I just want to let you guys know that, right after I submit a chapter, I start going through little modes of panic where I feel like I wrote the whole chapter just horribly and that all my watchers will suddenly vanish and that no one will give me any sort of feedback and how I don't feel like I'm that good of a writer... And then I worry about run-on sentences... o.O
But, the point I'm trying to get to is that every review, every follow, and every fave are appreciated to such a high degree. Getting that email or seeing that review number go up just makes me feel incredible. So thank you so much to all of you. This means a lot to me to have you here reading this.
I love any sort of review, no matter how long or short (so long as it isn't a flame, of course x3).
Anyways, sorry this update is a bit late for me. It was an extremely hectic week with three tests. I also didn't do particularly well on them even with all the studying I did... So I've been a bit down and wanted to wait until I was in a better mood before I wrote this chapter. Then a football game, partying, and getting ready for Halloween has also made life a bit busier x3
Iron-Mantis: Actually, with where I'm headed, Alvin doesn't really have much to do with Val's death. You'll see this over the next couple chapters.
By the way, is Mildew's sheep named Mungus or Fungus...? I thought it was Fungus, but I've seen Mungus xD I'm going to stick with Fungus.
Chapter Nine: The War Isn't Over
Toothless was out of range as Blood Cry and the Nightmare sent their attacks raining down. The Bone Knapper took the brute of the attack, leaning over the recovering Thornado. Toothless growled up at the approaching enemies, but forced himself to turn back and make sure Hiccup was all right. His boy had scampered out of the way and was now trying to make his way back towards Toothless. The Night Fury was about to bound forward to meet Hiccup when a blood red Thunderdrum landed before him. Blood Cry.
Toothless snarled, looking past Blood Cry to see Hiccup getting chased up into the Great Hall by Alvin and another outcast. The boy's thin form was just managing to stay ahead of the men and he soon slipped in between the doors. The men followed him in and Toothless watched the doors close until one was only opened as a thin crack. He couldn't see inside, but the flickering of firelight in the crack alerted him that something was happening.
Toothless felt a flare of fear in the pit of his stomach. Hiccup was no match for the two men that had him cornered. Toothless understood that clearly. If Hiccup was going to survive, they needed to be together. Toothless had promised himself to protect the boy ever since Hiccup had been his savior so long ago. Hiccup didn't have to release him from the bindings when he was shot from the sky. The boy could have left him to be found by another Viking. Even when Hiccup had released him, the boy still could have left him in that cove to die with no way of escaping. Hiccup hadn't, though. Hiccup had come back. Hiccup had befriended him. Hiccup had searched for a way to help him fly again. No Viking would have done that but Hiccup. No other dragon would have ever gone out of his way to try and help him. Only Hiccup. For that, Toothless owed him everything.
When Toothless refocused his attention on the dragon in front of him, he saw the beast swelling up like a large balloon. Toothless' eyes widened in surprise before he dove to the left, rolling over and just beating out of the way of the scream that rushed past him in a wake of sound. He was back on his feet in a flash, teeth bared and green eyes flashing angrily as he stared at the Thunderdrum.
Toothless was standing next to the Bone Knapper now. Thornado was pushing himself to his feet, snarling at the threats. The Bone Knapper raised his wings, bones creaking with each little movement. His mouth gaped open, large, bone white teeth looking dangerously sharp. The dragon let out a burst of power in a mighty scream, warning Blood Cry and the Nightmare not to get too close.
Beneath him, Thornado attempted to let out an onslaught, but still hadn't regained all his strength quite yet and collapsed in a heap, frustration evident in his glare.
Blood Cry seemed to laugh dryly at Thornado's weakness. The Nightmare beside him smirked deviously and the two neared, readying themselves. Toothless was surging with anger at this point, wanting to just be rid of these dragons so he could go aid Hiccup.
Toothless tensed, muscles rippling under his thick, inky scales. He glanced to his left and exchanged a look with the Bone Knapper. Then he lowered himself, trying to get on the attack mode. Toothless had fought from the ground before, but it wasn't ever going to be as easily done as from the air. His speed and firepower was practically unmatched, but on the ground he was more vulnerable. He couldn't let himself be caught off guard. He had to be prepared for anything, though he knew himself well enough to take on the Nightmare alone and maybe even Blood Cry alone. Together would be harder and until Thornado was well, the Bone Knapper could only aid so much.
The Nightmare sucked in a breath as it prepared to blast out fire at them. Toothless dove forward, coming up under the long, slender neck. He pushed himself up and wrapped as much of his jaw as he could around the Nightmare's throat. He heard the dragon - a female - let out a strangled cry of distress which sounded muffled under the hold of Toothless' clench. He pulled the female's neck down and pinned it against the earth, his claws digging into the ground as he held her in place. She writhed underneath him, her head swinging around and her body scrabbling against the earth. Scores from claws and talons were struck upon the ground as she panicked momentarily. Eventually, she seemed to regain herself and realized she could swing her head around enough to dig her own teeth into Toothless' closest wing thanks to her elongated neck.
The Night Fury wasn't biting hard enough to break through her scales. In fact, he was mostly just attempting to choke her, force her to weaken. He felt her scales cracking as he tightened his jaw, but then he felt an agonizing pain lacing along the upper portion of his left wing. He faltered, nearly letting go, but managing to bite harder instead. His strength proved a bit greater as she eventually lost the might to hold her own bite and released. She had taken a nip high enough on his wing that she didn't draw blood, only pinched the leathery flap. He beat his wing a couple times, letting it come down on her head as he did so while he checked to be sure that she hadn't punctured anything. It didn't seem she had broken through. No wonder Snotlout could survive Hookfang's bites... Nightmare's teeth were too awkward to hardly hurt anything.
He heard the sound of Blood Cry making a move on him. He felt a weight come crashing onto his shoulders, a weight worse than even that of Stoick's. It pushed him even harder down upon the Nightmare, who lost the entire ability to breath. Her gasps for air under his jaws made Toothless feel sick. He had grown up killing others at times to protect himself, but he didn't exactly want to kill this Nightmare just because Blood Cry was crushing him which, in turn, was crushing her.
