Aymar the Valstrax was flying through Formonsus layer in Hidden World. The jet-like dragon flew a bit higher to avoid the crystal forest. He was searching the arch alpha to make his report.
'The situation in Barbaric Archipelago had gone worse.' The Valstrax thought. He spotted the massive arch alpha resting at a forest clearing. 'Wodensfang is not going to be happy.'
The silver dragon carefully flew and landed close to the arch alpha. Wodensfang was staring at two crystal wolf pups playing with each other. When Aymar approached them, the wolf pups noticed him, before running away into the forest.
The arch alpha dragon glanced at him. "Aymar."
"Wodensfang." The Valstrax tilted his head. He moved to stand in front of him. "I have given her the Astral Grain."
"That's good to know." Wodensfang muttered. He shifted his wings a bit, getting comfortable. "Did we find out what Furious is doing?"
"The Arbitrators have difficulties investigating this. Furious used his foresight to block our effort." Aymar provided his report. "The High Arbitrators advised you to declare Furious rogue."
The arch alpha dragon pondered that decision. Greater alpha under him could not be declared rogue without arch alpha's approval. "Have they provided evidence?"
"Only speculations." The Valstrax answered. "They argued that Furious is taking advantage of two events converging with each other. The Conjunction and the Full Solar Eclipse."
The Conjunction was another name for planetary alignment. It was when two or more planets, such as Mercury, Venus and Mars were lined up together with Earth. The event happened at least once every year.
It had an effect to ambient mana within Earth. The thicker it was, the more raw mana in the air. The more planets aligned together, the thicker ambient mana become in the surface world.
This made it easier to produce high quality Nature Shard crystals at large number, because its creation depended on how thick the surrounding ambient mana was. Ambient mana is raw mana in its natural form. It was everywhere, including plants and air.
Of course, dragons took advantage of this. Whenever Conjunction event happened, it usually followed with significant drop in price for Nature Shard.
At least for a few months.
The Full Solar Eclipse event was important for very specific mana rituals. They could use the moon and the sun as some sort of unlimited mana conduit. Wodensfang never seen them used before, but there were legends about long forgotten rituals.
It was almost impossible for both Solar Eclipse and Conjunction to occur at the same time.
Aymar continued speaking. "According to their astronomers, 8 planets will align within the Conjunction. It was expected to occur behind the sun." He further explained. "They don't expect dragons to know it was happening until tomorrow at dawn."
The Valstrax paused for a moment. "Combined with Total Solar Eclipse, Earth would be at the very end of the alignment." Aymar continued. "Their astronomers theorised that it would be the highest volume of ambient mana to ever achieved in surface world. The Full Solar Eclipse would amplify this ambient mana."
Wodensfang widened his eyes. Mathematically, an 8 planet alignment happened once every 396 billion years. Coupled with a Total Solar Eclipse, that number would multiply in trillions. They would witness something they have never seen before.
The arch alpha realised the danger. Whatever ritual being performed could tap into the ambient mana provided by the Conjunction. Should they combine them together, it could provide unlimited mana at infinite rate.
Furious was planning something dangerous.
The arch alpha dragon slowly stood from the ground. Aymar moved back as Wodensfang towered above him. The massive dragon had made his decision. "I declare Furious, the Greater Alpha of Barbaric Archipelago, in violation to his oath of conduct. He barricaded himself in his region, and doing so, disrespected the authority of Longfin Empire."
Aymar could only stare. Wodensfang hardened his expression. "I hereby declare him traitor to the empire." He boomed his voice. It echoed across the Hidden World layer, passing through cave entrances. "Inform the Arbitrators. I will prepare the army. We will attack tomorrow."
The Valstrax straightened himself. "Yes, Arch Alpha!"
Stoick crashed into the dry, sandy beach.
He had been fighting the dragon that captured him for some time. Stoick would rather drown than kidnapped to wherever those strange dragons wanted to bring him to. He kept on struggling, even when the dragon entered Helheim's Gate.
The chief of Berk sat up and checked his surroundings. It was the familiar dark, gloomy beach of Dragon Island. He remembered his time together with Valka before she was cursed, walking along these beaches, talking and complaining about the village.
This time, he was alone.
"Stoick."
Stoick got up from the ground. He turned to face the speaker that said his name. It was that familiar dragon from decades ago not far from him. He was resting couple metres away from him. "Furious."
There was a pause. The Viking glared at the Night Fury. There was nothing he could use to fight against him. Stoick clenched his fists. "Betrayer."
"I know you know the truth, Stoick." Furious spoke in Norse. "Charcoal told you about it. It's the truth. All of it."
"You kidnapped my son and made him yours." The Viking slowly began. There was anger in his voice. "You did this."
"No. You did this." Furious stood from the ground. He glared at the Viking. "You never told him who he is. Your father and ancestors before you made a deal. He was supposed to know of his heritage ten years ago."
"The deal is off when you kidnapped my wife."
"You would know who kidnapped your wife, had you been more reasonable with me!" The greater alpha dragon raised his voice. He was angry for being accused for such thing. "I had nothing against you! This would've never happened if you did your part!"
There was another pause. Furious took a deep breath as he calmed himself down. "... I care for you, Stoick. When you and Valka graced my nest all those years ago, I knew you'd go far." The dragon began. "When Valka was cursed to remain human, I knew she'd be perfect for you."
