Hybrid's Conciliation

Chapter 8

*Ember's POV*
I didn't know what time of day it was when I woke up. All I could tell was that I was in a cave. At first I thought I was back in my old cave, and the past month was just a dream. Consumed with fear and panic, I lifted myself off the cave flooring. Pain shot up through my arms, causing me to regain my senses. The cave was illuminated with lanterns, with the door to my small area being a metal cage.
The last month was no dream.
I looked down my arms to the source of pain. My eyes widened at the huge scabs on my upper arms where I was bound for so long. The scales on the area were no more, just tortured skin.
A small groan from the cage next to me drew my attention away from my arms.
"Hiccup?" I called out quietly. "Hiccup? Astrid? Snotlout? Where are you guys?"
"Ember?" A voice whispered back from the other side of the stone wall.
"Hiccup?"
"Yeah I'm here,"
"Okay... So what's the plan now?"
"Still working on that. But, I'm guessing Sloan will arrive with his men any minute now."
"So what will happen when Sloan does get here?"
Hiccup was silent for a few minutes.
"I honestly don't want to think about what could happen."
I wake up, and I find out I only have a few minutes left to live. Lovely.
I glance around the room for the quickest escape route. The walls are pure rock, so digging through them wouldn't work. Even if it did, someone would come and find our escape plan. The dirt was also way to tough to dig through as well.
That left the front gate being the only way in and out.
But how to get it open.
I rushed over to the door, and glanced down the halls for any guards. No shadows on the wall indicating someone was coming.
I nudged the door slightly with my foot. The door surged forward slightly, but moved back into its locked position. I grazed my thumb over my talons thinking.
That's it!
I carefully weaved my arm through the bars, and as my talon successfully reached the keyhole, my arm bumped one of the bars. I hissed my teeth.
Iron. Why do Vikings always make everything out of iron?
"Ember? What are you doing?"
"Trying to pick this lock. Now shush."
Finally, the door lock clicked and the door swung open with a creak. I rushed out and over to Hiccup's cell. Quickly, I picked his lock and undid his ropes once the door was open.
"Great thinking Ember." Hiccup whispered.
"Thanks, but save the compliments for when we get out of here."
I went to the others cells, picked their locks, and Hiccup and I undid their ropes. All we had to do now was find the dragons, and we were freed.
We quickly walked through the cave tunnels, and thankfully it wasn't long before we heard the groaning and growling of dragons. But, of course, there had to be two guards standing watch over them.
"Okay, does anyone have any ideas?" I asked. Everyone was silent, until Snotlout moved ahead of us.
"Snotlout what are you doing?" Astrid quietly shouted.
"I got an idea. Just shut up and watch."
"You're gonna get us captured again." Fishlegs snapped. But, Snotlout didn't listen. He took off his helmet, and threw it across the hall. It landed at the far end of the hall with a loud clatter.
The guards jolted at the sound, causing us to push ourselves against the wall to avoid being seen. Thankfully, the guards left their posts and searched for the cause of the noise.
We rushed out of our hiding spot and I picked I hoped the last lock I have to pick for awhile. The lock springs open, and all the dragons flooded out of the cell to their trainers.
"Hey! Get away from there!" The guards shouted. But, it was too late. The dragons were free and we hit them with full, fiery barrage. The guards ran away to either get help or put themselves out. I honestly have no idea. The Viking teens climbed onto the dragons and ran down the tunnel hall.
"Woohoo!" Ruffnut yelled as we all busted out of the tunneled dungeon. Automatically, Stonehedge men began launching arrows at us. Arrows came into my view and I shout a few fireballs in their direction, destroying the arrows and causing the people to scatter. The battle continued, and soon flames roared all over the village. But, while the village burned, people still kept attacking. The dragons roared and spread even more fire to protect themselves.
Now, I was free from hiding.
Now, I could do something.
I could protect the dragons from the Berkians.
My eyes widened at the thought. My vision began to blur. Soon, Stonehedge Island turned into Berk. My chest began to tighten in panic.
But soon turned into anger.
Dragons have been oppressed by Vikings for far too long. No more hiding. It's time to fight back.
I let out a deep beast-like roar. All the Berkians turned their heads towards me, and fired another round of arrows. Again, a single flamethrower destroyed them all.
Before they could launch another round, I aimed my flames at the ground and chased a row of Vikings off screaming. They deserved this. I will protect the dragons from these ruthless, murderous beasts. They've slaughtered dragons for too long now. It's time for them to feel the same pain.
It's time for them to die.
With a thirst for blood, I grabbed the closest Viking running from me and lifted him up from the ground.
"What are you doing? Stop! Let me go!" He cried as I carried him over the sea.
"As you wish." I said with a cruel grin.
I dropped him into the sea.
He screamed all the way down until he met the ocean 40 feet below me. I felt no remorse.
