Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

                The moon shone brightly in the sky above Dragon’s Edge. The island was quiet and still, the Dragon Riders and their dragons resting peacefully. With the Grimborn brothers and the Dragon Hunters defeated, they could sleep at night knowing that they and their dragons were safe.

                At least…they could sleep for a moment.

                The Night Terrors on the watchtowers above the base, sat comfortably underneath the covering, content to soak in the quiet. They screeched as a tremor shook the ground, rattling the watchtower they inhabited. Even after the rumbling passed, they looked down in alarm at the huts of the Dragon Riders, knowing that they might need to be awakened soon.

                Within his hut, Snotlout snored loudly as he slept. As another tremor shook the island, Snotlout awakened with a scowl. He growled as the Night Terrors screeched loudly high above his hut.

                “Hey. I'm trying to get some sleep here,” Snotlout snapped at the ceiling. He rolled over onto his side, grabbing his helmet to cover his exposed ear. “Stupid volcano.”

                Chicken clucked in a panic as she ran for Tuffnut in the twin’s hut. Tuffnut and Ruffnut sat up in bed, Ruffnut groaning tiredly as Tuffnut opened his arms for Chicken.

                “Easy, little Chicken,” Tuffnut said, holding the fowl close. He scowled as he looked out their window to the silhouette of the volcano in the distance.  “I'm so sick of these baby ones. I wish it would volcano-up and start spewing already.”

                “Right?” Ruffnut snapped. “Either get on with it, or keep it to yourself.”

                Fishlegs and Meatlug hid beneath Fishlegs’s bed as another tremor shook their hut. Meatlug whimpered as the walls shook around them, her own trembling making the bed on her back shake harder.

                “It's okay, girl. The volcano hasn't erupted in three months. It's not gonna start now,” Fishlegs said nervously. “Right?”

                The tremors grew more intense and continuous. Hiccup quickly shoved her boot on before running for the door, Toothless right behind her. She threw open the door, and stopped short as Asher came running up.

                “Hiccup,” Asher greeted worriedly. He wobbled as a harsh tremor rocked the area. “Was that—"

                “More intense than normal?” Hiccup finished. “No doubt. Whoa!”

                Hiccup fell onto the deck as the tremor intensified, shaking the whole base. Further inland, a group of Deadly Nadders screeched as plume of lava burst from a crack in the ground, shooting straight up into the air. A Hideous Zippleback shrieked as it ran between several stacks of cooled earth that erupted with small explosions of lava. It fled the area as molten rock began to spread from the holes.

                Toothless helped Hiccup get back on her feet, and the three of them rushed down to the stables to join the other riders. Hiccup gasped as she looked out from the deck, and saw the damage being done.

                Earlier that night, she had hardly been able to see anything outside the light of the torches of their base and the moonlight. Now, the island was streaked with bright, glowing streams of lava flowing down cliffs and across the ground.

                Toothless grumbled as Hiccup attached the buckets of melted Gronckle Iron to him, but didn’t move so she could ensure they were secured. She got into the saddle as soon as they were ready.

                “Alright, everyone got their Gronckle Iron?” Hiccup asked. She nodded as she saw the other riders on their dragons’ backs, each of them carrying their own buckets of molten Gronckle Iron. “Good. Just like we practiced, guys, and don't spill any. We can't afford to lose a drop.”

                The Dragon Riders took to the air, and quickly circled around. Hiccup let out a heavy breath as she saw the lava pouring down the sides of the cliffs above and within their base, thick streams of bright molten rock setting the trees and any structures they encountered ablaze. It flowed through the area before falling into the waters of the cove below.

                “Guys, this is worse than I thought,” Hiccup said worriedly.

                “Yeah, I know!” Snotlout screamed. He grabbed at his helmet as he watched his hut and its S shaped adornment beginning to smoke from the intense heat of the lava. “Oh, my S! Hiccup, look at it. You know how attached I am to my S.”

                “Snotlout, no one cares about your S,” Hiccup snapped. “Just keep pouring Gronckle Iron into the cracks.”

                The twins high-fived one another as they located one of the cracks with lava spewing from within.

                “Yes,” Tuffnut cheered. His eyes widened as the hole in the ground suddenly fired a piece of molten rock up into the sky.

                “Whoa!” Ruffnut said, watching it fly through the air towards Snotlout and Hookfang.

                “Wait for it,” Tuffnut said mischievously as it began to come down towards Snotlout.

                Snotlout grunted as a large chunk of cooled rock fell onto his helmet. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell sideways out of the saddle. Hookfang watched him fall with bored eyes.

                “Yak's eye,” The twins cheered.

                “Char grilled Snotlout, anyone?” Tuffnut asked cheekily as Snotlout fell past them and towards a pool of lava below.

                “He'll have a nice smoky finish from the lava,” Ruffnut giggled.

                “Hey, Ruff, Tuff,” Hiccup said exasperated as she and Toothless hovered up above.

                “Ugh. Buzz kill,” Tuffnut grumbled. The twins directed Barf and Belch down, and the Zippleback caught the dazed boy in his talons. They flew towards the stables, and the dragon dropped him face first on the landing deck before continuing.

                “It was such a beautiful S,” Snotlout said weakly.

                Toothless growled as he dodged several bursts from bubbles of lava. Hiccup’s eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on one of the cracks that the lava was spilling from. Toothless sped towards it, and abruptly stopped as he drew near. The buckets attached to him swung forward with their momentum, and the Gronckle Iron within flew out. The melted metal landed on the lava, both substances hardening immediately and sealing the crack.

                Fishlegs whimpered as Meatlug leaned to the side so she could spill the Gronckle Iron onto a crack below. Within the forest, Asher held on tightly as Stormfly rolled as she flew over a hole, the Gronckle Iron she was carrying falling onto the cracks.

                “Come on, Barf. Come on, Belch,” Ruffnut encouraged as they flew up to the prepared giant container of Gronckle Iron. The Zippleback took the container into their talons, and targeted a larger crack up near the top of the cliff. They spilled the Gronckle Iron onto the opening, and smoke hissed into the air as the crack sealed shut.

Later

                By the time the Dragon Riders had finished sealing up the cracks and halted the flow of lava, the sun was above the horizon. The light revealed smoke trailing from cooling structures, some discolored by the soot, and hardened dark lines of lava covering the ground of their base.

                “This is a disaster,” Asher groaned as they gathered around Snotlout outside the stables.

                “Yeah, I've seen worse,” Tuffnut said lightly.

                “You mean you've caused worse,” Fishlegs said pointedly.

                “Huh, I wish,” Tuffnut replied. “This is Odin's handiwork himself, my friend. But I, I am a mere mortal.”

                Snotlout groaned and grunted as he got up on his feet.

                “You happy now, Hiccup?” Snotlout grumbled.

                “Happy? What? What did I do?” Hiccup snapped.

                “We should have left this pile of rocks months ago, but no,” Snotlout said, mockingly drawing out the last word. “You wanted to keep exploring. "Hiccup the explorer".”

                “Hiccup, you know I'd rather plant dragon root under my fingernails than agree with Snotlout,” Asher said slowly.

                “Don't waste your time, A,” Tuffnut interjected. “That stuff needs a ton of light to grow. Unless you're willing to stand outside.”

                “I think it might be time to head back to Berk,” Asher said firmly. “Viggo and Ryker are gone. The Dragon Eye is destroyed. Even Mother Nature is telling us to go.”

                “Huh?” Snotlout said confused.

                “Uh Mother Earth? The Earth Mother?” Ruffnut prompted.

                “The earliest roots actually date back to the Mesopotamian tablets which show the creative and nurturing sides of nature as a female deity,” Tuffnut said knowingly. “You should read more.”

                “Hiccup, we won,” Asher said happily, placing a hand on Hiccup’s shoulder. “We can go home now.”

                Hiccup didn’t reply as she looked at him with a frown.

Later

                Hiccup was still frowning as she and Toothless hovered high above Dragon’s Edge. The light of the moon illuminated the island beautifully, the rich green of the forest a dark contrast to the warm orange glow of the lava that continued to flow down from holes on the sides of the volcano.

                ‘Is it really over?’ Hiccup thought sadly. ‘After everything we’ve done, everything we’ve seen. I don’t want it to end. Viggo is finally gone, his Hunters beaten, and we can fly and explore with no fear of dragon root arrows and cages. If I do it right, we could discover even more.’

                Her mind flashed to the Dragon Eye falling into the volcano, and to Viggo falling shortly after, his screams echoing. Hiccup shuddered, and shook her head.

                Toothless jerked back as a rock was flung up from the volcano, high enough to fly past them. He growled concernedly at Hiccup, and she sighed.

                “I know, bud,” Hiccup said quietly. “He's right.”

                ‘We came here to explore what lay beyond our archipelago,’ Hiccup thought as Toothless descended back to the base. ‘We stayed because we needed to stop the Dragon Hunters. They’re gone now, and I can’t ask the others to stay because I’m not ready to settle down in Berk. I want to stay, but…if the others really want to go home, who am I to stop them?’

The Next Day

                Hiccup stayed in bed for a good chunk of the morning, not moving until Toothless nudged her up. He watched her as she quietly redid her braids, and secured her prosthetic before leaving the hut. Hiccup sighed as she saw everyone, minus Ruffnut, outside the clubhouse and made her way there to tell them of her decision.

                “Really? Awesome news,” Tuffnut said excitedly after she told them. “And just in time for our estate sale.”

                “I'm sorry. Your what?” Hiccup questioned.

                Tuffnut gestured for her to look down below, and Hiccup and Asher cautiously moved forward to peer over the edge. Hiccup’s eyes widened as she saw Ruffnut overseeing a small group of Vikings perusing through the twins’ belongings scattered across the deck outside their hut.

                “Not too late to get in on the lifelike Nutt statues,” Tuffnut said.

                “You act right now, I'll throw in some free shipping,” Hiccup heard Ruffnut say to a Viking as she held her scareship up. The man turned away dismissively as he examined a small chest. “You're breaking my boars here.”

                “Made from our actual hair,” Tuffnut added.

                “Ew,” Asher said.

                “Ew yourself, mister,” Tuffnut snapped. He ran his hand over his blonde hair smugly. “You wish you had locks like these.”

                “Uh, who in their right mind would ever buy a statue of you two?” Hiccup asked.

                “Sold! Statue of us two!” Ruffnut said below. Hiccup and Tuffnut looked down to see a Viking cackling as he walked away with both twins scareships under his arms.

                “Of course,” Hiccup groaned as Tuffnut looked at her smugly.

                “Hi, question,” Snotlout said eagerly. “When are we getting out of here?”

                “When the volcano is stabilized,” Hiccup replied. “We just need time to find new homes for all the dragons we've relocated here.”

                The sound of a foghorn pierced the air, and everyone looked down to the docks to see a familiar ship pulling in.

                “That's weird. What's Johann doing here?” Asher asked.

                They descended the ladders and stairs of the base to meet the trader as he walked across the ground level of the base, his jaw dropped as he observed the damage and hardened streams of lava.

                “Oh, dear. There hasn't been destruction like this since Emperor Nicephorus and the Byzantines were mercilessly annihilated in the Battle of Pliska,” Johann said gravely. “They say that Khan Krum had Nicephorus' skull encased in silver and drank mead from it. Ruthless. Anyway, it's going to take some cleanup. I have a multitude of items that could assist you in that process. Hmm?”

                “There's not going to be any cleanup, Johann,” Hiccup said depressingly.

                “Well, Miss Hiccup, perhaps this delivery will cheer you up,” Johann said, passing Hiccup a small chest. Hiccup held it, and Asher frowned as he saw the sad, almost disappointed look she had as she looked down at it. “I think you will like what you see. Although what mysterious avocation could you be working on that necessitates such an odd variety of articles? Hmm?”

                “Doesn't really matter now, Johann,” Hiccup said tiredly.

                “Sold! Yeah,” Ruffnut said as she happily took the sacks of money from two Vikings that were now wearing replicas of her hair beneath their helmets.

                Johann excused himself to see what was for sale, and Asher and Snotlout went to begin preparations for their departure back to Berk. Hiccup grabbed Fishlegs, and the two of them moved to the forge beside her hut to begin finding a solution to the lava. She placed the chest on her worktable in her hut before sighing as she rejoined Fishlegs. Toothless and Meatlug played together on the deck behind them as their riders leaned against the stone surface of her forge.

                “Alright. Think. Think. Think,” Hiccup muttered. “We need something that'll not only hold up to the intense heat of the lava, but—"

                “Will withstand the extreme buildup of volcanic pressure,” Fishlegs finished, pulling a small smelting cauldron closer.

                “Exactly,” Hiccup agreed.

                Both turned around as they heard growling. Any other day, Hiccup might’ve smiled at seeing Toothless and Meatlug roll across the deck as they played. Meatlug growled happily as they came to a stop, Toothless smiling widely as he pushed her down gently.

                “Guys, do you mind?” Hiccup asked tiredly. She sighed as she turned around. “There's gotta be something.”

                Toothless and Meatlug looked at each other as their riders looked away, and started rolling again, growling more quietly but no less happily. They separated, and Meatlug wagged her tail eagerly as she backed up towards Hiccup’s outdoor worktable. Toothless screeched eagerly, and jumped on her, rolling them both into the table. Their eyes widened as several items including another smelting cauldron, Hiccup’s Death Song amber goggles, and Hiccup’s diving helmet fell and rolled on the ground. They looked sheepishly at Hiccup and Fishlegs as their riders turned to them. Hiccup scowled as her diving helmet came to a stop.

                “Alright. Pick that up,” Hiccup said irritably.

                Toothless and Meatlug growled sheepishly as they moved to collect the fallen items. Meatlug carefully grabbed the cauldron with her teeth as Toothless picked up the goggles. He playfully threw them back towards Meatlug as she placed the cauldron on the table. The Gronckle startled as the goggles landed on the bridge of her nose, and the two Riders chuckled as her eyes crossed as she tried to look through the small lenses.

                “Huh,” Hiccup said softly as she observed the orange shine of the amber. She quickly walked over to take the goggles from Meatlug. “Wait. You might actually be onto something. Fishlegs, what would happen if we mixed Death Song amber with Gronckle Iron?”

                “You mean the very same Death Song amber that withstood the pressure of water hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean?” Fishlegs asked excitedly.

                “That's the one!” Hiccup said eagerly.

               “Mixing the exact quantities of all the ingredients will be key so it doesn't set off a negative chemical reaction,” Fishlegs said.

                Hiccup and Fishlegs quickly gathered the ingredients together. Fishlegs collected some Gronckle Iron in the smelting cauldron as Hiccup examined the first test piece of their Death Song amber. Toothless and Meatlug watched curiously as Hiccup picked up a piece of amber, and moved to the cauldron. She dropped it into the cauldron, and both riders peered inside as it began to shake.

                Toothless and Meatlug growled, and leapt for their riders as they backed away from the cauldron. They tackled their humans to the ground, and covered them as the cauldron erupted into a fiery blast. Toothless growled disapprovingly at Hiccup as the smoke cleared.

                A short time later, he watched with narrowed eyes as Hiccup approached the refilled cauldron, a smaller piece of Death Song amber held out with a pair of tongs. Fishlegs nervously bit his lip, his eyes covered by the goggles as he watched.

                Hiccup dropped the amber in, and she and Fishlegs quickly took several steps back. When nothing happened, they relaxed and grinned at each other. They frowned and their eyes widened as the cauldron began to shake and glow bright red at the top. It shook violently before a fiery glob of molten metal flew out the top. It arced through the air towards them, and the two humans quickly covered their heads as they ducked. They lowered their arms as a shadow fell over them, and smiled gratefully at Toothless as the remaining bits of molten metal slid off his wing.

                For their next attempt, Hiccup wore her diving helmet while Fishlegs continued to wear her goggles, adding a shield to his protective measures. Hiccup carefully placed the cauldron of molten Gronckle Iron on the stone before using her tongs to pick up a bigger piece of Death Song amber. The two humans exchanged glances before Hiccup nodded and dropped the amber into the cauldron.

                They raced to crouch behind their dragons on the other side of the deck as the cauldron shook. Toothless and Meatlug braced themselves before growling curiously as the cauldron stopped shaking. Hiccup and Fishlegs carefully stepped out from behind their dragons, and grinned as the mixture in the cauldron didn’t explode.

                They quickly gathered the other riders and carefully transported the cauldron to a nearby crack. They all watched nervously as Hiccup held the small cauldron over the hole in the ground, and carefully poured the mixture in. Smoke and steam hissed as the mixture hardened the lava, the bright glow of the molten rock darkening as it seeped further in. Hiccup laughed as the smoke cleared, revealing the sealed crack.

                “I can't believe that actually worked,” Hiccup said excitedly.

                “Well, let's not start slapping each other's yaks just yet,” Fishlegs said carefully. “That was the last of the Death Song amber. And even if we had more, there's no way Meatlug can make enough Gronckle Iron to stabilize the whole island.”

                “So, we need Gronckles and Death Song amber,” Hiccup mused. “Well, we know where to find both. Right?”

                “There is no way I'm going to Melody Island,” Snotlout snapped. “The word death is in the dragon's name for a very good reason.”

                “Asher and I will get the amber,” Hiccup said patiently.

                “Good. I like that plan,” Snotlout said happily.

                “Fishlegs, you stay behind and gather ingredients for Gronckle Iron and find a place to store the liquid metal,” Hiccup said.

                “Oh, keep talking,” Snotlout gushed. “Oh, this is the best plan ever.”

                “What about us? What are we doing?" Tuffnut asked eagerly, gesturing to himself and Ruffnut.

                “Rounding up a group of Gronckles from Dark Deep,” Hiccup said.

                “Oh! You idiots!” Snotlout teased. “Why did you open your big—”

                “And Snotlout, you're going with them. Congratulations,” Hiccup said dryly.

                “This is the worst plan I've ever heard,” Snotlout grumbled.

Melody Island

                Toothless and Stormfly touched down in the canyons that the Death Songs called home. Hiccup frowned as she dismounted and took note of the silence that permeated the area. Toothless and Stormfly, protected by their earplugs, took no notice and ran ahead to check things out.

                “This is strange,” Hiccup said uneasily as their dragons sniffed at broken pieces of Death Song amber scattered throughout the area.

                “And I don't hear anything,” Asher added.

                “No Death Song,” Hiccup said.

                The two of them jumped as the distinctive, harmonic growl of the Death Song echoed through the canyon. They turned as one of the Death Song Dragons stood up from behind a pile of rocks. It roared angrily at them as its wings spread wide apart and vibrated threateningly.

                “You were saying?” Asher asked dryly as he drew his axe.

                Hiccup drew the Dragon Blade, and ignited it as she did. She was suddenly very happy to have made the blade longer as the dragon loomed over them.

                The Death Song’s roar died down, and she could hear it start to produce its signature singing. Hiccup’s eyes widened as the song faded, and the dragon sagged weakly. It fell forward and collapsed onto the ground with a painful groan.

                Hiccup saw numerous cuts and wounds all over the dragon’s body, and carefully extinguished and sheathed the Dragon Blade. She cautiously stepped forward, her hand held out towards the fallen dragon’s head. The dragon growled pitifully as her hand touched his nose, and he smiled weakly at her as his eyes closed. Hiccup sighed in relief, and took a closer look at his wounds.

                “These wounds are fresh,” Hiccup said gravely, taking in the red and purple gashes all over his body. She walked along the dragon’s side, and paused as she saw terribly familiar arrow shafts still embedded in the dragon’s flesh.

                “Dragon Hunters?” Asher asked in disbelief.

                “Not like any we've encountered,” Hiccup said, rubbing a hand along the Death Song’s neck comfortingly. “This is beyond brutal.”

                The Death Song’s eyes opened, and he weakly hissed and chirped at them.

                “That sounds like... No way,” Hiccup gasped. She ran back to the dragon’s head, and placed her hand on his nose again. “Garff?”

                “Oh, my Thor. You're right. It is,” Asher said. He knelt beside Garff’s head, and rubbed his hand gently on the dragon’s forehead. He glared as he saw a metal collar digging into the dragon’s neck. “Oh, you poor thing. What have they done to you? Wait a minute, where's the other Death Song?”

                “Must not have been as lucky as this guy,” Hiccup replied.

                "Lucky?” Asher repeated.

                “Well, Garff got away,” Hiccup said uncomfortably. “He's still alive.”

                “Yeah, barely,” Asher sighed.

                “Hey. It's okay. It's okay,” Hiccup said as Garff shifted and groaned weakly.

                “Hiccup, if Viggo's gone, then—” Asher said.

                “Who's leading these Hunters? And what's so important that they'd go toe to toe with a Death Song?” Hiccup questioned.

Unknown Island

                A trio of Deadly Nadders perked up as a strange song filled the air. Drawn to the noise, they took to the air and flew over the trees to try and find the source of the hypnotic sound. They grunted and screeched as an amber substance flew out of the trees and encased them. They couldn’t move their wings as the substance hardened, and they crashed to the ground.

                Krogan watched with satisfaction as the captured Death Song continued to lure in unsuspecting dragons and trap them, so they fell at his and the Dragon Hunters feet. It had been a minor struggle to convince the remaining members of the group to follow him, especially as some of them remembered his time as a bounty hunter that had once worked for them. However, without the Grimborn brothers leading them, they had quickly fallen in line once he promised them a path forward.

                Two of the Hunters, grunted as they lifted one of the Nadder’s and placed it on a wheeled platform.

                “Oh, this is no way to hunt dragons,” One of the Dragon Hunters said quietly, gesturing with his head to Krogan’s back.

                “Not what you're used to,” Krogan questioned, making the two men jump. He had a genial smile on his face as he turned to them, and lifted his axe, the long staff settling easily on his shoulder. “Is that it?”

                The Dragon Hunter who had spoken shifted nervously, glancing at his comrade who was quickly sidestepping away.

                “Well, please, do accept my most sincere apologies,” Krogan said graciously, lowering his axe from his shoulder as he placed his other hand to his chest. The Hunter nodded nervously. “Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me why the objection?”

                “Uh, takes the sport out of it,” The Hunter replied. “Mm. Seems like cheating, is all.”

                “Cheating. Cheating,” Krogan mused. He shrugged with a smile. “When you're right, you're right. Ah, look at us, we crooked band of double dealers. Well, I suppose if you'd rather do things your way. Good luck to you, hmm? And perhaps we will meet again.”

                “I can leave? Just like that?” The Hunter asked uneasily.

                “Just like that. Safe travels, my friend,” Krogan said.

                The Dragon Hunter sighed in relief and quickly started jogging down towards the boats. Krogan frowned, and readied his axe. He quietly ran after the man, lunging forward as he turned to wave at his comrades. The man’s eyes widened as he saw the flash of Krogan’s axe, and the other Hunters gasped as it split his flesh.

                “Anyone else feel like discussing our methods of trapping?” Krogan asked maliciously. “The floor is open.”

Dark Deep

                Snotlout and the twins peered over the edge of the ridge at the group of Gronckles eating away at a column of stone below under the watchful eyes of the Catastrophic Quakens. Snotlout groaned irritably as he heard Tuffnut huff for the third time.

                “I can't believe you sold Johann all our stuff,” Tuffnut said angrily to Ruffnut.

                “Wasn't that the point? What do you want from me?” Ruffnut asked.

                Snotlout shoved their heads down as one of the Quakens glanced their way.

                “Will you two pipe down?” Snotlout snapped.

                The trio fell silent as the ground shook beneath them, and they cautiously peered over the edge to see the Gronckles scatter as the two of the three Quakens rammed themselves into the base of the stone column. The stone broke apart, falling to the ground in a large heap. The Gronckles eagerly flew back in, and started eating at the smaller pieces.

                “You know what they call that?” Ruffnut asked.

                “Imminent death?” Snotlout asked sarcastically.

                “A symbiotic relationship,” Tuffnut said.

                “Precisely,” Ruffnut replied.

                “Symbi-what?” Snotlout questioned.

                “Symbiosis is the interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association typically to the advantage of both,” Tuffnut said.

                “However, this can often lead to parasitism,” Ruffnut added.

                “Para-what?” Snotlout asked.

                “Parasitism. It's a non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species where one of them, the parasite benefits at the expense of the host,” Tuffnut said. “Take you and Hookfang. The two of you, if you're flying together in perfect harmony, that's symbiotic.”

                “However, when Hooky benefits at your expense, i.e. you getting nothing, parasitic,” Ruffnut said.

                “Hookfang!” Snotlout hissed as several examples came to mind. The Monstrous Nightmare smirked at him, and Snotlout scowled as he turned back to the twins. “Tell you what. Why don't you two symbiose yourselves over there and get those Gronckles, or I'll ‘parasite’ the yak dung out of you!”

                “Huh! My dear fellow, although you are attempting the gerund form of some of those nouns—” Tuffnut said.

                “Just do it!” Snotlout snapped.

                “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” Ruffnut sighed.

                “Even if it's vacuous, empty, desolate...” Tuffnut said as he and Ruffnut mounted Barf and Belch.

                They directed their dragon to hover above the group of Boulder class dragons below, and the Quakens immediately took notice. The three dragons looked up at them, and growled menacingly as they stood protectively around the Gronckles.

                “Uh-oh,” Tuffnut said nervously.

Unknown Island

                Krogan frowned as he walked with one of the Hunters amongst the amber trapped dragons.

                “No. No,” Krogan said dismissively as he passed by a Deadly Nadder. He growled and shook his head. “This is not it.”

                “Sir, perhaps if you told us what it was you were looking for and why you needed them…” The Hunter said uneasily.

                “I'll know it when I see it,” Krogan said shortly. “And my use of them is not your concern yet.”

                Krogan brightened as he saw a green Singetail encased in the hard amber. It glared at him as he approached, its bulbous eyes flicking up to him before it raised its head to growl at him.

                “Singetail,” Krogan said consideringly. The dragon growled at him, and closed its eyes as he continued to stare. Krogan grinned as the dragon burst free of the Death Song amber, sending chunks of it flying across the clearing. “That's the spirit.”

                Krogan stood still as the Singetail came running at him. As it lunged for him, jaws opening wide to bite at him, he dodged and stepped to the side of the dragon. Its mouth snapped closed, and its eyes followed him as he reached out and pinched its neck. The Singetail shrieked, and collapsed to the ground as the Dragon Hunters gasped.

                “Bring me more of these,” Krogan ordered as he knelt beside the dragon, and ran a hand over its head. “As many as you can find.”

Dark Deep

                “Here we go,” Ruffnut cheered as she and Tuffnut directed Barf and Belch to dive down. Snotlout scowled as he and Hookfang followed them down towards the Gronckles and Quakens.

                One of the Quakens leapt into the air as they approached. It curled into a ball, and slammed down into the earth below, sending a powerful shockwave through the earth and air. Barf and Belch quickly flew up to avoid the worst of it while Snotlout screamed as Hookfang spun in the air.

                “I thought you said it was symbiotic,” Snotlout snapped.

                “It is!” Ruffnut said sharply. “For them. Not you, ding-a-ling.”

                “Hey, name-calling is not going to help the situation, Ruffnut,” Snotlout said sternly.

                “It's helping me plenty!” Ruffnut cried.

                They directed their dragons to circle around, and the trio of Quakens growled as they watched them. They jumped into the air and curled up to slam themselves into the ground. The resulting shockwave sent both dragons plummeting to the ground. They slammed into the top of a ridge, sending their riders flying.

                “Ow!” Snotlout groaned as he landed. He and the twins shakily got back on their feet.

                “Remember how the Hunters subjugated the Quakens in a quarry?” Tuffnut asked, straightening his helmet. “They used vibrations to control them.”

                “They had hammers and slammed them on the ground,” Ruffnut added, looking pointedly at Snotlout.

                “Hmm,” Snotlout mused. He grinned excitedly, and took his axe from his back, holding it like a hammer.

                “You make contact, keep them occupied, and the two of us will lead the Gronckles to victory,” Ruffnut said.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout cheered before running towards the Boulder class dragons below.

                “I don't think this is going to be mutually beneficial,” Ruffnut said amused.

                “It will be for us,” Tuffnut said excitedly. The two of them grinned as they high fived each other.

                “Parasites,” The twins cheered.

                Snotlout took a deep breath as he stopped a short distance away from the Quakens and the Gronckles.

                “All right, Quakens, let's make this relationship shine,” Snotlout cried. He slammed the flat side of the blade of his axe onto the ground, and the Quakens growled menacingly as they turned to him. Snotlout frowned nervously as the large dragons took to the air. “Uh, guys? Little help here.”

                Snotlout turned, and groaned as he saw the twins and their dragon were gone, leaving only Hookfang standing a short distance away. Snotlout screamed as the Quakens roared behind him, and raced for Hookfang.

                Barf and Belch casually approached the Gronckles with the twins as the Quakens chased after Snotlout and Hookfang. They leaned down so the twins could pick up a few loose rocks, and started feeding them to the happy Gronckles.

                “Let's get these Gronckles out of here while we still can,” Tuffnut said urgently.

                “What about Snotlout?” Ruffnut asked as Barf and Belch took to the air, the Gronckles following behind them.

                “Relationships are complicated,” Tuffnut sighed. He grinned as he heard Snotlout screaming down below. “He'll work through it.”

                “Help!” Snotlout yelled.

Melody Island

                Toothless carefully picked up a couple pieces of Death Song amber in his mouth before placing them in the buckets hanging from his shoulders. Hiccup sighed as she dropped a few more pieces in, and turned as she heard Asher messing with the collar around Garff’s neck.

                Asher grunted as he got the collar free from Garff’s neck. He threw it to the side, and knelt beside the Death Song as he moaned in pain.

                “I know, Garff. It's okay,” Asher said soothingly, running a hand along his head.

               Hiccup sighed, and rubbed Toothless’s head as he groaned.

                “Hiccup, I don't think he's gonna make it,” Asher said softly. Hiccup joined him beside Garff, and placed a hand on the dragon’s head. Asher swallowed as he saw the look on her face. “Go. I'll stay here with Garff. We can't lose the Edge, Hiccup. And we have to stop the Hunters before they do this to other dragons. You know I'm right. I'll meet you back there. I promise. I'll stay here with Garff until...”

                Both of them frowned as they looked down at Garff sadly. Toothless nuzzled Garff’s nose, growling sympathetically. He pulled back, and roared at Stormfly. She roared in return, and Asher put his hand on Hiccup’s shoulder.

                “I'll be fine.,” Asher assured her. He smiled as he nodded to Stormfly. “I've got her.”

                Hiccup nodded, and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. She moved to give Garff one last comforting rub on his head before turning to mount Toothless. Garff groaned as they took off, and Asher quickly moved to kneel in front of him. He took his water flask from his belt, and carefully poured the water into Garff’s mouth.

                “All right. There you go,” Asher said softly. “That's a good boy.”

                Asher placed the flask down, and blinked rapidly as Stormfly came to stand him and nuzzled Garff gently. “I'm here, Garff. I'm here.”

Dragon’s Edge

                Fishlegs stood above the twins’ boar pit, lit torches in his hand. He used them to motion the Gronckles the twins were herding towards him to land around the edge of the pit. As they descended to land beside Meatlug, he quickly moved to grab the necessary ingredients for Gronckle Iron.

                “Here you go,” Fishlegs said, tossing the materials into Meatlug’s mouth. She chewed them up before spewing out a stream of molten Gronckle iron into the pit. Fishlegs continued to mutter as he continued down the line of Gronckles. “Two parts sandstone, three parts limestone, one part iron ore. Three parts limestone, two parts sandstone, one part iron ore.”

                Fishlegs screamed as he saw Tuffnut about to feed another stone to one of the Gronckles. He quickly ran over, and smacked it out of his hand.

                “No, no, no, no, no!” Fishlegs cried. “This is a very specific recipe. It's three parts limestone!”

                “I thought it was three parts sandstone,” Tuffnut said.

                “No,” Fishlegs snapped.

                “What do we do with the bauxite?” Ruffnut asked.

                “Bauxite? Bauxite?!” Fishlegs cried. “There's no bauxite in Gronckle Iron.”

                “Eh,” Tuffnut shrugged as Fishlegs turned back to the Gronckles. He looked down into the pit, and his brow furrowed. “Hang on a minute. I know this pit. Is that our Boar Pit?!”

                “Fishlegs!” Ruffnut cried.

                “Very parasitic of you, Fishlegs,” Tuffnut snapped.

                “What?! Look, I didn't have a choice,” Fishlegs replied, exasperated.

                “We all have choices,” Ruffnut hissed. “It's just obvious which one you made.”

                “Boar Pit, oh, Boar Pit, we shall miss thee,” Tuffnut said solemnly as he and Ruffnut removed their helmets and held them over their hearts. “You put the "symbi" in our "osis" and gave us such glee.”

                “Never fear, Mr. Boar, as a new Pit of Iron shall rise, like before. And we shall grease you and wrestle you into symbiotic heaven,” Ruffnut said tearfully. “Even if our names were just Shirley and Kevin.”

                Tuffnut grimaced as Ruffnut began crying into his shoulder, rubbing her snotty nose against him. They both staggered as a tremor shook the ground.

                “Are you two finished?” Fishlegs asked shortly.

                “Three more verses. You're gonna love the fourth,” Tuffnut said. He and Ruffnut jumped as a plume of lava burst from the ground a short distance behind them. They quickly put their helmets back on and ran out of the line of fire. “Yeah, I never did like that poem.”

                Fishlegs stirred the Gronckle Iron with a large stick, looking up as he heard the roar of a Night Fury. He quickly threw the stick down, and ran to Toothless and Hiccup as they landed with buckets full of Death Song amber.

                “Where's Asher?” Fishlegs asked as he ran to grab the Death Song amber. He looked down at the pit below, before throwing the appropriate amount of Death Song in. The molten metal bubbled for a few seconds before settling.

                “Melody Island. I'll explain later,” Hiccup replied. She looked around, and her brow furrowed as she turned to the twins. “Where's Snotlout?”

                “Dark Deep,” Tuffnut replied.

                “We'll explain later,” Ruffnut added.

                The ground shook as several tremors went through. Everyone instinctively ducked down as the sound of the ground bursting open and lava exploding into the air reached them.

                “Fishlegs, we have to fill those cracks!” Hiccup said urgently.

                Fishlegs mounted Meatlug as he finished feeding her more material. She hovered above the buckets attached to Toothless, and spewed Gronckle Iron into both buckets. Hiccup dropped a couple pieces of Death Song amber into each of them. Once the buckets settled, Toothless quickly took to the air.

                “Right behind you,” Fishlegs called after them. He looked down to address the twins that were looking at him and Meatlug expectantly. “Alright, guys. We gotta take this show on the road, we need to make it on the fly.”

                It spoke to the urgency of the situation that he didn’t feel the normal sense of dread that the twins grinning at one another would normally generate. The two quickly secured the largest smelting cauldron to Barf and Belch, and directed them down to fill it full of the molten Gronckle Iron. They quickly flew up to follow Hiccup and Toothless, the Gronckles right beside them. Hiccup nodded at them over her shoulder before focusing forward.

                “That's it. Take us in low, bud,” Hiccup said.

                Toothless swooped down towards the lava streams, and aimed for one of the cracks. He tilted so the mixture dropped directly onto the crack, and the surface quickly darkened as the metal sealed it shut.

                “Whoa!” Hiccup cried as Toothless abruptly stopped as the ground erupted right in front of them. Toothless backed away, and Barf and Belch swooped in to drop the mixture in the cauldron into the large crack, sealing it closed.

                “Here comes the limestone!” Fishlegs said as he fed the stones to Meatlug and the Gronckles. “Ooh! Oh, and here comes your sandstone.”

                The twins directed Barf and Belch to hold the cauldron below the Gronckles, and the dragons spewed the molten metal inside. Fishlegs quickly dropped the Death Song amber into the cauldron, and the twins directed Barf and Belch to another crack.

                “Incoming,” Ruffnut cried as the bucket hit the edge of the crack, and tilted to spill the mixture inside.

                A short distance away, Hiccup and Toothless made an approach on another fissure. Hiccup gripped the saddle tightly as Toothless rolled in the air, sending the mixture into the hole. Toothless flew up and stopped to hover in the air, growling happily as the cracks darkened. Hiccup yelped as Meatlug and Fishlegs slammed into their sides, and Fishlegs hugged Hiccup.

                “It's working, Hiccup!” Fishlegs cheered.

                “I can see that, Fishlegs,” Hiccup wheezed as he squeezed her tightly.

                “Sorry. I'm sorry,” Fishlegs said hurriedly. “Super excited.”

                The two of them jumped as a loud boom filled the air. They looked to the volcano to see a plume of lava leaping into the air near the top of the volcano.

                “We have to get to the volcano. Now,” Hiccup said urgently.

                The Dragon Riders raced to the new crack on the side of the volcano, and Hiccup’s eyes widened as she took in the sheer size of it. It was bigger than the others, and more lava was pouring from it, generating immense heat.

                “It's too intense,” Fishlegs said fearfully as Toothless and Meatlug flew back as another plume of lava shot into the air.

                “I mean, we love a good hot smoldering magma blast as much as the next Viking, but—” Tuffnut was cut off as Barf and Belch jerked back to avoid another lava plume.

                “True that! Tell them, Shirley,” Ruffnut said cheerfully.

                “Can I be Kevin next time, please?” Tuffnut asked dryly.

                “Alright, everyone, let's do this!” Hiccup said confidently.

                Fishlegs nodded and threw the stones and Death Song amber to the Gronckles. They quickly spewed the mixtures into Toothless’s buckets and the twin’s cauldron. Toothless and Barf and Belch soared over the crack, and poured their mixtures onto the hole. Fishlegs cheered as it sealed shut, and Meatlug followed the other Gronckles as they landed on a ridge.

                They looked up in alarm as the ground shook violently, and Fishlegs gasped as rocks tumbled down towards them. Meatlug screeched as a couple of them hit her in the side, and she and Fishlegs fell to the ground. Fishlegs groaned as he looked over his shoulder, and gasped as he saw a pile of rocks where the wild Gronckles had been standing.

                “The Gronckles!” Fishlegs cried as he ran to the rocks. “Oh, no.”

                Fishlegs and Meatlug started pulling rocks away as Toothless grabbed one to lift it off the pile. The twins watched them nervously from above before their eyes widened as they spotted a huge blanket of lava beginning to pour down from the top of the volcano.

                “Uh, guys?” Tuffnut stammered.

                “Oh, no,” Hiccup said horrified. She jumped as she heard Snotlout screaming, and looked up to see him and Hookfang being chased by three Catastrophic Quakens.

                “Somebody help me!” Snotlout yelled. Hiccup ducked as Hookfang soared overhead and around the side of the volcano. “I can't get these parasites off of my butt!”

                Toothless turned to growl up at the Quakens as they stopped above them. The Quakens stiffened as they heard the Gronckles from beneath the pile of rocks, and looked up at the lava coming down the volcano. One of the Quakens roared at the other two, and they quickly raced to the side of the volcano.

                One by one, the Quakens slammed themselves into the side of the volcano until the rocks gave way beneath them. Lava began to stream from the hole, and flow down the side of the volcano. The Dragon Riders eyes widened as the stream of lava coming towards them tapered off. With no source, it quickly cooled and hardened a short distance away from the rock pile.

                “Of course! They're releasing the volcanic pressure," Fishlegs said excitedly.

                “Ah, I knew they were gonna do that,” Snotlout said as he and Hookfang peaked around the side of the volcano. “We're tight like that. Symbiotic tight. Aah!”

                The two of them pulled back out of sight as the Quakens returned. Meatlug and Toothless jumped out of their way as they started moving and digging into the pile of rocks. Hiccup and Fishlegs cheered as the Quakens pulled away the rocks to reveal the Gronckles, safe and growling happily as they saw their friends. The Boulder class dragons took to the air, and the riders watched fondly as they flew back towards Dark Deep.

Later

                Chicken clucked as she pecked at a hardened stream of lava on the ground level of the base. She looked up, startled as a hissing and chirping came from above her. She screamed when she saw Garff standing over her, and quickly ran away as Hiccup and Asher approached.

                “I can't believe Garff made it,” Hiccup said softly. “He was not looking good.”

                “I think he's gonna be all right,” Asher said fondly. “That dragon has a lot of fight in him.”

                “He's not the only one,” Hiccup said putting a hand on Asher’s shoulder. The boy smiled at her before it faded as he turned to face her.

                “Hiccup, we can't let what happened to Garff happen to any other dragon,” Asher said seriously.

                “You're right, and we're not going to,” Hiccup said firmly. She turned to address the other Dragon Riders. “Listen, gang, the Dragon Hunters are still out there. I know you all wanna go home, but—"

                “Uh, who said I wanted to go home?” Fishlegs interjected. “I don't wanna go home.”

                “Not me,” Ruffnut said cheerfully. “I surely don't wanna go.”

                “And I, Kevin-ly, would never give up the chance to live in a place that blows up all the time,” Tuffnut said eagerly. The twins smirked as they glanced at Snotlout.

                “Fine. I'll stay, but keep me away from those two!” Snotlout snapped. “They put me in front of the Quakens, and thank Thor I'm that tight with them.”

                “And symbiosis is alive and well on Dragon's Edge,” Tuffnut said happily.

                “You think Johann will let us buy any of our stuff back?” Ruffnut asked.

                “Nah. He's a bit of a parasite, no?” Tuffnut questioned.

                “He surely is,” Ruffnut replied.

Unknown Island

                Night had fallen, and the arena was dark as Krogan approached the caged Singetail. He held no weapon in his hand as he calmly walked towards the cage. He stopped and smirked as the dragon filled the cage with fire in a bright burst. Krogan jumped on top of the cage, and looked down through the large opening to the Singetail within. He nodded to a waiting Hunter, and the man whimpered as he grasped the lever.

                “Any idea who takes over when this thing kills him?” One Dragon Hunter asked as he and his comrade observed from outside the chain dome of the arena.

                “I suppose it'd be a vote,” The other Hunter replied. “That seems like the most logical thing.”

                Krogan nodded again to the waiting Hunter before jumping into the cage. He landed on the back of the Dragon’s neck. His legs settled on the dragon’s shoulders as it reared back, roaring as he grasped its horns. The Hunter pulled the lever, and the Singetail burst from the cage. The dragon shrieked as it flailed and bucked, trying to throw Krogan from its neck. Krogan laughed, and held on tight to the dragon’s horns.

                Fire built in the dragons’ mouth, and it jumped into the air. The flames blasted out, sending the watching Hunters scrambling back from the chains. The dragon landed heavily back on the ground, catching its breath before it continued to struggle, firing off another blast.

                “Yes,” Krogan growled as he continued to wrestle with the Singetail.

                ‘Now this is a dragon that is more than enough to take on the Dragon Riders,’ Krogan thought with dark satisfaction. He jerked on the Singetail’s horns, and its screams echoed out into the night.

Chapter Text

Northern Markets

                A Viking grunted as he pulled his small dinghy onto the beach. He sighed as it finally cleared the water enough that he could let it go. With a sigh, he rolled his shoulder before grabbing a shovel and axe from his box of tools and weapons on the bench seat. He stepped carefully on the sand, examining the ground ahead of him closely. The man gasped as the earth rumbled and shifted beneath him. After a short moment, everything settled, and the man sighed in relief.

                A roar came from below, and the man disappeared beneath the sands with a scream. The sound cut off as the sand settled, smooth and untouched once more.

Dragon’s Edge

                Hiccup grinned excitedly as she examined the medallion in her hand inside her hut. She had been thrilled when her father had sent it to her when she asked, happy for her to pass on the betrothal gift he had given her mother to her own betrothed. The bronze circle was engraved with the face of a Viking and a dragon surrounded in decorative designs. While the chain her mother had worn it on was gone, she figured Asher would like it all the same even if the hole near the top of the circle was empty.

                “Just like I remember,” Hiccup said nostalgically.

                “Hey!” Snotlout yelled, startling Toothless from his nap. Hiccup jerked the medallion out of reach as Snotlout tried to grab it. “Whatcha got there?”

                “Nothing,” Hiccup stammered, shoving him away. She cradled the medallion in her hands to try to hide it, and Snotlout scoffed.

                “Uh, if it’s nothing, then give me it,” Snotlout demanded. “Hookfang and I are making a ceremonial bust of yours truly and we need all the junk metal we can melt down.”

                “What? This isn’t junk,” Hiccup snapped, opening her hands to show him the medallion. “It’s my betrothal gift to Asher. It means we’ll be together forever.”

                “Forever?” Snotlout scoffed. “Seriously? Asher’s a warrior, and you’re gonna give him that?”

                Hiccup sighed loudly, and walked away from him. Toothless huffed at Snotlout, and got up to follow Hiccup out.

                “How about a new battering ram?” Snotlout teased as he walked behind them. “Oh! How about a shiny new ball and chain? Wait, a bludgeon with his initials!”

                Toothless growled irritably, and flicked his tail at the switch to shut the door in Snotlout’s face. Hiccup rubbed his head as Toothless chuckled at Snotlout groaning in pain from the door hitting his face.

                As he approached Asher’s hut, Fishlegs waved up to Stormfly perched on the roof. Stormfly squawked down at him, and shifted as loud, rummaging sounds came from inside the hut. Fishlegs cautiously approached the open door, and peeked inside.

                “Asher,” Fishlegs greeted as he entered.

                Asher scowled as he turned away from the numerous boxes of weapons he had been examining.

                “Fishlegs, unless this has to do with Hiccup’s betrothal gift, the one I haven’t gotten her yet, the one I have no clue where to start,” Asher said shortly.

                “The ceremonial betrothal gift must be exchanged six moon cycles from the announcement of a couple’s…Well…” Fishlegs trailed off nervously.

                “Betrothal?” Asher prompted irritably.

                “Yes!” Fishlegs cried. “Ah, look at me. I’m a wreck. You’d think I was the one 48 hours away from complete disaster, but it’s you—”

                Asher slapped a hand over Fishlegs’s mouth. Fishlegs licked his hand, and Asher cried out in disgust before throwing Fishlegs to the ground.

                “What is wrong with you?” Asher demanded as he straddled the bigger boy.

                “Asher, wait,” Fishlegs groaned. “I can help.”

                Asher’s eyes narrowed, and he got off Fishlegs.

                “Okay,” Fishlegs sighed. “Who knows Hiccup better than I do?”

                “Me,” Asher growled.

                “Good point,” Fishlegs agreed quickly. “Then you know what an amazing gift-giver she is.”

                “Yes,” Asher said, turning and sitting on Fishlegs stomach. “That’s the problem. Hiccup is not your ordinary Viking. She has a Night Fury. She can fly with a suit made of yak hides. She has a sword that ignites on command. And she’s going to be the next Chief of Berk.”

                ‘Really Asher, what makes you think you’re enough for Hiccup?’

                Asher shook his head and glared at the floor as Fishlegs looked stunned.

                “Wow,” Fishlegs said. “Well, when you put it like that, you really are completely—”

                “Hey, guys, I just got a T-mail from Trader Johann, and it didn’t sound good,” Hiccup interrupted as she stuck her head through the doorway. “Can you come up to the clubhouse? Snotlout’s getting the twins.”

                “Sure,” Asher said quickly as Fishlegs gave him a nervous glance. Hiccup looked at them oddly for a moment before walking away.

                Asher sighed and Fishlegs patted him on the back before they followed Hiccup up to the clubhouse. They went to the back of the room as Snotlout and the twins joined them inside as their dragons congregated outside.

                “All the note says is that he needs our help and to come quickly,” Hiccup explained, holding up the scroll.

                “And you immediately wrote him back a big, old ‘No, thank you,’ I assume,” Snotlout replied.

                “Why would I do that?” Hiccup asked.

                “That guy is bad luck, Hiccup,” Snotlout argued. “Last time we got a T-mail from TJ, we almost got caught by the Dragon Hunters after we were drugged into a coma.”

                “Okay,” Hiccup said smoothly. She walked up to Snotlout, and patted him on the shoulder. “Tell you what, Snotlout, you can stay here.”

                “By myself?” Snotlout replied uneasily. Hiccup shrugged and walked over to Toothless. “No, thank you. I’m just saying, this sucks.”

                Hiccup rolled her eyes before biting her lip as she removed her satchel from Toothless’s saddle. She gripped it tightly as she turned to look at Asher.

                “Hey, Asher, can I talk to you for a second?” Hiccup asked nervously.

                “Oh, uh,” Asher stammered. He glanced at the bag in her hand, and his stomach dropped. He quickly backed up toward Stormfly. “Better wait on that. Don’t wanna leave Trader Johann hanging.”

