Chapter Seventeen – War of The Kraken: The Final Battle
Part One – North And South
Chief Donavan's flagship, Bergan
It was almost an hour before they finally set sail. During that time, they made contact and conferred with, the northern- chieftain, Marcus Grayclaw, and his advisors. When all that need be addressed had been, they began their journey north.
They sailed all morning, and into the early- afternoon; accompanied by the northern- fleet. Finally, lookouts spotted a 'significant' number of ships, about four miles further north.
Bergan stood at the prow of his father's boat; taking in what lay before them. As they got closer, the crests on their sails became easier to discern. He recognized both of them: One fleet belonged to Abram Grimm, the rest to the Shivering Shores.
Bergan's father joined him at the prow, a few minutes later, and clapped him on the shoulder. They spotted Abram Grimm, on the deck of his ship; and, when they were close enough to be heard, Donovan raised his voice. "Abram; Any word from Berk?"
Abram Grimm turned, at the sound of his name. He spotted them; and, just a quickly; turned away, gesturing for someone they couldn't see to join him. Moments later, a woman and two teenage girls came into their field of view.
"Nothing recent, no," Abram called back. "But my daughters have been there; Hiccup sent them on, to me, before deploying his extraction- teams. Chief Tyrek," he nodded towards the Shivering Shores' ships, "filled me in on the plans to relocate the forward lines, yesterday."
Their conversation lasted another five minutes, and then Abram and Marcus turned their attention to organizing their respective fleets. Once everything was in place, three ships from each of the southern- tribes, the chief's and two others, continued to northwards.
North, to the island of Berk: where the final War Council was scheduled to convene.
Part Two – Reunions, Long Delayed
The island of Berk was only a few miles ahead of them, now, and it was an impressive sight. But it was what they saw above the island that caught their attention: A massive, multi- colored, rotating … 'disk'.
Then the sound of dragons roaring reached their ears; heads turned in the direction of the sound, and they saw a small flock of dragons, speeding towards Berk. Instead of landing, however, they seemed to 'merge' into the 'disk'.
A moment of confusion; then someone muttered, "Odin's Crown: They're… they're dragons!"
The minutes slipped past; the distance continued to narrow, and something else quickly caught their attention: Two dragons; one pitch- black, the other a brilliant blue; separated from the swarm above, coming in for a landing near the docks. Both dragons had riders.
Several hours earlier,
Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly were up at their usual time. And, as had become their routine, they began their day with a midmorning flight.
They were not the only dragons in the sky above Berk, however: not by a long shot. The first groups of wild- dragons had begun to arrive the previous afternoon; and they continued to arrive, a new group every few hours.
The docks; present time,
Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly met the new arrivals at the docks. Hiccup grinned, "Well: welcome to Berk. I am Hiccup; Chief of Berk."
"And 'Dragon- Master'," Astrid added, grinning.
"People also call me that, yes." Hiccup grinned, and gave her a one- armed hug. "This is my wife, Astrid; and this," he turned to give Toothless a rub on the shoulder, "is Toothless; my Night- Fury partner, and–"
'The new Alpha- Dragon of The North,' Toothless finished. He turned to Hiccup. 'What? It was going to happen anyways.' Hiccup grinned: rolling his eyes, in mild exasperation.
"This is Stormfly, my Deadly- Nadder." Astrid grinned, and gave her dragon an affectionate pat on her lower- neck. Stormfly nodded, gracefully, but didn't speak.
Moments later, Cloudjumper landed, nearby; Valka dismounted, and they came forward. Hiccup grinned; and turned back to the new- arrivals. "And this is Valka, my mother; and her Stormcutter, Cloudjumper."
Chief Donovan blinked, several times; his eyes still fixed on Toothless. Then cleared his throat. "I am Donovan Flint; Chief of the Red Cliffs Tribe, far to the south and west. This is my son, Bergan." He went on to introduce his advisors, and the rest of his party.
Hiccup nodded an acknowledgment, then turned back to Chief Donovan. "We recognized the crests on your sails, as you made your approach; Bella and Brianna should be here any moment, now."