I burned another Viking alive.
I clawed another Viking until he bled to death.
The crackling of fire, and screams were the only things filling my ears.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" A voice said behind me. I snapped my head at the sound. Sloan stood there with an evil grin on his face. A low growl erupted from my throat.
"That Hiccup boy was foolish. I mean, look at you. How could you dragons be anything other than beasts?"
"How could humans be nothing but judgmental and prejudice against anything that doesn't think and act just like you?"
"At least humans are capable of rational thought, unlike you rabid beasts. You have been a problem ever since you've been alive. And, you know what we do to problems with no solutions? We destroy them!"
Sloan pulled out his sword, and charged at me. I quickly jumped out of the way, and shot a fireball at him. He rolled out of the line of fire and charged once more. Right before he struck me, I grabbed his foot with my tail, and threw him from me. I turned and walked away, thinking he would be gone.
Until I heard chuckling.
"You know," He said, rising from the ground. "The one thing I've always wanted to ask is why do you do what you do? Do you have some sick euphoria whenever you see villages starving? Do you enjoy watching houses burn? Or hearing the screams of innocent people? The tears of families crying for their dead loved ones?"
"Like your species is so innocent!" A deep voice unlike my own tore from my throat. "Don't play the victim here! You've done so much worse the dragons! Do you enjoy leaving dragons hungry, homeless, and alone? Humans have cause dragons so much suffering!"
"So you feel like all Vikings should die because of what they have done to you and your kind?" Sloan asked.
"What kind of question is that?! Of course they all should die! The world would be so much better without your destructive species destroying it!"
"You're just like me." Sloan said, charging at me. I dodged his sword once more.
"I am nothing like you."
"You and I both have ideas we would kill for. We both see something that we both feel defies our beliefs, and we destroy it for to make the world better."
"No, you destroy for no good reason other than to better yourself! And when your actions cause you misfortune, you play the victim!"
"I can say the very same about you. It didn't seem like anyone threatened you."
"Shut up!" I shouted, charging again at Sloan. He easily dodged my sloppy attack. "You don't know a single thing about me! You just kill and destroy! You're a monster!"
Sloan laughed.
"I'm a monster? Look around you! You dragons destroyed my island! Just like when I was a boy! A blue-eyed Burning Phoenix came to my island and destroyed everything! My entire family gone! You're the monster! Not me!"
"So you wiped out my entire species just for some revenge plot? Thanks for giving me reason to wipe your species out."
Sloan chuckled at my words.
"Yes. And one thing I've noticed about your species. You all have different eye colors. Blue. Brown. Green. Gray. In fact, the one I killed three years ago had a pink eye color."
I froze at his words.
I laid in my fathers arms, looking up at his long face. He smiled at me and brought his head down towards me and nuzzled my body. Child-like laughter came from me, and I grabbed the small horn at the tip of his nose, and brought him closer in the best hug my small body could manage. He purred the the gesture.
"I love you so much, Ember. Never forget your father's love. You're going to make me and your mother so proud. Your mom and I love you so much. Always be strong and brave. Take care of your mother for me please." I stared into his big pink eyes and nodded. Mom took me out of his arms, and she hugged him goodbye. Then he flew away, never to be seen again.
I didn't realize I was crying until I felt tears run down my face.
He will pay.
He will suffer for what he's done.
Dad, you won't die in vain!
I let out a battle cry, and it echoed throughout Berk. I charged angrily at Sloan, causing him to smirk and charge at me as well. Quickly, I grabbed the arm the held his sword, and twisted it behind his back, causing him to drop his sword. He elbowed my side in retaliation, knocking me off of him. Once he gained control, he swung at me, but I ducked and lunges upward, grabbing his throat. The both of us fell to the ground, with Sloan squirming underneath me. He tried prying me off of him, but his attempts were futile.
Filled with rage and sorrow, I began punching and clawing at his face. His face gushed our blood from my attacks. I could see Sloan screaming, but the sound of my own heart beat drowned out his cries of terror.
Suddenly, a voice slowly overcame my ears. It was screaming..
My name?
"Ember! Stop!" The voice screamed. The island of Berk left my vision and was replaced with Stonehedge Island. I turned my head and saw Hiccup.
Him and the rest of the gang stared at me in horror.
I turned my head back to Sloan. His face was bloodied beyond all recognition. One eye was swollen shut, while to other was wide with terror. Quickly, I got off Sloan and flew fast away, wiping my eyes with my forearm. The wind filled my ears as I clapped as hard as I could.
"Ember! Watch out!" Hiccup screamed. I don't know what I was supposed to watch out for, but whatever it was, it hit me in my back, causing me to falter and fall out of the sky. I landed in the ocean, and dark spots began to flutter in and out of my vision. Water flooded my lungs as I sunk deeper.
My vision completely darkest as a humanoid figure splashed into the ocean.