Chapter 88
Hiccups POV:
It's been three days since Krogan attacked Berk and in that time not much has really happened since I've been too busy in that time to really do anything. Some of the singetails had made their home with Volcana in the volcano but most of them for some reason flew off to Odin knows where. I did however notice the volcano was getting rather crowded and Damen was also getting rather aggressive towards the singetails who got too close to the tree which looked close to bearing fruit but not yet but Volcana despite being young kept them in line. Other than that, I've mostly had to help my tidal classes fish the dragon hunters and Krogan's flyers out of the water before Siren cocooned them making sure they wouldn't go anywhere. I loaded them all up into my submersible ship on Tephra's back mostly putting them down in the cargo hold before taking them to Defenders of the wing island. As I did though I considered putting cells in the storage hold since this was becoming rather normal for me so it might've been best. As I stood on top of the ship looking at the endless sea I thought of what my next move should be and decided it would be best to gather the Berserkers, Defenders of the wing and Wing Maidens to talk about what we should do to deal with Johan and the hunters. This brings us to where I am now and that's me with Toothless and Sapphire on our way to Wing Maiden Island to convince Atali to join us at the summit on Defenders of the Wing Island tomorrow. I brought my quiver of spirit arrows in case I ran into Krogans flyers along the way though since it doesn't hurt to be prepared. We came in for a landing on a deck in the center of the tree house huts before Atali came to land in front of me with some other wing maidens. I gave her the explanation on what's been happening before she paced and said.
"Trader Johan?" She stopped and turned to me. "I assume you did not see that one coming."
"Not after all he did for me and Berk."
"He is a threat of most serious proportion." She gestured to me. "Not only to you, the defenders of the wing and the Berserkers but to us wing maidens and our sacred mission."
"Which is why I need you at the summit so we can all discuss what we can do to stop Johan." Atali looked down before turning to a brown-haired girl with her hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Minden- "
"I will prepare to accompany you on the journey Atali."
"Actually, Nadia will join me." She gestured to a blond girl behind her. "She has the diplomatic skills."
"But Atali, I can be extremely effective."
"I have no doubts Minden, however I need you here." She put a hand on Minden's shoulder. "Wing Maiden Island must be defended."
"Yes, of course but Atali I can do this."
"Minden, please I have made my decision." She turned to one of the girls wearing a helmet that covered her face. "Begin with fortification on the east side of the island." She turned back to Minden. "We are at our highest alert level."
With that said Minden took off with her razorwhip and spear but seeing her I could tell she was upset so I decided that perhaps I should follow her before she makes a mistake. I mounted Toothless and took off after her with Sapphire just as the sun began to set bathing the island in a beautiful shade of orange. I flew up next to Minden who looked at me but before she could say anything I said.
"You looked like you had some things you needed to get off your chest." She sighed then went on about how she thinks Atali doesn't trust her since she chose Nadia over her. "Hey Atali does trust you but it's you who has to prove yourself worthy of that trust."
"But how do I do that?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer that but you'll find out when the time comes so until then just think about what I said." She nodded as I turned around and flew back to the village.
Half an hour later
I was sitting in the village library enjoying a book about the history of the wing maidens to pass the time with my dragons napping behind me when all of a sudden there was the sound of a large explosion outside. My dragons and I ran outside just as the inside of the library was blown up sending me flying but I quickly pulled my knees in and rolled before standing up. I looked back at the building to see it in flames before looking up only to see multiple flyers as I said.
"Oh no!" Atali came to land next to me asking.
"Where's Minden and the guards?" I couldn't answer her so I decided it best I acted.
"I'll draw the flyers away while you stay here and protect the razorwhips."
"No Hiccup, this is my island and I will defend it."
