Chapter 15: The Battle of Berk

In which the Earth's core and a Golden book make a significant appearance.

Astrid absent-mindedly and aggressively sharpened her axe. Her thoughts were completely devoted to Hiccup and the two girls he'd brought with him.

It seemed she had competition, but she wouldn't surrender her Hiccup that easily. She would confront him and these new girls and get answers and if she didn't like the answers...

Hang on one second. Since when had she become so emotionally vulnerable. She didn't care if anything was happening between Hiccup and these girls... except she did care. No. Yes. She didn't know.

But she did know she WAS going to confront Hiccup and his friends.

She slammed her axe into the table and cracked her knuckles. Stormfly nuzzled Astrid who rubbed her snout.

If Hiccup was having an affair...

Pitch was also preparing for aggression. He had led his allies down, down, down to one of his oldest lairs: the centre of the Earth.

It was a vast chamber with walls covered grey melted-looking metal, pools of milky lava and the scent of sulphur reeking through the air.

Gothel and Mor'du gagged on the rotten-egg stench of sulphur. The Red Death was more used to fiery smells like sulphur and was less affected.

Pitch ran his hands over the walls. 'Do you know what metal this is?' he said the others. 'Lead, I believe,' Gothel said, her voice muffled due to the fact she had covered it with a handkerchief. 'Not any old lead,' Pitch said, 'This lead has never known light any kind. It absorbs it. Perfect defence from light or wielders of light.

A look of nostalgia crossed Pitch's face. 'I remember, I once had an army. I built armour and weapons out of this lead. "The Battle of the Earth's Core" they called it. How imaginative(!)' 'You propose to build armour and weapons for us out of lead?' Gothel looked horrified. 'How strong do you think I am?'

'Let me just say I have a little experience with enchanting,' Pitch said.

The cave was totally black. There was no light.

Except for a single golden glow from a massive golden book. Not a book coloured gold; a book made from gold.

The book twitched. The chains that bound it to it's podium strained.

The very reason it had been written had returned. The book had to be read. The information it held would be vital. It must do something... anything to be found.

The Darkness knew it as well. The ability to sense all things within shadow made it an immensely powerful... thing.

It knew the book held vital information about it that would expose it's only weakness and ultimate goals.

It must to something... anything, to stop the book from being found... even if that meant the destruction of a civilisation.

Jack, Merida, Hiccup and Rapunzel stood on the cliff edge, looking out to sea. A massive cloud like a thundercloud was hovering over the horizon except it looked too black. Jack's brow furrowed. If he was right, then that wasn't a storm. 'D'ya think...' 'Almost certainly.' Merida nodded at Jack's reply. 'Yep, that's what ah was afraid of.' There was certainly something terrifying about that... thing.

'HICCUP!' yelled a voice. Each of the big four turned around. A very defiant looking Astrid was striding toward them. 'Astrid,' Hiccup said. He was about to smile but he suddenly looked worried at the expression on her face. 'Is something wrong?' Hiccup asked. 'I'd like a word with you about those two,' she snapped, gesturing to Merida and Rapunzel. 'What do-' 'Are you involved with either of them?'

There was laughter. Astrid and Hiccup stared at Jack and the girls, all of whom were doubled-up with laughter. 'What is so funny?' Astrid asked. 'Hiccup!? Having an affair!? I thought you knew him!?' 'Hang on; do you think I am unable to hold down a girlfriend?' Merida looked up. 'Oh Hiccup, of course we do.' Hiccup looked a cross between livid and shocked. 'Excuse me, I'm his girlfriend,' Astrid snapped.

The laughter stopped. There was about half a minute of silence.

'Well this is awkward isn't it?' Jack said. 'You're telling me,' Rapunzel said.

'I have to say,' Pitch said, slowly walking around Gothel, taking her in from every angle, 'You look beautiful.' Gothel smiled. 'Who'd have thought that a cloak made from lead would be so light and fashionable.'

Mor'du growled and shook himself, his lead armour clinking. The Red Death did the same.

