Chapter 26: Ruber The Evil Knight

A/N:

'Dragons' - Dragonese

It was the next day when the teens heard a horn in the distance. Hiccup and the others were confused at what the horn meant until they saw Kayley and Audrey gasp before running into their home. The three followed after them. When they came in, they saw Juliana and her servants making two white dresses. The sisters told their mother of the horn they heard earlier; Arthur's sword, Excalibur, has been stolen! But then they mentioned of going off to find it.

"No! Absolutely not!" Juliana protested.

"Mother, Excalibur is missing. We must go after it." Kayley begged.

"That's a job for knights, not for young girls." Juliana reasoned.

"But Audrey and I want to be a knight," Kayley said.

"Going on grand adventures. Fighting evil." Audrey added.

"Rescuing damsels in distress," Kayley and Audrey said as they spun around and stopped with a confused look.

"What is a damsel, anyway?" Kayley asked.

At that moment, the servants placed a white dress on Kayley and one on Audrey. Juliana was helping them to straighten it out on the two girls.

"Then what about us?" Hiccup asked.

"We've been on a lot of dangerous situations before." Carlos added.

"We could go and find it." Merida suggested.

"You three have experience, but my daughters don't." Juliana stated.

"Fair point." Hiccup admitted.

"Now, Kayley, Audrey, stand still, and try on your new dress." Juliana said.

"Mother! We don't want a new dress. We want to save Camelot." Kayley protested.

"If you'd just let me and Kayley, I know we'd find Excalibur all on our own." Audrey stated.

"The knights will find the sword, and they'll do it by working together." Juliana defended. As Kayley took her father's, Sir Lionel, shield from a servant who was going to clean it.

"While Audrey and I work here. Doing the chores." Kayley complained as she handed the shield back to the servant.

"Fetching the eggs, taking care of the house!" Audrey listed off.

"Boring! Where's the glory in that?" Kayley questioned as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Kayley, Audrey...one day, you will learn what Camelot means," Juliana said as she puts her hands on Kayley and Audrey's shoulder, then places her hand on both of their cheeks, "Till then, you'll stay here with me."

"Oh, alright!" Kayley and Audrey said as they back away from Juliana and take off the dresses. Lady Juliana sighs and the two girls run off to their rooms.

"What would you do?" Juliana asked as she looked at the tapestry of her family.

One of the dragon riders wanted to answer Juliana, but they knew that she needed to think of something herself. So the group left the house and followed the path that leads to the beach to give Juliana some time to herself and for her daughters to calm down. Hours went by and the sun soon began to set as they sat in the sand, watching the waves hit the rocks.

"I don't think that Juliana will ever let her daughters go out and find the sword." Carlos commented, looking at the ocean.

"That's true," Merida added, "It's like she doesn't want them to leave her."

"Well, those two are all she has left of her husband. Not to mention that she's probably afraid to lose them the same way she lost Lionel." Hiccup stated, doodling in the sand with a small branch.

"So very true. My mother was almost the same way when she wanted me to become the perfect princess. But I don't think that getting a spell from a witch will fix this kind of problem." Merida concluded.

"With that issue aside, King Arthur needs Excalibur and his knights might need help." Hiccup said.

"So you want to offer them our help?" Carlos suggested.

"Precisely," Hiccup answered, "But I don't really want to delay our trip too long."

"However, you feel the need to help, right?" Merida asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah, but who would try to take the sword from Arthur and how was the person able to do it?" Hiccup questioned.

At that moment, they heard a chirp nearby which seem to almost echo towards them.

"Hiccup, did you hear that?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, I did." Hiccup replied.

They soon heard the flapping of wings and saw a familiar Terrible Terror flying towards them.

"Sharpshot!" Hiccup shouted as he quickly got to his feet and Sharpshot landed onto Hiccup's hands.

"Sharpshot, what's wrong?" Hiccup asked, holding the dragon in his hands.

"Lady Juliana and her daughters have been captured along with Toothless, Cielo, and Aileana! They're being held hostage by a bunch of thugs who are lead by a guy in red armor." Sharpshot said, worriedly.

"What?" Hiccup asked with wide eyes.

"What did Sharpshot say, Hiccup?" Merida asked.