Pain dug into his shoulders as Blood Cry's claws found their way into his scaly skin. He heard an intake of breath, sharp but long. The weight on his shoulders lightened and Toothless knew that meant that Blood Cry was filling with air. The Thunderdrum was going to release his cry right onto the back of Toothless' head. If it didn't kill him, it would sure knock him out. He flattened himself, trying to prepare for what was coming. He ignored the squirming of the Nightmare, shutting his eyes and attempting to think of a way to save himself. He heard the Bone Knapper call out to him, but it was distant to Toothless.
A thought crossed him mind and his eyes shot back open, green orbs dazzlingly bright against the pale sky as morning began to slink across the land. Thrusting himself up, Tootless released his grip on the Nightmare. He took advantage of Blood Cry's body of air and tossed him off in a powerful upward shot. Toothless came back down, landing awkwardly but stumbling into a recovery. Once he found his footing, he looked up to see Blood Cry flapping about in the air, trying to maneuver around to get after Toothless.
The red beast shrieked with anger, letting out a small blast of sound before sucking in more air, and Toothless snarled back. As the bloated Blood Cry was about to face him, a blue mass barreled into Blood Cry. The red Thunderdrum's attack shot out into the empty sky, getting lost into the atmosphere before Blood Cry and his attacker came crashing to the ground. The blue mass that had collided with him was Thornado. The other Thundrdrum straightened up from on top of Blood Cry and bellowed with triumph.
Blood Cry responded with fury, trying to scratch out at Thornado, but was pinned on his back.
Thornado looked over at Toothless, seeming almost to smile. The poison had lost its affect and so the Thunderdrum was back to being himself again. Wild and fierce. He held Blood Cry down as best as he could and motioned with his head that Toothless needed to get to the Great Hall. The Night Fury breathed a sigh of relief and began to head that way, only to nearly take out Spitelout, who came running up into the clearing.
"Toothless!" Spitelout shouted out in surprise, reeling to a stop and turning to look at the black dragon quizzically.
Toothless whined softly, craning his head around to look at his empty saddle before glancing up at the Great Hall. He was feeling impatient so he started to bound back off to the stairs before Spitelout could respond.
Spitelout called him to stop, saying, "Toothless wait!"
The Night Fury paused, feeling worry course his veins at that instant. He needed to get to Hiccup. Now. What was so important for Spitelout to keep him from getting to his best friend?
Spitelout had turned to look at Blood Cry, the Bone Knapper, Thornado, and the Nightmare. Thornado still had Blood Cry pinned much to Blood Cry's obvious rage. The Nightmare was stumbling about, trying to dodge the Bone Knapper's sprays of fire. Spitelout neared them some, catching their attention and the four dragons glimpsed at him questioningly, briefly forgetting their own battles. Spitelout looked to Thornado, "When you get a chance, you gotta' get Stoick. Get him to the Great Hall. For now, take those dragons down!"
Thornado nodded, yellow eyes gleaming with an intensity. Beneath him, Blood Cry hissed and continued to writhe. Thornado scored his claws against Blood Cry's soft underbelly. The liquid for which the red Thunderdrum was named seeped out, spreading along his belly. Its coppery smell danced through the brightening air as the first rays of sunlight broke out above the horizon, painting the wide expanse above them all in a dull orange hue.
The Nightmare rolled to the side to avoid the Bone Knapper's lunging bite. She snarled before spinning and seeing Thornado and Blood Cry. She stumbled forward, her teeth managing to find Thornado's tail. Though the dragon was heavy, she managed to yank him hard enough to throw him off balance. Thornado let out a small wail of agony before Blood Cry heaved him off and rolled to his feet, which was difficult to do when the width of one's body was practically larger than the length.
Thornado pulled his tail from the Nightmare's hold and dashed over to stand beside the Bone Knapper. The two of them stood their ground, bodies tightening as they braced themselves for the next onslaught. Looking over their two opponents, they could easily see that the Nightmare was more worn down thanks to Toothless' early attack on her. Her neck seemed almost limp, weakened from where Toothless had nearly crushed her windpipe. Her deep breaths revealed a struggle to keep on going so they knew they needed to remove her from the picture. Once that was accomplished, Blood Cry would make an even easier enemy to beat.
Blood Cry was running towards them, his flattened body skimming along the ground as he approached. Thornado was ready to go, but the Bone Knapper beat him to the punch. The larger dragon charged forward, footsteps pounding the ground as he lowered his head. As Blood Cry made to jump upon him, the Bone Knapper snapped his head up, his horns and skull hitting the tender underside of the Thunderdrum.
Blood Cry's scream of agony flooded the air as he went crashing off a ways. He had still been bleeding and sore from Thornado's early clawing at his belly, but the collision of bone to the wound only made it deepen and ache.
The hit hardly phased the Bone Knapper. Though Blood Cry's own blood now splattered as dark drops on his bone armor, he continued to head straight forward, coming up straight towards the Nightmare. He opened his mouth, unleashing a splash of fire. The Nigthmare fired back her own and the two heat waves hit each other with a blinding impact of light. The Bone Knapper came to a stop, luring over the Nightmare.
Thornado came bounding up at that point, then flew into the air. He circled up and over the Nightmare before turning and heading straight down towards her. He inflated before feeling his power sweep out of him and come pouring down onto the Nightmare like a horrendous waterfall of noise. The dragon yelped in surprise and desperation, clearly in pain. Thornado pulled up the last second and landed a couple feet off, turning and facing her.
The Nightmare, dazed and injured, decided she had enough. She turned and feebly made her way to the cliffside of Berk before tumbling off the edge. She struggled to get her wings working. She managed to avoid hitting the water before she took off, heading into the distance, her form vanishing in the bright light of the horizon. The sun had nearly completed its ascent above the skyline.
Thornado and the Bone Knapper swung their forms around to see Blood Cry. The other Thunderdrum had recovered, but seemed to be backing away as he saw his ally fly off into the distance. The red beast cried out with a rage fueled by the sudden knowing of loss. With nothing left to lose, he stopped and readied himself for the final fight, refusing to give in as easily as the Nightmare.
