Hello guys, it's been a while. I am happy to announce that this is the longest, and final chapter of this story. This is my first fanfic and so I am glad that many people have taken a liking to this story, so thank you all. I am also really happy to say that this story has nearly crossed the 8k mark which is crazy. Once again thank you all and Enjoy the chapter!
The light from the heavy metal chandeliers cascaded onto the rustic brown map laid on the table, the map of the Archipelago. Hiccup had spent nine long years creating the masterpiece, discovering new lands or buying maps from traders, ultimately joining them into one big masterpiece... The map of the known Viking world, the map of Midgard.
It had to be the largest map Stoick had ever seen, the light from the candles highlighted the metal pieces placed on the map, representing fleets, forts, and territories, marking the domains of both Draconia and her adversaries.
As Stoick slowly moved his hands over the outline of Old Berk he noticed the handwriting used to name the island, all the islands were drawn and written by the same person, his son. Pride filled Stoick's chest as he realised that his son had roamed to the edge of the world and had completed Stoick's dream of exploring the entirety of Midgard.
Hiccup had told him the rumours floating among the sailors, stories of great lands to the south and west of the Archipelago. He didn't believe the rumours, sailors were known to tell tall tales, but the journey itself was impossible, due to the lack of islands on the way for the dragons to rest, and that the weather was always one of Thor's tantrums.
Lifting his gaze from the map, Stoick watched his son enter with Astrid. Astrid led the way on her Light Fury, and Toothless, the Night Fury previously believed by the Hooligans to have been responsible for the demise of the two runaways, trailed closely behind his best friend.
Both Astrid and Hiccup looked tired, it was clear that Nuffink was the source of their weariness. Yet, their love for him and Zephyr remained firm. Stoick had been conflicted when he learnt that Hiccup and Astrid had been married since eighteen and had become parents in their teenage years.
However, in reality, it turned out to be a positive turn of events for his son. Marriage and parenthood had transformed Hiccup into a more responsible and confident man. Marrying the love of his life, Astrid, and her unwavering support and guidance had played a crucial role in Hiccup's growth. She had supported and given him advice at every turn, even when all hope was lost. She stood as the most important person in his life, the reason for his protective nature towards her.
But today she wasn't going to be the one giving any advice, today was the day Draconia had found Grimmel's hideout, and Hiccup had a plan of attack. That was why they were here, the council had been informed of the new information and an emergency meeting had been called. One of the scouting rider teams had found the forsaken island while roaming in the enemy territory.
However, today wasn't a day for Astrid to give advice, it was the day Draconia had discovered Grimmel's hideout, and Hiccup had created a plan of attack. An emergency council meeting had been called for by the Emperor, where all the Chieftains of every tribe under Draconian rule were mandated to attend.
One of the scouting rider teams stumbled upon the forsaken island within enemy territory. It was situated a few hours into enemy territory, the dark island held no vegetation and stood as a beacon of evil.
As the meeting started, Hiccup presented the information gathered by the scouts, initiating nearly thirteen hours of meticulous planning and heated debates among the council members. Eventually, they all agreed on the perfect plan to imprison Grimmel the Grizzly forever.
Preparations were slated to commence at dawn the next day and conclude by the second dusk. All soldiers, warriors, dragon riders, and sailors from every island under the Draconian Empire were summoned to Helhiem's Island. This once-volcanic island was now reduced to a crater with polished stones for dirt, offering enough space for the assembly of Draconia's military. It was nearly the size of two islands and was strategically situated closer to Grimmel's base than Dragon's Edge, making it the ideal location to gather the entire Draconian military force.
Under the canopy of a now-dark sky adorned with stars, the council members left the meeting, each hoping to catch some much-needed sleep before the big day. Stoick bid farewell to his son as he joined the rest of the council as they navigated through the seemingly endless maze of corridors.
"What is it?" Astrid asked her husband, concerned. With the room now devoid of others, the chandelier cast its warm glow, revealing markings drawn on the map for the imminent attack in two moons. Hiccup, however, appeared lost, his face blank as he stared into the muddish-brown paper.
"It's nothing," he mumbled back as a response.
Astrid rolled her eyes at his response and took charge. She cupped his face with her hands, turning his head toward her, and planted a kiss on his lips. His eyes blinked with confusion, and his parted lips conveyed a sense of shock. Astrid smirked, proud of her ability to bring her husband back from his dazed state with a simple kiss.
