The Dragon King: The Eye and the Alpha

by Threni

It has been one year since the events of "The Dragon King" and life on Berk is a good as can be expected. And then one day they receive a message from a mysterious tribe ordering Hiccup to return to them something he swears he never stole. What follows is series of adventures and discoveries that will forever change their lives...and could also destroy them.

34. Chapter 34

I Own Nothing

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 34

Summoning Friends

Although Bertha had denied Fishlegs military aid, she decided that sheltering some lost and weary travelers was something else and discretely allowed the Thorstens, Eret, and the Zippleback to stay on the island. After what had just happened with their cousin, the Thorsten Twins were willing to be more inconspicuous—by default at any rate.

As for Eret, he at first was outraged he had been kidnapped by the Twins, but soon decided that, under the circumstances, this was the best he could possibly hope for. Had he not been longing to get away from Viggo for some time now? Now he had gotten away from him.

Of course, there was greater danger for him now. If Viggo won this conflict, Eret could not hope for any mercy. But because it was now in Eret's best interests that Viggo should not win, he suddenly found himself much more immersed in what the Dragon King (and Ruffnut Thorsten) had said about Dragons.

When he managed to get away from Ruffnut's prying hands one afternoon, he watched the Bog Burglars interacting with their dragons. The sight reminded him of horses; not grizzled and unkempt horses that pulled carts and ploughs, but the sleek and groomed kind that would pull an Emperor's chariot and sleep in stables more luxurious than most bedrooms. The Bog Burglars treated them like pets to an extent, but also like symbols of status and pride, not mere beasts of burden. The children in the tribe, for while the tribe was dominated by women there were a handful of men amongst them, were playing with Terrible Terrors as they would play with cats or ducks.

He had always known that the Dragon King had been trying to integrate dragons into other tribes, but he had never really seen the results until now. He tried to get a little closer, but both the children and dragons moved away from him.

"They don't trust you," Bertha had been watching him.

"Is it because I'm a stranger or because they know I'm a hunter?"

"I can't speak for the dragons but for my people it's both."

"But your tribe used to hunt and kill dragons too!" Eret pointed out.

"A fact we're not proud of, yet we still stand by our reasons and excuses. But we don't kill them anymore, and because of that they trust us."

Eret shrugged. "I've hardly ever killed a dragon, believe it or not. I've trapped scores them, but usually someone else did the actual killing. But I suppose that still counts, doesn't it?"

"The man who sold the poison is just as responsible for a death as the man who planted it."

Eret walked away, thinking deeply. Her words had been aimed at his hunting, but he felt they also applied to the sacking of Berk. He might not have done much that night, but he had still sat back and let it happen. He had had no choice; Viggo would have killed him had he stood up to him. Yet at the moment he did not feel his life was really worth saving. Good Gods, he had just stood around and let it happen, and what was he doing to try and set things right?

There was one thing he could do at any rate.

He pulled a fine dagger from his belt, walked to the beach and threw it into the sea. Thuggory joined him.

"Was that meant to be symbolic or something?"

Eret said, "It was a gift from one of my old patrons. A reward for bringing in the most dragons in a single haul. It was a thing to be proud of in the old days, but now…well, it's only a piece of sharpened metal." He looked around warily. "And what are you doing around here? Had enough of Camicazi for one afternoon?"

"Yeah," Thuggory admitted. They made their way down the beach like two friends taking a casual stroll, "I just don't get it! I've known plenty of beautiful women, yet something about that girl always makes me so nervous and she likes seeing me that way, so she keeps at it and—AUGH! It tears me apart, the way she acts around me!"

"Tell me about it," Eret grumbled, "As soon as Ruffnut Thorsten sees me she'll chase me shouting all kinds of stupid love glop and once she gets a hold of me I have to use all my strength to pry her off."

"Women. The second they see a handsome face and a muscular torso they get all silly. I tell ya, Eret, we're sure in a fix—oh no, here they come—quick, hide!"

They darted behind some boulders. Sure enough, Ruffnut and Camicazi came walking past.

"I just don't get it!" Ruffnut was complaining in exasperation. "Every time I go near him he moves away from me!"

