Ahoy there!
So, got another story done, yay! "Darkness & Light" was pretty heavy in my opinion, so I thought, let's try something a little lighter. A good old classic fanfic, why not?
"Blind Man's Buff"! Enjoy chapter one!
"Alright, Dragon Riders!" called Hiccup over his shoulder, making sure he had all of his teammates' attention. "We're only coming here to investigate the island, so no messing around." He gave Snotlout and the twins a long look so they knew this concerned them most.
"Oh! Then why did you drag us out of bed for?" asked Snotlout, leaning forward on his Monstrous Nightmare's twisted horns, grumpy as usual.
"Why, 'cause I need your eyes, Snotlout," said Hiccup, turning back around with a smile painted on his face.
"My eyes," mumbled Snotlout, his words barely audible to the other Riders.
Astrid flew closer to Hiccup, steadying her dragon as they approached an island on the horizon. "Hiccup, you know I'd rather plant Dragon Root under my fingernails than agree with Snotlout," she said and Hiccup rolled his eyes amusingly.
"Heather and Dagur sent us a Terror Mail saying they found a Dragon Eye lens," repeated Hiccup for probably the tenth time by now. Everybody groaned but for Astrid and Fishlegs who'd been the most eager to go on the mission.
"Sure, sure," said Snotlout. "But why didn't they just ask us to meet them back on Berserker Island? It's way closer to Dragon's Edge. Why drag us all the way out here to Sleipnir Island?"
"Well, Heather mentioned that the location they found it was pretty strange and that we should probably come check it out," said Hiccup, hoping he'd answered his question.
"Okay, but did she mention what was weird about it?" continued Snotlout, narrowing his eyes at his leader.
"Well, no..." said Hiccup, knowing his answer wasn't too reassuring. "But we still have to check it out. Krogan and his men are this close to finding the last few lenses. We need to make sure we find them before they do."
"Okay, but I still don't get what location has to do with any of this," carrying on with his argument.
"Location is everything, Snotlout," said Hiccup, turning around again to face him. "It could lead to more answers and even help us find the remaining lenses."
Snotlout laughed like he remembered an old joke, wiping a tear out of his eyes before locking his gaze with Hiccup's, the light mood slipping off like a mask. "It's a trap," he said, more seriously than ever. "You know that, right?" He hoped Hiccup could see that or he'd be having some serious doubts about his leader's vision.
"Hey, Hiccup!" called Tuffnut from the back of their V formation, waving a hand to get his attention.
Hiccup rolled his eyes and turned around. "Yes, Tuffnut?"
"Wasn't Sleipnir Island the island that our old fellow Ryker chose as a rendezvous point when you had that bounty on your head?" said Tuffnut, cocking an eyebrow. "I mean, just an observation but still."
"Yes, Tuff, thanks for reminding me," said Hiccup, a slight hint of irritation to his tone.
"No worries, H!" said Tuffnut, crossing his arms and smiling proudly. "I'm always there to remind you of the important things."
"Hey," said Snotlout, luring Hiccup's attention back on him. "You said you needed my eyes. That's my deduction. Listen to me!"
"Too late, Snotlout," said Hiccup, smiling. The island stretched wider and soon enough, they were soaring above an ocean of green.
They circled the island a couple of times, making sure there were no Dragon Hunter ships sailing in nearby waters or any wild dragons to attack them once they'd be on the ground that Heather and Dagur might have missed. The last thing they wanted, was for all of them to be sitting ducks.
"See?" said Hiccup, turning to Snotlout who still looked displeased. "You were worrying for no reason."
"When this goes south, and it definitely will," said Snotlout, pointing a finger his way. "You'll regret not having listened to me."
"No need to be skeptical all the time, Snotlout," said Hiccup, getting tired of his ongoing warnings. He returned his attention on the island below and lit up when he spotted the rendezvous point Heather and Dagur had set. He gestured down. "Look. There it is."
They landed in a clearing in front of the yawning mouth of a cavern bordered with trees. They dismounted, waiting for the dust to settle back down to have a look around.
"It's so dry out here," said Astrid, waving a hand in front of her face to chase away the dust still hovering in the air.
"No kidding," said Fishlegs, feeling Meatlug's scales. "It hasn't rained in weeks and we haven't gotten much cloud cover either." He looked at the pale blue sky, putting his hand up to block the glaring sun. Even the blue background seemed to have been drained of its rich color.
Astrid walked over to Hiccup, looking around suspiciously. "Shouldn't they be here?" she asked, meeting his eyes.
Hiccup pulled out the Terror Mail Heather and Dagur had sent them, reading it quickly once again. "Well, they told us to meet them at the entrance of the Northern Cave." He looked up and approached the cave, eyeing its rock jaws as if they might close on them like a dragon trap. "I mean, this is it, right?"
"Hiccup," said Fishlegs, approaching the duo. He too was eyeing his surroundings nervously. "Something doesn't feel right." And it didn't. The place was way too quiet. No dragons, no basic wildlife. There wasn't even the flapping of wings of a Terrible Terror. It was dead quiet.
"No joke," said Tuffnut, showing his forearm. "I'm getting goosebumps. And it's like a hundred degrees out here."
"Same," said Ruffnut, lifting her arm up too.
"Uhh…" was all Hiccup could say as he stared down at the letter and back up at the dark inside of the cave. He could feel it too. Something was definitely wrong.
A long flight from the Edge… Meeting by Terror Mail? How could he have been so stupid? He backed off a little bit, feeling the uncertainty settle in his stomach. His obsession to find the Dragon Eye lenses before Johann did was clouding his judgment and he was putting all of his friends in danger's way because of it. Snotlout was right. This was definitely a trap.
