Just when the riders were beginning to have their doubts about the looming threat of former dragon hunters showing up, a ship appeared over the horizon.
The twins were the first to spot it, sparking a small explosion to get the attention of the others, which had been the agreed-upon signal to get the riders together. And as soon as Zyrah saw it, her heart dropped.
"Shit." She let Blueheart and Toothless get to work and help the elderly, and hatchlings get into the caves, hiding in the extensive tunnel system that ran through the small mountains. Meanwhile, Blueheart had instructed her parents and siblings to wait, hiding in the treeline until she gave the word.
Toothless, on the other hand, expressed concern for his mother and sisters.
I can fight! Vekyss insisted with a stomp of her paw.
I'm certain you can, but I can't let you fight if this goes south… not yet anyway. We've already lost one sister to hunters, and I don't want to lose either of you.
It's alright, son, do what you need to do to protect our kin. Ayry assured, giving her son a loving nudge on the head.
Meanwhile, Hiccup was prepping himself, making sure he had enough Monstrous Nightmare gel and his Zippleback gas containers just in case.
"Alright, gang, remember what we discussed?"
"Yep!"
"Oh, we're ready!" Ruff assured with a devious grin.
"Zyrah, are you prepared?" Hiccup questioned in a concerned manner, placing his hand on her shoulder. She side glanced at him, almost as if she was doubting herself, but she shook it off, slowly nodding her head.
"I'm ready to do what I need to." She confirmed with a determined nod.
The ship made its way to shore, and the riders could fully observe the damage Blueheart had caused. A massive gaping hole was in the center of the deck, exposing the hull. The rails and mast also suffered damage, which explained why it took them as long as they did to show up. But on top of the mess, everyone could sense the fury of its sailors.
Einar didn't even wait for the ship to dock fully. He was watching the riders like a hawk from starboard, leaping off the side, landing in the freezing water, and trudging his way onto shore with all the rage of the gods in his eyes, and he carried that box with him in his arm.
Zyrah was terrified but stood her ground, holding her sword out in front for defense, each leg sturdily planted into the sand. She had to face him.
"DO NOT TOUCH HER!" Came Ragnhild's screeching cry from the ship, very nearly tumbling off the rail.
"Why shouldn't I?" Einar snarled.
"You'll have to go through the rest of us if you dare harm her," Konall announced, coming to Zyrah's side. Both Blueheart and Lightbolt stood by their riders, ready to fire on their own incentive.
"I don't care what I have to do," Einar replied, glaring at the teenager.
"I know you don't care," Zyrah hissed, "you never cared about me. All you care about is getting what you want. Frankly, I don't even think you care about Ragnhild, either." Ragnhild scrambled to join Einar's side, receiving no acknowledgment from him.
"Buh- nonsense! Of course, he does!" She defended.
"No, he doesn't. I may not have really gotten to know either of you that well, but I know for a fact that there is no love between you guys."
"I have my own way of showing affection," Einar groaned.
"See?!"
"No. That's not love." Zyrah affirmed, shaking her head. She didn't know whether or not to feel sympathy for her.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter. I think you know what I'm here for, now if you'll get out of my way-" Einar demanded, beginning to step forward, but Blueheart blocked his path.
Oh, no, you don't. She growled, unfurling her wings defensively at him.
"Out of my way, dragon." He pointed his sword at her, doing his best to look extra menacing, but Blueheart was unfazed. She figured he'd be difficult. If he was that determined, she'd let him walk into his death.
The pair stared at each other for a moment, then Blueheart smirked, stepping back. Zyrah was taken aback, not realizing what Blueheart had planned.
"Blueheart- wha- what're you doing?"
"See? Your dragon knows better. Step out of the way." Hiccup and Zyrah glanced at each other, unsure of how to approach this. Einar was insane.
"What do we do?" She whispered desperately.
"Watch him carefully. He's going to try and enter the woods." He explained.
"The Night Furies will not take kindly to him walking into their territory. Especially the Alpha." Fishlegs observed.
"What about Ragnhild?" Rurik asked.
"Well… something tells me she's always close behind," Astrid explained, eyes narrowing as Ragnhild began to follow Einar towards the woods.
"Keep your weapons ready," Hiccup warned.
"No need to tell us twice!" Snotlout grinned atop Hookfang's saddle. The gang closely watched the dragon hunter, anticipating his next move. Would he actually attempt to cause harm on the Night Furies with so many watching him?
Ragnhild became Einar's shadow, visibly unsettled by the atmosphere of the forest. If the stories were true, Night Furies lived here… their last colony. It was a legend passed around by many groups of hunters and trappers, and Drago had been hellbent on not just proving the existence but, if possible, keeping all the Night Furies for himself for his army.
Through many setbacks, dead-ends, and betrayal, Einar had fought his way up the ranks to prove to Drago he could be the dragon hunter that found the ultimate prize, besides the Bewilderbeasts. And initially, Drago had laughed at him, mocking him. But over the years, Einar had gone out of his way to find any clues to the existence of the Night Fury colony, from collecting documents of sightings, or a scale, a lost tooth, anything that he could find.
