Hello everybody! Hope you are ready for this! It may be a bit short, but hey! Fair waring, this chapter has descriptive deaths, so if you do not wish to visualize potentially gruesome deaths, feel free to avoid this chapter.
Enjoy!
The Thawfest games had come to an end, and surprise, surprise. Snotlout had won. Of course this meant more bragging, but in the end, no one cared. Hiccup and Toothless took the time to fly up into the mountain ranges of Berk and relax. They were also looking around for potential spots for the dragon academy he dreamed of building on Berk one day. He already knew that the former arena would be a up for grabs, but when you got down to it, they would need more room. Besides that, the mountains provided the protection they would need, a natural obstacle course, and a great view.
"Well bud, what say we head back to town?"
Toothless turned around and the inseperable friends returned to the village. Everyone was busy cleaning up after Thawfest. The work went much faster than previous experiences Hiccup had, due to the dragons being there. They could lift heavier loads, and travel much faster than vikings, so life was much easier.
"Hey Hiccup! Found the site yet?"
Hiccup turned to see Razorre sitting on an outcropping of rock, scratching Thresher's neck.
"Found some good spots, but we won't start until we know it'll work. Besides, we still have to announce it to the world don't we?"
Razorre nodded, a smile on his face.
"Too true, too true."
Hiccup took a seat next to Razorre and scratched Toothless under the chin. He couldn't help but notice that Razorre's cheeriness seemed to be forced.
"Something bothering you?"
Razorre shook his head.
"Nah, just tired."
Hiccup knew he was lying. He'd used that same excuse himself many times. He decided not to push it though. Razorre was stubborn. Very stubborn. If he didn't want to tell someone something, nothing in the world would make him talk. The two friends talked the day away, discussing how they would go about training the students, how they would get eggs, and other things that concerned their academy. Then they recieved a most frightening interuption.
"Hey, isn't that Rowana and Spirit?" Hiccup asked, pointing to the sky. Indeed it was. And by the look of things, something bad had happened. Spirit landed heavily on the ground. her tail was drooped and sher eyes contained nothing but exhaustion. But, if this were even possible, Rowana was in worse shape. She had cuts and bruises all over her body, and she was clearly fatigued. Spirit also had many wounds. It was a wonder they made here alive.
"Call a healer, fast!" shouted Razorre.
Several agonizingly long minutes later, Rowana was lying in a cot, her wounds bandaged. Spirit was taken to the arena, where she had her wounds tended to, and where a large pile of fish, and a tub of water waited for her. After several hours, Rowana finally woke up. Razorre was seated at her bedside, waiting patiently.
"I know this is a lot to ask, considering that you just woke up from a heavy dose of injuries, but what happened?"
Rowana shuddered.
"Beserkers. They attacked in the dead of night. We had no warning. And... lightning. So much lightning. Razorre, they have a Skrill, and they can control it."
Razorre hung his head and clutched his hair.
"What madness befalls the world..."
Rowana groaned from the pain of her wounds. Razorre shook his head.
"Get some rest. Spirit is at the arena, resting. I have to go home. I have to deal with Dagur."
Rowana shook her head.
"He's after you. I don't know why, but he is. He doesn't know about Thresher, but for some reason he wants to kill you. Personally. Though I have a theory. He has earned the name Dagur the Deranged."
This news caught Razorre's attention. Then, he remembered something.
"I know why he's after me."
Rowana cocked her head, confused.
"Remember when the Beserkers attacked a while back? And they said that they would let us live if you agreed to marry Dagur in the future?"
Rowana shuddered. Those few hours had been horrifying for her.
"And remember how Bolgard said that those terms weren't and option? And remember how it was decided by a duel between Dagur and me?"
Slowly, it dawned on her.
"You beat him in under a minute. Even back then you were perhaps the most accomplished swordsman our tribe had ever seen."
Razorre nodded grimly.
"Dagur is after me for revenge. For humiliating him in front of two tribes."
Razorre huffed.
"I have to settle this. If Dagur doesn't get his revenge, he'll start killing our tribe one by one until he does. I won't let their lives be taken just because I refuse to face him."
Rowana groaned again. She collapsed back onto the cot. Razorre turned to leave.
"Sleep. You can't help me now."
The other teens were waiting outside.
"So, whats the deal?" Astrid asked.
Razorre gave them the rundown of what was happening. The group stayed silent the whole time, awed by his story. Then Hiccup spoke up.
"We're going with you."
Razorre shook his head.
"This is my fight. I have to finish what I started."
Hiccup shook his head.
"Not this time your not. Not on your own. Besides, I have to defend the academy, even if it's not in use yet. I didn't do all that work to see it burn."
