Nearly as soon as the letters were sent, the Vikings boarded vessels again to speak with one another. An air of mystery filled their lungs so much that it was almost suffocating. A potential attack? The thought horrified Oswald. He had spent his time as chief desperately trying to prevent that and it had not always been simple. With tens of thousands of people, it was guaranteed that a few would be war-mongering. Taming them was quite a task, but now, it seemed like they were not even the ones he had to be concerned about. Thinking of another tribe wanting to fight was bizarre. If the message had not come from Stoick, Oswald doubted he would have even believed it. Their armada was a feared one…or at least it used to be. Maybe the soldiers' skills had been dropping more significantly than he had noticed. Similarly, this concerned Dagur. They were his people as well. He worried that a battle without any fatalities would be an unrealistic desire to have. They had been adjusting their training, but maybe it had not been for long enough. There was no way to know how much time the Meatheads had spent preparing for battle and if they had any particular methods which could be used against the Berserkers.
Stoick was hardly more comforted by the letter he received. A nest. Imagining such a place sent chills up and down his spine. How many dragons could live in a nest? And there was an even larger dragon that could eat the others? The chief wondered if there was anything he could do. At the same time, he dismissed these thoughts because there had to be something. He refused to do nothing as a dragon controlled the fate of his Berkians. So, if he had to approach the beast and slay it from within its gut, then he would do just that. Hiccup also did not know what could be done to help Berk. That dragon was not one which looked like it would be receptive to kind words. Honestly, he did not want to risk it. At least misjudging a Terrible Terror would just lead to a small burn or bite. Misjudging that other dragon would be instant death. And yet, something had to be done. Before long, the two ships came into view of one another. The Vikings quickly docked at the island, both pairs looking stressed.
"A nest?"
"A war?"
The chiefs and heirs spoke in unison, then stopped.
"The Meatheads might not be attacking right now," Oswald said, although his voice revealed how hesitant he was to believe this. "We should deal with the dragon matter first. More of them could be sent to Berk, endangering your Vikings."
Just as unsurely, Stoick shook his head. "We've been dealing with dragons for years. A bit longer won't destroy us. We should determine if this threat from the Meatheads is serious or not."
The fathers regarded each other for a moment, both wanting to help his friend while still fixing his own problem. Their sons looked at them and saw this too.
"Why not fix both problems at the same time?" Hiccup asked.
Dagur nodded. "We wouldn't have to choose what to start on."
This did little more than perplex the fathers. They glanced down at the boys in shock.
"How would we fix both?" Stoick asked.
"The Meatheads are going to Berserker Island and the dragons are going to Berk," Oswald stated.
As the boys turned to each other, they came to the same realization.
"Dragons can't go to Berserker Island," Hiccup said. "That leader of theirs was big enough to need more food even if it took everything from Berk. It would send dragons everywhere if it could, but there are never any on Berserker Island."
"So, all we've gotta do is time it so that the Meatheads are headed to us just as the dragons are," Dagur added. "The reptiles won't be able to get to the island to hurt anyone and the big one can be dealt with by the Meatheads."
The younger boy tapped his chin in thought. "But I'm not sure how we'd get the dragons to move. Not all of them anyway. There wouldn't really be a reason for the leader to go along with the others. Even when we went over there, it just snarled at us and didn't go anywhere."
"We know what'll make them move," Dagur stated, looking at Stoick.
This caused the chief to regard him in confusion for a few moments. Then he started to realize what he was thinking of.
"Dragon Root," he remarked. "We might even get that giant beast off its throne."
"And the Gronckles aren't affected by it. Maybe some of those could move the plant."
Hiccup's face lit up with hope. "Some Terrible Terrors were able to help us find the nest. We might be able to get a few Gronckles to help."
Stoick felt a bit hesitant. "Are you sure?"
The boy had a confident look in his eyes. "Yeah, I am."
"Some rocks from here can be brought to them," Oswald suggested. "They might be more receptive if you bring them food."
Hiccup nodded. "The only problem will be getting enough Dragon Root to use."
"It doesn't take that much," Dagur said. "I know another island that has it. We'd probably be good with just a few more roots. We only needed one before to make all the raiding dragons lose it."
"While you get those, we can take care of getting the Gronckles on our side," Hiccup suggested.
"But how do we lead the Meatheads here?" Dagur asked, looking thoughtful.
"We could send some soldiers out to the island," Oswald mentioned. "They'll be watching it so that we know when or if the Meatheads move. If they head our way, then we bring the dragons. If they don't, then maybe there was a misunderstanding. Horns can alert us and you of them starting the attack."
