Together Forever

Setting Off

10 days later

Rowan's POV

Vikings on Berk had really started adjusting to dragons. The most stubborn of them all was me. I still wasn't willing to like dragons. I still hated them with a passion. I saw my sister. I was sure she had been avoiding me since Hiccup's mysterious disappearance.

"Delta."

"What do you want, Rowan?" She demanded.

"I wanted to know why you've been avoiding me."

She turned around to look at me now, "I've been avoiding you because you hate dragons. You aren't even giving them a chance. Now leave me alone, I need to speak with Astrid."

I stood there stunned for a moment and she started to walk away when I shouted after her, "Why should I give them a chance?"

She didn't turn this time, "The only one who can decide that is you." She continued walking away and I didn't stop her this time.

I spent the entire day thinking about those words. And the next. And the next. And the next...

Delta's POV

I wish Rowan hadn't stopped me. This is too important for some nonsense.

There she is.

I had a feeling she'd be in the cove.

"Good morning Astrid."

"Delta. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

"Because I need your help. I finally figured out what is the cause of the raids."

"Really? What?"

"It's a Red Death. They are massive dragons, the size of a mountain. They have a hum that can control the minds of dragons. Make them bow down to the Red Death. Force them to obey it."

She gulped, "How did you find out about it?"

"Believe or not but Barf and Belch told me. They were standing next to me three days ago, during the last raid when I was wondering out loud why the dragons still raided Berk. We need to stop the queen."

"Why?"

"Because it's the last step to gaining peace between Berk and the dragons. The last hesitant people will join with the dragons. We'll all become one people. Can't you see how glorious that future is? How magnificent it will be for one of the biggest dragon-killing villages to change their minds? What course it will set for every other village in the archipelago?"

"Wouldn't that be something? To have all of the villages be at peace with each other and dragons. It's the kind of thing Hiccup only dreamed of. The thing he's been working towards for the past 10 years. The hope that all dragons have held onto no matter how bad the fighting has been."

I smiled at Astrid, she was right. This could swing us all into a momentum that would bring peace between all vikings and dragons, forever. "Then let's go fight a Red Death."

The Next Day

Astrid's POV

Delta and I left a message for her father telling him that we were going to go try to stop the raids. We hoped to be back later today, but that was wishful thinking.

As we flew closer and closer to the nest Stormfly and Delta were becoming increasingly more agitated. "This is a bad idea," Stormfly told us. "Do you even have a plan?"

I realized that we really did not have a plan unless Delta had come up with something.

"Nope, I've got nothing. I was just going to wing it." Stormfly and I stared at Delta.

"Okay, we're landing. We aren't doing this without a plan. That would be stupid."

"Finally, someone with some sense," Stormfly remarked. Delta rolled her eyes at Stormfly.

"So does anyone have any ideas?" I asked.

"How about we try to distract the queen, you know make her disorientated, make her so angry that she'll follow Delta into the clouds without hesitation. Then Delta can make her even madder and get her to either crash into the ground so hard that it kills her or we can blow her up." Delta and I looked at Stormfly.

"You know that might just work. But, how do you suggest we blow her up?"

Delta spoke up, "We could wait for her to build up a lot of gas and I could shoot another plasma blast in her mouth right before she shoots at me. That would do it. But how do we draw her out? She usually sends other dragons to do her dirty work."

That left us thinking.

"Wait, how do dragons get in and out of the volcano?"

"Ummm... There's a passage that you need to fly up to. Or you fly through the top. But, how does that help us?" Said Stormfly.

"If we can get into the volcano, we can get her mad enough while she's still in there then she might follow us out. Then we can make her even madder. We should try to invade at night."

"Why?" Delta asked.

"Oh, I think I know where you are going with this." Said Stormfly.

"Two reasons. First of all, Delta will be able to blend in better while making her mad. But, secondly, and more importantly, the dragons will all be out on a raid forcing her to come out and face us herself."

"That makes sense. Okay, so the plan is to enter the volcano at night and make the queen mad. Then make her mad enough to follow me into the clouds where I make her even madder. She then hopeful will try to hit me with a powerful blast to kill me and I, instead, will shoot a plasma blast into the gas forming in her mouth and kill her. Which if that doesn't kill her hitting headfirst into the ground will hopefully do it. Did I get that right?"

"That's how I pictured it. Stormfly?"

"Same here."

"This is crazy. Even for me." Delta muttered to herself. I burst out laughing. "Oh, did I say that out loud?" That made me laugh even harder.

"Okay, okay. Thanks, Delta. I needed that. I also can't believe that we're going to do this. I mean thinking of going against a dragon the size of a mountain is one thing. But, actually doing it is completely different."

"It's okay, Astrid. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Stormfly reassured me.

"Okay, but what if the queen takes control over you and Delta? What then?" I asked softly. They stilled and I realized that I had discovered our biggest problem. "Oh-no."

"I've got something. It has its disadvantages but I think its advantages are worth it. You might think I'm crazy, but what if we had earplugs? We wouldn't be able to hear her but we wouldn't hear each other either." Replied Delta.

"I think it will work. What about you Stormfly?"

Stormfly thought it over before replying, "I think we have to do it. Our plan does us no good if she controls even one of us."

"So it's settled. I'll make some earplugs." I set to work on making custom earplugs for Delta and Stormfly, out of moss. After about 10 minutes I finally finished them. "Okay let's go. It's better to get there early than to be there late."

We found a sea stack close to the dragon's nest to land on and to wait until the dragons set off.

We waited there all day. Stormfly and Delta were wearing their earplugs and had caught us supper. Soon after we finished the sun started to set.

When the moon peeked over the horizon, the nest erupted with dragons of every kind. Flying towards an unknown destination. As soon as they were out of sight, I knew.

It was time. We set off, to kill a queen.