Hadrian had thankfully kept an extra burlap sack in the room as he walked back with half of the sparring room's inventory on his back. Luckily he had managed to rent a ride from Trader Johan while he was in the village. He sneaks in through the back door and looks around, no sign of Hiccup or Stoick. Hiccup could be upstairs so he'll have to be careful with his steps.

Tiptoeing up the wooden stairs, he sneaks past Hiccup's room and finds it vacant. He must be at the Academy. Hadrian quickly makes haste at storing away his weapons in his travel pack. He slips a bow with a sheath of a dozen arrows into the pack along with a sword, battle axe and half a dozen knives. He keeps one with a long blade and a clip-point blade strapped to his waist. Clipping it shut, he stuffs the pack away in his closet.

Sneaking to Hiccup's room, Hadrian makes a beeline for Hiccup's desk scattered with its usual drawings and sketches of toothless, modifications to his saddle, additions to the Book of Dragons and newly added dragon information. Hadrian rummages through the papers and charcoal and comes across old logbooks and more folded pieces of paper with lines and rough sketches scratched out. Hadrian realizes its Lighting and a new saddle idea on it. Hadrian shuts the books and places them back before the feelings of regret and longing take root.

Looking on Hiccup's wall, finds a map of Outcast Island with a small red line snaking its way into the island and an X on a certain spot. A hidden river entrance. He can use the inlet to get closer. And under the cover of night, he'll be invisible.

He hears the door creak and dread pools in his stomach, along with a lick of pain as he readies himself to face Hiccup. Snatching the paper off the wall and grabbing one of Hiccup's logbooks, he adds them to the pack before shutting his closet door. He stands up and rubs his hands as if suddenly cold from a chill. He heads down the steps, but stops halfway when he sees its Stoick. A new refreshed anger bubbles in his stomach and spreads its way through Hadrian's veins like Scauldron poison.

Hadrian goes to turn away but Stoick spots him before he can turn. "Oh, Hadrian. I didn't know you were home."

Hadrian doesn't say anything. Only glares at Stoick with as much anger as he can generate through his eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" Stoick asks, clasping his hands together. Hadrian only turns away.

"Just let me know when Hiccup gets home." He replies coldly.

"Hadrian, wait."

Strangely enough, Hadrian stops his feet and the stairs wine at his weight. He doesn't face Stoick, which normally would be disrespectful, but Stoick lost all his respect the moment the Beserkers wrapped their ropes around Lightning's neck.

"Please, let's just talk. I need to say some things." Stoick nearly pleads.

"I'm busy." Hadrian bluntly denies. "And there's nothing to say. You got rid of Lightning, you got what you wanted. As you always do." Hadrian begins back up the steps.

"Hadrian, would you please just listen to me?"

"No!" Hadrian barks. He whirls around and takes a couple steps down. "I'm done answering, talking and dealing with you!"

Something clicks in Hadrian's head and he lets his anger flow.

"Do you have any idea how hard I worked to earn that dragon's trust?! And with one simple handshake you threw it all away!"

"Hadrian, listen to me . . ."

"No! You're listening to me for once!" Hadrian points an accusing finger. His voice drops several octaves. "I've given it a lot of thought, and I've decided, if your running this village, than this isn't the place for me."

Stoick is baffled for a moment before the words sink in. "What are you saying?"

"I'm moving out. And away. Away from you. I know it's going to hurt Hiccup, and I'm sorry. Believe me I am. But I can't stand it here anymore."

"You're seriously going to move away all for a dragon?!" Stoick yells, but the hurt in his voice is obvious.

"Yes." Hadrian replies with a stone cold expression, then he whirls around and bounds up the steps without looking back. He exaggerates his anger with a loud bang of his door.

Hadrian stays glued to the other side of the door for a moment before sliding down to the ground. A stray tear stings his eye and Hadrian allows it to escape his eye as he swallows back the regret.

He didn't really mean all that stuff he said to Stoick. Some of it was true, and while he didn't plan on involving Stoick in his scheme, Hiccup needed to be truly fooled if it would prevent him from coming after Hadrian. And Stoick's look of hurt will defiantly do the trick. Hadrian can't help but feel slight regret since he didn't truly mean everything that was said, but what else was he supposed to do? And if Stoick'll believe he's leaving, he won't come after him, and by the time he does, it'll be too late.

