Holy, explosions.
Anyways, a LOT goes on in this chapter. And by a lot, I mean that time jumps around a bit... We'll be in the present time with one character and then with another we'll jump back. So just be aware that not all of these situations may be happening at the same time...
I also want to warn you that this chapter is exceedingly serious. It has, like, one happy moment, but the rest is sort of awful. So bear with me and please do not hate me x3
If you get confused, let me know in a review so I can clarify and/or edit the chapter some to make it more understandable (:
Chapter Seven: Meeting Fate
Astrid stopped at the top of the steps to the Great Hall. She waited as Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut came up alongside her. Just as she figured, Hiccup didn't seem to be coming. It irked her some, that she couldn't stay behind and fight while he could, but she had to let it go. Instead, she turned to the other teens and asked if they knew where their dragons had run off to.
"Hookfang went off with some of the other Nightmares to be on strike duty. I bet he's with my dad," Snotlout tried.
Fishlegs nodded and said, "Meatlug may have gone to help load the catapults... if not fire her own rocks."
"Barf went to the docks to help kick some outcast butt," Tuffnut grinned.
"Belch went to spew his gas all over the incoming ships," Ruffnut put in.
Astrid couldn't believe how dumb the twins could be. For a moment, she could only stare at them with a gaze that clearly read she was confounded that they hadn't noticed their own mistake. Her mouth was slightly open and her blue eyes questioning. Luckily, the two quickly caught on to what she was gaping about and so Astrid didn't even have to voice it.
Tuffnut quickly saved them by admitting, "I don't know where he is."
"Me neither."
Astrid about smashed her forehead into her palm, but just shook her head at them all. She waved them all off to go find their dragons, ordering them to meet her back by the trail that Mulch, Bucket, and the others would take. They all fled down the steps, careful not to trip over themselves. Tuffnut and Snotlout seemed to be moving extra gently. Out of the six of them, they had seemed to take the hardest blows physically the past two days.
Fishlegs hadn't hardly even been touched when they were being held captive. Astrid wasn't sure why, probably because he had been sleeping or fainted the majority of the time. He hadn't once concerned Alvin in the least bit about fighting back... or even saying something. Although she knew he did have to massage the outcasts' leader's feet... That sounded enough like a horrid nightmare, one that she hadn't been around for because she and Ruffnut had been taken to the Dark Pit.
That's basically all the place was. That and it had a couple snakes slithering around in its inky blackness. Neither Astrid nor Ruffnut had gotten much sleep that night, taking turns letting one rest while the other listened to make sure no snakes approached them. Usually, one snake did, and a lot of kicking and scuffling of feet ensued, waking the resting female up. Even while Astrid was trying to relax, the soft hissing of the snakes rang in her head and made it nigh impossible to catch even the tiniest bit of dreams. The worst was how cold the place was. With no torches or lighting of any sort, heat didn't exist. Ruffnut and Astrid had clung to each other all night, savoring in each other's body heat and even standing up and jogging every once and a while to try and get the blood flowing. The two had always been a bit closer, being the two females of the group, but never had they imagined they would have to hug each other for long.
Snotlout wouldn't admit it, but it was easy to see the sickness in his eyes. He was woozy and probably had some sort of head injury beyond his cracked skull. The bandage was still wrapped tight around his head, dirtied from rain and blood. He shivered every once and a while and would tilt when just trying to stand still. Somehow, he managed to stay conscious and even acted relatively normal for him. He appeared pretty worn down, exhausted from when Alvin "practiced" sword-fighting on him and Tuffnut. Astrid was inwardly concerned for him, but tried not to show it. He didn't seem to keen on being pitied, anyways.
Tuffnut was practically purple. His back, chest, arms, and legs were all slightly swollen, each shaded darker in certain spots where he had been struck the hardest. It didn't help that he still kept try to rustle with his sister every now and then, only inflaming the injuries more. Ruffnut could handle it. She only had a couple bruises and the long gash that sliced across her cheek. It was dried over with blood and, thankfully, didn't seem infected.
Aside from the extreme wariness that settled over her body, Astrid wasn't in too bad of shape. She gingerly touched her bruised eye. It was still tender and obviously a bit swollen, but not near as bad as when she had first been struck. The chill of the Dark Pit seemed to have helped eased it some, so it didn't feel quite as burning as before.
