I edited some things in that last chapter... Grammatical errors and typos. Sheesh, I had a bunch. That's what happens when I type waaaayyy too fast for my brain and then I read over too fast for... my brain... My poor brain, haha. I still probably missed some, though... Meh. I think I got the worst ones.

All right. Here's a look at what's coming.

Death. Yes, it will happen. This is a war story and... well, I've been letting (and will be letting) a lot of people get lucky so far in surviving. However, I think you guys will be surprised by who it is I have in mind. It will be sad, yes, but not quite as depressing as if I had chosen one of the initial characters I had in mind to die.

Pretty much I sat down and jotted down as many ideas that I could. You see, I wanted there to always be a second battle. But a lot of what that second battle is will depend on how the first battle goes. So I went ahead and I've outlined the rest of the first battle, which will last two more chapters (this and the next) and then we will have a "break" before the next battle. There will also be a lot of explaining as I'm going to explore the idea I came up with for Alvin's backstory as well as some other characters. Pretty much, I'm taking this story and expanding it from the original idea I had. It's so much more... in depth now. But I feel it will make it way more interesting... and longer... This story sure did change from the idea I began with in the first chapter.

Because of the changes, don't be surprised if the story summary changes soon to encompass more of what is going to happen.

They're only halfway through the war so don't start looking for sunshine and rainbows until at least partway through the second battle xD

Thank you for all sticking with me and keep those reviews up! You're all wonderful people!

A special shout out to my most loyal reviewers: just me, KaliAnn, Peachmikey11, Nadderwolf, Shur'turgal Daughter of Artemis, storygirl99210, and Anony mouse101. And to my new watchers and reviewers, I thank you for your new support (:

Now then.

Chapter Eight: It Ends Here

Falling wasn't exactly peaceful. Not to Snotlout. Between the swooshing of the wind that whipped past him, the screaming of his dragon below, and the pounding headache that threatened to split his skull, he could have thought of more relaxing things. His eyes were burning from the icy wind, so he squeezed them shut, tears escaping and sliding off of his face into the air. He was ready for the impact with the ground. It would be happening any second now.

The collision he felt was certainly with something solid, but it couldn't have been the earth. For one, it came wrapping around him from the side. It felt rough and bumpy. Uncomfortable. Yet safe.

Opening his eyes, he found himself looking at the belly of Meatlug. The Gronckle purred with amusement at the stunned look on Snotlout's face.

Eventually, Snotlout found himself with his back lying on the ground. The grass had never felt so good. It was cold, tickling his neck and arms. He wanted to lay there forever, but knew Hookfang needed him. He struggled to move but everything hurt and he could no longer register feeling in his limbs. Meatlug had landed nearby and so Fishlegs jumped off of her and scuttled over. He knelt down beside Snotlout, who groaned.

"Are you okay, Snotlout? Oh, gosh, Meatlug didn't hurt you did she?"

"No," Snotlout slurred. "She saved me. Thank her for me. I just can't move."

Fishleg's face dawned a look of worry. "Well, you were free falling for a couple seconds. I bet the wind was freezing. Plus, you look a little sick and... Were you crying?"

"No, the wind was just painful."

Fishlegs ignored Snotlout's lie. He walked around behind the fallen boy and placed his hands under his arms. Hoisting him up, much to Snotlout's surprise, Fishlegs tried to help steady him on his feet but Snotlout wobbled too much. So Fishlegs settled on just holding him, trying to be careful so as to not injure him. Suddenly, Snotlout jerked from his grip and nearly went crashing. Fishlegs snatched his shirt and pulled him back in, righting him.

"Hookfang! Where is he? I don't hear him or the Skrill!" Snotlout cried into the quietness of the air.

Fishlegs felt his forehead breaking out into a cold sweat. He bit his bottom lip, looking over at his dragon. The Gronckle whined softly, showing an unease at going out to fight. Fishlegs couldn't bring himself to make his dragon go but he knew that Hookfang probably needed assistance. He strained to hear the sound of the Nightmare and Skrill through the trees but no noise came through. Only the soft weeping of the wind laced through the trees.

Snotlout was struggling. Fishlegs had never seen the usually tough, snappy boy so broken down as he fought to go find his dragon. The clawing of Snotlout's hands could have hardly injured a baby. Fishlegs shook him lightly, though Snotlout reacted like he had just gone through a hurricane.

"Calm down, Snotlout. Meatlug and I will go find him. You need to stay here and be safe," Fishlegs chided, slowly setting Snotlout back down as he reached a decision.

