Chapter Thirteen: Double the Lightning
"Aaaaaaand…done!" Hiccup announced, lifting the contraption off his desk and showing it to Matt.
"Wow! It's a…It's a thing. That's for sure." He replied, unsure of what to make of the object.
"Really? Can't even use your imagination? Even after I told you what it was?" Hiccup asked sarcastically, glaring at Matt.
"It's a brace that I have no idea how it works." He defended himself, standing up tenderly from his seat "Honestly, that's not what I had pictured in my head when you said you were building me one."
The object couldn't have been longer than a foot. It had two leather strap like belts, connected by three metal rods that were made of Gronckle Iron. The rods were located on one side, effectively showing they had to face outwards when on Matt's leg. Each rod had a little mechanism that caused them to expand and retract, and had a small lever linking all three mechanisms; which confused Matt as to the purpose.
"Here, put it on." Hiccup smiled, tossing it to him.
"Uh…right." Matt simply replied, catching the brace. Staring at it for a moment, he then began to loop the belts around where his leg hurt.
"It's upside down." Hiccup pointed out, smiling at him.
"Couldn't have made it easier to tell which way is which?" He huffed, quickly flipping it over and re-strapping it.
"See the lever? That has to face up." Hiccup explained, walking up to him.
"And what does it do?" Matt asked, cinching the straps on tight. Ensuring it wouldn't slide down his leg, he began to walk around.
"It extends the rods, making it stiffer and more solid for your leg to depend on, rather than your slashed bone." Hiccup answered, watching him walk around "Right now, it's nothing more than just three little rods attached to belts."
"I was going to say that I feel no different with it on." Matt admitted, heavily limping as he walked. Looking down at the brace, he then pushed down on the lever. The mechanisms on each rod rotated, making the metal rods extend. Almost instantly, he felt it stiffen. "Wow. Well, it works in regards that it does what you want it to do." He began to say, resuming walking in circles around Hiccup's room. Expecting to feel a sharp pain run through his leg, he was surprised to feel nothing at all. A small throbbing lingered, but the sharp, needle-like pain was completely removed! The brace was actually working!
"Well? How is it?" Hiccup asked, watching Matt's shocked face.
"Hiccup! This thing works! The leg still throbs a little, but the pain is gone! It's amazing!" Matt cried out, looking up from the brace "This thing is going to change everything! Why couldn't anyone from my world think of something like this?!"
Hiccup just smiled at Matt, happy that he was excited about it. Then, to his surprise, watched Matt run at him, grabbing him in a hug.
"Thank you, Hiccup! This thing is going to change my life! Thank you! Thank you!" He cried, almost sobbing.
"Gagh!" Hiccup gasped, feeling himself lifted into the air "You're welcome, Matt!" Feeling himself start to get crushed, He then coughed out "Mind…letting…go?"
Laughing, Matt dropped Hiccup on his feet. Gently grabbing his shoulder, he then shook the wheezing Hiccup "Sure, I guess I better let you breathe, huh?"
"Thanks. Glad you listened!" Hiccup huffed, shaking his head with a smile. Looking at Matt, he then added "Glad it works. It was getting old watching you get slowed down by your leg. Hope this helps."
"It does. And it will." Matt affirmed, looking down at it "It's been so long since I haven't needed to worry about it, I'm wondering if I'm going to walk with a limp out of muscle memory."
Hiccup just smiled, walking out of his room. Matt followed, though jogging. He couldn't believe it, a solution so simple that it seemed improbable. His thoughts were cut short as Fishlegs shouted "Hiccup! Hiccup!"
"Fishlegs?" Hiccup answered, looking up to see him running down the ramp towards them "What's going on?"
"Just got a Terror mail from Berk!" Fishlegs gasped, holding the letter to him "Outcast Island was attacked!"
"Was anyone hurt?" Hiccup asked urgently, his eye interrogating Fishelgs.
"Please tell me they were…" Matt growled quietly. He remembered the Outcasts, how could he not? They were the entire reason why he needed the brace to begin with, and the wound was still fresh in his mind. Though they were at peace with Stoick, Hiccup, and Berk in general; he wasn't with them. Not yet at least.
"The letter didn't say. It just said they were attacked." Fishlegs answered, shaking his head "I don't know what damage was done."
Hiccup pondered over the news, unsure of what to make of it. Looking at Matt, he saw that his eyes were furrowed in frustration and contemplation. "A rune for your thought?" He asked. Though a little intense, he knew Matt was just like him and Fishlegs. A thinker.
"I…I don't know." Matt began to say, looking up at the two "Don't you think it's a little strange that the Outcasts were attacked right before we were going to bring Darien to them?"
"Of course! Dagur must be looking for her!" Fishlegs announced, seeing what Matt was meaning.
"Exactly. I bet Dagur thought we wouldn't keep her here. And looked at the most likely place we'd have taken her." Matt continued to explain his thought.
Hiccup nodded, agreeing with him "Which means…he must be heading to Berk!"
"The next logical location." Matt agreed.