The Bone Knapper made some clicking noises. Thornado shot him a look of surprise, hesitant to do as the Bone Knapper suggested. The towering dragon merely glanced at him reassuringly and Thornado knew that the other creature was right. So he turned, leaving the Bone Knapper to face Blood Cry alone while he took the air to fetch Stoick.
Spitelout, Toothless behind him, shoved open the doors of the Great Hall with such a force that Guts, who had turned to watch Alvin kill Hiccup, was caught so off guard that he let out a cry of alarm, flailing his arms about and spinning to face the newcomer. Spitelout gripped the handle of his sword, unsheathing it. He heard Toothless' usual cry as the dragon built up power before the blue fire whizzed through the air towards Alvin.
The outcast was hit on the shoulder plate, protecting him from being burned. The impact of the blast, however, sent him flying over Hiccup to crash to the ground many yards away. Alvin dropped the dagger in the process, the short blade coming to rest beside Hiccup's body. The boy's body managed to cease its convulsing as Hiccup regained full consciousness, having been drifting away as Alvin pinned him. Alvin shrieked curses of rage. Every shout and spitting mutter he let escape his lips filled the Great Hall, shadowing every nook and cranny with the darkness of his fury. The man pushed himself to his feet, tossing his head about to look over at the arrivals.
Toothless had darted forward to stand between Hiccup and Alvin. The Night Fury let out another shot at the man, one that he dodged easily now that he knew it was coming. The fire scorched along the wall behind him, a black smudge on the cold rock.
While Toothless kept Alvin from getting to Hiccup, Spitelout took the opportunity to go after Guts. The smaller outcast had brought out a sword of his own. Like Spitelout's, it was slick with dried blood, seeming dark even in the billowing light of the torches. The men held their weapons before them, perspiration sliding down their foreheads as they eyed each other, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Spitelout began to side-step to the right, circling the other man, who slowly turned in place to keep both eyes upon the chief's brother.
Spitelout and Hiccup didn't have much of a relationship until recently. After all, for most of Hiccup's life so far, he had been such a disgrace that Spitelout and his family didn't often associate themselves with the boy despite Spitelout's relationship with Stoick. After the whole ordeal with the Red Death and Spitelout being quicker to accept dragons that Stoick, he and Hiccup had gained some sort of ground with each other. Hiccup had helped him train Fang, had come over for dinner, and was even (relatively) good friends with Snotlout. Though Spitelout still struggled to understand Hiccup's odd internal workings, he had come to appreciate them and liked to smile and wave to his nephew when he saw him. Just that little gesture helped the two come to enjoy each other a little more when in the presence of one another. So now, as he was about to take on Guts, he knew that he had to do this. For Hiccup and for Stoick, his brother.
For Spitelout knew that if Stoick lost his son, his brother could break down to bits. The loss of Valhallarama had been a hard enough hit for Stoick. To lose Hiccup could be disastrous. Spitelout wasn't going to let that happen.
Letting out a war cry, Spitelout swung his sword around from the right, hearing metal slice through the air. Guts blocked it and the clashing of the two swords hitting each other began to echo dimly over the soft roars of Toothless. Alvin's cries were louder, but not as frequent as Spitelout and Guts' weapons colliding. The rhythm of the fight started off steady, but increasingly became faster. Each hit was thrown with more strength and more speed. Their feet moved wildly to keep in sync with one another. Vikings were not particularly graceful fighters, so the whole ordeal seemed more a mess of flailing limbs than a battle between trained warriors.
Guts tried a slash at Spitelout's knees. Spitelout snorted, seeing Guts' flawed attack in a heartbeat. While the outcast tried to strike low at a point harder to lower himself to, Spitelout shoved his own sword forward, finding a weak spot in Guts' armor. The sword plunged through flesh and organs. The hilt gleamed with sweat that was coming from Spitelout's hands. Spitelout let his sword stay there for a moment while Guts' attack failed him, caught so off guard that he only ended up letting his sword fly from his hand and clatter to the ground.
Guts looked down, Spitelout's weapon protruding from him chest. His eyes widened in fear and realization but Spitelout felt no pity for the man. He reached forward, grasping the hilt and raising a foot. He shoved his foot into Guts' stomach, pushing the body away from his sword, which came out with a red, sticky slime. It smelled, the stench reeking the air. Spitelout paid it no mind, watching as Guts collapsed backwards onto the floor, arms crashing open to the sides. The eyes of Guts went blank, their empty gaze staring straight up to the ceiling of the Great Hall. No rise and fall of the chest. Spitelout was the victor.
The winning man turned his cold gaze to that of Alvin. The outcast leader was trying to move closer to Hiccup, but Toothless cut off every angle. The Night Fury, growing agitated with Alvin, let out an earsplitting cry, lunging forward some with retracted teeth baring. Never had Spitelout seen those green eyes quite so fiery as they were now. He would hate to be Toothless' enemy.
Feeling the desire to finish this, Spitelout bolted forward, clutching his sword. He was coming up behind Alvin when the man seemed to sense him and wheeled around. Alvin barely had time to bring his sword back out to spare his own life before Spitelout was baring down on him with a strike meant to come down onto Alvin's skull. Alvin sent kicks into Spitelout's shins to force him to the ground. Spitelout went down onto his knees and suddenly felt the full weight of Alvin now pressing down on his sword.
"That was a cheap move!" Spitelout snarled.
Alvin chuckled. "Wait until you try this one."
Swords still pushing against each other, but with Spitelout forced to the ground, Alvin once against swung a kick. It met the right side of Spitelout's head and he was sent spinning to the left. He was on his stomach. He pushed himself onto his elbows and made to stand back up. He wasn't fast enough. He felt the tip of the sword push through his back and the next thing he knew, the metal was now shoving up through his chest below his heart. He looked down and saw the point sticking out in front of him. Blood dripped down along the edges. His blood. The breath he had been taking was caught in his throat and his body exploded with such agony that every inch of him went numb in an instant.