Pitch picked up a sharp, lead dagger, enhanced with Nightmare-sand and gave it to Gothel. 'Oh, so much better than my old one,' she said, taking a small regular dagger from her pocket and tossing it over her shoulder with a clatter. She lifted up the lead dagger and examined it closely. Her point of focus turned to Pitch. 'I have to say, black has always been my favourite colour.' 'Likewise,' Pitch said, 'In fact a rather... sexual colour.' 'I have to agree again,' Gothel said, slowly moving towards Pitch and he her.

If animals could talk then Mor'du and the Red Death would be shouting 'GET A ROOM!' but they can't, so they didn't.

Jack, Merida and Rapunzel slowly backed away while Hiccup and Astrid resumed their conversation on relationships.

'What do you think she's saying?' Jack asked as they had moved out of earshot of the two. 'Well,' Merida said, tilting her head slightly, 'Judging by that gesture, she's say one of two things. The more probable one is "How could you". 'What's the other option?' 'She's saying "Massive breasts".'

As if automatically, both Merida and Rapunzel inspected their own bosoms.

'You know what?' Jack said, 'Why don't we go and train some dragons?' 'Yeah, why not,' Merida said. 'It'll give us something to do,' Rapunzel agreed.

Things were about to get even more complex.

The disgusting and withered old man named Mildew was about to send a message to Alvin the Treacherous, the most feared of all the Vikings. It seemed it was time to act. Maybe Mildew could get rid of those blasted dragons once and for all.

The Great Battle of Berk (as it later became known) began that very evening.

The first they heard was a massive bellow of a war horn. The next was a crash of boulders as catapults released their loads unto the village. People yelled and screamed. Dragons shrieked and roared. The big four (who had been eating dinner at the time) were up and ready instantly. Charging out of the door, they couldn't believe what they were seeing; there were massive Viking warships of all shapes and sizes, filling the bay. Standing at the front of what looked like the command vessel was a massive man with a beard that covered his entire upper body.

Hiccups' father Stoick pushed past his son. 'Prepare for battle!' he roared. He then gave a whistle and his massive Thunderdrum called Thornado ran up to him. He jumped onto his back. 'Let's go!' His dragon took flight and roared. Toothless ran up to Hiccup and Hiccup mounted. At that moment a crash of thunder sounded overhead. Looking up, they saw that the sky was totally black. Jack had a horrid suspicion that that thing in the sky wasn't a thundercloud. It was writhing and convulsing as if glorying in the screams and howls of terror and fear. It made Jack sick with anger.

'Hiccup, you're aerial attacks, Merida you're long range and Rapunzel you're manning the first aid point.' The other three nodded at Jacks' command and ran off to their individual stations.

Jack took flight. He shot higher and higher. He aimed his staff at the writhing blackness above him. The jet of frozen air passed straight through it. Then, Jack heard a noise that chilled him to his bone: UMBRAAA! It was a voice that somehow hadn't been spoken. A rope of blackness grabbed him. It was less substantial than air and yet somehow it was stronger than reinforced titanium. It was also... sticky?

The Darkness threw Jack to the ground, a thousand feet below.

A full-blown battle was already underway and another side was about to join the fray.

With a deafening roar, the Red Death flew into the battle, Pitch riding proudly aboard. Nightmares and Harpies flew with them. At the same time, Mor'du charged out of the forest, carrying Gothel on his back along with Spirit-wolves and massive Rock-Golems.

Lashing ropes and smashing timbers, the Red Death's breath pierced the decks of the longboats with no effort whatsoever. Meanwhile, Gothel had begun to use her new-found magical abilities. 'Terra Mea Attremo Pedes Subtus!' she cried. As the last syllable exited her lips, the ground shook and shuddered with such an intensity that the rock that composed the ground of the village began to crack. Trees were felled and torches were spilled, triggering more fires. Mor'du charged through the flames like the wrath of a hurricane. His roar echoed through the village.