Stoick did not answer. The greater alpha dragon continued speaking. "She came to me when Hiccup the Third was born as an egg." He told the tale. "She asked for my help. When the time has come for his seal to be broken, I promised help her raise him as a dragon."
Furious took his breath once more. "But that never happened." He gritted his teeth. "Because you betrayed me. You betrayed my trust. Worse of all, you betrayed your own family."
"You're a liar." The chief narrowed his eyes. "Valka never set foot in Dragon Island after she was cursed."
Furious did not respond. He gestured to something behind him. Stoick turned around to see what it was about.
It was a small, wooden sailing boat beached on the shores. The sail was broken. Other than that, the boat was largely intact. However, something stood out for Stoick. The shape indicated Hairy Hooligan designs, but certain defects were obvious to him.
It was Valka's sail boat that went missing decades ago.
Stoick carefully approached the sail boat. The other side of the hull was broken. There were wooden debris and mould there and there. but the deck cupboards were intact. He jumped in to check the storage. He must confirm what he was seeing.
It was largely empty, but there were some left clothes there. Most of them were female clothes, but some looked like rags. One stand out amongst the rest, however. It was a long wrap cloth with a name on it.
Hiccup
Shaken, Stoick dropped the clothes back into the cupboard. He bumped to something on the ground. Picking up the object, he realised it was an old, rusty dagger. The middle section of the cross-guard was shaped like the head of Night Fury.
There was only one person who own this dagger.
It was his marriage gift to his wife.
Valka.
It was proof that Valka went to the island. She must have beached herself trying to cross Helheim's Gate. Dragons must have seen this and helped her got across. After dealing with her business, she must have returned at the back of a dragon.
Nobody knew how the ship went missing. No one questioned her, since they discovered its absence in the morning. She never bothered telling anyone, most likely to keep them as secret. She must have sailed to Helheim's Gate alone to meet Furious.
Valka probably brought baby Hiccup along with her.
The reality came crashing down to him. Valka really did talked with Furious. Back at the village, she often talked about their safety against deviants. Stoick had to keep assuring her, but given she took that matter to her own hands, the father knew he had failed.
After everything that happened, Stoick realised all her fears were warranted.
Ascal the deviant was proof of that.
The chief held onto the dagger. He moved out from the old sail boat and faced the Night Fury. Stoick shuddered his breath as he faced the dragon. "What do you want?"
Furious felt relief. He took a deep breath, before speaking his plan.
Meanwhile, back at Berk.
When things finally calmed down, the village was in uproar.
During the attack, some Vikings went back and tried to help. However, the cognito-hazardous black blood affected their mind, which turned them into snivelling cowards.
Thankfully, the effect was rather minor. Gothi was able to treat those who were affected with medicine. While the aliment could be treated, Vikings still had to stay back until everything had been cleaned up.
"One by one!" The boy called out. He was standing at an elevated platform in the Great Hall, with the whole village in front of him. They were talking all at once. "Everyone, let me speak."
"What was those things?!"
"They don't look like dragons! They don't look like deviants!"
"Unnatural dragons!"
Hiccup had enough. "VIKINGS!" He roared. "BE QUIET!"
That did the trick. Everyone shut their mouth once the boy boomed his voice. Hiccup shook his head. "Right then!" He huffed, glaring at them. "Did my father told everyone about the situation?"
Spitelout at the front raised his hand. "He told us we'll be fighting deviants."
The boy was tempted to facepalm. "Then I will start with this: the horror you see are aberrant dragons. They are threats coming from an island behind Helheim's Gate." He began his explanation. "This is the first time we've encountered them."
"And whose fault is that?"
Everyone turned their attention to certain elder at the front. Mildew was staring at Hiccup with challenging look. "It never got this bad until you came along." He retorted. "You should've left us, boy. We were fine until you came along. You and your dragon things brought nothing but trouble!"
"The so-called dragon things were made by our ancestors." Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "They are our legacy. It was our right to know."
"Legacy? Look around you, Hiccup!" Mildew exclaimed, gesturing to the Vikings around the Great Hall. "Half of us were here by few generations. Things already changed. We are dragon hunting tribe."
"The ancestors of our tribe are deviant dragon hunters. While most of us no longer have the blood, that never stopped us from hunting them." The boy retaliated. "Ingar Ingerman, Hamish the Second – all of them fought deviant dragons. They fought to protect our tribe, our allies, and Scandinavia as a whole!"
"And don't you think it's ironic? Dragon hunting dragons?" The elder challenged. "You're a dragon. You're a humbug for saying that."
Hiccup frowned at that. He looked around the crowd of Vikings, before pointing at one. "Gunnar, come up here."
A large Viking with broad black beard walked to the front. The boy crossed his arms. "Tell me about the time you found and killed an Outcast spy."
Some Vikings groaned, but others understood the point. Gunnar brightly smiled as he told the tale. "Aye, lad! I was on patrol when I heard something at a cave." The man began. "It led to a flooded cave. There's a boat inside, and there's Outcasts in 'em."
"What did you do to those Outcasts?"
"I killed 'em, of course!" Gunnar exclaimed, as if offended. "They never saw it comin'!"
"And don't you think it's ironic?" Hiccup questioned. "Vikings hunting Vikings?"
There was a pause. The black bearded Viking understood the point. "Nay, lad." He shook his head. "They're our enemy."
