First, Another nightmare has reached 1600 followers so, every chapter probably has people spending more time to read it than with anything and everything I have ever written. Well, I plan to offer my novel manuscript to publishers in perhaps a month or two. Low chance to get through, but a chance nonetheless. Meanwhile, I have to check my warmer clothes for the winter is coming.
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Comments:
VigoGrimborne: Physical limitation? I didn't quite get that, but some things clearly exceed the normal limitations. Even in the real world people sometimes claim they felt when something bad (like death) happened to someone close to them. With the actual mental bond between H&T realizing something is wrong seemed believable enough.
Story. Writer.2015: You could say so.
Massive HTTYD Fan: The bond is why I got interested in writing this story in the first place, and I have listed that type of character relationship on my file of ideas for stories, though for no the only attractive direction for that would be a dragon story, and I fear it could take too much inspiration from AN if I'm not careful.
Dragonrider's Fury: That specific conflict might be fairly brief for this book 2, but might become more relevant for the book 3 currently in development.
thearizona: Why would you use high explosives when you can just point an angry flock of dragons towards your enemies? Speaking of which though, which one would be more terrifying, an angry nightfury diving at you screeching or German ww2 Stuka doing the same? I wonder if the people making httyd were watching ww2 movies at work because those too actually seem quite similar situations. :p
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Proofread by 3DPhantom
Hiccup was barely breathing. After all the screaming and hyperventilating his lungs didn't have the strength to do anything more. Tears were drying on his cheeks as he lay on the hard table. He couldn't rest because of the pain. He couldn't move because it only made the pain worse. He was also tied down, thick ropes pressed against his arms and legs. He couldn't look down at his feet… foot, and now he was having constant chills, a sign of rising fewer probably. He was already feeling sluggish as a sick person.
Unable to sleep Hiccup tried to distract his attention from the pains by reaching out with his mind as much as he could. It was the only thing Ryker couldn't take away from him. Unfortunately, with no one to really connect with, it was of no help to his suffering. He could feel distant minds but couldn't even tell if they noticed his. Brightscale and Windshear were at least long gone. Hiccup tried to reach further, hoping he could feel at least a glimpse of Toothless' presence, but his focus broke as he coughed, his lungs aching. It had been a hopeless attempt from the beginning. At least Toothless was with Sharpshot, Fishlegs and Ivar. If anyone could stop his rage, give him any more happiness after losing his brother, it was those three.
Otherwise Toothless might burn Fjoll to the ground.
Hiccup opened his eyes. He no longer could even hope to see black scales as he looked up, seeing only planks of the deck above filling his sight. Flames from the fireplace made shadows dance across them. Ryker never bothered to move him anywhere else after...
…
There was no roof hatch. What was the time of the day? Hiccup didn't know. He could only hear strong wind and the creaking of the ship. He turned his head to the side. Ryker's onboard blacksmith was sharpening an axe. Another hunter sat on guard by the door and noticed Hiccup's movement. The man gave him a death stare. Hiccup averted his gaze immediately. He didn't want to know what would happen if he angered these people again. He was too weak to even try. What could he do on his own? He couldn't even walk anymore. Another tear slid down his cheek.
That was how the entire day passed as far as Hiccup knew. The only sign of the fall of the night came from the words of Hiccup's guards as they changed shifts. Every one of them looked at Hiccup like they wanted to cause him more pain if that was even possible. Hiccup didn't meet their gaze, fearing the consequences. His eyes may have slipped shut at some point, but it wasn't real sleep. The shaking of the ship jolted his eyes open. Had they hit something? Many people were walking on the deck above, but the ship itself felt stable. It barely moved in the waves.
"Welcome to the camp runt," Hiccup's current guard said, speaking to Hiccup for the first time, his voice not promising anything good. "Soon you won't be our problem. I wonder if Viggo has woken up yet."