It's noon when Hiccup comes home from training. Hadrian quickly makes his way downstairs and finds Hiccup with Toothless, hanging up a cloak from a rain shower that Hadrian didn't even notice had started.

"Hey Hadrian." He smiles. "Glad you're home. I have a surprise for you." Hadrian peers down and finds a wooden picnic basket lamely tucked behind Hiccup's prostatic leg.

"I could take a wild guess." Hadrian replies.

"I managed to get the ingredients from Trader Johan, and I thought we could make your favorite Boysenberry pie." Hiccup smiles.

Hadrian's laugh sounds more like a sob, and he chokes it back. Three years ago, he would've jumped at the chance to slice at Hiccup's throat, but now, he's nearly rethinking his whole idea about leaving him alone, knowing he's willing to help him get Lightning back. Hadrian's chest burns whenever he lets himself remember how he had tortured and nearly beaten Hiccup to death.

Hadrian goes over and wraps his arms around Hiccup. He wants one last moment with the boy who changed his life before he faces the dangers of Outcast Island. Hiccup surprisingly hugs him back.

"Are you okay?" he whispers.

Hadrian gives Hiccup a tiny smile as he pulls away. "It's fine. I'm fine. Thank you."

"You are such a bad liar. You're hugging me." Hiccup's smile is gentle, but beneath it is the unyielding expectation that he will tell him the truth.

And because Hiccup is the closest thing to family Hadrian has, he gives him as much of the truth as he can without making him an accomplice.

"I just need to say good-bye."

"To Lightning?" Hiccup questions, but Hadrian can see the denial and hope dwelling in his eyes. He glances in the direction of the docks, and Hadrian let shim assume he means to feel close to Lightning. He then looks over to Stoick who's carving, his back to them in his chair. "We could still go." Hiccup whispers.

"No," Hadrian ruffles Hiccup's hair. He already aches with missing Hiccup, but he aches with missing Lightning more.

Moving away, Hadrian turns and heads up the steps to his bedroom. He opens the door and slowly steps his way to his closet. Rummaging through it, he digs out his travel pack and cloak. Tightening the leather fastenings, wrapping it around the tunic and pants he wears, he adjusts the pack until it fits smoothly against his spine.

He heads down the stairs, gripping the straps as he heads for the door, fumbling with his cloak fastenings so he won't have to look at Hiccup.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hiccup asks. There's a bite of apprehension in his voice now.

Hadrian angles his head. "I'm leaving, Hiccup." Hadrian's voice catches.

"What?!" Hiccup instantly drops everything and starts towards Hadrian. "Wait, Hadrian, you don't have to leave Berk." Hiccup pleads.

"Yes I do. It's just not a good fit. Not right now." Hadrian's voice is shaking. Whether it's from lying, or the look on Hiccup's face, he doesn't know.

"Hadrian, come on." Hiccup grabs Hadrian's arm. "Please, just stay. W-we can work this out."

Hadrian sighs and fold his lips in as his eyes sting. He forces himself to look at Hiccup. "This has nothing to do with you, understand that. I just need to get away. That's all."

"Hadrian, is my dad kicking you out?!" Hiccup turns to his dad in rage. By now Stoick is up out of his seat, staring at the boys, denial mixed with disbelief in his eyes.

"No, no. Hiccup." Hadrian grabs Hiccup's shoulders. He fights the urge to tell him the truth as tears stream down Hiccup's face.

It's then Hadrian realizes how bad Hiccup's been affected too. Losing Lightning must've reignited the old memory of Toothless being taken by his father, and now that Hadrian's leaving him too . . . All this time Hiccup was being strong for Hadrian, now that he's leaving, maybe everyone just has that moment when they snap and fall apart. Now Stoick'll be left to pick up the pieces as Hadrian steps out the door.

"Look, Good-bye is not forever. They're not the end." Hiccup sniffles. "It simply means I'll miss you, until we meet again." Hadrian flicks his hood over his hair again.

"Please don't leave." Hiccup whimpers. A single hand grips Hadrian's cloak as Hadrian opens the door.

Hadrian squares his shoulders and grips the straps of his pack. "I'm sorry Hiccup."

He steps out of the house and into the shadows of the night.

