Viggo's POV
We walked up to Ryker who was guarding the dragon from injuring itself while in captivity and I spoke to him when we approached. "A funny thing happens when you remove an animal from the safety of its home. At first it becomes disoriented and..." The Eruptodon banged onto the cell door, causing Ryker to jump backwards and draw his sword. He never changes.
"Aggressive. Then, finally, the creature accepts its fate." The beast slammed its head into the cell door twice again, followed by a low grumbling before surrendering and giving up. "It loses interest in killing its adversaries and becomes more concerned with its own survival. Or at the least, it becomes someone's expensive toy." I grinned to finally be able to destroy the home of the Riders. Hiccup is going to lose it this time. There is no way the boy can withstand and stop the power of this massive dragon.
"It better survive captivity. It's worth a lot less to us dead." Ryker was cranky again, just being his typical self. "All in good time, brother. All in good time. He has a very important job to do for us first. One that poor Hiccup will never see coming." I studied the dragon once more as its temper started to rise. He was getting hungry and that is what I wanted to drive him to.
I got Ann out on deck again to let her breathe in the fresh sea breezes. She obviously enjoyed it. Her hair waving in the air, she definitely listened to the sounds of nature in those winds. She took my hand in hers and looked me deeply in the eyes. Gods, how much I love this woman.
She is the only one that can see through me and make me smile like no one can ever do, even my own family when I was a little boy. I held my arm around her again and rested my hand on her shoulder, supporting my head on hers when we saw Dragons Edge appear in the horizon.
"Ann, my dear, I have to ask you for a task." I gently brought it up to her. "What kind of task?" She asked me rather startled. "I ask you to go to the Edge and take control over it. The Riders will never get past their own defences. You have been there for over a week and I hope you are able to remember everything you've seen around there." "Hey, I might have been captured there for more than a week, but that doesn't mean I know every corner of the base." She was irritated and sounded like she refused.
"Hey, I know you are not taken for a tour there, but please. I ask you to remember all you still know about it and use that to your advantage for this battle." I kissed her on the cheek as I held her from behind. "Fine! But I'm not doing it because I like it." She turned her face away from me. "Of course I don't want anything to happen to you anymore, but this is the last thing I ask from you this week." She just nodded to me with an annoyed growl before she got down to the deck to talk with my brother.
Ann's POV
I couldn't believe Viggo asked me to go on such a mission when I just had been freed again from the hands of who I don't belong to. Yes, I am mad at him because he doesn't understand how much I want to be with him instead of going back to the place I have been held for a week.
Ryker was a great support and because of him, my anger could flow away. I stayed with my brother when my husband came down to give the order of bringing the Eruptodon up to the deck. I have no idea what Viggo is up to, but I'm sure Hiccup will find a way to stop us again. I've seen it. The boy has the same level of intelligence as Viggo does. He will find a way to block Viggo's attempts.
I just wish Viggo would stop this useless and pointless war and focus on something else. Something else for the business would be greater than keeping this up and fight for the rights of the dragons. Focus on me as well and the ideas of starting a family again, now that we lost our beloved girl so long ago now.
Ryker had brought the dragon up to the deck with chains and ropes. I just can't believe the fact it has been starving only to be used for our own profits in taking the Edge down. I disagree with Viggo's approach to it this time.
The chains and ropes were released once Viggo gave them the signal for it and Ryker focussed himself on the dragon. "Come on now, steady as you go. That's right. That's right." Ryker calmly spoke to the Eruptodon to keep it calm. The dragon saw the dormant volcano and took off from the ship, leaving the Hunters stumble and struggle to stay on their feet.
I held on to the sides of the ship while Viggo stood next to me already. He leaned over the sides and watched the dragon fly to the island. "Oh, I love it when a good plan falls perfectly into place." He walked off and left me stunned. My brother felt the same way about him. "We'll see, brother. We'll see." Ryker watched the dragon come closer to the island.
He noticed that I had become absentminded. "You alright, sis?" "No. I'm worried about him. I've never seen Viggo so overconfident before, he really thinks this can wipe all our problems away from those Riders. They are coming this way and stop our actions once more." I leaned my head on my hand while fearing I would be put into risk again. "Don't worry, I go talk to him."
Third person POV
After an intense talk with his brother, Ryker came back defeated. "I did my best, but Viggo doesn't want to change anything in the plans. I'm afraid you have to go anyway. I'm sorry, sis." It made her even more depressed. "Fine, I'll go." She let her head down as the decision was made for her. She got on Luna's back again and flew off to collect her part of the fleet.
They left and took positions in the base. Not feeling great, she wasn't sure whether they could stop the Riders this time. "Okay, listen up. Take positions on all weapons the Riders have. Have the ships sail around their base constantly to patrol. Attack when approached, but don't mess things up. I will take control over the ballista with Lars here. Havòk, you stay somewhere on the ground where you can sneak away from." Ann instructed. "Why?" "So you will have an opportunity to help me out when necessary." She winked to him. Everyone had their positions ready when the Riders appeared to the skies.