Just as Hiccup finished speaking, a second Night- Fury landed on the beach: Bella and Brianna on her back. Moments later: Bella was hugging her son, and Donavan his daughter. The four of them turned to Hiccup, but none seemed able to find words.
Hiccup nodded. "I know; different stories, but both lead us to a common enemy … Our council reconvenes tomorrow afternoon; in the meantime, I'm sure you've got a lot of catching up to do."
Chief Donovan nodded; then he, and his family moved a little ways down the beach.
That evening,
By the time the sun touched the horizon, twenty- three southern- chieftains had arrived at Berk; those who hadn't had sent confirmation, via Terrible- Terror messenger, that they would arrive the following morning. – News Hiccup passed on, as soon as he got it.
The chieftains who had arrived that day, reunited with those the Kraken- Lords had taken for leverage; had returned to the ships they'd arrived on, to spend the night.
The reason was easy to understand: Aboard their own ships, they could spend the night together; and at least pretend that their abductions, and the months or years apart, had just been the worst kind of nightmare.
Hiccup, Astrid, Valka, and their dragons stood at the cliff top where Hiccup and Astrid would so often come, to watch the sunset; only tonight, it was the ships they were watching.
They stood in silence, for a time; finally, Astrid shook her head. "How could anyone do something like that; to so many people, so many tribes?"
"They don't care, Astrid; they don't care about anything other than themselves, and their 'empire'." Hiccup said, softly. He sighed, "We should head in: Our last War- Council is tomorrow afternoon; after that…" He let the sentence drift.
Astrid and Valka nodded agreement. Hiccup and Astrid wished Valka a 'good night'; then the three of them clambered onto their dragons' backs, and they parted ways.
The following morning,
After their usual morning flight, Toothless and Stormfly set down outside the great- hall. Hiccup and Astrid dismounted; instead of entering the hall, though; they and their dragons turned, and took in the scene before them.
About ten minutes after they arrived, they heard the sound of footsteps. They turned, and saw Arya and Alana emerge from between the doors, which stood half- open. They exchanged greetings, and the new arrivals joined them where they stood.
Several minutes passed in silence; then Alana turned to Hiccup, hesitated for a moment; then asked, "Why are you doing this; helping us? You didn't have to; you could've just…" She let the sentence drift off.
"I know what it's like, to lose family." Hiccup said, simply. "My mother vanished, when I was one, during a dragon- attack. Six months ago, the impossible happened: She and I crossed paths. That afternoon … Drago decided I was a threat to him, and tried to kill me; my father intercepted the attack; that was how he died." – Arya and Alana's eyes widened.
A moment later, a Terrible- Terror landed on Hiccup's shoulder. He listened, for a moment; then said something to the dragon. He turned to them, and nodded. "Time to head down to the dock: they'll be here soon."
Part Three – War Council
The Great Hall; three hours after noon,
It was not uncommon for the Great Hall of Berk to be 'crowded'; today, it was packed. Two long tables had been pushed together, to 'extend' the table around which the chieftains sat. Two rows of benches ran along either side of the extended- table, where the southern- chiefs sat; where their families and advisors were seated.
The northern- chiefs were seated much as in previous meetings; though an extra chair had been added, and Astrid now sat to Hiccup's right.
The rest of the hall quickly filled with as many villagers and dragons from Berk as would, reasonably, fit into the hall.
From the atmosphere, one might've thought they were celebrating a victory, rather than about to make plans for a final- battle.
As the last few chieftains took their seats, the sound of conversation faded, and The War Council, convened.
Once the, thoroughly streamlined, formalities of a War Council had been observed; everyone's attention quickly settled on Hiccup.
Hiccup glanced around; the corner of his lip twitched, and he glanced around at his fellow northern- chiefs. "I hope no one feels I'm overstepping my place; recent events aside, I am the 'new guy'."
Chief Ephraim grunted. "I'm not complaining: if we'd done this 'the usual way'… Wouldn't have been much of a fight." – The rest of the northern- chieftains muttered agreement.
