HELLLOOOOOOO! :D Shout-outs:
la-hija-de-Dios: Thanks! :D Yep! Hiccup is way too good at making his enemies irritated at each other. XD Thanks! I'm glad you liked those scenes! :D Thanks for the review! :D
Gamer Spice: Thanks! :D Haha! :D
ShadowSpirit020: Yep! Oh dear. XD
pinkpop002: Thank you! :D
Dimensional Girl: Yup, just about. Just one wrong turn after the other. :D Thank you! :D
midnightsky0612: True that. :D Thanks! :D
LunarCatNinja: No, she will not. Dagur doesn't know what he's getting into, does he? XD
Galaxy-Mitsuko-Pegasus: Yep! Hiccup escaped! And it is a shame the others don't know it...:( But they'll know it soon enough! :D And adorableness! Yay! :D
Animals Rule: Thanks! :D :D :D
ngel Azul: Thanks a bunch! :D I love writing. :) And thanks! :D I'll be between the ages of thirteen and sixteen (I'm not going to give out my actual age :D). Thanks for the review! :D
Jo: Seriously though, Hiccup. Couldn't you have just waited for your friends? XD
xBubbleGirlx: Thanks a bunch! :D
Nightfuryrider54: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it, too! :D Frankly, I don't know the exact release date of RttE season 3, but we're promised 13 episodes every six months or so, so I'm guessing it'll come out either late June or early July. Quite possibly August, too. :D Thanks for the review! :D
wikelia: Thanks so much! :D I'm glad you like it! :D And I, too, am looking forward to writing "Tread Lightly." XD
CerebralCortex31: Thanks! :D
Prince Maggie: Thanks! :D :D And yes! I did know I shared a birthday with the queen of England! :D Happy birthday to your mom! :D
Crystallion12: Yep, not good. :D
Starry Roses: THANK YOU! :D And yeah, seriously! Why didn't Hiccup do that!? XD
Coka-Cola 1.0: Thanks! :D The next chapter is NOW! :D
"NO!" Dagur screamed, digging his hands into his scalp, pulling furiously at his hair. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! IDIOTS!" When the Berserkers finally pulled themselves from underneath the sail of the ship, Dagur knocked each of them unconscious with the flat of his axe. "I COULD'VE HAD HIM!" shouted Dagur. "I DID HAVE HIM! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE! I KNEW IT!"
Savage gulped and licked his dry lips, unsure of how to respond. Dagur, still breathing heavily, finally managed to regain some composure, and when he did, he glared up at the sky.
"Hiccup," he hissed. "What I wouldn't give to wring that scrawny little throat of yours…" He twisted his hands for emphasis, and them, threw them in the air above his head once more. "AGH! Savage, rally up some of the men and mend the sail! We'll regroup on our base, and when we come back, we'll bring the entire Berserker armada!"
He stooped down, picking the chain that had bound Hiccup's hands off the deck of the ship, examining it. The metal still smoked from the sweltering heat of Toothless' plasma blast.
Dagur clenched his fist around the chain, teeth gritted behind his lips.
"Soon, brother," he drawled. "Soon."
For a few moments, there was nothing but Dagur and a few men who had followed Savage to start the repairs, and nearly half an hour later, the sail was back in its place, and the men took up their places as lookouts once again.
It wasn't until shortly after that, just as dawn began to stretch over the sea, that one of Dagur's Berserkers suddenly shouted, "DAGUR! DRAGON RIDERS APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH!"
Dagur raced over, knocked the Berserker overboard, and took the soldier's spyglass from the ground. He raised it to his eye and looked.
Through the spyglass, he saw Astrid on Stormfly, Fishlegs on Meatlug, Snotlout on Hookfang, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut on Barf and Belch. After a moment of thought, he lowered the spyglass once more, grinning.
And then, he chuckled, and the chuckle slowly but surely turned into a loud, barking, maniac laugh. Savage approached, confused.
"What is it, Dagur, sire?" asked Savage.
Dagur tossed Savage the spyglass, still grinning and gloating over his plan. "We might know that Hiccup escaped," said Dagur, and then, he pointed at the approaching dragon riders. "But they don't."
Savage lowered the spyglass, grinning fiendishly. "You are deranged, Sire," said Savage, nodding.
