Chapter 40 - The Final Note:
They wanted to leave.
Oh did they want to…
But they couldn't, they just couldn't.
Their dragons were too exhausted from the flight earlier to Dyflin.
So they decided to wait till tomorrow, plus it was now night time and nobody could sleep.
They huddled around the fire together. Each one lying down as close as they could to the fire, staring at the top of the cave and getting mesmerised by the Night Terrors constantly flying back and forth above them.
The dragons had surrounded all of them in a protective manner, lying down around them in a circle. Keeping them as warm as they could.
All the Vikings and dragons had their minds on one thing.
Berk.
It's not easy to describe what Hiccup was going through, but one big thing he did feel, was guilt.
Guilt for leaving Berk. Guilt for not returning. And guilt for setting off this chain of events around the archipelago.
Then, interrupting his thoughts, he began to listen to something. He realised it was his mother singing.
I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With never a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you would marry me
No scorching sun nor freezing cold
Will stop me on my journey
If you will promise me your heart…
Valka now shed a few tears, before wiping them with her hand as she started her voice again. There was something about this part of the song that meant something to her.
And love me for eternity She struggled with speaking the first part…
My dearest one, my darling dear
Your mighty words astound me
But I've no need for mighty deeds
When I feel your arms around me…
But I would bring you rings of gold
I'd even sing you poetry
And I would keep you from all harm
If you would stay beside me…
I have no use for rings of gold
I care not for your poetry
I only want your hand to hold…
I only want you near me
To love and kiss to sweetly hold
For the dancing and the dreaming
Through all life's sorrows
And delights
I'll keep your laugh inside me
I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With never a fear of drowning
I'd gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me…
Hiccup now looked to his mother, as she suddenly put her face against her knees as she sat.
"That song…" Hiccup muttered quietly to her.
Valka looked up, with glassy eyes and said, "That was our song." She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Your father and I made it just before we got married."
"It's beautiful." Vali remarked. Smiling at her.
No more words were uttered by anyone in the group. They all laid down and tried their best to steal some sleep.
The next morning…
They had managed to get a tiny bit of sleep, as Valka's song did help a lot. It brought a reassuringly calm yet sombre atmosphere in the cave.
Even the Night Terrors above them looked happier, some even flew down and happily chirped amongst the group.
Savas stood up around the sleeping group, and went to some of the supplies the group had left for him and Fishlegs earlier. He got out some food, enough for everyone and the dragons, before calling out, "Wakey wakey…"
Everyone got to their feet rather quickly, as memories of last night went to the front of their minds.
As Savas served out the meals to them all, the group were completely silent. The only sound was that of the weather outside.
The dragons however were a little louder when they ate, as Savas chucked raw fish over to them. They each gulped them down energetically.
The storm had calmed down a lot from the previous night. Now there was only a light snow that was gently falling from the sky.
Hiccup stood up after finishing his food, and walked to the entrance of the cave, where some snow was blowing in. He looked out across the rocky island and over the seas.
The whole jagged shoreline was covered in white. The oceans had also calmed since last night, and gently mashed against the shore. At times washing away the snow that covered the rocks.
He looked up to the clouds. It was still overcast, but did not look anywhere near as threatening. The clouds were white to a light grey. Fairly wispy. However, there was still no sign of blue sky anywhere.
Toothless walked up and stood next to him. Looking out across the water and rocky coastline just as he was.
"This is going to be a rough day bud." Hiccup mentioned to Toothless, without looking at him. "I don't know what Viggo has done to Berk, but it can't be good. For all we know, they are probably already dead."
Toothless produced a calm hum from his throat, a deep and surprisingly gentle sound came from him as he stood there, deep in thought.
"I have a feeling they aren't dead. If Viggo just kills anyone who supports you, eventually there won't be anyone left in the archipelago. That's not what he wants, I don't think."
Hiccup sighed and put his face in his hands. Breathing deeply.
"No matter what happens, I will always be here with you." Toothless nuzzled his rider gently with his nose into his elbow.
"So will we."
