Stoick has a Thunderdrum... *watches latest episode* Ohhhhh... Whooppps...
This is why I'm going to start keeping up with the show xD
WednesdaysateightWednesdaysa teight.
Ah, well, that actually doesn't harm my plot so no worries. I can adjust to this... And it might make for an epic battle later on, haha xD
Transparent Existence: That was such an exceedingly kind review... I thank you so much for those generous words! And don't be afraid to write your own fic. Half the time I don't feel like my writing could hold a candle to some other authors on here, but I always go through with them anyways, because - even should they not be as awesome as other stories - it is a great learning experience for me as a writer. You'll always have at least one faithful reader and I'd be more than happy to read it should you write it, as well (:
To all others who have faved/watched/reviewed this story... much love goes out to you! I expected like, at most, five people to maybe read this so it's wonderful to be going beyond my expectations!
Chapter Five: Rescue
The air under Toothless' wings felt amazing. Well, as amazing as it could feel when that air that was blowing around one was like turbulence. The dragon pounded his muscles on, pressing through the rain that dotted his vision. The storm was raging around him, lightning streaking across the sky followed by the grumbling of thunder. Toothless beat his wings harder, trying to maintain control. He had considered flying up above the storm, but he wouldn't be able to see anything beneath the swirling clouds and it was all ready hard enough to hear through the screaming of the storm. If he was above it, he feared he might never hear what he wanted. The voice of his best friend.
A flash of hot, white light lit up his world and Toothless veered, a cry emitting from his throat as he dodged the wild blast. He kept his eyes shut for a moment before reopening them. Rainwater dripped down the scales of his forehead, obscuring his vision and shielding his eyes. He tossed his head about to free himself from their watery grip, but they were only replaced by more. He snarled in frustration and knew he needed to find a place to settle down until the storm slowed up.
Beating his wings forward, he eventually saw a small splotch of land in the distance. He pressed onward until it grew to a considerable size. There was no cover from the storm, being just a big slab of rock. Toothless recognized instantly the body of a Thunderdrum resting on top. He alighted down next to the other dragon, thinking it wouldn't be too difficult to share the slab. The Thunderdrum, however, wasn't too pleased.
It turned, snarling at him and crying out wicked threats for Toothless to leave. Toothless narrowed his eyes, their light green depths piercing through the air to stare down the other creature. He opened his mouth and let his teeth reveal themselves from under his gums. He wasn't going to be frightened by the selfish beast.
He tried to reason with it, letting the Tunderdrum know that it would only be until the storm clear. Still, his words did not soothe the other dragon's fury and the next thing Toothless knew, the Thunderdrum's mouth was gaping open to let out that horrendous noise his species were known for. Toothless, surprise that the other creature was actually about to attack him, rolled to the side and let himself drop from the slab. The Thunderdrum's roar echoed through empty air above where Toothless had just been. He was plummeting for a moment before spreading his wings and catching himself. He soared along the top of the water, making to look like he was going to leave.
He snapped his body up suddenly and climbed into the sky. Lightning let out a burst nearby, setting Toothless' wet, black scales aglow with a shimmering light. Before he reached the clouds, he turned, letting himself drop back and tucking in his wings. He dive bombed towards the Thunderdrum, which looked up at the Night Fury with anger intense in its gaze. It sucked in a breath, about to unleash another round when Toothless felt his fire build and he unleashed it right at the Thunderdrum.
The crimson scaled dragon was too slow to dodge and the fire hit the inside of his mouth, knocking him backwards. The creature skidded along the edge of the slab, grabbing at any nook and cranny it could with its claws. As his back legs toppled over the edge, it managed to hook on to something and lay there, dangling. It was growling curses and began to flap its wings to help pull itself back up onto the rock.
Toothless set himself back down on the small slab of land. He warned the dragon that if it tried to attack him again, he would make sure his next shot went all the way down the beast's throat and into its belly. The Thunderdrum pulled itself to its feet and huffed, trying to regain its composure. It was still tense, all muscles stiff and ready to fight. It searched Toothless over, trying to seek a weak point that it could exploit. Toothless couldn't believe the dragon had this big of an issue with him being here.
Finally, the Thunderdrum stomped in defeat and wheeled around. It opened its wings and took to the skies. It would find another place to stay, one with company that was much more friendly.