"Lady Juliana and her daughters are captured along with our dragons." Hiccup translated to Merida and Carlos who soon gasped at the news.

The riders quickly left the beach and ran towards the path. It was nighttime when they came near the house, they instantly spotted a few wagons nearby along with the thugs that Sharpshot mentioned. The three heard the roars of their dragons. Seeing the thugs distracted, the riders quietly ran to the ledge that was on the left side of the house where they could remain out of sight. Hiccup quickly spotted a crack in the wall and looked through the crack that was big enough for him to walk through. He saw three large men restraining Juliana and her daughters. Then a man wearing red armor that had a spike in both shoulder pads exited Juliana's house. To Hiccup's point of view, he felt unsettled by this guy. He had a feeling that this man was Ruber, the evil knight who killed Kayley and Audrey's father when they were little.

Years from now, no one will bother

To recall your good King Arthur

Because all of this will be mine

This will all be mine

I have a plan, it includes you

You, Juliana, will lead me to Camelot

Where I will claim all that is mine

In the back of your wagons, my men will all hide

You'll sit up front as the gates open wide

Now watch me create

My mechanical army with pride

One of Ruber's soldiers came up to him and opened a box that a vile of glowing green liquid inside of it. Ruber plucked it out of the box and held it in front of himself which was labeled as "ACME" on it.

With this potion I bought from some witches

A drop on this chicken

Oh, watch as it switches into a weapon

That I can use at will

Now this chicken can kill

Ruber grabbed a chicken and put a few drops of the green potion on it and caught the axe that was thrown to him. Then he tossed the chicken and the axe into the water pit. A giant stream of green smoke erupted from the pit and a chicken with an axe for a beak popped up.

Ta-dah, behold

A blade beak

Ruber hummed as he walked along the rim of the water pit while the smoke rose from the pit.

Stand right up and enter quickly

I'll transform the meek and sickly

Into iron men with hands of steel

A thug walked up to the water pit and Ruber pushed him in with two sets of chained maces. Another soldier popped out of the water with the chained maces as his arms. The other thugs gathered around and bringing their weapons to merge with them.

Yes, yes, into the water quickly, now go you fools

Next stand up straight, now move it along

No, no, no, no, no, that's no good

Prepare for the dawning of a new age

Two of the thugs went to the pit, letting go of Kayley and Audrey which surprised the two girls.

The Ruberian age

Year one

The transformed soldier was walking up the stairs while looking at Ruber. The girls quickly moved back. The soldier grabbed onto Juliana's other arm.

"Go to Camelot. Warn Arthur." Juliana quietly ordered while the two soldiers were distracted.

"We can't leave you here." Kayley protested.

"Girls, Ruber will be in Camelot in three days. Take the main road. Get there before us." Juliana instructed.

"But, mother-" Audrey protested.

"Go! While you still have the chance." Juliana ordered.

"Kayley, Audrey."

The two girls looked over their shoulders and saw Hiccup standing in the crack in the wall and gestured them to follow him.

"Hurry, you're our only hope." Juliana declared, looking over her shoulder.

The two gazed at their mother and soon followed after Hiccup.

"Be careful, dears." Juliana prayed as she watched her daughters leave.

Ruber and his new soldiers danced around the glowing green pit.

Only one will be revered

Worshiped, hated, loved and feared

I'd just like to say a few words

I, me, mine

Ruber stepped onto the stack of crates and stood on the top one as he grinned evily with a twitching eyebrow.

You were mistaken if you believed

Ruber was someone who'd crumble and leave

Now I am back and I will be staying this time

I told you once and I told you twice

Ruber jumped over the crates and twirled in the air before landing on his two feet. Once he stood up, he held his hands in the air as his ironmen crowded around him.

Everything you see before you

Every last bit of it will be mine

Three interlocked rings rise and form behind Ruber and his ironmen. The green smoke formed into interlocked rings which was the symbol of Camelot until one of the rings turned into a snake's head and started biting into the other circles, causing them to disperse. Ruber let out an evil chuckle as the smoke snake evaporated.

But those with an evil heart seem to have a talent for destroying anything beautiful which is about to bloom. - Cynthia Rylant