"Hiccup..?" said Astrid and Hiccup knew just by her tone that they'd already been caught. He turned around, balling his hands into fists.
Two Dragon Flyers on their Singetails emerged from the bushes. The dragons snarled threateningly. They shook their heads as they approached, rattling the chains against their sharp teeth. Hiccup wasn't too comfortable with the Singetails' extremely aggressive behavior.
The Riders tried to make an escape to the sides but soon found themselves flanked by Dragon Hunters. They aimed their crossbows up at them warningly, daring them to try anything and Hiccup quickly understood they were trapped. He looked back at the cave, knowing it'd be useless to run inside. They'd only seal themselves in and the situation would only grow more complex. They might be able to last a while against the Flyers and the Hunters, but not for very long. They'd have to face the enemy.
As if right on time to make his big entrance, the mighty Titan Singetail dropped to the ground with a loud thud, rising a cloud that slowly settled back down to reveal Krogan. Hiccup glared hatefully at the man riding the dragon, feeling the tension grow even stronger.
"What have I been saying?" muttered Snotlout through gritted teeth.
"Shut up, Snotlout," snapped Astrid.
"Hey! That's my line," he complained, pointing a threatening finger at Astrid who replied with a glare, warning him to back down or she wouldn't hesitate to break his hand.
They all returned their attention on Krogan, his dragon growling dangerously at them.
"Greetings, Hiccup Haddock," said Krogan in the most mannerly fashion Hiccup every thought possible of this man. Hiccup walked at the front of the group, locking eyes with him. He'd dropped the letter now that it'd been proven to have been nothing but a fraud. Krogan smiled wickedly, clearly pleased. "It's nice to see you again."
"Can't say I feel the same," said Hiccup, taking hold of Inferno strapped to his thigh.
"I'm a little disappointed, to be honest with you," continued Krogan, ignoring the Riders' glares. Every second that passed was a second Hiccup felt like blasting the smug look off his face. "Viggo told me you'd never fall for a false Terror Mail but the outcome seems to prove contrary. I mean, don't get me wrong, winning does feel great. But it's also boring when it's this easy."
"I wouldn't let my guard down too soon if I were you, Krogan," said Hiccup, never breaking eye contact with the leader of the Dragon Flyers. Toothless joined his rider's side, growling up at the man as if to dare him to try anything. All of the other dragons did the same, flapping their wings to appear bigger before their foe.
"Oh, calm down," said Krogan, waving a hand at their pathetic scene. "I didn't come here for a fight."
"Oh really?" That was Astrid. Hiccup could sense the frustration in her voice. He couldn't say he didn't feel the same.
Being fooled by Viggo? That was acceptable, in a strange way. The Hunter was clever and he had outsmarted them multiple times in the past. It would've been no surprise. There was still honor in their defeat. But Krogan? How could he have fallen for that? He must've been blind to the signs because never would he have missed that. He was so obsessed with finding the lenses... he couldn't see what was in plain sight.
Astrid continued. "Then what are you here for? It's not like you know how to do any better."
"Maybe open with a compliment next time?" commented Tuffnut, feeling safe under his half of a dragon's chin. "I speak from experience."
Krogan chuckled. "Well I'm glad you asked," he said, gesturing at them with a wide move of his arm. Then his cheerful mood rapidly turned to a threatening glare focused directly on the leader of the Dragon Riders. "Hiccup Haddock. Surrender to me now and perhaps I'll let your friends live."
Tuffnut burst out laughing. "Good one!" he shouted, slapping his thigh. Everyone turned around, shooting an are-you-being-serious-right-now? look in his direction.
"You really expect us to surrender without putting up a fight?" said Astrid, reaching for her double-headed battleax and swinging it with bad intentions.
"No one is surrendering," said Hiccup, lighting up his sword. If this was all just a game to Krogan then he wasn't playing. He'd had enough with Viggo and Maces and Talons. He wasn't falling for Krogan's games.
Krogan looked displeased, giving him his classic poker-face.
"Oh well," he simply said, tugging on the heavy chains. "It's not like expected and easy bargain anyway. This is going to be way more fun." A grin stretched on his face as the Titan reared. Hiccup saw the bright light building down the dragon's throat and immediately drew back.
"Take cover!" he yelled, twisting around with Toothless hot on his heels.
The powerful blast hit the ground, throwing them all off their feet. But the Dragon Riders didn't waste another second after that. They mounted their dragons and shot for the sky where the battle would be fought even. Arrows flew by, thankfully missing them all by a lot.
Hiccup shook his head, coughing from the dust and the smoke. Toothless looked down at him to make sure he was alright after shielding him from the fire with his wings.
"I'm okay, bud," he said, patting the Night Fury on the head. Hiccup looked past his dragon to see that the Titan had climbed to the sky as well, firing at the Riders as they circled around it. He glared and groaned, still disbelieving this was happening. "These guys won't stand a chance alone up there. Come on, bud, let's even the odds."
He mounted up and with one strong wingbeat, they joined the battle.
I actually just realized that I've been writing Inferno as the model from HTTYD 2 when it should actually still be with a non-retractable blade. Whoops. Meh *shrugs* it's just cooler.
For some reason, I notice I miss a lot of stupid mistakes when correcting. I got to go over 2-3 times 'cause I miss stuff. So if there's anything, I apologize.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed chapter one! Stay safe out there, I hear the COVID-19 is only getting worse.
- Rain