"I Do.... NOT!!"

Chapter 27: A Chief Protects His Own

                                ...... Hiccup's POV....

Berserker Island-

      I flew as fast as I could, encouraging our small army to keep up. We arrived minutes before the grim reapers did, frantically explaining the situation to Oswald the Grim and setting some dragons up to protect the Berserkers who couldn't fight. As the grim reapers arrived from the north, we hovered, ready for them. Vikings on the ground yelled taunts and shook their weapons at the ugly monsters. I roared a challenge at them, quickly realizing there were far to many for us to handle. Where is your leader!! I'll fight him myself. You lot can't resist a good arena fight! If I win you will leave. If your leader wins, we will go with you I proposed. The hissing laughter of our opponents sent chills down my spine.

      As instructed, Berserkers were carefully being flown away little by little, taken to a boat hidden from the grim reaper's sight. Our small band kept the reaper's distracted, trying to convince them to fight me. Eventually, they got bored. Enough talk foolish night fury. You will all die, along with these pathetic humans on this island. The leader snarled. His rider yelled a war cry and they dove, spewing acid. Everything exploded into chaos as I dove, slashed, knocked grim reaper riders from their perches, and kept building electricity inside of me. I was hoping to make a blast big enough to scare them off, maybe even call on the lightning of a storm to protect us and zap the grim reapers. I was fast and deadly, for every scratch and slight splattering of acid, I downed several grim reapers. For our small force, we were giving quite the fight. My dragons zipped and barrel rolled around me, using every bit of training I'd given them. The aim was to dodge any contact with the creatures until an opening came to hit their weak spot. I kept fighting, knocking big reapers down, snapping and injuring all the venomous tails I could, and aiding dragons being overcome by their opponents. I was searching and asking the elements to aid me, as I started hearing a slight, familiar buzz. I didn't notice yet, but in the distance, grey storm clouds were slowly rolling in.

     I roared and broke off the tail of a reaper about to stab Zev and Mya, then rose up out of the fray. I was able to get a glance of the carnage and an eerily empty, destroyed village. Without a single reaper noticing, the Berserkers were gone, safely being towed to Berk. I flew higher and desperately called the elements to me. My own power was not enough, and if I couldn't shock the enemy enough, they'd finish us off. I dove back down, hoping I had been heard. After another grueling bit of fighting, the light of the sun disappeared. The blood thirsty reapers didn't notice as I snapped the neck of an opponent and rose into the darkening clouds. Lightning raced towards me from all directions and infused me with a strange calm. I opened my eyes and dove, straight into the middle of battle. I allowed myself to be seized by two, three than four grim reapers, still building their deaths inside of me. As they finally stopped me from flying, I let loose, instructing my power to fry grim reapers only. Deafening thunder and burning flesh threw me sideways, into a frantic gronckle. Both sides had been totally stunned by the lightning. I myself was feeling woozy and wobbling in the air. A good 3rd of the grim reaper army was now on the ground, smoking and on fire. I roared in command, snapping my dragons from their frantic spinning and disorientation. They quickly righted themselves and attacked the still dazed grim reapers, sending them to their deaths 2 and 3 at a time. I roared a death sentence to the enemy and charged, throwing my last bit of energy into the battle. In my weakened state I was once again grabbed by 2 grim reapers. I writhed and snapped frantically, trying to escape.

      I managed to smack one aside and disorient it long enough for a monstrous nightmare to size it's neck in his claws and sink it's teeth into it's less protected underside. But a third reaper snatched my tail fin in passing and tore it off, then turned to fight an enraged Spiketail. I shrieked and used one last bit of plasma inside me to blast a crater through my  remaining captor. I sent out a distress and retreat signal as I fell, unable to maintain balance without my tail fin. I crashed into the middle of dead dragons and grim reapers, groaning. The impact knocked me senseless for a moment. I struggled to my claws just as Spiketail crashed to the ground beside me. Hang on!! I'll get you some help! I roared desperately, knowing he wouldn't make it. Besides numerous scratches and acid burns, my friend had a deep gouge in the muscles under his wing. He had clearly been poisoned by a grim reaper. Toothless... Don't.. let them win... Keep my family safe... He croaked, taking in his last rattling breath. I slumped in despair and closed his eyes, a respectful way dragons honored their dead. Spiketail... I moaned, nudging his head.