Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Night Fury’s cry rent the silence over Dragon Hunter Island. It began like the whistle of an awakening storm, before intensifying into a deep, powerful shriek, then dying away, leaving a clear threat in its wake. The Night Fury was ready and willing to fire, and it never missed. 

Despite the cry, Viggo felt no fear. Already he was considering how he could spin this sudden arrival into an advantage for himself. It should be easy; very little lying or trickery need be involved, and Viggo’s current vulnerability would help sway the rider to his side. 

Viggo emerged from the bunker he had been reduced to hiding within, and cast a critical gaze around his ransacked tent. From a fallen wardrobe he retrieved a white tunic, and he took a spare tent pole as a shaft. He tied them together with a quick knot. 

Stepping into the night, he looked across the ruined tents and huts that once made up the base of his dragon hunting operations, reddened by dying torchlight. Corpses lay in black blood, the remnants of the forces that had remained loyal to him, while many more turned their backs to follow his brother’s moronic rebellion. He indulged himself a fruitless glare at the mess. 

The Night Fury and its rider did not reveal themselves, did not break the silence again, but Viggo knew they were nearby. He raised the pale flag and waited. 

The quiet deepened. When the Night Fury and its rider came, they emerged from the darkness as if from a dream. They appeared atop a boulder twenty paces away, two pairs of green eyes fixed on him and glowering. 

Viggo donned a diplomatic smile. He called, “My dear rider! I never thought I’d say this, but I am overjoyed to see you.”

An impatient voice came from behind the helmet. “What do you want, Viggo?”

Viggo appraised the lone rider, undoubtedly shaken by the unexpected emptiness of the island, and eyeing Viggo with suspicion of an unseen trap. Viggo knew that the most disarming response he could give would be honesty. 

So, Viggo told him, “I am in dire need of your help."

The lone rider leaned back, his shock showing plainly. As if sensing the rider’s surprise, the Night Fury’s eyes widened, wings dropping from their defensive bearing.

One would be forgiven for believing that the rider controlled his dragon through his emotions, or even his thoughts. On this side of the archipelago, the lone rider had been bestowed the name Dragon Master, for few knew his true name, but many knew that he could seemingly control any dragon with ease, and they spread rumours regarding the supposed supernatural abilities that allowed him to do so. 

But Viggo knew the truth, that the rider controlled dragons no more than dragons controlled him. He and the dragon he rode moved like one being, like two creatures who had come to an understanding despite their vast differences. It was not supernatural, but it was no less impressive for it. 

After a tense moment, the Night Fury leapt from the boulder and approached. Viggo remained still, watching with a level gaze as the rider dismounted and removed his helmet. He revealed the same sight Viggo had last seen in the heat of battle, when his own sword had knocked the helmet from the rider’s head. A young man, at least a decade younger than himself. Determination was sewn into every inch of him, evident in his bright and fiery eyes, and the proud carriage of his head. 

“And tell me, Viggo,” he replied. “Why would I help you?”

Viggo threw the flag aside and stepped forward, keeping a light grin on his face. The rider held his gaze. 

“My dear rider, as of now, you and I have a common enemy,” Viggo explained. “My idiotic brother has taken it into his head to commandeer my operations, and he has managed to sway many of my hunters; those with softer minds, anyway.”

The rider gave a thoughtful look to the bloodied remains of Viggo’s loyalists, laying amidst the razed encampment. 

“And I suppose you’re about to tell me why this concerns me,” he guessed.

Viggo’s grin widened. After much time with only his brutish hunters and unimaginative brother to exchange words with, it felt immensely satisfying to converse with someone who could quickly tell hidden intent, who was always straining to be a step ahead of him. The rider would remain suspicious of a trick, and would scrutinise every possible motive. Convincing the rider of his amity posed an invigorating challenge. 

“As sharp as ever, my dear,” Viggo complimented. A flash of annoyance passed over the rider’s face. “Indeed, my brother’s mutiny poses a threat not just to you, but also to your allies. He assumed leadership of a project of mine that involved the development of a weapon, which he will use to attack your base and the islands of your allies.”

“What kind of weapon?” the rider asked intently. 

“All in due time, rider. Right now, my brother has set a course for Berserker Island. After he attacks there, he will move on to Caldera Cay, and then to your island. We don’t have much time.”

“We?” the rider questioned. “Why would you want to stop this? This is your project Ryker is using, isn’t it? If Ryker didn’t turn on you, you would be doing the exact same thing as him.”

“It’s true, the project was my design,” Viggo conceded, “but that does not mean I want to see him use it to usurp me. And you need my knowledge to effectively combat my brother. We can be of use to each other.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t trust you,” the rider said plainly. “You’ve tried to trick me so many times; for all I know, this is just another one of your schemes.”

“Does this truly appear like one of my ruses?” Viggo asked. The rider cast a doubtful glance over the surrounding wreckage, the expanse of needless losses. Viggo continued, “We must go to Berserker Island. When Ryker attacks, you will see that I am telling the truth.”

The rider shut his eyes and sighed in frustration. Viggo watched him expectantly, until the rider opened his eyes with a decision made. 

The rider whistled lowly. In response, his dragon walked towards Viggo, circling him and sniffing his armour. The dragon stopped and growled at the dagger Viggo kept hidden beneath his jerkin. 

“Leave it here,” the rider said.

Obliging, Viggo removed the blade and tossed it aside. The Night Fury gave a satisfied huff before returning to his rider’s side. 

In a single fluid motion, the rider took hold of the saddle and swung into the seat. Then, he looked pointedly at Viggo. 

“Get on.”

Viggo approached the Night Fury. He laid his palm on the back of the saddle, behind the rider, and the dragon growled in response. He quieted under a soothing hand from his rider. Viggo felt a spell of uncertainty, hearing the clear disdain and distrust from the creature that would soon be under him and carrying him through the sky. He pushed through it, hauling himself into his seat behind the rider. 

Without further pause, the Night Fury spread his wings and flew. Viggo’s stomach dropped as the wind ripped past, while the iron muscles of the creature’s back and wings moved like a perfected machine to propel them into the sky. 

The dragon eventually settled into a glide, giving Viggo a chance to settle his heart. He made an effort to school his expression when he noticed the rider glancing over his shoulder. 

“So,” the rider said, “you haven’t told me what this weapon Ryker is using actually is.”

“It’s called Project Shellfire. It employs the power of a titanwing Shellfire, a large, tidal class dragon, with a firing distance a mile long. He’ll use it along with the entire dragon hunter fleet to destroy your allies.”

“Great,” the rider muttered. “How- how could you even control a dragon like that?”

“Not so differently from how one can control Quakens,” Viggo replied. “It’s been trained to fire in response to physical commands.”

“Interesting use of impersonal verbs there,” the rider commented, glaring ahead. 

“I know we have our ideological differences, my dear, but I do believe amity would benefit both of us at this time.”

“Oh, don’t go thinking that just because I’m going along with whatever plan you have for now means that we’re friends in any way, alright?” the rider said. “We’re not friends, we’re not allies; in fact, once Ryker is gone, you’re next on my list to deal with. Got it?”

“Hm. I was only trying to be civil,” Viggo said lightly. The rider grumbled. “Have my actions done nothing to establish trust between us?”

“No, they haven’t,” the rider replied. 

“Pity,” Viggo said. “I believe we’d make quite the effective team, battling against my brother.”

“We’re not allies, Viggo,” the rider repeated. 

“If you say so.”

The rider glared at Viggo over his shoulder, but did not press the matter. 

They flew on, speeding through the skies in spite of the Night Fury’s relaxed flight. Viggo watched the water rolling out below them, and estimated they were flying at seven times the speed of even his fastest ships. At this rate, they could make Berserker Island by sunrise. 

Hours passed them by in the deep of the night. Viggo periodically attempted to engage the rider in affable conversation to pass the time, and was repeatedly shut down for his efforts. The wind clawed at the surface of his skin, but the flames in the gut of the creature beneath him kept him fine and warm. The long hours were not all unpleasant, though the rider made no efforts to alleviate the tension about them. 

The rising sun warmed their backs as they approached Berserker Island. Mountains towered over its verdant expanse, with clutching greenery crawling out from between the rocks and cliffs, and the shoreside village standing proud upon a series of walled terraces. 

The rider flew over the village, only angling into a dive as they approached a large building on an isolated hilltop. It seemed to be a stable designed for dragons. As they flew closer, Viggo spotted Heather and Dagur outside its entrance, feeding and cleaning their dragons by the light of early morning.

At the sight of the Night Fury, the siblings grinned and waved, happy to see their friend. It was only when the dragon flew close enough to reveal the second rider that their expressions morphed into ones of utter shock and offense. The view of their dangling jaws almost made Viggo break into laughter. 

The rider landed swiftly and raised his hands. “Before you say anything, I can explain, so don’t freak out.”

“Yeah, I hope you can,” Heather exclaimed. 

“What are you thinking, bringing him here?” Dagur yelled. He then rushed to amend, “I’m not angry! Just... confused.”

“I know,” the rider said. “It’s a long story.”

The siblings looked to each other, concern etched on their faces. Then, Heather turned back to the rider and said, “Come on.”

Viggo followed the rider as they dismounted. The Night Fury was left at the stables with the Razorwhip and Gronkle, while the four of them walked to the village. Dagur and Heather led them to a small prison with a couple of holding cells. 

“You,” Heather directed at Viggo, gesturing to an empty cell. “In there.”

“Surely that isn’t necessary,” Viggo rebutted. “I thought we’ve established that I come as an ally.”

“I wouldn’t trust a snake like you farther than I can throw. We’ll figure out what to do with you after we’ve talked to-” Heather paused as she glanced at the rider. “Him.”

Interesting. Heather clearly knew the rider’s name, something many story-spinners and rumours claimed to know but never did. 

He filed that information away and allowed her to shove him into the cell. The key turned, and Heather returned to where her brother and the rider were waiting in the doorway. 

Viggo placed his hands on the bars and called, “Time is of the essence, rider!”

The rider did not respond, merely appraising Viggo a final time before stepping outside with the Berserker chiefs. Viggo settled down to wait.

Chapter Text

“He told me Ryker had turned on him, taken charge of the Dragon Hunters, and stolen a new weapon he’d been building. He said he wants to help me defeat him.”

“And you don’t think it’s a trick?” Heather pressed. 

“I- I don’t know,” Hiccup replied. “I thought so at first, but this... this doesn’t seem like Viggo at all. Everything was destroyed and Viggo was completely vulnerable. I mean, I could have killed him if I wanted. I don't think he would be the type to leave himself willingly exposed like that.”

“What bothers me is that he said his brother did it,” Dagur said. “I remember talking with old Rykie-boy. Asked him why he didn’t just kill Viggo and take over when he obviously could. I mean, seemed crazy to me!” Dagur laughed one of his signature laughs before cutting himself off. “Anyway, he told me he never would. Can’t turn on blood or something like that. And I believed him. He had this conviction in his eyes, like he wanted to kill me for even suggesting that he should overthrow Viggo.”

“What are you saying, Dagur?” Hiccup asked. 

