The Night and the Furies

Everyone who was a member of the Berk Dragon Academy was present and account for and currently getting a refresher course courtesy of the Haddock siblings who were going over literally everything they'd ever learned about dragon training with the Riders and their siblings.

Berk was still on very high alert so that's why they're having this class and though everyone was groaning when Astrid came to the front of the class they knew what she had to say was important even if her classes always left them sore in more than one way.

"Okay, thank you very much, Hiccup. You and your siblings did a very good job with your part. But here comes the real tough assignment which is tonight assignment.

Before any of you guys groan and make a fuss because you hate my classes and I know you do from past experiences we need to do this one nonetheless. We need more than just a refresher course on all this dragon training. We need to retrain ourselves on how to survive and function without our dragons as well.

We need to make sure our own natural skills don't get rusty and we don't ever get too depend on the dragons that we can't even remember how to fend for ourselves if some dire circumstance arise or we cannot use our dragons.

So tonight we are heading off to Dragon Island for a survival test. Too hopefully to show we remember our own natural skills and if not relearn them and hone them once again."

"Great! This is gonna be so much fun tramping around an island full of wild dragons in the middle of the night and hoping we all don't get lost or eaten just to make sure we remember how to not die! Great!" Snotlout who surprised everyone he actually knew how to use sarcasm correctly.

"So what should we pack? This sounds like a lot of fun having a camp out and being up all night! We always have to be in bed like an hour after the sun goes down and…" the children all started saying before Hiccup held up a hand and got in front them with a firm look.

"Sorry to make you feel bad but you guys aren't coming along for this exercise. And don't argue! Look I know since we all took the Vow of Siblinghood you've been part of every class and learning everything side-by-side with your brothers and sisters.

All in preparation for the day my sister Una's vision when your own destined dragons will be born. And so you can spend time with your brothers and sisters and learn a lot of valuable lessons which goes both ways," he shot looks at both parties as he said that line before returning his gaze to the children.

"But these orders come from the top and you know what that means."

"It means that our mommies don't want us on Dragon Island in the middle of night because they think it's too dangerous," muttered Ria correctly guessing what "Orders from the top" meant.

"Yeah, sorry, Ria. All your guys' mothers have to approve of what we can and cannot do with you all. We may be your big brothers and sisters but the buck still stops with them as they are your moms." Astrid replied sympathetically.

"It's still not fair! How are we supposed to learn anything about survival skills or anything that might be useful if we can't join you on this exercises? And we know Boden and Una get to go!" Birger whined to which Astrid went over to her little brother to play a bit with his curly goldenrod hair.

"Oh don't whine like that, my brave soldier. You're brave and tough. Beside you'll all get your chance to learn what your big sister gonna crush the rest of these guys in tonight this weekend."

"Really?" he said brightly.

"Yeah really, Birger. Since we'll be taken you on a campout this weekend. That your moms did approve of since it's in Berk's backyard."

"So should we get prepared for that while you're all gone this tonight?" squealed Larkin excitedly as he danced about so much his brother Lanon had to get him settle down before he had an accident.

"Sure, it be a good idea for you all to gather a few essentials for the campout while we all get what we ready for our test tonight," Fishlegs told them and all the kids ran around a few minutes in glee which made it difficult for the Riders to catch them.

"Okay, we need to get you home so we can get ready for our test. So everyone get in your seat now," Ruffnut said in a firm voice which she was starting to develop since becoming a big sister and Tuffnut also said in a firm more mature tone to his and Ruff's sister Creel and Gala, "And you two no backseat driving this time," as the twins finished getting them buckled in.

"Why?" the eight year olds asked innocently and the Twins actually looked exasperated, "Because for once it wasn't our fault for causing trouble, it was your two's fault we nearly blew up the Chief's dragon's sister home because of your backseat driving."

"Yeah and we barely smoothed that over with Daddy, you two. So you should feel lucky my BBBFF were able to help save Stormy and her home and I was able to charm my Daddy into for once not punishing your brother and sister!" called out Una as she was feeding her dragon Nightrainbow a treat.

Blushing crimson Creel and Gala decided to shut up and let the Twins take them home in silence.

