Author's note: So yes, I am alive but I have tests coming up so I won't be posting much up later until they are done, within about four weeks or more. So I hope this chapter will suffice for now and I apologise for lack of activity.
Halburg still had his eyes closed but suddenly, he felt a heavy breathing snout press against his hand. Halburg grinned and smiled with a tear in his eye, as he looked onto the Whispering Death who now had his former look of joy and innocence that Halburg had raised. "Boys, girl, let him go" called Halburg.
Smoke, Spark and Blizzard did so, albeit cautiously, and Quake moved his head closer to the basket of fish. Halburg spilt it over for the dragon to eat and while Quake was eating; Halburg, Smoke, Spark and Blizzard where removing the collar and chain. After sawing the collar with his blades and dragon brawn, the collar eventually fell off with a clunk rather quickly thanks to the rust built up and Quake's eyes widened. The area where the collar was left a red mark but that was beginning to fade away, however some rust had stained his scales and some scales had gone, revealing his skin.
Quake then raised himself up and nudged Blizzard who, along with the Zippleback, shared a dragon hug type thing. Quake looked back at Halburg and nudged his trainer. Halburg petted him with his left hand while he put his staff into its sling with the other. "Come on boy, let's go home" smiled Halburg.
The dragons and Viking made their way back to the cages where they had left the others but Halburg suddenly stopped just before the corner. Halburg got onto Spark's head and peered out to spot his other dragons being dragged away in chains with Viggo, Ryker and Amethyst standing by. Arrow squawked at them but Spines pushed her on, growling at them but knowing it foolish to try and resist.
'No, I can't lose them, not now' thought Halburg furiously. Once the seven and the people had left, Halburg walked out and spotted that the Typhommerang, Smokebreath, Dervish and Skrill looked in much better shape and were still alive, healthy and there. Halburg pondered but then smiled. He looked at the four other dragons and asked "So, any of ye know a faster way out by any chance?" which was followed by the four dragons not being entirely sure of what he was saying but grinned at the chance of both escape and revenge.
With the pirates and hunters
"So then Viggo, these dragons plus those from Zippleback Island should make you and me a handsome price, wouldn't you say" smiled Amethyst. "I am not concerned about profit, these ones are trained dragons and I need to find their trainer. Aswell, this Flightmare and Woolly Howl are far too valuable to merely let go of too traders" smiled Viggo has he looked at Belle and Frostbite, too which both glared and snarled in their bonds.
Amethyst nodded but then looked at Belle's saddle, or rather what was attached to it. "Viggo, I think I may have come across this dragon's trainer before" she said while walking over to Belle, her Bill Hook at the ready. "Really, do you think that they are an opponent of significance" asked Viggo intrigued. "Well, he did say he was smart, let's see how good he really is in a fight without his tricks" she smiled while looking at the cane Halburg had stolen from the ship.
Ryker then turned to Viggo and said "Our new comrades are waiting for us brother, they are eager to see how things have turned out". Viggo then smiled and said "Well then, we had best see if they know this Flightmare then". Belle narrowed her eyes and looked at the others.
The Snaptrapper had all four of her heads chained together with their mouths clamped. All of the dragons had their jaws clamped with their wings bound and their tails in firm locks. Frostbite and Belle had the most security done to them with the two being the most powerful and dangerous of the dragons there.
The dragons were being marched towards the beach where the boats were. Viggo grinned but suddenly, a stream of green gas circled the convoy before a spark halted their tracks. "Viggo Grimborn, I come for my dragon, give them all to me and I won't kick your butt to Valhalla" smiled Halburg while he stood on top of the Zipplebacks back with Blizzard, Quake and the new four dragons either side of them. "So you are the trainer of these dragons, I must say that I was expecting more but hopefully you will make a good performance" Viggo grinned, taking out his sword.
"Ok, before we continue, I would just like to say one thing" Halburg said. "And that is?" asked Amethyst. "Viggo, your accent is really cool, seriously. Ever think of theatre as a career?" asked Halburg. "I did once if I'm honest, never did work out though" replied Viggo sincerely. Ryker and Amethyst both exchanged confused glances before they glared at Halburg.
"Archers, take down those dragons" called Ryker. The archers loaded their bows and fired at the dragons but the Skrill obliterated them with her lightning. The Typhommerang, Quake and the Dervish then dived in and began to hit, bash and attack the Hunters and Pirate crew. The Smothering Smokebreath helped to create a fog barrier and blind their opponents.
Blizzard, Halburg, Smoke and Spark meanwhile were freeing the other dragons. The Skrill was still blasting at arrows being shot at them. Viggo growled and tried to slice his blade at Halburg but the boy copped it in time and side stepped out of the way. Halburg unsheathed his staff and went into a fighting stance as Viggo pointed his sword before the two went into a duel.
