The Gift Of Power | Wattys 2020 (Dance of Power Trilogy: Book 1)

Unholy Heroes

When they reached the island, it was to have Hiccup's worst fears confirmed; literally. It was just like the disjointed dreams that had been plaguing his mind for months, except that these scenes of blood and fire were horribly real. Berk had awoken the queen and she was quickly laying waist to their defences. Scattered remains of shattered siege machines littered the ground as the longships flickered like funeral pyres. The cries of the wounded completely lost to the chaos.

Opening his wings to slow their speed, Toothless allowed the wave of air trailing behind him to dispel before reaching the shore. It buffeted them hard as it passed by. Nearly unseating Hiccup and making him clutch tighter to the saddle while the fragile sea stacks around them shook and crumbled in its thunderous wake. The furious roar of the beast disguising their arrival perfectly. Quickly assessing his options, Hiccup watched in horror as the monster zeroed in on a small figure bearing an axe shining with emerald magic.

He could feel the queen's rage as she sensed the arcane energies radiating from the weapon. She probably assumed that Astrid herself was powering it and that made the blonde warrior the only true threat on that beach. Stomach clenching in fear, Hiccup urged Toothless forward as he unhooked the clips from his belt. Raising himself to his feet now and preparing to jump. "Save her bud," was Hiccup's only thought as he launched himself through the air and onto the gigantic dragon.

After a short free fall, he landed lightly between the spikes on the queen's back. The huge spires of grey flesh looking more like a field of stony protrusions than a living creature. With her crested skull lowered towards the beach, Hiccup was able to peer over it at the ant-like humans below. Watching anxiously as Toothless used his own body to block the fire plume meant for his rider's beloved. Relieved, Hiccup drew his swords and began to run towards the monster's massive armoured head. Hopefully Ilweran got here soon. He wasn't much in the mood to die today.

***

"Toothless?" Astrid exclaimed with a gasp. The black dragon winked at her cheekily and she sighed with relief. Then stiffened again. If Toothless was here... "Where is he, Toothless?" she cried, panicked. In reply, Toothless just glanced back towards the towering beast in front of them.

At first, Astrid couldn't see anything except the huge, evil queen. Then a small black figure suddenly appeared. Bounding lightly over the tall armoured crest on the back of her head; almost as if he had wings of his own. She watched, stunned, as this man used his two slender swords to slash out at the beast's eyes. Nimbly dancing back and forth between both sets. Somehow staying on his feet as the beast shook its great head and bellowed in fury. Blood streaming down from its empty lids to drop in great pools on the ground.

Astrid heard Stoick and the others approaching her in alarm, ready to save her from this new threat. She held out a hand to stop them and looked back up at the queen. Watching as, with a quick slice, Hiccup took out the last of the six eyes and whistled for Toothless. The black dragon taking to the air again as his rider performed a graceful front flip off of the queen's snout. In a well-practiced motion, the dragon reached the rider and caught him on the saddle as they swooped clear of the queen's snapping jaws. As large as Toothless had become, the queen was still much bigger.

The night fury quickly flipped around to dive back in with its trademark scream. Someone on the ground crying out, "night fury! Get down!" Before Astrid could even look around for the source of the voice, Toothless sent a bright blast of blue-purple fire careening at the side of the mountainous monster. It stumbled, but did not fall. Flaring its nostrils and trying to sniff out its adversary, the queen let loose a bellow of rage and began to stomp blindly over the beach. In danger of being crushed, the remaining Vikings retreated towards the burning ships and watched in awe as the black dragon screamed in for another attack. This one striking the beast's foreleg.