Hybrid's Retribution

Chapter 3

*Ember's POV*

"Hiccup! What's going on?" I asked as we ran through the village in search of Stoick.
"No time to lose. They'll be here any minute!"
"What do you mean? Who's gonna be here?!" I tried prying him for more information until we finally found Hiccup's dad.
"Dad! There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it son?" Stoick asked.
"Sloan Draemon is on his way."
I felt my entire body tense up. We defeated Sloan. Why was he back? What did he want? Stoick immediately turned his attention to Hiccup.
"I thought Sloan was gone. Was he alone?"
"No... He has ships... A lot."
He's going to attack Berk.
He wants revenge.
"Rally up everyone!" Stoick instructed. "We need everyone prepared for battle. When you're done, meet me at the docks." We both nodded at him and headed to do our mission.
"Tell everyone to gather the children in the Great Hall and then get weapons at the armory. I'll get the others." Hiccup ordered. I nodded and ran towards the nearest group of people I saw. I told them to prepare for battle, and to tell more Berkians. They understood and rushed away.
Within a matter of minutes, the entire village was rushing to prepare for battle. Following what I was told to do next, I flew down to the docks. Everyone had already gotten there, and Sloan's ships were steadily approaching the shore.
"Stand your ground. If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get." Stoick commanded. A few minutes later, more than twenty boats lined up along the sea line of Berk. Sloan climbed out of the boat in front, and walked along the wooden dock.
"Ah, Berk. It's so glad to see all of you again." Sloan said with a tone so calm it sent chills down my spine. The several claw scars littered across his face just made him seem more sinister than ever.
"Drop the act, Sloan. What do you want?" Hiccup snapped. Stoick glares at Hiccup for a brief moment before turning his attention back to Sloan.
"Why Hiccup, can't a person just visit the closest people he knows? You did just destroy my island after all."
"We're not friends, Sloan," Hiccup said bluntly. "Now why are you here?"
"Unless you want another beat down?" Tuffnut taunted.
"Well, I guess straight to the point it is then," We all tensed up as he reached behind him and pulled out his curved sword and pointed it straight at me.
"I want the hybrid."
I felt everyone's eyes on me. Why didn't he just destroy the village? Why did he want to take me happen? And what would happen if I didn't go with him?
"Not a chance, Sloan. Ember's not going anywhere." Hiccup said.
"Ember's a part of Berk. She stays here." Astrid agreed. Then, Sloan sighed.
"Very well. If the hybrid is with Berk, then she'll go down with it."
The next thing we know, Sloan raises a fist towards the sky, and five flaming boulders went flying out of catapults towards the village. And, hundreds of Stonehedge Vikings charge from the boats. I spread my wings wide in order to block their path, and I grabbed the nearest Viking. I twisted his hand so he would drop his sword, and punched him hard in the face. Immediately, the Viking dropped to the ground. I grabbed another Viking with my tail, and threw her back onto one of the boats.
We all fought off our fair share of Stonehedge men and women. But despite our best efforts, several Vikings got past us and began heading to the village.
"Protect the people!" Stoick yelled, fighting off a Stonehedge male.
With those orders in mind I finished of the Viking I was fighting, and flew off towards the village.
What I saw was absolute chaos.
The flaming boulders had set most of the village ablaze. Berk and Stonehedge Vikings were fighting each other for dear life.
I felt even more flames enter the corner of my eyes.
Breathe. Don't freak out here. It would do more harm than good.
I sped towards the chaos, and knocked out a Stonehedge Viking who had cornered a woman. The Berkian nodded at me before charging back into battle once more. By now, the others had arrived at the heat of battle, and joined in. Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins were desperately trying to fight off the flames, while Hiccup, Stoick, and Snotlout were fighting off Stonehedge. But with every Viking we defeated, it seemed like a dozen more took their place.
At this rate, Berk will fall.
I rushed down towards the dock where Sloan was still standing. His scars stretched from his smirk, as I forced the words out of my throat.
"I'll go with you."
Sloan smiled sinisterly as he signaled behind him. A horn blew from the main ship, and all the Stonehedge Vikings fled back to the docks.
"I knew you would see things my way." Sloan smirked. A couple of guards began to grab me, and walk me to the main ship.
"I'm going. You don't have to force me." I said, yanking my arms out of their grasps.
"Ember? What are you doing?" I heard someone ask behind me. I glanced, and saw Hiccup standing on the sand with a shocked expression on his face. Bittersweetly, I smiled at him.
"I'm doing what's best for Berk. Goodbye, Hiccup."
"Ember! No! Let me go!" Hiccup yelled as Stoick held him back. I was sent to the brig, and as the boat moved I waited for whatever Helheim had in store for me.