Before Astrid left with her four siblings she asked Hiccup where he and his siblings were going. He told her they needed to go meet up with Skullette and Firefang in the UDS to check out how things were down there and get some supplies for tonight.

As Hiccup pointed out they'd be fools not to bring some emergency supplies. And Astrid agreed they would be very foolish not to bring some supplies with them. But remained him they'd leave two hours before dark to make it by moonrise to Dragon Island.

There was always a calming effect when the Haddocks went into the old Sanctuary they grew up in or at least spent a large part of their life working secretly in. Before the Academy this is where they spent a lot of their time in secret with the dragons they and their mother would work in secret to rescue, train and learn from.

They had allies with one family who helped them. A family that had always been close to theirs. The Anquetils who unknowingly also were blessed in their own way.

Skullette and Firefang though they're actual cousin no-one saw them as cousins but sisters. Even they called themselves sisters. Firefang lost her parents when she was five in a dragon raid when the house burned down and since then been raised by her aunt her mom Firestorm's older sister Dotta. Her cousin Skullette who was truly was her big sister was nine years older. Still both of them viewed Hiccup and his brother and sister as their own siblings too.

Skullette was only seven years older than Hiccup in fact. And Firefang two years younger than him. But still overall Berk was made up of a lot of friends and friends were all family.

"Oh good to see you all. Been expecting you for a while. Can you help us with feeding these dragons? They just finished their shift," asked Skullette her two different eyes full of kindness as the siblings came down the steps.

"Sure, Skullette. It must be very tiring for all of them even working in different shifts to keep patrolling Berk," Hiccup expressed as he got some of the more rare fish they saved for special treats and began feeding the Nadders who just came into roost.

"They seemed all very worn out. I'm feeling their exhaustion," Boden said as he let out a long yawn.

"I'm not really surprised and I don't think you need your empathic abilities for that one, Boden," Firefang replied as she looked up from her writing desk. No doubt about it Firefang had the best handwriting on Berk. She also invented shorthand writing and did amazing poetry but she was very secretive about whom she shared her poems with.

"Did find out anything new? Or is everyone at least healthy? We don't want anyone to get sick even if they're trying to protect us," Una asked concerning as she was using the invention they'd come up with to fill a lot of buckets at once to gather water from the underground stream.

"I love this water gathering system you three built but I thought you said you'd finish it so we'd make like water troughs that the water could be empty into so we'd wouldn't have to pour it in ourselves?" inquired Skullette as she helped Una carry the filled buckets.

"We've not had time yet with everything else going on. So this invention and few other things we had planned been put on the backburner for now. So for now you'll have to work with half the invention. Sorry," apologized Hiccup who was feeling somewhat guilty they hadn't had time to work on several ideas they'd wanted to do for weeks now.

"Well, don't feel too bad, little brother. You'll get too it eventually. And yes it's been hard on the dragons. We done our best to train them for different flight formations and attack patterns with the help of Wind Dancer and Airclaw, of course," Firefang informed him kindly as she gave their dragons a pat on their noses.

"That's good to hear, big sis." Boden acknowledged.

"Yes, it is. Here you can take this book to your parents later with our tactical plans with how we've train them. Perhaps your mom can come up with some other ideas and Cloudjumper can help with some of it."

Tucking the book in his vest he nodded, "I'll make sure Mom gets this after tonight. Which brings us to the point of why we are here. We have a training exercise tonight. A survival test on Dragon Island and we came to get some basic emergency supplies. We be fools not to bring them."

"Sure we'll get them for you. Boden? Una? Can you come with me and we'll get them. Hiccup can you finish helping Skullette with the other dragons?" Firefang asked to which he nodded as the younger children with the 13 year old to the backroom to get supplies.

They spent about twenty more minutes together and just giving each other goodbye hugs when all of sudden both of Skullette and Firefang's sister stones or the gemstones in their helmets that helped them focus their gifts flashed and they shivered.

"What's wrong? You alright?!" cried the Haddocks in alarm. The five of them all shared an incredibly bond of all being again like siblings and with the fact they're all blessed it was something no-one else on Berk would understand at all.

"There are great darkness awaiting you all on Dragon Island," whispered Skullette so lowly they almost didn't hear her.

