The Night Rider

Chapter 37: Alive to a few more

ASTRIDS POV.

"Umm Astrid." Fishlegs said as they all walked into the arena. Hiccup had told her to grab Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins and bring them to the arena although she could be wrong because he had been talking fairly fast. "Why are we here? Stoick told us to put out the fires." He said. "Im not wasting my time putting out all those fires! By the time we even but our one of them there all going to be a pile of ashes." Snotlout and the twins walked over to a weapons rack all of them grabbing weapons. "You won't need those." Astrid said and all of them except Fishlegs gave her confused looks.

"What, but why?" Asked Tuff, "we just put a new Monstrous Nightmare in there from the raid." His sister chimed in. "I'm sure it can't wait to get out." The twins where gripping their weapons so hard that Astrid could see the whites of their knuckles. "Oh please, you two mutton heads did not bring down and encage a Monstrous Nightmare." Said Snotlout laughing to himself. "We did!" Exclaimed Tuff, "well sorta." Said his sister. "We found it wrapped in a bola on the ground." She explained. "And then me and Macy went to work knocking it out cold!" Yelled Tuff demonstrating with his mace how he had knocked it unconscious.

Snotlouts eyes darted between the two. "I still don't believe yo-." But he didn't get to finish his sentence. "Enough!" Astrid yelled pulling all of there attention towards her. She has had to long and to hard of a day to deal with these idiots. "Astrid why are we here?" Asked Fishlegs more concern being shown in his voice than curiosity. Astrid lifted her arm and pointed towards the entrance to the arena. "That's why." She said and the four Vikings turned around slowly. He had entered after all of them and blended in well since the entrance to the arena was in shadows. As he walked closer slowly emerging from the shadows you could almost hear the fearful thoughts that must have been running through the other fours minds.

"It-I-it-it-it's yo-you." Fishlegs said his voice and body quivering at the sight of him, at the sight of... the Night Rider. He stood there silently and Astrid could see his eyes flicking between them like he was studying them. Hiccup had been through a lot recently, he had been attacked, injured, and in prisoned in a way. Instead of his chest plate he was wearing a light green shirt that was burned away in most places and about two sizes to small but despite that he still came off as threatening.

"Yes, it is." He said taking a step towards the four of them but all of them quickly taking two steps back. "You have no reason to be afraid." The Night Rider said calmly approaching them more. It was weird, maybe it was one of the reasons she hadn't noticed his true identity before. When Hiccup put on his helmet it was almost like he became a different person, he mannerisms changed along with the way he talked. It made him more mysterious. Which also made him seem more dangerous. Snotlout threw his axe at the Night Rider but before a warning could even lead Astrids mouth The Night Rider caught the blade with his gloved hand when it was about two inches away from his head.

"There is no need for violence." The Night Rider said cooly discarding of Snotlouts weapon. He barely had to instruct the twins to drop their weapons before they obliged. It was weird to think that the twins where this scarred of anything. The Night Rider approached them more and they would have backed up more but they bumped into Astrid where she stopped them from going any further. "Astrid your with him?" Snotlout exclaimed trying to get past her but she wouldn't let him. "He'll kill us!" Tuffnut yelled trying to also get past her but also failing. "What do you want from us?" Fishlegs asked not even bothering to try and get past Astrid.

From inside his helmet Astrid heard him inhale deeply. "We need your help." He said and a defending silence fell over everyone even Astrid who up to this point hadn't known his plan other than it involved bring the four of them here. "Wait we do." She asked looking at him expecting he would say he was joking. "And what do you need out help with?" Snotlout asked now seeming less afraid and more cocky as he took a step towards the Night Rider the fact that he apparently needed their help was going straight to his ego. "As the future chief of Berk I'm sure I can get you some help." He said and Astrid rolled her eyes. If only he knew who he was actually talking to.

"I need hep saving your village and my dragon." He said. "And how would we do that?" Snotlout asked and even Astrid looked at him curiously. "I'm going to teach you how to fly dragons." He said and immediately they were all objecting even Astrid. "Your not teaching them how to fly!" She yelled because the last thing she needed was the twins and Snotlout needing to know how to fly fire breathing war machines. "Quiet." The Night Rider commanded and they all silenced.  Astrid had a feeling that most of his authority he had as the Night Rider came from his father. "Now we don't have much time. Your family and your friends along with my dragon just departed from the docks about an hour ago. And my..., your chief has no idea what he's up against."

Astrid had a slight chill run up her spine. "I've seen what's there, I've seen their queen. It's something that I had never seen before. It's big larger than a Titan Wing of any species you have ever encountered and that was only its head and... it can control dragons." He said and Astrid gulped regretting agreeing to help Hiccup with anything. "And as much as it pains me to say this I can't defeat it alone." There was a silence before anyone spoke. "And why should we trust you?" Snotlout asked and Astrid looked at the masked man curiously. Would he do it? Would he reveal his identity? He exhaled from beneath his mask. "Ah your right." He said and before she could object hat he Night Rider removed his helmet revealing who he is.

Astrid was pretty sure that they were all trying to say something along the lines of 'your alive' or 'your the Night Rider!' But none of them could manage to say anything. "I'll explain everything later I promise." He said stepping forward and they all still backed up, they were afraid of Hiccup. "I'm not dangerous." He said. "Yeah your not, because your dead." Snotlout said and Astrid saw small tears welling up in his eyes. "You died three years ago. A dragon age you." He said and Hiccup looked down and shook his head. "No I left, I knew I couldn't be me and be a Viking." Snotlout yelled back at him. "So you left! You chose a dragon over your family and your responsibilities?" Hiccup looked back up towards his cousin tears also welling up up in his eyes. "I was an outcast, I never fit in her. I was nothing I had to find out who I was." He said and Snotlout pointed at his current attire. "And this is you?" He asked. "The Night Rider? The Thief of the Vikings?"

"Yes." He said and Snotlout looked away. Astrid for the first time in her life actually felt bad for Snotlout. Who knew that he had loved his cousin so much. He had never been nice to Hiccup in the past so Astrid had always assumed he didn't like him but apparently not. "Look Snotlout I'm sorry I'm really sorry but right now we're wasting time we don't have to waste." Hiccup said and Snotlout with tears running down his checks shook his head in understanding. "You said this would save Berk? How" Astrid asked and Hiccup responded quickly. "This Queen, she controls the dragons in this area maybe even the entire archipelago. She tells them to raid villages, to kill. So my hope is without her-." But Astrid finished his sentence. "The raids will stop." This seemed to convince the others to help more. "We'll help." Snotlout said and Astrid and Hiccup looked at him surprised. "Wait we will?" Asked Ruff. "What do you need?" Snotlout asked and a devious smile spread over Hiccups face.

"Twins which cage did you put that Monstrous Nightmare in?" Hiccup asked and they both pointed. "Snotlout." He called. "Your up first."

(Authors Note)
Okay I'm not sure about you but this chapter is CONFUSING. So please, please, please if you are confused please message me so I can explain. Thanks for reading.
-Samuel Scutter