Chapter 10
Over the next month, Azora and Toothless flew almost constantly together, enjoying the freedom that Hiccup gave to them. Every morning was the routine of getting up, feeding, flying, eating, and flying some more before bed but today Toothless decided to change it up by playing a game with Azora instead after breakfast. "Come on Azora!" He called as she chased him throughout the forest as they played a dragon version of tag. "You have to admit defeat at some point!"
"No way!" Azora laughed as she ran after him nearly touching his tail a few times to tag him. "I am not going to let you win!"
Toothless laughed but suddenly, a weight was on his back and he tumbled to the ground with Azora laughing merrily above him. As soon as she got off and started running, Toothless was hot on her tail, trying to tag her as soon as he could. "Come on Azora!" He laughed as she started to zig and zag through the trees and underbrush. "The easier you let me catch you, the easier the game will be over!"
Azora soon disappeared from Toothless view as she zipped past another tree and Toothless had to stop to smell her out and listen around him. He has done this technique to find her before but something this time made him on edge.
It was way too quiet…the forest seemed still and empty. "Azora?" He called out cautiously. Unlike other times where she would come when called, she did not appear nor did she call back but he did hear distant shouting and so he ran towards it. As he went over a hill, a stinging sensation was felt in his neck and he collapsed to the ground, dazed but aware. He slowly tried to rise as human figures started to rush towards him but as he turned he noticed something that instantly snapped him out of it.
Azora was there. Caught in a metal trap and her right leg tied tightly down to the bottom if it so that she could not move. She was also dazed and she seemed slightly aware but not enough to snap her out of her state. He rushed through the humans reaching the cage, snarling at any of the humans that came too close to her. Her cage was partially open and Toothless desperately tried to think on what to do to free her when another stinging pain happened to his neck and he stumbled against the cage making Azora look up at him in dazed worry.
Toothless wasn't out of the fight yet and he kept on trying to stand, snarling even louder and the humans around him until one man snapped his fingers and the whole crowd of humans started barreling down on top of Toothless. He, though heavily tired and weary, struggled and fought the humans but soon, they overpowered him and threw him into the same cage as Azora. He landed on top of her harshly and he immediately tried to croon in apology before trying to adjust himself off of her.
Azora and he then knew only darkness as they both lost the battle to stay awake.
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When Toothless awoke, he noticed that he and Azora weren't in the cage anymore but they were still together. From the rocking motion, Toothless knew they were on a ship but it wasn't like the ones on Berk. The walls and floor were metal and the only light they had was a tiny crack in the roof of the ship that let a tiny bit of sunlight through. Toothless went over to Azora, stumbling slightly and nudged her a tiny bit to awaken her. Unfortunately, she did not awaken but she crooned making Toothless sigh in relief before a door on the far side of them was opened, letting in light, and a large looming figure of a man that was almost as large as Stoick stood there.
The human walked towards them and Toothless got a good look at him before growling loudly in warning. The human had dark brown hair and a long beard, he was wearing some kind of metal armor, his eyes were almost black as coal, his teeth as he smiled at them were yellow and rotten, his skin was tan, and his helmet had a huge crack in it by the right horn.
The human then started to laugh like mad as he got a greedy look in his eyes. "So," he said, his voice sounding like a growling bear. "A couple of night furies got caught in my trap now didn't they?" He then walked closer and Toothless stood over Azora protectively while snarling loudly. "Oh don't worry little dragon," he said getting in close to Toothless' face so much that Toothless almost gagged at the rotten smell his breath carried. "I wouldn't dare kill you. I have much more plans and uses for the two of you for years to come."
Toothless shivered at the mans cruel tone and glared at him menacingly. "I dare you to try." Toothless growled at him before his attention was caught by Azora's stirring.
"Ah," the man said backing out of the room. "Looks like your girlfriend is starting to awaken." He laughed in a cold way sending alarms through Toothless' body. "Do try and be gentle with her. I don't want damaged goods done to my top prizes. Oh and, before I forget, those fake tail fins were locked away so don't even try to think about escaping." He then shut and locked the door.
Toothless turned quickly to face Azora as she roused herself more and more. "Azora," he whispered as she finally opened her eyes. "Oh thank the Aadhav that you are alright!"
Azora groaned quietly at her head pounded. "Wh…" she said. "What happened?" She looked into Toothless' eyes.