The boy looked up to the crowd of Vikings. "Does anyone think it's strange for Vikings to kill other Vikings?" He called out. They shook their heads. "Dragons killing other dragons?" They kept shaking their heads.
Hiccup pat Gunnar's shoulder. "Thanks, Gunnar."
"Yer welcome, lad." The black bearded Viking nodded, before walking down the platform.
The boy looked around the crowd once more. "An enemy of our tribe is an enemy to us all. It doesn't matter who or what they are." Hiccup declared, looking around certain Vikings. "We never hid our legacy. We never forget where we come from."
Vikings paid attention to him. Hiccup continued speaking. "It doesn't matter who or what you are. When you joined our tribe, you become one of us." He narrowed his eyes. "You can adapt, understand and accept the legacy of our tribe; you can ignore them, and live on your life in peace; or you can leave the tribe and try your luck elsewhere."
Hiccup looked down at Mildew. "However! Should you reject and burn what defined this tribe..." The Brimstone long sword appeared on his hand. The deep red flame made Vikings took a step back. "... I will personally blood-eagle you at The Thing."
Vikings stared with terrified expression, especially Mildew. The boy was frighteningly emotionless. "I will make you an example for those that dared to go against the tribe." Hiccup glinted his eyes, which made him look murderous. "I will make it slow and painful... and I will enjoy it."
It was obvious for the Vikings that Hiccup was different. Stoick would prefer to choose the Viking way, which probably meant telling them off and accept them as is.
Hiccup, however, was far more bloodthirsty than his father. Given that he was known to be incredibly intelligent, Vikings were curious to see where it was going.
Mildew did not respond. He mustered the best glare he could, before turning around and leave the Great Hall. The large doors were slammed behind him.
After he left, Hiccup dropped the sword. It vanished in blue flame. Everyone sighed in relief. The boy slumped his shoulder. "Right. My dad and your chief, Stoick the Vast, has been kidnapped by dragons." He continued explaining the situation. "He was brought to Dragon Island, which is somewhere in Helheim's Gate."
Vikings fell silent. They paid close attention to the announcement. Hiccup continued speaking. "The enemy can affect our mind when we look at them." He further elaborated. "However, we know what we're fighting against, and we've made preparations to protect ourselves. With proper equipment, aberrant dragons are no different than deviants."
The Vikings muttered amongst themselves, wondering what kind of equipment it was. The boy glanced around the room. "I will brief everyone about the equipment later this evening." He explained. "For now, our focus is to save your chief. My father."
That quieted them. Hiccup continued speaking. "The aberrants would most likely use him as leverage. I will make a strike team to infiltrate Helheim's Gate and rescue him." he explained the plan. "You will wait outside Helheim's Gate until we come out. Spitelout will lead you."
Vikings glanced at the chief second-in-command. The boy stared at the crowd. "Other than that, there's no change in our plan. We will make our move tomorrow." He decided. "I'll see you later this evening. Dismissed."
The Vikings grumbled as they began to disperse. Hiccup slowly walked down from the platform. He moved to sit at small table in the corner. The boy was exhausted. He slumped against the table, pondering how to tackle the problem. He needed to think.
"Ye did great for yer first time."
Looking up, Hiccup saw Gobber sitting at the opposite side. "Thanks."
The blacksmith leaned forward. "How much did ye plan to bring?" He whispered.
"I could think of three. Not including dragons." The boy whispered, lamenting his problem. "We barely have Vikings with experience fighting deviant dragons."
"Ye could bring some more." Gobber suggested. "They could use the experience."
"Training Vikings to fight deviant dragons meant fighting oversized Deadly Nadders who forged themselves with Vikings from nearby village." Hiccup simply stared at him, bored look on his face. "Not fighting ancient Night Fury that can melt their brain by just looking at them."
The blacksmith paled a bit. "... I guess that's fair." He admitted.
Another Viking sat at the opposite side of the table. Spitelout Jorgenson stared at the boy in front of him. "Alright, lad." He began. "What's yer plan?"
"It's the same as I told the village. Furious might use my dad as leverage." Hiccup answered with low voice. "We need to coordinate our attacks."
Spitelout did not respond. He gestured him to continue. The boy took a deep breath. "The strike team will go in first. We would be saving my father and turn off... whatever's turning anyone away from Helheim's Gate."
Hiccup briefly paused to make sure no one was listening. "The village will wait outside Helheim's Gate." He explained. "When the supernatural compulsion is gone, you will enter the fog and reach Helheim's Gate. I'll give you something to detect when the compulsion is gone."
"And the other hunters?"
The boy paused once more. He mentally checked Gryphon to know their situation. "... they'll be here tomorrow morning. Gryphon will brief them." Hiccup answered, before remembering. "You need to wait for them to lead you through Helheim's Gate."
"I was about to ask that." Spitelout muttered.
"That reminds me." Gobber spoke up, getting their attention. "Ye never told us why Furious did all this. He was friends with Hiccup the Second, is he?"
"He is. I'm not really sure about his motive, if that's what you're asking." Hiccup admitted. He looked deep in thought. "Why did he kidnap my dad? Why does he want me to come there and save him?"
"Now that you put it like that, it sounds like a trap." The blacksmith pointed out.
"It most likely is." The boy nodded. "But knowing him, if I didn't come and save him, he'll do something to my father – something we'll never forget."
At the evening, after preparing the smeltery, Hiccup performed equipment demonstration to the Vikings. The TONER aurapex, scrambler goggles and repeating ballistae were the ones he showcased the most. It was important for them to know how to use them.
