Chapter Twenty
A/N: UGH! Writer's block, WHY?! WHY NOW?! -_- WHY ON THE LAST CHAPTER?!
In response to...
XxPinkMustachexX: Yeah! Aaaand FIGHT *ding ding* XD
Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: Yay! :D
Yondaime Namikaze: That is the best variation of Hiccup, I agree. XD And yeahh, theoretically, if Stoick were to die, I imagine his last thoughts would be of Hiccup (and or Valka/Valhallarama...)
OinkyThePiggy: Yeaaahhh...I wouldn't relax just yet. XD
Johnny's Cowgirl: *Woot woot*! :D
Jesusfreak: I'm sure you realize this but... "TAKE 'EM DOWN, BABE!" XD
Guest: Of course there's going to be a battle! I love violence! XD
The square is absolutely silent other than the soft growls of the dragons, who whip their gazes between the rigid, wide-eyed soldiers. The Berkians watch with expressions ranging anywhere from fear to smugness. Not all of them are quite sure these six teenagers will be able to save them from a village full of armed guards. Even if they have dragons.
But at the back of the crowd, Gobber is smirking as he leans on the side of his shop. 'Atta boy, Hiccup. He nods, satisfied as he cranes to get a look at Stoick, who is just now managing to struggle onto his knees without the use of his tied hands. And by the look on his friend's face, Gobber's grin broadens.
Stoick has never looked prouder of his son.
And Ymir...well, Ymir has never looked angrier. "You think six kids and a few dragons can defeat my men?!" He snaps, furiously. Now, all his pervious fear has faded away. This brat, Hiccup, has become a real nuisance. Making him look like a fool in front of his own men! Claiming his rag-tag team could beat them! Foolish! "MEN!" Ymir shouts as he turns to face his guards. "SHOW THESE BRATS JUST HOW WRONG THEY ARE!"
The soldiers lift their bows in perfect unison, the creak of the strings like deadly trill of a violin...
"Everyone get ready!" Hiccup whispers as he braces for the action to kick off. The others follow suit, leaning down closer to their dragons.
Ymir's lips tug into an arrogant smile. "FIRE AT W-" He begins in a loud bark, only to suddenly cut off...a wet gurgle coming from his throat.
Hiccup suddenly goes very still, his heart slamming against his ribs. When Ymir drops to his knees, his face draining of color, it is revealed to everyone around him... The single, sharp blade stuck between the man's shoulders. Thick, crimson blood seeps into his grey tunic, staining it black as he sinks to the ground with a heavy thud!
For a split second, everyone just stands there, seemingly frozen in their spots. The guards lower their weapons, horror overtaking their faces.
Then, someone screams...and chaos erupts in the square.
Arrows fly everywhere, swords clash against each other and it's a struggle just to see what's happening. Still feeling like he's in shock and slightly numbed, Hiccup mechanically steers Toothless down to the platform to find his father.
His Night Fury lands and Hiccup unbuckles himself, eager to be back on land so maybe his stomach can settle. Gods...he knew he couldn't kill another person but...even though it hadn't been his hand driving that dagger into Ymir's back, he's still got blood on his hands...
Searching the plaza for the assassin, he finds nothing. Where could he have been hiding? Where could he have disappeared to...? Or maybe...maybe he's still here somewhere.
Hiccup swings his leg over the side of the saddle and hops to the ground, his stomach lurching when he feels his boot...sort of...squish in something. Looking down, he nearly gags. There's so much blood...and not all of it is Ymir's...
"Hiccup!" Powerful arms wrap around him from behind, spinning him around so that he's facing his father. Stoick's eyes frantically search his son for injury. "Are you alright?" He demands. "You didn't get hurt?"
"N-no..." Hiccup stammers, weakly. He feels woozy...his nose is suddenly full of the metallic scent of blood.
"Are ya' sure, lad?" Gobber asks him as he moves to deflect three more arrows coming in their direction with his shield. "You look awfully pale..."
The boy nods but doesn't say anymore. He can't bare to look down at the pool of blood right beside him. "We...we need to get out of here..." He mutters instead. "Before one of us gets killed..."
"You're right." Stoick agrees. "Find your Riders and get them to a safe place. Gobber and I will direct the others and then we'll meet up with you."
Hiccup nods again and jumps back onto Toothless so they can go find Astrid and the others. But just before he's about to take off...he hesitates. "Dad!" He calls to his father, who has turned to join the fight.
Stoick turns back to him.
"Be careful..." Hiccup pleads, a worried look in his eyes.
"You too, son. We'll see you in a few minutes!"
And with that, Toothless snaps open his jet black wings and launches the two of them back into the sky, ducking and weaving to avoid getting hit by the deadly projectiles that arc around them...
"Astrid!" Hiccup shouts, flinching as an arrow skims his arm just enough to cut the fabric of his tunic.
