Dragons Against Drago Chapter 2
Valka stood in the middle of a circle of dragons. The adult and near-adult Night Furies surrounded her, along with Cloudjumper, representatives of the other dragon types, and Agnarr. She had asked for an emergency meeting on short notice, and when she'd told Hiccup what she'd seen, he had agreed immediately.
"When we got to the frozen nest, we found it under siege," she began; Hiccup translated for the dragons. "There were at least a dozen big warships anchored offshore, including one that's so big, I don't see how it can move. A small army of men has camped on the shore near the nest entrance. They've set up catapults, net-throwers, some other weapons, and some big mechanical things that might be dragon traps. They also have about forty dragons who are wearing iron masks and are doing whatever the humans say. When we tried to get into the nest, they opened fire on us! Cloudjumper had to take some pretty wild evasive action to avoid getting hit. Maybe a Night Fury could zip through that gantlet, but a Stormcutter is just too big a target.
"We gained some height, talked it over, and decided we should come back here and let you know what's going on. If we can't get in, that means the dragons in the nest can't get out, and they must be getting hungry."
"I'm surprised the Alpha hasn't done something about that yet," Astrid wondered. "That's one dragon I would not want to get mad at me!" Agnarr translated the dragons' words into Norse for Valka.
"He tends to not rush into situations," Valka explained. "He may be waiting until he has a good picture of what he's up against, and that could be hard if no one can get in or out."
"Faithful-brother is there," Full-of-surprises noted. "A Night Fury should be able to get in and out in the darkness without being seen."
"Maybe the Alpha won't let him run the risk of trying it all alone," Bang suggested.
"The first thing we need to do is get the facts," Hiccup decided. "Astrid and Bang will fly with me tonight. We'll slip into the frozen nest at night, when the humans can't see us. We'll talk to the Alpha and our people, do a recon of the entire area, find out what's going on, and fly back here before four days have passed. Then we'll decide what we need to do. Six, I'm leaving you in charge of our nest until we get back."
"What if you don't come back in four days?" Six asked nervously.
Hiccup thought for a moment. "If we aren't back in a week, then get Toothless and Guana, and any other dragons from their nest who are willing to fly with you, along with all of our dragons. Arrive over the frozen nest at night and do as much damage as you can to the human army without risking yourselves. I'm sure the Alpha will handle the rest."
"Speaking of Toothless," Astrid added, "somebody needs to tell him what's going on out there."
"We'll tell him," Cloudjumper said. "I haven't been back to that nest in twenty years. There are some dragons I'd like to see again."
"Okay, you and Valka bring news to Toothless," Hiccup said in Forge so they could both understand him. "We three will fly tonight!"
"Can I come along?" Agnarr asked in dragon speech. "A pair of human eyes might help you understand what you're seeing."
"You and Varinn are our best links between the dragons and the humans," Hiccup replied with a shake of the head. "I know you want to see your brother again, but until we get Varinn back to Berk, you need to stay here in case any dragon/human problems come up. That's more important than anything you might be able to see in the dark, and don't forget – I know a thing or two about war machines, too."
"I did forget – sorry," Agnarr admitted. "I know you were human once, but you're just… such a dragon!"
"I'll take that as a compliment," Hiccup grinned. "Okay, everybody hang loose until we get some solid information. If we need to launch a rescue mission, we'll do it when we know what we're up against. For now, everybody stay normal. If we get stressed out, it stresses the humans around us, and that's when bad things happen."
"How can we act normal when one of our Night Furies might be in danger?" a Nadder asked apprehensively.
"The best ways for us to act normal are to eat something and to take a nap," Astrid answered. "Maybe both. But not both at once!"
"A nap sounds good," one of the Gronckles noted with satisfaction. "We can do that." The dragons wandered away and the meeting ended. Most of them took Astrid's advice. But a cloud of nervousness still pervaded Berk; it didn't begin to fade until the three Night Furies took wing that night. Now that someone was actually doing something about the problem, the dragons began to relax.
