I know I'm late... Y'all should honestly expect this of me now. :[
Other than that, I think you guys are really going to enjoy this chapter. This is probably going to be the second to last before the ending of the first arc/movie is done with, so be ready!
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"As much as you can fit! We'll need everything! Weapons, supplies! Take it all!" Stoick yelled.
Now that they had finally located the dragon's nest, the entire village was in full swing. Vikings could be seen taking everything from weapons to food and carrying them to the docks.
As preparations for their assault were being made, Stoick called for the most important of them to be taken onto the ship, Toothless. They had the dragon bound in chains while putting a wooden clamp around his head so he could just barely look left and right, and his mouth was sealed shut with a strong leather strap.
Old and young watched from the sidelines as their family members walked onto the ships. Sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, everyone who was able to fight was joining the raid. Everything was ready. The mission to wipe out the dragons commenced.
"Set Sail! We head for Helheim's Gate." Stoick ordered.
Looking back, he saw Helga standing over the cliff face, watching as they departed. With a heavy sigh, he looked toward Toothless, the dragon's eyes glaring at him.
"Lead us home, devil."
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Helga's POV
It's been about an hour since they left. And I can't help but think this is all my fault. If I hadn't been so stubborn about finding Kaarik, would things have played out differently? Maybe, but I'll never know the answer to that question.
"Do you regret it?" I heard Astrid question as she came to stand beside me.
"...No." That was one thing I knew for sure. I don't regret the actions I've taken till now.
"So what happens now? Kaarik is still missing, you're stuck here, and now everyone who can fight has left to go and meet their doom."
"What are you trying to get at?"
"I'm saying, why are you giving up?"
"I'm not."
"Aren't you? You've been standing here for an hour, yet I don't see you coming up with any plans. It looks to me like you're wallowing in your sorrow." Astrid said, chuckling at the end.
"Are you here to motivate me or patronize me?"
"Can't I do both? You did something most of us would never think of. Trained a dragon. Now, are you going to continue moping or do something about all this?"
"You know you're terrible at motivating people?" I smirked.
"I try. So, what's the plan?"
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Third Person POV
"Stoick, some of the men have been talking. It's been a few hours, and most of them are wondering what it is we're up to here. We're all wondering if there is even a plan. If so, mind sharing it might be?" Gobber said as he walked toward Stoick.
"The plan is to find the nest and destroy it." Stoick stated.
"Ah, yes. Of course. Send them running." Gobber said sarcastically, earning him a glare from Stoick.
"Shhh, quiet." Stoick ordered as muffled growls and chirping could be heard in the distance
Looking toward Toothless, he sees the dragon's head turning to look towards the source of the noises as his ears twitch at each sound.
"Step aside." Stoick said, moving the Viking who was steering the ship away.
Each time Toothless moved his head, Stoick followed. Every move Toothless made, Stoick matched, steering through the mist-covered waters until they began seeing signs they were nearing their destination.
"Oh… I was wondering where that went." Gobber deadpanned as he looked up at a ship wedged between some rocks.
After a while longer, the Viking ships reached the island. The growls became louder as if the dragons hidden from sight knew they had arrived. Toothless began thrashing relentlessly, straining to break free from his bonds.
Stoick's eyes glanced toward the dragon before he snorted. Walking to the edge of the boat, he jumps off. As soon as his feet hit the gravel, everything fell silent. Taking a sweep of the island, Stoick motioned for everyone to move.
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Stakes were stabbed into the ground, Vikings had their weapons drawn, and catapults were set up outside the dragon's nest. Stoick stood at the front of the Viking army, ready to give the command to attack.
"Once we crack this mountain open, all hell will break loose. No matter how this ends, it ends today." He grunted before raising his arm and giving the signal to fire the catapults.
As the catapults fired, the loaded boulders collided with the side of the mountain until a hole formed from the caves that were spread throughout it. Walking up to the opening, Stoick gave another signal. Seeing it, the Vikings fire one of the catapults that was filled with a flaming ball of straw.
