Chapter 18
~ Hiccup's POV ~

I could feel the life leaving my body as I finally untangled my leg from the wire.
The water around my leg had gone red and the pain was excruciating. I thrust myself up hoping to free my tied up flesh, and I did. I launched up through the muggy water until my face burst through the surface of the water. I was so faint that I was struggling to swim and I had wondered if I would make it at all.

Everything was in complete destruction and no one who had been in the Tower with me could be seen.
I grabbed a piece of debris and tried to focus on what had just happened.

One minute I was fighting Mackenzie before my 'death' and now I was drowning in a huge granite bowl in the centre of the island!

"Is anybody out there?!" I yelled, weakly, desperate for a reply.

Out of a tunnel in the wall leaned Snotlout.

"Snotlout?!" I gasped in confusion. "I should of known wherever you go the island would cave! Let me guess, the twins are here too?"

He grinned excitedly but before he could say a word, Heather leapt out behind and punched him in his right temple, knocking him out.
"Sorry...Snotlout." She snapped.

I looked up and saw her jump from the tunnel into the water and swim towards me.
I dived under so she couldn't see me anymore and grabbed her legs from underneath. She kicked and fought against me, but I was strong with anger and held fast.

That was until she broke loose and kicked me in the face.

I burst up behind her and held my dagger to her throat.

"Swim." I ordered, viper-like.

She, of course, obeyed, and together we swam to a ledge near the edge of the pit. "Where is Toothless?!" I demanded angrily, drawing the knife closer.

Then all at once she looked at me, those green emerald eyes softening and I saw the Heather I knew in this stranger's face.
She slowly dropped to her knees and cried into her hands.
"I don't know..."

I knelt down by her, resting a gentle, comforting hand on her shoulder. "Eddval betrayed all of us, Heather...you're not alone." I assured her, my voice low.

She looked up to me, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.
"Hiccup...What are you doing?.....I have betrayed you, yet here you are, on your knees beside me...wiping the blood from my forehead..."

I smiled slightly and stopped cleaning the wound she had mentioned.
It came naturally, I immediately wanted to free anyone of any pain they were in.

"I'm no better than you...we're all in this mess together."

She forced a little smile and silently lifted her hand to wipe away a drop of blood sliding down my own face.

"I've made some mistakes...," she admitted, "some real big mistakes...but, will you give me another chance...Eddval promised me, he gave me his word that he would protect me...he was lying...I should have known. But I was blinded by loneliness and fear...I couldn't sense the pain, I can feel it now, and it hurts like crazy. Can you ever forgive me for everything I've done to you...?"

"Sure...C'mere..." I sighed, dragging her into a hug.
I needed a hug, I didn't care who it was from.
If it was from the girl who nearly got herself and I killed, so be it.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

"You can thank me when you get me my dragon back." I chuckled, pulling away.

"That sounds a little more like Astrid."

I nodded, slipping the dagger into my belt. "I know. She said that when I let you betray me the first time."

I grabbed the edge of the wall and started climbing up the crumbling bowl.
Almost the entire village had gathered around the rim to watch and I climbed up to them.
Erik gave me a hand on the last stretch.
"We warned you." He said with a smile.

"It's a good thing that I never listen." I smirked back.

Erik and I gave Mackenzie a hand up the last bit and Erik coiled his arms around her.

"You'll find him better from the sky." Advised Erik, pulling back and gesturing to Luca and his dragon stood ready to fly.

I nodded and leapt aboard with the boy, leaving my friends behind.
"Fly."

We took off in flight scanning the island for any signs of Toothless.
"Any ideas?" I asked mindlessly, willing to try anything.

"Nope...but, they look...strange?" called Luca back with a point toward two people heading for the Dragon Cave.

I stared for a moment, I knew one of those people very well and I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Go."

Luca dropped down slowly as he was still learning how to guide his dragon and we landed in front of the two people.

At first, she held up her axe up at me and started running towards us with a war cry, but then she stopped in her tracks and stared.

There she was.
My Astrid.

Her long blonde hair twisted into a plait, her rosy cheeks, her sapphire eyes.
She hadn't changed since I had last laid eyes on her besides that she was filthy and her eyes were red with tears.
The man behind her stopped for a moment and looked from Astrid, then he looked at Luca and stared.

Luca stared back at him and silence ripped through us all.

"Hiccup...Y-you're alive?..." whispered Astrid, her voice breaking.

I continued staring until I looked nervously down at my feet.
"I-I thought you weren't c-coming back for me..."

Astrid gulped and took a step towards me. "Hiccup, I would never leave you behind...I never could, even if I wanted to..." She whispered back, walking a bit closer, tears slipping over her cheeks.

