Hi! I'm back with the second chapter for you! Thanks for the reviews!
Sorry for any OOCs
Disclaimer~ I do not own HTTYD
Chapter 2 - The Disappearances
A few months after Hiccup left, Stoick was getting worried and sent the riders to look for him. But they never found him. Astrid took over as leader, after basically beating Snotlout to the ground, and tried to keep the academy together best she could. It went well for a while, then everything went downhill. The academy fell apart. The five riders just couldn't function right without Hiccup. They searched for him, even Snotlout. They searched Berk, and many other islands. But they couldn't found Hiccup, he obviously didn't want to be found.
The riders stopped the lessons, and stopped training dragons. Stoick went on chiefing, but terribly missed his son. He always regretted what he had said to Hiccup last. He always wished he could go back and change what he said, then maybe Hiccup would still be here.
But that was 5 years ago now. The riders never found Hiccup. So one day they just gave up. The academy closed down and they split. Their dragons left, just one day flew off, no one could go stop them, and no one knew where they were headed.
It had been so long since anyone had seen or even heard from Hiccup. So, they assumed the worst. Everyone thought Hiccup was dead, everyone except Astrid.
He had promised her he'd come back, and she's still waiting for him to fulfill his promise.
"Stoick!" The villagers are shouting. "What are we going to do? Our food source is disappearing!" The animals are starting to disappear without a trace. No blood, no fur, and no noise. It's like they were never there. Berk is starting to worry, if they don't have enough food how will they survive winter?
"Everyone! Calm down! I have Astrid looking into it." Stoick says, looking over at Astrid in the far corner, her arms crossed. She has been helping Stoick in situations where he would've needed Hiccup. She has picked up things from Hiccup before he left.
She still thinks about him everyday, wondering when he's coming home. She hopes he will return soon. Everyone needs him right now.
After the Great Hall meeting, Astrid is walking down the dirt path. She doesn't really know where she's going, but her legs take her to the old training academy. Tears spring to her eyes as she walks in the entrance. She remembers when all the riders, including Hiccup, would argue and fight. She smiles, picking up her old axe she had left when they closed the academy. She's had this axe since she was little.
She looks over to Hiccup's old shield. He had left it the last lesson he was here. She walks over to it and picks it up. The metal is cold and smooth. She can still see fading fingerprints that Hiccup left behind. Her fingers lightly trace over the details and markings.
She nearly drops it when she hears a scream. She carefully sets it down and rushes towards the scream. She is there just in time to see someone in the claws of what looked like a dragon. She hasn't seen a dragon in years. Astrid whistles for Stormfly, then realizing she hasn't seen her dragon in years. She instead runs as fast as she can towards the, dragon thing.
She manages to keep up with it until it takes a sharp turn and she loses sight of it. She didn't see who it is carrying it it's claws, but they looked young. Maybe about her age. She has to tell Stoick.
When she gets to the Chief's house, she has to stop for a moment and attempt to catch her breath. Then she knocks on the door. She's still panting when he opens the door. "Chief….another….disappearance….it was…..a….dragon!" She manages to get out.
"Astrid, slow down. Catch your breath, come in." Stoick opens the door wider so that Astrid can walk in. After she catches her breath, she tells Stoick what she saw.
"A dragon? That's crazy! We haven't seen a dragon in Berk in years!" Stoick says, looking at Astrid. She thought he wouldn't believe her, seeing as she saw a dragon, which were basically non-existent in Berk now. They still don't know why or what happened to the dragons. They just up and disappeared one day. Why would there be one here, on Berk?
"I swear, Stoick. It was definitely a dragon. But I didn't recognize it." Astrid says. "It was fast. It had large wings, at least 40 feet wingspan. It was blue, with a white circle on it's head. It's eyes were nothing like any dragon I've ever seen. They looked like ours, only larger." She describes it. She is right, it is like no dragon they've ever encountered.
"Did you see who or what it took?"
"No, but I know it wasn't an animal this time." She says. She tries to remember who it was. "The scream sounded like a man's, but I could be wrong." Stoick nods.
"Thank you Astrid. I'll wait until tomorrow to see if anyone's missing." Astrid nods and says goodbye. She walks out the door.
"I swear it! I saw it with my own two eyes!" Snotlout says to all the vikings crowded around him. He crosses his arms and smirks proudly to himself. "No! It couldn't be!" echos through the crowd. Astrid sees this and pushes through. She looks at all the vikings looking in awe at Snotlout like some miracle has happened.