The four Vikings stopped again, but it was for a different reason than the first time.
"I'll go with you to the Gronckles," Stoick said, surprising Hiccup.
"Dad, you won't be able to attack them. Dragons can sense agitation."
"I know, I'll be calm."
Hiccup regarded him in mild suspicion initially, then looked at Oswald. The Berserker gave him an encouraging nod. Hoping the other father was right, the heir relented.
"Okay, then let's see how this goes. We can keep the Gronckles on Dragon Island until we're ready."
"And we'll handle the matter of informing the other Berserkers and finding the root," Oswald stated.
Quickly, both sets of fathers and sons went off to the ships again. On the way, the Berkians picked up several stones, then began going to Dragon Island. All the while, the chief was worried, but he knew he had to get that out of his mind before they reached the creatures. The idea of him being the cause of Hiccup getting hurt by a dragon who sensed his concern was a nightmare. His brows furrowed deeply at the thought and he continued to sail.
"I still wish the Terrible Terror was alive," Hiccup admitted, "but I get why you'd be worried about me being around dragons. The first time Oswald and I saw one, I was scared, but it seems like there's a lot we don't know about them. I really think this will help keep Berk safe."
"But will it keep you safe too?" Stoick asked. "I haven't seen this dragon we're going against yet, but Oswald seemed concerned. If it's more dangerous than those we've faced, you being involved in this is just…"
The father stopped himself. The more he mused over these thoughts, the more challenging it would become to not be nervous when the Gronckles arrived. Hiccup's eyes widened slightly as he saw his father. Although he did not believe Oswald was lying, it was different to see for himself. Yet, he did. His father was terrified…terrified for him. Hiccup went across the deck to Stoick.
"I'm going to be okay, Dad. Trust me. I can do this."
The chief took a deep breath, closing his eyes before reopening them with a look of determination. "I trust you, Son. If you believe you can do this, I do as well."
Hiccup started to smile in spite of everything. How could he do anything else? Those were words he had always wanted to hear and thought he would never be given the chance. He was reminded of the gravity of the situation when they docked. Stoick lowered the ramp and followed Hiccup down to the island. The pair checked the island for dragons and saw some Monstrous Nightmares. The dragons did not notice their presence, so they kept walking until they came up to a pile of boulders. A flock of Gronckles were resting. Carefully, Hiccup stepped forward. One hand held the rock while the other was outstretched. Stoick did not think he had ever seen a more frightening sight than that of his son walking towards a group of dragons that had just noticed him. They began snarling in uncertainty. Hiccup stopped and set down the stone.
"We brought this for you."
The Gronckles stared at the rock skeptically, but they had stopped snarling.
"The giant dragon that forces you to bring it food, we want to stop it. I think you might too." The Berkian sighed softly. "Oh, gods," he mumbled. "If they can't understand me, then this isn't going to work."
As soon as he said this, the dragons growled. They did not seem angry so much as offended. This brightened the boy's spirits some. Stoick could only wonder why the sound of growls made Hiccup smile, but he kept his breathing and heartbeat even.
"Okay good," the heir said. "Then we need you to carry some Dragon Root towards Berserker Island."
This did not get a reaction out of the dragons.
"Maybe we could lead them," Stoick offered.
Hiccup nodded. "Good idea."
He reached down to pick up the stone again. The Viking held it out for the dragons to see. One of them curiously approached and opened its mouth. Hiccup dropped the stone in, resulting in the Gronckle happily eating the snack. It licked his hand afterwards and he chuckled.
"There's a lot more of that if you help us. Come on, let's see if you'll be willing to follow us to the island."
He and Stoick showed off the delicious-looking rocks. This made the Gronckles begin to fly and hover near them. It was stressful for Stoick, but he did a good job of hiding that even from the reptiles. He and Hiccup went back to the ship with their new followers. And so began their first test to see if the reptiles would follow. The results were not perfect and some turned back, but a brown Gronckle stayed the entire time. The only time she stopped was when they got too close to Berserker Island. Then the Gronckle shook her head and moved a bit higher up in the sky.
"I don't know if they'll all help us," the boy admitted, "but I think this one will."
Stoick nodded. "I think so as well," he said, thoroughly shocked.
He did not miss the small smile on his son's face. They returned to Dragon Island to see if the Gronckle would follow them again. Pleased, they saw that she did. While they did this, the Berserkers were going back to their island. The nearby Vikings immediately were able to tell that something was wrong.
"What happened?" Vorg asked.
