Chapter Nine: Foul Play
"Wagh!" Ukiah shouted, pulling his hand back with lightning like reflexes. The Razorwhip snapped at him, seeing his hand wander close to its tail.
"Ukiah! Are you alright?!" Hiccup cried out, staring at him with wide eyes.
"I'm fine." He replied in an annoyed tone. Glaring at the Razorwhip, he simply shook his head and let out an angry huff. Since he explained his plan to Hiccup, being that he needed to acquire a quill from the Razorwhip, he spent the entire day trying to pull one out. However, every time he tried to get close, he either ended up getting head butted, or of recent, snapped at.
"I'd let it be for a bit." Hiccup counseled "It's been on edge for a while. Maybe you should wait until it falls asleep. Besides, that manacle covering its tail is keeping it from being able to fling its quills. I don't know if you'll even be able to pull one out if you could."
"But that means it's going to be fighting Toothless!" Ukiah replied angrily "I'm trying to stop the fight!"
"I know Ukiah, and I'm thankful; but unless you magically learn how to train that Razorwhip, the fight's going to happen." Hiccup whispered, looking down at Toothless "I wish Heather was here. She'd have been able to show us how it's done."
"But that would mean she'd be captured with us." Ukiah groaned while sliding down the stone wall to a sitting position. Closing his eyes in angst, he simply shook his head "I'm sorry Hiccup. I can't think of a way to get out. At least without some kind of a weapon."
"Don't apologize. I failed in the same way." Hiccup whispered, taking a seat next to Toothless "I guess this is just welcoming you back to the gang. You're not a Rider until you've been captured at least once."
"How many times have you guys been captured?!" Ukiah asked, staring at him in wonder.
Hiccup let a small smile grow on his face "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He replied.
"Try me." Ukiah quickly shot back, letting a small smile of his own grow on his face as well.
"Let me think." Hiccup said aloud, leaning back against the stone wall and looking up at nothing in particular "Well. In the last year, I've been captured…three times? No four. Once with Astrid, another with Matt, again with Heather, and then temporarily by Viggo and Ryker when we were saving Astrid from Strogg." Smiling, he shook his head as he corrected himself "I guess five times if you include right now. Don't even get me started with Matt. He's been nothing but a target for trouble since he came back. Either brushing sides with death, or getting captured like us."
Ukiah just shook his head, not believing how many times the Riders got out of a bind. "What about Matt then?" He asked.
"Hmmm…" Hiccup began to say, starting to count his fingers "Once while he was trying to free me and Astrid from Dagur and Heather, before she joined us. He got impaled by one of Wasatch's spikes when they were shot down during one of our raids, and then he was knocked out by Darien when she came here." Shaking his head, he then added "And then of recent, he was captured when we first found the Hunters, along with Astrid, Fishlegs, and the Twins. Found out they had Heather for a few months and we didn't even know about it."
"How did you not know she was captured?" Ukiah quizzed, raising an eyebrow at the statement.
"She left us, and didn't tell us where she was going." He replied simply, and then continued to say "Matt was also captured when he trained Teton; and then not even a week later, he was almost killed by Strogg." Gesturing to Ukiah, he then said "That's when you saved him."
Ukiah just nodded, thinking of what Matt had gone through.
"And then when I first met him, he took my place as Alvin's prisoner. Almost died when he trained Wasatch, and then when he got Alvin off Hookfang." Hiccup finished with "When you sum it all up, he's the one that's gone through the most."
"So what he said about him being from a…a different time. A different world; that's all true?" Ukiah asked quietly, looking at Hiccup across the cell.
Hiccup nodded as he said "As true as the story with my leg." At that, he waved his prosthetic at Ukiah "Or as real as that scar in your chest."
Ukiah instinctively slid his hand up his tunic to feel the hole in the center of his chest. The first scar that meant something to him. Shaking his head, he whispered "I guess it's just a lot for me to even accept. Matt is someone I trust to be a good friend. He defended me from-" He froze, realizing what he was about to say.
"Me?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sighing, Ukiah nodded "He was the first person to believe me when I felt sorry for what I did to you and Astrid."
"To be fair, you're keeping a secret from him. He doesn't know that you purposely attacked me for not helping you." Hiccup pointed out, making Ukiah hang his head low "He still thinks you did it for show."
"Do you think that'll change how he feels about me?" He asked, not looking up at Hiccup.
"I'm not going to tell him." Hiccup quickly replied, turning to look at the Gronckle. The Gronckle didn't notice Hiccup looking at it, as it began to lick the stone wall, trying to get something in its stomach "If you feel like you need to tell him, that's your call Ukiah."
Ukiah just stared blankly at the ground, thinking of the subject.
"But I will say this. He may get mad, he may even chew you out; but my experience with him is that he never backs down from someone that he calls a friend." Hiccup whispered, standing up from where he was sitting.
Ukiah looked up and stared at Hiccup, as if asking for a further explanation.