                Hiccup stared as Asher quickly mounted Stormfly and the pair took off into the sky.

                “Uh, what-what’s happening?” Hiccup asked uncertainly.

                “Don’t ask me,” Fishlegs said hurriedly. “He’s your betrothed.”

                “Well, uh…let’s get going,” Hiccup said. She carefully secured the bag back onto the saddle, and Toothless growled at her concerned. She rubbed his head and shrugged before they walked out to join the others.

                They caught up to Stormfly, but to Hiccup’s frustration Asher and his dragon kept swerving and keeping away from her and Toothless.

                “Asher!” Hiccup cried. She started to get angry as Stormfly flapped her wings to fly to the side, and Toothless growled irritably. “Asher!”

                Asher grimaced, and held steady as Toothless pulled up alongside Stormfly. He looked down as the two looked over to them.

                “Asher, will you just keep Stormfly steady for a minute?” Hiccup asked.

                “Sorry,” Asher said, making a show of pulling on the saddle. “She’s feisty today. Must be the excitement to see Trader Johann. She really likes him.”

                Stormfly gasped, and screeched as she looked back at Asher in shock. She growled and pulled ahead of the group.

                “She really…what?” Hiccup questioned. “Since when? Asher!”

                Hiccup looked back at Fishlegs confused, and the boy just shrugged. She looked at Snotlout, and saw he was glaring at Asher’s back. Hiccup sighed, and focused ahead as they headed north.

Northern Markets

                It was strange to be able to walk around the marketplace with their dragons. With no Hunters around, there was no fear of allowing them to walk amongst the stalls. Though to be honest, not many of the stalls were even open to begin with, and the streets were rather empty of both people and wares. They left their dragons in one of the central areas before going to search for Johann.

                “Ugh!” Snotlout grimaced, taking in their surroundings. “Didn’t this stinkhole use to be crowded?”

                 “Oh yeah, definitely,” Tuffnut confirmed. “We’d have been robbed at least three times by now. I miss that charm.”

                With the market being so empty, it didn’t take long to spot Johann at his stall. Toothless yawned and laid out on the ground to nap in the sun as the Riders approached Johann. He greeted them happily and started to explain the situation.

                “Everything from glass trinkets to golden chalices, vanished,” Johann said dramatically. “And the traders? Gone without a trace.”

                “You seem to be okay, Johann,” Hiccup said concerned. “Has anything of yours been taken?”

                “Miss Hiccup, leave it to you to find the silver lining in a dark, mysterious cloud,” Johann said brightly.

                “Yeah, maybe they just packed their stuff up and left,” Snotlout shrugged.  He crossed his arms with a smirk. “You didn't tell them any of your boring stories, did you, Johann?”

               “I assure you, my tales of adventure and revelry are the preeminent part of any weary traveler's day,” Johann replied.

                “Uh...” Ruffnut said awkwardly.

                “Case solved,” Snotlout said jokingly. “Anyone wanna race me to the Edge?”

                “Uh, guys, I don't think this about Johann,” Fishlegs said uneasily.

                “Okay, Fishlegs,” Hiccup said. “What is it about?”

                “The Curse of Tears,” Fishlegs said ominously. 

                Everyone looked at Tuffnut, startled, as he began crying. Ruffnut patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.

                “It's that word,” Ruffnut explained. “Makes him open up like a water spout. Ever since we were kids.”

                “Oh, what word? "Tears"?” Snotlout asked. He snickered as Tuffnut began sobbing loudly.

                “Really?” Ruffnut snapped, glaring at Snotlout.

                “Sorry. Jeez, Louise,” Snotlout scoffed. He smirked. “Tears.” 

                Hiccup sighed and turned to Fishlegs. “Fishlegs, can you explain?”

                “As I was saying, if the Curse of T—” Fishlegs shut his mouth as Ruffnut glared at him. He swallowed before continuing. “If the curse of you-know-what is real, and I am not saying it is, many traders and valuables have fallen victim to it and vanished, never to be heard from again.”

                “Well, I like a good mystery as well as anyone, but I promised Hookfang we could roll in some yak dung back home. So, you can keep your curse,” Snotlout said, pointing to Fishlegs. He then smirked and pointed at Tuffnut. “And you! Tears.”

                Tuffnut started wailing again, making Toothless lift his head up to look at him confused. Hiccup sighed and held up a hand.

               “Hang on. We at least need to check this out,” Hiccup said firmly. “Alright, lets split up and look around. Look for any signs of a struggle.”

                “Asher, you can team up with me,” Fishlegs said quickly. He leaned in towards Asher, and whispered, “What better place to find a gift for the Viking who has everything?”

                “Great idea, Fishlegs,” Ruffnut interjected. “Shopping can be so relaxing.”

                “Therapeutic, even,” Tuffnut said tearily.

                Asher and Fishlegs groaned, but chose not to protest so Hiccup wouldn’t get suspicious. They wandered through the empty stalls, eventually stopping at a weapons stall. The Trader within excitedly got to his feet, and grabbed a spear to show them.

               “This spear is barbed on the top!” The Trader bragged. “So, while the head will slide into the victim, pulling it out is a different story.”

                “And a story I, for one, would love to hear,” Tuffnut said excitedly. “Chapter and verse, please.”

                “Hiccup with a spear. Really?” Asher growled.

                “How about something portable?” Fishlegs suggested.

                “Hmm. Maybe this axe? Made from the neck bone of a dragon,” The Trader offered. He wilted as both Asher and Fishlegs glared at him. “Right. I suppose dragon bone is a no-no.”

                “Not cool,” Tuffnut admonished as they started moving away from the stall.

                “Oh- Ooh! I do now carry a wide array of items. This decorative dish, for example,” The trader said quickly, holding up a golden plate. Asher glared at him, shaking his head, unimpressed. “Uh, how about a real working ball and chain?”

                Tuffnut laughed as the trader held up a ball and chain. “Hiccup can take off her leg. You really think that's gonna hold her?”

                “Alright, alright!” The Trader said hurriedly. He rummaged through his wares, and took out a scroll. He unrolled it on the table revealing a map. “I was reserving this for my most special customer but...”

                “Um, a map? He wants me to get Hiccup a map?” Asher drawled.

                “Ooh, but it's so much more than just a map,” The Trader said mysteriously. “It is told that whoever can decipher it, can find their way to the Treasure of Tears.”

                Tuffnut fell to his knees as he began sobbing as Ruffnut sighed.

                “Curse of Tears, Treasure of Tears!” Fishlegs said excitedly. “Makes sense they'd go together.”

                “For the love of Thor!” Ruffnut snapped. “Have you no soul?! Look at this poor man.”

                “No, and no. A treasure map,” Asher scoffed.

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                “The first thing we have to figure out, is there really a curse? And, if there is, where did it start? Whose curse is it?” Hiccup asked. She glanced at the unattended stall of goods beside them, waiting for Snotlout to answer. When Snotlout didn’t respond she turned to him. “Are you even listening to me?”

                Hiccup gasped as she saw Snotlout holding the medallion for her betrothal gift to Asher in his hand. “Snotlout, where did you get that?”

                “Your saddlebag,” Snotlout teased. “You should be more careful around here. You know what this thing needs?”

                Snotlout wandered over to the stall, and Hiccup kept her eyes on the betrothal gift as she followed him.

                “To be out of your grubby hands?” Hiccup growled.

                “It needs a chain! Then at least Asher can wear the stupid thing. Otherwise, it's just an anchor for a very tiny boat,” Snotlout teased. He positioned the medallion up against a string, making it look like a necklace. “See. Looks nice, right?”

                “Would you give me that?” Hiccup snapped.

                Snotlout laughed as she glared at him. He froze when suddenly a thief snatched the betrothal gift from his hands, catching him by surprise. Hiccup glared at Snotlout, before running after the thief.

                “I'm guessing you want that back,” Snotlout said meekly.

                He quickly ran after Hiccup and Toothless as they chased after the thief. Toothless roared angrily as the man passed under a bridge, and quickly pivoted around a stall to try to lose them. Hiccup quickly turned to follow him with Toothless right beside her.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout cried as he vaulted around the stall.

                “Catch, Amos!” Berthel yelled as he tossed the medallion to another man, who immediately started running.

                “Amos?” Hiccup repeated as they started chasing after the new man. Her eyes widened as she remembered where she had seen the two men before. “Snotlout! Those are the two guys that kidnapped me from Berk for the bounty.”

                “Oh, it is on!” Snotlout yelled angrily.

                Amos pushed past two traders roughly, and continued running towards a man that was waiting up ahead. 

                “Look!” Hiccup gasped. She and the others stopped as it looked like Amos may have passed the gift on to the other Viking, but as he ran the other way, both looked like they could be holding it.

                “Huh?” Snotlout said confused.

                They tried to keep an eye on everyone as the other Viking did a similar looking pass off to another Viking as Berthel and Amos parted with a laugh on the other side of the market.

                “Where'd he go?” Hiccup questioned.

                “Ah! I don't know!” Snotlout snapped. “I lost track of who we were chasing. Agh, I hate being confused!”

                Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless and smirked at Snotlout. “Really? I figured you'd be used to it by now.”

                Snotlout glared at her as Toothless took to the air.

                “Heard that. Hookfang!” Snotlout yelled.

                Toothless flew above the market, and Hiccup scanned the area down below. She heard Hookfang and Snotlout fly up behind them, and kept her focus on the ground. Her eyes widened as she spotted Berthel giving the medallion to Amos before the two men took off in opposite directions.

                “There!” Hiccup said, pointing down to Amos.

                Toothless screeched and dove down to follow Amos into the forest. Toothless and Hookfang glided over the bushes and beneath the branches as they followed the thief. Toothless growled as Amos quickly pivoted around a bush, and Hiccup yelped as Toothless had to duck lower to avoid a low hanging branch. Snotlout ducked under it as well, and laughed. He yelled as another branch caught him in the sternum and threw him off Hookfang.

                “Help! The Curse of Tears is real!” Snotlout screamed.

                Hiccup groaned and rolled her eyes. She focused back on Amos as the man continued running, ducking and dodging around the trees. She lost sight of him as he passed through a thick cluster of bushes, and Toothless quickly powered through. The Night Fury burst out of the forest, Hookfang with Snotlout back on his saddle behind him, and stopped at the sight of an empty beach.

                Hiccup and Snotlout glanced at each other in confusion before taking a closer look at the ground. Spotting some footprints in the grass and sand, Hiccup motioned for the dragons to land. The two riders dismounted, and walked forward to examine the footprints closer. Hiccup hummed as the footprints ended abruptly in the sand, near a cluster of strangely shaped objects.

                “The footprints just stop,” Hiccup said confused. “I mean, he couldn't have just disappeared.”

                “Well, maybe it's the Curse of Tears,” Snotlout said mockingly. “Ooh! Scary.”

                Hiccup knelt in the sand, and took a few of the strange objects in her hand. They loosely resembled tears in shape, and were an opaque, milky blue color.

                “Never seen anything like this...” Hiccup said quietly.

                “Me neither,” Snotlout scoffed. His eyes widened as something big, scaly, and spiked wrapped around his waist. He screamed as he was suddenly yanked down into the sand.

                “No!” Hiccup cried.

                She lunged for Snotlout and managed to grab a hold of his arms. She screamed as she was pulled into the sand after him. Toothless and Hookfang roared, and ran from the grass to the swirling cloud of sand their riders were in.

                “Hiccup! Help!” Snotlout screamed.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup cried. Toothless leapt into the cloud, and managed to get his teeth around Hiccup’s prosthetic before it could sink into the sand.

                “Hang on, bud!” Hiccup grunted as she felt the tug on her leg. She clutched at Snotlout, and gasped as she was jerked forward.

                Toothless fell back on his haunches, stunned as Hiccup’s prosthetic hung out of his mouth. He stared in disbelief as the sand settled with no sign of Hiccup or Snotlout. Hookfang shrieked, and immediately started digging frantically in the sand. He screeched at Toothless fearfully as he found nothing.

                Hiccup and Snotlout screamed as they were pulled further down, sand and rocks buffeted them from all sides. Hiccup heard a snarl before she felt the earth around her disappear and everything went black.

                Hiccup groaned as she came to, and shakily pushed herself up.

                “Where are we?” Hiccup asked.

                “Who cares? Look around you,” Snotlout cried. He laughed as he took in the treasure surrounding them in the dim, sandy cavernous room. He raced over to a pile of coins, and started tossing them into the air. “Gold, silver! Silver, gold. How I love thee to caress and to hold...”

                Snotlout screamed as he picked up the arm of a skeleton. He fell back from the pile, and sighed as the arm fell out of sight. He gasped as he spotted more bones littered throughout the area.

                “Aww, man,” Snotlout scowled. “What is with these bones? They're ruining my treasure pleasure.”

                “Snotlout, it's not your treasure, and from the looks of things, having it didn't help these guys much,” Hiccup snapped. She shakily got on her foot and balanced against a barrel. “We need to worry less about this junk, and figure a way out of here or all the treasure in the world won't help us.”

                Hiccup took a deep breath and let it out as she scanned their surroundings. “Okay, first things first. I need something to replace my leg.”

                “Oh, a leg, you say? I have just the thing,” Snotlout said mischievously. Hiccup yelped as Snotlout pushed her down, and she glared at him as he grabbed a skeletal leg.

                “Snotlout,” Hiccup snapped. “What are you...”

                Hiccup trailed off as she realized he was tying the skeletal leg and foot to her stump. She started babbling and twitching, disgusted as Snotlout lashed it to her leg.

                “Shush, you! There,” Snotlout said. Hiccup held up her leg with its new skeletal prosthetic. “Trust me. He won't miss it. Thank you, dead body.”

                Hiccup got to her feet, and was surprised when the bones were able to hold her weight and keep her steady.

                “I guess I can live with that,” Hiccup said. “Now, we need a plan before that sand thing comes back.”

                Hiccup looked around, and her attention was drawn to a large mound of the same bluish glass-like material as the objects she had found on the beach.

                “Hmm. This stuff is everywhere,” Hiccup commented.

                “No kidding. Look,” Snotlout said, pointing up. Hiccup looked and was surprised to see a hole in the ceiling of the chamber was sealed shut by the material. It was thin enough for the light of the sun to come into the chamber, but was too high for them to reach.

                “Oh, by the way, you also saw the creepy dragon that pulled us down here, right?” Snotlout suddenly asked. He frowned as Hiccup looked at him alarmed.

With the Others

                “And voila!” Tuffnut said dramatically, a blue scarf around his neck and ornate bejeweled club in his hand. “You, my good fellow, are the model of a modern Viking gentleman.”

                He tossed the club to Fishlegs, hitting his new helmet and spinning it on his head. Fishlegs scrambled to catch the club, and held it tight as the helmet stopped spinning. He shifted in the armor he was trying on as Ruffnut approached him.

                “Every Viking leader needs a formal attire am I right?” Ruffnut asked sweetly. She scowled when Fishlegs didn’t answer. “Am I right!?”

                “Yes!” Fishlegs quickly agreed. He groaned as he tried to salute her, and accidentally hit himself in the head with the club.

                “Indubitably,” Tuffnut giggled. He turned to Asher expectantly, and the other boy shook his head disapprovingly. Tuffnut yelled in frustration, and turned to Ruffnut.

                “His fashion sense is dreadful,” Tuffnut said irritably.

                “Uh, just dreadful,” Ruffnut agreed.

                “Scarf exit,” Tuffnut said, throwing the end of his scarf over his shoulder as he started walking away.

                “Time is wasting,” Ruffnut said as she followed him.

                Asher sighed and turned to Fishlegs.

                “Listen, I think we just have to face to the facts, Fishlegs,” Asher said. “There's nothing I can get Hiccup Haddock that she doesn't have, doesn't want, or doesn't need. I'm useless.”

                What could you, a common Viking warrior, possibly give her as a worthy gift?

                Fishlegs felt a heavy wave of sympathy as Asher glared at the ground, and clenched his fists. Before he could say anything, they looked up in alarm as Hookfang came roaring over the stalls with Toothless. He dropped Toothless to the ground, and landed beside him, screeching as Toothless ran to Asher.

                “What is it? What's going on, boy?” Fishlegs asked Hookfang, concerned as the dragon kept growling and shrieking.

                Asher grunted as Toothless jumped behind him and bumped in the back with his head. Toothless screeched as he shoved his head under Asher’s arm.

                “It's Hiccup,” Asher realized. He held Toothless’s head and rubbed him to try to calm him down. “I knew it. Something must have happened to her and Snotlout.”

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                Hiccup and Snotlout carefully tried to crawl up the wall of the chamber they were trapped in. The dirt and sand were loose in several places, and their progress was slow. Hiccup gasped as they hit a loose patch, and they both fell back to the ground. Snotlout screamed as his back hit one of the piles of blue material, and it broke apart.

                “Ow. If you break this stuff, it's really sharp,” Snotlout moaned, pulling a small shard from his thumb. “Ow, ow, ow.”

                “Then don't break it,” Hiccup replied tiredly as they got back on their feet.

                “Little late for that, but thank you,” Snotlout snapped. He gasped as a loud thudding started coming closer. He quickly hid behind Hiccup and peered out fearfully from behind her. “Oh, no. It's back. It's gonna turn us into old dusty bones.”

                “Would you stop whining and get ready to shoot?” Hiccup snapped, grabbing a pair of crossbows and shoving one at Snotlout.

                Snotlout whimpered as he checked that the crossbow was ready to fire before carefully stepping forward beside Hiccup. They approached the source of thudding, and stopped in their tracks as Amos leapt over a chest, an axe held high over his head. He froze in place as he spotted the pair pointing crossbows at him.

                “You,” Snotlout hissed.

                “You!” Amos growled. Hiccup sighed tiredly, and lowered her crossbow.

                “Alright, you two, put those things down. Now!” Hiccup ordered. “If we have any chance of getting out of this place, we all need to work together.”

                “Yeah. Together,” Amos grumbled lowering his axe as Snotlout lowered his crossbow.

                Hiccup gasped when she spotted her betrothal gift tucked into Amos’s belt, and quickly grabbed it.

                “And I'll take that, thank you very much,” Hiccup said irritably.

With the Others

                They followed Hookfang and Toothless to a small beach a short distance away from the markets. Asher frowned as Hookfang ran to a post in the sand, and began digging frantically. Asher and Toothless knelt beside the spot where he was digging, and Toothless growled worriedly.

                “Hiccup!” Ruffnut yelled as she and the others searched the surrounding areas with their dragons beside them.

                Toothless grunted, and kept nodding his head towards the ground.

                “What is it, Toothless?” Asher asked. He sighed in frustration and stood. “I don't understand. Where are they?”

                “Asher,” Fishlegs said fearfully. Asher gasped at seeing Hiccup's leg in Fishlegs’s hand.

                “Woo-hoo! I'll take that. Wow!” Tuffnut said, snatching the leg from Fishlegs. He froze when Asher glared at him. “What? It's mine. Hiccup willed it to me. She said if anything ever happened to her, the leg was to be bequeathed to one Tuffnut LaVerne Thorston.”

                Asher stomped forward and grabbed the leg from Tuffnut.

                “Oh, you want this? You want it? Oh, I'll give it to you,” Asher growled as Tuffnut looked at him nervously. “Come on. Say it. Say you want it. Say it. Or should I say it? Tears! Tears, tears, tears.”

                “Ah! No, no, no!” Tuffnut wailed, collapsing in a pool of tears.

                “What's wrong with you?” Ruffnut snapped. “It's not his fault Hiccup's gone. Why do you have to be so mean? Look at him! He's just a baby.”

                Asher held Hiccup’s leg so tightly he thought the skin of his palm would crack. He took a deep breath as Ruffnut knelt beside her crying brother, and let it out.

                “I'm sorry, Tuff,” Asher said regretfully. “I-I don't know what came over me. I think I'm just...”

                “You leave him be!” Ruffnut cried. She put a comforting hand on Tuffnut’s shoulder as he rocked back and forth on the ground, sucking his thumb. “Hey. What do you say we look at our new map, bro? Would that make you feel better?”

                “Wait. What map?” Fishlegs asked. Ruffnut grinned, and held up the map that the trader had been trying to sell them earlier.

                “You bought that?” Asher questioned.

                “It's not like we had a choice,” Ruffnut replied. “It's got two words we love beyond... Well, words. ‘Treasure’ and uh, you know...”

                Toothless started screeching and digging in the sand a short distance away from Hookfang. Fishlegs walked over to him, and Toothless stepped back, growling and nodding his head to the sand. Fishlegs’s eyes widened, and he knelt to pick up and examine a small bluish tear.

                “Asher, I hate to admit it, but these rocks look a lot like—" Fishlegs said nervously.

                “Don't say it,” Ruffnut warned as helped her brother onto his feet.

                Fishlegs dragged a finger down his cheek as he mouthed the word tears. His efforts were in vain as Tuffnut started crying again.

                “Oh, come on!” Fishlegs said exasperated. “I didn't even say it.”

                “Well, I'm out of ideas,” Asher sighed, snatching the map from Ruffnut. “Might as well give this thing a shot.”

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                The three humans searched everywhere in the chamber for a way out, but everything was blocked off and the walls continued to be too unstable to climb. Hiccup sighed tiredly as her efforts to try climbing again failed.

                “Nothing but dead ends,” Hiccup groaned. “I don't think we're getting outta here anytime soon.”

                “Great,” Snotlout scowled. “I'm finally rich, and I don't even get to enjoy my vast fortune. Thanks to Amos the Lamest over here.”

                “If you hadn't chased me, we wouldn't be down here in the first place, “Amos snapped.

                “What? If you hadn't stolen from me, we wouldn't have had to chase you,” Hiccup replied.

                “Well, I guess we can call it even,” Amos replied dismissively.

                “No, we can't,” Hiccup said exasperated. “That's not even kind of even.”

                Snotlout turned as a faint sound came from behind him. He gasped as he spotted a large shape moving along the shadows of the wall.

                “Guys, guys,” Snotlout interjected. “You might wanna save this discussion for later.”

                Hiccup and Amos turned and froze as the creature came into view. It was a medium-sized dragon with a long, snake-like body and a large head. Its eyes were small, and its neck, back, and long tail were lined with sharp rows of spikes. It walked on four legs, each ending with three claws. Its wings were tucked in close to its body, and each one had two sharp claws.

                “Okay, nobody...” Hiccup said slowly. She gasped as Amos took off running. “Amos, no!”

                The dragon roared, and blasted a bright ball of fire. The ball hit the sandy ground, and ricocheted towards Amos. Hiccup ran for the man, and tackled him out of the way. She looked at the ground where it had first impacted, and her eyes widened as she saw the blue material coating the area.

                The blast hit the wall and bounced towards Snotlout who screamed and panicked, grabbing around him for something to use. His hands grasped a shield, and he quickly held it up in front of him. The blast hit the shield, and coated the surface of it with the blue, glasslike substance. Snotlout gasped as he opened his eyes, and saw spikes of the material coming around the sides of the shield.

                Amos whimpered and made to stand, but Hiccup quickly pulled him back down.

                “It thinks you're trying to steal its treasure. Don't move,” Hiccup warned. She gasped as the dragon roared and fired another blast. It ricocheted off the ground and headed right for them. “Okay, now move! Run!”

                Hiccup screamed as she and Amos ran across the cavern, more blasts generating the blue glass behind them. Hiccup and Amos abruptly stopped as a column of the glass appeared in front of them, twisting in grotesque shapes.

                “Oh,” Hiccup groaned. She jumped and started running again as the dragon roared and came around the column towards her and Amos. “Take cover!”

                Snotlout screamed as the dragon’s tail whipped behind it as it turned to follow Hiccup and Amos. He raised the shield in time to block the tail and grunted as he was knocked back. A crossbow fell next to him as he knocked into a barrel, and it fired into the air.

                The bolt pierced through one of the glass coverings above, and a beam of sunlight streamed down into the chamber. The light hit the dragon on the back, and its green scales began to turn red with an angry hiss. The dragon roared in pain, and Hiccup turned when she heard it stop following them. Hiccup watched as the dragon twisted its body away from the light and leapt for the wall. The dragons quickly dug into the sandy earth and soon disappeared.

                “Huh. Did you guys see that?” Snotlout asked excitedly holding up the crossbow.

                “It's the light,” Hiccup realized. “It can't be in direct sunlight.”

                “Maybe that's why he patched the holes in the roof,” Amos suggested.

                “Maybe,” Hiccup mused.

                “No ‘Thank you. Nice going, Snotlout.’? Nothing?”” Snotlout asked pointedly.

                “Oh, shut up, Snotlout,” Amos said irritably.

With the Others

                Asher and Toothless led the way as they walked through the forest. Asher studied the map in his hands, keeping his focus on deciphering it as the others scanned the forest around them. After some time, Tuffnut loudly sighed.

                “Alright, look, Asher,” Tuffnut said. “We'll give up the...”

                “The what?” Asher asked.

                “You know. The…Those we can live without,” Tuffnut said, stopping himself in time to not cry. “But the treasure? That's gotta be ours. We earned that treasure. I earned that treasure.”

                “If this works, you can have all the treasure you want. But if it doesn't, you know what's coming,” Asher growled.

                “Uh, what do you say we stray from going down that dark road again, Asher?” Ruffnut asked pointedly.

                “Yeah. I'm not sure I have any... Well, you know, left to cry,” Tuffnut said uneasily.

                Asher hummed as he looked at a point ahead on the ground. He looked down at the map in his hand, and felt hope as it appeared to match the red x mark on the map.

                “Do you see that?” Asher asked as Toothless growled hopefully. “Hiccup.”

                Asher ran ahead with Toothless and Stormfly beside him. Fishlegs grunted as Hookfang pushed past him, and stared running after them.

                “Asher!” Fishlegs cried as he moved to follow them. The twins looked at each other, and shrugged before following.

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                Hiccup’s head snapped up from the pile of treasure she was sifting through. She strained to listen as she heard faint dragon screeching,

                “We're gonna die,” Snotlout groaned.

                “Shh. Do you hear that?” Hiccup asked. She looked up at the covered hole above them. “It came from outside.”

With the Others

                “Come on, boy,” Asher said eagerly as he ran beside Toothless. “If this map is real, we need to get there soon.”

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                “Alright, lift me up,” Hiccup told Snotlout and Amos. “If someone's out there, we need to make sure they can see us.”

                Snotlout and Amos cupped their hands, and Hiccup stepped up onto them. The two of them grunted as they lifted Hiccup up towards the ceiling.

With the Others

                Asher stopped beside a hole in the ground and peered in with Toothless popping his head in beside him.

                “Is she in there?” Fishlegs asked.

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                “Is anyone out there?” Snotlout asked.

                Hiccup stared up, trying to peer through the opaque glass and bright sunlight streaming through the hole.

“No,” Hiccup and Asher sighed, disappointed.

With the Others

                “Looks like we're not the only ones who got fooled by this map,” Asher said angrily, turning away from the filled hole. He glared at the other holes in the rocky ground around them, the evidence of others trying to find the treasure.

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                “Looks like we're on our own,” Hiccup said softly.

                The two men lowered her back down, and went back to searching through the piles of treasure and materials for something to aid in either their defense or escape. After some searching, Snotlout ducked as Amos threw a small knife over his head. He growled as he had to duck again when Amos shrieked and threw a skeletal arm away. Snotlout looked over his shoulder and scowled as he saw Hiccup still staring at the covered holes in the ceiling.

                “You know, staring at that thing isn't gonna suddenly help us get out of here,” Snotlout snapped.

                “Hey, you have a better idea for whenever that sand-busting thing comes back?” Hiccup asked.

                “Sandbuster. That's a good name,” Snotlout said cheerfully. He shrugged when Hiccup glared at him. “I was just trying to help.”

                “Oh, you couldn't have gotten sucked down with your dragons, could ya?” Amos whined. “Could've flown right out of here. But no!”

                “Why do you even talk?” Snotlout asked.

                “It's how I voice my displeasure,” Amos replied. “And I'm gonna die with freedom just beyond that hole.”

                “The hole,” Hiccup mused. “Yes. That's our way out.”

                “Oh. How do you plan on getting to it?” Amos asked with a laugh.

                “Yeah, I mean, the idiot does have a point,” Snotlout groused. “We can't even reach it.”

                “Then we'll bring it to us,” Hiccup said determinedly. “You two start stacking this junk. Build a tower, as high as it'll go.”

                “It'll never reach, and it'll never hold,” Amos disagreed.

                “Oh, just do it,” Hiccup said firmly.

                “And what are you gonna do?” Snotlout asked.

                “Build a cage to trap the Sandbuster when he comes back,” Hiccup said, reaching down to grab a plank of wood and a large bent nail.

                Amos nudged Snotlout as they watched her start gathering junk, and Snotlout shrugged.

                “I don't know,” Snotlout grumbled. “Just do what she says. She's always right, so there's really no point.”

                “What was that, Snotlout?” Hiccup called back.

                “You're like a ray of light,” Snotlout said hurriedly. “Lighting my way. Super-shiny… Never mind.”

                “Yeah, yeah,” Hiccup said dismissively. “Uh-huh.”

With the Others

                Asher sat on the edge of the ridge they had ended up at, studying the map in his hands intensely. His grip on the edges tightened as despite his examination, no new ideas on where to search came to him.

                “She's out there, Asher,” Fishlegs said hopefully. “Somewhere. And we're gonna find her. Meatlug and I won't stop looking until we do. Right, girl?”

                Meatlug growled enthusiastically as Tuffnut sat down and rocked back and forth as he sobbed. Fishlegs stared at them confused as Ruffnut scowled.

                “Bro, it's like tear,” Ruffnut said. “It's spelled the same way. Tear, Tear, no?” She sighed as Tuffnut continued to sob. “Okay. Alright. calm down.”

                “Wait a minute...” Asher said slowly. He got to his feet, and held the map towards Fishlegs.

                “Fishlegs, what do you see here?” Asher asked.

                “A good reason to throw the twins into our volcano?” Fishlegs suggested.

                “No. Look,” Asher said, grabbing Fishlegs to bring his attention to the map. “This helmet in the corner, it looks just like that mountain peak over there.”

                Fishlegs looked at the marking on the map and the mountain that Asher pointed out. He bit his lip as Asher continued examining the map.

                “Asher, I know you want this to—” Fishlegs said sympathetically.

                “And these axes right here?” Asher said hurriedly, pointing to a symbol of crossed axes. He lifted the corner of the map to reveal crossed trees in the same place. “They line up, too. These are all landmarks. All around us. When you line up the map, look what happens.”

                He put his finger on the marking of the crying eye, and removed the map from behind it. He grinned as his finger was now pointing at the sand of the beach.

                “Come on,” Asher said fiercely. “We're going to get Hiccup.”

With Hiccup and Snotlout

                Snotlout and Amos stared up at the tower of junk they had created. It was very tall, almost enough to reach the ceiling, and it creaked ominously as it shifted.

                “You don't really think this thing is gonna hold?” Amos asked.

                “As long as we get Hiccup to climb it,” Snotlout replied. “It'll hold her scrawny butt, no problem.”

                Snotlout turned to Hiccup as she pulled down on a rope, grunting with effort.

                “I thought you said you were building a cage,” Snotlout said pointedly.

                “Yes, Snotlout. I did,” Hiccup replied, bending over to tie the rope around a wooden beam.

                “Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but don't cages have, I don't know, locks, bars, and walls?” Snotlout questioned.

                “Trust me. This is going to work,” Hiccup said confidently. “Now, let's get up that tower. Did you make sure it was sturdy?”

                “Snotlout said—” Amos started.

                “It's fine, it's fine, it's fine,” Snotlout interrupted him.

                Hiccup nodded, and took a deep breath before taking her first step up onto the tower of junk. She carefully climbed up a couple feet before pausing as she heard and felt something shift. She scowled down at Snotlout who grinned and gave her a thumbs up. He screamed as the Sandbuster crashed through the wall, and ran towards him and Amos.

                “Sandbuster, Sandbuster!” Snotlout cried, ducking behind Amos.

                “No, don't!” Amos screamed as Snotlout pushed him towards the dragon.

                Both men turned and ran for the tower as the dragon came after them. They started climbing, and the tower creaked beneath the added weight. Hiccup looked down, and gasped as the Sandbuster climbed up and around the tower. She jumped from the tower as its head came around to try and bite her.

                “Hiccup!” Snotlout yelled.

                Hiccup landed on the end of a wooden plank. As she did, the wood moved down, and launched a rock from the other end. The rock flew, and crashed through the glass covering above. A ray of sunshine shone down into the chamber, and the Sandbuster screeched as it backed away from the light.

                Hiccup laughed, and jumped to the next plank. The same thing happened, and another hole was made in the ceiling. Hiccup continued to jump and fire rocks into the glass above until the Sandbuster was trapped within the beams of sunlight. Hiccup jumped from the last plank and nodded as the Sandbuster screeched, unable to move as beams of light surrounded it. She grinned as she turned to face Snotlout and Amos, still clinging to the tower.

                “See? Cage,” Hiccup said brightly.

                “You wasn't lying. She is always right,” Amos said amazed.

                “Shut up, Amos,” Snotlout grumbled.

                “Now, for our exit,” Hiccup said. She ran back over to the tower and started climbing up. She quickly made it up with Snotlout and Amos just behind her.

                The Sandbuster roared and fired a blast at one of the holes. A thick covering of new opaque glass covered the opening, sealing the light away. It continued to fire until most of the holes in the ceiling were covered. The dragon charged at the tower, and rammed headfirst into the structure.

                “Oh, no,” Hiccup gasped as the tower swayed. She reached for the ceiling, but the tower buckled and collapsed beneath them before she could reach it. “No!”

                The three of them screamed as they fell to the ground. Hiccup grunted as she hit the floor, and turned her head as she heard a clinking sound. Her eyes widened as she saw her betrothal gift rolling across the ground, and stopping beneath the Sandbuster.

                “Hey, don't you touch that,” Hiccup warned as the dragon looked between its legs at the medallion. “It is a gift.”

                “Oh, yeah, I'm sure he really cares about that,” Snotlout scowled. Everyone scrambled as the dragon roared, and Snotlout grabbed the hilt of a sword from a barrel of weapons. He staggered to his feet, surprised at the weight of the blade in his hands. He lunged forward, swinging the blade over his head at the Sandbuster. “Snotlout! Gotcha!”

                Snotlout grunted as he misjudged the weight of the sword, and he fell forward to sprawl on the ground as he swung.

                “Hiccup!” Snotlout yelled as the Sandbuster drew closer.

                Hiccup spotted a circle of light on the ground behind the Sandbuster. She followed the ray of light to see a small hole in the glass above. Hiccup smirked and ran for the dragon.

                “Hiccup, what are you...” Snotlout screamed, as he got back on his feet and struggled with the sword. He trailed off as Hiccup dropped and slid under the dragon with a grunt, grabbing her betrothal gift as she did.

                “Yes!” Hiccup cheered. She held the medallion in her hands, and used it to reflect the beam of light at the Sandbuster. The dragon shrieked in pain as its skin burned.

                “...doing? Nice job!” Snotlout said. He swung the sword to rest on his shoulder, but misjudged the weight again and fell back to the ground.

                “You guys run. I'll keep it busy,” Hiccup said as she continued to direct the stream of light at the dragon. She continually shifted the medallion so the dragon couldn’t do anything other than try to avoid it. The dragon got desperate, and started to try to lunge for her.

                “Right. Sounds good to me,” Amos agreed.

                “Stand down, Amos the Lamest,” Snotlout snapped, grabbing the man by the collar. “We're not going anywhere without that girl. Got it?”

                “Then we're all gonna die where we stand!” Amos said desperately.

                The glass covering the hole above them shattered and loud screeching filled the chamber. Hiccup covered her head from the falling shards as the Sandbuster looked up in alarm.

                Toothless roared as he dove into the chamber, Asher on his back, and the other dragons following close behind. Toothless and Meatlug fired blasts at the Sandbuster, making it back away from Hiccup and the others. Toothless growled at the other dragon, and fired another blast to back it up against the wall.

                “You were saying?” Hiccup asked happily relieved as she took cover with Amos and Snotlout behind a large barrel and crate. She cheered as Toothless, Stormfly, and Meatlug drove the Sandbuster away. She reached up as Toothless soared towards them, and grinned as Asher pulled her up onto the saddle. “Woo-hoo!”

                “Hookfang!” Snotlout screeched as his dragon grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up towards the hole in the ceiling.

                “No, no, no!” Amos said as Barf and Belch snatched him up.

                Hiccup laughed and hugged Asher tightly as they soared out into the open air and sighed as she felt the sun on her face.

Later

                The Dragon Riders made their way back to the Northern Markets, and Hiccup and Snotlout told their tale as they made their way to Johann’s stall. Asher held onto Hiccup’s hand until Toothless shoved himself between them so he could rub against her as Hiccup laughed. They reached Johann, and the trader was stunned to hear the cause of the disappearances. He quickly went to send a message to the other traders to warn them of the danger before returning to the Dragon Riders.

                “I must say, Miss Hiccup, you and your team always seem to right the wrongs in this mad, mad world,” Johann said admiringly. “With the vicious Sandbuster beach closed to incoming traffic, the flow of commerce can, once again, commence. And, speaking of commerce, Master Snotlout, I've been admiring your bejeweled weapon. Simply dazzling.”

                “Save it, Johann. It's not for sale,” Snotlout said firmly. Hiccup’s eyes caught on the jeweled hilt of the blade before Tuffnut crying again distracted her.

                “Just start with the T,” Ruffnut said encouragingly. “A little t... Just a little...” She trailed off and quickly started patting him on the shoulder as he cried harder. “Oh. Okay, okay.”

                “And with that, I bid you adieu,” Johann said dramatically.

                As Johann walked away, Hiccup turned to Asher. She reached down into her bag, and grasped the medallion, now on a chain that Johann had gifted her for their help.

                “Asher...” Hiccup said quietly.

                “Um, I need to check on Stormfly,” Asher said quickly. He turned to walk away, and froze as Hiccup grabbed his arm.

                “No, no, you don't,” Hiccup said.

                “I don't?” Asher asked nervously.

                “No. You need to stand right here and take this in,” Hiccup said excitedly. She reached into her bag and took the betrothal gift in hand. Asher’s eyes widened as she held up the medallion on the chain.

                “This was my father's betrothal gift to my mother,” Hiccup said. Asher couldn’t help but grin as Hiccup put the necklace around his neck. “Um, and he gave it to me, to give to you.”

                Hiccup felt encouraged as Asher held the medallion in his hands, and stepped closer to wrap her hands around his.

                “Asher, you're a part of our family. You always have been, and I hope you always will be,” Hiccup said softly. Asher sighed and Hiccup stammered nervously. “Okay. If you don't like it—"

                “Hiccup, I... It's beautiful. It's perfect,” Asher assured her. He looked down, and couldn’t meet her eyes. “It's just... I didn't get you a gift. I don't know what to get, or...”

                He trailed off, and Hiccup stared at him for a moment before squeezing his hands.

                “But you did. Asher, you got me the greatest gift in the world,” Hiccup insisted. “You. You, just being here with me. It's the only gift I need.”

                Asher hugged her tightly and let out a shaky sigh of relief. Hiccup held him before looking up as Snotlout started swinging his new sword wildly.

                “En garde!” Snotlout cried. He swung the blade, and it flew from his hands towards her and Asher.

                “Hey, watch it!” Hiccup snapped, quickly pulling Asher to the side as the sword landed, its blade sinking into the ground. Hiccup glanced at the blade before freezing. “Wait a minute.”

                “What is it?” Asher asked as Hiccup walked over to the sword.

                “I thought I recognized that sword,” Hiccup said, stunned. She ran her hand over the hilt and the blood red rubies. “That's not just any old sword. That's...”

                “Viggo's,” Asher gasped. “But if his sword is here...”

                “Who brought it here?” Hiccup questioned.

Dragon’s Edge

                Snotlout scowled as he stomped his way to Hiccup’s hut. After she recognized the sword as Viggo’s she had taken it herself, and refused to give it back to him.

                “Stupid, skinny twig can’t even swing the damn thing,” Snotlout grumbled. He knocked loudly on Hiccup’s door. “Hey Hiccup! You better be decent cause I’m coming in.”

                Snotlout flung open the door, and Hiccup turned away from her worktable to scowl at him. Snotlout smirked as he saw the sword on the table, and swaggered over.

                “So, find any secrets in Viggo’s sword?” Snotlout teased.

                Hiccup didn’t reply and just turned back to glare at the blade.

                “Yeesh, who peed in your yak milk?” Snotlout jabbed. Hiccup didn’t even move, and Snotlout looked up as Toothless growled worriedly from the second floor. Snotlout leaned against the table next to Hiccup. “Hey, what’s going on?”

                “Nothing, Snotlout,” Hiccup replied.

                “Yeah, cause you’re clearly in a fantastic mood,” Snotlout said dryly. “Come on, what is it? Did Asher not like your betrothal gift?”

                Hiccup stiffened and shot him a glare.

                “No, he loved it,” Hiccup protested. She smiled and glanced down. “He wore it until he went to his hut, and we said good night.”

                “So…did you not like the gift he gave you?” Snotlout teased. Hiccup stiffened, and Snotlout snickered. “Oh, my Thor. What did he get you? A pocketknife? No, you would find that useful…Oh, I know, another dress!”

                Snotlout laughed, but it quickly died off as Hiccup’s shoulders hunched around her ears. He leaned in closer, and Hiccup turned her head away from him.

                “Hey,” Snotlout said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What happened?”

                Hiccup was very quiet before she answered.

                “He didn’t get me a gift,” Hiccup said roughly. She looked back down at the sword, and Snotlout could see how wet her eyes were in her reflection on the blade. “He said he couldn’t think of anything to get me.”

                “What?!” Snotlout snapped. “Asher didn’t give you a betrothal gift!”

                Snotlout reached for the blade, and Hiccup grabbed his wrist.

                “Snotlout,” Hiccup said firmly. “It’s okay. I don’t need a gift.”

                “No!” Snotlout said heatedly. “That is not okay, Hiccup! Asher, the boy who says he loves you, couldn’t think of one damn thing to give you as a present for your betrothal.”

                “Snotlout, I don’t need a gift,” Hiccup said tiredly. She sighed and turned to lean back on the table. “I love him, and he loves me. That’s all I need.”

                Snotlout clenched his fists and shook his head.

                “Hiccup, you know what this means,” Snotlout said angrily. “It means you promised yourself to him, but he hasn’t done the same for you. I mean…how could he not think of anything?!”

                Hiccup bit her lip, and Toothless jumped down from the second floor to sit beside her. He growled worriedly and rubbed his head against hers. Hiccup buried her head against his, and Snotlout didn’t comment when Toothless’s head was a little wet when she pulled away.

                “I’ll be okay, Snotlout,” Hiccup said quietly. “You don’t have to go starting a fight over this.”

                “Hiccup—” Snotlout growled.

                “Please, Snotlout,” Hiccup said softly.

                Snotlout took a deep breath, and surprised Hiccup by hugging her tightly. Snotlout held her close, as she hugged him back and took a shaky breath.

                “Fine,” Snotlout said angrily. “I won’t say anything. Not unless, he fucks up big time again.”

                Hiccup sighed against him, and Snotlout held his cousin close, wanting nothing more than to be able to knock the teeth out of the man she loved.

Chapter Text

                The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon as the Dragon Riders made their way to Berserker Island. They had been surprised to receive a Terror Mail from Dagur inviting them to join them and their reestablished tribe for a special ceremony.

                “The Berserkers cordially invite you to be their honored guests at the inaugural Berserker Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony,” Fishlegs read from the letter. He gasped excitedly. “Guys, Berserker Island. I’m so excited to see where Heather comes from.”

                “And Dagur,” Hiccup added. “You know, they say you can learn a lot about people by tracing their place of origin.”

                “Legend has it the old Nut family tree originated with the wild albino snow monkeys of the Northern Territories,” Tuffnut said loftily. He scowled as Ruffnut started imitating monkey sounds.

                “Look, guys,” Ruffnut said jokingly. “I’m a monkey.”

                “Case in point,” Asher said dryly.

                “I’m just excited for the party,” Ruffnut said cheerfully. “Nothing like a good graduation celebration.”

                Tuffnut looked at her confused, knowing they had never had a graduation party since they never graduated from anything,

                “I’ve crashed my fair share,” Ruffnut explained. Tuffnut grinned and the two of them started monkey noises again.

                Fishlegs gasped as Snotlout snatched the letter from his hand as Hookfang flew overhead.

                “You dragged us out of bed for this?” Snotlout scoffed.

                “You’re just mad because Dagur doesn’t like you,” Fishlegs said pointedly.

                “He likes me, Fishface,” Snotlout refuted.

                “Yeah, Fishlegs,” Asher smirked.

                “Thank you, Asher,” Snotlout growled irritably.

                “I mean you can’t dislike someone you don’t know is alive,” Asher joked.

                “Shut up, Asher,” Snotlout snapped.

                “Now, guys,” Hiccup said warningly. “This is the first time we’ve ever been asked to Berserker Island.”

                “So?” Snotlout scowled. Hiccup glanced at Asher, and gave Snotlout a pleading look. Snotlout scoffed, but looked away from Asher.

                “So, no matter how weird or berserky it gets, just try to stay calm,” Hiccup said steadily.

                “Why would anyone stay calm on Berserker Island?” Tuffnut asked. “Doesn’t make any sense.”

                It wasn’t much longer before they were approaching Berserker Island. It was similar in size to Berk, dominated by the tall spire like mountain that reached up into the sky. Forests dominated the flatter terrain, and sea stacks littered the waters around it. They flew in lower to pass amongst them, spotting manned catapults along the tops of some of the stacks. The men let them pass without issue, and they spotted the bridge that Dagur had directed them to enter by. They landed their dragons on the grass just beyond the end of the bridge, and dismounted to start walking across.

                The stone and wood bridge was guarded at the end by a Viking sitting at a table. He was currently occupied with sleeping as he leaned back against the stone wall, snoring loudly. The man sighed as he awoke to their footsteps coming across, and quickly stood up. He tiredly grabbed a sheet of parchment from the table.

                “Welcome to Berserker Island, where dreams become realities,” The Viking said boredly. “Name?”

                “Haddock, H-Hiccup,” Hiccup stammered, a little thrown by how…dull the Berserker Viking was.

                “And Hofferson, Asher,” Asher added.

                “We’re here for the ceremony,” Hiccup said helpfully.

                “Did not ask you that,” The man droned. “Next?”

                “Ingerman, Fishlegs,” Fishlegs said. He grunted as Snotlout shoved past him.

                “Jorgenson, Snotlout Gary,” Snotlout said proudly, moving to march past the man.

                “Hold it,” The man said as he examined his list. He grabbed Snotlout by the collar, and lifted him up to place him back on the bridge. “Not on the list.”

                “What?” Snotlout snapped.

                “Oh no, it has to be on the list,” Hiccup insisted. “Can you look again?”

                “Only Jorgenson I see is Snot-hat,” The man drawled.

                The Dragon Riders burst out into laughter as Snotlout growled angrily.

                “That’s not my name!” Snotlout snapped, pulling back his fist.

                “Little sister!”

                They looked up to see Dagur and Heather descending towards them on their dragons.

                “You all made it!” Heather said happily.

                “Stand down, guard,” Dagur ordered. “They’re on my personal guest list.”

                “Yes, Chief,” The man said with a slow salute to Dagur.

                The two Berserkers landed their dragons, and dismounted to approach the riders.

                “You hear that, H? Chief!” Dagur laughed. He grinned as he put his hands on Hiccup’s shoulders. “Any problems getting here?”

                “No, it was an easy trip,” Asher replied as he nodded to Heather. Heather nodded back before moving to hug Hiccup.

                “Right up until the time that my name wasn’t on the list,” Snotlout spat.

                “It wasn’t?” Dagur asked mockingly. He grinned at Hiccup before moving towards Snotlout and the guard. “Oh, heavens.”

                “No, no it was,” Hiccup interjected humorously. “It was just a slight—”

                The guard whispered the name on the sheet to Dagur as he took the parchment. Dagur tried to contain his laughter, but didn’t quite manage to do so.

                “I’m so sorry,” Dagur said, clearing his throat. “I’m usually dead on with remembering names, Snot-pocket.” He ignored Snotlout’s snarling, and handed the parchment back to the guard. “They are all more than welcome on our little slice of Berserkedness. You too, Snot-lip.”