Coming to a halt, she watched as Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins each ran off in their own direction to fetch their dragons. The outcasts were nearly on Berk all ready. The hulking ships loomed closer and closer, the dragons flying over appeared much more deadly than Astrid had ever thought of a dragon before. Perhaps because now they had the aid of humans alongside them. The moon hung formidably in the sky. It was shining brightly, but Berk had never looked so dark to Astrid before. As she scanned her village, she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't going to so calm looking the next time she came back... or as in tact.
Pulling her fingers to her mouth, she used two to let out a long, piercing whistle. She hoped it was loud enough for Stormfly to recognize it from wherever she was. Astrid was in luck because she soon saw the blue glitter of her dragon's scales as the Nadder came floating down. Astrid greeted her joyfully, glad to know that Stormfly would be on their side.
Stormfly pulled her head away, looking up into the air as two more Nadders zoomed past overhead. The creatures veered off to join the Vikings that were going to fight from the air upon dragons. Stormfly hummed softly, seeming almost sad. Astrid watched the Nadders disappear from view before looking up at her dragon, feeling her heart swell with amazement.
"Stormfly! Were they two of your children? You got them to come help us?" the teen exclaimed.
Stormfly let out a couple quick chirps in what Astrid had come to know was the Nadder's way of agreeing. She smiled broadly and scratched her dragon under the chin, praising her. Sighing, she knew she needed to get to the trail if at least one of them was going to catch Mulch and Bucket and the others in time to let them know they had escorts. She hurridly made her way to Stormfly's side and swung herself upon the female dragon's back, quickly informing her on where they needed to go.
The trail wasn't far off, so they were there in a flash. As Stormfly settled to the earth, Astrid spotted Mulch leading the others up to the wooded trail. She flung herself off Stormfly and jogged up to intercept them. She felt the slap of her braid on her back, but then noticed for the first time a jingling noise. She paused and looked down at her wrist, recalling for the first time in a while that she still had the lock and part of the chain from the dungeon on her wrist. She'd have to remember to get that removed soon. For now, she wrapped the chain around her wrist twice and then tucked it in itself to try and keep it from dangling about. She then approached Mulch.
"Snotlout, the twins, Fishlegs, and I are going to protect you all on your journey and when you reach a safe spot," she informed him.
Mulch nodded, motioning for the group to stop. Astrid looked out to see the children gathered in a small group. Only two pregnant women had come, one who was heavily pregnant, clutching her stomach in fear while the other wasn't quite so far along. The elders, including Mildew and Gothi, were closer to the back where Bucket stood behind them, taking up the rear of the group. Mildew was muttering bitterly, probably something along the lines of how all of this was Hiccup's fault or the dragons' fault. Astrid didn't really care to hear his whining.
At the sound of wings, Astrid looked up to see the arrival of a Nightmare and Gronckle. It didn't surprise her to not see the twins, yet. They would take another minute to find their two headed troublemaker. The two creatures landed not far off. Fishlegs and Snotlout awaited orders.
"Fishlegs, you and Meatlug walk with Mulch at the front. Snotlout, take Hookfang and watch the path ahead from the sky. I'll walk in the back with Stormfly and the twins will cover the rear from the air when they get here," Astrid decided, nodding her head as she addressed them.
Fishlegs slid off of Meatlug and the two made their way up to flank Mulch. Hookfang spread his wings and, on a downbeat, was soon circling above them.
"Mulch, go ahead and start off. I'll wait for Ruffnut and Tuffnut. We'll catch up to you all."
Mulch nodded his head. "Sounds good, missy. Be careful back there... Mildew's spewing up more acid than a Changewing."
Astrid winced at the thought. She had forgotten she'd be back by Mildew by covering the rear. Poor decision on her part, but she knew she could handle the jerk of an old man. She stepped to the side as Mulch passed with Fishlegs and Meatlug. The children scurried along, a couple clutching some Terrible Terrors close to their chests. The women passed next, their eyes watching the kids in front of them to make sure none strayed from the path. As Mildew came up, he shot a look of venom at Astrid.
"Look what your pal Hiccup has done. Because of him and his dragons, Berk is going to be destroyed!"
Astrid's fists clenched and she stepped up to the man, eyes narrowed. Rage churned in her head and stomach as she looked at the spiteful elder. She wanted nothing more than to drag him back to Berk and let one of Alvin's dragons gobble him up as a snack.