"NO!" a voice cried, but it sounded like it was underwater. Spitelout craned his head enough to notice that it was Hiccup. The boy was propping himself up with his right hand while his face twisted in pain from the physical injuries he had and the sight he was watching.
Spitelout felt the smallest of chuckles escape his throat as he looked at Hiccup. He wasn't sure what was funny, but he smiled gently at his nephew. He managed to take another intake of breath as his body fought to live, even as Alvin pulled the sword from him. Spitelout remained on his knees, looking at Hiccup with that sad smile.
"It'll be all right, Hiccup. Stoick will be here soon," he muttered softly, then felt himself crumple into a heap.
Stoick came in right as he watched his brother's body hit the ground. His entire being went cold for a moment, watching the struggling rise and fall of Spitelout's chest as his brother still clung to life. Then the chill was swept away in a burst of heated hatred. Stoick bellowed into the air with such a might that it rivaled even that of his dragon, Thornado, who stood behind him along with Gobber and most of the villagers. Thornado had retrieved his rider in a record speed for a Thunderdrum, so now Stoick and all those from the docks had all come to see what it was Thornado had been wanting them to see. Stoick was not pleased with the sight.
He wasted no time barging in, sidestepping Guts' lifeless form to race towards Alvin, sword brandishing in the air. Alvin, however, was not ready to be defeated. The man had noticed Toothless' diverted attention towards checking over Hiccup and now he rushed the dragon, sheathing his sword. The outcast wrapped his beefy arms around the Night Fury's head before pushing the dragon's head against the ground. As soon as he had the hold, he retrieved his sword again and pressed it against the back of the dragon's neck.
"Toothless," Hiccup moaned, reaching for his dragon, but too weak to do more than that.
Alvin spat, "Don't move! That includes you, Stoick!"
Stoick halted, though every ounce of anger urged him to keep moving forward. The one droplet of dread in his stomach forced him to stop, though.
"You move and the dragon here loses his head. You know I can do it, Stoick. I can kill him with one fell swoop. One twitch of the wrist. Stop your moving, dragon, or I'll kill your boy as soon as I'm done with you!"
Toothless ceased. He had been close to throwing Alvin off, but he wasn't sure how good of a reaction time Alvin would have. If the outcast could sense what Toothless was going to do then the man could behead him before Toothless had time to jerk Alvin off. He also didn't want to risk Hiccup's safety. The boy was a mess on the floor, splattered with blood and the knife wound on his thigh still oozing. Hiccup had gotten a hold of the knife Alvin had dropped, but knew there was nothing he could do with it.
Stoick glared at Alvin. "What do you want?"
"Drop your sword."
Stoick hesitated, but Alvin pushed the cold steel of his blade closer to Toothless' neck. Stoick released his weapon and it clattered to the ground with an intense echo.
"Now then," Alvin said wickedly, "You're going to let me leave on Blood Cry without harming me."
"Why should I do that?" Stoick snarled, eyes blazing back up and taking a step closer to Alvin.
Alvin chopped the sword down hard and it dug some into Toothless' neck. The Night Fury yelped, tail lashing in response to the pain. Though the claw marks on his back had stopped bleeding, now his neck was slowly pooling as Alvin let his sword slowly slide through his skin. Toothless snarled, unable to believe that Alvin had the strength to puncture him. No wonder Vikings had been such good dragon killers.
Stoick stopped and raised up his hands to show he wasn't going to attack. His eyes flickered to Hiccup. His son had fallen back down on his side, unable to prop himself up anymore. He still clutched the knife, hands white, as if it might aid him. His whole being seemed paler than normal, the freckles on his face standing out clearly. His green eyes were dulled and his face was contorted with the agony that seared his body. He was looking at Toothless with worry. Stoick then looked to his fallen brother. Spitelout was still fighting to stay alive. His brother's wife, Blisteria, was kneeling beside her husband, whispering gently, trying to keep him aroused. A healer had come forward and was meekly attempting to stop the blood flow, though they knew it was too late.
Though every fiber of Stoick's entire being wanted nothing more than to murder Alvin then and there, he knew that if Toothless were killed, then Hiccup would be dead, too. His son would become a ghost to the world without his dragon, and Stoick didn't want that. He couldn't have that. So he knew he had no choice.
"Gobber," he called and his friend came sidling up beside him. "Go tell your Bone Knapper to release the Thunderdrum. I'll escort Alvin outside."
Alvin snorted. "Give me your word you won't attack me until the next time we meet."
"I give you my word," Stoick promised, hating it.
He knew he should just forget his word and kill the traitor, but that was not how he ruled. No matter how much of a monster Alvin was, Stoick knew he couldn't go back on his promises. It would only be fuel for the followers of Alvin that may have possibly escaped. Or for other tribes that wished to take Berk for their own. There was no completely positive outcome to any of the choices Stoick could have made then.
Alvin released Toothless, who pulled himself away with a hiss. He twisted his neck around a bit, making sure the wound wasn't too bad. Though the Night Fury grimaced with pain, everything seemed fully functional, so Stoick knew the dragon would be all right. The outcast passed Stoick, heading through the parted villagers to follow Gobber outside. Stoick trailed him, seething.
Once outside, Gobber approached the Bone Knapper, who had a giant foot pressing Blood Cry to the ground. Gobber ordered the dragon to release. The Bone Knapper seemed agitated, but eventually obeyed and removed himself. Blood Cry shakily stood and watched Alvin near him.
"Don't worry. We're not done here," Alvin breathed icily to the dragon.
Blood Cry's eyes narrowed, letting Alvin climb onto his back before taking to the sky, the bright sunshine of the new day bathing everything in a warm light. Though the island, to Stoick, had never felt colder. He turned and rushed back into the Great Hall. His heart jumped to his chest as he noticed Hiccup still on the ground, Toothless hovering over him and whimpering. The healer had made his way to Hiccup, Astrid and the twins trailing him.
"Is he going to be all right?" Stoick breathed as he approached, kneeling down.
He saw Astrid's eyes watering as she looked Hiccup over. She knelt down beside Toothless, stroking the nose of the black dragon, who sighed sadly. Ruffnut and Tuffnut stood behind the healer, both of them looking a bit down as they watched the healer begin to examine Hiccup.