                Snotlout grunted ad Dagur clapped him on the back, and scowled as Fishlegs and the twins passed him to follow Dagur.

                “Snot-lip,” Snotlout muttered angrily. “You too, Dag-fart.”

                Dagur invited them to bring their dragons over, and as the dragons crossed or flew over the bridge to join them, Hiccup caught him looking expectantly at the flock before his shoulders lowered in disappointment.

                “Dagur?” Hiccup questioned.

                “Oh, uh, it’s nothing, Hiccup,” Dagur said softly. He rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed. “I was just kinda hoping Shattermaster would’ve come with you.”

                “Oh,” Hiccup said sadly. She exchanged a look with Fishlegs, and sighed. “He’s still not well enough to make the long flight.”

                “But he is recovering nicely,” Fishlegs said optimistically. “I know he misses you, and as soon as he is able to, we’ll bring him over.”

                “Thank you,” Dagur said sincerely. “I know that he won’t exactly be my dragon partner anymore, what with the war wound and all, but I still want to make sure he’s taken care of.”

                Hiccup rubbed his shoulder sympathetically, and Dagur smiled as Sleuther nudged him.

                “I’m glad to see Sleuther seems to be doing well,” Hiccup said brightly. The Triple Styrke screeched at her and at Toothless who growled back.

                “Yeah, he fits right in,” Dagur said happily. He mounted his dragon and everyone else did the same before they took to the air. They flew over the island as Dagur started giving them a tour.

                “As you will undoubtedly see for yourselves, the Berserker landscape is only outdone in its majesty by the Berserker people,” Dagur said proudly.

                Hiccup glanced down at the Vikings below, and froze as she spotted a familiar face amongst the group.

                “Hey, Dagur,” Hiccup said nervously. “Is that Savage?”

                “Yep, yep,” Dagur confirmed. “Got the band back together. Yo, Savage!”

                “Well, look who it is!” Savage said brightly, waving up to them.

                Hiccup exchanged looks with Asher and Snotlout who looked none too pleased to see the man. After all, the last time they had seen him he had been trying to take Hiccup to collect on Viggo’s bounty.

                They were distracted as they soared over the top of a ridge on the mountain, and the dragons started growling uneasily. They started shaking their heads in distress, bucking and jerking beneath their riders.

                “Whoa, whoa!” Hiccup grunted as she tried to calm Toothless. “Easy, bud. Easy, bud.”

                “Yeah, our dragons have been having a little trouble adjusting,” Heather acknowledged as Windshear shook beneath her.

                “Yeah,” Dagur agreed as he kept a firm grip on Sleuther. “Had to build the stables high up over the village.”

                He pointed up to a familiar looking building on a ridge high above.

                “They look very familiar,” Asher said pointedly.

                “We may have stolen…” Dagur coughed. “Borrowed the plans from you, but having them way up there keeps the dragons much calmer.”

                “That’s odd,” Fishlegs said confused. “Dragons are normally very adaptive creatures.”

                “Maybe they’re just reacting to living amongst all the crazy Berserkedness!” Tuffnut said wildly as they soared up to the stables. Hiccup saw that the Berserker siblings had followed their design to the letter, the only exception being the purple dragon on the top.

                They landed in the open clearing in front of the stables, and the Dragon Riders dismounted to check on their dragons while Dagur and Heather went to open the doors. Toothless purred as Hiccup scratched his chin as she held his head, happily following her as she backed towards the stables.

                “They seem fine now,” Hiccup said relieved.

                “Weird, right?” Fishlegs asked nervously.

                “Definitely,” Hiccup agreed.

                Snotlout approached Dagur as the young man stood in the doorway of the stables. Dager was leaning his forehead against Sleuther’s head, scratching his chin as the dragon purred.

                “So, Dagster,” Snotlout chuckled.

                “Dagur,” Dagur said shortly, turning to stare hard at the boy as Sleuther growled. “It’s Da-gur. No S, no T.”

                “Yeah, no, no. I know,” Snotlout said quickly. “I was just, um…”

                He stopped as Sleuther growled, and clicked his claws as his tail rose up over his head with a rattle.

                “Uh, so Dagur,” Snotlout said nervously, taking a step back. “The Berserker Apprentice Program. What’s up with that? Why would you want to be an apprentice? Answer all my questions.”

                Dagur pinched the bridge of his nose as he let out an annoyed sigh. He put his hand out in front of Sleuther as the dragon continued to growl at Snotlout before gesturing inside the stable.

                “It’s not just an apprentice, Snot-hole,” Dagur said as Sleuther went inside. “It’s the apprentice. A Berserker apprentice. We spent months combing the region for the baddest, smartest, craziest Viking in and outside the archipelago.”

                “You did?” Snotlout asked.

                “Oh, yeah,” Dagur said proudly. “And who’d have thought the candidate would be right in our neighbor’s backyard the whole time?”

                “Really? Do we know him?” Snotlout asked.

                “Do you know him?” Dagur repeated giving Snotlout a playful nudge. “Come on out, boy! Reveal yourself and your many skills and talents!”

                The Dragon Riders watched with interest as Dagur stood proudly in front of the stables.

                “The first Berserker apprentice to ever grace this crazy land. I present to you…” Dagur announced, stepping to the side. The Dragon Riders eyes widened as a very familiar Monstrous Nightmare and his rider emerged from the stables.

                “Gustav,” Gustav said proudly.

                “Gustav?” Hiccup gasped as Toothless shrieked beside her.

                “Gustav,” Dagur announced.

                “The super Berserker apprentice,” Gustav said smugly. He grinned beneath the Berserker style helmet on his head, and winked at Hiccup.

                “What?” Snotlout cried.

                “Let’s let the dragons settle inside the stables, and talk over there,” Dagur said, pointing to a grassy flat area between the stables and the trees lining the edge of the ridge.

                The Dragon Riders exchanged stunned, confused, and horrified looks as they took their dragons into the stables. Once they were settled in, they joined Dagur and Gustav at the side of the building. Hiccup smiled happily as Fishlegs joined Heather, and the two exchanged warm looks.

                “So…” Hiccup said expectantly, turning to Dagur and Gustav.

                “Turns out, some people truly understand the value of the Guster and relish the qualities he brings to an apprenticeship program,” Gustav said smugly. “It’s like I was born to be Berserk.”

                “Up high,” Dagur said, holding his hand up. Gustav grinned as he slapped his own hand to Dagur’s palm. “Down low.”

                Hiccup shook her head, and Snotlout stared as the two went through an elaborate hand shake together.

                “I don’t understand,” Snotlout said.

                “I didn’t either, Snot-nose,” Dagur replied. “I thought, ‘Who could possibly live up to the high standards that I, in particular, would demand of an apprentice to call my own?’”

                “This guy?” Snotlout asked, pointing to Gustav.

                “This guy,” Dagur confirmed.

                “But it’s Gustav,” Snotlout said irritably. “He’s just a fake me. Why accept imitation when you can have the real thing?”

                “Silly, Snot-face,” Dagur chided. “He’s been studying Berserk history, learning all the Berserker songs.”

                “And I’ve been practicing all the latest Berserker fighting techniques,” Gustav added eagerly. He grabbed a bident, and swung it around violently, nearly hitting Dagur a few times.

                “Can’t wait to see that,” Dagur groaned as he took it from Gustav’s hands. He casually tossed it away before putting a hand on Gustav’s shoulder. “My little super apprentice is even graduating two weeks early.”

                “Oh, stop it, you,” Gustav said bashfully.

                “No, you stop it,” Dagur teased.

                Hiccup and Asher looked at each other with wide eyes as the two went back and forth before Dagur finally put an end to it. Snotlout gagged as the two laughed together.

                “Oh, I’m gonna be sick,” Snotlout retched. He looked up as he heard rumbling up above, and his eyes widened as he saw a boulder coming off the side of the mountain. “Dagur! Dagur!”

                Snotlout ran and tackled Dagur and Gustav out of the way as the boulder crashed down where they had been standing. Gustav and Dagur sat up as the dust settled.

                “Boulder!” Gustav warned.

                “Good lookin’ out, Gusterama!” Dagur praised.

                “Guster on the spot, bro,” Gustav said proudly.

                “What?” Snotlout whispered, confused.

                “What do you say you lead these guys on a tour of my domain?” Dagur suggested.

                “It would my pleasure, oh, chiefly one,” Gustav said loftily. Dagur laughed as Gustav approached the group. “Everyone choose a buddy. Don’t want anyone to get lost in the ol’ tour de ala Berserkers.”

                Hiccup’s eyes widened as he offered his arm to her.

                “My lady?” Gustav asked in what she guessed was supposed to be a charming manner.

                “Uhh…” Hiccup said awkwardly.

                “She’s spoken for,” Asher said firmly, but gently as he took Hiccup’s arm in his. Gustav eyes widened as the two leaned in towards each other.

                “Wait, what?” Gustav cried.

                “Oh my Thor,” Heather gasped. She grabbed Fishlegs’ arm, and he yelped as she squeezed it tightly. “Are you two…?”

                Hiccup nodded as Asher smiled down at her, and Heather laughed before running to hug Hiccup.

                “Finally!” Heather said happily. Hiccup laughed and hugged her back.

                Asher watched them fondly. He frowned as a hand came down on his shoulder, and he glanced over at Dagur.

                “So, you finally grew a pair and started courting my little sister,” Dagur said brightly. Asher winced as his hand tightened. “Just so we’re on the same page, you break her heart, and I tear yours apart after I let Sleuther inject all his venoms except the numbing one into your body. Got it?”

                Asher nodded, his eyes wide, and Dagur clapped him on the shoulder before going to hug Hiccup.

                “Congrats, little sis,” Dagur said sincerely. He pulled back, and frowned as Gustav stared at the happy couple with wide eyes.

                Gustav looked teary for a moment before puffing himself up. He nodded to Hiccup.

                “I’m happy you’re happy, my lady,” Gustav said seriously. “And please know, you will always have my heart should Asher prove to be the lesser man.”

                Asher frowned as Hiccup bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.

                “Thank you, Gustav,” Hiccup said kindly. “Now, about that tour?”

                Gustav nodded and led the group down the pathway away from the stables. After they were gone and out of sight, a large jug was thrown into the stables. Meatlug and Toothless startled awake, and looked at it curiously. Meatlug approached to sniff at it, and screeched as the lid popped off and purple gas began to pour from it. The dragons were quickly overtaken, and fell to the floor unconscious.

                Outside, a Viking pulled the lever to the stable doors. They slammed shut, sealing the dragons and the gas inside.

                Unaware of what just happened, the Dragon Riders and Berserkers continued down the path towards the village.

                “So, just how Berserk you think we’re talking?” Tuffnut asked Ruffnut. “Majestically speaking, of course.”

                “Mini boar toss?” Ruffnut suggested.

                “Mini Berserker toss?” Tuffnut offered.

                “Mini Berserker on a mini boar toss?” Ruffnut suggested eagerly.

                “Don’t toy with my emotions,” Tuffnut said firmly.

                The Dragon Riders looked around as Gustav led the group into the village. The Dragon Riders eyes widened as they took in the identical looking buildings, and the Vikings doing mundane tasks with bored expressions on their faces.

                “This is what we call phase one,” Gustav said.

                “What is that, a smile?” Tuffnut asked heatedly as a group of Vikings waved to them. “Wait, you happy? That’s the best you can do on Berserker Island?”

                “Boring!” Ruffnut yelled.

                Tuffnut shuddered as the Vikings just blinked at them.

                “What’s a Nut gotta do to see some action around here?” Tuffnut asked.

                “I’m tellin’ ya,” Ruffnut muttered.

                Tuffnut yawned, and yelped when Ruffnut grabbed his rising hand and slapped him in the face with it. Tuffnut shook his head and grinned.

                “That’s what I’m talking about,” Tuffnut said happily.

                Gustav led them through the village, and they crested a hill to see more huts of identical make being constructed on the other side.

                “These will be phase two,” Gustav explained.

                “And what will be the difference between phase one and two?” Hiccup asked, as one of the walls fell over.

                “The number. Hello?” Gustav said mockingly. He smirked at Dagur over his shoulder. “Little slow on the uptake over on Dragon’s Edge.”

                Hiccup scowled as the two laughed, and walked ahead.

                “Yeah, right,” Hiccup muttered irritably. “It was a stupid question.”

                “Ugh,” Snotlout grunted.

                They followed the pair over to a more active area with Vikings milling about amongst crates, barrels, and stalls. Hiccup’s eyebrow rose as she saw a large wooden wall, painted with a design of happy Vikings standing in front of a building.

                “This will be our trading zone,” Gustav said proudly. “You want it, we got it. You need it, we’ll get it.”

                “Tell them what you wanna call it, Gusmaster,” Dagur encouraged.

                “The Wall Market!” Gustav proclaimed, gesturing to the painted wall. “Get it? Wall Market. Wall Mark-et. Get it?”

                “I don’t,” Hiccup stammered, exchanging a confused glance with Asher. “But okay.”

                “Genius, this kid!” Dagur praised. “G-nius. Get it?”

                “Oh, oh!” Gustav gasped. He eagerly ran to a piece of shrubbery cut and shaped to resemble a Skrill. “And for la piece de resistance, le Skrill! Oh, yeah! Cue lightning sounds.”

                “Isn’t he amazing, Snot-rag?” Dagur asked. Snotlout grumbled, but managed to restrain himself. “Can’t believe you let this gem of an apprentice get away.”

                Gustav started moving his fingers as he made firing sounds. He stopped as a loud sound from a horn echoed through the village. Dagur and Gustav laughed eagerly, and led the group to a stone amphitheater at the edge of the village. A raised dais rested at the bottom facing rows of benches. Shields lined the front of the platform, and the banners of the Berserker tribe depicting dragons, mostly Skrills, were raised to the sides, hanging above two guards. Dagur went to sit on his throne on the dais as Heather led the Dragon Riders to benches at the front.

                Once most of the village had gathered in the amphitheater, Dagur got to his feet and approached the edge of the platform. Gustav grinned up at him eagerly, and Dagur looked out proudly. He frowned and cleared his throat as everyone continued to chatter. He groaned, and cleared his throat again.

                “Shut up!” Dagur yelled.

                Most of the crowd gasped, and fell silent. Dagur stood up straight, and cleared his throat again.

                “It is in times like these that I’m reminded of something my great-uncle Haggard used to say,” Dagur said nostalgically. “’There we were, three against a thousand. Toughest three we ever fought.’”

                He and Gustav laughed hysterically as most of the audience exchanged exasperated looks.

                “Anyhoo,” Dagur sighed. “Today’s about only one man. One man, who I’m going to miss as his apprenticeship comes to a sad but beautiful end. There will be huge hole here and a bigger hole here.”

                The crowd let out a collective ‘Awe’ as Dagyr held a hand to his heart. Gustav echoed his gesture as he stared up at Dagur. Snotlout scoffed as the crowd applauded. Hiccup lowered her hands as she saw the two guards move from the sides of the stage and approach Dagur from behind.

                “Hey, Asher,” Hiccup whispered. Asher leaned closer to her, and Hiccup nodded her head to the two guards.

                “And that man is none other than—” Dagur grunted as the two guards grabbed his arms, and forced him to his knees. “What the?”

                “Uh, part of the ceremony?” Fishlegs asked nervously.

                Dagur grunted as he threw one of the men off him, and froze as he looked over his shoulder to see Savage approaching him, sword in hand.

                “Savage?” Dagur questioned. He jerked back as Savage held the blade up to his neck. “What in Thor’s name do you think you’re doing?”

                “Something I should have done a long time ago,” Savage growled. “I’m taking control. Seize them!”

                Everyone gasped as the guards lining the sides of the amphitheater turned their spears and weapons towards the crowd, specifically on Heather and the Dragon Riders.

                “Go! Move!” Heather yelled. She waited until Hiccup had dragged Gustav behind her, and grunted as she flipped the bench they had been sitting on at the guards running for her. They fell back with a grunt as Heather ran to fight another guard that was approaching the others from behind.

                “Finally, something berserk!” Tuffnut said happily. He yelped as Ruffnut grabbed his arm, and pulled him behind her as she joined the others in fleeing the amphitheater. Asher and Snotlout shoved two guards out of their way, and everyone raced into the nearby forest.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup screamed.

                Up above in the stables, Toothless heard Hiccup’s faint call, and groaned as he tried to lift his head. He vaguely heard Fishlegs calling for Meatlug before his head dropped with a dull thud.

                “Meatlug!” Fishlegs yelled. He panted as they continued running. “I don’t understand. Why won’t they come?”

                “They must be locked in the stables,” Hiccup said worriedly.

                “What about Dagur?” Gustav asked.

                “What’s wrong, Gusto?” Snotlout asked mockingly. “Lost without your hero?”

                “Snotlout!” Hiccup scolded.

                “We need our dragons,” Asher said urgently.

                “Asher’s right, everybody,” Hiccup replied. “We have no chance on our own. We’re outnumbered. Heather!”

                Heather was panting loudly as she ran up to the group.

                “Follow me!” Heather ordered. She ran down a path to the side, and the others raced to follow her. Heather stopped at the base of the mountain, and pointed to a cave opening hidden in the side. “In here! Quickly!”

                Everyone ran inside, and crouched down in the shadows. They stayed quiet as Berserker Vikings ran past, weapons in hand. Hiccup sighed in relief when their footsteps faded away.

                “Clear,” Hiccup announced. Everyone sighed in relief, and Heather shook her head.

                “A coup? Really?” Heather hissed. “How did this happen?”

                “Don’t look at me,” Gustav protested. “I had nothing to do with it.”

                “I wasn’t looking at you,” Heather replied.

                “Unless we should be looking at you,” Ruffnut said roughly.

                “Tell us what you know, turncoat!” Tuffnut cried as he grabbed Gustav by the shoulders. “Your coat is turned around. You’re wearing it like a bib or a smock!” He glared at Gustav before laughing. “Ha! You should have seen your face. It was all like…”

                Gustav scowled as Tuffnut screamed dramatically.

                “No, I’d say it more looked like…” Ruffnut said eagerly before mimicking choking.

                “That’s pretty convincing,” Tuffnut said. “Hiccup, what say you?”

                “I say that as terrifying as you both could be, we need to act fast,” Hiccup replied firmly. “Heather, you, me, Asher, and Fishlegs will go get the dragons. Snotlout and Gustav, go see if you can get a bead on Savage and Dagur.”

                “He’s probably in a cell,” Heather said helpfully. “Fastest way to the prison is through the maze of caves under the island.”

                “How come I don’t know about those?” Gustav asked heatedly.

                “Oh, it’s probably a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know,” Snotlout snapped.

                “You can reach them if you continue through here,” Heather said, pointing down a side tunnel. Snotlout and Gustav nodded, and started down the tunnel.

                “What about us?” Tuffnut asked eagerly. Snotlout immediately turned, and started wordlessly pleading and gesturing to Hiccup what was clearly a no.

                “Uh…” Hiccup said awkwardly. She looked at Fishlegs and Asher who shook their heads.

                “I know it’s a hard decision,” Ruffnut said understandingly.

                “Because of our innate value,” Tuffnut said proudly.

                “Inane, maybe,” Snotlout muttered.

                “Yes, insane, maybe,” Tuffnut said agreeably. “But we feel our skills can best be used with…”

                Ruffnut grabbed him by the shoulders, and spun him around repeatedly. He held out a finger to point, and staggered as she let him go. Ruffnut looked around the empty cave, confused, as Tuffnut fell onto his back.

                Back in the village, Dagur struggled against the men holding him as they dragged him out to the jail in shackles. He frowned as he saw Savage standing smugly in front of an open cell.

                “Savage!” Dagur yelled. “I’m the one who took you in when no one else would. I accepted you as a Berserker. As my friend. Okay, maybe not bosom buddies, but, over time, I believe it could have grown into something meaningful. And the fun.”

                Dagur laughed hysterically as he was shoved into the cell.

                “Shut up!” Savage snapped. “You and that stupid laugh. I always hated that laugh.”

                “Well, that hurts,” Dagur replied.

                “I was willing to put up with you when you were deranged,” Savage sneered. “But the minute you went willy-nilly and aligned yourself with Hiccup and the Dragon Riders, ooh, that’s when I knew I had to take over. You’re a disgrace to villainy, Dagur!”

                “Disgrace? Disgrace?!” Dagur cried. He restrained himself, and took a deep breath. He grunted as he let his breath go. “That’s a bit harsh. Personally, I prefer terms like renegade, recreant. Even flip-flopper is more linguistically creative than disgrace.”

                “How about prisoner?” Savage asked, kicking Dagur to the floor of the cell. “I like the sound of that best.”

                Savage slammed the door shut, and Dagur glared at him through the bars.

                “Your sister and the Dragon Riders will join you soon enough,” Savage said. “You can all go to Hel together.”

                Dagur growled as Savage laughed and left him locked in the cell.

                In the tunnels, Snotlout couldn’t help but glance at Gustav as they continued. The boy had been strangely quiet beside him, and the tension became too much for him.

                “Okay, Gusteronimo,” Snotlout said abruptly. “Time to level with me. How did you really end up in this apprentice program?”

                “Dagur obviously saw something in me that you didn’t,” Gustav said proudly. “Heroism. Loyalty. I spent a lot of time with him when he captured me and Fanghook.”

                “Which is exactly why I don’t get it,” Snotlout replied sharply. “Anyone who spends time with you wants to kill you.”

                “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree,” Gustav said dismissively.

                “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree,” Snotlout repeated mockingly.

                Gustav scoffed, and shoved past Snotlout. “And I’m the annoying one? Please.”

                Gustav continued down the tunnel, and gasped as he stepped out onto a ridge over a huge drop. He looked up and couldn’t see the ceiling before glancing down and swallowing nervously as he couldn’t see the bottom either.

                “Wow,” Snotlout said quietly, coming up behind Gustav with a smirk. “I wonder what kind of huge, nasty, venomous dragon lives down here. Boo!”

                Gustav screamed, and nearly fell into the chasm as Snotlout laughed.

                “Muttonhead. Let’s go, Gust-egg,” Snotlout said. He moved to the wall, and hugged it so he could shimmy along the edge of the chasm. Gustav took a deep breath, and followed him.

                “You got it, man,” Gustav said shakily. Snotlout groaned as he started muttering to himself. “Stay focused. Come on, Gustav.”

                Gustav gasped as Snotlout stopped, and he saw that there was a gap between where they were standing and the next ridge. He watched as Snotlout took a running leap, and made it over the gap.

                “Ha ha! Snot-lip! Snotlout!” Snotlout cheered. He turned back and scowled as he saw Gustav staring nervously down into the darkness. “Come on, you can’t be afraid of heights. We fly dragons.”

                “This is different,” Gustav objected. He took a deep breath when Snotlout glared at him, and took a few steps back. He ran for the edge, screaming as he leapt over the gap. He grunted as he fell just short of the ridge, and his torso slammed into the edge. He scrambled to keep a hold of the ground as he started slipping back. “Snotlout!”

                Snotlout groaned, and stepped forward to lift Gustav by the wrist as the boy continued to whimper and scream.

                “Will you shut up? I’ve got you,” Snotlout growled. “Even though I should drop you.”

                “Don’t you dare drop me!” Gustav cried.

                Snotlout put him on the ground, and Gustav scrambled to hug his legs.

                “Thank Thor, thank Thor, thank Thor,” Gustav whimpered.

                “Get a hold of yourself,” Snotlout grumbled, rolling his eyes.

                Up above, Hiccup, Asher, Heather and Fishlegs crept forward to look over the edge of the ridge they were on to spy on the Berserker Vikings guarding the stables below.

                “What are you thinking?” Asher asked.

                “That they look like they’re waiting for us,” Hiccup said grimly, observing the men below. All of them had weapons, and while some of them talked amongst themselves, there were always at least two looking outwards at their surroundings.

                The four riders ducked down as one of the men turned to look in their direction.

                “Heather, is there any other way to get inside there?” Hiccup asked.

                “No, unfortunately,” Heather replied.

                “Then we have to take them on,” Fishlegs said fiercely.

                Hiccup and Asher stared at him stunned, while Heather stared at him stunned but also appreciatively.

                “What? My Meatlug is in there,” Fishlegs said.

                “Okay,” Hiccup said thoughtfully. “We’re gonna need some sort of—”

                “No, no, no. I completely disagree.”

                The four riders looked over, and their jaws dropped as they saw Tuffnut and Ruffnut walking towards the guards.

                “Well, I disagree with your disagreement,” Ruffnut snapped.

                The twins ignored the men turning and moving to face them, weapons held at the ready.

                “Well, then let’s have these fine fellows settle it,” Tuffnut said primly, pushing a spear tip back with his finger.

                “Suit yourself,” Ruffnut shrugged. “Gentlemen.”

                The guards stared at them, stunned as Ruffnut began spinning Tuffnut rapidly. Ruffnut smirked as she saw the others run out from the bushes and make their way to the side of the stable.

                “Would you call this a legal battle tactic?” Ruffnut asked, gesturing to her spinning brother.

                The guards heard creaking, and turned to see Hiccup pushing the lever to open the doors of the stables.

                “How’s it going?” Hiccup smirked.

                Ruffnut pushed her brother with her hip, and he careened, crashing into two of the guards. Ruffnut chuckled as they fell in a pile.

                “Seems legal to me,” Ruffnut said cheekily. She jerked back as the guards shoved their spears towards her, and her eyes widened as several familiar looking spines shot out from the stables to knock them away.

                Toothless stepped forward, a purple blast gathering in brightness and sound in his throat as he glared at the guards. Seeing the Night Fury coming towards them, the guards ran away screaming. Toothless fired a blast at the ground just behind them to ensure they kept running.

                “Well?” Tuffnut hiccupped, as he sat up dizzily. “What did they think?”

                “I don’t know if they loved it so much, but we did,” Hiccup said appreciatively as she held Toothless close.

                “Uh huh,” Tuffnut nodded before falling back over as Ruffnut laughed.

                Down in the village, Snotlout cautiously peaked out from over the edge of the well they had climbed up. He spotted three Vikings guarding the door, and lowered himself back down.

                “Alright, we’re gonna go old-school and simple,” Snotlout said firmly to Gustav. “You create a diversion, draw the men away, I’ll rush in and spring Dagur.”

                “Sounds too risky,” Gustav said quietly, clinging to the stone walls of the well.

                “Okay, fine,” Snotlout said impatiently. “I’ll be the diversion, and you go rescue Dagur.”

                “Well, that sounds risky too,” Gustav said fearfully.

                “It’s all risky, Gustav,” Snotlout growled. “Where’s the super apprentice Dagur’s been bragging about?”

                He mockingly rubbed Gustav’s helmet, and Gustav gasped as he nearly lost his grip.

                “Well, I’m just much better with my dragon,” Gustav argued.

                “Oh really?” Snotlout scoffed. “You’re stronger and more confident with a fire breathing, flying war machine?”

                “Yeah,” Gustav replied sheepishly.

                “Oh, okay. Well, we all are, Guster,” Snotlout snapped. “But they aren’t here. How do you think I feel having you instead of Hookfang? Now, grow some hair on that barren, scrawny chest of yours and just do what I tell you.”

                Gustav gulped nervously, but climbed up with Snotlout. He waited just out of sight of the top as Snotlout climbed over. Snotlout took a deep breath before yelling mocking noises as he ran away from the well and towards the trees.

                “Have you guys seen the Dragon Riders?” Snotlout yelled at the guards that were now coming towards him. “Oh, wait. I’m a Dragon Rider.”

                He turned and ran from the two guards chasing him. He glanced over, and spotted Gustav peeking out of the well.

                “Go! Now!” Snotlout hissed.

                “I got this, I got this,” Gustav muttered to himself. He climbed out of the well, and grunted as the horns of his helmet tangled with the bucket rope. His head was yanked back, and he tripped when he threw himself forward. He lost his helmet as he tumbled forward, and smacked right into the other guard. Gustav chuckled nervously as he looked up at the growling man. Gustav turned to run, but the man grabbed him and held him tight as another guard approached with a sword.

                “Snotlout! Snotlout!” Gustav yelled.

                Snotlout stopped to look, and quickly moved to grab the wrist of the guard swinging his axe at him. He shoved the axe up, and took the opening to kick the man into a tree. He grabbed the spear of the other guard as he shoved it forward, and used it to push the man away. Snotlout scowled as he saw Gustav being held by the guards as more came running for him.

                “Apprentice, my…” Snotlout growled as he took off running. He continued babbling and yelling to draw the guards away as Gustav was shoved into the jail.

                High above, Hiccup and Toothless circled over the area. She tried to nudge Toothless lower as they neared the amphitheater, but Toothless started screeching and growling as he bucked beneath her.

                “Hey, hey!” Hiccup said sharply.

                She sighed, and turned Toothless back towards the high ridge where the others were waiting.

                “Who would have thought that on Berserker Island, the people would be normal and the dragons crazy?” Tuffnut asked before laughing.

                “I’ve never seen him like this,” Hiccup said worriedly as Toothless landed. He growled uncomfortably as he looked pleadingly up at her.

                “Well, there was the Red Death,” Fishlegs reminded her. “That made him act all weird.”

                “True,” Hiccup acknowledged as she dismounted.

                “And Melody Island,” Fishlegs added. “And there was that time he ate that eel and started shooting at you.”

                “Okay, fine,” Hiccup replied roughly. “Fishlegs, I have rarely seen him like this.”

                “Sorry, Hiccup,” Fishlegs said. He glanced over to Meatlug as she shifted uncomfortably. “Perhaps the dragons have an allergy to some flora on the island. Maybe there’s some wild dragon root around here. I can gather samples.”

                “I don’t know if that’s it,” Hiccup said worriedly. She knelt in front of Toothless, and he growled nervously as he nudged her head. “They don’t want to go any lower on the island. It’s like they’re scared of something.”

                “Uh, look, we don’t have time to figure this out,” Heather interjected. “Dagur is in danger. Our whole island is in danger.”

                “Not to mention Snotlout and Gustav,” Asher added. Hookfang and Fanghook exchanged nervous glances as Asher continued, “Who knows what those two have gotten themselves into?”

                Within the jail cell, Gustav gripped the bars of their cell door as Dagur sat against the wall and meditated behind him. Gustav turned as he heard Dagur hum, and saw the man sitting on the bench, legs crossed, and face turned up towards the sunlight coming in through the hole in the roof.

                “Breathe in the light, let out the darkness,” Dagur chanted. “I’m centered and calm.”

                “I got caught on purpose,” Gustav said loudly.

                “Double breath of fire,” Dagur said roughly before humming again.

                “This plan was Snotlout’s, not mine,” Gustav said defensively, not noticing as Dagur’s breathing intensified.

                “You know what the third eye is, Gustav?” Dagur asked irritably. He continued before Gustav could respond. “Of course you don’t. When one is focused on the third eye, one is meditating, and it’s unearthly impolite to interrupt said third eye seeker.”

                “Okay, see ya, third eye,” Gustav muttered nervously as Dagur glared at him.

                Dagur growled, and hummed roughly as he tried to regain his inner calm.

                Just outside the cell, the sleeping guard didn’t notice as Snotlout tied a rope around his ankle. Snotlout held in his chuckle until he finished tying the other end of the rope to the boulder resting on the edge of the well. When he was done, he hurriedly dove into a bush as a guard approached.

                “What was that?” The man asked, confused. His brow furrowed as he saw the boulder resting on the edge of the well. “Well, that doesn’t look safe.”

                Snotlout crept back, and grinned as he saw another guard holding up the length of rope in confusion.

                “Excuse me,” Snotlout said, jumping out in front of the man. “I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Savage.”

                Snotlout dropped onto his back as the man lunged for him. He kicked his feet up, and vaulted the man over and behind him. The man slammed into the other holding the boulder by the well, and both screamed as they fell inside. Snotlout smirked as he watched the rope grow taut, and reached out to snag the keys from the belt of the guard as he flew by him.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout cheered. He laughed as the guard disappeared down the well. “I could watch that all day.”

                Snotlout spun the keys around his finger as he entered the jail. He rolled his eyes as he heard Dagur doing his meditation exercises, and approached the cell.

                “Well, hello,” Snotlout greeted smugly. He smirked as he walked to open their cell. “Fancy meeting you two here. You should’ve seen the way the Snotman took out those guards. It was beautiful. Poetry in motion.”

                “Well, now, now,” Dagur said patiently as he stepped forward for Snotlout to unlock the shackles. “Gustav deserves a little credit, now. He did bore those guards to sleep with his long, long story.”

                “Huh?” Gustav questioned as he and Snotlout stared after Dagur as the man walked towards the exit. “Oh. Oh. Yeah, yeah.”

                “What?” Snotlout grunted.

                “So long,” Gustav said nervously.

                Snotlout growled angrily as Gustav chased after Dagur. He shook his head, and followed them, taking an axe from the wall as Dagur and Gustav both took swords.

                “Oh, my Thor,” Snotlout grumbled.

                Up above at the stables, Hiccup frowned as she observed Savage’s men in the village below. It was a worrying sight as the men shoved women out of their homes, knocking any man who opposed them to the ground and harassing everyone else.

                “Savage’s men are everywhere,” Hiccup said gravely. “If the dragons are sick, we can’t risk taking them into battle.”

                “I’m a Berserker, Hiccup,” Heather said fiercely, unfolding her double-bladed axe. “Dragon or no dragon, I’m bringing back my brother.”

                Hiccup looked to Asher who shrugged with a grin, and lifted his own axe.  Hiccup nodded in agreement, and looked at Fishlegs. Fishlegs nodded as he held a sword in his hand.

                “Give it to me!” Ruffnut cried as she and Tuffnut fought over a spear. “I want it!”

                “Come on, give it!” Tuffnut snapped.

                Ruffnut won the fight when Tuffnut accidentally put his hand on the tip of the spear, and let go as he held his hand, crying in pain. Ruffnut nodded to Hiccup, and Hiccup grinned.

                Darkness was falling over the island as the sun set, giving Dagur, Gustav, and Snotlout cover as they ran along the path near the mountain towards the amphitheater. They cursed under their breaths as archers fired at them from above, and leapt behind a log for cover as Vikings started running up the path towards them.

                “We’re trapped!” Gustav gasped. “What do we do?”

                “Like my great-uncle Haggard used to say, ‘There we were, three against a thousand’,” Dagur recited. He scowled as an arrow hit the log behind him. “Why doesn’t anyone else think that’s funny? Anyhoo, if my calculations are correct, it’s us against twenty or so of Savage’s men. We go seven apiece, Berserker style.”

                “Me likey,” Snotlout agreed with a savage grin.

                “On my count,” Dagur said, ducking as another arrow hit the log. “One, two—”

                “Wait!” Gustav gasped as two arrows buried themselves into the ground in front of him. “We-we can’t. I mean, I can’t.”

                “You can’t what?” Dagur asked, as Gustav dropped his sword and cowered against the log.

                “I’m not the super apprentice you think I am,” Gustav said nervously. “I cheated on all the history tests. I was lip-syncing when everyone was singing the Berserker songs. And I never learned a single fighting technique. I’m a terrible apprentice.”

                “I knew it!” Snotlout cried, vindicated as Gustav buried his face in his hands.

                “Come here,” Dagur hissed, shoving Snotlout a small distance away. The two men crouched behind a tree, and Dagur sighed. “You don’t think I knew that, Snot-pit? The kid’s only here because Stoick needed a break from the little beast. The entire apprentice program is made-up. A sham.”

                “I’m terrible,” Gustav sobbed. He kept crying even as arrows continued to impact around him.

                “He is not even close to being ready for this,” Snotlout hissed worriedly.

                “Negative, Snot-rider,” Dagur confirmed.

                “Look, can you please stop messing with my name?” Snotlout asked irritably. “I know you know it.”

                “Aww, but it’s so fun,” Dagur whined. He groaned as Snotlout glared. “Fine. I’ll do my best. Two against twenty?”

                “Could be worse,” Snotlout smirked as he and Dagur held their weapons at the ready.

                Dagur laughed and Snotlout yelled as they leapt over the log, and charged towards the attacking Vikings. Gustav dropped his hands, and turned to look at them fighting from over the log.

                Within the village, Fishlegs hummed as he approached a Viking with his back turned to him. He politely tapped the man on the shoulder, and knocked him out with one punch as the man turned towards him. He yelled fiercely as Asher and Heather ran past him, weapons held high. Hiccup came from another direction; the Dragon Blade ignited in one hand and her shield held in the other.

                Heather and Asher took down two guards, high fiving one another as they continued running to the next pair.

                A Viking swung for Ruffnut as she ran for him, but she used her spear to flip over him. He turned to her stunned, and Tuffnut ran up behind him to smack him in the head with a mace. The man fell to the ground, and the twins ran from a group of men charging at them.

                Fishlegs used his sword to block the spear of one Viking, and nodded to Asher gratefully as he shoved another Viking behind him away. Asher swung his axe up at the other Viking, freeing Fishlegs to block the strike of another attacker.

                Heather danced around her two opponents, the blades of her axe flashing in the torch light.

                Hiccup shoved her shield up to drive one attacker back, only to cry out as another knocked the Dragon Blade from her hand. Hiccup turned to block his strike with her shield, but the man was blown back by a purple. Hiccup looked up, and spotted Toothless roaring from the top of the cliff. She quickly picked up the Dragon Blade, and pointed with it to the pair of Vikings cornering the twins.

                Toothless fired another blast where she directed, and it hit with precision between the twins and the Vikings, blowing their attackers back. Hiccup ran past them, using the Dragon Blade to help Toothless target the Vikings. She grinned as he blasted their attackers away, and the Dragon Riders were free to advance onto the amphitheater.

                They charged in towards Savage and his guards as the man lounged on the Berserker throne.

                “Dragon Riders!” Savage spat as his men charged forward.

                The Dragon Riders attacked and began to take down Savage’s men. Savage’s eyes widened as he saw his men being defeated, and growled as he leapt from the dais. He ran towards Heather, and grabbed her axe as she held it over her head. He snatched it out of her hand, and held his sword in front of her neck.

                “Oh no, you don’t,” Savage sneered. He glared at the other Dragon Riders. “Stand down! All of you!”

                Hiccup gasped when she saw he had Heather. She stopped her attack on the Viking before her, and lowered her sword. She hit the kill switch, and the flames died down as the sword hit the ground. The other riders followed her lead, and dropped their weapons. Savage laughed before yelling filled the air.

                Dagur and Snotlout swung down on ropes, and Heather took advantage of Savage’s distraction to duck under his arm and roll away. Snotlout slammed his feet into Savage, and the man fell to the ground as Dagur landed in his throne.

                Dagur sighed, and crossed his legs as he leaned against the armrest. “Ah, it’s a good day to be me.”

                “I still hate your laugh,” Savage grumbled.

A Couple Days Later

                Peace had been restored to Berserker Island, and after taking some time to secure their traitors in jail and clean up the mess that had been left, they were ready to continue with the ceremony.

                Gustav looked at the Berserker helmet in his hands, and smiled fondly as Dagur cleared his throat. He placed the helmet on his head as Dagur growled impatiently. Dagur gripped the trophy, a golden bust of himself, tightly.

                “Shut up!” Dagur yelled. When the crowd was quiet, he continued. “This trophy goes to the most deserving Viking in the land, a Viking that exemplifies what it truly means to be a Berserker.”

                Snotlout rolled his eyes and sighed as he saw Dagur and Gustav exchange nods.

                “It’s fake anyway,” Snotlout grumbled. “I don’t care.”

                Hiccup smiled at him sympathetically, and Snotlout scowled as Dagur continued.

                “Unfortunately, it’s not you, Gust-hat,” Dagur said gently. “Snotlout, get up here and take what is rightfully yours.”

                Snotlout looked at Hiccup surprised, and she grinned as she motioned him to go. Snotlout felt like his face would split with how big his smile was as he walked to the stage. The other Dragon Riders cheered in the crowd as Snotlout waved and moved towards Dagur. He clapped a hand on Gustav’s shoulder as he passed.

                “Welcome to the Hat family, pal,” Snotlout teased. Gustav pouted as Dagur gave the trophy to Snotlout.

                “Oh my Thor!” Snotlout gasped, tearily. “You like me, you really like me!”

                Once the applause had died down, Dagur ended the ceremony, and the Dragon Riders departed. Snotlout never felt prouder as he rode on Hookfang, holding a golden bust of Dagur.

                “Well, Snotlout, pretty pleased with yourself, huh?” Hiccup teased.

                “To be named the baddest, smartest, craziest Viking in and outside the archipelago? Uh, yeah!” Snotlout boasted. He held up the trophy to examine it further. “And I got the proof right here. Yeah…. What?! Snot-knuckles? He wrote Snot-knuckles?”

                The Dragon Riders burst out laughing as Snotlout screamed in fury, and threw the golden trophy into the ocean below.

Chapter Text

                The twins giggled as they eavesdropped on Snotlout and Hiccup arguing inside Snotlout’s hut. They had seen the anger on Hiccup’s face as she stormed to confront Snotlout. Their interest had been piqued even more when Hiccup had closed the doors to the hut, and the two cousins raised voices could still be heard clearly.

                “Oh, Hiccup, stop!” Snotlout snapped. “You’re so bossy!”

                “What’s mine is mine,” Hiccup said angrily.

                “Rude,” Snotlout scoffed. “Everything your—”

                “Do not touch. Ever!” Hiccup snarled.

                “I mean, how was I supposed to know?” Snotlout asked irritably. “Do you know how many swords there are on this island?”

                “That can burst into flame?” Hiccup replied sharply, holding up the Dragon Blade. “One.”

                “Oh, yeah,” Snotlout acknowledged sheepishly. “Could I maybe put in a request for—”

                “No!” Hiccup snapped. “It’s bad enough you took it without asking, but you used it to clean between Hookfang’s claws. Do you know what kind of crud is in there?”

                “Do I?” Snotlout said appreciatively as he grinned at Hookfang. “That is some seriously nasty goop.”

                Hiccup screamed and lunged for Snotlout as Hookfang’s eyes widened in surprise.

                The twins jerked back as a heavy thud came from inside and Snotlout started screaming.

                “Do you think she’s using the sword?” Tuffnut asked.

                “No, you can hear it when it’s ignited,” Ruffnut said disappointed.

                “She could still be using it unignited,” Tuffnut said pointedly.

                Tuffnut looked over his shoulder as Toothless walked up to them, looking curiously at the hut as Asher and Heather arrived with their dragons.

                “Hey, T, how you been?” Tuffnut greeted. He pointed over his shoulder at the hut. “She’s in there.”

                Asher’s eyes widened as he heard Snotlout screaming inside as Stormfly landed on the deck.

                “What did he do?” Asher asked.

                “Used the Dragon Blade to clean Hookfang’s claws,” Ruffnut said as Toothless pawed at the door.

                “Oh man,” Asher groaned. “He knows how she is about her inventions.”

                Tuffnut nodded in agreement. “And milady is none too pleased with Sir Snots-alot.”

                “Do you think they’ll be long?” Heather asked as Windshear hovered just off the deck. “I wanted to say goodbye to Hiccup before I head home to Berserker Island.”

                Everyone froze as Hiccup screamed inside.

                “Did you really just say that to me?” Hiccup asked furiously.

                “Yes,” Snotlout said fearfully. He looked at Hookfang who shook his head rapidly and backed away. “Please don’t hit me.”

                Hiccup glared at him before looking up at the doors as Toothless roared outside. Hiccup scoffed, and walked over to the door. She slammed the doors open, and stomped past everyone gathered outside. Toothless warbled worriedly and followed her as she stormed to their hut.

                “I’ll just go talk to Hiccup myself,” Heather said awkwardly.

                Asher and the twins ran inside Snotlout’s hut to find him kneeling on the floor.

                “What did you say to her?” Ruffnut asked.

                Snotlout got to his feet, and gestured for Ruffnut to lean in. He whispered in her ear, and Ruffnut laughed.

                “Yeah, right,” Ruffnut scoffed. “You did not say that.”

                Snotlout nodded sheepishly, and his eyes widened as she whispered what he said to Asher. Asher’s eyes widened, and he glared at Snotlout. He clenched his fists before taking a deep breath and sighing heavily.

                “Okay, this could be a problem,” Asher growled.

                Everyone jumped as they heard a loud crash outside. Asher ran to the door, and looked over to Hiccup’s hut. Toothless and Windshear were outside by the forge, exchanging nervous glances as he could faintly hear Hiccup talking loudly to herself inside the hut. It didn’t sound promising for Snotlout, especially as a variety of weapons and devices started spilling out of her hut.

                “Okay. What is she doing?” Snotlout asked nervously.

                “Searching for something,” Asher replied. He smirked over his shoulder at Snotlout. “Most likely a new weapon she needs to test. You should run. Get on Hookfang and fly out immediately.”

                “Yeah, right,” Snotlout scoffed as Ruffnut whispered to Tuffnut. “I’m not afraid of her.”

                “You said, what?” Tuffnut cried. “Are you insane? She makes weapons that the gods themselves haven’t seen.”

                “You should go. Now,” Asher said. “It’s literally the only chance you have. You found the end of Hiccup’s very long fuse, and it might get literally explosive.”

                “Okay,” Snotlout gasped fearfully, running to Hookfang.  He quickly mounted, and the two flew off into the night. Snotlout glanced behind him, but it took a while before he felt secure that there was no Night Fury chasing after him.

                “I cannot believe this is happening,” Snotlout snapped. “Can you? I mean, seriously. She needs to stop being so sensitive. Or at least be mad at Asher for not even getting her a—”

                Snotlout stopped as thunder rumbled, and the faint light of the moon disappeared. He looked around, and scowled as he realized they had flown directly into a storm.

                “Great,” Snotlout said worriedly, as lightning flashed around them and rain began to fall. “Wow. Perfect.”

                Hookfang dodged a lightning bolt, and Snotlout growled angrily.

                “That’s right! Punish me, Thor!” Snotlout yelled. “Bring everything you got! I can take it! The Snot can take—”

                He screamed as bolt struck his helmet, and he was flung from the saddle.

                “I was kidding!” Snotlout screamed as he plummeted through the clouds.

                Hookfang quickly circled around, and looked around below for Snotlout. Snotlout hit the ocean, and sank beneath the waves. He groaned, and swam back up to the surface, gasping for air as his head broke through.

                “Rider down! Rider down!” Snotlout yelled. “Hookfang, where are you?”

                He scanned the skies above, but couldn’t see anything in the dark storm clouds. Snotlout whipped around as he heard something roar behind him.

                “Oh Thor,” Snotlout moaned fearfully. “What was that? Hookie? Is that you?”

                Snotlout saw something in the darkness, and squinted to try to make it out.

                “Hookfang?” Snotlout called out nervously. He gasped, and spat out a mouthful of water as a lightning bolt illuminated several winged figures in the sky.

                “Of course it’s not,” Snotlout groaned. He started rapidly trying to swim away from the flying beings. “Hookfang!”

                Up above Hookfang fully ignited his flame jacket. He dove down through the clouds to where he last heard Snotlout calling for him. He emerged from the clouds, and stopped above the ocean. His eyes widened, and he looked around frantically when he didn’t see his rider anywhere.

                “Help! Help!”

                Hookfang spotted Snotlout being carried between two winged figures as a few others escorted them. Hookfang roared and started chasing after them as the rain continued to pound down.

Dragon’s Edge

                The atmosphere inside the clubhouse was tense as everyone, sans Snotlout, ate their meal together. Heather had decided to stick around for a little while longer so at least the food they were enjoying was good.

                Hiccup glanced around the table, and sighed as she knew she was the source of the tension.

                “Alright, are we all just gonna sit here and pretend nothing’s wrong?” Hiccup asked steadily.

                The other riders looked at her before hurriedly digging into their food.

                “Nothing’s wrong, babe,” Asher said awkwardly.

                Hiccup sighed irritably and placed her fork down.

                “He should’ve been back by now, unless you all told him to flee to Berk,” Hiccup said shortly. “He never misses a meal, and never leaves for this long. He’s too big of a chicken.”

                “Ahem,” Tuffnut cleared his throat. He gestured pointedly to Chicken in his lap. “Hiccup? El pollo.”

                “Oh, sorry Chicken,” Hiccup said. She sighed again as Chicken clucked.

                “Muchisima gracias ge yo y Chicken,” Tuffnut said graciously.

                “You know there is a chance he got caught in that storm,” Fishlegs said with a nervous glance outside at the bad weather. “It’s pretty brutal out there.”

                “Of course, he got caught in the storm,” Ruffnut said. “He’s Snotlout. The only question is do we—”

                “You know the answer to that question, and it’s yes,” Hiccup said firmly as she got to her feet. “Come on.”