Toothless sighed and rested his head gently upon hers. "We got captured." Immediately he felt Azora's breath start to quicken in fright. "Shh," he said comfortingly. "I won't let any harm befall you while we are here."
"I'm scared Toothless." She whispered. "I don't want to be held against my will again."
"I know Azora." He then lightly licked her before going around and laying next to her to give comfort. "I will be here for you this time though. And I will never let them harm you again." Toothless crooned peacefully at Azora. 'I hope Hiccup can figure out where we are soon…'
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Hiccup came back from the forge late at night and entered the hut quietly as he could to not disturb his father who was probably sleeping upstairs, Maaran who was by the fire, or Anthia who was with Maaran and quietly sat at the table to look over some more plans for future saddles for the dragons while his thoughts wandered. Maaran had taught Azora how to close her eyes while Stoick entered his home to avoid any panic attacks and so far it has done extremely well as Azora became more and more comfortable with Stoick's voice and scent. Hiccup, Toothless, and Maaran hope that soon she will be able to see him in person soon.
Astrid and Stormfly have introduced themselves to Azora and Maaran already but Azora seemed to shy away from Astrid so they decided to let Azora decide when it was safe for Astrid to be in close proximity to her. Anthia, unlike all the other Bhimasara Egill's, decided to stay with Maaran and kept a watch on Azora when she could.
Suddenly, frantic knocking disturbed the whole household and Hiccup rushed to the door only to see Astrid there with fear in her eyes and slightly out of breath. "Hiccup," she gasped.
"Astrid!" Hiccup said. "What are-"
"Azora and Toothless are gone!" She said frantically cutting off Hiccup's words.
Hiccup frowned. "What do you mean gone?" He asked as Maaran got up quickly from hearing that, alert and calculating.
"I mean ever since they went off playing into the forest hours ago, they have not come back and when Stormfly and I looked for them, she caught whiff of something other than just their scents and started to growl at the ocean line from the other side of the island!"
Maaran's eyes widened and he immediately ran out of the hut and let out an emergency screech for Azora that could be heard for miles but as he waited for a return call, none came back. "Oh no," he said as Hiccup, Astrid, and Anthia came up from behind.
"Maaran?" he asked.
"I fear my daughter and Toothless are in the hands of those that prevent them from hearing me."
"What do you mean?" Astrid said warily. She still wasn't used being around a dragon speaking Norse but trusted Hiccup enough to try.
"I mean that they were most likely captured and now on their way to someplace that torments dragons."
"Why didn't they call for help if they were captured in the first place though?" Hiccup asked, worry setting across his features.
"Only one way to find out." Astrid said putting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.
Hiccup looked at Maaran. "We have to find where they were last and search for any clues."
Maaran nodded. "And when we do," he said, his voice turning into a dangerous growl. "We will save my daughter and Toothless."
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Toothless and Azora searched the whole place they were being held in and even tried plasma blasts against the walls but nothing came out of it. Toothless only found the door that the wretched human's came through once in a while to throw them fish but when Toothless tried to attack them, he discovered that they were well prepared for a rampaging dragon or two. Azora was quickly losing herself in very bad memories every time she slept and so she tried to stay awake as much as she could.
They could hardly hear anything besides their own breathing but once in a while they could hear distant roars of dragons that they could only guess were on the same ship, and just to keep warm, they huddled together as much as they could. Toothless didn't know how long they were on the ocean but the little crack showed darkness coming up. He could guess that they have been on this vessel for over 5 hours but that was just an estimate in his mind. It could've been 7 for all he knew.
"Toothless," Azora said as he looked at her form beside him. "I'm scared…"
Toothless crooned gently and nuzzled her head at an attempt of comfort. "I know," he said looking into her eyes. "And I will be here for you to fight your fear with you."
Azora crooned and nuzzled him back as sadness spread through her form. "Thank you."
Suddenly, the door swung open and the man who taunted them from before came in with an evil grin on his face. "You two really are something else you know that." He cruelly laughed making Azora shake in fear as her eyes shrunk into slivers while Toothless stood above her growling in protectiveness as his eyes also shrunk in hatred. "After all the years of dragon breeding, capturing, trading, and killing, I've never seen a nightfury couple!" Azora started to back away with Toothless following her as the man advanced slowly. "But this is an opportunity that I can and will not pass up to own for years and years."
