Chapter 16: And so they fell…
In which the battle is lost...
"The Chalice of the Blessed Eye"
"The second of the four Relics of Light, the Chalice of the Blessed Eye, also known as Feltas, was created from the Ivory of the flying elephant of Punjam Hy Loo. The mystical emerald set into the bottom of the basin was made in the hydrothermal veins that existed within the boiling planet Fervefacio before it's destruction by the hands of Lord Pitch and his Dream Pirates.
Its mystical powers are most wondrous. To activate the Chalice one must recite the sentence 'I have served the Sight, may now the Sight serve me.' The Chalice will then fill with elixir. Once drunk, it will allow the imbiber to see secrets hidden to the mortal eye such as the many spirits and beings of power that secretly protect and balance the world. The Chalice can also tune into one's mind, find out what they need to do and guide them to their intended destination.
The Chalice of the Blessed Eye can only be wielded by a being worthy of possessing knowledge and wisdom. It will choose its keeper when it finds it. Of course the keeper is believed to be one of the legendary 'Magnum Quattuor' previously mentioned within this book.
The Chalice is primarily a tool, not a weapon, but it is not without its defensive capabilities. When held tightly whilst in great danger, the Chalice will summon a blast of concentrated starlight that will defeat any nightmare and can briefly debilitate the Darkness's Shadows. On its own however, the Chalice has little effect on the Darkness itself."
Hiccup stared at this page. There was a slight clink behind him and he whipped around. His jaw dropped. The Chalice of the Blessed Eye was standing right behind him. It gleamed in the golden glow from the book. He picked it up and looked inside it. At the bottom of the Chalice, inside a carved Pentacle, was a brilliant-cut emerald.
Hiccup glanced back at the book and then back at the Chalice. He closed his eyes. 'I have served the Sight, may now the Sight serve me,' he said. There was no tingle in his fingers or twinkle in the air or even a glow of light. Hiccup opened his eyes. His jaw dropped again. The Chalice was filled to the brim with sparkling green potion. It smelled like freshly cut grass on a misty spring morning.
Hiccup raised the Chalice to his lips. 'Chances are I'm going to regret this,' he said to himself and he drank the potion. Immediately, Hiccup felt a terrible head rush and collapsed to his knees, his head in his hands, dropping the goblet. 'Oh my gods,' he groaned. When the pain finally subsided he slowly pulled himself back to his feet.
He yelled in alarm.
Hundreds of spirits were around him. Think of a sped-up video of traffic in a city and replace the cars with tall, white beings and you'll get the idea. They sped around him and even through him and didn't take the slightest notice of him. Hiccup stared at them.
A pale lilac trail appeared and lead off into the cave. Hiccup pocketed the Chalice and the reached to pick up the book. He expected it to weigh a tonne, but to his amazement it weighed little more than "The Book of Dragons." He held it under his arm and turned to follow the trail of light.
Slowly, Hiccup followed the light through the cavern... and then came to a halt. His jaw dropped. It lead straight threw a wall. 'I don't believe it,' Hiccup said. He suddenly felt an urge to touch the wall of rock. His arm raised and his fingers gently brushed the stony wall. His fingers gently passed through it.
Slowly, Hiccup felt himself being pulled into the rock. With a feeling like being dragged through honey, he slipped through the stone and out into the forest beyond. Lying in front of him, covered in bracken and broken twigs was the unmistakeable outline of his dear little Toothless.
'TOOTHLESS!' Hiccup yelled in alarm, tears of panic streaming down his cheek. With a low groan, Toothless opened his eyes. He moaned with relief at the sight of his master. He snuggled up to Hiccup. 'Oh, thank the gods you're alive.'
Screams suddenly sounded through the forest. Hiccup and Toothless looked up. Of course, the battle was still raging back at Berk Village. Hiccup mounted Toothless and they raced off back to town.
Stoick and Alvin were locked in a furious sword fight. The dragons were battling the nightmares. Vikings were battling Vikings.
Merida and Mother Gothel were still battling. Gothel's spells were immensely powerful, but the Cytiaina sword absorbed the power without even glowing. 'Give up girl,' Gothel roared. 'I won't!' Merida roared in retaliation. The truth was she couldn't give up. Literally. The sword was filling her with power.