"So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind or do I have to kiss you again?" Astrid asked.
Hiccup chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck, "Sure, I could tell you... but another kiss might make me a little bit more enthusiastic..."
After he delivered his daily dose of a cheesy statement to his wife, he looked up to see her inches away from his face and had barely any time to react before her lips met his. As he returned the affection she slowly parted to look straight into his eyes, her love-struck expression quickly turned into one of seriousness.
"So...?" She asked. Hiccup sighed and looked away while explaining, "I'm scared, I know I always say this but I still am. What if Grimmel knows we are coming? The whole fleet would be at risk. What if we lose? There won't be anyone to stop him from taking Zephyr or Nuffink, or if... It's just, that it feels like the Drago situation all over again... and last time we lost so many people, friends, family, Bertha... I don't want that to happen again, I can't lose you or anyone else..."
"Hiccup... look at me," Astrid whispered to her husband.
"Yes, this is the whole Drago fiasco all over again, and yes there is a whole lot of risk we would be taking with this plan. But if I know one thing, it is that this time we won't lose because we all have grown, all of us have become stronger, and smarter. We learnt from our mistake, we have a better plan, you made a better plan and we won't lose not with you leading us. Sure, we will lose a lot of people but we can't win if we don't. Hiccup people are going to die on both sides, and you can't blame yourself for that... you are going to lead us to victory with the least amount of bloodshed and that's why every soldier in the Empire trusts and believes in you, not because you ride a Night Fury or any other reason... but because you care." Astrid finished her speech, and Hiccup simply nodded and hugged her in response.
They would both make it, she wouldn't let Hiccup be taken away from her, not after all they had been through...
With the preparations for the upcoming battle now complete, the ships were neatly docked around the desolate island of Helhiem's Gate. Soldiers and dragons alike gathered around the tall stone platform, upon which Hiccup stood alongside his loyal dragon. Every soldier and dragon looked at the duo with respect and admiration, the thousands of dragon riders would gladly go into battle with Hiccup and Toothless leading them.
Surveying the surroundings, Hiccup caught sight of his wife, a smile on her face, while his trusted friends nodded in a show of respect, even his father held a look of pride.
His gaze then fell on the tens of thousands of soldiers gathered. Clad in multiple armours, black, brown, silver, and green, all hailing from different tribes. Yet, despite their differences, they were united by one goal and one leader.
"Uhh..H-Hi..." Hiccup swallowed. He was nervous, he looked at all the people who watched him, wanting him to lead them, with a new sense of purpose he continued,
"Some of you here have already fought in many wars, while this would be the first for the rest of you... And that is why I understand if many of you are nervous... Hel, I am leading this attack and I am nervous... but like my wife told me, It's okay. It's okay to be afraid... to be scared, because if we aren't, then there is no meaning to life. Being scared to die and lose is what makes us fight for our place in this world. I can tell you without a doubt that every one of you here is afraid of losing, anyone who says otherwise is lying because if you aren't afraid to lose or to die then there is no meaning in the life you are fighting so hard to protect..."
He shifted his gaze to the Berkians before continuing, "I know many of you don't understand what I am trying to say so let me tell you this simply, being afraid to lose, is okay because if you are not afraid you aren't going to give everything to win. But being afraid doesn't guarantee our win, no it just means we will give our best to win. We will lose a lot of people today, friends and family. Many of us will return home with incurable injuries, but we all are here to fight for something we all want, something we all need. Peace. We are fighting for not only the freedom of the dragons but for the peace that comes with it... So I thank you all for supporting me and trusting me to lead us to victory. And I promise you I will do my best to earn that trust."
He swallowed hard one last time before shouting, "May we beat our enemies and lead our people to victory, may our warriors in Valhalla give us their blessing, and For the Glory of Odin may we win!"
As everyone gathered erupted into cheers and war cries, Hiccup's wife beamed at him with pride, clasping his hands to silently show her support. At that moment, he couldn't help but feel grateful for her presence. If he hadn't eloped with her on that fateful night, the world around him would undoubtedly be very different...
Everything was quiet. Not a single person dared to make any noise. Even the waves crashing against the ships seemed to sense the seriousness of the moment and made no sound.
