Previously On Seizure Procedure: Dagur leaned in and studied the frozen man. Hiccup stood behind him clutching half of his former sword. He kept his distance but was close enough to see if he really was blinking.
The Berserker chief nearly jumped back when Johann blinked. Sweet Freya, Hiccup wasn't going crazy. The madman was still alive.
Johann stared at the abyss before him. It was all he had done for the however long it had been. Hiccup showing up had been a treat. Hearing the scrawny boy admit he was afraid of him overfilled him with joy. And watching him shake on the ground out of the corner of his eyesight as he had done so long ago was even more pleasurable. That boy clearly had an impairment of some sort.
Johann. That man was still alive. How he was alive was beyond Hiccup's understanding. Was there some kind of power within the King of Dragon's ice blast that preserved life? Was it sheer luck he had survived? Will of the gods?
Personally, Hiccup opted for a kill mission. If Johann was allowed to live and put in prison he could escape whenever he wanted to. He still has vast connections in the Archipelago. He could be locked up and still be free to torture dragons and people alike.
"JOHANN IS FREE!" Echoed through all of Berserker Island. "THE ICE HAS BEEN MELTED! JOHANN IS FREE!"
Pandemonium struck the island as all the villagers ran toward the caves to see if it was true. Dagur and Heather ran ahead of the crowd while Mala and Sleuther tried to get the crowd under control.
The two siblings ran through the maze of tunnels until they came to the main cavern. They both came to a halt when they saw that Johann was in fact gone. The only proof that he had been there being chunks of ice everywhere.
Hiccup flung his door open and was greeted with a punch in the jaw. Hiccup stumbled backward before falling to his knees. He put his hands over his side jaw and screwed his eyes shut.
"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup, "a familiar voice taunted. "You should have known better than to leave your protection at all."
That voice. Hiccup knew that voice. It belonged to a dead man. It belonged to Ryker.
"What did you do to Snotlout?!" Hiccup demanded. He should have been more surprised that Ryker was still alive but after Alvin, Dagur, Viggo, and Johann, he really wasn't. People in his life have a tendency to not die.
Ryker stood Hiccup up. "Don't worry. He's still sleeping. You and I need to have a talk."
Hiccup stared at him. "What do we have to talk about?"
"Johann. He's tired of waiting for you to be captured. He wants his revenge and nothing is going to stand in his way," Ryker answered. "He's getting ready to move in on your little Dragon base. He plans to launch a full-scale attack within five days. Be ready."
"You will look at me when I'm talking," the villain sneered as he stood Hiccup up. "Before we get started, let's set some rules." He dragged Hiccup to a chair and forced him down into it. "Rule number one: you will only speak if told to. Rule number two: you are now my property. I own you. If you try to escape, you will be burned. Rule number three: you are not allowed to die unless I say so. I know how to keep a dying man breathing. Lastly, rule number four: you have to earn the right to be seen by a healer. Now let's get down to business."
Johann tied Hiccup's hands together and made quick work of picking up where he left off. He broke his left collarbone again. Hiccup screamed.
Johann smiled at Hiccup's pain. He took out a blade and cut the young man's leather armor to shreds until only his tunic remained.
Johann ripped the tunic off of him and stared at his bare chest. He readjusted the dagger in his hand and started making small cuts all over Hiccup's torso.
Hiccup bit his lip and endured the pain. He thought of happier times. He thought of the time when he and Toothless bonded. He thought of the kiss that made him and Astrid an item. He remembered the moment when they announced their betrothal.
When Johann realized he wasn't getting a response out his prisoner, he growled in frustration as he dropped the knife. He balled his hands up into fists and began to punch Hiccup wherever he could reach. "Don't you ignore me, boy. You will react to everything I do to you."
Hiccup finally reacted when Johann landed a punch to his stomach. He did his best to keel over to protect the sensitive area but failed. His arms didn't allow for much movement.
He poured the tonic down Hiccup's throat and watched as his breathing came to a stop. He felt the young man's pulse. It was still there, but it was slowed down enough for people to think he was dead.
He got up and shouted for the guards. "The prisoner is dead."
The guards ran toward the cage. "What happened?" One demanded.
"I don't know," Jorn lied. "I was treating his wounds when his body started to violently shake. I waited for him to stop before checking for a heartbeat. There is none. I can't bring him back. It's too late. Go inform Johann."
Both guards went running toward Johann's chambers. Jorn quickly picked up Hiccup like he was nothing and carried him in the opposite direction. Their only hope of a quick escape was to get to the dinghies that were pulled by a couple of Seashockers.
Johann's fleet sat just outside of patrol range from Dragon's Edge. They couldn't see him, but he could see them. He had scouts on the island giving him daily updates.
