Chapter 27: Drago Bludvist

Hardstone Island

October 16

Stoick grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the golden light of the setting sun shining against the tall, rocky mountains of Hardstone Island. Then he looked all around at a few longships surrounding his own as they neared the docks. Each ship had a different tribal crest designed on the sails. Some sails had the moon or stars or the sun, other sails had animals or dragons. Stoick knew that while the sails of these ships had different crests, each one carried a chieftain from a different tribe. Like him, they were all to attend the chieftains' meeting that was to take place on this very island. At that meeting, they would, hopefully, find a way to deal with the dragons once and for all.

In a few minutes time, Stoick steered his ship at the side of one of the docks. Two fellow Viking men were already standing on the docks and they tethered his ship to the pilings.

"Thank you, men," Stoick said politely.

The two Viking men bowed respectfully as Stoick stepped onto the docks. The Berkian Chief looked all around at the faces of the Chieftains who were all arriving. Some he recognized from previous meetings, others he hadn't seen before. Within the sea of faces, he spotted the one of the head of Headstone Island himself, Chief Colburn. Colburn had a long, black beard streaked with gray that was tied in two thick braids.

"Colburn!" Stoick called, waving his hand. "Colburn, over here!"

The black-bearded Chief turned his head towards the sound of his voice looking confused at first before his blue eyes lit up with excitement and he approached.

"Stoick, is it really you?"

"Is it really me? Is it really you?"

The two chiefs embraced and shook hands.

"The last time I saw you, your beard was much darker," Stoick commented.

"And your beard was much shorter," Colburn replied.

"What are you talking about? It's still on the short side…a little."

"Well, you've arrived just in time, Stoick, the meeting starts in one hour once everyone's settled in," Colburn said, putting an arm around Stoick and leading him past the arriving chiefs and towards the village. "Come on, I'll take you to the Great Hall now…see if I can get you something to eat."

"Thank you, Colburn," Stoick said gratefully. He looked all around at the faces of the Viking chiefs again as they walked side by side. "Looks like just about every chieftain we know is here. Well, everyone except…Alvin…and Oswald the Agreeable."

Colburn nodded. "Yeah, it's a shame they couldn't make it. Then again, I guess Alvin's just doing his own thing on Outcast Island. And Oswald's just too busy taking care of his tribe and that wild boy of his."

"Dagur?" Stoick couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, he's wild all right."

"Speaking of boys, how's yours doing?"

"Hiccup? Ah, he's just…ah…well, he's still…Hiccup."

Colburn couldn't help but chuckle. "From what you've described about him in the letters you've sent me over the years, he sounds like quite an interesting child."

"Yeah, interesting," Stoick muttered, thinking about all those times Hiccup had gotten himself into trouble.

"Well, just try to be grateful you have a child at least. Unlike me. I've married at least four different women but not one of them seemed to have the bodies to produce any heirs for my people."

Stoick chuckled again. "You're right. I am grateful that I still have Hiccup…especially after…"

Colburn's expression melted into sympathy. "Oh, yes, I've heard about what happened to Valka. I've prayed every day and night for both her and for you when I did."

"Thanks again, Colburn," Stoick said again.

"I hope she enjoyed the breastplate I had crafted and sent for her as a wedding gift," Colburn added.

Stoick found himself lost for words as soon as he heard that. He didn't want to tell Colburn that Valka had never donned the breastplate even once. As for said breastplate, it was currently being crafted into two separate helmets – one for himself and one for Hiccup when he was a little older. He thought it would be a good way to keep a part of her close to both him and Hiccup.

"Oh, yes, Colburn, she certainly did," was all Stoick could think to say. Then he cleared his throat. "On another subject, I believe I've come up with a solution about the dragons that I wish to announce at the meeting."

"I'm looking forward to hearing it, Stoick," Colburn said.

"And hopefully this solution will help all mankind," Stoick said. Then he added softly, "Especially my son." He smiled at his old comrade. "For the first time in years, Colburn, I feel confident."

"So do I, old friend, so do I," Colburn said. Then he looked up. "Ah, here we are at the Great Hall."