"Toothless…" Azora whimpered and the man pulled out a canister of some sort that had a dragon design on it.
"You see this my dear?" The man asked Azora specifically as he help it up to them. "This here is what makes me so well known throughout the seas and lands. This is what I call the dragon's lust." Toothless' eyes immediately widened and he started to charge up a blast at the man. "uh, uh, uh," the man said. "Even if you blast me the effects of this will linger until you give in to your instincts." Toothless' blast died down instantly.
"Toothless?" Azora said meekly. "What is that?"
Toothless glanced back at her while keeping an eye on the man. "It's something that dragons back on Berk said would cause deep cravings in ones body for another. It doesn't matter what the species, it will make you crave another being."
"Crave?" Azora asked.
"Ha ha!" The man laughed as he noticed the confusion on Azora's face but recognition on Toothless'. "The female doesn't know what this is then!" He bellowed backing up to the door. "Well that must mean she is very young. All the more fun! The younger they are, the better they fall."
As he went out the door and slammed it behind him Toothless turned to face Azora as she got up slowly. "Toothless," she said slowly. "What did he mean?" Her eyes bore into his and he gulped when she started to narrow them as he became all the more nervous.
"Well," Toothless started as calmly as he could. "I know of some dragons who have been recently freed tell stories of the 'Draco's Beriah' also known as the 'Dragon's Lust' or 'Dragon's Calamity'."
Azora stood and backed away from Toothless, terrified of what he would tell her next. "What…what does it do?" She asked, her narrowed eyes in slits towards gazing harshly towards him. Toothless' heart felt like it was being beaten to a pulp as he gazed upon the terrified form of Azora and he had to look away from her clenching his eyes shut. His eyes shot open as she pounced upon his form with claws extended on his neck and her sky blue eyes gazing into his with so many emotions it made his own flurry into a frenzy. "What. Does. It. Do?" She repeated forcefully.
"It makes dragons…" he turned his head away in disgust at the next word that left his mouth. "Mate."
Azora quickly backed off of Toothless and scuffle into the tiniest corner she could find. "Mate." She whispered looking to the floor of the ship as Toothless got up and backed into the wall farthest away from Azora as he could. "They use that to force dragon's to…breed them?"
Toothless nodded in dismay. "To my knowledge, the dragons that mate are kept and for years they are used to just produce offspring only for them to be taken and used for purposes even I don't want to envision."
"But we Aglovale Helmar's mate…" Azora looked up at Toothless.
"For life." They finished the last sentence together.
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The man who caught Azora and Toothless walked upon the top deck of his ship watching as his crew worked together to fish, repair holes, and look as unimpressive as possible to blend in with other's that sail the sea. "Captain Ragnok?" A young man with a light suit of armor on and bland black hair, grey eyes, pale skin, a skinny figure that had some muscles on him asked the hulking man with the ice cold gaze.
"Yes?" the man, Chief Ragnok, answered the young man.
"If I may be so bold to ask," he started as Ragnok turned to look at the young man fully. "Since I was just recruited, what is the purpose to keep the dragons together once they produce?"
Ragnok laughed a chilling and cruel laugh. "Because Rawthorne, once a dragon finds a partner, the offspring that are produced are most times the strongest ones and the stronger they are, the better it is to gain a fortune from them."
The young man, Rawthorne, looked at Ragnok and nodded. "Understood Captain." He then looked at the canister in the captain's hands. "And that is the mixture to make them…rowdy?"
"Yes." Ragnok answered. "The mixture of a sweet smelling grass and an aphrodisiac makes it almost impossible for any dragon to escape the urge to get together and produce. It's almost like a man who lives for Ale and women. Too good to put down but not enough to stay satisfied."
"And how long are the effects for?" Rawthorne asked as Ragnok went into his own quarters on the ship by the helm.
"Unfortunately the effects for this only last a few hours but as time goes on, the dragons will ask for more and more through certain calls. We give them a dose here on the ship and once we get home, there will be a dose given once more. The females cannot last long against the affects I've noticed and that female nightfury, will not fight the urge for long."
Rawthorne saw a horrid smirk appear on the captain's face before he disappeared behind the door to his cabin and smirked one of his own smirks. "This is going to be entertaining." He said to himself as he walked away to help the tower look for enemy ships or more dragons.