How To Train Your Dragon 4 - Heirs Of Berk

17 - Reign of shadows

Battle started again with the help of the dragon riders. Zephyr explained as fast as possible the plan to her parents, the fact shadows were fireproof but vulnerable to sharpe objects such as dragon thorns or ice projectiles. Words had been passed to the allies, two teams of dragon riders led anyone capable of standing on a dragon's back, and launched a conter-strike while protecting ice-spitter dragons, razorwhip, dedaly nadders... well all dragons that could really fight the shadows and kill them.

Their aim was to lead these creatures back inside of Drakanheim. If Zephyr was fighting blindly before, dragon riders made the difference. They were trained and organized and, despite the years of separations, they still worked as one with their dragons. They created paths and led the shadows through it. Projectiles from the catapults were also an asset.

The fight was turning to their advantage, yet Zephyr and her parents' mind were a bit distracted by their worry : how were the boys dealing with the situation inside of the hidden world ?

Less well than them.

Nuffink and Braan were almost at the deepest part of the caves, slaloming between shadows and countless attacks coming from dragons. They had to constantly watch each other's back and keep as much as munitions they could. Nuffink was progressing easier than Braan since Snow was a privileged target for the black creatures, slowing her down.

They were so focus and engulfed in action they couldn't think about something else, and were completely oblivious of the outside events. They were about to receive all the remaining shadows but weren't prepared for that.

Dodging shadows, fighting back their attacks without shooting, saving the precious plasma blast for striking the pillars, weakening strategic points in the structure but not enough so they could stand on their own... Nuffink was fighting and focusing for so long he felt like he did this all his life. He had almost forgotten was his life was like before this war.

A loud roar suddenly pulled him out his transe and reminded him he wasn't alone in this battle. He turned his head and noticed a group of five shadows were going after Snow, attacking her mercilessly. They were making so much noise he could barely hear Braan's screams.

His first thought was to go to his rescue, yet logic hit him in the face, reminding him he was leading a group of light furies, telling him that if he charged at the shadows the dragons would follow him. His heart ached when he understood he had to make a choice between the mission and his friend, yet he couldn't choose. He bent towards the nightlight carrying him and talked to him with a pained voice.

''Aim well, buddy, please...''

Day groaled and whistled while loading a powerful blast. It was the last before he went out of gaz, which would place them in defenseless stature for several minutes. Nuffink did count, it took exactly three minutes for Day to renew his six shots, and he couldn't use one if the six weren't fully loaded. A lot could happen in three minutes... However he didn't hesitated, Braan and Snow needed help. So Day shot towards the winterwind dragon. She noticed it and used it.

She span around, ejecting two out of five shadows, and placed herself so the plasma would hit a third one. The shadow was thrown in mid-air but its teeth were so strong they tore off a piece of Snow's wing membrane, making her hiss in pain.

She beat her wing furiously, trying to keep her balance despite the pain, while two shadows where still on her, one of them was ttrying to eat her tail while the other was pushing its claws in her fly to climb on her back, making its way towards Braan. The boy was panicking seeing it coming closer, and tried to climb on her mother's neck. She was swaying her tail in every direction, but she couldn't get rid of the shadow.