Snotlout cried out angrily as Fishlegs jogged back over to Meatlug and climbed onto her back. They were about to launch in the air when the world above them danced with electricity. The Skrill was flying up, its body crackling. It screamed into the sky, rearing its head up to look to the stars. Its mouth gaped open as it yelled, saliva sliding from its fangs, clear in a light of the moon. It hovered, looking down at a spot on the ground. Its mouth opened wider and it took an intake of breath before unleashing it in a blinding hot, white fire. A cry of surprise split the air and the two boys knew instantly that it was Hookfang.

Snotlout seemed to find renewed strength. Breaking through the numbness that gripped his limbs, he managed to push himself to his feet after a couple tries. "I'm coming, Hookfang!"

"Snotlout wait!"

Snotlout didn't listen. Once he managed to get his legs pumping forward, he broke into a run, heading straight towards the glow of fire. The forest was blazing, bursting into smoke. Snotlout found himself inhaling the thick substance, scratching his throat. His eyes watered up and he hacked with an effort to breath as he pushed through. He stumbled, nearly crashing, but pressed onward. He couldn't even think between the pain that engulfed him. He only knew he had to find Hookfang.

There!

The Nightmare was curled up on the ground, coated in a layer of ash and dirt. Blood was sliding amongst his scales around his neck and dripping to a puddle on the ground. His eyes were closed, but the shutter of his chest proved he was still breathing. Snotlout approached him, bile rising in his throat at the state he saw his dragon in. He reached Hookfang and fell to he knees, wrapping his arms around the Nightmare's neck and inspecting the wound. Thankfully, it didn't seem to deep. A gash that slid across the tender underside of the neck. If anything, Hookfang was tired from the blood loss and the plummet through the trees. Snotlout couldn't help but feel relief for a moment.

The cracking of limbs and the roar of the fire reminded him of the situation he was in. The forest had become hot. Used to the cold, the sudden circle of heat around Snotlout felt like too much. The metal lock and chain still on his wrist from the dungeon began to increase in temperature as the fire swept around them. Sweat broke out and his fever only felt worse. Snotlout forced himself to ignore it, though it caused his limbs to shake. His eyes were blurry from smoke. They stung like needles were poking through.

Falling to his knees and hands, he managed to crawl over to Hookfang's face. He reached up, placing a hand on his dragon's snout. He could barely make out anything as the air only seemed to increase in thickness. He choked for clean oxygen.

"Hookfang," he stammed, trying to arouse the Nightmare.

A soft coo answered him and then yellow eyes were staring him down. Snotlout couldn't tell, though, forced to shut his eyes. He heard a strange noise followed by an explosion. The world seemed to tremble but then Snotlout passed out.

Hiccup saw that the war had spread. Now, even beyond the outskirts of the village, the forest blazed up in a fiery fuel. Above it, the Skrill he and Toothless had escaped earlier beat its wings, examining its handiwork from the sky. The creature seemed to be smiling, face eerie through the fiery haze.

"Astrid-" Hiccup started, but was cut off.

"I know, I know. We'll go find Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the others. Be careful with that dragon!"

This time, it actually was the dragon that Hiccup was worried about.

He watched as the Nadder and Zippleback behind him flew down to skim the trees, hoping to find those they were searching for. Hiccup then returned his attention to the Skrill. The beast was so infatuated with what he had done that he didn't even blink in Toothless' direction. Hiccup gripped the handle of his saddle tighter, fists clutching desperately as he readied himself for the Night Fury's speed. He flicked his prosthetic, allowing Toothless to begin a small dive towards the Skrill. Toothless unleashed his shriek before sending a fireball of blue into the creature. The explosion rocked the air, causing the smoke that was curling around the Skrill to shoot away, pushed back by the rush.

The Skrill was knocked to the right. It flipped, regaining its composure and spun around to try and lock onto its opponent. Toothless dove into some smoke to hide from view. Hiccup had to shut his eyes and hold his breath, trusting his best friend to guide them through safely and hurriedly. Eventually, he felt fresh air swamp him as Toothless broke out from the smoke behind the Skrill and then crashed onto the creature, latching onto the Skrill's back.

The monster screeched in surprise, trying to continue to flap but finding it harder to stay airborne with a Night Fury on its back. It clawed at the air and tried to crane its head around in an attempt to bite out at Toothless. It couldn't reach, however, and felt itself faltering as it began to fall.