She hardly recognized me. I was different from my voice to my entire appearance.
And I was ashamed of it.

"Hiccup...I t-thought you were dead..." She murmured, her voice low and nervous.

I finally looked up and she saw those eyes that she had missed so much again.
All those hours of tears that had worked up to this moment and now here she was, and I couldn't even move my feet.

"I have never been so glad to see anyone, in all my life!" She gasped.

She ran forward and threw her arms around my shoulders and I slowly wrapped my arms around her, I thought this moment would never have come, I wasn't ready.
I gently pulled back and looked into her eyes, those blue eyes that melted my heart and took my breath away every time they fell upon me.
Very slowly I reached my hand up to her and rested it upon her face before drawing her in and kissing her gently. My hand was trembling so much, I couldn't help it, my heart was soaring and I felt like I was dreaming again. Astrid wrapped her fingers around mine and leant into me, a teary smile breaking out on her dirty face.
I smiled slowly too and squeezed her hand for reassurance. "I-I'm sorry...I thought I would never see you again..." I whispered down her ear, leaning my forehead against hers.

"It's okay...Niether did I...But, one person knew she would see you again..."

I let out the slightest laugh and sighed deeply. "Lucy...my little Lucy."

Astrid smiled and sighed deeply too. "Yes...She misses you...a lot..."

I stepped back and took a deep breath, but I never let go of her hand. The tears sparkled in my eyes and I tried to blink them back but instead succeeded in tipping them down my face. I quickly wiped them away with my sleeve.

"What's up with you two?" I asked Luca and Solomon who were still staring at one another like they had seen a ghost.

"Luca?..." whispered Solomon.
He swallowed hard and took a step towards Luca. "Y-you're alive?"

Luca nodded and a smile broke out on his face. It took a couple more seconds before they thrust themselves into a tight hug.

"I never thought I'd see you again, little brother!" Laughed Solomon.

"Yeah, I thought I was alone when they took Eva away from me...but you're alive..." Luca sighed, pulling back with relief shining in his eyes. "So now I know that isn't true."

Solomon laughed heartily and threw a hand on either side of Luca's face. "I have Eva! She's safe! And Arianna, and Grandpa, all of us, we're safe..."

Tears slid down Luca's face and he hugged his elder brother again.

"Who's this?" I asked, gesturing to Solomon.

"Solomon..." answered Astrid nervously, worried I thought there was more to it than him simply helping her. "He's just been helping me."

To be honest, whatever might have happened between them, as it was obvious by Astrid's guilty eyes, I didn't care.

Well, not right now anyway.

"Who's this?" she asked, pointing to Luca.

"This is Luca." I grinned proudly, giving the guy a gentle and playful elbow to the shoulder.

"Well, now we all know each other...We need to find Toothless..." I ushered, that same stinging worry consuming me again.

Astrid nodded in agreement. "We were just headed that way to the Dragon Cave when you landed."

I shook my head and finally, also hesitantly, let go of my wife's hand as I was afraid that if I let go, I would lose her again. "We already looked there, but he is somewhere on the island because Eddval was in the Strike Tower with me."

We stood in thought for just a few moments when a scream echoed from not too far away.
Immediately we all ran in pursuit of the sound chasing the scream back to the gaping hole in the island.

"Don't come any closer!" Yelled the voice.
We skidded to a halt as we saw the view.

Sonya was on her knees about ten foot away from Eddval.
He was sopping wet and had blood running all over him, through his clothes and down his face. He had gashes and cuts all over his arms and worst of all he had Avril Lia enveloped in his fist.
He held a knife to her throat and he was hanging her over the hole.

"Come nearer and I'll kill her!" he yelled at the four of us, whom became six as Snotlout and Eret came to our side.

"Nobody move..." I whispered as I held out my hands nervously. "Eddval...I know you want me, don't hurt her...take me instead."

"No!" he yelled quickly digging the knife a little harder into the crying child's neck. "I will take your life! But first, I want you to make a choice, Haddock. My final chance to prove that good will not always win. This, child's life, or your dragon's life?"

I turned to the side and there I saw Toothless pinned to the floor by soldiers and two other soldiers had Luca pinned down also so he had to hold the sword to the dragon's chest.
There was Luca stood in exactly the same stance I had been when I found him in the woods a decade ago.
But without a choice.

I felt my breath catch in my chest. "Toothless..."

Astrid stepped closer to me and slipped her hand in mine for security.
I looked from the dragon to the girl and back again.
I was back at the beginning again, making a choice.

Life was full of choices and this was one of the hardest one I had ever had to make.

A little girl's precious life, or my best friend?

I struggled with it for about a minute before I knew exactly what the right choice was.
The one that always had been and always would be, the right choice.