“I’m saying, there’s something else going on here,” Dagur said. “Why would Ryker turn on Viggo now? Nothing big has happened recently. Best thing we did these past few months was stealing their gold cache. Was there some invisible straw that broke the Nadder’s back, or is this all part of his plan?”

“Look, I’m not discounting that possibility, Dagur,” Hiccup said. “Maybe Viggo is lying. Maybe he’s not. But what I’m concerned about right now is you and your tribe. Viggo claims your island is the first one Ryker is going to attack. He wants to destroy all of my allies, starting with you.”

Dagur and Heather shared a thoughtful look. 

“How far off do you think Ryker is?” Heather asked. 

“I don’t know exactly. If they’re coming straight from Dragon Hunter Island, it’ll probably take them three days to get here.”

“Then we have plenty of time to prepare!” Dagur said. “This new weapon Ryker has, what is it? And how can we destroy it?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Hiccup replied. “For now... I have some more questions I need to ask Viggo.”

Heather and Dagur both nodded their assent. 

“Come find us when you’re done,” Heather told him. “We’ll figure out what to do together.”

Hiccup gave her a grateful smile. Dagur and Heather turned and made their way to the village centre to announce battle preparations, while Hiccup returned to the cramped prison. 

Viggo fixed his gaze on Hiccup as he entered. He did not make an impressive sight, without his men, unarmed, alone in a dingy holding cell. Yet he still held himself with unworried confidence, a curl to his lips, as if he knew something no one else did. The sight sent fresh annoyance through Hiccup.

He crossed his arms and walked up to the bars. 

“I need to know more about what exactly Ryker is planning,” Hiccup told him. 

“Well, I’d be happy to oblige,” Viggo replied. "Only, these arrangements aren't really necessary, are they?" He placed his hands on the bars. "I merely want to help."

"Oh, I'm sorry I gave you the impression that I don't trust you," Hiccup said. "I mean, it's not like you ever kidnapped me, or auctioned off my dragon, or put a bounty on my head, or got me trapped in a Whispering Death hole."

"That last one wasn't my fault," Viggo said placidly. "And you lived, so it was all well in the end."

Hiccup glared, unimpressed.

"Very well," Viggo said. "I understand you have your reservations about me. Perhaps we can work together to alleviate them."

"What do you mean?"

"You have your questions to ask me. I have my own questions for you. If you answer one of mine, I'll answer one of yours. Who knows? We may even come to an understanding."

"What questions could you possibly have for me?" Hiccup asked.

Viggo smiled cryptically. "You can go first, if you'd like," he offered. "I can tell you're impatient for answers."

Hiccup assessed Viggo through the bars. Viggo had a game he intended to play, but what was the prize? He had long ago figured out where Hiccup’s base was and who his allies were; what more knowledge did he want?

Hiccup remained suspicious, but his own curiosity, along with the knowledge that Viggo was in no position to demand answers out of him, made him consider Viggo’s proposal. 

After a long moment, he decided, "Fine. Where's the Dragon Eye?"

Viggo frowned. "Ryker took it. He stole it, along with every other valuable on Dragon Hunter Island."

"What does he want it for?"

"Ah, I believe it's my turn," Viggo said.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes in plain frustration, but waited nonetheless.

Viggo leaned forward with a grin. "What's your name, rider?"

Hiccup's thoughts stuttered, utterly taken aback. "What?"

"Your name, my dear."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, you've been very vocal regarding your dislike of the title 'Dragon Master,'" Viggo responded, "but you've hardly been providing alternatives. In all honesty, I tire of simply referring to you as 'the rider' all the time. There is more than one of you riders now, after all."

Hiccup scrutinised him. The only individuals who had ever wished to know his name were his friends and allies; his enemies always seemed quite content to call him something he is not. He could not fathom what reason Viggo would have to want his name, but he had no good reason to deny him. He was so far from Berk he doubted his name could be traced back to his tribe.

He sighed, then said, "Hiccup."

Viggo raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"My name. It's Hiccup."

Viggo adopted a familiar expression as he processed that information, one Hiccup had seen every time he shared his name with someone from the Great Beyond. When Hiccup had first left Berk's archipelago, he had been surprised to learn the tradition of unsavoury names did not extend beyond it.

"Quite the unique name," Viggo commented.

Hiccup swiftly moved on. "My turn. Why did Ryker turn on you now? What happened?"

Viggo's expression darkened. "I imagine he grew impatient. It had always been a flaw of his. I knew enough to understand that patience is needed in a war such as this. My brother always disagreed." Viggo donned a hateful scowl. "I wanted to grow my business, strengthen my tribe. All he wanted was to kill our enemies."

Hiccup hummed thoughtfully. Dagur and Heather knew Ryker better than him, he would have to relay the answer to them and see if it sounded believable.

After a moment, he noticed Viggo watching him expectantly.

"What? Do you have another question?"

"Indeed," Viggo said. He leaned against the bars. "What tribe are you from, Hiccup?"

Hiccup lifted his chin. "I'm tribeless."

"What tribe was your mother from, then?" Viggo asked. "Your father?"

Hiccup glowered. "Look, if you're trying to figure out how to find some other people you can use to get to me, don't bother. You won't find any."

Viggo held up his hands placatingly. "I wouldn't dream of it. I was only curious."

Hiccup sent him a disbelieving look, but Viggo maintained an expression of innocent curiosity. Hiccup looked away.

"I'm a long way from the island I left," Hiccup said. "I haven't seen it in a long time. I doubt my tribe would even recognise me now."

Viggo watched him thoughtfully. Into the tense silence, he said, "You know, it is often the most gifted of minds that are unappreciated and derided."

"Is that so?" Hiccup asked.

Viggo smiled. "Thor knows, if I hadn't forced my parents' hands, Ryker would be the chief of the Dragon Hunters. Everyone applauded him for his strength, but when it came down to it, it was I who expanded the business outside our tribe and made it successful, not my brother."

"I see," Hiccup said tightly.

"I'm only saying," Viggo said. "The gifted and inventive man is an outcast only so long as others do not need him. Once they do, they will act as though he were never an outcast at all."

Hiccup glared. "I'm nothing like you, Viggo."

"I beg to differ, my dear," Viggo replied.

At that, Hiccup turned his back on his enemy and made towards the exit.

"Hiccup-"

"You're staying here until this is done, Viggo," Hiccup interrupted. "I'm sorry, but there's just too much bad blood to let you wander free."

"Do consider our conversation, Hiccup," Viggo said. "I can be of more help than you realise."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hiccup replied, then shut the door behind him.

Once outside and alone beneath the trees, Hiccup took a moment to collect himself. That conversation should not have been so jarring, yet Hiccup found his thoughts tangled and messy. He breathed deeply, then started towards the village hall, intent on finding the Berserker chiefs.

---

In the village hall, Hiccup sat at a table with Heather and Dagur, after accepting a proffered bowl of yak stew. He relayed Viggo’s answers to his questions while enjoying the food's warmth.

After he finished, Dagur said, "I'm still not convinced Ryker really turned on him. But what could his endgame be?"

"I don't know," Hiccup replied.

"And we don't know how to take care of this Shellfire dragon," Heather reminded them.

"I know, I should have asked Viggo," Hiccup said. "Then again, something tells me he'd have only told me how to kill it."

Heather's brows pinched. "Well, hopefully it won't come to that."

"It won't," Hiccup assured. He pushed the empty bowl away and stood. "Tonight, I'll take Toothless and try to find the Dragon Hunter fleet, scout out what we're dealing with myself. I'll get my notes from Dragon's Edge too, see if I've written anything down on the Shellfire."

"You're welcome to sleep here for today," Heather told him. "You can take the spare bed in my hut."

Hiccup smiled. "Thanks, Heather. I'd appreciate that."

Dagur stood and clapped his sister on the shoulder. "Well, we've got a lot to do today, sis! Weapons to sharpen, walls to reinforce, an army to muster! Ooo, this is gonna be so fun!"

Heather rolled her eyes at her brother, though affection softened the gesture. She followed her brother out of the hall, while Hiccup left and took the familiar path to Heather's hut.

His sleep through the day proved restless, unaided by the day-noises of the village and the thoughts of upcoming battles and possible betrayals. By the time the sun had laid itself down upon the horizon, Hiccup had saddled up and taken off, headed the way he had come.

As much as he enjoyed Heather and Dagur’s company and the hospitality of the Berserkers, he only felt at home once alone with Toothless and in the air, traversing the night’s depths. From the day he had left Berk behind for the Great Beyond, his only constant had been Toothless’ presence and the nights they flew through together. Whatever other company he kept on his travels always proved transient, for they invariably had people to return to. For Hiccup, lacking in such a promise, the darksome sky had become his home as much as Dragon’s Edge. In the night, his restlessness fled him and he felt sure.

Flying towards his next mission, with Toothless rumbling contentedly beneath him, and the stars burning bright as dragonfire overhead, Hiccup's uncertainties indeed felt far away. He knew what to do and that he could do it. Ryker would not get far in his crusade against his friends; Hiccup would make sure of it.

Some hours later, Hiccup found what he searched for. It was difficult to miss. A fleet, thirty ships strong, each with the Dragon Hunter crest emblazoned on their sails.

He circled high above, assessing the fleet. Only a few sailors were awake to maintain the ships' courses, and Hiccup had no worry that he would be spotted. Many times before, he and Toothless had sunken ships and devastated Hunters by the cover of night, disappearing before they could react and never being spotted. While he could see the Dragon Hunters by the light of the stars and the lamplights on deck, Toothless was swift and silent enough to be impossible to locate, and practically invisible in the darkness.

They would not be firing on these ships tonight. They came to assess the fleet and search for the Shellfire. The Hunters would never know he and Toothless were there.

Hiccup directed Toothless into a dive, levelling out right above the ocean surface. They glided between ships, and Hiccup took note of the decks bristling with arrow launchers and ballistae.

They searched for several minutes, but saw no sign of any titanwing dragon. There were no cages on the decks of the ships, nor any chains attached to the ships binding something beneath the water. Perhaps it was caged within the hold of one of the larger ships, though Hiccup doubted that any ship could hide a titanwing tidal class dragon within it. That demographic hosted some of the largest dragons Hiccup had ever seen.

Hiccup sighed, dissatisfied. He directed Toothless into an ascent and turned towards Dragon's Edge.

Chapter Text

Hiccup returned to Berserker Island two days later with less answers than he wished for. He had stopped by Dragon's Edge and found nothing in his notes on the Shellfire, and then visited Caldera Cay to warn Mala and catch her up on recent happenings.

Berserker Island bustled with activity; vikings training in the arena, a line forming outside the smithy, walls being reinforced with stone and steel. In the crowds, Hiccup eventually found Dagur and Heather and pulled them aside. They listened as he described the size of the fleet and the apparent lack of a titanwing dragon.

"This whole situation is getting shiftier by the day," Dagur complained.

"Where could the Shellfire be?" Heather wondered. "Is he hiding it somewhere else?"

"I don't know," Hiccup said. "Something tells me that Viggo isn't telling us everything."

"Uh, duh," Dagur said. "That guy is up to something. We shouldn't be listening to a thing he says. We should go out there, dragons blazing, and burn those ships to the bottom of the sea!"