"Alright, saddle up." Hiccup announced "I'll have the twins bring Darien with us. I don't want this to be a trick and leave her here with only one or two of us to guard her." Looking at Matt, he then added "We'll be stopping by Outcast Island on our way, see if we can't pick up any clues on what they're doing, or where they're going. And to drop off Darien."
"Sounds good." Matt sounded off, jogging to the clubhouse "I'll tell the rest of the gang and then I'll be ready in a second." Running up a ramp, he disappeared around a corner, to which only his voice could be heard "Hey Heather! Check it out! My leg's not buggin' me anymore!"
"Wait, is his leg better?" Fishlegs asked Hiccup, watching Matt run off "He was barely able to walk yesterday!"
"Yeah, he's better." Hiccup replied, smiling as Matt disappeared behind a corner of a room "He's doing a lot better."
Matt calmly carved the air back and forth, letting Wasatch lazily glide along Windshear. With his new brace on, he simply turned and smiled at Heather, who returned a smile back. It was indeed a completely different world with it on.
"So, how are you guys doing after our talk yesterday?" Astrid asked, gliding along the other side of Wasatch.
"Fine. A lot to think about, but it's all making more sense now." Matt replied back "Though I'm still confused as to why you guys kept it a secret from us."
"It's hard to talk about." Astrid quickly replied "You have know idea what we went through with him. He had all of Berk fighting to protect him, and a lot of people died for him. Then he turns around and almost kills us!" Turning to Heather, she explained "A lot worse than what you did."
"Do you think Ukiah knows that we know who he is?" She asked looking back at Astrid.
"I don't know…" She whispered, shaking her head "I hope not. I'd like to catch him being a little careless. But honestly, I think he's leaving you messages to tell you what he's been through with us. Plus the fact he's probably expecting we talked to you guys about him."
"Sounds like a pretty…interesting guy." Matt added to the comment "How's he fair in a fight?"
"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Astrid huffed, seeing the conversation was turning to hers and Ukiah's past "I'll just say he's killed more than I have."
Matt looked at her in shock, not believing what he heard. Shaking his head, he looked forward as he said "Tough, experienced, and can plan ahead? What can't he do?"
"Care about others." Astrid growled, letting Stormfly speed up and away from both Matt and Heather.
"Had to have the last word, huh?" Heather huffed, glaring at Matt "You know she's still on edge after talking about that!"
"I just figured it'd be easier for her. She was the one that started talking about it." He replied, watching Stormfly glide next to Toothless "I mean, it's not like it's a secret anymore. This guy is trying to come for us. We know that now."
"She was talking about Ukiah right now. Not her past with him." Heather shot back, not taking her eyes off of him.
"The difference being what? She was implying the same thing, wasn't she?" Matt casually asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why is it hard for you to talk about the Outcasts?" Heather asked, getting vividly angry with him.
"You know exactly why." Matt quickly huffed, returning an angry glare. Pointing at his new brace, he added "It's not like I've been living with what they did to me three years ago!"
"And Astrid's been hurt by this…Ukiah, four years ago." Heather continued to press "To her, it's equal to your leg."
Matt looked ahead, watching Astrid. Realizing that he was a little insensitive about her and Ukiah. "You know, I hate it when you're right."
"I'm just saying, you better apologize to her." Heather threw in, still glaring at him "She deserves that much from you."
"What? You mean saving her the few times I did, doesn't count?" He quickly replied, teasing in his voice. Seeing her scowl at him, he picked up that she was dead serious. "Fine! I'll talk to her when we set down." He huffed, being soundly scolded by her.
"Good." Heather simply said, finally letting a smile grow on her face "By the way, it's good to see your leg not bugging you."
Shaking his head, Matt smiled as he looked down at his brace "Feels good. Can't believe something so simple was the answer I needed." Looking back at her, he then added "Seems like a dream!"
Heather just smiled at him, and then turned to look at something behind them.
"Wagh! Pull me up! Please!" A voice shouted making even Matt turn to look.
There, dangling by a single rope, was Darien. Wide eyed and pale faced, she just stared at the ocean below. With a long rope tied around her, pinning her arms behind her back; the twins thought it'd be fun to move her by tying the other end of the rope to one of Barf's and Belch's legs, and let her dangle all the way to Outcast Island.
"Hey sis. Did you hear something?" Tuffnut asked, looking down at the panic stricken Darien.
"I heard something about going higher. Maybe even faster." Ruffnut replied, smiling evilly at Darien.
"Well, since that's Outcast Island, I guess we better do it now." Tuffnut laughed, pointing at the jagged looking island.
Darien's head snapped up, staring helplessly at the twins "No! Please don't-Waagggghh!"
At that, the twins accelerated forwards, climbing higher as they did so. Snotlout and Fishlegs both laughed, seeing her scream in terror.
"A little justice? Don't you think?" Heather asked, looking at Matt with a smug expression. To her shock, she saw his face darken. Facing forward, he never replied. "What's wrong now? Aren't you wanting to poke fun at her after what she did to us?" She asked, letting Windshear get closer to him.