I nodded before I mounted Toothless and we took off with Sapphire to help Atali defend the island. I took out one of my water arrows and aimed it at one of the flyers that was charging at me with his whip raised to make the singetail fire. I let the arrow fly and watched as he was blasted right off the singetail who was quick to throw off the chains and then take off. I then saw a fireball coming our way on the left side and raised my eagle shield blocking it entirely. I saw the flyer was charging right at me and was too close for me to ready an arrow so I put my spirit bow away and released my crystal spear just as the flyer reached me. I extended the staff of my spear and swung it as hard as I could, knocking the flyer off the singetail who flew off after being freed. I then heard a blast hit something behind me and turned to see Atali falling towards the ground and had Toothless dive after her. We were able to catch her when she was a few feet off the ground but she was out cold and I couldn't fight with her on Toothless since she might fall off. Minden then called for a retreat and to protect the newborns and I was happy to join them but the flyers gave chase. I released my spirit bow and loaded a forest arrow before I aimed at a tree up ahead and shot it, hitting the tree that soon began to move once the arrow sunk in. I put my spirit bow back and smiled as a branch from the tree right in front of one of the flyers who flew straight into it before it wrapped around him and then pulled him against the trunk of the tree while the singetail took off.
3 hours later
I was standing in the forest going over everything that's happened in the last few hours after the flyers attacked. We were able to escape into a cave with the wingmaidens but Atali was still unconscious and her razorwhip was hurt. I asked Minden if the wingmaidens had a dragon eye lens but when she replied that she'd never seen one before I could tell she was lying to me but let it go since we needed to focus on the flyers for now. I sent a terror mail to Dagur requesting help but he still hasn't arrived yet. After I sent the mail I confronted Minden about her lying when she tried to sneak out. She claimed she was going to get it before the flyers could get it while I warned her it was too dangerous and not worth the risk but she said it was to her so she could redeem herself. I could tell there was no stopping her so I told her I was coming with her no matter what she said. We went out after I told the wingmaidens not to let anyone but Minden and I in before we took off to a shrine in their mountain, which would be inaccessible without dragons. There was a painting of a green-eyed razorwhip on one wall along with a life-size and detailed statue of a razorwhip in the middle that had a fire bowl in its tail while the statue was surrounded by a pond of water and around on the floor were stones with razorwhip carved into them. Minden went onto explain how they honored fallen razorwhips in the shrine before putting a mirror on the eye of the painting, which reflected the light into a gap with the dragon eye lens.
When we were on our way back to the cave though the flyers with Krogan ambushed us but we were able to get away for a few seconds and I told Minden to get out with the lens while I lead them away. She flew off while me, Toothless and Sapphire led the flyers away but sadly they surrounded us and Krogan was able to get me off Toothless with a bola before I could switch his tail so he could fly on his own. Toothless was then netted while one of the flyers grabbed me but Sapphire was able to take down the flyer who grabbed me before getting me on her back as I used a red crystal in my arm to burn off the ropes. We tried to save Toothless who was trapped in a net being held by Krogan's singetail but there were too many flyers so we had to retreat but I yelled to Toothless that we'd be back for him before we took off. After that Minden told me she had failed Atali, her tribe and how all of this was because of her. She took the razorwhip off her back apologizing to it claiming she was no longer worthy of baring the responsibility and had dishonored it before letting it go where it latched onto my back. This brings us to where I am now which is looking for Minden in the forest before I spotted her sitting down under a tree moping. I sighed and shook my head before walking up to her and asking.
"So is that it then?" She looked up at me then back down. "Are you just going to give up?" I sighed. " Minden that is not the way to go since if you do you'll only be failing Atali, your tribe,the razorwhips and most if all you'll be failing yourself."
"But Atali, she doesn't respect or trust me."
"She does trust and respect you or she wouldn't have given you the most important job of all." She raised an eyebrow. "Protecting the island while she's away since she knows if something happens to her the tribe will still be in good hands." She stood up and walked away.
"I don't know."
"Minden this is your moment and although it might not be your moment of glory but it is the moment when you make your decision on what matters more to you." She turned to face me. "You can choose your own feeling and continue to sit around feeling sorry for yourself or you can choose the vow you made to your tribe and all of the dragons on this island and help us take the island back from Krogan and his flyers."