As the flaming ball soared through the air into the cave, it revealed hundreds, possibly thousands, of dragons inside. Hollering, Stoick charges in as all the Vikings join him to attack the dragons. The dragons, seeing this, began to flee.
"Is that really it? Hm." Gobber asked in confusion before shrugging and walking away.
Shouts of victory erupted from the Vikings as they celebrated their triumph. Stoick, looking around satisfied, stopped in his tracks, a sudden chill crawling up his spine.
"It's not over yet! Get back in formation!" He shouted as the ground beneath them began to crack, and a roar emanated from inside the mountain.
"Get back!" Gobber screamed.
"What is that?!" Spitelout shouted as a massive dragon began emerging from the mountainside, crumbling it as the Vikings ran for their lives.
Finally freed from its rocky prison, it began to move toward the Vikings, roaring at the tiny creatures that dared to invade its island.
"Catapults!" Stoick yelled, ordering his men to fire at the beast.
Yet this did not deter the massive creature, only increasing its anger as it snapped its jaws around the catapults.
"Get to the ships!" One Viking screamed as they all rushed to escape the behemoth behind them.
"No! No!" Stoick yelled, but he was too late to warn them as the dragon fired a stream of fire, incinerating those who had gathered and were near the boats.
Burned corpses littered the sea and ground as everything caught in the fire was burned away.
"I was a fool…" Stoick grunted as he walked toward the dragon. "Lead the men to the far side of the island. Gobber, you go with them."
"No, I think that I'll stay, in case you're thinking of something stupid."
"I can buy them a few minutes at best, give that thing something to hunt."
Grabbing his arm, Gobber grasped his hand firmly, a sign of the long-standing friendship they held with one another. "Then I can double that time."
Grinning at each other, they dashed at the beast, shouting and waving at it to gain its attention, as Stoick hurls a spike at it.
"Come on! Here I am!"
"No! Over here!"
The dragon reared back, preparing to bathe them in its flames, but right as it was about to fire, a blast of fire struck it in the head, distracting it from the two as it roared in rage.
Looking up to see what had saved them, they saw Helga and the other teens riding dragons. Stoick's face shifted to what looked like surprise and bafflement.
"That daughter of yours is as bore-headed as you are." Gobber said, watching the teens fly by.
Stoick nodded in agreement.
"Fishlegs!"
"Oh my gosh, this is crazy, we shouldn't even be here." Fishlegs began muttering to himself.
"Fishlegs, snap out of it! Out of all of us, you are probably the most knowledgeable about dragons! What about this thing can we exploit?!" Helga shouted again as we circled the behemoth.
"Uh, right, okay! Heavily armored skull, tail made for bashing, crushing! Stay clear of both! Small eyes, large nostrils! Probably relies on hearing and smell!" He shouted, listing anything about the dragon he could find.
"And how does any of that help us?!" Snotlout yelled.
"I don't see you coming up with anything better!" Fishlegs yelled back.
"Argh, whatever. Snotlout, Fishlegs, see if you can't find a blind spot! Do whatever you can to keep it confused! Ruff, Tuff, see if it has any shot limit! Make it angry!" Helga shouted.
"We're on it!"
"Yeah, we got it covered!"
Splitting off from each other, Helga and Astrid circle the burning boats searching for Toothless. Hearing a desperate roar, they finally spot him before descending to where he was chained.
"Go help the others!" Helga shouts to Astrid as she jumps onto the burning boat before attempting to free Toothless.
Meanwhile, the other teens are attempting to fight the enormous dragon. Unfortunately, they are not faring too well. Losing control of their dragons due to their sensitivity to noise, Snotlout and Fishlegs fall.
Seeing that his dragon was about to crash into the large dragon, Snotlout jumped onto its head, but not before Fishlegs threw his hammer to him. Grinning, Snotlout began smacking his weapon into the dragon's eyes.
