Arcen's Storm

Fishlegs

We flew as fast as we could back to Dragon's Edge. Neither I nor Snotlout said anything.

The event kept replaying in my mind, Hiccup was talking to the strange rider, then a Titan Skrill showed up and there were tons of dragons attacking. There was fire, lightning, tail spines, and scalding water flying in every direction. Then there was a blinding flash, Toothless went down and I was knocked off Meatlug, Hookfang grabbed me and Meatlug before we hit the ground. Then we just left… 

" We shouldn't have left Hiccup and Toothless, " I said, not realizing I said it out loud at first. 

" Did you see how many dragons there were?! And how that big blue Skrill just knocked Toothless out of the sky like he was nothing?! It doesn't take a genius to know we need Astrid, the twins, and maybe the Axillary team to even get close," Snotlout exclaimed, his voice was unsteady. 

I waited for him to ruin his speech by adding the usual, ' Good thing I am a genius and knew we would lose, ' or, ' Me and Hooky could have taken them all out by ourselves but we didn't want to make you look bad, ' but he didn't say anything like that.

" There's something off with that cloaked rider, Fishlegs. The way he growled and hissed at Meatlug, the way he didn't seem to understand us, the way his Skrill coordinated with all those other dragons…, " there was something about the seriousness of his voice that unsettled me.  Snotlout, like the twins, always had a joke, a boast, or tried to run away but he wasn't trying any of that. 

" What if he kills Hiccup? "

I didn't respond, I didn't know how to. The question was so offbeat for someone like Snotlout that it caught me completely off guard. Also, I didn't want to even consider that possibility. 

" He… he won't, " I replied, racking my brain for any reason why the rider wouldn't kill him, for any glint of mercy or humanity in his actions but all I could remember was his piercing blue eyes and his terrifying Titan Skrill. 

Snotlout didn't respond but we both flew faster. 

The sun had set before we reached the Edge, the night was cold and still. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when I heard a familiar flapping sound. 

Windshear’s metallic scales glittered in the moonlight, the Razorwhip gave a grumble of irritation when her rider pulled her too close to Meatlug. But it wasn’t Heather flying Windshear.  

“ Ruffnut?! Why are you flying Windshear, “ Snotlout asked before I could?

“Long story, “ she replied, “ we need to get back to Dragon’s Edge before there's no Edge to get back to. Where’s hiccup? “

“ Also a long story, we’re just gonna have to do this without him. Then we can go save him. What are we up against? “

“ At least a dozen hunter ships, Astrid and Tuffnut are still on the Edge, “ with that she turned and raced back, us right behind her. 

Ruffnut wasn’t exaggerating at the number of ships and some had already made it to the cove. 

“ Snotlout, Ruff, let's find the others first and focus on the hunters on land, “ I called, no one argued with me, and flew toward the direction of a strange gibbering sound which could have only been made by one person. 

Ryker, Heather, and a small band of Dragon Hunters were standing on the beach, facing a cliffside, Tuffnut and Chicken were standing on top of that cliff. A swarm of Night Terrors erupted from the island, coming together and forming the shape of a giant Night Fury. 

Unfazed, Ryker nocked an arrow and loosed, nailing Smidvarg. 

The Night Terrors broke formation.

“ You don’t think I’ve seen what Night Terrors can do? You people never learn, “ Ryker said smugly.

“ I could say the same for you, Ryker, “ Astrid countered, Stormfly fired a magnesium blast at the Terrors and they swarmed the hunters on the beach. 

“ Hey, “ Snotlout called to her, “ miss me?”

I knew his serious act wouldn’t hold for long… 

“ Can’t believe I’m about to say this but I’m happy to see you, “ she replied, “Where’s Hiccup? “

“ We’ll get him back, I promise, but right now we have to deal with this, “ I explained. 

She nodded, “ Clear the beach, then get the ships. I sent a Terror mail to the A-team a while ago, they should be here soon. “

Ryker, Heather, and another hunter had begun to scale the cliff, Tuffnut shouted something then threw Chicken at the hunter and jumped down at Ryker. 

Once Ryker recovered from falling off the cliff, Tuffnut on top of him, he unsheathed his swords and stepped toward him. Meatlug fired at his feet and Tuffnut scrambled away. 

Heather sounded her horn, Windshear, with Ruffnut still on, hovered directly below her. She dropped onto her Razorwhip and knocked Ruffnut off. 

Tuffnut was waiting below with Barf n’ Belch. 

With the gang mostly back together we opened fire on the hunters sending all the ones on the beach running toward the ocean but the more hunters that made it back to their ships the more hunters fired on us from the heavily armored vessel. 

The comforting guttural roar of a Rumblehorn echoed throughout the night sky, the bright moonlight illuminated a Hideous Zippleback, a Monstrous Nightmare, a Gronckle, a Deadly Nadder, and a Rumblehorn flying over the Edge.

Reinforcements had arrived. 

With the combined power of the A-team and most of the dragon riders, we sank six dragon hunter ships and sent four sailing away. 

With the main threat dealt with Astrid turned to me, joined by Stoic, “ Now, where's Hiccup? “