Pulling off his prosthetic, he quietly said "Listen, after all that he went through with me, after I kept a secret from him that nearly killed him; he never once threatened to turn his back on me. The only time he ever did that, was when he demanded that I give you a chance to come back." He then began to hammer at the stone wall with his prosthetic in hand.
Ukiah just watched him as he thought of what he said about Matt, and also wondering what he was doing "Trying to dig our way out?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Shaking his shackled leg to let the chain rattle against itself, he then added "Still gotta get these things off."
Cracking the wall, a few rocks fell to his one foot. Kneeling down and picking them up, Hiccup explained "I know, but these dragons are starving. At least we can help one of them." At that, he tossed them to the Gronckle "There ya' go."
The Gronckle looked at him in surprise, seeing the rocks tumble at its feet. Not even thinking, it quickly scooped them up and loudly munched on them.
"Okay, let's try this." He announced, popping his prosthetic back on. Making eye contact with the Gronckle, he stuck out his hand towards it.
The Gronckle looked at Hiccup with inquisitive eyes. Ukiah thought for sure he was going to watch Hiccup work his magic, seeing the Gronckle stare at Hiccup. Then, the moment that filled him with disappointment. The Gronckle then narrowed its eyes and growled dangerously at him.
"Well, it's a start." Hiccup replied, looking a little depressed at the rejection.
"That ungrateful beast." Ukiah growled, glaring at the Gronckle "You gave it food and have only been friendly to it."
"It's scared." Hiccup quietly excused "It'll come around. Dragons are like people; some need more time than others."
Before Ukiah could say anything, a jingling began to sound outside the door. Narrowing his eyes, he watched as the door burst open with a crowd of Hunters, led by Ivar.
"Come on, load up the Razorwhip." Ivar ordered, stopping in the middle of the cell.
Ukiah and Hiccup watched as two Hunters unlocked the shackles around the Razorwhip's leg. They then began to push it into a cage loaded on a cart; obviously used to move the dragons in and out of the cell.
"Now get the Night Fury." Ivar instructed, smirking over at Toothless.
"You stay away from him!" Hiccup shouted, stepping in between Toothless and the Hunters.
The Hunters ignored him and one of them brought his fist across Hiccup's face, launching him to the side.
"Hiccup!" Ukiah roared, sprinting at the Hunters. Just barely in reach with his chain, he grabbed one of them and pulled them back. His fighting blood was raging as he kicked behind the Hunter's knee and slammed him onto the ground. Before any other Hunter could react, Ukiah dropped down and planted his own knee into the throat of the Hunter.
"Get him off!" Ivar yelled, annoyed at the Ukiah's resistance.
One Hunter drilled the butt end of his spear into Ukiah's side, causing him to gasp out in pain and loss of air. Pushing their prisoner over easily, the Hunter's then began to help their comrade.
"Forget him. Get the Night Fury!" Ivar roared, walking over and grabbing the gasping Hunter. Pulling him away from where Ukiah lay, he simply shook his head at his 'help'.
Hiccup finally got his bearings back, as he looked up to see Toothless pushed into another cage. Trying to stand up to stop the cart, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder and hold him back. It was Ivar.
Toothless roared as loud as he could, glaring at Ivar and the Hunters.
"You keep him feisty. I like that." Ivar observed evilly, grinning at Hiccup.
Hiccup just watched angrily and helplessly as the gates opened to their cell. Ivar led the two carts, with Toothless just watching Hiccup. Hiccup's heart broke, seeing his best friend taken away from him.
"Ugh…no!" Ukiah groaned, holding his side where he was hit at. Looking up in time to see Toothless out of the cell, he let his cold anger burn as the gates slammed shut.
Both Hiccup and Ukiah ran to the small slots in the gate, looking out; with Ukiah being held back a couple feet.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight I bring you, for the first time…" Ivar announced loudly, walking into the arena with open arms. A loud cheer erupted from the stands around the arena, adding to the burning anger the two felt. Holding the dramatic pause, Ivar smiled evilly as he yelled "A Night Fury!"
The crowd went crazy; creating a deafening roar. Hiccup anxiously looked out of the gate, while Ukiah angled himself to get the best view that he could.
"Fighting the most vicious dragon on this side of Changewing Island…A Razorwhip!" Ivar continued to shout. The crowd went nuts, seeing both cages lined so that the dragons were facing each other. Turning to his men, Ivar waved his hand and jogged out of the arena.
Slowly, the cages were lifted off the two dragons and suspended in the air, which both began to circle each other.
"How well can Toothless fair without you?" Ukiah asked, catching glimpses of the Razorwhip and Toothless. The Razorwhip was at least twice the size of Toothless, and was being a lot more aggressive by striking at Toothless with its tail.
Hiccup just gripped the gate as he watched in angst. "Come on bud…" He whispered, watching the fight take place.
The Razorwhip charged Toothless, head-butting him. Toothless roared as he reared back, only to let the Razorwhip pin him to the ground on his back. Toothless snapped at the silver dragon, trying to get ahold of its neck. The size and weight of the Razorwhip made it easy for it to keep Toothless pinned and keeping its head away from him. Hissing the Razorwhip went for Toothless' throat, which he twisted barely out of the way.
