Chapter Nineteen – War of The Kraken: Final Stand (cont.)
Part Five – Into the Tunnels
On the beach of the kraken- lords' island,
As the first line of ships made landfall, Toothless rose into the air: Hiccup on his back. The other dragons quickly joined them; most circling over the beach, others flew further inland to do aerial- recon.
Once the warriors had disembarked; a detachment of guards guided the ships back into open water. (Both to make room for the next rank of ships to land, and to ensure their ships didn't fall into enemy hands, after they'd moved inland.)
Confident everything was running smoothly, and with his force; a fair- sized detachment of Berk warriors, their dragons, and a 'mixed force' of southerners; formed up, Hiccup and Toothless lead the way to a tunnel almost directly ahead of where they'd come ashore.
A short time later,
When they entered the tunnel, the light dimmed; not much, but noticeably; and the further they went, the dimmer it got. About a hundred feet in, they found a lit torch: wedged into a niche, in the cave wall, so it stood upright; the light it gave illuminating a small section of tunnel. Further down the tunnel was another dot of light: beyond that, total darkness.
They slowed to a stop, about fifteen feet from the illuminated section of tunnel.
Bergan frowned, eying the torch. "I don't like this: We'd be easy targets for archers, once we move into the light…"
Toothless chuckled; closed his eyes, and uttered a low- pitched roar. Moments later, the echoes returned, his ears flicking left and right, to catch them. 'It's all clear … this passage runs more-or-less straight for another few hundred feet; then angles to the right.'
Hiccup could tell the southerners had questions; they resisted the urge to ask them, however. He signalled, and they continued to advance. They reached the spot where the second torch burned a few minutes later; a little further on, the tunnel angled to the right … just as Toothless had said.
Further on,
About twenty minutes in, they rounded another corner, and found three side passages branching off from the main tunnel. The first was to the right, and appeared to double back; the second was to their left; the third, and last, was on the right.
Motioning for the others to wait, Hiccup and Toothless approached the first opening. They considered it for a long moment, then the Black- Rider raised his arms to either side: three tendrils of shadow rose into the air. In barely more than a whisper; Hiccup said, "Gralh-gra-rawk-heath: Scrah-rhak cree-rak, thir-gralh scrah-rha-cree."
The three Ancestors murmured something in reply; then they vanished, each into one of the three side tunnels. Moments later, they were back; each murmured something to the Rider and Dragon, before melding back into the dragon- scale armor.
Hiccup raised a finger to his lips; gestured to Spitelout and twenty other men, and motioned down the tunnel. He turned to Captain Marcus next, and then to Bergan: signalling for each to take as many warriors into the next two tunnels. (Bergan's group consisted entirely of southerners.)
Moments later: Shouts of surprise, and sounds of combat, emanated from all three openings. The noise quickly diminished, faded to silence; then their warriors emerged, returning to their places in the column. Aside from a few nicks on their shields, and a few small cuts, they were unharmed; all were grinning, as they re-joined their main force.
"Well… those fellas won't be reporting back!" Spitelout commented, evoking a ripple of low chuckles.
"No… I imagine they won't," Hiccup said, with a hint grim amusement. "Forward!" Rider and Night- Fury turned, and continued down the tunnel; the warriors, dragons, and mounted- riders followed.
Meanwhile,
Stormfly and Windshear circled high above the island, Astrid and Heather on their backs. A quarter of an hour had passed: since their fleet had made landfall, and the warriors aboard had vanished into the cavern- system.
"Astrid… You 'ok'?" Heather asked, a note of concern in her voice. "You've been very quiet."
"I'm fine; it's just … even when I'm not 'with' Hiccup," Astrid grinned, and tapped the side of her head, "my mind is."
"Yeah, well; try to keep your mind 'here', ok?" Heather suggested. "'Captured by Drago' was a close- call; if these guys pull a fast- one … we don't need a repeat of 'Viggo's auction'."
"Good point," Astrid shuddered. "Hey; after we finish this circuit, how about we make a few passes over the south- side of the island; maybe check-in with the first wave?" – Stormfly, Heather, and Windshear immediately voiced their agreement.
On the southern- side of the island; near a tunnel entrance,
Donovan had spent most of the past day replaying the previous few days in his mind; now his full attention was on the past thirty- six hours.