Toothless' wings stretched out and he used them to control the speed and direction of the plunge. He pulled the Skrill close to him, using the other dragon as a shield as they broke through the burning trees. Hiccup felt a blast of heat consume him as they went down. He was jolted in his seat when they crashed, the Skrill's body taking the impact and Toothless still sitting safely on top.

The beast beneath them stirred, fighting at the ground with its clawed wings. Its tail snapped to and fro, whipping around, nearly taking off Hiccup's head. Hiccup pressed close to Toothless, tucking his body in so that his forehead rested against the leather saddle on Toothless' back. It was difficult to breath and he had to maintain his grip as the dragons beneath him thrashed about. He could feel their power with each movement and wondered how much longer Toothless was going to try and pin the other creature down.

Suddenly, Toothless' roar broke the air, penetrating over the sound of the raging fire. At that warning, the Skrill ceased its movements, becoming almost lifeless. Hiccup took the moment to peer over and see what was going on beneath. He saw Toothless' claws dug into the other dragon's scales, yet they weren't bleeding. His Night Fury hadn't gone for the kill, only to warn. As the Skrill stopped moving, Toothless slowly let off his hold. Hiccup could feel the rumbling of a low growl building in Toothless' chest as the Night Fury stepped off slowly, seeming to gauge whether the Skrill was deceiving him or not.

Toothless was cautious not to step out into the fire, not wanting to burn off his tail or injure Hiccup, who was all ready heaving for oxygen in the smoke. He cocked his head, looking back at Hiccup for a second and yipping softly to check and see if his friend was all right.

"I'll be fine for a little bit more, bud," Hiccup coughed.

Then the Skrill was back on the attack, having fooled Toothless into thinking that he wasn't going to be a threat any more just long enough to get Toothless to get off of him. The beast pulled its head back. Hiccup looked up to see sharpened teeth and a dark hole of a throat. The darkness began to vanish, however, as a billowy green gas began to makes its way up and expel through the mouth.

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Toothless!"

The Night Fury caught on quickly, jumping back. He shot with a ferocious speed, his blast sailing down into the Skrill's throat. The creature felt its internal body flare up and it bellowed in pain, black smoke now emitting from its jaws. It tossed about, trying to relieve itself of the sudden affliction. Toothless bared his teeth, ready to continue an onslaught when a whirring noise of incoming objects echoed through the air.

Poison spines now protruded from the Skrill's neck. The beast shook with frustration, dancing wildly about.

"Hiccup, come on!" Astrid called, her voice sounding raspy through the smoke.

Hiccup looked up to see her and Stormfly hovering not far above them, the Nadder having thrown the spikes down at the Skrill. Hiccup reached down and padded Toothless' neck. His dragon fled into the air up alongside his Nadder friend. Tuffnut and Ruffnut materialized through the smoke on Barfbelch. Belch unleashed as waterfall of gas down upon the Skrill. The beast was getting woozy from the poison, stumbling and tossing about as it tried to find a secure footing. It vanished under the gas and then Barf lit it while Toothless and Stormfly burst to get away from the scene.

The sound of the gas changing into fire was like one sharp thunder. The sound of the Skrill could be heard no more.

Toothless, Stormfly, and Barfbelch broke through the cloud of smoke. Their riders gulped down the fresh air and rubbed at their burning eyes, relieved for the break. As Hiccup sat up straight, stretched his back, he glanced over at Astrid and the twins questioningly. His throat burned from being inside the inferno and so he hoped just a look would get his question across.

Astrid caught on to his confusion, "We found Fishlegs pretty quickly. He helped us find Snotlout and Hookfang. They were both pretty beat up, those two, and Snotlout was unconscious. Stormfly and Barfbelch manages to carry Hookfang to where the children and elders and all are while Fishlegs took Snotlout. They're all waiting for us."

"Are Snotlout and Hookfang all right?" Hiccup asked once he found his voice, worry for his cousin pooling in his stomach.

"Hookfang's got a gash on his neck but he's still breathing," Tuffnut supplied.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't mean Hookfang's fine. Is the gash bad?"

"We didn't really have time to examine it," Astrid broke in to keep Tuffnut from saying something potentially stupid.

Hiccup let the other two dragons lead. It wasn't far to where the people had fled, only able to get somewhere so fast on foot. They had found a path that led down from the upper areas down to one of the beaches on Berk. It didn't take Hiccup long to recognize it as the same beach where Alvin had docked a couple days ago to kidnap him and the other teens. Just the thought made his stomach churn.