"The kraken- lords were using a cunning strategy; underhanded, cowardly; but cunning." Hiccup admitted. "But it's also flawed: they go from place to place; making enemies of chieftain, after chieftain." He raised an eyebrow, "Not a very healthy lifestyle choice, that; they're going to get themselves killed, one of these days." A few chuckles, and muttered comments; then silence. "We've already chosen the location for the battle, always a tactical advantage; and it also means that they'll have to come to us."
"What if they don't, though?" one of the southern- chiefs asked, getting to his feet. "They could just as easily turn south, and destroy our homes, before we know they've left!"
"I still have 'eyes' on our southern- boarders; I'll know if they try," Hiccup assured him. "Even if they did, they can't outdistance the Night- Furies; but they won't turn south."
"How can you be so sure?" the southern- chief asked, uncertainly.
"The kraken- lords aren't stupid." Hiccup said, simply. "They know it won't do any good: If they fled south, they'd be going towards your territories; if we do this as a joint- operation…" He let the sentence drift.
"Beard of Thor," the man's eyes widened. "That would open the neutral- waters; between here, and our territories; to military- deployment!" A chorus of gasps greeted these words.
"It would, and they know it." Hiccup agreed. "When the 'kraken- lords' made war against us; the northern tribes; control of the south became their only safe retreat. Basically, they're trapped in an uninhabited section of the Archipelagos: to secure a position here, or a route south, they need leverage; and the only way they'd get it, is to get past our lines." The corner of his lip twitched, "To flee south, they must strike north: the longer they wait, the more time we have to prepare."
For a two full minutes, the Great Hall of Berk was as silent as a tomb. Then Abram Grimm gave a short bark of laughter. "By the gods; talk about turning the tables!"
Astrid raised an eyebrow, "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
"It was, yes." Hiccup grinned at her, then turned to address the room. "I would never presume to single- handedly make decisions that, by rights, extend beyond Berk; but if I need to act in order to secure an opportunity we might need later, I will – to keep the option open ... The kraken- lords have had their fun, and they've had it at everyone's expense except their own… They've done too much damage already; it's past time they answered for it. How they answer… well: that's what we're here to decide." As he spoke, a ripple of movement and sound; nods, and murmurs of agreement; moved up and down the length of the hall.
Chief Tyrek stood. "In a campaign of this scale, it's custom to name a Battle Commander; before the fighting begins." He gazed roamed around the room. "I think we can all agree on whom to appoint."
No one argued. In fact: a lot of people were nodding, and not just chieftains. Hiccup nodded, solemnly, formally accepting the responsibility.
Hiccup glanced at Astrid: she smiled at him; nodded, and kissed him on the cheek. He turned to look at his mother; Valka's face, was glowing with pride.
The Kraken- Lords' Command- Ship; one hour and seven minutes earlier,
"Well, well: Commander Bridgman … Where in the Nine Realms have you been?" High- Lord Malchior demanded, sharply. "You were supposed to be here yesterday – at the latest!"
Commander Bridgman gestured, irritably, at the bank of storm clouds; which were now moving eastwards, away from them. "Shgra-grill rha-meh gawk; awg-awkd rush. Ang." His thickly accented voice didn't help matters.
High- Lord Malchior frowned, and turned to Bridgman's second- in- command. "What in Thor happened to him?"
"Huh-rah-rash-ruh-rug." The man rumbled, also gesturing at the clouds behind them.
"More nonsense." Malchior grumbled; he rounded on Bridgman. "Your 'responsibilities'; have they been attended to?" He held up a hand, "Just… nod, if they have been."
His expression sullen, Bridgman nodded.
Another of Bridgman's three captains, now present, stepped forward. "My lords: The Skrill's launched several more attacks against us. Ten of ships were sunk, and several dozen of our men were, uh…" He glanced at Bridgman, and cleared his throat. "It shot bolts of lightning at them; the affects do wear off … It takes a few hours, though – usually."