On making landfall, the Chiefs in the First Wave sent small groups to scout their side of the island: Searching for tunnel entrances, and anything that might either help or hinder what they'd come to do.
Once the last of the scouts had returned, and the chiefs had conferred; they moved into their current positions. The greater portion of their strength was gathered about half a mile south of their sentry- positions, from which the tunnel- entrances were kept under constant surveillance. Smaller teams manned the sentry- posts, their full attention fixed on their designated tunnel; each hoping to see the lord they'd spent years cursing come bolting into the open like a frightened rabbit.
Forcing his mind back to the present, Chief Donovan glanced around, and then up. Almost immediately, he spotted two dragons, flying high above them.
He shaded his eyes, and squinted: Both dragons had riders, and he was almost–certain he knew who they were ... It could mean only one thing: The second wave was in the tunnels.
In one of the islands' tunnels; Chief Hedrick,
The moment he set foot on the beach, Chief Hedrick was shouting for his warriors to form up: unnecessary, really, but no matter. Once the last man was in place, they set off: heading deeper inland, and angling to the east.
Hiccup had organized the fleets, by tribe, into 'blocks' of ships; and had two tribes sailing, and making landfall, together. One turns east, the other west: each taking the first tunnel they came to, and continue accordingly. (When they reached the last tunnel, the process would repeat: a wave of reinforcements.)
For the first time, Hedrick wished he'd been able to bring more of his fleet; but, of course, the kraken- lords only allowed fifty ships per-tribe … so they wouldn't 'get any ideas'.
Hedrick snorted, to himself. 'So that their secret- armada could crush us, if we "got any ideas", more like … for all the good it did them.' He chuckled at the thought, than returned his full attention to what lay ahead.
They'd entered their tunnel cautiously; expecting enemy- warriors to come boiling out at any moment … Nothing. As they advanced, the light grew increasingly dim. Their initial feeling of disappointment became tinged with unease; then they rounded the first corner, and saw a torch wedged into a natural- niche, in one wall. And, further on, a flicker of light that could only be another torch.
"I don't like this…" Goren commented, turning to Donovan. "There could be a tunnel- full of archers down there; we wouldn't know it till they started filling us with arrows. We could send scouts, but…"
'Let me…' the nearest of the three Night- Furies, who accompanied them, stepped forward. She closed her eyes, and released a low- pitched roar. The sound echoed down the length of the tunnel, then returned; the black- dragon's ears rotated, to left and right, to receive them.
She opened her eyes. 'It's clear… Tunnel angles to the left, about fifty feet down; a few sharp turns … Maybe side- tunnels, further in; the echoes have been distorted.' Donovan, and several of his captains, exchanged glances; by silent agreement, they decided now wasn't the time to ask questions. At their Chief's signal, they continued to advance.
Half an hour later, in a stretch of tunnel lit by two torches, they found the side tunnels. Four of them: The nearest was to their left; the next two were directly across from one another; and the fourth beyond them, to the right.
Wordlessly, the Night- Furies padded forward: each pausing at an opening, tilting their head to listen. All three turned to nod at the human warriors, and vanished into the darkness of the passage they'd chosen.
Seconds later, several dozen voices shouted curses. Blue light flashed, in three of the side- caverns: once, twice, and again. Then several men bolted from each passage, into the main tunnel like flushed quail; they caught sight of the army, and froze: clearly stunned into speechlessness. For a full ten seconds, the southerners and the kraken- warriors just stood there: staring at one another, as though unsure what to do next.
Then a dozen kraken- warriors appeared in the entrance of the fourth passage. One of them, presumably the leader, was glowering. "You'd better have a good reason for–" Chief Hedrick cleared his throat, and the kraken- captain turned; his eyes widened, then narrowed, just as quickly.
The kraken- captain and his men drew their swords, "Hold your ground, men… Remember: We are Warriors of The Kraken- Empire! We fight to the bitter–"
At that precise moment, the Night- Furies reappeared; all three were staring at the knot of kraken- warriors, growling. One tilted his head to the left, 'Go on; say it… say "the word".'
The captain blinked, then gulped; "Uh … On second thought…" he sheathed his sword, and turned his men. "Horst: You're in-charge; I'm going to go … uh… report to The Council. Yeah, that's it: I'm going to … just go, now." – He turned, and fled down the main tunnel.