"We might be under attack," Oswald stated. "I want ships watching the Meatheads at all times. Stay lined up so that you're within earshot of each other and the island. As soon as you see the Vikings head our way, blow the warning horns. Each ship will do this until it reaches us, so we'll know to prepare. Send some ships towards Berk as well so that they'll also be alerted to this."
The captain agreed, but Dagur began to frown.
"What if we did something to get the Meatheads to respond faster?"
Oswald turned to him in surprise. "Faster?"
"Yeah, we still need to fix that problem on Berk and we don't know if the Meatheads are a threat or not. We don't have to attack them, but if they see us, they might panic. They could think that we've figured out their plot. So, if they're really guilty, they'll try to hurry up and attack. If they aren't, they probably won't do anything since we could disguise it as a fishing ship."
The chief was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Good idea. Herald, can you be in charge of this?"
"Aye, Chief."
Not needing to be told twice, the Berserker soldiers split off into groups so that this order could be carried out. While they did this, the father and son got back to their ships. There was a silence brought about by nerves. Oswald looked at his son, hoping desperately that he and Stoick were incorrect. The boy was too young to be part of a war. He imagined him coated in so much blood that distinguishing the Viking it belonged to was next to impossible. It made Oswald feel queasy. He did not want the horrors of death and killing to be in his son's mind.
"Dragon Root looks a little different than it does in the books," Dagur stated, offering a small distraction. "Maybe it's changed since the illustrations were made."
"Yeah, maybe."
The redhead noticed the odd tone to his father's voice. When he glanced at him, he saw his pale face. Dagur did not have much to offer that might ease the chief's worries. He did not know if everything would be all right or not. He just knew he hoped for that outcome. There was only one thing he could think of which might offer a bit of comfort to his father.
"I'm not mad anymore about what happened anymore," he said.
Oswald's eyes widened. "You're not?"
Dagur shook his head. "We've got a bunch of Vikings to take care of. It makes sense that you'd want them to be safe with whoever's in charge. I won't be a threat to them. With this plan, we might not even have to kill the Meatheads."
"You'd be fine with that result?"
The boy nodded. "As long as our Berserkers are safe, I'll be happy."
Oswald smiled and found himself feeling much more at ease as they continued sailing. They went until arriving at their destination. Both Vikings knew where to look for the plants. It did not take them long to collect a few and begin bringing them back to the ship. The Berserkers went to Dragon Island as well, cautiously carrying the root with them. Quickly, the duo brought it to where they heard the Gronckle and other Vikings. Their eyes widened slightly at the sight of the dragon wagging its club-like tail.
"It's friendlier than I expected," Oswald admitted.
He looked at the other chief. Stoick was still eyeing the dragon unsurely. The Berserker realized that if Hiccup had any uncertainty in him, it had melted away long ago. He was happily petting the Gronckle and turned to the Berserkers.
"We can test her flying with this now."
Dagur and Oswald placed the root down by the reptile. She grabbed it and began to hover.
"Good job!" Hiccup encouraged.
This made the dragon happy and she wagged her tail again.
"Will she fly to Berserker Island?" Dagur asked, considering if he wanted to risk poking the dragon.
"I think so," the Berkian heir informed him. "She's gone with us a few times. Now, we can just wait."
"It probably won't be for long," Stoick stated. "The Meatheads aren't a patient group. If they mean to start a war, we'll know soon."
Feeling the weight of the situation falling upon their shoulders, the Vikings parted ways to return to their islands. The Berkian chief had known his allies well. They were not patient in the slightest. Herald's ship had gone near their territory. It stayed out there, then returned before going back out. This happened for two days. Each time, it lowered nets for fishing. On the second day, a Meathead vessel began approaching. The Berserkers waved, but they were not met with words or smiles. They only received cold glances. Herald looked towards the shores which were not far from them. Several Vikings were heading to other ships. They were about to set sail, but he did not get a chance to see that part. He had to order his soldiers to take cover. A boulder had just been catapulted onto their deck.
"Sound the alarm!" he shouted.
Immediately, another soldier blew the horn. Fortunately, the decks had been fortified with a layer of metal beneath them, so the boulder did not cause the Berserker ship to take on any water. It started to sail away and back home as the line of vessels continued the song of the horns. The tune made its way to Berserker Island, filling the Vikings with adrenaline. Speedily, the Berserkers began to prepare themselves for war, going to the coast with their ships and weapons ready. As they did, the sound of the horns was also reaching Berk. Gobber and several others boarded ships to aid their allies. While they did, their chief and heir started heading to Dragon Island. When the duo arrived, they found the helpful Gronckle again. To their surprise, they also found several others. Hiccup grinned in appreciation.