"It as dark as moonless sky. It's something that not human nor beast. Just a darkness, sick and twisted and just evil." Firefang replied in the same chilled whisper.

"Can't you give us more than that?" Hiccup wanted desperately to know as he knew their gifts were more spiritually inclined and he knew one thing they could do for indisputably was sense evil.

"No, Hiccup that's all we got. We just sense an extraordinarily strong and highly potent evil is awaiting you on Dragon Island and all we can describe it as it's neither human or beast but something in-between," the sisters shook their heads sadly at their failure to provide further information.

"Then we'll just have to be extra alert tonight. Thank you. C'mon."

"Be careful! And warn the others of the danger dear brother! We don't want you or anyone to be in more danger. Wild dragons we know you can handle this evil we are sensing? This is something you can't handle unprepared. Just be careful," they warned them and they assured them they would warn everyone.

They did give everyone the cryptic warning the sisters had given them about this great evil on Dragon Island but as far as they could tell only Astrid and Fishlegs seem to take it in any serious consideration.

Though they felt it wasn't because Snotlout was a jerk or the Twins were dumb, because ever since becoming big brothers and sisters, all the Riders had gradually been improving as people, and starting to shed their less than desirable traits.

As a result this time it was more likely they're just distracted about the exercise and not that they're didn't care about the warning. Which was very likely given how everyone was behaving when they'd arrived on the island and it was pointed out one person had to keep the dragons from helping.

So Tuff was told to keep an eye on them in a nearby but concealed cave and the rest were told to take a path and make to the other side of the island. Once they're all on the other side they'd call for their dragons and go home.

And then they're off. Everyone took a different path and tried their best to get to the other side of the island.

Hiccup had no doubt Astrid would beat everyone and be the first there. Boden and Una figure it be a tossup between Ruff and Snotlout who'd have the most trouble getting to the other side as all three were fairly certain Fishlegs would do better than either of them but not nearly as well as Astrid.

The only thing they'd to worry about Tuff was could he actually babysit the dragons properly which given everything in the past was likely no. So they're hoping that their powers would at least work somewhat to keep them alert to everyone's positions on the island to make sure no-one got hurt in any shape or form.

Still holding their new Gronckle Iron weapons whilst trying to use their own skills and making sure everyone else was safe with their powers was a lot to focus on at once. So it was no surprise with so much going on in their minds they didn't see themselves walking into a trap till they caught in a net all screaming "What gives?! Help!"

There was some rustling coming down the path and all of them were trying to get detangled enough to reach for their weapons when they got a surprise about who emerged from the bushes and was looking up at them.

"Hiccup? Boden? Una? What are you doing here?" cried a familiar raven haired beauty in surprise.

"HEATHER?!" they asked in shock and skidded in behind her was her older brother Dagur and they're all think "Oh great the nutjob!"

But Dagur didn't look like the normal nut they knew him to be. He actually looked genuinely concerned about their predicament and was looking at the three of them like while as if they're all friends!

"What? How did you three? Oh that idiot! Heather help me up the tree and I'll get them down." Dagur said in a strange normal tone that didn't hold a hint of his normal craziness.

Heather helped him climb up a tree and he was able to get close enough to lower the net, then he jump down, made a small slash but not at them just to open a hole and then to their shock helped Una out first and handed her down to Heather, then Boden and at last Hiccup and then jump down himself.

"Um thank you?" they asked bewildered as they were even more bewildered as Heather was inspected them for injuries.

"You sure you're all okay. Knowing Axel and how he makes his traps they're always design…"

"HEY! WHAT ARE TWO DOING?! DID THE TRAP CATCH THEM OR NOT?!" called out a voice from the shadows that made them all feel like they fell into a pit of ice water.

"Axel," muttered Dagur. He turned to the Haddock siblings and whispered "Stay with Heather and I'll go have a word with my cousin about being irresponsible and personal safety issues," and Dagur went through the brush.

"Axel? Cousin? Huh?" they all asked in confusion and before anyone could stop her Una dashed forward but Heather grabbed her in time and pulled her back but not before Una and her brothers saw who Axel was.