The simplest ones were the scrambler goggles and repeating ballista. The former was as simple as putting them on, and the latter was already demonstrated before. The TONER instrument was a bit difficult, since not all Vikings could read.
They planned to mount repeating ballistae on the ships to help with protection. For their safety, everyone would be wearing scrambler goggles. Hiccup had made plenty of them to cover the entire Hairy Hooligan Viking population.
There was not that many TONER instrument because of its complexity; both to make and operate them. Only a handful of Vikings would be getting them. The ship navigators would be the ones getting them, since its functions were more useful for navigation.
It would be important for the upcoming attack.
It was afternoon when the demonstration was done. Hiccup went to the cove to check on the others. The place was quiet when he arrived.
Toothless was in her dragon form; she was quietly talking with Agatha the Deadly Nadder. The dinosaur dragoness was resting on the ground, looking exhausted.
At the other end of the cove, Amber was inspecting the six Light Furies. The strange dragons were standing upright in neutral position, as if commanded to remain as such until told otherwise. There was utter confusion on her face. She seemed at a loss on what to make of it.
Hiccup focused to transform as he approached his mate. His body shimmered yellow, growing into quadruped shape. When the light ended, Hiccup had become Charcoal. He arrived just in time the transformation ended. "Hey."
Toothless glanced at him. "Hey." She acknowledged. "How was it?"
"They followed the plan. Alex, Cami and Thuggory would be here soon." Charcoal answered. He moved to stand in front of the Deadly Nadder. "How do you feel, Agatha?"
There was a long pause. The Deadly Nadder had a longing stare. She slowly looked up to her former general. "I'm tired."
Charcoal grimaced. "Take your time. We'll help with your hatchlings." He assured her. "I know it came as a shock. I can't believe it either. I should've checked on you when we found out."
"No. I'm not blaming you." Agatha shuddered her breath. She paused for a moment, before confessing. "... he was my lifemate."
There was another pause. The Deadly Nadder blinked a tear. "He told me he wanted to migrate to Hidden World someday." She whispered. "He wanted to retire. He was looking for another job under Arch Alpha Wodensfang."
Agatha exhaled her breath. "... I should've seen the signs." She confessed. The dragoness looked away from him. "Even after decades of work, he's still kind and charming. He often works at odd hours. He's..."
The dinosaur dragoness fell silent. She searched for the right word. "He sometimes brought dragons to our nest from across the border." Agatha confessed. "He said they were friends, but something felt off. They look too... normal for average dragons."
The male Night Fury sat on his hindlegs. "It's not your fault for not noticing. They are skilled in their craft." Charcoal grimaced. "We don't know how far they've infiltrated this region."
They fell silent once more. Agatha looked down on the ground, contemplating her life decisions. She was still making peace with that fact. The dinosaur dragoness seemed to ponder her situation. There was not that many options she had in her life.
Eventually, the dinosaur dragoness stood from the ground. She stared at the male Night Fury in front of her. "He wouldn't expose himself if you weren't here." Agatha determined. "Everything seem to happen around you."
Charcoal did not respond. It was a fact at this point. Agatha took a deep breath. "... I want in."
The two Night Furies explained as much as they could to the Deadly Nadder. Agatha had no reaction when Hiccup mentioned who they were going to strike. She did not ask any question when he told her of the full plan.
It was basically an escape plan.
After everything was told, she decided to hunt for fishes. Charcoal was concerned she might leak that plan to someone; Agatha had history of bringing dragons to help.
However, Toothless assured him it would not happen. She knew there was too much at stake. Since the female Night Fury knew her better, the male dragon decided to trust her.
Charcoal went to the open cove after that. He wanted to check on his hatchlings. It was hard to miss them, since he saw Deadly Nadder hatchlings congregating around the corner. They were quietly chattering with each other.
The father Night Fury carefully approached them. He noted that his hatchlings were in the middle of it all. They were reading books, but Hamish and Iris in particular were reading for the Deadly Nadder hatchlings.
Carefully avoiding obstacles, Charcoal called them out. "Hey, kids."
They quickly turned their attention. "Dad!" The Night Fury hatchlings leaped and flew to their father. Charcoal stood still as his hatchlings stuck themselves to his face and neck. The father dragon moved to rest, carefully taking loaf position to avoid knocking anything over.
Calian, Helena and Iris snuggled close to him, while Winter, Hamish and Amelia were nudging him. The Deadly Nadder hatchlings simply sat there, unsure what to do at his presence. They were not sure what to make of him.
"Hey..." Charcoal whispered. He looked down at his hatchlings. "How are you feeling?"
Hamish looked at to his father. He was the one who answered. "We get new friends today!" He chirped, before gesturing the young Deadly Nadders. "Come on! It's my dad!"
The Deadly Nadder hatchlings slowly shuffled around him. Charcoal softened his expression. "Were you nice with them, Hamish?"
"They said they're sad that their mom is sad." The small Night Fury hatchling answered. There was discomfort in his voice. "They don't think their dad is coming back."
Charcoal held back a grimace. Despite their intellect, he often forgot that hatchlings were innocent. They never saw the horrors of Dragon Rebellion; they never endured the pain of losing someone. It pained him when they were forcefully torn apart against their will.
"Harr..." The adult Night Fury exhaled his breath. "Their mother is... making peace with it. She'll adapt. This is not the first time we lost someone we care about."
