Unbeta'd, overdue chapter! I'm going to try and finish this story but chapters may still take a long time to come out, sorry
Hiccup lay on Toothless's back, staring up at the clouds above them hand dipping into the clouds below. They continued to circle, shadowed by several other dragons and riders. They were waiting, preparing to strike as soon as the army officials and students left to the arena.
The mission was to destroy the barracks, and free the dragons. It had been decided that there was no better time to catch the enemy unaware then at the very beginning. Drago had an army ready and was marching to the capital at that very moment, backed by the main force of the clan. Several other small groups like the one Hiccup commanded were spread out and attacking the other academies. Hiccup had fought to attend to this first before he would join the real fight on the mainland.
It really was the end of the war. The main force was marching and the decisive battle was about to be fought.
"Are you still with us or have you just stopped trying today?" Sloan called out, passing Toothless and Hiccup easily. Hiccup ignored him, Toothless continued his slow circle.
After a few minutes a Deadly Nadder and his rider flew into the clouds with them, he joined the circle, flying instantly to Hiccups side.
"Prince, they have gathered to finish the test now." The test included a simple written exam, after the students would be put against each other in a effort to tame a wild dragon tossed into the ring.
Hiccup rolled over and sat up, he adjusted Toothless' tail, a subtle click click in the silence the team of seven waited in. "Let's go." The seven angled downwards and as they dipped out of the clouds the town below took shape.
"Okay men, I'll head to the arena to get the dragons, you go around back and destroy the barracks, cause a commotion and hold off any attackers." His clansmen nodded, angling away from him and diving from the clouds. Hiccup started to speed up his own descent.
The pink clouds parted for them and Hiccup could only imagine the terror below as the seven scaly beasts fell towards the town. As he got closer he could see the men leading the wild dragon drop its chains in shock. It took to the air shaking wildly to free itself from it's binds. Without a second of hesitation one of Hiccup's men flew to the frenzied dragon and cut the chains. The dragon responded with gratified roar before turning in the sky and spitting a frenzy of flame towards the cozy town.
Hiccup watched as men jumped to arms. He could see the ant sized people running towards the dragon training arena. His students were preparing to fight. "Toothless shoot the gate closed." Toothless responded instantly firing a flash of plasma down to the ground. The ant sized ones jumped back from the gate as the chain broke and it clattered closed. Hiccup urged Toothless silently faster over the barriers of the arena and down to its rocky floor, his sharp claws scratched his shaky stop into the floor of the training center.
He pushed the faces from his mind as the memories threatened him, reminding himself that they were they enemy now. He slid from the back of his dragon and went straight to the cages that held the dragon's, he could see confusion in their eyes.
He could hear the cries of the Berkian fighters and the screeches of the dragons. While they distracted the warriors, Hiccup started to cut through the locks on the cages on the dragons, they were all brand new most likely added after news of his betrayal. He started with Meatlug, the tired dragon stumbling out when the cage opened, he made his way along the cages, sawing through the locks and releasing each dragon. He finished with Stormfly, the blue dragon walked out of her cage hesitantly, nuzzling Hiccups arm as she went, he patted her.
"Go on now, you're free again." The dragons stared at him for a little longer before taking to the air. He watched as they rose into the air, he could see them briefly look at their masters who were shouting at Hiccup. They stared for a moment, at their captors and friends. Then the beating wings flew off towards their old homes.
Hiccup moved over to Toothless who had his head turned up at the sky, watching his friends fly off in the distance. He is halfway on when a clang and clatter behind him sent him spinning around. He watched in horror as the gate to the arena fell open and in walked a very angry bunch of cadets, weapons drawn, bodies tense.
Toothless took a few steps back, opening his mouth in a threatening movement. The cadets glared Hiccup down approaching with various swords and weapons. Hesitantly Hiccup raised his own, "look I can explain."
"You can lie you mean, like you have ever since you meet us."
"No Astrid I wasn't lying. Well not all the time… I didn't know who you were back then." He spoke desperately as they continued to advance. The were done speaking though and the first clang rang out. "I don't want to fight you!" He shouted as they advanced.
He parried a blow from Astrid and that's when he caught sight of Sloan. Standing above them, judging him. He moved to block another blow, it skirted across his blade and slashed into his cheek. He hissed with pain and instinctively swung harshly back. His blades stopped inches from cutting off Astrid's hand.
The terrified look in her eyes would haunt him. He knew it would. But it disappeared quickly and was replaced by that characteristic fury. Again it returned to a parry of blows and slowly, as the fight continued and the students were forced to come to their senses, Hiccup found himself facing all of his students. With each bittersweet swing that proved he had taught them well as much as it revealed he had so much more he could, he grew more and more tired. He started to slow down.