"Thanks for bringing some extra help," he said.
The dragon let out an eager roar and got those around her to begin lifting the Dragon Root. Once each reptile was carrying a plant, Hiccup patted the brown one.
"You have to go to the nest first," he said, causing the reptile to seem scared. "I know. I'd be nervous too, but please go back there. This might be the only way to free all of you. When you get to Berserker Island and see the ships, just let them deal with the big dragon."
An understanding look appeared in the Gronckle's eyes. She still was scared, but she and the others started flying off towards where Hiccup knew the nest was located. Not knowing how much time they had, the pair started sailing to Berserker Island. They were not the only ones doing this. Meathead ships were traveling over the seas, readying archers on their decks. They had a long line of Berserker vessels in their paths. The Meatheads had studied about this generation of soldiers. They were mediocre. It should have been easy to dispose of each ship, then continue on their way. Thuggory nearly laughed when he saw Berserkers preparing their bows and arrows as well. He gave into the impulse as the bows were pointed upwards and fired. The sound stopped when it was replaced by gurgling.
Face pale, Thuggory turned to one of the Meatheads next to him. The soldier had an arrow in his throat. Wounded, he stood still for a moment before falling. That was when a new sound joined the others. More arrows were being fired. The Meatheads took cover behind their shields. Mogadon saw that Thuggory was frozen in place, so he ran to his son and brought him under his own shield.
"Press forward!" the chief ordered.
Maneuvering around as many arrows as possible, the Vikings continued sailing. Some of the ships were forced to use rowers since their sails were burned by flaming arrows. Meatheads hauled up buckets of water to prevent their ships from catching fire as well. They could not focus on attacking the Berserkers. Doing so would only lead to their immediate death, so they needed to concentrate on reaching the island. Surely, it would have less competent soldiers. Waiting for them, these Vikings were prepared, eyes trained on the horizon. Oswald held an ax in his hands and stood by Dagur who held one as well. Berkians were first to arrive. The Berserker chief smiled when he saw them holding the shield-crossbows. Stoick and Hiccup were yet to arrive.
"When they get here, the dragons probably won't be far behind," Oswald said.
Gobber's eyes twinkled. "Guess we'll just have to keep the Meatheads busy till then."
The other Berkians matched his confidence. It did not take much longer for new guests to approach. Damaged Meathead ships started to sail closer. Dagur could see the lack of smugness on the chief's and heir's faces. They looked stunned and their eyes grew wider upon seeing the Berkian ships. To the Berserkers' surprise, Thuggory suddenly went to the sails. He tried to turn them so that the wind would no longer push the ship forward. Mogadon did not immediately stop him, then he frowned.
"Meatheads don't run from a battle!" he roared. "We…"
The man stopped, looking at how grossly outnumbered they were.
"Let's go back, Dad," Thuggory pleaded. "We'll lose."
Mogadon shook his head. "We're not turning back. Fire the catapults!"
The Meatheads shook suddenly as their ships trembled. Catapults had been fired, but they were not the ones on the invading Vikings' vessels. Turning, Mogadon saw that their catapults had been destroyed.
"That was a warning shot!" Oswald called out.
"We don't need warnings!" Mogadon yelled back. "Give us all you've got!"
Thuggory looked horrified at his father's words, immediately ducking in case another boulder was launched. The Meathead chief decided to bring other ships closer. They shot arrows at the Berserkers and Berkians, forcing the Vikings to hide behind the shields. Berkians were able to shift to firing their own arrows, stunning the Meatheads more. It looked like the attackers would not be able to bear another surprise, but there was more to come. Stoick and Hiccup's ship began approaching. The Meatheads were far too preoccupied with their enemies to worry about the newcomers. This allowed safe passage to the Berserker shores.
"Are the Gronckles headed this way?" Oswald asked, glaring at the Meatheads and signaling for another catapult to be fired.
"They should be," Stoick confirmed. "With their speed, they'll probably be here…"
He trailed off as his eyes widened. Both the Berkians and Berserkers felt their stomachs drop as the sky got darker. They saw the Gronckles, but they also saw the others. A flock was coating the sky, blocking out the sun. Meatheads turned to look upwards, fully panicking at this point.
"Dragon attack!" they yelled.