"Of course it does." Malchior grumbled. "When was the Skrill last spot–?"
There was a flash of lightning; and the Skrill appeared, seemingly from nowhere. A bolt of light crackled from its left wing, and hit Lord Tristan. As quickly as it appeared, the Skrill was gone: vanishing into the clouds of the departing storm.
Narrow bolts of electricity crackled through Lord Tristan, then dispersed; he looked a little dazed, but otherwise unharmed. He shook himself, and said "Shra-gra-nah-thraggle!"
"Everyone get below, before that thrice- blasted dragon comes back!" Turning to his fellow lords, he added, "Come. We have… 'Matters', to discuss."
Everyone hurried to get below decks; save for the thoroughly unsettled unfortunates who were on lookout- duty.
Even as the deck cleared; the Sea-Shocker, who'd been listening closely to every word; quietly slid back beneath the waves, and shot northwards.
An hour later; on Berk,
A few minutes after Hiccup was officially named Battle Commander of their combined forces; a Terrible- Terror swooped through the doors, and into the hall. Moments later, the dragon perched on Hiccup's shoulder, and began growling in his ear.
Hiccup trilled something back; dragon inclined its head, and flew to a perch along one wall.
"The armada had just rendezvoused with the kraken- lords, led by a 'Commander Bridgman'." Hiccup informed them, "Is that name familiar to anyone?" - The southerners, in the hall, exchanged glances and several shook their heads; the name 'Bridgman', was new to all of them.
"He might be a problem," Astrid said, uneasily. "If nobody knows about him…"
"It's another piece of the puzzle, and someone knows about him." Hiccup's expression became thoughtful. "Gobber, Eret, Sven, and… Spitelout; would you bring in 'lords' Malik, Blackthorn, and Bane."
Gobber frowned, "And Malcolm?"
Hiccup shook his head, "Just the other three."
Gobber shrugged, "You're the Chief." He gestured to the others Hiccup had named; they got to their feet and made their way out of the hall, followed by their dragons.
Low murmurs filled the hall, people exchanged curious glances; but the small smile on Hiccup's face made one thing clear: he had a plan.
Shortly,
Ten minutes later, 'lords' Malik, Blackthorn and Bane were marched into the great- hall. "Showing off your 'captives' again, Dragon- Master," Bane spat.
"You just have to assume the worst, Bane." Hiccup sighed. "I figured that; since you've been in your cell for days, cut off from the world; you'd appreciate some news of the war. Commander Bridgman arrived in the Archipelagos this morning. He's been quite busy, from what my friend heard; unfortunately for 'your cause', he recently took a lightning- bolt to the head, courtesy of a Skrill. From Malchior's reaction, he blurted out a lot more than he was should have … about his 'responsibilities', and the… 'Item' he's been safeguarding."
The moment Hiccup said the words 'Commander Bridgman', the four kraken- lords grew very still; all of them, even Bane, appeared shocked.
"He knows," Malik's face was white. He spun to face Malik and Blackthorn, "This is exactly how it happened with our Armada: he knows about The Amulet!"
"Shut up, you idiot!" Bane snapped.
"Yes, the amulet…" Hiccup nodded, his tone almost sympathetic. "Quite potent, if it works; it's hardly the kind of thing you'd 'try out' for fun, though." He raised an eyebrow, "You have tested it, haven't you… to be sure?"
"Describe it, then, if you know so much about it!" Bane challenged. "What does it look like?"
Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Describe it? It's hardly the kind of thing you'd just wear around, in the open, where one wrong move might…" He shrugged. "In any case: this information came from a Sea-Shocker who eavesdropped on the rendezvous, so he wouldn't have seen it even if Bridgman had been… waving it over his head. The Sea-Shocker passed the news to a Terrible- Terror, who brought word to me."
He considered the three of them for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think he even has it … Wasn't it was lost, or deliberately hidden, centuries ago?"
Bane and Blackthorn were gaping at Hiccup; Malik was wide-eyed and trembling.
