Chapter Fifteen – War of The Kraken: The 'Calm' Before The Storm

Part One – Southern Guests

In the Great Hall of Berk,

The silence that followed Hiccup's revelation lasted for close to two minutes. Then Tyrek found his voice. "Do you actually mean…?" His question went unfinished.

"I'm looking for possible candidates," Hiccup said, simply. "I can't make any promises; as to who they'll be, though: all of this is still in the early stages, after all."

Walden leaned forward in his chair, "What about the Second, and the Fifth Dragon- Lords? You've mentioned the first, third, and fourth, but not the other two."

Hiccup grinned, "Astrid and Stormfly will be the Second of The Five; The Lieutenants." He put an arm around Astrid; she smiled, leaned against him, "Some may call my decision biased, but I assure you: they have earned it. I've needed their help to get to this point, and that's not about to change. As for The Fifth Dragon Lord, I honestly don't know, at this point.
Hiccup spent another ten minutes talking to Tyrek, Tyrone, and Walden: explaining what needed to be explained, and doing his best to answer their questions. At that point, their conversation began to draw to a close.

Just as they were getting to their feet, the sounds of approaching footsteps, and voices, reached their ears. Toothless got to his feet, and stepped outside the hall. He re-entered, a few moments later, and loped down the hall to join them.
'Hiccup: The first group of former- hostages is on their way up, and the Typhoomerangs just left, to pick up the second group.' Toothless snorted. 'We really need to find something else to call them: we can't keep using "former- hostages".'

"How about 'guests'," Hiccup suggested; as he rose to his feet, and made his way forward. Astrid followed, close behind him. Tyrek and Tyrone also came forward.

Valka was first into the hall, Cloudjumper close behind her. Hiccup grinned, "Mom: I didn't think you'd make it back in time."

Valka pulled Hiccup into a quick hug; drew back, and clapped him on the shoulder. "I wasn't sure I would be, but I'm glad I am; I've missed too much of your life, as it is." She gestured behind her with one arm, "In any case: after you extended an offer of sanctuary, they all wanted to see Berk for themselves. We took our time, on the way back; so you had some time to do what you needed to do."

"Good to hear," Hiccup said, nodding. "We can start to get them settled, then, before the other chiefs arrive."

Valka's smile widened, "Actually, they're hoping to sit- in on the next council session."

"If it's alright," Brianna, who'd just entered the hall, said hurriedly. "We wouldn't want to…"

Hiccup smiled, and nodded; gesturing for them to come in. He waved a hand, to catch the attention of a near- by Terrible- Terror.
Once the dragon had perched on his shoulder, Hiccup said, "Ggrrr-awk-awk-vrrr-reee; kal-rah-rak, rah-rak, grr. Kra-gra-vreep-gralh." The Terrible- Terror nodded, and flew off.
Hiccup turned back to the new arrivals, and found a small crowd of women and girls: all staring at Hiccup, as though he'd… well: started speaking gibberish.
Hiccup rolled his eyes; and turned to Astrid, who'd just joined them. "You… uh, forgot to tell them I could speak 'dragon', didn't you."

"Oh, right: I knew I'd forgotten something!" Astrid shrugged: grinning, a little sheepishly. "Guess I've just gotten used to it."

"And it never occurred to me to tell anyone," Valka smiled, wryly. "Now that the dragons are all talking."

Toothless stepped forward. 'The connection that formed between Hiccup and myself allowed for an exchange of knowledge, crucial for establishing a lasting peace. We project what we want to say, to those we want to hear it.' He glanced around, at the new arrivals. 'I hope I've not alarmed anyone, unduly.'

Hiccup, chuckled, shook his head, and turned back to the new arrivals. "It's a long story; probably one for another time, though."

Part Two – The Council Reconvenes

Two hours after noon,

The other chiefs of the Archipelagos began to arrive on Berk perhaps a quarter of an hour after Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Tyrek, Tyrone, and Walden returned to the Berk docks. Once most of the chieftains had arrived, they set off in the direction of the Great Hall.