"What's going on?" She questions, crossing her own arms. Snotlout smirks.
"I saw a dragon last night." He seems proud of himself.
"So? That doesn't mean anything." She says, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"There was someone standing beside it."
"You're lying."
"I'm not lying, I don't care if you believe me or not." He says, smiling. She gets angry at his smug smile. She punches him in the face so hard that he's out cold on the dirt path. She then storms away. Snotlout was lying, all he wants is attention. Right?
Everyone is called to the Great Hall early the next day. There is an announcement about the recent disappearances. Everyone is talking about what it could be. Maybe they've found out where their animals have been taken. Maybe they know what's taking them. No one's really sure. There's a loud bang near the fire pit. Stoick and Astrid are standing, waiting for everyone to quiet down. Once they're quiet Stoick speaks.
"As you all know, there have been some disappearances of our animals lately." Stoick begins. "But yesterday it was one of us." There are audible gasps. "We're not sure who just yet, but we know what it was that took them."
"It was a dragon." Astrid states.
For a moment there is nothing but silence. Then it erupts into chaos.
"It can't be!"
"Dragons haven't been here in years!"
"Impossible!"
"Everyone! Quiet!" Stoick shouts, banging his fist on the edge of the fire pit. The viking cease talking nearly immediately.
"Right now we need to find out who it took." Stoick says. "Who has not been seen since yesterday?"
Everyone is silent. Then someone speaks out in the back. "I haven't seen Tuffnut since yesterday." It is Ruffnut, her voice is shaking. Astrid hasn't seen her in a long while. When the riders split, they basically avoided each other.
"Before we decide it was Tuffnut who was taken, I would like to know if anyone else has not been seen or if someone has indeed seen Tuffnut since yesterday." Stoick says. There's nothing but silence.
Stoick sighs. "Then it is decided. Tuffnut is the one who has been kidnapped." He turns to Astrid. "Have you noticed any patterns between the disappearances?"
Astrid thinks for a moment. "Actually, yes. I have. They've all been taken around sunset."
"Thank you Astrid," Stoick says. "I want my best men guarding the houses and animal pens today. Everyone dismissed." Everyone slowly disperses, murmuring complaints in the process.
"Hey, Ruffnut." Astrid says, walking up to Ruffnut who is sitting with Tuffnut's mace in her hands. "Oh, hey Astrid." She says, looking up. Astrid sits down next to her. "Are you okay?" Ruffnut doesn't respond, she's looking at the axe in her hands, Tuffnut called it Macie. Astrid puts a hand on her shoulder, "Ruffnut?"
"What- oh, yeah I'm fine."
"Come on, Ruff. You know you can talk to me."
Ruffnut sighs and puts the axe down. "It's not like I miss Tuffnut, 'cause I don't. I miss beating him up." Astrid smiles and puts her arm around Ruffnut's shoulders. "Well, what do you say we go yak-tipping?"
"Okay, I guess."
Astrid and Ruffnut are having fun, they're rolling yaks down hills, scaring the yak to where it falls over in fear. They were laughing, holding their stomachs. "Did that," Astrid tries to say while trying to stop laughing. "Did that make you feel better?"
Ruffnut stops laughing so hard to answer her, "Yeah, thanks Astrid. You're the best." She gives her a hug. When they pull away they start walking back into Berk. The sun is beginning to set, so they walk quickly. There are guards at every home, and every pen. They say hello to each guard.
Astrid sees something in the distance, just beyond the horizon of the island.
It's coming towards Berk.
And it looks all too familiar.
She grabs Ruffnut's hand and pulls her toward the chief's house. She bangs on the door until he answers. "Hammer of Thor! Astrid!" Stoick says when he opens the door.
"Stoick," She takes a breath. "Dragon. Here. Now."
"Now?"
She nods, hands on her knees still trying to catch her breath. Stoick runs out the door, slamming it behind him. "Everyone! Inside now! The dragon is here!" Vikings scream and scramble for the shelter of their houses. They all make it safely to their homes, except for one. That viking isn't so lucky.
He is in the dragons talons. They try everything. They throw boulders, spears, daggers, maces. Nothing seems to stop the thing.
Then they hear something.
Something that makes them freeze.
A violet blast hits the dragon. Something whizzes past it, too fast to see. And the roar-the roar is so familiar. The high pitch noise comes again, louder this time. A flash of red. A flash of silver.
Someone yells. "Night Fury!"
"Get down!"
Astrid stands there, gaping.