As Toothless and the others settled to the ground, Hiccup flung himself off and struggled through the sand over to where Snotlout and Hookfang had been placed. The pregnant woman that wasn't so far along was cleaning up Hookfang's wound, using some cloth she had ripped from her tunic. Mildew had brought a water container along in case Fungus got thirsty and was now fuming about how the water was being used to wet the cloth to help a no-good dragon. Bucket and Mulch had ushered him away from the others where he could scream into the air with only Fungus there to pay attention.

Gothi was leaning over Snotlout, who had a another piece of ripped cloth dampened with the water, stretched out across his forehead. She eyed him warily, watching his breathing before turning to look at Hiccup as he neared.

Hiccup bent down beside his cousin, looking him over. No signs of physical injury outside of his bandaged head. Still, Snotlout was shivering some, lost in blackness. Hiccup heard Hookfang groan softly and looked over, seeing that the dragon wasn't complaining about his wound, but looking at Hiccup, as if waiting or confirmation that his owner would be okay.

Gothi was writing in the sand.

Mulch wandered over and examined the strange lines and interesting patterns that she made. He nodded his head and looked over at Hiccup, who waited with bated breath for Mulch's translation.

"She says that Snotlout will be all right. He needs rest and plenty of it. Running a fever and probably some sort of head injury. Also inhaled a lot of smoke while in the forest. Other than that, he just needs to relax for a long while," the rancher explained, waving his hook-hand about in the air as he gesticulated.

Hiccup released a breath, glad to hear that Snotlout would be fine. He then stood and wandered over to Hookfang, stroking the Nightmare's snout which was warm and dry. He smiled softly, then looked over at the woman tending to the dragon.

"His cut isn't too terrible. It was just in a soft spot, so he bled a fair amount. I've managed to stop it. He seems bruised up and down the back... Or his scales may just be discolored, I'm not certain if dragons bruise. I think he took a hard fall, though, based off what Fishlegs said he saw. That being the case, I think Hookfang's just tired and rattled," the woman explained.

Hiccup looked to the Nightmare and urged him to just relax. Just stroking him, Hiccup could feel the muscles of the dragon were tense, stiff, and tight. He whispered soothingly. "Snotlout will be fine. You'll be fine too, okay? You need to calm down for me, though. Can you do that? Can you just relax?"

Astrid came up and helped, running her hands up and down the back of Hookfang's head and scratching under his horns. The dragon let out a purr of content before his body seemed to release. He sunk a bit more into the sand as he let all his weight spread out to just lay there. The snapping of the fire up in the forest could be heard still running over the land, but the gentle lapping of the waves along the shore spread out with a calming effect. They brought with them a smooth chill that eased the heat that danced along the skin of the people sitting there along the shore. It was still dark out, but Hiccup could see the faintness of light breaking along the horizon, signaling the rising of the sun soon enough.

"Hiccup, we need to get back to Berk," Astrid suddenly said, her whisper barely heard by him.

She had stopped her stroking, turning and striding back over to Stormfly. She stopped in front of the Nadder, reaching up and scratching the dragon's throat. She made her way to the side, tugging herself up into her own saddle. The twins had never gotten off Barf and Belch. The two of them reached for their dragons' horns, waiting to be given the order to go.

Tuffnut grinned. "Yeah, they need us to help punch Alvin in the gut."

"You couldn't punch anyone in the gut in your state. That job is up to me," Ruffnut fired.

"Oh, yeah! Well when we see him, I'll show you. I'll do this!"

Tuffnut proceeded to launch his fist through the air. Even after swiping at nothing, a flash of pain flew across his face. He tried to wipe it off faster than any one could see it, but he failed. Ruffnut howled with laughter.

"Fine, fine. So maybe I can't. I'll just have Barf sick 'im."

"Barf can't do anything without Belch."

"Wanna' bet?" Tuffnut challenged and Barf turned its head beneath him to stare down Ruffnut. His mouth crackled with sparks that flew this way and that.

Ruffnut smirked. "Yeah!"

Belch turned, mouth leaking green haze. Colliding with sparks created a small bomb of sorts that forced both necks to snap back and nearly send their riders flying off. When they recovered, both Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked a little surprised and their hair was blown back, singed.

"Really, guys?" Astrid asked.

"You think we would have learned not to do that by now," Ruffnut shrugged.

Tuffnut's face looked horrified. "Learning? Wait, when did this become school? I thought we were in a war!"

No one even bothered to answer him.

