So... I'm back. Yes, it's been a while since I've published anything on this site, but this story was never really abandoned. I've been working on it the whole time, I've seen and appreciated every new review, follow and favorite, and I've finally completed it. I hope you enjoy.
Hiccup pushed open the door and entered the Great Hall, collecting two plates of food before walking straight to where his mother and betrothed were sitting. They shifted as he approached, leaving space for two diners between them.
"Hi Mom, Astrid," he said, choosing the spot next to his mother for himself and gesturing to Viggo to sit beside Astrid.
"Long day?" Valka asked by way of greeting.
"The usual. Damaged ships, lost yaks, that sort of thing," Hiccup replied. "What about you two?"
"Berk Guard patrols and training, that sort of thing," Astrid quoted back at him with a smile. "We've practicing that new defence strategy."
Viggo listened to their conversation in silence before Snotlout came over to the table.
"Hey, Viggo, would you like to come over and sit with me and the twins? They wanted to ask you something," He asked cheerfully.
"Are you alright with that, Hiccup?" Viggo asked.
"Of course," Hiccup said, slightly relieved. "I'll see you later then."
Viggo nodded and picked up his plate, following Snotlout to another table where the twins were sitting.
"Hey, Viggster," Tuffnut said as they sat down, prompting a raised eyebrow from Viggo. "Snotlout said that you're not trying to kill us anymore."
"No, I'm not," Viggo replied calmly. "I've got nothing against Dragon Riders, or Berk, anymore."
"Can I borrow your dragon?" Ruff butted in. "Just think of the explosions we could make!"
"Yeah, the power of lightning concentrated on an explosive cloud of Zippleback gas," Tuffnut sighed. "But then you ask yourself what would happen if you mixed Monstrous Nightmare gel with Zippleback gas and ignited it with a Skrill's blast."
"Yeah, they're always like this," Snotlout commented. "You'll get used to it."
"I actually have tried some of those experiments over the past month or so," Viggo said thoughtfully. "But I don't think Hiccup would appreciate my helping you blow things up."
"Duh, of course he wouldn't!" Tuff exclaimed. "That's the whole point!"
"I wouldn't mind testing Lynnedslag's shots some more," Viggo said, then held up a hand and continued, "But only on an island with nothing to spread a fire."
"Aw, that's no fun," Ruff said, disappointed, before brightening. "Can we test them on Tuff?"
"I did tell you that I'm not trying to kill you anymore, didn't I?" Viggo asked, slightly amused.
"Hey, I'm not that easy to kill," Tuff protested. "I mean, I've been living with her all my life and I'm still alive."
"You'd probably be dead if you hadn't been living with me all our lives," Ruffnut shot back. "Or maybe you'd be a Lycanwing."
They continued to argue, Viggo looking on in bemusement.
"You said they're always like this?" He asked Snotlout quietly.
"Yeah," Snotlout shrugged unconcernedly. "This is normal."
"And they share a dragon without killing each other in the process?"
"They'd probably kill themselves instead of actually killing the other."
"Are they serious about testing explosions on each other?"
"They might be," Snotlout shrugged. "Usually, someone steps in before that happens. And by someone, I mean Hiccup."
"How long is that going to take?" Viggo asked, nodding towards the twins.
"No idea," Snotlout said, shrugging. "It could go on for five more minutres or it could have finished a couple of minutes ago. Sometimes they don't speak for a day or two."
Viggo finished his meal. The twins stopped arguing as suddenly as they had begun.
"So, Viggo, how long will you be here? I've got an epic prank on full-moon night that I could really use a Skrill for," Tuff said eagerly.
"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, Tuffnut," Viggo replied. "And I don't think I can let you use Lynnedslag as an instrument of chaos."
"Can we at least blow some Zippleback gas up with him?" Ruffnut asked, almost desperate.
"Sure, if there's a suitable island somewhere nearby?" Viggo asked, shooting a glance at Snotlout.
"We can go to Snotland," He suggested. "It's only a few minutes, as the dragon flies."
"Snotland," Viggo said, slightly bemused. "Is there a story there?"