Hiccup was recovering from his torture, but it was a slow process. This gave Johann enough time to set things in motion. The boy would have no choice but to surrender himself after he was done.
Johann laughed wickedly as he thought of emotionally unstable Hiccup was going to be. It was time to rule the world.
The Outcasts watched in horror as Alvin was forced to his knees after losing the mighty battle. A sword was raised above his head and came down with a mighty swing.
They watched as the head rolled several feet before coming to a complete stop. Just like that, Alvin the Treacherous was dead.
Hiccup wiped the sweat off his brow and sat down. He had finally finished it. Inferno II. His new sword had a retractable blade on one end and could release Zippleback gas from the other. All it took was a spark.
It had been three months since the plan to kill Johan had failed. He was tortured for nothing, and he was okay with that. Now he wasn't scared anymore. He would be able to face Johann when the time comes.
"Hey, kid," Jorn said as he walked into the forge.
After saving Hiccup from a worse fate at the hands of Johann, Jorn became the resident Healer for Dragon's Edge as well as a fellow Rider. He spent the last three months taking care of Hiccup, making sure he was healthy and kept up with his exercises to strengthen his muscles.
"Hey Jorn," Hiccup replied as he stood up, placing one hand on the table for balance since his cane was out of reach. "What brings you down to the forge?"
"Garff's saddle. It's not staying on right," Jorn said.
About a month ago, Hiccup was finally able to walk without any assistance aside from a cane. Once he was able to, he helped teach Jorn how to ride Garff, from the ground of course. Jorn didn't want Hiccup in the air until he was positive Hiccup's body had healed enough.
"Not a problem. Let's have look," Hiccup answered.
Before Jorn could hand the saddle off, a Terrible Terror flew in and landed on Hiccup's shoulder. Attached to its leg was a rolled up piece of parchment. The Terror was shaking.
Hiccup soothed the little dragon and took the letter and unrolled it. "It's from Outcast Island. Alvin is- is-"
The Rider couldn't finish what he was about to say. The letter fell from his grip as he stumbled back and landed on his stool. The Terror jumped off his shoulder and landed on a table. It curled up in a ball.
Jorn dropped the saddle and rushed to his aid. "Hiccup! Hiccup? What's wrong? What's happened?"
Hiccup stared off into space as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "Dead."
Jorn stepped back from the kid and gave him some space to grieve. He picked up the letter and read it. Johann had laid siege upon the island. He and Alvin fought each other until Alvin had no choice but to surrender after his hands were cut off. He had been beheaded in front of both armies. Johann was going to kill any ally of Berk from every island, and Hiccup was powerless to stop it.
Hiccup snapped back to reality and stood up, reaching for his cane. "We need to get to Outcast Island."
Jorn agreed with him, but Hiccup was in no shape to fly. Then again, a friend had just died. Hiccup needed to be there to investigate and to say goodbye.
"Let me at least give you full examination first," Jorn offered, grabbing and handing Hiccup his cane.
Hiccup pushed past Jorn. "When we get to Outcast Island."
The young Rider had the final word when it came to his health. That exam would have to wait. Jorn just had to keep a close eye on him.
The flight to Outcast Island was silent. After telling the Riders the horrible news, everyone but Ryker and Dagur had saddled up. Jorn watched everyone very closely. Even the dragons were affected by the news of Alvin's death.
From what Jorn understood, Berk and Outcast Island had been at war on and off for about 20 years until Alvin had a change of heart when Dagur tried to kill him. A peace treaty was signed after Dagur was sentenced to life in the Outcasts' prison. The two islands had been in uninterrupted peace for almost four years.
Jorn looked at the Riders. It was clear that they were all saddened by the sudden news, but were playing the warriors. Mourning would have to wait.
When they arrived, Stoick and Gobber were already there. Alvin's funeral longship was ready for departure.
The funeral passed in a haze. Hiccup, Stoick, Astrid and Fishlegs were asked to be in the funeral line up. Stoick would release the first arrow after a speech about Alvin was made. Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs and several Outcasts would follow suit. Thus setting the ship ablaze and sending Alvin to Valhalla.
The following festivities were somber, to say the least. It was a time to celebrate the passing of a great man and share his heroic stories with one another. No one felt like sharing.
Alvin hadn't died a hero's death. He died on his knees with no way to fight for himself. The Outcasts had declared war and vengeance on Johann and his army. They would pay for the death of their leader.
Author's Note: So what do you think of the first chapter? I hope I caught your attention with it. Are you ready to face what I have in store?
Who will die? Who will live? Who's Johann's next target?
As always thank you for the support in this series. Don't forget to read, favorite and review.
Special thanks to Draconicbeing2.0 for being an awesome beta reader and friend.