"Get out of there Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, thinking Toothless was about to be killed.
Toothless used his strength to send both of them rolling, which he was able to slip out from under the Razorwhip. Growling he whirled around and roared at the dragon, who took off and flew around the arena. Flying in a circle around Toothless, it blasted the ground next to him and caused a smokescreen to blind him. Toothless covered his head out of reaction, only to feel a stinging feeling across his left front leg. Letting the dust settle, he saw that the Razorwhip slashed him while he was blinded.
"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, seeing the injury.
Toothless let out a challenging roar, as he ran to intercept the Razorwhip's flight path. Sprinting as fast as he could, he leapt onto the stone wall of the arena and pushed off of it, slamming himself into his opponent. The surprise and force of the hit stunned the Razorwhip, which went limp under the roaring Night Fury. Toothless roared angrily as he charged up for a plasma blast!
"No Toothless! No!" Hiccup shouted, knowing what he was about to do.
Glancing up at Hiccup through the gate, Toothless obeyed and defused the shot he was preparing.
That was enough time for the Razorwhip to force Toothless off, being bigger than him. Toothless launched off and landed away from the Razorwhip, giving him a healthy distance from it. The Razorwhip hissed as it stood up. Glaring at him with its burning purple eyes, it was about to charge him. Toothless saw it coming long before it actually happened. Swinging his tail around, he slammed it into the side of the Razorwhip's head. The blow stunned the dragon again, leaving it teetering over.
The crowd was in a pandemonium. Some booing, most cheering. This was a fight of a lifetime for some! Toothless ignored the cheering. Slowly walking backwards, he held his tail in front of his face, as if in a defensive position. The Razorwhip growled angrily, slowly following him.
"What's going on?!" Ukiah asked, losing his view from the cracks "Hiccup, I can't see anything!"
"I think Toothless is onto something…" Hiccup replied, not taking his eyes off his friend.
Toothless kept on backing up, leading the Razorwhip closer to the center of the arena. Having been fed up with patiently waiting, the Razorwhip screeched as it charged him. Toothless leapt up into the air and right over the Razorwhip. While midair, he turned and fired a plasma blast at one of the ropes holding a cage up. The cage instantly fell onto the Razorwhip, trapping it in the center of the ring.
"He did it! Thank Thor he did it!" Hiccup shouted excitedly.
"Great!" Ukiah huffed sarcastically, glaring at Hiccup "Mind telling me what he did?"
Before Hiccup could reply, a deafening chant began to emit from the crowd: "Night Fury! Night Fury! Night Fury!"
Hiccup turned to look out, a wave of anger and helplessness setting in. Seeing Toothless roar angrily at the crowd, trying to intimidate them, he whispered "Something that probably made him more valuable to the Hunters…"
"How's he looking?" Ukiah asked, trying to get a better look at Toothless' injury. In the darkness and his angle, he could only tell that he was bleeding. Not how bad though.
"He's…hurting." Hiccup replied "The Razorwhip got him good. It's pretty deep."
Ukiah turned and glared at the Razorwhip, laying down in its corner of the cell. It barely moved since it lost too Toothless, though it was still alive. "Hmm…guess dragons have pride too." Ukiah muttered to himself, watching the Razorwhip refuse to make eye contact with anything.
"Oh bud, I'm so proud of you. You did great." Hiccup began to say, pulling Ukiah's attention back to the present.
Toothless growled with a smile, though winced in pain as he moved his leg.
"I know, I know…" Hiccup whispered, looking at him with sorrow in his eyes.
Before anyone could react, the door shot open with Ivar smiling from ear to ear. The sight made Ukiah rage silently. He still yearned for the opportunity to kill the man.
"To the victor goes the spoils!" He cried out, tossing three fish to Hiccup and Toothless.
Hiccup watched Ivar walk towards the other dragons, barely giving them any fish. In one smooth motion, he grabbed one fish and tucked it away under his tunic.
"When I get out of here…" Ukiah growled, watching Ivar finish feeding the dragons.
"Open your eyes boy. You're not getting out of here except in irons!" Ivar quickly responded, glaring at Ukiah "I've already sold your hide to a slaver. After what you did to my man, it's the worse that I'm willing to do. Your master is coming to pick you up after tomorrow's fight." Looking at Toothless, he grinned as he added "Involving that Night Fury again."
"Listen, he fought for you. And you made a fortune. Now you need to let us go." Hiccup began to argue.
"Why would I do that? I already made a hefty amount selling your friend." Ivar replied with a smile and a raised eyebrow "When word gets out that I have a Night Fury, people will be coming all over to see it fight." Gesturing out of the gate, and across the arena, he then said "Night Fury, meet your next opponent. The Triple Stryke!"
Hiccup and Toothless glanced out to see the opposite gate get lifted up. Out of the darkness, burst a strange and unique looking dragon. Standing on its hind legs, its front claws were actually pincers! It had a long tail arched over it like a scorpion. Glaring at them behind the gate, it simply roared, as if claiming its next opponent's life.
Hiccup stared at the dragon in horror. It looked like a killer!