"Alvin would attack Berk with dragons or without them. There was no stopping him."
Mildew laughed dryly, his arms clutching his sheep almost as close as the children clutched their Terrors. "But he has dragons now, doesn't he? And whose fault is it, hm?"
Astrid was about to deliver a blow to Mildew's gut when Bucket reached out, grabbed the old man, and started dragging him along. A couple of the other elders chuckled mildly, loping on down the trail and casting wary glanced back at Mildew. Even Gothi seemed to smile faintly at Mildew's angry cries for being torn away from his verbal argument.
Bucket shook his head. "Hush now, Mildew. We gots to catch up to the others so we isn't left behind. Keep moving."
"Unhand me, you oaf!"
Bucket ignored him much to Astrid's delight. She watched as the group soon sunk into the forest, hidden amongst the trees. She looked over at Stormfly, who clucked, cocking her head, then looking to the sky. The Nadder's eyes narrowed as she searched for her Zippleback friend.
"Way to go! Because of you we lost our dragon!" Tuffnut declared.
Ruffnut fumed. "Because of me? I wasn't the one who left him to go do whatever he felt like."
Tuffnut snorted, considering starting another fight with his fists. His aching body felt like it had been struck by lightning, however, so he came to the conclusion that it wasn't his brightest idea. Not that he had many bright ideas to begin with. He left the smart things to Astrid, Fishlegs, and Hiccup. He lived for the moment with his sister and Snotlout.
"Well, do you know where to look? I don't know where to look," he finally relinquished.
The two strolled out along the docks. Men and women were all around them, gearing up and shouting orders. The two teens were shoved constantly and many of the Vikings demanded to know what they were doing. The twins were hasty to fire back that they were only looking for their dragon. They began to ask the people surrounding them if any of them had seen Barfbelch, but no one had been paying attention to the allied dragons. Only the enemy ones that were almost in shooting range.
"This is getting dumb, he's probably not even down here," Ruffnut scowled, kicking at the wooden planks beneath her feet.
Tuffnut was getting annoyed. "Damn it, where is he?"
Sven approached at that moment, looking flustered. He glanced back over to one of the boats, pointing, "What is your dragon doing?"
Tuffnut and his sister faced the direction he was pointing and saw their Zippleback sitting on one of Berk's ships, roaring into the distance towards the oncoming enemy fleet. Their mouths were open, sharp teeth glinting and yellow eyes narrowed to slits, their pupils dark and burning. They flung their heads about, screeching wildly, clearly ready to fight.
"Barfbelch," Ruffnut called and burst into a heavy sprint towards the ship.
Tuffnut stood in the same spot for a couple seconds before realizing he should probably go help. He pounded after his sister, legs crying out with pain and nearly giving out beneath him a couple times. He turned out onto the pier that the ship was docked to and came up alongside Ruffnut, motioning the Zippleback to come out of the boat. The dragon turned and looked, its heavy body rocking the floating mass heavily, waves spewing along the docks as it blinked at them with surprise.
Belch, being closest to them, leaned his head over to Ruffnut, who was his rider. Tuffnut's sister explained hurriedly, "We need you guys. We're in charge of protecting the children and elderly."
Barf looked over and roared slightly, seeming displeased at the news.
"We agree, guys. We want to fight here, too, but someone's gotta' protect those other people," Tuffnut said.
Barf and Belch exchanged a long, hard glance. After a moment, their gazes softened and they turned, seeming to finally understand what Ruff and Tuff were trying to tell them. Giving in, they lowed themselves so that the twins could climb on. Ruffnut practically leapt on while Tuffnut took it gently, relieved to be in the air and not running around any more. It was about time to spare his legs.
The Zippleback took to the sky, zipping about in its dashing way. Tuffnut tried to take charge but Ruffnut began to shout orders over him. Barf and Belch let out moans of frustration and so Tuffnut just gave in. He had never felt so tired before. He never gave into his sister like that. She looked at him quizzically, cocking her head to the side, braids flying out behind her like banners in the wind. Tuffnut just shrugged and glanced over his arms, the purple hue looking even more discolored in the poor lighting of the night.
When they reached the trail, Astrid and Stormfly were waiting, both looking impatient. Barfbelch landed on the ground, the jolt of hitting a solid shaking Tuffnut's bones and nearly making him groan as a dull ache pressed through his body.
