Final battle let's do this.
"Light em up!" Poppy roared as the dragons fired at the hunters. Once the twins finished untying the last of their captive friends all the riders piled onto their dragons ready to unleash on some much deserved payback.
Grabbing her crossbow Reby turned to the first hunter she saw and shot him in the back.
"That's for abducting me!" Reby made a ninety degree turn and fired another shot, hitting another hunter in the chest. "That's for locking me in a cage!" She made another ninety degree turn and shot a third hunter in the gut. "And that's because I hate you and your entire kind!"
Up in the sky Raider was firing lightning from her sword down onto the hunters below. Having retrieved her trusted companion Shadow, Raider wasted no time taking to the skies and taking out as many hunters she could from above.
She quickly took out one that was coming at Jo from behind with a mace, before turning and taking out another who was loading a arrow while charging at Poppy.
"Like fish in a barrel aye boy?" Raider laughed. She pointed her sword downward again about to fire at another unexpected hunter when she made a horrifying discovery, her sword was out of juice.
"What?" Raider gasped shaking her sword. "No, don't run out on me now, I need you!"
Closing her eyes she pleaded for Cloud Guy to hear her so he could help her out. "Oh Mighty Cloud Guy, I need you, grant me some of your lightning so I can aid my friends in battle."
Raider heard the sound of thunder cracking from above, Cloud Guy came floating down, his eyes closed in a meditative pose. Stopping a few feet above Raider he spoke in a loud booming voice.
"By the powers of Thor, I grant you the power to the power of the gods!"
As Raider held her sword up to sky Cloud Guy shot lightning out of his body, the lightning struck the sword and made it's way through the sword, all the way to Raider's armor and through Shadow's body. Raider let out a satisfying moan as she felt the lightning running through her suit and weapon. "Oh yeah baby, I feel unstoppable! Let's fry up these turkeys like Christmas Dinner!" Lowering her sword she blasted every hunter in her sight, the lightning coming from her sword was so powerful it was sending the hunters flying throw the air, their bodies charred by the time they hit the ground.
Feeling more powerful then ever Raider jumped off Shadow, holding her sword in front of her chest in a downward motion as she glided toward the ground. Striking her sword into the dirt, a ripple of lightning shot out at every direction taking out dozens of hunters in the process, sending smoke and dust coating the air.
As the dust settled Raider, her mother Red, Jo, Reby, and Poppy all stood in a circle, clasping tight onto their weapons as more hunters surrounded them. Red was holding a sword and a shield, Jo had a mace and a whip, Reby had her trusted crossbow, and Poppy her ax. As the hunters closed in, the five riders turned to each other and gave a small nod before charging.
Raider swung her sword, sending lighting flying into a hunters chest. Red held her shield up to her body blocking three arrows before running her sword through the attacker's body. Jo swung her whip, knocking a crossbow out of a hunter's hand. She then swung her mace, whacking the hunter over the top of the head. Reby fired arrow after arrow, her mark finding it's target every time while Poppy swung her ax, slicing one hunter in the side and implanting it deep in another hunter's chest. With her Ax made out of the same material as Raider's sword was, she struck it in the ground sending a wave of lighting through the ground electrocuting three hunters that was surrounding the twins. As the hunters fell the twin's turned and stared at Poppy with a confused look on their face.
"Girl you have got to get us one of those," Chenille responded.
Not to far down from the rest of their friends, Heather and Biggie was busy trying to free the remaining caged dragons. The majority of their friends still didn't have their dragons to aid them in battle so Biggie was rushing as fast as he could to cut the chain off the cages and freeing their dragons.
It didn't take long for some hunters to spot them, forcing Heather to abandon Biggie and fend off the hunters while Biggie worked on the locks.
"There's too many of them!" Heather screamed as she planted her ax into a hunter's chest. More hunters came charging their way, Heather couldn't fend them off for long.
Thankfully, her and Creek's dragons, Windstorm and Blue Fang swooped down from above and fried several of the hunters giving Heather some much needed backup.
"Cutting it a bit close don't you think?" Heather griped towards Biggie's direction.
"Well there's a lot of cages to unlock," Biggie responded "Them hunters took every single dragon on that Utopia!"
"Just keep sending the freed dragon's my way!" Heather replied as she and the two dragons fought continued to fight off the hunters.
One hunter tried shooting a arrow at Windstorm only for Windstorm to fire a spike from her tail, impaling the hunter through his chest. Five more hunters came charging their direction only for Blue Fang to light them all on fire. Soon more dragons came to Heather's aid and the hunters found themselves unable to fight them. Once the last dragon was freed from it's cage Biggie walked up and joined Heather and the other dragons. Holding a hammer in his hand Biggie pointed the hammer to the ongoing battle with the hunters and their friends and turned to face the dragons.
