Chapter Text
Astrid’s pov :
Today is the day. The last day of training in the arena against dragons. All of Berk is there watching, in particular Gothi, whose job is to decide who will fight the Monstrous Nightmare.
Astrid is sure she will be chosen, she has worked her whole life for it. To be considered a true viking. And she won’t let Hiccup steal that from her.
First there had been the Gronckle, then the deadly nadder, and after that the terrible terror. Hiccup stole all her moments to shine. But even if Hiccup had become a prodigy in the last few weeks, she had proven all her life that she was the best. While Hiccup was busy being useless.
So when Gothi showed she was ready to deliver her response, Astrid was sure. It was her one chance to prove herself. She didn’t particularly hate Hiccup, not as much as she showed it. But she had to win. She had to prove herself, to bring honor to her clan.
//
Hiccup’s pov :
Today was the day. The last time he would have to fight a dragon. After that he could just stay in the forge. All of the time. Or he hoped so.
Gothi showed she was ready to deliver her response, Hiccup wasn’t scared, Astrid would be chosen for the ritual. And he would watch, like he always did.
//
Astrid’s pov :
Gothi raised her hand, then she locked eyes with each of the young vikings, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Fishled, Astrid and Hiccup. Gothi landed her finger in between Astrid and Hiccup.
Stoic asked : “ Which one of them, Astrid or Hiccup ? ” showing one finger for Astrid and two for Hiccup.
Astrid had her breath caught in throat. She literally stopped breathing for the time being.
Then, Gothi raised her hand and showed …
Two finger.
Astrid was shocked, she was devastated, and angry. She looked at Hiccup whose face was indescribable.
//
Hiccup’s pov :
Gothi had just named him for the ritual. He couldn’t believe it. It was horrible ! A disaster !
Hiccup looked over to where his father was seated. He looked so happy, so proud of his son. Of who he thought he was, someone Hiccup could never be.
He needed to find a way to avoid the ritual. He had thought about flying away with the toothless. Now he was sure it was the best solution. They wouldn’t miss him. Maybe a little but after some time it would be fine. After all, Hiccup Haddock was nothing. A paria, a shame for his father.
But now Hiccup had someone who loved him, Toothless, and he would protect him.
—-------------------------------------------------
Hiccup’s pov :
He was finally ready, he had taken his things : some clothes, some food, his notebooks, and the last memory of his mother : the toy dragon she had made for him.
He went out of his house on tiptoe.
He rejoined Toothless in the forest. And the two of them went to the sky.
It was the perfect escape, he had encountered no one from the village and it would be night in only two hours.
//
After some time flying, Toothless turned to join a group of dragons who were all transporting food. What for ? Hiccup didn’t know. Toothless wasn’t responding, only following the other dragons. It was like he didn’t answer Hiccup anymore.
They arrived into a vast volcanic caldera, deep within a black island. The sky was heavy with ash, the ground cracked by lava.
And there, he saw it.
Hundreds of dragons going in the cavern, each dropping a piece of meat or a still-living beast, then immediately rushing out, panicked, as if afraid of something.
“ What is this place ? ” asked Hiccup to himself.
Then a cavernous roar rises from the heart of the mountain. And a titanic form slowly emerges from the shadows. Fangs like ship masts, wings tearing through the rock. Its skin is thick, scaly, and burning red. It is larger than any dragon ever seen.
The Queen. They were in the nest and it was the Queen !
Every dragon, including Toothless and him, started to go out, Hiccup watched as a dragon got eaten by the queen.
Hiccup was horrified, if the queen ate the one who didn’t bring food. Then they were forced to attack Berk. It wasn’t their fault, they weren't mindless beasts like everyone said.
He needed to do something.
So instead of going out with the other, Hiccup directed Toothless around the big dragon, and said to him :
“ We need to annoy it, so it can follow us.”
After some time of flying around the red death, she seemed to finally be annoyed and followed them outside the cavern.
Toothless stands on a crumbling cliff with Hiccup on his back, staring down the impossible.
“ Okay it’s just you and me bud.”
As a response Toothless roared.
Below them, the Red Death snarls and stomps forward, sensing a challenger. Its massive head turns, eyes locking on them.
With a powerful leap, Toothless launches into the sky, wings slicing through smoke. The Red Death rears back and lets out a monstrous blast of flame, narrowly missing them. Rocks explode around them.
Hiccup adjusts the tail rudder, shouting commands:
“ Dive ! Left ! Plasma blast ! ”
Toothless fires a crackling bolt of blue fire at the Red Death’s face, it hits, but barely stuns the beast. She roars and lumbers into the air, her massive wings kicking up hurricane-force winds.
“ She’s airborne. Great. We’ve got speed. Let’s use it ! ”
What follows is a deadly sky chase: Toothless dives through clouds of ash, rolls between the Red Death’s gnashing jaws, and fires precise blasts at her wings and eyes.
Each hit angers her more.
She lets loose a blast of fire so massive, it carves a trench through the volcanic ground. Hiccup and Toothless barely dodge it.
“ We can’t just hit her, we’ve gotta lure her ! ”
He looks down. Below, sharp volcanic spires and deep lava pits shimmer.
“ You thinking what I’m thinking ? ”
Toothless gives a short snort.
They turn and taunt her, firing a blast and circling low over the lava fields. The Red Death bellows and dives after them, blinded by rage.
“ Come on, you overgrown tyrant… just a little closer…”
Toothless swerves, dodges, lets the massive queen close in.
Suddenly-
“ NOW ! ” Shouted Hiccup.
Toothless pulls up just in time, soaring out of reach. The Red Death, too heavy and too fast, can't stop.
She slams into the spires. The ground crumbles.
The weight of her massive body cracks the cliff edge, and with a final roar, she plunges into the lava pit below.
A shockwave ripples outward. A cloud of ash erupts skyward.
Silence.
Toothless lands shakily on a blackened rock. Hiccup slides off his saddle and drops to his knees, coughing, gasping, but alive.
All around them, dragons emerge from the cliffs and crags, small ones, big ones, blinking, quiet.
Free.
Panting Hiccup says to Toothless.
“It’s over… You did it, bud.”
Toothless nuzzles him, and for a moment, it’s just them, who took down a queen.
As both of them were tired and sleepy. They decided to just stay on this island and go the next morning.