"What took you guys so long?" Astrid demanded.
Ruffnut sighed. "Look, we're here now, aren't we?"
At that moment, the world behind them burst into wails of agony and war. Tuffnut and Ruffnut faced forward to the forest, knowing they couldn't see what exactly was occurring behind them. They did know, however, that the battle had begun and it all ready didn't sound too pretty. Tuffnut just stared at Astrid. "Well, what do you want us to do, oh supreme ruler?"
Astrid grunted and shook her head at them. "The others are all ready up ahead. Can you guys watch the rear from the air? Stormfly and I are going to cover the rear from the ground while Fishlegs and Snotlout are holding the front."
"That's my specialty," Ruffnut declared, though both Astrid and Tuffnut both knew it wasn't.
It was clearly his. "Is not."
"Is too," Ruffnut spat back, looking over at him with fire in her eyes. The gash on her cheek made her look extra serious.
"Just get going," Astrid screamed up at them.
Barfbelch rose to the air before Ruffnut and Tuffnut even had time to gather themselves. Both of the teens fell forward, faces and chests coming down hard against the back of their dragons skulls. Ruffnut yelped while Tuffnut just felt like he took a couple punches to the face. His world spun, but his hands quickly sought out Barf's horns and curled his finger around them. His knuckles turned white as he struggled to hold on, legs crossing beneath him around his dragon's slender neck. The Zippleback dashed through the air while Ruffnut gazed over, looking down through the trees along the path to locate the people they were supposed to be watching.
She pointed, "There they are."
Barfbelch slowed. They began to circle, bright eyes keeping a look out. Each head hissed, the sound low and deadly. Tuffnut and Ruffnut craned their heads about, unsure of what exactly they might see. Tuffnut felt a tendril of panic rise in his chest when he heard shrieks of dragons and people rise up in a sudden chorus from near Berk. Then he realized it sounded like cheering. A scream suddenly broke through the thin air and he glanced over at his sister, who smirked. It was Toothless. The Night Fury was doing something.
For what felt like forever, they continued to just hover along. Tuffnut constantly checked below them to make sure they still had an eye on the glistening scales of Stormfly, who was easily visible through the trees. Up ahead they could make out the form of Hookfang and Snotlout. The Nightmare was sailing steadily along, powerful body moving a bazillion times smoother than Barfbelch's random jerking.
Thunder echoed above the fading sounds of the roar back near the village. It sounded close and it sounded angry. Tuffnut tossed his head to look above him, but saw the sea of stars stretching over them like a thin blanket. There was no storm around so it had to have been a dragon. A Thunderdrum.
Astrid and Stormfly were in the air alongside them at that moment. The Nadder was hovering and so Barfbelch stopped and waited, seeing that the blonde was going to say something.
"Whatever you're doing, we're coming too," Ruffnut said before Astrid could even speak.
Astrid's blue gaze found the other female. She seemed concerned about something. "Fine, but let me go let Snotlout know what we're doing before we go."
"What are we doing?" Tuffnut asked as Stormfly swooped up toward the Nightmare.
Ruffnut shrugged.
As Stormfly came back, Astrid barely glanced at the twins. She was holding onto Stormfly's reins with a powerful grip, her body hunched to brace against Stormfly's speed. Her eyes were locked on something in the distance and her voice was tense as she shouted to them, "Lets go!"
Tuffnut and Ruffnut nodded and stiffened as Barfbelch beat after the Nadder.
Stoick saw another of Alvin's ships become enveloped in blue flames. It was the fourth one Toothless managed to strike. The Viking chief grinned in triumph while Thornado's muscles rippled beneath him, releasing another bone-shattering screech. The opponent targeted spun to the right. It was the Whispering Death and it was proving to be difficult to hit.
The outcast aboard the monster's back, Savage, howled loudly with a victorious laughter and the dragon he rode plunged forward. The Whispering Death had no legs, so as it neared, its mouth parted, the rows of teeth spinning about, intent on taking a bite out of Thornado.
"Look out!" Stoick cried and Thornado dove down, spinning belly-up and skimming the underside of the Whispering Death's body as it soared past.
Stoick held tight to the reins, pulling his body as close as he could to avoid dangling or plummeting as his dragon was momentarily upside down. As soon as the creature had past, Thornado was right side up and peering at it with a furious gaze. Stoick roared with his own hatred, feeling Thornado swell again beneath him. His reached out, placing a hand along the top of his Thunderdrum's head and ordering him to wait. Not yet.
