Fading Echoes - The Echoes, Book 2 - HTTYD Fanfiction

Chapter 31: The Final Battle

   It had been a year.  A whole year.  And no sign of the Jr. Riders.

   There was a good portion of dragons that had bonded with a Hunter at that point, and any dragon that couldn't was given to Ryker to sell.  Aphira had managed to weave away from the Auctions, but that night was the Auction that Ryker refused to let her miss.

   Aphira sighed, signaling the Flyers into formation.  She'd become a sort of secondary leader, but more so to the Flyers than the Hunters.  The Flyers sat on the towers, waiting for anything or anyone to come at any point for them to attack.

   There was a variety of dragons:  Silverwaters, the Waterglider, Orca, a fierce Scauldron, Sunshine, the Fireworm Queen (yes, somehow Aphira managed to train a Fireworm Queen), as well as a Timberjack, a few Nadders, a Cavern Crasher, two Singetails, three Typhoomerangs, a Flightmare (don't ask how), and a Snow Wraith, along with Blackout.

   Aphira had been itching for a fight, as had the Flyers been.  Circling the arena, using the same tactics time and time again on friends that already knew what was about to hit them, had gotten boring, as had being careful not to hurt them or their dragons.

   Aphira narrowed her eyes, landing on a tower.  She was ready for anything, she was sure, as were her Flyers.  She had gone back to the Edge one night on a stealth hunt to find it deserted; she had assumed that they went back to Berk, realizing that they were too inexperienced to take on the far stronger and more experienced Ryker, as well as Aphira, who knew them well and could calculate their every move.

   So now she waited, wondering when they would come back and take a stand.  There were three more Flyers working with their dragons (two more Timberjacks and another Flightmare) back at the base, which would make their team even more formidable.  Aphira had become an expert at training the dragons now, although some dragons were too stubborn for their own good - the dragons being sold off right that instant.

   Suddenly, a blast exploded one of the towers beside Aphira, making Sunshine screech in pain as she fell.  "Sunshine!"  Blackout roared.

   Aphira had also become fairly good at deciphering what the dragons were saying, or, well, Blackout, at the very least.  She couldn't understand every word, but the basic gist of what she said got across to Aphira's ears.

   "Aphira, look out!"  Jay shouted, and the two jumped aside to avoid a fireball.  Aphira gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes.  A howl cut through the night, and Blackout roared back.

   "That Night Fury!"  Ryker shouted, gritting his teeth.  

   Oh no.

   Blackout lifted into the air along with the other dragons as the Hunters fired arrows.  "Ryker!"  Hiccup's voice cut through the air, intensity, and anger speared through with surprise and disbelief - clearly he didn't believe the older brother of Aphira's grandfather was alive.

   Hm.  Just because I'm related to him doesn't mean I can't accidentally hit him into the water during this, right?  Aphira thought.

   He was really frustrating.

   The fire started filling the air, matched with acid, boiling water, and weird slime.  The Cavern Crasher, Crasher (very original, said the Flyer that named him) hit Stormfly, then Cutter, the Timberjack, hit her, making her fall towards the water with a squawk as she lit into flames.

   Blackout twisted through the chaos, blasting in front of her so she was invisible.  The heat of Blackout's shed scales on Aphira overwhelmed her, but she'd trained to handle it.  "Blackout!"  She shrieked, seeing a plasma blast heading straight toward them.  Aphira yanked her dragon to the side, making her snarl.  Then, a blast hit the Lunawatcher's other side, and she whipped around to see who it was.

   Aphira narrowed her eyes at the older orange Singetail, Whiplash.  He was fierce, experienced, stronger, and far bigger than Blackout.  Sheer force wouldn't work on him, and it probably would turn out tricky to trick him, but Blackout held a grudge, so that's what they were going to do.  

   "Jay!"  Aphira yelled.  He glanced over, Silverwaters snarling as she grappled with the Night Fury, Toothless.  "Hold the line!"  "Got it!"  Jay yelled back.  He punched the Night Fury's snout, making him rear back and shake his head, and Silverwaters whipped around and smacked him in the snout with her tail.

   "Alright, girl,"  Aphira whispered as Blackout growled.  "Let's do this."  

   Blackout whipped around and shot straight over the docks, knocking Ryker in (much to Aphira's delight), and started flapping around the auction island.  She snarled and glanced back to see if Whiplash was still there, but stopped in surprise when he wasn't.  "Aphira..?"  Blackout mumbled.

   "I know, girl,"  Aphira whispered, then glanced above their heads.  She gasped.  "Blackout, up!  Up!"  Blackout shot into the air, her howl echoing off the sea cliffs as she blasted every rock that came her way.

   Suddenly, while flying above the island, a fireball hit Blackout's back, and she fell to the ground with a roar of pain.  When she crashed, she stumbled to her feet, disoriented but ready to fight.

   Whiplash landed with a growl, narrowing his eyes and raising his four wings threateningly.  Whip hopped off and glanced at Blackout and Aphira with concern in his gaze.

   You'd think he'd have learned his lesson by now.

   Blackout shook her head, her pupils thin as she roared in fury at Whiplash.  She blasted his head with a plasma blast but was out of fire afterward.

   Whiplash snarled, and the two rival dragons circled each other, teeth bared and claws itching to fight.

   Aphira ignored her little brother as she watched the two dragons, being sure to always stay behind her dragon.  

   Blackout finally leaped at him and grabbed onto Whiplash's side.  He whirled around, throwing her off, but not before she scratched his eye.  He shut it just before her claws reached it, and snarled angrily as she landed on all fours.

   Both dragons, now blinded by rage, were charging for each other, even as Aphira tried to yank her friend back.  Blackout jerked her along, emerald eyes narrowed as she twisted out of the path of Whiplash's bite and leaped onto his back.

   He roared, rolling onto his back and crushing the smaller Blackout underneath him.  She groaned, gritting her teeth in pain, and Aphira's eyes widened.

   "NO!"  She shrieked, leaping forward and slashing at Whiplash's scarred side with her sword, re-opening the wound but not nearly as deep.  He twisted and, with a roar, fired at her.  Then her gaze was filled with flames, and it all went black.