Halburg, even with his staff, was still set at a disadvantage to his opponent. Viggo was stronger, more skilled and co-ordinated. The Gronckle Iron hook and spear both were at a disadvantage with Viggo's weapon being made of the same exact substance. Aswell, unlike Viggo's weapon, there was oak in Halburg's so it was still heavier, not by much but enough to hinder Halburg's movements more than Viggo's.
Halburg was being pushed back as Smoke, Spark and Blizzard were distracted with freeing the others. However, Frostbite and Belle, once free, immediately sprinted, or waddled in Belle's case given Flightmares walk funny, over to their trainer, with Ryker and Amethyst behind them.
Belle immediately pushed Viggo away and the two stood between Halburg and Viggo who was now joined by his brother and the pirate captain. Ryker growled and Frostbite pounced at him, while Ryker had his swords out. The Strike class Woolly and the Dragon Hunter were involved in quite a graphic situation of snow and swinging green blades.
Viggo however, was less forward and merely watched; Amethyst was less so like that. Belle was hovering but Amethyst's Bill Hook latched onto her neck and pulled her down. Halburg growled and, using his staff as a support, kicked back Amethyst.
While Halburg was normally very respectful towards women, there was a time and a place for chivalry. The two battled with the hooked spear and the Bill Hook both attacking the other. Halburg locked the Bill Hook's hook with the staff's hook and, using the rotating spring in it, flung the weapon out of her grasp and into the air. Halburg then shot the spear up and clean cut the shaft in half before the head retracted itself into its' slot.
Amethyst growled and pulled out her cutlass and kicked the staff out of his grasp with one strike after catching Halburg off guard, sending the staff to be stuck in a tree out of reach. Halburg's eyes widened and he narrowly avoided being decapitated. Halburg pulled out, from two small scabbards on either side of his waist, his dagger and knife.
The two blades formed an 'X' style shape and stopped the Cutlass coming down onto Halburg's head. The two growled and pushed for ground. Amethyst kicked Halburg in the gut but the Thorston pushed himself back and out of the way. Amethyst then tried to slash at him and pierce him but Halburg either dodged the strike or intercepted it with his knife or dagger.
Viggo meanwhile had been cornered by Rose, Bloom, Petal and Stem. Belle was helping the other dragons so the Snaptrapper decided to attack him, not like they had much else to do with their time.
Viggo, being the expert dragon hunter he is, already knew how to defeat a normal Snaptrapper; however, trained dragons were a different story. The sisters, as Halburg called them for short as saying all their names was a bit of a mouthful, proved a bit of a match for Viggo.
Rose tried a quick snap of her jaws over Viggo's sword but missed which was followed by Viggo ducking under a swing from Petal's head. Viggo then kicked back Bloom but Stem then snatched her triple jaw around Viggo's wrist guard.
Viggo then hit Stem's snout with the butt of his blade, causing her to retract but then Rose snatched her jaws around Viggo's blade however he quickly punched her neck, winding her and causing her to retract. The dragon then quickly spun and tried to bash him with their tails.
He then jumped up, avoiding a slash of the sisters' left wing and slid down the wing onto their back. The four heads spun quickly around and all launched themselves, snapping and swiping their horns. Viggo however, swung his sword at them, sending a mark onto Stem's left bottom jaw.
The Skrill then came down and struck Viggo with her tail, sending him flying backwards. Viggo landed near Ryker who had successfully blocked a blast from Frostbite. "We need reinforcement's brother" Viggo said. "Agreed" replied Ryker who pulled out an arrow and his bow before lighting it on fire, sending it up into the air to catch the attention of remaining crew and two other people on board.
Far away from the island
"Of all the stupid, idiotic things he could have done, this is by far this is the worst" grumbled Tuffnut as he was perched at the front of the convoy with Head on his shoulder and he on Torch's neck. Skullcrusher and Windshear then pulled up alongside with Skrillchiller, Deathride, Barf and Belch behind them.
"So what if he did this, it's not like he did it for a poor reason. Besides, Skullcrusher has his scent so we are certainly going to find him" Eret responded as he and Heather pulled up alongside him.
Tuffnut looked at his wife and friend prepared to re-buckle an argument but dropped in defeat and sulked, much to Torch's amusement. Heather and Eret grinned at each other and, with Skullcrusher's nose leading the convoy, they continued onwards.
That was short and pointless; let's jump ship back to Halburg
Halburg was still in his fight with the Pirate Captain while his dragons were fighting the brothers and crew. The Smothering Smokebreath was tag teaming with Coral, due to the two being the weakest members of the dragon group. The Smokebreath would cloud the opponents, strip them of their weapons and then Coral would either bat them with her wings or tail or blast them with her water shot.
Viggo then, after his men started to distract the Snaptrapper sisters, joined his men struggling against the duo, narrowly avoiding a random spike from Arrow who was distracted. Viggo jumped and slammed into the Smokebreath.