"Wow, Hiccup I've never been spoken to like that."
"I'm sorry if you don't like it but you needed to hear it."
"No, I like it." She walked up to me. "It's so honest and sincere yet so forceful." She held her hands to her chest with a glint in her eye that I didn't recognize.
"Well I do my best to be honest but now we've got to-"I was cut off when much to my shock she grabbed me by my chest plate and pulled me into a kiss for a few seconds before pulling away allowing me to shake out of my shock. "Okay then." I shook my head a few times as the razorwhip rested its head on my shoulder and let out a small roar. "Would you mind?" She let out a whistling sound and the razorwhip flew off of me and onto her back, which gave me an idea. "Can all razorwhips do that?"
"Indeed, they can." She then made the same noise and the razorwhip flew over to me as I smiled. "This gives me an idea on how we can take care of Krogan and his flyers." She raised an eyebrow as I explained my plan to her.
Morning
I was standing on a tree branch with Sapphire behind me as I used my eagle eye to look at the platform that was the village center and also where they were keeping Toothless in a dragon proof cage with multiple flyers surrounding him. I smiled as Minden flew up to them showing a dragon eye lens before taking off with multiple flyers going after them. I smirked at them since the lens Minden had was a blank lens I gave her while I had the real lens in case something went wrong. I watched as she led the flyers away leaving only three men to guard Toothless as I turned to Sapphire and said.
"Let's go save Toothless girl."
She growled and nodded before I mounted her and we took off towards the cage that held my nightfury. When we were coming in for a landing Sapphire rammed one of the men over the edge before I dismounted her and charged at the cage where Toothless was being held. One man charged at me with his sword raised but when he reached me and swung his sword down at me I grabbed the hand that was holding the sword before tossing him over the edge as he screamed. I ran up to the cage holding Toothless while releasing my starsword and sliced the lock on the door before I opened the cage door letting Toothless out who swatted the charging guard off the deck with his tail. Before I could mount him though a fireball came down at the deck and I turned to see two of Krogans flyers with one on a light green singetail and the other on a dark yellow singetail. I glared at them as I released my spirit bow and took out a wind arrow as I dodged out of the way of another fireball only to return fire with the arrow hitting the flyer in the chest sending him flying off the singetail. The other watched in shock giving me the time to load a water arrow and fire it at his chest and hitting him just as he turned back to face me. With them dealt with I mounted Toothless to go after Krogan who was chasing Minden but I used the distraction to swoop in and grab him from behind. I smiled at Minden who was smiling back but it was then Krogan's singetail slammed into us from the side making us drop Krogan and then much to my surprise saved Krogan as I just stared. It seemed that Krogan and his singetail had some kind of bond but before I could dwell on it anymore Krogan came up to charge at me but before he could a fire blast from the side stopped them. I turned to see Dagur on his triplestrike flying in smiling as he yelled.
"Sorry I'm late brother." I smiled at him.
"Actually, you're just in time brother."
We surrounded Krogan who saw the freed singetails and gave me one last glare before he took off as I smiled at his fleeing form. After that Minden and Atali who had regained conscious had a heart to heart while the other wingmaidens gathered up the now dragonless flyers. When that was done me, Dagur and Atali went off to the summit at defenders of the wing island but as we did I kept thinking about what our next move should be.
