Chapter 10
They had passed countless high pillars of rocks after they leaved Berk, Jack stood at the front of the ship; the wind blew him in the back making his brown locks flutter. A movement made him blink and he looked towards the pillars that were further up ahead.
"Merida..!" he called out she looked down at him from the Crow's nest.
"Ay?" she replied. "What is it wee lad?"
"I saw something by those rocks…" he said pointing in the direction. Merida followed his arm with her eyes out towards the pillars, she took up the binocular and watched the pillars, bet she couldn't see anything.
"Ye sure? I can't see anything, get up 'ere and show me." She called back. Jack sighed before he began to climb the rat ropes up to the crow's nest; Merida looked at him. "Now, where're it?" she gave him the binocular. Jack looked towards the pillars searching for what he had seen, but noting but the ordinary caught his eye.
"I must have seen a fish or animal, I can't see anything…" Jack mumbled out giving Merida the binocular again. He began to climb down when the shrieking sound of a cannonball sounded and the Night Fury jerked, Merida cried out when she saw how Jack lost his grip.
"Jack! Ye okay wee lad?" she got the edge of the nest and saw how Jack was clinging to the rat nett with his two hands, feet dangling towards the deck.
"I'm fine!" Jack called out as he moved so that he got his feet on the net as well, before he climbed down.
"We're under attack!" Hiccup shouted as he steered the Night Fury away from another cannonball that hit the waters sending a plume of waves up that washed down over the ship.
"It's Alvin and his crew!" Merida shouted from the nest.
"Again?! Does he never learn?" Eugene said as he grabbed to the railing when the ship cringed again.
"No he doesn't." Hiccup replied.
Jack looked between he crewmembers before he looked up front where a ship smaller than theirs waited, currently trying to sink them with cannonballs. Jack flinched when a cannonball came his way and he pressed himself against the net when it flew by hitting the waters behind the ship.
"Do they always aim this badly?" he asked looking at Hiccup.
"They aren't trying to hit us; they are making us having to keep going forward, towards them." Aster replied. "Orders Captain?!" he then called. There he stood at the cannon in the front of the ship; it was loaded and ready to be fired.
"Do not fire, not jet… wait… now!" Aster nodded and a grin grew on his lips as he fired the cannon, the cannonball hit right in front of the other ship.
The two ships floated up along sides, Hiccup signalled his crewmembers to stay on alert. Jack had climbed down the net, currently standing on the railing with one hand still holding the ropes; casting a look sideways to where his staff stood leaning against the wall among cabins and containers under one of the stairs lonely, but before he manage to get to it the Outcast crew had already gotten on board.
"What do ye want this time Alvin?" Aster asked in a growl, ready to throw some egg bombs and a boomerang in his other.
"This ship. The Night Fury, I want it." Hiccup sighed deeply
"So you've said last time as well… and before that." Hiccup took out his sword but did not let it start to burn "Get of my ship and leave us alone and no one gets hurt." Hiccup warned. Alvin just laughed.
"'No one gets hurt' you say Hiccup?" Alvin smiled. "But jet you bare your weapon against me?" Jack eyed them with a slight hint of worry; he didn't want to get into this trouble. "Men! Let's take this ship!" Alvin shouted and the men shouted back as swords began to clash. Soon the deck of the Night Fury was filled with the sound of clashing swords and shots, but also the sound of Merida firing her arrows. Jack began to move; he got a hold of his staff and made himself ready to go up the stairs when he saw how two of the Outcast pirates recognized him.
"Hey… isn't that."
"Jack Frost? What a pleasant surprise where's yer captain and master?" Jack glared at them holding his staff in both hands, ready to attack or defend himself if it was needed. He began to back up the stairs. The two Outcasts followed grinning, but then Jack saw once he'd gotten to the upper deck how their grind grew wider. Merida turned his head to fire another arrow, but froze.
"Jack- JACK LOOK OUT!" she cried out, a second too late.