And in addition to his collecting, he'd used Ragnhild to get what he wanted. He went to whatever lengths, even offering Ragnhild herself as a bartering tool. He was cruel, manipulative, and forceful.
Ever since they abandoned Zyrah all those years ago, Einar used his mind tricks to keep Ragnhild from leaving since she was useful in finding what he needed. He knew she was suffering, but he didn't care.
After all this time, they were finally here. Sure, Drago was gone, but in the end, this is what Einar wanted. Who was he trying to prove to, though? Only he knew within the deep crevasses of his twisted mind. Even Ragnhild couldn't entirely make sense of his way of thinking.
Now what? They were here. But who could they share their reward with? They were being watched by some very angry young adults and teenagers and a territorial species of dragon feared by the archipelago. For good reason.
Einar now realized he'd never bothered to think that far. Or, he did. When Drago was still around. The plan after finding the colony was to either kill the Alpha Night Fury or somehow wound it enough so that he could control it. Dragons in a colony always followed the Alpha, awaiting its every command. And Drago had proven that the one who controls the Alpha… controls them all.
And as if by a test from the gods, Einar finally spied his prize. As if made by shadows, a massive Night Fury emerged from between two towering pines. Its deep sea green eyes watched him and Ragnhild intensely, pupils thin and threatening. Its maw was open, and the glow of its purple flames cast an eerie shadow around its face.
"Einar…" Ragnhild murmured, gripping his bicep tightly.
"Stay behind me." He warned, holding her back behind him and twirling his sword in his opposite hand, keeping it low so as not to alarm it too much. The Night Fury approached him, stopping 15 feet away, keeping its head low and wings flared. Einar fought back his fear with awe. This Night Fury was at least twice the size of that disabled male; this was most definitely the Alpha.
"Magnificent…" He breathed out. Still keeping Ragnhild behind him, the pair stood in place as the Alpha Night Fury circled them, sniffing them.
Right off the bat, Dainom picked up the similarity of their scents to his daughter's rider.
Your rider… Myrai… her scent…
Yes… Dad, she's their daughter. Blueheart confirmed from the side. She had always been confident in her father as the Alpha, but that didn't deter her from worrying about his safety. Be careful. She warned with a whisper.
It seemed that Einar and Dainom were scanning and sizing each other up. The air was tense as everyone struggled to figure out what the next move would be.
The dragons were hoping Einar would be smart enough not to challenge the Alpha Night Fury.
Even if Night Furies had always been elusive, their reputation spread far beyond their native range. Pockets of dragon populations that had little contact with other dragon species even knew about them. Their speed and firepower was respected and feared.
With an overconfident smirk, Einar held out his hand to the massive dragon, sure that he could get close enough to it. He hoped it could approach him with at least some curiosity so that way he could strike when it showed just enough weakness.
Dainom was hesitant, but it was truly a conundrum about how his daughter's rider, her best friend… was the child of these monsters. Or… monster, as it seemed the man was more of a threat than the woman. Odd. He did also notice the box that now lay next to the man's feet.
Stepping closer, Dainom stood on his hind legs to make himself appear even bigger, fully extending his wings.
Dad… Blueheart hissed in a warning manner.
'Perfect'. Einar thought. He knelt down, lifting the latch, and to the horror of Zyrah and Blueheart, he kicked the box over, sending the mummified head of the hatchling tumbling out onto the ground.
The Night Furies reacted appropriately, screeching and stepping back in horror.
From behind Dainom, Ayry stepped forward, something deep within her maternal subconscious telling her to do so.
Mom? What're you doing? Toothless demanded. But she didn't answer him. She leaned forward, sniffing the head. Then she roared, stepping back, nearly stumbling over her feet, flaring her wings, and pupils turning into slits.
Mom? Irmessa tentatively asked.
It's… it's her… Ayry choked out, heaving in sheer panic.
What?
Your sister… it's… her…
It… can't be.
It's her scent… Ayry's pupils narrowed considerably. The man who murdered her baby stood right there. Even though the corpse's scent was faint, as a mother, Ayry knew each of her children's scents, having been ingrained in her head from the moment they hatched.
Dainom sensed Ayry's distress, and as much as he understood her pain as a mother, he couldn't let her fire. This was his job as Alpha.
But his momentary distraction was the perfect opportunity for Einar to strike.
It happened so fast, too fast for Zyrah to truly process. In the blink of an eye, Einar swung his sword out from behind him, bringing it up in an arc, the top edge slicing at Dainom's jugular, the dragon emitting a blood-chilling shriek.
Quick as a whip, Blueheart bolted forward, firing at Einar's sword, blowing it out of his hand. The force of her flame making an impact with the metal caused a resounding ring, momentarily deafening those within the range.
The other Night Furies reacted appropriately to their Alpha being wounded; charging out of the darkness, they began to fire at Einar, who grabbed his sword, ready to defend himself.
"EINAR! STOP!" Hiccup cried out. In the chaos, Ragnhild was separated from Einar, shielding herself behind a boulder, covering her ears.
He'd gone too far.