Stoick's gaze remained steady on the Whispering Death. He stroked Thornado's blue scales, urging his dragon to hold it until the opportune moment. Thornado obeyed, luckily, surprising since the dragon liked to take to doing things his own way a majority of the time. That's what Stoick liked about his dragon. It was a leader, feisty and cunning. Now, at least, it was learning to listen.
Savage steered his terrible beast forward. Stoick stopped his patting, whispering steady under his breath. He drowned out the sounds of the fights raging on around them. He ignored the clash of metal on metal. He ignored the pained cry of a Nadder as it was hit by Alvin's remaining catapult. He ignored the bellowing shriek of the Whispering Death as it neared him, mouth gaping with an eager hunger. He ignored the wicked laugh that escaped Savage's throat. He only watched the eyes. The Whispering Death's bulging white bumps weren't even visible as it approached. As it lowered its head, revealing the pearls for eyes and about to swallow Thornado and Stoick, the chief order his dragon to release.
The sound that Thornado unleashed had been building up in his throat the whole time. As it came pouring out in a rush, it was filled with more power than Stoick had thought possible. Thor had certainly blessed his dragon with a tremendous honor at that moment. So near to the Whispering Death, the creature couldn't dodge and it took the impact like a crushing blow. Its teeth split, cracking and chipping, and some even ripped right out, flying through into the creature's throat. It was tossed back, taken off guard and knocked out. Savage was torn away from the blast. The man and beast fell, their bodies breaking through the roof of a burning house. The smell of burning flesh rose up in waves from the place.
Thornado cried out in agony at that moment. Stoick craned his head around to see two Deadly Nadder spines sticking into his dragon's tail. He bellowed with anger, ripping them out quickly to prevent too much of the venom from slipping into Thornado's body. The Thunderdrum staggered, though, clearly having received just enough to stun him.
"Thornado, take a landing. I'll protect you as you recover," he quickly cried out.
The dragon was quick to obey. Unable to fly properly, he flitted about with tossing movements, descending rapidly. He pulled up at the last second before coming down hard on the earth, a cry of distress leaving his huge mouth. Stoick pushed himself off and groped for his sword handle. He yanked the weapon out, the steel whirring in the air as he turned to dare face anyone who tried to come at him or Thornado.
He heard the tremendous thump of another dragon landing nearby and he wheeled around to see Gobber and the Bone Knapper just a couple feet away. Gobber dashed up as well as he could while the Bone Knapper moved to stand over Thornado. His boned tail thrashed about and his jaw parted, ready to release some fire upon anyone who dared approach.
Gobber grinned. "Thought you two could use a hand."
"Thanks, Gobber. Thornado will be stunned for a bit, I appreciate it."
"Any time."
Stoick heard the call of a man running at him. He turned and readied his sword, Gobber coming alongside him. The outcast didn't stand a change against the two men, who easily brought him to his knees. While Stoick was normally not one to go for the killing blow against a man brought down, the outcast swiped out with a dagger he yanked from his belt. Unfortunately for him, the only thing he hit was Gobber's peg leg, resulting in not even a cry of pain.
Seething with fury that the outcast would try to deliver such a low blow when clearly beaten, Stoick drove his sword forward, pushing it through the chest of the man. Blood seeped out in a gush and the light in the outcast's eyes fled in an instant. Removing his sword from the body, Stoick watched the body fall over, slumping to the ground and crimson liquid pooling about. Stoick sneered, looking up to see another hoard of outcasts heading towards them.
The Bone Knapper unleashed his cry, halting the men in their tracks as they braced themselves against the onslaught of power. As they moved to recover, the Bone Knapper's fire shot out, engulfing them in a blaze. The men screamed with surprise, watching their bodies burn before their very eyes. One stumbled and ran, trying to flee, his body alight with flickering flames. He couldn't see and tumbled over the edge of one of Berk's many cliffs, the light of his body fading from view.
"Alvin is outnumbered, his men are slowly falling. Surly he will be turning back any moment now," Gobber declared.
Stoick's green eyes found his friend. "Are you sure?"
"Not entirely, actually. When it comes to the air battles, we seem to be winning. I don't know how we're doing by the docks."
"Not good," Stoick sighed.
"What makes you say that?"