Stoick also looked up at the Great Hall of Hardstone Island. Like the Great Hall of Berk, it lead up the stairs to an opening in the side of a rocky mountain. But unlike Berk's Great Hall which had a rocky roof, this Great Hall in front of him had a wooden roof. As he and Colburn climbed the steps, he could hear the chatter of voices coming from inside. As they reached the top step and stepped through the doors, Stoick could see some of the Viking chieftains already seated around the tables, eating, drinking and talking. The Hall was lit by the fiery torches standing against the stone walls.

Stoick seated himself in one of the tables and spent the next hour greeting some of the chiefs he had known over the years and introduced himself to the ones he had never met before.

Some of the Chiefs he had met before said things like, "Stoick, it's been years!" or "How's life back on Berk?" or "Are you still fighting dragons?" or "Do you have any idea of what we're going to do with them?"

Stoick did his best to answer their every question and made small talk about life on Berk and handling the dragon raids. Before long, Colburn arrived beside him.

"All right, everyone, settle down. It's about time to start the meeting," he announced. He patted Stoick's shoulder. "Come with me Stoick. I've saved one of the best seats in the house just for you."

Stoick nodded and followed Colburn to a grand wooden chair in the center of the Hall. He sat in it proudly and watched as Colburn waved his arms.

"All right, quiet down, everyone!" Colburn said loudly. "It's time to start the meeting!"

As instructed, everyone quieted down.

"Thank you," Colburn said. "Now, Stoick, Eluf, Dustin, Alrick, Kent, Granite, Njord…uh, and everyone else. I want to thank you all for coming to my island and I hope you're all feeling at home and that all your tribes back in your respective islands are doing well."

The other chiefs nodded and murmured positive replies.

"Now, I'm sure you all know why I've asked you to come here," Colburn continued. "It's because we're here to discuss a problem. A problem that each and every one of us have been facing since the dawning of the Viking era: Dragons."

Again the chiefs nodded, their expressions now grim.

"Those pesky flying lizards are always trying to settle down at my island," Granite, a chief with gray hair and a matching mustache complained. "They think they can just make themselves at home where my tribe has made their homes first."

"The same thing happens on my island," blonde-bearded Elof growled. "Not only do they try to make themselves at home, they also pilfer half our storehouse!"

"I've tried many times to hide my winter stash of food but every time I find a good hiding place, the dragons always seem to track it down!" A brown-eyed, brown-haired Chief spoke up. "Why can't they just hunt down their own food if they're so hungry?"

"It's not only our winter food supply they get a craving for, it's us as well!" Njord added. He held up his right hand which was missing a thumb. "I lost my thumb while fighting a Deadly Nadder last year. I was trying to aim my sword right at its eyes and before I could stab them out, he just snapped at my hand and chomped off my thumb. I spent all of last year trying to learn how to hold things with my left hand!"

Stoick listened to the chiefs' complaints and eyed each one with a sympathetic expression. As he was listening to Njord's story, all he could think about was Gobber and the time when he had lost both a hand and a leg to two different Monstrous Nightmares.

"Yes," Colburn said with a nod. "We all have different problems when it comes to these winged creatures. If only these problems could end now. If anyone has any solutions, please pipe up."

But the Hall remained silent. Apparently, no one had any idea what to do.

Colburn turned to Stoick. "Eh, Stoick, I believe you mentioned that you had a solution?"

"Yes, Colburn, I have," Stoick replied.

"Then go ahead old friend, we're all ears."

Stoick nodded, stood up from his seat and cleared his throat.

"I am Stoick the Vast, Chief of Berk. For nearly four hundred years, the ancestors of my tribe have dwelt on our beloved island and thrived happily and peacefully. But at the same time, our ancestors had to deal with dragon raids. The devils stole their food, destroyed their houses and everything they held dear. And even today they continue to do so."

Now all the chiefs were looking at him with sympathetic looks.

"My tribe and I believe that the dragons that raid us dwell on an island miles off our own – a nest you might call it. Like our ancestors before us, we have searched for the nest many, many times. We believe it lies beyond Helheim's Gate but because of the dragons guarding the misty borders, we've never succeeded in getting there. But perhaps if all of you gathered your own tribes and sailed with my tribe to the boundaries of the gate, we could succeed in crossing and locating the nest. And once we've destroyed it, the dragons living there will fly off to another land, never to return."