The boy stirred, looking up at his father. "I'll be fine, dad. Go see Uncle Spitelout."
Stoick's mind then remembered his brother. He turned his head to look over to Spitelout and Blisteria. He wandered near to them, barely making it to his younger brother before his legs gave out beneath him. He came down beside Spitelout, who was being cradled in Blisteria's arms.
Spitelout managed to turn his head enough to stare Stoick in the eyes.
"Spite," Stoick choked, it just now hitting him that his brother was dying.
The brother who had been with him through thick and thin. The brother who had supported him all through his chiefdom. The brother who was his right hand man alongside Gobber. The brother who was his brother. He was dying.
Spitelout's face broke out into a gentle smile. "Is Hiccup all right?"
"He'll be fine."
"Good. Keep up the great work, brother. He's turned out into a real fine boy. Strong. Like his dad."
"And his uncle," Stoick breathed.
Stoick knew that Spitelout didn't mean physical strength. Hiccup had real strength, though. A stubborn nature with a heart of gold. Even now, lying in his own blood, he was strong. Stoick glanced back and saw that the healer was having Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Astrid help him apply pressure to the knife wound while trying to move him to a better place to work. Gobber retrieved the prosthetic leg of Hiccup's that had been ripped off and then headed over to see if he could be of assistance. Toothless watched dutifully, eyes never wavering.
Spitelout took a sharp intake of breath as his face turned to Blisteria, pain etched into the creases of his cheeks and forehead. "I love you, honey. Tell Snotlout to keep it up. He's on the right path to being a good warrior."
Then his eyes went vacant as a soft sigh left his lips. Stoick felt his heart sink from his throat to the pit of his stomach. Though a strong man, seeing his younger brother breathe his last breath still made him feel like he had taken an onslaught of punches to the gut. He struggled to hide the tears in his eyes, needing to be strong for his village. Blisteria wept, her left hand, which wasn't cradling Spitelout, was stroking the stubble of his beard, shaking as she traced the outline of her husband's face. She leaned forward, her head falling against Spitelout's chest, just above the wound that killed him, her salty tears mixing with the blood that stained his garment. She clutched him in her arms, breathing sweet words to him though he could no longer hear them.
Stoick reached forward and closed his brother's eyes. He looked up at the villagers that were crammed at the entrance of the Great Hall.
"Are the fires put out?" he asked, though his voice struggled to escape his throat.
Gobber nodded, coming up in front of Stoick so that man could see him, unneeded currently for Hiccup's recovery.
"Good. Let us gather the dead. And I need a couple men to go fetch the group out with Mulch and Bucket. Let us celebrate the lives of those who have passed on with a proper burial," Stoick choked the order.
Usually, burials were personal. The site that those who passed on were buried at was a ways away from the village. Now, though, everyone was gathered together, bodies huddled closely for warmth against the chill. The sun was high in the sky, but sinking, revealing it was past noon. It had taken a while to reclaim the elderly, pregnant women, and children. Stormfly and Barfbelch had helped Hookfang to fly back to the village. There, he remained with the other dragons, as the Berk islanders didn't think the dragons would understand the burial process as they did and wouldn't give it the respect it deserved. The dragons seemed to realize this was a human tradition, and seemed fine to stay out of it aside from Fang.
The graveyard was a vast hillside. Not a very steep one, so easy enough for everyone to gather along. The wind bit at the people standing there as they looked up to Stoick, who stood before the family members of all of them people who had lost a loved one in the war. A total of ninety two people had died, nearly a third of the villagers who had fought in the battle. Most every one had lost some sort of relation but those who didn't watched from further below, their eyes brimmed with tears for their friends.
Fishlegs, the twins, and Astrid were lucky, having not lost anyone close to them. They stood up at the top anyways, though, to support Snotlout. Hiccup wasn't present, as he had fallen asleep and was recovering at home in bed. The group watched Snotlout with pained expressions as the boy who always tried to act tough seemed broken down before them. His head had a fresh bandage wrapped around it though he looked like a mess from where he stood beside his mother and Stoick.
Even the twins stood in silence, knowing quite clearly that this was not a moment for them to speak.
Back behind everyone, Mildew stood in a blanket of noiselessness. He held Fungus close to him, plotting speeches for later to use the deaths to his advantage in driving off the dragons. For now, though, he wasn't about to disrupt the ceremony.
The dead had been burned, their ashes encased in wooden boxes. Stoick held the box of his brother's, his fingers wrapped so tightly around it that splinters slid into his calloused hands. He didn't care. The pain of each wedge of wood seemed to help drown out the pain of loss.
The holes had been made. Blisteria and the other Vikings were placing articles that belonged to the deceased inside. It was a proper custom. Once done, Blisteria turned to take the box from Stoick, sniffling softly as she reached for it. Her dark hair was mattered and tangled around her face as she accepted it from him before turning and kneeling down to the hole. Once she had placed it in, Snotlout began to heap the dirt back over top, his movements sluggish. Once everyone was completely buried, stones were placed in a shape in their honor as a marking place, much like the rest of the graves that surrounded them on the hill.
A bird chirped in the distance before another sweeping of wind rustled the trees at the bottom of the hill. The sound sounded low and soft, a weeping that blended in with the weeping of the people of Berk. The sun danced along the ground and seemed to brighten when it hit the floating clouds that passed by. A peaceful day it had turned out to be once the battle was over. But one full of distraught.
Stoick and Snotlout placed the stones. They made the shape of a sword, meant to symbolize the power, strength, and reliance that Spitelout had so represented in their lives.
As they stood back up straight, Snotlout seemed to be overcome with a sort of vexation. He reached up, hands wrapping around the horns of his helmet. He lifted it from his bandaged head and his eyes were alight with a new sort of fire. Flinging his helmet to the ground, he fell to his knees before his father's grave.
"I'll make you proud! I'll be so tough that people will remember our family name for generations!"
Snotlout's promise was screamed into the empty air. It struck the people gathered on the hillside, who were, at first, confused by Snotlout's sudden act. They exchanged glances, unsure of what to do before Stoick suddenly stepped forward and his booming voice vibrated in their cores.
