AN: Some strong language maybe
Chapter Fifty: Over
Hiccup only realized he was back in the cage with Kate and Josh dangling next to him when the door of his cage shut close with a loud 'BANG'.
His hands were shaking with outrage and fear and he hated it.
He clenched them into fists and tried to calm down.
"Hiccup?" He turned towards Kate's soft question. He just looked at her.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
He just looked at her, looked at Josh.
It was all his family's fault that they were in danger.
Worse, he had endangered them even more.
When he looked at them, he felt hate and self-loathing rise in his chest.
His blood was a trail of destruction.
Worse, it was the origin of all destruction.
Frustrated and desperate he cried out loud and punched the metal bars of his cage with all his might.
He didn't feel any pain.
Just the metal vibrating under his skin.
Kate and Josh looked shocked.
"Hiccup? What happened? What did you do? What did Hamish do? Did anything happen?" Kate asked, getting up.
Hiccup was fuming mad.
"They're idiots!" he growled.
"Tell us something new!" Josh said, also getting up.
"I don't mean them." Hiccup spat. "I mean the Vikings."
Josh and Kate exchanged looks.
"Why?" Kate asked tenderly.
"Stupid stubborn sea-weed-brained, barnacle-crusted, bad-mouth-smelling, hairy morons!" Hiccup cursed.
"If they'd only listened! What is so difficult with getting over your pride and listen to the voice of reason? It could have saved so many lives! Why, oh why, is it always them?"
Josh leaned over to Kate.
"Do you know what he's talking about?" "I have absolutely no clue."
Hiccup kicked against the metal bars and his cage swayed dangerously. Again he felt no pain. Just rage. Hot burning rage in his very soul and heart.
"When this is over I will give them e big piece of my mind, I swear!" he growled.
He started tearing at his shackles but it was useless.
Only the gods knew where Hamish had gotten magic-restricting shackles.
"Hiccup stop, you'll hurt yourself!" Josh said in a stern voice that didn't quite fit him.
Hiccup just shot him a dirty look.
"Shut up." was all he said. Then he added: "We have to get out of here. We stay any longer we'll die."
(Line break)
It was early evening when outside the first activities for this evening entertainment were readied.
Hiccup stood in his cage and felt a bit foolish. It didn't help that Josh made comments all along.
"I don't think this will work! I mean, come one, they could be anywhere by now." "No. At least Toothless cannot. He can't fly without me steering his tail and I doubt that he's swimming the way back. And Zhang has made a bond with you so my guess is that they are hiding somewhere or searching for us. And Toothless is smart enough not to attack the village all by himself. And Nightlight is, hopefully, still at that cave where Kate left her. Besides, I've been playing with this thought for months now. And I'm sure it'll work." "And what will the villagers think? And Blondie? And Hamish?" "They already think I'm nuts. Besides, what do we have to lose?" "Our heads, duh!" Josh reminded him. "Not if this works." Josh snorted. "By all means howl into the wind like a love-struck wolf under the full moon."
"At least he's coming up with a plan. What do you have?" Kate asked, sitting in her cage with folded arms.
Josh looked at her annoyed. "Do you always have to take his side?" "Afraid so." She answered.
Josh sighed. "I just don't see why we can't smash their head good-old-fashioned." "Because they will bind our hands together and dragged us to where-ever they are going to execute us. I really don't want to take on the whole village with bound hands and the odds of three against one hundred." "One hundred of which ninety percent are old folks and children." Josh argued. "Yeah and the other ten percentage are well trained warriors. No offence Josh but if we want to get out of here I preferred to be alive and unharmed." Kate said in a matter-of-fact-voice.
"Ah shut up." Josh said defeated.
Hiccup couldn't suppress a grin.
"Don't worry. You get to kick asses soon enough."
He looked up the window through which he could see the clear evening sky and through which the outside noises were carried in on the sea-wind.
He took a deep breath.
Despite what he had told Josh he wasn't sure at all that this would work.
Best case scenario Toothless would hear him and come and rescue them. Worst case scenario he made a total fool out of himself and got his friends and himself executed in a few hours. A promising win-win-chance so to speak. Not.
Hiccup took a deep breath and then let out his best imitation of a Night Fury's holler.
The sound echoed over the village and Hiccup heard the people shutting up outside and even heard some gasping and whimpering: "Dragons?"
He nearly felt sorry for scaring them.
Then again they prepared a feast to celebrate their execution so he didn't feel so sorry anymore.
Another three times he called out for his soul-mate before the doors banged open and Blondie stormed in.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" he asked fuming with a red and swollen face.
"Didn't I tell you? I'm all into theater and musicals. I want to be an actor one day. I'm doing my daily vocal-training and practice my vocal-cords." He said dryly. "Don't worry, it's just the warming up for the higher tunes."