"I'm so sorry Toothless...I hope you can forgive me, I know you would do the same should you be in my place...I love you, bud..." I cried, the tears slipping down my face uncontrollably.

It hurt too much for words to console.
"Eddval, let the girl go..."

Eddval just grinned and nodded at the soldiers.

"STOP!"

The cold dark world fell silent as a limping Heather stepped forward from the gathering crowds.

"Black Star...you're alive?..."

"In the flesh." Spat Heather, walking ever closer to him.

"What do you want?"

She stopped a few feet away from Skull-Hunter.
"I know your code, your rules, I've memorised them, I've lived by them. They are bloody and they are lethal to breaking point.
And I regret every single one of them.
Rule number three of the Skull-Hunters, never kill a Night Fury. Eddval you are punishable by death if you kill this dragon.
I know this is true, I was there when it was written."

Silence held as this knowledge dawned on all of us like a plague.
"You are quite right, I could not break my own rules could I! I'll take you as tribute..."

"Toothless now!" I yelled.

Toothless roared and escaped the soldiers before leaping on Eddval and striking him to the ground.

But that wasn't quick enough.
Eddval had already thrown his dagger at Heather.

Avril struggled from the man's grip and ran into Sonya's open arms as the next events unfolded.

Toothless roared victoriously and went to kill Eddval when I shouted at him. "Toothless no!"

The dragon stopped and looked at me, his eyes in slits and his teeth bore. "Toothless, it's not our way...we don't kill, we never have. We can fix this...together, you and me...as one."

Toothless was beaten and scarred from malnourishment and abuse but, he was still Toothless and he still loved me, nothing could ever change that.

His eyes grew big again and he mumbled quietly.

"Yeah, it's me bud...let's just go home." I smiled, walking over to him and stroking his head.

Toothless kept Eddval pinned down and I turned to Luca as the last soldier stood by him, gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked away.

Together, we ran to Heather's side where Erik already was, her head resting in his lap.

The dagger was knifing out of her chest; blood seeping out into a red lake on the floor.

"No no no no no!" Erik groped, desperately trying to do something.

"Thank you H-Hiccup...." She muttered weakly, brushing her fingers against mine.

"You saved Avril and Toothless, Heather, it is you we have to thank." I choked, coughing back the tears.

I didn't feel thing the same as I used to, now death didn't affect me like it had in the past. I had seen too much of it.
Heather took her last breath and Luca and I embraced one another in a hug for a moment, simply enjoying one another's presence in this dreadful but common moment.
As we hugged, a hoard of dragon riders flew toward the island.
Everyone cheered as the gathering soared over-head and the noise was incredible, like a great swarm of bees gliding above.

Soldier's started taking off their helmets and watching the sight.
Never had so many dragons of different colours and sizes filled the skies over the Granite Skull.

As they began to land, Gobber jumped off of Grump and saw me.

"By Great Odin's Ghost you have changed just a wee bit, Hiccup!" He laughed.

I smiled at my mentor before the large man yanked me into a hug.
"It's good to see you're in one piece, lad."

"You too, Gobber."

A gang of soldiers walked toward me, they were battered and bloodied just like I. I presumed they had also been in Strike Tower when the stakes were cut. Erik was leading these men and for the first time I saw an emotion on their faces I had sorely missed from home.

Peace.

They were all relaxed and smiling despite the destruction and debris surrounding them.
They were at peace for the first time in forever.

"Hiccup, what will you have us do with...him? I personally would have let Toothless do the dirty work." Erik sneered with a glance and a gesture at Eddval still captive under Toothless.

"No Erik, his life is not ours to take. But please, do what else you want with him, make him pay for his crimes." I sighed, glaring at the monster of a man.

Erik nodded with a grin, seemingly pleased with the terms of the Dragon Master. "So you do have a dark side. I'll obey that order, with pleasure."

With a flick of his wrist, the group of soldiers launched forward and Toothless reluctantly released the man into their hands.
The Night Fury hopped over to his rider and I hugged him tightly.

"You rescued us again, bud! Thank you."

Toothless spread a lick across my face but then he stopped and sniffed the air, his ears twitching.
"What is it, bud?" I whispered to my nervous dragon.

Toothless rumbled a growl and slunk low to the ground just as other dragons started doing the same thing.

"Toothless, what's wrong?! It's okay, it's over!" I soothed, worriedly.

Eddval laughed from behind and straightened up in the grip of the soldiers.
His damaged pride clearly wasn't completely destroyed.

"This isn't over Dragon Master, this great rescue of yours, it is just the beginning. Our day has come!"