Ivar laughed, seeing Hiccup's fallen face. Walking out, he teased "Have a good night, it may be your last."
Ukiah just glared at Ivar as he slammed the door shut. Cursing him silently, he turned to see Hiccup stroking Toothless' head out of anxiousness and worry. Whatever he saw, it had him scared. Looking at the Razorwhip, he quietly growled "Don't worry Hiccup, I'm going to do whatever I can to stop this fight…"
"I never doubted you Astrid. Not once." Matt said aloud, shaking his head with a wide smile "But to see it actually work? Gotta say that's pretty impressive."
Astrid just smirked at him, holding the Terrible Terror with the note attached to its leg. "Thank you Matt. It was because you scared them though."
"For the love of Thor!" Snotlout began to whine "Would you two get a room?!"
Instead of being embarrassed, the two just laughed, knowing they made a commitment to never go past friends. Matt just looked over at Heather and winked at her, which she simply smiled and shook her head.
"Now let's see if there's anything that the message can tell us?" Astrid asked aloud, letting the Terror go and unrolling the paper.
"Well, anything?" Heather asked, letting Windshear hover closer to Astrid.
"Odin's mercy…it is a dragon fighting arena! That Hunter was telling the truth!" Astrid whispered, her face paling "It's busy enough that they have to keep resupplying them with new dragons!"
Matt turned and glared at Changewing Island. It was true then, the fact the Hunters were using dragon fights for profit. And pleasure. What angered him the most though was the fact that there was a demand for it to begin with!
"And if I'm right in guessing this, when people hear a Night Fury is fighting…" Heather began to say, looking at Astrid with worry "Think of how popular that's going to get!"
"So?" Snotlout began to argue, making everyone turn to look at him "Hiccup and Toothless need us!"
"And Ukiah." Matt quickly pointed out, frowning at Snotlout.
"I'm still getting used to him being here." Snotlout huffed, rolling his eyes. Continuing his rant, he yelled "Come on, let's go in dragon's blazing!"
"Let me get this straight." Matt asked aloud, taking over the conversation "You want to just fly over and burn a Hunters' camp, the same Hunters that have anti-dragon arrows; have all their equipment and cages made of dragon proof metal; and bust Hiccup and the others out? Just like that?"
"Well, now that you mention it…" Snotlout began to say, glaring at Matt in anger.
"Matt's right. We'd never be able to break the arena's dome." Heather agreed "The only dragons here that could do that are either Windshear with her tail, and Matt's Skrills; Teton and Wasatch."
"I guess I could go down and create a lightning storm. Scare some of the people and guards away." Matt began to contemplate, only to be cut off by the twins.
"Never fear Grandson Haddock! And his girlfriend Heather the Deranged!" Tuffnut shouted, smiling wide at Matt.
"Grandson?!" Matt spluttered, taken back at the comment. Glaring at the twins, he quickly corrected "Its brother! I'm a brother!"
"And I'm not deranged like Dagur!" Heather shouted angrily, hating that part of family.
"They're in denial. Better remind them after the mission." Ruffnut whispered loud enough for the two to hear.
Before Matt could tear into the twins, they then said "Come on! It's time for Thorston and Thorston to infiltrate the island!" At that, the two flew their Zippleback down and towards the island "Follow us! We'll find a way in!"
Shaking his head, he heard Snotlout say "Oh goody. There they go."
"Come on, we better make sure they don't get themselves into trouble." Matt growled, letting Wasatch start to dive after the twins "Mainly to keep them from putting themselves in Hiccup's and Ukiah's situation!"
"Matt wait!" Astrid called out, stopping him "I have an idea. What if Heather and I go with the twins while you take Snotlout and Fishlegs to strike from the outside, as soon as you see us turn the tables on the Hunters."
Matt looked at her with a worried expression "Are you sure? I don't like how you guys will be in there with no cover. And with the Twins as your partners."
"You'll be our cover!" Astrid replied with a smile "Between you, Snotlout, and Fishlegs; plus Wasatch, Teton, Hookfang, and Meatlug, we'll be fine! Not to mention we'll have our dragons."
Heather agreed, saying "If we have too big of a group down there, they may try to move our friends while we're fighting them. A smaller group will be better for getting in and busting out Hiccup, Ukiah, and Toothless."
Thinking about it, Matt slowly and reluctantly began to nod "Alright, I'll give you twenty minutes to get in and try to get them. After that, we'll be coming in with Snotlout's plan; dragon's blazing. That way we'll hit them from two sides. Got it?"
"Got it! See you guys in a bit!" Astrid replied with a wide smile, letting Stormfly follow the twins.
"Heather." Matt called out, stopping her from leaving too "Take Arrow with you, since you'll probably see Ukiah before I do. And please, for my sake, be careful. I don't want to look for you if you've been captured too."
"I'll be fine Matt. Because I know you won't let anyone leave with me; or any of us for that manner." Heather replied with smile. At that, she let Windshear launch after Stormfly, making up the lost ground and shouting "Come on Arrow, let's get Ukiah back!"