"Not really." Snotlout waved the comment away, looking embarrassed. "I camped there once."
"So would that be satisfactory?" Viggo asked the twins.
"Yeah! We can make some really awesome explosions!" Ruffnut exclaimed.
"Yeah, can we take Hookfang too? We'll need some of his gel,"
"I'll come with you," Snotlout interjected, glancing quickly at Viggo.
"Sure," Ruffnut shrugged, before hauling her twin brother to his feet. "C'mon Tuff, we've got things to explode."
The foursome left the hall and mounted their various dragons, the Skrill obviously having accepted the presence of the other dragons.
"Where did you find him?" Snotlout asked, gesturing to Lynnedslag. "Was he stuck in ice?"
"No, we met on the peak of Stormcap Island."
"How did you get up there? Isn't it pretty impossible without flying?" Viggo's brows furrowed. Did Snotlout know what had happened that day? "Oh, right. You were with Hiccup and Toothless."
"I was. The mountain wasn't a problem for Toothless."
Snotlout nodded. A silence fell. "Viggo?" Snotlout asked. "You were right."
"About Hiccup?" Viggo asked quietly.
"Yeah. He's the Chief now, not Uncle Stoick," Snotlout replied, also quietly. Viggo nodded, silently moving towards Snotlout and Hookfang.
"What's a Skrill's shot limit, man?" Tuffnut called, breaking the silence that followed.
"It depends on when we last flew through a storm," Viggo replied. "Just out of an intense storm Lynnedslag doesn't seem to have a shot limit, but a couple of weeks after the last storm he takes some time to charge up a shot. We went through a medium-sized storm just yesterday, so I think he can use about ten shots, fifteen if he's keeping them small."
"Let's find a storm and fly through it," Ruffnut suggested excitedly. "I want to see maximum power lightning blasts."
"There isn't one anywhere nearby," Viggo declared confidently.
"How do you know?" Tuffnut demanded.
"I've learned to recognize it from Lynnedslag's scales and reactions," Viggo explained. "It's subtle, but the closer we are to a storm, the more noticeable it is."
"Hey, we need to go that way," Snotlout interjected. "I can see Snotland over there."
"Snotland? That's definitely worthy of a CBB, right, sis?" Tuffnut exclaimed.
"Definitely! Such a name is certainly Contrived By a Bonehead," Ruffnut agreed enthusiastically.
"Have you forgotten Thorstonton?" Snotlout asked as they landed on 'Snotland'.
"Do I want to know?"
"The twins ended up owning Dragon's Edge and they called it Thorstonton," Snotlout explained.
"…ton was an original and well thought out name," Ruffnut was saying, even as they landed.
"It was original all right," Snotlout snorted. "Originally stupid."
"Hey, it's better than 'Snotland', dude!" Tuffnut snapped, drawing air-quotes around the island's name. "And Snotland is just a pathetic excuse for an island."
"It was much bigger before the Screaming Death came and sunk half of it!" Snotlout argued.
"Yeah, that thing was huge," Ruff agreed, no longer interested in the argument. "If you haven't met one, Viggo, that's got to be next on our list."
"If by Screaming Death you mean the albino Whispering Deaths, then I have had that honour," Viggo replied. "Not that I ever want to see it again."
"We're friends with one," Snotlout said matter-of-factly. "Or with its mother, anyway."
"You made friends with a mother Whispering Death?" Viggo asked. "I'm impressed. They're known for being aggressive and territorial."
"We rescued her from Outcast Island and reunited her with her even more aggressive son." Snotlout shrugged. "Hiccup and I made some armour from the Screaming Death's scales to protect us from Dragon Root arrows."
"Yeah, and it all fell off," Ruffnut pointed out.
"Hey, we saved your butts that day," Snotlout snapped. "Barf and Belch would be a pair of Zippleback-skin boots if Hiccup and I hadn't rescued you, so you'd better be grateful."
"Yeah, and we've saved you so many times since then that if you hadn't rescued us, you'd be dead by now," Tuffnut shot back.