Hiccup and the Night Fury turned around at all voices in unison, and saw Kormak, Vali and Valka all on their dragons. They each had dressed up in armoured gear, with their swords on their belts. They looked ready for anything.
Hiccup attempted a half smile, but he couldn't keep it for long. Sorrow and guilt was too strong in his mind. Instead, he nodded to them and closed his eyes.
Savas stood behind them, watching.
Fishlegs however, approached them, and asked, "Hiccup, can I come with you to Berk?"
"No way." Valka answered before he could reply. "It's far too dangerous."
Fishlegs turned to her and spoke with a more determined voice, losing his usual nervous and geeky tone. "I don't care. Berk is my home, I want to know what has happened to it!"
Valka turned to him on Cloudjumper, and said, "It was your home you mean, you left."
The chubby young man, replied back with as much confidence as he could muster, "So did you."
Valka was about to lose some of her self-control, and quickly before it turned into an argument, Hiccup interrupted them. "You can come Fishlegs. Ride with me."
Hiccup's mother was going to intrude, but thought better of it. This was her son's decision. Not hers.
Nervously, Fishlegs climbed aboard Toothless just after Hiccup got on.
With all that taken care of, everyone turned to the last person in the cave who was not sitting on a dragon.
Savas looked at everybody before resting his eyes on Hiccup. "Be careful everybody. I'll be here waiting for you when you get back. Good luck."
Hiccup saluted him, saying, "Thank you Savas."
He nodded in appreciation, before Hiccup and Toothless turned to the sky. "It's a long flight to Berk. Around a ten-hour flight I'd assume, so it should be early afternoon by the time we arrive. Stay in formation, and if you see something tell us."
All dragons nodded.
"Let's go."
One by one, the dragons left the rocky cave and began the journey to Berk, back to where it all started.
Savas walked to the edge of the cave, watching them fly away. He smiled at them, thinking;
Good luck.
High in the skies way above the oceans where the dragons flew, Fishlegs nudged Hiccup on the shoulder.
"Hey Hiccup?" He asked, a tad nervous. He had his hands wrapped around him. Fearing he would fall off if he let go.
"Yeah?" He asked, without turning around.
"What happened to Gothi?"
Hiccup looked down at Toothless's neck for a moment, before turning his head slightly and looking at Fishlegs from the corner of his eye.
"You sure you want to hear it?"
Fishlegs nodded.
Hiccup took a big breath, and began to explain to Fishlegs the whole story.
Far from where the gang were flying, inside house 194 on Myrka…
Erp was abruptly awoken by some loud shouts from downstairs. His servant Alrik was apparently having an argument with somebody.
He got out of bed, and made his way down the stairs of his house, and he discovered what all the commotion was.
Viggo was standing at his doorway in his human Viking form, and Alrik was currently trying to get him to talk.
"What do you want sir? I told you my master is asleep?" Alrik grunted at him, standing in front of the stranger.
Erp froze where he stood. Viggo was looking right at him. His brown eyes freezing his soul. Erp knew that look, it was a look a man did when he knew what had happened.
Viggo broke eye contact and shut the door behind him, walking calmly into the house with his hands behind his back. Alrik now noticed Erp was awake, and walked over to him.
"Master, I'm sorry. This man insisted on-" Alrik tried to say, but upon seeing the look of fear on his face, he turned back around and looked from Erp to Viggo and back.
Viggo strode in, without a care or worry in the world. And sat down at the table, and started to eat Erp's breakfast that Alrik had already made for him.
He ate silently, and suddenly Alrik realised what was going on.
The look of fear on his master's face, and the sinister expression on the intruder. This man was someone who Erp feared.
Erp had not moved an inch, and his eyes were glued to Viggo. He knew he was going to be dead at any second.
Once Viggo finished eating, he stood up and grabbed Alrik. Wiping his mouth with Alrik's torn grey shorts. Then he released him.
"Hey-!"
Suddenly, the man's right hand grew a little and grew into a jet black hand and from his nails, sharp gruesome claws came protruding out.
The man looked at Alrik, right in his eyes just as Alrik noticed his hand.
