Jack Remembered the first time he had encountered a Terror. It was before he had retired from hunting Fearlings. For a while, hunting Fearlings had been as much his purpose as charming Elsa. Looking back, everything looked grey to Jack a subtle hue of movements without color or meaning. There were a few people that stuck out in the dismal cloud of memories. In some verses, they stuck out more than others anyway.
Back when Jack was a Viking he learned a good many things. But one person he'd always remember was Stoic. Stoic the Vast, Cheftain of a horde of Vikings the like Jack had never seen and hasn't seen since.
In a land of mountains and seas, a village towered over the endless waves like a pillar of stubborn determination against the frigid weather. It was rugged with many of the happier sort aside from one glaring detail. Dragons.
Jack woke up sailing into port, ok enough bragging. He stumbled awake drifting into what could have been a port. His host had been shipwrecked and lost all of his memories so it was just Jack in the body of a fur cover hard leather armor. It was cold and familiar. The frosty waters splashed him with an even spray.
"Hey!"
Jack stirred from his groggy sleep to see nothing but wood under his face and the splashing waves before in.
"Are you alive!" it was a girls voice.
Jack touched the waves and cupped some of it in his palm before returning it to where it came from. "Water?" Jack asked. The concussion and amnesia was messing with Jack's own memory until the water turned to frost. Jack Frost that was his name but where was he?
Something thudded next to him. He looked to his left, yes that's what it was left, and found a... rope? Jack picked it up and looked to where it led. A woman, a very beautiful woman with short brown hair and slight accent Jack was familiar with in a past life. French.
"Hold on to the rope, I'll pull you in!" The woman called.
Jack only found the strength to wrap the rope around his forearm and found it strained as the woman pulled him to shore. She pulled him off the poor excuse for a raft with incredible Viking strength. The sun was setting and he could see her breath in the fading light when she laid him out on the dock.
She patted him down checking for damage. "You're going to be ok, it's going to be okay. Odin's beard you're as cold as ice." She turned to something a large scaled beast. "Dust trap, I need some light." The maw of the scaled beast lit up with warm fire. "You're going to be fine I promise. I'm going to take care of you." She wrapped Jack in her cloak and carried him in the fire light. "We must hurry it's not safe to be outside after dark even with the dragons.
Jack saw the Dragon breathing fire in its mouth and blacked out in the warm embrace of the woman.
Jack awoke next wrapped in fire laying next to a large fire in the center of the wooden home. The smell of warm stew filled the house and tickled Jack's nose. Between the lack of strength and the heavy pile of furs Jack found it impossible to move anything but his head.
Jacks groan stirred something else in the room, a large blue scaled beast with spines down its tail and two great wings came into view and looked down at him. It sniffed him and Jack felt powerless until it nuzzled against him.
"I see you're finally awake." The woman from the dock came into view and scooped some stew into a bowl. "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine, Who are you?" He asked.
"My name is Babette. I found you adrift near the docks, who are you stranger?"
"I don't know."
** ** **
Jack was given the name Drifter by the Chief's Son Hiccup. Hiccup quickly became Drifters best friend, Drifters ability to have fun was contagious and Hiccup who wasn't much for smiling before that caught the bug first.
Hiccup and Drifter would play with the dragons during the day. Toothless, Hiccup's black dragon always tagged along for the fun and games. Half of the time, Hiccup was showing Drifter one of his new inventions. His greatest was none other than his multi-tool left hand, it was a hook most of the time but it had a dozen modifications for almost any circumstance.
"I have being meaning to ask, if we are village of warriors with dragon companions why do we cower inside our homes every night?" Drifter kicked a rock over the cliff side at the edge of the village and stared at the waves crashing in the distance. "What could possibly get us here?"
Hiccup pet Toothless and then held up his hook for a hand, "You know dragons and Vikings haven't always been friends, that's a recent development. Two years ago something, worse than the dragons, rose from the deep. About two years ago, I was secretly befriending Toothless then the shadows attacked. We fought back and lost, we somehow managed to join forces with the dragons thanks to Toothless and I, but it wasn't enough. We thought we were pushing them back when we were really just making them angry. One night when we thought we had won, something unimaginable rose from the waters. We call it the Terror, it destroyed half of our building in one swipe of its claw, it took my hand, and our fighting spirit with it. The next night we retreated into the grand hall in the mountain and waited to make our last stand. Every fire in the village was out and the doors to the hall were barred so that no light escaped. We waited, and waited. Morning came without a fight. Three more nights we bided our time in the hall but nothing happened."
"Why?"
"We learned that it was the light of our torches and the cheers of our songs that drew them. We also learned that we stood no chance. But in our darkest hour our families were bolstered with unexpected joy." Hiccup scratched Toothless behind the ears.
"The Dragons?"
"Yep, even my father has one."
"What happens now, do we just cower the rest of our lives?"
"NO!,,, Sorry, I mean that's not my plan, I want to search for more dragons and more dragon riders like us so we can push back the darkness. My dad won't let me yet, he is adamant that I do so soon, but he wants to fortify the town more in case I meet some less than desirable folk. Which I can understand. I am itching for a fight though, itching to get out of this place." Hiccup scratched at the metal of his arm.
Hiccup laughed. "There aren't even any girls our age here. I need to leave someday just to meet one, let alone get a date."
"Can I tell you something?"
"Sure, we are friends you can tell me anything."
"Well, ever since I got here something has felt,,, wrong. Like I am supposed to be looking for someone, and every night I have this dream about a blonde girl in a blue dress and with snowflakes coming out of her finger tips. I don't know what it means but I think I have to find her or I'll never know who am or who I was."