Blackthorn glared at Hiccup, then rounded on Malik. "Get a hold of yourself, man: he's bluffing! Only the members of Our Council know how, and where, The First Lords discovered the shrine!"
"Shut up; both of you!" Bane repeated, more insistently.
Hiccup chuckled. "It's too late, Bane: they've already given me everything I needed… So it was buried; I came across that legend years ago; the Kal-gra… Kal-something…"
A brief pause; Hiccup's expression turned thoughtful; then he smiled. "Kalgrathyn. That's what it was called: The Kalgrathyn Amulet. I'll need to confirm a few details; but with this much advance notice; of both the armada, and the amulet?"
Toothless snorted, and turned to look at Bane. Speaking so all could hear; he said, 'In case you're wondering, this is how he gets when he has a fully- formed plan in his head, but doesn't want to ruin the show, for an audience.'
Hiccup rolled his eyes, shrugged, and grinned. "What can I say: I'm used to working on a much shorter deadline." He raised an eyebrow at the kraken- lords, "If this 'amulet- thing' pans out, everyone on the front- lines is in for a show; the Night- Furies will love this! If it doesn't… well… they'll be a little disappointed; but your armada should make for an… acceptable 'consolation prize', plenty of ships to go around." He gestured, vaguely, with one hand. "After that, well… life goes on; well… our lives will, at least; give my sincerest ill- wishes to Drago … on the off-chance that the Valkyries haven't torn him apart yet."
Bane's face went slack; he rounded on Malik and Blackthorn, whose faces were now as white as snow. "You idiots…" his voice cracked. "You simple- minded idiots!"
At the same moment, a light breeze seemed to blow through the hall, as several hundred people breathed simultaneous sighs of relief.
"Your assistance is appreciated; kraken- lords," Hiccup said, calmly. "I won't take any more of your time – and: you're welcome, for the 'news', by the way: aside from the bit about Bridgman 'spilling the beans', it was accurate." The corner of his lip twitched. "Oh, I almost forgot: the Skrill also got Tristan; same story as Bridgman… No lasting harm, but he'll be jabbering nonsense for a few hours." Laughter, and a smattering of cheering, filled the hall, as the three kraken- lords were led back to their cells.
Astrid leaned towards Hiccup; lowered her voice to a whisper, and said, "Sometimes you're so good, it's scary." Hiccup raised an eyebrow, a silent question; Astrid rolled her eyes, and smiled. "The rest of the time, you're amazing." Hiccup grinned, and kissed her on the cheek.
Part Four – The Final Battle
It was a truly impressive, and intimidating, sight; row upon row of warships, northern and southern both. What you didn't see was just as, and in some ways more, impressive: eight- hundred and seventy- nine dragons were also present. Many had set down on ships belonging to one of the northern- tribes, but even more on a collection of smaller- to- medium sized islands, located a few miles to the north.
The wives and daughters of the southern- chiefs; not wanting to be separated from their husbands and sons again; accompanied them, to the newly- relocated front- lines.
News of Hiccup's appointment, as Battle- Commander, had circulated within a few hours of their arrival; and he and Toothless spent the rest of that day meeting with the captains and crew of the southern' fleets.
Some had been… 'Dubious', on receiving the news, though not for long. It was, in part, the account of what had occurred that morning, in the Great- Hall of Berk; but even more so; when the captain and crews of the southern- ships actually met Hiccup and Toothless.
By the end of their first full day on the front- lines, he had earned their respect: all without embarrassing, or alienating, anyone who questioned his abilities.
The following afternoon,
On their second day at the newly- relocated front- lines, another boat arrived from each of the northern- tribes: transporting, not warriors, but 'spectators'.
After so long apart, former- hostages had asked to accompany them south; and to watch the final- battle, from a safe- distance. Once the necessary arrangements had been made, each of the northern- chiefs sent a ship home: to deliver the news, and transport those who wished to come to the newly- relocated front- line. (There'd been clear guidelines set, though, for who would be allowed to watch the actual fighting.)