Razorre huffed with annoyance.
"Fine. But when I confront Dagur, I expect all of you (turns his gaze towards everyone, fire in his eyes) To stay out of it."
Hiccup and the others nodded. They got their preparations underway, and they had departed within the hour.
Hold on everyone. I'm coming. And this time, Dagur's getting more than humiliation.
The group flew in silence. They knew full well that this was no pleasure cruise. They were about to dive head first into the swirling, chaotic vortex of war. And they may not make it out alive. The group did notice however, that Razorre had uncharacteristically angry look on his face. If they looked into his eyes, they saw the flames of fury. It unnerved them. Razorre rarely showed highly negative emotions. Sure he showed annoyance and anger from time to time, but not on this scale. They were about to ask him if he was okay when he held up his hand.
The riders pulled their dragons to a halt and Razorre motioned downward. They were directly over the Speartooth village. Things had drastically changed, probably due to the fact that Dagur knew that the Speartooth tribe had dragons, so if Razorre was to return, which he had, they would need to be ready for dragons. There was a large wall surrounding the village, with plenty of patrols up and down the streets. They had bola launchers and net cannons laid out around the wall, all with a beserker warrior sitting at the ready.
"Okay, we need a plan... Hiccup, I'll need you to take out a few of those launchers. Take them out, and they'll have to resort to crossbows and catapults. Snotlout, you go in after Hiccup takes out one quarter of their anti-dragon defences and go for the catapults. Then, Astrid and the twins can make a run and take out the wall. Then I'll go in and have Thresher unleash as much lightning as possible to disarm as many foot soldiers as possible. Then I want you to try and find prisoners. I'll go after Dagur.
The group nodded and got into position. Hiccup and Toothless went into a dive, soon reaching terminal velocity. On the ground, the Beserkers heard the familiar sound of a Night Fury diving in for the kill. Short seconds later, the first bola launcher exploded in a ball of fire. The Beserkers aimed the turrets at the spot, hoping to catch a glimpse to fire at. It was for not though, as Hiccup and Toothless were already streaking around for another pass. Within minutes, the defences had been reduced to a smoking ruin.
This meant that Snotlout was ready to make his run. Snotlout went into a wild dive, hurtling towards the first catapult. A single shot from Hookfang's liquid fire reduced it to a charred wreck. The process was repeated until only the crossbows could stave off the dragons. The twins and Astrid went in for their run and obliterated the remaining air defences, signalling Razorre to make his appearance. The Beserkers looked into the sky as Razorre and Thresher hurtled through the clouds, lightning surging behind them. Razorre drew his sword and held it to the sky. He felt the force of a lightning bolt strike the blade, charging it. Razorre jumped from Thresher's saddle and landed in the midst of the whole Beserker army. They stood in awe for a moment, but then remembered that this man was an enemy and charged.
They never stood a chance. Razorre grabbed a metal chain and swung it around in a wide radius, electricity coursing through it. every single Beserker fell before Razorre once the chain so much as grazed them. Dagur surveyed the attack, his face contorted with rage.
"Bring me that Skrill and the Night Fury! Capture their riders and throw at my feet! I want to see their looks of fear before I behead them!"
Yet, no matter what, they couldn't stop the dragons and riders from advancing. Dagur smiled.
"They think they've won? Ha! They haven't seen the true might of out tribe! Bring forth the beast!"
The beserkers hauled out a cage with a Skrill inside. It had a harness on with two ropes hanging from it's jaw. Dagur grabbed the ropes and yanked down hard. The Skrill promptly fired a bolt of lightning at Razorre, who leapt nimbly to the side. He then noticed a massive contraption off to the side. One of the Beserkers pulled a lever on it, and it began to launch Bolas at rapidfire. As they adjusted it, they snared every dragon and rider and pinned them to the ground. Razorre raised his sword, ready to fight. The whole army bared down on him, along with Dagur and his Skrill. But then, to Razorre's horror, Thresher dove down and released a blast of lightning, firing at the soldiers. Razorre understood. He had to run. He turned and bolted into the woods, tears blurring his vision.
Hiccup watched, horrified as Razorre prepared to face a small army, but was saved by Thresher. Razorre was forced to flee, leaving Thresher behind. the Beserkers tied up Thresher and dragged him to the other dragons. They hung them from the branches of a tree and knocked them out. All of the teens were thrown on the ground. Then, they heard the sound of a high intensity beam of pure destruction blew up a rock near Dagur. They looked up to see Rowana and Spirit spiralling through the air, firing mirror beams into the crowd of Beserkers below. She did not however, notice the rapid fire bola launcher being swivelled to face her. Soon enough, she and Spirit crashed to the ground, wrapped in rope.