Toothless bared his teeth at the creature's back as it left. Company? Wasn't the fact that it didn't want company the whole reason if attacked Toothless in the first place? He snorted, unable to believe the idiocy of some fellow dragons. Even the twin friends of Hiccup appeared to have more brains that that dragon did.
At the thought of Hiccup, Toothless felt a swell of loss coarse through his body. He whined softly into the air and was responded with by the cracking of thunder. The storm blazed through, mighty and crushing like the Red Death. It sent sprays of water shooting at the slab and the ocean around it collided and tore at its structure. Toothless knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep at the moment, his worry too great and the thunder too loud. He settled down along the edge, looking down to watch the swirling of the ocean, its dark water pitching back and forth like Toothless flying without his prosthetic.
It continued for hours until around morning with Toothless remaining practically frozen to the spot. The Night Fury was beat, his whole body protesting movement as he finally stirred. He had been lying still for so long that he wondered if his body would even function. He tested out his legs and moved his wings up and down. He was good, but a dull ache reminded him that he had just flown through a storm last night, fought a Thunderdrum, and "slept" on a cold, hard slab.
It was still raining, but no thunder or lightning could be heard any more. While the rain still came down in sheets, the wind had calmed and Toothless knew he could take to the skies again. He pushed off the rock and skimmed along the air, continuing in the direction he had started last night. He seemed to cross a great expanse of ocean before he heard something. A voice. The beating of wings. Then another voice. A familiar voice. Hiccup's voice.
Toothless felt a surge of confidence and achievement rush through his body. He turned in the direction of the sound of his best friend, flying faster than he ever felt he could manage. The voices had been distant, beyond the horizon, but Toothless' excellent hearing had caught them. He had found who he was looking for!
Hiccup was beginning to dislike water. Between the torturous pool from last night, the drumming of the rain on his body every time he was outside, and now the beating of the ocean, he was pretty sure it would be the reason he died. Especially now, since he was drowning.
He beat against the water to stay at the surface. His arms worked overtime and his right leg kicked with a stronger force than he knew he had. His body was sore, though, and he found that he didn't have near the stamina to keep this going for long enough. He tried to look around, but a wave rolled through the ocean and Hiccup felt his body spinning as he was thrust under. He groped with his hands, trying to seek out the surface where air desperately called to him. The ocean only pushed against him harder, however, and Hiccup felt his lungs burning in much the same fashion as last night.
When he finally came back up, he sought out much needed oxygen. He let it fill his body before he was forced back under. He slowed his thrashing, realizing that he had no way to beat the tameless sea. He was going to drown here. He might as well accept it. There was nothing and no one out there to save him now. It was hopeless.
Hiccup's head breached the surface once more and he took in a breath before letting himself sink. His body was frigid. Every ounce of him felt like it was slowly turning to ice, cold from the air, cold from the ocean, and cold from the life that was slowly slipping out of his reach. He was a failure. Now, because of him, Berk would be destroyed by Alvin and the others. Astrid would be dead. Snotlout would be dead. Ruffnut would be dead. Tuffnut would be dead. Fishlegs would be dead. His father would be dead. Gobber, Spitelout, Phlegma, Bucket, Mulch...
All because Hiccup had failed so miserably.
He squeezed his eyes shut. The last thing he would ever see would be the chilly void of the ocean. He hadn't even gotten to see his father one last time. Though now he didn't want to. He couldn't imagine the look of sheer disappointment that would grace Stoick's features once he realized what his own son had done. Helped their greatest enemy to save his friends. He doomed his whole village for people that were just going to be killed by Alvin anyways.
Hiccup felt something wind around his arms on both sides. They felt almost like hands, but were rougher. He didn't want to open his eyes and find out. The air in his lungs finally released and he was about to slip away into a forever slumber when he recognized that the hands... or whatever they were... were pulling him up towards the surface. The thing that gripped him was obviously powerful, using strong legs or something to raise them up at an alarming speed.
It couldn't be a person... It had to be a dragon.
Thy shot out of the water and into the air. Hiccup was greeted by a cold hug of atmosphere and his eyes shot open, wondering what dragon would have saved him. His gaze was blurry, but filled with darkness. He feared for a small moment that he had gone blind, but that tendril of worry vanished as he looked up to the dragon's head.
"Toothless!" he sputtered, the word coming out with a mixture of pure excitement and joy along with a strain of wariness and disbelief.