"All those men that broke through. We're up in the main part of the village, Gobber. If they made it up here, I don't know if things are going well on the docks."
Gobber mused over this thought before frowning with concern. His face was etched with worry.
Stoick headed past the smoldering bodies of the men that were just defeated and headed to the edge of the cliff to look out over to the docks. It was a bloody mess. Dragons overhead still roared and spat. Berk's remaining catapults were trying vainly to pick out the dragons of Alvin's side and hit them, but it was near impossible to see the difference from the ground in the darkness of the night. The dim lighting around the docks made it difficult to see who may be winning. Only the blazing fires that raced through the village seemed to be real, so bright and hot that their existence couldn't be denied. The rest of the world looked almost surreal.
"My people are dying," Stoick sighed, wondering just how many of his villagers were lost.
Gobber came alongside him. "You don't know that."
The outcasts' lone catapult fired. Stoick watched the rock shoot over their heads towards Thornado and the Bone Knapper. He wheeled around, his heart catching in surprise. The Bone Knapper was ready, however, and flung its body around, using his tail to knock the incoming projectile aside.
Stoick was then panicked. He turned to Gobber, eyes wide.
"What is it, Stoick?"
"Hiccup was supposed to finish off all of Alvin's catapults. If there's one more left, where is he?"
Hiccup felt his back cracking under the weight. He could hardly move, the pressure becoming too much to bear. His spine was going to snap and he would be crushed. He gasped for breath, his chest and stomach pushed so hard against the ground that it was becoming increasingly difficult to fill his lungs with much needed air. His hands groped along the ground, scratching at it, clawing desperately for any possible item that could be of use to him. Nothing was located, however, so he merely continued to struggle.
"Why, this is a sight to see. The Dragon Conquerer flailing along the ground. I bet it'll just break Stoick's heart when I go back into Berk holding your head up for all to see."
The wicked voice of Alvin drummed through Hiccup's head with an intensity that it made his skull feel like it would crack. The man was laughing now, reaching for the sword along his belt. Hiccup's face was practically flat on his cheek, giving him just enough of a view to see Alvin's hand wrap around the hilt and began to pull. It seemed a turtle-pace to Hiccup, who at that moment just wanted Alvin to either get on with it or be struck down right then and there. Anger coursed through his body and he prayed to Odin that Toothless was at least safe.
As Alvin was about to unsheathe the weapon fully, something smashed into him. A dark form. It barreled him over before pinning him down. Hiccup could hear Toothless snarling with anger. He didn't need to be seeing the scene to know it was the exact same way Toothless had taken down his father back in the ring all that time ago after having just saved Hiccup from a Nightmare. Toothless had been stopped from killing Stoick then because Hiccup had cried out for him not to. Here, though, Hiccup was more than ready to let his dragon blast off Alvin's face.
Blood Cry was not.
The crimson Thunderdrum charged Toothless. The Night Fury saw the incoming danger. He didn't have time to unleash his blast before he was forced to leap away, avoiding the sharp fangs of Blood Cry and sucking back in his fire. The dark dragon hissed with fury, claws digging into the ground and teeth out, gleaming dangerously. His pupils were narrowed to the tiniest of slivers, nearly lost in the depths of the green gaze.
Alvin stood, returning the same look Toothless was giving him.
Hiccup, meanwhile, tried to pull his arms beneath him and push himself up. His whole back felt like it had caved in and shivers ran up and down his spine, causing him to panic that it may be broken. He fought against the pain, however, and managed to arch it, allowing himself to sit up, though a bit unsteady. He groaned from the agony that laced along his back.
Toothless maneuvered around so that he was standing in front of Hiccup. Alvin and Blood Cry watched, vengeance dancing in their eyes. Alvin snorted and Blood Cry took that as his cue. He exploded with sound in Toothless and Hiccup's direction. Toothless wheeled around and dove towards Hiccup, knowing his human and best friend was unable to dodge at that time. His arms outstretched and pulled Hiccup close to him. He did the same thing much like he did to protect Hiccup's body from the blaze of the Red Death's demise, wrapping his wings around him and curling up as best he could.
Hiccup couldn't see as he was pulled against Toothless. He felt his weak body enveloped and he shut his eyes tight, waiting for the sound to hit them. He felt Toothless' body get tossed, rolling along the ground from the blow. The Night Fury was thrown against a tree before falling into a heap at its base. Toothless slumped, his grip loosening and Hiccup was able to look up at his best friends face.