                The riders all groaned.

                “You sure it’s not a question? I feel like it’s a question,” Ruffnut grumbled as they rose to follow her.

                “Hey,” Asher said, grasping Hiccup’s shoulder. “You sure you want to go?”

                “I may be mad at him, but he’s my cousin,” Hiccup replied. “No matter mad he makes me, I’m not leaving him out there alone.”

Unknown Island

                Snotlout groaned as consciousness returned to him. His whole body ached, and he shifted uncomfortably. His brow furrowed in confusion as he felt something like leaves beneath his hands. He grunted as he sat up, and looked up tiredly as he heard a soft sound.

                His eyes widened as he saw three women enter the tent he was in. He barely took in the beautiful pattern on the fabric of the walls, and the beautiful wooden carving on the furniture around him as he stared at the women wearing various designs of the same armor made of silver plating with edges of bronze, their hair pulled back in tight ponytails and buns.

                “Huh?” Snotlout said confused, squinting his eyes at the women. He groaned, and leaned back on his elbows. “Okay, you guys. Joke’s over. Ha-ha. Take off that beautiful native woman costume, Fishface. You don’t have the legs for it.”

                “Who is this Fishface he speaks of?” One of the women asked as he lay back on the bed of leaves. The other women shrugged, and Snotlout sat back up as he heard someone else enter the tent.

                “Ah. You’re awake.”

                Snotlout looked to see another woman coming towards him, her armor more elaborate and a circlet of silver and brown around her head, with bronze pieces extending down to her jaws. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail braid, and her green eyes were kind as she looked down at Snotlout.

                “My name is Atali,” The woman said.

                “What?” Snotlout said dumbly.

                “You are safe here, young Viking,” Atali said warmly.

                “Wait. I am?” Snotlout questioned. He patted his torso and face, stunned as he realized she was right. “I am. Then, this must be…Wow. You know, I thought I’d be really depressed to be, well, you know, but this is awesome. Wow.”

                The women stared at him with a mixture of confusion and awkwardness as Snotlout laughed.

                “Okay, so when do I get to meet Odin,” Snotlout said eagerly. “I mean—”

                “Well—” Atali tried to interject.

                “He obviously handpicked me to come to Valhalla,” Snotlout boasted as he got to his feet. “So he must want to hang out with the Snotman, catch up, lay down some warrior gifts on me.”

                “You are not in Valhalla, Snotman,” Atali said gently.

                “Yeah, it’s actually Snotlout,” Snotlout corrected. “Okay, let’s go see the ‘O’ guy.”

                “My Wingmaidens rescued you from a terrible storm,” Atali said patiently. “You are alive and well, and on our island home.”

                “Well, if I’m not dead, then where’s…Hookfang!” Snotlout cried.

                “Just calm yourself,” Atali said soothingly. She placed a hand on his shoulder and head. “You are safe from all dragons while you are here.” She stepped back, and motioned to a Wingmaiden holding a golden cup. “Now drink from this golden goblet. This is the purest of all herbal tea. It will give you great strength.”

                Snotlout took the golden goblet and grinned.

                “Don’t mind if I do,” Snotlout said. He threw back his head, and gulped down the tea, uncaring as it sloshed around his mouth and dripped down onto his tunic. “This is delicious. Me likey.”

                He wiped his mouth with his arm, and sighed.

                “Grab another bottle of this, will ya?” Snotlout asked rudely as Atali frowned. “I wanna take this with me.”

                Snotlout paused as he realized the women were all either glaring or growling at him in displeasure. He smiled sheepishly.

                “Uh…please?” Snotlout asked awkwardly.

With the Dragon Riders

                The storm raged on as the Dragon Riders flew through the rain, searching for Snotlout and Hookfang. Lightning arced through the sky, and the wind and rain whipped around them as they soared over the ocean. They had to keep covering and squinting their eyes to try to see in the darkness as the rain stabbed at their faces.

                “Man, this is impossible!” Tuffnut yelled. “It’s like looking for a bonehead in a thunderstorm.”

                “Is that supposed to be a metaphor?” Ruffnut asked.

                “Yeah, a little on the nose?” Tuffnut replied. “Well, my brain is wet.”

                “Hey Toothless?” Hiccup leaned forward so she didn’t have to shout for him to hear her clearly. “Let’s try again.”

                Toothless let out an echo blast. The purple soundwaves shot forward, and dissipated with no trace.

                “Still nothing,” Asher grumbled. “Hiccup, we’re never gonna find anything out here. I can barely see Stormfly’s head in front of me.”

                “Asher’s right, Hiccup,” Fishlegs said. “Maybe we should go back to the Edge and wait out, then when it’s more—”

                “Guys, wait,” Hiccup interrupted. “Do you see that?”

                She pointed ahead to a warm, orange glow that was appearing in the clouds.

                “Is that…” Fishlegs trailed off as it got closer, and they saw that it was Hookfang, fully ignited and flying frantically towards them.

                “Hookfang!” Hiccup said, relieved as the dragons stopped. She frowned as Hookfang let out a couple fire blasts, and turned repeatedly in the air. “We’ve seen him do this before.”

                “He wants us to follow him,” Fishlegs said.

                Hookfang screeched, and turned to fly back from where he came. The other dragons pumped their wings hard to keep up with him, and Hiccup squinted her eyes to keep him in sight. It wasn’t long before Hookfang led them through a break in the clouds and out of the storm.

                Fishlegs sighed in relief, and chuckled as Meatlug shook herself to try to dislodge some water.

                “What’s Snotlout gotten himself into this time?” Asher asked as he wrung out his hair. Stormfly growled agreeably, and kept pace with the others as they continued to follow Hookfang.

Wingmaiden Island

                “So he says to the other Viking, ‘You’re Thot?’” Snotlout joked to the two Wingmaidens sitting beside him at the table filled with food. “’I’m tho Thor I can barely thit down.’”

                Snotlout laughed at his own joke as the two women cringed and rolled their eyes.

                “Now this is how you treat a man,” Snotlout said happily. “The girls should be here taking some notes. You feel me on that?”

                He took a big bite of the mutton leg he was holding as he leaned towards one of the Wingmaidens, who shifted uncomfortably.

                “Mr. Snotlout,” Atali interjected. “Although we are honored to have you as our guest, your attitude towards women is completely unacceptable.”

                “Hey, I always talk like this,” Snotlout shrugged. “I dig chicks, uh, women…”

                “And that is why you must respect them, revere them,” Atali said wisely. “Do you understand?”

                Snotlout gulped down an entire goblet of watered-down wine before he answered.

                “Loud and clear,” Snotlout said.

                “Perfect,” Atali replied. “Get some rest. For this evening, you will be the guest of honor at our ‘Feast of Freya’. We’ve been preparing the sacred stew for days now. Just a few final ingredients and it will be ready to ingest.”

                She gestured to a large cauldron over a low flame that two Wingmaidens were tending to. They smirked over their shoulders at Snotlout.

                “You, Mr. Snotlout,” Atali continued. “Will be the centerpiece of our celebration.”

                “So, this sacred stew,” Snotlout said, taking another bite of mutton. “What exactly makes it so sacred?”

                “Oh, I’m afraid we couldn’t reveal that, Snotlout,” Atali replied easily. She walked over to observe the stew in the cauldron. “If we did, well…”

                “Oh, let me guess,” Snotlout said cheekily. “You’d have to kill me?”

                “That’s one way to put it,” Atali replied seriously as Snotlout laughed.

                “Huh? You guys are kidding, right?” Snotlout asked. He glanced at the Wingmaiden on his left, and she raised an eyebrow with a slow smirk. “I mean, with all of my respect and revering I’m doing here, you wouldn’t…”

                He glanced at the Wingmaiden to his right, and frowned as he saw her tucking a napkin into her armor before lifting a knife and fork. Snotlout scrambled over the table, and tumbled to the floor in a panic.

                “I’m no one’s stew,” Snotlout cried fearfully as more Wingmaidens approached with knives and forks. “I don’t care how sacred or delicious it is.”

                Snotlout raced for the entrance, and paused as Atali spoke.

                “Run if you must, Snotlout, but I’m afraid we cannot let you leave Wingmaiden Island,” Atali said solemnly.

                Snotlout screamed as she smirked at him, and tore out of the cloth entrance. He barely took in his surroundings as he scrambled down sets of stairs and ladders, and raced into the forest. He ran as fast as he could, vaulting over a log in his path.

                “This is so typical,” Snotlout complained. “I finally meet some cool chicks that I can hang out with, who get my jokes, dig me as a leader and as a warrior, and it turns out all they want to do is make me into some crappy stew.”

                Snotlout continued forward, and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a Wingmaiden standing atop a boulder in his path. This woman was wearing a silver helmet, and the only part of her face that was visible was her eyes, staring down at him.

                Snotlout scrambled back and turned to jump through some bushes. As he landed, he looked up and gasped as he saw one of the Wingmaidens from the tent standing there. Snotlout darted into the bushes as she approached, and took off running again. He gasped as he emerged from the bushes and trees, and flailed his arms to help stop himself as he nearly went over the edge of a cliff. Snotlout panted as he took in the site of the water down below, fed by the roaring waterfall to the side of the cliff he was standing on.

                Snotlout turned around, and froze as Atali and the two Wingmaidens approached.

                “You don’t think I’ll do it, do you? You don’t think I have the guts?” Snotlout asked, edging back carefully. He scowled as Atali smirked. “Well, guess what baby? I’m all guts. Check this out. Nothing but guts here.”

                Atali smiled ruefully and started forward again with her Wingmaidens. Snotlout glared at them before letting himself fall backwards over the edge. His bravery lasted a moment before he screamed as he fell towards the water. He turned himself over so he would enter headfirst, and quickly grabbed and held his helmet to his head.

                Snotlout slammed into the water, and he felt the impact surge through him. He recovered quickly, and swam for the surface, coughing and gasping as he emerged.

                “I did it,” Snotlout said amazed as he pat himself down. “I’m alive. I’m in one piece. Those lunatics will never have the stones to…”

                He looked up and his eyes widened as Atali and her Wingmaidens dove from the cliff.

                “What in the name of Thor?” Snotlout gasped. He started swimming away as quickly as he could, and glanced over his shoulder to see Atali flying directly at him over the water, silver wings extending from her back.

                “No. You can’t do this,” Snotlout screamed as she snatched him out of the water. “I’m not edible. I’d be tough, gamey. Wait, are you flying?”

                He looked out ahead as they glided over the water, and he looked up shocked as Atali smiled down at him.

                “How are you flying?” Snotlout cried. He looked around and saw the two Wingmaidens were also flying beside them with identical silver wings. “Help me!”

With the Dragon Riders

                Toothless growled tiredly as they continued to follow Hookfang. Hiccup glanced behind them and saw the other dragons were starting to get worn down as well. The only one that seemed to be carrying any steam was Hookfang, who seemed to be running solely on the drive to find Snotlout.

                Toothless sighed in relief as Hookfang landed on a large sea stack. The Monstrous Nightmare stood on the edge, and looked desperately at the waters ahead.

                “Okay, Hookfang, I get it,” Hiccup said sympathetically. “You’re worried about Snotlout. Why don’t we just take a little break and give the rest of us a chance to…”

                Hiccup groaned as Hookfang took off again.

                “Okay, who needs to catch their breath anyway?” Hiccup said sarcastically. She sighed and looked at the others. “You guys relax, I’ll go.”

                “No way, alright?” Fishlegs refused. “We are going with you. Meatlug just got her second wind.”

                Meatlug froze beneath before grunting tiredly as she lifted back up. Toothless went up with her, and they flew up above the clouds. They hadn’t gone far before Hookfang shot out of the clouds in front of them and dove back in behind them.

                “What the…?” Hiccup gasped. She looked forward, and her eyes widened as she saw several masked figures, armored and winged in silver, hovering briefly above the clouds before disappearing below. “What the…are those…?”

                “Flying women?” Fishlegs finished, just as shocked as she was.

                “Uh. Am I crazy or is that impossible?” Hiccup asked.

                “What’s impossible?” Asher asked as he and the others joined them.

                “Nothing. Nothing,” Fishlegs said with a nervous laugh. “We’re just having some friendly hallucinations.”

                “Wait, so you didn’t see the angelic flying native women?” Tuffnut asked. “Man, did you miss it.”

                “Okay, we really have to know more about these, whatever they are,” Hiccup said.

                She nudged Toothless back down through the clouds, and the other followed them down. Hiccup directed Toothless to land on a large sea stack close to a nearby island. A glint of silver in the light made her suspect that this was the right island. Hiccup dismounted, and removed her bag to dig out her spyglass. She focused on the island, scanning over the tall, broken-looking mountains, and the thick forests. Her eyes widened as she found the village.

                “Hey, Fishlegs, take a look at this,” Hiccup said. She handed him her spyglass, and he looked over at the island.

                “Amazing,” Fishlegs breathed. “Just amazing. The density of the vegetation is unparalleled for an island in this area of…” Hiccup gently pushed the spyglass to what she had been viewing. “Oh. You were talking about the giant village of women with wings.”

                Hiccup took the spyglass back, and scanned the village.

                “Hold on. I think I found Snotlout,” Hiccup said grimly. She frowned as she saw two of the women carrying Snotlout, tied to a wooden pole like a pig about to be roasted, into a cave. “They’ve got him and they’re taking him into a cave.”

                “Well, he probably said something he would say, and now they’re gonna—” Asher said.

                “Hey, at least our hands are clean,” Ruffnut interrupted with a grin.

                “As a whistle,” Tuffnut agreed. “Just sucks we don’t get to watch.”

                “We’re not gonna let them do anything to Snotlout,” Hiccup said firmly. “We’re gonna go in there and get him and bring him home.”

                “Who is this ‘we’ you speak of?” Ruffnut asked. “Besides, didn’t you want to kill him yourself yesterday?”

                “All of us,” Hiccup replied shortly. “And yes, I was very angry at him yesterday and honestly, I still am, but it’s not different from when you want to kill Tuffnut once a week. He’s my family, and I’m not leaving him to die.”

                “Look, it’s all women down there,” Asher observed. “If you want to save him, I think it would be easier for you, Heather, and Ruffnut to take the lead. You know, put ‘em at ease.”

                “What if we all went in on Windshear?” Heather suggested, peering through her own spyglass at the village. “There’s something familiar about those wings.”

                Toothless snorted his displeasure, and pointedly pushed Hiccup. Hiccup chuckled, and rested her hand on his hand.

                “We may need all dragons and riders on deck, so I’ll go with Toothless,” Hiccup said as Toothless happily purred. “Ruffnut, you’ll ride with Heather on Windshear.”

                “We’ll be here if you need us,” Fishlegs said. Asher and Tuffnut nodded in agreement, and the girls took off into the air on the two dragons.

                Hiccup directed them to circle around and come at the island from a different direction, high above the clouds.

                “We don’t mention anything about Snotlout, until we know why they have him locked up in a cave,” Hiccup said firmly. Heather nodded in agreement and Ruffnut smirked.

                “Even though we probably know why he is?” Ruffnut joked.

                Hiccup shook her head, and they glided above the clouds quietly. Windshear seemed to be more relaxed in her flying as they neared the island.

                “What a beautiful Razorwhip.”

                They looked down to see one of the winged women coming up out of the clouds, this one with a circlet framing her face. The woman reached up to Windshear, and the girls watched as the dragon purred. The women touched her gently before slowing down to slide between the dragon’s legs. Windshear watched her as the woman’s wings flapped, and she came to fly between Windshear and Toothless. The woman looked over at Toothless, and stared in fascination.

                “If I may, what manner of dragon is he?” The woman asked.

                “A Night Fury,” Hiccup replied. She rubbed his head, and Toothless’s mouth opened in a gummy grin. “His name is Toothless.”

                Atali laughed in delight at the sight, and turned to Windshear again.

                “They’re both so well behaved,” The women said happily.

                Hiccup snorted and Toothless growled up at her.

                “I’ve been with Windshear for a long time,” Heather said fondly. She rubbed Windshear’s neck, and the dragon screeched happily. “It was just the two of us at the beginning.”

                “I am Atali,” The woman said warmly. The girls’ eyes widened as more of the winged women emerged from the clouds to fly beside them. “We are not here to harm you, but to ask how it is you find yourselves within our island’s borders.”

                “There was a terrible storm,” Hiccup replied easily. “We were on our way back to our island and we must have gotten blown off course.”

                “I’m afraid that we don’t usually allow men on our island,” Hiccup looked down at Toothless confused before she realized that Atali was gesturing to Ruffnut. “So your friend will have to—”

                “Hey, I’m more woman than you’ll ever be, sister,” Ruffnut snapped gruffly.

                “My apologies. Follow us,” Atali said graciously. “We will provide you with shelter this evening and a hot meal.”

                “Now we’re talking,” Ruffnut said eagerly. “What’s on the menu?”

                “We’re having stew,” Atali replied mysteriously. “Sacred stew.”

                The girls glanced at each other before Heather and Hiccup directed the dragons to follow the Wingmaidens to the island.

                “Mmm. Sacred,” Ruffnut mused.

Wingmaiden Island

                As concerned as she was for Snotlout, Hiccup couldn’t help but look around in wonder as Atali led them through the village. The buildings were raised on wooden platforms and connected with bridges much like their own base, but the buildings were made with an entirely different style and technique. While Windshear wandered away to explore, Toothless kept close to the girls.

                “As I said, we do not allow males to integrate into our tribe on a permanent basis,” Atli reiterated.

                “Why is that?” Hiccup asked curiously.

                “We have important work here, a higher purpose, if you will,” Atali replied solemnly. “Males would neither understand, nor would they be helpful.”

                Toothless snorted roughly giving Atali a dry look.

                “Amen to that, sister,” Ruffnut agreed.

                “Ruff, you don’t really feel that way about the guys,” Heather said.

                “Don’t I? I can’t remember us ever having this discussion, Heather,” Ruffnut said pointedly.

                “If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” Atali interjected. “I have some business to attend to, but feel free to take in the beauty our island has to offer.” She paused as she turned, and looked at Toothless. She seemed to consider saying something before she sighed. “I would ask that you stay close to the village, and not wander far. There are dangers on this island, and I would not wish for anything to befall you.”

                “Thank you, Atali,” Hiccup replied. She turned to Heather and Ruffnut as Atali followed two of her Wingmaidens away. “Well, that’s the end of Snotlout.”

                “Hey, at least he’ll die surrounded by beautiful women, and the smell of sacred stew,” Ruffnut said jokingly.

                “If he’s still alive, we need to get to him before he says anything to make them any more angry,” Heather said urgently. She sighed as Hiccup and Ruffnut gave her looks. “Yeah, that ship’s sailed, huh?”

                “Hey, can you guys keep Atali busy?” Hiccup asked.

                “We can try,” Heather replied.

                “I’ll find Snotlout,” Hiccup said. “He’s a muttonhead, but he’s our muttonhead. Plus, I’m not explaining this to my uncle if he does die.”

                “Come on, Heather,” Ruffnut said eagerly. “I thought I saw a boar pit when we were flying in. Hey, maybe they’re up for a game of doubles.”

                Hiccup shrugged sheepishly as Heather scowled at Hiccup before turning to follow after Ruffnut. She rubbed Toothless’s head, and he growled appreciatively.

                “Let’s go get our muttonhead,” Hiccup muttered.

                They crept to the cave Hiccup had seen them take Snotlout to, and were surprised to see no one guarding the entrance. They carefully entered the cave, and both groaned as they saw Snotlout hanging from the ceiling by a manacle and chain around his ankle, snoring heavily.

                Hiccup carefully moved closer, and paused as she saw a key lying on the floor.

                ‘Convenient,’ Hiccup thought as she picked it up. She approached Snotlout and groaned as she realized she couldn’t reach his ankle to unlock the manacle.

                “Snotlout,” Hiccup said quietly, shaking him gently. “Snotlout, wake up.”

                Snotlout continued to snore, and Hiccup rolled her eyes. She turned to Toothless, and nodded to Snotlout. Toothless fired a small blast at the chain, and it snapped. Snotlout grunted as he hit the ground. He groaned as he rolled over onto his back, and blinked as Hiccup stood over him.

                “Hey, muttonhead,” Hiccup greeted as she knelt beside him.

                “Hiccup. You came for me,” Snotlout said happily, grabbing her shoulders. “I knew you would. I knew it. Wait a minute…No, I didn’t. You’re mad at me. Why would you?”

                “I was mad at you Snotlout,” Hiccup replied. “But you’re my cousin, and one of us. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

                “Hiccup, you care about me,” Snotlout said emotionally. “You really, really care.”

                “Don’t push it,” Hiccup warned. “Now what exactly did you say to them to get them so mad at you?”

                “All I did was fall in the ocean and these clearly unstable natives are planning on using me in their sacred stew,” Snotlout replied heatedly.

                Hiccup sighed and exchanged wry looks with Toothless.

                “That’s exactly what happened,” Snotlout insisted. He groaned when Hiccup didn’t move. “Alright, maybe I said a few things that were taken out of context…”

                “Snotlout,” Hiccup said tiredly. She turned and walked a few steps away with the key as Snotlout sputtered and sat up.

                “Fine. I’m learning,” Snotlout said hurriedly. “I’m a work in progress. The archipelago wasn’t built in a day.”

                “Alright,” Hiccup said, walking back and handing him the key to his manacle. “The others are gonna meet up with you at the base of the mountains on the north end of the island. Do you know which way is north?”

                “Seriously, did you just ask me that?” Snotlout asked as he removed the manacle. He threw it and the chain to the side, and pointed to his left.

                Hiccup sighed and pointed over her shoulder. “It’s that way.”

                “Oh, got it,” Snotlout said.

                Hiccup grunted as he shoved past and ran out of the cave. Toothless growled, and Hiccup scratched behind his ear.

                “Work in progress, my ass,” Hiccup grumbled.

                Toothless grunted in agreement, and they made their own way back to the village. Their eyes widened as they saw Heather and Ruffnut sitting on one of the decks, covered head to toe in mud.

                “Whoa,” Hiccup gasped as they approached the girls. “What happened to you two?”

                “Turns out that was a boar pit,” Heather growled. “And they did want to play doubles.”

                “Well, I’d ask how you did, but…” Hiccup trailed off as she took in the damage as Heather got to her feet.

                “Don’t,” Ruffnut snapped as she got to her feet. “I do not want to talk about it. Some people do not take the game as seriously as they should.”

                “Alright,” Hiccup said hurriedly. “Let’s go. Where’s Windshear?”

                “You’re not leaving, are you?”

                Hiccup jumped and turned to see Atali flying up to them.

                “Oh, yes,” Hiccup replied. “I’m afraid we have to.”

                “We have a long way to fly, and it’ll be dark soon,” Heather added.

                “Such a shame,” Atali said softly. “I so wanted to show you the newborns.”

                The girls gasped as she turned, and revealed that the wings on her back were not her own. A baby Razorwhip lifted its head from where it been resting against Atali’s back, and chirped at them.

                “Never mind,” Hiccup said quickly. “I will absolutely take the time to see the baby dragons.”

                Atali led them to an area surrounded by high stone walls. Windshear was already there, and the three girls and Toothless looked down, and gasped as they saw more infant Razorwhips down below. Toothless growled fondly down at them as one of them took a couple of steps before falling on its belly.

                “I don’t understand,” Heather said confused. “Where are their mothers? How could you keep them from—”

                “We’re not keeping them from their mothers,” Atali insisted. “We’re saving them. Heather, were you aware that nearly a thousand years ago, the Razorwhip almost became extinct?”

                “No,” Heather said quietly. “I had no idea.”

                “It’s true,” Atali declared. “And it was then that our Wingmaiden tribe was charged with a divine mission. A mission given to us by Freya herself, and one we fulfill with great honor to this day.”

                “There’s something about them,” Hiccup said softly as she observed the hatchlings. “Are they…”

                “Blind?” Atali finished. “Yes. All Razorwhips are born blind. They are helpless and the mothers cannot protect them against male Razorwhips.”

                “Been there,” Ruffnut commented.

                “When?” Hiccup questioned her.

                “Uh…just sounded like the right response,” Ruffnut replied sheepishly.

                “Adult male Razorwhips will feed on the babies unless someone is there to stop them,” Atali said gravely.

                “And that’s where you come in,” Heather said.

                “Exactly,” Atali nodded. “We have a mutual understanding with the mothers that the hatchlings will stay with us until they are able to stand and are strong enough to fly. Then they fly on our backs until they are old enough to defend themselves. It is only then that they are released back to their mothers and then into the wild.”

                “So, what you’re telling me is that—” Heather said slowly.

                “Your dragon was once a part of our family,” Atali said, smiling lovingly at the baby Razorwhip on her back. It climbed over her shoulder, and curled up in her arms. “She was raised by us until she was strong enough to go on her own.”

                “Windshear was alone when I found her, but she bonded with me right away,” Heather said.

                “Well, the first contact with another living being creates a lifelong bond,” Atali replied. “We create something like this with our hatchlings, but with understanding that we must part. You are a very lucky woman, Heather. The bond you share shall never be broken.”

                “And here we thought you were these crazy babes who flew with dragons and ate stew made out of fat, annoying guys,” Ruffnut laughed.

                “That is not what we thought,” Hiccup interjected.

                “It’s alright,” Atali said graciously. “What we are—”

                “The man has escaped.”

                They all looked up to see a Wingmaiden leaning over the top of the ridge.

                “Someone set him free,” The Wingmaiden called down.

                “I’m sorry. We didn’t know,” Hiccup said apologetically. “He’s meeting our friends at the base of the north mountains.”

                “That’s unfortunate,” Atali said gravely.

                “Why? Why is that unfortunate?” Heather asked urgently.

                “Because those are the nesting grounds of the Razorwhips,” Atali explained. “And if the females sense any sort of male presence there, they will attack. To kill. He’ll have no chance.”

                “I sent him right into that,” Hiccup said horrified. “I just sent Snotlout to his death. How the Hel would I ever explain that to my uncle?”

With Snotlout

                Snotlout crashed through the bushes as he raced through the thick forest. He grinned as he spotted sky through the trees as he approached a hill.

                “There it is,” Snotlout said happily. “I think I’m gonna make it. I’m gonna actually live.”

                He didn’t notice several pairs of eyes opening as he ran. The hanging Razorwhips growled as they sensed him, and took to the air to chase after him. One of them swooped down, and just missed grabbing Snotlout as the boy tripped.

                Snotlout screamed as he felt the dragon pass over him, and rolled forward. He looked up in time to see her tail disappear up above.

                “Where did you come from?” Snotlout asked fearfully. “Hey, uh, I actually know your cousin Windshear. We get along great.”

                Snotlout screamed as another Razorwhip dove towards him. He ran and slid under a stone overhang, accidentally bumping his head. He groaned as he rubbed his head, and scowled as he saw two Wingmaidens hovering overhead.

                “Oh come on,” Snotlout groaned. “Are they serious? Save your breath, ladies. The dragons are gonna kill me before you ever even get here.”

                He laughed before pausing as he contemplated which fate was worse. He cringed as a Razorwhip flew overhead, and raced back into the forest.

                “Ugh. This is all my fault,” Snotlout growled. “All I had to do was be nice to Hiccup. That’s all I had to do. But, no. Snotlout had to go and open his big fat yap.”

                Snotlout dove for a vine, and swung up as a Razorwhip passed underneath him. He screeched as it swung back, and quickly climbed as it stopped swaying. He laughed as he saw the Razorwhip searching for him.

                “You gotta get up way earlier than that to…” Snotlout trailed off as another Razorwhip growled in his face. He chuckled nervously. “Like this guy. Early riser, Great.”

                The Razorwhip roared in his face, and Snotlout shuddered as he felt spit hit him.

                “Okay, gotta go,” Snotlout said quickly, sliding down the vine. He jumped from the vine, and off a tree branch, bouncing between the trees as he descended. He swung around a tree trunk, and let go so he could slide across the ground and into a hollow hole in the side of a broken tree trunk.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout cheered as he heard the Razorwhip fly by.

With the Dragon Riders

                Asher and the other boys exchanged nervous glances as Toothless and Windshear returned with the girls, and a couple of the Wingmaidens.

                “Hiccup,” Asher said hesitantly. “Are we okay here? Or…”

                “We’re fine,” Hiccup said. “Which is more than I can say for—”

                “Let me guess,” Asher said tiredly. “Snotlout.”

                “Unfortunately, your friend has found himself in a Razorwhip nesting area,” Atali explained.

                “I think old Snotty is a ways from finding himself,” Tuffnut joked. “And does anybody ever really ‘find themselves’? Isn’t knowing who you are a journey that never ends with a beginning that never starts?”

                “What’s he doing there?” Fishlegs asked worriedly. “Doesn’t he know how female Razorwhips respond to male presence while they’re nesting?”

                “He does now,” Tuffnut said, leaning against Hookfang’s horn. Hookfang snarled and jerked his head to dislodge him. “Oops, sorry. I’m sure he’s fine.”

                “Alright, the way I see it, the only shot he has is for you, and when I say ‘you’ I mean Fishlegs, Tuff, and Asher to ride over the forest and distract all the female Razorwhips,” Hiccup said.

                “Then you’ll go in and rescue Snotlout’s boneheaded butt while they’re distracted,” Asher said. “But question, if they react to males, won’t Toothless set them off?”

                “He will,” Hiccup said slowly, glancing to Toothless whose eyes narrowed. “Which is why I need to take Stormfly.”

                Toothless growled unhappily, and Hiccup rubbed his head.

                “Asher will take good care of you,” Hiccup said amused. “And Stormfly will take care of me.”

                Stormfly squawked as though offended by the idea that she would allow anything to happen to her rider’s future mate. Toothless grumbled, and walked over to Asher as Hiccup mounted Stormfly.

                Hookfang got to his feet, and growled as he looked consideringly at Tuffnut. Tuffnut yelped as he flipped him onto his saddle.

                “What’s going on?” Tuffnut cried. “I don’t think this was the plan!”

                Everyone else followed Hookfang as he took off, and the male Dragon Riders plus Barf and Belch parted from the others to soar over the forest.

                “Here they come,” Asher warned as the Razorwhips flew up from the forest. “They’re just trying to protect their eggs, so we don’t need to fire on them.”

                “Evasive maneuvers,” Fishlegs nodded. “Gotcha!”

                As the Razorwhips began to chase after the boys, the girls and the Wingmaidens soared within the forest looking for Snotlout.

                “There’s acres of forest down there,” Heather growled. “How are we gonna find him?”

                “Just listen for the high-pitched screams,” Ruffnut said amused. “That’ll be him.”

With Snotlout

                “I can’t believe I’m gonna die in a tree stump,” Snotlout whimpered, unaware of the Razorwhip that was sniffing at the tree stump. “Why can’t I have a heroic death? Is that too much to ask for? Is it?”

                He covered his head when the tree trunk broke around him as the Razorwhip whipped her tail through it. He screamed as the dragon snarled at him, scaring the birds into the sky.

With Hiccup and the Others

                “Like that?” Heather asked amused.

                “Exactly like that,” Ruffnut confirmed.

With Snotlout

                “I take it back, Odin,” Snotlout whimpered as he turned around, holding a piece of bark as if to shield himself from the circling Razorwhip. “I don’t want to be heroic. And why do you only listen to me when I say stupid stuff?”

                The Razorwhip reared up to strike him, and screeched as she was blown to the side by a bright blast. Snotlout looked up and grinned as he saw Hiccup on Stormfly.

                “Hiccup,” Snotlout said relieved. “How did you find me? And did you steal Asher’s dragon? Good for you.”

                Hiccup rolled her eyes. “Your scream is unmistakable. Look out!”

                Snotlout ducked as another Razorwhip charged towards him. Windshear hovered near him, and smacked the other Razorwhip away with her tail. Snotlout backed away as Windshear rose back up with Heather and Ruffnut.

                “Uh, Hiccup,” Snotlout said nervously as more Razorwhips emerged from the forest.

                “Yes, Snotlout?” Hiccup asked teasingly.

                “Can you, I don’t know, hurry?!” Snotlout cried. Stormfly swooped down, and grabbed Snotlout in her talons. She pulled him out of the way as one of the Razorwhips charged forward to try to bite him. Snotlout swallowed nervously as he saw the Razorwhips following them into the sky. “Uh, Hiccup.”

                “I see them,” Hiccup replied. She tightened her grip on Stormfly’s saddle. “Just hang tight.”

                Stormfly flipped over, and doubled back to try to evade the Razorwhips. They circled around, and one of them was quick enough to grab Snotlout’s feet with her own talons. Stormfly turned and roared in the Razorwhip’s face as the other dragon roared at her.

                “Let go of me!” Snotlout pleaded. “I am not a piece of meat.”

                Toothless and Asher tried to come in from the side to grab Snotlout, but a Razorwhip flew in front of them. Toothless snarled as he backed away as the Razorwhips kept trying to ram into them.

                “Man, they really don’t like us,” Asher said nervously.

                One of the Razorwhips fired a blast across Stormfly’s talons, and she reflexively let go with a cry of pain.

                “Hiccup!” Snotlout screamed. He turned in the air, and screamed again as the forest rapidly approached. “Oh, no. No!”

                Hookfang and Tuffnut dove from up above and raced towards Snotlout. Hookfang fired a blast at the Razorwhips in his way, forcing them back. Hookfang bit the back of Snotlout’s vest, and the boy felt relief fill him as the dragon moved to soar back up.

                “Hey, bro,” Tuffnut greeted. He grinned eagerly as Hookfang flipped Snotlout over his head to land behind Tuffnut. Snotlout scrambled to grab something, and latched onto Tuffnut’s waist. “You know, I gotta say, this is one cool dragon. Did you know he can fly so fast it almost rips your face off?”

                “Yes. I knew that, Tuff,” Snotlout replied.

                “Oh, okay,” Tuffnut said. He cleared his throat, and glanced around. “And Snotlout, you mind holding on to something else? I just don’t want the Wingmaidens to think I’m taken.”

                The Razorwhips snarled as the Dragon Riders retreated, but returned to the forest satisfied that the unwanted presences had been driven away.

Later that Night

                Hiccup sat between Asher and Snotlout on a log beside one of the Wingmaiden Tribes campfires. She smiled fondly as the baby Razorwhips ran by, playing happily with one another. She glanced as she noticed Snotlout shift, and smirked as he looked away sheepishly.

                “Something you’d like to say?” Hiccup asked, playfully nudging him.

                “Hiccup, I’ve learned my lesson this time,” Snotlout said seriously. “I swear. No more disrespect. No more cleaning Hookie’s body parts with other’s weapons. I’m just, well, sometimes I can be a bit of a muttonhead.”

                “I know,” Hiccup said. She leaned against him, and smiled fondly. “But you’re our muttonhead.”

                “Yeah, I guess I am,” Snotlout said softly, leaning against her.

                “A toast and greetings to our new friends from Dragon’s Edge,” Atali said, raising her goblet high. “You have taught us a lesson in tolerance and acceptance. You will always be welcome here on the Island of Wingmaidens. Every one of you.”

                Hiccup and Snotlout exchanged smiles as Atali lowered her goblet.

                “And to the conclusion of the nesting season,” Atali continued. “Now that it is over, there is much work to be done, but no other task brings us such joy.”

                She raised her goblet again, and everyone raised their glasses before toasting one another. Hiccup and Snotlout grinned at each other before raising their glasses together.

Chapter Text

Caldera Cay

                The Defenders of the Wing scrambled to try to protect their village as lava streamed from the volcano and crept ever closer. The lava was relentless and never ending, and they were forced to retreat to the entrance of their village as it flowed closer. They desperately scanned the skies for the Great Protector, but the Eruptodon was nowhere to be seen.

                Mala and Throk exchanged worried looks as the people began to clamor and panic. Throk scanned the skies again, and a grin broke out on his face.

                “There!” Throk yelled, pointing to the Great Protector flying towards the village. Mala felt a burst of hope, but it faded as the lava reached a house on the edge of the village, and it started to burn. She frowned as she realized that the Great Protector was flying too slowly.

                “It won’t make it,” Mala said horrified. “It’s too late.”

                A deep roaring came from behind, and they turned to see the child of the Great Protector fly overhead. The Eruptodon, much larger in size now, landed between the village and the lava flow. It began to rapidly eat the molten lava to the relief of the villagers, making its way back up towards the path to the volcano.

                “Oh, praise the Ancients,” A villager sighed in relief. “The new Protector has saved us all.”

                The Great Protector landed behind her child, and growled unhappily as she realized she was too late to save the village herself. The younger Eruptodon growled at her reassuringly, and the Great Protector looked down before lowering her head to bow to the new Protector. The younger Eruptodon groaned, and watched as his mother looked to the sky.

                Throk ran towards the Great Protector and stopped as he heard her whimper, her eyes closing in resignation. Mala came up behind Throk, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

                “It’s time,” Mala said solemnly. “I’m sorry, Throk.”

Dragon’s Edge

                Hiccup frowned as she sat at her worktable in her hut, staring down at various gears and mechanical pieces she had both crafted and traded for. She picked one up in each hand, and examined them with a critical eye. No matter how much she stared at them, her frustration continued to grow as she couldn’t figure out how to craft her design.

                “Come on!” Hiccup exclaimed, slamming the pieces back down onto the table. “Think, Hiccup. Think.”

                Hiccup picked up her latest drawing on her desk, and groaned as she realized it was flawed. Toothless perked up from where he was laying down behind her, and raised his head up as he heard her crumpling the drawing into a ball. He eagerly got to his feet, and batted at the paper ball as she threw it over her shoulder.

                “What am I missing?” Hiccup groaned. She rubbed her forehead as Toothless played with the ball of paper on the floor behind her. “I…”

                Hiccup jumped, not from the sound of Toothless incinerating the paper to ash, but from a heavy knocking on the frame of her door.

                “Gah!” Hiccup yelped as she nearly tripped on the leg of her chair as she tried to stand. “Just a minute!”

                Hiccup quickly went to the door, and positioned herself to block anyone on the other side from entering as she opened it.

                “Hey!” Hiccup greeted Asher nervously.

                “Hey, babe,” Asher greeted, raising an eyebrow. “Whatcha up to?”

                “Oh, you know,” Hiccup said lightly. “Not much. Just, uh…”

                “Working on that secret project?” Asher asked amused.

                “It’s not a secret, Asher,” Hiccup protested.

                “Okay. So, then tell me what it is,” Asher smirked.

                “It’s uh, well, you know,” Hiccup said awkwardly.

                “Yeah. Secret,” Asher declared. “Don’t worry. You can tell us when you’re ready. In the meantime, we got a message from Mala.”

                Hiccup took the scroll he handed to her, and unrolled it. She read it quickly, and Asher frowned as Hiccup looked up at him with a sad expression.

Caldera Cay     

                They set out for the Defenders of the Wing, and made it to the village as the sun was beginning to rise the next day. The villagers were busily moving about the village arranging tables and seating, preparing food, and ensuring their banners were clean and hung with care.

                “We’re so glad you all were able to attend our Changing of the Guard celebration,” Mala said as she and Throk guided them through the preparations. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

                “Changing of the Guard celebration,” Ruffnut said slowly, nudging Tuffnut.

                Snotlout gave the twins a funny look as Tuffnut nodded, and eagerly started writing in a journal in his hands.

                “Interesting,” Tuffnut mused. He pulled the book away as Snotlout tried to take a peek at what he was writing. “Now, how often does this guard changing occur? Hmm?”

                “Once the Eruptodon is unable to fulfill its duties, it leaves us to live out its golden years on Vanaheim,” Throk explained solemnly. Hiccup felt sympathy for the man as he looked at the Great Protector with a deep sadness in his eyes.

                “Ah,” Tuffnut said, writing in his journal. “Vana-what?”

                “Vanaheim,” Throk repeated. “It will be its final resting place. This Great Protector has honored us with its presence for four decades. “

                The twins stared at him, and Fishlegs nudged them.

                “Come on,” Fishlegs hissed quietly. “Forty years.”

                “She must have some serious vacation time coming,” Tuffnut joked.

                “Especially when you consider that most Vikings don’t live that long,” Ruffnut chuckled.

                “What are you two up to?” Fishlegs asked suspiciously.

                “Nothing,” Tuffnut replied with a smirk.

                “More secrets. Great,” Asher said, playfully nudging Hiccup.

                “No secrets here,” Snotlout declared, grabbing the journal from Tuffnut’s hands. He kept Tuffnut at bay with a hand as he read the first page. “How to do the Great Beyond on ten gold pieces a day?”

                “It’s a Viking travel guide,” Tuffnut said angrily as he grabbed the book back. “Just take that in.”

                “The Vanaheim legend,” Hiccup said thoughtfully as she held her chin in her hand. “It’s the mythical last resting place of all dragons.”

                “Vanaheim is very real,” Mala said. “It’s been part of our culture for centuries.”

                “So you’ve seen it?” Hiccup asked eagerly.

                “By the Ancients, no!” Mala denied firmly.

                “Um, not to burst your bubble,” Snotlout said as he shoved himself between Hiccup and Asher. “But you gotta see it for it to be real.”

                “We have had no way to follow it,” Mala explained.

                “Not unt—” Tuffnut stopped himself, and turned to whisper to Ruffnut. “Not until now.”

                “And nor would we,” Mala continued. She gave the twins a firm look. “There are certain corners of the animal kingdom where humans mustn’t tread.”

                “Well, I couldn’t agree more, Mala,” Hiccup said. She also looked pointedly at the twins. “We have to stay away from dragon culture that pure and undisturbed.”

                “Is she eyeballing us?” Tuffnut asked Ruffnut.

                Ruffnut scoffed. “She’s always eyeballing us.”

                Hiccup’s eyes narrowed, and the twins put their fingers around their eyes to hold them wide open as they stared back.

                “If she wants a free travel guide, she’s barking up the wrong tree,” Ruffnut said firmly.

                “Ha! Yeah,” Tuffnut agreed. He paused and looked at Ruffnut, confused. “Hiccup barks?”

                “With the best of ‘em,” Ruffnut said proudly. “It’s quite regal. More like a howl.”

                Hiccup sighed in exasperation, and turned back to Mala and Throk. She watched as Mala removed a comforting hand from the man’s shoulder, and approached the Queen as he moved towards the Great Protector.

                “It’s going to be difficult for Throk,” Mala said sadly. Hiccup observed as the man knelt to take a wet cloth from a trough and use it to gently rub the Eruptodon’s leg. “He and that dragon have a special bond, but it is with great happiness that they part.”

                “Happy?” Hiccup questioned. “I don’t know about that. If I had to say goodbye to Toothless, I’d be pretty sad.”

                “Sadness is a matter of perspective, Hiccup,” Mala said wisely. “It is how you choose to view something that makes it happy, scary, intriguing, or sad. We don’t view this as a day to mourn. It’s a day to rejoice. This is a well-earned rest for the Great Protector. We should all be so lucky to have lived such a meaningful life.”

                Hiccup smiled sadly as she watched the Great Protector nuzzle her child. The younger Eruptodon growled sadly, but the Great Protector just smiled at him gently, purring comfortingly to him. She growled a good-bye, and began to walk to the edge of the village. Throk walked beside her, and Mala and the Dragon Riders followed.

                The Great Protector stopped when she reached the island’s edge. Mala and the Dragon Riders kept back as Throk placed his hand on the Eruptodon’s leg.

                “Goodbye, old friend,” Throk said softly. “Until we meet again in Valhalla.”

                The Eruptodon nodded to him, and Throk patted her leg one last time before stepping back. The dragon growled and lifted off into the air, flying out towards the rising sun. Throk watched her go for a moment before turning to walk back to the group. The twins hung back as the others started making their way back to the village.

                “Quick. Look sad,” Tuffnut hissed to his sister. Ruffnut put on a sad expression, and Tuffnut shook his head. “No, sadder.”

                “This is as sad as I get,” Ruffnut replied. She winced and managed to hold in a yell of pain as Tuffnut stomped on her foot. She hunched over, and her eyes filled with tears as Throk approached.

                “Will you be joining us for breakfast?” Throk asked.

                “Oh, my sister,” Tuffnut sighed. “I mean, look at her. Look at how this has affected her. She’s sad. She…This is the saddest she can be, apparently. She’s an emotional wreck. She can’t even talk.”

                Ruffnut groaned and squirmed as Tuffnut grabbed her by the helmet, and held her close.

                “Yes,” Throk said distractedly as he looked back towards the Eruptodon. “It is a difficult day for us all.”

                “Indeed. It is a difficult day for us all,” Tuffnut agreed. “Obviously, for Ruffnut more, ‘cause she’s, you know, kind of weak and fragile.”

                Throk moved to follow the others, and the twins chuckled mischievously as they watched the Eruptodon fly away in the distance.

Later

                Hiccup sighed as she set down her mug of water and observed the other Dragon Riders eating breakfast at the table. She frowned as she realized she didn’t see the twins, and a quick scan of the celebration revealed that they were nowhere in sight.

                “Hey, has anyone seen the twins?” Hiccup asked worriedly.  “When was the last time they missed a free meal?”

                “Your twins departed our island at sunup,” Throk replied from the other end of the table.

                “Departed? To where?” Hiccup questioned. The answer hit her, and she groaned. “Oh, no.”

                Hiccup quickly bid Mala and Throk farewell, before she and the others raced for their dragons to go after the twins. Hiccup fumed as she gripped the saddle tightly, and glared at the horizon.

                “Why did I ever let them out of my sight?” Hiccup cried angrily. “I can’t even have a breakfast anymore!”

                “Gee, Hiccup, when you fail, you fail big time,” Snotlout teased.

                “Thanks a lot, Snotlout,” Hiccup growled through gritted teeth.

                “Okay, we know the Eruptodon traveled northeast with a slight veering north,” Fishlegs said as he searched his Dragon Cards. He found the Eruptodon card and scanned it quickly. “So, based on its size and speed, we should be able to close the distance.”

                “Mala gave me this,” Asher said, holding up the cloth Throk had used on the Eruptodon earlier. “Although, she wasn’t too pleased we were going.”

                “Oh, I’m with her on that,” Hiccup said angrily as Asher held the cloth out for Stormfly to sniff. “None of us should be anywhere near that place, which is why we need to catch up to those two…twins.”

                Asher snorted in amusement as Stormfly screeched.

                “Alright, she’s got the scent,” Asher said. “Here we go.”

                Stormfly pulled ahead of the others, and the dragons followed her as she tracked the scent of the Eruptodon. They didn’t catch up to the dragon or the twins, and Hiccup felt a weight in her stomach as Stormfly led them to an unknown island that could only be Vanaheim.

                From what they saw on their approach, Vanaheim contained peaks and plateaus of light-grey rock, green grass and trees. The coastline of it was jagged and rocky with the water surrounding it littered with sea stacks and small spires of ice. Hiccup doubted the chill that ran down her spine came from the frigid climate as she observed the strange formation jutting up into the sky on the far side of the island.

                The dragons soared amongst the sea stacks as they approached the island. Toothless growled and stopped abruptly as he spotted a dragon on the ridge directly above them. Hiccup’s eyes widened as she took in the incredibly detailed stone statue of a dragon in front of them.

                The statue was large, and the surface of it was rough, and carved to show thick clusters of scales over its body and head with patches of something like moss on its surface. Short horns decorated its head with similar ones along its neck and nose. Its wings were triangular and ended in large claws that rested on the ground. The dragon was depicted at rest, its eyes closed and an expression of concentration on its face.

                “Easy, bud,” Hiccup said calmly. “They’re just sentinel statues.”

                “I don’t understand,” Fishlegs said confused. “If no human has ever been here…”

                “Who carved those sentinels?” Hiccup finished.

                “Just because Queenie and Throkster haven’t been here doesn’t mean nobody has,” Snotlout said pointedly.

                Hiccup hummed, but nudged Toothless to continue to start searching the island for the twins. She glanced over at several other sentinel statues that sat atop the plateaus and ridges of the island as they went further inland.

                “Guys, check this out,” Fishlegs gasped.

                Everyone looked down to see a large, beautiful area, surrounded by cliffs. A lake took up most of the space at one end as thick grass and clusters of trees filled the area. If Hiccup squinted her eyes she could almost make out hills with what looked like holes in their sides sticking out above the ground. Hiccup smiled at the sight, and then frowned as she spotted Barf and Belch hovering near a tree.

                Within the tree, the twins lounged back on a thick branch as Barf and Belch fed them bites from a large purple fruit shaped like a sphere. Barf and Belch turned to look behind them as they heard the other dragons arriving, and the twins groaned.