Trader Johan's ship was docked near the far side of the port, slinking along the cliffs as Hadrian runs down the wood and Johan lets down the wooden bridge. Hadrian looks top him and gives him a nod. Once on board, he skillfully yanks the board on deck and guides Hadrian to the Captain's cabin of the boat.

Inside, Hadrian hangs up his damp cloak on a hook beside the door, and enters the main part of the cabin, kicking off his shoes out of courtesy.

"How'd it do?" Johan asks. He clicks two rocks together and the spit on a gathering of dry twigs, leaves and logs. After a couple blows, the fire brews in the hearth.

Hadrian makes his way over to the cushioned benches near the window and sit down, resting his elbow to his knee. He runs his fingers through his hair. "That had to be one of the hardest things I've ever done."

"He'll forgive you boy." Johan brings over a bowl of fish stew and a glass of water. Setting the water aside, he hands Hadrian the bowl.

"No, you didn't see his face. Looked like I just ripped out his heart and stopped it right in front of him." he takes the bowl with a nod." And thanks for doing this. I know I'm not exactly your favorite person . . ."

"Oh please Master Hadrian, you're welcome aboard my ship anytime."

Hadrian sips some of is soup. "Even after I took it and held you hostage?"

"The past is in the past, Master Hadrian. And you've long since proven how much you've changed." Johan offers a warm smile. Hadrian smiles back and gulps down the rest of his soup. "So, how will we be approaching this situation?" Johan asks.

Hadrian slings his pack on the ground and digs around for Hiccup's logbook and map. "There's a hidden river entrance that takes me into the city. Hiccup marked the map with his X, which must be where the arena is."

"Oh I've been on that side of the island, Master Hadrian. I've afraid that inlet leads you right to the entrance of their sewers." Johan makes a disgusted look, poking out his tongue as he thinks of the ratcheted stench.

"No plan is ever perfect." Hadrian admits. "Once inside, I should be able to navigate my way from there. You can leave right after you drop me off."

"But what about you, Master Hadrian?" Johan asks.

Hadrian smiles. "Don't worry, by the time I'm back, I'll be riding my dragon again. Head south west, we'll follow the current."

Johan nods and before he leaves the cabin he turns. "Get some sleep, the journey will take at least a day."

They sail off into the night with the clouds as their cover. Hadrian props his feet up onto the bench and lay back, his head resting on a silk pillow Johan says he was given to by the King of the Greenlands. Hadrian sighs and tries to sleep off the image of Hiccup's face.

Hiccup smashes old pots and pans in his backyard with a sword made of Gronckle Iron Gobber had made him. He smashes old pots and urns left behind in the trash of Snotlout and Fishlegs. While swinging and smashing, he lets fly the foulest word he had ever heard his father use. Tears stream down his face, cutting a path along his already raw cheeks. Smashing everything left and right, he mixes between the word and just basic screaming. Toothless stands aside, curled into himself, worried about Hiccup. The lights of the houses flick on one by one, but he doesn't stop.

After Hadrian had left, Hiccup stood in shock while the cold, moist air invaded the house. Hiccup could feel the vibrations of his father as he comes up from behind him and closes the door. Hiccup stared at his father as he turned. Something on Hiccup's face must've pained him so much, that he tried to reach out to comfort him. Hiccup withdrawal and sped out the back door. He spent the next hours rummaging through Gobber's old closet of junk and the garbage of the town houses for anything fragile.

Bringing the sword down on what had to be the fifteenth pot, Astrid comes running up to Hiccup's backyard. She sees the many shards of the broken pieces and her eyes widen.

"Just leave it!" Hiccup screams. "Leave it alone!"

Soon the other riders follow up behind her, still in their night clothes. Fishlegs rubs his eyes, and seems petrified at the sight. No one had ever seen Hiccup so upset. The twins arrive yawning.

"Wait, hey!" Tuffnut says as he slowly awakens. "Why didn't anyone tell us we were smashing things?! I would've brought my mace!"

"Shut up!" Hiccup yells as he chucks one pot at another, close to Tuffnut's side. Hiccup sniffles as he goes for the last pot. He brings the sword high, but before he can slash it down for the deathblow, a hand catches the blade.

"Hiccup!" Stoick yells. He yanks the blade out of Hiccup's hands. "Enough of this!" he tosses the blade to the ground out of Hiccup's reach.