Fishlegs started to Meatlug. He was about to clamber onto her back when Hiccup called his name and told him to stop. The large boy halted and turned, eyes wide as he watched Hiccup come up to him. He looked down into Hiccup's face and was met by the other boy's green eyes that looked a bit haunted.

"Look, Fishlegs. If you don't mind, I'd like you to stay here," he requested.

Fishlegs blinked. "But I'm part of this team too, Hiccup. I should go."

"I know, Legs... But so is Snotlout and I don't want to risk another dragon of Alvin's coming along and... you know."

Fishlegs caught on to what Hiccup was asking him to do. To stay to protect his cousin and the others. Since Fishlegs was the smartest, Hiccup wanted him to be around in case Snotlout or Hookfang needed help. The twins couldn't be trusted and Astrid would be of much more help in a fight than in medical attention.

"All right, Hiccup," Fishlegs resigned. He wasn't too keen on it, but he could see why it was necessary. "You'll owe me later for babysitting your cousin."

"Thanks, Legs," Hiccup chuckled lightly, seeming to relax.

Turning, Hiccup jogged up to Toothless. The Night fury snorted, eager to be going. He lowered himself as Hiccup pulled himself into the saddle. He hooked himself in and then latched in his prosthetic. Once they were settled, they took to the air, a Zippleback and Nadder following. Toothles spun in the direction of Berk and then raced onward. A large, black plume was alight above the village as fires continued to burn. As they neared closer, yells of men and women and the cries of dragons greeted their ears, welcoming them all back like a lion would welcome an antelope to its den.

"Find my dad," Hiccup called to the others. "I'm going to take out the last catapult I didn't get."

"We should get down to the docks. That's where they need us the most," Gobber called, running back over to his Bone Knapper. He paused, checking up on Thornado. "It doesn't look like your dragon's fully recovered yet."

Stoick came pounding over, footsteps heavy. He bent down by Thornado and stroked his dragon's nose. Worry creased his face, torn between staying to protect his dragon when he needed to protect his people. He knew which instinct he needed to follow, but it still hurt him so to do it. He felt Thornado whine softly, mouth parting slightly to let the noise escape. Stoick sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Thornado. I must go help my people," he apologized.

Thornado turned his head slightly as if to tell Stoick to go. He pushed himself to his feet, only to collapse again after only a second. He winced, clearly still trying to recover from the Nadder's poison. It was wearing off, but at an agonizingly slow pace that Stoick knew he couldn't wait for any more.

"Hey, Bone. Think you can stay here and look after a friend?" Gobber asked of the Bone Knapper.

The creature purred lightly, nosing Gobber slightly. Gobber returned the motion of affection with a scratch under the Bone Knapper's chin. The blacksmith smiled, thanking his friend softly before looking over to Stoick.

Stoick smiled under his mass of beard. "Thank you, Gobber. You too, Bone. Thornado, stay strong. I'll be back."

Together, Stoick and Gobber headed for the docks. They curled around along the boardwalk before passing under the stone arch. Instantly, they were surrounded by the flood of battle. The sounds were overwhelming, filling Stoick's entire being. Between his people, Thornado, and Hiccup, he could hardly concentrate on his fighting. The concern was powerful in his body, moving through every inch of him with each pulsation of blood. He was holding onto his sword like it was his last link to hope.

Many people were lost, but not as many as Stoick had thought. While the outcasts were breaking through, they were also thinning down, numbers shrinking. They were clumping into groups, trying to press forward as one. Above, the remaining dragons on their side wailed, sailing down and attempting to claw out or shoot fire at a Berk villager. Having been raised to fight the creatures, though, the people of Berk were proving difficult for the beasts to catch.

Berk dragons shot out of nowhere and would collide with an outcast dragon in a spitting battle before they broke apart, roaring at each other with anger. Fire shot this way and that. Much of the battle had come down to the docks and the Berk villagers began to push the outcasts back. The catapult of the outcasts unleashed another boulder. It came hurling through the air. It slammed into the cliffside, dropping debris and rocks down and nearly crushing some of Stoick's best men including his brother.

"Spitelout!" he called, pushing through the crowd to reach his younger sibling.

He bent down and pulled the other man to his feet. After looking him over, Stoick could see that his kin only had a slice along one arm. Relieved, he exhaled a breath. Over the years, Stoick and Spitelout had always been close, even despite the fact that Spitelout hadn't had the chance to be chief next to his brother. Spitelout had never once gotten jealous and, instead, had been supporting. Stoick's brother fought tooth and nail to prove he deserved to be Stoick's right hand man alongside Gobber because of his skill and not just because he was a brother. While they had had their disputes when they were younger, now they worked together. Though Stoick sought Gobber's council most of the time, he still searched for his brother's insight and opinions at times.