Vikings were sent flying as the Demon bear charged through their ranks. Up above, the Boogeyman and his reptilian steed rode through the sky, flames sweeping from its' jaws like something from the worst nightmare. The Red Death opened its' mouth, ready to fire the killing blow to the village, when a bolt of purple energy shot past it. Turning, Pitch saw the Riders of Berk soaring towards them. Pitch laughed. 'Finally,' he roared, 'A little bit of a challenge.' He turned the Red Death and they swooped forward to attack.

Mor'du reared onto his hind legs, ready to crush a small, unfortunate Viking child beneath his paws. The boy screamed. It was no ordinary scream. He was screaming for his life. Gothel just laughed. Mor'du fell forward. The poor boy covered his head with his arms.

With a blue blur, Jack Frost shot forward and snatched up the child into his arms. Mor'du's paws fell on hard ground. 'RRRAAAHHH!' Mor'du roared, saliva flying from his chops like rain in a thunderstorm. 'After him,' Gothel shrieked. Roaring even louder, Mor'du charged after the retreating figure of Jack Frost.

Jack flew up to the first-aid post and gently deposited the child into a small bed in the corner. Rapunzel's hair was shining non-stop as injured Vikings lined up ready to be treated. 'What's the situation?' Jack asked. 'Let your power shine, it's not good this is the fourteenth person I've had to treat, Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine.' 'Evil Vikings one side, Pitch and his allies the other,' Jack bit his lip. He paused. 'Do you really think we can win this one?' Rapunzel paused. Her hair stopped glowing. A sense of hopelessness suddenly ran through their veins.

'Oh Rapunzel,' cried a voice, 'You should have known you'd lose the moment you left that tower.' Slowly, Mor'du plodded towards them. Gothel dismounted. 'I told you time and time again, "The outside world is a dangerous place" but did you listen to me; no you did not. Mother knows best.' Rapunzel got to her feet. 'You are not my mother and you never were.' 'And yet did I not take care of you? Did I not feed you, nurse you, bathe you, change you?' Rapunzel hesitated. She seemed torn. Even though she knew the truth, she couldn't help remembering everything Gothel had done for her over her younger years.

Gothel raised her hand to perform a deadly curse. At that exact moment, an arrow soared out of nowhere. It shot straight through Gothel's Thenar webbing, not enough to go right through it, but just enough to take off a small amount of flesh. It hit the door-frame and stuck there quivering. Gothel shrieked in alarm, pain and anger. There was only one person who could perform a shot like that. Merida stood behind her. Mor'du growled. Merida tensed her bow. 'Get back,' she roared, 'Those are mah friends.' Her eyes flashed... no it wasn't her eyes; it was the ring that the Witch had given her. It was starting to glow red.

Gothel paid it no heed. 'This is none of your business, Scotch-girl,' she said, like she was a queen. 'First of all, it's Scots-girl. Scotch is somethin' yeh drink. Sec'nd of all when my friends are in danger, it does become my business.' She let another arrow fly. It soared straight through Gothel's left ear lobe, smashing the earring that had been there. Gothel shrieked in pain and clutched her ear which began bleeding profusely. Mor'du roared and charged. Without knowing she was doing it, Merida found herself doing a double front-flip over Mor'du and land in a perfect crouched position like an assassin.

Gothel raised her hand again. Suddenly, the magic diamond sword Cytiaina was in Merida's hand. It's handle morphed perfectly to fit in her palm. 'Scito Ira Maris!' Gothel bellowed. A massive wall of water rose up out of the sea in the form of a massive tsunami. It soared overhead. Merida pointed the sword at the wave. She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew it would be alright.

A bolt of purest lightning burst forth from the blade of Cytiaina. The wave was vaporised instantaneously. Tiny crystals of salt fell from the sky.

Things were going less well in the air. The Red Death's massive, clubbing tail had knocked Fishlegs and Meatlug out of the air and Hookfang was doing very badly after Pitch had managed to conjure a sword that had slashed his left wing. No attacks were working on it, the giant, lead platings that covered it's body just absorbed every blast of flame.