"Come with me."
"What?"
"That's what you're asking right, come with me. The only way you'll know is if you come with me. Besides two Vikings are better than one, and I'll need someone to watch my back in case anything happens."
"Do you think it will work?"
"We'll never know if we don't try right?"
"You mean like this?" Drifter pressed a button on Hiccups tool arm and it sprayed green Zippleback gas out he then grabbed hiccups arm.
"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.
But it was too late Drifter brandished a hand held sparker from the smithy. He smiled wickedly as he clicked a spark and lit the gas up.
BOOM!
Both Hiccup and Drifters hair was standing on end and their eyebrows were almost burned clean away. They both laughed at the prank and then laughed at how silly they looked.
** ** **
It was early morning, the sun wasn't up yet, all night they had prepared in the great hall. Hiccup and Drifter each sat on a dragon laden with supplies.
"Son," the largest burliest Viking addressed Hiccup. "You are our brightest star in this darkest of nights. Your most important mission is just returning home alive. Know that I love you, and I have all the faith in you and Toothless. I know that you will succeed." Stoic the Vast, Chief of the small village Berk and Hiccups father embraced his son.
"Drifter." Stoic addressed Jack. "You are new to this village, but every bit a Viking as any in this room, 'cept me of course." a mighty laugh rang out across the morbid hall easing tensions. "You are a good friend to my son and a good man. Keep him safe and return to Berk alive yourself." Stoic placed a large hand on Drifters shoulder.
Stoic then addressed the Hall. "Today, marks our rise from the ashes. Odin has graced us with a new son in our time of need, Drifter Tiderider. Today my own son Hiccup The First Dragonmaster and Drifter Tiderider, sons Berk, each a Viking in their own right, begin their pilgrimage. To seek aide in far off lands, and to mark the spread of the darkness that has encroached in our lands. This is not a day of desperation, this is a day of hope, this is a day of celebration! Today is the beginning or our campaign against the darkness. Today marks the beginning of new alliances, of expansion, and of new family!"
A roar from the room of hardy warriors rang out and the dragons call roused something from outside.
"It's here," Stoic said only loud enough for Hiccup and Drifter to hear. Then louder. "It is Here! Let us show it that we are no longer afraid of the Dark!"
The hall roared a battle cry that would make the Valkyries proud.
Then the sound of something unholy shook the cave. Homes could be heard being smashed outside.
"We'll keep its attention while you both fly away, Drifter came from the north, that would be a good direction to head first." Stoic looked at them both. "I just want you both to know that I am already proud."
Stoic looked at the bonfire they had raging by the great halls door. "Every one to your positions!"
Everybody scrambled. The dragons lined up in front of the great halls doors. Hiccup and Drifter had their dragons perch on a beam above the chaos, there was a door in the roof of the mountain built for their flight today. The Viking horde gathered at the doors for one grand distraction.
"Valhalla!" Stoic bellowed. The hall erupted with a new warcry as the grand doors opened, the signal fire pierced the night from inside the Hall and the dragon breathed fire into the night.
Hiccup and Drifter shot through the ceiling like a cannon.
Once they reached the crisp morning air outside, they saw it in its terrible glory.
The Terror was a mix of forms ranging from the kraken to a dragon. Every form was more frightening than the last. The sheer size of the monstrosity made Drifters heart sink in despair. It was nearly the size of the island itself. It's tentacles wrapped around the mountain and its jaws tried to close over the entrance.
"It's bigger than it was last time!" Hiccup called. "They're having trouble closing the Hall we have to help, Follow my lead."
Hiccup dove at the monstrosity, he pulled a special canister from his pack and loaded it in his arm. He aimed his arm and fired it at the beast. "Now!"
Drifter aimed his dragon and fired at the canister. It erupted in a light show that almost blinded them, but it got the Terror's attention long enough for the last bit of light to be shut in by the doors of the great hall.
The Terror turned his attention to the dragonriders.
"I'd say it's time to get out of here!" Drifter called.
"I'd say you were right!" Hiccup answered.
The two flew into the distance as far and a fast as they were able.
** ** **
Jack shook himself out of his memories, this was a time for action not day-dreaming.
He sat in the chair and took stock of his options but he didn't like them. Then his body's memories gave him an idea.
"Quartermaster, I have an idea but I need you to send Pan down here!" Jack called over the radio.
"I dunno what you plann' Keyes but any 'dea bettah then no 'dea, I send 'im down." Rafiki responded.
Pan flew in a moment later, it wasn't because of the decent, Pan grew up on the surface and had a few abilities outside the norm. Most notably, the ability to manipulate the gravity charged electricity of this verse.
"I'm here what's up!" Pan shouted over the hum of the cannon.
Jack turned to him, "I need a super charge, just one!"
"You'll blow the cannon!" He responded with a glimmer of mischief in his concern.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take if it means living!"
"You'll live long enough for the Captain to kill you, but let's do it!" Pan hopped on the back of the cannon and grabbed the battery.
Jack corrected his shot.
Bolts of electricity bounded between Pan and the battery.
Jack corrected again.
Pan was heavier now. The electricity in this verse had two polarities or settings. One setting repelled you from the planet, which created lift, this made it possible for airships and Pan to fly. The second setting pulled you to the earth but could also create a bolt of energy that could be used as a projectile. Pan was filling the cannon with the second kind and Jack had to correct his shot.
Hopefully, he could distract the monster long enough for them to get away even though they were barreling through the air straight for it.
Jack took a deep breath and fired.