Chapter 119: Dust To Dust

Toothless, Stormfly, Mistletoe, and Fearless's hatchlings

*On the topic of the Red King, Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, the man is primarily notable in terms of the legacy he left behind, as opposed to his immediate actions. Even his apologists, of whom he has few, admit that their primary defense of the man is to plead ignorance and lack of awareness on his part of the possible outcomes of his deeds, for the facts are indisputable in how the Red King's legacy was, on the whole, a negative one. He fomented wars and mistrust, attempted to cripple and attack out of needless suspicion and fear, and many of his deeds directly led to an escalation of conflict.*

*One area of argument is the point that, if not for his actions, the Norse Reformation might not have happened, as he spread the seeds of conflict that began to sprout the year after his death, seeds from which the Norse Reformation sprang. However, even among those Norse adherents who subscribe to this viewpoint, the sore point remains in how much his behavior was antithetical to their faith's teachings. And his actions also helped accelerate Berk's territorial growth, by setting Harthacnut the Dane upon his perceived foe, as well as other such actions that stemmed from his time.*

*But, ultimately, he failed in his goals. Alba became an integral and important province of Berk's territory, and eventually became a core component of the North Sea Empire in the coming years. His family line ended with him, and his stepson never ruled. All the Red King arguably succeeded in doing, in the end, was adding to the casualty counts of the coming wars that he helped spark and escalate, and adding a morality lesson for parents and entertainers on the costs of baseless suspicion, and how such things can spiral into chaos and death.*

*—A History Of The Isles, Oxford, England, 1591*

## Synopsis

* Sigurd reports that the Pechenegs got away with most of the adult dragons of the nest, but the rest came back with him along with the juveniles and the eggs. He has named the nest-lord Night-Glow and Night-Glow is willing to work with the Byzantines in exchange for her nest's protection. Theodora agrees to her terms and titles Night-Glow Alphadraconis.
* Dagur abdicates his title of Mormaer in favour of Heather and the Agreeables faction support her.
* Rodhlaug flees the Berserker holdings.
* To stop Heather and Toireasa's argument, Hiccup suggests that Toireasa step back from front-line spying to train other people. Toireasa agrees until the Hooligans find somebody else to do it.
* The remaining mormaers of Alba agree to join the Hooligans with Fergus as their regent over Alba until Máel Coluim comes of age, upon which there will be an election.
* The Pechenegs kill Kormak for showing disrespect to Drago.
* The counting of the total dragons the Pechenegs captured is completed and it is over three-thousand.
* The dragons' eggs hatch. Toothless and Stormfly's child is a Night Fury, Toothless and Mistletoe's child is a Razorwhip, and Fearless and her mate's child is a Skrill.
* Viggo finds a Dragon Nest at the Ninguaria, Canariae Insulae.
* Heather begins interrogating Taskill.
* A summit of nest-lords meet and one, Furious, brother to Fire-Hunger the Green Death, advocates enslaving humans in response to humans enslaving them.

## Characters

### Humans

* Harald Sigurdsson
* Sigurd Trondsson
* Theodora Porphyrogenita
* Heather
* Toiréasa
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Stoick the Vast
* Elinor Dunbroch
* Fergus Dunbroch
* Abbot Crínán, Mormaer of Atholl (first appearance)
* Gruoch ingen Boite
* Lulach
* Fishlegs clan Ingerman
* Drago Bludvist
* Kasim
* Kormak Brandrsson (last appearance)
* Roman spies
* Gürer (first appearance)
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* William of Normandy
* Rodhlaug nic Savage
* Viggo Grimborn
* Taskill Thaddeusson
* Valka Gawkeyesdóttir

### Dragons

* Hookfang
* Night-Glow (first named appearance)
* Unnamed Razorwhip (child of Toothless and Mistletoe)
* Unnamed Night Fury (child of Toothless and Stormfly)
* Unnamed Skrill (child of Fearless)
* Mjolnir
* Cloudjumper
* Good-Cold
* Furious (first appearance)

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph states that Mac Bethad's actions led to further bloody conflicts even though he died before they came to be. The chapter ends with a summit of Thengills discussing what to do about humans enslaving dragons, which was Mac Bethad's doing, and one, Furious, advocates attacking humans to kill or enslave them in turn.
* The epigraph mentions that Alba becomes an important province of the North Sea Empire. The chapter shows the Mormaers of Alba agreeing to be under Berk's auspices.
* The epigraph mentions that Mac Bethad has become a stock villain on how baseless suspicion can cause so much pain and suffering. The chapter shows the other Mormaers of Alba being upset upon learning of Mac Bethad's crimes, including violation of hospitality, tarnishing his reputation forever.