Chapter Twenty-Six: Hiccup's Nightmare

 

'HICCUP! SON! SON!'
'DAD!'
Suddenly, I dreamed that Stoick was alive again- this was the moment when he disowned me five years ago.
"For once in your life, would you please just listen to me?! I yelled.
He turned around to face me.
'You're not my son...'
Then his face morphed into Drago's.
'Your Night Fury will make a fine cape, boy.'
'NO! HAVE YOU KILLED HIM?!'
Smiling, he showed me Toothless's head, stuck on his staff.
'NO!'

---

Someone was whispering words into my ear. I recognised the voice to be female, and Valka's.
"My dearest one, my darling dear,
Your mighty words astound me.
But I've no need of mighty deeds,
When I feel your arms around me.'
Her voice was breaking as she sang her and Stoick's song.
'I miss him too, laddie. I miss him too. But he died to protect you. If he hadn't, you wouldn't be here today.'
I nodded, too sad to speak.
We sat there in silence, sobbing, she was stroking my hair gently.
Eventually, she got up off the bed.
'I've sent Drago's Terrible Terror out to find his ship. He'll find it naturally- he probably grew up there.'
Hearing these words, I sat up, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.
I was going to find Toothless, if it killed me.
Which it probably would.

(Hey guys! I'm back! I typed up a few chapters on Wordpad while I was away, so although I could post them now, I'd rather just post one for the meantime, so I can receive feedback on here and Fanfiction. So here you go! Just warning you now, this is another VERY long chapter!)

Fireproof - Chapter Twenty-Seven: How to Call a Terrible Terror

 

"Okay, guys, remember, we're looking for a Terrible Terror, with a chain on it's leg.'
'Hiccup, because the Terror is so small and fast, it'd probably be at Drago's ship by now.'
'That's correct, Fishlegs.' I praised him. 'I can't believe I missed that.'
'I thought that the great Dragon Master knew everything about dragons.' Astrid teased.
'Don't call me that. I'm not called the Dragon Master, or the Dragon Conqueror. It's just what two of our worst enemies call me.'
'Wait, what? Who are our worst enemies again? Is it me and Ruffnut? I thought we were friends, Hiccup!'
'Tuff, our worst enemies are Drago and Alvin. I thought you knew that.'
'I probably would, but I'm tired because SOMEBODY made me get up in the middle of night to go look for a Terrible Terror that isn't even here-'
'Anyway...' Ruff cut in.
'Don't interrupt me!'
'I'll interrupt you if I want! You're not the boss of me!'
'No, but I am. Guys, stop fighting.'
They reluctantly did as I asked.
'Now, Fishlegs, can you do a Terror call for me?'
'Sure, Hiccup.' Fishlegs obliged.
He emitted a high pitched squeak.
Nothing happened.
'Wait for it...' I warned.
Suddenly, the Terrible Terror with the chain around it's leg came flying up to us, albeit a little slowly.
Even Tuff, who was, like most Vikings, not very observant, noticed this.
'Hey, why's it flying so slowly?'
I gently examined the dragons' wings. It squeaked in protest, and when I raised a hand to reassure it, the poor animal whimpered, and cowered away, as if I was going to hit it.
I gasped in horror.
'I know, it's horrible, Hiccup. That anybody could treat such a beautiful creature like this...'
'No, it's not just that, Mother. He's broken a few of it's wing-bones, and even clipped the ends of the wings.'
'I suppose it's part of the process.' Valka was unable to contain her disgust.
'When he- steals- them, it's not just their spirits and minds that get broken. Their wings get broken, and clipped, so that if they were to escape- Thor forbid- they wouldn't be able to fly fast enough to get away.'
'He's just the type of person I would expect to go to such terrible measures to stop them escaping.'
'Yeah, no kidding.' Astrid agreed. 'Did you see what he did to my Stormfly?'
'And my Hookfang.'
'And what he's probably doing to my Toothless...' I said grimly.
Astrid attempted to comfort me.
'If he messes with our dragons, he messes with us. Right, guys?'
'Yeah!' Snotlout shouted.
'And we're going to get Toothless back, and nothing short of Vallhalla will stop us!'
We stared awkwardly at Tuffnut.
'What?! You would die for Toothless, wouldn't you, Hiccup?'
'Yes. Of course I would, by Thor himself. And he would do the same for me.'
I turned to face the Terrible Terror.
'Hey, little guy.' I scratched him under the chin, and he purred.
'Mind telling us where that ship's going?'
Master's ship?
'Yep.'
It...it's at his shipyard.
'We've been there before, remember, guys?'
'Yeah.' Snotlout agreed sadly, and he and Astrid stroked their dragons to calm them down; at the mention of the shipyard, they'd panicked.
'Don't worry, Fangster, he's not going to take you again. Not if I can help it.'
'So, shall we get going then, guys?' I lifted my arm, and when it got to its highest point, the Terror flew off. This was a trick similar to what falcons are taught, except it was with dragons instead.
The little dragon flew off as fast as he could, which was quite a speed, despite his broken and clipped wings, almost as if he was in a trance.
'I've seen dragons do that before.' Valka said worriedly. 'I'm hoping to Thor that it's just the pull to get back to the nest, and not an Alpha.'
'So am I.' we all agreed.