"Yeah, whatever," Snotlout waved Tuff's argument away. "It's not like we haven't saved each other countless times anyway."
"Countless, you say?" Ruffnut questioned. "Let's see, there was that time Barf picked you up when you fell off Hookfang, and the time Hookfang picked me up when I got netted by Ryker, that time Belch-"
"Hey, we'll be here all day if you try to remember them all," Snotlout said impatiently. "And we haven't got all day."
Tuffnut gasped. "If you say we haven't got all day, does that mean we'll be dead before the end of the day?"
"An interesting question, brother Nut. If we die after sunset, does it count as if we died during the day, or has the end of the day passed then?"
Snotlout shrugged helplessly as they continued their debate. "Do you want to go over there and make some explosions? It's the only way of getting them out of that mood."
"I'm in. I really do want to see what will happen when lightning hits exposed Monstrous Nightmare gel."
"You do?" Snotlout asked in surprise. "Why?"
"I've always been interested in dragon fire," Viggo said. "And the possibilities around me can't be are worth experimenting, even if it's never utilised in any specific way."
Snotlout pulled out an amphora of Nightmare gel. "Okay, what do you want to do with this?"
"If you uncork that and throw it in the air, Lynnedslag could hit it. It's possible the explosion will look distinct, for example with a pattern of lightning."
Snotlout did as he suggested, the twins looking up from their heated debate as the sparks fell on top of them.
"That was bigger than I expected," Viggo said, looking surprised. "Was anything else in that container?"
"Nope, just Hookfang's gel," Snotlout said, just as the twins ran over.
"Hey, you started without us!" Ruffnut complained as soon as they reached Viggo and Snotlout.
"Yeah, not fair!" Tuffnut echoed.
"You can't really expect us to wait for one of your endless arguments to finish," Snotlout said, shrugging.
"They aren't endless," Ruffnut protested. "Is anything truly endless?"
"They say that Valhalla is," Tuffnut argued
"Guys, if you don't stop arguing Viggo and I are going back to Berk with our dragons," Snotlout said exasperatedly.
We are? Viggo asked silently. Snotlout shot him a look that clearly said Keep quiet.
"Fine," Tuffnut huffed. "C'mon, let's explode something now."
Viggo looked between them, then at the dragons. "Zippleback gas sparked by a Skrill shot?"
"Yeah!" The twins chorused eagerly.
"Can your Zippleback- Barf, wasn't it? - breathe some gas directly upwards so that Lynnedslag can spark it?" Viggo suggested. "And maybe Snotlout could pour some of his gel from just above?"
"On it!" Snotlout yelled, jumping onto Hookfang and climbing steeply.
"Barf, gas!" Ruffnut commanded, pointing upwards. "Sorry, Belch, you're not in this one."
"Snotlout? Now!" Viggo instructed, Snotlout pouring the gel down just as Lynnedslag fired. A shockwave burst out. Viggo and the twins were thrown to the sides. Hookfang lost control, flying upwards. Snotlout lost his grip on the way back down.
"Awesome!" Ruffnut shouted at the same time as Tuffnut. "Yeah, do it again!"
"No, don't," Snotlout groaned from his new position on the ground. "I am not letting that happen again."
"Oh, we'll let it happen, won't we, Tuff?" Ruffnut asked cheerfully.
"Yeah, definitely!" Tuffnut said eagerly.
Snotlout stood up and brushed the dirt off his armour. "Did you have to give them that idea, Viggo?" He asked, slightly annoyed.
"I didn't realise that that combination would give off such a huge shockwave. Zippleback gas alone only has a a concussive effect on the people who were within the gas explosion," Viggo said thoughtfully. "That might actually be useful."
"Can we do some more explosions now?" Tuffnut asked impatiently.
"Yeah, like shooting Snotlout's helmet with lightning!" Ruffnut suggested eagerly.
"Snotlout's helmet, maybe. Snotlout, no."
"Are you serious?!" Snotlout asked. "I'm not letting anyone hit my helmet with lightning!"