Jack had covered the First-Aid hut in a dome of ice that Mor'du was clawing at. Injured Vikings were laid down on the blanket-covered floor while Rapunzel kept up the healing incantation. Jack stood guard at the entrance to the hut, watching two blurs that were Gothel and Merida battling it out.
Mor'du's slashing claws dug ever closer to the wooden walls of the cabin. Jack took a deep breath... and threw down his staff, instead seizing a massive axe. He knew his powers of ice would have little effect on Mor'du's thick fur.
A paw burst through the wall. Rapunzel shrieked. Jack swung the axe. The blade embedded itself into Mor'du's paw. A deep roar of pain echoed through the walls of the cabin. The paw withdrew quickly, the axe tugging out of the wrist in the process. Mor'du's blood splashed onto Jack's face and hoodie.
Jack gagged as the horrid metallic taste entered his mouth. The blood was already going sticky. Jack collapsed, shivering with shock. 'Um... Jack... are you alright?' Rapunzel said, tip-toeing over and placing her hand on his shoulder. Jack jumped. Gently as she could, Rapunzel dipped a cloth into a basin of water and slowly dabbed away at the blood.
When it was all gone, Jack got back to his feet. 'Rapunzel, we've got to do something. Come with me. We'll need Merida as well.' He tugged Rapunzel to her feet, smashed open the door and tugged her outside. His eyes narrowed as he marched towards Gothel and Merida.
Gothel yelped as Jack knocked her out cold.
The Darkness had started to work it's dark powers. It's black tentacles were snaking around the mountains which were cracking at it's touch. The life energy of the forest was draining into it.
All of it's plans were starting to come to be.
The Riders of Berk were defeated. Their dragons' were sent shrieking and skriking back to Earth. Only Astrid and Stormfly still stood their ground against Pitch and the Red Death, but even though the Deadly Nadder possessed the hottest breath of any of the Berk dragons, it couldn't penetrate the Red Death's lead plating.
The Red Death opened it's jaws. 'Stormfly, fire!' Astrid yelled. Stormfly opened her massive jaws... and nothing happened. 'Sorry,' Pitch laughed, 'But it seems you're all out of firepower.' Air began to rush into the Red Death's throat. For the second time, Stormfly was being pulled into the jaws of the Red Death.
Stormfly turned in the air, but both dragon and rider knew it would do no good. Astrid looked backwards. Gas was gathering in the back of the Red Death's throat. In a moment it would ignite and roast them both to cinders. Then, Astrid did something she had never ever done before: she screamed for help.
'HICCUP! I'M SORRY! HELP ME! PLEASE! HELP ME!'
BOOM!
With an almighty, violet flash, a high pitched wail and a streak of black, the Red Death was blasted sideways. Hiccup and Toothless rode through the clouds. Astrid smiled. She had been saved, even now in the very jaws of hell itself.
'Astrid, get back to the ground. I'll take care of Pitch.' 'Hiccup wait,' Astrid called. Hiccup turned to her. 'I'm sorry,' she said, 'About everything I said about you having an affair.' Hiccup smiled. 'You don't have to be sorry,' he said, 'Because I still love you.' And with that, Hiccup and Toothless turned to attack the Boogeyman and his steed.
'Well, well, well,' Pitch laughed, 'The dragon boy and his fiery steed. Let's get this show on the road.' And the dragons and their riders swooped towards each other, teeth bared, poised to strike.
Toothless struck first. Flame, claw and tooth and not one speck of damage was inflicted upon the Red Death. 'My turn,' Pitch sneered. There was a blur along with a whir as a clawed foot swung through the air. Both Hiccup and Toothless shrieked as they were sent catapulting through the air.
SMASH! With a loud crash of splintering wood and clattering of metal tools, they crashed into Gobber's Shop. Toothless moaned in agony. Hiccup pulled himself out of the wreckage. Tears of pain rolled down his pain.
Wind began to blow as the Red Death hovered overhead. Hiccup looked up. 'Maybe they were wrong,' Pitch said, smiling, 'Maybe you're not a Guardian.' Pitch raised his hand and a lance of Nightmare sand appeared in his hand. Hiccup stared. So he would die here.
BANG! The Red Death shrieked and Pitch yelled as both were knocked aside by a blast of circular fire. Hiccup stared. 'YEAH-HA!' 'WOO HOO!' 'OH MY WORD!'