Five seconds passed in silence; then Horst dropped his sword, and bolted. The rest followed.
Another ten seconds passed, in silence; Donovan blinked, and turned to his men. "What in blazes are we standing around here for? Advance!" – His men roared, and they charged after the fleeing kraken- warriors.
Chief Hiccup;
The second time Hiccup and his warriors stopped, it was for a very different reason: Ahead of them, the tunnel divided into three smaller passages. Two men stood, side by side, before the middle opening. They looked to be in their mid-thirties; wore richly decorated armor and shields, and a sheathed sword at their hip. They were dark- haired, muscular, and shared a strong enough resemblance to suggest they were related.
Bergan, and the other southerners, stiffened; Hiccup noticed, "The Iron Sentinels?" his tone making the words a question.
Bergan nodded, "Yeah; the two best swordsmen in the kraken- empire: they've killed a lot of people; my uncle, for one … my mother's brother." His expression darkened. "It happened just after she and Brianna were taken; we… we had to tell them, on Berk."
"You go no further; Dragon- Master," the man on the left declared, in the same heavily accented voice as the kraken- lords. He shot Bergan a coolly disinterested look, "Yes… Many have tried to best us; but all of them, we have cut down ... I am Valdir."
"And I, Fenrir," said the other man, also stepping forward. "Turn back now, or Die by our hands." He paused for a ten count. "Your answer?"
Instead of answering: Hiccup leapt down from Toothless's back, and drew 'Fury'. To the warriors and dragons behind him, he said, "Give us room."
The warriors and dragons backed up; the 'Iron Sentinels' drew their swords, and charged. Hiccup parried Fenrir's first cut, and leapt aside: avoiding a high–low slash from Valdir. He jabbed at Valdir, who dodged; then parried a strike from Fenrir.
Minutes passed: Hiccup gave ground without contest; blocking a blow from one foe, before striking at the other. From the tunnel where they waited; his warriors watched, awed. They could see what was happening: Hiccup was studying – analyzing – his enemies' fighting styles; once he had what he needed…
Fenrir lunged, slashing at him; Hiccup sidestepped, used 'Fury' to block another high–low slash from Valdir; pivoted, and kicked Fenrir in the chest. The blow sent Fenrir flying backwards: he cracked his head against the side of the rightmost tunnel, leading out of the room; and fell to the ground, unconscious.
For the next three minutes, Hiccup and Valdir fought one–on–one: A one-sided fight from the start … every time Valdir slashed at Hiccup; the Chief of Berk would block, or deflect, or evade the blow. Valdir was tiring, visibly; Hiccup, somehow, was not.
Movement, and groaning, heralded Fenrir's return to consciousness. When Hiccup saw the second man pushing himself to his knees; he pommel- whipped Valdir, in the side of his head, then stabbed him in the gut … a wound that couldn't be anything but fatal.
Fenrir rose just in time to see the blow land, and to see Valdir fall.
"Brother!" Fenrir rushed over, and dropped to one knee; Hiccup withdrew, slightly, though he kept his blade at the ready. Each brother gripped the others' free- hand, even as Valdir's sword fell from his other hand, clattering to the floor.
"I–I'm sorry, brother; the fight is yours to finish, now..." Valdir muttered, weakly. "Don–Don't unh–underestimate him … he's–" his head dropped to the floor, and he lay still.
"Your brother…" Hiccup said, softly, his voice reverberating from beneath his helmet. "That is … regrettable… but it was necessary: he, you, and the kraken- lords, have made it necessary."
Fenrir heard him, but the words seemed to hold no meaning to him. He still held his sword; now, he took up his brothers, as well; and straightened, glaring at Hiccup. "You … You!"
He lunged at the Chief of Berk, swinging the two blades; bellowing a wordless challenge.
Normally, fighting an opponent wielding two swords; armed with only one; would've made for a very short fight. But Hiccup had journeyed beyond the limits of an ordinary human: 'Fury' became a shadowy blur; moving so fast, at times, it appeared to be a double- bladed weapon.
Then, about a minute into the fight, Valdir tried a new trick: He slashed and, when Hiccup dodged, lunged sideways: slamming his shoulder into Hiccup.