The blonde Dragon Rider turns in her saddle. Her hard, battle-ready expression softening a little when she sees that it's just him. "What is it?!" She calls back, ducking as Stormfly smacks a nearby soldier away with her spikes.
"We're escaping for now!" He tells her. "Help me get the others!"
Astrid offers a quick nod before patting her Nadder's side and flying off in Fishlegs and the twins's direction. That just leaves Snotlout for Hiccup to find.
"Do you see them, bud?" He asks Toothless, who dives sideways to protect them from more attacks. "They've gotta be around here somewhere..." Squinting through the utter insanity, Hiccup grimaces. Where are they?! Surely, Snotlout wouldn't have gone too far. So where- "AH!" Hiccup screams in shock an arrow, tipped in fire whizzes past his nose, leaving it painfully singed.
And hearing his friend's cry, Toothless shrieks in anger and fires a plasma blast at the man who shot it, jolting Hiccup in his saddle so hard he nearly falls off.
"I'm alright, Toothless! Calm down!" He inists. "Now come on, we've got to find-"
"SNOTLOUT, SNOTLOUT! OI, OI, OI!" The other boy cheers as he flies overhead, four soldiers gripped in Hookfang's talons. He laughs as the Monstrous Nightmare drops them into the harbour and they have to doggy-paddle back to their ship.
"Snotlout!" Hiccup gasps when they finally reach him.
"Ohh, hey Hiccup!" His cousin greets. "Nice of you to join the fight..."
But Hiccup only groans. "Not now, Snotlout. We've got to get out of here. Astrid and my father are gathering the others. It's not safe to be here now."
"I'll say! One of those guards almost took Hookfang's toe off!"
"Then let's go." Together, they turn to where they can see the other Riders disappearing toward the forest. And Stoick and Gobber leading a group of Berkians in the same direction.
Stoick pauses at the edge of the woods, his eyes flicking across the smoke filled sky. "Where is he...?" He mumbles, worriedly. "Where's Hiccup...?"
"I'm sure he's on his way." Gobber tells him. "Now come on, the others are waiting."
But Stoick doesn't move. "I can't leave without him, Gobber!"
"Sir!" This time, it's Astrid's voice. She and Stormfly have just landed behind him, her own eyes searching the same sky. "Isn't Hiccup here yet...? I thought he would be by now..."
"No, he's still out there...and I'm getting worried." He admits. "I'm going to go and-"
"Dad!"
Stoick sighs in relief at the sight of Hiccup, Toothless, Snotlout and Hookfang flying toward them. A second later, Snotlout lands and jumps to the ground from his dragon's back. Gobber pats him on the shoulder and tells him to go find his father. Hiccup follows him, he and Toothless racing over to Stoick as soon as they find the ground.
"Son...!" Stoick breathes as he wraps his arms around Hiccup's shoulders, hugging the tiny boy so hard his face turns red. "Thank Thor you're alright!"
And Hiccup smiles half-heartedly back at him. He still...can't shake that image of Ymir from his mind... "I'm just glad we got here in time." He mumbles. "Can we-"
RAHHHHH!
Hiccup's chest clenches. Automatically spinning around to face the source of his dragon's pained cry, his eyes grow wide... "TOOTHLESS!" He gasps, sprinting over to his friend's side.
The Night Fury screeches in pain again, throwing his head back to try and yank the arrow out of his tender thigh, where it has penetrated the flimsy scales located there.
"No, no!" Hiccup tells him, quickly as he kneels down to inspect the wound. "Pulling it out will only make it worse!" He reaches out, grimacing at how painful it looks...
"HICCUP!" Stoick barks. "WE CAN TAKE CARE OF TOOTHLESS LATER! GET BACK OVER HERE!"
Hiccup nods at him and then returns his attention to Toothless. "Can you walk, buddy? I know it hurts but we have to keep moving for now..."
His dragon whimpers but stands up regardless, his injured leg trembling slightly as his blood pours down into the grass. It's agonizing...but he does his best to ignore it. It does help a little when Hiccup places a comforting hand of his back, almost guiding him toward the group of Hooligans.
"Come on, bud. We're almost there." Hiccup assures him.
And Toothless is about to drone in agreement when... His ears perk up, head tilting at the sound. It's...much too close. And...right behind-
SLICE!
Toothless hears Hiccup's feet suddenly falter...as well as the small gasp that leaves him... Little droplets of blood jump out into the air from the tip of the arrow, which is now jutting...straight through Hiccup's right shoulder.
Hiccup's legs feel weak and he stumbles, the edges of his vision instantly going black. Just before he collapses, he sees an arrow sticking out of his shoulder... And then the world turns black.
-End-
A/N: Obviously, there will be a sequel! SORRRRYYYYY for the cliffhanger... T_T
PS, sorry if that sounded bad...I have writer's block...AGAIN! -_-