Before Alrik could shriek, the man stood up. And his hand went straight to Alrik's neck. Grabbing him and holding him in the air from his neck.
Alrik couldn't speak and he was now in extreme pain and could barely breathe. His arms tried to pull the creature's grip off him, but he was too strong. Even with his feet he kicked the creature, but he didn't even flinch. The creature's claws dug into his skin, drawing blood.
"You did your job well, Alrik. However, you have no further use. Go back to the prisons, and stay there. Or I will kill you now. Understand?" The man said.
Alrik struggled to move or speak, but just managed to nod a little and mutter with barely any breath, "Yes!"
Viggo released him, and he fell to the ground. Gasping for breath.
The man looked to him struggling to get his breath back, "Get out of my sight."
Viggo again grabbed Alrik's head with his black draconic hand and threw him towards the door.
Alrik crash landed, yelling in pain. He just struggled to his feet, and threw open the door before slamming it behind him. Alrik dared not to disobey.
Viggo now turned to look at Erp.
The Shapeshifter, named Viggo, transformed his hand back into a normal human one. Before putting his hands behind his back and walking up the stairs.
Erp was still frozen to the spot. He had not moved since he noticed Viggo. He knew what was coming.
Viggo approached until his face was within a couple inches from his own.
Erp didn't even try to speak. He just waited to die.
"Why did you do it?" Viggo asked.
Erp gained some confidence, and smiled at Viggo.
"Because it's time the world knew who you really were, and what you've done."
Viggo smiled back at him, before breaking eye contact, and he began to walk around him in circles. At a slow and steady pace. Erp remained fixed where he was.
Every step Viggo made, created a loud thud. With each one, Erp expected to be either roasted alive, or cut in half by Viggo's sword. Yet, neither had come.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before you would spread my name. And you've done it at a good time too. Congratulations."
Erp said nothing.
"Your usefulness has not run its course yet. I have one more task for you."
Viggo ceased circling Erp, stopping right in front of him.
"What makes you think I'll do it for you?" Erp questioned, looking at him right in the eyes.
The Shapeshifter smirked, his left lip curling up into a nasty smile.
"I'm not giving you a choice."
Nine and a half hours later in the skies approaching Berk…
The clouds had darkened again, though this time the storm wasn't approaching them.
Hiccup and the group had been flying towards the dark and stormy clouds, which were moving almost as fast as them. By the time they reached Berk they assumed the storm would only have just passed.
Luckily they were flying above the clouds so they could avoid any rain or stormy weather, but that didn't stop them from eyeing the storm clouds with a little worry from above.
They had encountered a lot of dragons flying up at this height throughout their journey to Berk. Most of the dragons had wanted to go with them, but the gang had convinced them it was too dangerous.
Both because of the risk that the Shapeshifter could be there, and on the other hand the Red Death isn't far from Berk.
Whether by coincidence or fate, Hiccup met up with the Deadly Nadder and the Monstrous Nightmare that were in the dragon training arena back on Berk all that time ago.
They stopped for a short chat to explain things, and Hiccup now devised a new plan when they were talking.
He asked them to begin gathering up all of Valka's dragons she had saved from the queen, and get as many dragons as possible ready for war.
He gave them orders to find a hidden place somewhere and to begin to raise an Army. Hiccup knew now it couldn't be far off from when something was going to happen.
So after that happened, there was once again silence among the group.
Some of the riders tried to get some sleep on the backs of their dragons, but that proved too difficult.
"We're nearly there." Toothless mentioned, stirring Hiccup from his thoughts. The dragon of the night could sense and smell the scent of Berk all too well.
"Thanks bud. Keep your fire at the ready." Hiccup cautioned, now gripping Toothless a little harder.
Hiccup raised his voice to the group. "We're nearly here. Everyone get ready. Dragons get your fire ready."
Immediately they all did so.
Vali drew her sword while Kormak held Seaflare very tightly. Valka stood up on Cloudjumper a little uneasily, and had drew her bow and arrow, ready to fire.
Within a few minutes, they dove through the clouds.