This led to Hiccup's meeting the families of his fellow chiefs, and a 'fair number' of their people. And in a seemingly- endless stream of questions coming his way. Hiccup introduced them to Astrid, his wife; Lara introduced her Deadly- Nadder to her aunt, and others from her tribe. – It was a long day, but a satisfying and productive one.
The following day; an hour before noon,
A quarter- mile north of the main line; the nearest of those smaller islands rose up; out of the water. The southernmost- side of it was sheer cliff, and, at the top, Hiccup and Toothless.
With them were, of course, were Astrid and Stormfly; Valka and Cloudjumper; Gobber and Grump, and the rest of Berks' 'original' dragon- riders. They were joined by a number of other chieftains, northern and southern; a 'substantial' number of partnered- dragons, whose riders were also present; and wild- dragons.
Then, an hour after noon, on their second day, four Night- Furies returned, with news of approaching ships. This news triggered a flurry of activity, as everyone rushed to complete the last- minute preparations.
Two hours later,
When the ships came into view; and kept coming, and coming, and coming; it was hard not to feel a shiver of hopelessness run down your spine: There were just so many of them!
But all one had to do was turn around, and look up; then they would see the human in black armor, standing next to his Night- Fury. The sight was an undeniable reminder that there was more to this battle than the number of ships: their side had dragons, and a Battle- Commander who had done the impossible before – multiple times.
A few minutes later, a man moved to the foredeck of one of the leading boats. It was hard to make out details, as the leading ship was still some distance away. The man raised something over his head, and sunlight glinted off of a round metal disk.
The air around him shimmered, and a strange sound echoed across the water; aside from that, though, nothing seemed to happen.
Some time later,
Almost an hour passed, before they noticed a disturbance in the water; than tentacles rose into the air, about a quarter- mile ahead of the lead boat. The man shouted something, thrusting the hand holding the gleaming amulet forward. The Kraken advanced.
"Looks like their amulet works; huh, bud?" Hiccup said; his voice surprisingly calm, as he turned to Toothless. The black- dragon warbled, but said nothing.
The other chieftains had returned to their ships, soon after the first enemy ships appeared on the horizon. The spectators; northern and southern, both, were gathered nearby, dismay and disbelief visible on their faces.
Lara's Aunt Leah turned to them, wide-eyed. "The–Their amulet controls the Kraken?"
"According to the legend: It was supposed to keep the Kraken dormant. When the makers realized it might also be able to control the creature, it was hidden in an underground shrine, with the intention that it never sees the light of day. But yeah: that seems to be the case." Hiccup then turned to Astrid, Heather, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, who were already on their dragons. "Wait until I give the signal; you'll know it when you see it."
Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a long look; silently saying all that needed to be said.
Hiccup nodded, and gave her a reassuring smile. Then he slid his Night- Fury helmet onto his head, and lowered the faceplate; turned to face northwards, and roared something, in the language of dragons.
He took his place, on Toothless's back; the spread his wings, and surged into the sky. Moments later, a chorus of wailing shrieks filled the air; then what must have been close to fifty Night- Furies shot over their heads, following Hiccup and Toothless.
'The show', was starting…
As they flew, the Night- Furies spread out; some circled around, to attack from the sides. When the black- dragons were within range, each launched two plasma- bolts at the nearest tentacle. All, that is, but one.
From the back of that dragon, a figure in black propelled himself into the air: plunging something; the blade of his sword, the watchers assumed; into the Kraken's tentacle. Hiccup dropped towards the waves; keeping a firm grip on the hilt of his sword, opening a gash already several meters long, and growing longer, with every passing second.
Movement, in the midst of the tentacles, caught their attention, then. An instant later, the creature's massive head rose into view; eyes, teeth as large as a grown man. It roared in anger; its attention fixed on Hiccup.
As though alerted by some instinct, Hiccup withdrew his blade, and leapt clear. Seconds later, the Krakens' teeth sank into its own tentacle; and Toothless shot below Hiccup, who settled back into his saddle, on the black- dragon's back.
