Found again (HTTYD FF)

★17★

He regained consciousness only after a while, when even the Red Death had given up the endless attempts at deliverance. She withdrew from his mind and left him alone, but he could still hear her last words:

I'll SHOW THEM! The half-human belongs to ME! He is MINE!

But she didn't let him go completely. He could still feel her presence in the corner of his mind. She controlled his every move, but she no longer controlled his mind. She was just watching to make sure he didn't go anywhere. That scared Hiccup perhaps even more. He wanted to get as far away from her as possible, and now he would be probably stuck here forever! And it was the fault of those damn hunters!

His head was spinning, his limbs ached from the exertion, but he was free in a way. He blinked and saw someone bending over him. He flinched in fright and stood up - strangely enough, there was nothing stopping him. He had no idea what exactly had happened in the last few minutes, only hazy, vague memories remained.

Most of the ships were already anchored off the shore of the volcanic island, and the hunters were preparing their weapons, nets and traps. Hiccup's insides clenched just at the sight of them. He quickly averted his gaze from them.

I will KILL them all! EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!

Hiccup jumped in fright, her voice echoing in his head more ominously than ever. He fought the feeling that told him to agree with her words. These people had hurt him so many times, asking him for things he couldn't give them. On the other hand, he would rather choose them than her. The Red Death offered him nothing more than a lifetime of slavery - just like all the other dragons. The hunters would finish him off quickly, end his strange life. He wouldn't have to be a freak anymore.

"She's going to kill you all," he tried to warn Viggo who was standing nearby, but he paid no heed to his warning. It was only then that Hiccup noticed that his hands were actually free. When did it...?

Before he could think of a way to get away with this new advantage, there was a crash from inside the volcano. A roar so powerful it shook the entire island and vibrated the water on the shore.

The dragon hunters froze in place. Viggo looked around in confusion until his gaze rested on Hiccup, who was trying to shield his sensitive hearing from the horrible sound.

"She's going to kill you all," Hiccup repeated as seriously as he could. Most of all he would have laughed and cried with hysteria, running away to hide somewhere from his fear and bravely confronting his enemy at the same time. He did not know what to do. The Red Death was coming. She was coming for the dragon hunters, but she was also coming for him.

The island shook, a giant dragoness head burst through the volcano wall. It gradually demolished half the rock. Boulders flew in all directions, some hitting the ships and instantly bringing them to their doom, others falling to the ground and shattering into smaller pieces, still others ending up in the dragoness's mouth where they were crushed by her ancient teeth. The Red death got out from her nest and growled menacingly at all below. "I WILL KILL you all! There's nowhere for you fools to hide from me! You are as pathetic as ants at the mercy of the world! Like hatchlings in eggs that can't resist being squashed! You deserve death!"

Hiccup pressed his ears even tighter to his head against her hateful roar. She was even bigger than he remembered her. Even more terrifying than he had imagined. With teeth as sharp as knives and blazing fire, she could match even a Bewilderbeast.

The dragon hunters shook off their fear and attacked - they shouldn't have done that. "YOU MISERABLE WORMS!" she seethed. Her words echoed inside Hiccup's head, resonating through his skull, making him sick. Why couldn't she just get out of his head?