A/N-Only 3 chapters left after this, you can expect those to be uploaded next weekend. We have one last little adventure to go on before this book comes to an end. So in two weeks: the next adventure begins!
As always, please let me know what you think!
Chapter 33
Dealing with Crusaders
As it so happened, after two days straight of just dealing with things around the house and dealing with graduation gown pickup, and so on, I nearly forgot to go back and help the Hooligans with our captives. On Thursday morning, it was actually Hiccup who managed to remind me about my job to do.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
I ran into the kitchen and opened the sliding door. "Sorry, sorry, I forgot!" I said apologetically. "Uh huh. Well, everyone's waiting for you," Hiccup drawled. "You're really the only one with enough of a chance to convince these guys we're right. Now come on, no one's opened the Arena cages for over a day now."
I turned and yelled into the house, "Mom, I'm heading over to Berk!" "Okay!" she replied. "Just be back before dinner this time!" We hurried out of the house and through the portal to the cove, where Toothless was impatiently waiting. It was a risk letting the Vikings run around my yard, even Hiccup though he bore some resemblance to me, as so few people knew about the portal. As such, we absolutely couldn't let the dragons over very often due to my newfound popularity.
It didn't take too long to reach the Arena, where everyone was waiting. Stoick was, surprisingly, only a little bit irritated. "Ye do know yer late, right?" he asked as we landed. "Yeah, sorry, but there were a few family matters to take care of, along with a few other things," I replied just as hastily. "Now, where are all the captives?" Stoick pointed to the ring. "They're all in there. By the way, it took quite a while to remove the ones in the hall. Great fun though," he chuckled. The small crowd that had gathered had also laughed. Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, that commander of theirs ended up getting dropped into the firepit!" I couldn't help but crack a grin of my own and nodded. "Well, at least they should be a little bit more subdued after that. They don't have their weapons with them, do they?" Gobber, who had been standing off to the side, shook his head. "Nae, we got 'em all. Some interesting designs, I must say."
I walked over to the gate and lifted it up, shutting it behind me. I walked to the next gate, and before I opened it, I turned to the Vikings behind me. "By the way, make sure you're all on guard outside here, in case they somehow get past me." I heard a bit of laughter from someone, but it didn't last too long after they realized I was serious. "Well, someone has really good faith in me," I muttered, and opened the second gate into the arena. I gave a signal to open the doors, and slowly, they all ground open.
I didn't see a single person inside. I raised an eyebrow, and walked a little further into the ring. Then I noticed that the cages were a lot wider than the doors, and there were darker recesses on each side.
"NOW!"
I jerked into alert and ready-to-fight mode, and watched as hundreds of men rushed out of the cages. It was amusing, however, as nearly every single one skidded to a halt when they caught sight of me standing in front of the only exit, and the rest followed suit when they noticed their comrades no longer making a break for the exit. I laughed, because it was so ridiculous: one teen causing an entire army to rethink their plan.
"I see I've made quite the impression on most of you," I joked. I watched as the commander and the priest stepped forward out of the crowd. Unsurprisingly, neither of them looked happy at all to see me. "What do you want now, demon?" Attonius growled. At that I bet my eyes flashed through a number of shades before they settled on my usual glowing angered red. "Just how many times to I have to explain to you hard-headed people that I am not at demon?!" I snapped. "I am quite the opposite and would just as likely kill myself as align with the devil!" "Then why do you help these heathens hold back the conquest of God?" I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of that. "You are not the conquest of God. He would not have a 'conquest!' You raid lands to add to your kingdom, push out any other views to make room only for what you wish to believe, and even kill those who actually believe many of the same things you do! That has nothing to do with God!" Brutus stepped forward and spoke up. "And who, pray tell, are the ones that we are killing, that follow God?" "The dragons, of course."
The whole army burst out laughing, none more so, of course than the two irritating leaders of theirs. "You still think that? Those filthy creatures? You must be joking!" the priest gasped. I just crossed my arms and glared at him. When they would not stop laughing, I got fed up. I shot a small stream of ice above their heads toward the wall behind them. It hit with an earsplitting crack, and the sheet of ice spread across the stone wall with an eerie creaking, straining noise. That shut them up fairly quickly, and I leveled a cold stare, no pun intended, at the priest. "I'm really starting to feel sorry that you managed to survive my destroying your ship, Attonius," I hissed. No reply came out, of course.