                “Buzz kill,” Tuffnut sighed.

                “Ruff, Tuff,” Hiccup called out as she dismounted from Toothless. She nodded respectfully to the Eruptodon who was watching with great interest as the twins climbed down from the tree. The twins turned to face Hiccup and froze as she glared at them with her hands on her hips.

                “How were we supposed to know what that look meant?” Ruffnut asked defensively.

                “Well, what did you think it meant?” Hiccup snapped as Toothless glared disapprovingly at the twins beside her.

                “I don’t know,” Tuffnut shrugged. “I mean, we’re not existential.”

                “Uh, I think you mean extrasensory,” Fishlegs corrected.

                “You don’t know what we mean because you can’t read our minds,” Ruffnut replied.

                “That’d be a curse,” Snotlout said dryly.

                “Yeah, but what if we could?” Tuffnut asked dreamily. “Read minds.”

                “Try me,” Ruffnut said eagerly.

                Tuffnut put one hand on her helmet, and pressed two fingers to the side of his head. He concentrated for a moment before chuckling.

                “You shouldn’t say that about Hiccup,” Tuffnut laughed. “Hiccup barks. Which tree? The wrong one.”

                “Not funny,” Hiccup growled. “None of this is funny.”

                “I knew you were thinking that!” Tuffnut cried.

                “We shouldn’t be here,” Hiccup hissed as Toothless growled. “We can’t upset the natural order of things when it comes to dragons. Especially as they transition over to the afterlife. We’re leaving. Now.”

                The Eruptodon growled, looking up in concern as Hiccup remounted Toothless and the twins got on Barf and Belch. It watched worriedly as the Dragon Riders took off, and made their way up.

                As the dragons ascended, the sentinel dragon’s eyelids opened to reveal milky white eyes. Their stone hides cracked as they twitched and shifted before spreading their wings and taking to the air.

                “Oh, what the Thor?” Fishlegs gasped as the Sentinels started coming towards them, roaring and growling.

                “Stay together,” Hiccup ordered as the stone dragons circled around them. “There’s too many to take on alone.”

                Hiccup swallowed as the Sentinels continued to circle them, and looked to the others to see them watching the dragons around them with fear clear on their faces.

                “Guys, we have to bust through them,” Hiccup said firmly.

                Toothless moved forward, and one of the Sentinels stopped ahead of him. It pulled its wings back, and slammed them forward through the air, sending a powerful wing blast at the group. The riders screamed and clung to their dragons as they were flung backwards.

                Toothless growled as he caught himself, and glared up at the Sentinels. He tried to fly up at them again, and screeched as another blast from three of them blew them back down. The riders and dragons screamed as they spun towards the ground. The Sentinels were impassive up above, merely tilting their heads as they impacted on the ground.

                Hiccup groaned as she came to, her entire body aching as she lay on her back on the ground. Toothless growled as he walked up to her, and nudged her head, licking the side of her face.

                “Thanks, bud,” Hiccup groaned, scratching the side of his head as she sat up.

                Toothless purred at her before stiffening. His head whipped up as his pupils narrowed at the sight of the Sentinels circling overhead. He growled angrily as the stone dragons roared in the sky.

                Hiccup looked down as she heard Snotlout groaning, and saw he was hanging over a tree branch as Hookfang got to his feet, shaking his head.

                “I’d just like to point out that, once again,” Snotlout growled. “Mala and Throk have conveniently left out the part where we almost get killed!”

                He yelped as he slid forward off the branch, grunting as Hookfang caught him by his collar. Snotlout glared at Hiccup, crossing his arms as he hung from Hookfang’s mouth. He screamed as Hookfang abruptly dropped him and he crashed onto the ground.

                “How could they know that, Snotlout?” Fishlegs asked as the other boy sat up, rubbing his head. “They’ve never been here. No humans have ever been here.”

                “Still they should have… I mean… Shut up, Fishface,” Snotlout snapped.

                “These Sentinels are the reason no one knows about Vanaheim,” Hiccup said, staring up at the stone dragons. She watched as they stopped circling, and went back to their perches on the edges of the cliffs and plateaus. She heard the faint sound of cracking stone as they settled into their original positions and closed their eyes.

                “If anyone ever snuck in here, they’d never get out,” Asher said, realizing that the Sentinels had them surrounded.

                “That’s it!” Ruffnut cried as she crawled out of a bush. She hurriedly pulled out their journal, and started writing as Barf and Belch pulled Tuffnut out of the bush by his legs.

                “Vanaheim. A Once in a Lifetime Adventure,” Tuffnut recited. “Jot that down, and also make little hearts over the I’s.”

                “Way ahead of you,” Ruffnut said happily. “Because I knew you were thinking that.”

                “There’s no way that’s true,” Hiccup said roughly. “We need to find a way out of here.”

                “Maybe we could, you know, just hang out for a bit. As long as we’re here,” Fishlegs suggested meekly. Hiccup turned to give him a hard look. “Or we could leave immediately.”

                “Alright, I think these guys’ power comes from them as a unit,” Hiccup said. “So, if we split up, they split up. Let’s go in two waves, opposite directions. We’ll cut them in half first, then take them on, one on one. Asher, you, Snotlout and Fishlegs go first.” She sighed and turned to the twins. “Can you guys tell what I’m thinking?”

                “Yes,” Tuffnut said eagerly. “Yak barf. Yak lice. Yak nose. Yak breath. Rocks. Water. Trees.”

                He studied Hiccup’s unimpressed face, and hummed.

                “None of those, huh?” Tuffnut inquired. “I knew it! So I’d rather not say.”

                “Well, that’s ten seconds I’ll never get back again,” Hiccup grumbled. “Let’s move it!”

                Stormfly, Hookfang, and Meatlug flew up with their riders, and the Sentinels’ eyes snapped open. Three of them took to the air, and hovered above the trio.

                “Now!” Asher cried.

                Stormfly continued to fly straight while Meatlug and Hookfang veered to the sides. A Sentinel moved to intercept each of them as the third continued to stare down at Stormfly.

                Stormfly growled, and whipped her tail up to send a few spines at the Sentinel. The dragon shifted his own tail to knock them to the side, his thick stone hiding protecting him.

                “Stormfly, look out!” Asher warned. Stormfly shifted to protect Asher from the spines falling towards them, and Asher let out a yell as the Sentinel flew towards them, driving Stormfly back towards the island.

                “Oh, Thor! Oh, Thor!” Fishlegs said fearfully as Meatlug fled from the Sentinel chasing them. Fishlegs and Meatlug looked over their shoulders to see where the Sentinel was, and Fishlegs and Asher both screamed as Meatlug accidentally flew straight into Stormfly.

                Snotlout winced before snickering as the two hit the ground.

                “You guys are so lame,” Snotlout yelled down to them. “Watch, you might learn something.”

                He tugged on Hookfang’s horns, and the dragon turned to face the Sentinel behind them.

                “You want a piece of this?” Snotlout asked challengingly. “Hookfang, fire up!”

                Hookfang roared, and ignited his flame jacket. The Sentinel roared, and blew a powerful gust of air at the Monstrous Nightmare. Snotlout and Hookfang’s eyes widened as the flames were extinguished, and they screamed as they were blown back by the blast.

                “Alright, let’s make literary history!” Tuffnut cried as Barf and Belch took off.

                “A little something to remember us by!” Ruffnut called up to the Sentinel hovering up above. Barf blew a cloud of gas towards the stone dragon, but the Sentinel used a wing blast to send it flying back towards the Zippleback.

                “Wait, what?” Tuffnut screamed as the gas enveloped them.

                The Sentinel fired a small fire blast at the cloud, and the twins and Barf and Belch screamed as the explosion knocked them out of the sky.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup said urgently as she mounted the saddle.

                Toothless growled, and soared into the air. He quickly caught the twins in his arms, and Ruffnut growled as she pulled out their journal.

                “That just cost you a star on our rating scale, pal!” Ruffnut screamed as she wrote in the book.

                The Sentinel roared from up above, and when the dragons made no sign to try to escape again, they returned to their perches and resumed their watch.

                After ensuring that no one was hurt, the Dragon Riders decided to take a break before trying to come up with another plan. They gathered around a tree near the lake, and Barf and Belch helpfully plucked some fruit from its branches for the Riders to eat. The other dragons moved to the lake to take a drink from the clear water.

                “Alright,” Hiccup mused as she tossed the fruit in her hand. “If we can’t fly out, maybe we can leave on foot.”

                “Oh, it will give us a little longer to investigate this place,” Fishlegs said excitedly. Hiccup stopped tossing the fruit and her eyes narrowed. “What? Hiccup, the dragon knowledge we could find here would be immeasurable.”

                “And that knowledge, my friend,” Ruffnut interjected. “Could make its way into…”

                “The Idiot’s Guide to Secret Island Crashing?” Snotlout joked.

                “Ha. That was not bad, you know,” Tuffnut said consideringly. “Don’t expect a piece of the pie though.”

                “Yeah,” Ruffnut agreed. “Don’t expect a piece at all. Don’t even expect to see the pie.”

                Hiccup turned as the nearby Eruptodon roared.

                “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Hiccup said quickly, rising to her feet. She watched as the Eruptodon continued to shift uneasily. “What is it? You okay? It’s almost like she’s warning us.”

                “Great timing, GP,” Tuffnut said dryly. “Could have used that morsel of information yesterday. However, it will make it into the book. And also, the word morsel…I’m hungry for a piece of pie.”

                “Ten more seconds of my life I’ll never get back again,” Hiccup groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Look, the number one priority is getting past those Sentinels. Let’s split up again so we can cover more ground. And don’t touch anything! This place is sacred. It’s not meant for human interaction.”

                The twins each held up a hand as they hid their other hands behind their back. The other riders moved towards their dragons, and the twins giggled as they revealed that they had their fingers crossed on their hidden hands.

                The riders split up and moved out on foot with their dragons. Fishlegs followed the twins, and they ran ahead to pass through an opening in the cliffs. They ran laughing out into the open, and Fishlegs stopped as he observed the hills dotting the landscape, each of them with a large opening on their sides.

                “Whoa,” Fishlegs gasped. “Amazing.”

                He followed the twins as they approached one of the hills. They immediately ran inside, and Fishlegs hurried after them, making a note of the colorful spines lining the walls.

                “Did you not hear what Hiccup literally just said?” Fishlegs hissed.

                “Yes, I heard, but chose not to listen,” Tuffnut said easily as he and Ruffnut stopped in front of a pile of large bones.

                “Or did you listen but not hear?” Ruffnut asked as she put a dragon skull on her head. “Hard to say.”

                “Guys, you’re standing in the final resting place of what appears to be the Deadly Nadder,” Fishlegs said heatedly. “You can’t just walk around in there. That’s sacred ground!”

                “The fact remains that we’re talking about bones here, people,” Tuffnut replied excitedly. He fell back into the pile and scrambled up to the top. “Bones piled to the ceiling. Bones on top of bones. And skulls!”

                Fishlegs growled, and stomped forward as Tuffnut hit Ruffnut in the head with a bone, making the skull on her head spin. Tuffnut screamed as Fishlegs grabbed both of them by the collar and carried them out of the hill over his shoulders.

                “I didn’t know he was so strong,” Tuffnut said appreciatively. “Did you know he’s that strong?”

                “Uh, yeah,” Ruffnut replied. “I was married to him.”

                They yelped as Fishlegs tossed them to the ground. Fishlegs was about to speak, but his mouth snapped shut as he heard Meatlug growling. He quickly ran to her, and found her standing outside another hill. Fishlegs let out a soft gasp as he observed the bones inside.

                “Gronckles,” Fishlegs said, resting a hand on Meatlug’s shoulder. “The bones in there must go back centuries. I bet some of them are even related to Meatlug.”

                Meatlug whimpered and looked down sadly.

                “Oh,” Fishlegs sighed. He perked up when he spotted a shiny, black rock on the ground and picked it up. He offered it to her with a smile. “You’re a long ways away from this, girl, but it will be such a nice way to spend your elder years.”

                Meatlug happily ate the rock, and growled fondly as she licked Fishlegs.

                Ruffnut and Tuffnut perked up as they approached a burning pile of bones resting at the top of a hill.

                “I’m guessing that this is—” Ruffnut said.

                “Wait!” Tuffnut interrupted. “Don’t tell me.”

                They put their heads together, and spoke together.

                “The Monstrous Nightmare tomb.”.

                The two of them high-fived, and turned as they heard Fishlegs muttering.

                “The organization is uncanny,” Fishlegs said, amazed as he wandered. “And the fact that the dragons do this on their own, that they can understand abstract ideas, this place implies a structure to the dragon world we never knew existed.”

                “Abstract organization,” Tuffnut mused as Ruffnut jotted down in their journal. “Man, this book just writes itself.”

                In another area of the island, Snotlout grunted as he pulled himself over the edge of the rock, and climbed up to stand near one of the Sentinel dragons. The dragon didn’t acknowledge him, and continued to stay motionless, eyes closed.

                “Hello?” Snotlout teased, waving a hand in its face. He took a bite of the fruit he was carrying as he observed the dragon. “What’s the deal with these things?”

                Hiccup sighed as she and Asher spotted him as they rounded the corner.

                “Hey!” Snotlout barked. He took a deep breath to yell, and paused as the smell hit him. He took another sniff to be sure, and looked at the fruit in his hand. “Huh? Fruity. They smell exactly like this stuff.”

                Hiccup mounted Toothless, intending to fly up to join him. As soon as she sat in the saddle, the Sentinels eyes snapped open, and it roared. Snotlout screamed, and rolled back down the side of the cliff, landing with a grunt on the ground. Asher reflexively caught the fruit as it flew from his hand. He gagged at Snotlout’s bite marks in it, and tossed it over his shoulder. Hookfang happily ate it as Snotlout sat up with a groan.

                Hiccup chuckled nervously as Toothless growled warningly up at the Sentinel.

                “Don’t worry,” Hiccup stammered, getting off Toothless. “I’m not going anywhere.”

                “Hiccup, sneaking out isn’t going to work,” Asher said firmly.

                “Clearly,” Snotlout hissed as he backed up towards them.

                “Yeah, I agree,” Hiccup said quickly. “We just need to out-strategize them.”

                “So, how are we gonna do that?” Snotlout asked.

                “I’ve no idea,” Hiccup admitted. She sighed as the Sentinel roared softly in their direction, its stone-like body cracking as it shifted.

                The Dragon Riders regrouped at the tree they started at as night fell. They gathered the necessary materials to build a campfire, and settled in as the moon rose high in the sky. The Eruptodon continued to observe them, and Meatlug cheerfully spewed up some lava for it to enjoy. To her surprise, the Eruptodon roared and turned away from it.

                “What’s its problem?” Snotlout chuckled nervously.

                “Well, clearly, it’s unsettled being here,” Fishlegs said.

                “Or it’s unsettled that we’re here,” Hiccup said gruffly as she stood leaning against the tree with her arms crossed.

                “Well, it may have to get used to it,” Asher replied. “There’s no walking out of here, either.”

                “Hey, have you guys noticed that no matter what dragon attacks, the Sentinels always have the perfect defense?” Hiccup asked.

                “Yeah,” Fishlegs confirmed. “It’s because they’ve seen every type of dragon over and over. They’ve found all the strengths and all the weaknesses.”

                Tuffnut cleared his throat as he threw a fruit down at Fishlegs head. Fishlegs scowled as he caught the fruit after it bounced off his helmet, and glared at the twins as they gathered fruit from the branches on Barf and Belch.

                “Point of order, my good man. We beg to differ,” Tuffnut said as their dragon lowered them to the ground. “We’ve been compiling a list of the dragon tombs for our book.”

                “Yeah. That’s great, guys, but—” Hiccup stopped as Ruffnut shoved their journal in her face.

                “Look closer, my one-legged comrade in arms,” Ruffnut said eagerly.

                Hiccup took the journal, and examined the map with the locations of the dragon tombs.

                “It’s not what’s on the list, but what’s not on it,” Tuffnut said mysteriously. “Think Hiccup! Use the brains Thor gave you and disregard how he gave you puny stick-like biceps.”

                “The Night Fury,” Hiccup said quietly. “There are no Night Fury bones.”

                Toothless stood up from his resting position and moved to look at the map as Hiccup looked at him.

                “Which means if Vanaheim isn’t the last resting place for Night Furies, then they might not try and stop you and Toothless from leaving,” Fishlegs said.

                “And even if they do, they won’t have developed the same defensive tactics that they have for the other species,” Hiccup said excitedly as Toothless grinned. She tossed the book back to Ruffnut as she and Toothless moved to an open area. “Yeah, if we can make it out of here, I could go get help.”

                Toothless growled as Hiccup mounted the saddle, and leapt into the air when she was secured. The Sentinels perched on the stone bridge up above roared and flew down to hover in their path.

                “Just keep climbing, bud,” Hiccup encouraged. She braced herself as another Sentinel joined the pair, and waited until they were a bit closer. “Barrel roll, multiple blasts!”

                Hiccup held on as Toothless executed the move, the Sentinels screeching as the plasma blasts hit them. They stayed airborne, and one of them roared as Toothless continued to climb. It roared and dove towards them. Toothless dodged to the side, and Hiccup froze as she made eye contact with the dragon as it passed. Her eyes widened as she realized that the faint pupil of the dragon’s eye didn’t move to follow them as they flew by.

                “Look at that,” Hiccup gasped. She looked back as Toothless continued to climb. “They’re blind. These guys can’t see a thing.”

                Toothless roared victoriously as he soared into the night sky.

                “Alright, bud,” Hiccup said steadily. “Let’s go to Berk and bring back some help.”

                Toothless flew forward, and grunted as Hiccup suddenly pulled back on the saddle.

                “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait,” Hiccup said hurriedly as Toothless stopped. She sighed. “What am I thinking? We can’t tell anyone about this place. It belongs to the dragons, not to us, or any other humans.”

                She let out a heavy sigh as Toothless turned back to face the island, and they observed it in the moonlight.

                “We’re gonna have to figure something else out, Toothless,” Hiccup said quietly. Toothless roared in agreement, and Hiccup patted his neck. “Mala was right. I need to find a new perspective., and I need to find it quick.”

                Toothless descended down to land on one of the peaks overlooking the Sentinels as they guarded over the area the other Dragon Riders were in. Hiccup quietly dismounted, and the two crept forwards to look over the edge at the Sentinel dragons.

                “Okay, what do we know so far?” Hiccup mused as she knelt beside Toothless. She pulled her spyglass out of the saddle bag, and focused it on the Sentinels. “The Sentinels run this place with an iron fist. They eat nothing but that fruit. They’ve never encountered Night Furies before, and that would be about the only dragon they haven’t seen. And, speaking of seeing, they don’t.”

                She sighed and turned to Toothless as he observed the dragons below with a critical eye.

                “But they seem to track pretty well for something that’s blind,” Hiccup said consideringly. Toothless turned to her and screeched an agreement.

                Hiccup sat back, and slumped as she rubbed her neck. Toothless purred, and nuzzled her head. Hiccup smiled softly, and held his head.

                “I wonder,” Hiccup said quietly. “If this isn’t the final resting place of Night Furies, where is it?”

                Toothless growled sadly, and looked down. Hiccup rubbed his head comfortingly.

                “Do you even know, bud?” Hiccup asked gently. Toothless whimpered and shook his head. He lay his head in her lap, and Hiccup pet his head. “I’m sorry, bud. Maybe when that time comes, you’ll know.”

                Toothless snorted and buried his head into her stomach. Hiccup laughed quietly, and lifted his head to press her forehead against his.

                “Who knows? Maybe we’ll go together,” Hiccup said softly.

                Toothless hummed, and Hiccup felt her eyes burn at the thought that her dearest friend might not be able to find his resting place amongst his own kind. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about, but being in Vanaheim had a way of bringing it to the forefront.

                ‘Sometimes I wish Toothless wasn’t so unique,’ Hiccup thought as a tear escaped. ‘I hate when we get a reminder that we haven’t found any others of his kind.’

                Toothless growled, and licked the tear from her cheek. He crooned at her, and nudged his head up against her chin. Hiccup laughed, and pushed him back.

                “I know, I know,” Hiccup said, wiping her face. “We got a long way to go before we even have to worry about that.”

                Toothless growled at her affectionately, and Hiccup ran a hand down his neck. Hiccup sniffed, and picked up her spyglass to take another look at the Sentinels below.

                They sat on the ridge for a long time, watching and waiting for the Sentinels to do anything. The moon rose higher in the sky, and Toothless yawned as he felt his eye lids grow heavier.  He shook himself, and turned to Hiccup as he noticed the Sentinels shifting below. She was dozing, her head resting on her fist. Toothless growled fondly, and nudged her.

                Hiccup gasped and jerked in a panic as she snapped awake.

                “Huh? What?” Hiccup exclaimed. She scrambled to grab her spyglass, and quickly turned it to where she had last seen the Sentinels. She gasped when she saw they were gone, and quickly shifted to look at the other riders and their dragons sleeping under the tree.

                “What are they doing?” Hiccup gasped as she saw the Sentinels landing near the others. “No! No, no, no, no. Come on guys, wake up!”

                Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless, and he dived towards the others. Hiccup kept her gaze on the Sentinels standing near her friends, and her eyes widened as they moved.

                “Wait a minute,” Hiccup said quietly. She pulled back on the saddle, and Toothless quickly pivoted to land on a small ridge. “They’re not attacking.”

                She watched amazed as the Sentinels moved around the area, shifting rocks into the Gronckle resting site, putting more wood to feed the flames engulfing the Monstrous Nightmare bones, and gathering fruit from the trees.

                “They’re working,” Hiccup grinned. “They’re tending to the island.”

                Hiccup and Toothless watched as one of the Sentinels landed in front of the Eruptodon, and dropped a pile of the island’s fruit in front of her. It ate one of the fruits, and looked up at the Eruptodon expectantly. The Eruptodon knelt, and scooped all the fruit into her mouth.

                “And that explains the smell,” Hiccup said. She laughed and slapped a hand on her forehead. “Oh, gods! How could I not think of that before? I guess it really is all about perspective. Come on, bud. When those dragons are done working, we begin.”

The Next Day

                Hiccup dropped the sack of fruit she and Toothless had gathered, and Snotlout slowly opened his eyes from where he was lying beside Hookfang. He grinned when he saw them, sitting up as he pushed Hookfang’s wing up.

                “Aw, thank Thor!” Snotlout said happily. “Where’s the help?”

                “No one’s here,” Hiccup replied. “And no one’s coming.”

                “What?” Snotlout yelled. “You can’t be serious.”

                “Oh, I brought something way better than backup,” Hiccup said smoothly. She reached down into the sack, and pulled out one of the island fruits.

                “Really Hiccup?” Snotlout snapped. “Sorry, but that fruit isn’t going to be my last meal, no matter how delicious or juicy it is. And it is juicy and delicious. Give it to me, I want it.”

                “Listen, the Sentinel dragons ignored us, but reacted to the sound of me getting on Toothless,” Hiccup said patiently as the other riders joined them. “The Sentinels easily picked fruit from the tree, not because they could see it, but because they could smell it.”

                “Oh!” Fishlegs gasped. “They’re blind, so they must hunt using their other senses. Smell, sound—”

                “Exactly,” Hiccup exclaimed. “So, we cover ourselves in this stuff, cover our dragons in it, and we’ll smell just like the Sentinels.”

                “And should be able to fly right out of here,” Fishlegs added.

                Asher nodded appreciatively, and they each took a fruit from the basket. He frowned as Hiccup rubbed one against her arm while Fishlegs and Snotlout tried to smash and break them. Ruffnut grinned mischievously, and slammed one into one of the horns on Tuffnut’s helmet. It burst open, and Ruffnut laughed as it splattered some juice and pulp on his head.

                Tuffnut grinned, and shoved his fruit into her face making Snotlout burst out laughing. He threw the fruit he was holding at Hiccup, and she quickly ducked. She heard Asher growl behind her, and giggled as she saw his tunic was covered in the destroyed fruit.

                “Oh, no you did not,” Asher said warningly before he threw his fruit at Snotlout’s face. Hiccup laughed and threw one at Snotlout as he fell.

Bard and Belch’s eyes widened as they saw the twins, covered in fruit, approaching with arms full of the fruits.

                The riders laughed as they threw fruit at one another and at their dragons. The dragons joined in on the fun, tossing the fruit at their riders or above their heads so they could blast them apart. When the laughter died down, and they took in the damage.

                Toothless growled uncomfortably at the pink fruit drying against his scales, and shifted as Hiccup approached him, her own body covered head to toe in the stuff.

                “Alright, let’s do this,” Asher said confidently.

                “Now remember, we have to act like them or it won’t work,” Hiccup warned. “That means no talking, no playing around, no firing. And yes, Tuff, most of those are for you and your sister.”

                “Here I thought profiling was beneath you, Hiccup,” Tuffnut replied.

                Hiccup took a deep breath and mounted Toothless. As she did, the Sentinels up above started moving. They roared and took to the air as the Dragon Riders did the same below. The riders and dragons stayed quiet, watching as the Sentinels circled around them. Hiccup held her breath as one flew beside Stormfly and Asher but smiled when it made no move to stop them.

                Snotlout shook as two Sentinels approached him and Hookfang. He leaned forward as they sniffed curiously and grit his teeth as they crowded closer.

                “Hey, we’re flyin’ here!” Snotlout snapped. Hookfang reacted to his aggression, and ignited his fire jacket. The Sentinels flew back and roared as the fruit was burned off Hookfang’s scales.

                Hiccup cursed under her breath.

                “Keep going,” Hiccup called out to the others. “I’ll get Snotlout.”

                “But—” Asher started to protest.

                “Just go, Asher,” Hiccup ordered.

                Toothless flipped in the air, and dived down towards Hookfang. Hiccup grit her teeth as Snotlout screamed as the Sentinels circled them.

                “Toothless, now! Multiple blasts!” Hiccup cried.

                Toothless rotated in the air, firing down at the Sentinels. The dragons parted to avoid his attacks, and Toothless stopped to hover in front of Hookfang.

                “Hiccup!” Snotlout cried. “We need more delicious and juicy fruit! Do you have any more delicious and juicy fruit?”

                Hiccup looked up as the Sentinels flew up above them. She gasped as they dove down towards them.

                “Oh, no,” Hiccup said fearfully, realizing neither Hookfang or Toothless would be able to avoid them.

                Roaring erupted from below, and Hiccup looked down to see the Eruptodon flying up towards them. Snotlout shrieked as the enormous dragon flew between them and the Sentinels. Toothless and Hookfang backed away, and the Eruptodon roared at them.

                “Uh, Hiccup?” Snotlout questioned.

                Hiccup smiled at the Eruptodon, and the great dragon turned away. She began to fly out towards the ocean, and the sentinels chased after her. She stopped and observed the dragons as they surrounded her.

                “It’s leading the Sentinels away. It’s protecting us!” Hiccup realized. “Alright, let’s go, Snotlout. Who knows how long that’ll distract them?”

                Toothless and Hookfang soared past the distracted Sentinels, and Hiccup looked over her shoulder. The Eruptodon looked at her, and gave her a big smile. Hiccup smiled, and nodded back to her before focusing forward as Toothless and Hookfang rejoined the others.

                “And, to the end, and for all eternity,” Tuffnut recited as he wrote in their book. “It shall be known as the Great Protector. Our Great Protector.”

                “Nice, Tuff,” Hiccup complimented. “Very nice.”

                “Now, I just need to finish the chapter on the island’s charm, and how it’s impossible to leave. Get it?” Tuffnut asked. Toothless growled quizzically at Hiccup as Tuffnut grinned. “Like I said, this thing writes itself.”

                Hiccup smirked and nodded at Toothless. He happily fired a small plasma blast at the book, reducing it to ash in Tuffnut’s hand. Tuffnut put his hands on his hips, and glared at the pair.

                “Hiccup, the profiler, and Toothless, the censorship chieftain,” Tuffnut said judgingly.

                “Maybe,” Hiccup acknowledged. “But no one can ever know about this island. Sorry.”

                The Eruptodon watched as the Dragon Riders flew away from Vanaheim, and roared a farewell to them. One of the Sentinel dragons growled to her, and she flew down without protest. She followed the pull in her bones down to the entrance of a cave. She smiled as she saw the hardened lava that lay at its entrance, and knew it would lead to a place where she could rest comfortably. She landed on the hardened stone, and walked into the cave, uncaring of the skull of the giant dragon that rested beside it.

                The Sentinels took their places on the island, and settled in to rest until they were needed once more.

Dragon’s Edge

                “So, tell me again, how you figured that out,” Asher requested as he escorted Hiccup and Toothless to their hut. “That was pretty ingenious.”

                “It’s all about perspective,” Hiccup replied quietly. She stopped and observed the base below them. “Asher, when you look at things differently, you see things that you might never have seen before. It’s actually pretty cool to think about.”

                Hiccup took Asher’s hand in hers, and the two smiled at one another.

                “Well, you know what?” Asher asked. “I’ve had enough thinking to last me an entire week. I’m going to get some sleep.”

                He leaned down, and the two shared a kiss. Asher pulled back and kissed her hand before he left them to return to his own hut. Hiccup sighed as she entered her hut, and her eyes brightened as they fell on her worktable.

                “Okay, bud,” Hiccup said excitedly as she walked to the table. “What do you say we take a look at this like we never have before?”

                Toothless growled and screeched happily as Hiccup balled up another of her drawings and threw it over her shoulder. He batted it into the air and blasted it apart with a plasma blast. He purred as he observed Hiccup examining the pieces at her desk and lay down to rest behind her as she began to work.

Chapter Text

                Krogan kept his hood up as he entered the tavern, moving to walking along the wall as he scanned the room. The air smelled of sweat and ale, sounds of laughing and conversation filling the space. He said nothing as he walked past tables filled with Dragon Hunters, Outcasts, and every sort of mercenary. Krogan’s eyes caught on a figure in the shadows at the back of the tavern, and shoved his way through two Outcast Vikings.

                Krogan grinned as he recognized the man sitting at table in the darkness, one hand resting in a fist on the table and the other holding a tankard. Though his face was hidden in shadow as the moon shone weakly through the window behind the man, his silhouette was unmistakable. Krogan sighed in satisfaction, and approached the man.

                “You’re a hard man to find,” Krogan said appreciatively. “And harder to kill, apparently.”

                “What do you want from me?” The man growled.

                “That’s the wrong question,” Krogan replied as he took the seat across the table. “The real question is, what can we do for each other? Allow me to fill you in on what’s transpiring as we speak. Hmm?”

                The man’s eyes narrowed, and Krogan smirked as he began.

Dragon’s Edge

                Snotlout relaxed in the saddle as he and Hookfang circled around Dragon’s Edge on their patrol. By the Gods, he loved being able to just get on Hookfang and enjoy the ride without Hiccup nagging, Fishlegs whining, the twins making things explode, or just having to look at Asher’s face.

                Hookfang screeched as he spotted something down below. Snotlout looked down, and smirked as he saw the small boat coming to the docks at the bottom of the base. He couldn’t make out much, but he could see the long, blonde hair styled in feminine braids on the two figures heads.

                “Yeah, I see them, Hooky,” Snotlout said. “What do we say we go introduce themselves?”

                Hookfang screeched happily, and dived down towards the docks. He held himself steadily as they leveled out and Snotlout quickly climbed out of the saddle and ran along his wing.

                “Comin’ in hot!” Snotlout yelled as he stepped off the wing and onto the dock. He smirked at the successful move, and Hookfang pumped his wings to soar back up.

                “Well, hello, ladies,” Snotlout greeted. “What brings you to—”

                Snotlout screamed as the figures turned revealing themselves to be men in Outcast tribe armor and blonde wigs on their heads.

                “That is false advertisement,” Snotlout said angrily.

                “Sorry, we couldn’t risk being seen” One of the Outcasts said, as they stepped up onto the docks.

                “Besides, we rather like the look,” The other man added as he played with his braids.

                “What are you Outcasts doing on Dragon’s Edge?” Snotlout asked.

                “Alvin has been kidnapped by a group of bandits,” The first Viking explained. “We’ve tried everything to get him back, paying ransom after ransom, but nothing works, and we fear for his life.”

                “We’re desperate,” The other Viking added. “We need someone with the power, strength and charisma to return our morale and our chief. Someone like…”

                “Thor,” The first Viking said, pointing upwards. Snotlout followed his gaze, and his eyes widened as he saw he was pointing at Fishlegs. “Thor Bonecrusher.”

                Snotlout’s eyebrows raised as Fishlegs tripped on his own feet, and the pile of rocks he was carrying fell into the waters below.

Later

                Snotlout quickly grabbed the other Dragon Riders and dragged them towards the clubhouse. He scowled when he couldn’t find Hiccup, but spotted Toothless napping on the roof of the clubhouse, and ran in to find her working on a sketch. He ran over as the others followed him, and snatched it out from under her.

                “You are not gonna believe what just happened!” Snotlout cried excitedly.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, but stood up to stand beside Asher as Snotlout recounted what the Outcasts had told him about Alvin’s kidnapping and who they wanted to help rescue him.

                “I couldn’t believe it either,” Snotlout said as he saw the look on everyone’s faces. “I guess they heard of his exploits on Berk, his ‘heroic acts of unparalleled bravery’ and are convinced that he’s the only one who can go up against these bandits.” Snotlout chuckled and shook his head. “No way.”

                “They don’t want our help?” Hiccup questioned.

                “Yeah,” Snotlout replied. “I mean, they won’t risk bringing in Dragon Riders, because these bandits seem to be on edge. Hair trigger stuff. They might just see us and kill Alvin on the spot.”

                Ruffnut and Tuffnut shrugged dismissively at the prospect.

                “They got ‘em pretty freaked out,” Snotlout said.

                “I would be too,” Hiccup said slowly. “Who are these bandits that they could kidnap Alvin of all people?”

                “No idea,” Snotlout said. “But there is one brave man who could rally those Outcasts and run point in getting Alvin back. Big props to TB.”

                “What?” The twins gasped as Snotlout pointed at Fishlegs who startled.

                “Oh, for Thor’s sake,” Hiccup groaned, putting her head in her hands.

                “Well, I think if they need Thor Bonecrusher, we should call on him, right?” Fishlegs asked helpfully.

                “Great idea, Fishface!” Snotlout agreed eagerly.

                “Terrible idea, Snotlout!” Hiccup objected. “Bringing Thor back is way too dangerous. For you included.”

                “Stop it. He was fine,” Snotlout said. He sighed dreamily. “In fact, he was perfect.”

                “He almost got you killed,” Hiccup snapped.

                “Are you saying I’m not brave enough?” Fishlegs asked defensively. “Not powerful enough? That I can’t do this, Hiccup?”

                “Oh yeah? Is that what you’re saying about my boy?” Snotlout asked mockingly.

                Asher’s eyes narrowed as Hiccup approached the pair.

                “I’m saying, Fishlegs, that you don’t even know Thor Bonecrusher,” Hiccup said gently. “He took you over. Sure, he was brave and awesome, but he was almost too heroic. He was reckless and out of control.”

                “And a jackass,” Asher muttered making the twins snicker.

                “You just aren’t that guy in your core,” Hiccup sighed. “Look, we’ll figure something else out, but no Thor Bonecrusher for now.”

Later

                Fishlegs was not too surprised when Snotlout invited him to his hut later that night. He and Meatlug entered the hut, and Snotlout gestured for him to have a seat as he sat on his own chair with Hookfang’s neck stretched across his lap. Fishlegs sat down, and Meatlug settled in behind him. Fishlegs watched as Snotlout pulled out a jug, and poured a glob of green gel onto Hookfang’s scales. The gel ignited in a fiery burst, making Fishlegs and Meatlug jump.

                “So, you do this every night?” Fishlegs asked nervously as Snotlout poured out another glob that ignited. “I, uh, had no idea.”

                “There are many sides to the Snotman, my fine fishy friend,” Snotlout said loftily. He patted Hookfang’s neck, and the dragon screeched as he lifted his head and neck up. Snotlout put his helmet on and approached Fishlegs.

                “The Snot can be bold and bad,” Snotlout said proudly. “The Snot can be brash and courageous. And the Snot can be tender and insightful. Now, on to what you’re really here about. You want to know about Thor Bonecrusher.”

                “I do, I do,” Fishlegs said, nodding eagerly.

                “Well, sit back while I tell you a story,” Snotlout said. “A story of bravery, chivalry, and just a hint of insanity.”

                Fishlegs stared at him in amazement as Snotlout acted out the exploits of Thor Bonecrusher. The more Snotlout told him of his time as the brave and heroic Viking, the more excited Fishlegs got at the prospect of being that man again.

                “Wow. He sounds so awesome,” Fishlegs exclaimed when Snotlout finished. Even Meatlug who had not had a pleasant experience with Thor Bonecrusher was shaking excitedly.

                “Thor is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Snotlout declared.

                “Okay,” Fishlegs said thoughtfully. “Let’s just say—”

                “We hypnotize you?” Snotlout suggested, holding up a ball and chain. “Great idea!”

                “Wait a minute, Snotlout,” Fishlegs said hurriedly. “Hiccup is right. I don’t know Thor Bonecrusher. I don’t remember a thing about him. Shouldn’t we get Gothi?”

                “I got this, okay?” Snotlout insisted. “I know Thor better than that old bag.”

                “Okay,” Fishlegs hesitantly agreed. His eyes widened when Meatlug growled in concern. “But wait, wait, wait, wait! This time when I get hypnotized, add in that Thor loves Meatlug, because it would kill me if I pushed her away again.”

                “Loves Meatlug,” Snotlout said as he watched Fishlegs and Meatlug nuzzle each other. “Got it.”

                “And there should be an easy way to snap me out of it,” Fishlegs added. “Like, uh, you clapping three times.”

                “Thrice clap. Check-a-roo,” Snotlout agreed.

                “Finally, just as a safety measure,” Fishlegs said. “Make sure I’m not as heroic as last time, you know? I think that’s what really concerned Hiccup.”

                “Got you, my bone-crushing brother,” Snotlout agreed. “Trust. Have faith. Believe. And watch the ball.”

                “I don’t know, Snotlout,” Fishlegs said doubtfully as he watched Snotlout swing the ball in front of him. “Can you really—”

                Snotlout grinned as Fishlegs fell under the hypnosis.

                “I did it?” Snotlout gasped, as he leaned in to examine Fishlegs. He laughed when he saw the boy was out cold. “I did it!”

                Snotlout put the ball and chain down, and started pacing.

                “Now, what did we agree to?” Snotlout mused. “Okay…Okay, okay, okay. This is gonna be so fun!”

                Snotlout grinned and leaned over to speak in Fishlegs ear.

                “Thor. Thor Bonecrusher,” Snotlout said. “We need you, Thor. We need you to be strong. Brave. Powerful. Charismatic.”

                Snotlout stepped back, and Hookfang growled at him.

                “Right,” Snotlout said quickly. “Right, right. You shall love Meatlug. You shall wake when the Snot claps three times. You shall…um…”

                Hookfang growled again, and Snotlout scowled back at him.

                “Will you stop? I got it. Jeez!” Snotlout snapped. He sighed and turned back to Fishlegs. “Okay. You won’t be so heroic like last time. You’ll be, I don’t know, what’s it called? Anti-heroic. Anti-heroic! You’ll be anti-heroic Thor.”

                Snotlout grinned excitedly as Fishlegs growled.

                “I think that’s it,” Snotlout exclaimed. “Okay, on my snap. Come out, come out, wherever you are, Thor Bonecrusher.”

                Snotlout snapped his fingers, and Thor’s eyes snapped open as he growled angrily. Snotlout grinned as Thor stood up, and cracked his shoulders as he straightened.

                “Well, hello,” Thor greeted haughtily. Meatlug growled worriedly, and smiled in relief when Thor smiled at her and scratched her chin. “And so good to see you, Meatlug, my love.”

                “I’ve missed you so much,” Snotlout sighed happily.

Outcast Island

                Snotlout and Thor Bonecrusher snuck away from Dragon’s Edge on Meatlug and made it to Outcast Island by morning. The tribe was excited to see them arrive, and Thor wasted no time in introducing himself in his usual heroic fashion.

                “That’s right, Outcasts!” Snotlout announced. “Give it up for, Mr. Thor Bonecrusher!”

                He gestured to Thor who was doing the split, his feet resting on two rocks as he juggled a flaming axe, flaming chair, and a very terrified sheep.

                “Ha, ha,” Thor laughed as the crowd cheered. “Easy as pie!”

                Thor threw the items down, uncaring as the flaming chair nearly hit Snotlout, and entered the crowd to absorb the adulation. He enjoyed the crowd’s reactions, and the Outcasts were overjoyed to see him.

                “Thank Thor,” One of the Outcasts proclaimed. “Literally. There’s another ransom due today.”

                “Tell me about said ransom,” Thor demanded. “Show me what these no-good doers are attempting to extract from you wholesome Outcasts.”

                Snotlout laughed as a cart was wheeled forward and the cloth covering it removed to reveal it was piled high with fish. Fishlegs looked at the fish, and reached over to pinch a nerve at the base of Snotlout’s neck. The boy gasped and crumpled to the ground.

                “Now, do explain, kind people,” Thor prompted.

                “We offered gold, Mr. Thor,” One of the Outcasts said. “But they only wanted this Ice Tail Pike. They were very specific. It is rare and indigenous to Outcast Island.”

                “Hmm,” Thor groaned as he thought. “The love of this tasty little fish will be the demise of these bandits.”

                The Outcasts gasped as Thor grabbed one of the fish from the cart, and bit its head off. One of them started retching as Thor chewed on it.

                “Mm,” Thor hummed happily. “And I have just the plan.”

Later

                A few of the Outcast Vikings guided Thor and Snotlout to the meeting point for the ransom. It was taking place on the far side of the island, amongst the small rocky canyons that littered the area. Thor hummed thoughtfully as he observed the bandits standing down the path from them.

                “Ooh! Bandits,” Thor said excitedly.

                If he was being honest, only the man at the front of the group appeared to be a bandit. The others were dressed just like Dragon Hunters making this singular figure stand out all the more. The man was thick and stout with a bald head, and a black eye patch over his right eye.

                Thor smirked and turned back to nod at Snotlout and Meatlug who were crouched behind a rock formation. Snotlout nodded to the Outcasts behind them, and two of the Vikings dove into the pile of fish in the cart. Thor quickly made his way over to the cart, and leaned in close.

                “Now, remember, brave soldiers,” Thor said quietly. “You must stay still. Once the wagon has been taken to their holding station, jump out and fire into the air.”

                “Aye,” One of the men replied.

                “Thor shall appear and do what Thor does so well,” Thor said proudly as he stepped back. Thor stepped back behind the rock wall, and took another look at the bandits as Snotlout ran up to him.

                “What do I do, TB?” Snotlout asked excitedly. He gripped Thor’s arm, and jumped up and down. “What do I do?”

                Snotlout grunted as Thor pinched his neck again, and collapsed as Thor ran out from behind the wall.

                “Right. Hang back,” Snotlout said as he sat up. “Ready for action. Got it. He’s so cool.”

                “Meh,” The Outcast standing beside Meatlug shrugged.

                Thor stepped out as one of the Outcasts pushed the cart behind him. The leader of the bandits smirked, and motioned with his arm. Dragon Hunters appeared on the ridges behind him, aiming their crossbows at the approaching Vikings. Thor smirked as he saw them taking position.

                “It is as you asked,” Thor said loudly, gesturing to the cart. “Ice Tail Pike in exchange for the leader of the Outcast tribe. Where is Alvin? Not with you, I’m guessing?”

                “Ad who are you?” The leader demanded.

                “Who am I?” Thor scoffed. “Who am I?”

                Thor laughed maniacally, and the bandits exchanged confused looks as the Outcasts laughed with him.

                “I’m the answer to your prayers,” Thor bragged.

                “And what prayers would those be?” The leader asked.

                “Wait a minute!” Thor cried, turning to the cart. “I see something moving under that fish pile.”

                “Huh?” Snotlout gasped as Thor pointed at him.

                “I saw this man planning it all” Thor said heatedly.

                “What? Who? Me?” Snotlout questioned.

                “Seize them!” The bandit leader yelled, pulling his sword from his back. He and the Hunters ran forward, and Snotlout screamed as the leader grabbed him by the collar.

                “Oh, no!” Snotlout screamed as the leader forced him to his knees as the Hunters started digging the Outcasts out from under the fish.

                “Aww. What is it? Scared? Broken-hearted?” Thor asked mockingly. He sneered down at Snotlout. “You poor, naïve little man.”

                “But you’re Thor Bonecrusher,” Snotlout said emotionally. “You’re a hero. I created you. I loved you.”

                “Love, hate. Hero, anti-hero,” Thor replied. “They all exist across a razor’s edge. This is the Thor Bonecrusher that is here now.”

                The Outcast’s glared as they were thrown from the cart, and held down by the threat of a sword as another Hunter pushed the cart away.

                “This is the Thor Bonecrusher reborn!” Thor laughed manically.

Dragon’s Edge

                Snotlout made his way back to Dragon’s Edge on Meatlug, and cringed as he spotted Hiccup speaking urgently to the others in the arena. He swallowed as she spotted him, and let out a sigh of relief before demanding to know where he and Fishlegs had gone. Snotlout sighed, and told her about turning Fishlegs back into Thor Bonecrusher, and the…adjustments to Thor that they had made.

                “When you hypnotized him, what?” Hiccup gasped.

                “Well, he wanted to make sure that he loved Meatlug, and he didn’t want to be as heroic as last time, so he’d be, I don’t know, safer or something like that,” Snotlout explained.

                “And?” The twins asked eagerly.

                “Well, I think I messed up and told him to not be heroic at all,” Snotlout admitted.

                “Well, that’s good,” Hiccup said happily. “Means he can’t get in that much trouble.”

                “Or he’s un-heroic,” Tuffnut interjected.

                “As in anti-heroic,” Ruffnut added.

                “As in, the anti-Thor!” Tuffnut gasped dramatically.

                “Oh,” Snotlout said quietly. “That’s actually what I said. Anti-heroic.”

                “Snotlout!” Hiccup cried angrily.

                “What? It sounded so good at the time,” Snotlout argued.

                “Oh, gods,” Hiccup groaned. “Where is he?”

                “Okay, don’t get mad at me, but he double crossed me and joined the bandits,” Snotlout replied. “And they still have Alvin.”

                “Great,” Asher growled. “So now we have to rescue both of them.”

                “Uh-huh,” Snotlout nodded nervously as Hiccup glared.

Outcast Island-Bandit Camp

                Thor sat on a log amid the bandits, chest and head held high as the leader, Jarg as he had discovered, circled around him, sword in hand.

                “So, Bonecrusher, you say?” Jarg said lightly.

                “Did I stutter?” Thor asked.

                “You know, you look exactly like one of those Dragon Riders,” Jarg said suspiciously. He pointed his blade at Thor’s back. “The stocky one. Fishlegs.”

                “Fishlegs,” Thor repeated mockingly. “Fish, legs. Can your Fishlegs do this?”

                Thor turned before Jarg could react, and slapped the sword from his hand. He picked Jarg up over his head, and grunted as he spun him around repeatedly.

                “Or this?” Thor grunted as he threw Jarg into a stone wall. The man bounced off, and Thor grabbed him out of the air to slam him into the ground. Jarg winced as Thor stomped his boot onto his chest. Thor smirked and flexed to the Hunters. “You may applaud now.”

                The Hunter slowly began to clap, and they soon gained enthusiasm. Thor grinned as they started cheering his name, and Thor laughed as he stepped off Jarg.

                “Never gets old,” Thor said amused. He hummed thoughtfully. “You know what? I’m having so much fun here, instead of simply joining your ranks, I’m going to lead them. Now, the first order of business. We need to get ready for some unwanted guests.”

Later

                The Dragon Riders made it to Outcast Island as the moon hung high in the sky. Hiccup’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the jagged, rocky edges of the island, but couldn’t see anything standing out in the moonlight. As she suspected, the bandits must’ve moved into the tunnels below the island to avoid an ambush at night from the Outcasts.

                “Toothless,” Hiccup said quietly, placing a hand on his head.

                Toothless let out an echo blast, and the purple waves streamed down towards the island. He growled happily when an area beneath the surface flashed purple as the waves bounced close together within an entrance to the tunnels.