---

Eventually, after a few hours of flying, the sound of dragons screeching, screaming, and growling, in fear and fury, filled the air.
'Oh, Thor. Oh Thor, oh Thor, oh Thor.' Fishlegs gabbled.
'It's okay, Fishlegs, if you don't like it, cover your ears.'
'No, it's not that, Hiccup. It's freaking out the dragons.'
'They remember this place...'
'Hiccup, can I tell you a fun fact? Well, it's not really fun in these circumstances, but...'
'I think you'd better leave the "fun facts" to Valka. She's the new dragon expert around here.' Snotlout laughed.
'Sorry, Valka...'
'It's alright, Fishlegs. Anyway, as well as dragons being able to remember places where they were- mistreated...'
'Yeah, "mistreated"doesn't even begin to describe what they do to dragons here.'
'Tuff, shut up. You're making the dragons worse. And me.'
'Okay, okay, calm down.'
'Before I was so rudely interrupted...' Valka glared at Tuffnut.
'What?!'
'...I was about to say, that dragons can also remember who they were mistreated by. And if they bowed down to...let's just say, a certain six-foot-ten madman...' she glanced sadly at Hookfang.
'Then they would remember him, and do it again.'
Poor Snotlout turned pale. At the thought of Drago's boot on Hookfang's snout, he was nearly in tears.
'No...He can't take her again...'
He buried his face in Hookfang's neck, and she licked her master affectionately with her tounge.
'It seems that you really do care about me...' Snotlout said, crying and laughing at the same time.
Of course I do, Master.
Snotlout couldn't understand dragon-talk, but he knew well enough what Hookfang was saying.
Still burying his face in her neck, he whispered, sobbing.
'Hookfang, remember, you're a warrior. If he tries to take you, don't give in...don't bow down to him...no matter what happens...please...'
We were all moved by this.
Snotlout turned around, and glared.
'WHAT?! I'm not crying...I've just got some dust in my eyes...'
'Snotlout, remember that conversation we had about how it's okay to cry?'
'No...okay, I do, but I still don't care.'
'Well, you should.'
'Now, come on, guys, let's see if we can get a better view of what's happening.'
'No-no-no-no-no...'
'FISHLEGS!'
'What?! Meatlug's too scared, aren't you girl? And don't shout so loud, they'll hear us...'
'Okay, then, Fishlegs, you stay here. You can be the lookout. Astrid, Snotlout, go and look for Drago.'
'But...Hookfang...'
'And Stormfly...'
'Guys, don't worry. If anything happens, I'll come rescue you once I've freed Toothless and Eret. Mother, come with me. If anybody knows anything about freeing dragons, you do.'
Tuffnut cleared his throat expectantly.
'Yes, Tuff?'
'And what do we do?'
'Stay with Fishlegs as backup.'
'But...can't we do something more exciting? Like...fighting Drago's soldiers, or freeing other dragons?'
'Fine. Just don't get caught.'
'Okay, I will.'
'Tuff!'
'You'll come and save me anyway.'
'Don't you mean us?' Ruff punched her brother in the shoulder.
'OW!'
I sighed.
'If you guys keep behaving like this, then I won't.'
'Okay...fine...for real this time.'