The morning after Behemoth's revelation dawned gray and cold. A mist clung to Berk's cliffs, swallowing the village in damp silence. For the first time in years, it felt like the island itself was holding its breath.
Hiccup sat in the forge, his hands busy with a piece of metal he didn't remember shaping. Sparks hissed and scattered, but his mind was far from the work. The vision of Zephyros lingered behind his eyes—the impossible size, the earth-shattering roar, the final sacrifice that had birthed the shield.
Toothless lay nearby, his tail twitching, eyes narrowed in thought. Even he seemed unsettled.
The door creaked open. Astrid stepped in, brushing rain from her hair. Behind her came Fishlegs, looking pale and wide-eyed, followed by Snotlout, who swaggered like nothing was wrong but chewed his lip between smirks. Finally, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut barged in together, arguing about whether Behemoth's horns were "cooler than any weapon" or "just overcompensation."
"Close the door," Hiccup muttered, setting his tools aside. "We need to talk."
Astrid crossed her arms. "About him?"
"Who else?" Snotlout scoffed, dropping onto a stool. "The giant fire-breathing lizard who turned into a six-and-a-half-foot scary guy with abs? Yeah, he's the topic of the week."
"Shut up, Snotlout," Astrid snapped.
Fishlegs raised a shaky hand. "I, uh… I don't even know where to start. That vision—if it was real—then everything we thought we knew about dragons, about their history, is… it's wrong. Completely wrong."
"It was real," Hiccup said firmly, meeting his eyes. "I felt it. Like I was there. No illusion could do that. He didn't just show us—he shared it."
Astrid tapped her foot, frowning. "Even if it's true, that doesn't mean we can trust him. He admitted himself—he's killed, burned, destroyed. He only protected certain islands. What if Berk wasn't on that list?"
Hiccup swallowed. She wasn't wrong. Behemoth's power was terrifying, overwhelming. Trusting him felt like handing Berk's fate to a storm and hoping it didn't drown them.
But then he thought of his father's words, of the shield weakening, of the endless swarm of entities waiting to pour through. His hands clenched. "We don't have the luxury of doubting him forever. If the shield fails, Berk won't stand a chance without him."
"Or maybe he just wants us to believe that," Snotlout muttered, fiddling with a dagger. "Think about it. Giant monster shows up, says 'hey guys, bigger monsters are coming, better let me stay in charge.' Classic intimidation tactic. Next thing you know, he's sitting in Stoick's chair calling himself king of Berk."
Ruffnut gasped. "Oh my gods. Imagine a king with dragon wings. That's so metal."
Tuffnut elbowed her. "You're just saying that because you've got a crush on him."
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
Astrid groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Focus."
Fishlegs leaned forward, voice trembling with excitement despite his fear. "But what if it's more than intimidation? He said dragon tamers could gain powers through their bond. If that's true, it changes everything. Imagine channeling Toothless's plasma blasts, or Stormfly's spines, or Hookfang's fire—"
"Or Barf and Belch's gas," Ruffnut added with a grin.
Tuffnut cackled. "Powers of deadly farts. Destiny awaits!"
Fishlegs flushed but pressed on. "Think about it, Hiccup. If we're not just riders, but… something more—then we're not useless in this fight. We could actually stand beside him."
The thought made Hiccup's chest tighten. It sounded impossible, absurd. But then again, he'd once thought taming Toothless was impossible too.
Astrid studied him, eyes sharp. "And you're seriously considering this? That some mysterious dragon king, who can burn down a fleet with one breath, suddenly wants to play nice and teach us?"
Hiccup hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. Because if he wanted us dead, we'd already be ashes. He chose to show us his father's sacrifice instead of flaunting his own power. That… means something."
Astrid didn't reply immediately. She looked away, jaw tight, but the doubt in her eyes had softened.
Snotlout muttered something under his breath, but no one listened.
Hiccup leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "Look—we don't know everything. We don't know what these entities really are, or why the shield is weakening. But I think he's telling the truth. The bigger question is: what do we do about it?"
The forge went quiet again. Each of them turned the thought over in their minds, the weight of it pressing heavier than iron.
Toothless finally broke the silence, letting out a low, thoughtful growl. His green eyes met Hiccup's, and something unspoken passed between them.
Hiccup nodded slowly. "We plan. We prepare. And when the time comes, we fight."
Astrid smirked faintly, though her voice was grim. "Just another day on Berk."
Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Yeah, except this time, the enemy eats worlds."
Ruffnut grinned. "Then let's hope they choke on us."
Despite everything—the fear, the doubts—a small laugh slipped from Hiccup's throat. For just a moment, the storm didn't feel quite as heavy.
But deep inside, he knew the cracks were already forming. Their alliance with Behemoth was fragile. And if they didn't strengthen it soon, Berk wouldn't just face the entities.
They'd face themselves.