                The dragons dived into the water, and swam into the tunnel. To everyone’s relief, it was short, and they were soon flying up into an underground cavern. Toothless and Stormfly landed on the ground as the others hovered up above. Stormfly shook the water off her head, before moving to curiously examine a lit torch.

                “I thought no one knew we were coming,” Asher whispered as he looked around.

                Meatlug hovered in front of a tunnel entrance, and Asher and Stormfly turned to look down at it as well as a faint sound reached them. Both dragons screeched and darted up into the air as several arrows flew down the tunnel at them.

                The twins screamed a net was launched at them from the side, and Barf and Belch went down.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup warned as she spotted an archer step out from behind a wall. Toothless jumped into the air to dodge the arrow as the archer fired. She scowled as she heard a familiar voice down below, and looked to see Fishlegs, or rather Thor Bonecrusher, leading more Hunters into the cavern,

                “The water,” Thor yelled. “Cover the water! It’s their only way out.”

                Toothless roared as he swooped down over the archers, making them duck.

                “He knew we’d try to sneak in this way,” Hiccup growled.

                Snotlout held on tightly as Hookfang glided along the cavern walls.

                “Keep going, Hookie,” Snotlout said firmly. “If I can get close enough to him, I can clap...Oh, boy.”

                Snotlout moaned as he got dizzy as they circled around the cavern at high speed. Hookfang looked up, growling as Snotlout covered his mouth as he began to retch. The dragon screeched as he slammed into a stalactite as Snotlout accidentally pulled on his horn. Hookfang dropped to the ground, and Thor laughed as he approached the fallen dragon.

                Snotlout groaned as he grabbed the saddle, and looked up at Thor. He moaned as he saw multiple Thor’s standing above him.

                “Uh. Three, four, five Thors,” Snotlout counted dizzily. “Must clap hands.”

                He tried to clap, but only ended up slapping himself across the face.

                Ruffnut laughed as Tuffnut finished untangling himself from the net.

                “We had an Uncle Dullnut who used to do that,” Tuffnut chuckled. “We could watch him for hours! Whoa!”

                Tuffnut screamed as he quickly untangled his foot, and ran for Barf and Belch as arrows flew towards him.

                “Child’s play,” Thor scoffed. Thor paused as he heard clapping, and turned to growl at Hiccup as she clapped her hands three times again.

                “Come on, Fishlegs,” Hiccup said urgently.

                “No, Hiccup,” Snotlout moaned. “It has to be me.”

                “You made it that flipping specific?!” Hiccup snapped.

                Snotlout managed to clap his hands twice before Thor seized him by the ankle.

                “Oh, no!” Hiccup cried as Thor hoisted Snotlout up, and turned to throw a bola at her and Toothless. Toothless jumped into the air to avoid it, and it wrapped around one of the stalactites.

                Thor growled, but shoved Snotlout under his arm as he ran for the tunnel.

                “Onward, Snotman,” Thor roared. “Destiny awaits.”

                “Guys, the water! Now!” Hiccup yelled as she saw the Hunters ready a launcher. Hookfang growled up at her, and Hiccup shook her head. “We’ll come back for him!”

                Hookfang turned and roared angrily as he blasted fire at the Hunters trying to corner him. They ran away screaming, and Stormfly blasted another as she circled around to dive into the water, missing a net from the launcher. Meatlug and Hookfang dove in next, and the twins cheered as Barf and Belch followed them.

                Once the others were safely out, Toothless quickly flipped near the cavern ceiling and dove straight down towards the water. Hiccup braced herself as they pierced through the surface as she heard more nets hitting the water above them.

Later

                Snotlout groaned as he came to. He felt an immense headache, and his head felt heavier for some reason.

                “My head,” Snotlout groaned. He opened his eyes, and blinked as he caught sight of a familiar figure sitting behind a set of bars across from him. “Huh? Alvin?”

                Snotlout looked around, and gasped as he realized he was bound and dangling upside down from a rope in a cell.

                “I see you guys have made quite the improvement to your rescuing over the years,” Alvin said sarcastically.

                Snotlout growled and tried to free himself, before freezing as Thor opened his cell door.

                “Well, hello, little man,” Thor greeted as he entered. He carelessly kicked Snotlout’s helmet to the side as he approached. “I do hope these accommodations are to your liking.”

                “Come on, Thor,” Snotlout said pleadingly. “It’s me. Your buddy.”

                Snotlout gasped as Thor seized his head with both hands.

                “What is Hiccup’s next plan?” Thor demanded. “Reinforcements from Berk? Help from the Defenders of the Wing? And that clapping. What was that? Some sort of dragon-related signal? Tell me!”

                Snotlout screamed as Thor violently shook him before slapping him across the face.

                “Sir, the men are all assembled,” A Hunter called down. “Just like you asked.”

                Thor shoved Snotlout away, and walked down the tunnel into the cavern that served as the bandit’s primary base.

                “I’m instituting a little change in our operation,” Thor announced as he entered. “From now on, we will be taking gold from these Outcasts. Not fish.”

                Thor’s brow furrowed as the Hunters and bandits exchanged worried glances.

                “What’s the problem?” Thor asked. “With gold, you can buy all the fish you can carry.”

                “But not this fish,” Jarg replied. He motioned to the carts of fish that lined the walls. “We’ve been charged with procuring as much of this specific Ice Tail Pike as possible. And, uh, our leader, he’s someone to be feared if crossed. We have but one wagon left and then we return with our bounty.”

                “And the hostages?” Thor inquired.

                “We are to toss them overboard,” Jarg replied easily. “No loose ends.”

                “Ah. I like the way he thinks,” Thor said appreciatively. “If it’s pike fish he wants, then it’s pike fish he shall receive. But Thor Bonecrusher will deliver it personally. He needs to meet this leader of yours.”

Outcast Village

                To say the inhabitants of Outcast Island had been unhappy to see them return empty-handed would be an understatement.

                “We need Alvin now! Bring us Alvin!” One of the Outcast Vikings yelled.

                “We will get Alvin back,” Hiccup promised as the men began to shout. “And we will defeat this group of bandits. We just need a little more time.”

                Hiccup looked up as Stormfly landed nearby, and quickly made her way over as Asher dismounted.

                “We found them,” Asher said. He shuddered in disgust. “With all that fish, I could almost track them myself. They followed the caves to the other side of the island. Definitely accessible from the outside, but how are we going to defeat an enemy who knows all of our tactics?”

                “Well, if there’s one thing I learned from dealing with Viggo, it’s doing something completely unexpected and out of the box,” Hiccup said as she put her hand to her chin. “We need something Fishlegs wouldn’t expect.”

Bandit Camp

                Snotlout groaned as he knelt on the ground, guarded by two men as others secured their carts of fish. One of the Hunters looked up as he heard a dragon’s roar, and froze as he saw the Night Fury and the Gronckle approaching. His eyes widened as he saw the Rider on the Night Fury was waving a white flag.

                “Dragon Rider,” The Hunter called out. He gestured to another Hunter. “Better get Thor.”

                The other Hunter scrambled to get him as the Night Fury landed. The men aimed their crossbows at the pair, as the dragon growled warningly as Hiccup dismounted, still holding the white flag.

                “I come in peace, Fishlegs,” Hiccup said calmly as she saw him emerge from the tunnels. She stammered as she corrected herself. “Thor. I even brought an offering.”

                She waved behind her, and Meatlug growled worriedly at Thor as she stepped out from behind the rock formation. Thor’s eyes widened and he opened his arms wide as Meatlug ran for him. They hugged each other tightly, and Hiccup couldn’t help but smile as she dropped the flag.

                “Thank you,” Thor said graciously. He smirked. “I appreciate the third hostage.”

                “Aww, don’t break her heart,” Hiccup said as Meatlug whimpered.

                “And sorry, but you only have two.”

                Thor sneered as he looked to see Asher and Stormfly standing over the unconscious Hunters that had been guarding Snotlout.

                “Look! It’s Asher doing something nice for Snotlout,” Asher said cheekily as Stormfly snarled “Bet you didn’t see that coming.”

                “Seize them!” Thor growled.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup cried, pointing to the charging Hunters. Toothless fired several plasma blasts at them, one of them hitting one of the carts of fish. The cart exploded, and sent some of the men and fish flying.

                Hiccup and Toothless turned to Thor, who glared at her before running towards Asher and Snotlout.

                “Now, bud!” Hiccup cried.

                Toothless fired blasts at Thor, and growled in frustration as he jumped and dodged his attacks.

                “Wow!” Snotlout gasped.

                “Snotlout!” Asher snapped as he used his axe to cut his ropes.

                The two boys dodged as Thor lunged for them. Snotlout quickly clapped his hands three times, and watched as Thor landed in a crouch on the ground. He swallowed nervously as the other boy turned to face him.

                “Snotlout, you’re here!” Fishlegs said happily.

                “Fishface!” Snotlout cried, running to hug him. He screamed in fear as Fishlegs, or Thor, spun him around and held a sword to his face.

                “No!” Hiccup screamed.

                “Nice try, Hiccup,” Thor sneered. “Now, back off! All of you! Or I will run him through!”

                Hiccup grit her teeth, but Asher pulled her arm to back up towards their dragons as more Hunters emerged from the tunnels.

                “We need to regroup,” Asher whispered.

                Hiccup let out a shaky breath, but motioned for him to get on Stormfly. Asher waited until she mounted Toothless to get on, and Hiccup frowned as she watched Thor drag Snotlout back into the tunnels.  Toothless growled, and he and Stormfly took off as the Hunters laughed.

                Snotlout winced as his hands were tied in front of him, and whimpered as Thor pushed him down the tunnel. He groaned as he was shoved into the cell again, and landed roughly on the floor.

                “Aw. This is getting old,” Snotlout whined. “Why didn’t the clapping work?”

                Thor strolled out of the tunnels with Meatlug beside him, observing as Jarg and the others cleaned up the mess Hiccup and Asher had left behind.

                “We aren’t leaving just yet, men,” Thor called out.

                “It’s way too dangerous, Thor,” Jarg objected. “We got the Dragon Riders on to us.”

                “We lost a bit of bounty in that skirmish,” Thor replied. He turned and bent over to grab a piece of parchment and charcoal from a nearby box. “We don’t have the requisite amount of fish to appease your leader. One more handsome ransom, and then we go.”

                Jarg’s eyes widened in surprise as the man laughed as he wrote on the parchment.

                “And we’ll add in a little bonus,” Thor said happily as he walked to Meatlug. “What would your boss say to some Dragon Rider dragons?”

                He secured the parchment to Meatlug’s saddle before slapping her side.

                “Go dragon!” Thor ordered as she took off. “Go tell the others we are waiting for them!”

Outcast Village

                Toothless and Stormfly landed on the edge of the village near the others, and Asher quickly chased after Hiccup as she dismounted and walked away, her hand on her chin as she frowned.

                “Hiccup, what do we do now?” Asher asked worriedly.

                “Firing on Thor is firing on Fishlegs,” Hiccup said, knowing where Asher’s thoughts were going.

                “But what if we can’t snap him out of it?” Asher questioned. “He doesn’t even know he’s Fishlegs.”

                “Meatlug does,” Tuffnut interjected.

                “Tuffnut, Meatlug doesn’t help us right now,” Asher growled.

                “Then should I just take her back to the Edge?” Tuffnut asked. He smirked and pointed up. “Bing!”

                “What?” Asher gasped as Meatlug flew down to them.

                Hiccup spotted the parchment on her saddle, and quickly removed it. She examined it, and hummed thoughtfully.

                “Huh,” Hiccup frowned. “Well, at least now we know what we have to do.”

                It took some time to prepare, but soon they were heading for the rendezvous point for another ransom drop. Hiccup rode on Toothless as he walked beside the cart of fish being pushed by Asher as Stormfly and the others walked behind him. Hiccup’s eyes narrowed as she saw Thor waiting down the pathway between the cliffs, Snotlout held with a sword to his throat by Jarg just behind him and Alvin, bound and kneeling on the ground.

                Thor smirked as he glanced up at the archers waiting and ready in the alcoves and ridges above, knowing more were stationed up above the pathway on either side.

                “I don’t know about just walking into this, Hiccup,” Asher said nervously as he gripped the cart handles tightly.

                “They think they have the element of surprise, but it’s the other way around,” Hiccup said quietly. She removed the scroll from where she had secured it to the saddle, and showed it to Asher. He gasped as he saw the drawing of the area they were walking through, and the red Xs placed on several locations.

                “This is where lookouts should be positioned,” Hiccup explained.

                “Hiccup, we don’t even know who this came from,” Asher objected. He fell silent as they reached Thor and the Hunters, and stopped the cart.

                “On my mark,” Hiccup said calmly. “And…”

                “It’s a trap! It’s a trap!” Snotlout yelled.

                Hunters emerged from where they had been hiding, and began firing down on the riders.

                “Go, Toothless!” Hiccup cried.

                Toothless leapt into the air as Asher ran and mounted Stormfly. He sighed as he saw the twins running around wildly as they ran to get to Barf and Belch.

                “And there goes the element of surprise,” Asher growled.

                Stormfly screeched and took to the air. All the dragons rose up out of the canyons, and Hiccup pointed at the Hunters below.

                “Now!” Hiccup cried. “Give them everything you got!”

                Stormfly swooped down, and fired several spines at Hunters on a ridge forcing them to flee for cover. Meatlug targeted the Hunters that were lined up along a pathway on the side of the cliff, chasing them down as she fired blasts at them. Barf and Belch circled around Thor, Jarg, Snotlout, and Alvin laying down a ring of gas and igniting it.

                “Let me at him!” Thor cried, seizing Snotlout from Jarg.

                Snotlout screamed as Thor pointed the sword at his back. Hookfang roared and dived down to blast a line of fire that forced Thor to let go of Snotlout and step back to avoid the flames.

                “Hey, watch it, Hookfang!” Thor snapped in a much higher and lighter tone.

                “Fishface?” Snotlout asked hurriedly. Fishlegs shrugged and smiled at him. “Fishface!”

                “No time to explain,” Fishlegs said quickly, using the sword to cut Snotlout’s ropes. “We gotta free Alvin.”

                He ran for Alvin, and Fishlegs screamed as Jarg swung his sword to block their path. Fishlegs jumped back, and blocked another swing from Jarg with his own blade.  He grunted as Jarg back handed him across the face, and he fell to the ground.

                “No!” Snotlout yelled. His eyes widened in horror as Jarg raised his sword above his head to strike down at Fishlegs. “Oh, no!”

                Snotlout grabbed a large rock, and thew it at Jarg. The man flinched and moved his sword to block the rock, closing his eyes as it sparked when it hit the blade. Fishlegs took the chance to kick his legs out from under him, and quickly stood with his sword.

                Fishlegs yelled as Jarg quickly sat up, and swung his sword to knock Fishlegs’ blade from his hands. Fishlegs stepped back to avoid a swing from his blade, but didn’t react fast enough to avoid a kick that sent him sprawling. Jarg chuckled as he approached the boy.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout yelled as he jumped onto Jarg’s back. Jarg spun around, and dropped his sword so he could grab Snotlout. He threw him over his head, and Snotlout landed at Fishlegs feet.

                “Snotlout!” Fishlegs cried. The boy groaned, and Fishlegs glared at Jarg. Fishlegs roared, and charged at Jarg, tackling him around the middle before the man could strike at him.

                “Whoa!” Snotlout gasped as Fishlegs knocked Jarg out against the ground, and flipped over him to land on his feet.

                “Ha ha!” Fishlegs laughed as he realized what he had done.

                Toothless growled as he circled around to find Snotlout and Thor, and stopped short as he grunted in surprise. Hiccup gasped as she saw Jarg unconscious, and Thor helping Snotlout off the ground.

                “Fishlegs?” Hiccup called down hopefully.

                “Whoo!” Fishlegs cheered, giving her a thumbs up.

                Hiccup grinned at him, before she and Toothless turned at the sound of Stormfly snarling. The Deadly Nadder was cornered against a pillar by several archers. She snarled at them and Asher lifted his axe as the Hunters slowly came closer.

                Toothless swooped down, and glided over the Hunter’s heads as he built a plasma blast in his throat. He pulled up, and fired at the rock wall above the hunters. The rocks broke apart, and tumbled down onto the Hunters. The men covered themselves, and when they lowered their arms, they scrambled back at the sight of the Deadly Nadder and the Night Fury advancing on them. They quickly threw down their arms and surrendered.

                Meatlug growled at the Hunters she had trapped against a wall.

                “Meatlug!”

                Meatlug turned and growled excitedly as Fishlegs ran to her. She reared up on her hind legs to hug him tightly, and the Hunters took the opportunity to try to run. They turned as Hookfang and Snotlout landed in front of them only to be stopped short as Barf and Belch landed behind them.

                Fishlegs went over to Alvin, and used a nearby dagger to cut his bonds. He swallowed nervously as the Outcast Chief loomed over him, and froze as the man smiled.

                “Come here!” Alvin laughed as he threw an arm around Fishlegs shoulders.

                Unseen by the riders and their dragons as they guarded the captured Hunters, Jarg ducked down by a rock. He growled as he saw everyone else either unconscious or captured, and quickly slipped away.

Later

                Fishlegs sighed as he looked at the angry Hunter trapped within the jail cells.

                “I tried to get them to tell me who they worked for, but they were tight-lipped,” Fishlegs said frustrated.

                “Don’t you worry,” Alvin chuckled. “They will. I have a few old school techniques I’d love to dust off that will pry those lips apart in no time.”

                “Okay. I’m so confused,” Snotlout interjected, turning to Fishlegs. “Did the clapping work or not?”

                “It did,” Fishlegs said happily, throwing up his hands. Snotlout flinched and Fishlegs sheepishly lowered his arms as the two of them shared a laugh. “But if I let them know in that moment that I wasn’t Thor, they would have taken off with the bounty and made you and Alvin shark feed.”

                “Wow,” Snotlout said surprised. “So it was Fishface who saved us and not Thor? Did not see that one coming.”

                “That was a crazy risk, Fishlegs,” Hiccup said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “But it proves I was wrong. In your core, you do have a lot of Thor Bonecrusher.”

                “I’d like to think it’s the other way around,” Fishlegs hugging her close. He grunted as Snotlout tackled him around the waist in a hug as Hiccup stepped back.

                The twins sniffled at the sight, and raced for Fishlegs.

                “Group hug!” Tuffnut cried as he and Ruffnut jumped and clung to Fishlegs.

                Hiccup shook her head fondly, and turned to find Asher. She frowned as she saw him sitting on a box and scowling at one of the carts of fish.

                “What’s up?” Hiccup asked.

                “Well, the question still remains, Hiccup,” Asher replied. “What did the Dragon Hunters want with these fish?”

                Hiccup frowned, and looked over at the box.

                ‘Why would they?’ Hiccup thought. ‘The only reason I can think of is for food, but why this specific fish? Is it for them or for something else?’

Dragon Hunter Camp

                “So you see, Krogan, sir,” Jarg said nervously as he followed Krogan through the Hunter’s camp. He glanced inside the tents they passed, but most of them were dark as the Hunters worked around the camp. “It was impossible to have seen what was coming.”

                “Impossible, you say?” Krogan questioned as he led Jarg to a tent that was guarded by two Hunters, and filled with warm light. Krogan stepped to the side and smirked as Jarg entered. He put a hand on the bandit’s shoulder as he looked at the back of the tent. “And what say you?”

                Jarg followed his gaze and gasped.

                “There will be a setback,” Viggo Grimborn said as he examined the chart on the table. “The Ice Trail Pike are essential to our training program. Unlike this gentleman.”

                Jarg froze and looked fearfully at Krogan.

                “Failures have no place in my army,” Viggo said darkly. He turned away and crossed his arms. “The bar must remain at its highest. I’d throw him down a Whispering Death hole, but that’s just me.”

                “Relax,” Krogan said softly, patting Jarg on the shoulder. “There will be no Whispering Death hole for you.”

                Jarg didn’t have a chance to feel any relief as Krogan walked past him, and turned to smile maliciously at him.

                “If I did that, I wouldn’t get to see you suffer,” Krogan hissed. “Then that would take all the fun out of it.”

                “No!” Jarg cried as Krogan clapped his hands. He began to panic as the two guards entered and dragged him out. “Come on. No! No, no!”

                “Now, Viggo,” Krogan said as he turned to face the Dragon Hunter Chief. “How do you plan to withstand the extreme heat? It wasn’t so kind to you last time.”

                “I was just assessing that myself,” Viggo replied. He turned, and the light of the lantern highlighted the burn scars on the left side of his face and the pale blue hue to his left eye. “I have some…thoughts.”

Chapter Text

                “Hiccup?” Fishlegs called out for his friend as he and Meatlug approached the stables. “Hiccup!”

                Fishlegs winced as his voice echoed loudly in the empty stables. Sighing, Fishlegs walked up to Hiccup’s hut. Her door was open, and that gave him a small shot of hope that she might be inside.

                “Hiccup, are you in here?” Fishlegs asked as he stepped through the door. “Hello?”

                Fishlegs sighed as he saw the girl was nowhere in sight. His eyes fell on something covered in cloth near her worktable, and he hummed in interest.

                “Huh. Interesting,” Fishlegs said. He took a step further into the hut, and stopped himself. “No, can’t do that. It’s her private prop…”

                Fishlegs trailed off as his curiosity won out, and he stepped closer to the large, covered object. He reached out a hand towards it, and quickly pulled it back.

                “No,” Fishlegs said determined. He took a couple steps away before biting his lip and rushing back to the hidden object. He stopped himself before he could grab it, and forced himself to turn away. “Oh! No! No Fishlegs! Yep…”

                Fishlegs struggled with himself repeatedly, before finally groaning as he reached out for the cloth.

                “Fishlegs!”

                Fishlegs screamed, and jumped back from the object, hitting his back against the table. Fishlegs scowled at Snotlout in the doorway as he scrambled to pick up the metal bits and bobs that fell off Hiccup’s worktable.

                “Snotlout!” Fishlegs snapped. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

                “Well, don’t sneak around and you won’t get snuck up on,” Snotlout replied.

                “I wasn’t sneak…Have you seen her?” Fishlegs asked.

                “Why?” Snotlout asked suspiciously.

                “It’s none of your business,” Fishlegs replied.

                “Then, no,” Snotlout smirked.

                The two boys stared each other down, and Snotlout chuckled when Fishlegs groaned in frustration.

                “Fine!” Fishlegs exclaimed. “Johann just got here, and he wants to see Hiccup.”

                “Oh,” Snotlout said shortly.

                “Where is she?” Fishlegs asked.

                “No idea,” Snotlout snapped. “No one ever sees Hiccup now that she has gotten neck deep in this secret project of hers. The only one that she responds to anymore is Asher, and even he has to practically drag her out of here.”

                “Well, maybe he knows…” Fishlegs trailed off as they heard Asher loudly grunting below them. They went to the edge of Hiccup’s deck, and looked down. They didn’t see anything, but they heard metal clanging coming from the arena. The two boys shrugged and made their way down.

                The twins were standing just outside the arena, Tuffnut holding Chicken in his arms as they watched what was happening inside.

                “Um,” Fishlegs said nervously.

                “No. Shh,” Tuffnut said quietly. “Behold.”

                Snotlout and Fishlegs eyes widened as they saw Asher and Hiccup dueling in the arena. Asher was wielding his axe while Hiccup had the Dragon Blade ignited in her hands.

                The two locked weapons, and Hiccup ducked as Asher used his axe to push their weapons down and swing a kick at her head. She quickly side-stepped, and swung down at Asher with her blade. Asher blocked it with the handle of his axe, and pushed her back.

                On the sidelines, Stormfly screeched cheekily to Toothless who growled as he rolled his eyes.

                Hiccup caught Asher’s axe with her blade, and twisted so she could pull the axe and Asher forward. The twins watched with great interest as the two continued to exchange blows. Hiccup smirked as she ducked below a swipe and as Asher moved to circle around her, she placed her hands on the ground. She twisted and kicked Asher’s legs out from under him, and Asher gasped as he fell on his butt.

                Hiccup grinned as she stood, and offered him a hand up as Toothless laughed at Stormfly.

                “Watching these two reminds me of gazing upon the giant water Buffalord as they graze against the tender auspices of the wheat fields of yesteryear,” Tuffnut said nostalgically.

                Hiccup and Asher grunted as they locked weapons again.

                “Call it a draw?” Asher offered.

                “Hmm,” Hiccup hummed. She pushed the weapons up, and grabbed Asher by the collar. She pulled him close, and Asher’s eyes widened as she kissed him. His grip loosened on his axe, and Hiccup hooked her prosthetic around his ankle. Asher yelled as his foot was yanked out from under him, and he fell back onto the ground. He smirked as Hiccup pointed the Dragon Blade at his neck.

                “That was cheating,” Asher said fondly.

                “All’s fair in love and war,” Hiccup said cheekily.

                “Oh yeah!” Ruffnut cheered as she tossed flowers into the arena.

                “That was awesome!” Tuffnut cheered. “Underhanded, sneaky, and a little bit dirty. I loved it!”

                Hiccup helped Asher to his feet, and gasped as Chicken landed on her shoulders. She scrambled to get the fowl off her as Fishlegs scowled at the twins.

                “Would you two stop?” Fishlegs hissed. He sighed and turned to Hiccup. “Hiccup, I’ve been looking all over for you. Johann is here and he wants—”

                “Johann. Oh great!” Hiccup cried excitedly, not noticing as Asher frowned. “I’ll head down right now.”

                “Let me guess,” Snotlout said snidely as Hiccup hurried to Toothless. “Another piece for your secret project that will have you avoiding us for forever?”

                “Back off, Snotlout,” Asher said defensively.

                “Why?” Snotlout asked shortly. “I’m making a point, Asher. A good one that I thought you might even appreciate. I mean, how long did it take you to convince her to even leave her hut for this little duel?”

                “This will only take a second,” Hiccup said distractedly. Asher sighed, and moved to mount Stormfly.

                “I’ll come with you,” Asher said.

                “You know, a strong, lasting relationship is a balancing act between work, friends, a stable home life, you know, the amount of jellybeans that you’re eating,” Tuffnut said wisely. Tuffnut frowned as Toothless and Stormfly took off, and left them behind. “Yeah! Fly off! We’re just saying!”

                Hiccup glanced back at them and frowned. Toothless growled at her, and Hiccup rubbed his head. She brightened as she saw Johann on his ship below at the docks, and nudged Toothless to descend.

                ‘They’ll understand when it’s finished,’ Hiccup thought. ‘Once this is done…things will be better.’

                Toothless and Stormfly landed on the trader’s ship, and turned to sniff at his wares as Hiccup and Asher greeted the man.

                “I can’t apologize enough, Miss Hiccup, for failing you on this endeavor,” Johann said apologetically. “I wasn’t able to procure your oil on this recent trip, as I was otherwise engaged with a Northen Native…”

                “Oil? For what?” Asher asked.

                “Oh, just a little something I’ve been tinkering with,” Hiccup said evasively.

                “Oh, right, your secret project,” Asher grumbled. He turned his head away, and Hiccup frowned.

                “Asher…” Hiccup said worriedly.

                “However,” Johann interjected, placing a hand on her shoulders. “I’m ecstatic to tell you that the oil you seek can be found in the rarest of Sassafras Albidum plants that grow only on the Isle of Thizzian, the location of which I have included for you in its description.”           

                Hiccup smiled as Johann handed her a scroll. She quickly turned to the table on his deck, and rolled it out to examine it.

                “I had hoped to procure it in the dark markets of Aberdine,” Johann continued. “But as I mentioned, my trip took quite the strange turn.”

                Johann chuckled as Hookfang and Meatlug landed on the docks.

                “Hey Johann,” Snotlout greeted as he dismounted. “You telling one of your famous stories again? I’ve got a spare few hours.”

                “A few hours would only begin to describe the adventure of my recent past,” Johann said  smugly. “Wow! And I mean, wow.”

                “Oh, I don’t care,” Snotlout said dismissively as he and Fishlegs boarded the boat. “I think you’re boring.”

                “Ooh, what’s that?” Fishlegs asked curiously when he saw Hiccup examining a parchment.

                “A map,” Hiccup replied. “Of an island that has something I need.”

                Fishlegs frowned as Snotlout scoffed.

                “Let me guess, you’re going to get it,” Snotlout declared. “And since it’s for your secret project, you want to go alone.”

                “Well, I…” Hiccup said awkwardly. She bit her lip as she saw the boys wearing varying looks of displeasure. “Um, Asher? Would you go with me?”

                “And she picks her boyfriend,” Snotlout growled. “What a shock!”

                Asher scowled at him before nodding. Snotlout threw his hands up in the air before glaring at the pair of them. He continued to glare as they said their goodbyes to Johann, and they went to the stables to prepare for the journey.

                The dragons stared at Hiccup with immense displeasure as she packed her bag for the trip, sensing how unhappy their riders were with the situation. Toothless and Stormfly exchanged looks and growled.

                “Hiccup, we were supposed to begin the annual Dragon Census tomorrow morning,” Fishlegs said pointedly.

                “Oh no, I forgot about that Fishlegs,” Hiccup groaned. “But we’re only gonna be gone for a day or two. The dragons will still be here, and I promise we’ll do it when we get back.”

                “Forgetting important moments amongst friends and colleagues is a sign of shifting priorities,” Tuffnut said, watching Asher prepare his bag.

                “Thus leading to doubt creeping in and the loss of emotional fortitude,” Ruffnut added. She smiled at Asher as he glared at them. “I love when doubt creeps.”

                “What does that even mean?” Asher asked.

                “Don’t blow people off,” Snotlout growled.

                “I’m not…” Hiccup trailed off as everyone, even Asher, looked at her. Hiccup bit her lip, and gripped the strap of her bag. “We’ll be back in two days. Less if we hurry. I promise I’ll explain everything when we get back.”

                Fishlegs opened his mouth.

                “And I’ll help with the census,” Hiccup quickly added.

                “Will you please just go already?” Snotlout snapped, patting Fishlegs on the shoulder.

                Hiccup bit her lip, but turned to mount Toothless. She glanced over at Asher, and he gave her a tight smile before their dragons leapt into the air.

                “So, anybody want to go through all their belonging while they’re gone?” Tuffnut asked. He raised his eyebrows when the others frowned at him. “No?”

Isle of Thizzian

                It took the rest of the day, but they landed on the island as the sun was beginning to set. Asher looked around the island as Hiccup moved to examine the plant that Johann had described to her. He smiled at how engrossed she was in her examination as Toothless watched over her shoulder. He frowned as he thought of how this was the longest he had been around her for a while.

                Stormfly growled, and nudged him in the shoulder. Asher turned and hugged her head, rubbing his nose against hers.

                “Johann didn’t say how much oil per plant,” Hiccup muttered. Asher turned to look at her as Hiccup examined a piece of the plant. “The extraction process can be tricky. What do you think?”

                “Hmm, that sounds like a Fishlegs question,” Asher replied. “Then again, the twins do know some pretty random stuff. They probably had a third cousin who was a Sassafras plant.”

                Hiccup laughed as she stood, and walked to meet Asher. Toothless and Stormfly growled playfully at each other, and the couple watched their dragons play together for a moment. Asher put his hand around her waist, and Hiccup leaned into him.

                Hiccup frowned as she realized it had been a while since Asher had held her like this.

                “Do you think we should have stayed at the Edge?” Hiccup asked quietly. Asher stiffened, and Hiccup sagged. “Have I really been that bad?”

                “Well…” Asher said nervously. Hiccup groaned, and walked to look out over the ocean. Asher sighed and moved to stand beside her. “You have been pretty obsessed with this project of yours. I love how intense and focused you can be, but…you’ve been ignoring everyone, spending all your time in your hut, and when you do go out it’s for this project. They’re mad because they miss you. I miss you.”

                Hiccup looked down, and buried her head in her hands.

                “That’s the one thing I didn’t want to do,” Hiccup said emotionally. “I never wanted to make them feel like I didn’t care.”

                “Hey,” Asher said softly. He turned her to face him, and hugged her close. “It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. You’ve made some mistakes, but now that you know are you going to repeat them?”

                Hiccup shook her head, and Asher put his chin on top of her head.

                “It’ll be alright,” Asher promised her. “Everyone knows that you love them. You just need to remember to give them some attention, and not get lost in your projects. You have a big mind, but a big heart too. It’s what makes you such a great friend, a great leader, and a great girlfriend.”

                Asher smiled as she looked up at him with a small smile.

                “If you wanna go back…” Asher offered.

                “No,” Hiccup replied. Asher’s brow furrowed, and Hiccup quickly continued. “I…I’d like to spend some time here. Just the two of us before we go back.”

                Asher grinned and nodded.

                “They’ll be alright,” Asher assured her. “I mean, think of how much trouble they can get into without us being there.”

                Hiccup’s eyes widened, and they laughed as they thought of what might be waiting for them when they returned.

                “So, how about a moonlight flight?” Hiccup asked.

                Asher lowered his head to press his forehead to hers.

                “Thought you’d never ask,” Asher said softly.

                The moon was rising into the sky as Stormfly and Toothless soared through the clouds. Hiccup and Asher laughed as their dragons spun and circled around each other. Toothless and Stormfly roared happily as they spun up together and flipped back to fly side by side, knowing that their riders were happy together once more.

Dragon’s Edge

                The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, and the base was quiet as the riders and dragons slept. Not even the distant call of a rooster, stirred them awake. Fishlegs snored heavily, Meatlug growling in her sleep at the foot of his bed.

                A loud bang shook the base, and Fishlegs gasped as he startled awake. He listened for it again, but heard nothing.

                “What was—” Fishlegs yawned. He screamed as another bang shook the base, and Meatlug growled worriedly. “Maybe we should…”

                Fishlegs screamed as the next tremor caused him to fall out of bed.

                “Check that out!” Fishlegs finished as he scrambled to grab his helmet.

                Fishlegs hurried to the door as he jammed his helmet on. He flung the door open, and jumped back as saw the flames outside his hut. He gasped as he looked up and saw fireballs coming down on the base.

                Two of them hit near Snotlout’s hut, and the boy scowled as he saw the fire hit his deck outside his open door. Snotlout grabbed his helmet, and put it on as he stomped down the stairs.

                “Ruff, Tuff!” Snotlout yelled. “I’m gonna kill you two!”

                Snotlout’s eyes widened as he saw a dragon fly overhead. He growled as he looked up and saw a pair of Singetails flying over the base, hurling fireballs down as they passed.

                “Singetails,” Snotlout said angrily. “I hate those guys. Hookfang!”

                The twins yawned as they walked out of their hut with Chicken.

                “Tell me, how great are these moss earplugs, right?” Tuffnut asked as he scooped up Chicken. Ruffnut nodded in agreement before pulling hers out. Tuffnut missed the look of horror that came over her face as he turned his head to remove his. Tuffnut frowned as he heard the noise, and an identical look of horror dawned on his face as he saw the flames and Singetails.

                “Oh, no!” Tuffnut cried as a fireball came their way. The twins jumped back into their hut as the fired rained down.

                Snotlout ran down to the ground level of the base. He spotted Fishlegs, and quickly waved him over.

                “Snotlout!” Fishlegs yelled. “Wild Singetails are trying to take over the Edge!”

                “Really, Fishface? I haven’t noticed,” Snotlout snapped.

                The two covered their heads as fireballs hit the area around them.

                “We gotta get the dragons and get to a safe place!” Fishlegs cried.

                “You think?” Snotlout asked sarcastically. He grunted as a fireball exploding on the ground blew them off their feet. Snotlout quickly got back up, and grabbed Fishlegs to help him up. “Move! Now, Fishface, now!”

                The two of them raced up to the stables, and they were relieved to see the twins run inside ahead of them. Hookfang helpfully blocked a blast of fire with his wing as the two ran inside.

                “Those dragons are relentless,” Snotlout growled. “We have to take the fight to them!”

                Fishlegs and the twins nodded in agreement, and quickly mounted their dragons. Meatlug, Barf and Belch, and Hookfang soared into the sky above the base, and growled as they avoided fireballs streaming at them,

                “Hold your ground!” Snotlout yelled as they stopped to hover. “We need to be as unflinching as they are!”

                “You sure about this?” Fishlegs asked.

                “Not really,” Snotlout replied.

                “What are you talking about? This is epic!” Tuffnut cried.

                “We got this guys!” Ruffnut cheered as two Singetails pivoted to fire towards the Zippleback. Barf and Belch growled as they moved their heads to avoid a couple of fireballs.

                “Yeah!” Tuffnut cheered. “And if we don’t, it was a pleasure knowing you all.”

                “Except for you, Snotlout!” Ruffnut yelled cheekily as Barf and Belch flew forward.

                Snotlout and Fishlegs looked at each other and nodded.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout yelled.

                “To Valhalla and beyond!” Fishlegs cried.

                Hookfang and Meatlug roared as they flew forward.

                “To Valhalla and beyond!” The twins cried as Barf and Belch set off an explosion.

                The trio of Dragon Riders fought hard to defend their home, but after several hours more Singetails joined their brethren, and they were forced to retreat.

                “Bad idea! Bad idea!” Fishlegs cried as they flew over the forest, fireballs streaming around them from the Singetails.

                Meatlug and Hookfang growled as they accidentally bumped into one another trying to dodge, and Snotlout growled as he adjusted his helmet.

                “I’m sick of this yak dung,” Snotlout growled. “Why are we running from these dragons?”

                “Oh, I don’t know,” Fishlegs snapped sarcastically. “Because they’re ruthless, out to kill, and they outnumber us two to one.”

                “But why are we running from them?” Snotlout asked angrily.

                “Snotlout! Alright!” Ruffnut said appreciatively. “I like where your head’s at.”

                “Where’s his head? Did it get blown off?” Tuffnut asked eagerly. “Did we miss it? I hate missing a good cranial explosion.”

                “Let’s do this, guys!” Snotlout said boldly.

                “Yeah!” Ruffnut cried.

                The dragons turned, and flew back towards the Singetails. Fishlegs cringed as the large dragons raced past them, but froze as something caught his eye.

                “Uh guys, I think I saw someone riding one of those Singetails!” Fishlegs said nervously.

                “No, you didn’t, Fishlegs,” Snotlout replied.

                “Oh, thank Thor!” Fishlegs said relieved.

                “You saw someone riding all of those Singetails!” Snotlout cried.

                They looked back, and gasped as they saw men riding on the backs of the Singetails. They wore armor like the Dragon Hunters, but their helmets had horns on the sides of their helmets and protective masks over their faces. They weren’t as hefty as the normal Dragon Hunters they dealt with, instead having much leaner frames. Tattoos decorated their arms, and there was black paint around their eyes, the only part of their face that was visible, as they glared at the Dragon Riders.

                Fishlegs was horrified as he saw one of the men whip the Singetail’s neck, making the dragon screech in pain, and strain against the bit that was connected to the chains the riders held. The bit and chain were made of dragon proof metal, and the chain dug itself into the sides of its mouth as it roared.

                The Dragons Riders dodged and scattered as the Singetails fired at them. Fishlegs whimpered as one of them chased after Meatlug. Meatlug growled as she dodged a couple of fireballs, but knew the Singetail would overtake them.

                The man on the Singetail gasped and held on tightly as the dragon reared back as Hookfang dove in front of them.

                “Snotlout!” Snotlout laughed.

                “Come here. Come here!” Tuffnut yelled as they chased after one of the Singetails. The twins’ eyes widened as another Singetail flew right at them, and they were forced to dive under it to dodge. “Hey, not for nothing, but these guys are pretty good!”

                “They are kicking out butts!” Ruffnut snarled.

                Barf and Belch dove down again as another Singetail and its rider bared down on them. Fishlegs chuckled as he and Meatlug came up behind it.

                “No, you will not!” Fishlegs cried.

                Meatlug lined up behind the dragon, and fired a blast. The rider screamed as he was blown from the back of the dragon, and fell towards the cove below. Fishlegs nodded in satisfaction as the Singetail shrieked, and shook off the chain before flying away.

                “Good going, Meatlug!” Fishlegs praised. He bent to give her a pet, and his eyes widened as he saw a Singetail fire a blast right at him. Fishlegs had no choice, but to dive from the saddle as the fireball flew through where he had been sitting.

                “Meatlug!” Fishlegs screamed as he fell towards the thick forest.

Dragon Hunter Ship

                Viggo watched through his spyglass as the Dragon Rider plummeted into the forest.

                “Dragon Rider down in the southern forest,” Viggo announced. He lowered the spyglass, and turned to Krogan. “That appears to be Ingerman. We can retrieve him, but take him alive. He knows more about dragons than almost anyone.”

                “Not more than me,” Krogan protested. “Besides all the more reason to finish him. I’ll take care of this. You do what we brought you here to do.”

                “I don’t take orders from anyone,” Viggo growled as Krogan turned his back to him.

                “You’ll do what I say because it’s my operation,” Krogan replied firmly.

                “If memory serves, you came looking for me,” Viggo sneered. “Perhaps we should go back to the way things were.”

                Krogan narrowed his eyes, and hummed.

                “Viggo…Alone each of us, in our own right, are shall we say dangerous,” Krogan said smoothly, placing a hand on Viggo’s shoulder, mindful of the spikes on his pauldron. “But together, think of the possibilities. We need each other, like it or not.”

                Krogan turned away, and moved to approach his personal Singetail, restrained and held at spear point by the Dragon Hunters.

                “I’ll find this Ingerman and bring him in,” Krogan assured him. He smirked as the red Singetail roared in pain.

Dragon’s Edge

                Fishlegs panted as he raced out of the trees and into one of the rocky expanses at the base of the mountains. He knew he had to find Meatlug, and get back to the others to help them fight the Singetails. Fishlegs stopped to try to catch his breath, and looked over his shoulder as he heard something. Something big with wings.

                Fishlegs’ eyes widened as he saw a Singetail come up over the trees. This one was much larger than the others, possibly a Titan Wing. Her coloring was blood-red with maroon markings. A man sat on her back, familiar but very different from the other ones riding the Singetails.

                Krogan smirked as he saw Fishlegs staring up at them in horror.

                “Fire,” Krogan ordered.

                Fishlegs screamed and started running as the Singetail began to launch fireballs down at him. He took a running leap over a large rock, and covered his head as one of the blasts impacted on the rock behind him.

                “Okay,” Fishlegs said softly as he gasped for air. He looked over the rock, and saw the red Singetail circling around. “Okay, I’m gonna be okay. I’m gonna be okay.”

                Fishlegs looked around, and felt a mixture of hope and relief as he spotted the opening of a cave at the base of the mountain. Fishlegs took a quick look up, and took off running for the cave.

                Krogan tugged on the chain to force the Singetail to stop as he spotted Fishlegs running. He jerked on the chain to turn the Singetail towards the boy.

                “Fire!” Krogan ordered.

                The Singetail prepared to fire, but screeched as Meatlug rammed into the side of its head and neck. Fishlegs heard the impact and turned to look.

                “Meatlug! Yes!” Fishlegs cheered.

                Meatlug growled, happy and relieved to see he was okay before she started flying away. As she hoped, the Singetail focused on chasing after her rather than attacking her rider.

                “Meatlug, no!” Fishlegs cried.

                “What are you doing?” Krogan grunted as he pulled on the chain.

                The Singetail fired a blast at Meatlug, but she dodged and darted away as Krogan made the Singetail turn back around.

                “That’s a worthless Gronckle!” Krogan sneered. He pushed his Singetail to dive down, and he smirked as he looked around for the boy. “Ingerman! Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

                He cursed under his breath as he couldn’t see the boy anywhere amongst the trees, and directed his dragon back into the sky. Fishlegs cautiously looked out of the cave, and observed the rider and his dragon.

                “Who is this guy?” Fishlegs hissed. He gasped, and pulled back into the cave as the man turned towards him. He held completely still only relaxing when he heard the sound of the dragon’s wings fading away. Fishlegs sighed in relief, and started making his way into the cave.

                “Wait a minute,” Fishlegs said softly as he looked around the familiar tunnel. He spotted carvings on the wall, faintly illuminated by the sun, and his eyes widened. “I know this cave.”

                Over the waters just outside the Edge, Snotlout gripped onto Hookfang’s horns as the Monstrous Nightmare tightly turned around and under the sea stacks. He felt the heat of the fire balls the two Singetails chasing them were firing at them, but Hookfang was able to keep them ahead.

                Hookfang banked around a sea stack, and the riders on the Singetails eyes widened as they turned straight into gas from Barf and Belch. The gas was ignited before they could react, and the men screamed as they were blown off the backs of their dragons.

                “Whoo!” Snotlout cheered as the two Singetails flew away. He nodded to the twins. “Thanks for the assist. Nice shot, you two.”

                Snotlout turned as Meatlug pulled up beside them.

                “Meatlug! Hey, girl!” Snotlout greeted.

                “Wasn’t there an oversized human on this Gronckle last time we saw it?” Tuffnut asked.

                “Fishlegs was shot down,” Snotlout said urgently. “We need to find him!”

                Meatlug started flying, and the others followed her around the sea stack. They all stopped as they saw more Singetails and their riders coming towards them.

                “I don’t know if that’s going to happen right now,” Tuffnut said uneasily. “But good thought, Snotlout.”

                “This is gonna hurt,” Snotlout said fearfully. “This is really gonna hurt.”

                One of the leading Singetails veered off as purple blasts exploded beside it. Toothless roared as he and Stormfly dived in front of the group of dragons and fired their blasts to force them back.

                “Holy Hiccup!” Tuffnut gasped.

                “I’m so sorry, gang, we should have been here,” Hiccup said desperately.

                “What gave it away?” Snotlout snapped. “Was it the scorched earth?”

                Hiccup frowned as she saw parts of the island burning, and the numerous Singetails flying towards them. She squinted as she saw something on their backs.

                “Wait,” Hiccup said stunned. “Are those…Flyers? Wait…How? When?”

                “Uh, Hiccup, maybe we can have this discussion later,” Asher said urgently.

                Toothless grunted as he dodged a fireball from one of the Singetails.

                “Alright! Air tactics and defense!” Hiccup called out. “Just like we practiced!”

                “When did we practice that? We never practiced that!” Snotlout cried.

                “Then it’s a great time to learn!” Asher said fiercely.

                The Dragon Riders charged forward at the Singetails and their Dragon Flyers. The air was filled with blasts and bursts of fire and smoke as they exchanged attacks. The twins even managed to get one Dragon Flyer to blast another from their dragon in all the chaos.

                Hiccup and Toothless spotted Meatlug becoming surrounded by some of the Dragon Flyers. She rotated in the air, firing off blasts to keep them away. As two of the Singetails came for her, she turned and flew as fast as she could. Toothless swooped in from behind them, and fired blasts to drive them away, even forcing one of the Flyers off his dragon.

                Toothless turned to avoid a huge cloud of smoke coming from the island. Hiccup glanced into it, and froze as a gigantic red Singetail began to emerge from within. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the man sitting on its back. The man smirked as the Singetail prepared to fire, and Hiccup felt her throat tighten at the memory of a chain around her neck.

                Hookfang fired a blast to intercept the fireball. Toothless and Hookfang quickly darted away from the larger dragon, and Snotlout scowled at Hiccup.

                “What are you doing?” Snotlout snapped.

                “I know that guy,” Hiccup gasped. “Snotlout that was him. That was the man that was taking me to Ryker!”

                “Are you serious?” Snotlout yelled. He cursed as Hookfang dodged a fireball from a Singetail chasing them. “What is he—Gah! Never mind! We’ll deal with it later!”

                Hiccup ducked as a fireball blew by Toothless.

                ‘There’s too many,’ Hiccup thought. ‘We need to regroup.’

                “Fall back!” Hiccup ordered. “Fall back!”

                The Dragon Flyers moved to follow the Dragon Riders as they began flying away from the island.

                “Let them go!” Krogan ordered. “The island is ours, and Viggo needs time.”

                The Dragon Riders landed on a large seat stack within sight of Dragon’s Edge. Hiccup dismounted from Toothless, and moved to stare back at the island. She swallowed as she saw the glow of the flames, and the black smoke coming from the area where their base was.        

                Meatlug growled fearfully, shaking in distress, and Hiccup turned to her.

                “Whoa, whoa, easy girl,” Hiccup said softly. She placed at hand on Meatlug’s head, and the Gronckle looked at her sadly. “We’ll find him. Don’t you worry.”

                “And how are you gonna do that, Hiccup?” Snotlout demanded angrily. “These Flyers are all over the place and they’re trained, but you wouldn’t know that.”

                “Wow, Snotlout,” Tuffnut said admiringly. “The truth will set you free, my arrogant brother.”