Hiccup, apparently expecting a trick; transferred his sudden momentum into a flip. He landed on his feet, knees bent slightly, to absorb the impact of landing.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he sheathed 'Fury'. Before Fenrir, or those watching, could do more than frown in confusion, Hiccup thrust out his right hand. Immediately, tendrils of shadow shot out of his armor; wrapping around Fenrir's arms and legs, lifting him into the air. The Black- Rider flicked his hand to the left, the tendrils slammed Valdir into the near wall; he flicked his hand to the right, and Fenrir was slammed against the far wall.
The tendrils released him, then: melding back into Hiccup's armor. Moments later, Hiccup was standing over him: 'Fury' in-hand. "Justice…" he said, softly. "'Justice'; for all those you've killed…" 'Fury' descended.
A long moment passed in silence; then Bergan said, "My Uncle's death has been avenged… and many others, as well." Around him, his fellow southerners nodded agreement.
"And there is much, still, to do," Hiccup turned, looking down the tunnel now open to them. Two men stood, at the end of the tunnel: open-mouthed, terror written on their faces; they turned, fled around the corner. "Though I think we've achieved our main objective."
Bergan turned just in time to catch a glimpse of them; it was enough. "Yes we have: those were the High- Officiators; they handle a lot of the day-to-day matters, and answer directly to the kraken- lords!"
Hiccup chuckled, "Well… lets see if we can raise their voices a few octaves before they get there…" He walked into the entrance of the cavern, cupped his hands to his mouth, and called, "Advance!"
Sure enough, a few seconds later, a pair of shrill voices reached their ears: "Gods preserve us; they are coming!" was first; followed, moments later, by "Don't talk, fool: Run! We have to warn The Council!"
Moments later, the second voice was shouting: "Don't just stand there, fools: Attack! Attack!" A chorus of shouts sounded, from somewhere beyond where the tunnel curved out of view.
"Warriors on-foot, at the front; clear enough space for the dragons to manoeuvre, when they come though…" Hiccup ordered. "I'll send-in The Ancestors just after our lines meet, a few dozen at a time; they'll help however, and wherever, they can; watch for any opening they give you." He regarded the warriors, and nodded. "Now: CHARGE!" – His warriors bellowed, the dragons roared; and warriors on-foot, surged forward.
Part Six – 'Exit Strategy'
Fifteen minutes later; the kraken- lords' cavern,
Aside from the nine remaining kraken- lords, their cavern was empty. When word of ships, on the horizon had arrived; early that morning; they had instructed all of their remaining warriors to man their defenses – such as they were.
The Imperial Officiators, Olaf and Omar, had been sent to coordinate with their various lines of defense: Receiving news, and keeping them updated on the battle; relaying orders, via messengers, to their various lines of defenses. High- Lord Malchior had even sent the 'Iron Sentinels', their finest swordsmen, to defend the cavern where The Officiators worked.
Despite all of their precautions, a deep feeling of unease hung over them: the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
The sound of footsteps, and heavy panting, echoed down the tunnel leading to their cavern. Moments later: The Officiators rushed into the room; panting heavily, eyes wide with fear.
"Olaf, Omar; what's happened?" High- Lord Malchior demanded, already beginning the (somewhat- laborious) task of standing.
Olaf, the older of the two, took several deep breaths; then rasped, "Drag–Dragon Ma– Master, lea–leading … foe–force through tunnels; men say… more, other tunnels!"
"Impossible!" Lord Melbourne shot to his feet; wide-eyed and white-faced. "The overhang; the rest of our ships; the–the 'Strikers'…" his hands were shaking uncontrollably.
"How did they come so far, so quickly?" Lord Tristan demanded; his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white. "At the very least, we should've had more warning!"
Omar took several deep breaths; then, "Survivors from … ships report explosions … above them; upper- defenses … cut- off; no word!" Another deep breath, "No time: Fenrir and Valdir are dead, killed by … Dragon- Master; he spotted us, at … end of their tunnel; rest of garrison … trying to slow them, but … reinforcements; other tunnels … too many!" He shook his head, "It's only a matter of time: the defenses are collapsing!"
Malchior jerked back so quickly, he knocked over his chair; he almost tripped over it, but managed to keep his footing. He glared at the other lords, "ARE YOU DEAF; MOVE!"
Seconds later, the remaining eight lords were on their feet; Emric opened his mouth to speak, but Malchior silenced him with a raised hand.