Jack didn't have time to react before a shadow was thrown over him and he turned his head slowly, eyes opening wide when he saw the blade, seconds before it cut downwards, a burning pain flared up on his back, Jack dropped the staff which clattered to the deck, before Jack collapsed to his knees, before he collapsed to the deck, grimacing in pain, he glared at the Outcast who had attacked him from behind. The sound of two arrows and the two who had been the cause fell overboard, the third Outcast looked up at Merida and growled, giving Jack enough time to crawl to his feet before he showed the man overboard, collapsing against the railing when the pain become too much, he gave away a pained gasp of air. He then heard how the captain called for his crewmembers to retreat, and they did, most jumped of the ship into the waters. The Night Fury kept going without a care in the world.
"Anyone hurt?" Rapunzel asked looking around with worry in her eyes.
"No." Hiccup looked around. Merida looked towards Jack who sat with his back against the railing.
"Jack, how's yer back feeling?" she asked, the others looked at him.
"I'm fine… it's just a scratch, noting to worry about." He waved his hand, but Rapunzel was not going to let a wound slide, especially when he lied about it.
"I'm the doctor on this ship, I decide if it's to worry about or not." She began to move towards him. "I need to take a look at your back…"
"No!" everyone blinked at Jack sudden outburst. "No, I mean, I'm fine really, you don't have to look at it." He got to his feet, but from the way he moved she knew it was more than a scratch.
"Jack." she said in a warning. "I need to look at it." She moved closer and to her surprise and irritation Jack backed away from her. "Jack! Stop moving and just let me look at it." She said irritation starting to creep into her voice.
"I told you I'm fine. You don't need to look at it." Rapunzel stopped with a huff placing her hands on her hips.
"Guys, some help here." she said in a strict cold voice. Aster and Eugene sighed as they stood up from the container they had been sitting on, Hiccup straightens his back as well, and Nicholas smiled and stood up as well. Jack stared at them in shock, feeling a slight bit betrayed.
"Sorry, mate, but doctor's orders." Aster said Jack glared at him he tried to keep them all in view but it wasn't after a while he noticed that Nicholas was gone, and at the very same moment his big hands grabbed him holding his arms against his sides lifting him from the deck.
"Ah!" Jack gasped out "Put me down!" he kicked with his legs, but didn't reach the big man, who just laughed, but it died out when he saw the redness Jack's white shirt had absorbed from the wound.
"Good job Nicholas!" Rapunzel cried out victoriously.
"Where I put him?" Nicholas asked looking at her.
"Get him into the cabin." Rapunzel said pointing at it with her thumb. "Hiccup I need your help."
Once Rapunzel and Hiccup had gotten inside along with Jack and Nicholas. He put Jack down before he left to prepare dinner.
"Now Jack, will you for the sake of the sun let me look at that wound." He shook his head.
"It's fine, it's just a scratch!" Rapunzel groaned.
"We either do this the easy way or the hard way." She said. Jack glared at her, showing clearly that he wouldn't let them look at the wound. "The hard way it is." Rapunzel muttered. "Hiccup, take his hands and don't let go until I say so or he stops struggling." Hiccup sighed, he never like to have to use violence to be able to fix wounds, neither did Rapunzel, but sometimes it was needed.
In one way or another they had manage to get a hold of Jack, and they were currently pinning him to the bed in the cabin Hiccup held his hands against the mattress, while Rapunzel sat on his legs keeping him from kicking. Rapunzel had already managed to get the belt of, and all that needed now was to reveal the wound.
Rapunzel gave Hiccup a worried look, Jack was trembling under her there he lay on his stomach; he still tried to get free. She took a hold of the hem of the white shirt.