"Go help our friends." Saddling up on their dragons, Biggie and Heather led the other dragons towards battle, ready to unleash their vengeance on these poachers.
Down below, Creek, Smidge, Cooper, Suki, Fuzzbert, and Guy Diamond all found themselves starting to become overpowered by the hunters. They were outnumbered and surrounded, and despite their best efforts the hunters were backing them into a corner, and on the verge of overtaking them.
"Looks like we are about to make our last stand everyone!" Creek replied "It's been a honor fighting by your sides."
"We can't give up now!" Smidge replied "We've come to far!"
"Well what do you suppose we do?" Cooper asked "We're helpless without our dragons!"
"Did someone suggest dragons?" They all heard Biggie reply. Looking up they saw Biggie flying to toward them followed by every dragon from the Utopia. The hunters noticed them too. And they froze in terror when they noticed Biggie pointing his hammer toward them and turning to the dragons.
"Charge!" The dragons swooped down, snatching up the hunters and throwing them in the air, smashing them against rocks, trees and anything they could find.
With the riders reunited with their dragons, and the backup they needed, the riders found their motivation to keep on fighting.
"Biggie you beautiful troll you!" Suki replied thanking him for freeing the dragons.
"You hear that Heather, looks like you might have some competition." Biggie teased, Heather just rolled her eyes.
"Blue Fang, my baby!" Creek cried as he boarded his dragon. Saddling up a wicked smirk formed on his face, a new wave of adrenaline hitting him. "Let's kick some butt!" Blue fang charged at some hunters, Creek laughed as the hunters went running screaming. "Yeah baby!"
With everybody else taking out the hunters, Branch was all alone to take on Blood. Not that he needed any assistance, his determination and anger was enough motivation. Holding his fire sword Branch approached Blood, a look of pure hatred on his face.
"How did you survive?" Blood asked "I blew that island to hell!"
"I was born to save these dragons, that is my mission, my calling on this world. And I will not die until I ensure they are safe from maniacs like you!" Branch shot fire from his sword, the fire striking Blood in the chest knocking him to the ground. "Then you attack my home, kill my friend, as well as kill my Grandmother! You thought I would just lay down and die! You tried to beat me, tried to break me, but all you did was fuel the flame inside me, and make me stronger then before!"
"Maybe," Blood thought, "Or maybe I just haven't tried hard enough yet!" Blood got up to his feet and charged Branch, swinging his sword. The two trolls clashed their weapons, trading swings as each side was determined to overpower each other, neither side backing down!"
"You think you can stop me!" Blood roared as he swung his sword, Branch just barely blocking it. "Greater trolls than you have tried, older trolls then you have tried. You know what they all have in common Branch? They all fell." Blood planted his foot to Branch's chest kicking him down, before lifting his sword ready to go for the kill.
"You think you can save these creatures Branch? Your nothing compared to me! Your grandfather has been at war with me since before you could even walk, and he hasn't stopped me yet. You think you, a mere boy can defeat ME? You're weak, just like the rest of your dragon loving friends, just like your grandmother! You love your dragons so bad? You can join them!"
Blood lifted his sword ready to go for the kill when Branch suddenly launched to his feet, swung his sword and shattered Blood's sword right in his hand.
Blood stood frozen, not knowing what to do as he saw the fire in Branch's eyes. Branch whistled for Melody, and the second Branch boarded his dragon Blood took off running. He didn't get far, Melody picked his up in her mouth and sent all three of them crashing into the volcano. Melody slammed Blood into the ground, pinning him with her foot as Branch got off and started beating him in the face, again, and again, and again.
"You dare, insult my grandmother? My friends!?" Branch repeatedly beat him, refusing to let up. He then grabbed Blood by the collar and drug him to the edge of the volano, staring down at the lava below.
"Do it then," Blood taunted "Show me how tough you are, I killed your grandmother, I killed thousands of these dragons you care so much about. DO IT! TAKE YOUR VENGEANCE, BE A MAN!"
Branch wanted to, Rosiepuff would have already. But no, this wasn't right, this would be murder, he wasn't going to stoop down to his level. Branch pulled Blood back and released him. Blood laid on the ground for a second getting over the shock, then he turned and looked up at Branch and chuckled.
"I knew it, your weak. But I'm NOT!" Blood whistled for the ice giant, before Branch had time to react the ice giant came crashing through the volcano and grabbed both Melody and Branch in it's talons. As Blood boarded the ice giant the powerful dragon flew them out of the volcano and slammed them both against the hard dirt ground.
"Branch!" Oaken cried seeing his grandson in danger. He took out a special marked arrow and loaded it in his bow. This arrow was green in color and was made for one purpose and one purpose only, he hoped he would never have to use it, but he was going to have to, he had no choice.