Dagur smiled bigger than ever. "I know," said Dagur. "Now…" He glanced back up at the dragons and riders, and then back at his crew, rubbing his hands together. "We have work to do."
...
Daybreak. The sun rose beyond the horizon, and rays of light stretched across the sky. Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins soared on their dragons through the sky, searching frantically for any sign of Dagur's ship.
They finally came upon Dagur's ship, sailing almost innocently through the ocean below, and the instant they did, Astrid was the first to react, pointing feverishly at the wooden ship as soon as it came into sight.
"There!" she called to the other riders, who instantly swarmed around her to look at what she was pointing at. "Berserker ship below! That's definitely Dagur's warship! That must be where Hiccup is!"
"Okay!" said Fishlegs, and though his voice wavered slightly, he also sounded determined. This was for Hiccup, who would do literally anything for the rest of the riders, and when Fishlegs reminded himself of this, it gave him courage. "Remember the plan!"
"Destroy Dagur first and ask questions later!" said Ruffnut, throwing her hands into the air excitedly.
"And if there be no time," said Tuffnut, also throwing up his hands, "skip the questions! Questions are for people who want to know stuff, and we have found that life is simpler if we're clueless throughout it!"
"That's a bad thing!" snapped Snotlout.
"Well, we wouldn't know that," said Ruffnut back at him, "because we don't think!"
"This," said Snotlout, putting up one finger, "is painfully obvious!"
"No one is shooting the ships until we get Hiccup and Toothless out of there!" shouted Astrid, breaking up the fight between the twins and Snotlout effortlessly "Get Hiccup out of there first, and then-"
"We destroy everything?" asked Tuffnut hopefully, brightening up.
Astrid grinned. "Yep!" she said. "We destroy everything! Dragons, down! And watch out! Dagur could have archers, catapults, bola shooters, and who knows what else!"
The other riders nodded their agreements and followed Astrid downwards, towards the ship below. Fishlegs observed more carefully than the others, expecting a rain of arrows and shower of boulders to greet them as they arrived, but oddly enough, nothing happened.
Fishlegs frowned, brow furrowed.
"Um...Astrid?" he said. "Don't you think it's a little weird that Dagur's men aren't firing at us?"
"Maybe they can't see us?" said Snotlout.
"No, they can definitely see us," said Fishlegs, pointing below. "Look. That Berserker has a spyglass."
"Are they armed?" asked Astrid.
"Yes," said Fishlegs. "They have crossbows, and they have bola shooters, and catapults, but they aren't using any of them."
"Huh...suspicious," said Tuffnut, stroking an imaginary beard. "Hey, if they aren't going to use their advanced weaponry, we could always take it off their hands-"
"Something's wrong," said Snotlout. "If they really have Hiccup and Toothless, why wouldn't they be trying to stop us? They have to know we've come to rescue them, right? Dagur and his Berserkers have always been stupid, but no one could be that stupid."
"I don't know, Snotlout," said Astrid. "Let's see if they'll shoot at us at closer range. Stormfly, down!" Stormfly obeyed, doing a quick circle around the ship before landing on the decks. The Berserkers didn't even raise their weapons against the dragon and rider.
Beside and behind Astrid landed Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins on their dragons, and they looked around at the Berserkers suspiciously. The Berserkers didn't seem very daunted by the fact that dragon riders had landed on their ship.
Astrid frowned. "This doesn't make any sense," she said. "Why aren't you trying to stop us!?" she demanded to the nearest Berserker. In response, the Berserker merely grinned, which could have meant a number of things.
It unnerved Fishlegs more than anything. He recoiled, grimacing. "Okay," he said. "I am one hundred percent terrified."
"Yeah," said Snotlout. "I hate to admit it, but I'm with you there, Fishlegs. Guys? Do me a favor, would you? If I live to see tomorrow, kill me."
A familiar, maniac laugh rang through the ship, and Dagur stepped forward, cackling and clapping his hands together. "Ah, my friends!" he said, walking straight towards the dragon riders, completely at ease. He carried no weapons, no crossbows, not even a knife at his belt. No nothing.
Stormfly raised her tail threateningly, spikes sticking straight up like gigantic spearheads, but Dagur simply dismissed this, still approaching Astrid.
