"Julius, your baby's crying again!"
"Dont worry mom, I'll get it!"
"Thank you Remus."
A young, skinny teen looked down at the girl in her crib and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. She calmed down immediately. "You are a little pain in the butt." He said. The baby giggled and grabbed his nose with her little hand. He smiled. "Got my nose," he said. She giggled again.
The entire town was red with flames. The baby's mother was crying as Remus placed her into a basket. "Take her up north Captain, as far as you can go." He said to something behind her. A loud roar came from the town as a large fire blast erupted out of a building. Her mother kissed her on the forehead and placed a veil over the basket as he handed her to the ship's captain.
"Don't worry mom, Crownringer will protect her."
Several screams were heard followed by several splashes as the thunder roared above. The baby could feel the warmth of the dragon that curled around her, protecting her from the rain. His wing lifted slightly as an obsidian colored egg and a small pouch were placed in the crib by the captain. The man pointed to the dragon, "Protect those." The dragon closed its wings again.
Do you think the egg'll hatch?"
"Eventually, but it could take decades to find the right conditions."
"What about the other eggs?"
"Destroyed by this confounded storm...Look out!"
A whipping sound was followed by a quick shriek. The baby heard heavy footsteps and then heavy grunting. A few minutes later, a crack of thunder and a thud.
An old Stormcutter looked down in the crib and tilted his head, causing the baby to giggle. "Where are you, dragon?" A voice in the cave said. The Skycutter looked off to the side and then back at the baby. Despite being a dragon, the girl could see a saddened expression on its face. It licked her, causing her to laugh out loud and then slipped away. "What was that?" The voice said, followed by heavy footsteps. A large man with lots of facial hair stopped in front of the crib and looked down. He sheathed his axe and reached for the baby. "Hello there," he said, "And who might you be?" The baby began to cry. He started to rock her back and forth untill she eventually calmed down. "Don't worry, you're safe with me." He grabbed a small wooden pendant from her neck and read the crude Nordic characters. "Valka."
Valka woke from her strange dream. Haven't had that one since I was 15, she thought to herself, hoisting herself up from her bed, no, Stoick's bed, no, their bed. She walked over to the kitchen and made herself breakfast, exactly the same way Gobber had shown her. When she finished she walked back to the kitchen and began preparing Hiccup's breakfast. She made two servings knowing that his special someone would probably join them. When those were finished she began to prepare Hiccup's lunch. It gave her comfort to do this for him after being away for most of his life. She was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Coming!" She yelled and walked to the door. "Hello, Astrid," she said, welcoming the blonde. "Hello Mrs. Haddock, may I join you for breakfast?" Astrid responded. Valka laughed, "You always do," she said, opening the door wider for her guest. "Is Hiccup awake?" Astrid asked. "Not yet, you know how tiring his chiefing duties are." Valka answered.
Astrid sat down in her usual spot waiting for Hiccup to wake. Cloudjumper stirred from his sleep and looked over at the table. "Good morning, boy," Astrid said. He gave her a look she guess meant not yet, because he immediately fell back asleep. "There he is!" Valka exclaimed as Hiccup clambered down the steps. "Good morning, mother," he said grabbing the glass of yak milk she had poured him. He stepped behind Astrid and leaned down. "And good morning to you." He kissed her on the cheek and she immediately grabbed his head, pulling his lips into hers. Valka smiled as she brought the two plates of eggs to the table. "I don't see why you don't just move in already," she said. Astrid sighed. "Oh, you know my dad wants to keep me as long as he can, knowing he only has a week left." Hiccup coughed up some eggs and she laughed. "What, you didn't forget, did you?" She teased. "No," Hiccup said, offended. "Everything's ready, I just didn't realize how close it really was," he said, astonished. Valka sighed. "It'll be something pleasant to replace this morbid air."
Toothless decided that this was an excellent time to make his appearance. He waddled down the first few steps, tripped, and fell down the rest. The crashing sound startled Cloudjumper and he woke up again. Realizing he had an audience, Toothless quickly stood up, shaking off his drowsiness. Valka laughed. "Looks like someone else is also tired from his chiefing duties," she said, tossing him a fish, which he graciously accepted. Hiccup yawned and stretched out his arms. "Speaking of chiefing," he said. He stood up and walked back upstairs. He returned wearing new pants and was carrying a shirt, his armor, and his new chieftain's cloak. Astrid stood up and began to help him get dressed, slightly dissappointed she couldn't help with his pants, but slightly excited that she would be able to soon. She bit her lip at the thought. Hiccup noticed and smiled at her, giving her a seductive look. His mother laughed. "I'll guess all be going then," she said, holding a bucket of fish. She gestured to Cloudjumper who followed her outside for their morning ride.