"Men," Cami said sympathetically, "They always crave attention until they actually get it and then they find they can't handle it." The Snow Demon Midnight was behind her and repeatedly looking up anxiously at the sky. "Thuggory's always trying to stay away from me too. I mean, here's a man who's known several women, and yet for some reason whenever I get near him he goes red and starts blushing and can't form sentences! And he's awfully cute when that happens, so I like to get near him as often as I can."

"Oh that's it, is it?" Thuggory whispered indignantly. Eret made a hurried motion for him to be quiet, lest the girls hear them.

"Does it bother you that he's 'known several women'?" Ruffnut asked.

She waved a hand dismissively. "Meh. Brief lapses in judgment. Besides, it means he's had plenty of practice and knows what works and what doesn't."

Ruffnut felt a little warm all of a sudden. "Say, is something bothering Midnight?"

"I don't know…" Cami frowned, "What's up?"

"Persephone went out for a flight earlier and she hasn't come back yet. It's almost nightfall!"

Camicazi decided to go flying with Midnight and see if they could find her. Ruffnut decided to head back and see if she could find Eret again. The two men waited behind their boulder for a while before deciding it was safe to come out. They breathed freely again.

A few deep magenta clouds surrounded the sun in the winter twilight. The ocean looked like a sea of pink paint. This only partially reassured Midnight and Camicazi, for while it meant Persephone was unlikely to have been captured because she would blend right in with the scenery, it also meant they were equally unlikely to see her. Midnight had to rely on her sense of smell and luckily for her, since Persephone ate fruit she often smelled like greengages.

And then they saw a dragon, but it was not Persephone. This dragon was green, and Midnight's mouth fell opened when she realized who it was.

"Shamrock! Shamrock, over here!"

"As I live and die, Midnight at Twilight!" the Treejumper laughed once he was close enough. "Whew! It's been quite a flight! We came as fast as we could."

"We?" Shamrock gestured with his tail to the west and they sped there. Most people would have been confused but Camicazi took it in stride, certain that in a few minutes her questions would be answered easily.

They approached a cluster of small islands and sea stacks. On these islands, with hardly enough room for them, was a huge flock of dragons. Several sea stacks had so many Treejumpers on them the rocks looked like they were covered in moving plants. But there were more than just the Treejumpers. Typhoomerangs, Scuttleclaws, Snow Wraiths, Snow Demons, and a multitude of other species were also present. Off the coast of one island large bubbles rose and burst from the ocean, implying something very large was underwater. It was the Treejumper colony and the nest from Greenland. Midnight had not seen such diversity since the Sanctuary had been destroyed and Camicazi for once was speechless and not by choice.

Most of the dragons were simply drinking, eating fish, and resting. And on one rock Cloudjumper, with Valka Haddock sitting on his back, was talking with Persephone.

"Midnight!" Persephone cried, "I went to soar in the sunset and see what I've found!"

"How is this even possible?" Camicazi asked, grinning broadly, "Never mind! We've got an army now! Mom can't stop a fight with Viggo now!"

"Why would she?" Valka asked sharply, leaping nimbly off Cloudjumper and grabbing Camicazi by the shoulders. "What's happened?"

Cami quickly explained their meeting with Fishlegs. "But this changes everything!"

"Have you heard anything about Hiccup?" Just about every dragon in that group had been asking the same question, and the answers were all the same: no.

Valka pointed to Shamrock and a Changewing named Alternatia. "We were flying back from Greenland when we ran into the Treejumpers with the same intention. I had no idea Hiccup was friends with them. Alternatia had gone to them for help."

"And it wasn't hard to get," the Changewing muttered to Midnight, "The way they talk you'd think fighting is the happiest thing in the world, by golly!"

Nor had she only brought the nest of Treejumpers. Deafpool the Thunderdrum and Trachyte the Eruptodon were in the group too.

"We heard the news from some passing dragons and came to help!" Trachyte said cheerfully to Midnight.

"A Thunderdrum does not desert those in need of his assistance, even if they be Merfolk on two legs who implausibly sit upon dragon backs and fly like the white screechers!" the Thunderdrum declared proudly. By white screechers he meant seagulls.

"But first they have to be reminded they owe their lives 'to those in need,'" Trachyte muttered.