As per their plan, the nine remaining kraken- lords split into two groups; of six, and three, respectively; each charging through one of the two tunnels behind the 'high- table'. Then they were gone, leaving the empty cavern behind.
Malchior was with the larger group, which took the tunnel to the right. They hurried along the passage with the aid of two torches; Roland held one, Emric the other.
After about five minutes, the tunnel spilt again: Malchior, Roland and Ralden went left; Emric, Tarbek and Locke turned right. – Emric bolted down 'his' tunnel, the others following close behind, to keep up with the torch; Malchior glared after them, then he and his group continued down their tunnel.
Ten minutes later; nearing the tunnel entrance,
By the time they saw sunlight, ahead of them; Malchior was sweating, and panting heavily. He was also sick of Roland's endless muttering about how they needed to hurry, to re-join the others at the isolated cavern system they'd chosen as their final sanctuary.
A medium-sized cavern that was fully isolated from the islands' main system: one-way in, one-way out… at least, by land. … Near the far wall; a single, hidden tunnel, led to a partially flooded cave; where four ships sat waiting for them.
Bridgman had seen to it that they had sufficient provisions to last a month. Sooner or later, someone would get careless; stray from their patrol, on a search of the tunnels, to "answer natures' call", maybe… They would be seized and either they, themselves, would prove useful; or, after enough people disappeared, someone important would come searching for them.
These were the thoughts running through 'High- Lord' Malchior's mind; as he, Roland and Ralden emerged into daylight.
By then, all three of them were panting heavily; they stood in the entrance, resting their hands on their knees. Finally, they trudged out into the open; each raising a hand to shelter their eyes, as they readjusted to the sunlight.
"Gods…" Malchior said, still breathing hard. "When did I get so ****ing fat?"
"I really can't say," a familiar voice said, coldly. "Long before we first … 'met', kraken- lord."
"I wasn't asking you, Donavan…" Malchior snapped, taking a few more steps. Roland and Ralden froze where they stood; then comprehension dawned, Malchior's eyes bulged.
By the time he looked up, they were surrounded: There were ten… fifteen… twenty of them. Chief Donovan gestured to the two nearest to them, and said something he couldn't hear; the men nodded, and hurried off.
"H–How … How?" Ralden stammered; his face was pale, his eyes wide, as he took in the scene. "This cannot be… You couldn't…" Next to him, Roland seemed unable to form words: he just stood there, gaping at the southern- chieftain, and his men.
Malchior's eyes narrowed, "It was the boy, wasn't it; the Dragon- Master."
"Indeed it was!" Donovan confirmed, chuckling. "You have to admit: he's good…" he turned to his men, "Bind them!"
Three of his warriors produced lengths of rope, while the others closed in: wrestling Malchior, Roland, and Ralden's hands behind their backs, than binding them together.
Donovan grinned with evident satisfaction, "Lets get them back to camp; hold them there, until we can get word to my ship." To the captured kraken- lords; he added, "I've dreamt of this for years, but its even better in-person; life doesn't get much better than this!"
A shadow fell over them; looking up, they saw the Skrill coming in for a landing. He took in the scene; then chuckled, 'Hold that thought…' – An instant later, three crackling bolts of energy crackled out of its right wing: each striking one of the three bound kraken- lords.
A few moments later, the thin tendrils of energy faded: leaving the three kraken- lords dazed, but unharmed.
"Snark-verrn thrak-nazzle!" Ralden complained.
"Hugh rah-rash; hra-gra-shra-rah!" Roland said, glaring at Ralden. His eyes widened; he slammed his a fist against his leg, and muttered something unintelligible.
"Earlier comment retracted," Chief Donovan said, the corner of his lip twitching. "'Life doesn't get much better than this'!"
The Skrill smirked, than shot back into the sky: vanishing from view, a few moments later. The warriors laughed, and turned their attention to Malchior; the 'high- lord' merely clenched his jaw, glaring around at his captors.
Donovan shook his head; grinning so widely, the muscles of his face were beginning to ache. He turned to his men, "Gag them too: We need our wits about us … this isn't over yet!"
Part Seven – Clearing the Caves
Meanwhile; back in the caves,
Bergan was one of the first warriors into the tunnel; the others, like him, came from one of the southern- tribes the kraken- lords had subjugated. Their swords were draws, shields up; they kept to a steady pace, rather than running all-out.