Meanwhile, the other Night- Furies continued to 'wage war' on the other tentacles; Hiccup and Toothless definitely had the Krakens' attention, but it wasn't ignoring the other dragons. If Hiccup was hoping to distract the Kraken, it wasn't working…
Toothless shot over the Krakens' head; another Night- Fury, also pursued by a tentacle; shot towards them, passing about ten feet to their left.
Moments later, Toothless and the other Night- Fury doubled back; Toothless flew over the tentacles, the other dragon flew under. Both tentacles followed, and then stopped: in the attempt to follow the two dragons, the two tentacles had tied themselves into a knot.
At first, it seemed like luck: a desperate, and fortunately successful, attempt to evade the tentacles. But, instead of taking evasive maneuvers, Toothless joined two of his kin in another direct attack.
More flying; more dodging; but, finally, two more tentacles knotted themselves together … One from the monsters' back, and the other from the front.
This occurred several more times, until a total of twenty tentacles had been knotted together; and were now struggling, uselessly, to get free.
"DIVE!" A distant, bellowed order reached their ears. "IGNORE THE DRAGONS: ATTACK THE SHIPS! DIVE … DIVE! DIVE!" It was the man on the deck of the leading ship of the Kraken- Armada: the one holding the amulet. It was Commander Bridgman.
The Kraken tried to obey: It leaned forward, trying to angle downwards: to vanish into the depths of the ocean… The tentacles that extended from the front pulled against those from its back, and the massive creature roared in pain; it tried again, but the result was the same.
It kept trying; its movements became frenzied, almost panicked; but its efforts, were in vain.
"It can't dive!" Astrid exclaimed, half laughing. "They've trapped the Kraken at the surface!" Eyes widened, people murmured to one another.
Even as they spoke, Toothless rose into the sky; on his back, Hiccup raised 'Fury' over his head. An aura of blue flames crackled to live, around the blade: a very clear signal.
Astrid's smile widened. "That's our cue, guys!" As she spoke, Stormfly unfurled her wings, and rose into the sky; the other dragons right behind her, and two hundred dragons; some with riders, but more without; close behind them.
As they drew nearer, they heard Hiccup shout: "ZIPPLEBACKS: SPREAD YOUR GAS OVER THE KRAKEN; BUT HOLD THE SPARK!" – A legion of Zipplebacks shot in: breathing their gas cloud, without igniting it. Then, once the last of the Zipplebacks had finished their run, came the command they were waiting for: "And… FIRE!"
A massive fireball hid the Kraken from view, though you could've sworn you still heard the Kraken roaring in pain. Its hide may've been too hard, and the creature itself too massive, for the weapons of sailors to harm it; but a battalion of dragons breathing fire, that was another thing entirely.
Hiccup's next order was for the same attack they'd used against the fleet Lord Bane had led against Berk. Two lines of dragons, Monstrous- Nightmares in front, and Deadly- Nadders behind, formed up. The Monstrous- Nightmares set themselves on fire, those with riders being careful to restrict the flames to their undersides. Then the Deadly- Nadders launched waves of spikes through the flames; the spikes ignited, and many of them even found chinks in the Kraken's scales.
The Kraken lashed at them, with its tentacles; but its movements had turned sluggish… It was weakening. This realization invigorated both the dragons, and their riders; every attack Hiccup ordered being executed with more zeal than the one before.
Finally, the Kraken let out one last bellow of outrage; its tentacles went limp. And, one by one, they went limp: falling to the ocean, as though in slow motion. {SPLASH – SPLASH, etc.}
Finally: The massive creature simply lay there: steaming … Dead.
For a full minute, there was silence. Then a chorus of shouts filled the air: Disbelief and fear from crews of the Kraken- Armada; euphoric jubilation from the combined forced of the Northern and Southern- Chieftains.
The shouting, on both sides, fell silent after close to a minute, too, though for a very different reason. As they had so many times, in recent weeks, everyone's attention was fixed on Hiccup and Toothless.