The Vikings dove onto the decks to prevent from being torn asunder. Yet, the dragons were not paying attention to them or any other human. They were focused on the Dragon Root. The Gronckles were only able to keep such a distance between them due to the fact that the scent of the root traveled into the cave quickly. They had not needed to enter before the other dragons exited. Otherwise, their speed would have gotten them caught long ago, but they managed to lead the charge. Another sight accompanied the flock. Stoick watched in horror while a dragon as large as an island came barging through the others and towards them.
"Dragons can't land here?" he asked, suddenly feeling doubtful that this was the case.
"Haven't for years," Oswald answered.
Dagur nodded as a sparkle shone in his eyes. "So, it should be fun seeing what happens."
The other Vikings were not sure they shared his enthusiasm. Gronckles reached the island first, stopping when they were close enough to drop the root into the sea by the shores. The other dragons started diving for it, but they too stopped. Soon, they were not affected by the submerged plant. The only thing which influenced them was the strange barrier around the island. Dagur let out a triumphant laugh.
"They can't pass through!"
His eyes locked onto the largest dragon. He had to admit to himself that it was a terrifying sight, but he was filled with adrenaline and certainty. These did not leave him even as the monstrous creature came forward with wide jaws that might have been able to swallow the entire island. It flew with a rage that made Dagur and Stoick unsure if it was only because of the root. Each flap of its wings filled the Meathead sails, turning ships on their sides or crashing them into each other. The Vikings clung onto one another and the edges of the vessel to keep from being flung into the sea. It seemed like nothing would stop the creature, but suddenly, it was also forced to come to an abrupt halt. The dragon shook its head like it was dizzy. Its rage was not lessened and it moved back, letting out a mighty roar. The Vikings on land turned ashen when they heard another roar without seeing the dragon's mouth open again.
"There's another?" Stoick asked.
Oswald frowned in thought, then he and Hiccup turned to each other. Shock covered their faces.
"It couldn't be," the boy said.
"But there's no other option," the chief added.
"It would explain it."
"I was thinking that too."
"What are you talking about?" Dagur asked, eyebrow lifted.
"The Bewilderbeast!" they answered together.
Another roar came, but it sounded like it was from within the island itself. This caused the giant dragon in front of everyone to stop roaring. It let out a sound similar to a whimper. There was one more roar, then the enormous beast lowered its head. Dragons from around it cautiously regarded the reptile. They started to snarl at it. The Vikings watched them in surprise.
"They know that dragon's a cruel leader," Hiccup said, in awe. "They're turning on it!"
More dragons started to growl and fire blasts at the former leader. Its snout became covered in burns and scratches, but for some reason, it seemed incapable of doing anything in retaliation. Before the attack could become deadly, that thunderous roar was heard again and they stopped. With one softer rumble, the giant moved back in response. It started to fly away from the island, accepting the dethronement which had taken place. The Berkians still were not entirely sure what had happened, but they found themselves cheering.
"You're free!" Hiccup called up for them to hear.
It seemed like the dragons did not know what to do either. Slowly, they began dispersing, letting out victorious roars. The reptiles took off in every direction, freer than most of them had ever been in their lives. One of them glanced down at the little Viking for several moments, then disappeared in the crowd. With them gone, the Meatheads were struggling to decide what to do. Dagur saw the conflict on their faces and looked at the Vikings around him. He ran down to the shores, getting on a smaller vessel. Oswald's eyes widened and he started going after him, but he was not fast enough. Dagur sailed the ship towards Mogadon's. Seeing him, the Meathead tried to regain his composure.
"You may have won this battle, but you won't win the next."
"There doesn't need to be a next," Dagur said.
Mogadon regarded him in shock. "What?"
The boy gestured to the dragons flying around. "Even the dragons were able to end their problem without a lot of bloodshed. We can too."
"It's too late for that."
"It's not too late as long as Vikings are still breathing. What's better: a war or an alliance?"
Mogadon was dumbfounded by the question, but Thuggory moved forward.
"An alliance!" he answered quickly.
"Thought you'd say that." Dagur looked at Mogadon's horrified expression. "It'll be a mutually beneficial one," he assured the man. "If we wanted to just take everything from you, we could now. That's not the point of offering this. Both of our islands could get stronger if we work together."
Mogadon still had not found his words, but some of Thuggory's fear faded. He nodded his head.
"Meet us at Dragon Island tomorrow and we can discuss some terms," the Berserker told him.
"We'll be there," the Meathead stated. His expression of surprise turned to one of gratitude. "Thanks."
The Vikings salvaged as much of their ships as possible and began sailing back to their island. While they did, the cheers continued. Dagur brought his ship back to the coast. There was still a matter to handle before he could consider a true victory won.