"I was thinking of coating metal in Monstrous Nightmare gel and letting Lynnedslag's shot get attracted to it. It should be interesting."
"Can we put the metal on Snotlout first?" Tuffnut asked. "That would be much more interesting."
"No it wouldn't!" Snotlout said frantically.
They continued experimenting, Viggo firmly dampening down the twins' crazier suggestions, much to Snotlout's relief. When they got back to Berk, the twins hurried off to the forge to collect their weapons, leaving Snotlout and Viggo to go to the Great Hall alone.
"Hiccup isn't here tonight, he's gone to Berserker Island," Snotlout explained as the cooks served food onto their plates. He turned away and sat down.
"Do you all go there often?" Viggo asked.
"Yeah, we-" Snotlout's reply was cut off by shouts outside the Great Hall. Everyone flooded out into the plaza. Viggo spotted a bright blur before a golden-brown blob splashed into the crowd. Someone cried out. The blur slowed down to reveal a colourful dragon that Viggo instantly recognised as a Deathsong. "What's that thing doing here?" Snotlout mumbled next to him.
A spike of fire cut through the air inches away from the Deathsong. A blazing tornado spiralled on its other side. Astrid and Valka came into view on their dragons, driving the intruder away. The dragon wheeled away. Stormfly shot again. The Deathsong sped upwards and disappeared over the cliff at the far end of Berk.
Astrid and Valka landed in front of the Great Hall. Astrid pushed her way into the middle of the crowd where everyone was surrounding the two unfortunate Hooligans who had been encased in the Deathsong amber.
"Get this thing off me!" One of them yelled, straining at the amber shell. The other man shook his head violently, sending his braided blond beard into the first's face. "Oy! Keep your beard to yourself!"
"You keep your feet off me!"
Astrid took a container of Monstrous Nightmare gel from her saddle and poured it carefully over the amber. With Astrid cautioning the other villagers to stay back, Stormfly lit the stream of gel with a small shot. The green solution fizzed through the amber as it burned, making it shatter and freeing the two men, who stood up thankfully.
"Everyone, go back into the Great Hall! Dragon Riders, meet in the Arena!" Astrid called. She mounted Stormfly again and took off. "Viggo, come with us!" She ordered as she passed overhead.
"Fishlegs, do you know what the Deathsong could be doing here?" Astrid asked once everyone gathered in the training ring.
"There are quite a few reasons," Fishlegs said, speaking fast. "It could have lost its territory to a rival and been forced to relocate, it could be an adolescent finding a home away from its parents, or its food source might have been disrupted so it had to find another."
"It's quite possible that it's to do with the food sources," Valka interjected. "With so many dragons relocating to Berk because of Toothless, the Deathsong might have lost its primary food source."
"What's the best way to get it away then?" Astrid asked. "It looked like it went into Sven's farm."
"Deathsongs are extremely territorial," Fishlegs reminded her. "If that one makes a nest there it'll be very hard to remove it."
"And we need to remove the amber from the houses that it hit," Snotlout said. "We're not going to have enough Monstrous Nightmare gel!"
"Monstrous Nightmare gel isn't the only way to dissolve the amber," Viggo said quietly.
Everyone turned to stare at him. "Do you know another way?" Astrid asked, any reluctance covered by a businesslike tone.
"Mixing vinegar and baking soda makes a solution that dissolves Deathsong amber easily," Viggo said.
Astrid nodded. "That'll be helpful. Snotlout, you can try that out later. We still need to work out how to relocate the Deathsong."
"We can just get Toothless to chase it out," Ruffnut suggested, earning her an elbowing from Tuff.
"Toothless isn't here, you muttonhead," He said. "The Deathsong wouldn't come to Berk if T was at home."
"Yeah, but if Hiccup is coming back in a few hours, he'll be able to get the Deathsong out," Ruffnut said. "Duh!'
"We need to stop it now, Ruffnut," Valka said patiently. "If it's in Sven's farm it might try to eat his stock."
"Well, if it's eating his animals shouldn't we be doing something now?" Ruffnut asked with unusual common sense.
