We arrived on the bleak shore by the volcano. A thick fog surrounded us. We could see the Red Death. It was outside the volcano; the other dragons had fled the nest. The ships were offshore, aflame. Snotlout's father, Spitelout, was leading the vikings around to the safety of the other side of the island, while Stoick and Gobber were obviously trying to distract the Red Death. It looked even bigger now that we could see all of it.
Stormfly, with both Astrid and me on her, led the way. We swooped around the Red Death. It tried to snap at Barf and Belch as the twins flew close to it. "Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs," I warned them. Seeing Fishlegs in danger, I shouted, "Move, Fishlegs!"
A quick glance down showed Stoick and Gobber staring up in wonder.
"Look at us, we're on dragons! We're on dragons, all of us!" Tuffnut shouted gleefully, waving. Snotlout and Fishlegs cheered.
Spitelout and the other vikings stopped and stared up at us flying.
"Fishlegs, break it down," I told him.
"Okay," he said. "Heavily armored skull, and tail made for bashing and crushing. Stay clear of both." The Red Death had taken a ship in its mouth and smashed it as Fishlegs spoke. "Small eyes, large nostrils, relies on hearing and smell."
"Okay, 'Lout, 'Legs, hang in its blind spot. Make some noise to keep it confused." Snotlout and Fishlegs flew over to try to do so, remembering the dragon fighting training from a month ago.
"Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has a shot limit. Make it mad."
"That's my specialty," Ruffnut called proudly.
"Since when?" Tuffnut challenged. "Everyone knows I'm more irritating. See?" He flipped his head, Belch over, so he dangled upside down over Ruffnut.
"Just do as I told you," I begged. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Don't worry, we've got it covered!" Snotlout shouted after me as Astrid and I flew over to the burning ships.
As we flew over the ships, now nearly engulfed in flames, I heard Toothless's roar. "There!" I said. Stormfly turned around and swooped low, hovering over a ship. I jumped onto the ship and sprung to my feet.
Turning back up to Astrid, I shouted "Go help the others!" She and Stormfly flew away through the flames and smoke.
"Okay, hold on, hold on," I said, yanking the muzzle off of Toothless. I tried to use a spear to pry loose the chains holding him down, but made no progress.
The flames spread even further. The Red Death swept its massive tail toward the ship. I yelled in fright as the burning mast broke loose, falling where I was standing a second before.
The next thing I knew, the Red Death's foot crashed on top of the ship, knocking the platform that Toothless was chained down into the water.
As I swam down to save him, I could hear him roar in terror. But as I reached the bottom and started pulling at his chains, he shook his head, trying to urge me up to the surface.
I paid no heed. I kept yanking on the chains to no avail. I noticed things start to get darker as I gave up holding my breath. So peaceful…
A yank from behind! I felt myself being pulled above the water and dragged onto the rocky shore. I sat up, coughing and sputtering. I saw Stoick jumping back into the water.
"Dad?" I asked faintly.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then Toothless sprang out of the water, pulling Stoick behind him. He dropped him on the shore and flapped up to a large boulder, roaring for me to join him so he could fly.
I stood up with a smile on my face. "You got it, Bud," I said, running up to him and getting into the saddle.
"Hiccup!" Stoick said, grabbing my hand. "I'm sorry. For- for everything."
I nodded. "Yeah, me too."
"You don't have to go out there."
"We're vikings," I said. "It's an occupational hazard."
He clasped both his hands around mine. "I'm proud to call you my son."
"Thanks, Dad," I breathed.
Toothless spread his wings and we shot straight up into the sky. I heard Astrid shouting, "He's up!"
Snotlout had ended up falling onto the Red Death's monolithic head. "Get Snotlout out of there!" Astrid yelled over to the twins.
"I'm on it!" "I'm on it!" "I'm on it first!" the twins bickered, shoving each other and the other head of the Zippleback around. "Hey, let me drive!" "No, this way!" "Hey, don't push me."
Somehow, they ended up flying straight toward the top of the Red Death's head. Snotlout ran to the top of a broken horn and jumped as high as he could. He landed on Barf and Belches' shoulders, between the necks.
"I can't believe that worked!" Tuffnut shouted as they flew away.
Astrid tried to follow them. As she passed the Red Death's mouth, it started to suck in air. Stormfly pumped her wings as fast as she could, but to no use. They were rapidly sucked in toward the Red Death's mouth.
I saw all this from the distance. As Astrid and Stormfly were nearly in the monster's mouth, Toothless and I sped in. We made a whistling sound as we went at super speed.
"Night Fury!" someone shouted.
"Get down," Gobber warned.
Toothless shot a plasma blast at the Red Death's jaw. It's mouth snapped shut. Stormfly shot forward, and Astrid fell off, screaming.
Toothless and I continued our course, then flipped and reversed direction. Astrid was getting close to the ground; we had to catch her! We swooped in right above where Astrid was falling.
