How to Be a Dragon Star 1

Chapter Twenty - The Battle

Five dragons soared down below the Red Death's head and into view. "Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs!" Hiccup shouted to the twins as the Red Death snapped at them. "Move, Fishlegs!"

"LOOK AT US!" Tuffnut hollered, almost falling off again. "WE'RE ON A DRAGON!"

"WE'RE ON DRAGONS!" Fishlegs echoed joyfully.

"ALL OF US!" Snotlout added, not one to be left out.

"Up, and move it!" Hiccup directed as the dragon shot a fire blast.

Stoick halted and dropped his hammer to his side as he watched in wonder.

"Every bit the boar-headed stubborn viking you ever were!" Gobber commented, beside him. Stoick could only nod numbly.

"Fishlegs, break it down!" Hiccup said, calling to the teen's specialty.

"Okay! Heavily armored skull and tail made for bashing and crushing!" Fishlegs listed off, watching the dragon pick up a rowboat and throw it against the ruined volcano, with such force that it splintered instantly. "Steer clear of both! Small eyes, large nostrils: relies on hearing and smell!"

"All right! Lout, Legs, find its blind spot and hang in it. Make some noise; keep it confused," Hiccup told them, talking very fast. As Snotlout and Fishlegs dispersed, he addressed the twins. "Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has a shot limit or something else we can use to our advantage. Make it mad."

"You've come to the right person!" Ruffnut told him. "That's my specialty!"

"Everyone knows I'm more irritating!" Tuffnut argued, twisting the Zippleback's head he was riding on so he was riding upside down above her. "See? Bleearragh!"

"Who thought it would be a good idea to let them ride the same dragon?" Astrid questioned.

"Just do what I told you!" Hiccup pleaded. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

The twins flew off, shouting to the dragon, "Troll!" "Elf!" "Bride of Grendel!" And, to each other, "Hey, let me drive!"

"Astrid, you'd better follow them to make sure they don't do more harm than good," Hiccup said wisely. "I'm going to go find Toothless."

"You're sticking me with that job?" She grinned. "Good luck to both of us!" And she flapped off.

"Where is he?" Hiccup scanned the smoking ships as Estrella flew them toward where Toothless might be.

She grunted uncertainly, whipping her head back and forth.

Toothless gave a desperate roar from one of the few ships that hadn't been completely blown apart. As they flew towards him, Hiccup realized that it was actively on fire. "We have to act fast," he muttered, leaping off Estrella and onto the boat.

"Go help the others!" he told her. In response to her wide-eyed expression, he added, "Most of them have never flown before, and you said it yourself; your fire will take too long to melt these restraints!"

She squawked and headed back towards the battle that was going on as Hiccup began working on Toothless's chains.

"It's working!" Snotlout crowed triumphantly. He and Fishlegs were on either side of the Red Death's head, banging shields and weapons together to make a confusing sound.

"Yeah, it's working!" Fishlegs agreed. His excitement quickly faded into worry as several more smaller eyes opened on the side of the dragon's face. "Um, this thing doesn't have a blind spot!" he yelped.

Estrella shot a fireball that disoriented the Red Death and distracted it from Snotlout and Fishlegs.

However, it wasn't over yet. The banging metal-on-metal noise that was confusing the Red Death was doing the same for the other dragons, especially those who the two teens were riding on. Estrella wasn't as affected, because she wasn't so close, but the Gronckle and the Monstrous Nightmare certainly were. The Monstrous Nightmare confusedly bucked Snotlout off, and he landed on one of the Red Death's smaller eyes, dropping his axe into it. The huge dragon roared angrily. Snotlout screamed.