Again the Hall was silent.

"You know, Stoick, I second the motion," Colburn announced with a smile.

"So do I!" the brown-haired chief announced.

"And I!" cried another chief.

The voices of every chief overlapped as they shouted agreements with Stoick's plan. Stoick smiled. This is exactly what he had wanted to hear for a long time now.

"NO! That won't be necessary!" a new voice cried out.

The Hall grew silent once more. Stoick looked up. He had never heard this voice before. It was deep and hoarse. At first he thought it was coming from one of the chiefs he had just met. Then he saw someone stepping out of the dark of the night and over the threshold of the Hall's doors.

It was a tall, bulky man with heavily tanned skin and long black dreadlocks hanging on either side of his face. A long, dark cloak hung by his left shoulder. Stoick had never seen this man before. And from the way the other chiefs were looking at him, it was obvious that they had never met him before either. He also happened to notice that he did carry any weapon of any kind. Most warriors carried weapons with them everywhere they went.

"I, uh, don't think I've ever seen you around here before, sir," Colburn said.

The other chiefs nodded and murmured agreements.

"I didn't expect you to," the stranger said. "I come from the far north and when I received word about a chieftains' gathering to discuss their problems involving…dragons, I figured I'd attend as well."

He turned to Stoick and approached him. As he got closer, Stoick could make out the scars that lined his face, both old and new. He also got a closer look at the lining of his long cloak and instantly recognized the slightly bumpy, smooth scales of dragons.

"So you're Stoick the Vast of Berk, hmmm?" the stranger asked with a smile that looked very unnerving against his scarred, contorted face. "I must admit, you have a fine idea bringing all of your tribes together to fight your raiding dragons."

"Uh, thank you, sir," Stoick said, feeling uncharacteristically uncomfortable around this strange man.

"But I, too, have an idea that might be even better than yours," the stranger continued.

All the chiefs looked at each other, surprised and confused.

Stoick raised an eyebrow at the stranger. This man really did sound kind and helpful but there was something about him that Stoick just didn't like. He wasn't so sure if he should trust this man who claimed he had a better plan than his.

"Well, fire away, sir," Colburn insisted.

The new man looked over at Colburn with his twisted smile. "Thank you, sir."

(Quick Note: I suggest listening to "Hiccup confronts Drago" on the HTTYD 2 soundtrack. A good spot to start listening to it would be around 01:08. It's the perfect track to set the mood for what's about to happen next.)

The stranger turned away from Stoick and made his way through the hall, scanning at the faces of the chiefs who were eyeing him curiously and expectantly.

The man cleared his throat and said softly, "I, Drago Bludvist, am a man of the people devoted to freeing all of mankind from the tyranny of dragons."

Stoick stroked his beard thoughtfully as he kept his suspicious eyes glued on Drago. He could almost sense some poison hiding within the man's kind tone.

"How, do you all ask?" Drago continued. He swelled up with pride and placed his right hand on his chest. "Well, you see, I alone control the dragons and I alone will keep you safe." Then he paused and added, "If…you choose to bow down and follow me."

Everyone was silent for a moment and then…

"AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Just about every single chief in that Hall burst into laughter. Overlapping with the laughter were a few sarcastic remarks.

"Well, I was certainly hoping for a dinner and a show tonight!" Granite laughed.

"Here, dragon! Here, boy!" Kent said mockingly. "Roll over, play dead, fetch my slippers. You have to do all that for me for I alone control you!"

"Maybe you should find the Nadder who bit off my thumb and control him into giving it back to me," Njord said sarcastically.

"Oh, ho, ho, that's a good one," Colburn said in between laughs. "But seriously, what's your real plan to help us with our dragon problems?"

Stoick had an urge to laugh and make sarcastic remarks as well. But he didn't. In fact, he was angry. This was no time for jokes! How could this man be making some ridiculous claims when villages were being burned to the ground, winter storages were being robbed and people were being maimed and/or crippled?