They saw someone that made their blood freeze up in their veins. He was well over six feet tall with the palest skin they'd ever seen. He'd shaven his head pulled other than a very thin ponytail of bright vivid orange with startling catlike green eyes.

His outfit was a metal tunic the colored of dried blood and it was covered in spikes, fangs and claws. At his side was clipped a bloody battle ax but the thing that stuck out the most was the very large scar that looked like that ax he carried nearly spilt his face in two like an overripe melon!

"Who….who…who… is that?" chocked out Hiccup as Heather tried to get them out of sight before the fiendish teenager saw them.

"That's Dagur and mine's cousin Axel. He's my late mother Oydis's nephew. Her little sister's son. He's actually only 15 so he's younger than Dagur. But he's well he's crazy!"

"We thought your brother was the crazy one!" Boden squeaked out and Heather shook her head.

"My brother had his problems, but trust me, he's got a good heart under it all," Heather was quiet for a moment then revealed a fact that the Haddocks siblings weren't aware of but should've guessed given their own mental illness and family.

"When Mom was alive she was the only one who could truly help Dagur. Like I guess how your mother helps you all in ways only a mom can? Mom was Dagur's rock and when she was around he was less crazy. But when she wasn't around and after she died? He really lost it and the crazy spells came on more and more."

"We understand what you mean by that Heather, more then you'll ever know we understand what you mean," Hiccup assured her and she saw in his eyes he spoke the truth and guessed looking at Hiccup that maybe he and his siblings had similar problems her brother struggled with.

"But anyway, Axel? He's devoid of any emotion, extremely violent and unpredictable to the max! He like the definition of the old ways of our tribe times ten! Everything our father's worked his life to change!" Heather informed them.

"But if he's so insane and dangerous what are you two doing here with him at all?" Una wanted to know.

"He dragged both of us here since last week the herald from the treaty signing ran his mouth from getting too drunk about the dragon attack and about the Dragons of Legends and he's been obsessed with killing them. And he thought we'd want to join him and kill them too."

Seeing the look of horror on their faces Heather quickly spoke, "Don't worry I never want to kill anything again neither does Dagur. We're both sick to death of death. It's pointless to kill and the blood and carnage…it's all so pointless!

We now really understand why our father struggled to change things and why our mother was the sweet and benevolent soul she was and why she told us both to live in love and that life was sacred.

You three also helped us see that when you saved us without hurting the dragons and helped us finally grieve for our mother when Dagur and I wouldn't even admit we're upset about her death."

"So what are you going to do?"

"We've been spending the night trying to find a nice way get around Axel and go home. But now we've got to get you three out of here before he discovers you or he'll hurt…"

They heard a lot of yelling and a scream they all had to see what happened. They all looked into the clearing and saw that Axel had hit Dagur so hard he sent him flying several feet and he was laying on the ground not moving and Una couldn't stand it and without thinking she emerged from the bushes and went to see what was going on.

And with that they all had to come out as Hiccup wasn't about let his sister be alone with this kind of monster and he was actually worried about both Dagur and Heather's safety too.

"Who the hell are you three?" Axel wanted to know as he eyed Una as she was talking softly to Dagur and even tore her dress so she could wipe up the blood oozing from his face.

"Axel these are Stoick the Vast's children. They're on a campout on Dragon Island and stumbled into your trap by accident which is what Dagur was trying to address with you before you smacked him," Heather improvised as they'd even told her why they're there.

"So you're the three who conquered the Dragons of Legend," he chortled at that looking at them as most would. He started look at them like he was a predator and they're prey but Heather gripped her ax and brought it to bear.

"Axel, don't even think about harming them. They had no idea we're on this island either. Now why don't we all just try and find these dragons together and if we don't find them in an hour we go home?"

"Fine! Let's move out!" as he twirled his own bloodstained ax and she lowered hers for a moment to look back at the others and then felt a boot kick her in the stomach and now Boden was at her side.

Axel just laughed cruelly and started to walk away. "You got to stay behind us. We'll do our best to protect you. Just tell us where your boat is and we'll get you back there so you can escape him," whispered Dagur as Una helped him up and even let him lean on her.

"Um we didn't exactly take a boat to get here," Hiccup hedged and then added, "We aren't alone either. Our friends are on the island too."

