Warring Worlds (Mericcup fanfic) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 1

[A/N: For those who have read my Big Four fanfic, this story is written as if that other story never happened.]

The feud between Scotsmen and Vikings began with a simple rivalry over territory, but the animosity grew stronger in King Fergus's reign after a peace treaty meeting went afoul. Although the Scottish king didn't fear the Vikings, he left them alone since they were already undone by the continual dragon attacks.

Unfortunately, the dragon attacks ceased when Stoick's son, Hiccup, tamed one of the beasts, unlocking the secrets for total dragon domination. Rumors claimed he had incinerated a dragon as tall as a mountain. Fergus didn't fully believe such tales, but he and the other clans were intimidated by the Northerners' new dragons. None of the Scottish fleets would be able to defeat dragons swooping in from the air.

Thus, the feud between Vikings and Scotsmen came to a halt with neither side attacking the other. Then, a year after the dragons were tamed and Merida had won her hand at the Games, a Terrible Terror landed on Scotland with a message from Stoick tied to its leg requesting another peace treaty negotiation on Berk. King Fergus was suspicious, but a few more messages between him and Chief Stoick convinced the Bear King that the Vikings were truly willing to have peace.

During the hottest summer in years, the king, the clan leaders, and the clans' heirs came to sign the peace agreement with the Viking Chief. However, Merida remained suspicious and alert. She didn't trust these Vikings, and she especially didn't like the sound of this Dragon Conqueror, Hiccup. I bet, she thought, he thinks he's so special, findin' a weapon that could easily beat any army. Night Fury, heh. I bet it's not as all grand as they claim. "Only one of its kind." Rubbish.

On Day Two of sailing to Berk, Merida wiped her brow as she stood in the bow of her ship watching the island of Berk growing larger on the horizon when a harsh animalistic cry broke the monotony of the waves. The men on deck grabbed their weapons and leapt to their feet. In a flash, Merida had notched an arrow to her bow. Her eyes darted across the sky searching for the dragon. "There!" she warned her shipmates. "Off the port bow!"

Coming up fast was a large red dragon with a rider sitting on the base of its neck and holding its horns. The rider crowed victoriously as he charged the ship. In two seconds, the dragon had doubled in size.

An ambush! Merida thought bitterly. I knew it! Two arrows – one for the rider and one for the dragon. Hardly taking any time to aim, the princess let her arrow fly. It would have pierced the dragon's eye if the beast hadn't been startled by a burst of flame from its right. The arrow passed the dragon's head, arched through the fire, and plummeted into the rolling waves.

The red dragon hovered. "Astrid!" shouted the dragon's rider, glaring at the newcomer. "I had them!"

"You muttonhead!" snapped the one called Astrid. She hovered beside "Muttonhead" on her blue dragon with only two legs. "You're more braindead than usual! Can't you read the insignia on their sails? They're the Scottish ambassadors!" Astrid continued slowly as if she was talking to a child. "They are not to be harmed!"

"For gods' sakes, don't have a yak about it! You know we're patrolling for Berserker ships! For all I knew they were enemies!"

"What? Didn't you hear Stoick say they were arriving today? Or were you too busy flexing your muscles to listen?"

Muttonhead grinned smugly. "What? You mean these muscles?" He proudly flexed his arms. Astrid growled and pounded the saddle with her fist. Her dragon squawked and arched its tail, flinging long spikes over Muttonhead's helmet. The red dragon ducked.