In fact, it was Spitelout who had helped Stoick adjust to dragons the most while Hiccup had been unconscious. After all, his brother had befriended a Terrible Terror not long after the battle with the Red Death. After that, Spitelout had been all smiles over dragons, especially with his son's persistence with Hookfang being allowed to stay. He had opened the door for Toothless to come in when Stoick had tried to force the Night Fury to stay outside, Spitelout had suggested that the torches now be filled with fish for the dragons, and even forced Stoick to take care of Fang (the Terrible Terror) for a day to get used to the presence of the creatures. It had all turned out for the best and, for that, Stoick was even more grateful to his brother.

"Thank you, Stoick," Spitelout grinned.

Stoick grunted. "Don't thank me yet."

They turned to see an outcast charging them, brandishing his hammer. The man slowed when he saw the smirks cross the faces of the brothers. He was about to turn and flee when someone came from the air and kicked him in the face. The man stumbled back in surprise more so than pain, as the figure had been small, but he went far enough back to go tumbling from the dock and into the swirling of the ocean.

"So," Astrid begin, straightening up where she landed and wiping the bangs from her eyes. "What'd I miss?"

"Astrid," Stoick bellowed, "Why are you here?"

"Yeah! Lets blow these ships!" a male voice hollered from the air.

Stoick and Spitelout turned their gazes sky bound to see the twins race by on Barfbelch, passing Stormfly, who was hovering nearby to wait for Astrid. The Zippleback swept over one of the outcasts' ships and began to spew their gas on it. It wasn't long before an explosion was set off, the wood of the boat splintering and the hulking ship rocking under the force. After a moment, it was clear the ship would no longer work, the mast burnt away and the bottom blown to bits. Barfbelch raced around to get the other ships.

Gobber came on over as Stoick saw a purple blast out at sea. The last catapult was destroyed by Toothless in a blue blaze.

With no where to run, the outcasts began to realize they were down to two options. Surrender or be killed. A couple tossed down their weapons and threw their hands to the air, their gazes flicking about to try and find Alvin or some sort of leader in the crowd of people. The rest found a new fury in themselves and swung harder with hammers, swiped faster with swords, and screeched louder their battle calls. The Vikings of Berk easily snuffed them out.

"Stoick... I think it's over," Spitelout muttered.

Gobber nodded. "They've all surrendered or are dead."

Stoick's eyes narrowed, scanning the men and women that were being forced to their knees to await their punishment. Stoick strode through them, his footsteps thunking along the wooden planks beneath him. None of them seemed to hold any sort of power and Stoick knew it wasn't over until it was over. Alvin wasn't to be seen. Was he dead? Or had he fled?

Turning to face his people, Stoick's grim face tried to brighten some. He looked to the air to see Berk dragons flying about in circles, cries of joy ringing through the air. Ruffnut and Tuffnut hooted from the heads of their Zippleback. They attempted a high-five and nearly tumbled from their seats before righting themselves. They laughed with glee.

Glancing out at sea, the horizon was a pale blue. It spread, climbing higher into the sky. A soft tint of orange laced its way into the color. The sun was about to rise. It filled Stoick with a foreboding sense, as he couldn't quite shake of the feeling that something was still wrong. The battle seemed won, but something in his bones didn't agree. He returned to looking at his people, who were expecting his shout of victory. They waited expectantly, blood smeared on their faces. The injured were being tended to and the whole air smelled of smoke that intermingled with coppery aroma of blood. Bodies littered along the docks, both enemies and friends a like.

"This battle is done," Stoick finally said, feeling the need to give his people some sort of assurance.

They could sense the uncertainty lacing his voice and only broke into subdued cheers. When it settled down, Stoick knew he needed to give some more orders. He searched his brian for commands, for what needed to be done. Yet things didn't seem to be coming into place. Like something was missing.

"I want the injured tended to immediately. Lets also work on getting the fires in the village out. I want another group gathering the bodies of our enemies to be disposed of and the bodies of our friends to be buried. I will also need a group to keep an eye on our prisoners," he began to order, his thick, heavy voice drumming through the air, alerting the dragons that flew about and the people that were meandering about.

Stoick looked over to Gobber and noticed that Spitelout was no longer with his friend. He was about to inquire as to his brother's whereabouts when his people came rushing forward with requests to do certain things or to ask where they should go.

