Hello, boys and girls! It took me like 2 years to turn a story idea into a fic, and I'm not even done writing it. I've had other projects going on, and woohoo, I'm nearing the quarter-life crisis. So excited. I heard they're making a live-action? are you on the team happy or team dread? I'm on the fence. We shall discuss it next chapter.
I also have an announcement to make. My writing may be good to some, and terrible to others, but this is fanfiction, and I give it 60-70% effort because it's just for fun. However, I have been working on an original story (since 2019), and I've published my first novel on Amazon. I'm very bad at marketing, but if some of you guys are interested, the title is Dancing Shadows by Alekse Hills.
Well, I hope you guys enjoy the story!
"When my scouts told me you were chasing an Armorwing, I was pretty sure I knew why," Krogan says, a smirk plastered on his face. "But I didn't expect you to deliver the dragon right to me. Thank you."
Toothless' throat itches from the heat building up in his chest. It's his rider's gentle hand sliding over his head that tells him to hold.
"Careful, Night Fury," Krogan warns, a hint of mockery as he disdainfully looks down at Hiccup from his Titan Singetail. "You don't want to hit the poor Armorwing."
The dragon that hovers between them growls dangerously low, shifting its eyes between the Rider and the Flyer.
Hiccup's attention is glued on Krogan while Astrid, Snotlout, and Dagur join him in the sky.
"Oh-ho-ho, who doesn't like a good face-off?" Dagur's excitement is as apparent as the impending battle.
Flyer soldiers join Krogan's side, whips at the ready.
"You have friends. I have friends. The difference is, I don't care if mine live or die." The drop in Krogan's tone is enough of a heads-up before he shouts, "Now!"
"Watch out for the Armorwing!" Hiccup throws over his shoulder as his Riders engage with the Flyers.
The armoured dragon caught in the crossfire doesn't think about picking a side. It attacks anything and anyone that flies too close. A Flyer is knocked out of the sky before he can engage with one of the Riders as a flaming piece of rusty metal is swung at him.
Hiccup hears Fishlegs' scream of awe over the roaring of dragons.
"The Armorwing has another defensive move!" he boasts. "What an amazing dragon!"
"Big deal." Snotlout rolls his eyes. "It tosses metal. So can Gobber."
The Armorwing repeats its tactic, setting another scrap of metal of its armour aflame before swinging it with the end of its tail right for Snotlout and Hookfang. The Rider ducks the attack.
"Hiccup! The Armorwing!" Fishlegs calls, remaining a safe distance away from the wild dragon as it keeps the Flyers busy.
"I know. It's a powerful move, but it leaves him vulnerable," Hiccup notes, staring at the dragon's scaleless back.
It's why it needs all this metal. This dragon species is born bare and needs to coat itself with anything that can serve as armour. The Armorwing, cousin to the Boneknapper, uses metal as a coat rather than bones or wood.
Hiccup sees Krogan's intentions coming from a mile away as he descends with the Titan in the wild dragon's blind spot.
The Rider doesn't think twice and dives into Krogan's range. The blood-red Singetail fires regardless of the Night Fury's interference and aims right for the bare spot on the Armorwing's back.
"Toothless, watch out!" Hiccup shouts as the Titan ignores him. The blast burns hot as it grazes Hiccup's form.
The pained screech from the wild dragon can be heard for miles as it plummets for the island, undoubtedly wounded from the direct hit on its exposed back.
Hiccup snaps his head Krogan's way with an aggravated growl, the heat of the blast still clinging to his skin. The Flyer's smugness effectively affects him as Hiccup glares before turning his back on his enemy. He dives for the trees below, where the Armorwing went down. He prays his untimely reaction won't cost the dragon its life. He knows Krogan will be right onto him in less than half a minute, but Hiccup refuses to have this wild dragon's life so easily traded for a Dragon Eye Lens. Protecting dragons from people like Krogan, Johann, and Viggo is Hiccup's life's goal, and he will die defending that rule if he must.
The Armorwing's shape crashes heavily into the clearing, punching the hard ground from the multiple topples before skidding to a stop under a canopy of thick tropical leaves.
Hiccup's guts clench as he lands a moment later. He dismounts and rushes for the downed dragon.