They arrived to find it crowded, but orderly; much as it had been the first time the Council of Chiefs had convened. Berks' newest guests had gathered near the foot of the hall; some were standing, others sat on benches. All were talking, excitedly, amongst themselves; and were quick to clear a path; when the northern- chiefs reached the doors to the Hall.

Once the last of the chiefs, their guards, and advisors, had taken their seats; Chief Tyrek officially called The Council to Order.
They were in the Great Hall of Berk, but Chief Tyrek had convened the council. Traditions held; besides, they all knew that Hiccup would soon be taking a leading role.

"Well," Marcus Grayclaw; the chief who'd challenged Hiccup on whether he could do as he claimed, the previous meeting; glanced towards the foot of the hall, then at Hiccup. "I take it you've found the Kraken Lords' hostage- ships."
Marcus Grayclaw was half a head taller than Hiccup; his hair was a dirty- blonde, as was his beard. He was in his mid-forties, and had what one might call the 'standard' Viking build.

Hiccup nodded; and, looking around the table, as he spoke; said, "My information was good: pass along my thanks to your navigators, if you would." Marcus blinked, and nodded, as did several of the other chiefs. "The rest of the credit goes to Astrid, Heather; and those who were with them. I'll admit: I was… 'Elsewhere', at the time; acting on new information." Hiccup smiled, "The past few days have been… 'Eventful'."
As Hiccup said 'eventful'; a low ripple of chuckles, and a few brief muttered comments; moved across the villagers in the hall. There were fewer villagers, now, compare to when The Council had first convened: Many were out on patrol; monitoring activity on the front lines, or finishing their 'work' on the Kraken- patrols.

"'Eventful'," Chief Ephraim mused, considering Hiccup, as he spoke. "My men and I saw what appeared to be pieces of decking, and other debris, floating in the water; on our way here… Part of your 'eventful' account, no doubt?"

"We had a bit of a skirmish here," Hiccup admitted. "If you'll believe it, the kraken- lords sent fifty ships against Berk; on the misguided belief that our sending dragons to the front lines left our defenses weakened. It… didn't end well, for them: all they managed to do was entertain the dragons for a few hours, and lose most of the ships they sent."

Chief Ephraim leaned forwards in his chair, "Were you able to take captives?"

Hiccup nodded, "There were two separate encounters. Between the two, we took twenty- five of their warriors, and three Kraken- Lords."

Chief Thommen's head jerked in Hiccup's direction, "Blackthorn?"

"Not yet, though he should be joining us soon." Hiccup replied, turning to face Chief Thommen, as he spoke. "I was going to have him … 'picked- up' sooner; but another… 'Opportunity' caught my attention."

Tyrek chuckled, "Your southern- informant, you mean."

"Southern- informant?" Chief Marcus asked, his eyes flicking between Hiccup and Tyrek.

"We took down, and sent in, our reference- point the morning after we got into position," Tyrek explained. "Thought it was just luck; until Chief Hiccup, here, showed up the following afternoon: with another 'suspicion'." He turned to Hiccup, giving him the floor.

Hiccup nodded an acknowledgment, and picked up where Tyrek left off. "During our last meeting, I described 'lord' Emric's visit to Berk; including how he called me by name. The information was, clearly, brought south by the remnants of the force Drago Bludvist brought north, on his second expedition." Hiccup smiled, "Follow that logic a little further, and one might start wondering: 'why would the dragons be holding back?' Dragons lead to Berk; and Berk leads to me, and that question could easily become 'why would I ask them to?'"
Hiccup let the questions hang there. Giving the others in the hall time to ponder it.

The atmosphere in the room changed; as, one by one, the chieftains realized what Hiccup and Tyrek were telling them.
Chief Ephraim was the one to say it aloud. "You're saying that someone, on one of those boats; figured out that you were trying to find the hostage- ships, and deliberately sent a message to point the way?"