"The Riders are getting into our sights. Get the catapults ready!" She ordered. A giant rush went through the men and got the weapons they were assigned to for ready for the battle. "Hiccup is getting panicked. Can you see that, Lars?" Ann looked from the ballista platform. "Yes, they take some risky choices. Maybe we do have a chance now." "Don't get too excited yet." Ann stopped his enthusiasm.
Dodging the incoming boulders and arrows, the Riders had a tough time getting to their own base where they were stopped. Suddenly Hiccup led the Riders fly very close to the ship sailing around the base. Too close for a safe catapult fire, yet two boulders were shot off the catapult. "No, don't!" Ann yelled, but it was too late. The boulders hit the ship in the middle of the deck and the ship couldn't do anything else than sink. "You idiots!" Ann was furious.
Back on the ship, Viggo had to swallow a lot of anger at this setback. "Clever, Hiccup. Very clever." "Eh, brother. Is everything alright?" Ryker mocked his brother, who only got more pissed off by it. At least Ryker still had Ann's well-being in mind.
Back at the battlefield, Astrid was going in head first to get entrance to their base. "Do you see her, Lars?" "Yep, I got her in sight. Aiming and..." He said and pulled the lever. Astrid saw the ballista arrow coming as well as her dragon and was thrown off.
Looking through his spyglass, Viggo saw it happen and got excited the more was happening around there. "See? They lost a Rider, they'll never get past their own defenses. You're too good, Hiccup and it's coming back to haunt you."
Meanwhile, Fishlegs had caught Astrid. He dropped her back on that Nadder's back and together they got back to the assault. Time was running out for the Riders as the Eruptodon was getting to the volcano.
Viggo saw Snotlout retreat with Mala behind him on the Nightmare's back and got even more tensed. "Another Riders is retreating! Sad really, for things to end like this." He said to his brother who wasn't so convinced about the situation. Ryker knew as much as Ann did that they couldn't keep their chances up that much longer.
"Keep firing at them! We can't risk losing this place! We have to get them to retreat from their own base and let the Eruptodon do the rest." Ann yelled at the men that kept defending their place. Hiccup, Fishlegs and Astrid seemed to have talked something over before their next strike would be.
Hiccup prepared himself on Toothless' back to strike again, aiming for the ballista. "Such courage. Bear witness. Bear witness, big brother!" Viggo cheered and gave Ryker the spyglass. All he could see was Hiccup diving in for an attack and something they all didn't see coming. Hiccup flew into the aim of the ballista and was ready to be shot and killed.
Ann was standing with Lars on the platform and were ready to shoot Hiccup to his death when the Night Fury made an emergency stop and the Defenders of the Wing queen jumped off. She landed behind Lars and knocked him off the platform with ease. Ann drew her daggers and she and Mala had an intense fight, with daggers and swords clashing against each other.
After a hard and tough battle, Mala disarmed Ann, gave her a punch in the liver and knocked her off the platform too. "Aah! Oomph!" Ann fell unconscious for a little while. Havòk was there to drag her away from the scene and back to the ship.
Back on the ship, Viggo and Ryker had their arguments with each other again. Ryker witnessed his sister being knocked out again. He saw Havòk was on his way back to the ship, carrying her all along.
"I'm sorry, brother? What was that you were saying? Something about our troubles being..." Ryker was stopped in his sentence when Viggo grabbed him by the throat which made Ryker choke. They shared a venomous look after Viggo let go of his older brother.
They didn't move an inch when it was called out that a ballista came in and landed not far from them. Being very agitated, Viggo walked away with his hands behind his back and ignored everything and everyone for a moment. Including his own wife.
Havòk returned with Ann back to the ship and Ryker took care of her. She couldn't stand on her feet due to the pain from the punch in the liver. "Come here, sis. I'll get you to bed." He took her in his arms and walked off to Viggo's chamber.
Opening the door, Ryker noticed Viggo wasn't there. He didn't need more discussions and angry conversations. Ann, in the meantime, had fallen asleep in his arms, looking to be free of pain in that state.
Ryker carefully laid her in bed and covered her under the blankets and some fur. He remained the true brother to her as he stayed and watched over her during her well-deserved rest. This has been all Viggo's fault. Ignoring them was his first mistake and when Ann wakes up and gets to see him, she will unload her anger to him. No doubt about that.
When Viggo came back after a few tough hours for himself, he saw his brother sleeping with Ann in his arms. The rage in Viggo's veins began to boil up again. "What do you think you're doing?" He yelled loudly and that got them awake.
"By Thor, lighten up!" Ann was cranky she had abruptly been woken out of her sleep. Viggo stormed up to them and grabbed Ann by the arm, pulling her out of the bed very rough. "Au! What are we doing? What are you doing? You hurt me right there!" "You are sleeping with my brother. Do you think that's normal?" He came close to her face to face with a very venomous look.
"Ryker is taking better care of me than you at the moment! He is the brother I need right now! You are far from being a good husband to me! You knew I didn't want to go out there because I knew the Riders would come and stop us, but you didn't listen to me. Again! Never mind! You never will listen to me! I'm out of here. And leave me alone!" She stormed out of the room and made her way to Luna. They got out together and flew back to Hunter Island, not afraid to wait their time out. She could use some time on her own.