*Hiccup's POV*

"Please! Let me go!" I yelled, struggling against Dad's grasp.
"Stop! You can't do anything for her now." Dad said.
"I would listen to your father, Hiccup," Sloan said, smirking down at us from the ship. "And you should know if you come for her, I can't guarantee you will find her alive." And with that warning, they pulled off and left Berk.
"We have to go after them." I said, bluntly.
"How?" Astrid asked. "We're outnumbered, out of resources, and badly hurt."
"She's right, Hiccup," Dad said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Ember's a strong girl. She can take care of hersel. We need to focus on fixing the damages Sloan and his people did. After that, we can make a plan on how to rescue her."
They were right, but that still didn't stop me from worrying.
We finished the rest of the day putting out fires, rebuilding houses, and taking care of our wounded. But, the damage was too much for one day, so we decided to finish it up tomorrow. As I laid in bed and tried to go to sleep, Sloan's words kept echoing in my head.
You might not find her alive.
You might not find her alive.
You might not find her alive.
I stood alone in a white room. The walls flowed so bright it was almost blinding.
Hiccup...
I turned around to find the source of the sound, but no one was their.
Hiccup...
Still no one.
Then out of nowhere, Ember appeared in the room. Tears streaming down her face.
"Hiccup... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"Why?" I tried asking, but no noise came from my throat. Then a black shadow appeared behind her. I tried to warn her, but I was still inaudible as the shadow prepared to stab Ember. It raised its hand with a knife held in it.
"Hiccup... I lo- Ah." Ember gasped as the metal dig itself into her back. She lurched forward, and as the shadow disappeared, she began to fall.
I raced towards her.
Suddenly, I bolted up out of the bed. I was still in my room. My sudden wakening disturbed Toothless, and he grumbled at me in concern.
I couldn't stay here anymore.
"Come on, Bud. We're going after Ember." I told my best friend. He coped slightly as I packed up my satchel. "I can't sit here while Sloan has Ember." I said as Toothless and I snuck out of the house while Dad slept. Once we were out of the house, I climbed onto Toothless and prepared to take off. Until we heard an unfamiliar dragon growl. Toothless groaned in confusion.
"What the heck was that?" I asked. We crept towards the noise and found a dragon about to take off. In the pale moon light, he towered over the small bushes on the forest floor. He head was elongated like most dragons, but on the top of his nose he had a sharp horn sticking out of it. And the horns on top of his head branches out into three sections like a tree. I gasped at the sight of it, and it heard me.
And charged at us.
The dragon knocked me off off Toothless, and tried to attack me. But, Toothless launches Plasma Blast, knocking it off of me. The two of them began to fight, just as my dad and the others were running towards us.
"What in Thor's name is going on?!" Dad yelled. Just as he said that, the mysterious dragon let out a huge roar. Toothless looked at it in surprise before getting off of it. I'm the glow of Dad's lantern, I noticed that the dragon's scales were a familiar orange. Too familiar. I walked over to Dad and asked.
"Can I borrow your lantern?"
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
Reluctantly, he handed me his lantern and I crept over to the dragon. Slowly, I lifted the lantern up to see its eyes glaring at me.
Its pink eyes.
I looked at him in shock.
"Ember's Dad?"
"What?" Astrid gasped.
"This is Ember's Dad!"
"I thought Sloan killed Ember's Dad. Along with all the other Burning Phoenix." Fishlegs said. Ember's Dad groaned at our conversation, as if to say he didn't finish him off.
"We have to get Ember now. We need to form a plan. We need to-"
"We will, Hiccup. We just need time." Dad said.
"Yeah Hiccup. It's just Ember," Snotlout scoffed. "It's not like you two are dating." I felt my stomach knot up at his words and heat rise up to my face. With that, they all walked back to their houses, leaving me, Toothless, and Ember's Dad.
"We'll get her back soon," I said, turning to him. "I promise." I held up my hand to him to show he could trust me. But, he just glared at it, walked away, and curled up next to a nearby tree.