The dragon crooned, pulling Hiccup tight against his body to shield him from the rain. Hiccup had never felt such happiness before than seeing his best friend now. How had Toothless found him? How was he flying? Hiccup didn't even find the strength to care at that moment. Instead, he just laughed, finding everything, no matter how bad, was bearable with Toothless beside him. He pressed his cheek against Toothless' chest. The dragons scales were slick with rainwater, but warm from the internal fire. Hiccup felt like he could stop shivering.
It seemed like no time at all before Toothless reached the edge of the storm. Sunlight flooded the world, splashing off the surface of the sea and causing Toothless's wet body to flicker like a black fire. The dragon found the first rock formation he could and landed, setting Hiccup down gently on top. Hiccup was content to lay there for a moment, soaking in the sun that he had missed over the past two days. Although the air wasn't completely warm, never before had the sun's rays felt so inviting and comforting and Hiccup didn't want to waste any of it.
Toothless let out a soft coo and nudged his best friend, wondering if he was okay. The dragon snorted in his face and Hiccup laughed, rolling away from him but careful not to tumble over the edge. Hiccup sat up, looking at his friend with a smile that looked like it would hurt. Toothless stepped forward and Hiccup reached out, wrapping his arms around his friend's head and holding him close.
"I can't believe you found me, bud. I missed you so much!"
The dragon purred softly in agreement. He pulled back when Hiccup let go and looked the boy over. Hiccup's clothing obviously hid the bruises, but the boy's face seemed paler with eyes that were rimmed red from lack of sleep and torment. He whined softly, sniffing Hiccup warily as if to ask what had happened.
Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, bud. What matters is that Astrid and the others are still with Alvin and we gotta' rescue them. He'll kill them if we don't get there in time. He just tried to kill me."
At this, Toothless' whole body seemed to go into attack mode. The dragon's teeth came out, glinting in the sunlight and bright against his dark body. His claws scratched the surface of the rock and his tail lashed. The dragon turned his gaze to look back into the storm they had flown out of. His wings stretched, signaling he was ready. The growls and rumbles that sought their way out of his throat showed Hiccup that his friend meant to show Alvin no mercy for anything and everything he had done and was going to do.
"Toothless, wait," Hiccup begged, pushing himself to his feet. He stumbled as he approached the Night Fury, his body running on energy he didn't have. "We need to wait until the storm is over. We might also need help. Alvin knows... Alvin has..."
He trailed off, unable to bring himself to admit the crime he had committed. He tore himself away, looking off into another distance, feeling ashamed. He couldn't even bring himself to tell his best friend what he had done. He wondered how he was going to break the news to his father. His green eyes squeezed shut for a moment and he searched for the words he wanted to say. He felt Toothless' muzzle press into his back comfortingly and he released the breath he had been holding with a flood of agony.
"Toothless, I taught Alvin how to train dragons," he whispered. "He was going to kill the others if I didn't. Now they're going to die anyways and I may have just doomed Berk."
He expected Toothless to smack him or show some sort of frustration for what he had done. Instead, the dragon crooned softly, sounding sullen. The Night Fury walked around to stand in front of Hiccup, who opened his eyes to look at his friend. The two just stared at each other for a moment. Then Hiccup realized that Toothless was trying to tell him that it didn't matter. He would be here for him anyways. They'd solve this together. Hiccup reached out and pressed a hand to Toothless' nose. The dragon purred lightly before pulling away, snorting and motioning with his head towards the storm.
"Wait, hold on. I need to think of a plan. We can't just storm the island. Astrid and the others are probably locked back up in the dungeon right now. We won't be able to get to them without being seen. I also don't know how we can get them all off the island," Hiccup mused much to Toothless' annoyance.
The dragon sat back on his haunches, watching Hiccup pace up and down the rock. The boy glanced at the Night Fury's tail and noticed the prosthetic. He was about to ask, but decided not to worry about it now and continued on with his pacing. The clinking of his own prosthetic on the surface sounded like a rhythm and, after some time, it began to get irritating to both human and dragon. Hiccup forced himself to stop and crashed onto his bottom, grunting in frustration. "I don't know what to do! We need help!"
Toothless nodded. He glanced back in the direction of Berk, roaring softly before bounding to the edge of the rock and leaping off. He spread his wings and took to the sky, leaving Hiccup behind to watch him go with confusion. As the Night Fury raced away with an unmatched speed, Hiccup sat there with his mouth slightly agape.
"Well, all right. I'll be here when you come back... Or even if you don't come back," Hiccup joked to himself, knowing full well that Toothless would return, but Hiccup couldn't go anywhere no matter what.