"Alvin will pay."
With that, Stoick removed his own helmet and tossed it to the ground. Blisteria followed suite, her's rolling down the hill a couple feet before coming to a rest. The twins were next, then Fishlegs (whose helmet was actually knocked off for him by Fang, who rested on his shoulder), and then followed by the rest of the villagers who were wearing helmets. Astrid, having no helmet but feeling the need to partake, removed the band around her head and let it drop to the ground beside Ruffnut and Tuffnut's helmets. It was not a normal tradition and would probably never be done again, but with that, the act seemed to bind the village together.
With that, the promise for revenge and the desire to avenge, was sealed.
Hiccup woke up feeling hungry and bone-tired. None of his muscles seemed to want to work so he remained in his bed, staring up at the ceiling for a long while before he finally found the inner strength to move. Once he sat up, he was greeted by the slime of a tongue from Toothless.
"And that's just how I wanted to wake up this morning," Hiccup muttered, though also a bit amused.
He smiled at the Night Fury, who sat beside his bed with glittering eyes. The black dragon jumped around, seeming completely fine despite the war that had occurred so recently. The wounds on the dragon's back, neck, and wing were all ready sealed enough that that pain was hardly noticeable.
Hiccup couldn't hold down the swelling feeling of joy that bubbled in his chest. He was alive. Toothless was alive. All his friends were alive. He had feared that the whole island would fall thanks to him, but it was still here, just a little broken. He grinned, pushing himself out of bed and unsteadily onto his foot. His prosthetic had been rebound. His left thigh was aching with a burning pain and he was reminded of the knife wound that was there. Toothless was more than happy to provide support for his boy as Hiccup stumbled to the steps, attempting to go downstairs.
"Hiccup!" a voice called up to him. Hiccup peered down to see his father standing at the bottom of the steps, mouth slightly open as he looked up.
Hiccup beamed, sitting on his butt and sliding down one step at a time to avoid the pressure on his leg. As his hands maneuvered him down the steps, he realized his left wrist was in a cast, but it didn't ache with the pain like his leg did. Toothless followed behind slowly, diligently. Hiccup was watching his father, but noticed that Stoick's thrilled expression looked a bit pained as Hiccup neared him. The chief waited until Hiccup was close enough and then pulled his son into a hug, trying to be as gentle as possible with Hiccup's weakened body. Hiccup didn't mind the small slivers of pain from the embrace, he was just glad his father was still around to crush him.
When Stoick released him, Hiccup swallowed down air saying, "Hey, dad. So, what'd I miss?"
"Well, we've done the burials. Lost a little over ninety people. We're still rebuilding everything but with the dragons' help, we're making great progress. We lost about twenty seven or so dragons. I've actually got to go out and help do some rebuilding soon. Your friends are coming over to watch you," Stoick explained softly.
Then Hiccup remembered his uncle. His stomach clenched and it suddenly felt like someone had somehow managed to punch his heart. He winced, casting his gaze to the floor. Toothless crooned softly from behind him on the steps while Stoick placed a hand on his shoulder to let him know it was okay. When Hiccup looked back up, he tried to move on and asked, "Watch me?"
"You've been asleep about two days. I didn't want to leave you here alone with just Toothless while I was out so your friends offered to watch you. Not sure if it's because they care about your or they just didn't want to repair buildings," Stoick mused.
"Mostly the second thing," Astrid announced as she walked in, the others tailing her.
Hiccup wondered how he looked in comparison to his friends. Astrid's bruise was just about faded, but the left side of her face was still just barely yellowed as it was vanishing. Her hair was a disheveled mop on her head and bags were clear under her eyes. She was dirty, caked in a layer of brown, same as those behind her.
Tuffnut's bruises were much like Astrid's. Yellowed, but nearly gone. His twin sported a long scar along her left cheek. Fishlegs looked almost normal aside from the dirt and the baggy eyes.
Snotlout looked the worse. His hair was so messy that it made Astrid's look combed. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark purple. His head wasn't bandaged anymore, but his helmet was clearly avoiding the spot where his head had been cracked. He looked tired even without having to glance at his eyes, for his arms hung by his sides limply, his legs seeming almost to shake as if his own weight was too much for him to handle. On his right shoulder, Fang clung to him, pressed close.
"I'm off, then," Stoick announced, shuffling out of the house.
Astrid approached Hiccup slowly, her blue eyes brimming with concern as she looked him over. He was leaning lopsidedly on his right leg, trying to keep most of his weight off of the left. He managed the slightest of smiles as her, glad to see her no matter how rough she looked. When she returned the smile, his heart practically melted and he wanted nothing more than to just hold her close, thanking Odin she was alive.
"You okay, Hiccup?" she asked softly.
He nodded. "Yeah. Getting stabbed isn't the worst thing that's happened to me, I'm sure."
Astrid sighed. "Hiccup, I'm serious."
Hiccup sobered some and narrowed his eyes at her.
"Our homes all got burned down in the fighting. We've had to sleep outside. If it weren't for Stomfly and the others, we'd probably be frozen. Many of our ships are gone and, well, we lost some people..."
Hiccup grimaced. While he had been resting in his own bed in his own home, his friends had been out in the cold, working and suffering. For what he had done. He sucked in a breath and found himself staring down at the ground again, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm sorry."
He felt sick.
"It's okay, Hiccup. This whole thing isn't your fault. Any of us would have probably done the same things you did. Most people probably survived because of you," Astrid tried.
Hiccup looked up. "Yeah, how did I do that?"
"You didn't. Because of you, people are dead, plain and simple," a new voice suddenly cut in.
Snotlout. Hiccup's stomach twisted and he felt a wave of nausea sweep him. He stumbled forward a bit, but Astrid caught and righted him. He heard Toothless come the rest of the way down the stairs, snarling angrily at Snotlout for his tone. The Night Fury glared at him with narrowed eyes, but Snotlout didn't even waver. Fang, on his shoulder, let out a hiss.
"Snotlout, it wasn't Hiccup's fault," Fishlegs tried to ease him. "It was just bad timing..."