"And become just like her?" Matt asked, his face set as stone. Facing forward, he watched Outcast Island get closer with every passing second. "The reason why I'm avoiding her, is so that I don't kill her. I don't want to flaunt over her, or tease her like she did to us; because I want to end her. I still think locking her away is a mistake. She needs to die Heather. It's everything in my power to not let Wasatch tear into her right now."
Heather, realizing the struggle he was facing, quickly apologized. "Sorry Matt, I just thought you were alright with what we were doing. You just seemed…happier than before. I figured you were happy we were taking her away."
"I'm fine Heather. And I am feeling happier. But not because she's being locked away. She has nothing to do with how great I feel." He whispered, looking at her "Let's…let's forget this, Ok?"
"Sure. Sorry Matt…" Heather whispered, looking away from him.
Matt then let a small smile grow on his face, saying "Thanks. I guess I now know what you mean about me apologizing to Astrid. At least more so now.
Heather gave him a sheepish smile, glad he wasn't holding onto the anger.
At that, the group began to land at the center of the island; with the twins taking their time with Darien. As Matt landed, he looked around the island. It was very much the same since he was last here. Charred, rocky, and dead looking. The island had a dark feeling about it, though he wasn't sure if it was because of the abandoned looking place, or his history with it.
"That's weird…no one's here…" Astrid whispered, sliding off of Stormfly.
"Did…they leave their island?" Fishlegs asked, looking around.
"Spread out. Look for anything that would clue us where the Outcasts are. Or the Hunters." Hiccup announced, eyeing their surroundings warily "Twins. Stay and guard Darien."
"Of course!" Tuffnut replied, smiling at Darien evilly.
"Don't. Think. About it!" She hissed, still breathing heavily after being set down. Looking up at the twins still on the Zippleback's head, she growled "So help me, when I get free-"
"My dearest brother. Where's the best place to keep a prisoner?" Ruffnut asked, interrupting Darien's rant.
"Hmmm…is it…I don't know, should we try the sky?" Tuffnut replied with a smirk on his face.
"Why indeed we should! To the sky!" Ruffnut laughed, getting ready to fly.
"No!" Darien cried out, staring helplessly at them as she tried to twist out of the ropes.
Ignoring her pleas, they launched into the air, towing Darien behind; who was letting out a stream of swear words that even made Matt flinch. "You stupid mother fuc…." Her voice trailed off.
Confused at one of the words, Heather began to ask "What did she mean by mother-mpphh?!" Matt instantly clamped his hand over her mouth. "Mpphh?" She cried out, shocked at how quick he was.
"It's not a good word. Just leave it at that." He quickly replied, blushing a little.
"Great, start looking around." Hiccup called out, returning his attention to a burned out looking building.
Heather then began to walk towards Astrid, who was investigating a something on the rocky ground, leaving Matt and Wasatch. Heading towards a hill, Matt tried to shut away some of the memories he had of the place. He hated it here, and didn't want anything to do with it. But, they did have to drop off Darien; and Hiccup wanted to check it out for clues about the Hunters. Then it hit him. Looking around, he didn't see a single arrow, catapult boulder, or broken swords and shields. There was no evidence of a battle at all!
Turning, he was about to ask Wasatch something, when he saw a wild look in his eye. "Bud?" He asked, taken back by the sudden change in appearance and behavior.
Wasatch snorted, glaring at a small gully ahead.
Confused, Matt began to head into the gully, drawing his hatchet. "What'dya think's over here, bud?" He asked, cautiously moving forward. Wasatch jogged ahead of him, growling viciously.
Alarmed at the sudden aggressiveness, Matt ran alongside, his brace working perfectly for him. The gully went down a small hill, and led to another blind turn to the left. Readying for some kind of fight, he raised his hatchet and whirled around the corner. What he saw confused him more than anything.
Wasatch growled as he stared at a large boulder, one that looked like it was shattered. Small rocks were littered everywhere, and a fine gravel covered the ground around the boulder.
"What'dya think did this bud? A Nightmare? Maybe a Gronckle? Whispering Death?" He asked, stepping near the rock. Rubbing some of the gravel in his hands. It was black, almost charred even. "What did this?" He whispered, eyeing the rocks for an answer.
Suddenly, Wasatch bit his vest, hefting him backwards.
"Wagh! What're you doing Wasatch?" He shouted, stumbling to keep himself from falling over.
Wasatch roared, letting lightning run up and down his back. Screeching, he then fired a large lightning bolt at the boulder, causing it explode.
Matt stared wide eyed, seeing exactly what Wasatch wanted to show him. "No…another one?" Kneeling down, he picked up some of the new blackened gravel, still warm from the lightning. His heart racing, he whirled around and bolted back up the gully "Come on bud! We need to tell Hiccup!"
Wasatch was already in the air, chasing after Matt. Grabbing him by the shoulders, he lifted him up and flew out and over the gully.
With wide eyes, he found the others, standing in a circle and talking with each other. They looked up in surprise to see Matt gently dropped in the middle of them.
"Hiccup! I know what attacked the Outcasts!" He shouted loudly, looking at him with wide eyes "And it wasn't the Hunters!"
Seeing that he was spooked, Hiccup could only ask "What? What'd you find?"