It took most of the rest of the day before Toothless returned. By then, the storm had rolled on, leaving only pale grey clouds lingering off in the direction of the outcasts' island. To Hiccup's surprise and elation, his dragon was no alone. Behind him, four others forms were weaving their way through the sky. As Hiccup landed, two others came down alongside him while the other two hovered above, there not being enough room for them to settle down on the rock. Hiccup rushed up to Stormfly and scratched her under the chin affectionately.
"Toothless, I can't believe you managed to find them all! This is perfect! I think I have a plan now!"
The day couldn't have gone any better. Alvin returned on his new dragon to the cheers of the other outcasts. His Thunderdrum circled above the crowds that bellowed up to him. Alvin could feel his victory already. He felt it in the ripples of the Thunderdrum's muscles that worked to keep them airborne despite the ongoing downpour. The torrent of rain was settling, but not near as fast as Alvin would like. He ordered his dragon to the ledge at the top of the mountain where they settled and he slid off.
He opened the door that led to the inside cave. It was squeeze but his dragon managed to push its way inside. The room was large, burning with the light of many torches. A circular table stood in the center, ready with a map for Alvin to give his attack plans. He wasn't completely set on them, yet. He had need of more dragons. And to earn the loyalty of the one he had obtained.
Turning, he looked at the dragon, which was following him, eyes wide and curious as it looked around the room.
"I suppose you deserve a name," Alvin mused, reaching a hand up. He scratched at his beard, but only managed to get his fingers caught in his tangles. He grunted angrily, ripping his hand away and pulling along a few strands with it. "How about Blood Cry? After all, you're a lovely blood red color and your ability is to scream your head off at others, 'eh?"
Blood Cry seemed to ponder the name a moment before it grinned, tail wagging about behind it as it accepted the new name. It grumbled low and long, baring its teeth in satisfaction. It was like the dragon was testing out his new name in his own language.
Alvin chuckled mildly. "All right, Blood Cry. Before I let you officially become part of the crew, I need you to know what exactly it is we do around here."
Alvin turned and strode towards the map. Blood Cry followed along behind, keeping a distance between him and Alvin so as to not look too interested in what the man had to show him. When they reached the table, however, Blood Cry sniffed the air and reared up some to look at the paper decorated with strange marks.
"This splotch here is Berk. Ever heard of it?" Alvin asked, eyes wandering to his dragon.
Blood Cry narrowed his eyes at the mark, unsure what to make of it. He shook his head.
Alvin searched for a better way to describe the island besides its name. "You know of the island that rides dragons? Keeps them as pets? They're all about peace and happiness?"
At this, Blood Cry grimaced, his face hardening. The dragon was recalling the quick spite he had had with Toothless. He knew that Night Fury anywhere. It was the stupid one that had made dragons look like wimps by befriending the weakest looking human he could find. Blood Cry viewed the dragons of Berk as soft. He knew of other dragons who felt the same way. If they were to serve these fleshy creatures, then at least they needed to serve the ones like Alvin here. The only reason Blood Cry had allowed the twig boy to touch him earlier was because he was hoping the boy would be his key to meeting the Vikings standing back behind him. He had tried to fly away at first, wanting to avoid the boy, but realized it was now or never if he wanted to meet a superior Viking like Alvin.
Hiccup had read the emotions on Blood Cry's face all wrong.
Alvin knew the expression that was sitting upon Blood Cry's features well. He smirked. The victory would taste sweet. "So you do know what I'm talking about. Well, here's the deal. That island is full of pitiful beings like the boy you met earlier. He had to die. That island has to die. We can destroy it together, Blood Cry. Once we do, we can use our power to conquer other places. One by one, other villages will fall to our might. Dragons and humans both will bow down before us and we shall be known as rulers of all the islands. What do you say to that, boy?"
The feel of power was tantalizing to Blood Cry. The dragon hissed with pleasure, turning to Alvin with greedy eyes and grinning that strange, dragon grin of his. Alvin let a coy smile flash underneath his beard and was about to speak some more when the pounding of footsteps began to beat around the cave. He looked up to see most of his men returning from down below.
"We locked the teens back up in the dungeon," one man grunted as he led the others all forward to come around Alvin and the Thunderdrum.
"Good. We may have use for them later. For now, though, I have good news. Blood Cry here has agreed to help us destroy Berk!" Alvin announced, a dry laugh escaping his throat.