"I have a story to tell you all," I said louder, broadcasting to the entire group, "and from there you are free to make your own decisions about your course of action. You can either learn your lesson and leave to warn others of the wrongs they are doing, and never return here with intentions of war again, or I will leave you to the Vikings and our friends the dragons.
"Nearly a year ago, I had no knowledge of this village existing. I found a gateway that led me here, as I come from a place very different from where we stand now, a place that is filled with diverse views and opinions. Some people follow my own views, others are very different. Where I come from, dragons don't exist, and many people also believe that they would be evil, terrifying creatures if they did." "Then how come you can turn into a dragon, if they don't exist where you come from?" a soldier asked. I smiled. "I met a dragon when I first came to this island, one who carried a special gift. She passed it on to me, the gift of belonging to both worlds, in more ways than one," I said.
"I have been a servant of the Lord for most of my life, and I know many of the teachings, the passages you claim to say you follow. The path you are taking is also part of my own long past history, and they, too, failed in their quest, for the same reasons. It was not the right path; it was a path of destruction. But this time, things can be different. You have the choice to learn. And the first thing you can learn is the FACT I discovered: that the dragons also follow the same being I do. Granted, they don't do so in the same ways we do, but there's a reason for that." Attonius smirked. "And what reason is that?" he asked. "Man was made special, yes?" I asked. He nodded. "All forms of life follow God in some way, even if we can't see them doing so. It may be through how they were designed to behave, or through conscious actions. Man was given dominion over animals, not to dominate and to destroy, but to care for the life earth. Dragons are much the same, though most still look to us to help take care of them, like all living things. They are like the staff in the hand of the shepherd, a guide and support for us. They are sentient creatures capable of making choices, and though most cannot speak the same language as we do, they-" "What do you mean most?" a soldier interrupted. I sighed. "There are some that have learned to speak like we do. If you ever meet Camicazi, of the Bog Burglar tribe, you'll probably meet her dragon, who can talk to us.
"But back to what I was saying, most can't speak to us, but I can understand them, due to the gift I was given. They make mistakes, and just like with people, some mistakes can cause great strife. Those that go the wrong way in life have painted bad images for the rest of them. They are susceptible to deception and control, which caused the 300 year war that raged up here until Hiccup and his friend the Night Fury, Toothless, ended it." I looked at Attonius again. "If dragons are evil, what would possess a dragon shot down by a human to help that human try and bring peace? If they are what you say they are, Toothless would have killed Hiccup the second he was let free. I can keep going on and on like this, with experience of over a year of dealing with the people and dragons here, but I think the last thing I need to say is: people also have a choice. The Vikings may not believe what you or I do, but they are good at the core, and should not be forced to do what they do not want to do. The followers of God are to be teachers, not slave drivers, and just like any teacher, it is not their choice if their students learn what they give. The student must choose to learn."
I stepped back now and stayed silent. At first, no one did anything, but then Attonius and Brutus turned to each other and started discussing quietly with each other. I leaned against the gate and waited, watching and murmurs and whispers swept through the crowd. Not that I was going to tell them, but I could hear everything they were saying. Some weren't convinced, but I had struck a chord somewhere with most.
After about 15 minutes, Attonius finally turned back to face me. "I have one question," he said. "How do we know we can trust you? You protect the people and the dragons we have all been taught are dangerous. How do we know you aren't just trying to deceive us?" I stood up and motioned for them to follow me. "Just you two, come with me," I said. I opened the gate, and they followed me out. The Vikings tensed up, fearing something about to go south. I gestured with my hand that they should relax, and then morphed, transforming into a Night Fury, and crouched down. "Get on," I told the two Crusaders. I saw both of them step back slightly, and sighed. "If I truly wanted to deceive or hurt you," I placated, "then I could have killed you all at any point and time. I have more than enough power to do so, as you both know."