Grabbing Hiccup's hand, he placed the black gravel in it. "That was from a boulder that was blown up!"
"And? How does that help us figure out what happened?" Hiccup quizzed, raising an eyebrow.
"Wasatch!" Matt yelled, pointing to large rock.
Wasatch roared, firing another lightning bolt and easily disintegrating the rock.
Everyone shielded their eyes, as small pebbles pelted them. "Thanks Matt!" Astrid growled, running her hand through her hair, shaking out any pebbles that got lodged in "What was that supposed to prove?"
Matt didn't say anything. Kneeling down, he grabbed another handful of the blackened gravel. Showing it to everyone, he then announced "A freakin' Skrill attacked here! Look! There's small lightning marks all over the island!"
Hiccup ran up to Matt, staring at the gravel. His head then snapped up, staring at a cliff wall. Ignoring everyone, he then jogged to it.
"A Skrill? You sure?" Snotlout asked, a panicked look growing on his face.
"Positive. Wasatch was all defensive and standoffish. Plus what he did to that rock is exactly the same thing I found down that gully. Just from a boulder." He answered, thinking of what it meant that another Skrill was nearby.
"Interesting…" Fishlegs whispered, staring at the gravel "So…why did it attack here?"
"Hey! Do these scorch marks look familiar to anyone?" Hiccup asked aloud, staring at the cliff he ran to.
As everyone jogged to Hiccup, Fishlegs let out a small whimper, staring at the scorch marks.
"Uh oh…" Snotlout whispered, shaking his head at the marks.
"So…what am I supposed to see?" Heather asked Astrid, confused at everyone's reactions.
Astrid simply ignored her. Looking at Hiccup she asked "Do you...do you think it's him?"
"Ukiah?" Matt puzzled, confused at the context of the conversation.
"No. A wild Skrill that Dagur had for a few days." Hiccup answered "I don't know, but how many Skrills do we know of? Wasatch and him."
"Which make sense! He came here for revenge!" Fishlegs announced, looking at Hiccup "He's looking for you and Toothless! This was where he saw you last!"
"Ok, timeout!" Matt yelled, forcing everyone to turn to him. "Let's assume that some of us, namely me and Heather, have no idea what you're talking about! How about a little history lesson?"
"Dagur captured a wild Skrill a couple of years ago." Hiccup began to explain "That Skrill was so wild and angry that we had to seal it in an iceberg. Freezing it solid."
"You what?" Matt gaped, staring at Hiccup in confusion "I…I thought you tried to help dragons?"
"Trust me! I tried to peaceful with it! Had I the chance, I would have." Hiccup defended, scowling at Matt "But even after I freed it, it chased Toothless and I non-stop! The only thing that would make him stop, is if he killed us."
Matt could only nod, knowing Hiccup wouldn't do anything to hurt a dragon unless it was absolutely necessary. Looking at Fishlegs, he then asked "Ok, so where did it go? Where do we look for it?"
"Well, we know Skrills like to fly with storms, essentially creating them. And there was one going south." Fishlegs answered, thinking about the information he had.
"Wait. Isn't Berk…oh no." Snotlout gasped, staring at Hiccup in horror.
"Everyone mount up!" Hiccup roared, running to Toothless.
Matt wasted no time leaping onto Wasatch and strapping himself in. "The brace has already earned its keep." He grunted, testing the bindings. Looking up, he saw Hiccup launch into the air, with Astrid and Snotlout close behind.
Wasatch roared as he followed, catapulting up, and leaving a trail of lightning behind. He seemed to know exactly where they were going, and more importantly, why.
"Guess we'll see how Skrills react to each other." Heather called out, chasing after Matt.
"If they're anything like we know about them, they'll be viscous with each other. Almost territorial." Fishlegs yelled, flying behind Heather.
"Honestly, I'm expecting it as such." Matt replied, looking behind him with a worried expression "The last time I saw Wasatch with that wild look, was when he was chasing me in the Outcast's arena. He was ready to kill a moment ago." At that, he swung his back pack around, balancing on Wasatch. Pulling out his beanie hat, he quickly slipped it on and then slung the backpack over.
Heather stared at Matt with concern "What're you doing?"
"Getting ready." Matt whispered, looking ahead "I don't really know what to expect here…"
The gang was just arriving at Berk, with lightning and storm clouds all around when Snotlout shouted out loud "Look! There it is!"
Matt's heart skipped a beat. There it was. A wild Skrill. The Skrill was purple all over the top side, and an ice blue, almost white, under the wings and underbelly. The Skrill fired a lightning bolt down into Berk, roaring in anger. Wasatch screeched in a fury Matt never heard before. It was everything in his power to keep him from charging forward. "Wasatch! Ease up buddy!" He yelled, pulling back with his lead foot.
"That's a wild Skrill?!" Darien shouted, staring at the light ball of death ahead. Still dangling behind the Zippleback, she just gasped at the sight.
"Indeed Darien." Astrid yelled back, eyes narrowing at the dragon "Think of it this way, that's what you wanted to put in your ship!"
At that, Gustav and the entire auxiliary team flew out of the village circling around the wild Skrill.