Stoick seemed to be the only person in the entire room who noticed Drago's stunned expression transform into one of pure rage. He watched as the scarred man swished his dragon scale cloak, turn around and stomp towards the entrance.

"THEN SEE HOW WELL YOU DO WITHOUT ME!" Drago roared as he disappeared into the darkness outside.

Stoick suddenly felt a wave of intense heat coming from above him and he could also hear the sound of crackling wood. Looking up, he indeed saw golden flames burning through the wooden rooftop. And the flames looked like they were being streamed.

"LOOK OUT!"

"RUN FOR IT!"

Some of the chiefs headed for the doors but were blocked by the falling, fiery wooden beams of the collapsed roof followed by two dragons as large and as heavy as a pile of boulders. Metal armor covered the two dragons' brightly colored heads. Both of the dragons opened their wide mouths and spewed golden flames as they turned their heads destroying anything in their paths.

Stoick flung himself onto the stone floor in the nick of time just as one stream of flames hit the top of his chair, incinerating it. He heard a scream and looked up. One of the dragons had its teeth tightly clamped down on Njord's thumbless hand.

"NO!" Stoick cried as he got to his feet and raced towards Njord and his attacker.

But he was blocked by more falling, fiery wood which caused him to skid to a stop and take a few steps back. None of the other chiefs who were standing under the falling wood were lucky. They screamed in pain as they were pinned down by the burning wood.

Stoick stepped just a little closer and held out his hand to the brown-eyed, brown-haired chief.

"QUICK, GIVE ME YOUR HAND!" he shouted to him. "I'LL PULL YOU OUT!"

"It's too late!" the brown-haired chief said, his voice strained in pain. "Save yourself!"

Stoick knew the brown-haired chief was right. He had to get out while he had the chance but he just couldn't bear to leave him or the other crushed chiefs to die.

"NO! AAAARRRGH! STOICK! STOICK!"

Stoick could've sworn he was hearing a deeper, manlier version of Valka's voice from the time of her disappearance. But he recognized that voice all too well and knew very well that it wasn't Valka's. He had a feeling who the voice belonged to but he was afraid to look around for fear that he might be right.

In a split second, he looked towards the direction of the voice and he practically felt his heart stop at the nightmarish sight not far from him…

One of the armored dragons was standing right on top of Colburn who was sprawled on the floor, its clawed front paw clamping down on the chief's neck.

"COLBURN!" Stoick screamed.

The Berkain Chief rushed to his friend's aid but the dragon looked up at him and opened his mouth. Stoick instantly ducked and managed to avoid the dragon's spewing fire.

"Stoick, go! Get out while you have the chance," Colburn wheezed under the dragon's grasp.

"Colburn…" Stoick croaked, tears threatening to escape his eyes.

"GO!" Colburn managed to shout before his body went limp.

And with that, Stoick turned and ran to the doors as fast as he could. Burning beams from the destroyed roof were blocking his only exit. Stoick knew that he would have to go through them in order to escape.

Closing his eyes and bracing himself, Stoick let out a yell and dived through the burning beams. The flames stung his skin and the smoke filled his mouth.

He dived all the way down to the ground and with a flip, landed on the grass. Pieces of burning wood lay strewn around him. Getting to his feet, Stoick brushed off his arms which were still stinging from the burning wood. Turning around, he looked up to the top of the Great Hall.

Through the smoke and flames, he could see Drago standing on top with another man right beside him. He must be one of his cronies, Stoick thought. Drago had his back turned as he walked away but his comrade was looking right down at the burning Great Hall. Luckily, the smoke and flames were too thick for him to see the only survivor. Then he too turned and walked away and he and Drago disappeared beyond the ledge.

A moment later, two large green dragons emerged from beyond the edge and flew away – with Drago and his comrade right on their backs.

Stoick's eyes widened as he watched them fly away, refusing to believe what he was seeing as well what he had just seen. But it was true. He had just met a man who really could control dragons and force them to do his dirty deeds. And he had just watched as he controlled his dragons to destroy a Great Hall and every chief (minus himself) who was inside. He had just watched as he also controlled them into carrying him and his friend back to wherever they came from.

He would never forget this man, Drago Bludvist or what he had done.