Camicazi wanted to bring them all back to her island at once, but Valka quickly pointed out that the sudden arrival of so many dragons would heavily tax the Bog Burglar's resources and patience. Besides, Valka did not really trust the Bog Burglars (the better-than-cordial relations between their tribes had not really started until after her disappearance), and she was unwilling to take everyone in case of traps. So it was decided Valka would bring some of the Dragons and they would go have a long talk with Bertha and the Twins.

Things were less joyful in Grimmige Festung. Astrid looked up and said dully, "Right on time,"

Viggo's servant snorted as she brought in the rations for the day. "Did you expect anything else?"

Astrid had decided to try the direct approach today. "So what's in Viggo's account books?"

The servant snorted again. "You think I know? I'm not allowed to even touch that chest! That's what he said on my first day on the job: never touch the ebony chest if you value your life!"

"Talking about me?"

The servant whipped around. Her master was standing in the doorway, arms folded against his chest.

"Sir, I—"

"Quiet, you. Ah, my dear Astrid, I cannot change what you have heard, but as you're never getting out of here, it does not matter how much you know." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Excuse me, but I must remind someone what happens when they say too much."

"Sir, I—"

Viggo just grabbed her arm and pulled her down the corridor, out of Astrid's sight and hearing.

In another part of the Archipelago, after night had fallen, Snotlout looked around nervously. "So this is the Sanctuary? You've never taken me here before, you know that?"

"Of course I know that," Hiccup retorted, "Even after it was destroyed, I kept its location secret because I thought it would make a good hideout." He walked so swiftly that Snotlout had trouble keeping up.

"Didn't Adoncia know where it was? Wouldn't she have told Viggo?"

"At the time I didn't know she was working with Viggo. I didn't even know of him then. Happy days. But she never told Drago who I really was, even though she knew long before he did, so it's possible she kept some things from her next master also. That's the kind of person she was."

The Sanctuary was a mere shell of what it had used to be. The whole island looked dead, and more like a broken down fortress than an island. It was eerily quiet there. The moon was shining, so the rocks were black with faint blue outlines. There was not a sound to be heard or a sign of movement anywhere. It was like being in a cave, only with the roof missing in most places.

"I never thought it would look like this," Snotlout remarked, "I always thought it would look more…well, prettier."

"It did, at one time," Hiccup said heavily as he climbed over a rock. "All right, we'll stop here,"

He looked around. They were in the old throne room. The roof was gone now, along with a wall, and the floor was broken up. He picked up a stone and saw a few carvings etched into it. "This belonged to a map of the world we had made," he said reflectively, "my room was in that direction, and the room Astrid stayed in was down that way. You know, this was where she met Stormfly for the first time. And she thought our torches were made from human bones," he smiled sadly.

"So…what exactly are we doing here?" Snotlout asked uncertainly.

Hiccup looked at the sky. "We're waiting for company. It'll probably be a while."

While they waited Snotlout decided to wander around a bit. Only one or two passages were traversable now, so he picked a sloping one. It descended for a hundred meters or so and led to a wall with a round opening. At one time this passage probably had looked almost man-made, but now it was a wreck of its former self. Snotlout poked his head through the opening, raised his torch, and saw a great pile of gold, silver, jewels, ornamental objects like candlesticks and goblets, all gilded and dazzling in the firelight. He was so awed by the sight he could hardly breathe.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't take anything. We're going to need all of it later."

Snotlout jumped. He had not realized Hiccup was behind him. "You weren't kidding when you said you were rich."

"No, I wasn't. It's one more reason for why I kept this place secret even after it became uninhabitable. When we settled here I wanted to live with as little human interaction as possible, but now and then I needed things that could only be acquired from humans—like leather. So I asked aquatic dragons to search underwater wrecks and bring up any chests they found. And some Smothering Smokebreaths wanted a proper nest so they moved in."

"How'd this room survive?"

"Aside from the Smokebreaths, none of the dragons cared about this room. Oh they helped make it and fill it, but only because I asked. Dragons have no concept of money and, with a few exceptions, don't place any value in pretty metals and rocks. Their currency would be food, if they used that sort of thing. So when the Sanctuary was being destroyed, nobody gave any thought to this room." He stepped inside and filled a bag with some jewels and coins. "This trove helped us rebuild Berk after the battle with Drago and helped pay for our trip to Greenland. No doubt we'll need the rest after we get this mess with Viggo straightened out." He turned around, "And if my ears don't deceive me, our company has arrived."