That would cost him the fight.
When a deciding blade swung towards his neck Hiccup was surprised to hear to tell-tale clang of a block. His eyes opened instantly and he stared in mute horror as Sloan went from defense to offence. Hiccup was stronger the Sloan in almost every way, so as each attack brought the students to their knees it became painfully clear Hiccup had been holding back.
"Get up, Prince! Help me finish them!" Sloan cried as he twisted his arm in a final blow, it didn't land though. Hiccups blade flew threw the air and his desperate bid to stop the fight won for a moment. His sword crashed into, Sloan's and for a moment the other sword was stayed. But then the angry eyed subordinate turned on Hiccup with a snarl.
"There is no time, we should just get out of here." Hiccup said as he climbed to his feet. Sloan had a look in his eyes that told everyone how he truly felt towards Hiccup. It didn't bother him tough, murderous rage was something Hiccup was used to seeing. Instead of backing off, or avoiding his gaze Hiccup stepped forward and grabbed the tip of Sloans sword.
The students had been forgotten. In the internal power struggle they were of little concern. But they weren't unaware. It was Astrid who made the move, the leader that she was, and with a cry she launched herself forwards. Her weapon made a clean arc towards Sloan who was still locked into a deadly staring battle with Hiccup. Hiccup could see the blade and at that moment he was done with fighting. He swung Sloan out of the way, and launched forward. A hand to the throat, a foot behind hers, knee to the gut, and fall. Astrid's head hit the stone with an unsettling crack.
For a moment Hiccup worried that he had been to harsh with the practised take down. But he quickly noticed her eyes were still open. She was staring at him, this time not with horror but with bewilderment.
"So you really have betrayed us, prince." The last part was spit out like venom and he tensed.
"No, Astrid, guys, you have to believe me when I say this wasn't what I wanted. We need to protect the dragons, and the Unkonst were the first to provide us with a treaty. I never wanted to hurt you guys."
"Yeah, well you did. Now you're siding with the enemy, why should we believe a word you say!"
"They are your enemy, they aren't ours." Sloan spat out, nursing his wound. Hiccup whipped around to cut him off when he noticed the smoke coming from the distance. Astrid had noticed it too.
"Oh god, you've destroyed the barracks. Why Hiccup, just why. Were we not good enough, was it all a lie. Why did you become our enemy."
Something inside him snapped, when he saw the tears that sprang to her eyes. He looked up to the other, students he had considered friends. They all shared similar expressions. He had hurt them, he had hurt them much more then if he had cut them with a blade. Behind him Sloan was saying something but he couldn't listen, his mind was whirling and his heart was breaking. Slowly his grip on her released and she sprang back, crawling backward to where the other students were on the ground.
He stood up, his expression blank, dusting off his pants. "Sloan we should join the main force." Behind Sloan the other dragons had landed near the edge of the arena and their riders were listening intently.
"No. We should kill them and the other warriors." Hiccup couldn't contain the rage and was about to end Sloan that very moment when the other clansmen spoke.
"He is right, my Prince, they should not be allowed to impede our goal."
And that was it. He was leading a clan of killers who were refusing to obey. This is what it had come down to, a band of murderers who killed all humans who stood in their why. A group of men who refused to listen to him. It must have showed on his face how furious he was, how done he was. 'Cause he could feel it, in every inch of his body, an anger that itched and whirled and something else too. That made him feel like he was more a dragon then a man.
He screeched, "Did I say maybe we should go join the main force? No! I said we were going. If you fear half-trained cadets without dragons then I have no need for you in my army. Now, I said go."
Something happened this time, besides the shock on his mens faces. This time their dragons took the initiative, whipping around and launching from the ground and into the sky. They flew off in the direction of the capital where the battle would be held. Sloans dragon too, turned to leave, forcing Sloan to cast a fearful look in his direction before scrambling to get onto his dragon back before it left without him.
He watched in slight confusion as the dragons took off, even when their masters tried to stop them. He turned to call for Toothless, seeing his students picking themselves up off the ground, only the find that Toothless was leaving too. "Wait, woah, bud, come back." The NightFury stopped turning its head to him for a moment, eyes distant. Then he shook his head and giving a confused look made his way back to Hiccup. He climbed onto his back just as Snotlout had gotten up and grabbed his weapon.
"Where are you going?" The voice was pained, and rough from her neck being mishandled. He'd held her down to forcefully. "Why did you protect us?"
Hiccup didn't answer.