Warriors from across the whole Archipelago gripped their weapons tighter as Grimmel's Fort slowly came into view. The island was as dark as coal, with a large horrid fortress at the centre it had only one tower, a tower of evil, undoubtedly Grimmel's quarters.
Tiny snowflakes danced erratically in the sky, falling onto people's armour and weapons. Silence accompanied the anxious humans and dragons as they quietly sailed across enemy territory. It had taken them a lot of time to travel from Helhiem's Island to Grimmel's base since they had to get past his lookouts, but the loss in time had paid off. They had reached their destination without the enemy catching them, the snowfall providing a cover for the ships.
The weather itself had been the reason they had decided to attack, it provided them cover, giving them the element of surprise. Unlike Grimmel's ships, Draconia's had a different hull, a stronger one, allowing them to sail the winter seas with ease.
As Hiccup flew above the fleet, he noticed with satisfaction that everyone was busy with the last preparations. But they were ready, as ready as they could be. The catapults were hidden but ready to use. The soldiers all uniformly lined up and ready to charge when the signal would be given.
Hiccup quickly returned to his previous spot at the front of the lead ship. It wouldn't be long now, he noted, his breathing becoming rigid. He sensed someone behind him and a familiar blonde appeared by his side a short moment later. They kept looking ahead in silence, so many words staying unsaid.
"If... anything goes wrong-" She didn't let him finish, placing a gentle hand on his upper arm.
"Don't," Astrid said sharply, "Promise me nothing will go wrong." All Hiccup could do was nod before he silently gave the order for the riders to mount up.
"Attack!" Hiccup screamed at the top of his lungs.
It had begun.
He along with hundreds of dragon riders rained down from the sky towards the fort on Grimmel's Island. Like angels falling from the sky above they incinerated anything in their sight. Fire, arrows, and boulders fell from the sky above, covering the distance to its targets in mere seconds.
The Trappers quickly ran towards their weapons, but it was too late. All of them were met with fire, as multiple explosions threw them off their feet. The aftermath of the first wave of the attack left many of the soldiers dazed and confused.
The alarm bells were quickly set off as more soldiers rushed to the catapults and ballistas. The aftermath of the first attack was horrific. As none of the soldiers had any time to react all of them had fallen victim to dragon fire. The island itself had been surrounded by Draconia's navy which stopped any of Grimmel's ships from leaving the docks and rendering them useless to a counter-attack.
Hiccup was brought from his daze as cannon fire could be heard from Viggo's ships, tearing through Grimmel's ships. All of Grimmel's ships were now slowly sinking into the frigid waters, the trappers couldn't have done anything if they wanted. Hiccup had planned for this delay in reaction, after all the 'element of surprise' was his favourite tactic, allowing them a perfect opportunity to deal a deadly first strike.
Hiccup, Valka, Astrid and Dagur each led different groups of dragon riders, to attack the fort. Mala, Atali, Alvin, Camicazi and Stoick either led the ground forces or helped the soldiers by providing cover on the backs of their dragons. Grimmel had also rushed into battle with his own Deathgripper flock protecting him.
He could see Camicazi creating confusion among the Trappers as she fought them with her invisible dragon. Dagur and Heather torched an entire row of catapults. The Twins, led by Astrid caused destruction at an unprecedented rate. Hiccup chuckled to himself, he hadn't realised how much he missed the people of Berk... He was glad they were here, fighting alongside him...
He focused his attention back on his target, Grimmel. He had learnt that when a dragon was under the influence of the Deathgripper Venom it would not be able to listen to an Alpha Dragon's orders. The collars holding viles filled with Deathgripper Venom could be seen on the Deathgripper's necks, the irony was uncanny.
As the plasma blasts hit a few of the Deathgrippers, Grimmel's attention turned to the Night Fury and his rider. He smiled as he met Hiccup's gaze. A sharp whistle escaped his mouth, and in an instant, the entire flock of Deathgripers was after the duo.
As Hiccup tried escaping the deadly dragons, he flew around the fort to see the Draconian soldiers already storming through the gates of the fort while simultaneously fighting any Trapper that stood in their way. The riders led by Astrid had successfully taken down one wall of the fort while Dagur and Heather had destroyed the catapults and weapons on the remaining walls of the fort.