They returned to the old throne room and saw Meatlug coming in for a landing at the other end of it. The Whispering Death was right behind her. Fishlegs slid off the Gronkle, rushed for Hiccup and threw his arms around him.

"Oh thank Thor, I have never been so glad to see you, Hiccup!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Fish," Hiccup said awkwardly.

"Where's Toothless?" Fishlegs asked anxiously, "Has anyone seen or heard from the Twins? Snotlout, what are you doing here? Where have you been?"

"I've been—well—"

"He decided to join us on our little excursion," Hiccup said quickly, sitting down on a rock in the shadows, "we ran into some hunters. They've got Astrid and Hookfang."

"I know. Heather told me. Any word about the Twins?"

"None,"

"Oh this gets worse every day!" Meatlug moaned, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't—hey, Hiccup, you've grown a new leg!"

Hiccup laughed humorlessly. "No, I just modified a boot so my prosthetic attaches to it. I figured mercenaries who don't know me by sight will be looking for a man with a fake leg. All the posters mention it. So with a boot and pant legs covering it, and a few alterations to my face, nobody will realize I'm a wanted man." In addition to the boot he had cut up his hair, not shaved since the Isle of Night, had dirtied his face, and wore an eye patch the few times he had gone near settlements. To the casual passerby he looked like a drab and disheveled one eyed peasant, not the Dragon King. "It won't work forever, of course, but it hopefully won't need to." He turned to the Whispering Death. "You and the others go get some rest. You've earned it, and we've probably got more long days ahead."

"What about your safety?"

"Meatlug and Stormfly will keep watch for now. Go get some sleep. You've done enough for one day."

"So what are we waiting for now?" Snotlout asked. He was still voicing his question when Windshear landed with Heather on her back.

"Evening," she said grimly, "You guys look...healthy, I suppose,"

Hiccup inclined his head a little. "You sure nobody will know you came here?"

"Viggo thinks I'm out with Dagur searching for you. And technically, it's perfectly true, just not for the reasons he thinks."

"Haven't you usually gone out with Ryker for that?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yes, but I knew I couldn't give Ryker a good excuse for any absence this time, so I decided I needed Dagur to come instead. Apparently Ryker doesn't like crushed hazelnuts sprinkled on his chicken. It made his throat swell up and he had to lie down. It was Dagur's idea."

"Is Dagur on our side?" Snotlout asked, puzzled.

She shook her head tiredly. "I have no idea. Sometimes I think he doesn't even know whose side he's on. He once told me he sometimes feels ready to hug me, other times he feels ready to gut me, and sometimes he feels ready to do both at the same time while reciting an epic with his eyes crossed! He found the idea intriguing."

"Well, they don't call him Dagur the Deranged for nothing," Fishlegs replied with a shudder.

"No they don't. So sit down and tell me exactly what's been going on here." Hiccup said.

"Don't you know?" Fishlegs asked in surprise.

"We've heard a few things but nothing in detail," Snotlout explained. It was true more for him than for Hiccup, though he was still in the dark on some matters. "Where's Hookfang?"

Heather spoke, "I'm sorry, Snotlout, but there was nothing I could do about it. He was caught while I was staging a fight with Astrid. He's locked up with the others in Viggo's fortress right now. All the dragons there are being used on the Dragon Eye. Viggo's trying to get all the information he can from what he has. He's got big plans for when the weather gets better and his ships return. Astrid's being kept in Ryker's room."

"Is she all right?" Hiccup asked hoarsely. "They haven't—tortured her or anything, have they?"

"Dagur said it would be pointless to torture her unless you were present to watch. Viggo agreed. She told me Hognose tried to rape her but she strangled him while still chained up. I swear, if we had ten thousand like her, we could conquer the world."

Everybody looked amazed. Hiccup's smile was grim and fleeting.

Heather continued. "So Ryker keeps her in his room, but he doesn't know she can pick the locks to her chains. I wish I'd had that when I was an Outcast prisoner. You guys have gotta alter my clothes to hide picklocks one of these days."

"And she's been snooping around Viggo's headquarters?" Hiccup asked.

