Villagers' POV
The air was thick with smoke before the dragon even arrived. Mothers clutched their children, warriors gripped weapons that suddenly felt like twigs, and the village square became a storm of fear.
"He's coming!" a scout screamed from the watchtower, his voice breaking as the silhouette filled the sky.
The ground shook when the beast landed at the edge of the cliffs. His talons dug into stone like it was soft clay, wings folding with a groan that echoed like a thousand sails tearing at once.
Black, purple, and gold scales shimmered in the dying sunlight, each one glowing faintly like molten metal. His eyes—two vast, burning voids—swept over Berk. And when he exhaled, a ripple of black flame danced across his teeth.
Every villager dropped to silence.
Some prayed.
Some pissed themselves.
Most just stared, frozen.
Hiccup's POV
Toothless pressed close, growling low. His body trembled—not with fear, but with readiness. I could feel it in him. He wanted to fight, to prove himself, even against something impossibly huge.
I wanted to run.
"Stay calm, bud," I whispered, though my voice cracked. "We don't know what he wants yet."
Astrid stepped forward, axe raised but hands shaking. "Hiccup… that's not a dragon. That's a nightmare in scales."
She wasn't wrong.
I swallowed, forcing myself forward, standing at the edge of the crowd. "Wait!" I shouted, hoping my voice carried. "We don't want to fight!"
The massive dragon's head turned.
The world seemed to stop.
Those eyes… it wasn't hunger in them. It wasn't rage. It was judgment.
Behemoth's POV
So these were the tamers. Frail, noisy things who thought themselves kings over my kin. I could smell their fear, thick and sour. Yet amid the trembling and the panic, one boy stood tall, his hand resting on the Night Fury's neck.
He spoke without strength in his chest, yet still he spoke.
Interesting.
I lowered my head, closer to him. His scent was strange—half iron, half fire. And the dragon beside him… yes. I could see the defiance in its eyes. The unbroken spirit. The bond they shared was… unusual.
But bond or not, a truth remained: dragons should never kneel.
I let my voice roll from deep within, echoing across the cliffs. To the humans, it was a growl too vast to comprehend. But the dragons understood every word.
"You dare place chains on kings of the sky?" I snarled, my voice shaking the village to its bones. "You ride their backs like beasts of burden? You bend their wills for your wars and games?"
The Night Fury growled back, defiant, wings flaring.
Good.
Toothless's POV
The King's voice thundered through me like lightning through stone. I understood every word. My spines bristled, my body tensed.
He was right. Dragons weren't meant to be saddled, ordered, tamed. And yet…
I glanced at Hiccup.
The boy who freed me.
The boy who chose me.
The boy who never forced me.
I growled back at Behemoth, standing firm. My wings flared wide. I would not bow. But I would not abandon Hiccup either.
The King tilted his head, studying me, as if weighing my soul.
Hiccup's POV
The way Toothless stood his ground made my heart clench. He wasn't just challenging the monster—he was answering him.
I didn't know the words being exchanged, but I could feel it.
This wasn't just a dragon raid. This was judgment.
The massive dragon's tail lashed, cracking stone, and the villagers screamed. Some drew weapons, but I raised my hands, shouting:
"Stop! Please! If you're going to destroy us, at least tell us why!"
The giant's eyes locked onto mine. For a terrifying moment, I swore I saw the void itself staring back.
Then he spoke. Not in human tongue, but in a sound that vibrated my bones, as if the world itself carried his meaning.
Behemoth's POV
"Why?" I rumbled. My wings stretched wide, blotting out the sun. My shadow devoured Berk whole.
"Because you have forgotten the old laws. Because you dared crown yourselves masters over those who were never yours to command."
I let my flames lick the air, black fire dancing like a living shadow. The villagers screamed, scattering. Only the boy and the Night Fury stood firm.
"I will give you one choice," I declared, my voice shaking the sea. "Release your dragons. Let them fly free. Or I will turn your village into ash, and carve the memory of your arrogance into the ocean itself."
The boy's face paled, but he didn't look away. His courage was small, but it was real.
Interesting.
Perhaps Berk still had a chance to prove its worth.
For now.