"No, bud, stay with me!" he cried, noticing Toothless' eyes started to droop.
The dragon struggled to stay conscious. Blood Cry released another deafening roar at that moment. With Toothless' hold slackened, Hiccup felt a part of the force slam into his back and shove him into the chest of his best friend. The Night Fury was slammed back again, harder, as Blood Cry had moved dangerously close. Toothless, this time, fell into darkness, leaving Hiccup alone.
Hiccup couldn't hear. The Thunderdrum's last blast temporarily rattled his eardrums. Hiccup felt his body heaving with breaths, watching as Toothless sunk unconscious. Hiccup's mouth opened in a cry, shrieking out his friend's name, but hearing nothing. He placed a hand on Toothless' chest, searching to prove that his friend was still alive. He felt a steady rise and fall and was relieved to know that his Night Fury was only knocked out. His relief didn't last more than a second, though.
He rolled over somehow, still wrapped in Toothless' arms. He saw Blood Cry standing there, eyes brimming with accomplishment. The dragon's grin made Hiccup sick and furious. He pulled himself out of Toothless' arms and stood before his enemy, watching them. Alvin's mouth was moving, but Hiccup still couldn't hear. He just focused on standing, though his legs trembled beneath him and his back wanted to give out.
He saw steel glint in the moonlight as Alvin came running forward, sword raised. Hiccup didn't move, knowing that he would die before he left Toothless. He grimaced, looking death in the dark eyes of Alvin. The horrid smirk, the shining metal of the weapon. The man was almost upon him, but Hiccup merely drew in what he expected to be his last breath.
Then he saw a Nadder head-butt Alvin away. Green smoke was shot at Blood Cry, who screeched in panic and dashed away before it exploded. The explosion sent a burst through the air and Hiccup stumbled back. It seemed to knock his head right and sound came flooding through his entire being, beating at him from every direction. Alvin's yells and the hissing of dragons.
"Hiccup!" Astrid's scream broke through and he blinked, his vision having gone fuzzy.
The girl was before him in an instant, hands on his shoulders as she shook him gently to arouse his attention. Her blue eyes searched his, hoping to see a form of recognition. Eventually, she saw the spark in his eyes and knew that he was okay.
He stood up, but turned and rushed to Toothless' side. "Keep after Alvin and his dragon. I gotta' wake up Toothless."
Astrid nodded and ran back to Stormfly, only to stop as she reached her dragon's side. Alvin had thrown himself onto Blood Cry's back and they were rising to the air. Barfbelch started after him, but the Thunderdrum unleashed an attack at him, distracting the Zippleback just enough so that he could turn and vanish into the air back towards Berk. The frustration the outcast felt was clear from the last look on Alvin's face. He called into the air, vowing that he would kill Hiccup before the battle was over.
Barfbelch landed on the ground, allowing Tuffnut and Ruffnut to hop off and run up beside Hiccup. Astrid joined, as well, and the four leaned over the Night Fury, calling out his name desperately. Hiccup stroke Toothless' nose, feeling the breath of his dragon on his chest as he pulled Toothless' head into an embrace. "Toothless, please wake up."
He heard a soft moan and released his dragon's head. The Night Fury's eyes blinked over and over, seeming confused and uncertain. The fog in the dragon's head cleared as his looked at his best friend, however, and he then tossed his neck about to see the others gathered around. When he looked back to Hiccup, the boy scratched his head, smiling almost sullenly.
"You saved me, bud," he breathed, knowing that Blood Cry's roar would have probably killed him from that range if Toothless had not wrapped him up in his arms.
Toothless crooned softly, pushing to his feet and thrusting his head forward, nudging Hiccup with joy just to know that he was all right. Hiccup beamed, nearly forgetting about the war that was going on, just overjoyed to see that his dragon was okay. He sighed, coming back to reality as he heard the roar of a dragon in the distance.
Astrid stiffened while the twins suddenly seemed ill.
"What is it?" Hiccup asked, looking over.
Astrid looked out into the forest. "That dragon roar. It didn't come from the village, it came from out there."
"Sounded like Hookfang," Tuffnut remarked.
"Why would Hookfang be roaring? He's not in the battle," Ruffnut questioned no one.
The answer was clear.