"That's thirty ships, Dagur," Heather reminded. "Plus the Shellfire, wherever it is. It'll be easier to fight them with Berserker Island's defenses."

"Why don't we go ask Viggo a few more questions?" Hiccup said. "Maybe he knows where Ryker is hiding the Shellfire."

"Er, did you not hear me when I said that we shouldn't be listening to anything he says?" Dagur asked.

"Yeah, I know, Dagur, I know he's probably hiding something. But as far as I can tell, Viggo is as much an enemy of Ryker as us right now. We should try and use that to our advantage."

Dagur grumbled but didn't argue.

"Come on, then," Heather said. "The prison isn't too far." 

They found Viggo sitting in his cell, leaning languidly against the wall, as though he were in an expensive tavern and not a Berserker prison. Heather and Dagur both glowered at him. 

“Hello again, Hiccup,” Viggo said. Heather raised a brow and looked to Hiccup. He gave her a small shrug. Viggo went on, “You’ve come for more information, I assume.”

“Something like that,” Hiccup muttered. 

“For starters, why don’t you tell us why we couldn’t find this mysterious Shellfire you’ve been going on about?” Dagur cut in. “There’s an entire fleet heading for Berserker Island, and no dragon in sight.”

“Well, that’s unsurprising,” Viggo replied. “A secret weapon as the Shellfire is, it wouldn’t stay secret if it couldn’t be hidden.”

“So, where is it?” Dagur asked impatiently. 

“And more importantly, how do we stop it?” Heather inquired. 

“Prudent questions, riders,” Viggo remarked. “Ones I’d be happy to provide answers to. In fact, if you release me, I can lend my knowledge to help you defeat my brother.”

Dagur burst into laughter. “Can you believe this guy? I mean, he- he thinks we’re just gonna let him go? Hah!”

“How stupid do you think we are?” Heather accused Viggo. 

“That entirely depends,” he responded. “Not accepting my aid at this time would be, let’s say, less than wise.”

“Then why don’t you tell us how to fight the Shellfire, so we can defeat your brother, and you can sit here and rot,” Heather said. 

Viggo chuckled. “I know we’ve been enemies for some time, Heather, but I’m afraid I can’t help you from in here.”

Heather sneered. “Then we’ll deal with it ourselves.” 

“Berserker style!” Dagur exclaimed. “I like that much better.”

Heather turned to leave with a huff, Dagur following after her. Viggo looked to Hiccup, who had thus far watched the exchange in silence, eyes narrowed thoughtfully at Viggo. 

“Surely you see, Hiccup, you can’t win this alone.”

Heather and Dagur waited for Hiccup by the door. Hiccup crossed his arms. “I’ve won worse battles alone. We’ll win this one.”

Viggo smiled. “I highly doubt that.”

The bellow of a warhorn ripped through the air. Then came Berserkers calling curses and warnings as they stampeded through the streets. 

“They’re here!” Heather said. 

She rushed out the door with her brother. Viggo raised a brow at Hiccup, nonchalant, waiting for Hiccup to unlock the cell. 

Hiccup glared. “Doubt all you want.”

He followed on the heels of Heather and Dagur, into the pounding streets. Warriors rushed to battle stations on the terraces and the docks. Elders grabbed hold of wide-eyed children and wrenched them into huts. 

Out on the horizon lay the Dragon Hunter fleet, sails open and wind-hungry as they bore down on Berserker Island. 

“We need to get to our dragons!” Heather said.

“Get to the stables!” Dagur told them both. “I’ll catch up.”

Hiccup and Heather ran, leaving Dagur to shout commands at his tribe. The dash to the crest of the hill took entirely too long, and by the time they arrived they were struggling for breath. As quickly as they could, they saddled their dragons and made for the skies. 

The ocean unfurled before them, and they shot over it like arrows. The tenseness and readiness of the riders was shared by Toothless and Windshear. Both dragons bared their dripping teeth and snarled terribly, the heat in their guts rising to their throats. Hiccup reached into his saddlebag for his helmet and pulled it over his head, leaving his face masked by a black, glaring visage.  

They drew close to the Dragon Hunter fleet. Ahead of the cavalcade rested a single ship, separated from the others, deck unadorned. Hiccup and Heather slowed and approached, and saw Ryker standing beneath the masts, hands held behind his back. He watched them plainly, and made no move to command his ranks into a round of assault. 

Hiccup and Heather looked to each other. 

“What are you thinking?” Heather asked him. 

Hiccup narrowed his eyes as he turned his gaze back to Ryker. 

“Stay in the air,” he told her. “Be ready to pull me and Toothless out if something goes wrong.”

Heather looked like she wanted to argue, but in that moment Toothless dived down. While she directed Windshear to circle above, Toothless alighted on the prow, and Hiccup glared down at Ryker. 

“Rider,” Ryker called, stepping forward as soon as they landed. “Where’s my brother?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Hiccup replied. 

Ryker chuckled. “Don’t play dumb. I know my brother. So. Did he go to you for help defeating me?”

“Maybe,” Hiccup conceded. 

“And did he claim I’m after you and all your friends?”

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Hiccup asked. 

“Let me ask you this, Dragon Master,” Ryker said. “Out of Viggo and myself, who has more of an interest in you? ”

Hiccup remained silent. 

“It’s Viggo,” Ryker went on. “He’s the one who designed Project Shellfire. He’s the one who’s obsessed with taking you down. He’s the one who wants a war. Me? I only want to go back to the way things were.”

Hiccup’s brow pinched as he thought. For two years it had been Viggo’s plans that he was forced to outwit and escape, that had given him grief and very nearly killed him time and again. But then, Ryker had often been the hand of those plans, and he had never shown anything but delight at the prospect of killing Hiccup and his dragon. 

But something had changed. Neither Viggo nor Ryker were acting in manners usual to them, and Hiccup had been left scrambling to adjust. 

“So, I’ll make you a deal,” Ryker continued. “Give me Viggo, and I’ll leave you and your allies in peace.”

Hiccup regarded him for a moment. “What about the Dragon Eye?” 

“What about it?”

“Viggo said you took it,” Hiccup explained. “So, where is it?”

Ryker let out a laugh. “You think Viggo would tell me where he keeps that thing hidden? No. He wants it all to himself. I don’t have it, nor do I want it. I know plenty enough about dragons without it.”

Hiccup glared and glanced back to Berserker Island, where Viggo sat careless in his cell. 

“You can’t trust him. I should know. So, give him up, and I’ll be on my way.”

Hiccup considered the deal. To accept could mean a grave load taken off the Berserker’s shoulders. But Hiccup doubted Ryker’s honesty. Hiccup had inspired in him plenty of rage and ignominy with every ship he sank and every trap he fled, and never in his time fighting the Dragon Hunters did Hiccup find him to be of a forgetting sort. 

Impatience flitted across Ryker’s face. In his carriage was none of Viggo’s languid calm which masked his intentions. Hiccup saw that Ryker was ready to act, no matter what Hiccup’s response would be. 

“On your way to take over the Dragon Hunters?” Hiccup asked. Ryker frowned. “I’ll tell you now, Ryker, I don’t just fight against Viggo. I fight against every enemy of dragons. So, I’ll deal with Viggo the same way I’ll deal with you.”

Ryker sneered. “Have it your way.”

He raised his hand and closed it into a fist. Hunters leapt from belowdecks, and Hiccup and Toothless hurtled into the sky with a snap of beating wings. Arrows whistled, but were interrupted in their courses by Windshear’s ready tailspikes. 

Hiccup and Toothless rose into the air beside Heather and her dragon. The silence of this stretch of ocean had fled, and in its wake arrived a cacophony of pounding feet and commands and the loading of weapons. Catapults cranked, ballistae clicked, bowstrings groaned across the fleet thirty strong. 

“We’re really doing this?” Heather called to him. 

“We’re gonna try!” Hiccup replied. 

Arrows arched toward them, and they flew back several paces. 

“We need to stay together. There’s too many to take on alone,” Hiccup shouted. “Strafe to the side of the fleet. Keep in range of as few ships as possible, and don’t let them surround you. Use duck-dive manoeuvres, and only fire when you have a clear shot. We’ll need every bit of fire the dragons have to sink all these ships. And keep an eye out for the Shellfire!”

With that, they wheeled through the sky and into a straight dive to the far edge of the fleet. The wind screamed as it sliced over their skin, and Hiccup squinted his eyes against it to see the Hunters on the ship below. They knocked their arrows and their bolts and they fired. 

Toothless tucked his wings and barrel-rolled under the onslaught. Windshear hid her vulnerable belly and turned her hide on the volley. Arrows hurtled by, a couple bounding harmlessly off the plates on Windshear’s rump. 

By the time the Hunters were forced to start reloading, the riders were unharmed and ready. Toothless fired where a hull met the sea, and water frothed as it fell into the smoking hole. Windshear dived close and sliced through the three masts of a larger ship, and Hunters screamed as the impacts on the deck rocked the vessel. 

They climbed the air to avoid the next volley from neighbouring ships. Already, ships on the far side of the fleet were adjusting their sails and heading towards the riders, alighting on angles that would allow them to surround the two. Other Hunter ships continued straight towards Berserker Island, on course to collide with Berserker longboats being deployed from the village docks, carrying armed and ready vikings. The battle had begun in earnest. 

Hiccup and Heather weaved past volleys of arrows and dived to attack again. Toothless directed another explosion toward a different hull, but the need to dodge a late arrow threw him from his mark. From Windshear, a line of blue fire fell upon a ship’s deck, and Hunters ran before the devouring flames could engulf the entire vessel. 

A ballista bolt shot past Windshear, unbalancing her, and Heather barely managed to right her dragon before they hit the water. Distracted by her, Hiccup nearly missed the pair of grappling hooks sailing towards them. Toothless blasted them away. 

They flew higher, and Hiccup and Heather paused to catch their breaths and assess. Beneath lay three sinking ships and twenty-seven more unharmed. Already their blood rushed from near misses, and there below was much left to do. 

Hiccup and Heather nodded to each other and dived again. Windshear guarded Toothless’ wing as they shot past the ships, accompanying Toothless’ plasma blasts with steely spines. Blood and fire fell upon the decks of the Hunter ships, but more continued arriving to replace wounded Hunters and sinking boats. 

One of many grappling guns cranked, and a chain soared for Windshear. Too focused on guarding Toothless from arrows, Heather cried out in shock when the hook caught Windshear’s leg and jerked her to a stop. Windshear roared and struggled, and Hunters below cheered and rushed to help reel her in. 

Hiccup fanned Toothless’ tailfin and the dragon turned sharply, mouth gaping and ready to shoot at the Hunters. But a group of archers were prepared, and a volley cut off Toothless from his course and forced him to fly back. Past his own attackers, Hiccup spotted a Hunter aiming a net-launcher at Windshear. 

Hiccup’s breath hitched. He directed Toothless to fire at the launcher, and once again Toothless was forced to dodge a scattering of arrows before he could aim. Hiccup called out a warning to Heather, but Windshear could gain no height. 

The net burst out and hurtled toward dragon and rider. Suddenly, a streak of green dashed from the sky, and a blast of lava felled and burned the flying net. A second blast covered the winch of the grappling hook and burned the nearby Hunters. 