The men gave shouts of pleasure. They, too, could feel triumph coursing through their veins. It was within their grasps, now.
Alvin raised a hand to quiet them, then turned to Blood Cry. "Do you have any friends that might interested in joining the cause?"
Blood Cry gave a mighty roar. Not one of his full-fedged screeches, but it was mighty enough to blow Alvin back a couple feet. The Viking looked up and beamed wickedly. His eyes glowed with a hunger for vengeance and now that it was so close to him, he could nearly snag it between his fingers. He led Blood Cry to the door and flung it open. The rain had calmed some, though it was still falling faintly, like a mist. The darkest of the clouds had moved on and now only pale, grey ones drifted along overhead.
Blood Cry bounded forward and out. He jumped from the ledge and into the air, his crimson body a fireball shooting through the haze. His body swelled and he released a sudden screech, as if signaling the world he was coming. Then he vanished. Alvin turned away to await his dragon's return by drinking heartily in the company of his followers.
The sun was setting when Blood Cry came back. Alvin could tell because the sky was a milky orange, glowing from behind the clouds that still overcasted the sky, though the rain had ceased. About twenty five dragons returned with the Thunderdrum, which was as many as Alvin had felt needed for the take over of Berk. Between his men and this dragon army, he knew they would be unstoppable.
They were down on the beach. Blood Cry ordered the dragons to line up and they did so. Each one stood at the edge of the water, feeling waves lap up around their back feet. The all hissed and roared, eyes glaring through the darkening air. Alvin examined each dragon - including a Skrill, a Whispering Death, another Thunderdrum or two, and the usual Berk dragons - before he would call forth the men he felt would serve him best from the backs of the beasts. He began to assign each one to a dragon he felt suited. The dragons were quick to accept the outcasts' trust, as Blood Cry had explained their motives to each of them. These dragons had only come because they, too, shared the same ideals.
The last four, a Nightmare, a Zippleback, a Nadder, and a Gronckle, didn't seem quite as fiery in nature as the others. Alvin's eyes narrowed, the dark orbs resting on each dragon. While they didn't have the attitudes of creatures worthy to battle, they had the appearance. Except maybe the Gronckle. Very few Gronckles had come, though, so Alvin was eager to accept them, knowing that, while they were dumb, their tough skin would prove exceedingly useful.
"Hog, Murphy, Beetjuice, and Boarhead, you can have these four," Alvin announced.
The four men wandered over. Boarhead claimed the Nightmare faster than the others could count (which wasn't very fast), while Hog went for the Zippleback, Beetjuice the Gronckle, and Murphy the Nadder.
Hog approached his dragon, the bumbling man looking at each head with a confused gaze. He started towards one head, stopped, then went towards the other. The two heads knocked at each other, fighting to see who would get to be the one that Hog rode on. The outcast blinked dumbly before turning to Alvin. "Er, boss. Which one do I ride?"
Alvin grunted, snorting loudly at the man. "Hammer, you can ride the other head."
The other man ran up and stood beside Hog while the two then proceeded to try and figure out which one of them should ride which head. Alvin, growing irritated from their bickering, wheeled on them to punch Hog in the gut and then kicked Hammer in the spot it hurts most. Hog doubled over in surprise while Hammer sank to his knees before falling over, clutching between his legs as he winced in a wild pain.
"Shit, just pick one all ready," Alvin roared almost louder than Blood Cry could.
The sky became exceedingly dark as the sun finally sank below the skyline. The men, after some time, picked themselves up and eventually boarded their dragons. Alvin stood before them all, the rest of the few outcasts still gathered behind him. The leader smirked as he peered at each man and dragon through the gloomy darkness.
"Now, men. Lets fly."
Hiccup watched as Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf, Belch, and Hookfang took to the air and vanished into the smoke of the fading storm. He turned to glance at Toothless, who blinked with a calm intensity. The Night Fury was ready to redeem Hiccup and save the others. He was feeling impatient, every ounce of him ready to take from that rock and head straight for the island. Hiccup came close to him, though, pressing his hands onto his neck soothingly.
"Relax, bud. We'll be going soon. Not yet, though. Just a little bit longer," Hiccup sighed, hoping to Thor and Odin and all the other gods above that Astrid and the others would still be alive to save.