The Night Furies flew high and fast, pausing only to take a quick nap and grab a bite to eat. They didn't say much; they had no hard facts to discuss, and speculation seemed like a waste of time. They set a new speed record for getting from Berk to the Alpha's nest, but they wasted no time congratulating each other. For the first time in years, dragons were in danger at the hands of men. They circled the area around the nest, taking in everything with their superb night vision.
It was exactly as Valka had described it – the nest was under siege. It looked like about three hundred men were involved, along with around forty dragons, mostly Rumblehorns. They were encamped near the nest's entrance, with their ships anchored just offshore. Two of the dragons were circling the camp, apparently keeping watch, but they never saw or heard the Night Furies overhead.
"Okay, it will be best if they never even knew we were here," Hiccup told his mate and son softly. "We all know the way into that nest. We'll peel off in a row, dive as fast as we can without making noise with our wings, and not slow down until we're into the entry cave. The humans will never see us, and if we're lucky, the dragons won't know, either. Any questions?"
"Why would dragons serve a human army that's attacking other dragons?" Bang asked.
"That's a good question," Astrid replied.
"That's a bad answer," Hiccup retorted. "We don't know, and I can't see any benefit in guessing when our answers are waiting for us inside the nest. We'll wait a couple more seconds, until those orbiting dragons aren't so close to the entrance... ready... let's go!" They half-folded their wings, to keep themselves from whistling as they dove, and plunged almost straight down.
One of the hostile dragons might have heard them as they dove, but if he did, he was far too slow to do anything about it. They ducked inside the entrance tunnel, slowed down so they could avoid slamming into the cave walls, and followed the winding tunnel until it opened out into the main cavern of the Alpha's nest. They glided just below the ceiling, trying to see any familiar faces. There wasn't much to see, as one might expect from a cave at night, but Night Fury eyes can pick up traces of heat as well as light. Locating the Bewilderbeast was easy – no other heat source could possibly be that large. After looking around for a few seconds, Hiccup identified the place where their exchange team was sleeping. The forms of two young-adult humans and a small baby were impossible to miss among the shapes of hundreds of dragons.
"Should we wake somebody up and tell them we're here?" Bang asked quietly.
"I'm sure they already know we're here," Astrid whispered back. "They're under siege, so they must have guards posted near the entrance. In fact, let's take evasive action, just in case."
They had barely doubled back on their trail when a blast of fire lit up the darkened nest from just behind them, ruining their sensitive night vision. "Land immediately, intruders!" came a high voice.
"Do what he says," Hiccup said out loud as he spiraled downward.
"Why? His night vision must be ruined, too," Bang countered.
"He has no night vision," Hiccup answered. "Don't you recognize his voice? That's Hobblegrunt-likes-to-be-purple. He's completely blind, thanks to the dragon trappers; he's tracking us by sound and air vibrations, which gives him the advantage in the dark. We'll be peaceful and land. Once they know it's us, they'll be more friendly." They descended to ground level and landed on the flat rocks that served as the meeting place for those who wanted to talk to the Bewilderbeast. That enormous creature stirred at the sound of dragons landing just in front of him.
"I captured these intruders, Great One," the Hobblegrunt exclaimed proudly.
"He's quite vigilant, Great One; he makes a fine guard," Hiccup agreed. "But we're here on a peace mission."
Bewilderbeasts did not have the keenest eyesight in the dragon realm, but this one quickly recognized Hiccup's voice. "The Night Fury Alpha? You are welcome in my nest, as always, but what brings you here at this unfortunate hour?"
"We came in darkness to avoid the siege troops outside your nest, Great One," Astrid answered. "Valka, your human, told us about the humans and their dragons outside, and we came to find out what's happening here, and how we can help."
"We do seem to be under siege," the Alpha intoned. "We aren't starving; I can slip out through my underwater exit at will and bring back plenty of fish for my dragons. But it's hard on them, being imprisoned in this cave. Dragons live for the freedom of the skies; even a lair as big as this one can feel like a cage if they can't get out. The problem is that the humans have their weapons aimed at the cave exit, so if we tried to fly out, they'd pick us off one by one. If we could just get out safely, our sheer numbers would overwhelm them."