"Did you get her?" I asked Toothless.
Toothless looked down and roared happily. He had used his legs to catch Astrid. She hung upside down. Toothless tossed her around so she was right-side-up before we set her safely down on the ground.
I looked back at the Red Death as Toothless and I swept upward. "That thing has wings," I realized. They had been folded against its body. "Okay, let's see if it can use them!" Up in the clouds by this point, Toothless rolled over and folded his wings against his body. We flew down, and Toothless let out a plasma blast which hit the Red Death's wings. It roared as it fell to the ground.
Then, it stretched out its wings. "You think that did it?" I asked Toothless as we flew away. As if in response, the Red Death flew up behind us.
"Well, he can fly," I said, glancing at it. I adjusted my foot as we navigated down through the sea stacks which were barely visible through the smoke and fog.
Toothless, being extremely maneuverable and much, much smaller, wound quickly through the rock pillars. The Red Death simply smashed through them. It only slowed the huge dragon down by seconds.
I looked up at the clouds overhead. "Okay, Toothless," I said. "Time to disappear!" I shifted my foot backwards, and we shot up toward the clouds. "Come on, Bud," I cheered him on.
We zig-zagged slightly to stay out of the creature's mouth. It began to make sounds. I had heard those sounds before. Dragons make that noise before they –
"Here it comes!" I shouted. Toothless swerved out of the way just in time to avoid the biggest fire burst I could imagine.
Smoke mixed with clouds now, as Toothless and I tried to disappear deep into the clouds. The Red Death snapped at us, but missed. It stayed as still as it could, looking for us in confusion.
It roared as a plasma blast struck its wing. Toothless and I swept around, doing a barrel roll as we struck it across the other wing. We hit it again and again and again in different places, slipping out of sight each time.
The Red Death roared as it breathed fire – far more than it had before. It swept its head around as it let out a long stream of fire.
"Watch out!" I called as some of it got too close. Toothless's leather tail fin caught fire.
"Okay, time's up," I said, twisting around to look at it. I turned back. "Let's see if this works."
"Come on, that the best you can do?" I taunted the beast as Toothless flew straight toward it. It snapped at us as we swerved back and forth, diving toward the ground. I hoped the tail fin would hold up long enough.
Toothless was nervous as the Red Death nearly caught us. "Stay with me, Buddy, we're good, just a little bit longer."
We continued to dive through the clouds. I could hear the Red Death prepare for a shot. "Hold, Toothless."
"Now!" I shouted. We twisted around, and Toothless shot a plasma blast in the creature's wide opened mouth, already filled with gas for the shot. It roared in pain as we left the low hanging clouds. Toothless and I swept out of its way just in time as it crashed into the ground in a huge ball of fire, seconds later.
We were over its giant back, swerving around its many spines. The fire rushed closer and closer to us.
I moved the stirrup back and forth, looking back to see the tail fin burnt through and falling off.
I looked forward again to see the club-like tail smashing down toward us.
"No. No!" I said in a state somewhere between calm and horror. The tail smashed us, knocking me off Toothless. I fell toward the fire ball still exploding outward. The heat was intense, so intense! I could see Toothless's form coming down toward me as my vision faded to black.
Then, pain. Severe pain. I felt disconnected. My foot hurt. My leg hurt. My head hurt.
My mind was in a fog. It was quiet. It was dark. No, my eyes were closed. "Hiccup! Hiccup! Son!" A voice shouted.
My dad. It was my dad. No, that couldn't be. He hated me. No, no, not anymore… he forgave me. He was proud of me.
If only the pain would stop!
My dad was calling me. I had to answer. I had to open my eyes. I couldn't. He was in the distance, I couldn't reach him. I couldn't control my eyes. They were too far away.
I hurt all over now. My one ankle really hurt the most. But I couldn't feel my foot anymore. That was odd. Maybe if the fog in my head would go away, I would know why.
Something was wrapped around me. Like on Crescent Island. Why?
That something shifted. This didn't make sense. Why was I wrapped in something?
Toothless. Toothless was wrapping his wings and legs around me. Why would he do that?
I felt colder. Toothless's wings were moving away from me.
"Hiccup!" It was my dad again. I wanted to answer, to open my eyes. But I couldn't.
A huge hand grabbed behind my shoulders. Another hand smoothed back my hair. I felt a head press to my chest, against my heard.
"He's alive," my dad sobbed. "You brought him back alive!"
Of course I was alive. He'd know that if the fog would let me open my eyes. But I could only lay there in his arms. It felt nice. If only my leg would stop hurting.
Cheering. Lots of people cheering. I couldn't remember why there were people there.
Toothless made some happy cooing sounds.
"Thank you, for saving my son," my dad said softly.
"Well, you know, most of him," Gobber's voice came in.
Now what did that mean?