Snotlout normally would have insisted that he join Astrid, but he knew that he couldn't do that right now. He could hardly concentrate on just keeping a lookout because his skull felt like it had split in two and then been jammed back together harder than Stoick could swing a hammer. He watched her go, her blurry form vanishing in the night with Ruffnut and Tuffnut on Barfbelch. He looked back forward, clinging to Hookfang's horns with a sigh.
Looking down, it was pretty easy to spot Meatlug lumbering about alongside Fishlegs and Mulch. The children kept close followed by the two women. The elders were a bit of a ways back, but still in sight, Bucket ushering them along as fast as he could get them to go.
The sounds of Berk were growing dim. The night enveloped them in its cold hug, the silence slowly draping them. It made Snotlout uneasy. Even with the calm, his head wasn't getting any better. He shivered, stomach churning. He swallowed the vomit that threatened to crawl up his throat, then shuttered from the taste. His mouth had bile along every edge of it despite constantly spitting some out.
Hookfang growled softly, seeming concerned for his rider, though he normally seem oblivious to Snotlout.
"It's okay, Hookfang," Snotlout lied. "We're almost there."
Hookfang didn't seem to like Snotlout's answer. His neck rippled with anxiety. It only increased in strength when he heard something approaching. His head jerked up, catching Snotlout off guard who cried out in alarm. The Nightmare craned around and peered through the darkness. Something was coming. Snotlout leaned forward, trying to see what it was. Flapping of wings was audible through the quietness of the air.
Then the form lit up, sparkling with energy.
Snotlout's eyes widened. "A Skrill! Fishlegs, get everyone going, there's a Skrill headed this way!"
Snotlout was gazing down, watching as Fishlegs ushered Mulch, the children, women, elders, and Bucket to get going. They all broke out into a run, even the old men and women. Mildew glanced up and let out a shriek before barreling after the others with a speed no one knew he was capable of. Bucket lifted up Gothi before charging through the forest.
"Go with them, Legs! I got this beast!"
"But, Snotlout-"
"Go!"
Snotlout turned. The Skrill was closer now and Snotlout felt his hair standing on end. He ignored the screaming in his brain and body, shifting his weight on Hookfang's back as they prepared to fight. He tensed and then they dodged left as white fire danced through the air where they just were. The Nightmare shot under the Skrill, then came up behind it, trying to keep pace with its powerful movements.
Snotlout shouted, "Get him!"
Hookfang unleashed a spitting rage of fire. The hot, sticky looking substance flew through the air before catching the Skrill's right wing. To Snotlout's dismay, the creature didn't seem too affected by it though it did singe him. The Skrill roared, halting in the air at that moment and turning to face the Nightmare. Hookfang had no time to react and slammed into the other dragon, digging the claws of his wings into the Skrill's chest. A snarl of pain emitted from the Skrill's throat, but then it leaned forward, sinking its teeth into Hookfang's neck.
Snotlout's dragon let out a loud cry, piercing the air.
At the impact, Snotlout had lost his grip with one hand and was now dangling. But the dragons were falling. The Skrill was too focused on biting Hookfang and the Nightmare couldn't use its wings with its claws stuck in his opponents scaly skin. The air rushed by at such a rate that Snotlout was forced to release his other hand. He watched the dragons falling before him, Hookfang's neck gushing crimson.
Snotlout felt the agony, the pain, the dread, the misery, and the terror all at once. Hookfang was sorely injured. His dragon was beneath the Skrill as the two creatures plunged through the tree line and smashed into the ground. Snotlout himself was free falling, grabbing at air with no way of slowing down. His headache was unbearable and he could hardly feel his limbs. He knew he couldn't survive the fall, not at the speeds he was going. And Hookfang...
Snotlout would have never admitted it, not even then, falling to earth, but tears were fleeing his eyes as he prepared to meet his fate.
I'm going to let you guys know now that someone will die. I wasn't originally planning on it, but last chapter it just sort of hit me... Someone's going to go.
This just goes to show how spontaneous my writing can be. I come in with an idea and a direction of what I want to happen and all, but then things can sometimes swing themselves another way.
I hope no one hates me for being really dark all of a sudden and that it is actually interesting.
But I really want to know your thoughts so please review. Just... don't bash me to death of anything x3 If you're unhappy with anything, just politely let me know and maybe I can find a way to make everyone (all six of you faithful readers, haha) happy, sound good?
With much love,
Deyoxis