Matt just watched the small party fly behind cover, staying hidden from any sentries with the Sand Wraith tailing behind. Sighing, he then glared down at the arena, growling "That's right Heather, I'm not letting anyone take you, or any of my friends." Turning to Teton who was hovering close by, he then smiled "Charge up boy, we're going to see how resistant that metal is to our lightning."
Ukiah watched Hiccup walk up to the Monstrous Nightmare, holding out the fish towards it. A little skeptically, he then asked quietly "How do you know it's not going to do the same thing as the Gronckle? Turn its back on you after you feed it?"
Hiccup ignored Ukiah, focusing on the Nightmare. "Here you go…" He gently said, waving the fish in front of the dragon. As soon as the Nightmare saw the fish, he tossed it to it. In one smooth motion, it caught it in the air. Almost immediately, it roared painfully and dropped the fish.
"These dragons are too wild or defensive to be trained, Hiccup." Ukiah commented, shaking his head in disappointment.
"No, hold on." Hiccup replied "I've seen this before." Grabbing the fish, he quickly dangled it in front of the Nightmare a second time. The Nightmare opened its mouth, as if yearning for the fish. Smiling, Hiccup then said "I'd rather not lose my other limb, thank you very much." At that he pulled out a loose tooth from the Nightmare.
Ukiah stared in disbelief as he watched the dragon's attitude change immediately. Hiccup tossed the fish a second time, and the Nightmare quickly snatched it out of the air and ate it. Immediately it then rubbed against Hiccup, thanking him.
"How in Odin's name…" Ukiah whispered, shaking his head in disbelief "I can't believ-"
"You may be a better fighter and warrior than me Ukiah, but my strengths are in knowing and training dragons." Hiccup commented, smiling at him as he walked to the Nadder. Almost immediately, the dragon growled at him, letting its spikes flare up along its tail.
Ukiah simply watched, learning to trust that Hiccup knew what he was doing.
"Alright…don't mind me." Hiccup whispered "Just gotta find that blind spot…and…" He then began to scratch the Nadder's chin, instantly calming it down. The Nadder began to rub against Hiccup, almost like what Stormfly would have done if it were her.
"I guess I have a lot to learn about dragon training." Ukiah said aloud, smiling as he watched Hiccup calm the remaining dragons. Ivar had taken Toothless, the Gronckle, and the Razorwhip to the arena earlier leaving them alone for a quite a bit of time. Unfortunately, Hiccup watched the fight between the Gronckle and the Razorwhip take place, which ended with the Razorwhip easily dispatching the Gronckle.
"Hey Ukiah, with your plan to get a Razorwhip quill, did you specifically need that?" Hiccup asked, walking to the side of the now friendly Nadder.
"I need a weapon. That was what I thinking that I could use." Ukiah answered, turning to look at the gate, hearing a small group of Hunters starting to open it up "Hold that thought. We have company."
Hiccup turned and glared at the Hunters as the gate swung open wide. Two Hunters escorted the Razorwhip inside, shackling it to the wall as everyone and everything was.
"Put that manacle on the tail." Ivar ordered "That tail can cut through anything."
Ukiah watched Hiccup's face furrow in contemplation giving away the fact that he had an idea growing in his head.
"Now for you…" Ivar began to say, turning and glaring at Ukiah "After the fight, your new master is coming down to see you. Make sure you behave yourself!"
"Oh, I'll behave…" Ukiah growled sarcastically.
"See that you do." Ivar replied threateningly while pointing his spear at Hiccup. Resting the tip in the center of his chest, he added "It's not you that will suffer if you don't."
Ukiah's eyes narrowed in anger, seeing that Hiccup was being used against him.
"Now, let's get this fight started!" Ivar laughed, turning to walk out. Teasing Hiccup, he jeered "Your Night Fury has drawn quite the crowd!"
Hiccup watched the Hunters leave while laughing. Seeing two of the Hunters slam it shut, he quickly turned around and walked up to the Nadder.
"I hate to say it Hiccup, but it's looking like I'm going to be gone in a little bit…" Ukiah growled, glaring at the shut gates.
"Not quite." Hiccup replied, stroking the Nadder's tail "Listen, regardless of what happens, you need to do your plan next time they come in here. We're out of time and we need to do something now!"
"I need something to fight with!" Ukiah replied angrily, turning to face Hiccup. To his surprise, he saw a single Nadder spine tossed towards him. Catching it, he stared at it with wide eyes.
"Think that'll work?" Hiccup asked with a smile.
Tossing it in the air, he caught the base of it. Testing the tip of the spine, he simply nodded. A small light shone in his eyes, as if the hope of escaping was rekindled. "This is perfect Hiccup. I completely forgot about the Nadder's spine shot!"
"Don't mention it, just make sure you use the most of it!" Hiccup replied with a smile. Guiding the Nightmare and Nadder towards the Razorwhip, he then eyed the manacle locked on its tail.
"What are you thinking of now?" Ukiah asked, sitting down and trying pick his shackle's lock with the spine.