"We may be able to help, then," Hiccup decided. "How would you feel about a surprise attack by nine or ten Night Furies, possibly with more dragons in support, in four days? We can damage some of their weapons, force the rest to defend themselves, and create the mother of all distractions. That could be your dragons' cue to escape the cave and join us in battle."
"When you suggested an alliance between our nests, I had no idea you meant it so literally," the Alpha nodded. "I thank you in advance, as do all my dragons. We will await the sounds of battle, and then we will see who has the more powerful fighting force – them, or us."
"Before we go, we'd like to speak to our exchange team, Great One," Astrid said. "The humans, in particular, need to find a way to avoid getting caught in the middle of all this."
"They are welcome to stay in my nest for as long as they wish," the Bewilderbeast replied. "I think this might be the safest place for them if they cannot return to your nest with you." The Night Furies thanked him and quickly found the exchange team from Berk.
"We don't seem to be in any danger, for now," Varinn told them. "But we want to get our baby out of here if this place is going to become a war zone." Fluff nodded firmly.
"We do what we can," Hiccup promised them. "Be ready to leave sometime tonight. That means ready! Maybe not have much time to prepare."
"We're ready now," Fluff answered. "Say the word, and tell us what we have to do."
Hiccup nodded, then turned to the dragon half of the exchange team. "Will you stay or go?"
Scrubby didn't have to think that over. "I'll go where my humans go."
Agmundr had to think for a second. "I should probably go with you. One Night Fury can only do so much by himself, but a whole formation of Night Furies can multiply our damage several times over."
"That, and you want to stay close to Night-fury-six-shooter," Astrid smiled.
"Yes, that too," Agmundr admitted.
"Okay, we'll tell the Alpha that he's losing his exchange team until the hostilities are over." They all flapped or walked back to the flat rock in front of the Bewilderbeast's chosen resting place and told him about Berk's citizens' decision.
"I cannot fault my language helpers for wanting to get away from a fierce battle," the huge dragon nodded. "I am more concerned about how you plan to escape. The turncoat dragons outside surely saw you, even if they didn't catch up to you, and they'll be doubly vigilant at the nest exit, watching for you."
"Does this nest have only one exit?" Bang wondered.
"It has two, but one is under water, and only I and other sea dragons can use it," the King answered. Then he looked thoughtful. "Perhaps, if you took a deep breath and held onto my spines, I could swim out quickly, and you could rise to the surface where our enemies are not watching, and fly away safely."
"The only problem with that, Great One, is that Night Furies can't take off from the surface of the water." Bang had heard first-hand from Agmundr how badly that worked. "We need something solid to push against. Your plan would work only if you rose to the surface so we could fly off your back."
"Indeed." The Bewilderbeast considered that for a moment. "If I did that, the human weapons might be able to aim at me before you could take off and I could dive again. I am not a small target." He thought some more. "But you have given so much to my nest, and you're preparing to give even more... I'll risk it. How long can you hold your breath?"
"At least a minute and a half, if we aren't exerting ourselves," Astrid replied.
"That will do, just barely," the huge dragon said. "Climb onto my back, hold on tightly, and be ready to take off the moment I break the surface."
"There is another concern, Great One," Hiccup interjected. "Our humans want to get out of here as well, and they cannot hold their breath for a minute and a half."
"Hmm," the Alpha said out loud. His "hmm" resonated through the nest. "There is one way. It would be unpleasant for them, and it would increase the risk I would run, but I am willing to try it if they are also willing. They could ride inside my mouth until I break the surface."
Hiccup translated that into Forge for Varinn and Fluff. "WHAT?!" she burst out.
"I know I didn't hear that right," Varinn marveled.
"It will work," Hiccup explained. "It be very dark and smell like fish, but you have plenty of air until he open his mouth and we take you home."
"If you do it, I do it too," Scrubby cut in.
"No, my small blue friend," the Alpha smiled. "You would be too spiky a mouthful for me. This offer is for the humans only."
Fluff gazed at her husband nervously. "Isn't there any other way out of here?"
"It doesn't look that way," he said reluctantly. He looked up at the huge white dragon and said, "If that is best way home, I guess we take it."