One of the Deadly Nadder hatchling stepped forward. "You know our mother?"
Charcoal smiled as he looked at them. "Your mother is a very strong dragon." He softly spoke. There was a hint of pride in his voice. "We were together in Dragon Rebellion. Have your parents told you about it?"
The hatchlings shook their head. "No...?"
"It was about three years ago. We were sent charging to attack an island." The adult Night Fury began the tale. "It was at the darkest night when we strike. We destroyed many enemies!"
The Deadly Nadder hatchlings were enraptured by the tale. The Night Fury hatchlings were confused, but otherwise silent. Charcoal was keeping it vague and simple. "But then, some of our own turned against us." He waved his claws. "Agatha fought the betrayer and sent them fleeing!"
"Graa..." The dinosaur hatchlings breathed out.
The adult Night Fury exhaled his breath. "... we lost many dragons that day." He admitted. "We planned and trained for the attack. We did what most dragons consider insanity. And we..."
The hatchlings leaned forward as they waited for him to finish the sentence. Charcoal hesitated. "... we survived." He finished. "Most importantly, we won."
The Deadly Nadder hatchlings glanced at each other. The adult dragon was happy to see that. However, his hatchlings looked contemplating. He wondered what they were thinking about.
"Charcoal, do you have a moment?"
The father dragon looked back at the entrance. Toothless was standing in front of the open cave. Charcoal exhaled his breath, before standing up from the ground. The Night Fury hatchlings climbed onto their father. Charcoal moved and stood in front of his mate. "What do you need?"
Toothless glanced at the hatchlings, before looking back at him. "Just the two of us."
Charcoal glanced up to the hatchlings perched on his head. "Kids, do you mind getting off?"
"No." Hamish was the one who answered. Others remained in place.
"Harr..." The father dragon exhaled his breath. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Toothless, do you have a copy of the dragon books?"
It was something she made for herself. The mother dragon tapped the ground. Suddenly, a small, dull orange prismatic-shaped crystal appeared in purple flame. "Here." Toothless gestured at the Book Stone crystal. "Don't lose them, unless you want to spend a whole day searching for them."
"You hear that, kids?" Charcoal glanced up to his hatchlings. "You have new books to learn. This one is about mana."
That did the trick. The Night Fury hatchlings quickly moved to check on the crystal, poking it and connecting their mana circuits to it. The dinosaur hatchlings began crowding around them. The father dragon smiled. "Move that inside, kids." He shooed them away. "Don't let anyone see them."
Amongst the crowd of hatchlings, Hamish managed to grab the Stone Book crystal. He quickly flew deeper inside the open cave, with other hatchlings following behind. Satisfied, the father dragon followed his mate. She walked out from the open cave.
Outside the open cave, the two black dragons approached Amber. The female Light Fury was still observing the aberrant dragons. She seemed to be confused.
"So..." Charcoal started, getting her attention. "What do we have?"
Toothless and Amber glanced at each other, before looking back at the male dragon. The female Light Fury was the one to answer. "Something I've never seen before." She admitted. "I don't even know how these dragons are alive."
The male Night Fury was confused. "What's wrong with them?"
"There's no memory. No active consciousness." Amber explained the problem. "Just bare minimum experience to fight and stay alive."
"They're aberrant dragons." Charcoal shrugged his wings. "They don't follow the same rules as us."
"Charcoal, they're not aberrants." Toothless softly explained. "They're normal, actual dragons."
The male Night Fury was confused. "Really?"
"Yes. We've checked them with everything, including TONER." The mother dragon elaborated. "Breathing, blinking, eating, walking and defecating are the bare minimum of staying alive. They can barely fight. They can't even speak. They can't even act on its own."
That made him pause. The strange Light Furies had given them a lot of trouble at the dragon ring. The white dragons were definitely stronger, both physical and spiritual. However, the fact they fell to some tricks indicated lack of experience.
'Maybe it was offset by the fact that it can regenerate.' Charcoal thought, before speaking. "How do you think they come to be?"
"They're not supposed to. That's the point." Toothless answered, frustrated by the lack of knowledge. "Furious created them from Durlan. He's the Light Fury he captured and used back at the dragon ring."
The male Night Fury blinked. "How did you know that?"
"It's from their mana signature. I saw a lot of similarities, but no signs of anything inherited from the mother." The mother dragon elaborated. "They're motherless. If we take what Furious said, then these dragons were birthed asexually."
"... Furious could do this." Charcoal realised the implication. "He might have a whole army of them."
It was a terrifying thought. The male Night Fury knew they were outmatched; fighting greater alpha dragon usually was. It was one of the reasons why they wanted to use the Sheldon construct.
However, it was more about increasing their chance of survival.
There were many things they did not know; unknown variables they could not account for. They did not even know how aberrant dragons could ever exist. It was alarming that Furious was able to do such thing.
Toothless continued speaking. "These dragons don't need to eat, drink or sleep. Their mouth doesn't have any food smell." The dragoness explained. "Their body is designed to regenerate damages, which includes fatigue. The only way to kill them is to burn their mana circuits all at once."
"That's impossible." Charcoal responded. "The mana circuits would isolate damaged parts to stop the spread."
"Cutting their head doesn't work, if that's where you're going." Amber spoke up, getting their attention. "The head will just make a new body, and the old one will die."