Another blast of violet, and the dragon drops the viking. Then something whizzes past and catches him. It does a loop and lands, right in the middle of the small town. It is indeed a Night Fury, but it's nothing like the one Hiccup had. It seems stronger, tougher. The viking gets off, a bit dazed. "T-Thank you."
The rider only nods, but his face is hidden underneath a mask. It covers his whole face, the only thing you can see are the eyes. The eyes. They are a beautiful forest green. They stare at Astrid and Stoick.
The viking are starting to come out of their houses, standing around the stranger.
The stranger gets off the dragon. He rubs the dragons head and says something to it, but his voice is muffled by the mask. He is about six feet tall and has detailed armor on his torso with brown pants.
The eyes scan over the crowd. The dragon growls, eyes meer slits. He rubs the dragons head again and says something else to it. The dragon immediately pounces on the stranger, everyone gasps. Then, the dragon starts licking him. He has to roll out from under the dragon and stands up. He tries to wipe the slobber off him. He balls his fists when it doesn't come off.
"Seriously? You know that doesn't wash out!" He yells at the dragon, his voice is audible this time. Nobody recognizes the voice. The dragon makes a noise like he's laughing.
That's when the stranger notices everyone looking at him. He attempts to wipe the rest of the slobber off and flicks what he can get off at the dragon. The dragon also notices there are viking standing around them. It growls at them, wrapping its tail near the stranger, as if almost protecting him. The frightened vikings take a step back, but not Astrid or Stoick.
The stranger pulls out something from the satchel on the dragon, it was a small dragon. To be more specific, a Terrible Terror. He then walks over to Fishlegs and hands it to him, Fishlegs takes it carefully. The masked stranger whispers something in Fishlegs' ear and Fishlegs looks at him curiously.
He walks back over to his dragon and begins to mount for flight. But Stoick walks up to his back and taps him on the shoulder. This scares the man and he whips around, flaming sword in hand. When he sees it's Stoick he lowers the sword. Stoick glares down at the man.
"Who are you?"
That question seems to make the stranger realize he shouldn't be there, and drops the still flaming sword. He then scrambles to get on the dragon. But Stoick grabs his collar, and holds him up and looks him straight in the eye. The stranger's night fury begins to growl, but stops when the stranger puts a hand up, as if saying it's okay.
"I'll ask you one more time. Who are you?" Stoick asks threateningly.
"I'm sorry." The stranger says, voice barely recognizable or audible.
"Wh-" Stoick begins, but the stranger pulls a dagger out of the arm of his armor and cuts Stoick's wrist that's connected to the hand that is holding him up, then drops the dagger when he's thrown to the ground. The Night Fury rushes over to him, nudging him to see if he's okay. When the stranger gets up he quickly gets on the dragon and mounts himself.
"Wait!" Astrid screams, running up to the stranger. The stranger stops and turns to Astrid. "Just tell me who you are! Please." She says. He squeezes his eyes shut for a second. Then he says only loud enough for her to hear, "I'm sorry." He takes off, gone from sight in only a few seconds.
Gothi is stitching Stoick's wound closed. It is a pretty deep cut. Stoick squeezes his eyes shut and sucks in a breath. The door opens and Stoick looks up.
"I've got the dagger and the flaming sword." She says, walking in holding the two items the stranger left behind. "I think you'll be interested in the markings on the dagger." She hands it to him and he takes it with his good hand and sees what she's talking about.
It's a Berk crest engraved on the dagger.
Where could he have gotten this from? It couldn't be…
Fishlegs walks in, the Terrible Terror on his shoulder. "Y-You asked to see me?" He stutters. Gothi finishes wrapped the cloth around the stitches. "Yes. I wanted to know what that man told you." Stoick winces when he attempts to move his hand.
"It-it didn't make any sense." Fishlegs says. "He said, 'I hope you remember this' then handed me the Terror." He scratches the small dragon's chin. "What is that supposed to mean?" Astrid asks. Fishlegs shrugs. Then he freezes, realizing something.
"I need a piece of paper and something to write with." He looks around the room and finds what he's looking for. He quickly jots down something and rolls up and ties it on the Terrible Terror's leg. He walks outside and releases the small dragon and it flies away, knowing where to go. Stoick and Astrid follow him out and watch.
"What was that?" Astrid asks.
He smiles. "Airmail."
A/N~ What did you think of it? Should I unmask the stranger, or let him be?
I'll try to update soon, maybe in the next two/three days. At most four.