                “Hey! Will you leave her alone?” Asher snapped.

                “No, Asher,” Hiccup said shakily. “I deserve it. I shouldn’t have left. They begged us to stay.”

                “That’s pushing it,” Snotlout grumbled.

                “You know what I mean,” Hiccup sighed.

                “We’re back now,” Asher said firmly. “That’s all that matters.”

                “Not all of us,” Hiccup said sadly as Meatlug growled.

Albino Night Terror Cave

                Fishlegs carefully made his way deeper into the familiar caves. He squinted in the faint light coming through cracks in the ceiling, and strained his ears to hear anything.

                ‘The tremors from all the volcanic activity must’ve opened those cracks,’ Fishlegs thought. ‘Good for me to see, but I hope Darkvarg and the others were okay.’

                Fishlegs gasped as he heard something move quickly past him in the dark shadows. He looked around frantically, hearing growling echoes. Fishlegs whimpered, and backed up, not noticing a pair of red eyes open in the darkest part of the cave behind him. Fishlegs turned and screamed as something lunged at him from the darkness.

                “Oh, Thor!” Fishlegs screamed as he fell on his back. He fearfully opened his eyes, and gasped as he saw a happy Darkvarg sitting on him.

                “Darkvarg!” Fishlegs cried, happily hugging the albino Night Terror. “Oh, thank Thor. I thought, well, never mind.”

                Darkvarg screeched at him happily as he got off him. Fishlegs got to his feet, and smiled down at the Night Terror.

                “Listen little buddy, I’m gonna your help,” Fishlegs said urgently. “Understand? I gotta hide out. Is that okay with you?”

                Fishlegs chuckled as Darkvarg continued to smile at him, and shook his tail eagerly.

                “Of course it is,” Fishlegs said happily. “We’re buddies, remember? Fishlegs and Darkvarg, Darkvarg and Fishlegs!”

                Darkvarg ran to him, and Fishlegs happily embraced him, sighing in relief.

                “Those guys will never think to look for my down here,” Fishlegs said.

                “Let’s look for him down here!”

                “Or will they?” Fishlegs whimpered.

                Darkvarg screeched, and took off running. Fishlegs ran behind him, and glanced over his shoulder to see the light of a lantern coming around the tunnel behind them.

                “Hurry, Darkvarg!” Fishlegs said urgently.

                Darkvarg stopped and flared his wings as he let out a loud screech. Fishlegs grinned as more of the albino Night Terrors flew out from the dark tunnels ahead, and swarmed the Dragon Hunters further back.

                “Nice move, Darkvarg!” Fishlegs praised, giving the dragon a head rub. “I knew you had it in you!”

                Darkvarg screeched happily, and led Fishlegs further into the caves.

With the Other Riders

                Hiccup frowned as she continued to observe the Edge through her spyglass as the sun began to set. The fires around their base had died down, but the Dragon Flyers and their Singetails continued to patrol the skies above. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a group of them circling above the southern forests.

                “So, if in fact the truth does set you free, are you then free to be untruthful?” Ruffnut asked.

                Tuffnut hummed thoughtfully. “And if said untruthfulness has a hint of veritas, or as we, the Nordics say ‘veritas’, is it really untruthful on its face? Or face as the Italians say.”

                “Look, I think I know where Fishlegs is hiding,” Hiccup said. She put her spyglass back in the saddle bag, and adjusted a setting on Toothless’s saddle. “And I don’t think that they’ve captured him just yet.”

                “Can this be independently verified?” Tuffnut asked.

                “Well, no, but if they had him they wouldn’t still be circling overhead,” Hiccup pointed out. “It’ll be dark soon, and Toothless owns the night. That means that we will have a tactical advantage. We have to find Fishlegs first, even if it means losing the Edge.”

                Snotlout looked shocked as Asher nodded.

                “If we get separated, don’t hang around and try taking these guys on your own,” Hiccup said firmly as she got into the saddle. “Meet up at Caldera Cay at the Defenders of the Wing. Got it?”

                The twins happily saluted her, and Hiccup smiled fondly. She frowned as she looked at Snotlout, and saw him staring at her.

                “What is it, Snotlout?” Hiccup stammered.

                “Nothing,” Snotlout said quickly. “It’s just, well, it’s nice to have you back.”

                Hiccup’s smile was small and bittersweet. “I just hope it wasn’t too late.”

Outside the Cave

                Krogan scowled as the Dragon Hunters ran out of the cave.

                “Get back in there!” Krogan ordered. “We do not stop until we have his head.”

                Krogan’s eyes widened as several Nadder spines flew past his face. He glared as he saw the Deadly Nadder and its Dragon Rider fly past.

                “You said something about someone’s head?” Asher called back.

                “Take him!” Krogan yelled. “And bring me the dragon!”

                Asher smirked as the Singetails began to chase after him and Stormfly. Their bright coloring made them a little easier to see in the dark, and he nudged Stormfly to dive down into the forest. The Singetails followed them, and Stormfly easily kept ahead of them as she darted around the trees. Asher nudged her to rise again, and she flew up and out of the trees. The Singetails came up behind them, and Asher’s eyes narrowed as he saw how far back they had fallen.

                “We’re gonna have to slow it down for these guys, girl,” Asher said. Stormfly growled, and used her wings to slow herself down. Asher smirked as he looked over his shoulder at the approaching Dragon Flyers. “Come on. That’s right. You got me. You got me.”

                “Fire!” One of the Dragon Flyers ordered. He screamed as a dark shape pushed him off the Singetail, and he plummeted to the forest floor below.

                The freed Singetail quickly flew away as the Flyers on the other two looked around fearfully.

                “Like I said, you own the night, bud,” Hiccup said fondly as she and Toothless circled around.

                Toothless roared, drawing the attention of the Flyers. Asher and Stormfly took advantage of the distraction, and the Nadder whipped several spines at one of the Flyers. The man screamed as he lunged back to avoid them and fell from the dragon.

                “Got ya!” Asher said, satisfied.

                The remaining Flyer looked over his shoulder, and whimpered as the Night Fury revealed itself in the darkness by opening its mouth wide, purple light illuminating him and his rider.

                “Hey,” Hiccup greeted.

                The Dragon Flyer quickly surrendered.

Albino Night Terror Cave

                Fishlegs tugged on the rope, happy to see the device still managed to work to open the door in the roof of the cave. Moonlight streamed down into the space, and Fishlegs tied the rope tightly to secure it open.

                “Okay, pal,” Fishlegs said, turning to Darkvarg. “You ready for me?”

                Darkvarg screeched eagerly, and Fishlegs carefully moved to sit on his back. The albino Night Terror grunted and screeched as he tried to lift off the ground.

                “You got this, Darkvarg,” Fishlegs encouraged. “You got this! Let’s fly, pal!”

                Darkvarg grunted and strained his wings to flap. Fishlegs cheered as Darkvarg lifted off the ground, and slowly ascended towards the opening. He grunted as they fell back onto the ground, Darkvarg panting tiredly as he lay on his side. He screeched disappointedly, and rolled over onto his feet.

                “It’s okay,” Fishlegs assured him. “We tried, and hey, we got this far, right?”

                Fishlegs’s eyes widened as Dragon Hunters ran into the cave. He quickly scrambled to his feet, and Darkvarg ran out in front of him. Fishlegs gasped as a Hunter struck Darkvarg away with a blow from the flat side of his axe. Darkvarg screeched as he bounced on the ground, and came to rest on his side.

                “You can mess with me all you want, but you do not mess with Darkvarg!” Fishlegs yelled.

                Fishlegs roared as he lunged at the Dragon Hunters, and curled himself into a ball. He rammed into their group, and the Hunters were sent sprawling. Fishlegs rubbed his head as he got on his hands and knees, and grunted as a Hunter put his foot on his back.  Fishlegs whimpered as he was pulled up by his arms, and screamed as he saw a Hunter approaching with an axe.

                The Hunter laughed as he swung the axe up, but before he could strike a blow he was tackled to the ground by a brown blur. Fishlegs opened his eyes cautiously.

                “Meatlug?” Fishlegs gasped. “Meatlug!”

                Meatlug flew off the Hunter she had knocked unconscious, and roared at the two men holding her rider. The Hunters eyes widened, and they began to run for the exit as they heard more growling coming from above. They ran faster when they looked up and saw Hookfang and Barf and Belch coming down towards them.

                Hookfang fired a blast at the Hunters’ backs as they ran, and Barf and Belch added their own explosion.

                “That’s right!” Tuffnut yelled. “You better run!”

                “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay, girl!” Fishlegs cried as he hugged Meatlug tightly.

                “What do you say you guys get all lovey-dovey after we get out of here?” Snotlout snapped. He shook his head, and looked down at Hookfang. “How did I become the only reasonable one?”

                Darkvarg shakily got to his feet, and screeched happily as he saw Fishlegs safe with Meatlug. Fishlegs smiled at him fondly as he mounted Meatlug.

                “You saved me again, buddy,” Fishlegs said warmly. Darkvarg screeched a farewell as Meatlug ascended with Fishlegs. “Fishlegs and Darkvarg! Darkvarg and Fishlegs!”

                Meatlug growled irritably, and Fishlegs leaned forward to scratch her head.

                “Don’t worry,” Fishlegs assured her. You’re still number one, girl.”

                Asher grinned as he saw the other Dragon Riders emerging from the forest with Fishlegs.

                “They got him! Yes!” Asher cheered.

                “Thank Thor,” Hiccup said relieved. She grinned as the others joined them, but it soon faded as the man and his red Singetail began to circle around them.

                “What are we gonna do?” Tuffnut asked.

                “Hiccup?” Fishlegs cried.

                “We gotta get out of here!” Hiccup said firmly. She saw the man laughing as he stared them down, and growled in frustration. She gasped as more Singetails, too many to fight, came up from the island behind the man. “Oh, no.”

                The other Dragon Riders began to flee, but Hiccup turned to look at their base. Her heart broke as she saw it was burning again, and she looked down as Asher and Stormfly stopped beside them.

                “Hiccup, I’m so sorry,” Asher said regretfully.

                “Yeah. Me too,” Hiccup said quietly.

                Krogan hummed as he saw the girl and her Night Fury turn to follow the other Dragon Riders.

                “Surprising,” Krogan mused. “I thought they’d put up more of a…”

                He paused as he saw the girl turn to glare at him from over her shoulder. When she turned back, the Night Fury flipped around and began to climb high in the sky. Krogan grunted appreciatively as his Flyers began to move in.

                Toothless soared high into the sky before diving straight down towards the water. He pulled up to glide at high speed over the water, and flew past the Singetails as they attacked. He climbed in the air, and soared over the base until they neared Hiccup’s hut.

                “Now, bud!” Hiccup cried as they lined up with their hut. “Do it.”

                Toothless fired a plasma blast at the hut, and the building quickly went up in flames. Toothless soared high into the sky, and Hiccup clutched tightly at the saddle as they raced to join the others.

Caldera Cay

                Mala had been alarmed to see them arrive in the dead of night with no prior warning, but she was understanding when they explained what had happened.

                “Well, consider this your new home, Hiccup Haddock,” Mala said kindly. “You are all welcome to stay as long as you need.”

                “Thank you, Mala,” Hiccup said gratefully. Mala nodded, and walked away as Hiccup turned to the others. “Listen, guys…”

                “We know,” Tuffnut said knowingly. “You’re incredibly sorry for allowing your personal obsessions to fracture the precious bond that is the Dragon Riders.”

                “And if we’re going to compete with this new and improved enemy, we all need to focus together as one,” Ruffnut continued.

                “You’re right,” Hiccup agreed. “And I know I’ll have to earn back your trust.”

                “You got that right,” Snotlout said. “I was crushing it out there when you were gone.”

                “You were indeed, Snotlout,” Hiccup said warmly.

                “So, care to address the gigantic yak in the room?” Asher asked. “Your hut. What was that about?”

                “There were things in there that were too important,” Hiccup replied. “Things I couldn’t let those Flyers get their hands on.”

                “You mean, these?” Fishlegs asked. He pulled a sack from Meatlug’s saddle bag, and dumped out the contents. Hiccup gasped as she saw the various metal parts she had painstakingly crafted, the bronze Dragon Eye lens, and her parchments of designs rolled up beside them.

                “How did you…I mean, when…” Hiccup stuttered.

                “When the attack began, I risked life and limb to grab your secret little stash,” Snotlout bragged.

                “Wasn’t it you who was trying to talk us all out of going back for it?” Fishlegs asked.

                “No! Shut up, Fishface,” Snotlout snapped.

                Fishlegs bent down, and grabbed her parchment.

                “So, when were you planning on telling us you were building another Dragon Eye, Hiccup?” Fishlegs asked eagerly.

                Hiccup rubbed the back of her neck, and chuckled nervously as she took a quick glance to confirm that yes, Asher did not look happy to hear that.

Dragon’s Edge

                Viggo watched with satisfaction as his Hunters finished setting up the platform and diving bell system Hiccup had created on the edge of the volcano. The metal gears creaked as they raised the inverted diving bell from the depths of the volcano. As he expected, it was a successful test run.

                “Are you sure that thing didn’t melt inside the volcano?” Krogan asked as he hovered on his Singetail above him.

                “Not to worry,” Viggo replied. He glared down at the lava resting in the volcano. “It is here, and it won’t be long until the Dragon Eye is back in its rightful hands.”

Chapter Text

                Hiccup was flying through the clouds on Toothless. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt the overwhelming dread filling her head at what she knew was coming. She looked down, and saw Toothless was staring back at her.

                “Okay, Toothless,” Hiccup said. “Let’s go.”

                Toothless grunted and dived down towards their base on Dragon’s Edge. As they dove, she saw Asher and Stormfly fly past, a Dragon Flyer and his Singetail hurling a fireball at them. Toothless spun to avoid it, and pulled up to turn from the base.

                As he soared back into the sky, the man on the large red Singetail flew past them. He met her eyes and smirked as they passed each other. Hiccup’s eyes followed him, and widened as the Singetail shot a fireball at them from its tail.

                Toothless quickly pulled up to avoid it, and flipped in the air. As they dived, Hiccup knew what came next.

                “Now, bud,” Hiccup cried. “Do it!”

                Toothless fired a plasma blast straight down into their hut, and the flames from the explosion rose up to consume them.

                “No!” Hiccup gasped, sitting straight up in the bed. She swallowed and let out a heavy sigh as her mind caught up to the present.

                ‘I’m at Caldera Cay with the Defenders of the Wing,’ Hiccup thought. ‘It’s the next morning, and my friends and our dragons are safe.’

                Toothless groaned softly, and nudged her face. Hiccup sighed and gave him an apologetic smile.

                “I’m sorry,” Hiccup said softly. She rubbed his head as he continued to warble at her. “Oh, it’s okay, bud.”

                Sounds of the village awakening drifted through the door of the hut Mala had generously provided them. Toothless tilted his head and growled curiously as Hiccup took a deep breath.

                “Well, time to face the music, bud,” Hiccup said.

                Toothless grunted as she moved to open the door. Hiccup stepped out, and stopped as she spotted her fellow Dragon sitting around the porch of the large hut across from her with their dragons. They made for a depressing site with Hookfang flicking a quiet Snotlout’s helmet back and forth, Meatlug refusing to eat and Fishlegs not putting up a fuss, and the twins ignoring the two boars that were pushing at them. Asher was watching them, and looked over his shoulder with a worried look as he heard the pair emerge from the hut.

                Toothless looked at Hiccup questioningly, and Hiccup grimaced as they walked over to the group.

                “I’ve seen worse,” Hiccup said weakly.

                “Remind me when that was,” Asher said dryly. He moved to stand beside her. “So, should we talk about our next move, Hiccup? I was thinking, we should probably try to get the Edge back?”

                “Can we get the Edge back?” Snotlout asked.

                “I mean, guys, how many of those Dragon Flyers are out there?” Fishlegs asked nervously.

                “And what is your favorite part of the human face and why?” Tuffnut asked. Tuffnut’s shoulders slumped as everyone stared at him. “What? We’re not playing ask the guy next to you an awesome yet completely unrelated question?”

                “I’ll play,” Ruffnut said depressingly. “The eye socket.”

                “Why’s that?” Tuffnut asked eagerly.

                “Come closer and I’ll show you,” Ruffnut replied, raising a fist.

                “Okay,” Tuffnut said, leaning forward.

                Ruffnut stared at him for a moment before sighing.

                “Not even fun right now,” Ruffnut grumbled, lowering her fist.

                “What if I do it for you?” Tuffnut asked desperately. He grabbed her fist and punched himself in the eye with it. He chuckled. “I’ll give you another.”

                Ruffnut didn’t react as he did it again.

                “Nothing,” Ruffnut said dully.

                “Really?” Tuffnut questioned. He slumped forward as Ruffnut looked at him. “Okay, we are officially bummed out.”

                Hiccup sighed, but was interrupted before she could speak.

                “You will all have time to plan the correct course of action,” Mala said as she approached them with Throk. “But right now you are mentally and physically exhausted. You need to rest, regroup. You are welcome here among us for as long as you need.”

                “Thank you, Mala,” Hiccup said solemnly. “You have no idea how much this means to us.”

                Mala and Throk exchanged glances as Hiccup looked down. They nodded to each other, and turned back to the group with smiles.

                “Fishlegs, there is an ore mine in the middle of the island,” Mala informed him. “Oxides, sulfides, silicates.”

                Meatlug perked up and began shaking and growling excitedly.

                “Oh, no, no, no, no,” Fishlegs said quickly. “Don’t say silicates, it makes her…”

                Meatlug’s mouth opened in a big, drooping smile and she drooled molten rock onto the porch.

                “…drool,” Fishlegs sighed.

                “My queen has had me scouting out some pristine locations where one could build a temporary boar pit,” Throk said to the twins.

                “Boar pits,” Tuffnut repeated.

                “So last year,” Ruffnut drawled.

                “What about a lava pit?” Throk offered. “Very dangerous. Hot, smoldering magma?”

                “Sounds spicy,” Ruffnut said eagerly, shooting to her feet.

                “One might even say muy picante,” Tuffnut added. He wrapped his arm around Throk’s shoulders and started speaking to him in Spanish as Throk led them away.

                “Snotlout? Some of our younger warriors are in desperate need for hand-to-hand combat training,” Mala said. “But if you’re too tired, I…”

                “Ha! The Snot doesn’t do tired,” Snotlout bragged. He eagerly jumped onto Hookfang, and took off. “Where are those little guys?”

                “Again, thank you, Mala,” Hiccup said gratefully.

                Mala smiled down at her.

                “I’ve been precisely where you stand, Hiccup Haddock,” Mala said sympathetically. “When one leads, one is looked upon for all answers, some of which they haven’t yet found.”

                “Key word being yet.” Asher said, placing a hand on Hiccup’s shoulder.

Dragon’s Edge

                Viggo stepped forward as the inverted diving bell was brought back to the platform from its latest journey down into the depths of the volcano. He had to admit when he had seen the Dragon Riders ship at the Straits of Baldur through his spyglass, he had been unable to guess what they were doing. He figured Hiccup had invented something to allow her to enter the water to assist the Submaripper, but this was truly something. For his sources to then inform him they had used it inside a volcano, well…he could admit when he was impressed.

                “So this is your answer to withstanding the heat?” Krogan asked as he came to stand beside the platform.

                “I have found, Krogan, that it is important to draw inspiration from those who’ve bested you,” Viggo said wisely. He smirked as he looked at the diving bell. “Hiccup’s ingenuity, it’s fascinating. The girl has invented things most could only dream of.”

                “Reverence?” Krogan questioned. “It’s a dangerous emotion, Viggo.”

                “Only if it is allowed to cloud one’s judgment,” Viggo replied. He jumped down from the platform to place a hand on the side of the diving bell. “Besides, her little inventions have proven useful. They used this to successfully go deep into the Defenders of the Wing volcano, and we shall use it here.”

                “A pity then that she destroyed her own hut,” Krogan commented.

                “She did what?” Viggo questioned.

                “Before she fled, she came back with a purpose,” Krogan said nonchalantly. “She had her Night Fury fire at her own hut. It’s nothing but smoldering ruins now.”

                Viggo’s eyes narrowed, and Krogan decided to get the conversation back on track.

                “The Dragon Eye. Are you sure it’s still down there?” Krogan asked.

                For a moment Viggo was back at that moment when he fell into the volcano. The pain he had felt as he landed had been momentary as he was cushioned by the thick coating of ash on the rocks below. He had been relieved to roll over and see the Dragon Eye, safely resting on a stone in the lava just out of reach. The heat had been intense, but he had to try for it. Just as he had grasped it, just as he had felt victory, the lava had burst beside him. He screamed and clutched his face at the immense pain as it burned him worse than any dragon fire ever had.

                Viggo blinked, and realized he was holding his hand to the burn scars.

                “The Dragon Eye was designed to withstand all manner of heat, cold, and concussive blast,” Viggo growled. “Besides, do you honestly believe I would return to such a Thor-forsaken place if I wasn’t certain?”

                Krogan smirked, and glanced between Viggo and the lava below.

                “Haven’t seen your Flyers in quite some time,” Viggo said pointedly. “Shouldn’t they be preparing?”

                “Those are twelve of my most fearless and gifted warriors,” Krogan said smugly. “I doubt they’ll have much of an issue.”

                “Hiccup may not appear a worthy adversary, however, she is as formidable as they come,” Viggo warned as Krogan walked away.

                “But her strength is also her weakness,” Krogan replied. “Her love of dragons will prevent her from shooting to kill, while our Flyers look forward to it. Your ‘Archipelago Idol’ will have quite the inner struggle. One that she will never win.”

                Viggo smirked as Krogan walked away. He didn’t know what he wanted more. For Krogan to succeed or for Hiccup to prove him wrong. He turned back to the diving bell, and frowned as he remembered what Krogan had said about Hiccup coming back to destroy her own hut.

                ‘What were you trying to hide, dear heart?’ Viggo thought.

Caldera Cay

                Hiccup and Asher went over the events that led to their coming in greater detail with Mala. The Queen was frowning as the two of them described the Dragon Flyers and the man who led them.

                “From what we have been able to gather, his name is Krogan. Not much is known about him, only that he was born in a faraway land, and was most recently sighted in the north,” Mala informed them. At Hiccup’s curious look, Mala smirked. “Throk was quite curious about the man that was able to defeat him in combat and steal you away. He had some of our best trying to track him down with no results.”

                “And now he’s back,” Hiccup said seriously. “With dragons.”

                “But I was under the impression that you, and only you, were able to train dragons,” Mala said worriedly.

                “Those dragons are not trained,” Asher growled.

                “They are being forced to carry the Dragon Flyers,” Hiccup said angrily.

                “And to do their bidding,” Mala said seriously.

                “Plus, it’s pretty obvious that his whole plan hinges on the fact that he knows we won’t hurt his dragons,” Hiccup said frustrated. Hiccup sat down on a nearby porch, and rubbed her head. “It’s gonna take something we’ve never thought of to get around that.”

                “But you’ll come up with it,” Asher assured her.

                “Thank you. How do you know that?” Hiccup asked.

                “Because Hiccup Haddock is the wisest, most talented, and bravest Dragon Trainer on Earth,” Asher said confidently. He sat down beside her, and put a hand on her back. “And she always comes up with it.”

                In the forest, Meatlug and Fishlegs sat and enjoyed a picnic with the rocks they had gathered in the mine. Meatlug shook excitedly as Fishlegs picked another rock from the basket.

                “Oh, what’s this, little guy, right here?” Fishlegs teased. “Open up!”

                He giggled as Meatlug happily devoured the rock.

                Nearby the twins, admired the lava pool that Throk had led them to.

                “I do like the way the lava rolls off of him,” Tuffnut said, admiring the Eruptodon that was growling in pleasure as it soaked and ate in the lava. “Like the way the Spanish ‘R’ rolls off the tongue. Wrestling.”

                “Yet the lava hardens into a rock-solid formation which one can grab onto, if one were so inclined,” Ruffnut said fiercely.

                “Correctamundo!” Tuffnut cried. “I get so bored wrestling the boars. They’re always so resbaladizo! It means slippery. I looked it up before we talked.”

                “Otherwise known as grease happy,” Ruffnut happily added.

                “So when am I up, Throkito?” Tuffnut eagerly asked.

                “I’m not so certain that’d be the best idea,” Throk replied amused.

                “Por que?” Tuffnut snapped. He got down and started doing one-handed pushups. “You think I can’t take on that guy, huh? I once took on a six-boar stack with a sheep slider and a baby yak finish.”

                “Epic,” Ruffnut said as Chicken jumped onto Tuffnut’s helmet.

                “Epicamente!” Tuffnut cheered. He got back on his feet, and looked up questioningly as Chicken clucked frantically on his helmet.

                The twins’ eyes widened as they heard roaring in the sky, and looked up to see two Dragon Flyers and their Singetails emerging from the clouds.

                “That is it!” Tuffnut snapped. “Nobody interrupts my lava wrestling! Nobody!”

                Throk and the twins jumped to avoid a fireball from one of the Singetails. Fishlegs and Meatlug gasped as they looked over and saw the Dragon Flyers going by.

                “Barf! Belch!” Ruffnut yelled as they raced towards the Zippleback. “Get your butts up!”

                The Zippleback sleepily raised their heads, and watched as their riders ran towards them with Throk.

                Tuffnut yelled at them rapidly in Spanish before switching back. “That of course means, get your butts up.”

                Fishlegs and Meatlug got into the air as one of the Singetails fired a blast at the rock wall above Throk and Ruffnut. Tuffnut looked back at the sound of the blast, and his eyes widened as he saw the rocks coming down towards the pair.

                “Ruffnut!” Tuffnut yelled.

                Throk grabbed Ruffnut by the arm, and shoved her away from the falling debris. He grunted as a large rock hit him on the back, and he crumpled to the ground.

                “What?” Ruffnut snapped at Tuffnut.

                “Oh, nothing,” Tuffnut replied easily. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get hit in the head with a solid rock like our hombre, Throkardo.”

                “Wait,” Ruffnut gasped as she saw Throk unconscious on the ground. “He jumped in front of me. He took that rock shower so I could live. Throk…Throk saved my life!”

                “Yup, sure did,” Tuffnut replied, mounting Belch’s saddle with Chicken. “We outta here?”

                “Right behind you, bro,” Ruffnut said nonchalantly as she walked over Throk’s back to get to Barf. Barf growled as she climbed into the saddle before leaning forward and picking up Throk. Ruffnut scoffed as Barf tossed Throk onto his neck behind Ruffnut. “Geez, goody two-heads.”

                Hiccup looked up in alarm as the Singetails fired down on the village.

                “Who was supposed to be on patrol, again?” Hiccup asked Asher urgently.

                “Snotlout,” Asher replied angrily.

                “I was?” Snotlout questioned as he approached them. “Nobody told me that.”

                “Where were you?” Asher demanded.

                “Sleeping,” Snotlout replied.

                Hiccup groaned before running to meet Toothless.

                “Get to your dragons!” Hiccup ordered as she got into the saddle. “We have to get into the air!”

                Toothless jumped into the air just in time to avoid a fireball.

                “Look out!” Asher warned as Stormfly and Hookfang ascended into the air. The two dragons dodged to the sides as a Dragon Flyer flew between them, firing a blast at them.

                Hiccup felt a small amount of relief as Fishlegs and the twins returned to the village, but it was short-lived as she saw the village burning down below as the villagers ran for safety.

                “Hiccup,” Fishlegs said urgently.

                “I see it, Fishlegs,” Hiccup replied tightly. She growled in frustration as everywhere she looked she saw the village in flames and Singetails flying overhead. “We need to lead them away from this island. They came looking for us. They will follow us. It’s the only way.”

                They flew hard and fast as they were pursued by the Singetails. Night had fallen by the time they felt comfortable in landing to take a break, and they chose a deserted island as a place to stop.

                Hookfang didn’t have the energy to do more than to simply land belly first on the ground and skid to a stop.

                “Whoa!” Snotlout cried as he was thrown forward. He groaned and rolled over to sit up on the ground. “Oh man, those guys are good.”

                “No kidding,” Tuffnut agreed. “I’d like to train with their trainer. Probably has two legs and everthi...”

                Tuffnut trailed off as Toothless landed and both he and Hiccup gave him an unimpressed look.

                “I mean, you know…just…it’s more to get a different kind of angle on or like a different perspec…” Tuffnut struggled to say. “Forget it.”

                Throk groaned as Barf placed him on the ground, and opened his eyes.

                “Where am I?” Throk grunted. “How did I get here?”

                “You got nailed on the old noggin during the attack, Throkman,” Ruffnut said as she dismounted to stand over him. “I pretty much saved your life.”

                “Oh, puh-lease,” Tuffnut scoffed.

                “You saved me?” Throk asked, amazed. He climbed to his feet, and Ruffnut waved a hand.

                “Ah! Don’t mention it,” Ruffnut said lightly. “It was nothing.”

                “Yeah, literally,” Tuffnut interjected. “Nothing.”

                Tuffnut yelped as Throk pushed him aside. He knelt before Ruffnut holding his axe out before him.

                “Uh…Whatcha got going on there?” Ruffnut asked uneasily. She swallowed as she reached out to take the axe. “Kinda making me uncomfortable. Whoa!”

                She grunted as the axe she had taken from Throk nearly pulled her down to the ground.

                “When someone saves the life of a Defender of the Wing Warrior, there is a debt that is created, and a duty to repay said debt,” Throk explained. “I shall be your personal protector until that moment arrives, Ms. Ruffnut.”

                “Hmm, ‘Ms. Ruffnut.’ You don’t say,” Ruffnut said appreciatively.

                Ruffnut gasped as a fireball came down on the beach nearby. Throk tackled and held her close as he protected her from a fireball that impacted where they had been standing.

                “Yeah, I think this could work,” Ruffnut said agreeably as she looked up at Throk.

                “How did they find us so fast?” Fishlegs cried.

                “The training,” Snotlout replied dryly. “Definitely.”

                Hiccup glared at him before her eyes widened.

                “Look out!” Hiccup warned.

                The Dragon Riders took to the air as numerous fireballs impacted the beach and rocks where they had been resting. Throk turned himself so he was facing backwards on Barf. He held his axe at the ready, using it to swing and destroy the fireballs aimed at Ruffnut.

                “Whoa!” Ruffnut laughed as he batted one away. Tuffnut rolled his eyes and growled at the sight.

                A huge fog bank lay before them in the sky. Hiccup directed Toothless to turn in the air, and Toothless flipped around and flew straight for the Dragon Flyers. Toothless dodged an attack, and Hiccup saw the opening as the dragon screeched.

                “Now, bud!” Hiccup cried.

                Toothless fired a plasma blast at the Dragon Flyer. The man reacted quickly, and yanked on the chain. The Singetail’s head and neck were forced back, and the dragon shrieked in pain as the blast impacted on its chest. It flailed back, leaving its entire belly exposed. Toothless growled, and prepared another blast at the sight of the bared neck of the enemy dragon.

                “Toothless, don’t!” Hiccup said hurriedly. She pulled back on the saddle, and Toothless quickly soared and turned around in the air.

                “Hiccup,” Asher said as Stormfly flew up beside Toothless. “I know how you feel about—”

                “We’re not gonna hurt these Singetails,” Hiccup said firmly. “Not if I can help it. Just follow me. Their dragons won’t go near this fog. They’ll be too spooked.”

                “Okay, then what?” Fishlegs asked.

                “We go home,” Hiccup replied. “To Berk.”

                The Dragon Riders raced into the fog, and soon vanished from the Dragon Flyers sight. The Singetails pulled up, and refused to enter the fog. They fired off a couple blasts, but screeched when their Flyers tried to get them to enter.

                “They can’t hide in there forever,” One of the Flyers said fiercely. “We’ll have our chance, and when we do…”

Dragon’s Edge

                Viggo surveyed the damage done to the Dragon Rider’s base as he made his way towards the ruins of Hiccup’s hut. His Dragon Hunters were busy moving their supplies in, and repairing what they needed to, so the base didn’t collapse beneath them.

                He made his way up the steps and ladders until he was standing before what was left of Hiccup’s hut. The roof was completely gone as were most of the walls. A large stone structure that seemed to be part of a forge was scorched but intact. The floor was littered with ash and debris, remnants of broken furniture and items blackened and twisted by the flames.

                Viggo cautiously stepped inside, and looked around for anything that might’ve survived.

                ‘What would have driven you to destroy all this?’ Viggo thought. He saw the remains of a journal under some debris, and crouched to examine it. It crumbled in his hand, the leather blackened and cracked, the pages burnt to ash. ‘What were you working on?’

                A glint of light on metal caught his attention as he straightened, and he carefully lifted a piece of a stone slab. He pushed it to the side, and his eyes widened as he saw the twisted remnants of melted weapons, and a very familiar sword.

                His hands shook as he lifted his own blade. It was still intact; the special alloy of the metal having preserved it in the fire. He wiped the ash off the rubies in the hilt, and let out a shaky breath at feeling the weight of his sword in his hands again.

                ‘I thought for sure Ryker would’ve found a way to destroy you,’ Viggo thought. He frowned as he recalled how his brother had ambushed him with his own men, and taken his sword from him before throwing him down into that hole. He never thought he would see it again, and to find it here of all places was shocking. ‘How did Hiccup come to possess my sword? And why did she keep it? She’s not one for trophies.’

                Viggo looked around the ruins of the hut, and was rewarded for his persistence when he found a small Gronckle Iron box. It was well-crafted and had the Berkian crest embossed onto the lid. Unable to resist, Viggo opened the box, and his eyes widened at the two items he saw inside.

                The first item was a small grey doll of a dragon. Clearly a memento from Hiccup’s childhood since her name was stitched on the sides of the dragon.

                The second was the other half of the Ruby Heart’s Stone.

                Viggo put the box down, and picked up the jewel. By the gods, it felt like a lifetime had passed since the Gathering. It certainly felt like a reminder of a different time, a different version of himself that was so confident, so unaware of what the war with Hiccup would cost him.

                Viggo reached into his tunic, and pulled out the other half of the stone. Ever since it had come into his possession, he had kept it on his person as a trinket and a reminder. He put the pieces together, and took a moment to just look at it. Where once he had coveted the jewel so it could be united with the other treasures of his ancestors, now it served as nothing more than a reminder.

                Viggo placed both pieces of the Ruby Heart’s Stone into his tunic, and grabbed his sword. He left the ruins of Hiccup’s hut behind him, and began to make his way back to the volcano.

                ‘I may not know what you were so desperate to hide Hiccup, but it will not matter,’ Viggo thought. He glared at the volcano, and held his sword tightly. ‘Once I have the Dragon Eye back, it will only be a matter of time before I take everything you hold dear.’

Berk

                They reached Berk by morning, and Stoick was alarmed to see how exhausted they were. After taking some time to rest, Hiccup met with Stoick and the Council in the Great Hall. The men were alarmed to hear of what happened and the loss of Dragon’s Edge.

                “You did the right thing by coming home, lass,” Stoick assured her.

                “It wasn’t part of the plan, but—” Hiccup said quietly.

                “Everyone loses a battle once in a while,” Stoick reminded her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

                “Everyone except you,” Hiccup replied.

                Gobber burst out laughing from his seat at the table. “Oh, please. Stoick has lost his fair share of conflicts. You’ve just never heard of them. Us Vikings tend not to write about the skirmishes we lose.”

                Hiccup couldn’t help but grin as her father scowled at Gobber as the other man started dancing and singing.

                “Viking Berkians, tried and true,” Goober sang. “Got our butts kicked by a little tiny crew.”

                Gobber and Spitelout laughed until Stoick stepped forward to loom over them both.

                “I don’t recall losing to a tiny crew,” Stoick said shortly.

                “No,” Gobber acknowledged.

                “We won’t lose,” Stoick insisted.

                “Couldn’t agree more Chief,” Gobber said quickly.

                “Stow it, Gobber,” Stoick groaned, turning back to Hiccup.

                “Yes, Chief. It’s stowed,” Gobber said lightly. “Never to be un-stowed again.”

                “Hiccup, remember. It’s not the battle that counts, lass,” Stoick said wisely. “It’s the war, and this one has just begun.”

                Hiccup frowned as her father turned back to the Council.

                “Gobber, crank up the weaponry,” Stoick ordered. “I want that forge working overtime, including that lazy dragon of yours.”

                “Grump ain’t lazy,” Gobber protested. “He’s cautious. There’s a difference.”

                “Blah, blah. Talk, talk, yakkity-yakkity,” Spitelout said mockingly. “I’ve got work to do.”

                Stoick shook his head as Spitelout moved to the exit, and turned to Sven.

                “Sven, assemble the militia and prepare for an attack,” Stoick ordered. “Gustav, I want the A-Team patrolling in two-hour shifts, around the clock.”

                “Yes, sir! Chief, sir!” Gustav cried, saluting the man.

                “You don’t have to salute me, son,” Stoick said tiredly.

                Hiccup sighed as her father walked towards the exit of the Great Hall. Hiccup followed behind him, glancing up at the large carvings of their Viking ancestors. Hiccup frowned, and started rubbing her arm nervously as she joined her father in the doorway.

                “Ah, yes,” Stoick sighed, satisfied as he watched everyone go to get started on their assignments. “When those Singetails come a calling, Berk will give them an answer they’ll never see coming.”

                “You mean the Dragon Flyers,” Hiccup said pointedly.

                “Come again?” Stoick questioned.

                “Dad, we can’t blame the Singetails,” Hiccup replied. “They’re being forced to fight. It’s…It’s the Flyers who—”

                “Hiccup,” Stoick groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The minute you start trying to separate one from the other, you’re a dead woman. We can’t afford to limit ourselves or our people like that. The stakes are way too high, lass.”

                Hiccup looked away, and Stoick sighed.

                “I never wanted for war to be your path, Hiccup, but this is something that must be done,” Stoick said. “This is my territory now.”

                Hiccup watched as her father descended the stairs. Toothless joined her, and Hiccup’s shoulders slumped as he growled worriedly at her.

Dragon’s Edge

                The ringing of the bell attached to the rope of the diving bell began to ring repeatedly. The Hunter manning the lever pushed down on it, and the gears creaked as it began to pull the diving bell up from the volcano. Viggo moved closer to the edge, and leaned closer as the bell reached the top.

                The Hunter within the diving bell, pulled himself up to the top of the bell and sighed as he leaned over the side.

                “Nothing,” The Hunter reported, shaking his head.

                Krogan scowled, and approached Viggo as the Hunter climbed out of the diving bell and collapsed on the ground.

                “Why are you sending only one man at a time?” Krogan demanded.

                “I sent three down last time,” Viggo replied angrily. “Only one came back, which is more than the time before that.”

                “They’re disposable,” Krogan scoffed. “That’s why we have so many of them.”

                “That’s right,” Another Hunter interjected brightly. “Krogan doesn’t tolerate failure.”

                “Right you are,” Krogan smirked. The Hunter frowned as Krogan started stepping forward, forcing him to step back. “Now, say your farewells and get your pathetic behind into the tub. Now!”

                The Hunter gasped as he stepped back too far, and he fell into the diving bell.

                “Sir, we’ve located the Flyers,” A Dragon Hunter stationed up on a nearby peak called out to them. Krogan and Viggo both turned to face him, and the Hunter nervously swallowed. “I’m afraid they’ve had a bit of a setback.”

                Krogan scowled as Viggo hid a smirk.

Berk

                Stoick watched with pride as his people prepared for the coming battle as he walked beside Gobber through the village. Crossbows were being prepared, weapons moved into position, and shields were being lined up along the walls.

                “This place is going to be a war zone,” Gobber commented.

                “Aye,” Stoick agreed.

                “Chief, you’ve seen firsthand the damage dragons can do when under the control of the most evil men,” Gobber said cautiously.

                “That I have, Gobber,” Stoick said quietly.

                For a moment, Stoick was lost in the memory of that night. The night that he gathered with his fellow Chiefs from across the archipelago to discuss what to do about the dragons plaguing their islands. He would never forget the stranger that entered the hall, a hulking beast of a man in a dragon hide cloak.

                ‘I alone can control the dragons…Let’s see how well you do without me!’

                Stoick remembered the flames that rained down on them as the roof was destroyed by armored dragons. He could still hear the screams of his fellows as they burned, and feel the heat on his skin as he managed to escape. He could never forget when the man in the cloak escaped in the thick smoke as the hall burned to the ground.

                “I saw things I wasn’t even sure I was seeing,” Stoick said gravely. “And some things I wish I could forget. We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, Gobber. Never thought I’d say this again, but it could be us or the dragons.”

                Toothless soared over the village, and Hiccup frowned sadly as she looked down at the village preparing for war. She saw her father and Gobber speaking as boulders were loaded into catapults.  Her smile was bittersweet as a Terrible Terror helpfully put a small rock on top of one of the boulders.

                Toothless circled around to fly over the Dragon Academy, and Hiccup observed as Asher and Stormfly went through battle tactics and strategies with the other Dragon Riders. Hiccup frowned, and Toothless looked at her worriedly before turning to fly out over the ocean.

                In the academy, Snotlout screamed as he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke and fire. Asher sighed and shook his head as Snotlout coughed.

                “Guys, we have to be better than this,” Asher said urgently. “These dragons are fierce, and the Flyers are skilled.”

                “Pay attention, would ya?” Ruffnut teased, knocking Tuffnut’s helmet off. He scrambled to catch it, and scowled at her as he jammed his helmet back on his head.

                “Actually, I was paying attention,” Tuffnut snapped, grabbing his mace. He swung it at her head, but Throk, sitting behind her on Barf, blocked it with his own axe. Tuffnut groaned, and lowered his mace.

                “So, wait a minute, Throk,” Tuffnut said annoyed. “You have to do this until?”

                “My life debt is repaid,” Throk answered. “However long that lasts.”

                “Yeah. Come on,” Ruffnut teased her brother. “Hit me. I dare you.”

                Tuffnut growled as Ruffnut threw rocks at him. He roared when she hit him with a big one, and swung with his mace again. Throk blocked the strike, and pulled the mace from Tuffnut’s hands. Tuffnut started whining as Ruffnut hit him with another rock.

                “Quit messing around, Tuffnut,” Asher growled.

                “What? Me? I’m not doing anything,” Tuffnut said angrily. “It’s her. She’s the one, and her little friend over there.”

                “We’ve seen what these Flyers and their dragons can do first-hand,” Asher said seriously. “Now, get up there and start training. As one.”

                “That was hard enough when there were two of us,” Tuffnut grumbled, glaring at Ruffnut and Throk.

                “We could really use some help around here,” Fishlegs said pointedly.

                “I was thinking the same thing, but I can’t find my dad anywhere,” Snotlout said irritably.

                “Spitelout’s probably out on patrol with the A-Team,” Asher replied before sighing. “Spitelout’s not what we need right now.”

                Hiccup stared out to the horizon and the setting sun as she sat on the edge of the sea stack Toothless had brought her to.

                ‘I thought that we were done with fighting,’ Hiccup thought as she looked down towards the water. ‘With Viggo and Ryker both gone, I thought that we would finally have peace. It didn’t even last a season.’

                Hiccup frowned as she tried to think of a way to stop the Dragon Flyers without hurting the Singetails.

                ‘We’ve never had to fight someone that used dragons against us like this,’ Hiccup thought angrily. ‘They don’t care about the Singetails at all…and they know that I do. I want to protect my people, my friends, but I don’t want to hurt dragons that are being forced into this.’

                Toothless growled worriedly, and tried to nudge her. Hiccup sighed, and put a hand on his head to stop him.

                “Not now, bud. Sorry,” Hiccup said apologetically. “Just too much on my mind.”

                “I can see that.”

                Hiccup and Toothless looked over their shoulders to see Asher and Stormfly landing behind them. Toothless ran to greet Stormfly as Asher dismounted and approached Hiccup.

                “We all can,” Asher said.

                “What?” Hiccup exclaimed. “How did you—”

                “What? Find you?” Asher scoffed. “We may not live at Berk anymore, but I can tell a Hiccup ‘thinking’ sea stack anywhere in the archipelago.”

                Hiccup turned back to the water as Asher sat beside her.

                “So, you wanna talk about it?” Asher asked.

                “Not particularly,” Hiccup replied.

                “Well, I do,” Asher said, softly nudging her arm with his.

                Hiccup glanced at him before groaning and burying her head in her hands.

                “Asher, it’s not the Singetails faults,” Hiccup said frustratedly. “They’re being—”

                “Made to do it. I know,” Asher assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We all know, Hiccup. But that doesn’t change that it’s happening. They drove us out of the Edge. They bullied us away from island after island. It doesn’t matter if it’s the dragon or the Flyer.”

                Hiccup turned to him sharply, and Asher sighed.

                “Look, I don’t wanna hurt dragons either, Hiccup,” Asher said steadily. “But in tough times, tough choices have to be made.”

                “Wow,” Hiccup said dryly. “You sound so much like—”

                “A warrior?” Asher suggested.

                “My father,” Hiccup said irritably.

                “That’s kinda the same thing,” Asher replied.

                “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Hiccup said uneasily. She sighed, and then perked up. “Actually, yeah, Asher. You are absolutely, positively right.”

                “Okay. Good,” Asher said happily as Hiccup got to her feet. He quickly stood up, and followed her towards their dragons. “Well, when we get back, we need to—”

                “When you get back,” Hiccup said pointedly as she mounted Toothless.

                “What?” Asher gasped as Toothless walked past him.

                “I hear everything you and my dad are saying, and yes, it makes perfect sense,” Hiccup admitted heatedly. “You have the warrior spirit for this, Asher. You have the stomach for it. I just…don’t.”

                Hiccup rubbed Toothless’s head for comfort, and he growled.

                “I can’t be in charge of something I don’t believe in,” Hiccup said firmly.

                “Hiccup,” Asher said sharply, moving to try to stop Toothless. “Where are you going?”

                “To try and find another way,” Hiccup replied.

                “And what if you can’t?” Asher countered.

                Hiccup didn’t reply. She nudged Toothless, and he leapt into the air. Asher watched them fly towards the setting sun, and sighed in frustration before turning back to Stormfly. Stormfly growled worriedly, and Asher shook his head.

                “Come on, girl,” Asher said as he climbed into the saddle. “We need to get back and keep training with the others.”      

                They returned to Berk, and he hated that he had to be the one who told the others that Hiccup had left to try to find another solution. His heart hurt as they prepared their next training exercise, and he clutched the bow in his hands tight. By Thor, he loved her, but sometimes he wished she would just go along with what needed to be done.

                ‘Then again,’ Asher thought as Stormfly rose up into the sky. ‘She wouldn’t be my Hiccup if she didn’t search for a more peaceful if not unorthodox solution.’

                Asher’s mind was brought back to the present as Fishlegs whimpered on Meatlug just behind him.

                “Remember, stay in pairs,” Asher advised as Fishlegs fired the arrow with the soft blue painted ball on the arrowhead. “Constantly vary your speed and attitude, and never—"

                “Leave your wing man,” Snotlout finished. “No, I know, I know.”

                Snotlout scowled as he dodged the arrow that Fishlegs had fired, ruining his own shot.

                “But you might wanna get that through to those two,” Snotlout scowled, pointing back to Barf and Belch. “Or three.”

                He grimaced as he looked back and saw Tuffnut glaring at Ruffnut as she got her shoulders rubbed by Throk. Tuffnut gasped as he and Belch had to duck and swerve to avoid several arrows from Fishlegs and Asher, but it was tight since Ruffnut wasn’t helping to steer Barf.

                “Whoo! Fishlegs!” Fishlegs cheered as a ball of paint hit Tuffnut on the helmet, splattering his face with blue paint.

                “Hey, don’t look at me,” Tuffnut snapped as Asher shook his head. “I can’t control this dragon on my own. I’m no miracle worker.”

                “You are a miracle worker, Throkman,” Ruffnut said happily. “The tension just melts away.”

                “Staying loose is key in battle,” Throk said. Ruffnut winced as Throk worked out a large knot on her shoulder before sighing in relief.

                “Oh yeah,” Ruffnut sighed. “I’m picking up what you’re putting down.”

                Stormfly and Meatlug circled around to bring Asher and Fishlegs behind Barf and Belch. Asher and Fishlegs smirked as they fired at Throk and Ruffnut, but stopped as Throk turned and hit them aside with his axe. Throk smiled before frowning as he saw the arrows had hit Tuffnut and Belch, covering them both in blue paint.

                “This guy’s starting to get under my skin,” Tuffnut muttered irritably to Belch. “He’s getting inside my bones. Or under my bones and inside my skin. Whatever. He’s everywhere.”