One week later
It's been a week since the summit and I had to say it was one of the most interesting gatherings I'd ever been to. We decided the first thing we needed to discuss was what to do about the lenses with Mala recommending they be kept in the volcano. Dagur brought up the volcano erupting before saying Berserker Island was the best place to keep them with the Berserker guards. Mala then brought up how they allowed a coup to happen right under their noses which got them fighting until I told them the lenses were perfectly safe where they were. They asked where they were being kept which lead me to giving them an explanation of my island and how it could not be seen unless I wanted it to be seen. They had their doubts but I assured them that the lenses were safe where they were and that it was safer if nobody knew. They didn't like it but they agreed with me however it didn't stop Dagur and Mala from arguing. I had to take drastic measures and have them go through multiple trust exercises such as having Mala lead a blindfolded Dagur across the lava pool, having Dagur catch a blindfolded mala who jumps off a small cliff and finally flying together through an obstacle course I set up with the defenders of the wing throwing paint bags at them. After that they agreed they made a pretty good team and begin to get along but there was something about the way they were acting that reminded me of two people but I couldn't quiet put my finger on it. Besides that I had made some alterations to my submersible ship by putting in cells in the storage area which could in total hold up to thirty men and I had the feeling I was going to need it.
Lately though I've been going through the notes I found in Oswald's hut on Vanahiem and made more than a few interesting discoveries like how when the sentinels are injured they go into hibernation to heal and the only thing that speeds it up is heat. One of the more disturbing things I discovered though was concerning the Ingerman's who much to my shock used to be big time dragon hunters generations ago. They called themselves the 'Loyal order of Ingerman' and decimated the dragon species known as the dramillions, pushing them to the very edge of extinction. After that I spent hours looking through Oswald's notes, maps of the dragon eye through different flames, cross referencing it all and was eventually able to find Dramillion Island. I recognized some of the islands I had explored but the sad thing was I didn't see anything on them besides wild boars and the occasional sheep however there was one island I didn't get the chance to explore when I was checking out the area due to a large storm approaching.
I decided I should check out the island where the dramillions were said to live just to see if there's any chance of a few of them surviving. For my team I took Toothless, Scardian and Greta while for my gear I took my god made weapons along with my spirit arrow quiver since I couldn't be too careful with Johan and the hunters out there. When we got there we couldn't find any kind of dramillion or sign of them but we did find an old Ingerman helmet that I decided to take as a souvenir. I was beginning to give up hope until we heard some strange call. All of this brings us to where we are now and that's on Dramillion Island running towards where the call came from. I turned back to my dragons smiling and said.
"This might mean the dramillions aren't extinct." They just growled as we reached a lake with a waterfall I pushed some bushes out of the way and found a sheep. "Well that's disappointing." It was then the sheep much to my surprise backed up before running away. "What's wrong with him?"
I then heard what sounded a bit like a bird behind me and turned to see a large blue dramillion with grey underbelly and red scales going from the back of the eyes and meeting on the back of its head. I looked at me for a few seconds before glaring and letting out a roar followed by a fire blast. I dodged out of the way of the blast just as my dragons broke through the bushes to see what was going on but when they did they were not happy. Scardian let out a magnesium blast at the dramillion who jumped back to avoid it before much to my surprise fired its own magnesium blast at us. Toothless fired a plasma blast at the dramillion but it dodged it before it once again surprised me by firing back not a fire blast or magnesium blast but a plasma blast.
"Dramillions can use multiple types of blasts." I didn't get the chance to dwell on it much longer though since the dramillion fired another plasma blast at me nearly hitting me but I was able to block it with my eagle shield before my dragons let loose their own blasts driving it off. "Thanks!" They all just growled and nodded as I looked back in the direction that the dramillion ran. "Why was it being so aggressive though since dragons normally don't act that way unless threatened?" I turned back to my dragons. "Let's follow him and see if we can find out why." We then ran in the same direction as the dramillion did.