Toothless wordlessly looked at something behind strange Light Furies. The male Night Fury leaned to check. There was a beheaded Light Fury body there, hidden behind them. "Okay. What about crushing their head?"
"That would probably kill them for good." The female Light Fury hesitantly agreed. "But Toothless tore one of their brains out at some point. It still regenerates. A mana expert would know the best way to kill them."
"The only mana expert we know is busy picking up Gryphon." Charcoal grumbled, annoyed at the missed opportunity to ask. "The only time we'll know is tomorrow. Even then, it's probably too late."
They fell silent after that. The dragons pondered the solution to this problem. The male Night Fury sat on his hindlegs as he pondered. There must be something they could do to stop those strange, regenerating dragons.
"If I may ask." Amber began, getting their attention. "Is it possible for you to give control of these dragons?"
"Through circuit connection, we can." Charcoal nodded. "It latched to our circuits. Moving them is easy enough. I just have to flow the connection over. Toothless currently has all the controls."
"Wait." The female Light Fury blinked. She glanced at the six strange Light Furies, all of whom had acidic green eyes. "I thought some were under your control."
"Nope!" Toothless chirped as she focused on the strange dragons. "I have them all."
Suddenly, the male Light Furies began to move. They surrounded the only female Light Furies and toppled her to the ground. Then, they began massaging her, pinning her and licking her in different places.
Amber gasped at the show of affection. "Oh, skies above!" She cried out. "Toothless! I'm not ready! Safeword! Safeword!"
While Toothless was pranking her best friend, Charcoal was deep in thought. "What if they're like puppets?" He suggested. "What if you cut the connection? Would they die?"
"We've tried that. They'll just collapse on the ground." The female Night Fury shrugged her wings. She was controlling the male Light Furies to harass her best friend. "Like this."
Toothless severed the circuit connection between her and the six Light Furies. The dragons' eyes turned white, before falling limp on the ground. Amber was pinned under them. She took her respite after getting tickled so much.
However, something happened. Amber felt the six dragons connecting their mana circuits into hers. Their eyes turned blue as the female Light Fury took control of them. The dragons seemed to sense her desire, since they start cuddling with her.
"So, the control moved to the nearest dragon." Charcoal summarised.
"That's about right."
That was dangerous. The male Night Fury turned to face his mate. "Could you tell me more about Durlan? The Light Fury you recognised?"
"Durlan is not a normal dragon." Toothless explained. "He's a result of controlled mutation through selective breeding by his flock."
The male Night Fury raised his brows. "Really? Is that even legal?"
"It's illegal under my father." The mother dragon answered. "Durlan's father is a rogue alpha. Their flock was destroyed four years ago, but Durlan was missing. He had been trying to court me since I was 5. That's why I was paranoid when I went to the surface."
"I guess we know his fate now." Charcoal muttered. He looked disturbed. "Mind wiped and turned into forced breeder. That's a fate worse than death."
Toothless shuddered her breath. "... dragons like Furious shouldn't exist." She admitted. "I'd be lying if I say my father doesn't have something of his own. But to know that this is normal for greater alpha dragon and above..."
"It's a culture shock." The male Night Fury quietly responded. "It goes against everything we were taught for."
It was a little known fact about greater alpha dragons and above. They had many secrets and powers, most of which out of the realm of reason. An arch alpha dragon could easily take over lesser territories, if not for other arch alphas seeking them as well.
This was a fact that dragons largely accepted. The only thing stopping arch alphas from outright invading lesser territories were other arch alpha dragons. Over 100 arch alphas would pull the others down to keep them from getting more powerful.
It was how dragon politics worked.
"What should we do with the Light Furies?"
Charcoal glanced at his mate. "Leave them with Amber." He recommended. "They can help her guard the hatchlings while we went to save my father tomorrow."
"Agatha told me there's a hatchling care service at Rookery. She wants to put her hatchlings there." Toothless responded. She was staring at the cuddling dragons. "I gave her some Amethyst Scales to pay for them."
"And our hatchlings?"
"Amber will care of them." The mother dragon answered. "She's powerful enough to protect the hatchlings. The Light Furies will help with protection. I wouldn't put past Furious to try and take our hatchlings."
"Or deviants." Charcoal added. He did not look happy. "They might try to take advantage of this situation."
Suddenly, they heard a small group entering the cove. Alex, Camicazi and Thuggory had arrived at the place. They were approaching the two Night Furies. Charcoal glanced at Toothless. "Is everything ready?"
"It's on the table inside."
"Thanks." Charcoal nodded, before focusing to transform. He shimmered yellow for a few seconds, shrinking down to humanoid size. When the light ended, Charcoal had become Hiccup. The boy walked to approach the group.
They met at the centre. "Good. You're here." Hiccup greeted them, before heading to the open cove. "Follow me."
Entering the open cave, the group moved to the large round table. It had all sorts of papers and maps there. Hiccup pushed them for others to read. "Here's what we know about Furious." He explained. "And the map of Dragon Island."
Alexander, Camicazi and Thuggory picked up the papers. They began reading them. While that was happening, the brawny boy began explaining. "As the strike team, we need to remove the leverage from Furious." He explained. "That is, we must save Stoick the Vast and evacuate him to safety."
Camicazi raised her brows. "After that?"
"We destroy the ward that's covering Dragon Island and Barbaric Archipelago." Hiccup answered the question. "I prefer that we do the first one, because any leverage he has could ruin the rest."