"Cut the crap. Those were dragon calls. You're calling the beasts for your rescue. You coward."
Hiccup rolled with his eyes. "I'm not a coward. And I'm not calling the dragons. Just a special one."
Blondie raised his spear. "I should run you through right where you hang!" "Then why don't you?" "Chieftains orders." "Try not to get stuck in his ass, you're already pretty deep in."
"Hiccup, stop provoking him." Kate said harshly. Gods above, Hiccup hadn't been the same since he'd gotten back from his talk with Hamish hours earlier.
He was downright angry, something she wasn't used too.
Hiccup didn't spare her a glance.
"I bet behind your big mouth your mama's little boy, aren't you?" he taunted. Georges face was twisted in anger and his fists were shaking.
"Shut up you worthless piece of shit or I swear I come up there and beat your cockiness out of you." "Uh, now we're getting somewhere."
Hiccup faked a yawn.
"Bet you don't have it in you." he said. "Coward." he added silently but loud enough for George to pick it up.
"That's it!" the older boy growled and Hiccups cage began sinking down to the ground.
Kate and Josh watched in horror as George drew his sword and put the spear aside.
"Now we will see what your stupid mouth has to say when I run you through!"
Just before the cage hit the ground, Hiccup winked at Kate and Josh.
They saw it in his eyes.
Chill, it's all part of my brilliant plan.
George tore the door of Hiccups cage open and grabbed Hiccup by the color of his shirt and dragged him out.
Hiccup 'fell' to his knees.
"Die scrum." George sneered and brought down the sword.
In the last moment Hiccups arms shot up and crossed above his head. The blade connected with the rings around his wrists and they fell to the ground, cleanly cut through.
George staggered back a few steps. Hiccup looked up, grinned and said: "Oops. Not according to plan I suggest?" before a, relatively, small fireball exploded from his hand and hit George square in the chest. The boy flew backwards from the impact into some barrels and was knocked out.
Hiccup grinned. "Score for the dragon riders!"
He turned around and lowered the others in their cages down to the ground.
Kate glared at him.
"Have you lost it? You can't just kill people with your powers, it's wrong!" she hissed hysterically.
"Whoa!" he said, raising his arms. "Relax Kate. I didn't kill him! Look!"
Indeed. George was just cold out. The front of his shirt was burned but the skin beneath was just barely scratched.
"See, no harm done. It was all part of the plan. Making him angry, reckless and then knock him out so we could get away. I actually wanted them to hear my dragon calls. I didn't intend Blondie to come, anybody else would have been fine too." he explained. Kate couldn't help but feel relieved. So it was all just a façade. Good. Hiccup was too sweet to act so…mean and…cold.
Hiccup grabbed the spear. "Alight guys. Let's head out. But remember, low profile!"
They caged George in open of the cages and left the prison.
Moving through the shadows of the houses they managed to get to the outskirts of the village.
The sun was only a hot red ball over the water and blinded them slightly while they made their way to the beach.
And then the alarms blurred. Shouts filled the evenings peacefulness.
All three teens' heads shot up. A scaly body shot over the top of the trees, followed by more. Hiccup cursed. "Not again a dragon-raid."
He pushed his friends into the entrance of a shovel as outside the roaring of the dragons grew louder, fire rained down from the sky and villagers ran for their weapons.
"Why now?" Kate whispered. "The sun is still up!" "But not for much longer. Look!"
Indeed, the sun was already halfway gone, swallowed by the sea.
Hiccup took a fast look around. Dragons were everywhere. Tearing down houses, setting the woods on fire and chasing the humans around.
But as he looked closer Hiccup saw that they weren't really targeting them. Sure, they flicked them aside with their tails, nudged them over, chasing them but to Hiccup it looked more like they were trying to…herd them away from the village!
They are trying to protect them, he thought disbelievingly.
And then he saw from what.
Hamish, standing in the middle of the plaza, sword and shield in hands, screaming like a madman, sliced at everything in his reach.
He shook his head amazed.
"Hiccup! Let's go! This is the distraction we need!" Josh urged him and Kate tugged at his sleeve. "No! We can't go now!" he said.
Hamish had to be stopped. This madness here would end once he was gone.
"We have to stop Hamish!"
"Hamish?" his two friends asked buffed. There was no time to explain everything to them so he just said: "He's in league with Darkness. That's why the dragons have been attacking Port East of all these years now! They're trying to stop him. He's the portal for Darkness to the mortal world! Come on!"
They looked dumbfound but caught themselves quickly. Kate grabbed his shoulder. "Hiccup you just can't run up there and duel him! You'll die!"
Hiccup looked desperate. "But this might be our only chance!" he argued.
Suddenly Josh grabbed both of them and jumped with both them under a carriage in front of them.
Not a second too late.
A massive firewall had burned down the very spot they had been crouching on second ago.
