Heeeelllloooooooo! Sorry for the later update; I've been sick for the past several days, and let me tell ya, a cold makes it incredibly hard to focus on a story.
I was AMAZED by the response to this latest chapter! EIGHT reviews! That's more than twice as many as I normally get per chapter. Thanks, y'all!
Shout-outs-
katurdi: hehehe. Sorry. I kinda left y'all hanging there for a minute. And those are some creative insults, my friend. I may have to borrow some of those.
Dimensional Phaser: Lol, I guess that was a literal cliffhanger. And nice pun, though I'm not sure if it was intentional.
The Dreaming Dragon: Aww, that's sweet. I'm glad you like it!
Lovetoread89: I do love cliffhangers. They're great.
Varghul: Well...yeah. So I probably didn't kill Hiccup. He's kinda important.
ToothlessesFury: ...not sure. I feel cruel.
Liz: Here's your update, my friend!
Guest: Thanks!
On with the story!
Disclaimer:
Astrid: Let's not go through this again.
Elena: Agreed. I have a headache and don't want to argue with you right now. I don't own HTTYD.
Chapter Eleven
Last Resort
Hiccup cried out in surprise and terror as he felt the ground disappear from under his feet. As if in slow motion, he toppled backward, reaching up with both bound hands to grasp at the edge of the cliff- but he wasn't falling. A large, beefy hand had wrapped around both his wrists, and Hiccup's momentum sent his body smashing into the rocks of the cliffside. Gasping for air, he looked up at his savior, but instead of relief, a wave of renewed terror swept over him.
Ryker smirked down at him. "I'm not finished with you yet."
A frantic shout interrupted his next words. Looking down, Hiccup realized that the Masked Man had fallen as well, and had clung to a lucky handhold just below Hiccup. As the heir watched, however, the rock began to crumble, and Hiccup instantly knew the bounty hunter was going to fall. Suddenly, however, he felt a heavy pressure on his left leg. Glancing back down, he gasped softly as he saw that his former captor had grabbed on to his prosthetic leg.
Hiccup winced in pain as his body was pulled in two different directions; Ryker pulling him up even as the Masked Man's weight dragged him down. The next instant, he knew what he had to do. It was wrong, he knew. But here, on his own, there was no one to help him. The only person he could count on was himself.
Using his right foot, he dislodged the prosthetic, and it fell- along with the man clinging to it. He stared in silent horror as the man disappeared from view, his screams fading into silence. The next instant, Hiccup was hoisted up and over the edge of the cliff.
For a few seconds he lay there, regaining his breath and sense of direction. Then Ryker pulled sharply on the chain, and Hiccup was yanked to his feet (or foot, he supposed.)
"Come on," Ryker ordered. "The Dragon Riders were spotted heading this way. Don't want to run into them, now do we?"
Suddenly Hiccup stopped, looking to the skies. An idea began to form in his head, a crazy, risky, doomed-to-failure idea. If he could stall long enough...the Riders might reach them in time.
Seizing onto that thread of hope, Hiccup looked back at Ryker. "They're going to get here in time. They'll find me."
Ryker raised an eyebrow, then roughly jerked on the chain, forcing Hiccup to his knees. "You'd better learn something right now, boy," he hissed. "All these men? They're only here today because they've learned not to cross me. You're a prisoner, which makes you nothing here. Your life is in my hands, and if you want to keep it, I suggest that you do as you're told."
Hiccup swallowed and hardened his resolve. "No."
Ryker studied him for a long moment, then scowled. "Whatever you say. I warned you." And with that, he landed a single punch, right in the middle of Hiccup's stomach. Crumpling forward, the heir went limp, and the younger Grimborn easily scooped him up and tossed him over one shoulder.
Hiccup was only half conscious as he was carried away, but he had time for one thought before he passed out.
Well, darn. I'm in a load of trouble now.
********line break********
Upon the Dragon Riders' arrival on Sleipnir Island, he and Skullcrusher had easily been able to track Hiccup's path across the island. The trail had eventually led to the abandoned campsite.
As Stoick knelt to examine the cooling ashes of the fire in the center of the clearing, he heard Astrid shout from a short distance away. "Stoick, look at this," she said, pointing to the base of a nearby tree.
Scuff marks covered the loose dirt, and a deep rut marked the place where a piece of metal had gouged into the ground. "What is that?" Astrid murmured, confused.
Snotlout pushed his way forward. "Step back. Let me look."
Vaguely surprised at the boy's commanding tone and the dead-serious look in his eyes, Stoick obeyed.
Peering down at the marks in the dirt, Snotlout pointed. "Hiccup was sitting here. Hands tied in front of him."
"How do-" Astrid began, but Snotlout shushed her.
"I know it was Hiccup because of that mark there. See how the prosthetic gouged into the dirt?" He pointed. "They stopped here overnight."
"Which means that at first light, they were probably headed for Ryker and his Hunters," Astrid realized. "We don't have much time, but we might be able to make it."
********line break********
Hiccup was woken by the cry of a Night Fury, and to him, it was the most welcoming sound in the world. As he groggily opened his eyes, he realized he was being dragged down to the shore by two hunters, each grasping one of his arms. On the shore, a single Dragon Hunter ship was beached, with a few figures moving around on deck.
Ryker turned, face darkening as he scowled. "Get to the boat," he ordered. "Once we're on the water, they won't dare attack us."
Without hesitation, the two men on either side of Hiccup broke into a run, dragging the heir unceremoniously down the beach. Trying in vain to resist as he was pulled towards the boat, Hiccup heard the familiar sound of a Night Fury about to fire. "Toothless!" He yelled, twisting around to see the black form of his dragon swooping towards him.
And then they were boarding the ship, the heir fighting furiously as he was dragged aboard. Hiccup snarled as he kicked out at the Hunters, desperate to escape back to the land. He was so close to freedom, so near his friends- he wasn't going to go quietly.
"Hiccup!" cried a girl's voice, and he looked up to see Astrid riding Toothless. Allowing a smile to cross his face for the first time in four days, Hiccup continued his attempts to escape.
When the last of the Hunters were on board, the ship was already drifting off. Hiccup yelled and fought even as Ryker moved towards him. Dealing a single, harsh blow to the Dragon Rider's temple, Ryker nodded to a few Hunters as the boy slumped unconscious to the floor. "Tie 'im to the mast. He'll be out for a few hours."
So I didn't kill Hiccup! Yay! Lemme know what you think! Also- the next chapter may contain torture. Just a quick warning. And Viggo comes into the story too!