“Dagur!” Hiccup called out in relief. 

Dagur grinned as he and Shattermaster hovered into the air next to them. With the chain now loosened, Windshear curved her tail and sliced easily through it. 

“Thought you could have all the fun without me?” Dagur said. He laughed in his signature manner. “Let’s blow these guys to Valhalla!”

The three riders flew together as they rose and dived and attacked again. They fired with deliberate care, intending every blast of lava and fire and plasma to count. They were largely occupied with dodging volleys of arrows, catapulted boulders, hurtling nets and grappling hooks, and fell upon the ships with fire and flame during the short stretches of time the Hunters were not attacking. The dragons had begun to tire from constant weaving and diving, but the riders pushed them on with encouraging words and Berserker war cries. 

After several vessels of the Hunter fleet had been left burning and falling, the Berserker longboats arrived from where it had set out from the docks. The Hunter fleet turned to the new arrivals, aiming arrows and boulders, and the Berserkers aimed their own volleys back. They beat their axes and swords on their shields and shouted curses at the invaders.

Berserker ships sidled to the side of Hunter vessels, and enemies boarded each other with raised steel glinting in the sun. Roaring vikings joined roaring dragons in the battle cacophony. Blood threw and stained as smoke climbed into the skies. 

With Hunters running and fires devouring, hope swelled. Then, the waters began to foam, and the waves broke as a giant mass breached. 

Heather called out a frightened warning, and Hiccup halted in the air to witness the new arrival. The seawater streamed off a ruddy brown carapace, upon which clung a sealed structure built from dragon-proof metal, attached like some toothy parasite. From heavy hatches that clanged open emerged Hunters with oversized hammers, and they ran from the vessel to the carapace and struck upon it with great heaves. 

Hiccup had little time to wonder over their acts. In response to the vibrating impact, the mass breached further, lofting its head above the waves. Horns gargantuan and curved thrust into the air, throwing their long shadows across a wide and serrate maw. As Hiccup stared into its depths, a blue light began to grow. 

“I think we found the Shellfire!” Dagur yelled. 

The titanwing fired. Boulder-like spheres infused with burning lines of molten blue hurtled into the sky ahead of lines of smoke, multiple at once, all singing through the air like diving birds. They ascended further and further, across a greater distance than Hiccup had ever witnessed by catapult or sling or draconic power, until they arched and began to fall on a course directly towards the Berserker village. 

“No!” Heather cried. 

The fiery balls fell upon the walled terraces with crashes that reached their ears even as far as they were from the island coast. A house collapsed, a wall fell, and a street was punched with two craters. 

Dagur and Heather rushed toward the Shellfire, and Hiccup directed Toothless to follow close behind. The Hunters struck with their hammers again, and the dragon fired a series of boulders. The riders dived under them, clenching at the rush of air so close to them as they passed overhead, and the boulders flew against the wind until they fell upon the village.

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder. Part of the docks lay sundered, roofs crumbled off their walls, pillars of smoke rose like lifted hands to the clouds. 

With matching shouts of wrath, Dagur and Heather descended upon the Hunters directing the Shellfire. They fired, and some fell into the water, but more came to replace them. Before they could get close enough to begin grabbing and killing their foes, the Shellfire discharged another series of boulders. They forced the Berserker chiefs to fly back and focus on dodging the onslaught. 

Hiccup directed Toothless toward the ocean surface and skimmed the waves, aiming a plasma blast at the Hunters from a lower angle. The hammers fell again, and the Shellfire angled its head lower and fired. 

Hiccup cried out as Toothless jerked to avoid a hurtling boulder. Two others sailed overhead and hit ships behind him. A Berserker ship and a Hunter ship fell to the wayward shots. 

Toothless climbed the air, and the three riders regrouped high above. 

“What do we do?” Heather asked. 

Hiccup glanced to Berserker Island and the smoking craters scarring it. The Shellfire launched another series of boulders, and they sang as they flew toward the village. 

“Go, help your people!” he told Heather and Dagur. “I’ll deal with this thing.”

The onslaught crashed onto the island with explosions of smoke and debris. Heather glared and turned for the village, urging Windshear quickly on. Dagur cursed and followed after her. As he passed over the Berserker fleet, he ordered them to retreat. 

Hiccup turned back to the Shellfire. It fired yet another scattering of boulders toward the village. Hiccup considered how to divert its attention from it, before the entire village was laid to waste. 

Upon the dull teal surface of the dragon’s metallic burden stood Ryker, arms crossed, looking over the assault with a smug expression. 

He noticed Hiccup watching, and shouted to his men, “Aim for the Night Fury!”

Toothless dodged the fiery blue streaks as they launched towards him. The series of boulders ended, but the Shellfire’s mouth soon began to glow again, preparing for another attack at Hiccup and Toothless. 

Hiccup drew a breath and angled Toothless into a dive, directing him away from the Shellfire and towards the Hunter ships. The remaining Hunters raised the alert as he flew to them, and they began knocking arrows and cranking catapults. 

The Shellfire shot another series of boulders, and the Hunters upon the ship decks loosed their volleys. Toothless tucked his wings and fell beneath both attacks. Crashes rocked the sea, fiery boulders raising up waves of foam and spray where they hit the ocean, and some hitting the Hunter ships behind Toothless. A mast fell like an axed pine, and water rushed into the blasted hole in the side of a vessel. Rowboats piled into the sea with increasing frequency, full of Hunters escaping ships sinking and aflame. 

“The Night Fury, you fools, aim for the Night Fury!” Ryker berated. 

The Shellfire gaped its cavernous maw and fired again. They missed Hiccup and Toothless as they dodged by handbreadths, and another Hunter ship bucked with the impact of the Shellfire’s boulders. While the Hunters recovered, Toothless climbed into the sky and flew until they were over the Shellfire and the strange vessel on its carapace. 

“Come on, bud, show me what you’ve got,” Hiccup muttered. 

The Hunters on the dragon below shouted and rushed, lifting up their hammers, but they could not direct the Shellfire again before Toothless dived and fired three powerful blasts. The hammer-wielders were driven off the side of the dragon, and Ryker narrowly dodged a virulent plasma shot. 

Toothless rose back into the high sky. The Shellfire arched back and tried to fire at the dragon and rider, but the shots flew wide and fell once more upon the empty ocean and the fleet on its waves. Tell-tale cries sounded from the Hunters on another ship that lay newly destroyed. 

As Toothless wheeled for a second dive, Hiccup saw Ryker start shouting at his men. They rushed to the hatch and closed it behind them. The Shellfire dived. 

Hiccup urged Toothless down, and they dived after the titanwing, spearing through the white waves and into the open sea. Hiccup saw the retreating tail of the Shellfire as it descended with such speed that the deep darkness swallowed it before Hiccup could consider how to follow. 

He abandoned the endeavour and turned Toothless to the surface. They broke the waves with a burst of spray and swiftly flew high. 

Below them, smouldering and pitching into the water, lay the majority of the Dragon Hunter ships. With fallen masts, burnt sails and breached hulls, most of the fleet was in the process of being abandoned. Unlucky Hunters treaded water as rowboats roamed the waves and retrieved the survivors before setting courses towards the horizon. 

Hiccup let them be, and he and Toothless flew to Berserker Island. They passed over the remainder of the Berserker fleet as they sailed towards the docks, and his passage prompted cheers of victory from the warriors on their decks. 

The sight of the ruined village hit Hiccup with a pang of guilt. As he approached closer, he could clearly see the craters punched into the streets, the gorges made of the walls and fields, the thrown debris from many of the island’s buildings. With the assault ended, Berserkers were retrieving trapped people and animals, putting out fires, handing out water and bandages, and staring at the ruin with clouds of grief hanging about them. 

He stabled Toothless and made his way down the hill toward the village. He found Heather and Dagur near the village centre, speaking with passing vikings and distributing orders. 

Hiccup approached them. They saw him and they appeared relieved to see him uninjured, but neither he nor they wasted time on obvious observations. 

“Dagur, Heather. How is it?”

“We managed to save most of our people,” Heather replied, a downcast tone to her voice. “But, to rebuild...”

They looked out over the swathes of ruined homes and broken walls. The smell of smoke had yet to fade. 

“I’m sorry,” Hiccup said. 

Dagur placed a comforting hand on Heather’s shoulder and turned to him. “I’m trying really hard to control my anger, Hiccup,” Dagur said, “but Ryker? He has got to go.”

Hiccup nodded. “I agree. He’ll be heading for Caldera Cay next. I’ve got to get there before him.”

Before either Berserker chief could respond, a viking ran up to them, panicked. 

“Chief!” he gasped. “The prisoner is gone.”

Shock overtook the riders, and they rushed past the Berserker, heading straight for the prison. 

It was as the man had said. The prison had been blasted by the titanwing’s fire in the manner of its neighbours, the roof broken and two of its walls collapsed. The back of Viggo’s cell was gone, and with it, Viggo too. 

“Damn it,” Hiccup cursed. Heather made an inarticulate sound of frustration. Dagur went and gathered a group of Berserkers and instructed them to search for any sign of Viggo. 

“He must have escaped in the chaos.” Heather scowled. “He could be long gone by now.”

“That slimy snake,” Dagur muttered as he returned to them. “I knew we couldn’t trust him. Who knows what he’s planning to do now?”

“Something tells me we’ll find out soon enough,” Hiccup replied. He quieted, thinking of Ryker’s earlier words and Viggo’s proclamations of allyship. 

After a moment, Heather said, “So, what’s the plan?”

Hiccup exhaled. “Ryker takes priority right now. He’s probably going to attack the Defenders of the Wing next. I’ve told them to prepare for an attack, but I should be there to help.”

“We should go with you,” Heather said. “That thing almost killed all of us, it’s way too deadly.”

“No, your people need you right now,” Hiccup replied. “Both of you. I can do this alone. Keep an eye out for any clues to where Viggo might have gone.”

They both nodded resolutely. 

“Good luck,” Heather said. 

“Be careful, brother,” Dagur told him. 

They diverged in the street, Dagur and Heather headed for the welcomes of their people, Hiccup headed for his dragon and their lonesome heights. He came to the stables and gathered his things, then he and Toothless flew over the clouds. 

They left behind fire and ruin, a fleet sinking and sunken, a battle only partially won. They charted their course for Caldera Cay, hot on Ryker’s heels and ready to finish what had been started. 

Chapter Text

Viggo smiled as the shoreline of the Northern Markets came into view. The winds had been kind to his sails, and the journey had been made in good time. If his luck continued, he could sail to the area of Caldera Cay and Dragon’s Edge in time to see his brother perish. 

But, there were matters to see to before that. 

Viggo left the prow of the Berserker longboat and went to the hold. He gathered his bag, holding the items which he retrieved from Dragon Hunter Island during a short detour. Among them were his dagger, his personal stash of gold, and the Dragon Eye, which had until his arrival lain untouched in its hiding place. 

He shouldered the bag, slung his sword over his back, and directed the ship toward the docks ahead. 