He knocked the small dragon to the ground and stood on his back, while the small dragon struggled against his hold. "Secure the Tide Glider, you two, take this Smothering Smokebreath away" ordered Viggo to his men.
About six men began to circle Coral as she struggled against them. One had a long pole with a noose at the end. Coral was spraying her water acid at them but one man hit her with his mace, causing the purple dragon to whimper back. The man with the pole then got the noose around her neck, somehow and I really don't know with those horns. The noose then tightened and caused Coral to suffer from lack of oxygen.
Blizzard spotted the men but before she could go to help Coral and the Smokebreath, she had to deal with about fifteen well-armed hunters. Blizzard cracked her neck and grinned, thinking about her warm up fight with these guys.
Spines however, got to Coral faster and came crashing down with her immense weight on the pole with her tail, causing it to snap in half. Viggo growled but Spines knocked back two men with her head and chopping a spear shaft with her head sail. A quick fire blast knocked over two men who were running over and, with a quick slap of her wing, flung two female pirates away.
Coral meanwhile was on the ground limp, alive but struggling to breath. The Smokebreath was struggling as he was held down by two men who were putting pressure on the small dragons back.
Blizzard beat away her opponents and, with her horns lowered, charged at the men, body engulfed in flames. Any opponent in front of her was flung away like a twig and when she reached the Smokebreath and Coral, swung her head at the men before her, knocking them to the ground.
Blizzard burned away the ropes around Coral's neck which was followed by the Tide Glider breathing rapidly. The Smokebreath grumbled and lay down next to Coral. Blizzard looked onto the battle field of dragons and Vikings.
The Skrill was blasting opponents with her lightning, the Devilish Dervish was working with Arrow, Quake and Twist with shooting down opponents in huge numbers. Spines was not too far away, dealing with Viggo and his men. Smoke and Spark were helping the sisters. The Typhommerang was working with Belle and Frostbite against Ryker and his men aswell as some pirates. Halburg was still fighting the pirate captain.
Blizzard was prepared to fight any oncoming enemies that would try to hurt the two dragons still recovering. The Monstrous Nightmare growled at men who were running at her and using her powerful fire, horns, tail, wings and claws to keep them at bay or throw them over the island, ladies choice.
Indeed, all the dragons were fighting in their noble fashion and Coral along with the Smokebreath were back on their fins/feet within a few minutes. However, as these two and Blizzard fought off their opponents, they were surprised and scared when they soon spotted an army of about one thousand and more hunters along with that number in pirates on the beach from all sides going towards him.
Blizzard roared at all the other dragons. Halburg had kept ditched the pirate captain and was confused when all his dragons and the four saved all nodded together. Before the green haired boy could react, the thirteen dragons had flown in his direction, with Spines plucking him off the ground and onto Blizzard's back. "Uh girls, guys, what are you doing?" asked Halburg.
Soon, they had arrived at the centre point of the beach, only a few metres from the previous grounds. With the pirates and hunters coming to them along with the leaders, the thirteen dragons all placed Halburg on the ground and formed, with their backs to him, around him.
Halburg could only watch in awe as the thirteen dragons all had strange grins, with Smoke, Twist and Spark grinning like fools or children. When the time was right, so about two minutes later when they were fully surrounded, Blizzard let out the mother of all roars.
All dragons started firing their fire, lightning, acid, snow and water blasts. Even though the Smothering Smokebreath had a weak blast, he was still helping and Halburg gazed at the spectacle. 'If Ruff and Tuff could only see this now' thought Halburg. This was nothing as, thanks to their long tails and necks, the Zippleback, Snaptrapper, Twist, Spines, Blizzard, the Devilish Dervish and Quake had rotated their bodies around with the ends of their tails on fire, acting as whips to beat away those who got to close.
The Typhommerang was closest to the ocean and using her huge wingspan as a sort of natural shield. Everything was amazing as Quake and Arrow shot off spikes which had been lit on fire. Halburg though, knew that while his position was incredible, those on the receiving end were less fortunate.
Most people, including Viggo, Ryker and Amethyst had boarded their respective ships and fled but, fortunately, the Snaptrappers and Hideous Zipplebacks had escaped from their holds so exacted their revenge on the pirates that were left. Halburg soon realised that his dragons were now blasting at nothing in particular.
"Blizzard, Blizzard, hello, it's over" called Halburg. The Monstrous Nightmare was oblivious as were the others, except for the Snaptrappers and Zipplebacks that had finished and were now looking bewildered at the group. Fart and Sniff, who were among them, turned their heads in confusion.
"BLIZZARD" yelled Halburg which finally caught her attention. The other dragons all stopped and they looked at the scorched beach. "Well then, this can't get worse" smiled Halburg. At this point, Tuffnut and the others had arrived and Tuffnut had a disappointed look on his face. "I found Quake who is alive" shrugged Halburg but he knew, he was in trouble.