Cannon fire and boulders slammed into the docks, ships and barracks, slowly turning them into rubble. Alvin and Stoick led the warriors on foot, together ramming through any opposition, to think they had been enemies a few weeks ago. Valka, Mala and Atali were freeing the trapped dragons who in turn helped the Draconians fight against the Trappers.
But Hiccup had his own problem, he had to get rid of these Deathgrippers, without hurting them more than he already had. Hiccup swiftly guided Toothless into the sky. He squinted his eyes, shielding them from the intrusive mix of smoke, ash, and dust. As they ascended, Hiccup glanced downward and swallowed hard. It wasn't the five approaching Deathgrippers that made him uneasy but the haunting backdrop unfolding beneath.
The once formidable fort now lay in ruins, its walls nothing but rubble and the ground obscured by the bodies of the fallen. Blood-soaked dirt bore witness to the brutality and inhumanity of the fight. Swords pierced through stomachs and necks, and arrows protruded at odd angles from fallen warriors, illustrating the savage intensity of the conflict. The water surrounding the island mirrored the chaos on land, dancing hazardously. The water was no longer the blue usually associated with the Nordic Seas but was mixed with blood, wood, and dead bodies turning it into a dark evil colour.
Hiccup gulped and quickly ordered Toothless to turn around and the duo flew towards the quickly approaching Deathgrippers. As the scorpion-like dragons were now just a few feet away from him, he separated himself from Toothless and jumped onto the lead Deathgripper pulling out his knife and cutting the harness holding the venom, effectively freeing the dragon.
He then swung from the Deathgripper to the next one which was flying down towards Toothless, Hiccup repeated the process three more times before grabbing onto Toothless's saddle once again and flying back up into the clouds just before they met the cold ocean. With adrenaline coursing through his body he quickly guided Toothless towards Grimmel.
Astrid zoomed past some of the trappers at supersonic speeds, her Light Fury, Stormfly fired multiple plasma blasts at the trappers who were frantically running away, and looking for cover. The surprise attack had worked better than any of them could have wished for.
She was proud that her husband had been the one to come up with the near-perfect plan in between all the disagreements and arguments the other council members were having amongst themselves. He was brilliant at this, leading them, and protecting the Empire, even though he was scared and would never take complete credit for anything he did, he was a brilliant Emperor, an amazing husband and father.
He just needed the right push to become confident, which Astrid had become good at doing, and once he was confident he could do things even the greatest Viking Chiefs in history were incapable of. For Thor's sake, he tamed the most dangerous dragon to ever live into acting like a house cat.
Astrid quickly guided her dragon to fly alongside Heather who was now leading the Twins, Fishlegs, Gustav and Anna on an attack to help the ground forces.
"How's things going with the newbies?" Astrid asked with a smirk that was hidden behind her mask.
"Better than I expected, who knew I would be glad when the Twins were blowing stuff up," Heather replied with a smirk of her own.
"Yeah, who knew, not me 'cause everyone just shouts at us when we do it, right sis?" Tuffnut replied, "Yeah everyone nowadays is such a buzzkill." Ruffnut replied. The duo laughed manically before blowing one of the cages into a pile of metal.
"Okay, that will be que to leave... Stay safe Anna!" Astrid yelled as she flew higher up towards 'Grimmel's Tower of Evil', rightly named by Camicazi.
A single plasma blast by Stormfly destroyed the base of the tower, making the whole stone tower crumble down in a cloud of dust and rubble. Grimmel grew frustrated as some of the smaller pieces of the falling tower fell on his head. He massaged his head just as he turned around to see Hiccup and his Night Fury land. Grimmel quickly pointed his crossbow at Hiccup while he stood with a defensive stance, holding a withdrawn Inferno.
"Do you think you have won, little chief?" Grimmel asked, "No... You haven't, you may win this battle but I will win the war, I will kill your precious Toot-a-less... without him, you are nothing, you will lose." Grimmel mocked.
"I am pretty sure there won't be a next time, Grimmel, look around your men have lost, Surrender!" Hiccup yelled. The flames from his sword licked the air as it portrayed Hiccup's confidence and will to end this war.
"I doubted myself, but not anymore, I am who I am today because I was being me, Toothless, Astrid and the others just helped me along the way. I am the reason the three-hundred-year war with the dragons is over and I am not going to let you destroy everything I have worked so hard for. My friends and family have supported me and have helped me complete my dream and now I truly have something to protect so I will tell you this one last time Grimmel. Surrender or die!" He shouted, standing tall and filled with unwavering confidence.
