Sorry I didn't update last night. I was sulking. And I'm also sorry for not replying to PMs for a while. I'll try and get that done tomorrow if I get a free lesson (back to school, kill me now).
By the time Hiccup and Toothless reached Berk, it was sunset. The orange-pink of the night blended well with some of the fires still sputtering in some houses, the clouds entwining with smoke and floating cinders.
Hiccup shouted out as loudly as he could and Toothless roared, but there was no response. They rushed about the village, but found no-one, dead or alive. Scattered weapons and shields alongside the burning rubble noted that a fight had broken out here, but there wasn't anything else to go on.
Bless the gods the Haddock residence was intact.
They scrambled up the slope, bursting through the door. "Mum? Dad?" He called. "Anyone?" Toothless bounced around the house, but the house was empty expect for them.
Hiccup smacked his fist against the wall, cursing. His first month as chief was a royal screw-up, a far bigger screw-up than anything he had done in the past. He was only gone an hour, knocked out for several more! What had happened?
Collapsing in a chair by the smouldering coals, Hiccup cursed himself profusely. After all these years with her, he really should have learnt to listen to Astrid more often. She had, quite clearly, said if anything happened, it would be on his head.
And, woe and behold, she was right! Again!
A concerned murmur and nudge on his hand brought him from his thoughts. Toothless nuzzled him curiously, fidgeting anxiously. He raised his paw and, Hiccup saw, a sheet of crumpled paper was stuck to it. Apparently, the dragon couldn't get it off.
Shaking his head, Hiccup sat forward and took pity on his friend. As soon as the paper was gone, the Night Fury started cleaning his claws. "Stupid dragon." Hiccup made to toss the paper onto the dying fire when he saw an untidy scrawl on the other side.
Fury rushed through him, burning with such hatred, he surprised himself. It must have been something chronic as Toothless looked up from his all-important self-pampering. He cocked his head, silently enquiring what the matter was.
He snuffled at Hiccup's feet, satisfied that his beloved pet hadn't lost another leg. Hiccup shooed him back, rising to his mismatched feet. "C'mon, Toothless. We've got work to do." Toothless chortled and bounded after his pet, bumbling about the room before Hiccup managed to catch his attention.
From the cupboard, Hiccup retrieved Toothless's old automatic tail. The dragon didn't seem all that impressed, growling. "I know you don't like this one." Hiccup sighed, holding out his free hand. Toothless butted it gently, sneezing. "Lovely." Wiping his hand clean on the dragon's skin, Hiccup padded around the winged reptile.
Toothless turned away, snarling at the tail. "It's OK, bud. Trust me." The dragon grunted, reluctantly holding still as Hiccup switched the tails and freed Toothless of his saddle and the connection. He had kept the tail black and for good measure. This would work nicely with his plan.
"Drago! He's here!"
"Excellent."
"Let me out!" Astrid slammed her shoulder against the cage's door again, but it was no use. Her hands were tied and she couldn't sway the cage with Stoick and Valka weighing the other side down. She would have them help her, but they were tied to the bars with short, thick chains.
Drago ignored her, summoning his men to stand in their defensive line, as planned. They all faced the entrance, armed with crossbows, swords and shields. That boy would undoubtedly bring his Night Fury. He wasn't such a threat without it.
It was a few minutes of waiting, in which time Dragon surveyed his prisoners. He had had numerous cages constructed for the Berkians. Stoick, his wife and Hiccup's partner were in one all to themselves, as were the other dragon trainers who had so insultingly stalled Drago. The other Berkians were crammed in, hands and feet shackled and weaponless.
A tinkling of metal on rock focused Drago. He looked round just as a blinding flash exploded from something no bigger than his smallest finger. His men protested, cowering away from the light. The blonde girl and several other of the imprisoned Vikings cheered.
"Silence!" Drago roared, slamming his shield against a nearby rock, creating a din that echoed and subdued them, for a while at least. He had already shot two of them. He needed the fodder for his army.
The last embers of the light died down, but Hiccup did not show himself. "Hiccup!" Drago bellowed. "Hiding, are we?" He laughed mockingly. "I expect nothing less from Stoick's runt!" A bit low, but he had learnt that the young chief hated being reminded that he wasn't like other Vikings.
Roughly a hundred feet up, a spark flared and rippled across murky green fog, startling a few dozen dragons from their perches. Drago caught the briefest glimpse of a slight figure darting behind a boulder and then Hiccup was gone again.
Drago loaded his crossbow, losing patience. He marched over to the cage with Hiccup's parents and girlfriend in and aimed it at his father's chest. "Show yourself!" He demanded, his voice booming around the cavern.
In response, an arrow lodged itself in his good shoulder. The force of it staggered him. Another one quickly followed, striking him inches from the first.
"Catch me if you can!" Hiccup taunted. A couple of Drago's men shot at where they thought Hiccup might be and for a dreaded, painstakingly long moment, the Berkians thought they had got him.
It was such a relief to hear the chief's sarcastic laughter- a first- that they all cheered. "Too slow!" Hiccup teased, his voice rebounding more than Drago's had.
"Coward!"
"I'm no coward!" Hiccup corrected. "I'm a Hiccup!" They shot again, but none of the bolts found their target.
"If you're no coward, you would come down here and face me. Like a man!" Drago, ignoring the pain searing through his arm and chest, hefted his crossbow. This time, he aimed it at the blonde girl.
"Oh, how cliché." Another arrow wedged itself just below Drago's shoulder blade. "If you can find me, I'll fight you." A slight pause as a fourth arrow landed before Drago's men. This one seemed different than the others and it most certainly was, expelling Zippleback gas and then igniting. The explosion knocked all the men back and most of them didn't get back up, out cold.
A second of these explosive arrows took out the rest of the men. "There." Hiccup's voice returned. "Much better."
"Show yourself or I will shoot the girl!"
"I thought you were all calm and collected." This time, Hiccup's voice didn't echo around. He walked out from behind one of the cages, the shadows melting away from him. He looked pleasantly calm, as though on a day out, with his shield gleaming on his arm, but his eyes were a different story.
They burned with such a fierce look; Astrid was torn between thinking Hiccup had been replaced and that he looked hotter. She wasn't sure what the other Berkians thought, trying to place this new Hiccup somewhere in her permanent memory. Gods, he was hot.
Mentally slapping herself, she focused. Hiccup had drawn his fire sword, unlit, raising his shield. "Put the crossbow down." He ordered. Now that was the authority of a chief.
The hand holding the crossbow wavered, just for a fraction of a second, but then Drago steadied and aimed it at Hiccup instead.
"Foolish." Drago sneered. "I thought you had more sense, boy."
"Normally I do." Hiccup agreed. "But that poison you shot me with hasn't really helped." Just as he had hoped, Drago looked victorious, his sneer curling into something sinister. Let him think I'm still weak, Hiccup thought, keeping his expression politely amused.
With a flick of his wrist, he ignited his sword and held it ready. It may not look strong enough for a fight, but this was Gronckle Iron. Unbreakable. "I believe we have to fight now."
I think I'll leave it there for now. Don't want to use all my ideas up in one chapter :P