"Okay this is very bad. It's gonna be a dangerous game of cat and mouse then. Since Axel not a house cat we can tell you that. Is there any way you can tell your friends they need to find some way to get to the other side of the island and we can get you there so you can escape him?" Heather whispered as they started to follow the psychopath.

"We do have our ways, yes. Not that we can explain them to you and surely not right now, but we have ways to communicate with them." Boden answered honestly feeling that by the end of the night they might have to let a few more people in on their secret.

"Well do what you can to let your friends know they need to get to safety and follow our lead in the meantime and Hiccup do your duty and keep your brother and sister safe. You've already seen what Axel willing to do. Don't think he'll hesitate to hurt your own brother and sister!" warned Dagur.

It really was a very deadly game they started to play as Dagur and Heather were being protectors and trying to distract their cousins while the Haddock siblings were also subtly using their powers to aid in the protection of themselves and their own dragon training skills to send signals to the others trying to warn them and the dragons of the impending danger.

By an amazing stroke of luck the Riders and their dragons all managed to avoid Axel and meet up at the rendezvous point and now were just praying for the first time that Dagur and Heather could get the Haddock siblings to safety and they could leave without any further complications.

Well nothing in life ever goes right and no matter how hard they tried Axel was a hungry wolf on the hunt for a meal and he found it. He found a cliff that hid him from view but gave him a perfect view of the Dragon Riders and he looked ready to dine.

"Well, well, looks like I finally found my prey! It's been a long day and a long hunt but I'm about to dine at last!" he chuckled as he seemingly pulled out of nowhere a crossbow that three arrows but Hiccup and his siblings didn't need their powers to tell them these arrows weren't just metal they're likely poisonous given everything they'd seen and heard about this guy.

"Axel no! Leave them alone!" cried Dagur and Heather but he was getting ready to pull the trigger. He didn't get the chance because in the next ten minutes all hell broke loose.

"NO!" and all three small scrawny Haddocks tackled the massive psychopath to the ground causing him to miss by mere millimeters but it was enough to cause the Dragon Riders to scattered.

And before Axel could harm the Haddocks Dagur and Heather both used their sword and ax to disarm him but he still was able to quickly disarm them and get back his bloodstained ax.

With all five of them at his mercy there was no choice now. Hiccup, Boden and Una yelled to the skies knowing they'd been following them all this time just out of sight.

"TOOTHLESS! STARDUST! NIGHTRAINBOW! ATTACK!" and to the murdering teenager surprise the Dragons of Legend descended from the sky and kicked his butt till he was out cold.

Dagur and Heather didn't have much time to absorb the fact that the Dragons of Legend had just saved their lives all they knew was Hiccup told them to get on board and they had to flee now!

As they fled for their lives the three siblings quickly as they could told the Berserker teens everything and also friends don't keep secrets from friends.

"You saved our lives tonight and we saved yours! You're our friends!" they declared firmly and then Una almost fell out her saddle as she just had a vision hit her like a bolt of lightning and screamed what tonight was actual about for Dagur and Heather.

As they flew quicker she exclaimed that Axel had been planning a coup for months with the Berserk tribe. That what their powers had told them at the treaty signing was in fact true. The tribe wasn't loyal to their father and had in fact been working for over a year with Axel to try and off them and their father so they could return the Berserks to their former glory.

So tonight was about getting rid of both of them and also getting rid of their father so Axel be by default the new leader legally and they could do what their tribe been itching to do for over 50 years!

Dagur and Heather were panicking about their father when Hiccup cut in he was alright. His powers were telling him their father had escaped the attempt on his life and he could see into their father's mind he was heading to a small island with pink flowers. Did that mean anything to them?

They informed them that's was his and their mother's secret hideaway and where the family agreed to go if this ever happened. They knew how to get their swiftly and silently and now knew they'd been on the run for their lives.

By now they'd gotten them to their boat and to help them get further out faster at least used the emergency supplies pull the boat out to sea quickly till Dragon Island was out of sight and told them good luck.

They told them thank you and they're friends till the end.

With that they're forced to leave their new friends behind and regroup with the Riders to go inform Berk of yet another new enemy because now they'd to worry about Axel the Ax-Murderer threatening Berk now!