Hiccup's Point of View
The silence held.
Heavy. Suffocating. Absolute.
I stood tall—expression unreadable, claws still extended, gaze fixed on the man who once called himself my father.
And then...
One of his warriors stepped forward. Young. Brash. That gleam in his eye—pride. Arrogance. Ignorance.
He couldn't take it anymore. Maybe it was the pressure. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was just stupidity.
He stepped into the ring, yelling, "You think you're in any position to give orders, you freak?! You're just a cursed brat with delusions of power!"
I didn't even blink.
He smirked, clearly thinking his little outburst gave him some kind of upper hand. That being close to Stoick made him invincible.
I tilted my head slightly.
Poor bastard.
A soft hiss sliced through the tension.
Then the ground beneath him shuddered.
A ripple of invisible force slithered across the arena like something ancient awakening beneath the earth.
His smirk faded.
Then she appeared.
From behind the stone columns, her shimmering body undulated into view like a phantom of death.
Veil.
My precious Changewing.
She shimmered back into visibility mid-air, directly above the fool. Her wings were vast, her body coiled with elegance and malice, and her glowing eyes pulsed with feral judgment.
Before the warrior could raise his sword—
HSSSSHHH!!
The stream of acid caught him full in the chest.
His scream tore through the arena like a dying animal. Everyone—Stoick, the guards, the elders—everyone—watched in horror as the flesh peeled from his bones. His armor melted, bubbling into his skin. His hands clawed at his face, trying to stop it, but it was too late.
He collapsed in a twitching heap.
Still alive. Still screaming.
Veil landed beside the corpse, her claws clicking ominously on the stone.
Her wings flared wide as she rose high above the stands, tail lashing behind her like a vengeful spirit.
And then—through the link—her voice boomed in every mind:
"NO LOWER LIFEFORM SHALL TOUCH WHAT BELONGS TO MY ALPHA!
TO EVEN THREATEN HIS FAMILY IS TO INVITE DEATH!
ALL INSECTS SHALL BURN!"
The air split with her rage. Her screech echoed into the sky.
The crowd froze. Warriors dropped their weapons. Some fell to their knees, hands trembling. One woman collapsed entirely, foaming at the mouth from terror.
I kept a straight face.
Unmoving.
But inside?
I sweat-dropped.
Okay... maybe I'd taken a little too much inspiration from Overlord. Just a bit.
Still. It was effective.
And then... as if on cue—
The sky answered.
A roar from the east. Then the crash of wings.
Fang—the Monstrous Nightmare—burst through a pillar of smoke, flames coiling around his body like a living inferno. His red scales gleamed like molten iron, and his snarling jaws snapped at the wind.
From the north, Razorwind, my Deadly Nadder, soared in a zig-zagging arc, tail spikes gleaming like razors. His eyes locked onto me, then the enemies below, and he screeched.
The ground shook as Thrash, my Speed Stinger, darted through the arena gates like lightning made flesh. He zipped in, slicing past shocked warriors before settling behind me—eyes glowing with murder.
From the cliffs, a shadow fell.
Then Ironbark, my Timberjack, glided down with wings that could black out the sun. His massive wingspan spread above the arena, throwing it into a sudden eclipse. He circled once, then perched like a god watching ants.
And finally—
A monstrous wave crashed over the cliffs and surged into the lower arena pit. From within it, Torrent, my Scauldron, rose with a roar that could split mountains. Steam hissed off his body as boiling water dripped from his jaws.
All six stood together now.
The Vanguard.
My blade. My shield. My storm.
Behind me, I heard Freya gasp in awe. Luna hummed with satisfaction. Astrid giggled softly.
I took a breath and stepped forward, claws at my sides.
My voice rang loud and clear.
"One warning, Stoick. That was it. One."
I let the words hang like a guillotine.
"Now... choose. Surrender... or burn."
Stoick snapped.
The pressure, the fear, the realization that the little boy he once ignored had become something far beyond his control—it broke him.
"This is treason!" he roared, his voice booming through the trembling arena. "You've sided with the enemy! If you're not cursed, then you've betrayed us all! You've betrayed Berk!"
He was red-faced, trembling with rage, like a volcano moments from eruption. "You've aligned with dragons, with beasts, with the very things that took—!"
I raised a claw, casually.
"Enough."
He froze.
I sighed, as if bored with his performance. "You really don't listen, do you?"
I stepped toward the edge of the arena, giving a sharp whistle.
"Hookfang." I looked at the Nightmare. "Mind giving me a lift?"
Hookfang growled in approval, lowering himself to the ground with a thud. I climbed up effortlessly and with a beat of his mighty wings, we were airborne—rising until I hovered just above the crowd.
Let them see me.
I met Stoick's gaze, locking onto those furious eyes.
"I've joined no side," I called down, my voice projecting with the weight of command. "I've created my own."
Gasps echoed. The villagers trembled.
"I don't bow. Not to Berk. Not to dragons. Not to you. And in all honesty..." My lip curled in disgust. "I care very little for you."
Stoick flinched.
Good.
I inhaled deeply, then said in a voice that echoed across the arena like the crack of a whip:
"I am not cursed. The only thing this village cursed... was me. You hurt me so deeply that a child—a four-year-old child—learned to hate."
The silence was total.
"I had no mother," I said sharply.
That hit him.
Stoick's eyes widened. His breath caught. The name hung between us like an unspoken wound.
"Valka."
He staggered. For a moment, just a moment, he looked like a man, not a chief. Just a father who failed.
But I wasn't finished.
"I know secrets, Stoick. More than you ever dared whisper. I know what happened that night. I know why you buried her memory. I know about the man you fear even now. Drago."
The arena gasped.
I leaned forward on Hookfang's back, sneering down.
"And I want you to know... compared to me, Drago is filth. A shadow waiting to be erased."
I swept my eyes over the stunned crowd.
"I know many things about this world. And in time, it will know me. They will bow. Not out of fear—but because I earn their loyalty. Because unlike Drago, I care for those under my command. I protect my family."
I gave a flick of my claw in the air.
At once, Ironbark and Torrent launched skyward.
The Timberjack's wings expanded like razors slicing the heavens. He dove with terrifying speed, his blade-like wings slashing through the heavy iron dome chains holding the arena closed.
CLANG—SNAP—SHRIEK!
The dome creaked and groaned as it began to fall.
Before it could crush anyone, Torrent surged from the cliffs with a massive bellow. His jaws clamped onto the metal frame. With a violent twist, he flung it through the air—sending it crashing into the nearby homes of Berk with explosive force.
Stone and wood splintered.
Smoke rose.
Let them feel the collapse of their illusion.
Hookfang landed smoothly as the crowd backed away in terror. I stepped down, barely sparing Stoick a glance.
"Fang," I said calmly. "Veil needs relief."
Fang growled and prowled toward Luna, Astrid, and Freya—standing guard like a flaming sentinel. Luna smiled at him without fear. Astrid rested against her. Freya waved.
Meanwhile, Veil glided down beside me, her sleek form shimmering. The moment her feet touched the ground, she bowed—lowering her head beneath mine.
I reached out and scratched under her neck.
Her purr was like a beast coiled in contentment, but the glow in her eyes remained deadly.
"You see," I said casually, raising my voice again, "dragons are far more noble than humans give them credit for. They protect their own. They care for their children—no matter how they look."
I looked down at Stoick.
"Tell me, did you ever do the same?"
He didn't answer.
I turned to Veil, my tone playful.
"Veil, my dear. Be a love, will you?"
She lifted her head, her excitement unmistakable through our bond.
"Open the pens. It's time to release our new friend."
With a pleased hiss, Veil turned toward the arena walls. Her breath pulsed, and she opened her mouth.
SSSHHHHHRRRRR!
Acid burst from her throat, melting through the locks and mechanisms of the reinforced gates surrounding the circular arena.
One by one, the pens cracked open.
The crowd dared not speak.
Then—
RRRAAAAWWWWHHHHHHH!!!
A furious, primal roar shook the earth.
Then another.
And another.
And—
"CHIRP!!"
A fourth, much smaller—but no less proud—voice joined the chorus.
The ground quaked.
I stepped back, hands behind my back, and stared up toward the gaping mouths of the open pens.
I let a smirk crawl across my face.
"Checkmate."