right thing."
"Wait, what?" Snotlout cocked an eyebrow, clearly thrown off. "Are you messing with me? I was reckless!"
Hiccup continued to smile. "Sometimes reckless can be courageous. Consider your suspension, well, suspended."
Tengan smiled at the two boys, relieved to see them back on good terms. "Finally." she murmured.
"I know." Astrid added, following her gaze. "It's about time." She turned her attention to the Skrill and rider, eyebrow cocked. "Now, care to tell me why you two broke Alvin out of jail, flew all the way to Outcast island with no further backup, and" she paused to chuckle into her hand "what on Odin's green archipelago caused you to tackle Dagur to the ground?"
Ruffnut and Tuffnut, apparently eavesdropping, sidled up along the two. "That was pretty awesome." Tuffnut exclaimed.
"Yeah," Ruff added. "What do we have to say to get you to do that to Tuffnut?"
"I'm just glad this is all over with." Fishlegs sighed. "But, I'm kinda with the others. What happened to you two?"
Tengan's eyes swept over the scene before her. Dagur, bound and gagged like a holiday roast, sat glaring at Alvin's feet while he clasped hands with Stoick. Mildew was standing nervously off to the side, apparently content to wait quietly with Fungus while Alvin discussed his plans for the island in the coming days. Her eyes sweeping the scene, she watched several stunned Outcast and Berserker soldiers among the wreckage while others clambered into small boats to flee while they still could. Returning her gaze to her friends, a smile slipped into place on her face as she locked eyes with Hiccup.
"That's a bit of a long story." He interjected, reaching down to scratch the top of Toothless' head.
Stretching her arms over her head, Tengan yawned widely before slumping forward in the saddle, rubbing the muscles in Rumble's neck. "We'll fill you in on the flight back."