"As well as she can." Heather frowned. "It's not exactly easy snooping when you're a prisoner, but between her, me, and a few other contacts, we know more than Viggo thinks we do. She said to tell you she's really sorry that all of this happened, but she hopes you'll understand what she's doing."

Hiccup swallowed. "Will you tell her from me that I do understand?" He understood, but he was not happy about it either.

Heather smiled. "Of course I will. And I'll tell her all the things I can tell you want to say to her but don't have the guts to say to me." She looked at Hiccup rather excitedly, as if eager to tell him something, but she seemed to hold back and instead handed him some slips of parchment. "Here, these might help you. They're maps of Viggo's fortress and some other places. I found some of them in Draccus Grimborn's bedroom, stuffed in a pillow. Evidently Viggo never had the time or interest to search his brother's room after his death."

"What's this one? Barren Island? How's that relevant?"

"Astrid discovered that. We think it's where Viggo houses his wealth. It's an island a little ways away from his fortress."

"Where is this fortress anyway?" Snotlout asked.

Fishlegs spoke up. "I can answer that. Your plan worked, Hiccup. We let a dragon get caught and followed him. They took us to a place called 'Grimmige Festung.' It's a fortress on the coast of Norway."

"Nice name," Hiccup commented as he skimmed through the parchments. "Are there any hostages in this place besides Astrid?"

Heather nodded. "Most of your tribe and their dragons are being shipped away as slaves—oh, guys, I'm really sorry,"

The three men exchanged uneasy glances. Hiccup said "Just keep talking. Don't spare our feelings any."

"Right. So, Viggo's shipping—like I said, but he's kept a handful in his fortress as insurance against an attack. The humans are kept in cells, and the dragons are to use on the Dragon Eye. But get this: he keeps ledgers full of information on all his ships, how much they're carrying and where they're going and so forth."

"He's not one to be cheated," Hiccup remarked.

"Right. And these ledgers will have all the information on the ships carrying the Berkians, so if we can get our hands on them—"

"We could track down every ship and save everyone!" Snotlout cried eagerly.

Hiccup had thought of the same thing but shook his head glumly. "It won't be that easy, Snotlout. Viggo will be expecting us to try and save the captives so he'll be prepared for an infiltration. Still, does anyone know where are these ledgers kept?"

Heather's face fell. "I don't know. They're somewhere in his room, I think. From what I can learn, nobody knows for sure except Viggo,"

"Figures," Snotlout said, looking crestfallen.

"It gets even better," Fishlegs said bitterly, "After what Viggo did to Berk, everyone's been crazy with fear. Every tribe I've gone to, asking for help, has turned me down. They're all afraid Viggo will come for them next. I got lots of dragons from Denmark, but that's all."

"Have any tribes joined him?" Hiccup asked.

Heather nodded. "I saw a fleet of ships making for Grimmige Festung when I left it. They'll probably patrol the area to await your counterattack—you're going to make one, right?"

Hiccup looked at the wall. "Who's joined him?"

Fishlegs was miserable. "The Meatheads and a few of the smaller tribes. It's not as large as Drago's army, I think, but it's still considerable. And he's now sending out orders, promising safety in return for doing business with him. He's going to reopen Dragon Hunting again, and since everyone knows what he did to Berk, they'll agree to his offers. And even worse, word has come from Rome that all Christians who help a dragon, or us, will be excommunicated. Apparently Viggo's got them thinking he's working for their best interests."

"I know. My wanted posters have made it further south and fragments of Viggo's letter are being posted with it. I was tempted to visit the Pope to try and get him to back off, but I decided he'd probably ignore me and the detour wasn't time effective." Hiccup tapped his finger on a rock. "So is anyone on our side?"

"The Defenders are!" Heather said at once, "I know there aren't many of us, but we're all ready to fight Viggo to the death. Queen Mala opted to wait to see what you would do, before implementing a plan of her own. A plan to murder Viggo in his own bed. That's one of the main reasons I was sent to spy on him. I know where his room is, but I haven't been in it yet. But if you want us to put it into action—"

"It's too limited," Hiccup said, "No, we've got to make it so that there's no power left to seize when the Grimborns leave the picture."

"How?" Snotlout asked.