They fell silent once more. The group was reading the papers on the table. The brawny boy could see their expression pale the more they read the paper. Eventually, Alexander placed them back. He looked confused. "I have a question."
"Go on."
"In the end, you want to fight against Furious." The draconic Viking pointed out. "After we destroyed the ward, you want everyone to activate the Relocation Crystals to transport them into Greater Archipelago."
"That's right."
"What about the Vikings?" Alexander questioned.
Hiccup exhaled his breath. "I don't know." He confessed. "Toothless wanted to leave them as is. She said they'll be safe if they retreat, but-"
The draconic Viking sharply interrupted. "You're leaving them to their own fate."
Thuggory and Camicazi stared at the brawny boy. They looked conflicted. Hiccup could not argue with that. "... I don't know any other plan." He admitted. "I don't want to leave the Vikings. I don't want to leave any of you. I'll stay back and fight, but if we don't win that fight..."
It was left unspoken, but the message was clear. Hiccup would not risk his life for the battle. They could not blame him for trying to survive; he had a mate and hatchlings to care for. The young dragon in human form had plenty to lose in the fight.
Especially since Night Furies were critically endangered.
"Alright." Camicazi decided, getting their attention. She crossed her arms. "What's the plan?"
Hiccup smiled at her implied understanding. "Here's how we're going to do this..."
It took them few hours to plan out their approach. It was especially important, since any mistake could ruin parts of their objective. It was almost midnight when it was done. After that, Hiccup began handing over some new equipment, including TONER aurapex.
However, while that was happening, their aurapex suddenly made a sound.
Beep!
Everyone paused. Alexander was the first to open his TONER. "I didn't know it can make a sound."
"It makes a sound when it detects environmental danger." Hiccup opened his TONER aurapex as well. "It sounds a tone. That's how it got its name."
The group read the alert on their instrument.
Alert!
Ambient mana has reached abnormal level.
Highest safe rate is 5u/s, while current rate is 8u/s.
Thuggory and Camicazi were confused. The Meathead heir was the first to ask. "What does it mean?"
"It means some crystals might behave differently." The brawny boy muttered. The ambient mana rate was steadily going up. He was confused with what happened. "I don't expect this alert outside of caves."
Alexander was concerned. "How do you measure the unit?"
"One unit is the amount of mana for weakest, successful Identify spell possible." Hiccup answered the question. "I came up with it since we don't have a way to measure mana. Toothless said it's a good idea, since everyone knows the spell."
The draconic Viking did not answer. He walked out the open cave while holding his TONER. Others moved to follow. They wanted to know what was going on.
When they got out of the open cave, the dragons and partial dragons could feel the change in the air. The TONER aurapex measured the ambient mana about 40 unit per second, and it kept going up. Hiccup straightened himself, cautious about the surrounding.
Alexander recognised the signs. "The planetary alignment."
Camicazi did not feel a thing. "What does that mean?"
"It means that two or more planets are lined up with each other." The draconic Viking explained. Seeing confused looks, he elaborated. "It's astronomy. They affect mana around us."
"Is this something rare?" Hiccup questioned. He was nervous as he stared at his TONER aurapex. "I've never seen anything went above 50 unit per second."
"It happens at least once every two years." Alexander further explained. "It's usually not this... oppressive. You wouldn't feel a thing."
The rate increase slowed down after reaching 100 unit per second. The draconic Viking closed his TONER instrument. "I think I know what Furious is planning." He pocketed the aurapex. "If my guess is right, he's trying to supercharge himself."
"You mean like..." Hiccup gestured to his surroundings. "Absorbing raw mana around him?"
"Some mana rituals does that. They use mana all around them." Alexander was deep in thought. "Whatever Furious is doing is going to attract a lot of attention. Wodensfang will notice, but I think he has that prepared."
"Wouldn't absorbing raw mana kill him?" The dragon in human form questioned. "Mana poisoning is a real thing."
"It would." The draconic Viking nodded. "But he wouldn't pick this date if he doesn't have something already planned."
Hiccup exhaled his breath. "Then we need to be quick." He decided. "Let's hope the rest come back before we go."
"Aye."
The next morning, the pressure from ambient mana had gotten more intense. The humans could feel the air a bit thicker than usual. The dragons, however, felt something different in the air. It was saturated with raw mana.
Thankfully, it would not impede them from doing their task.
That morning, Alex was moving a cart from the smeltery. Hiccup, Camicazi and Thuggory were carrying collapsed repeating ballistae on their shoulders. Some Vikings, like Spitelout, were helping them move the cart.
The group were heading to the harbour, where they would place them at the loading dock. They had to squeeze through a crowd of Vikings, since they were preparing the warships.
While heading there, Hiccup heard the teens shouting at them. "Hahah! Turned into a dragon!"
"How does it feel being a dragon?" Snotlout jeered at him. "You turned from Hiccup the Useless to Hiccup the Useless Dragon!"
Hiccup glanced to the side. The petite girl was standing amongst them. Astrid was glaring at the brawny boy.
Hiccup shook his head as he focused on the road. He understood why she was angry; ignoring the fact that he saved her; he had taken out the dragon that she was supposed to kill.
Given who she was, he did not expect any gratitude.
The teens remained silent, even after they disappeared around the corner. After some time, the burly teen decided to ask. "What now?"
Ruffnut suddenly became excited. "Snotlout! You know what this means?"
"What?" Snotlout asked, confused.