"Toothless, cover me." He leaves behind his Night Fury to watch for the skies as Krogan comes down. He fires multiple blasts at the Titan Singetail before it ever touches down, doing his best to buy his rider some time with the Armorwing.
Hiccup can see the burnt flesh on the dragon's back even from a distance. The angry red is an ugly sight, and his heart sinks at the pained whines of the dragon as it attempts to regain its footing. Hiccup hates himself for taking advantage of the situation, but getting the lens off its back would give Krogan and his Flyers no more reason to target the dragon.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm here to help," he reassures, taking careful steps as the creature claws the ground and lifts its head, its guard higher than ever.
Hiccup can empathize with the dragon. It's been chased, attacked, and now wounded by strangers on its land who seek to take a piece of the armour it spends day and night building for itself. Of course, it would be mad. It's undoubtedly seeing red from the brutal attack, and what Hiccup realizes now is his dreadful mistake of putting himself directly in the range of an angry and wild Armorwing that doesn't see the difference between Flyer and Rider. The sizzling of fire is the only warning.
Hiccup's irises violently contract as the blinding beam fires inches from his face. Toothless swiftly swoops in, knocking him to the forest floor before the white-hot flames meet his bare skin. The smell of his burnt flesh is a ghost scent of what could've been. The air is knocked out of his lungs like a boot to the stomach while his elbows scrape against the hard, dry ground. The sound of back-to-back shots from his dragon suggests Toothless' unforgiveness toward the wild dragon. He just hopes his Night Fury doesn't injure it further.
The heavy resonance in the ground is no good news. Krogan landed. Hiccup knows Toothless cannot protect him from both the Armorwing and the Flyer on his own, and he knows the other Flyers will be keeping his Riders busy up there, preventing them from interfering.
Hiccup squints to see past the bright splotches that blur his vision. But the more he blinks to clear the brightness, the worse the sight gets, until it feels like looking at a glaring overcast. It's like trying to see through an opaquing drape, and the more he tries, the less he sees.
"Toothless?" He can hear the uncertainty in his voice as he reaches for his dragon's leg from where he lies on his stomach. He can picture the wildness in his eyes and visualizes a pale veil hovering over his pupils. He imagines the blue tint to his meadow-green irises.
This cannot be happening.
"Hiccup! Get out of there!" He can hear Astrid's desperate shout from somewhere above.
"After him!"
Krogan.
He cannot see the proximity of the threats surrounding him to judge for himself and trusts the indication to flee. He rolls onto his back, grabs onto the first strap of leather from his saddle, and trails the texture back to the seat before automatically swinging himself on.
"Toothless, go," he blurts, leaning low against his Night Fury as he urges him to run.
The dragon doesn't need to be told twice and darts for the trees, galloping as fast as possible while ensuring his rider remains on the saddle. Hiccup senses his dragon's inclination to take to the sky from the occasional jumps as if taking off. He eventually finds the pedals and clicks his metal leg into position but knows better than to take off without visual to indicate when and how to shift Toothless' tailfin.
"No, bud," he says, reaching to touch his dragon's head. The smoothness of the scales against his fingertips is the only thing he can focus on to remain calm.
Toothless slows to a walk when the dangers feel far enough away.
Hiccup feels the powerful breaths from his dragon as he pants, every twitch of muscle, every rub of scales. He hears the heavy stomping of his paws, the rip of leaves under his sharp claws, the swoosh of his trailing tail, and the subtle squeak of his saddle.
"I can't… I can't see anything right now. We'll have to wait for the effects to wear off before taking to the air." The Night Fury whines low, expressing his obvious concern and agitation. "I don't know how long it's gonna take. But we have to regroup."
Hiccup dismounts without a warning, and Toothless halts abruptly, head held high. He studies his injured rider with a curious glint in his sharp pupils. Hiccup knows that Krogan will be waiting. It won't take long for Krogan to realize what's happened and to use his injury to his advantage. He needs to remain low—hidden. He will lose if he battles in this state; Hiccup knows as much. He's not foolish enough to risk it.
Hiccup reaches his hand out, his vision too blurred and bright, as if staring directly into the sun, to even see Toothless' midnight colour. The Night Fury burbles gently before pressing his nose against his rider's palm.
"Find Astrid. I trust you."