úlfheðnar, httyd

xxxiii. Hiccup Confronts Drago

𖣯 ✹ 🌷(úlfheðnar) ꏍ ！┈─❟
╰───►chapter thirty-three; hiccup
❝ hiccup confronts drago! ❞

   BEFORE THE sea erupted, Hiccup felt as though they were going to have this battle end in their favour. He searched for Drago amongst the hundreds of soldiers under the command of Viking warlords, descending out from insignia's Hiccup knew, but hadn't seen, and yet others he had seen, but never knew it stemmed from this single man. He remembered Viggo once told him that Johann, Krogan and the Flyers came under the order of a buyer up north: a deadly man━one he had supposed to be wise enough to fear. Hiccup never did; he still didn't. Perhaps it was unwise, but Drago will just be like any other they've faced━and they'll win against them. 

     For just as many men and dragons he had, his mother had more━entire armies of dragons continued to ascend out of the mountain following their king. Squadrons of Deadly Nadders with poisonous spikes, an entire storm━literally━of Devilish Dervishes, large Titan Wing Monstrous Nightmares, furious packs of Speed Stingers that had kept to the far battalion, freezing them in paralysis. Hiccup watched Hideous Zipplebacks perform tricks he's never seen before: barrelling into a spin where they bit their own tail and lit up in a moving wheel of fire. 

     Trappers raced to snag one passing by in their claw-trap cages. They managed to capture one underneath shallow iron bars that were lucky not to pierce into the Zippleback's body. 

    Hiccup pulled Toothless back, glowering through the narrow holes of his visor. "Come on, Toothless," he turned them down and his dragon let out a low growl. "Show them what you've got, bud!"

     Keeping low on the saddle, Hiccup anticipated the pop in his ears at the sudden change of altitude. Dipping down, he set his jaw as Toothless dived━so fast the battle became a blur, the wind rushed past his ears and his stomach tipped. He felt his dragon vibrate with power, like some sonic charge within his very bones. With it, came the shriek he was all too familiar with: high-pitched and rattling, it raised higher and higher until Toothless let go.

     Hiccup shuddered in the saddle, but kept his stance as he swooped them away from the powerful blast that knocked the trap right back on itself, snapping the hinges in half and letting the Zippleback fly free. Hiccup cheered loudly, admittedly enjoying the feel despite the battle. "Ahah!" he exclaimed as Toothless spun before spreading his wings to pull them to a sudden halt. "Attaboy!"

     He scanned the battlefield, searching for his next target and Fishlegs's whereabouts who joined him from a high-range attack. But Hiccup let his gaze wander, always, just to make sure Yrsa was okay━and as he expected, she was. By the shore, Helrose was a spinning blur, swiping her tail to cut entire masts with Snotlout and Hookfang following, calling out a, "TIMBER!" as the masts fell. On Helrose's saddle, Yrsa glanced back to check whether they succeeded, one hand grasping her saddle, the other holding her axe. Hiccup's mother was graceful in her flight━elegant and standing on her feet, but Yrsa was a different elegant. She was graceful and stunning, working in sync with Helrose like a warrior from Valhalla. Regal, perfect in balance and posture━Hiccup couldn't help but be amazed and in awe by how similar they were in very different ways. (And if not proud). 

     He heard the Twins shout in delight, Eret Son of Eret screaming with each dive and arupt switch of path upon Stormfly with Astrid laughing behind him, Fishlegs cheering Meatlug, Snotlout chanting his usual: "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi, oi, oi!" with Yrsa joining in to cry, "Yeah, you're the Viking!" when Hookfang managed a particular large column of fire that sent sailors leaping off the sides of their ships. Down below, Gobber was lugging Grump along slowly, knocking heads of Vikings who were too distracted to look up. Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast was a few feet in front of the blacksmith, causing the usual Viking warrior destruction with his hollers of enjoyment.