"Maybe a way to stop the fight. And Ivar." Hiccup replied methodically. Getting the two dragon's attention, he then pointed at the manacle. The two dragons instantly fired two constant streams of fire at the manacle, turning it into a bright red glow. The Razorwhip looked at the feat with growing interest, seeing that it was getting helped.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Ivar's voice echoed from the arena "I give you, the reigning champion! The Triple Stryke!"
Ukiah leapt onto his feet, walking to the end of his chain and looking out. The crowd cheered loudly, signaling that it was a favorite.
"And the newcomer! The representative of lightning and death! The Night Fury!" Ivar's voice shouted proudly.
Hiccup ignored the dragons and ran to the gate. "No!" He cried, realizing he was too late.
The crowd roared in a fury, excited about the fight!
Ukiah quickly sat down and resumed to try and pick the lock. He had to get out! He had to stop the fight!
Hiccup watched as the cages were lifted off both dragons. Almost immediately the Triple Stryke lashed out its tail at Toothless. Toothless quickly leaped to the left, dodging the strike and letting the cart get destroyed. Watching in angst, all he could do was silently cheer and pray for Toothless as he battled against the new foe.
"Hiccup! Work on that Razorwhip!" Ukiah growled, still trying to pick the lock "Toothless can handle himself, what we need to do is provide an interruption during the fight!"
Hiccup reluctantly walked away from the gate, not wanting to abandon his friend. But Ukiah was right, the best help he could be is if they could get out of their cell and stop the fight themselves. Running to the Razorwhip, Hiccup then resumed guiding the Nightmare and the Nadder to try and remove the manacle from the Razorwhip.
Ukiah was busy fitting the tip of the spine into the keyhole, when suddenly a crash sounded out of the doorway. Looking up, he was surprised to see a Hunter's face pressed up against the door's bars. Watching the Hunter slowly slide down while falling unconscious, he was shocked to see Astrid's face appear.
"Ukiah?" She cried happily "Hiccup! Thank Thor we found you!"
"Astrid?!" Hiccup cried out in disbelief.
Crash! A large metal tail shot the door off its hinges, revealing Astrid, Heather, Windshear, and Arrow.
"Arrow!" Ukiah shouted, seeing his friend sprint towards him.
Arrow rammed his head into Ukiah's chest, knocking him down. Growling happily, he kept on rubbing against his rider.
"I was so worried about you…" Astrid whispered, grabbing Hiccup in a hug.
I'm fine Astrid, and thank you…" Hiccup replied, equally quiet.
"And now! The final strike!" Ivar's voice announced, echoing in the cell.
"No!" Hiccup shouted, glancing at the gate in a panic "We need to get out of here and stop the fight!"
"Windshear! Tail slice!" Heather shouted, pointing at the shackles on everyone's legs.
Windshear's tail made quick work of the irons, either crushing them or slicing the chain.
"Come on! Let's go!" Hiccup shouted, trying to push open the gate.
"Go ahead! Arrow and I will meet you in a second!" Ukiah shouted, running out of the cell through the doorway.
Ignoring Heather's and Astrid's cries, he and Arrow bolted down the stone hallway. Seeing stairs lead up to the arena, he readied the Nadder spine as he reached the stand where Ivar and a couple of his men were standing. He could feel his emotions null out. The despair of trying to stop the fight disappeared as a cold pitiless feeling overcame him. "Sick 'em, Arrow!" He shouted, grabbing Ivar from behind and pulling him down.
Arrow roared loudly, sinking his teeth into one of the Hunter's shoulder, instantly dropping him. He wasted no time as he swiped his tail over Ukiah and into the face of the second guard, launching him into the crowd below.
Ivar tried to swing his fist at Ukiah, who easily countered it. Grabbing Ivar's wrist, he then slammed it down onto the deck of the platform. "Grab him, Arrow!" He ordered.
The crowd let out an audible gasp as they watched the dragon that looked like a Night Fury, but wasn't, turn and bite down on Ivar's arm, holding him in place.
"Aggh!" Ivar roared, using his other hand to try and push the Sand Wraith off. Feeling the dragon start to tear it, he roared "You're making big mistake kid!"
"Am I?" Ukiah replied calmly, kneeling down next to Ivar and placing the Nadder spine over his heart "I'm not the one whose arm is getting shredded by a Sand Wraith."
"Fool! Ryker is here! With his men!" Ivar laughed.
Ukiah quickly glanced down at the arena, seeing Toothless and the Triple Stryke staring down and Ryker and a couple of his men. Frowning, he then slammed his knee into Ivar's chest, making him cough for air. "Still not going to save you for what you did to me and Hiccup!"
"Oh, and a loyal crowd!" Ivar coughed out, not fazed by Ukiah's threat.
However, before any of the crowd could even react to help Ivar, an explosion sounded in the arena. Everyone turned to gasp as they saw a Nightmare and Nadder emerge from the arena's cell, followed by two Razorwhip's, another Nadder, and a bunch of Dragon Riders.