The setting sun gilded the waves with liquid gold. By its light, Viggo could see the harbour as it grew slow, the few dockworkers left taking in some final ships before nightfall. 

Viggo docked the stolen ship and promptly made for the Markets. Considering the time of month, the merchant he searched for should be on the island in accordance with his schedule. 

Past lines of stalls and lamplit storefronts Viggo roamed, peering through tavern windows in his search. Within the second tavern he came across, Viggo found the merchant he sought. 

Viggo entered, and several pairs of eyes turned to him. They assessed his confident carriage and the sword across his back and then returned to their own business. Among the patrons Viggo saw a number of Northlanders, a handful of Berserkers, and a pair of Defenders in a dark and isolated corner. At the bar sat Johann, swathed in colourful foreign garb and hunched over a tankard. 

Viggo appraised Johann as he approached from behind. The merchant’s usual restless and worried disposition was absent from him, and in place of furtive glances and fidgeting fingers Viggo saw stillness, and a narrow, thoughtful look on Johann’s countenance. 

Viggo sat on the stool next to him, and Johann did a double take. Immediately, his eyes widened. 

“Master Grimborn!” he stuttered out. “What are you- ah, that is to say, I didn’t, er, expect to see you here.”

“That’s quite alright, Trader Johann,” Viggo said. “I was looking for you, actually.”

“Oh! Oh, I see. Well, I must inform you that I- I have many connections with some powerful tribes in the Northern Territories, and they would be most aggrieved were I no longer able to bring them my wares.”

“Johann, Johann,” Viggo reassured. “I know we’ve had our differences, but I assure you, I haven’t come to contend. I merely come with a simple request.”

“Is that, uh-” Johann swallowed. His anxious disposition had returned in earnest. “-is that so?” 

“Indeed. See, I’ve recently been investigating a matter of personal interest to me, but it involves locales from beyond this archipelago. Considering your worldliness, I thought you might be able to aid me.”

“Ah, well, I can certainly try my best.” Johann chuckled nervously. “To a… reasonable capacity.”

“Good.” Viggo smiled. “I’m only after information. Specifically that on a man whom I heard left his tribe in disgrace and became tribeless.”

Johann wrung his hands. “I’m afraid I’ve heard many stories of that manner from the Far North all the way to the mainland! Perhaps if you could, uh, be a tad more specific?”

Viggo replied, “Does the name ‘Hiccup’ ring a bell?”

Johann’s eyes widened even further as he was rendered momentarily speechless. 

Viggo grinned. “Great. Why don’t you tell me a bit about him?”

“You know, I would love to.” Johann laughed tightly. “But, it’s not really my story to tell, don’t you think?”

Viggo leant towards him, foreboding, knowing Johann was able to see what lay beneath his agreeable demeanour and smiling countenance. “I think that it would be in our shared interest to tell me anyway.”

Johann stared for a moment. Then, he donned a strained smile. “Well, I suppose it was a long time ago. Uh, what do you want to know?”

“What island was Hiccup from?” Viggo queried. “And how did he come to leave it?”

Johann exhaled harshly and clutched his tankard. “Oh, it was quite the tragedy.” Johann spread his hands dramatically. “Picture for me, if you will, a small village in the Barbaric Archipelago, by the name of Berk. Generations of vikings had fought and killed dragons on this island. But there was one among them that was unlike his peers. The tribe’s young heir, who, try as he might, couldn’t kill a dragon.”

Viggo contemplated Johann’s words. The knowledge that Hiccup, the dragon rider that had alone declared war on every dragon hunter and trapper in the archipelago, was born to a tribe of dragon-killers, intrigued Viggo.

More than that, Hiccup was also the son of a chief. They were more alike than Viggo once thought. 

“He had always been known to be something of a runt,” Johann continued. “But as long as I knew him, he had always been trying to prove himself. He’d often request from me mechanical parts and metals with which to build his unique inventions. 

“I wasn’t there when it all happened. But the story goes, he mysteriously began to excel at dragon fighting after fifteen years of failure. And the village soon found out how this was so; he had befriended a dragon, a Night Fury, and he had learned its secrets while hiding it from everyone else. After his own secret was exposed, he fled, riding upon the back of his Night Fury, never to be seen again.”

Quite the remarkable backstory, befitting the mystery of the so-called Dragon Master. Becoming tribeless as a teen and championing his cause alone, somehow avoiding death as often as it came for him - it was nothing short of impressive. It seemed to Viggo that his tribe did not know what they lost, for Hiccup had single-handedly managed to lock Viggo in a war that he could not win with any of his old strategies. He was certainly smarter and more determined than any foe Viggo had ever fought, and Viggo thought then that the dragon rider would make an excellent chief. 

“And how did Berk respond to his departure?” Viggo asked. 

“Their chief took it hardest,” Johann said solemnly. “When the feeling of betrayal faded and loss set in, he wanted to search for his son, but what could he do? The boy had chosen his dragon over his father, and that was clear as day. By then, the boy had long left the Barbaric Archipelago for this one.”

“Fascinating,” Viggo murmured. He smiled. “Thank you, Johann. This was most helpful.”

He motioned to the tavernkeep and produced a coin. “An ale for him, if you will.”

With that, he turned and left. Johann watched after him, plainly still somewhat shocked over the unexpected meeting. 

By moonlight Viggo entered the streets and made for the docks. He set sail with his mind occupied by the acquired information, and plans to put it to good use. 

Chapter Text

Caldera Cay stirred busily with people and preparations, not unlike how Berserker Island had bustled that very morning. The sun lay sinking upon the horizon, and past its blinding beams Hiccup saw Defenders reinforcing walls and sharpening weapons and training. In the thick of the commotion stood Mala, tall and watchful, with Throk at her side. 

Talk rippled throughout the village as they descended. Despite Mala’s grim expression, she smiled gladly at Hiccup’s arrival. He and Toothless landed before her. 

“It’s good to see you well, Hiccup Haddock. What news?”

Hiccup dismounted. “Ryker attacked Berserker Island, just like Viggo said he would.”

Mala’s expression sank. She appeared aggrieved but unsurprised. “Are they alright?”

“Minimal casualties, but there was extensive damage. The Shellfire is really destructive. We destroyed the fleet Ryker came with, but he and the Shellfire got away.” Hiccup exhaled. “He’s probably on his way here now.”

“Not to worry,” Mala reassured him. “Our preparations are almost done, and the Defenders of the Wing are ready to fight.”

“Great. What can I do to help?”

Mala laid a firm hand on his shoulder. “You should rest. You’ve flown many hours these past few days, and fought a hard battle. I will send for you when our enemy comes.”

Hiccup placed a palm on Toothless’ head and looked at him. “A short rest would be nice, wouldn’t it, bud?”

Toothless rumbled in agreement. 

“Thank you, Mala.”

“Of course,” she responded in kind. “Go to the tavern. They’ll give you free board.”

He and Toothless went. Soon they found themselves in a dim and basic room, shedding armour and saddle while the day faded and Toothless twisted to and fro in awkward attempts to fit himself into the bedroom. 

Hiccup laughed lightly at him from where he sat on the bed, and Toothless sent him an unimpressed look before turning once more, setting his length down across the room and thumping his chin down on Hiccup’s lap. Hiccup complained over the unnecessary weight, but Toothless did not budge, so Hiccup simply laid on his back with a hand on Toothless’ head, stroking the bumpy scales between his ears. They both breathed deeply as they settled. 

Hiccup glanced out of the window. The sky was rapidly darkening, the waning moon a thin curve where it hung in its heights. He felt confident that Ryker would not attack in the night, so long as his anger did not hinder his patience. The dark was his and Toothless’ domain, and they had never lost a battle while the sun kept beneath the horizon. 

He thought of Dagur and Heather and hoped a swift recovery would be achieved for the Berserkers. He hoped similarly that whatever came tomorrow, they could avoid the same scale of destruction and stop this chain of assaults before it could spread further. 

Toothless murmured tiredly at him. Hiccup smiled back.

They slept. 

—

The peace kept only until the sun had risen fully over the horizon. There was no island-bound fleet to warn the tribe this time; the battle began with the earth shaking and the crashes of flaming boulders seemingly tossed from the sky. 

Moments after the first strike, having already woken to help Mala with her preparations, Hiccup mounted Toothless and they took to the air. Behind them, Defenders ran to battle positions as directed by their queen. 

Hiccup and Toothless rose high through the wind and fog, into the sky above the ocean. A mile away he saw a patch of seawater frothing, and a series of four flaming spheres hurtled from it. They flew singing past him and Toothless and fell upon Caldera Cay with great crashes. 

Hiccup glared resentfully and urged Toothless faster. Toothless angled into a dive, wings half-folded and slicing through the sky like arrows. 

Within moments they drew close enough to see the Hunters on the deck of the dragon-back vessel; watchful lookouts with arrows knocked into bows, straining hammer-wielders bringing down their weapons on the dragon’s carapace, and Ryker by the hatch, overlooking the operation. They were the only vessel; no longships accompanied them for this attack. 

As they saw the Hunters, the Hunters saw them. Shouts of warning rose up, and the hammer-wielders directed the Shellfire to fire at the incoming threat. 

Hiccup once again witnessed the vastness of the dragon’s gaping maw, and the deadly blue glow rapidly growing within. The boulders fired with startling speed, and Toothless dodged with speed to match, the spheres and their wind trails streaking past them. 

Mere seconds passed between each series of fired boulders before the next began, leaving Toothless too busy dodging to draw closer. Hiccup changed tactics and directed him upwards, and they flew higher until they were among the clouds and too far away for the Shellfire’s accuracy to pose a threat. 

The Shellfire returned to firing upon Caldera Cay. They flew until they hovered directly over the titanwing dragon, and then they dived, intending to mimic the tactic that had chased the Hunters away from Berserker Island. Hiccup felt Toothless heat beneath him as he readied a plasma blast. 

Like yesterday, the Shellfire tried to arch back and fire, but the boulders flew wide and hit the sea, throwing up columns of spray. Archers aimed at them, but Toothless fired before they could, sending out three swift and sure bolts of plasma directed at the Hunters. The blasts hit the deck with burning impacts and archers and hammer-wielders were thrown like dolls. 

Ryker shouted infuriated commands, and Hunters scrambled to obey. More came from the hatch to take up the hammers of the Hunters who had been knocked overboard, and they resumed striking the dragon. While the Shellfire sent another onslaught towards the island, the archers recovered and shot at Toothless. 

Toothless dodged and soared away from the Shellfire with snapping wings, climbing back into the air. Hiccup glanced towards Caldera Cay. He saw pillars of smoke rising from the impacts of the Shellfire’s onslaught, and piles of wood and stone that once were walls fallen across the streets. From the docks he saw Defender longships sailing towards the Shellfire, with archers standing ready on the decks. 

Toothless wheeled through the sky, wings outstretched and riding the strongest currents of the high-up winds. Again, Hiccup directed him over the Shellfire and again, they dived. 

Hiccup watched the Hunters run towards the hatch and begin to retreat within. He glared into the shrieking wind as Toothless prepared to fire. 

Most Hunters were fortunate enough to drop belowdecks before they came within range, but two unlucky archers were shot and blasted away from the hatch before they could retreat. The hatch closed with no further grace for them, and the Shellfire dived into the deep dark, leaving a handful of Hunters pathetically treading water. 