"You did this! You drove him away!" Hiccup howls back, ignoring the crowd drawing near the yard. He goes to hit his father, but Stoick easily stops him with Hiccup's small demeanor. Hiccup snarls through grit teeth. "First you give away Lightning, now you give him away too?!"

"W-what happened?" Fishlegs hesitates to ask.

"Hadrian left!" Hiccup barks, his voices catches and his expression slowly wavers between sadness and anger.

"What?" Astrid's eyes widen.

Hiccup wrenches his wrists free of his father's grip. "Dad just let him leave!" Hiccup kicks a piece of a broken pot.

"What was I supposed to do, Hiccup?" Stoick asks.

"Convince him to stay!"

"He wouldn't have listened to me."

"Well you would've at least redeemed your pathetic self by persuading him!" Hiccup counters. "You just let him walk out of the house, just like you let the Beserkers take Lightning!"

"Hiccup, listen to me, let's talk inside." Stoick gestures to the door. "We're drawing attention."

"Why not let them see how badly you destroyed me. Both me and Hadrian!"

"I didn't sell Lightning!" Stoick finally barks back in return.

"Bullshit you didn't!"

"No, I didn't." Stoick lowers his voice, and glares into Hiccup's eyes. "I didn't make the deal official."

Hiccup's face softens slightly, still on guard as he steps forward. Despite his efforts, his voice begins to tremble. "What do you mean?"

Stoick sighs and sits on a stool near the front door. They normally use it to prop open the back door on hot summer days.

"After Hadrian's stunt in the Square, I had left to think everything through." He intertwines his fingers, twiddling his thumbs. "I was at first shocked, seeing him riding a Skrill. Then I got upset for him going behind my back, but then I realized," He looks to Hiccup. "He's just like you."

Hiccup's face eases up and he now looks to his father with curiosity, and more worry. His body begins to tingle all around, but nothing like the jitters or goose bumps. That feeling of numbness that spreads its way through you like poison and immobilizing your limbs so you can't move. Frozen by fear.

"I meant to tell you both the next day, but I was too late." Stoick continues. "When I got there, they had just loaded him onto the ship. Hadrian was bleeding, and for some reason, I was lost. I didn't know what to do, so much was happening. . ."

"Dad . . ." Hiccup whimpers. Stoick looks to his son, Hiccup's eyes glisten. "You didn't sell Lightning?"

Stoick looks him in the eyes and preps himself as his mouth moves. "No."

Hiccup can't breathe. His ears roar, and someone says something, it might've been Astrid. But Hiccup can't understand the words because he's walking towards the scattered pile of shards and chipped pieces of hardened clay. His body physically shaking.

As if something inside of him shattered to smithereens, Hiccup falls to his knees, nearly missing the piles by mere inches. His entire body feels battered. His throat tightens and his clamps his hands over his mouth to surpass a sob. But it pierces through his fingers and it comes out as a mix of a sob, a wail and a scream.

A hand seconds later grasps his shoulder, whether it was Stoick or Astrid, Hiccup didn't care. He was crossing the threshold into hysteria, and he doesn't stop himself. He doesn't want to stop himself. The sobs combine themselves, and Hiccup's mouth opens, unleashing an anguished wailing. He hunches over and clutches one arm around his middle while the other covers his mouth to attempt to suppress it.

He's gathered into a pair of arms, and when he's lifted from the ground, he knows it's his father. The wailing if fueled as the harsh double-edged blade of sorrow slices into his heart. Hiccup wanted to apologize to his father, so badly. But besides that he can't, would it even matter? His father didn't seem mad, but maybe now that Hiccup was proven wrong, will he unleash his fury? Hiccup seems so fragile now, but that will diminish and his wrath is née.

As the lighting of his home washes over his closed lids, Hiccup tries. "Dad . . ." he hiccups. "I'm . . . I'm . . ." his voices catches and a sob cuts off his words.

"Shh," his father coos. Hiccup feels his father's lips press against his forehead. "It's alright."

Hiccup tries to talk again, but it refuses to come out in words, just sobs that choke his throat and wreck his body. He curls into his father's chest and tries to calm himself. The feel of his bed slowly crawls up his legs and up his back. He doesn't release his father even after he pulls the sheets over his still trembling body.