Hiccup was suddenly basked in memories of what had happened when he was last here. He didn't think he would have returned to Berk as soon as this. Guilt began to overcome him again.
Berk became visible.
As they plummeted down following Hiccup and Toothless's lead, they were surprised with what they saw.
Berk looked completely normal. Apart from being covered in snow from the storm.
No buildings were destroyed.
Nothing was on fire.
Everything seemed normal.
Except they couldn't see any Vikings either.
"Why is nothing destroyed?" Kormak asked, observing the strangely unhostile village.
Toothless flew down, and hovered above Hiccup's house. Flapping continually. Waiting for Viggo or something to come out of the house and try and kill them.
But nothing happened.
Berk looked no different than when he left all those months ago. Although he did notice their seemed to be a little more damage to some of the houses than normal. But he recognised that sort of thing from the dragon raids.
The houses still had their sturdy look. The snow actually seemed to calm the minds of the riders a little, it had a tension relieving effect.
"Hello?" Hiccup yelled loudly.
There was no reply.
Toothless landed next to Hiccup's house, and the others around them also landed.
Fishlegs dismounted Toothless and began walking around, looking at everything.
Hiccup quickly rushed inside his house, and found nothing was out of the ordinary. It was exactly how he had left it. Afterwards he came outside.
"Where is everyone?" Valka questioned suspiciously. Keeping her bow drawn.
"Okay, this is what we're going to do." Hiccup said, bringing everyone's attention to him and Toothless.
"Toothless and I will search the forests of Berk and see if we can find any clues. All of you check as many houses as you can. If you find anything, shoot fire into the sky and we'll come to you."
"Sure." Valka replied.
Toothless took off into the sky, and flew towards the forests. They both began scanning the area from above. Eventually they flew over the cove, and they smiled fondly at it. Remembering when they first met and when they bonded together there.
The more area they covered, the less they could see. The canopy began to get too thick and hard to see through. But still they kept on, and after they finished, they searched a couple nearby islands around Berk.
And they found nothing.
Eventually after searching for nearly an hour, they gave up. So they began flying back to the village.
As they did, Hiccup & Toothless saw a couple streaks of lightning flare up into the sky, there was only one dragon that could do that.
Toothless flew much faster, and they saw Spark beckoning them over. With Vali standing next to her.
They were standing at the entrance to the Great Hall. The huge doors were already open.
"Hiccup, look what we found!" Vali said, beckoning them to follow her as she stood in the doorway of the Hall.
They rushed inside together, to find the rest of the group staring at lots of scorched black marks on the ground. They looked like they were from flames. As if a dragon had burnt its fire into the stone, scorching the ground.
As they got closer, Hiccup realised that one of the marks was an arrow. A scorched black mark of an arrow pointing a little to the left of the doors of the Great Hall. The arrow was huge, it stretched across nearly half the hall. Right from the fire pit in the middle to the left of the doors.
Hiccup walked up to the fire pit, which wasn't lit. It just had some charcoal bits of wood in there. From this spot in the middle of the hall, he could see some scorched writing on the ground towards the back of the hall.
"Look, there's writing." Hiccup called out.
The group walked around to the front of it, and began to read.
And as they read, they realised why there was no one to be found here. They realised why Berk was empty.
You came!
I would say I was mildly surprised, but then I'd be lying.
After all, I have had this planned since the beginning.
Have you enjoyed my notes? Aren't they just the best?
Keen to meet me properly? Or kill me?
Nothing is more exciting than a good fight.
You didn't like your tribe much did you? That's why you left.
So, you're welcome.
I've just done you a favour. You should be happy.
Just think about it, you now have your own island! All to yourself!
I'll make you a deal.
If you stay here, with your friends – the Six – I will never come here again.
And I will make sure you and your friends stay safe. I will not allow any ships to come to you.
I'm happy for all of you to live here in peace for eternity.
But I have a suspicion you're not going to choose that.
In that case, I'll give you a chance, one chance to free your tribe.
If you don't show up, I'll assume you don't care about them and I will have them killed tomorrow.
Top of the hill.
Midnight.