"Yeah, that's helping," Tuffnut scoffed.
Fishlegs looked over him nervously. "Well, I don't see you trying to help!"
"Yeah, I don't do helping. I just stand around and laugh at things that aren't funny. Like this," the boy responded, then punched Ruffnut in the arm and chuckled.
"Ow! Hey!" his sister snarled, turning and delivering a blow upside his head.
Hiccup felt a jab of irritation. He looked at Astrid apologetically before saying, "Can everyone just leave for a minute so Snotlout and I can speak? In private?"
Fishlegs and Astrid were quick to oblige. The twins seemed eager to stick around and watch what happened but were soon yanked away. As the door to Hiccup's home shut, Hiccup wandered over to the steps and sat down, overcome with a weight of wariness. Toothless came and sat at the base of the stairs, sticking near to Hiccup protectively, watching Snotlout with a suspicious gaze. Hiccup reached out scratched Toothless under the chin to ease him. He didn't think his cousin would kill him. Snotlout was just upset. Hiccup knew why.
"Snotlout, I'm-"
"Don't give me that shit," Snotlout cried, wheeling to stare at Hiccup with a furious gaze. His fists clenched and unclenched as he began to pace some, footsteps intentionally hitting the ground hard to help him release some of the pent up frustration. "Look, I'm not mad you helped Alvin train the dragons. I'm only alive because you did that. I'm just... I'm so... I'm angry!"
Hiccup felt his eyes sting as his cousin yelled at him. Hiccup and Snotlout certainly weren't the closest. Especially out of the group. In fact, Hiccup probably got along better with all of the others, even the twins, before he got along with Snotlout. It didn't change the fact that it still hurt to be the reason his kin was upset. He twiddled his fingers, watching the other boy pace for a couple minutes. Snotlout seemed to be searching for words that he couldn't find to express himself.
Hiccup sighed deeply, feeling anguished. "You're angry because I should be dead and not your father."
"Alvin wasn't after my dad! He was after you! Why did my dad have to die to save your ass? Why do me, my mom, and Fang have to suffer because of this? Hell, even Hookfang is distraught and he and my dad hardly spent time with each other," Snotlout screeched, throwing his hands up and nearly knocking Fang off. He reached up and pulled the Terrible Terror close to him. "It's not fair. Why'd my dad have to die? Why wasn't it your dad that went up there to rescue you? Or Gobber or Phlegma? Why?"
Hiccup shook his head, still sitting on the steps. He was shaking. The boy before him seemed so uncharacteristic of the Snotlout Hiccup was used to. It made it all the more worse to see his cousin like this. This wasn't Snotlout, but because of him, now Snotlout had to feel this way. "I don't know, Snotlout. But without your father and Toothless, I would be dead. All I can say is that your father... my uncle... helped save me. I wish there was something I could do to change the fact that he died."
Snotlout didn't seem satisfied and resumed pacing, his eyes squeezing shut. Fang, in Snotlout's arm, chirped softly before wiggling free, jumping off, and hitting the ground. The little dragon waddled over to Hiccup, passing Toothless who watched with a cautious intensity. The Terror flicked his eyes up at Hiccup before climbing up onto the step that Hiccup was sitting on to stare at him.
"Can you forgive me, Fang?" Hiccup asked, glancing down at the little dragon. "I'm sorry."
The Terrible Terror cooed softly, leaning forward and pressing his muzzle against Hiccup's left leg. He made sure to avoid the wound, but nuzzled ever so gently while Hiccup took a hand and stroked the Terror down along the back, waving among his spines. It made Hiccup feel a bit more at ease to know that at least the dragon forgave him. Maybe that was all Hiccup could ever do. Maybe he could only ever be good with dragons. He sure as heck had a knack for ruining his relationships with people. He prayed he'd never do such a thing with Astrid.
Snotlout looked over as this took place. His facial features seemed to soften at the sight of the Terror forgiving Hiccup. He sighed, feeling his fury fade with the release of breath. His brain, which had gone into overdrive with hatred and venom, began to slow and he was able to look at the picture as a whole.
"I'm sorry, Hiccup."
Words he never thought he'd say in his entire life.
Hiccup looked up, green eyes seeming confused at first as he took in this new information. Toothless looked over as well, blinking and standing to his feet. The Night Fury wandered forward up to Snotlout, who looked dejected, defeated. Toothless nudged him gently and Snotlout reached up to stroke the black dragon's muzzle. He had never really had the chance to touch Toothless before, so he even managed to smile at the new sensation.
"It wasn't your fault that my father died saving you. He was just doing what was right. He was being a good Viking and a good uncle."
Hiccup pulled Fang into his arms and stood. He limped down the steps back to flat ground and over to Snotlout and Toothless. Toothless throated softly and purred gently as Snotlout gave him a good scratch. It made Hiccup feel content to see Snotlout and Toothless finally having a moment together, finally earning the trust of one another.
"It's not going to be easy, Lout. But know that you got me here to help you on the way," Hiccup smiled, handing Fang back to him.
Snotlout's smile got a twitch bigger, but it was wiped off as the door flung open. Stoick walked back in, tramping across the ground. Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut came wandering inside after him, all looking at him with curious gazes. They all gathered around Hiccup, Snotlout, and Toothless, exchanging wary glances and seeming uneasy.
Hiccup took a hobbling step forward, cocking his head as he examined the creases on his father's face. It seemed a mixture of agitation and worry. He glanced back at the others for support. They all just stared at him before motioning him to go forward and ask what was up. Hiccup groaned. He had just gotten over feeling worried about Snotlout's anger. Now he had to face his father's...
"Dad? What's wrong?"
"Hella."
"Hellwha?"
"Hella, Hiccup. She's another outcast, like Alvin. Back before your time. Gobber found this in the Great Hall the other day, but didn't get a chance to read it and forgot about it until now. Alvin must have dropped it," Stoick explained, pulling out a letter and handing it to Hiccup.
Hiccup's fingers took the thin, crisp sheet of paper from his father's hands. He skimmed the contents, eyes narrowing. His heart sunk as he realized what was written down. He tore his eyes back up to his father, biting his bottom lip. "What does this mean?"