"It's alright son. Try and get some sleep." His father strokes his hair.

"I . . ." Hiccup sniffles. "I'm sorry."

Stoick feels his heart tighten as he looks at how broken his son is. Tears staining his eyes, his cheeks red, nose congested. Somehow it flashes him back to when Hiccup was only a babe, crying as Stoick tries to help him untangle his ankle from a fishing line.

"It's alright son, I've got it." he remembers saying.

Stoick strokes Hiccup's head again and sighs. "You're fine." He mumbles. "Let it out. Let it go."

After a kiss on the forehead again, Stoick leaves Hiccup with Toothless to give him the privacy to collect himself.

Hiccup swallows hard. Toothless crawls up to the bed and nuzzles Hiccup's cheek. Hiccup somehow manages to brings his hand forward and pet the dragon's snout. Through his sobbing, he can think rather clearly. As if his body was reacting while his mind was elsewhere. Beneficial either way.

Lightning is gone.

Gone.

Dagur had lied to Gobber, to everyone in order to obtain him.

It was all a fib.

A lie.

A lie that Hadrian now keeps locked in his heart as the spark of his vengeful wrath against Stoick. He left because he's in pain and to get away from Stoick, but Stoick wasn't at fault at all. Hiccup wishes he could just fly over to wherever he was and tell him, but he can't. He doesn't know where Hadrian wandered off to, and he somehow knows that Hadirann's reaction won't be pleasant.

He'll most likely forgive Stoick, feel guilty for all the things he said to him, but it'll be buried under the cold hard vengeance he'll have against Dagur. He'll probably charge into Outcast Island and kill every man in his way. But even he's not capable of that. Hiccup could talk him out of it, but he doesn't know where he is.

The thought makes Hiccup grit his teeth. He gathers the pillow around his ears to block out the world, and falls asleep with a circle of moisture pressed to his cheek.

The next morning, Hiccup blinks to adjust to the light. He rolls his head and feels the still drying spot on his pillow. He shifts to his other side, facing his desk, but it wasn't there. Hiccup furrows his eyebrows and props himself on one elbow. Where his desk should be was a wardrobe. Hiccup looks around and realizes he's not in his room, but Hadrian's. He sighs thinking he must've wandered into Hadrian's room sometime in the night.

As he sits up and rubs his eyes, his hand feels wet. He assumes its tears, but when he stops, they're red. His heart stops and he flips them over to see a cut trailing across his palm; starting from his pointer finger to the heel. Probably from the sword and pots he broke. Stoick must no thave seen it as he carried him to bed.

Hiccup gets up and wanders over to the second floor bathroom. He runs his hand under the water despite the sting, and wraps some gauze around it. Tying it securely, he clenches it and the pain seems tolerable. Drinking a glass of water, he wanders back to his own bed. The sheets feel cold, and Hiccup shivers a couple times before he settles down.

He blinks and lets his dry eyes scan across his desk. Rather useless lately. Old pencils and charcoal poke out from their holder with brushes and a ruler. The squid ink he got from Trader Johan sits along his end table. While thinking back to the previous night, he presses his fingers to the gauze to keep himself calm in a way. With his body distracted, he can think more clearly. The next time he brings his hand up, the wrap is slightly red.

Sighing, he pulls the sheet up over his head and curls into himself. Wishing he could just disappear, he burrows his head into his pillow. The sheet gets a sudden tug, and Toothless hovers over him, licking his face.

"Okay Toothless. Okay." Hiccup slightly laughs, pushing him off. Toothless coos and circles near the foot of the bed before settling down, cooing.

Hiccup looks to his desk again and something in him clicks. He furrows his eyebrows as he gazes at the wall. Something seemed . . . off. He pushes the sheet off and stands to his feet. Taking two wobbly steps, he stabilizes himself as he stares at the wall. What was different? Looking at the sketches off Toothless' saddle, the new notes he needed to add to the Book of Dragons. Then he sees it.

The map of the inlet to Outcast Island.

"No." Hiccup mumbles. He rummages through the papers on the wall, then the drawers and books of his desk. Nothing. "Crap. No, no, no."

Trifling through the drawers and even ripping down all of the papers, the once piece was nowhere. He flips through the books and crawls all around his room checking under his bed, his wardrobe even downstairs.