"I'm working on it, but I need more information. Are there any humans besides the Defenders we can count on?"

"The Bog Burglars," Fishlegs said, "Like Mala, Bertha's waiting to see what you'll do. She's playing it safe until then. Some other tribes are too. You could probably persuade them if you've got a good plan."

"How about dragons?" Snotlout asked, "How many do we have?"

Fishlegs looked around nervously. "No offense guys, but you won't reveal what you can't reveal, so just in case either of you two get captured…" he whispered something in Hiccup's ear. Hiccup did not respond. Instead he looked over the parchment once again.

"The answers all seem to be inside this Grimmige Festung. And it's being surrounded by a fleet and warriors…" they could almost see the wheels of his brain in motion as he thought of how to deal with these problems. "All right. It's time to gather our friends. Snotlout, fill several bags with money; we'll need it soon. Fish, you send out the Terror Scouts we have. I'll prepare the message for them in a minute. Heather, I need to send a message to your Defenders—and tell Astrid I love her and I need her to stand by and stay put for now." They all nodded and he pulled out a map. "Now, everybody, there's a tavern called the Red Unicorn on the island of—" he gave them the name and location. "Tell the leaders of every group you're positive is on our side of to meet me there 8 nights from tomorrow. The dragons will have to stay wherever they are for now. And for all our sakes—don't let those hunters find out about this!"

He called for one of the dragons. He was a Nadder named Glidregar.

"I hate to ask this, but are you up for another journey? I've got an idea of someone who can help us, and you're the fastest dragon we've got right now."

"What can I do?"

The King gave him instructions and the Nadder decided to take off at once, promising to be back as soon as possible.

"Where's he going?" Snotlout asked.

"Rammelsberg," was all that the King said. He abruptly shoved aside the maps and moved onto some personal questions he had wanted to ask since the beginning of this talk. "What about my parents? What are they doing? I didn't ask before because I thought you'd have told me already. I'm assuming my Dad's a hostage in the fortress, but what about my mother? Is she getting help from somewhere or is she in the fortress too?"

Heather and Fishlegs exchanged uneasy glances.

Hiccup looked at them sharply. "What?"

Fishlegs responded by taking a drink from his canteen. He offered some to Hiccup, who declined.

"It's good ale Hiccup; you might want a little," he said nervously.

Hiccup's hands curled into fists and he felt his stomach sink. He spoke very deliberately. "And what news do you have that requires a sip of ale before delivery?"

Tears came to the eyes of his friend. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup. The Chief is dead. They killed him after they took over Berk."

A lump came to Hiccup's throat. "You sure?"

"I returned to Berk a few days ago. I saw the body."

Hiccup abruptly stood up, leaning on the wall for support. "Maybe it was a dummy. Maybe he's faking his death…"

"No Hiccup, it wasn't a dummy…and he couldn't have faked a…a death like that,"

"Like what?"

Fishlegs drew a line across his throat. Hiccup's face contorted and he looked away. "And my mother?"

"I don't know," Fishlegs whimpered.

Hiccup jerked his head towards his cousin. "Well, Snotlout, we've both lost our fathers now, so I guess we're even. Hope you're satisfied for a change."

"Hiccup—"

"I'll be back," he turned away and disappeared.

Snotlout turned back to the others. "Is the Chief really dead?"

"Would I tell Hiccup something that horrible if it wasn't true?" Fishlegs cried.

"Maybe I should go and—"

"Let him be," Heather said softly. "Let him be for now."

The Dragon King climbed up to the highest point possible on the ruined cliffs. There, with the cold black night sky behind him, he turned so he faced the northeast. A wind picked up and blew through his hair but he ignored it. His hands were so tense they had the appearance of claws. His green eyes were lit with a rage such as he had never felt before. He looked down at the black abyss below him, feeling his anger rising like the waves that smashed into the cliffs, and he shouted "This is war, Viggo! Do you hear me? I'm coming for you! Fortify your castles, arm your men, load your bows, it won't be enough! If I have to take on the entire world to save my tribe I'll do it, and I'll start by finishing you off once and forever! BEG YOUR GODS FOR MERCY, BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET ANY FROM ME! DO YOU HEAR ME, VIGGO? THIS IS WAR!"