The shadowy girl slunk through the darkness like a phantom, dodging stragglers. It took her absolutely no time at all to find the Haddock house, and seconds to scale the wall up to Hiccup's bedroom window. Her bow and quiver were right where she left them, and in the space of thirty seconds, she was outside the window again.
But all the plans seemed to fail once she got back to her position. Hiccup had run out yelling and screaming like she told him, and went straight for Toothless. But he was overwhelmed by the outcast soldiers and taken prisoner, along with his Night Fury buddy who was being wrapped in chains and put in a muzzle. Shadow was completely helpless and couldn't do anything as she watched them being dragged inside the Great Hall.
She had only seconds to react, and stealthily snuck into the Great Hall after them, having avoided being seen by anyone. Inside, the whole village was in irons, with all multitude of weapons being poised at their throats. All the warriors including Spitelout and Stoick, were cuffed and forced to kneel on the ground in front of their aggressor.
Alvin the Treacherous.
The dragons were wrapped up in chains, with muzzles around their snouts and secured to the ground, with each of their riders kneeling in front of them with a knife to their throats.
But worst of all, Hiccup was in the leaders thick meaty hands, and his sword was poised ready to end his life.
Shadow was the only one not in irons. Everyone had been captured. Even Gothi the elder, who had her stick stolen from her.
She had to save them all, but how? She needed to take out the leader, then free the dragons. That would be the best option. A patrol of soldiers was heading towards her hiding spot, and Shadow had to move.
From this angle, she could remain hidden, but she couldn't shoot the leader because Hiccup was being used as a human shield. Alvin was cackling like a madman while talking to Stoick, telling him just how foolish they all were and how he held all the power.
Shadow had to get up higher to give her a better target, and a better chance of shooting him in the head. Looking up, she could see the rafters supporting the roof, and thought that they could be the perfect spot.
She slung the bow over her shoulder and free climbed the pillar with nothing but her claws for purchase.
"I've won now Stoick. I've taken control of the whole island, and taken everyone hostage, including your son Hiccup." Boasted the leader of the Outcasts.
"There is nothing stopping me from seizing this island for myself now, and no one to say I can't execute the lot of you!" he bellowed.
Hiccup was being hurled around by Alvin, desperately trying to discover their salvation. That's when he caught sight of Shadow on the rafters with her bow over her shoulder. She was going to shoot Alvin and give them a fighting chance, but she couldn't while he was being held in the way of her shot.
He had to stall. And he thought, why not have a little fun at a time like this, and blow things a little out of proportion and use fear to control the Outcasts?
"You are wrong Alvin. It is always the Valkyries that decide who dies on the battlefield, not you." He challenged. That caught his attention.
"You might have taken everyone hostage, but the gods prefer to smile down on us. Our Valkyrie will decide your fate." He spat. Alvin glared at the toothpick of a boy and held the blade closer to his neck.
"What do you know of Valkyries boy? There are none here to save you and your village. The gods don't smile down on anyone on a moonless night." He sneered.
Then Hiccup got a new idea, and he smirked.
"Maybe not, but do you know what does come out when there is no moon?" Alvin glared a challenge at him.
"Demons." Hiccup sneered.
Alvin laughed, his bellowing voice echoed all around the Great Hall which was silent despite his laughter. Hiccup kept a serious face aimed at the Outcast leader, determined to continue.
"It's true. There is a demon that roams around on nights like these, searching for the next pack leader to be its conquest. It hunts in the dead of night when there is no moon, and searches for the strongest leader for it to feed on." Hiccup exclaimed.
Some of the outcast soldiers were fidgeting, and casting glances around the room in search of this demon.
Alvin was still not convinced. "And do, pray tell, what does this demon look like?" he challenged, his voice low enough to be a growl.
"It has the body of a human, with lean strong muscles, and claws as sharp as spears. It has teeth as sharp as swords, and eyes that glow in the dark with a silver light. It is covered in black scales, with horns on its head, and giant draconic wings on its back with a tail to match. It acts more like a beast than it does a human, and can speak the language of dragons, bending them to its will." Chanted Hiccup.
Some of the villagers understood what he was doing, and agreed to his description of the demon. The Outcasts were becoming more and more scared when they pictured the grotesque face and form of the demon, completely unaware that it was perched above them.
"This demonic creature, the right hand monster of Hel herself, comes to Midgard at the end of the lunar cycle to claim a victim, and rip out his heart with its teeth to present to its master in the deepest parts of Helheim. It is a merciless killer, a vicious animal, and capable of taking on a human form to confuse its victims." He prophesised.
Everyone was hanging off his every word, shivering in fear and eerily eying others to see if they were the demon. Up above, Shadow was impressed with Hiccup's improvised scene. She had no idea how he managed to portray her as a hybrid demon, but it suited her purpose just fine.