Harpy's and Nightmares encircled them, biting, pecking, clawing and slashing. The dragons were shrieking and skriking and, above all, panicking. Toothless and Hiccup were the only ones who were free from the encircling cloud of nightmares. Suddenly, a mass of Nightmares and a flock of Harpy's broke away from the main group and pursued Hiccup and Toothless up into the clouds.

The two shot into the sky; Human and Night Fury flying together.

Suddenly, the pursuing beasts fell back. Hiccup stared, completely bewildered. Why would they suddenly retreat. Toothless shrieked. Hiccup's head whipped forwards.

The clouds above were blacker than the depths of the deepest ocean trench. For a moment, Hiccup knew the terrible mistake he had made. UMBRAAA! the Darkness bellowed. A sticky, black tendril of darkness seized Hiccup and Toothless in one, snake-like movement. It threw Hiccup and Toothless through the air as if they were little more than ragdolls. A second line of blackness coiled around Hiccup's waist and tugged him off of his dragon's back. The Darkness threw them apart. Toothless was sent flying into the forest while Hiccup was sent plummeting towards the ground.

The world span around him. The screams and roars of battle filled his ears. The stench of smoke and blood flooded his nostrils. Oh Odin. He was falling. He would die. There was only solid ground beneath him. No this couldn't be. Oh Thor, help me please. Wait, one of his friends would surely him. Wouldn't they? Merida? Rapunzel? Jack? Toothless? Astrid? ASTRID? 'ASTRID, I'M SORRY! PLEASE, HELP ME!'

He hit the ground... or should have hit the ground. In fact he had missed it. He had fallen into one of the cracks created by Gothel's Earthquake spell. Even then, he didn't hit the bottom of the crack; he instead slid down a dark, damp, rough tunnel. He was going so fast, he had no time to register his direction. Was it maybe: Left right, right, left, right, left, left, right, middle fork, left, left, right or was it something else.

And then, just when his adrenaline was starting to run out, the tunnel levelled out sharply and he was sent bouncing across the stony floor of the tunnel.

Coughing, Hiccup slowly pulled himself to his feet. He was very bruised and battered. His clothes were torn and his hair was an absolute disgrace. He surveyed his location. The tunnel was totally black... or almost totally. In the distance was a tiny golden light. Slowly, like a moth to a flame, Hiccup began to walk toward it. Had it been lighter he would have seen the strange, primitive paintings on the walls and he would have realised just how important he and his friends were.

At last, he reached the end of the tunnel. His jaw dropped. It was a massive, for want of a better word, cathedral, but a natural one, no stained glass or tapestries. Hiccup looked up. The ceiling was so high, it was lost in the blackness. 'Holy gods,' he realised, 'I'm at the centre of Berk itself.'

He looked directly ahead of him... at the rock pedestal. It was in the dead centre of the rough, stone cave. On top of the pedestal, bound in thick chains, was a book. A golden book? 'Nice colour,' Hiccup said, stepping toward it. It was he realised the book wasn't covered gold, it was made of gold; solid slabs of gold, half an inch thick. As such, there were only six or seven pages. It was from this book that the golden glow emanated.

Hiccup reached out to touch it. The chains that bound the book fell away instantly. Hiccup quickly withdrew his hand in case some Guardian of the book came forth to see what had happened. He waited for a whole minute glancing around furtively. Nothing happened. Hiccup returned his gaze to the book. Carved on the front cover was a strange sentence that read "In sane de in lumen." Around the edge was repeatedly carved the words "Puritas, Scientia, Fortis, Ludus".

Hiccup heaved open the front two pages. The words on this page were unintelligible to Hiccup as he had never seen anything like it, but carved on the page next to the words was a picture of a Lyre which had a Unicorn carved onto it.

Hiccup turned the page. On this slab was a carving of a Chalice. The words were in perfectly legible Viking. The caption at the top of the page read "The Chalice of the Blessed Eye". Slowly, Hiccup began to read.