Before Branch could get up Blood raised his fist in the air and took control of the ice giant. The ice giant then took over the minds of every single dragon on the island. With the dragons no longer in control of their minds they turned on their riders, throwing them off their owners and pinning them to the ground.
"Arrow, what are you doing?" Reby cried.
"They are under my control now child. They all are!" Blood laughed before turning to Branch, who also was pinned down Melody.
Oaken aimed his bow, ready to fire but a home wrecker came from behind and pinned him to the ground. Causing the arrow to fall from the bow.
"No," Oaken cried, trying to reach for the bow, it was just out of reach, he had to find a way to wriggle his way loose enough to reach it, if not Branch and all his friends would surely die.
"Come on Melody you have to snap out of it," Branch pleaded.
"You know there is no way to do that Branch." The ice giant controls all dragons, and the one who controls the ice giants controls them all. You call yourself a savior to dragons? Look around you, all your friends, everyone you care about, is about to be killed by the very dragons they love." Branch looked and sure enough everyone was pinned down by their own dragons, Poppy, Reby, Raider. All their dragons had turned on them and was about ready to kill them.
"You want to save them don't you Branch, you want to save your friends well to do that, you must make the ultimate choice. Kill the ice giant, it's the only way, strike down the very animal you have given your life to protect, kill a dragon, it's the only way."
"Branch!" Poppy cried out. "Don't give in to that monster."
"It's the only way Branch!" Blood roared. "The dragon, or them. The balls in your court, who do you love more?"
Branch was torn, he couldn't let his friends die, but at the same time, the ice giant was just as innocent as his friends being controlled by the monster. What to do? What to DO?
"Well, what's your decision Branch?"
Before Branch could answer a arrow came flying through the air and struck the ice giant in the neck. Everyone turned around and saw that Oaken was the one to fire the arrow.
"I'm sorry Branch, I can't lose you too."
The ice giant fell, and suddenly all the dragon's snapped out of their spell. Branch ran up to the ice giant and checked for a pulse, there was none. Blood stood frozen in shock for a moment. He was not expecting that.
Anger taking over Branch again, Branch saddled up on Melody again and charged at Blood. Melody lifted Blood in her feet and dropped him on his own ship. Branch jumped off Melody and landed on the ship as Melody lit the boat on fire.
Blood tried to get up but Branch put his foot on his chest pinning him down. "Your not going anywhere."
"You sink this ship, you take yourself with it."
"At least I'll no you won't be killing dragons anymore." Branch looked up and he saw the ship's mast engulfed in flames. Branch barely got out of the way as the mast fell on top on Blood, trapping him where he laid.
"Branch!" Blood cried out. "You won't let me die! We both know you don't have what it takes to kill anyone!"
"Your right Blood, I won't kill you. But I don't have to save you either." Melody flew up to Branch and Branch boarded her, flying off leaving Blood to go down with his ship. Branch turned to see Blood's mighy hunting ship go down in flames, Branch let out a sigh of relief knowing that Blood went down with it, never to pose a threat again.
Branch flew back to the island, where the remaining hunters had either surrendered or fled. That wasn't what was on his mind though. His own Grandfather, who had given his life to save dragons, had actually killed one. Sure it was to save his life as well as the lives of his friends, but Oaken cared for these dragons probably even more then Branch and for him to kill one, it just didn't make sense.
Branch walked up to ice giant, where Oaken was standing over it and examining it.
"How could you do it?" Branch asked "How could you of all people find it in you to kill a dragon even if it was to save me."
Oaken didn't respond at first, instead he picked up the arrow that was stuck in the dragon, and showed it to Branch.
"Do you notice anything strange about this arrow Branch?"
"Well it's green."
"That's because it's not made out of ordinary means. It is made out of a plant, that has been hardened and molded to look like a arrowhead. That plant is called the memory root It reverses the affect of the mind warper. When it enters the blood stream the animal falls into a deep sleep as the affects of the memory root takes hold. The affect usually takes a couple of hours and it slows the heart down tremendously as the affects of the mind warper exits it's blood stream. But after all traces of the mind warper is gone the dragon will wake and will fly off in control of it's on mind once again.
"So you didn't kill the ice giant? You just..."
"Gave it it's medicine and put it to bed." Oaken replied. "I knew Blood would fall for it, which is why it had to be me who took a shot at the dragon. I didn't want you to live with the death of a dragon on your conscious. And I also didn't want to risk losing you."
"Thanks, Grandpa, for everything." Branch turned to his friends, the war finally over "Let's go home."
Now usually I post one chapter for a certain story each week. But with How to Train your Dragon 3 finally coming here in America this Friday I am going to make a special exception and post the next and final chapter this Friday in honor of the release of The Hidden world. So be sure to be back here Friday for the conclusion for Savior of Dragons. And make sure to see "The Hidden World" This Friday, not that I needed to tell you.
Cheers.