"Hey look! Auxiliary team is already on the case!" Astrid shouted, smiling as she watched them in action.
Hiccup instantly began to say "Uh, Astrid. Might be a little too early in their dragon riding careers to let them handl-"
No sooner had he said that, the Skrill screeched angrily and released a pulse of lightning. Matt gasped, having never seen Wasatch do that. The pulse was almost like a web of lightning, arcing wildly from rider to rider. All but one rider of the auxiliary were all spinning out of control, heading straight for Berk.
"Is that all you've got you sparky lizard?" Spitelout shouted, seeing he wasn't hit. Almost instantly, the Skrill fired a direct lightning bolt, directly hitting him and off his Deadly Nadder.
"Dad!" Snotlout shouted frantically.
"Cover the downed riders!" Hiccup ordered, causing everyone to dive.
Expecting to dive with them, Hiccup was surprised when Toothless roared, pulling up and charging the Skrill. "To-toothless? What are you doing?!" He yelled, trying to force the Night Fury down.
The Skrill screeched, seeing Toothless. Almost instantly, it charged up with lightning.
Between Hiccup trying to go one way, and Toothless another, they were an easy target for the revenge seeking Skrill. "Toothless, no!" He shouted, watching helplessly as a lightning bolt smashed into Toothless. The force was so strong that it knocked him off his saddle!
"Hiccup!" Matt yelled, trying to dive after him. Wasatch had other plans, as he screeched loud enough that Matt had to cover his ears. "What's wrong with you boy?!" He roared, trying to recover from the ear splitting screech.
Wasatch ignored Matt. Charging up with lightning, he fired at the Skrill. The wild Skrill flew at the bolt, absorbing it and firing one of his own. Wasatch easily absorbed it, causing him to roar angrily. Matt tried to guide Wasatch down and away, but he refused to accept anything that Matt tried to do. Wasatch then charged the Skrill. The Skrill nimbly dodged Wasatch, and bolted over Berk. Wasatch turned and gave chase. He never fired another lightning bolt, knowing it was useless against his enemy. Matt could only balance himself, unable to stop Wasatch from raging. "You stupid reptile!" He roared, trying to keep himself upright.
The Skrill then bolted into the forest near Raven Point, weaving back and forth in between trees and boulders. Matt nimbly balanced himself on Wasatch, twisting his body and legs to be able to board on Wasatch. Between the gaps of trees, he could see glimpses of the Skrill. Gritting his teeth, he couldn't help but remember seeing Hiccup fall out of the sky, with Toothless plummeting in smoke. "Come on!" He roared, feeling a rage come over him "We'll finish this bud!"
Wasatch surged forward, knowing now that Matt was now with him, rather than just on him. Firing a large lightning bolt, he blew a tree apart and flew straight, putting himself right behind the wild Skrill. Wasatch then reached forward, biting the Skrill's tail. The Skrill roared in pain and surprise, feeling the teeth dig into its tail. Doing a mid-air somersault, it then snapped back at Wasatch. Wasatch let go, braking instantly. The over-rotated Skrill then crashed into the ground, rolling into a small clearing.
Wasatch simply landed, letting Matt jump off of him. Standing next to his dragon, he watched the Skrill slowly stand up. Its eyes were nothing like he's seen before. It had a white glow to them, with the pupil barely showing. At a distance, it looking like it only had white eyes. Growling, it then began to radiate lightning as it circled around Wasatch.
Wasatch did the same, letting lightning run up and down his back and began to circle with the Skrill.
Matt knew he would be no help, so he promptly backed off. He felt helpless, unable to do anything for his friend. All he could do was cheer him on. "Come on bud! Take it out on him for what he did to Toothless and Hiccup!"
Wasatch roared, running at the Skrill and snapping at him. The Skrill jumped backwards, whipping its' tail at Wasatch and landing a forceful hit across his face. Wasatch roared, jerking his head back in pain. The Skrill then charged Wasatch, head-butting him in the neck. Its' spikes dug into soft scales under Wasatch.
"Wasatch!" Matt yelled, watching his dragon roll backwards.
Wasatch roared angrily, which he whipped his tail as he rolled away, catching the Skrill under the chin. The Skrill recoiled back, shaking its head in pain and standing up high on his two feet. Wasatch wasted no time scrambling to his feet. Screeching furiously, he then bolted forwards with his head lowered. He flapped his wings once, giving him a simple, yet powerful boost. The Skrill roared in pain as Wasatch rammed into its stomach. Lifting up, he flipped it over onto its back.
"Yeah Wasatch! Way to turn that around!" Matt yelled, fist pumping the air. Honestly, he was surprised Wasatch was fairing so well against the wild Skrill. Seeing them on the ground next to each other, it was easy to see the Skrill was quite a bit bigger than Wasatch. Bigger was an understatement. Wasatch was a good three feet smaller when standing up, and the wing span of the Skrill was another four or five feet longer! On top of that, the wild Skrill was indeed going for revenge, helping add to its rage and endurance. But regardless, Wasatch was putting the Skrill through the ringer.