Ahead of them, the tunnel began to turn; Bergan was just thinking how it'd be a mistake for them to charge blindly around a corner, when the enemy him charged into view: charging toward them. Bergan instinctively raised his shield; seconds later, he felt and heard an axe- hand buried itself in the wood. He moved his shield to the side, stabbed the man, who went down like a sack of rocks.
Moments after he fell, a dozen patches of shadow shot overhead. Nine of them shot further down the tunnel; the other four seemed to merge together. Then the shadowy 'figure' wrapped itself around the arms and torso of a nearby kraken- warrior; forcing the man to smack himself in the side on the head, repeatedly, with his own bludgeon. Three good 'whacks', and the kraken- warrior dropped like a bag of rocks.
Moments later, shouts arose from further back in the kraken- ranks; a number of their comrades made the mistake of turning to look for the source of the commotion. Most realized their mistake a few seconds later; but by then, their enemies had closed the gap. Step by step, the kraken- warriors were being forced back; helped, every now and then, by the various disruptions caused by the Night- Fury Ancestors.
A short time later, Bergan saw a kraken- soldier 'stab' one of the Ancestors with his sword. The shadow- dragon 'wailed', feigning pain, then dissolved into shadow. An instant later, two more patches of shadow joined together: winding around the man's neck, and then pulling tight … when they released him, the man collapsed, lifeless.
'Good thing they know we're not the enemy…' Bergan thought; then a sudden pain in his leg made him cry out. Looking down, he saw that a kraken- warrior; downed, but not dead; had plunged a dagger into his calf. He brought his sword down, and finished what someone else had started.
'TIME FOR YOU TO GO,' a disembodied voice whispered. Bergan started; then spotted the shapeless, shadowy form of a Night- Fury Ancestor hovering above him. 'I'LL COVER YOU.'
Bergan nodded, and the two of them set off, back the way they'd come.
They found Hiccup in the cave, standing near the lifeless bodies of the Iron- Sentinels. The Ancestor who'd accompanied Bergan melded back into the dragon- scale armor, and several others rose out of it: streaming down the tunnel, to join the battle.
Bergan summarized what had happened, since he'd last been in the room. Hiccup nodded; then, gesturing to the two bodies on the floor, asked a question. – Bergan nodded.
Twenty minutes later; the medical- ships,
When the Night- Fury landed, on the foredeck of the rightmost medical- ship, Bella and Brianna hurried forward. The former called, "Bergan; are you alright? What happened?"
"I'm fine…" Bergan reassured them, he gestured to his leg. "Idiot- kraken stabbed me in the leg; it's not bad, but I didn't want to take chances." He grinned, "Also: Valdir and Fenrir are dead; Hiccup killed them... I wanted to be the one to tell you." The sack he produced might have held two large cabbages; "These are…" he hesitated, "it's them: their heads."
Gasps rose, from the listeners, followed by murmurs of awe and relief. Then the news being repeated to those further away, and spreading to the other boat.
"Valdir and Fen– … The Sentinels are…" Brianna's voice was soft; her eyes wide, and looked to be 'a little' wet.
Bella's initial reaction was similar to her daughter's; she took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "Lets have a look at your leg, first; then you can tell us what happened."
She led Bergan over to a nearby crate, and Brianna hurried off to fetch bandages. As they worked, a crowd gathered around: Bergan began to relay his account of the battle.
Astrid and Heather,
Their first lap of the south side of the island was without incident; they saw the base-camp established by the first- wave almost immediately, and even a few of the teams guarding their tunnel- exit. A number of people spotted them, as they flew overhead, but no one flagged them down.
"So far; so good," Astrid commented. "The first wave's in place, the second wave's in the tunnels; it shouldn't be long now-w-w–Wait…" her eyes widened. "Look, down there!"
Heather, Windshear, and Stormfly turned: A lone figure had bolted into view, emerging from the entrance to a tunnel. In his haste, he tripped and went down; two more emerged just in time to trip over the first.
Even as they fell, figures were emerging from behind the trees and bushes they'd been using for cover. The 'lords' were surrounded before they could regain their feet.
"The first guy out was Emric," Astrid lowered her spyglass; she turned to Heather and Windshear, grinning widely. "The other two have robes like his, so I'm thinking..."