When Hiccup was all dressed, Astrid took the opportunity of having him all to herself, quickly pulling him into a long kiss. Hiccup began to message her back when a knock was heard at the door. Hiccup groaned and Astrid whimpered as he walked to the door. He opened it to find Snotlout, his face downcast. Hiccup became worried. Snotlout removed his helmet revealing his brown hair. "Hiccup...we found another one." Hiccup ran out the door immediately. Astrid followed to the door and looked at Snotlout, his eyes telling her everything. She immediately ran after Hiccup to the docks.
Astrid held tightly to Hiccup as they stood on the docks and watched as another devastated mother pushed off a boat, another forty students saluted a fallen comrade, another red-eyed father launched a flaming arrow at his son's funeral barge, and another forty arrows lit the barge alight. Almost everyone had gone when Hiccup finally noticed Fishlegs. He stood where Eret had stood just days before, the same look of shock and heart-break. The couple walked over to him. "Fishlegs," Hiccup began, "Take the day off tomorrow, I'll teach your class for you." Fishlegs nodded as Meatlug pushed him home.
Grease-head Garrett raised his spear in the air and let out a Berserker cry, his dragon Blitzrunner shot off a bolt of lightning in response. No one can attack their home and get away with it. Their dragon-riding Berserker brothers let out similar cries, following the example of their general. Their Chieftain raised a sword in the air. "Attack!" He yelled.
Garrett slipped on his flight mask, required for Strike class riders, and smacked his ankles against his Skrill, telling him to prepare an electric charge. The two shot off towards the enemy dragon riders. Blitzrunner blasted some out of the sky with his lightning attack, while Garrett used his metal spear rig to blast others. He knocked two riders off their dragons into the crowd of Berserker soldiers, who quickly removed them from the equation. The enemies fired trebuchets from their large ships, hitting the island with barrage after barrage of fireballs, lighting the homes and woods on fire. Realizing the larger threat of the ships, Garrett put his Skrill into a dive towards them, blasting their ships to the bottom of the sea.
They destroyed several more ships when Garrett heard a large crack of thunder from above. A quick plan formed in his head, something he picked up from his mentor, Hiccup, and he steered Blitzrunner towards the thickest group of enemy ships he could find. They stopped in the middle and avoided the enemy arrows. A blue streak of electricity began to cross through the clouds above. "Now!" Garret yelled, and Blitzrunner shot up a few feet as Garrett lifted up his spear as high as he could, attracting the lightning. The blast created by such raw energy was enormous. It lit every ship on fire caught within 50 feet and fried the soldiers unlucky enough to be stationed on those ships. Garrett then returned to the sky, feeling his work on the water was done. He blasted down a few more enemy dragons, when a powerful roar was heard behind him.
The black dragon circled around Garrett and the rider lifted his lance. Garrett lifted his spear in response. The rider tapped the black dragon on the neck and it stopped 50 feet in front of the Skrill. The two stared off for over a minute until the black-armored rider raised his lance again. Garrett sat up tall and raised his spear at the man, unplugging it from Bltzrunner's rig. "A joist it is then." He whispered and let out his Berserker cry, the man letting out a similar cry at the same time. The dragons roared in response and charged at one another.
The Berserkers fell to their knees as the black dragon descended. Romulus held his lance in his right hand and the body in his left. "It would seem this island is useless!" He yelled at the defeated vikings. "I order my men to retreat. Go, repair your houses, see to your wounded, and do whatever it is you vikings do with your dead." He tossed Garrett onto the ground in front of them. "I expect no resistance when I return." With that remark he turned the Black Death to his ships, as his previously fighting soldiers ran out of the Berserker ranks towards the ships.
Romulus landed on the huge ship, designed to house more than 50 dragons, and stepped off the Black Death. Two frightened teenagers, roughly the size Hiccup had been at that age, passed by him holding a large basket full of fish. Romulus heard them run off as soon as they handed the dragon the basket. His First Officer walked up to him. "What do we do now?" He asked. Romulus watched as the Skrill was muzzled and pulled below deck. "We find the Blue Death. What is our next target?" He responded as his subordinate handed him the map. He read the Nordic ruins above the closest island. "Berk."