"Look," said Dagur, right in her face, "I know you probably think you and your little dragon riding team are pretty cool, coming here to face me head-on and what not, but unfortunately, I'm here to tell you, missy, that it is completely unnecessary. Your services are no longer required. You may leave."
He spun on his heel and sauntered in the opposite direction. When none of the riders made a move to take to the sky, Dagur looked back at them, confused.
"Well?" he said. "What are you waiting for? Shoo!"
"What have you done with Hiccup?" Astrid demanded, lowly and threateningly, sliding off Stormfly's back, onto the decks of the ship. At this, Dagur paused, tapping his chin as if pondering. Astrid, patience long gone, drew her axe and began taking large, stomping, furious steps towards Dagur.
"What. Have you done. With Hiccup?" Astrid demanded again. "I will not repeat myself a third time."
Dagu looked at her, and then, just as he had when the riders first arrived, he cackled once again. "Oh, Astrid!" he said. "You and the riders have always brought the funny! Especially Hiccup!"
Astrid glared at him and raised her axe threateningly.
"Alright, alright, no need to get hasty," said Dagur, putting up his hands defensively. "We have all day, Astrid."
"Where is Hiccup?" said Astrid. "I promise on my life, Dagur, if you've hurt him-"
Dagur shook his head. "I didn't hurt him, per se," said Dagur. "I just, you know…" He snapped his fingers. "Poof. Disposed of him. He shouldn't be bothering me again."
"Where is he?" Astrid snarled, and this time, she swung her axe forward, aiming it straight at Dagur's throat.
"The real question isn't where Hiccup is, Astrid," said Dagur. "The real question is, where Hiccup was. You see, normally when I 'dispose' of people, I go out of my way to do a thorough job of it."
"I will kill you, Dagur," said Astrid, pressing the very tip of her blade into Dagur's throat. "Don't think I won't."
"Ah, well, do as you must," said Dagur. "My life goal is complete. I can die happy."
Astrid narrowed her eyes.
Dagur groaned. "Oh, is it not painfully obvious where Hiccup is, Astrid?" he said, exasperated. "I thought it would be obvious! The reason we didn't bother you as you flew in just now, is because it was never about any of you imbeciles. It was always about Hiccup and his Night Fury. That's how our rivalry started…" He looked across the ship, where his axe laid on the decks. "...And that's how our rivalry ended," said Dagur.
"What do you mean?" snapped Snotlout, also getting off his dragon, with the twins and Fishlegs doing the same around him.
"Don't you see?" said Dagur. "Hiccup is dead!"
For a few moments, the area was enclosed in silence. The occasional wave crashed against the bow of the ship. No one made a move. Astrid slowly withdrew her axe, never once taking her eyes off Dagur's face.
This time, it was Astrid who broke into mirthless, hysteric, almost maniac laughter, and as she did so, a fury burned behind her eyes unlike any other. She gritted her teeth, swinging her weapon forward again, ready to use it.
"You're lying," she snarled. "I know you're lying, Dagur. You wouldn't kill Hiccup."
"Oh, wouldn't I?" said Dagur, grinning. "Then tell me this, Astrid! If I really had Hiccup here, with me on my ship, why didn't I try shooting you out of the sky, hmm? If it makes you feel any better, I'll let you blow the ship to smithereens, search the ship all you want, or maybe just sink it, but I can promise you, Astrid, you won't find any sign of Hiccup, or his precious Night Fury on this ship."
"You wouldn't have killed him!" said Snotlout, stepping forward, though even Snotlout looked torn. "You need him for information!"
"Information can be earned through other means than a scrawny, one-legged walking toothpick," said Dagur, spitting. "In fact, I could use you lot for information, if I wanted to. Maybe you'd be a bit more cooperative now that you know your leader is dead."
Astrid swallowed. Dagur had to be lying. He had to be. Hatred and fury got in the way of logical thinking, and all she could think of was the fact that Dagur had kidnapped Hiccup. Dagur had wanted to kill Hiccup from the very beginning.
All Astrid knew was that Hiccup was nowhere to be seen, and Dagur was here, claiming to her face, that he was Hiccup's murderer.
Big mistake.
Big mistake.
With a scream of fury unlike no other, Astrid threw her axe aside and flat-out tackled Dagur to the ground.
And all throughout the ship, battle commenced.