Hiccup nodded, "Sort of... Abram Grimm, the chief of that tribe, thought I was looking for their command- ship, but close enough. I decided to pay a visit to his ship; see if he had anything else he'd like to pass along." He chuckled, "'did he' … Names, temperaments, and a few character- notes on each of the kraken- lords; details about their 'middle- ground' patrol formations; a few noteworthy points about the hostage- ships, and a much better idea of what kind of numbers to expect. Using that information, I've been able to coordinate a series of simultaneous attacks, on these patrols. They've been… quite effective. On a related note: I have already arranged for, and received confirmation that, his wife and both of his daughters have arrived, safely, on his ship."

Tyrone leaned forward in his chair, "And your suspicions about a kraken- strategist?"

"They have someone who they call a 'strategist'," Hiccup replied, "but 'lord' Bane is no threat. His grandfather was the one who designed their conquest- method, and Bane is nowhere near his level."

Tyrek frowned, "How can you be so certain he isn't a threat?"

"The 'skirmish' I mentioned, earlier? Fifty ships: under the joint- command of 'lords' Bane and Malik: the latter was captured immediately afterwards, while my scouts tracked Bane to their command- ship." Hiccup glanced around the hall; every eye was on him. "Before they left, Abram Grimm's daughters; Arianna and Tanya; provided me with information on the layout of their command- ship, and informed me that they kept additional hostages there as well ... That's where Toothless and I were, while the 'main extraction' was in- progress. We brought 'lords' Bane and Malcolm with us, when we left: for a total of three captured kraken- lords. Oh, and speaking of 'captured kraken- lords'…"
For the next few minutes; Hiccup explained the situation regarding 'judgment' of the kraken- lords, and his proposal for a solution. – As was the case with his suggestion for a battle- plan, his proposal received unanimous agreement.

A moment later, a Terrible- Terror landed on the arm of his chair; turned to Hiccup, and began growling, and trilling: delivering her message.
When she finished, Hiccup smiled. "Excellent news," he gestured around the room, "why don't you do the honours?"

The Terrible- Terror puffed out her chest, proudly. 'All Kraken- positions are in full- retreat. They appear to be converging on the coordinates of their hostage-less ships, as a rendezvous- point.'
A roar of approval greeted the news. When it faded, and silence returned to the hall, everyone's attention returned to Hiccup.

"They are in retreat, that does not mean they are defeated," Chief Hiccup pointed out, to the silent hall. "You see: A few hours after the skirmish, I had 'lord' Malik brought to this hall. I confronted him with another one of my 'suspicions'; one that, due to its possible implications; I wanted to confirm, before I presented it. And Malik did, unintentionally, confirm it."

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Finally, Chief Marcus Grayclaw asked, "And what 'suspicion' would this be?"

"When Emric came to Berk, he admitted that the kraken- lords had been backing Drago Bludvist," Hiccup began. "I told Malik I 'suspected' each kraken- lord has a personal, fleet of warships. That each gave Drago a portion of their fleet; my thought was a tenth, and that turned out to be correct; before turning their focus to replenishing their numbers. " Hiccup paused for a moment, to let them process this.
"Drago came north with one- hundred and ninety- five ships: divide that thirteen ways, and each lord would have given him fifteen ships. Multiply that by ten, and you'd get the full size of each lords' fleet: one- hundred fifty… added together: nineteen- hundred and fifty."
The Great Hall of Berk was as silent as a tomb; even the newly- liberated southerners appeared stunned.

"Nineteen- hundred and fifty ships?" Chief Thommen burst out.

"'Well... High- lord' Malchior started out with an additional fifty; him being the 'high- kraken, and all; so the total was two- thousand," Hiccup said, as calm as he'd been when he started. "I believe it's his personal fleet my strike- teams are currently disassembling." He looked around the hall; the members of his tribe, present in the hall; were a little wide-eyed, but calmer then the other occupants.
"The situation requires attention, but it is not as bad as you think. The second time Drago came north, he had a particular target in mind: The Alpha's Sanctuary, the home of The Northern Alpha. Drago had, somehow, managed to enslave a dragon of the same species; used him to control the dragons he enslaved. He found the sanctuary; and his Challenger succeeded in killing The White Sentinel, Drago had taught his Challenger to cheat. However: when he came here, to Berk, his Challenger was overthrown; and another dragon claimed the title 'Alpha'." Toothless came to stand next to him, and Hiccup put a hand on the black- dragon's shoulder. "The New Alpha of The North," Hiccup said, "is a friend to Berk, a strong supporter of peace between humans and dragons, and a close, personal friend, of mine."