Heather grinned, "Seven down; six to go."
'Ten down; three to go!' Windshear amended, gesturing to one side with her head. Sure enough: Three men had emerged from the next tunnel over, run a few feet, then stopped to catch their breath. By the time they looked up, they were surrounded.
Astrid lifted her spyglass to her eye; and whooped, "Not sure about the other two, but the guy in the middle…" she turned to Heather and Windshear. "I'm almost- sure it's Malchior!"
Heather's eyes widened, "High- lord Malchior?"
"That's the one," Astrid confirmed. "The last tunnel must be somewhere over–" The Skrill rose into view, up from where she was pointing; followed by a chorus of distant laughter, and some 'garbled' shouting. When he spotted Malchior and his 'colleagues', the Skrill's eyes lit up: he dove towards them.
Heather shook her head; grinning, "Guess that takes care of that … I wonder if the Skrill 'does birthday parties'?"
"L-Lets n-not g-give anyone ideas…" Astrid suggested, laughing a little as she spoke. "Better if we stick to Snotlout and mutual- enemies."
Heather considered this for a moment; then nodded, "Yeah… I guess you're right."
"Come on; lets land at the camp," Astrid patted Stormfly's neck. "You and Windshear deserve a break; it'll be safe there, and we can have a look at these 'lords'."
They landed in the middle of the first- waves' main camp, as word of the kraken- lords' capture was being circulated. The atmosphere, needless to say, was euphoric.
The 'lords' arrived a few minutes later; the moment they saw her, their eyes widened. Astrid immediately knew that they recognized her – somehow, and repressed a shudder. "Not the kind of 'first meeting' you were expecting?" she asked, coldly.
"Vlore-rha-haze nah-gra-treadle!" the man Donovan introduced as 'Ralden' exclaimed, when his gag was removed.
Astrid's lip twitched, "I'm sorry… what was that? I don't speak gibberish." Several people chuckled, and she stood a little taller. "Almost done, now; just one thing left to do! We'll go with the escort, fill the others in… Take down a few warriors for us, K?"
There was a roar of approval from the crowd, which dissolved into a flurry of activity. Save for a core of several dozen guards, who marched the newly- captured kraken- lords off.
A few hours later; aboard the medical- ships,
"Ships!" someone called. "There're ships coming around the island!" The call immediately drew a crowd to the prow of the two medical- ships.
Sure enough, there they were: half a dozen ships, circling around the far side of the island.
Valka brought another of Hiccup's spyglasses to her eye. "Southern- crests!" she called, to reassure the crowd. "They have southern- crests on their sails!" She continued to scan the ships; her smile widened, "It worked… they have the kraken- lords on board! Atta boy, Hiccup; that's my boy!"
It took a moment for her words to register; then the cheering broke out.
When the boats had covered about a third of the distance to them, two familiar dragons rose into the sky, and shot towards them. A few minutes later, Stormfly and Windshear came in for a landing, and their riders dropped to the deck.
Taking turns, she and Heather filled them in on the latest developments; then Bergan told them what he knew of the fight, inside the caves. He finished saying, "I can't see it taking much longer; not with the kraken- lords captured…"
Back in the caves,
The kraken- warriors had been losing ground steadily, since the two lines first met. Those fighting had lost all track of time: all that existed was their weapon, their shield, their allies and their foes.
Then a roar sounded from somewhere, and the sound of fresh fighting broke out – on the far side of the enemy lines! The warriors who'd circled around the island were now pouring into the tunnels, form that side. It could only mean one thing: the 'lords', had been taken.
A roar of triumph rose from the attackers, and they pressed forward with renewed vigour. Not that there was much opposition: the dragons had long since joined the front lines, securing the middle of every cavern they entered … forcing the kraken- warriors to cluster together along the walls, with barely enough room to swing their weapons.
Then it was over. Somehow, incredibly, it was over: there were no more enemies.
That evening,
By the time the sun touched the horizon, they were well on their way. Each of the nine kraken- lords had been locked in the brig of a different ship; one belonging to the chieftain of one of the tribes they'd subjugated, though not the same one they themselves sailed on. Once again, they were heading north; to Berk, to hear the 'long story' that would surely be one of the greatest legends of their age.
To Be Continued…