Chapter 12 is here! Well, it might not be as I write this, but to you reading it, it is! Whoop!
Draw my Dragons!: If you're a regular reader and you've read all of my stories, and if you're on Deviantart of a similar site, I want to see what you think my dragons look like. Draw Blueflame, the Burrow Barrow, whatever you like, but please, if you upload it, please link it to the story in which it appears and credit the design to me. I might have a go on my own profile, seeing as I had to draw them to design them in the first place.
Hiccupisnotuseless: Thank you as always! Sorry, I completely forgot it was there, with college and everything going on. Hmm, Grump wasn't going to be mentioned in this story. Perhaps I'll make a short little one-shot for him because I love him too
1248: Thank you very much, you're too kind
Guest: It's not a problem, really! I always feel bad for uploading late, as you may have noticed. Thanks!
Guest: Thanks a lot, but nope, it's not going to be a Ruffcup fic. If you've read some of my earlier stories, you'll see that I'm not a huge fan of non-canon relationships because I find love stories boring on the whole and I just feel the two wouldn't go together. Sorry!
Guest: Thank you for your kind words, but I don't feel I have anything to gain from putting a non-canon pairing in here. I don't really need to repeat my last reply, but I don't like the relationship and find any pairing here slightly unnecessary. Apologies.
Cloudjumper flailed wildly, but flopped heavily onto his side, the chains binding him biting into his skin. He gave an enraged howl, hissing as he struggled, the fierce claws on his feet scything through the air as he thrashed. His wide brow was contorted with rage and fear, the decorative ruff around his neck rustling and quivering with emotion. His long, finned tail smashed against the wall as he tried everything he could to free his four lethally-clawed wings from the chains. Valka gave a cry as she saw what had become of her beautiful dragon.
"Monsters! Who could do this to such a gentle beast!" She wailed, her mouth agape in shock as she rushed forward. Cloudjumper calmed as soon as he caught sight of his rider, crooning softly, a sad look in his eyes. The woman tugged at her dragon's chains, but to no avail; the Stormcutter had pulled them all tight with his anger. Tuffnut rushed forward, ceasing the lock in his long fingers and giving a shout of mirth.
"Oh, come on! They're making this too easy!" He laughed to his chief's mother. As she gazed on curiously, along with her dragon, Tuffnut reached around to his hip and drew out his long, thin dagger. Thrusting it into the lock, he twisted and turned until, with a click, the chains fell away.
"No problem," He announced proudly. Valka clapped him on the back, then began to pull the bindings away from her precious dragon.
"Quite impressive, Tuffnut. And where did you learn to do that?"
"Taught myself. Ruffnut and I used to steal food from the food stores when we were kids." He spoke without a hint of emotion, as though it was nothing of importance, and chose to ignore her disapproving look. Suddenly, the last of the chains fell away, and, ruffling his plumage, Cloudjumper rose to his feet and beat all four of his wings free, stretching out, ready to fly. Valka leapt up onto his back and they were off, thundering down the street and up into the air. Tuffnut chuckled lightly until he realised he was totally surrounded by soldiers.
"Torch!" He called, beginning to panic. All he had was his small knife against their swords, axes and maces. He could feel his palms become clammy.
"Your dragon can't save you now, Berkian scum," One man announced from the centre of the pack.
"Uh, I disagree with that statement!" He replied in his usual manner, though there was a tremor in his voice that wasn't usually there. A few Berserkers sniggered.
With a roar, he was suddenly swept up into the sky, clasped carefully in a Typhoomerang's sharp talons. Torch gave another triumphant screech as he turned to come about, bathing the men below in fire while Tuffnut smugly stuck out his tongue.
"Just a little longer. Wait for just a bit, Scauldy..." Ruffnut was trying her hardest to keep her dragon under control as the Scauldron fussed over being left out of the action. He snorted indignantly, shaking his head. "Come on, Hiccup, where are you?"
In fact, Hiccup was very close to her indeed. Toothless was powering straight up into the sky, the Skrill following in hot pursuit, snapping at his ankles with the occasional blast of lightning energy. The Night Fury suddenly changed course, diving steeply down, and again, Dagur's dragon followed on.
"Now, Toothless! Towards Ruffnut and Scauldy!" Hiccup gave the command that his dragon had been waiting for. Expertly, the dragon flared his wings and shot like a cross-bow bolt towards where their friends were lurking. He navigated the sharp rocks behind which Scauldy hid and barrelled past him at high speed.
"Hit it with everything you've got!" He called out.
"My pleasure!" Ruffnut replied, turning Scauldy towards the oncoming dragon. Before it even had time to slow down, the Tidal dragon began a deluge of water that surged over its back, soaking every last bit of it. He didn't stop until he was sure the creature was powerless. With a pitiful cry, the Skrill retreated, its electric power fizzing and sparking off its purple-black scales.
"We did it!" The rider cheered, throwing her arms up in the air in celebration. Hiccup laughed as he and Toothless came back around to congratulate them. "Great plan, Hiccup. You're pretty smart."
"Well, it was a great shot, and perfectly timed. Well done yourself." He replied modestly, smirking.
