Hiccup had never been this frightened in his life. His feet tripped, his shoes long since been discarded, and the hidden stones made their presence known by slicing at his bare feet. His arm had long since lost all feeling due to the tight grip dragging him. His shirt had been all but destroyed and his torso had been left bare, newly lashed whip marks pouring with warm, sickly blood.

The boy tightly squinted his eyes as the rays of light hit him. His back was burning as he was thrown across the gravel, grains invading his wounds. The attention of the other slaves was quickly caught and they all looked to the centre, thinking the same thing. This was bad.

This was very very bad.

The familiar burning of ropes wrapped themselves around his wrists; his toes could barely scrape the ground below. Through his blurred vision, he could see a black-bearded man being handed a whip- Alvin.

"Everybody!" He heard, "this scum," Alvin pointed the whip at Hiccup's hanging form, "has been plotting against Dagur."

Alvin slowly moved to the back of the boy, "against all of us. It may not seem it but plotting against us has risked a lot of lives. Mine. Yours. Everyone's here. Everyone's life has been put in danger...because of him" at the word "him" Alvin lashed the whip.

Hiccup screamed, his vision darkening. His flesh ripped open, wet blood joining dry. Another lash, another scream. Hiccup knew these wounds would never heal; sure they would scar but the pain would always haunt him. The pain of leather ripping at his skin, shredding his back.

Hiccup stiffened at the third lash, muffling a yell he so wanted to let the world hear. But he wouldn't. He wouldn't give Alvin any more satisfaction.

After the fourth, everything had stopped. Hiccup faintly heard a grunt and could clearly hear the yells following. He abruptly fell and looked up. Jack offered his hand before turning to the raging guards and pulling out his second knife. He handed it to Hiccup, his weapon being left in his boot.

Hiccup had never killed before, he had witnessed the death of both dragon and Viking but none had been at his hand. But at that moment, his rational side took control. 'This is the right thing to do' he thought with a scowl as he spotted his target, a large guard barreling towards him, 'these bastards deserve it.'

Running would cost him more energy than he had so he waited for the guard to reach him. Hiccup dodged the attack and stabbed the guard's neck.

Hiccup gasped in pain at the stretch and Jack noticed in an instant. "North!" The white haired boy shouted. The man was there as fast as Berk's weather changed, lifting up the limp boy. "Toothless," Hiccup mumbled, "get Toothless."

Jack nodded, running to the cell the dragon was kept in. Minutes later, the black reptile had been let loose, shooting any and all guards with his plasma blasts.

North sliced with one of his two swords, his other hand tightly holding Hiccup. Toothless was guarding his back, protecting his rider. The rest of the slaves joined the fight in hope for their freedom. Unfortunately, not all would get that freedom.

Sandy had stolen a guard's whip, lashing at the foes. He silently screamed as an arrow pierced his back before dropping to the ground, limp.

Lifeless.

"Don't worry Hiccup," North reassured him, "he's with his wife now. He would rather die trying escape his life than live it any longer."

But Hiccup wasn't listening. The loss of blood had lead to a loss of conscious and he lied limp over North's shoulder.

But he would not die. He would not give anyone the satisfaction.

He would escape.