"As my dear sister has pointed out, if a dragon is eating the animals of a farmer then it would appear that stopping said dragon before it can eat said animals would be the logical course of action." Tuffnut said.
"Uh, Astrid, they do have a point," Fishlegs said hesitantly. "We do know that Deathsongs don't wait to eat…"
"Alright." Astrid tipped her head slightly. "Snotlout, twins, Viggo, you go and make sure that the Deathsong doesn't do any more damage. I'll send a Terror Mail to Hilda asking her to try the vinegar and baking powder out. One of you should be able to get it from the lab soon. Fishlegs, can you and Valka think of a way to get the Deathsong out before it can cause any more problems? I'll go and tell everyone what's happening."
"What about the Deathsong call?" Snotlout asked. "We won't be able to do anything if our dragons hear that."
"Moss earplugs," Astrid said firmly. "We know that works."
Snotlout nodded, jumping quickly onto Hookfang and flying to the mossy bank near the bridge leading to the small island adjoining Berk that the Deathsong had flown to.
"That passage through the cliffs leads into Sven's farm," Snotlout said, pointing. "We can either go through there or over the top, once we fit these in."
"Does the vinegar and baking soda actually work?" Tuffnut asked.
"It doesn't do much more than dissolve Deathsong amber, but it's an easy solution when you have a problem with a Deathsong." Viggo said, fitting Lynnedslag with a pair of earplugs.
"Can it dissolve wood?" Tuffnut asked, apparently deep in thought. They took off quickly and flew to the cliffs.
Viggo shook his head. "No. It seems that Deathsong amber has special qualities that can be countered by this solution."
"We're going to need it," Snotlout said grimly as they passed over the cliffs that surrounded Sven's farm. "Look at that!"
A hollow spherical structure made from Deathsong amber was attached to one of the cliffs. The Deathsong erupted from it. Amber flew everywhere. A blast hit Tuffnut. He fell, hitting a pile of dried grass. Belch dived down to his rider as Ruff tried to pull Barf upwards. Their heads snapped out and unbalanced them. Viggo stiffened suddenly. Lynnedslag rolled away an instant before an amber blast hit the cliff behind them. Barf and Belch hit the grass, dropping Ruffnut. Lynnedslag fired, sending electricity pulsing through the air. The Deathsong swerved. Amber whizzed inches from Snotlout.
"We need to do something!" Snotlout yelled, frantically ducking under another blast of amber. "How many shots does this thing have?"
"Eight, but it had time to rest!" Viggo called back. "Two to four left!"
"Go around it!" Snotlout shouted. "It won't be able to fight both of us at once!"
Lynnedslag sped underneath the Deathsong to its nest. The Deathsong turned. Lynnedslag ducked under a blast. The amber flew into the nest. The Deathsong hesitated. It started humming. Ruffnut hastily re-fitted Barf's earplugs. A Nadder flew into the farm. The Deathsong ignored it. The humming grew louder. Lynnedslag twitched.
"His hearing must be more sensitive than the others!" Viggo shouted over the sound. He reached out and pressed Lynnedslag's ears down. The twitching stopped. Lynnedslag shot again. Lightning crackled around the Deathsong. The humming became discordant. The Nadder shook its head and its eyes dilated, startling the others.
"What was that?" Snotlout asked.
"The lightning somehow interfered with the Deathsong's call," Viggo said. "It isn't affecting the dragons anymore."
The pulse of lightning rolled back towards Lynnedslag, striking the amber nest and disappearing. The Deathsong dived into its nest and partially sealed off the entrance.
"What's it doing?" Ruffnut shouted.
"Making it harder for us to get it out of there," Snotlout said. "Stupid dragon."
"Someone get me off this thing! I've got dried grass poking me everywhere!"
Ruffnut laughed. "Yeah, you look like a bad scarecrow."
"We can't just leave the Deathsong here," Snotlout pointed out. "Uh, Ruff, take Tuff and get him out of the amber. Get some of the vinegar stuff from the Lab and tell Astrid what happened. Then get back here."