Hiccup bent down to his knees and wrapped his arms around Toothless' neck. He suppressed a heaving shutter, wanting to break down until there was nothing left. He managed to hold himself together, though. He released Toothless, forcing himself to relax and try to concentrate on what he needed to do. He needed to be ready, like Toothless was. If he was going to lead the others to safety, he couldn't let himself seem weak and pitiful.
He looked up and Toothless craned his head around to return the look. Seeing the bravery in his friend's eyes sparked Hiccup's confidence. With Toothless, he knew he could accomplish whatever was thrown at him. Even if it didn't work out completely, at least he knew he would always have someone there for him. Someone to rely on that could never be replaced. It hurt, sometimes, to think about the day that he shot Toothless from the sky. It was the day that Hiccup stole Toothless' freedom from him. Looking at the Night Fury now, he could only hoped that their friendship made up for the horrendous thing he almost did. For the fact that he almost drove a knife through his best friend's heart. He almost did. But he didn't.
Hiccup dwelled on these thoughts for a long while. He wondered what Toothless thought when he saw him. Hiccup had saved Berk, but only because he had had Toothless there to help him. Did the dragon see him as a friend, too? Or just a simple companion? Just the boy who gave him the ability to fly? Surely the event at Snoggletog had proved that Toothless did hold him dear. Hiccup couldn't help feeling that the Night Fury should actually hate him.
Looking back at Toothless' prosthetic, Hiccup knew that his friend technically didn't even need him any more if he chose to keep this one. Yet, here he was. Ready to fight for him, to save his friends, and to protect him. It made Hiccup smile.
As the grin drew across his face, the sun touched the horizon. The fading light dropped the temperature a few degrees and set the sky into a fierce glow. The orange was blazing so dark that it seemed almost red. The clouds shifting along made the light scatter like ants when their nest was destroyed. It was beautiful, yet sad to see.
"Lets go, Toothless," Hiccup breathed, pulling himself onto his dragon's back. He clutched hard at Toothless' neck, determined not to fall off since he didn't have the saddle with him.
Toothless took to the air and in the direction of the island where the outcasts lived. As the sky faded away to blackness, Toothless' dark body began to blend in with the surrounding world. He vanished, invisible among the air. Since clouds still drifted along above, there were no stars to be seen, making it easier to blend in. Hiccup hugged himself close to Toothless' body, trying to hide from view of prying eyes as they neared the island. He breathed deep and silently, listening to the world around him.
Roaring could be heard as they neared the dreaded island. Every now and then a blast of orange fire lit the air as a dragon spat it out. The beasts were swirling and dipping, maneuvering. Hiccup could hear Alvin's voice, though it kept changing pitches. He discovered that it was because the man was riding the Thunderdrum and was moving about, sparring with the others. Toothless raced around to the far side to avoid detection even further. The Night Fury came up and hugged the side of the mountain, clutching it. He slowly climbed around it until he was able to peer around the side and see the dragons and Vikings down and above the beach. Hiccup felt Toothless' body rumble with a growl beneath his hands. He was holding his dragon tight, dangling practically as Toothless held vertical against the mountainside.
"Give the sign, bud," Hiccup ordered.
Toothless opened his mouth, building up gas before alighting it and shooting at the water beneath where the dragons were battling. Steam rose up from where it hit while the water was also sent scattered, blown about by the blast. The purple light faded, leaving a bewildered flock of dragons and an angry Alvin.
"Whose dragon was that?" the man bellowed.
Before anyone could answer, Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf, Belch, and Hookfang began to act as strange as they could before they locked into a mock fight, hitting each other just hard enough to seem convincing. They shot flames at each other and roared with a violent rage, pretending to have a heated debate over something. This new predicament soon caught the attention of all the outcasts, especially the ones on dragons that were trying to dodge the struggle. Hammer, Hog, Murphy, Boarhead, and Beetjuice cried out orders, attempting to gain control, but were unsuccessful.
Toothless, with the distraction underway, quickly climbed around to the front side of the mountain unnoticed and slipped into one of the caves. He bounded along, listening to the directions that Hiccup whispered to him, leading him down to the dungeon. As they arrived into the room, Hiccup had to squint to make out the bodies of his friends who were just barely visible in the faint glow.
"Hiccup?" Astrid cried, surprise evident in her voice. "We thought you were dead!"
"Dude, you're alive," Snotlout exclaimed.
Fishlegs jumped to his feet. "Toothless!"