Toothless arched and rose into the sky again. Hiccup squinted at the water below and saw nothing but dissipating foam, not even a shadow of the gargantuan dragon. 

He turned his gaze to the Defenders’ longships. They had stalled and their passengers stared at the stretch of empty sea where the Shellfire had breached, watching with the same wary anticipation that currently bit at Hiccup’s gut. 

The ocean rang with silence. Smoke continued to rise from the village. A couple of buildings had fallen, but the destruction wreaked was far from tantamount to what had befallen Berserker Island. 

Toothless growled unhappily as he glared at the waves below. 

“Maybe they’ve left,” Hiccup ventured. He exhaled uneasily. “Is that all they wanted to do?”

Nearer to the island, the water split, and the Shellfire’s vast head emerged from the waves. It had breached directly in front of the Defenders’ ships, and shouts of alarm filled the air, but nothing could be done before the Shellfire’s open maw began to glow. 

Immediately, Toothless beat his wings and tore through the air, heading straight for the Shellfire. They could not get close before boulders exploded from the Shellfire’s throat, and impacted ships were thrown backwards, hulls split straight and beyond repair, waters whitening all around them. 

Moments after the first series of boulders struck, a second hurtled forth to further lay waste to the fleet. Defenders went overboard by the dozens, Throk among them. 

Hiccup and Toothless arrived then, and they wasted no time before directing plasma blasts at the Hunters striking the Shellfire. But the Hunters were becoming more careful as the battle went on, and many of them dodged the attack, none falling overboard. 

As Toothless shot past, Hiccup heard Ryker laughing from where he stood upon the deck. Hiccup scowled and began to direct Toothless towards another attack. 

They turned towards the Shellfire, and saw the Hunters were already disappearing below the hatch once more. Before they could attack again, the hatch closed, and the Shellfire dived again. 

Great, Hiccup thought. Now they’re using hit-and-run tactics.

Toothless flew towards the surface of the ocean, and Hiccup quickly made out Throk among the heads of swimming Defenders. He went to him. 

“Throk!” he called. “Is everyone okay?”

“Nothing hurt but our pride,” Throk confirmed. Toothless flew closer to try and extract him from the water, but Throk waved them away. “Leave us! The shore isn’t far; we’ll be fine. Go stop those knaves, before they destroy anything else.”

Some ways away, waves crashed against waves, and the Shellfire breached again. Hunters emerged from the hatch, ready to resume their assault on Caldera Cay. 

Hiccup nodded at Throk and Toothless flew away. They made towards the Shellfire, flying fast and watching as the Shellfire’s carapace was struck and the dragon fired again. 

Flaming boulders sailed through the air in massive arcs toward the village. They reached their zeniths as Toothless flew below them, and Hiccup heard their shaking impacts on the island from behind him. 

Toothless flew as fast as he could, but the Shellfire was almost a mile away from the shore, and the Hunters were able to force several more shots out of it before Hiccup and Toothless came within range. And if they were making a habit of their new tactic, they would be below decks and under the waves before Hiccup and Toothless could launch another attack. 

As Hiccup expected, the Hunters began to withdraw when he and Toothless drew close. Hiccup clenched the saddle swell in frustration, but could do nothing to prevent the Shellfire from diving again. 

Hiccup cursed to himself. The Shellfire’s firing range was too far and its speed too fast for them to keep up with. At Berserker Island, the Shellfire had been obliged to remain by the Hunter fleet to protect it from the riders, which had allowed them to focus on attacking it rather than chasing after it. But now, the Hunters were employing the dragon’s full capabilities to keep it away from Hiccup and Toothless, and with no other riders to aid them, they were left to chase after it in vain. 

The Shellfire breached a far distance away. Hiccup directed Toothless toward it, intent on continuing to harry it, even if he could not stop it for good. 

It fired again, and Hiccup watched the assault land on the village. Defenders were making valiant efforts to keep walls standing and put out fires, but nothing could halt the hurtling boulders, or prevent them from gouging the streets and caving roofs. The smoke had thickened, and the devastation had become too familiar to that he had seen yesterday. 

The battle continued in this pattern, with the Shellfire surfacing, firing, and diving before Toothless came within firing range. There was no way for Hiccup to hide their approach during daytime. It maddened him. 

Eventually the assault ended, either because the Shellfire ran out of firepower or because Ryker felt satisfied with the scope of the destruction he had wrought. The dragon dived a final time and did not surface again. 

Hiccup and Toothless were left panting and tired in the air as they watched the rocking ocean begin to still. After several long moments, Hiccup sighed, and they flew towards the ruined village. 

The Defenders of the Wing had all gathered in the village square. Downcast expressions and defeated postures pervaded the crowd, but were lifted slightly as Mala spoke to them. With regal bearing she proclaimed plans for rebuilding, and intentions to stand strong in the face of this evil. 

She finished her speech as Hiccup and Toothless landed behind her. Hiccup avoided the gazes of the Defenders in the crowd, all those who had seen him fail to protect their home from Ryker. 

“Is everyone okay, Mala?” he asked. 

“There are a lot of injuries, but everyone survived, and the Eruptodon and its hatchling are safe,” Mala told him. “We’ve experienced worse battles than this. We will rebuild.”

Hiccup nodded in acknowledgement and exhaled. “I’m sorry, Mala.”

“There is nothing to apologise for,” Mala assured. “That Shellfire is the largest dragon I have ever seen. It would take far more than a single man and his dragon to stop it, even one as skilled as you.”

“I have to figure out how to stop it,” Hiccup responded. “If I don’t, Ryker will keep attacking with the Shellfire, and he won’t stop until his enemies are gone.” He sighed and looked away. Toothless glanced at him, concern widening his pupils. “Besides, this is my fault.”

“Don’t speak nonsense, Hiccup Haddock,” Mala replied firmly. “This is the fault of that cowardly Dragon Hunter Ryker and him alone.”

“He’s gone after you and the Berserkers because he wants to get to me. This fight is between me and Ryker, and I need to end it.”

Mala placed a strong hand on his shoulder and looked seriously at him. The battle had left scratches over her hands and face. “I understand that you have been fighting the Dragon Hunters alone for some time, Hiccup. But you have allies now, us among them. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Hiccup looked at her and nodded gently. Then he said, “I need to get to Dragon’s Edge. Before Ryker does. That’s probably where he’ll attack next. Maybe I can stop him there.”

“Tell us if you need help,” Mala said. “We cannot travel as fast as you, but we will do what we can to help a friend.”

He smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Mala. I’ll be back soon.”

Mala nodded, and Hiccup turned Toothless away. They flew toward the clouds, and set a course for Dragon’s Edge. 

—

When Hiccup began building on Dragon’s Edge four years ago, he had only intended to make a hidden storehouse to cache back-up supplies. He rarely stayed in one place for long, more often spending weeks island-hopping, researching every new dragon he came across, mapping every new island, and sleeping under the stars. 

But when injured dragons he had met began seeking his help at Dragon’s Edge, he had built stables to shelter them; when he began designing improvements to his leg and Toothless’ tailfin, he had built a forge to actualise them; and when he began staying on the island for longer periods, he built his hut to live in and farms to feed himself with. He still often left and camped on different islands during his explorations, but now, he and Toothless had somewhere to return to. 

So, five years into his self-imposed exile, Hiccup had a home on the mountainside of Dragon’s Edge, painted huts connected by wooden walkways stilted over the steep sides of the island. Toothless and other dragons Hiccup had bonded with had helped him raise the walls and roofs, and now they lived on its land and flew in its skies as a pack. 

As Toothless approached Dragon’s Edge, Hiccup gazed over the buildings and walkways and saddened at the thought that Ryker may soon ruin it all. If he did not figure out how to counter his tactics and stop him soon, there would be no saving his home. 

Toothless alighted on the landing of the stables, and Hiccup dismounted and went inside. He saw Stormfly grooming herself, Meatlug and Grump napping, Skullcrusher and Hookfang play-fighting, and Sharpshot nibbling on fish bones. Barf and Belch must be somewhere else on the island, likely causing mischief. 

Stormfly perked up at seeing Hiccup approach and stuck out her beak for Hiccup to scratch. He obliged, smiling. 

“Hey, girl, it’s good to see you,” he greeted. 

Stormfly chirruped in response. He backed away and regarded her. 

“Hunters are coming,” he said, tone serious. Stormfly tilted her head at the word ‘Hunters.’ He went on, “I need you to take the Night Terrors and the other dragons to the big cave to wait out the attack.”

As he spoke, he signed the gestures he had trained the dragons to understand, pointing at the other dragons and making a curved motion to indicate the cave. Stormfly’s eyes brightened in recognition and she immediately got to work, squawking at the other dragons. She woke Meatlug and Grump and broke up Skullcrusher’s and Hookfang’s play-fight before leading them out of the stables. She took to the wing, and the rest of the pack followed her. 

“And don’t forget to get Sleuther!” he called out to her as she flew. “He’s probably by the beach!”

Stormfly squawked and flew away. Hiccup went back to the landing, and Toothless tilted his head and rumbled softly. 

They likely had a few hours before Ryker would attack. A few hours to plan, to rest, to make sure all the dragons on the island were safe. 

Over the next hours until mid-afternoon, Hiccup did as such while waiting for Ryker’s inevitable arrival. But once the dragons were secure, there was little to do but wait. He flew Toothless to the coastal cliffs and settled down there, legs dangling over the edge, scanning the ocean for signs of the Shellfire. Bright sunbeams bounced off the peaceful surface of the sea. 

Toothless curled around him and watched the dancing water with a gaze equally intent. Hiccup sighed and placed a hand on his snout. 

“This is a mess,” Hiccup muttered. Toothless warbled. “I always have at least an idea for what to do, but this time…”

He breathed deeply. The cold air stung. “There’s no way to catch this dragon, no way to stop it from attacking without hurting it. I don’t know what to do.”

Toothless placed a claw on his lap and looked at him with wide eyes before nuzzling close. The message was clear. Whatever we do, we’ll do it together. 

Hiccup smiled and pressed his forehead to Toothless’. He whispered, “Thanks, bud.”

Suddenly, Toothless tensed, and a growl erupted from his throat. Hiccup drew back and looked behind them. 

Viggo emerged from the shadows of the forest. He wore a knowing grin. 

“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” he said. 

Toothless snarled and bared his teeth. Hiccup got to his feet and glared. 

“You didn’t think I’d leave you to hang in the wind, did you?” Viggo asked. “I’m a man of my word, after all, and as far as I can tell, Ryker’s still running amok with my Shellfire.”

“You refused to help us at Berserker Island,” Hiccup retorted. “And then you ran.”

“I didn’t lie. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t do so in a cell.”

“You lied about the Dragon Eye. I know you have it. And frankly, I think you lied about the Shellfire, too.” Hiccup stepped forward. “You don’t know how to stop it; it’s too big to be stopped. You just want me to get rid of Ryker, and then you can use it to get rid of me.”

“I’m afraid you're mistaken, my dear Hiccup.”