"Sorry… but I have to do this." She pulled the shirt up, Jack gave away a choked cry when the fabric of the shirt that had dried together with the blood was torn away, but he also cried for what was now visible to them, he hid his face in the mattress trying to push the tears and sobs back. Rapunzel stared at it. "Jack…" she started but he just shook his head not looking up a muffled sob escaping his lips. Hiccup looked at Rapunzel and shook his head. Not now, he told her by only moving his lips. Jack had stopped trash around trying to get free, now it was no use to even try to keep it a secret anymore, they had seen it. Rapunzel gathered her stuff that she kept in the chests that was stationed in all the rooms of the ship. She cleaned the wound getting whimpers form Jack when she brushed over the wound, so she tried to be as gently as possible. Hiccup had let go of his wrists and was now subconsciously brushing his hand on Jack's head, letting his fingers get tangled in the brown locks. She was glad for the fact that the wound wasn't bad, it wasn't 't deep enough to need stitches, she bound a piece of cloth together and placed it against the wound, before she took and bandaged around it to keep it there, and also to put pressure on the wound. When she was done she managed to get the rest of Jack's shirt of for; cleaning, but also to fix all the gashes it had. She stood up and stopped at the door to the cabin looking back at Jack. "Jack…" she said not sure how to continue, she left, the door closed behind her. Hiccup looked down at Jack before even he stood up.
"Nicholas must be done with dinner about now, if you want any just come down to the galley... okay?" he sighed before he opened the door and walked outside.
They had all gathered in the galley, dinner had been served and eaten, Nicholas was currently gathering the dishes and Hiccup sketched in his sketchbook.
"Say… Nicholas…" he said as she stopped sketching.
"Hm?" Nicholas turned his head around.
"Do you know what this symbol means?" Hiccup asked as he let the sketchbook fall to the table to show Nicholas, the oldest one on-board what he'd been sketching. Nicholas had been holding an empty plate that shattered against the wooden floor when he saw the picture.
"Oh, by Moon… where did you find this?!" he looked frightened, but also so extremely worried. As he looked down worriedly at the sketch Hiccup made, it was the symbol that was made out of lines and looked to be made out of a rectangle with a flying dragon in the middle and over the dragon an S went in sharp ways.
"What is it and does it mean?" Hiccup asked looking at Nicholas who had begun to pick up the shards from the plate
"It's a slave mark." Aster replied placing his free hand on his chest growling a bit.
"Slave mark." Rapunzel and Hiccup looked at each other in worry.
"Yes, but not any mark, it the symbol for one group of people in special." Nicholas said.
"What, who?" Merida asked looking at him in confusion.
"Ach… you are all too young to know it." Nicholas said in a sigh. "This symbol belongs to worst crew of Pirates on seven seas, ever." He said slamming his hands on the table, everyone was looking at him, even Toothless and Pascal listened; Nicholas raised one of his hands pointing as if in a warning. "This crew kill and murder without mercy, crew's name… Nightmare Dragon."
"Nightmare… Dragon?" They all said looking at each other in confusion.
"Wait… nightmare?" Hiccup looked at Nicholas "Do you know the Crewmembers?!"
"In deed I do." Nicholas looked at them. "But Please Hiccup, where you see this?"
"Well…" Hiccup looked at Rapunzel who gave him a sad smile and a nod, he sighed taking back the sketchbook. "Jack… he- he had it on his left shoulder blade…" Everyone just stared at him.
"Oh by the Moon!" Nicholas cried out sinking down so that he sat at the stairs placing his hands over his face. "Poor child…" he whimpered. Hiccup stood up.
"Nicholas, please I need to know the crewmembers of the Nightmare Dragon! Does anyone of them have mind control?" Nicholas looked up at him.
"Yes…" Nicholas looked at him. "The second in command, a demon disguised as a man by the name Pitch Black. He's a hypnotist, and his powers are superior to any other." Nicholas sighed deeply. "The crew of the Nightmare Dragon are the captain, a madman who kills without reason; his name is Drago Bludvist, the second in command Pitch Black, and the Lookout and Navigating Officer Gothel…"
"Only three people?" Eugene asked raising one eyebrow. "And they are the worst crew on the seven seas?"