Three dragons swooped overhead. He couldn't believe it. A Whispering Death, a Scauldron and a Changewing and riding on the dragons were Merida, Jack and Rapunzel.
The Red Death opened it's jaws. 'Spine shot!' Merida shouted. Her Whispering Death hissed in confirmation. Spines fired out from the dragon and peppered the Red Death's face. It roared in pain and thrashed wildly.
Rapunzel and her Changewing came into play next. 'Acid shower!' Rapunzel cried. A green spray burst forth from the jaws of her dragon and sloshed over the Red Death's lead armour which began to dissolve. Pitch yelled in alarm.
Jack directed his Scauldron down to the ocean. It swallowed a belly-full of water and took flight again. As they neared the Red Death, the water in the Scauldron's belly had begun to boil. 'Boiling Gun!' Jack roared. The dragon opened it's jaws and a jet of water sprung forth from it's throat. The boiling liquid washed away the dissolved lead and scalded the Red Death's flesh. It shrieked and toppled over. 'AARRGGHH!' Pitch yelled as he fell off of his dragon's back.
The dragons landed on the ground beside Hiccup. Hiccup stared for a full minute. 'Well,' Merida said, 'What do you think?' She patted her Whispering Death which, to Hiccup's amazement, purred. '"Curanta": Gaelic word for "Brave".' Rapunzel stroked the horn on her Changewing's snout. 'I've called mine "Amaranth" because of the scales.' Jack rubbed his Scauldron along it's long neck. It hummed pleasurably. 'Yue,' Jack said simply, 'In honour of the Moon.'
There was a grumble as the Red Death slowly pulled itself back to it's feet. It snorted with anger. Pitch appeared on it's back. He looked venomous. A massive nightmare sand scythe appeared in his hand. Mor'du (still limping) marched towards them along with Mother Gothel who was rubbing her head. Stone golems, Nightmares, Harpies and Spirit Wolves marched along with them.
Both sides tensed themselves up for an absolute bloodbath, but before the two sides could launch themselves at each other, all of a sudden, strange black clouds began to whip around them. Sadness, anger, depression and fear rushed through their veins. There was a whooshing as the wind suddenly began to pick up. Viking homes were starting to be blown in. Trees were ripped up. People started screaming. Fires turned black. The entire island began to rumble.
Jack, Merida, Hiccup and Rapunzel slammed their eyes shut against a sharp blast of dust and sand. Pitch, Gothel and Mor'du scrambled onto the Red Death's back and took flight out of the clouds. In his ears Jack could hear hissing laughter. He tried to scream for help, but the second he opened his mouth, the black clouds flowed into his mouth and stifled his voice.
Suddenly, a set of claws snatched up Jack's hoodie and tugged him into the air. Opening his eyes, Jack realised that Toothless had grabbed him and Merida in one clawed foot and Rapunzel and Hiccup in the other. Toothless flew up, up and out of the black clouds. The moment they were out of the black clouds however, a sudden suction started and began to pull them back in.
With a roar, Toothless tossed them into the sea. 'TOOTHLESS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' Hiccup yelled as they fell down into the sea. The moment Toothless had relinquished them, he was pulled straight back into the spiralling vortex of blackness. There was a brief wail from the poor dragon... and then he vanished.
The tornado of blackness soared higher and higher into the sky. It widened until it engulfed the entire island... then, with a flash of black lightning, the island was blasted into vapour.
On a small rock stack a little way into the sea, Hiccup stared at the empty space that barely a few minutes ago had been his home island. Images of his home ran through his head: His house, the forest, the cove, Astrid, his Dad, Toothless... everyone. It was all gone
Hiccup found himself lying face down on the rock, weeping his heart out.
Merida, Rapunzel and Jack clung onto the rock next to him. They were unable to think of anything to do or say. No comforting words came to them. No heart-warming gestures. They were on their own in the middle of a cold sea in the dark of the night.
A splashing of ocean waters behind them made them all turn. The dark figure of Pitch rose up. His yellow eyes glowed out of his black silhouette. His expression, though barely visible, was very angry.
'I have been rather lenient with you so far,' his voice echoed out to them, 'But you have refused to respect my decision. It's time I showed you exactly how cruel I can be.'
With a toss of his midnight-cloak, everything was gone.