“Am I?” Hiccup questioned. “Ryker told me he’d stop his attacks if I hand you to him. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”

“I don’t need to,” Viggo replied. “You’re not as ruthless as you’ve convinced everyone you are, my dear.”

Hiccup wished to prove Viggo wrong, but he knew bringing Viggo to Ryker would achieve nothing. He clenched his fists in frustration. 

Viggo gauged his reaction and then went on. “Besides, I have something Ryker does not.”

Hiccup narrowed his eyes as Viggo reached into his satchel. He retrieved a familiar cylinder, weighty in his hands and winking in the sunlight. 

Hiccup’s eyes widened. Viggo stepped toward them, and Toothless growled louder, but he ignored him in favour of holding out the Dragon Eye to Hiccup. He reached out to take it, but Viggo withdrew it. 

“Whatever we’re going to do to stop my brother, Hiccup, we must do it together,” Viggo said. Then, he held it out again, waiting for Hiccup’s acceptance. 

Hiccup watched him for a moment, then made his decision. He reached out, and Viggo placed the Dragon Eye in his palm. 

Hiccup brought it close. It had been nearly a year since he felt its weight in his hands, and his thoughts had stalled at the sight of it. It looked exactly as it had when he had lost it to Viggo. 

“We don’t have much time,” Viggo spoke. “My brother will be here soon, will he not?”

Hiccup regarded Viggo before turning and stashing the Dragon Eye in his saddle bag. Then, he mounted Toothless and looked to Viggo. 

“Get on,” he said. 

Chapter Text

Hiccup rummaged through the chest in his hut, eyes narrowed as he searched. His desk was still scattered with his notes from the last time he went rifling through them, and the rest of his hut suffered a similar state of disorganisation. 

From below stacks of spare saddle parts and half-built inventions he retrieved one of Toothless’ alternate tailfins, one made for faster and more agile flying. Toothless obligingly gave Hiccup his tail, and Hiccup attached the tailfin. 

From within the doorway, Viggo watched with undisguised interest. Toothless watched him in turn, eyes slitted unhappily. 

Viggo looked at the selection of tailfins stacked by the wall, and said, “Did you make all of these yourself?”

“No, I picked them up the last time I was at the market," Hiccup replied flatly.

Viggo smiled. “They’re quite impressive. Where did you learn to smith?”

Why Viggo always insisted on making conversation, Hiccup did not know, but he elected to ignore him. Instead, he asked, “How far are we flying?”

“Not far. A mile or two southwards, at most, and then we’ll find what we need to defeat my brother.”

Hiccup jerked tight the straps around Toothless’ tail. Toothless glanced at him, and he frowned. “And what is that?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Their attentions were then drawn to the sound of whooshing flaps outside the hut, and they turned to see Skullcrusher drop heavily onto the landing. He growled and stomped. Hiccup heeded him and went quickly outside to survey the sea. 

There already were trails of smoke streaking through the sky. Hiccup braced the moment before the flaming boulders hit the ground. They gouged wounds into the land near the stables and the dome, and the island trembled. 

Hiccup recovered and sighted the Shellfire near the docks. Ryker had drawn much closer to the shore than he had while attacking the Berserkers or the Defenders. 

Hiccup glowered. Ryker had grown confident that Hiccup and Toothless could not stop him. He had thought to launch his assault near enough to destroy the Edge in minutes. He believed this battle to be over. 

Hiccup turned and mounted Toothless, thoughts drowned out by the storm in his chest. Toothless spread his wings, readiness equal to that of his rider’s. 

“Wait,” Viggo said, “we must head south.”

“Viggo, I’m not leaving the Edge defenceless. You can either stay here or get on.”

The floor beneath them shook as boulders assaulted the Edge once more. Viggo wisely mounted Toothless behind Hiccup, and both Toothless and Skullcrusher took to the air. 

Stormfly had herded the Night Terrors and the wild dragons on the island to the far side, but some of Hiccup’s pack had remained to defend their home. Stormfly, Meatlug, Hookfang, and Barf and Belch were already flying towards the Shellfire, and the Hunters were forced to direct their fire at the dragons to keep them from returning with their own fire. The dragons circled and dodged, and great columns of seawater went up where boulders fell after missing their mark. 

Hiccup spared Viggo a single warning before Toothless dived to join the fray. The Shellfire fired at them, and Toothless pointed his wings and hurtled between them. The other dragons tried to fire upon the deck, but could not get close before being driven away by the arrows of Hunters. 

The hammers fell upon the Shellfire’s carapace again. There were more hammer-wielders than before, and they were striking with greater force - in turn, the Shellfire was releasing more boulders with each attack. Hiccup’s knuckles whitened.

Toothless fired a pair of shots. They hit the deck but failed to throw anyone; Toothless was too far away. They soared past, and Hunters cheered jeeringly. 

“We’ll achieve nothing here,” Viggo said into Hiccup’s ear. “We have to fly just a few miles south; a way to defeat the Shellfire will be there.”

“I’m not abandoning the Edge,” Hiccup gritted out. 

“If you don’t, you won’t get another chance to defeat Ryker.”

Hiccup opened his mouth to argue, but his attention was diverted when the dragons began to call out happily. Hiccup glanced at them, expecting one to have successfully hit the Hunters, but found them to instead be greeting two new arrivals. He looked up and saw a pair of riders, framed by the evening sun, descending on a Gronkle and a Razorwhip. 

Dagur and Heather each directed their dragons to fire. Lava and blue flame fell upon the deck, and Hunters shouted and ran, having noticed the new foes too late. 

“Heather! Dagur!” Hiccup called, smiling. 

Windshear and Heather flew down to his side. “We thought you could use some help,” she said. 

Dagur arrived at Hiccup’s other side, wearing an unimpressed expression. “Oh, great!” He threw a hand toward Viggo. “ He’s back.”

Viggo grinned at him as Hiccup exhaled. “He says he knows a way to stop the Shellfire.”

“Yeah? What is it?” Heather asked. 

“I don’t know. There’s something a few miles south that can counter it, apparently.”

“That sounds suspiciously vague,” Dagur said flatly. 

The Shellfire released another onslaught of boulders, and the three dragons swiftly rose higher and left its firing range. The Hunters below jeered insults at their retreat. 

“I don’t know about this, Hiccup,” Heather said, shouting over the sounds of shrieking boulders. “Can we really trust Viggo, especially now?”

“I’ve tried everything else. I couldn’t stop Ryker, not without hurting the Shellfire,” Hiccup said unhappily. “If we can’t stop him now, he’ll just keep using it to attack us. We won’t be able to rebuild and he’ll drive us out of the archipelago.”

He looked at Heather and Dagur, the only other dragon riders, his sister and brother in all but blood. They both gazed anxiously back at him. “If Viggo says he can help us stop him,” he said, “I have to try.”

“What if he’s lying?” Heather asked. “What if this is all part of his plan? And we’re just walking right into it?”

“Then that’s how it goes,” Hiccup replied. “But I’m making the call.”

He addressed both of them. “Can you keep Ryker busy for a little while?”

They both nodded at him, unhappy but resolute. 

“You can count on us, brother,” Dagur promised. 

Hiccup smiled and thanked them. Then they diverged in the sky - Dagur and Heather diving towards the Shellfire, Hiccup and Viggo gliding away over the empty ocean. 

—

They flew south, as Viggo directed, the Edge growing small with distance. The great crashes of boulders on earth and stone still sounded, but were muffled greatly. Hiccup itched with unease. 

“You know, there’s word of a tournament, to be hosted by the Tribe of the Whispering Trees,” Viggo said pleasantly. 

“Is that right?”

“Maces and Talons. The winner, apparently, receives a life-sized game set, made of solid gold.”

“Lucky him.”

“Poor, dear Hiccup. There seems to be quite a lot on your mind.”

Irritation tensed Hiccup's jaw. “You noticed.”

“Well, I may not be able to put myself directly in your shoes, but I can most surely empathise.”

“You can, huh?”

“Indeed. To be at risk of losing one’s home is one thing, but to deal with that risk while already having lost a home before? I can understand why you didn’t want to leave your island defenceless.”

Hiccup glared over his shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m only saying, it’s a difficult experience, leaving one’s home. Though, I imagine you were much less eager to leave Dragon’s Edge than you were to leave Berk.”

Hiccup froze, his hands on the saddle swell slackening. He stared at Viggo, and saw nothing but the usual smug satisfaction on his countenance. He was waiting for Hiccup’s reaction. 

“How do you know about Berk?” he asked lowly. 

“I’m sure you’ll figure that out before long,” Viggo replied. 

Hiccup’s brow pinched in thought. Had Berkians travelled beyond the edges of their map and found their way into this archipelago? It seemed unlikely, with how risky a trip like that would be by boat. He doubted anyone else would tell Viggo. Alvin, Dagur and Heather were among the few others who knew where Hiccup hailed from, but Hiccup knew each of them would keep that information to themselves, even under pressure.

Abruptly, Hiccup remembered Johann also knew that Hiccup was from Berk, and Hiccup swiftly landed on him as the most likely culprit. He cursed inwardly. 

Viggo went on. “I will say, though I could relate to feeling alienated as a youngster, voluntary exile seems like quite the drastic response. It must be vexing, to leave your home for a new one, only for it to be threatened too.”

Hiccup clenched his fists and snapped at Viggo. “The only thing that’s vexing is you making these pathetic attempts to get inside my head. I don’t know what you want to accomplish by digging into my past, but whatever it is, it isn’t working! I’ve moved past all of that. So let’s just get down to business and be done with this, alright?”

Viggo regarded him with something like surprise, though he seemed largely unbothered. He hummed. “I only wanted to make conversation.”

Hiccup glowered at him a moment longer before turning away. He ignored his roiling insides. 

“How much farther?” he asked. 

A moment of silence passed, and Hiccup wondered if Viggo heard him. He glanced back to see Viggo scanning the water beneath him. 

Suddenly, Viggo said, “Stop, dragon!”

Toothless snarled in reproach at the command. Hiccup pulled at the saddle and Toothless halted, flapping in place. 

Hiccup squinted as he looked over the expanse of ocean. “There’s nothing here.”

“It would appear that way,” Viggo said. 

Hiccup watched as Viggo withdrew his dagger from beneath his jerkin. He tensed, but Viggo gave no sign of preparing to attack. Instead, he dangled it by the pommel over the water, and a moment later, he dropped it. The blade sliced through the ocean surface without a splash. 

Hiccup watched the water, confused. A few uncertain moments passed in the quiet. Then, the water beneath them began to froth. 

“Uh, what is that?” Hiccup asked. 

“I would suggest bracing yourself,” Viggo warned. “And getting ready to fly quite quickly back to the Edge.”

The water split with a great burst of spray, sundered by the emergence of an enormous scaled head, green hide glittering in the sun, long white teeth bared and surging towards them. Hiccup cried out in surprise, and Toothless swiftly flew upwards. The dragon’s jaws closed around the space they had just occupied. 

“Good,” Viggo said happily. “Now, we must lead it to the Shellfire.”

“What would that do?” Hiccup exclaimed. “Give us two angry dragons to fight instead of one?”