"Good job, bud," Hiccup praised as the last catapult went up in blue flames.

Toothless purred with accomplishment. He started on towards the village, dark wings pushing with the last remaining bits of energy he had left. Hiccup could sense the wariness that his Night Fury was facing. He could feel his own body protesting with pain at each movement he forced himself to do. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and stay there for a week.

As they grew closer to the village, Hiccup glanced down to the docks to see the last of the outcasts slowly giving in or having swords driven through them like they were kabobs. It made Hiccup wince, as he wasn't one for death. Seeing the skewering of the men made him feel a bit disgusted so he asked Toothless to let him off up in the village center. They flew upwards, heading for the clearing where remaining fires burned hot around the area, ash littering the ground like snow.

"Hey, Toothless, look," Hiccup pointed, seeing a Bone Knapper.

Toothless came down to rest in front of the creature. Hiccup looked over to see the Bone Knapper standing over a blue Thunderdrum. Hiccup cocked his head and then it struck him that it was Thornado. He swung off of Toothless and started forwards, approaching the two dragons. He came up in front of Thornado and bent down, inspecting the dragon.

He cocked his head in confusion. "What's wrong with you?"

Thornado let out a soft growl of frustration. He pushed himself to his feet and wobbled. He stumbled to the left before the Bone Knapper bent his head down to steady the Thunderdrum. Thornado leaned into the support gratefully and just looked at Hiccup with bright eyes, unable to explain the Nadder's poison to the boy. Then his body tensed and he hissed softly, looking at something behind Hiccup, who wheeled around to see what it was.

Alvin.

Blood Cry was heading straight towards them, Alvin on his back. A Nightmare followed, the dark green creature being ridden by another outcast. Blood Cry swelled and the Nightmare hissed before each launched its own attack. The scream came pounding down followed by a splash of sticky fire.

Hiccup cried out and darted away, dodging the attacks. The Bone Knapper bent over Thornado, taking the brunt of the attack while Toothless was out of harm's way. When the attacks stopped, the Bone Knapper straightened up, his bone armor scorched from the fire, but otherwise seeming fine. It sent a shattering roar up at the oncoming enemies, who parted, causing a split second of panic as the Bone Knapper tried to figure out which one would come to attack him and Thornado.

Hiccup was trying to make his way to Toothless but Blood Cry went speeding past him. Alvin jumped from his back, tucking into a roll before standing back to his feet, unsheathing his sword. Hiccup felt fear nearly freeze his blood, but he managed to turn and bolt away, only to find himself nearly running into the grip of the other outcast, who had jumped off the Nightmare. Hiccup wheeled another direction and ended up heading to the stairs of the Great Hall.

He glanced back, seeing the men thundering after him, weapons slicing at air behind him. Toothless and the Bone Knapper were snarling, each coming to a face off with Blood Cry and the Nightmare. Hiccup winced, knowing he was in trouble with his dragon busy. Left to his own, Hiccup finally reached the doors of the Great Hall as the horizon began to seep orange into the sky.

Stumbling into the large room, Hiccup bolted on up to the fire pit and climbed onto the edge. He stood there, turning to see what Alvin would do.

The man and his accomplice entered, wicked smirks edging their lips and eyes wide with sparks of fury and false victory. Alvin was laughing, hulking form bouncing lightly with the noise that spilled out from his being. When he finally calmed, he turned to the man beside him saying, "Watch the door, Guts. I got this."

Guts nodded, closing the door until it was cracked open. He moved so that he could see out the crack, able to keep an eye on the village but unable to be seen from the outside world.

Hiccup remained standing on the edge of the fire pit. The fire behind him was smoldering, having run out of wood to burn over the night. Soft embers glowed dimly but most of the light of the room came from a couple torches that were still alight from around the room. The light danced about, shifting and shaking as the form of Alvin began to stride forward, looking at Hiccup with a terrifying glint. Hiccup didn't even blink, returning the look with a fierce gaze of his own, searching to figure out what he could do, trapped alone with the man in the Great Hall.

"Whatcha' going to do now, boy? You ain't got your dragons or dear old daddy to protect you here."

Alvin stopped a couple feet away, menacing look never wavering.

"I survived most of my life without Toothless. And my father doesn't need to protect me from you. Besides, you call me Dragon Conquerer, so I must be pretty tough. Bet I can take you on."

Alvin chuckled, ignoring Hiccup's petty attempt at sarcasm to ease the tension in the room. "Stoick doesn't need to protect you from me, you say? Why do you think you're still alive and here, son?"