What would this Viggo really be like? Everyone acted like he was the most dangerous and fearsome person in the world. Ryker was already imposing and a monster. How could Viggo be any worse? Hiccup could only lay in place. Cold sweat joined the trails of his earlier tears. Some more hours passed in silence. Hiccup wasn't even sure anymore if he wanted Viggo to show up or not. He feared what would happen, but the wait was killing him… Or, at least it was one of the things working towards that outcome... Hiccup tried to stay still and breath calmly. Eventually, creaks of planks revealed approaching steps. Hiccup leaned his head to the side. Ryker opened the door and stepped aside. Another man stepped in. He… didn't seem any more imposing than Ryker, not in size at least. As the bearded man looked down on Hiccup their eyes met. A shiver passed through Hiccup and he wasn't sure if it was due to his wound or if it was an effect of the man standing next to him.
"So, this is your dragon expert. Doesn't look like much. Then again, these things don't show outside," the man said. His voice was calm, even eloquent, not rough like Ryker, and yet Hiccup had no problem imagining that voice ordering even worse horrors than what Ryker had done. This was the leader.
"I thought so. Even if he is a little dragon lover, he knows things," Ryker said.
"I will determine that," the man who could only be Viggo said, "if he lives long enough." He sighed. "Do you always have to act so brutish? Amputation is dangerous. Punishing a random grunt is one thing, we can get others if things go bad for them, but never do it to someone you need to live unless you have to." Viggo shook his head. His voice became more recognizably commanding as he addressed the guard. "The healers are still at their house. Lars, carry our guest there. We'll see if they can keep him alive long enough for a good chat."
"As you wish," the guard said and got up with a smile. "Was that all?"
"Yes, for now. Ryker, show me to the captain who lost his ship." They walked away, talking as Lars started untying Hiccup from the table. He re-tied Hiccup's hands together and lifted the boy roughly over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Hiccup could only hang there. Even if he hadn't been tied and was healthy with both of his legs he would have been too weak to do anything. What could he do on his own? He had relied on Toothless for safety since they had met. Hunters across the ship sniggered as he was carried past them.
"Did you finally catch yourself a new bride, Lars? A bit small even for a woman though," one man said on the deck. Others still laughed as Lars stepped out of the ship. It was definitely morning, but the sky was overcast with grey clouds. Ryker's ship was merely one in a line of at least ten that were moored on a line of piers. Many hunters were hard at work loading their ships with barrels, baskets, and metal cages holding trapped dragons. Hiccup tried to close their screams, both noise and thoughts, out of his mind as Lars carried him away from the shore, climbing up stone stairs among the rocky landscape.
The trip took a few minutes and then they passed a barricade of large stones, sometimes sharp boulders assembled together. It could barely be called a wall, but still not something one could cross easily unless you had wings of course. Hidden behind the stone were several small wooden houses, not quite a village but, well more than a short-term camp. Lars entered one larger building near the barricade. Inside was a single dark room; most of the dim light came from two small fireplaces, one on each side of the room, and few small lanterns. The lights revealed long wooden platforms with men laying side-by-side on thin sheets. Some whimpered in their pains as did Hiccup when Lars bumped him up to correct his grip. He could briefly see two women and an elder man walking among the injured, the man with help of a cane. He noticed Lars and his unwilling passenger.
"And what do we have here?"
"Prisoner, a dragon lover," Lars answered. "Viggo wants you to keep him alive. He and Ryker think the runt could be useful. Where do you want me to put him?"
"There is still space on the last row," the old man said. Lars walked forward.
"Helga, could you bring us some more rope?" From behind Lars' back Hiccup couldn't see which woman he was talking to, but no more words were exchanged between them. Lars walked past the platforms of injured men. After passing two lanes of those he finally turned and dropped Hiccup on an empty spot on the third row. Hiccup breathed out sharply at the sudden impact.
"Hey, watch what you are doing," the old man barked. "That is no way to treat a patient."
"He's only a prisoner. He just freed two dragons on our way here." Lars shut up when a wooden cane hit his head. The older man continued.
"The moment you walked through that door he became my patient and by Eir that is what he will be until my work is done. Now get out."