The massive dragon surged upwards again, and Toothless dodged its mouth and started flying to the Edge. Beneath them, the dragon sliced through the waves, snarling terribly as it pursued them. 

“Hiccup, don’t tell me you didn’t know. The Shellfire is the natural and hated enemy of the Submaripper.” 

Hiccup glanced behind them. Now that he looked closely, he recognised the large dragon as the same species of a dragon he had once freed from captivity by the Dragon Hunters. 

“So, we’re gonna use one dragon to fight another.”

“Precisely.”

Hiccup glanced at Viggo. “But why is it reacting like this?”

The Submaripper sped up and launched itself again, trying to drag Toothless down. Toothless beat his wings and rose out of reach, but not far enough to lose the dragon’s interest. 

“The Submaripper is a very territorial dragon. It hates intruders. It also hates being woken when it’s resting. It’s chasing us now, but I imagine its attention will be diverted once it learns that there’s a Shellfire in its waters.”

“Let’s hope so,” Hiccup said. He urged Toothless faster. 

The crashing sounds of the Shellfire’s assault on the Edge grew louder as they neared. The stables and storehouse had been laid to waste by the Shellfire’s boulders, while Hiccup’s hut fared hardly better. Several dragons flew in circles above the Shellfire, disordered and clearly weary from dodging boulders and arrows. 

Worst of all, Hiccup saw a fiery boulder streak towards Windshear and Heather. Windshear dodged, but could not right herself, and the two tipped and fell into the ocean. 

Hiccup glanced behind him in time to see the back of the Submaripper disappearing beneath the waves, leaving nothing but sea foam. 

He turned back and directed Toothless to fly towards Heather and Windshear, who now treaded water, unable to get enough momentum to return to the air. He watched as the Shellfire opened its maw and readied to fire, mouth pointed directly at Heather and her dragon. His stomach clenched. 

The Shellfire never completed its attack. With enough force to kick up building-high waves, the Submaripper rammed into the underside of the Shellfire, throwing it. 

Hiccup heard Heather exclaiming in surprise, and he rushed down to her. She clung to Windshear’s neck as she watched the two enormous dragons begin to battle. 

“Hiccup!” she cried when she saw him. “What is that?”

Hiccup grinned. “That would be one very angry Submaripper.”

Hiccup directed Toothless down, and they helped carry Heather and Windshear back into the air. They all watched as the Shellfire rounded on the Submaripper, maw widened as it surged forward to slash with its teeth. The Submaripper clashed back with its own teeth, and the impact of the two dragons dislodged the hammer-wielders from the Shellfire’s back. Over the roaring dragons, they could hear Ryker’s furious bellows, but the Hunters could do nothing to regain control. 

Hiccup scanned the sky. “Where’s Dagur?”

“Shattermaster got hit,” Heather replied worriedly. “They crashed somewhere on the island.”

“We have to go find them!” Hiccup said. 

Viggo cut in. “Is that not him over there?”

Hiccup and Heather looked to where he pointed, and saw a large black and yellow dragon flying toward them. He carried hapless Hunters in each of his three tails, and Dagur on his back, yelling victoriously.

Hiccup smiled and called out, “Well, look who made a new friend.”

Sleuther came to an abrupt halt before them, throwing the Hunters he carried into the dancing water. They cried out and landed with unceremonious splashes. 

“Seems so!” Dagur shouted. “Have you seen these tails? They’re amazing! And that snapping sound, woo!”

Below them, the Submaripper and Shellfire broke apart, and the Shellfire launched a series of boulders. The Submaripper ducked below them, and the riders shouted as they were suddenly forced to dodge the onslaught. 

“Uh, is that your new friend?” Dagur asked, staring at the Submaripper. 

“Of a sort,” Hiccup replied. “Come on, the Shellfire’s busy. Let’s take Ryker out of the picture.”

Heather and Dagur whooped and directed their dragons into dives. Hiccup followed after them. 

The Hunters were largely focused on keeping their footing and not going overboard, leaving the riders free to draw in close. Windshear and Sleuther both caught Hunters in their tails and promptly tossed them into the sea. Toothless fired upon Ryker, who clutched a handle on the metal vessel while he shouted fruitless orders. Ryker swiftly raised an arm to block the blast; it tore the bracer from his forearm, and he yelled out in pain and frustration. 

Toothless wheeled away, and as he did the Shellfire released another round of flaming boulders, thrown haphazardly as it tried to drive off the Submaripper. A couple hurtled towards Toothless, and he dodged beneath him, but struggled to right himself under the weight of two riders. 

Hiccup grimaced. “Viggo, I’m gonna have to drop you off. You’re slowing Toothless down.”

“Pity,” Viggo replied. “I was going to enjoy watching Ryker go down with the ship.”

Hiccup directed Toothless to the nearest beach, and there he landed and allowed Viggo to dismount. He turned back, and Toothless spread his wings, ready to take off. 

“Hiccup,” Viggo said. Hiccup glanced to him. “We may be adversaries, but I’m glad we could have this armistice. My respect for you is beyond what I could put into words.”

Hiccup regarded him. He had not forgotten Viggo’s mentions of Berk, flaunting the secret he had learned. He had not forgotten the games Viggo had elected to play while he and his allies remained in danger. 

Nevertheless, he had upheld his promise. He had helped them fight his brother, and now Ryker’s defeat was imminent. A Hunter leader, and the Hunter’s most powerful weapon, would soon be out of the picture, never to hurt another dragon again. 

So, Hiccup said nothing, but nodded in acknowledgement to Viggo. Then, he and Toothless flew. 

They quickly rejoined the fray, finding dragons and riders circling above the Shellfire and the Submaripper. Both giant dragons were locked in combat, neither paying any heed to the Hunters aboard the Shellfire and in the surrounding water trying to survive. 

The tides had been changed irrevocably. With no ships to defend them, no control over the Shellfire and no way to resume their hit-and-run tactics, the Hunters were fighting a losing battle. Those that had not been tossed into the sea by the bucking Shellfire were clutching onto the vessel, and had no recourse to defend themselves from the fireballs of the circling dragons. Hunters fell beneath an onslaught of flame or were thrown into the water, where they began to retreat and swim for the shore. Ryker’s commands to continue the fight fell on deaf ears. 

Hiccup and Toothless, in contrast to the previous battle, now fought with their pack and their fellow riders by their side. Flying dragons weaved between the warring tidal dragons, taking the ample opportunities to cut down the Hunters’ number. When they tried to retreat below decks for safety, Meatlug laid a layer of lava over the hatch. When Ryker took up a hammer and tried to bring it down on the Shellfire again, Windshear tore it from his hands. All the while, the Submaripper and the Shellfire continued their battle, striking each other with their tails and horns, clashing with their teeth. 

The Shellfire jutted towards the Submaripper with its long horns, and the Submaripper dived beneath them with a swiftness that belied its size. With its long tail, the Submaripper propelled itself forward, and it rammed into the Shellfire head-on. 

This impact proved too much for the Hunter vessel on the Shellfire’s carapace. The chains snapped, and the vessel stood on the water for a long moment, prow pointed sharply to the sky. Then, it tipped and began to fall. Hunters shouted and cried out, and were cut off by the gargantuan splash of the vessel upon the ocean surface. 

The water began to churn then, and Hiccup knew the Submaripper was creating its signature whirlpool. He called out a warning to the dragons and the other riders, and they all retreated before they could be caught in the whirlpool's pull.

The ocean started to suck and spiral. The Shellfire fought against it and swam away, but the Hunters and their vessel were drawn by the currents and dragged beneath the waves. 

Heather and Dagur flew into the air next to him, and they watched together as the Hunters disappeared. By the time the Shellfire and the Submaripper had both gone away, no Hunters remained - not even Ryker. 

—

Night had fallen over the Edge, shrouding the fallen huts and gouged soil in shadow. A campfire crackled peacefully in the centre of the open dome, and strips of fish were laid above it to cook. Heather fed the fire and leant back against Windshear, who was sleeping off the effects of a long flight and a long battle. Firelight waltzed across her metallic scales. 

By the flickering light, Dagur helped Hiccup attach a splint to Shattermaster’s wing. The Gronkle had suffered several broken ribs and a broken wing, and as such might never fly again, but Dagur had promised Shattermaster to do whatever he could for him. From the dark edge of the dome, Sleuther crouched silently, watching Dagur’s movements with deliberation. 

They all heard the beating of wings, and with a squawked greeting, Stormfly landed on the stone floor. Toothless warbled a reply from where he lay curled. Hiccup looked at her with narrowed eyes. 

“Stormfly couldn’t find Viggo,” he said. 

Dagur and Heather both glanced at him. 

“That slippery bastard,” Dagur said. 

“He must have planned an escape route before he came here,” Heather said. “That’d be just like him.”

Hiccup did not reply. He returned to securing the splint to Shattermaster’s wing. 

Dagur crossed his arms and glanced at Heather. She stood and walked to them. 

“You okay, Hiccup?” she asked. “You’ve been quiet.”

He sighed as he finished the splint. “Yeah, just… thinking about something Viggo said.”

“Well, maybe we don’t have to worry about him anymore,” she said. “I mean, his base is destroyed, and we put a pretty big dent in the Hunter’s numbers.”

“They didn’t seem too keen on following Viggo anymore either,” Dagur added haughtily. 

“Exactly. Maybe he’s gone for good.”

“I’m not so sure,” Hiccup said. When the siblings turned to him with questioning looks, he continued, “Viggo knows about Berk.”

“He does?” Heather asked. 

“Yeah. And he wanted me to know he knew.” Hiccup shook his head and wandered towards the fire. Toothless eyed him worriedly. “I don’t know what his next plan is, but I doubt it’ll be good.”

A log in the centre of the fire fell, sending a shower of sparks into the air. Hiccup stared harshly at the flame. 

His shoulder dipped as Dagur placed a hand on it. Hiccup glanced at him, and saw him and Heather standing at his side. 

“Whatever it is, we’ll stop it,” Dagur said proudly. 

“We’ll make him regret messing with us,” Heather promised with a grin. 

“Berserker style!” Dagur laughed. “He won’t know what hit him.”

Toothless stood and walked to Hiccup, nudging his side. Hiccup chuckled and ran a hand over the scales of his head. 

“Thank you,” he told them.

They smiled back and then went away to take their dinner.

Hiccup sighed and sat down, allowing Toothless to lay his head in his lap. 

He was grateful for the other riders. Five years ago he would never have guessed that a vengeful, shipwrecked girl and a warmongering chief sworn to kill him would become to him a closer family than his own father had been, but he was more glad for it than he could say. 

Their reassurance had dulled his nerves, but he could not keep from ruminating. For years Berk had lived in the corner of his mind, a burdensome weight he had grown used to living with. Now it had been thrust suddenly to the forefront, and Hiccup found himself unbalanced. 

Had five years changed Berk as much as it had changed him? Was his father happy that he had taken himself into exile, or just more ashamed? How would they all react, were he to return now?

The running questions had kept him awake countless nights before, but that night, in the wake of that difficult battle won, they carried a new gravity. They were no longer so hypothetical as they were inevitable. 

Hiccup looked up at the endless expanse of night, and wondered just how soon he would learn the answers.