He cursed when he raised his head and saw guards and a very angry George running up to the fuming mad Hamish.
"They must have realized we're gone." Josh muttered. "Then we should hurry." Kate suggested but Hiccup shook his head. "Guys we can't!" They looked really desperate. "Hiccup! We can always come back but right now we have to reorganize, find our dragons and make a plan! Please!" Kate said. And Josh nodded too. Hiccup sighed. He couldn't work against them, he couldn't boss them around. "Alright." he said.
"Let's take the rout through the woods. If we continue down to the beach and into the ravine where I left Nightlight we will be in plain sight!" Kate whispered urgently.
"She's right." Josh said. "The woods are on fire and crowing with wild dragons." Hiccup whispered. "It's saver to use the general chaos and just make our way as fast as possible out of here." "But when they see us they will try to catch us like last time. Hamish already thinks you command the dragons. What do you think he will do when he sees you running down to the beach?" Kate asked rhetorically. "He will assume you have ordered them to attack so you can flee!" Josh finished her thought. "The woods are still saver and we can stick to the outskirts, close to the village. That way we won't get lost!" Kate whispered pleadingly.
They sounded so sure Hiccup wanted to believe them but he shook his head.
"I really don't know guys. I say we split up. You two take the rout through the woods; I make my way down to the beach the other way. We rendezvous somewhere there, okay?"
"No. We're not splitting up again. You won't go by your own!" Kate hissed and Josh nodded. "She's right man. This is enemy territory. They will kill you on sight! You need back up. Besides we have no weapons to defend us. Bette stick together."
Hiccup gave him the spear. "Here, now you have a weapon. Go! I'll be fine!" Kate's face was red. "When will you finally get it? We're a team now. We're in this together!"
"Indeed you are!" someone said from behind them.
They swirled around.
Forgotten were the enraged dragons, the fires burning just a few feet away with ferocious intensity and the screaming and shouts were reduced to a faint dull noise.
Hamish and five guards stood there, swords drawn, ready to charge.
Hamish looked at Hiccup and for the briefest second his eyes turned black.
"You really should've considered my offering boy. But alas, it's a great more pleasure to run you through."
Anger boiled in Hiccups chest. "Give me that spear Josh. This is my fight. This son of a b**** will not know what will hit him!" he growled.
Josh looked uncertain. He locked eyes with Kate and she shook her head slightly. He understood.
"No Hiccup. Together." Just for a second Hiccup averted his gaze from Hamish and looked at his two friends. They couldn't win this, he knew. Not without a miracle. Yet they still stood there; ready to give their lives in this last struggle for freedom.
"Together." he agreed.
Then they charged.
To be fair and honest they didn't really have the chance for a real last-stand-fight.
Mid-charge something black, heavy and winged landed on top the five warriors and familiar blue flames sent Hamish to the ground face-first.
"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup exclaimed loudly.
It was indeed the Night Fury.
And by hells fires, he was furious. The dragons' pupils were slits, the usually soft green of his eyes was more like poison and he growled a deep threatening sound in the back of his throat.
Hamish's eyes were the size of plates.
He scrambled backwards through the dirt.
"It cannot be! That beats was killed! Years ago!" he whispered. Hiccup didn't know what he meant with that but he couldn't care less.
"Hamish" he said coldly "Meet my buddy Toothless. He doesn't like people like you. People that threat to kill me and kill dragons. He's not a brainless beast of farm-animal. He's much more. He's light. And you are a dark soul. And he doesn't quite like that."
He squinted his eyes.
"Darkness, I now speak to you. In my veins may flow the blood of traitors and murderer and cowards. But also of heroes and kings and leaders. And I will only tell you this once. Fuck off!"
With that he thrust the spear forward into Hamish's heart.
The chief gasped and stared at him in shock. His face twisted and suddenly a stream of Darkness erupted from his mouth and disappeared in the blue sky.
Hamish fell to his side and stared with hate and pain in his eyes at Hiccup.
"This" he coughed, blood flowing down his chin "Doesn't change anything!" "You're wrong. It changes a lot!" Hiccup said.
Hamish managed one last growl, then his eyes widened, his breathes became slower, until they stopped.
His glassy eyes stared into nothingness.
A flash of light…and his body was gone, disintegrated into ashes.
Hiccup turned around to his friends. They looked grim but nodded at him.
It was then that Hiccup realized something.
It was silent.
Not a single sound was there.
They looked up.
The dragons and the flames…had disappeared.
People stood there frozen in irritation and confusion.
Hiccup doubted anybody really understood what just had happened. Hell, he didn't know either.
But it sure was a miracle.
In the sudden silent his voice seemed to ring out louder than usual.
"Now we can go." he said.
AN: Yeah, if it only was this easy. Next chapter will be awesome. I think. I hope.
Tell me what you think. Reviews are loved!