At first they still didn't move, then Attonius slowly, reluctantly, walked forward and gingerly climbed up onto my back. Brutus did so after. Once they were on, I unfolded my wings, gestured to Hiccup and Toothless, and took off slowly. I felt both of my passengers tense up, and as I rose up higher, I glanced back at them. Both had their eyes closed, and were holding tightly to me so as not to fall off. "Open your eyes," I said.
They did, and as I rose up beyond the first layer of clouds, I saw their faces begin to change. Fear was replaced with wonder and awe, their apprehension slowly lost. I glided across the sea, and around the island, for a good while, not saying anything, skimming the clouds and diving down close enough to touch the sea. I wanted them to see peace and beauty, before I said anything more.
Finally, as I turned to start heading toward Berk again, Hiccup and Toothless slowly following behind me, I spoke again. "This is a view few people will ever get to see if war against the people and creatures you don't understand continues," I said. "The dragons see God's beauty on earth from the sky, cloudscapes and landscapes we don't. They are the protectors of the sky and sea, and we are protectors of sea and land. They are the powerful predators that still are humble enough to let us ride them, and we are the ones who give them safe havens where we find peace.
"Tell me, if we were such a bad group, why would I show you this?" I asked. "Why would I give you the chance to see a wonder none of your people will likely ever experience?" Attonius shook his head slowly. "I-I don't know." He looked at me with hurt in his eyes, guilt from his past actions. "I nearly killed your friends there," he gestured to Hiccup and Toothless beside us, "and I nearly had this village destroyed. Yet, you do not seek revenge immediately, and you…. show me this. I am starting to think that…. that maybe I was wrong." I nodded. " If we are to want peace, we must be peaceful ourselves. You do not strike the first blow. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, and let the seed find the good soil."
I felt more than saw Attonius jerk in shock. "You-you do know, then, what the-the bible speaks" he stuttered. I smiled. "I know far more than just those verses, too," I said. "As I said, I am a good person, and I only do the things necessary to keep my friends safe."
We landed again slowly, at the arena, and Attonius and Brutus slid off and simply stood in front of me for a minute, as I melted back to human. I looked at Stoick. "The first step in changing the future," I said, "is to change yourself. The second is to touch another." I gestured to the two. "They have been touched now, but it is their choice to let the flower bloom in them." I looked at them, and they nodded. "We… we must apologize for our actions," Brutus said. "We have been misled, and maybe we have also misled others." "We wish to make amends," Attonius said quietly, "but before we can do so, I fear we must return home, but our ships are no longer fully usable." Stoick nodded. "You wish to be able to make repairs and restock." The two nodded, and Stoick stood, well, stoically for a moment, before smiling. "Very well, you may stay long enough to rebuild your ships and resupply them." He signaled Spitelout, who walked up to the men and gestured for them to follow him in order to make arrangements for repair. Stoick then looked at me. "I don't know what all you did, but I'm glad it worked. We may not have problems with them again, thanks to you." I shook my head. "No, that's not quite true. I just opened their eyes," I said. "It is they who are now the ones to make that change." He nodded, then turned to the arena again. "Well, now I have to figure out what to do with the rest o' them, at least until they leave."
It took nearly a week for the Crusaders to finish their ships and find enough supplies to at least get back to the mainland, and by the time they had left, I had seen a few of them actually laughing with the villagers and being friendly with the dragons, though most still flinched whenever they got near each other. We never did see them again, after that, but we did eventually get word that the Crusades from their kingdom had nearly halted, and there were peaceful interactions with other Viking tribes and their trade ships. As promised, Berk eventually was visited by a ship carrying enough supplies to repay them for the damages done, though by then of course everything was already rebuilt.
Oh, and we also got a notice from Cami that a group of the soldiers had visited their island. Apparently, someone didn't quite believe me when I said that Stormfly could talk. Their suspicions were apparently quickly put to rest. But, in the end there, at least I can say that one more real disaster was avoided somewhere down the line, and eventually, sometimes all it takes is a little convincing to get everything put straight.