                Belch growled irritably in agreement.

Dragon’s Edge

                Krogan walked through the Dragon Rider’s stables with one of the Dragon Hunter Captains, observing in satisfaction as the Hunters worked to secure the pens and alter them for their usage.

                “Tighten up the space in the pens so they can’t move around too much,” Krogan said promptly. “We need an area for the whips, bits and harnesses.”

                Krogan paused and looked around, a dark sense of joy filling him as he observed the area.

                “A place built for dragons by dragon lovers will now house the dragons that’ll destroy them,” Krogan said smugly. “Ironic. Don’t you think?”

                Krogan scowled as the Hunter Captain just shifted nervously.

                “Never mind,” Krogan growled. “Just get to work.”

                Krogan walked out of the hut, and stopped on the landing deck to observe the rest of the base. While many of the huts were still scorched, with one reduced to nothing but blackened stone and ash, they were still viable to serve as a temporary home.

                “Now, which hut calls to me?” Krogan mused.

                Normally, he might’ve taken Hiccup’s as a sign of the new leader taking residence in the base, but that wasn’t an option. His eyes passed over a hut themed for a Deadly Nadder, which was tempting, but he smiled as he saw a hut near the back of the base with a scorched S on the front.

                “S. For Supreme Leader,” Krogan said smugly. “How appropriate.”

                Deep within the volcano of Dragon’s Edge, Viggo took a deep breath as he climbed out of the diving bell, and onto the solid rock at the bottom of the volcano. His Hunter, still shaking from his interaction with Krogan, followed him nervously.

                Viggo scanned the ground, and the rocks that sat above the lava’s surface, searching for the Dragon Eye. He had been in so much pain as he had escaped that he could hardly remember what the area where it had fallen had looked like. By the time his ally had gotten him to safety, and he had recovered, the memory had become hazy.

                ‘But fortune does have her favorites,’ Viggo thought as his eyes landed on the very item he sought, still on the solid rock just beyond the edge of the ground of the volcano.

                “There. I knew it,” Viggo said roughly. “Hurry.”

                Viggo raced down the slope, jumping across a gap to the next solid area of rock. His Hunter followed him, but gasped as a plume of lava exploded between him and Viggo as he tried to follow the Chief. He stumbled back, and yelled as the ground beneath his foot fell away.

                The Hunter gasped as Viggo grabbed his wrist, preventing him from plunging into the lava below. Viggo pulled the Hunter back onto the solid rock, and the Hunter panted as he hunched over.

                “Thank you, Viggo,” The Hunter said gratefully. “Krogan would have—”

                “I know all too well what Krogan would have done, what he has done,” Viggo scowled.

                “I owe you my life,” The Hunter said. He bowed his head to Viggo.

                “Perhaps someday you will repay me in some small way sir…,” Viggo said expectantly.

                “Theron,” The Hunter replied quickly. “My name is Theron.”

                Viggo nodded. “Now, let’s get what we came for, shall we?”

Storehouse Island

                Hiccup observed the ruins of what was left of Spitelout’s original storehouse down below. It was surprisingly mostly intact if not terrifically scorched and missing the roof. Hiccup patted Toothless on the neck as he circled overhead.

                “Well, Toothless, let’s find what we came for,” Hiccup said. Toothless growled in immense displeasure, and Hiccup rubbed his head. “I hear ya. I don’t wanna tangle with these guys either, but what better place to learn about the Singetails than here.”

                Toothless grunted and gave Hiccup an unimpressed look.

                “Well, if you’ve got another suggestion, Johnny-complaints, I’m all ears,” Hiccup said dryly.

                Toothless rolled his eyes, and descended to the ground. He stayed close to Hiccup as she dismounted and started walking into the woods of the island. He roared as a large shape jumped out in front of them and Hiccup gasped.

                The green Monstrous Nightmare looked just as surprised to see them, and screeched before running away.

                “Uh, that thing looked, uh…” Hiccup stammered.

                They turned to where the dragon had come from as they heard something crashing through the forest, and their eyes widened as they saw an orange Singetail running towards them, a fire blast already forming in its mouth.

                “Scared, scared, scared!” Hiccup cried.

                She and Toothless looked around for some cover, and Toothless grabbed Hiccup by her shirt to jump behind a large rock formation. He wrapped them in his wings, and the two kept silent as they heard the Singetail thunder past.

                “And I know exactly how he feels,” Hiccup sighed as Toothless pulled his wings back.

                Toothless growled angrily as Hiccup got to her feet, and started walking after the Singetail.

                “Oh come on, bud,” Hiccup groaned. “We both know we’re following it. We’re here to follow it. So let’s just get it over with.”

                Toothless grumbled in displeasure, but followed Hiccup.

                They tracked the Singetail through the forest, and quickly ducked behind some bushes as they heard it screeching up ahead. They peaked over the tops of the bushes cautiously, and settled in to watch it. They observed it as it drank from the stream, slept for an hour, ate a small animal it found in the bush on the other side of the clearing, slept again, and took another drink.

                “This thing is like Snotlout,” Hiccup commented as Toothless yawned. “Eat, sleep. Drink, sleep. Eat, sleep.” She grimaced as the Singetail had a rather fiery burst of flatulence. “Oh. Too much like Snotlout.”

                The Singetail lay down in the middle of the clearing, closing its eyes and bringing its tail to rest over its nose as it went to sleep.

                “Doesn’t look so bad right now,” Hiccup muttered. “I’m going in. Gotta try to bond with this guy.”

                Toothless growled in displeasure and Hiccup sighed.

                “Oh, trust me. I know,” Hiccup said. “I’ll be careful.”

                Hiccup carefully approached the Singetail, and cursed her metal leg as the dragon startled awake at hearing her approach. She swallowed nervously as it rose up on its feet, and approached her.

                “Oh, hi there,” Hiccup said shakily as she carefully held up her hands. She backed away as the dragon growled and continued to approach. “How’s it going? Uh, please don’t kill me. I’ll never hear the end of it from my dragon.”

                Toothless frowned as he observed Hiccup backing away slowly from the Singetail, not liking how the dragon was continuing to eye her.

                “Now, what do you say you let me in on what you’re all about?” Hiccup asked gently, reaching one hand towards the dragon. She stiffened as the Singetail raised its head higher, fire building in the back of its throat. She heard Toothless growling angrily, and whirled around to put her other hand out towards him. “Toothless, no!”

                Toothless leapt out from behind the bushes, and tackled the Singetail away from Hiccup. The two dragons rolled, and stopped with Toothless on top. The Singetail bucked him off its back, and fired a fireball at the Night Fury. Toothless roared as the fireball hit him, and he fell back over the trees.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup screamed.

                The Singetail turned back to Hiccup, and Hiccup quickly turned to run. The Singetail chased after her, firing licking the back of its throat.

                “Oh, what am I doing?” Hiccup asked herself, exasperated. “Why don’t I ever listen to my dragon?”

                Hiccup looked over her shoulder as she heard the Singetail screech, and her eyes widened as she saw it had started flying behind her. She gasped as her foot hit a rock, and she fell forward. The Singetail barely missed taking a bite out of her as she rolled down a hill.

                Hiccup landed at the bottom with a grunt, and quickly scrambled to her feet. She started running again, quickly hiding behind a set of bushes as she heard roaring nearby. Hiccup panted as she tried to catch her breath, before forcing herself to stop and listen for anything nearby. After a tense moment of silence, she relaxed and cautiously stood.

                “Alright, the coast is uh…the coast is clear,” Hiccup sighed.

                She started jogging, and screamed as she fell onto her back as the Singetail landed right in front of her.

                “Oh! No, no, no!” Hiccup yelled fearfully. “Coast is not clear. Coast is definitely not clear!”

                The Singetail opened its mouth wide, and Hiccup felt the heat of the fire building in its mouth and throat as the light of the flames grew brighter.

Chapter Text

                The Singetail opened its mouth wider, the flames in its throat growing more intense as it prepared to blast her.

                “Toothless!” Hiccup screamed.

                Hiccup gasped as hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into the bushes as the Singetail fired. The Singetail roared as it realized she had escaped in the explosive blast, and flew up into the sky.

                Hiccup struggled as she was dragged on her back by the tight grip on her shoulder. She reached up to grab the person’s wrist, and her fingers scratched against a leather armguard. She grunted as the sky disappeared as they entered a cave, and she was thrown up against a wall. A big hand over her mouth muffled her attempts to scream, and Hiccup’s eyes widened as she saw who had helped her by the light of the nearby campfire.

                “What are you doing here?” Hiccup asked after Spitelout removed his hand from her mouth.

                "What am I doing here?" Spitelout repeated. He put his hands on his hips as his Nadder, Kingstail, came up behind him. “What are you doing here?”

                Hiccup rubbed her head and sighed before beginning to pace as she explained why she had come to Storehouse Island, and the mess she had gotten herself and Toothless into. Spitelout shook his head, muttering about hardheaded Haddocks as he sat down beside the table in the cave.

                “Did I mention that I was grateful for you saving my life?” Hiccup asked sheepishly as she paced back and forth.

                “You did,” Spitelout said shortly. “And as a repayment, how about standing still? You're making dinner come up with all that pacing back and forth.”

                “Right, sorry,” Hiccup said, coming to a stop. “I'm just worried about Toothless.”

                “Oh, well, if you miss your dragon, have a pet of mine,” Spitelout said, gesturing to Kingstail. “He won't mind.”

                Kingstail perked up from his resting position next to a pile of crates. He raised his head as Hiccup approached, growling invitingly.

                “There's a good boy,” Hiccup said. Kingstail screeched in pleasure as she knelt beside him and scratched his neck. Hiccup looked around the cave, her brow furrowing as she saw the many boxes and crates Spitelout had stored within. “Spitelout, what's the deal with this place anyway? You've got all these provisions. You could survive for months.”

                “Well, in case you forgot, those bleeding blowtorches destroyed my brand-new, perfectly located storehouse and nearly charbroiled my son in the process,” Spitelout said irritably, rising to his feet. “You were there. It was an ugly day in Jorgenson history.”

                “Is that what all this is all about? Revenge?” Hiccup asked.

                “I've been watching 'em. Closely,” Spitelout growled. “One day I'll trap one. See how they like a little Jorgenson justice.”

                “Yeah, okay, fine,” Hiccup said, standing to move towards the entrance to the cave. “Just remember, it's rescuing my dragon first, Jorgenson Justice, second. If we don't get Toothless up in the sky without the cover of night, he'll be a sitting duck.”

                “Well, then lead on,” Spitelout said amiably. “I could use a break from all the peace and solitude. Doesn't suit me. I'm a people person, you know.”

Dragon’s Edge

                The night was peaceful and calm in the former Dragon Rider’s base much to the relief of the Dragon Hunters standing guard. Viggo held the Dragon Eye tightly under his arm as he and Krogan made their way to one of the larger structures near the top of the base. Viggo looked around the large space, illuminated by a fire burning in the center of a circular table in the middle of the room. Two of his Hunters were playing a game of Maces and Talons at a board in the corner as they entered.

                “Maces and Talons,” Krogan said, ignoring the screeching of the struggling Terrible Terror in his hand. “Childish nonsense.”

                “Never very good at it I take it?” Viggo asked lightly.

                “Why kill pieces of marble when you can kill people?” Krogan countered.

                “Explaining that would take longer than I have the patience for,” Viggo replied. He turned to his Dragon Hunters, and they stood at attention. “Everyone out. Now.”

                The Hunters quickly left the room, and Viggo held up the Dragon Eye.

                “Once again the Dragon Eye is in its rightful place,” Viggo said smugly. “Never to be misused by the Dragon Riders again. Do try to contain your excitement, Krogan.”

                “The Dragon Eye has spent the last month in a volcano,” Krogan said dismissively. “You really think it's going to be of any use to us now?”

                “Let's find out,” Viggo replied. He held the Dragon Eye up in a position with the mouth of the dragon facing a wall. “Hold the dragon up.”

                Krogan scoffed but held the Terrible Terror up in his hands. He pressed down sharply on a spot behind the dragon’s shoulder, making it screech and open its mouth wide. The fire in the back of its throat shone light onto the Dragon Eye, but there was no reaction from the device. Viggo frowned, and started examining the device as Krogan smirked.

                “As predicted,” Krogan said smugly, throwing the Terrible Terror to the side. “Tell me you can fix it.”

                “If you'd leave me to myself, the chances of that will rise exponentially,” Viggo replied, already examining the lens in the end of the device as he turned the rings.

                Krogan growled at the dismissal, and stalked out of the room.

Berk

                Asher sighed tiredly as he and the other Dragon Riders prepared to call it a night. They had returned from their training exercise, and practiced a little of their own fighting techniques as their dragons rested. Stormfly nudged Asher in the back, and growled worriedly. Asher turned around, and scratched her chin.

                “It's alright, Stormfly,” Asher said warmly. “You did good out there, girl.”

                Tuffnut scowled beside Snotlout as he returned from putting his mace away, and saw Throk holding up a hand to help Ruffnut down from Barf.

                “Oh, yeah,” Ruffnut said happily as she practically jumped from the saddle and into his arms.

                “Alright, that's it! That is it,” Tuffnut snapped. “This charade has gone too far! The truth must be revealed!”

                “What are you talking about and where are you going?” Snotlout asked.

                “If I tell that gorilla what happened, that he wasn't actually saved by Ruffnut, but in fact he saved her, then maybe, just maybe, he'll sail back to his own rock and then we can go back to our perfectly normal life,” Tuffnut said angrily. “Two adult siblings living in familial harmony, spending every moment together, united as one living, breathing being that tries relentlessly to invoke physical harm on the other.”

                “Normal? Are you sure about that?” Snotlout asked dryly as Tuffnut stomped over towards Throk and Ruffnut. He watched as Tuffnut began dramatically talking to Throk, and Throk began to respond rather heatedly. “Uh-oh.”

                “What's going on over there?” Asher asked as he joined Snotlout.

                “Tuff's telling the Throkman the truth. About everything,” Snotlout replied.

                “And you let him? Are you insane?” Asher asked.

                The two of them turned to look as they heard Ruffnut laughing, and stared as she walked hand in hand with Throk towards the entrance of the academy.

                “Si, yo no se donde esta el plastic wazoo,” Ruffnut said nonsensically.

                Asher smirked as Tuffnut came to stand beside them, glaring after the pair.

                “How'd that go?” Asher asked.

                “Well, you know what they say about the truth setting you free?” Tuffnut asked. “I don't feel free at all. Sans freedom.”

                “What did he say when you told him?” Asher asked.

                “He said he agreed with me,” Tuffnut said. “That he shouldn't be in love with someone over some silly life debt.”

                “So, that's good, right?” Snotlout questioned.

                “It was,” Tuffnut replied. “Right up until he said: ‘What was once a debt of honor, has grown into a debt of ardor’.”

                Snotlout and Asher both cringed as Stoick entered the academy.

                “Hiccup, we need to speak,” Stoick said loudly, looking around for his daughter.

                “She's not here, chief,” Asher replied.

                “Do I even want to hear this?” Stoick growled.

                “She said she had to find another way to fight the Singetails, and then she just flew off,” Asher said.

                “I hate it when she flies off,” Stoick said irritably. “Well, then, I suppose that you and I should speak, lad.”

                Asher stood up straight, and nodded with a serious look on his face.

Storehouse Island

                “Okay, so, what exactly have you been doing out here this whole time?” Hiccup asked as she and Spitelout made their way through the forest.

                “Research, lassie,” Spitelout replied. “I've been doing research.”

                “On?” Hiccup prompted.

                “Singetails, of course,” Spitelout replied irritably. “What else would I be out here doing research on? Daft.”

                “So, what have you got? Anything useful?” Hiccup asked curiously.

                “Anything useful, she says,” Spitelout scoffed. He gasped as he turned to scowl at her, and grabbed her by the shoulders. Hiccup grunted as he shoved her down behind a bush. Spitelout slowly peaked over the bush, and Hiccup scowled as she sat up.

                “Ow! Why would you do that?” Hiccup demanded.

                “Heatlout,” Spitelout said. Hiccup followed his gaze, and saw a yellow Singetail walking through a clearing on the other side of the bushes.

                “You named it?” Hiccup questioned.

                “I named them all,” Spitelout replied. “They became like family after time.”

                Spitelout pointed up to another yellow Singetail, softly screeching as it clung to a tree. “Hotlout. Quite the naughty ninny. One of my favorites.”

                Spitelout chuckled as a green Singetail scared Hotlout with a couple of fire balls. “Flamelout. He knows we're here.”

                “I'm starting to think I may have showed up just in time, Spitelout,” Hiccup said amused.

                “And why's that, lassie?” Spitelout asked as he leaned back.

                “Oh, I don't know,” Hiccup chuckled. “Let's just say… Uh, Spitelout, don't move. You're sitting on a—"

                “Ah! Harmless, this one,” Spitelout said, looking back at the sleeping yellow Singetail he was leaning against. “Never moves from this spot. He thinks quite highly of himself.”

                “What's his name, Naplout?” Hiccup asked.

                “Stoick,” Spitelout replied.  “His name's Stoick.”

                “Oh. Of course it is,” Hiccup said. She froze as she heard a familiar roar off in the distance, and scrambled to her feet. “That's Toothless!”

                She and Spitelout took off running through the trees, following the sound of Toothless roaring and various explosions. Hiccup saw they were getting close as bright purple flashes and fiery explosions lit up an area on the other side of several large rocks. Hiccup and Spitelout stopped as they passed the rocks and found Toothless growling furiously at a green Singetail with numerous scars and purple cuts across its head and body.

                “Uh-oh,” Spitelout said gravely.

                “Uh-oh, what?” Hiccup questioned. “No. What's the uh-oh?”

                “Deathlout,” Spitelout growled as the green Singetail pinned Toothless to the ground. “I call him Deathlout.”

                Deathlout shrieked as Toothless shot a plasma blast into his face. Toothless grunted as he got a grip on the Singetail and rolled them over.

                “Okay. That's it,” Hiccup growled. “I'm ending this now.”

                “How do you intend to do that?” Spitelout questioned as he grabbed her to keep her from running into the fight. “Give old Deathlout a smack in the snout, and hope he runs away scared? I don't think so. What do you say we try a little something I'd like to call—"

                “Who cares what it is called?” Hiccup interrupted as Toothless protected himself from a fire blast from the Singetail with his wings. “You can name the plan later.”

                “Alright. You've got the easy part,” Spitelout said, pulling her in close with an arm around her shoulders. “Run out there and get as close to your dragon as you can, without getting killed by the Singetail. Then, get ready to grab him.”

                “That's the easy part?” Hiccup asked.

                “Just keep your eyes on the ball, lassie,” Spitelout said encouragingly. “Alright. On the count of three. One!”

                “Ah!” Hiccup grunted as Spitelout shoved her forward. Hiccup froze as Deathlout and Toothless turned to look at her. Hiccup swallowed as Deathlout glared at her. “Hi.”

                “Oh, yes,” Spitelout laughed as Hiccup took off towards Toothless.

                Spitelout grabbed a rock, and threw it at Deathlout. The Singetail screeched as it hit him in the head, and started chasing after the laughing Spitelout.

                “Guess I did have the easy part,” Hiccup said as she mounted Toothless. Toothless growled and took to the air to go after them.

                Spitelout continued yelling and laughing as Deathlout chased him through the woods. He jumped and used a tree branch to flip over Deathlout as he shot past. Spitelout let go, and kept running in a different direction with the Singetail in hot pursuit. Spitelout leapt over a group of bushes, and Deathlout shrieked as he stepped over and was caught up in a net.

                “Yes! Whoo! Take that, ya scaly lizard,” Spitelout cheered, enjoying the sight of the Singetail caught in the net hanging from an elaborate device. “Deathlout, meet Snaptrapper. I do hope you enjoy each other's company. You're gonna be together for quite a spell.”

                Toothless landed in the clearing, and tilted his head as Spitelout began to sing and dance while Hiccup shook her head as she dismounted.

                “A Spitelout caught a Singetail,” Spitelout sang. “I think I'll send a terror mail, so everyone will see they cannot fool with me. Because I'm Spitelout! Spitelout! Oy, oy, oy! Spitelout! Spitelout! Oy, oy, oy!”

                “That's an interesting song, Spitelout,” Hiccup commented as she and Toothless approached.

                “An instant classic, I'd wager,” Spitelout boasted.

                “Well, that might be a stretch, but it was a nice plan,” Hiccup said.

                “Well, what do you expect?” Spitelout said, slapping her on the back. “I'm a Jorgenson,”

                “You're a Jorgenson,” Hiccup agreed.

                Toothless and Kingstail dragged the elaborate net trap back towards the cave, and Hiccup watched the dragon as Spitelout began to pack up his belongings. Hiccup turned as Spitelout heaved another sack onto Kingstail with a satisfied sigh.

                “Well, that's the last of it,” Spitelout said happily. “I left you a nice supply of Dried Boar Gizzards and Yak Jerky. Enjoy.”

               “Uh, wait,” Hiccup said quickly. “Where are you going?”

                “I came here to catch a Singetail,” Spitelout replied as he got onto Kingstail’s saddle. “Caught a Singetail. Mission completed.”

                “You don't want to hang around and help me study him?” Hiccup asked.

                “Nope,” Spitelout replied. “Just wanted the revenge. Got it.”

                “Spitelout, we finally have a Singetail dragon that I can take a real close look at,” Hiccup said eagerly. “See if I can find a weakness. Something we can exploit the next time the Flyers attack.”

                “Well, alright,” Spitelout said, shrugging his shoulders as he dismounted. “I'm going on record and saying that you're just wasting your time, but have at it.”

                “Cover me. Both of you,” Hiccup said to Spitelout and Toothless.

                Toothless growled deeply as she moved to approach the trapped Singetail. She stepped forward cautiously, keeping her hands up in a non-threatening manner.

                “Okay, there, boy,” Hiccup said steadily. “I'm going to start by saying, no one wants to hurt you.”

                “You've gotta be joking,” Spitelout laughed, taking a seat on a rock.

                “I just need to get a closer look,” Hiccup said, slowly moving a hand up towards the Singetails head. “Get to know you a bit. You've just been misunderstood and—"

                Deathlout roared, and Hiccup jumped back with a scream as he fired several fireballs around her. Toothless ran for her, and pulled her out of the way as the Singetail breathed a stream of fire along the ground. Spitelout smirked as he took in the sight of the burning terrain.

                “Well, that would be the signal fire. To call all his Singetail buddies,” Spitelout said amused. He stood up, and cracked his back before moving to mount Kingstail. “You should have plenty of them to study in a matter of moments.”

                “Yeah, let's put that off for another day,” Hiccup said quickly getting in Toothless’s saddle.

                The two dragons quickly got into the air, and Hiccup gasped as she and Toothless ducked under a fireball from one of the yellow Singetails flying at them. Toothless and Kingstail flew away from the area, and dodged fireballs as a couple of Singetails pursued them.

                “Oh, I've seen this a thousand times,” Spitelout said as Toothless dodged another fireball. “There's only one direction we can go to get clear of these vermin.”

                “Oh, for Thor's sake,” Hiccup said, staring as Kingstail shot straight up into the sky. “Follow that Nadder, bud. Up! Up!”

                Toothless flew straight up into the air after Kingstail, and Hiccup looked behind her to see the group of Singetails chasing after them. Her eyes widened as one by one the dragons turned and flew back towards the ground.

                “Good call, Spitelout,” Hiccup said as their dragons circled around to hover above the island. “They must not like the altitude.”

                “Aye, but they sure do love a good campfire,” Spitelout joked, gesturing to the flames engulfing part of the forest below.

                “Campfire,” Hiccup mused. She grinned excitedly. “That's it. Okay. I think I have the answer I came for, but there's something you need to do.”

                “Oh?” Spitelout asked, intrigued.

Later

                Hiccup frowned as she and Toothless approached Berk. While they were returning in the dead of night, she hadn’t expected the village to be so quiet and empty looking. Hiccup nudged Toothless towards the arena, and Hiccup jumped off as he landed inside.

                “Uh. Hello? Hello?” Hiccup called out. “W-where is everybody?”

                Toothless growled irritably as Fanghook landed in front of Hiccup with Gustav.

                “Ah, Gustav!” Gustav greeted her as he saluted. He grinned sheepishly as he accidentally made his helmet spin on his head.

                “W-Where is everybody?” Hiccup asked. “The riders, all your teammates?”

                “They went to the Edge,” Gustav replied. “The chief decided to launch a pre-emptive strike against the Dragon Flyers.”

                “I hate it when he launches pre-emptive strikes,” Hiccup groaned, climbing back onto Toothless’s saddle. “Alright. Gustav, you follow me. I may need you.”

Berk’s Fleet

                Stoick kept his focus on the horizon, and the approaching shape of the island of Dragon’s Edge. Skullcrusher was flying steadily, and the Dragon Riders and the A-team flew beside them. Berk’s fleet of ships sailed below them, the Vikings calling out to one another to begin final preparations as the island came into view.

                It had been a long time since Stoick had led such a force. There truly hadn’t been a need since Hiccup had brought dragons into their lives. Now they were being threatened by an enemy that flew dragons themselves, and that was a threat Stoick could not let stand. Hiccup didn’t fully understand the danger. How could she when he had never told her of the night a man had killed a hall full of Chiefs with dragons?

                The thought of that man returning south to threaten them was unbearable. It was one of the reasons he had ensured the other Chiefs had sworn to keep the secret of Berk’s resident Dragon Riders at the Gathering. He had no idea if these Dragon Flyers were related at all to that murderer, but he could never risk it.

                After all, what would a man like Drago Bludvist do if he learned of a woman that could train dragons?

Dragon’s Edge

                Viggo made a final adjustment to the Dragon Eye, and nodded to himself. He went to the corner of the room, and grabbed the cage containing the Terrible Terror.

                “This should do it,” Viggo said, placing the cage on the table. “No telling how long it will work, but work it shall.”

                Viggo threw two daggers into the table to make a cradle for the Dragon Eye to rest on. He carefully placed the Dragon Eye down, and shifted the cage so the small dragon was facing the device. He slammed his fist into the table beside the cage, and the Terrible Terror screeched. Viggo smiled as the dragon released a flame, and the Dragon Eye projected an image on the wall.

                Viggo hummed as the hair on the back of his neck stood. He carefully reached for one of the daggers on his belt.

                “Sir,” Theron interrupted as he barged into the side door’s entryway.

                “I thought I asked for complete privacy,” Viggo snapped.

                “Yes, sir,” Theron replied. “But there's a fleet of heavily armed ships flying the Berk colors approaching, and escorted by a squadron of Dragon Riders.”

                Viggo growled furiously, and Theron quickly made himself scarce. Viggo grabbed the Dragon Eye, and moved to follow the Hunter outside. He stopped and smirked as he looked over his shoulder at the shadows of the doorway he had his back to, noting the glint of light on metal.

                “You'll have to do much better than that, Krogan,” Viggo growled.  He ignored the other man’s smirk, and moved to fling open the front doors to step outside.

                “Dragon Flyers. Take your positions,” Viggo called out. “A battle in the skies is upon us.”

                Viggo put his hands behind his back and stared out at the approaching fleet and Dragon Riders. He smirked as the Dragon Flyers flew overhead to face the approaching threat, looking forward to witnessing the coming battle.

                Asher gripped Stormfly’s saddle tightly as the Dragon Flyers came flying out to meet them from the Edge.

                “Here we go,” Asher said fiercely. “Good luck, everyone. We're gonna need it.”

                The Dragon Flyers and Dragon Riders roared as the battle commenced. The Singetails shrieked as they were whipped and kicked into firing fireballs at the other dragons and the ships below.

                “Look out!” Asher warned. Stormfly dove down as Barf and Belch and Meatlug flew up to avoid a volley of fireballs. Stormfly spun and twisted in the air as she flew through the constant steam of fireballs, Skullcrusher right behind her.

                Gothi flew low on her Gronckle, two Singetails chasing after them as the Vikings on the ships below prepared to assist.

                “Archers, ready!” A Viking yelled. The men fired several arrows into the sky, and the Dragon Flyers turned their Singetails around to go after the ship.

                “No, you don't!” Gobber cried, running forward with his axe hand as the Singetails bared down on them. He had to jump back as several fireballs hit the deck.

                “Stinking little—” Gobber growled as he got back on his feet. He yelped as he realized his peg leg was on fire, and tried to stomp it out. “We didn't die.”

                Gobber yelled as the fire from his leg spread to engulf more of the ship. Gobber scowled and turned to the somehow sleeping Grump. “Come on. Get over here, you lazy beast!”

                Grump grunted awake and smiled sleepily as he lifted off into the sky.

                “Where ya goin'? I'm over here!” Gobber cried. He grunted as Grump landed on top of him, which did smother his leg but also nearly crushed him under the weight of the dragon.

                Asher growled as they ducked under another fireball, and pulled up alongside Fishlegs and Meatlug.

                “I don't know how much longer we can hold them off, guys,” Fishlegs said nervously. “Not back on our heels, playing defense.”

                “We can't, Fishlegs,” Asher growled. He frowned as he took his axe in hand. “It may be coming time to choose between us and those dragons.”

                “But they didn't do anything,” Fishlegs protested. “They're innocent victims.”

                Fishlegs turned as he heard a Singetail screech behind him. He screamed as he saw a Dragon Flyer pushing his Singetail to fire at them before sighing in relief as Barf and Belch flew past the Singetail, knocking the Dragon Flyer from the other dragons back.

                Tuffnut laughed as he watched the man fall towards the ocean, missing another Dragon Flyer coming for them. Throk spotted them from his seat on the Zipplebacks back, and growled as he stood.

                “Not on your life, friend,” Throk cried.

                Throk ran up Barf’s neck, and leapt over Ruffnut as she gasped. He flipped in the air to kick the Dragon Flyer off the Singetail before grabbing onto the dragon’s tail. He held on until the Singetail passed over Barf and Belch, and dropped, flipping through the air to land safely behind Ruffnut. Tuffnut quickly realized his mouth was wide open as he stared at the other man, and he snapped it shut.

                “You know, I hope you don't expect the rest of us to do that,” Tuffnut snapped.

                Gothi held onto the saddle tightly as her Gronckle dived down to glide over the water as two Dragon Flyers chased after them. She led them towards two of Berk’s ships, flying between them and disappearing inside the green cloud of gas off the back of the ships. When she was clear, and the two Singetails drew closer, Bucket and Mulch directed their Zippleback to ignite the gas, startling the two Singetails.

                Viggo observed the battle from the top of the base, keeping a tight grip on the Dragon Eye. His eyes narrowed as he watched, making a note of each Dragon Rider he could identify. He saw Krogan come to stand beside him, and made a show of examining the Dragon Eye.

                “They're on the defensive. Now is our chance to wipe them out entirely,” Krogan said smugly. He grinned as he called down to the remaining Flyers stationed below. “Send all the Flyers. All Dragon Flyers to the sky!”

                “Are you sure that's the best course of action, my friend?” Viggo asked teasingly as the Dragon Flyers took off towards the battle.

                “Why don't you just back away and let me do what I do best?” Krogan snapped.

                “With pleasure. It is nothing short of a thrill to watch you work, Krogan,” Viggo said smoothly. Viggo smirked as he stepped away, hearing Krogan growl behind him.

                As much as he wanted for their side to win, he almost couldn’t wait to see the look on Krogan’s face when he realized his mistake. After all, the man had yet to realize a key player was missing from the field, and Viggo knew how much an oversight like that could cost them.

                “Dragon Flyers, engage!” A Dragon Flyer yelled as they reached the battlefield.

                “Oh, no!” Asher gasped as he took in the numerous Dragon Flyers joining the battle. “There's more?”

                Stormfly darted up as three of the Singetails whipped fireballs at them from their tails. Meatlug grunted as she was unable to avoid them in time, and one of them exploded against her tail.

                “Meatlug!” Fishlegs cried as they spun in the air. Meatlug grunted as she crashed down onto one of the ships below, and Fishlegs gasped as he looked up and saw the Singetails diving towards them. “Meatlug!”

                Meatlug shook herself, and turned to use her tail to launch two of the barrels up at the Singetails. The dragons scattered from their formation as Barf and Belch fired a blast at the barrels making them explode. Fishlegs and Tuffnut cheered as the Zippleback hovered overhead.

                “Yeah, all right!” Tuffnut cried. He froze and looked up as he heard the familiar roar of a Night Fury. He grinned as he saw Toothless and Hiccup emerge from behind the clouds, racing towards the battle with Fanghook and Gustav right behind them.

                “Hey, here comes Hiccup!” Tuffnut cheered. His eyes widened as Toothless blew right past them, and aimed for a nearby island. “And there…There goes Hiccup. She's becoming very unpredictable. It's unsettling.”

                “Did you bring it?” Hiccup asked as Toothless and Fanghook landed on the island near Spitelout and Kingstail.

                “Can't you tell?” Spitelout asked, gesturing to the netted Deathlout. Spitelout rolled his eyes as the dragon roared as he finished securing the rope in the tree. “Yeah, yeah. Keep yapping, ya fiery pain in the—"

                “Spitelout, is everything ready?” Hiccup asked urgently.

                “No, there's still a few—” Spitelout said. Hiccup winced as she heard the roars of dragons fighting in the near distance.

                “Too late,” Hiccup interrupted. “We're going with what we got.”

                “Well, then, why'd ya bother asking?” Spitelout snapped. He jumped down from the tree, and landed in Kingstail’s saddle. He grinned as Kingstail moved to stand near the trapped Singetail. “Alright. Time to play your part, dragon.”

                Deathlout screeched and let loose streams of fire from the gills on his chest.

                Fishlegs held on tight with one hand as Meatlug quietly flew over a Dragon Flyer. She flipped over onto her back, and Fishlegs snatched the whip with his free hand as the Dragon Flyer raised it over his head. The man’s eyes widened as he looked up.

                “Hello,” Fishlegs greeted. He smacked the Dragon Flyer in the face with the whip and then threw him off the Singetail.

                “Let's go, Hookfang,” Snotlout said as Hookfang landed on one of the supply ships. The Monstrous Nightmare grabbed a barrel in his talons, and took off into the sky again as two Singetails approached. Snotlout grinned as Hookfang dropped the barrel back towards them. “Incoming!”

                Stoick roared as Skullcrusher shot at the barrel from behind the Singetails, and flew through the fiery smoke as the Singetails fell back. Skullcrusher turned with a growl to watch them fall back, and Stoick scowled as he spotted two more Dragon Flyers approaching them.

                “Got two coming from both sides,” Stoick growled as he pulled out his axe. “Come and get some!”

                Stoick braced himself as the dragons approached, fire building in their throats. He stiffened as the two dragons froze in the air, their eyes both going to focus off to the side. Stoick followed their gazes, and saw a nearby island that had a large fire burning brightly on the island’s edge. The two Singetails quickly turned away from Stoick and Skullcrusher, and started flying towards the island as their Flyers scrambled for control.

                “Come on,” Stoick roared at their backs. “Where are you going? Come back and fight!”

                “It's a distress signal,” Fishlegs said as Meatlug flew up behind Skullcrusher. “All the Singetails in the area are flocking to help the dragon that's in trouble.”

                “Hiccup,” Asher gasped as all the Singetails started breaking away from the battle to fly towards the island.

                “This is our chance, people. To the Edge!” Stoick yelled.

                Stoick glanced back at the island for a moment, before smirking and turning back to the Edge.  He would take back Dragon’s Edge, and leave Hiccup to whatever crazy scheme she had created to deal with the Dragon Flyers.

                The Dragon Flyers struggled and strained against the Singetails as the dragons flew towards the fire on the island. The dragons ignored their pulling and whipping, focused only on helping the trapped Singetail they saw hanging in a net above a large campfire. The Flyers eyes widened as they saw three Dragon Riders, including the Night Fury, waiting near the netted Singetail.

                “Now!” Hiccup cried as the Dragon Flyers came closer.

                Spitelout yelled as the three of them leapt into the air. Fanghook blew a blast at one of the Singetails as he flew by, making the dragon turn its attention to him. Toothless drew another pair’s attention by firing between them. The Dragon Flyers relaxed slightly as the Singetails began to chase after the Night Fury.

                Toothless dived into the forest and kept ahead of the Singetails as he soared around the trees. Hiccup chuckled as they approached the trap, and ducked as Toothless flew under the net they had placed between two trees. The Dragon Flyers’ eyes widened when they saw the net, but couldn’t avoid it at the speed they were flying. They grunted as the net forced them off their dragons’ backs, and closed tight around them.

                “Help us! Get us out!” A Dragon Flyer yelled as their Singetails flew away.

                Spitelout laughed as two Singetails chased after him and Kingstail. The Nadder dove into the forest, expertly avoiding a waiting net. The Dragon Hunters gasped as the net closed around them, and they struggled as their dragons continued without them.

                Gustav grinned as he saw two Dragon Flyers come together in a clearing nearby. He cheekily whistled and waved to get their attention as he leaned against Fanghook’s horns.

                “Hey, fellas,” Gustav greeted.

                “Get him!” The Dragon Flyer yelled.

                Gustav jumped back into the saddle, and Fanghook swooped up and through the trees. He laughed as he heard the Dragon Flyers try to follow them only to get grabbed by the nets.

                “Whoo-hoo. Gustav!” Gustav cheered.

                Hiccup grinned as they led another Dragon Flyer into a trap. She could hear Spitelout hooting and hollering, and the sound of more nets being triggered as they led the Flyers into their traps. She saw Spitelout and Kingstail stop and hover above the trees, and nudged Toothless to join them.

                “The dragons are abandoning their riders,” Spitelout said, looking over his shoulder at her as he nodded to a group of fleeing Singetails.

                “And the others are trying to free Deathlout!” Hiccup said, pointing down to a trio of freed Singetails shooting at Spitelout’s device. They eventually succeeded in their endeavor, and Deathlout flew up to flee with the others.

                "Well, that looks to be all of them,” Spitelout said smugly. He and Hiccup flinched as a fireball flew between them, and they looked behind them to see a Dragon Flyer coming towards them.

                “Or not!” Hiccup cried.

                Toothless turned to fly over the island, and the Singetail gave chase. The wind whistled off Toothless’s wings as he circled around, the Singetail keeping close behind him.

                “No traps left, Toothless. Looks like we might have to take that shot after all,” Hiccup said seriously. “Let's just make sure we get the Flyer and not the dragon.”

                Toothless roared an agreement, and pulled back. He spread his wings to slow down dramatically, falling behind the Singetail. The Singetail quickly circled around and flew at them, firing several fireballs as Toothless came towards them. Hiccup held on tightly as Toothless rolled to avoid several fireballs.

                “Up! Up!” Hiccup cried as Toothless turned up to fly straight up, avoiding hitting the Singetail in the nick of time. Toothless pumped his wings to keep climbing, hearing the screeching of the Singetail chasing after him.

                “Come on, beast!” The Dragon Flyer growled as the Singetail began to struggle against the bit.

                “Come on!” Hiccup said impatiently, looking back at the Dragon Flyer below them. She laughed as the Singetail turned away, and started flying back down. “Singetails do not like altitude. Now, Toothless!”

                Toothless flipped in the air, and dived down towards the Dragon Flyer. He glared at the man, and fired a blast directly at him. Unable to use his dragon to block, the man quickly raised his shield. He screamed as the shield protected him from the heat of the blast, but the sheer force knocked him off the dragon.

                “Ha-ha! Nice shot, bud!” Hiccup complimented as the freed Singetail quickly flew away. “Let's hope we never have to do that again.”

                Viggo scowled as he and Krogan observed the Dragon Riders and Berk’s ships coming closer to the Edge.

                “I warned you about this,” Viggo growled as Krogan turned to run towards the stables. He shook his head as he followed the other man. “Leaving yourself vulnerable, over-committing your air troops.”

                He stopped as Krogan pulled his red Singetail from the stables and started climbing up behind its head.

                “Perhaps a bit of Maces and Talons could've helped you strategize your way out of the embarrassment in which you now find yourself,” Viggo sneered.

                “Keep talking and I'll leave you here to deal with them by yourself,” Krogan snapped. “You can throw your little game pieces at them.”

                Viggo frowned but took Krogan’s hand. The man pulled him up to sit behind him, and Viggo glanced up as a familiar Dragon Rider came closer.

                “There!” Asher said, pointing to the red Singetail taking off from the landing. “It's Krogan, and he's got someone with him.”

                “Well, let's get down there and meet Krogan's new sidekick,” Stoick growled, his eyes squinting as he tried to get a clear look at the two men.

                Asher pushed Stormfly forward, and the Nadder and Rumblehorn chased after the large red Singetail. Stoick roared in fury as they flew around the sea stacks surrounding the Edge, the Singetail keeping ahead of them. Asher gasped as the Singetail fired a fireball at the side of a sea stack, making Stormfly fall back and go around to avoid the blast and debris.

                “He's a much better flier than his men,” Asher growled.

                “Aye,” Stoick agreed. “But not better than us.”

                Krogan snapped the chains, and the Singetail flew upwards, flicking its tail to launch fireballs back at the other dragons. Asher and Stoick grunted as their dragons swerved to avoid the fireballs and debris as the Singetail continued to fire back at them.

                Asher gasped as one came straight at Stormfly, and ducked as she dived. Skullcrusher’s eyes widened as the fireball came straight back at him, and barely had time to pull up to better block Stoick before it hit. Stoick yelled as Skullcrusher began falling, spinning around in the air as they plummeted.

                “Come on, big boy. We're not going down like this,” Stoick growled, pulling hard on the saddle. Skullcrusher grunted, and managed to spread his wings to catch himself. Stoick sighed as they stopped above the water, and laughed as Skullcrusher launched himself higher to land on a sea stack. He fondly patted the dragon’s head. “That's a good fella!”

                Asher glared as Stormfly furiously flapped her wings to catch up to the Singetail. His eyes widened as the man sitting behind Krogan turned to smirk back at him.

                “No. No, that's impossible,” Asher gasped at the sight of Viggo Grimborn. “There's no way!”

                Asher could only stare in shock as he saw Viggo chuckle, and his eyes caught on the glint of metal in his hands.

                “He's got the Dragon Eye,” Asher gasped. Asher shook himself as he saw an immense fog back coming closer. “Alright. We're only going to get one shot at this before they lose us in that fog bank. Come on, girl. Let's go!”

                Stormfly roared and powered forward. Krogan glanced back at them before sharply snapping the chains down. The Singetail roared, and raised its hind legs and tail so the gills on its belly were visible. Asher screamed as the Singetail fired a powerful blast from its gills, shooting forward and disappearing into the fog.

                “No!” Asher yelled as they lost sight of the Singetail and its riders. His hands tightened on the saddle as the enormity of what he just discovered hit him.

Later

                Dawn rose over a freed Dragon’s Edge. Hiccup and Stoick looked out from the deck outside the stables as their people brought in supplies and began the repairs to the base, throwing away anything the Dragon Hunters and Flyers had left behind. Hiccup smirked as she saw Gustav regaling a small crowd with the story of how they had taken care of the Flyers before turning to smile at Toothless as he stretched on the deck.

                “You did it, lass,” Stoick said proudly, laying his hand on her shoulder. “And not a dragon's scale out of place. Quite the impressive plan.”

                “And let's not forget the Jorgenson contribution to that impressive plan,” Spitelout interjected as he and Snotlout approached.

                “Yeah. The Jorgensons were on fire,” Snotlout bragged.

                “Yes, they were,” Hiccup acknowledged. “You were great, Spitelout. I couldn't have done it without you.”

                “Well, you're right about that, lassie,” Spitelout said smugly. “And they won't be writing a tiny little crew song about it, either.”

                “Tiny little crew,” Snotlout laughed as he and his father wandered away.

                “Some things continue to remain the same,” Hiccup said fondly as her father sighed.

                “Hiccup!” Asher cried as Stormfly landed on the landing deck.

                “Asher! You had me worried,” Hiccup said relieved. Asher frowned before climbing down from Stormfly.

                “Well, get ready to be more worried, Hiccup, because I just saw something you're not going to believe,” Asher said gravely.

                Asher waited until everyone had gathered in the clubhouse before telling them what, or rather who, he had discovered as he chased after Krogan. Hiccup was silent for a long moment, getting up to pace as the others watched.

                “Let's try to find another way to look at this thing,” Hiccup said finally. “Let's make the yak bladder half full.”

                “Sorry,” Snotlout said dryly. “My yak bladder? Dry as a bone.”

                “Okay. I get it. Viggo is alive,” Hiccup said nervously. “That's bad. He's got the Dragon Eye. That, too, is bad.”

                “Um, I hate to agree with Snotlout, really, I do, but I just can't see that any of this is good news,” Fishlegs said as Snotlout raised an eyebrow at him.

                “Okay, stay with me,” Hiccup said brightly. “Viggo thinks he has the only Dragon Eye. But as you all know—"

                Hiccup reached up to a covered object on top of a storage barrel and removed the cloth to reveal her new Dragon Eye. It looked very similar to the original Dragon Eye, but the metal was silver in color, and Hiccup had painted the dragon end to be black with green gems inserted for the eyes. Another black ring with a red edge capped the other side.

                “Ooh!” Fishlegs gasped. “It's almost finished.”

                “Friends, my yak bladder runneth over,” Hiccup said, tossing the new Dragon Eye to Fishlegs. “When I'm done, this thing is going to do things the original Dragon Eye can't even dream of doing.”

                “It looks amazing,” Asher said softly.

                “Hopefully, it will be,” Hiccup replied.

                “Okay. So now there's only one more thing we need to figure out,” Snotlout interjected. “What's up with that shipwreck?”

                He pointed to the corner, and everyone cringed at the sight of Throk rubbing Ruffnut’s bare feet.

                "Yep, yep. Yeah, you gotta make that grime work for you,” Ruffnut groaned. “Come on, Throk-quito. Get in there. Yep. Just go around the corns.”

                “You know, maybe Throk really likes Ruffnut,” Asher said uneasily. “We're around her all the time, so it's easy for us to take for granted all of her wonderful qualities.”

                “Okay, but I dare anyone to explain that,” Snotlout said. He gagged as he pointed to Tuffnut, sitting on the ground and rubbing Throk’s bare feet.

                “Hey!” Tuffnut snapped. “Family is family. And these I mean, these are some magnificent feet. Look at these beauties! What do you use, anyway?”

                “Okay, I'm gonna go outside and scream into the ocean until that vision is ripped from my brain,” Snotlout said. “Will you call me when dinner's ready?”

                “Oh, yeah,” Ruffnut said. “Ain't no shame in a little toe game.”

                Hiccup shook her head and turned her back to the very weird sight.

                “Okay, everyone,” Hiccup said. “Go check out your hut’s and see what needs to be done.”

                The others eagerly nodded, and quickly ran from the room. Toothless growled and snorted in disgust as he turned to follow Hiccup and Stoick out of the clubhouse. Hiccup jumped as her father put his hand on her shoulder.

                “Come on, lass,” Stoick said firmly. “Let’s go see the damage.”

                Hiccup led him up to the ruins of her hut, and cringed at the sight.

                “The damage is…extensive,” Hiccup said nervously. Stoick whistled at the sight, and put his hands on his hips.

                “They certainly didn’t hold back,” Stoick grumbled.

                “Actually, this was Toothless’s work,” Hiccup admitted. Stoick raised an eyebrow, and Hiccup held up her Dragon Eye. “I didn’t want to risk them finding anything about this or my other inventions.”

                Stoick nodded in agreement, and the two carefully stepped inside the ruins. They combed through the rubble and debris, and Hiccup sighed in relief as she found her Gronckle Iron keepsake box. She gasped when she opened it, and Stoick hurried over.

                “Ah,” Stoick sighed as he saw Valka’s gift to Hiccup resting safely in the box. “Thank Thor you kept it in there.”

                “It wasn’t the only thing I had in here,” Hiccup said nervously. She looked around, throwing the box aside as she scrambled for the debris pile where her weapons rack had once sat. Stoick caught the box and plush, and stared as she dug her hands through the wood and ash, finding only twisted metal.

                “What is it, lass?” Stoick asked urgently as Hiccup sat back.

                “I had the half of the Ruby Heart’s Stone Chief Hotshot gave me in that box,” Hiccup said quietly. “It’s gone. He took it.”

                “Who did?” Stoick asked.

                “Viggo,” Hiccup said, her eyes wide in horror as she looked around the ruins of her hut. “He was here. He took the stone and his sword. He was here.”