"Bring her to her father! We'll execute them later!"
Hiccup couldn't believe what he had heard. They were going to execute Bolgard and Rowana! They had to do something! Then, they heard the sound of boots crunching towards them. Hiccup felt the most agonizing sensation as he was struck in the back with a metal whip. Astrid yelled his name as he was struck again. But, she soon started screaming herself as another Beserker took a metal whip to her. All the teens were being tortured on the spot. Thresher and the other dragons watched horrified as their human counterparts were brutally tortured by the cruel soldiers. Thresher saw the other Skrill walking forwards, lightning crackling across it's scales.
Razorre watched horrified as the scene unfolded before him. His friends were being tortured, his chief and childhood friend about to be executed, and his best friend, His dragon, was about to be killed by that other Skrill. An unspeakable force coursed through Razorre's body. Rage filled him. He could prevent this! And by the gods HE WOULD!
Dagur stood atop the large boulder as the former chief and his daughter were on their knees at his mercy, a sword in one hand, an axe in the other, and a insane grin upon his face. Soon, this island would be part of the Beserker empire!
"DAGUR!"
Dagur turned in shock at the direction the roaring voice that revertebrated through his skeleton had come from. He looked up to see on the hill, a warrior, dressed in steel armor from head to toe. It was the same boy who had fled earlier. The same that had humiliated him in front of his tribe before.
"So, you finally come slinking out of the shadows! Ha, you've grown soft!"
He motioned with his sword for five soldiers to go after him. Razorre's eyes blazed with rage as the warriors approached him, preventing him from flaying Dagur alive. He lunged forward and took the first in the stomach. He turned to the second and slashed him through the throat. He leapt clean over the head of the third, flipping as he went, cleaving his skull in half. the fourth was taken from behind. And the fifth? He turned to flee, but Razorre grabbed his neck and squeezed until it snapped. Blood ran between his fingers as he dropped the lifeless body like a rag doll.
"TURN AND FACE ME YOU COWARD!"
Dagur turned to see Razorre surrounded in the dead bodies of the warriors he had sent to kill him. He turned to the silhouette of the boy, lightning flashing behind him. His sword crackling with electrical energy. Dagur frowned. This may prove to be more difficult than previously thought. Dagur hefted the weapons in his hands and turned to face Razorre. Razorre pointed at him, his gaze holding all the authority of death itself.
"HERE AND NOW, YOUR RAMPAGE ENDS!"
The two armor clad warriors charged. Razorre rained a score of heavy blows down upon Dagur's left and right. He blocked them with amazing skill, but fell back from the sheer ferocity of Razorre's onslaught. He then moved to the offensive, swing the axe and sword in heavy, looping blows. Razorre blocked them all with minimal difficulty and countered with a kick to Dagur's chest. Dagur reeled backwards from the blow and clutched his chest in pain. Razorre spun around and plunged his sword straight through Dagur's heart. He gasped for a few seconds, then lay still.
Dagur the Deranged lay dead on the ground, his blood forming a red pool around his cold corpse. Razorre turned his ferocious gaze towards the soldiers who were torturing the other riders. They turned and fled immediately. Same went for the remaining Beserkers. He turned to the dragons and remembered that Thresher was still in danger. He broke into a sprint, barreling towards where Thresher and the other dragons were about to be obliterated by the other Skrill. Razorre went into a flying leap, slamming into the Skrill hard enough to knock it out cold. He turned to the dragons and used an abandoned sword to cut them loose. He then ran to the teens and examined their wounds.
"Your lucky you escaped permanent injury." Razorre muttered as he applied some herbs and anti infectants he had found in a nearby house to the wounds. Afterwards, he bandaged them up and freed Bolgard and Rowana from their bonds. Rowana threw her arms around him in a strangling hug.
"Oh my gods, I thought you were dead!"
Razorre managed to pull free.
"I came to free our village, and I wouldn't have died until I had done that. If my friends, family or village need me, I'll be there."
Rowana hugged him again, then returned to her father's side. Bolgard stepped forward.
"Razorre. As chief of the tribe and as a friend, I thank you. You have saved our village in it's greatest time of need, and stopped the machinations of Dagur the Deranged. On behalf of the village, and the other villages that were threatened by the advancing Beserker empire, I thank you once again."
Razorre bowed respectfully and turned to face the remaining members of his tribe. He raised his blade into the air, and bellowed in victory. The tribe responded with their own discordant yells. Hiccup and the others would have joined in, but the pain was too great. Instead, Hiccup bellowed mentally, knowing that it was the thought that counted.