"How do you expect me to get him there in the first place?" Ruffnut asked irritatedly.
Hookfang swooped down, grabbed Tuffnut and dumped him unceremoniously onto the Zippleback, the spines preventing him from sliding off Barf&Belch's broad back. Ruffnut climbed back onto Barf's head while Tuffnut directed Belch to take off. The four flew off over the cliff, followed by the Nadder that had been drawn in. Snotlout and Viggo landed on the grass, still within Sven's farmyard.
Viggo stared at the Deathsong's nest. "I suspect that Deathsong is going to lay an egg," he said, frowning up at it.
"What?" Snotlout asked.
"I've only seen that type of nest once before," Viggo said. "By the time I got in,, there was a baby Deathsong and fragments of an egg."
"Wait, so there's an egg in there?"
"Probably. It would make sense for the Deathsong to want to find a sheltered place with food for her nest, which could be why she's here.'
"Ha!" Snotlout said derisively. "Sheltered or not, that Deathsong is not staying here."
Viggo nodded. "If it does stay here, it would completely disarrange the ecosystem."
"Eco-what?"
"Ecosystem. Basically, none of the dragons and other animals would be eating the right amount of the right kinds of food."
"Yeah, that… makes sense, I guess?"
"Mm."
"Where will you go?" Snotlout asked, breaking the silence that fell. "If you're not staying here, I mean."
"I hope I might be able to go to Vanaheim," Viggo said. "I think I could be helpful there."
"But you'd be alone with just the dragons. Dying dragons!"
Viggo shrugged. "I'll have Lynnedslag," he said, running his hand along the Skrill's flank. The dragon rumbled happily.
"Seriously? A dragon is enough for company?" Hookfang snorted and lazily puffed smoke at his rider.
"We've lived together for the past year. He's my best friend."
Snotlout looked unconvinced, but his reply was cut off by Astrid, Fishlegs and Valka flying in and landing next to them.
"What is that?" Astrid demanded as soon as she dismounted.
"Deathsong nest," Viggo said briefly.
"In our experiences, Deathsongs don't have nests," Astrid pointed out.
"They do if they're laying an egg," Valka said. "I've seen one of these before."
"So there's an egg there?" Astrid asked.
"It seems likely."
"But if it hatches here…" Fishlegs said, trailing off uneasily.
"What?" Astrid asked.
"Dragons don't leave their nests until the hatchling dragon is old enough to survive in the wild," Fishlegs said. "That Deathsong will probably be here for a long time, and we know that Deathsong babies hunt from the time they're hatched."
Astrid's eyes widened. "But we can't chase her out if she has a baby."
"We have to chase her out," Snotlout said. "Sven won't be happy with having a Deathsong in his farm."
"She'll be over-protective of the egg," Valka said. "It's probably not a good idea for us to chase her out."
"But if we don't she'll come back to Berk for food," Snotlout argued. "And I am not explaining that to an angry Sven!"
"I think we should leave her here until Hiccup comes back," Astrid decided. "If someone stays here she won't be able to hunt the dragons."
"But she'll just lure them in with her song," Fishlegs said. "We can't fit all the dragons with earplugs."
"I believe Lynneddslag can help with that," Viggo broke in.
Astrid turned to him in surprise. "How?"
"Lynnedslag's shot appears to counter the Deathsong's call," he explained. "I think the lightning interferes with the sound and changes it."
"It stops affecting the dragons?"
"A Nadder was hypnotised but became unaffected as soon as the song changed," Viggo said. "The hypnotic qualities of the song are obviously removed by a change in the sound."
"That would work. How many shots does Lynnedslag have remaining? How long could you keep her contained?"
"It doesn't seem to take much to stop her," Viggo said. "As long as she doesn't come out too many times, it'll be alright. She's barricaded herself in, so she probably isn't planning to."
Astrid nodded. "You and Snotlout stay here, then. When Hiccup comes back, he and Toothless should be able to sort this out."
The twins landed again as Astrid was about to take off, Tuffnut riding Belch again. "Man, this thing is awesome!" Tuffnut said, wildly waving a large flask around. "It goes through the amber like a yak through soft mud!"