At his deep words, the island began to tremble and people started to lose their balance. Dragons began to fly away or grumble and whimper in fear and what burst from the island crater explained it all.

The Great BewilderBeast back from the grave!

Fishlegs hurried toward me. "It's the Alpha! He's back!" Fishlegs screamed over the noise.

I stumbled back as the ground continued to shake violently. "You're too right. And he's not alone."

"Hiccup...What are you saying?" my friend shakily asked.

I didn't need to answer.
The question was answered in itself as a swarm of NightFuries burst from within the crater like a swarm of angry bats.
They were of all sorts of shapes and sizes and were only black and white.

This was something we had never faced before.

A pit formed in my stomach and my chest grew tight.

Okay...plan B...

I wasn't sure what to do when Eret and Astrid hurried to my side with Luca and Solomon in check.

"Here." Eret smiled, handing me a rolled up, rather battered, red tail.
I took it with smile.

"Go Hiccup, we're right behind you."

I urged a nervous Toothless on as I strapped the tail to the dragon and gave him the signal of being ready.

"Alright Toothless, up!" I shouted, Inferno, my firesword in hand, and determination sparking inside, we left the ground.

When I flew up, so did my army.
Our army was twice the size of Eddval's now, but it wasn't an army of Night Furies.

And so, the violent battle began.

"What's the plan, Hicc?!" Called Astrid from beside me as we started fighting and blowing stuff up.
Ruff and Tuff were probably having a field day!

"The aim isn't to defeat them, that's basically impossible! Try to hold them off for a few minutes, I just need some time to distract the Alpha and get his focus on Toothless, he won't be able to control him, he's immune and our army isn't danger because Toothless is their Alpha. If we can distract the Alpha from the Furies, we can get them under Toothless command and defeat it!" I explained.

It sounded easier than I thought it would be.
Astrid nodded and flew to the left with Solomon and Luca right behind.

"You don't sound too assured in your plan?..." Eret called to me before he left.

I rolled my eyes and bit my lip anxiously. "I'm not. Let's do it." I smiled, excitement burning within.

I did love a risk.

"You're on. If we live, I'll buy you a drink!" Laughed Eret, always the joker.

"Challenge accepted!" I cheered back, soaring up toward the Alpha's face.

The Alpha BewilderBeast was no less ugly than he was when we we last met, if anything, he was worse.
His grey scales were more scarred and damaged, and the old chain Drago had captured him with was still hanging loosely from the one tusk he had remaining.

"Hey munge-bucket! Over here!" I yelled, waving both arms.
Even Toothless was madly roaring to gain the monster's attention.

The BewilderBeast turned to us and I saw a new vengeance in his poisonous eyes.
If he could talk, he would probably be saying something like, 'I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.'

He fired a couple of simple ice blasts at us without success of even getting close and we fired a few at him, but it didn't even make him flinch.

We could get no extra help from other dragons because they were too busy fighting the other NightFuries.

We had to keep enough focus from the BewilderBeast on Toothless to make it forget its army long enough to gain control of it.

"This is fun!" Called Luca with a laugh as he flew up beside us on the back of Hero.

"It is indeed!" I laughed back as Toothless fired again and hit the dragon's eye.

"What's wrong buddy? You got something in your eye!" Squirmed Snotlout as he glided up beside us when the BewilderBeast erupted a roar of pain.

He no longer had a left eye to have something in.

"Do it again! You fire at other eye!" I yelled to Snotlout.

Snotlout nodded and burned the dragon's face.

Now we had a blind BewilderBeast stumbling aimlessly, trying to control his army.

The strongest Furies began to shake their heads violently and escape the BewilderBeast's control as it became weak with the layered defeat.

Toothless let out a roar and the five Night Furies with whom we had been working with came to our sides.
Hero, Ronan, Killer, Buccaneer and Regal.

The five blasts from our Night Furies were ferocious and deadly and we had to shield our eyes from the bright purple flashes that exploded on his face.

It wasn't escaping this one.

From above I could see Eddval had escaped his officers and was climbing the BewilderBeast, yelling like a mad man, a driving force of hatred pushing him further.
He will stop at nothing now.

But as we kept firing, the beast, with an agonising roar and howl, it dived beneath the water and took with it, Eddval Skull-Hunter, never to be seen again...

~*~*~*~
So this was a very full chapter! I hope you got everything in that! This was the one that was the hardest to write and I probably should have made it two chapters, but I didn't, yay! I hope you enjoyed it! What did you think about Heather? What about her sacrificing herself for Hiccup and Avril Lia? What about the Bewilderbeast? What about how Hiccup and Astrid found each other? Anyway, comments are always loved and appreciated! Watch this space for the coming chapters!

~ Httyd_2014 <3