"Shit!" Hiccup hisses, slamming his drawer shut. He looks to the skylight. "So that's where you went." He looks to Toothless. "Looks like we're going on a man-hunt, bud."

A grip on his shoulder nearly startles him. Fluttering his eyes open, Hadrian finds Johan kneeling beside him. "We've arrived, Master Hadrian."

Hadrian rubs his eyes and shifts to his feet. "What time is it?"

"Thankfully we arrived after dusk." Johan informs. "I've gathered a uniform I believe you'll find quite useful."

"What?"

Johan leads Hadrian out to the main deck. The sky was cloudy, and they seemed almost painted a near pale shade of purple. The sky itself a gorgeous pink and orange blaze with streaks of tired red bordering the horizon.

"Cloudy. Hopefully that'll block out the moonlight." Hadrian comments.

"Traveling by the shadows are we Master Hadrian?" Johan asks.

"Definitely."

"Well, you certainly can't sneak around like that." Johan suddenly criticizes, motioning to Hadrian's tunic and pants.

"What's wrong with my outfit?"

"You'll be seen easily, even if the night is dark enough to conceal you. But, a man of your stamina and ability needs something that will turn you virtually invisible, like a Night Fury."

Hadrian cringes at the reminder of a Night Fury.

"Oh sorry." Johan apologizes.

"So, what've you got?" Hadrian asks.

Johan motions him towards an antique pine dome trunk with iron lifting handles to both sides, wooden support slats and iron features around all edges. Johan unlatches the front and lifts the curved cover. Thin chains in either corner lock the cover at ninety degrees.

He pulls out a complete and unique set of black armor, the base of the chest bears an insignia that resembles a night bird cradling the moon in its wings. The entire set consisted of the light armor, gloves and a hood. It was so intricately designed and dark, Hadrian was breathless. It seemed dangerous, deadly.

"I believe this will be most useful to you." Johan smiles.

Hadrian takes the uniform and sprawls it along the top of the chest. "Feels kind of light."

"Light armor means light on your feet." Johan explains. "Go and change, make sure it fits."

The entire ensemble was black, scaled armor that covered him from the neck down alone. The shoes had thin soles, perfect for sneaking undetected. Johan was right about the cover part. The entire thing was as black as a Night Fury's scales, he'll be virtually invisible in the dark. The hood came with a mask piece that covered nearly his entire face, leaving only his eyes exposed; and when the hood is drawn, they're shadowed so there's nothing but blackness. Hadrian couldn't feel any reinforced protection over his vital organs, and feels weary. But the maker must be pretty confident he will not be seen if it wasn't incorporated. The glove-gauntlets wrap all up his arms, no skin exposed. The hood connects to a cape that falls down his back, stopping just below the knees. So in the event he needs to run, it relieves him of having to tug or hold at it.

"This is . . . amazing." Hadrian compliments, adjusting the gloves and bending his fingers.

"Walk around. Make sure it fits alright." Johan says.

Hadrian walks in a circle, jogs from end to end on the deck and circles his arms, twists his torso and waist. "Fits well. Perfectly, even. Where'd you get all this?"

"I received it from a King of Nightingales. They're masters of the dark and shadows. The ultimate agents of stealth. They say they can use the darkness of the night to conceal themselves, nothing but a shadow in the corner of your eye."

"Sounds like an assassin group." Hadrian comments.

"Not really. They only use these skills when at war, other than that, decent people." Johan retorts.

"I'll be sure to bring it back to you after I'm done." Hadrian says.

"Keep it Master Hadrian. No charge." Johan insists.

Hadrian smiles. "Thank you, Johan."

The blackness of the night had nearly consumed the sky as Johan steers his ship through the inlet and the opening to the sewers is in sight. The inlet was surrounded by cliff walls that scraped the sky with their jagged ridges.

The opening itself was in the ground, circular with rusted iron bars covered in a gathering of moss and algae. It's hidden under a ridge of rocks and up ahead, Hadrian can see a smaller port of docks leading to the village. The sky slowly darkens to overcast.

"Looks like rain." Johan informs.

"All more beneficial for me." Hadrian retorts.

Johan ports his ship and lays down the bridge. "Good luck, Master Hadrian." He says.