She slung the bow off her shoulder and selected an arrow. She got into position and pulled back to half draw. Alvin wasn't in the right position yet, but he would he soon, and then she would strike.
"Do you really think I'm going to believe your little fairy tale boy? You must take me for a fool if you think I will fall for that load of crap." He sneered. Then he gripped the sword tighter and held it closer to the soft flesh of his neck.
Shadow growled and prepared to fire.
"Tell me boy, does this demon have a name?" he asked. Hiccup just smirked as he took the final step needed to be completely exposed to Shadow's arrow.
"The Black Shadow."
"Alvin! UP THERE! LOOK!" cried Savage. He had seen Shadow.
She jumped in fright and misfired. The arrow went off course and hit the ground by Alvin's feet, telling him exactly where she was sitting. "Get her down from there!" he cried.
Spears, rocks and bolas were thrown up at her, trying to knock her from her perch. Shadow had no cover and was eventually hit in the head with a rock and a lucky throw. She crumpled and fell to the ground with a sickening smack from the ten meter height.
She tried to stand up to fight, but she was grabbed by Outcast soldiers and moved to the centre of the room. Two of them grabbed her arms and held them away from her body, trapping her on her knees.
Her plan failed.
"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" Shadow looked up and snarled. "Oh, feisty one. Never seen you before, who might you be pet?"
Shadow snarled again but louder. Alvin just laughed. "Oh come on pet, all I asked for was a name." he crooned.
This time, Shadow smirked. Hiccup had set the stage, so she might as well finish the show. She mingled her Dragoneese accent with her Norse to make it sound raspy and snakelike.
"I am known as the Black Shadow, mortal. I come from Helheim, sent by the goddess herself to bring your heart to her."
The solders around the room shivered with fear.
"I am the demon of the moonless night. The queen of all night beasts. And right hand assassin to Hel herself."
That seemed to get everyone to collectively shudder. Even Alvin was being affected. She could smell the slight fear and anxiety flow off him, like a thin veil of smoke.
"I am a slayer of armies, a master of magic, and a killer of gods." She hissed at him. Alvin was beginning to sweat. He legitimately believed that she was a demon, and frankly, so did everyone else in the room.
Shadow need to come up with a solid plan to get everyone free, and to stop the Outcasts. She didn't have long left before midnight. In fact, she could feel the Black Moon dragon's blood flowing through her veins already. Midnight was on approach.
"I demand that you free these villagers and my brethren or I shall be forced to unleash my full demon form upon you and your men. None will be spared if I do."
Alvin became sceptical. If she was a demon, could she not just snap her fingers and make any of her hellish desires come true? Something seemed off.
"How can we even be sure that you are a demon, and not an imposter?" he questioned. Hiccup flinched as he started to see through their lie.
"Gods don't bleed, do they?" Alvin sneered. "If you really are a demon, you shouldn't bleed either. One of you two, cut her. See if she bleeds!"
Shadow snarled as one of her captors pulled out a knife. Her wrist was exposed and cut with the crude blade. Scarlet red blood dripped from the wound onto the floor.
"I knew it. You're not a demon. You are nothing but an imposter, trying to save the villagers. Well guess what, it's not going to work." He snarled. Alvin's grip tightened around Hiccup and he was able to keep one arm free to grab his own dagger. Shadow snarled in hatred, her eyes flashing in the torchlight and her pupils became slits. She was beginning to lose herself to the great black beast.
"I think the first thing I'm going to do, in response to your failure, is to make you watch as I maim your little friend here."
Shadow knelt, helpless, as the Outcast leader ran the blade over Hiccup's flesh. She roared as he cut his arms, his torso and his back. Her control kept slipping. Blood was dripping on the floor in a large puddle. Hiccup was being tortured by the evil man, but not suffering from injuries that would kill him.
No, Alvin was sure to keep him very much alive. Shadow bucked and thrashed against her restrains, snarling like the vicious animal she could feel herself turning into, with the smell of blood driving her mad.
The beast inside was breaking free, the scent of blood fuelling it. It took all of Shadow's self-control to halt the transformation. All the Berkians in the room were screaming and crying because they were unable to help their future chief, with Toothless's wails being the loudest.
Shadow watched with a monstrous look in her eyes as Alvin crossed the line. He dragged the bloodied knife across Hiccup's throat, gently cutting the skin on the most sensitive and delicate part. The very look in Hiccup's eyes as the blade cut him made her heart clench, he knew that Alvin was growing tired of his games and would kill him soon. Shadow could see the raw fear in his eyes, fear of death at the hands of this monster. It was at that point that Shadow just let go.
"You shouldn't have done that." She all but growled at him.
Midnight struck…
The transformation began.
Ok, maybe I lied about the transformation being in this chapter, but I promise you that it will come up next. Please leave a review, it will make me update faster.