Hiccup swung off his dragon, landing on the ground and running up to inspect the chains. Ignoring the biting cold of the cave and the horrid memories, Hiccup motioned Toothless over and the Night Fury approached. While Hiccup held the chain firm, the dragon used his powerful fire to blast it a part. It singed Hiccup in the process and his arms burned, but it didn't matter to him. They had to act quickly before Alvin or anyone else just so happened to come along for some reason or another.
"How did you survive?" Ruffnut asked.
Tuffnut elbowed her in the ribs. "He's the Dragon Conquerer, duh."
"Well I'm the pain-in-the-ass conquerer," Ruffnut fired, shoving her brother over.
He hit the ground, crying out in pain. "Dude, I'm still sore."
"Should have thought about that before you challenged me."
"Guys, be quiet," Hiccup hissed, moving on to free them all. "Your dragons are outside creating a distraction, but I don't know for how long."
"Our dragons? How did you get them?" Fishlegs asked.
"Toothless did."
The last chain snapped in two. While the teens still had the cuffs on, at least they were freed from the wall. That was all that mattered currently.
"Go ahead and get the others, Toothless, we'll be there in a minute," Hiccup ordered.
Toothless nodded and dashed out of the cave and up. The Night Fury was going to go up to the beach and fire another blast. This one would let Stormfly and the others know to be rid of their current riders to come down and fetch their actual ones. Hopefully, the teens would arrive at that right moment in order to hop right on and they could take off. The question now would be if Alvin and they others would try to follow them on their own dragons. Even if they did, Hiccup just hoped that Toothless and the other Berk dragons would have the energy to just beat them back home where the other Vikings and dragons could back them up.
"Lets go, guys," Hiccup ordered, turning to flee after his dragon.
Astrid grabbed his hand and he stopped, turning to face her. Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs all scampered by, heading out of the cave before them. The faint light of the cave made it hard to see, but Hiccup could still make out the discolored flesh of Astrid's bruise. It didn't seem to be paining her anymore and her eyes were filled with a sense of spirit and bravery.
"You're amazing," she whispered, pulling him in and kissing him.
Hiccup, though adrenaline and fear had been pulsing through his body just minutes before, was eager to give in to the kiss. Her lips tasted of sweat and meat, a disgusting mixture, but Hiccup didn't mind. He was certain he was no better at the moment. He smiled into it, feeling his energy spike with the emotion fluttering in his chest. When she pulled away, he felt almost happy, oblivious for those few seconds as to what was going on around them, the danger they were in, and what needed to be done.
"Thanks, Astrid," he breathed.
She smiled cunningly at him, then began to yank him along up and out of the cave. The others had stopped a little ways ahead up the slope, waiting. Once they were in sight, the group began to move together, like a stampeding herd. Their breathing was loud and shallow, the sound hitting the walls of the cave and bouncing around them. Each one perspired greatly from fear and eagerness to escape.
Then they were in the open.
Toothless was waiting for them, blasting at oncoming Vikings that rushed towards him. He must have just been discovered because Alvin was shouting wildly for his men to forget about a Nadder, Gronckle, Zippleback, and Nightmare, and to focus on the Night Fury. The dragons in the air veered around, their cries drumming through the night. Hiccup bolted up to Toothless, pulling himself on and wretched his gaze up to find Stormfly and the others touching down to accept their true riders.
The other teens hoisted themselves onto their dragons and then they took to the air. Toothless was last, climbing into the sky. While their friends raced off into the distance, Hiccup turned back to see Alvin ordering the others to stop for a moment.
"Toothless, wait," Hiccup said gently once they were out of sight in the darkness. They hovered and both looked back, trying to hear what Alvin would order next.
"Men! Gather your ships and weapons! We're taking this war to Berk!"
Hiccup's stomach flipped and his heart sank. He bit his bottom lip so hard that it flamed up with pain. He bent over, patting Toothless on the neck and sighing deeply. Dread consumed him, knowing they needed to be ready for the upcoming battle, and that Berk had barely any time to prepare.
"Come on, bud. We gotta' get home. Now."
Wheeee~
I hope I managed to trick you guys in the last Chapter about Blood Cry. Made him seem all innocent when he's actually evil xD Yay for unreliable narrators!... x3
I feel a bit yucky about this chapter. Hope it's just because it's cold outside and it makes me feel sick... If it actually is a yucky chapter, I apologize heavily. It wasn't my favorite chapter to write, but it was obviously necessary. I'm really pumped for these next couple chapters and hope you, my dear readers, are also excited!
Review, please?
Love,
Deyoxis