"Oh child, Pitch can brainwash countless people and make them into mindless slaves, they make out the rest of the crew, and then there are Drago's two slaves as well…" Nicholas looked at them. "Their names are Eret and Dagur… But Drago also has a mountain lion by his side."
"So Jack's a slave for the Nightmare Dragon… that explains a lot…" Eugene said looking at them…
"Yeah… it does…" Hiccup nodded.
"Wait… do any of ye remember where 'e said 'e was from?" Nicholas then looked up at Aster who had asked the question.
"Didn't 'e say he came from Burgess…" Merida said…
"Oh Moon." Nicholas sighed again.
"Nicholas what's wrong?" Rapunzel asked worriedly.
"Ten years ago… Burgess was burnt to the ground in a Pirate attack, according to the marines no one survived…"
"Wait… you mean?!" Rapunzel got to her feet.
"That explains why he didn't want to mention his parents…" Hiccup sighed tiredly, before he stood up. "Nicholas, can I get a bowl of soup… I believe Jack would like one…" Nicholas nodded.
"I to." He said standing up filling one bowl with the soup he'd made, before he handed it to Hiccup.
Jack had calmed down enough to not cry anymore, but he lied on his side staring into the wall.
"Well… will you look at that. Your Lie is out what are you going to do about it?" the shadows spoke.
"Shut up…" Jack mumbled out placing his hands over his ears
"You really think that will help?"
"Go away."
"Really now?" Jack stiffened when a hand created by shadows grabbed around his throat pressing him down against the bed. "Remember who you belong to!"
Jack's eyes flashed open and he darted up from the bed in a choked gasp for air.
"Oh, sorry… did I wake you?" he looked up and at the door he found Hiccup standing with a bowl of soup in his hand and jack's white shirt hanging over his arm and the doorknob in his other hand; about to close the door to the cabin. Jack looked away, but heard how Hiccup moved closer. "Since you didn't show for dinner, I brought you a bowl with soup…" Jack looked at it, when Hiccup put it on the nightstand. Jack reached for it placing it on his lap. "You're a slave..." Hiccup said looking down at him. Jack didn't look up he cringed at the words.
"I'm sorry… I wanted to tell you sooner… but-" he wasn't able to continue before Hiccup cut him of
"You're not the first."
"What?" Jack looked up at him for a short moment before he looked down again.
"You're not the first slave on this ship…" Hiccup said and sat down. Jack gave him a glance. "Aster is one to, he managed to escape and Nicholas protected him when he was about to be caught… I don't know all the details, but if you want to know more about it you should ask them." Hiccup smiled at him.
"How can you still smile at me..?" Jack mumbled out looking away.
"Is there a reason to why I can't do that?" Hiccup asked looking at him. "If you believe I will treat you any differently because of what's on your back you are highly mistaken." Jack looked at him slowly.
"But… I'm- I'm a… slave…"
"And I said I don't care, on my ship everyone is treated equally." Hiccup placed his hands on Jack's shoulders moving his head so he could look into Jack's eyes. "No one is treated worse than the other, no one." Jack looked up slowly giving him a weak smile.
"…Thanks…" Jack said so silent that Hiccup nearly missed it, but he smiled when Jack hugged around him; the first time Jack hugged him first. Hiccup gave away a silent chuckle as he answered the hug.
And he found that he wanted to do this more often… if not even more.
He helped Jack get on his shirt, before he gave the teen the belt.
Hiccup walked down the last step of the stairs down to the galley, where the others still were gathered, he looked up to where Jack began to walk down, slowly not to get his back to complain.
"Jack got this perfect idea." Hiccup said looking up at the brunet who gave him a confused look.
"I did?" Hiccup just smiled at him.
"How about we tell each other about our pasts." Hiccup said. "We tell first, and then you can tell us." He looked at Jack "If you want to that is." Jack thought for a moment
"I… I like that…" he said as he sat down next to Rapunzel who gave him a apologizing smile, but also gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder.