Vs whispering death
"Chief! The dragon—it's back!!" A woman's scream tore through the village, raw and panicked.
I shot up from my seat like a coiled spring, heart pounding. "Where?" I barked, already sprinting out of the village hall. Behind me, I heard my father's heavy boots thunder against the wood as he followed.
By the time I reached the village square, chaos had already erupted.
Hiccup and Toothless stood defensively in the clearing, but something was wrong—Toothless was limping. The prosthetic fin Hiccup had built for him… it was charred, nearly burned to ash. They were cornered.
And rising from the earth, tunneling like a white demon through stone and soil, was the Whispering Death.
A monstrous, white serpentine terror with teeth like saws and eyes that burned like blood-red coals. Its body twisted through the ground in a blur of pale, armored scales, and with a deafening screech, it erupted into the air.
My blood boiled. My instincts roared.
I dug my heels in and channeled every ounce of power into my legs.
BOOM!
A sonic crack echoed as I launched myself into the sky like a meteor, soaring high above the battle. Time slowed. The Whispering Death thrashed below, unaware.
I clenched my fist tight, heat spiraling from my core and into my arm.
Then I brought it down.
CRACK!
My fist smashed into the top of its skull like a divine hammer. The impact cratered the earth, sending debris flying in all directions. The Whispering Death slammed into the ground with an earth-shattering boom, stone and dirt exploding upward.
I landed beside it, my boots grinding into the torn earth, smoke curling around me.
It stirred, groaning, and then slowly rose—shaking off the blow with a hateful shriek. Its red eyes locked onto mine.
I narrowed my gaze and let loose the full force of my Dragon Presence.
A fiery aura erupted from me, oppressive and primal. The very air warped with heat. Even the dragons nearby fell quiet. The Whispering Death froze, trembling for a heartbeat.
Then it roared.
And lunged.
SWOOSH!
I slipped right, narrowly dodging its snapping jaws, and countered with a fierce uppercut to the side of its face.
WHAM!
It flew back, crashing through a cart and plowing through a stone wall like it was made of paper. I didn't hesitate—I charged again, leaping through the dust and hammering it with a flurry of blows.
BOOM. BAM. CRACK.
The village square rang with thunderous echoes as I pummeled the beast into the ground again and again. But it refused to fall.
With a wild screech, it flared its massive wings and launched into the sky, hovering above us. Then—its jaws opened, and fire exploded from its mouth in a blazing stream.
I didn't move.
The flames engulfed me in a raging inferno. Villagers screamed. Dragons flinched.
But I stood my ground.
Then… I devoured the fire.
The blazing torrent curled into tendrils and streamed into my mouth, absorbed into my core like molten air being vacuumed into a furnace. The flames vanished, leaving only scorched ground—and stunned silence.
Even the Whispering Death hesitated, wings twitching midair.
I smirked.
And then roared.
"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!!"
A massive beam of searing flame erupted from my mouth, streaking into the sky and tearing through the clouds like a blade. A massive hole burned through the heavens, sunlight pouring through the scar like golden fire.
The Whispering Death froze. It stared down at me—shaking.
It knew.
It knew I could've ended it.
But I didn't.
With a snarl, it turned and fled, disappearing beyond the cliffs. Beaten. Humbled. Alive.
For a moment, the village was silent.
Then the crowd erupted—cheering, shouting, roaring with celebration. People swarmed around me. Even the dragons lowered their heads in respect.
"Daddy!! That was amazing!" Moon's voice cut through the crowd, pure and bright.
I turned just in time to catch her as she leapt into my arms.
"Of course," I said with a grin, spinning her around. "Your daddy's the strongest there is."
She looked at me, eyes gleaming. "Then… Can I have a soda?"
I blinked.
"You little brat."
"Just kidding!" she giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Sigh.
"You really know how to raise my blood pressure," I muttered, holding her close.
"Son."
I turned to see my father approaching, his expression unreadable.
He cleared his throat. "I think you're ready to become chief."
…
"What?! Like hell I am—I just got back!!"
He chuckled, then placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Erik… You and your brother are the greatest joys of my life. I missed out on too many years with you both, and for that, I'm sorry. But I've fought my whole life—and now, you're stronger than me. Smarter. Better. You have what it takes to lead us into a future we can all be proud of."
His voice cracked—and tears slipped down his cheeks.
"Dad…" I whispered, my own eyes stinging.
"Daddy, grandpa's crying," Moon said, tugging at my tunic. "Can't you just be chief already? He looks so pitiful."
I glanced between her and my father.
Sigh.
"…Fine. I'll do it."
My father suddenly brightened, wiping his tears. "Finally! I don't have to be chief anymore!" he bellowed, laughing like a madman.
Then he gave Moon a high five. "Thank you, Muffin. You're the real champ."
He scooped her onto his shoulder as she laughed joyfully.
I blinked. A vein bulged on my forehead.
"Y-you tricked me," I growled.
They both turned to me in perfect unison.
"Nu-uh!" they said innocently.
"Traitors!!" I cried, clutching my chest in dramatic pain.
They burst into laughter—along with the rest of the villagers and even the dragons.
One Hour Later…
It was just me, Moon, and Dad at the table. Hiccup had left earlier on one of his "quick" adventures.
Sigh. "I still can't believe I fell for that."
Dad grinned. "Maybe I tricked you. But I meant what I said. You're ready."
"You really think so?" I asked, quieter this time.
He nodded. "Absolutely. You showed me today exactly what kind of leader you'll be."
"…It's only been an hour," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"…"
Cough. "Well, that's more than enough."
Sigh. "Okay, okay…"
"Good. Because the ceremony's next week."
"…WHAT?! WHY SO FAST?!" I shouted, nearly flipping the table.
He just kept laughing.
Sigh.