'When last this council met,' Toothless said, 'I asked you to fight with us; that time has come.' He rose onto his hind legs, extending his wings as far as they would go. Then, speaking with his thoughts, and in the language of dragons, he roared, 'DRAGONS: PREPARE. FOR. BATTLE! PREPARE. FOR. WARRR!'
And every dragon; in the Great Hall of Berk, roared, with Their Alpha.
A moment later, the humans overcame their shock; and bellowed in approval.

Part Three – The Fifth Dragon- Lord

That night,

By the time Hiccup and Astrid turned in for the night, Hiccup was exhausted; he was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow. Just as quickly, he found himself in a dream.
White mist swirled around him, just as it had after The Battle of The Red- Death. Then the mist began to pull back, as Hiccup had somehow known it would.

Ten figures stood before him: five would have passed for human, had they not been ten feet tall; five were dragons, of proportions to match their riders, though the mist prevented Hiccup from getting a good look. The Rider, at the head of the group; wore black dragon- scale armour, and a helmet, shaped in the likeness of a Night- Fury's head. The dragon, at his side, was a Night- Fury. "I am you, as you will one day be," he said.

The next figure stepped forward, clad in brilliant blue armour; the color of which matched the scales of the larger- then- life Deadly- Nadder, standing next to her. "Hiccup," Astrid's voice emanated from beneath the helm of The Second Dragon Lord. "You won't regret this; I promise." Then the first two Dragon- Lords, and their dragons, moved to either side.

The Third, and Fourth, Dragon Lords did not speak; and their dragons were concealed, in the mist. Silently, they stepped aside, allowing The Fifth Pair to pass between them.
Hiccup's eyes widened: Unlike the first four Dragon- Lords and their Dragons, The Fifth Pair seemed to have next- to- no substance. They were as shadows, and the voice that came forth was very faint. "I am not yet born. My title, and my story; will much depend on you … Father."

The white mist swirled around him, again, and the next thing he knew; Hiccup was sitting bolt upright, in bed; breathing hard. His sudden motion woke Astrid; she sat up, yawning, and looked at him. Her eyes widened; she threw off the covers, and knelt next to him. "Hiccup; are you alright?"

Hiccup took a deep breath, and nodded. "I just had… some kind of dream- vision." He turned to Astrid: his wife. "Astrid … The Dragon Lords; I… I saw them: all five!"

Astrid's eyes widened, "You saw… Do you know who any of them are?"

"Not exactly: they all wore suits of armour, and helmets with the visors down; and I couldn't get a good look at their dragons," Hiccup said. "I recognized my voice, and yours, though."

"You recognized our voices; you mean… Did 'I' say something, too?" Astrid asked, surprise evident in her voice.

Hiccup placed his hands on Astrid's shoulders; skin on skin, and their eyes met. "You said 'Hiccup; you won't regret this, I promise'." There was a brief pause, then Hiccup said, "Astrid; you have earned your position, I hope you believe that."

After a brief silence, Astrid said, "It is a little hard to believe, at times. I mean: this is huge… you said it yourself, after you got your memories back."

"I know what you mean," Hiccup said, smiling. "But whatever comes our way, we won't be facing it alone."

Astrid smiled and nodded, "I know… I've got you; you've got me; and we've both got Stormfly and Toothless." As she spoke, she shivered a little. Turning, she pulled the covers back up, and snuggled up next to Hiccup.

"There's more, Astrid," Hiccup told her. "The Third and Fourth Dragon- Lords never spoke, but The Fifth…" Hiccup kissed her on her right cheek. "It was faint, I couldn't tell if the voice was male or female; but… The Fifth Dragon- Lord said he, or she, hadn't been born yet … Astrid; The Fifth Dragon- Lord called me 'Father'."

Astrid's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. "Oh, my gods…" She smiled, her eyes glistening.

To Be Continued...