Hiccup felt a slight jab of irritation. "What are you talking about? Last time I faced you all I needed was Toothless to get you on the run."

"What about the first time?"

First time? Hiccup knew that he was finally betraying himself, revealing confusion on his features at that remark. He had never heard or known of Alvin really... not until the time Alvin had come for him many weeks ago.

Alvin smirked, knowing he had Hiccup cornered. "I remember it like it was yesterday. You was only five years old I believe."

"You tried to kill me when I was five?"

"Does your father tell you anything, Dragon Conquerer?"

Hiccup winced. Between the name and the fact that Stoick may be hiding something from him, he felt a sense of unease wrap around him. He began to edge along the fire pit. Then Alvin began to move forward, sheathing his sword. The outcast leader reached for another object around his waist. He pulled it out. A knife. The metal shimmered in the fire light.

"Time to fix that mistake that Stoick made all those years ago," Alvin muttered, more to himself.

Hiccup ran. He turned, adrenaline kicking through his body as he darted around the last of the fire pit. He jumped off and then headed for the far back wall. Spotting the shields of village chiefs' and sons' portraits, Hiccup went up and snagged the nearest one. He pulled it close to him, figuring it gave him a chance of surviving until somebody arrived to help. When he finally got the shield situated on his arm, however, he turned to find Alvin practically breathing in his face, his rotten breath stinging Hiccup's eyes.

Hiccup's back got pressed up against the wall as Alvin pushed his free hand against the shield, pinning Hiccup up. Alvin shoved harder. Hiccup's arm felt like it was being crushed between the shield and his body while his whole body was nearly causing an indent in the wall behind him. His ribcage felt like it might collapse in and he was pretty sure one rib was jabbing a lung. He groped for air, taking what he could.

Alvin then ripped the shield away, throwing it behind him and letting it clatter to the floor loudly. It was taken from him by such a force that Hiccup felt his wrist snap. He cried out and pulled it close to him. His right hand wrapped around the wrist, squeezing it to try and suppress the pain that drummed through his hand with each heartbeat. His leaned with his back against the wall, legs shakily holding him up. When he looked back up from his wrist to the madman, Alvin was driving the knife forward.

Since Hiccup's arms were crossed in front of his chest, Alvin pushed his knife into the flesh of Hiccup's left thigh, blood welling up and soaking through Hiccup's pants. Hiccup's legs buckled out from under him and he let himself crash to the floor, unable to catch himself. He was on his back, looking up at Alvin with fury and agony. The pain that rippled through his left thigh was so strong that he couldn't hardly even feel it any more. He refused to move his arms even as Alvin took his now free hands and wrapped one around Hiccup's injured thigh while the other grabbed the prosthetic.

"I hope this hurts," Alvin sneered, then yanked the prosthetic off, tossing it over by the shield.

The bindings that kept it attached burned at Hiccup's skin as they were removed, but it was hard to feel it over the cold metal of the steel in his thigh. Finally, his right arm released his wrist and he reached down, hand coming around the handle of the knife. He pulled it out, the blood now running freely from the wound. He slashed it out, hitting Alvin's forearm. The wound was barely deep enough to draw blood, as Alvin had flinched back to avoid it stabbing him any deeper.

Alvin reached out and snatched Hiccup's arm with his left hand, slamming it down against the floor. Hiccup released the dagger and Alvin reclaimed it with his right hand.

"Now, than, Dragon Conquerer. It ends here. I wonder... will your dragon be there in the afterlife to greet you?"

Hiccup felt his body convulse with agony. Between his bleeding leg, his arm being crushed under Alvin's grip, and the thought of Toothless, he wasn't sure what was going on. The world spun around him in circles and he felt himself fading from his body. Alvin was hovering the knife over Hiccup's heart, ready to plunge it through his chest. Hiccup could see himself, as he looked down at the scene from above. He saw his body jerking with pain, but was numb to the actual feelings. He could see himself gasping for breath and the blood that splattered along his clothes. The ground beneath the stump of his leg was a puddle of crimson, gleaming in the faint light of the room.

Then the Great Hall doors burst open and Guts let out a cry of alarm.

Fweee~

We're almost done with this battle here. Wonder who's come to Hiccup's rescue? And what was Stoick's mistake?

Stay tuned 8D

I feel like a TV...

TO BE CONTINUED...

DUN DUN DUN...

I shouldn't have eaten that Sour Patch...

Review, my luffs!

Love,

Deyoxis