Moments after the Kraken died, a Night- Fury blasted towards the leading boat, of the Kraken Armada. Before he could do much more than glance at the approaching blur in puzzlement, Commander Bridgman… was 'flying'.
More Night- Furies circled over the boats, waiting as the one that carried Bridgman rose to hover next to Toothless. Hiccup lifted the faceplate of his helmet, and said something.
Whatever Bridgman said, Hiccup and Toothless didn't seem pleased. Lines of blue light traced a pattern on Toothless's scales, as did the scales of Hiccup's armor.
Hiccup said something else to Bridgman; and, this time, received the response he wanted.
When Hiccup next spoke, his voice had changed. "The Kraken- lords are not here; they have taken refuge on an island, three miles south of our boarders. They mean to make their final- stand there… They will be dealt with, soon enough. But first," he gestured towards the Kraken- Armada, "FINISH THEM!"
The order seemed to bring everyone back to the moment, a reminder that there was still a battle to fight. And it was an order, that no one had any reservations about carrying out.
Roars of approval, from humans and dragons, filled the air; and Combined Forces of The North And South, moved to join the battle.
Catapults fired, on both sides; Gronkles intercepted the enemy fire, and disgorged flaming boulders over the enemy ships. Every so often, they would also 'upgrade' a volley of friendly- fire, before dropping it onto the nearest boat.
Within a quarter of an hour, the Night- Furies and Deadly- Nadders had reduced the catapults of the enemy ships to ruins.
While Toothless and Stormfly helped disable the Kraken- Armadas' catapults, Hiccup and Astrid 'caught up'. Hiccup had since sent the Commander of The Kraken- Armada to their lines, 'accompanied' by four Night- Furies; Bridgman would wait until The Chiefs chose to send for him.
"You are…" Astrid shook her head. "I'm going to need to find another word: 'amazing' really doesn't cut it, anymore."
"I'm good with 'amazing', Astrid." Hiccup grinned, "Coming from you, it means a lot." Astrid's face turned a little pink, and her smile widened.
Part Five – Answers
There were questions, of course; when Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons rejoined the others, at their forward position. And Hiccup was, clearly, prepared for this.
He described the Dragon- Trance: How it had, over the past few years, enhanced his own natural abilities and senses; how these abilities became increasingly potent, should he choose to enter The Trance itself.
When he was asked about his armor, he described the history and providence of the ore that had been used to forge it. When he finished, two of the shadowy Night- Furies; The Ancestors, as they were also known; made a brief appearance, and reiterated what they had previously whispered to the newly- liberated hostages, soon after they arrived on Berk.
"At the time," he concluded, "we believed that Toothless and I were alone in the forges, that night. I have since learned, however, that that was not the case… Freya, the Goddess of Fire herself; tended the flames of the forge, that night: enhancing them, and keeping them under control." – Awed murmurs rippled through the crowds, at this revelation.
Finally, Chief Marcus Grayclaw took a step forward. "Would I be correct to say, that you have regained the memories of your conversation with Thor?" The moment he said those words, all other voices fell silent.
"I have, yes." Hiccup admitted. "Parts of what Thor told me, during that vision, I am willing and able to share and discuss. Others…" he hesitated, "Others relate to a potential danger; to me, and to what I am trying to establish: a lasting peace, between humans and dragons. The best way for me to avoid that danger is to prevent certain details from becoming commonly known. I will tell you what I can, and I would ask that you accept my word that the parts I withhold, are with good reason."
A full minute passed in silence, as the listeners exchanged glances. Finally, Chief Ephraim took a step forward. "If what you say is true, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, it would be negligence on your part to disclose the details of this… 'Danger' you speak of." He looked around, "Does anyone think otherwise?" – Nobody argued.
"I am glad you agree." Hiccup inclined his head. "There are more immediate concerns, of course; specifically: the island where the kraken- lords' intend to make their final- stand; but I can promise you this: the story, the parts of the vision I can share, and the events of the past five years; will be well- worth the wait, and it shouldn't be a long wait, at that."
To Be Continued…