Whispers of Another World

Chapter 27: Berk Attack

   Moon didn't hesitate to think, and neither did the twins once they saw what she was doing.

   Moon dashed away, Alaya flattened and ready on her back.  She heard Barf and Belch giggling excitedly about a fight, and how much chaos they could create and wreak on the bad guys once they got there.

   With Hiccup having to stop to put the weird cage down, Alaya and Moon ended up getting to Berk first.

   Catapults were flung at Berk, crashing into roofs and bridges.  Flaming arrows set the doors of the Great Hall alight, and nets smoothly trapped any dragon that tried to defend their home.

   "How did he get here so fast?"  Astrid cried.

   "He must've gotten here while we were roping the cage - it took us longer than I thought."  Hiccup replied.

   "Then how did he get so many ships so fast?"  Fishlegs squealed.

   "Uh, hello?  He's Dagur!  He probably threw the merchant overboard and stole the ships while we were looking for Alaya.  Great going, almost getting killed, by the way!"  Snotlout shouted back.

   Alaya shot him a glare.  "Really?  Now?"

   "Ugh."  Astrid rolled her eyes and face-palmed, but Hiccup drew their focus back.

   "Alright, Fishlegs, Astrid, protect the people, Ruff, Tuff, Alaya, go after the Berserkers on the island."  Hiccup said.

   "And what are we doing?"  Snotlout asked.

   "We're going after Dagur."  Hiccup said.

   "Alright!"  Snotlout cheered, diving after Hiccup.

   As everyone spread out, Alaya and the twins flew to the top of the docks side-by-side.  "Woohoo!"  Tuffnut cheered, lighting up the group of Berserkers that had charged at them.

   "Do you two have this?  Some Berserkers are hitting the Great Hall, and there are others all over the island!"  Alaya exclaimed.

   "We've got you, sister!"  Ruffnut grinned as they blasted another group of Berserkers.

   "I know you do."  Alaya smiled, then Moon leaped into the air.  

   "Great Hall?"  Moon asked.

   "Great Hall."  Alaya nodded as Moon darted toward the opened, flaming doors.

   Moon sprayed frost all across the flames, quickly snuffing them and turning them wet, cooling the burn marks remaining.  Moon then slid inside, wings flared and roared angrily.

   "Get out!  Now!"  Alaya yelled, hoping they were the scared type.

   The Berserkers stared at her for a long, long, moment.  Then, they laughed.

   "Hard way it is."  Moon hissed.  She landed and started grabbing Berserkers, throwing them against the wall.  Then, some Berserkers started climbing up her tail.  She drove herself back against the wall and slammed them into the stone, making them fall, unconscious, as she slid away.

   Meanwhile, Alaya had jumped off of her dragon and drawn her sword.  She was in a fierce battle with a Berserker who was swinging at her with her axe.  Swing after swing he tried to hit her legs, yet she jumped back at every swing.  However, she was becoming more and more aware of the wall behind her, and she knew she couldn't keep it up, however, she barely had a gap to hit him back. 

   However, as an idea sparked in her mind, she jumped back and felt the wall greet her.  She glanced behind her to see stone, and when she glanced back, the Berserker was chuckling with a smug smirk, casting a shadow over her as he raised his axe.

   Moon was cornered.  Berserkers surrounded her, and it was difficult to hit any of them without getting hurt.  She crouched to the ground, hissing and snarling like a caged tiger.  Her eyes narrowed to slits as she leaped forward at the wall of metal in front of her, yet was hit back by the Berserker's spears, pointed and sharp.  With no way out and no way to fight back, she was trapped.

   The Berserker chuckled, his axe raised and his face smug and victorious.  Alaya's eyes were wide, and she could swear her heart was about to leap out of her chest and kill her before the Berserker could.  He hesitated so long she was sure he was waiting purely to enjoy her face.  Then, she had another idea.

   As the Berserker finally brought down his axe, Alaya drew her sword and raised it to meet the axe's in a smooth motion.  But she had a bad feeling as her metal met the Berserker's.  That was a bad idea.

   Alaya struggled to hold her sword up to the Berserker's axe.  As he put his full weight on it, she felt herself being driven back, and she fell to the floor.  Pinned, and able to feel a trace of the metal she was using, she was confident she was about to lose the battle.

   "Look at this!"  Suddenly, a gruff voice from across the room distracted the Berserkers.

   "We can't, we're trapping the poor helpless dragon."  A squeakier voice replied.

   "Ha, good!  Let her see this, too."  The other Berserker chuckled.  As the Berserkers parted just enough for Moon to see, she saw Alaya, fallen against the wall and trying desperately to hold back the Berserker's weapon with her own.  However, she was obviously losing, with her own sword barely touching her throat.

   "ENOUGH!"  Moon roared, suddenly blasting frost at the Berserkers around her, slowing them enough for her to leap forward and slam into the Berserker attacking Alaya.  She pinned him to the ground, pleased to see the smug expression being ripped off his face and replaced by fear.  

   "Moon!  Let's go get help!"  Alaya called.

   "But -"  Moon said, glancing over a moment.  "He hurt you!"

   "He tried."  Alaya clarified.  "Come on.  Moon please."

   Moon hesitated, but with an annoyed growl, she got off of him and kicked him into the corner roughly.  "I would've preferred locking him up."  She muttered as Alaya mounted her.  She turned, gave the Berserkers an extra freeze, and lifted into the air.  

   Berk was Berserker-free.  The ships were gone (although Alaya could see the sails smoking in the distance), and the Riders were hovering together.

   "There she is!  Late, as usual."  Snotlout yelled.

   "I couldn't take on the Berserkers in the Great Hall.  I stopped the fire but - I'm sorry, Hiccup, that's all I could do."  Alaya said as she flew up to them.  She looked down in shame, rubbing her arm nervously.  She felt like she'd let them down and messed up the only thing that she'd been given to do.

   "It's alright."  Hiccup said.  "There must've been more in there than I had realized.  It probably was difficult while you were outnumbered."  

   Alaya nodded.  "Yeah...I'm sorry."

  "It's okay.  Check on the people, make sure there are no injuries, and we'll take care of the Berserkers."  Hiccup said.

   Alaya nodded.  "Okay." 

   Although despite the fact that everything was okay now, she had a feeling that they had just entered a much darker time...a darker time that they were not - or would ever be - prepared for.