Hadrian smiles. Instead of a verbal reply, he pulls the hood over his head. The material's supple and fits close to his head. Slinging a quiver of arrows on his back along with the bow, he straps two daggers around his waist along with a leather waist-pack. The large front compartment and seven total zippered pockets hold just enough equipment to enhance his deadly advantage. He walks across the bridge and jumps down into the shoreline.

As soon as he comes within the vicinity of the opening, he's thankful for his mask, the putrid and pungent smell assaults his senses. He lets a sound of disgust leave his lips before gripping the moistened bars and pulling. The rust has eaten way at the iron's strength, making the bars weak. With one tug, it jerks open. The odor fights for a way into Hadrian's nose, and he gags over one side of the opening.

He positions himself on the ladder bolted into the side and positions the lid. He looks to Johan. "Take care, Johan. And thanks again."

"Stay safe." He replies.

Ten feet below, once he's closed off his connection to the upper world, he'll be in a poisonous brew of human waste, garbage and chemical runoff bubbles. He gathers his courage, the image of Lightning in his mind and begins to descend the rungs of the ladder. Once his head is below, he seals the lid.

Hiccup packs enough food in Toothless' saddle bag, including two canteens of water, three salmon and a dagger. Slinging his shield over his back, Hiccup pats Toothless' back and the Night Fury coos. The sun had only a sliver of its light left before the darkness of the night and the shadow of the clouds conquered the sky, and unleashes all its animals and predators.

"Okay, let's go." Hiccup says.

"Go where?" a voice calls behind him.

Hiccup startles as he whirls around and sees Astrid dismounting Stormfly. "Oh Astrid. You scared me."

"I would only scare you if you were up to something suspicious." She says, smiling slyly.

"Well, honestly, I am." Hiccup says. "And before you say anything, no you're not coming, nor any of the other riders."

"Come on Hiccup." Astrid's tone is slightly annoyed yet amused.

"Astrid, I'm serious." Hiccup sternly tells her. Her face contracts to surprise. "I'm going after Hadrian, and I don't want anyone coming with me. He and I need to talk."

Astrid's silent, then she sighs heavily. "Alright, I can understand that. But Hiccup, if he doesn't want to come back, don't force him."

"No, he's coming back. I'm just, checking up on him. Making sure he's okay." Hiccup speaks. At least that's part of the truth. He is checking on him, but only to make sure he isn't trapped in the dungeon of the Outcasts.

"How do you know he's coming back?" she interrogates.

"I just do."

"And I assume you don't want me telling your Dad?" Astrid asks.

"Exactly. He'll only stop me, but just tell him I needed to go and speak to Trader Johan." Hiccup says.

Astrid nods, and with the look on her face, Hiccup can't help it as he takes her hand and kisses her lips.

"I'll come back." Hiccup assures.

Astrid hugs him and he instinctively hugs her back. "Be careful." She whispers.

Pulling back Hiccup smiles and nods. He mounts Toothless and they walk towards the entrance before shooting into the clouds. As he and Toothless fly through the clouds, thunder rumbles above their heads. The sound echoes through the atmosphere and reverberates through the bones in Hiccup's body. He briefly flashes back to when he was searching for the twins in a lightning storm after they had gotten separated. The situation brings on déjà vu.

Dark clouds cover the sky, and a chilly breeze is blowing, carrying hints of the storm to come. They stick to the cover of the clouds as a faint glow in the distance catches his attention. They swoop down closer and see the island lit with activity.

"All right bud, let's get down there and hope Hadrian hasn't done anything stupid, yet." Hiccup instructs.

Diving down low, they take shelter under an outcropping of rocks and Hiccup dismounts. He keeps his shield to his back and he and Toothless stalk around the rocks to peer at the village of the Outcast and Beserkers. Hiccup can just make out the familiar structure of the arena. Immense steel ribs joined by tons of rock as thick as twelve men standing shoulder to shoulder wraps around in a circle, holding the dragons imprisoned under Dagur's thumb. Dotting just around the perimeter of the village, a guardtower rises. To the west of one tower, a field of waist-high grass fifty feet wide stretches back. Hiccup ushers Toothless into the grass and they duck low, carefully nearing the tower, but keeping out of sightline.

