Infernal Responsibility

Falsification

The thick oak hull sliced through the rolling waves like a freshly sharpened blade. A ship sailed, nine men aboard. Six rowing, Savage, the previous captain of the guard, leading them, and a large man with dark skin controlled the rudder, taking directions from the chief. A man stood at the stern, clad in thick leather and iron armor. His boots had a thick soles, making him taller. One boot was insulated to give the illusion of two whole legs. A mask covered his face, also made of leather, held shut by metal clasps on the left of his face. The leather was two tone, black on one side, red on the right. The man's bright green eyes shone out from behind the mask, but all other parts of his identity were hidden. Outside, the new chief of the Outcasts looked twice as threatening as the previous, the very image of him invoked the sound of violins and drums. But on the inside, there was an insecure teenage boy on his way home.

Home. He smiled, no one seeing it.

"Shida sana zenye msisimko yako, naona." Barely containing your excitement, I see. The man at the steer board spoke.

"Kama tu ungeliweza kuona uso wangu." If only you could see my face. He replied, hiding the joy in his voice.

The other men didn't really like it when the chief and general spoke in that foreign language, but they learned to accept it. Savage, Alvin's right hand man, was asked to step down from his roll of general, but begged to serve the chief, as he was loyal to the tribe. Hiccup allowed him to stay, but put another man above him in rank. This man, this slave, to be his general. But after all the good the chief had done, the men all declared they would follow him anywhere.

This new leader was quite the change from Alvin, a breath of fresh air. His first meeting was a general sit down with the troops. If anyone wanted to go back to the Atolls with their families, they were allowed to go. The conquest of Berk was cancelled, instead, there would be a treaty and trade opened between the two islands. And he said that the dragon problem would be taken care of as well. Pacified, two-thirds of the company left. Those who stayed said they would dismantle the camps and then go home. He choose six men out of the many that volunteered, to go to Berk. No weapons were to be taken, and they would fly the white flag of surrender. Only one ship, just to delegate the peace treaty, would sail. Savage was watched carefully. If there was anyone that would try to start a war with Berk, it would be him. But, so far, Savage followed every order faithfully. Hiccup secretly knew that he was afraid of losing his position. It was all he had.

"Dragons ride towards us, Sir!" Savage called from the bow.

Oh gods, this was it. Savage made his way over for instructions. "What do we do?"

"Greet them."

"With what? We've brought no weapons!"

Wart rolled his eyes. "I mean literally greet them. Never mind. Mwaba!" He called over. The Zambian looked up expectantly. "Savage will relieve you, it seems he's forgotten his manners. Please greet these incoming dragons and their riders."

Mwaba smiled.

Two dragons rode towards them. A Nadder and a Gronkle, and they were the most welcoming sight he had ever seen.

"JAMBO!" Mwaba called in his deep, penetrating voice.

"Outcasts!" Astrid shouted back. "It's been a while! State your business or we will set your boat on fire."

Mwaba looked over to Hiccup with a wide smirk. "Is dat her?"

"You bet your buttons it is."

"She es...a wild one."

"Oh, you have no idea." The teen laughed back.

"Speak up!" Astrid called back.

"Weh kum en peace!" Mwaba shouted back.