Half an hour later
We were still looking for the dramillion using Greta to track the scent but it was then I saw smoke coming from behind some hills so I signaled my dragons to stay back while I investigated what was going on. I found a large hut with multiple cages to the one side of it and a large statue of what looked to be Fishleggs with a small bit of facial hair going down his chin. I decided it was best if I used my eagle eye to get a better look but I was not happy with what I saw. There were hunters forcing the dramillions into cages. I decided to get a better understanding of what was going on and snuck down the hill before hiding behind some rocks to hear what they were saying. As I did I was able to see the dramillions tales were all shackled meaning they couldn't fly away but it was then I noticed a hunter wearing a red vest showing him to be the leader of this group. I heard him say how when the dramillions were free the new recruits were going to hunt them down before he gave a speech about their founder Ingar Ingerman while everyone switched their helmets to those like Fishleggs and then sang about the order of Ingerman. It was then I saw the blue and red dramillion from before sneak up to one of the cages and tried to open the locks to free its friends. It was then the hunters attacked it with two of them getting slammed into a cage by its tail before it tried to run only for the hunters to cut it off and shackle its tail before roping its mouth shut. I knew I'd have a hard time taking on so many opponents even with my god made weapons but I couldn't let them hurt the dramillion so I took out two of my scimitar throwing knives and threw them at the ropes severing them giving the dramillion a chance to escape. When it tried to fly away though the manacle on its tail weighed it down keeping it grounded as the archers began firing at it before it ran into the woods. I glared at the leader as he stepped forward and said.
"Don't worry, we'll get him during the hunt." He then held up his fist. "Then we'll feast on the beast LIKE TRUE INGERMANS." The men cheered as the leader walked up to my knives that imbedded themselves into one of the cages. "Who threw these knives though?" All the men looked around seeing nobody answered until I stepped out and said.
"That would be me."
"And who are you?"
"The guy who's going to hunt your men down and lock you lot up." They all laughed at this.
"And how is a runt like you going to do that?" I grabbed him by the neck with my prosthetic and picked him up as everyone stared.
"Never call me runt." I let him drop to the ground rubbing his neck as I turned around and walked up to the statue as they all stared while I looked up at the statue then chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"How the Ingermans of the past compare to the Ingermans of the present." I then turned to glare at the hunters. "Watch your backs out there because while you're hunting the dramillions I'll be hunting you." I could see the fear in some of their eyes before I walked away but stopped for a moment to turn back to them. "Oh and by the way, don't even bother trying to pull my throwing knives out of the cages since I'm the only one who can take them out."
They just stared at me as I walked away to meet up with my dragons so we could find the dramillion and free it from its shackles so we could hopefully free the others and take down the hunters. Meeting up with my dragons didn't take long and neither did tracking down the dramillion who was slamming the shackle into a tree trying to get it off. We landed behind it as it turned to see us but when I walked up to it, it growled and glared at me and roared but I couldn't figure out why. I then realized I still had the Ingerman helmet on my belt so the dramillion must have thought I was one of the hunters so like I did with my dagger when I first trained Toothless I took the helmet and tossed it to the side. The dramillion calmed down at this before I walked up and said.
"I'm not like those hunters." It just crooned as I held my hand out and looked away as I felt it sniff before pressing its muzzle against me bringing a smile to my face as I turned back and gave it a pat. "Now let's get that manacle off you." I gestured Scardian over. "Give me a high burn pal." He did so but the metal was unaffected as I rubbed my chin in thought with my prosthetic. "They reinforced the metal to make it harder to break off." I examined the manacle before looking at my prosthetic and smiling. "I knew there was a reason I loaded an orange crystal into my arm today." I began focusing to use it as I said. "Let's see if the metal can stand a magnesium blast after being heated up with a bit of lava." I let the lava flow out of my palm and onto the manacle before turning to Scardian. "Hit it again pal." He did so and the manacle shattered making the dramillion roar in joy after swinging its tail around a bit but it stopped when a horn echoed through the forest making it lean down in fear. "The hunt has begun." I mounted Toothless. "Let's get air born guys and save the dramillions."
They all growled as they flew up into the air with the dramillion following suit before we took off to find the manacled dramillions. We quickly found a scarlet one that was cornered by a hunter who had an axe and shield but before he could do anything the blue dramillion let loose a plasma blast sending him flying. I yelled to get the manacle off as the dramillion came to land next to its friend and spat up some lava onto the manacle while Scardian hit it with a magnesium blast freeing it. While we were up in the air I saw a yellow dramillion being cornered by another hunter with an axe but before I could do anything the two free dramillions flew past me blasting the hunter away before much to my shock freeing their comrade as I muttered.
