Chapter 17:
As the remaining ships sailed into the harbor, most ships were covered by scars from a great battle. Arrows stuck in wooden decks, large cracks and holes on ports and starboards created by boulders which were launched by catapults, sails were torn apart, and the dragon portraits on bows were burned. Just like years ago after a failed raid against the Red Death's nest.
The Berkians lost more than two-thirds of Vikings. They didn't carry the deads. Before they started heading back to Berk, they performed a formal funeral for all of the Vikings who gave their lives during the battle. Their chieftain, Stoick the Vast, was one of them.
Before Stoick launched the mission to pursue the Berserkers, he only left one-fourth of the Berkians on the island to protect their homeland, and a lot of them were olds and next generations.
Gothi, Ack, and a few Vikings were waiting for the fleet by the dock. They were shocked as the incomplete ships stopped before them. They looked at each other with sadness on their faces.
The dragons didn't flap around the fleet as they usually did. They lay quietly on the decks, and their riders sat beside them, stroking their necks or heads to comfort these fire-breathing creatures.
On the dock, Hiccup was staring blankly at the open water with Toothless standing next to him. During the funeral a few hours ago, he was the first Viking to launch the ignited arrows, indicating that right after Stoick's death, Hiccup Haddock automatically took over the command and the throne of Berk. But Hiccup felt the world was so empty and quiet without that mountain-like Viking around, and he couldn't hear anything when he witnessed his father fell to the deck with Dagur's spear in his chest. Of course Toothless and Astrid could accompany him for the rest of his life, but neither his best friend nor his girlfriend could replace the importance of Stoick to Hiccup.
Astrid stood beside Hiccup and put her right arm around his shoulder, and gently places a kiss on Hiccup's cheek. The Berkians were used to the "small" affections that this couple showed in front of the public at all time. This time, Hiccup didn't respond to her action as he normally would. He stayed silent while Toothless gently licked his palm.
"Everything will be fine. We will find Dagur and tear him apart," Astrid tried to comfort him even though her words were shaking.
Gobber and Spitelout helped Gothi to treat the wounded Vikings. Even though Gobber lost his best friend in this world, but he didn't have the time to feel sad. He needed to step up and help the Berkians to recover from the great loss, and also assist their new chief.
"This world feels so empty without him, Astrid," Hiccup whimpered, "I… don't know what to do next."
"Your father was a great Viking warrior, but he was not your whole world. He was your guider in your life. After you found the path, the guider disappears. And you need to complete your task on your own. The guider can't shield you forever," Astrid stood in front of Hiccup, gazing at his emerald eyes.
Hiccup remained silent.
"When the time comes, you need to step up on your own. When the time comes, you need to believe in yourself. Right now you are the chief, you can't be the baby anymore. You have a group of tough Vikings to lead, and an enemy before you who took your father's life. You are the wisest, most determined Viking I know."
"When did you come up with this stuff?" Hiccup asked. The whimper in his voice was gone and replaced by the soft, dreamy sound that Astrid was familiar with.
"That doesn't matter. What matter is that you are the leader right now, and we have businesses to finish. Don't let the sadness break you or slow you down."
"Sorry to interrupt, Chief, but right now I believe that we should start rebuilding a new fleet and armed force. We don't have time for cuddling or kissing," behind them, Gobber's voice appeared.
Hiccup and Astrid turned around and found out that the rest of the Berkians, led by Gobber and the Riders, were standing behind them the whole time. Even though they knew that a disaster struck their tribe, they remained strong and sharp.
Meanwhile, on the Island of Berserk.
Unlike the Berkians who got their ass kicked and ran away, the Berserkers were throwing all kinds of parties to celebrate their first victory. Campfires lightened the dark sky. Heather, who was the commander of Cosmos 3, she and her division didn't directly involved in the battle but were viewed as heroes of the day as well. Soldiers were lifting their captains and commanders up in the air until they threw up.
By the harbor, hundreds of battleships docked in silent. Even though they won an important battle, but Dagur didn't let the guard down. He doubled the patrol ships and teams and put extra guards by the docks. Dagur walked to where Cosmos 2 docked their ships and found the flagship of that division.
Cosmos 2, which directly encountered the Berkians during the battle, endured the most losses for the Las Cosmos Armada. Of the 65 battleships they had before the battle, only 50 remained. But these losses weren't a huge deal to the Berserkers, they could provide fresh ships and soldiers to the Armada at any time.
The division commanders were the five best naval officers that Dagur had. The armada was like a five-headed dragon, and the five commanders were the five brains. The commander of Cosmos 2, which Stoick met in a ship during the battle, was the best of the best. Even though he was mute, but his importance to the whole armada was irreplaceable.
"Hey Irizan, my old friend," Dagur entered the commander's chamber of the flagship of Cosmos 2. A skinny young man was standing behind a giant table covered by different kinds of maps and ship models. His commander's sword was standing by his right leg.
Irizan, the commander of Cosmos 2, lifted his head from the maps and found Dagur in his room. Irizan wasn't an energetic person. All the captains and commanders joined the celebration on the island, but he remained in his chamber studying the maps, just like they did not win that battle.
"Working on your masterpiece?" Dagur said as he leaned on the table.
Irizan shrugged. Berserkers called his plans as masterpieces. His strategic brain designed the battle for the Berserkers during the last battle.
"What's in your brilliant brain?" Dagur pointed at his head.
Irizan thought for a moment, then he pointed at a place on the map with this sword. Dagur followed the tip of the sword.
"The Island of Berk? Your plan is to take Berk right away?" Dagur was surprised, "even though we greatly weakened their naval forces, but the cost of attacking their homeland would be too huge for us."
Irizan shook his head. Then he pulled out a sheet of paper covered with notes and handed it to Dagur. After Dagur scanned through the paper, his mouth curved into a sly smile.
Irizan then wrote a sentence on the map. Unlike Gothi who was mute as well, Gothi communicated with people by drawing, but Irizan preferred to write.
Dagur looked at the words, and he was both surprised and startled.
"One-third of the Berserkers will die, one-third of the Berserkers will be conquered, and one-third of the Berserkers will win the glory."
A big thank you to all of the readers.
***What do you think Irizan's words mean?
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