"The war isn't over, kids. Sit down. I've got some things I should explain to you all."
Blood Cry hissed with such a powerful fury that Alvin almost feared his dragon was going to try and kill him for the failure. They had been waiting a couple days now and Blood Cry was getting even more impatient than Alvin was. The person they were waiting for was certainly taking their time to arrive. Since getting back to Outcast Island, Alvin had felt nothing but a deep antagonism for Stoick and Hiccup. Especially Hiccup. How the boy kept escaping death was beyond comprehension as far as Alvin was concerned. It should have been done years ago.
Alvin roared and grabbed a stone resting nearby. He hurled it across the council room, watching it slam against the opposite wall and crumble to pieces. Blood Cry growled in annoyance. The other two dragons that had returned from the battle, the female Nightmare and a Nadder, lowered their heads, thinking that they may feel the brunt of Alvin's anger. Ever since Alvin and Blood Cry had returned to find them and four other men who had made it back, the Nightmare, Nadder, and the men had been the objects of much of Alvin and Blood Cry's wrath for having been cowardly and run away. The men stood lined against a wall as far from Alvin as they could manage.
As Alvin bent for another rock, this one much larger than the last, the men flinched under his dark gaze, which traveled over each of them like a boar searching out the perfect meal. He bounced the stone in right hand, then clutched it, pulling his tense arm back before throwing it forward with a might.
"Where is she?" he howled as the small boulder flew from his grip, soaring through the air and then slamming into the helmet of one of the outcasts.
The man hobbled, dazed from the strike.
A clear cut voice pierced the air like a knife. "Right here."
Alvin spun around to face the newcomer.
She was a large-set woman. Nearly a big as Alvin. Her bright blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. The tendrils that hung down were interconnected in a giant, fuzzy mass. Her hazel eyes were sharp, standing out darkly on her pale face. Her high cheekbones and smooth jawline made her almost beautiful, but then her body seemed out of place. She was of a large build, muscular and strong. Though not as chiseled as Alvin, it was obvious that she had fought her way through life as much as he did, if not even more. The callouses on her hands and scars up and down her arms spoke of more tales than she would ever try to recount. She wore an outfit similar to all the women of Berk, a tunic with armor placed over various spots of the body. Her stance spoke clearly the respect she demanded and the strength she wielded. Alvin, though, paid no heed to his and approached her with a red face.
"Hella! What took you so long?"
Hella drew back a hand and slapped Alvin when he tried to shove his face into her's. "If you had read my letter you would have known I wasn't arriving until today. I bet you paid it no mind, did you? You were too hell bent on having your revenge with Stoick and Berk to wait. Now look what's become of your plan. You're down to four men and three dragons. You're the disgrace here. And keep your breath out of my face, you smell of shit."
Alvin seethed, but said nothing.
Hella strode across the room, peering down the men standing to the side and then scanning her gaze over the dragons. She smirked at them before returning her glare to Alvin. "You may have the strength and skill to kill Stoick, but you do not have the strategy or the men."
"What are you suggesting?"
"That we do the plan I had in mind."
Alvin snorted, then chuckled mildly, thinking Hella had just embarrassed herself. "Mind you, Berk isn't as easy to invade as expected. And even if it was, what men would we do this with?"
"Your little mistake actually aids my plan," Hella said cooly.
Alvin narrowed his gaze.
"We're going to have Stoick bring his forces to us. Where we have the upper hand. You've all ready done most of the work to get him angry. A couple more tricks and he'll be here to challenge us before you know it. Then we can kill them all, go back to Berk, and reclaim it for ourselves."
"I repeat, what men would we do this with?"
Hella laughed dryly. "You act as though I've been hiding in a cave all by myself for the past many years. Come, take a look."
Hella waved her hand for Alvin to follow. She strode over to the door leading to the cliffside, yanking it open. She stood and allowed Alvin to leave first, Blood Cry on his heels, interested in what the woman had to offer. Once they were out, she came up alongside them, the bright sunshine glinting off her hair. Her eyes sparked as she looked over at Alvin, whose face broke out into a wicked grin.
"Behold my army," Hella introduced. "Around two hundred and thirty two armed Vikings ready to serve us."
Sure enough, scores of men lined the island with ships docked along the sand. Out in the water, even more floated, men gathered along the decks with catapults and weapons.
Alvin looked over at Blood Cry. "Have any more friends you might want to invite to the party?"
Blood Cry took to the sky.
HOLY CRUD MUFFINS...
I had worked a wee little bit on this over the weekend. Then I sat down today (Monday for those of you who read this later) and worked on this for about... six hours. SIX HOURS. It still probably had a butt-load of grammar and spelling errors despite rereading it multiple times x3
This was a freakin' long chapter... For me.
Anyways, about Hella (who is an OC), she is not going to take over as the main villain or anything. She will be important to the story, but mostly because she's the reason Alvin has a new army at his disposal. As for who Hella is and where she got the army, that will be answered later.
Blisteria (Snotlout's mother) is technically also an OC as his mother is never named. But she's not very important.
I apologize for Snotlout and Hiccup's extreme OOCness in this chapter. However, I feel it was justified and I hope you all feel the same.
The next chapter is going to be a big flashback, by the way. It will tell Hella and Alvin's backstories. Stoick, Val, Gobber, Spitelout, Blisteria, Phlegma, and Hoark will all be characters used most in these flashbacks alongside Hella and Alvin.
And as for ninety two Vikings being a third of the fighting forces of Berk... I'm just guessing. In Alvin and the Outcasts, Gobber was remaking weapons and after one he said only... three hundred and forty five to go or something like that... So I just assumed that was the number of Vikings on the island that could fight (excluding elderly, children, etc.).
By the way, I also got a Tumblr. If you want to follow me, I'm Deyoxis. I basically just do HTTYD stuff.
By the way, LOVE that my review count has been increasing with pretty much every chapter since Chapter five. LETS KEEP THAT UP! Review, por favor, but no flames.
Love,
Deyoxis