Navigating his way through the tunnels, Hadrian catches the briefest wisp of fresh air. He follows its spotting trail up to a ladder. When he climbs, he reaches a platform and a second ladder. The rungs are slick with sweat and mildew. When he's sure he's made it to the streets, he climbs the last ladder and pushes open the wooden lid. He peeks his eyes up and all around first. No one in sight. He carefully sets it aside and leaps up, gasping and taking deep breathes to heal his burning nostrils. Though by now the odor has since seeped into his pores, and his very skin is permeated with its foul stench. Owls hoot mournfully in the treetops. The whispery rustle of an evening breeze slides across leaves. And the occasional animal pads quietly across the moistened dirt ground.

Closing the lid with a quiet tip, he squats down low and starts to trek his way around. Every one hundred yards a turret rises. Guards assigned to the tower spend most of their shift in their assigned turrets, but usually every hour they will come out and check the perimeter.

Hadrian can see a long expanse of grass that reaches up to the waist and sneaks his way into the edge of the field as the first drops of rain slam into the ground, the sun long since sunk beneath the horizon. The moon's light is currently oppressed by the clouds, and Hadrian's confidence grows as he nears the first watchtower. The guard in the turret closest to him steps into the steady downpour, swords in hand and walks north with measured precision.

Slowly rising, Hadrian still stays low to the ground and races across the field in spurts – sprint, drop, roll into a crouch, and repeat. In seconds, he hears the soft whoosh of a body plummeting to the ground and he braces himself. Diving right at the last minute, the guard lands slightly to the left of Hadrian, all of his attention diverted as he searches the spot Hadrian once was. His head eve turns and Hadrian could swear they made eye contact, but the guard turns his head away. Beneath the curtain of rain, aided by the darkness, he's nothing but a shadow.

Hadrian leaps forward, slamming his fist into the man's side. Enough to get his attention. The man turns, weapon drawn, and Hadrian drops to his knees, grabs his dagger and thrust it up as the man's momentum drives his abdomen onto Hadrian's blade. Before he has the chance to do more than hiss out a breath, Hadrian lunges to his feet, grabs the man's head with both hands, and wrenches it to the side. His neck grinds and pops, his body goes slack, and Hadrian lowers him as quietly as possible to the forest floor. A quick scan of the area confirms that no other guards are pursuing him.

He then takes off towards the village in a dead run, the arena locking his sight.

The driving sheets of rain make it hard to be certain, but Hiccup's pretty sure he sees a figure rise up from the center of the field. The panic he's kept at bay flames to life as he stays low and races across the field. Hiccup was frightened he had been discovered and this assassin was the way of Dagur getting rid of him. Hiccup assumed it was an assassin since his clothing is all black.

As Hiccup watches him, he's astonished to watch as he makes his way across the field in short spurts. One thing was for sure, he was an enemy of the Outcasts and Beserkers, or otherwise he wouldn't be trying so hard not to be seen. Not that it's easy spotting him in the rain, but also when he steps into the shadows, he becomes invisible. Hiccup can't even make out his silhouette. Like a Night Fury under the cover of the midnight's darkness. Hiccup cautiously stalks closer and watches as the figure takes out a guard that stomps to the ground.

The shadow zips to the right last second and the guard is left baffled as he scans to where he ran off. Hiccup watches as the guard is hit in the side and then turns around, only to have the blade of a dagger penetrate his stomach. The man is slowly lowered to the ground, and that's when Hiccup sees it. A recurve bow slung along his back.

It's Hadrian.

So many questions run like a wild whirlwind of leaves as he watches Hadrian run towards the village. Hiccup forces the questions to cease as he begins to follow him. If Hiccup can get to him before he's seen by the turret guards, maybe they can avert disaster. Hiccup takes off after him.

Hadrian reaches the perimeter of the gates before the guards torch light has completely disappeared into the distance. Hiccup assumes only ten minutes before he returns. Just under ten minutes to capture Hadrian, subdue his inevitable argument, and get him back into the relatively safety of the forest before he puts both of them on Dagur's execution list.

He makes it inside before Hiccup reaches the center of the field. The rain pounds into him, but he barely feels it. The ground is slippery, so Hiccup watches his feet for mud puddles, keeps his gaze on Hadrian as best as he can, and runs as quickly as he can without slipping or being spotted by a guard.

Hiccup barrels toward the gates and prays he's not too late.

pin/488851734524431362/ ~ Link to Hadrian's suit! Xxx