In response, Grimmel fired his crossbow, the arrow sliced the air in the blink of an eye before being deflected by Inferno. Hiccup quickly charged at his enemy. Grimmel brought his sword around just in time to block Hiccup's attack.
While grunting Grimmel pushed his attacker away while blocking the quick strikes made by Hiccup. Hiccup raised his sword and made an arc in the sky as he struck downwards at Grimmel's head, but his sword met the ground and Grimmel ducked away quickly.
Hiccup was expecting this and he quickly shifted all his weight to his right hand while moving his legs in a sweeping motion knocking Grimmel off his feet. Grimmel's head hit the hard stone ground first as the rest of his body followed. He quickly regained consciousness after the fall just to feel the warmth from the firey blade against his neck.
"You lost, Grimmel now give up." Grimmel looked up at his enemy in defeat, but he wasn't going to lose without taking Hiccup down with him.
"I might have lost but let's see how you do without your best friend," Grimmel told him while removing a poison dart from his pocket and aiming it at Toothless. Just as he was about to throw it at the growling beast, he felt the feeling in his arm fade away. He looked back down at his chest only to see Inferno plunged through his heart.
"You really have grown..." Those were the last words Grimmel ever said.
Hiccup fell to his knees, looking at the now lifeless body belonging to Grimmel. The look on Grimmel's face, the lifeless colour in his eyes, was the same as the ones Drago had made when he had been killed at Hiccup's hand. Grimmel was the second person he had ever killed with his own hands and it turned something inside his heart.
Hiccup looked down at his hands, the same hands that had been responsible for two deaths, he knew it was necessary but he still felt guilty. Toothless let out a worried warble as he nudged Hiccup, effectively bringing him out of his dazed state. He looked up at the sun as it slowly rose into the sky, letting a breath escape his mouth, the cold air turning it into a mist.
"It's alright Toothless, we won, you are safe, the world is safe... Thank you bud, for everything." Hiccup let his head rest against Toothless's just before he was forced onto his back as his dragon licked every inch of his face.
"You know that doesn't wash out... "
Life gradually returned to normal. The fallen soldiers received proper Viking funerals, and they mourned their losses and celebrated their win. Warriors had flown back to their respective islands, and the newfound relationship between the Hooligans and Draconians was so strong that some had even chosen to relocate to Dragon's Edge.
Gobber had shifted to the Bog Islands to be with Camicazi, and Fishlegs had joined Heather, with the two quickly becoming betrothed, Hiccup and Astrid didn't know when that love story had taken place but were glad it had.
Stoick was now focused on rebuilding his tribe to its former glory, and had encountered another woman around his age, taking things at a slow pace. Valka and Eret continued to share a deep love, while Nuffink, now starting to utter a few words, followed his elder sister everywhere.
Hiccup sighed as he gazed into the sunset, and then down to his wife. Her head rested on his shoulder, a smile gracing her face. Life had been tough for them, it had been filled with challenges and triumphs, a mix of both difficult and joyful moments. They forged friendships and lost some. They had vanquished their enemies and befriended a few. Hiccup had roamed the world and had a loving family, something he never could have had on Berk.
Astrid looked up at her husband's relaxed expression. She smiled as she had done everything she had dreamed of doing. Sure her childhood desire was to be a shieldmaiden but that was only because of her parents, running away with Hiccup had granted her everything she truly wanted.
He had given her freedom, a family and love, everything she ever wanted. She had been the luckiest person on Midgard to have met Hiccup, and because of him, she had become who she is today, a daughter, a sister, a dragon rider, a warrior, a friend, a queen, a wife, a mother, and a runaway, a Runaway of Berk...
This is the end of this story. As I have said, this is my first fanfic and I am glad it is finally complete after almost six months, nearly forty thousand words later. I have posted the first few chapters of my new story, 'Second Life', so please see that too. And once again thank you all for the support, it means a lot. Do leave your comments on how I can improve my writing or how you felt the story was.
And on another note, I will be writing a sequel and prequel to this story, that's right it will be a trilogy. I will start writing it after I finish the other story...
Once again...
THANK YOU ALL FOR READING 'THE RUNAWAYS OF BERK'.