Astrid rolled her eyes. "At least we know it works," She said. "Give me that before you break it, Tuff."
Tuffnut gasped. "How could you suggest that I would break this highly valuable receptacle, my good lady?" he asked, striking a pose. "Fear not! I shall guard this concoction with my life."
"That's what I'm worried about," Astrid said. "Just give it here."
Tuffnut looked longingly at the flask before slowly passing it to Astrid. She placed it carefully in Stormfly's saddlebag and took off, heading back towards Berk. Fishlegs and Valka followed her.
"You guys not coming?" Ruffnut asked, not getting off Barf.
"Lynnedslag's the only dragon who can stop the Deathsong getting all song-y, so we're staying here. Basically, Viggo got the bad deal."
"Ah, but we know how to make any vigil less troublesome!"
"Yeah, we should bring out the Maces and Talons board!" Ruffnut said. "Thorston style!"
Viggo eyed them warily. "Do I want to know what 'Thorston style' is?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's this totally cool thing, when you finish your turn you get to say one move that the other player can't make." Tuffnut explained enthusiastically.
"It's actually fun," Snotlout said to Viggo. "To watch, that is."
"It adds a certain element of mesure préventive to the battle of wits that is Maces and Talons." Ruffnut said wisely.
"So, what do you think?" Tuffnut asked eagerly. "Shall we have a Maces and Talons tournament?"
"I don't see why not," Viggo admitted. "Your version… holds to the spirit of the game, if not the practicality."
Tuffnut cheered. "You will not regret this, my good man!" Ruffnut signalled Barf to take off. "Back in a moment, guys!"
"Those two never cease to surprise me." Viggo shook his head as he watched the Zippleback fly back over the cliffs. "How they survived this long without getting killed by anyone escapes me."
Snotlout shrugged. "They have hidden depths."
"Evidently."
Snotlout stared at him for a moment before sitting on the grass. Hookfang moved behind him with a grunt, prompting Snotlout to lean against his side and stretch his legs out. Viggo did the same with Lynnedslag, enjoying the warmth of his scales behind him.
"Why?" Snotlout asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence. Viggo shifted, raising an eyebrow in his direction. "Why do you want to go to a place where there's only dragons, most of them dying, and- I don't know if Hiccup mentioned the part where you might be killed before you can even get in!"
"My whole life has been spent trying to gain revenge on dragons." Viggo stared up at the Deathsong nest. "I watched them, even admired them, trying to find weaknesses in every species I knew. I refused to see that they were in fact intelligent beings the equal of humans, perhaps even more so. After I learned the truth, I spent my time learning even more about them, seeing things from a new perspective. I discovered things that weren't even documented in the Dragon Eye, that could be used to destroy every dragon on earth. I can't let that happen."
"So you destroy it?"
"I keep it away from those who would use it to harm dragons."
"To-may-to, to-mah-to." Snotlout said, waving a hand vaguely. "Hiccup would come up with hundreds of reasons why you shouldn't do that."
"He did the same, with the Dragon Eyes."
"Only after he and Fishlegs got everything they could from them."
"And what will they do with that knowledge? Allow it to fall into the hands of people who use it against them? Or let it die with them?" Viggo asked, a strange mixture of condescending and angry.
"You're being pim… pess… pemisti…" Snotlout trailed off. "You're making everything seem bad!"
"Pessimistic? I'm being realistic. You're being idealistic, Snotlout. The world always has someone trying to rule it, and dragons are perfect for that!"
Snotlout stared at him. "You can be really scary, you know."
"I apologise." Viggo shook his head slightly. "I can't let this happen again."
"Again?"
Viggo remained silent for a few moments before opening his mouth. He was saved from having to reply by the twins' appearance, Ruffnut trying to tug the Maces and Talons board from Tuffnut.
So, after this chapter, I've got two more and a very short epilogue. They're completely written, so I'm going to post these around a week apart. A massive thank you to everyone who has been patient with me and offered suggestions over the years.