"How do you like that, you overgrown lizard!" He laughs as he continues to bludgeon its eyes.
Shouting in pain, the dragon shakes its head, attempting to get rid of him. Swishing its body to the side, its tail rammed into the boats, crushing what remained of them.
Before Helga could free Toothless, the mast of a ship crashed into the boat, sending both Toothless and her into the sea.
'You've gotta be freaking kidding me!' She thinks before taking a deep breath and diving for Toothless.
As Toothless sank, Helga swam after him. When she finally reached him, she began desperately trying to free him. Suddenly, she felt herself being dragged out of the water and onto land.
"No, Toothless!" Before she could dive back into the water, she looked back at the water as she saw a familiar figure diving back in.
Toothless shackles snap off as the dragon looks at the person who broke them. His eyes meet Stoicks as the Viking chief stares back at him. Growling, Toothless grabs the man before flying them both out of the water.
After flying them out, Toothless motioned Helga to mount him. Smirking, Helga jumps onto his back before strapping herself to the saddle.
"Helga!" Stoick shouted as he grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry... for everything."
"Same here." She said, chuckling softly.
"You don't need to go up there."
"And do what? Watch as the rest of you die down here? Sorry, Dad, but this ain't something I can just sit around and do nothing about."
"I'm proud to call you my daughter." Letting go of her hand, Stoick backed away from her.
With a flap of his wings, Toothless and her were off.
"She's up! Get Snotlout out of there!" Astrid shouted to the twins.
"On it!" Both the twins shouted in unison.
As they flew to grab him, Snotlout was already making his way towards the two. Leaping from the head of the dragon, he lands on the twins dragons as they all begin to make their way away from the beast.
Seeing the fleeing teens, the dragon began sucking in the air, creating a vacuum effect that dragged both Astrid and her dragon toward its mouth. Right as it was about to catch them, a blast of plasma struck its face, exploding on impact.
Lurching forward due to the suction suddenly stopping, Astrid loses her grip on her dragon, causing her to fall toward the ground.
"Toothless!" Helga shouted.
Toothless immediately dove toward Astrid, flying with incredible speed to reach her. Grabbing her, Helga makes him arc right as they're about to hit the ground.
"Thanks for the save, Helga!" Astrid shouted as she hung in Toothless's grasp.
"Don't mention it!" She shouted back before slowing their speed and dropping her to the ground.
Roaring, the dragon began to march toward the Vikings, determined to end them. The other teens were already back in action. As they flew around the mammoth-sized creature, their dragons began firing upon it.
"Lay it on 'em!" Ruffnut howled as both she and her brother Zippleback covered the beast with gas before they lit it.
As the explosion took place, the others continued firing nonstop until eventually their dragons ran out of shots.
"We're out!!" Fishlegs screamed.
Before the others had a chance to reply, a wave of flames was shot at them.
"Fishlegs!" Astrid yelled as he and his dragon plummeted from the sky.
"I'm ok!" He screamed as he fell.
"Guys, this isn't working!" Snotlout shrieked.
"Helga, what's the plan?!" Astrid screamed as they continued dodging the dragon's flames.
"I… I dont…"
"Helga?!"
"I don't know, ok! Just distract it! Do anything to keep it away from the people!" She shouted.
Things were getting bad. They had no plan, and the dragon was too tough even with all of their dragons attacking it at once.
'Damn it. If Kaarik were here, he'd know what to do.' Helga thought as she watched the desperate struggle to fight the dragon continue.
Everything seemed to be getting worse and worse. Then it happened. A thunderous roar pierced through the chaos. Then the clap of thunder was heard once, twice, three times.
Then, all before anyone could react, three strikes of lightning hit the beast from above, causing the dragon to stagger back against the mountain.
Looking up towards the dark clouds, the dragon roared in rage as its eyes squinted, looking for anything that could have possibly attacked it. Then it saw it, a huge silhouette emerging from the clouds, a voice booming as they spoke.
"Hey, everyone! Miss me?!"