"They're freeing the others themselves." I smiled. "With this knowledge the dramillions will never be in threatened again." I then saw the smoke coming from the building as multiple dramillions began to fill the skies. "Just one more, loose end to tie up." We flew towards the academy as I saw the leader running inside asking Ingar to help him but I just chuckled as I released my spirit bow and loaded three fire arrows. "He can't help you now." I let the arrows fly hitting the huts roof that was soon covered in flames that quickly spread all over the building as I put my bow away. "That's end of this hunter training ground." I then saw the leading hunter running out the back. "I don't think so!" I released my crystal spear and without hesitation threw it as hard as I could ahead of him making it embed the crystal end in the ground right in front of him as I yelled. "YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" As soon as I said that though much to my shock the ground began to split open as large green crystals burst from the ground and surrounded him forming a crystal prison pen. "I didn't know my spear could do that." My dragons all growled in agreement as the dramillions all flew up to land around the crystal pen staring at it in curiosity as I remembered the hunters still roaming the island as a smile came to my face. "I did say I'd be hunting them." We came into land in front of the dramillions who all stopped to stare at us before the blue one ran up and nuzzled my chest. "You're welcome but do you think you and your pack could guard the crystal pen while me and my dragons track down and capture the remaining hunters roaming your island?" He growled and nodded as him and his flock began circling the pen which I could tell was going to be remaining since normally the crystals would have shattered by now as I dismounted Toothless who crooned as I switched his tail to automatic so he could fly on his own. "I'm going to start hunting down those hunters but I think I'll do it on foot bud." He crooned in concern. "Hey it's alright I just don't want my hunting or tracking skills to get rusty and this is a good exercise." He just looked at me in concern but nodded. "You guys will be flying above me and every time I capture a hunter you guys bring them here and put them in the crystal pen with their leader until we can transport them to the defenders of the wing to be dealt with." He growled and nodded before he took off with my other dragons as I released my spirit bow. "Let's go hunting!" I ran into the forest while preparing a lightning arrow.
Nightfall
I collapsed on my bed smiling as I remembered today's events concerning what happened after I caught the leader of the dragon hunter academy. I went into the woods with my spirit bow to hunt down the remaining hunters and I had to say it felt good to dust off my old tracking and hunting skills even if it was to hunt down other people instead of wild animals. I was able to capture all the hunters within three hours since a few of them were able to get some distance while I destroyed the dragon hunter base. Once they were all captured I opened a portal door so I could return to my island to get Tephra so we could transport the hunters and with his speed we were able to get to the island by late afternoon. As for my crystal spear I dropped a paralyzing bomb into the pen leaving all the hunters unable to move before I pulled my spear from the ground and as I guessed the crystals shattered. After that I had my dragons load up all the hunters into the holding cells on the submersible ship. The last thing I did before I left though was stab the crystal end of my spear into the seal on the statue of Ingar Ingerman right before the statue shook and then exploding from the inside leaving only rubble. As for the hunters, they are all now with the defenders of the wing waiting to be dealt with in the morning. I did notice how Mala had this faraway look on her face and according to Throk she has had that look for a since her and Dagur went their separate ways. As for the dramillion dragons I'm pretty sure they're going to be just fine from now on with the knowledge they now have but the blue one from before decided to come with me. I gave him the name Omnifire meaning many flames because of his ability to mimic any type of dragon flame he's seen. Still as I looked up at the ceiling I couldn't help but wonder if there were any dragon species that the hunters were actually able to wipe out but I knew one thing and that was I wouldn't allow them to wipe out any other dragon species. On this I swear to every deity I've ever met and ever will meet.
AN: Hey all I hoped you all liked the chapter and remember to review kindly. If you have any requests for future chapters let me know and I'll see what I can do. Also I've made my decision on where Hiccup will be going after Race to the Edge but it's not japan but for a good reason which you will just have to wait and see.