The Skrill quickly rolled onto its feet. Growling, its white eyes burned as it stared at Wasatch, who was waiting to receive the Skrill. Then it noticed Matt, standing there on the sidelines. Charging up with lightning, it fired a bolt of lightning at him.
Matt realized what was happening a moment too late, which he tried to dive out of the way. Sure he was going to be hit, he saw out of the corner of his eye Wasatch lunge in front of the bolt. Absorbing the lightning, he left himself completely open; which the Skrill jumped on. Leaping forward, the large Skrill bit down at Wasatch, clamping down around his neck.
Matt watched in horror as the Skrill rolled on the ground, dragging the screeching Wasatch with him. The size of the Skrill made it easy for him to keep Wasatch from stopping the momentum. Matt's stomach had a pit in it, having no idea what to do! Out of reaction, and being unable to think of a plan, he grabbed the hatchet from his backpack. Aiming, he hurled straight into the back of the Skrill.
Screeching in shock and surprise, rather than pain, it dropped Wasatch and turned on Matt. Eyes burning white, it let out a blood curling screech and charged after him. Seeing that Wasatch wasn't getting up, Matt bolted into the forest.
The Skrill chased after him, firing a lightning bolt. The bolt smashed into a tree Matt sprinted past, cutting through it with ease. Showered with splinters, Matt kept on sprinting forward. Weaving left and right, he felt the heat of another tree exploding next to him. "Agh! Come on!" Matt yelled, weaving in and out of some trees. The Skrill didn't seem to mind the obstacles, as it kept on blowing them up and rushing after Matt.
Matt leaped off a small ledge, landing in a bunch of dead fall. Stumbling, he felt his leg catch one of the fallen logs. "Ah! Damn!" He shouted, crashing onto his face. He heard something snap, and the familiar pain in his leg returned. Grunting, he rolled over and spat out the dirt he picked up. Glancing at his leg, now riveting with pain, he saw the brace had broken, rendering him back to where he was before.
The Skrill followed, jumping from atop the ledge and landing right over him. Breathing deeply, it stared at Matt with its soulless white eyes.
Matt stared up at the growling Skrill, going into a flashback of when Wasatch stood over him back in the Outcast's arena. Honestly, it was so similar, that he thought he was laying on stone slabs rather than dirt and sticks. Almost instantly, reached up, and touched the Skrill; shocking it.
Taken back, the Skrill stopped roaring, though the murderous look never left his white eyes.
"Easy…easy…" Matt whispered, slowly rubbing his head. Reaching up a second time, he was about the touch the Skrill again, just as it snapped at him. Checking his hand to make sure he still had it, he looked up at the Skrill as it lowered its head close to his. Its teeth were bared, and its eyes were almost digging into his.
"Oh boy…you're definitely not like Wasatch, are you big guy…" He whispered, realizing that the Skrill was still not calmed down.
Growling again, it arced a lot smaller lightning bolt from its front spike, drilling Matt in the left shoulder.
"Agh! That was a little heavy…" He growled, holding where it struck him. Smaller was relative. The bolt was still large enough where it hurt! Looking at the tunic through the tears of pain that wanted to come out, he saw that it had a hole burnt in it, and his shoulder looked black; as if burnt.
The Skrill growled, almost gesturing at him to do something.
Though he knew exactly what the Skrill wanted, his shoulder made it hard to rub his head. Grimacing in pain, he slowly reached up and shocked the Skrill a second time.
Not surprised like the first time, the dragon did something that brought immeadite relief to him. The Skrill took a step back while biting Matt's tunic, helping him onto his feet.
"Ugh, thanks…uh…friend?" Matt grunted, trying to cradle his throbbing and slightly burnt shoulder. Taking a step back, he watched the Skrill's white eyes slowly disappear, revealing deep hazel pupils. Though it was still breathing heavily, it had indeed calmed down.
Matt let out a heavy sigh, both out of relief and pain. Feeling was starting to return to his arm, though the burning feeling also began to intensify. "Won't lie…can't believe you calmed down…" Matt whispered, looking at the Skrill "Heh, so…now what?"
"I saw them fly this way!" Heather shouted, scanning the forest with worried eyes. So far, the only thing they found were several destroyed trees, but no sign of either Skrill or Matt.
"Why did he try to take on that wild dragon by himself?!" Astrid shouted, angrily glancing back and forth "If he's not dead, I'm going to kill him myself!"
"Look for the lightning!" Hiccup announced "That should give us a pretty good idea where they're at."
"Up ahead! Something's in the clearing!" Heather shouted, pointing in front of them.
All three let out an audible gasp, seeing who it was. Laying there was Wasatch, struggling to stand up. "Wasatch!" She shouted, sliding off her saddle before Windshear even came to a stop. Getting closer, she saw the Skrill with half open eyes and breathing regularly. Sliding on her knees, she gently stroked his head "What happened boy?"
Wasatch let out a groan, still trying to stand up.
"Look at his neck. Those bite marks." Astrid pointed out, kneeling down and wiping the dirt away from the wounds, helping Heather comfort him. "Wasatch is tough to throw around, but the ground's all torn up! It's like the fight was a physical one."