"Can Scauldy and I go and help out on the ground now?" She sounded almost disturbingly eager. Hiccup frowned, then allowed himself to smirk at her childish enthusiasm.
"Be my guest. Round up all the dragon riders if you can and get all the Berserkers back on their ships."
"Okay!" He hardly heard the reply as she and her dragon dived straight back into the action. Ruffnut made a bee-line for her brother, looking down as dragons were re-untied with their riders and began to fight back at their tormentors. Astrid and Stormfly were soon up in the air, firing and endless barrage of spines from the Nadder's whiplash tail. Valka and Cloudjumper were circling, tearing a hole through the soldier's defences with her dragon's powerful vortex flame attack.
"Tuffnut!" The dragons came close and circled each other, allowing their riders to talk. "Hiccup says we have to get all the Berserkers together and get them on to the ship. I have an idea, but you have to trust me, okay?"
Valka looked across to where the two riders were discussing something, her brow creasing as she wondered what it could be. Something was happening, and all of the riders around her could see it, could feel it. Cloudjumper snorted, becoming edgy as they came away from each other and began a wide circling motion around the entire of the Berserker army. What are they doing? She thought to herself, sinking lower against her dragon's shoulders. Both dragons roared together, creating a thundering cacophony that attracted the attention of every living creature. Then, with a certain grace, both dropped their heads as one and began to pour every ounce of their breath attacks down into the square.
They're driving the soldiers together! Valka thought amazedly. Furthermore, as Torch burned the already black ground, Scauldy put out the fires, minimising the damage caused. Soon, all of the Berserkers were contained within a ring of fire and water. Valka ceased the chance and raced forward on her dragon, forcing the men away with a vortex of super-heated flame. They dropped their weapons and scattered with fear, like fish away from a seal, down and down towards the boats. Every man ran screaming for his life until there was only one figure left standing, resplendent, before them.
Dagur refused to budge. He didn't move as Toothless swept down onto the ground, as his rider leapt off, as Hiccup approached. The dragons gathered around them, all behind their chief, unmoving in their loyalty. The two huge creatures still circled in the sky, along with Cloudjumper and Valka, keeping a close eye on the man before them.
He had a single slingshot in his hands, with a single stone clasped between his fingers, the string pulled back, ready to fire at the chief, though his arms were trembling. Hiccup raised his hands towards the other chief, carefully watching the unstable character.
"It's over, Dagur, You've lost. Just give up and put the slingshot down." He spoke calmly, so as not to provoke his enemy. The man took deep, ragged breaths, aiming at anything that moved or could move with sharp, desperate movements.
"It's never over!" His eyes were wild, his voice cracking and high. "I never give up, Hiccup, my brother. I never give in. I'm not weak, like my father. I'm not weak!"
"You don't have to be weak to know when you're defeated. In fact, it's stronger to admit you've lost."
"I never lose!" The string made a loud snapping noise as he released his shot, aiming not at Hiccup, but at his mother, who was high above on her dragon. Valka gave a scream as she was hit, recoiling, sliding off her dragon's back with a hand touched lightly to her forehead.
"NO!" Hiccup's screech was enough to break any man's heart. As Dagur made good his escape, Cloudjumper folded his wings, diving to snatch up his rider's limp form as she fell. He landed like a hawk, wings flared out by his sides, his rider protectively clasped in his claws, giving a heart-wrenching cry of misery. The chief sprinted over, placing his hand on the dragon's muzzle before he dropped to his knees beside his mother.
"No, no, no! Come on, not you too!" He whined. He pulled her into a more comfortable position, her arms resting on her belly, turning her pale face towards him. He couldn't even see where the rock had hit her, but it didn't even matter to him anymore. All he wanted to see was his mother smile again.
"Mum...?" He cupped her cheek in his hand, tears pricking his eyes. He couldn't lose her too. Everything around him seemed muffled, like it barely existed, it didn't even matter anymore. "Please, wake up... You have to wake up!" All of his calm composure dissolved as he felt arms wrapping around his shoulders. Astrid held him tightly, not speaking, knowing nothing she could say could make this any easier.
Suddenly, he roughly pulled away, placing his ear against her breast, listening for her heartbeat, but he could hear nothing. He didn't even have the strength to pull himself back up. First, his father, now, he'd lost his mother too.
"I'm sorry, mum... I'm so sorry..." He moaned. Or did she? Astrid couldn't tell anymore. Everything was just a haze of tears and pain. She blinked them away, roughly rubbing her eyes and looking down again to see... her brow creasing? Her hands shot out, grabbing her chief and pulling him up against her as Valka reached up to touch her brow lightly.
"Och, ow!" She groaned, looking up hazily. "That hurts! Must say, though, it was a bloody good shot!" A grin broke out onto her face as her son threw his arms around her, sobbing like a child.
"Mum! You're alive!" He wailed, "I thought I'd lost you!"
"You'll never lose me, my son," She whispered as she held him close. "Not ever..."
End. Actually, there's a chapter to go. Did I rush that too much? Also, don't forget to let me know if you've tried drawing my dragons. I'll put a link to my deviantart if any go up on my profile. Tah-rah!