"This. Ends. Now!" Hiccup roared, looking up at the crowd. Looking around the arena, he gasped as he was staring at Ryker, who was angrily glaring at him. On one end of the arena, was the sight that relieved him above all else. Toothless and the Triple Stryke were growling at Ryker, ready to attack him.
"Hey-o! Guess who's here!" A voice shouted above everyone.
Everyone, including the crowd, looked up to see two Skrills hovering over; both being lit up with lightning. Matt, standing up on Wasatch waved to Ryker below "Hey Ryker! Wanna take a shot at me again?"
Ryker was about to say something, only be interrupted by Toothless growling and the Triple Stryke rattling its tail like a rattlesnake. Seeing how hopelessly he was outmatched, he growled angrily "This isn't over Haddocks! I'll have both you and your dragon's heads mounted on spears before the years through!" At that he turned and ran out of the arena through the Triple Stryke's cell.
The crowd instantly began to boo and threaten Matt, some even starting to draw their weapons to help Ivar. They were quickly stopped as a fire bolt blasted some of the seating away.
"Justice! Get your justice here!" Snotlout shouted with a large smile "Get it while it's hot!" At that, Hookfang blasted the crowd again, sending them in a panicked run.
Fishlegs then swooped down, letting Meatlug leave a long layer of lava behind and destroying anything that was left behind. "Dragon fighting!" Fishlegs growled angrily "I'll give you dragon fighting! Show them Meatlug!"
At that, both Snotlout and Fishlegs began to chase the crowd away, leaving Ukiah and Arrow alone with Ivar; as well as Matt and his Skrills.
"Yeah, well, I have a few friends backing me up too." Ukiah lauded back at Ivar. Grabbing his throat, he made Ivar look at him in the eyes. "You have one chance to convince me before I let Arrow rip your arm off. Then I move onto the next one."
Ivar visibly gulped, realizing he was no longer in control and at the mercy of the one he sold to a slaver.
"You ok, Ukiah?" Matt cried out, starting to hover closer to him.
"I'm fine. Get Hiccup and the dragons out." He shouted back, not taking his eyes off Ivar. Then with a sarcastic tone, added "Let me be with this brave Hunter that likes to beat his captives that can't fight back."
Matt just looked at Ivar, having an idea what fate he was going to suffer. Shaking his head, he looked down to see Hiccup, Astrid, and Heather in the arena. "Hold on Hiccup, let's see if we can't get you guys out of there." He shouted, pulling down his goggles to look over the metal bars in detail. Signaling to Teton, he then pointed at the center of the arena's cage. Teton instantly screeched in response, letting loose a powerful lightning bolt. Striking where Matt had pointed, the metal fanned out at the raw power of the lightning, leaving a wide opening for them to all fly out of.
The first dragons to jump on the chance to escape were the wild ones, being the Nadder, Nightmare and purple eyed Razorwhip. Letting them fly through first, Matt guided Wasatch through the massive hole, with Teton following close by. Unbuckling himself, he quickly jumped down before Wasatch even landed.
"Matt!" Hiccup cried out, happy to see him.
Matt didn't say anything, he just ran up and grabbed Hiccup in a hug "I'm going to kill you for getting yourself captured!" He growled, looking over him. Seeing a bruise on his cheek, he asked "How bad did they treat you?"
"They hit me once." Hiccup replied with a shrug, turning to see Toothless walk up to him "When I tried to defend Toothless." Looking over everyone that was right there, he whispered "It's so good to see you guys. I wasn't even sure you'd ever find us!"
"We wouldn't have stopped searching for you Hiccup." Astrid quickly said, walking up to him with a relieved expression on her face. Grabbing him in a hug, she quietly assured him by saying "You know that."
"I do." He replied, relishing in the hug. Finally backing away from her, he turned to see the Triple Stryke watch them curiously. Smiling, he then gestured to the hole above them "Go on, your free!"
The Triple Stryke just looked up at the hole, and then back at Hiccup; as if unsure what to do.
"Hiccup! That dragon's been in captivity for too long!" Fishlegs shouted, now hovering above the arena "It doesn't know how to be free.
Hiccup's heart broke, hearing the reality of the situation. How do they get this dragon out of here?
Toothless seemed to have an answer for the unasked question. Walking up to the Triple Stryke, he spread his wings out and gestured to the hole above him. The Triple Stryke slowly opened its wings out, seeing what he was meaning.
"Come on! Let's show him how to leave!" Hiccup cried out, jumping on Toothless. In one smooth motion, he launched out of the arena, with Astrid and Stormfly close behind.
Matt and Heather stayed to watch the new dragon slowly fly up, following both dragons out. Smiling, the two looked at each other with happy expressions.
Suddenly, a scream sounded from up on the platform above them. Matt quickly drew his knife, flipping it open in one smooth motion. Heather did the same, grabbing her axe strapped to her back and folding it open to show the double axes.
"No! No! I told you everything! I gave you the map! Please don- Agh!" The voice cried out, only to be cut short rather abruptly.