"But where's Matt?!" Hiccup cried, frantically scanning the edge of the forest for any sign for him. Staring at the ground, he tried to find something to follow; or at least hint where Matt was.
Heather looked up with worried eyes. If Wasatch was thrown around by that Skrill, what hope did Matt have standing against it? Looking back at Wasatch, she whispered "Where is he boy? Is he alright?"
Wasatch just growled, finally giving up trying to stand up.
"Uh…guys…" Hiccup called out, making them turn to look at him. "Found some scorch marks!" He explained, pointing in a direction "And several destroyed trees!"
"Any sign of him?" Astrid asked, leaving Heather and walking up to him.
"…this…" Hiccup whispered quietly, picking an object off the ground.
Astrid peered over Hiccup's shoulder, which she gasped at what she saw. It was Matt's hatchet.
"No! We have to find him!" Heather shouted, running up to Hiccup and snatching the hatchet from him.
"You guys stay with Wasatch. If that Skrill comes back for him, he'll be finished before we could come and help him." Climbing on Toothless, he continued to say "Toothless and I will find him, alright?"
"Hiccup! Let me come!" Heather cried, running to Windshear.
"No! This Skrill want's me and Toothless. Once it sees us, we'll draw it away from Berk." Hiccup ordered "Where you see the Skrill come from, head that way and look for Matt. Understand?"
Both Astrid and Heather glared at him, though they reluctantly nodded.
Seeing them agreeing, he then let Toothless run through the trees. "Come on bud! Find him!"
Heather just watched them disappear into the trees, with Toothless weaving back and forth. Shaking her head, she turned to look at Wasatch.
"Ugh, I'm going to kill that idiot." Astrid growled, walking back to the downed Skrill and gently rubbing his head "Taking on a Skrill by himself…"
"Didn't he do that with Wasatch though?" Heather asked, also kneeling down next to Wasatch.
Windshear and Stormfly then stood next to Wasatch, with Windshear gently nuzzling against him to try and comfort him.
"He didn't have a choice. He was captured and thrown in an arena with Wasatch." Astrid explained "Here, he had Hiccup, you, me, everyone actually…" Shaking her head "He didn't need to."
Heather just stared at Wasatch, stirring slightly as he began to muster the strength to stand back up.
"Rreeeeeeggghhh!" A loud screech sounded, making both riders and dragons turn into the direction. A lightning bolt struck randomly in the forest, and suddenly Hiccup and Toothless launched into the air. The Skrill was right behind them, chasing them furiously with lightning emitting from its wings.
"I'll go and see if Matt's ok!" Heather shouted, running to the forest.
"Heather stop! Look! Look at the Skrill!" Astrid shouted, staring at the sight with wide eyes and pointing up.
Heather froze, looking up. Gasping, she saw exactly what Astrid was talking about. Matt was being carried away by it! It looked like he was riding it; though in all honesty, he was probably just holding on.
"Ooohhh! I'm defenitly going to kill him now!" Astrid roared, running to Stormfly.
Hiccup was urging Toothless to fly faster, glancing back behind them to see the Skrill gaining on them. He had barely started running through the forest with Toothless, when he heard Matt talking out loud to something. Looking down a ledge, he was surprised to see Matt sitting on the Skrill, which raged the moment Hiccup and Toothless came into view; and started to chase them. Now they were running from it, drawing it farther away from the island and out to sea. "Matt! What in the Gods' names are you doing?!" He shouted, catching a glimpse of him hanging on for dear life.
"Trying to train it!" Matt roared, holding onto the Skrill's head for dear life "You stupid lizard! They're friends! Agh!"
The Skrill suddenly jerked left, putting itself right behind Hiccup and Toothless. The Skrill roared as it fired a lightning bolt at Toothless, who barely rolled out of the way.
"Stop!" Matt yelled, pushing to turn its head. His shoulder lit up with the burning pain, though he tried to ignore it. Growling, the Skrill simply didn't listen to him. Chasing after Toothless, its eyes were now glowing a bright white, showing that it was bent on killing them.
"Matt! Stop that Skrill!" Hiccup shouted, dodging another lighting strike.
"What'dya think I'm trying to do?!" Matt roared, trying to turn the Skrills head with extra energy. His shoulder burned, making him grit his teeth to fight the ever-growing pain. Again, the Skrill ignored Matt. Shaking its head, Matt could only hold on. Zeroing in on Hiccup, it fired a single bolt, nailing Toothless in the tail.
"No!" Hiccup shouted, feeling Toothless begin to spiral out of control. Toothless also let out an angered cry as he plummeted down.
"Hiccup! No!" Matt roared, watching Toothless fall into a gray cloud and disappearing. Gritting his teeth, he again tried to turn the Skrill's head. His shoulder lit up with pain, this time being unable to ignore it. Gripping his arm, he then felt the Skrill roll to chase after Toothless. He scrambled to grab something, anything! But with his good arm gripping his injured one, he simply slid off.