"As soon as he is tied down."
"I assure you he isn't going anywhere in that condition." As the old man spoke Lars gave him an angry stare. "Fine. Do as you wish." The younger of the women came to tower over Hiccup's head as they spoke. She was tall, a bit round, but clearly strong. She handed out a rope to Lars.
"Thank you honey," Lars said and they both leaned over Hiccup for a quick kiss.
"I should have known," the old man muttered. "Go outside if you want to do that stuff."
Lars grunted. He worked with Helga to tie Hiccup. They tied one end of the rope around Hiccup's remaining foot and brought the other end to tie Hiccup's arms behind his head, not the most comfortable position.
"Don't let him go." Lars pointed at Hiccup.
"I know what I am doing," the old man responded. "Now can I work, or did you have something else?"
Lars walked away holding hands with Helga, who didn't appear to have any urgent duties among the injured men. The old man stepped closer to Hiccup and leaned over to inspect his leg, or what was left of it at least. Hiccup yelped when he poked the bandages.
"I'll have to remove these to see how your wound is but," he paused and reached out to touch Hiccup's forehead with the back of his hand. "I doubt it is good."
"I figured that much," Hiccup said with a raspy voice. "What kind of people are you hunters?"
"People who don't like people that release our dragons," the man lying on Hiccup's right side said. "Getting them didn't come cheaply. Most people here are here because of the beasts. They did this." The man leaned to the side, moving his completely bandaged arm as much as he apparently could over his equally bandaged torso. Hiccup leaned his head towards the man.
"Did you attack them first?" Hiccup asked without even thinking.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Hiccup shrunk back as much as his bindings allowed when the man barked at him. The man could have beaten Hiccup easily even with one arm and seemed to loom over him even as they were laid down. Hiccup gulped.
"If you attacked them, you can't complain if they defend themselves," he kept talking. At this rate, he would be dead anyway. "If you're worried about dragons you should leave them alone."
"Lars was right. You really are a dragon lover." The man literally spat at Hiccup. The room filled with angry muttering and a bunch of offensive shouts.
"Hey, that's enough." The old man swung his cane over his head as a warning. "Now, I'm going to get some materials and clean this wound. Behave."
The injured hunter next to Hiccup stayed quiet as the old man left, but soon he started muttering about Hiccup being a 'traitor to his kind' under his breath. A younger hunter, barely an adult, laying to Hiccup's left side turned his bandaged head to look at Hiccup with his one uncovered eye. His voice was higher and softer, perhaps annoyed but not hostile.
"Why would you defend the beasts?"
"Why would you hunt them down? I've known many people who want to kill dragons. A whole…" Hiccup paused. He didn't want to give these people any hints at where he came from. "At least they were attacked by the dragons, even if no one cared why. You sail across the sea so you can attack them."
"Why? That is our work. There is a lot of demand for dragons, or their parts, and not many can catch enough of them. Not many dare," the young man answered.
"If someone wanted to buy Vikings would you start hunting people?" Hiccup asked.
"What the Loki are you talking about? Of course not. Are you seriously comparing those beasts to humans? They are just animals," the young man answered. Hiccup's hands squeezed into fists. He closed his eyes, feeling sick.
"The only animals here have ships," he said. "I'd rather be with dragons."
"Yea sure," the man on Hiccup's right said. Many around them sounded their agreement.
"If only you were speaking only from ignorance," Hiccup said. "I could show you, but I don't think you'd care."
"Show us what?" The young man asked.
"The truth. There are some dragons you should…" Hiccup paused again and opened his eyes to glance down at his amputated leg. "Actually, they would probably kill you in a really messy way."
"Of course," the man on the right said victoriously. "They would try."
"Because they are really protective."
No one answered to that. Hiccup could only hear a few huffs indicating confusion. The old man came back, letting his strict gaze pass through every one of his patients. The discussion was over and Hiccup was too busy biting his teeth together in pain to say anything further as the old man removed bandages from his stump of a leg and started cleaning it.