"Hiccup left. He's not here anymore!" the female twin exclaimed, smiling at him. "You'd become the next chief of Berk!"
"O- Of course!" The burly boy quickly recovered. He puffed up his chest. "I'm the heir now!"
"Err..." Fishlegs carefully called out, getting their attention. "You still need to prove yourself to the village to become the chief."
"Oh, that's easy!" The burly boy boasted. He was smirking. "I'm big and strong. That's good thing about me!"
"Yeah, sure." Tuffnut rolled his eyes. "You'd get a lot more hair as an heir."
"You'll burn down the village faster than Hiccup." Ruffnut snorted. "And he's a dragon!"
Snotlout snorted. "As if he can do anything."
Fishlegs noticed that Astrid was quiet. She was staring at the empty street ahead of her. "Astrid?"
That got her attention. "Yeah?"
"You don't look too sure." The large boy pointed out.
"I've been thinking..." The petite girl spoke aloud, getting their attention. "What if we tamed our own dragons?"
"Yeah, sure." Ruffnut snorted as she crossed her arms. "We could run around the village instead of dragon ring. You know, without dragons chasing us."
"Did you know that Hiccup tamed a Night Fury?" Astrid revealed the fact to them. "If he can do it, then we should too!"
Snotlout scoffed at that idea. "For someone who tamed a dragon, he sure got himself turned into one."
"Snotlout, this was his biggest secret!" Astrid explained to the burly boy. "He tamed a dragon. Imagine if we tamed those dragons. We can teach others how to do it! We can end the war!"
"That sounds easier said than done." Ruffnut commented, unsure about that idea.
"We're Vikings! It's an occupational hazard." The petite girl boasted. "Don't tell me you're backing out now. Imagine the prestige we'll get!"
"Now you're talking." The burly boy smirked as he focused onto the petite girl. "What's the plan, babe?"
Astrid scowled a bit. "Don't call me babe." She focused to the rest, before speaking. "We wait for Hiccup to go. Then, here's what we're going to do..."
The loading dock was packed with carts, carrying all sorts of cannons. The draconic cannon and its munition was there as well. The foremen were coordinating the effort. They had to get them done before the strike team finished their task.
Alex stopped the cart near the cliff. Hiccup, Camicazi and Thuggory rested the repeating ballistae next to it. The brawny boy dusted off his coat. "Here we are."
Spitelout, who had been helping them push the cart, frowned at that. "Ye didn't put them on the elevator."
"Oh, we're not going there with a ship." Hiccup responded.
It took the second-in-command a second to realise. "You mean..."
The brawny boy looked up to the sky. He placed his hand on his mouth, then loudly whistled. "PHWEEEEEET!"
"Ka- ka- ka..." They heard familiar roar from distance. Then, two dragons landed at the corner of the loading dock.
One was a Night Fury, and the second was a Deadly Nadder. The dinosaur dragon was wearing some sort of thick leather armour covering her back, rear and neck. Interestingly, they had a mount for humanoid to ride on.
The Vikings took a step back upon seeing them. Alexander grabbed one of his bags. "Alright, people." He called out, snapping them out. "Let's get this done."
Hiccup, Camicazi and Thuggory moved to grab the bags. The hunters secured them onto the dragons' armour, while making sure those were reachable while riding on their back. The Vikings helped them loading their equipment.
When that was done, they worked on mounting the repeating ballista, facing the rear. It did not take them long to work on that, since there were others helping.
Alexander Haddock carefully mounted onto the Deadly Nadder. He moved the repeating ballista around, making sure that there was no obstacle. After ensuring that, the man secured himself by clipping a cord from the saddle onto his belt. "I'm ready."
Camicazi and Thuggory did the same to the Night Fury. The small girl was facing the front, while the Meathead heir manned the repeating ballista. "Ready."
Hiccup exhaled his breath. "Alright." He muttered, before turning to face Spitelout. "I trust you to get the Vikings ready."
"Aye." The chief second-in-command nodded. "We'll be there."
The brawny boy nodded. He moved to face the hunters. "Remember to watch the sky for approaching dragons." He cautioned. "We are facing something much stronger than us. They expect us to come into their lair. They will come to you with intent to kill. As such, do not hesitate to shoot."
They paid attention to him. Hiccup exhaled his breath. "I expect you to remember the plan. All of you." The Hairy Hooligan heir remarked, staring at the hunters. "... googles up."
The hunters moved to wear their scrambler googles. They also put those on the dragons – rather oversized to compensate their large eyes. Hiccup also wore his own. After everyone was ready, the Hairy Hooligan heir gave another other. "Face front."
The dragons turned around to face the ocean. Hiccup walked forward as he shimmered yellow. Vikings gasped when they saw him transform right before their eyes.
When it was done, the Hairy Hooligan heir had become a Night Fury. He was even wearing his goggles. Charcoal stood at the centre, facing the ocean.
"Hiccup!"
The male Night Fury looked back. It was Spitelout; he looked encouraging. "Kick their arses, will ye!" He shouted. "I want to see their head piked on a stick!"
Charcoal seemed to smirk, before giving him a nod. Vikings nodded in agreement, before shouting encouragement of their own.
"Kill the invader!"
"Get them, lad!"
The male Night Fury turned to face the ocean once more. "Let's move." He ordered, before taking off into the air. The two dragons followed as they headed to Helheim's Gate.
It was time to confront Furious.