Matt glanced at Heather nervously, unsure of what to think. Heather's eyes narrowed as she focused on the platform above them. Then, standing up into view, came the sight that brought both of them relief. Ukiah folding up a piece of paper, with Arrow rubbing against him with a relieved expression. Looking down in the arena, Ukiah laughed "Matt? I should have figured you'd be here too." Petting Arrow to acknowledge the affection, he added "Thank you for taking care of Arrow for me. He gets worked up whenever we get separated.
"Ukiah! I hope the Hunters treated you better than Hiccup." Matt replied with a smile. Then, letting the smile slowly disappear, he asked "Was your prisoner the one we heard scream?"
"Yeah, you just left us as we were about to blow the cell up" Heather explained, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, well I was stopping the dragon fights for good. Ivar will no longer be a problem. For us and dragons." He replied, shrugging at what he did "For what he did to me and Hiccup, including Toothless, He had it coming. I swore that I'd kill him. And I'm true to my word." At that, he climbed onto Arrow "He tried to fight back, but it wasn't that much of a challenge." Seeing the concerned looks on both Matt's and Heather's faces, he quickly explained "He beat on me and Hiccup. He sold me to a slaver, which I guess won't happen now." Squaring up to them, he added "I'm not sorry. He deserved to die for what he did. I don't kill for the sake of spilling blood."
Heather nodded in understanding. Gesturing to the paper tucked in his belt, she asked "So, what did you take from him?"
"A map. One that was on him. We actually traded. I gave him a Nadder spine in his heart, and I got this in return." Ukiah replied simply. Still sense their hesitancy, he then explained "Listen, I know I seem intense and maybe a little extreme, but Ivar needed to die. Not only does it hurt Viggo and his operations, but he would have stopped at nothing to get Toothless back. He abused him to fight some of the stronger dragons and I was going to be shipped off as a slave to someone. I did what I had to."
Shaking her head, she then said "I'm glad we found you guys when we did then. And what kind of map did you find?"
"One that I'm hoping that has the location of Crev on it." He replied with a smile. Looking at Heather, he then said "If it has it, I might be leaving in a couple of days. Hopefully Hiccup can help me make sense of it."
"Come on, let's get out of here." Matt called out while climbing on Wasatch "We can talk about it when we catch up to Hiccup and the others."
Matt watched Heather climb on Windshear, to which he asked "Ready?"
"Ready." She replied, launching through the hole in the arena's dome. Matt let Wasatch follow her, with Teton close behind. Ukiah and Arrow were then tailing close behind them, getting closer to Matt.
"Hey guys." Ukiah replied, glancing between both Matt and Heather "Uh, thanks. Thanks for busting us out. And for taking care of Arrow while I was missing."
"Don't mention it Ukiah. We're just getting even with all you've done for us." Heather was quick to reply, turning to smile at him "I'm just glad you and Hiccup are safe."
"Amen." Matt quickly seconded while letting Wasatch glide alongside Arrow "Honestly, we'd have kept looking for you if you guys weren't there."
Ukiah smiled with gratitude. He was being treated not only as a friend, but someone they valued. It was just like when Berk treated him and Arrow as members of their tribe. It was a surreal feeling; one that he longed for a while now.
As the three caught up with Hiccup and everyone else, Ukiah was shocked to see the Triple Stryke flying alongside Toothless. "Hiccup! Did you train that thing?" He cried out, seeing the Triple Stryke mimic Toothless with all his movements.
Laughing, Hiccup shook his head, explaining "Nope. Toothless did! They befriended each other in the arena!"
"And it looks like it wants to stay with us!" Fishlegs commented, smiling at the prospect of having a new dragon living on Dragon's Edge.
"He looks so sleek, so deadly!" Tuffnut called out, making everyone turn to face the twins "I think I shall call him Sleuther. After Thorston and Thorston's great detecting skills!"
Hiccup and Ukiah looked at Astrid in confusion, to which she rolled her eyes while shaking her head "I'll tell you guys later." Glancing at Matt who had his eyes shut in angst, she then joked "I mean, it's not like we couldn't have done it without them!"
Matt just shook his head, letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Well Sleuther, I hope you like Dragon's Edge!" Hiccup said aloud, smiling at the Triple Strike.
Sleuther just smiled, looking back at all the new friends he just made. Seeing Arrow and Ukiah and making eye contact with them, he quickly glided over next to them. Looking at Arrow curiously, the Triple Stryke reached over with one of his pincers and stroked one of his spikes along his back as if to help him figure out what Arrow was.
Arrow roared happily, looking up at Sleuther. Smiling, he let sand trickle out of the corners of his mouth, creating an orange streamer behind him.
Sleuther also roared with a wide smile. Doing a mid-flight front flip, he simply glided along Arrow.
"Guess we got a new friend, Arrow." Ukiah announced, seeing Sleuther begin to mimic Arrow with his movements.
At that everyone focused on what lay ahead, happy that the nightmare of their friends missing, was finally over.
Hope you all enjoyed reading it! Sorry I couldn't update sooner, my vacation ended up not having any WiFi so I couldn't even get on FanFiction if I wanted to. Hope you all had a great week and weekend, and hope it continues that way for all of ya'!
-Dustnblood