"Agggghh!" He shouted, feeling himself freefall. His stomach felt like it was in his throat, as he began spinning in the air. The best he could with his injured shoulder, he twisted his body and completed a full rotation, so that he was falling feet first. Looking around, he desperately looked for anyone or anything that would catch him! He stared helplessly as he pass through a cloud, which revealed a sight that he didn't expect. One that didn't bring him comfort either.
A hunter's ship was below, sailing in between rock pillars and trying to stay hidden. "Of course. The only ones to watch me die, are my enemies..." He thought, watching the ocean rise closer and closer. Flailing his arms to keep himself balanced, he closed his eyes, ready to open them at the sight of the golden gates. Or Valhalla.
"Reeeegghh!" A screech sounded above him. He couldn't even look up to see what it was, as a force grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him up just as he was sure he'd be crashing into the water. His left shoulder felt like it was being pulled off; granted, he almost wished it was!
Looking up, Matt gasped as he saw that the Skrill had dove down after him! Before he could even shout for joy, he looked ahead and saw they were heading straight for the Hunter's ship! "No! Turn! Turn!" He shouted, trying to make the Skrill turn away from the ship.
Too late. A hail of arrows fired at them. The Skrill took almost all of them, which it simply groaned and folded over.
"No!" Matt roared, finally falling into the ocean. Matt's vision was clouded with bubbles and purple dragon scales. Being turned around, he found himself staring into the Skrill's eyes. They looked weak and dilating. Reaching forward, Matt grabbed the Skrill's head and tried to pull it up to where he thought the surface was. He had to get it away from the Hunters! Even if he knew it was hopeless, he had to try.
Then the sight that broke his heart. A net swallowed both him and the Skrill. They were captured. Feeling them get pulled up, he simply gave up. What could he do? Feeling them break the surface of the water, he gasped for air, though he still felt like he was suffocating.
"Oh ho ho ho ho! There it is! My Skrill!" Dagur shouted joyfully seeing the Skrill get hauled up onto the deck.
"Heh, I guess we both got what we wanted…" Ryker added with a wide smile, seeing Matt pinned between the net and the dragon.
"Matt?!" Dagur cried out, shocked at seeing him in the net "How did- What are- Were you trying to steal my Skrill?!"
Forcing a smile, despite what was going to happen him, he then faked a laugh "Your Skrill? If that's true, no. I'm not trying to steal it. I already stole it."
Dagur gaped at him, unsure of what he meant. Ryker's smile disappeared, knowing Matt wasn't one that outright bluffed.
Getting set on the deck, Matt felt the net loosen. The Skrill was completely overwhelmed with the dragon root arrows that struck it, and didn't put up any kind of fight. It simply grunted as it watched Matt get pulled away. Feeling his arms grabbed and being hefted up onto his feet, he was quickly marched to Ryker and Dagur.
"What do you mean you stole it?" Dagur yelled, glaring at him with a crazed look.
"I already trained it. It saved my life." Matt answered, wincing in pain as one of the Hunters pulled his arm back "We're bonded now. You can't use him."
Seeing the burn mark and torn tunic on his shoulder, Ryker then let a smile grow on his face "Well then…let's see strong of a 'bond' yeh two have after we get rid of yeh…" At that, he drew his sword and raised it high.
Matt stared at him with fear, knowing that Ryker yearned to kill him for a while now.
Dagur, with lighting like reflexes, drew his axe and slammed the flat side of the axe down onto Matt's head, knocking him out completely.
Ryker frowned, watching Matt collapse and be held up by the two Hunters. Turning to Dagur, he just raised an eyebrow.
"We can figure out how to break the Skrill. As we agreed before." Dagur growled, pointing his axe at Ryker "But he's the answer to get Darien back. We don't kill him. Yet."
Ryker just huffed, turning to leave Dagur, issuing orders as he did so. "This better not backfire on yeh…remember that I wanted to kill the boy."
Shaking his head, Dagur looked at Matt. "Throw him in a cell." Looking at the Skrill, which was glaring at him angrily, though still unable to move or radiate lightning. "Actually put him in the same cell as the Skrill. Can't let it rage until we get it in water."
"Dagur! Stop!" A voice shouted, making the entire ship turn to see Hiccup and Toothless hovering just out of range of the arrows.
Dagur put a wide smile on, saying "We'll see you in a bit Hiccup! Expect to hear from us!" Gesturing to Matt, who was being dragged down into the hold of the ship, with the Skrill behind, he added "I'm sure Matt would be worth giving Darien back, huh?"
Hiccup just stared helplessly as Matt disappeared from view. Toothless let out a cry of anguish, feeling the same as Hiccup. Unable to do anything, the two watched the ship sail away.
"Hiccup! What happened?! Was that Ryker?!" Astrid's voice called out, making the two turn to see both Heather and Astrid fly next to them.
"Where's Matt?! Where's the Skrill?!" Heather asked, letting Windshear hover closer to Toothless.
"Heather…" Hiccup whispered, feeling sick to his stomach "Matt…the Skrill…Dagur got them. They're on the ship. I couldn't get to him in time. I'm sorry…"
Heather looked at him in horror, not wanting to hear what he was saying. Feeling dead inside, she turned and watched the ship start to sail out of the Archipelago.