Chapter 10: Eret's Turn Sides
Back at Drago's camp, Drago's massive flagship leads the flotilla, pulled along forcefully by whatever's at the other end of the enormous chain.
Drago whacks the chain with his bullhook, spurring it forward.
On Drago's ship, Eret, Astrid, Raeda, and the Gang are escorted to the stern, surrounded by several of Drago's soldiers. Wrists bound. Spear tips pressed into their backs.
"Could this day get any worse?" Snotlout sarcastically said to their situations.
"Uh, let me see. You'll jump into freezing cold water and then die from drowning." Tuffnut pointed out the obvious of their time as Raeda rolled her eyes.
"You guys are so annoying in these times we've been captured." Raeda said in annoyance as as she looked up above her heads as she looked at her Deadly Nadder who is waiting for her single. Raeda nodded her head no in waiting for the right moment, Sparkfire agreed in waiting for the right time to pounce.
They reach the gang plank. Eret peers overboard at the deep, icy water below. "Looks refreshing." he said casualty. He turns to Astrid, meeting her glare with mock chivalry. "Please, ladies first." he said to the soldiers.
A pair of soldiers grab Astrid by the arms. "You are a steaming heap of dragon -" she was cut off when Eret spoke.
"-duck." Eret finished as he whirls around, ROUND-HOUSING both soldiers. They go down, heavily. He catches one of their spears with his bound hands and slices his ropes free. They fall away as he catches the other spear, twirling both in invitation.
"Warn the others!" a soldier called out as he runs to send up the alarm... while the last two raise blow dart tubes.
Eret swipes the first off of his legs, sending the dart into the neck of the second.
"Get `em, you son of an Eret!" Ruffnut cheered in now having interesting in her again.
As the downed soldiers scramble to their feet, Fishlegs falls over, crushing them under his weight.
Eret catches the falling tube from the second soldier and blows the dart at the fleeing third. The soldier drops, unconscious - just shy of the Captain's Quarters.
"Okay, I love you again." Ruffnut stated as she kips past Snotlout on her way to Eret. Snotlout watches, crestfallen.
"Ugh. Pathetic. You can still jump." Tuffnut stated in not amusing.
A group of soldiers saw this and charge at them, Raeda sees them then howls, the soldiers stop in confusing, but then Sparkfire jumps down from her hiding spot and attack the soldiers with her tail, she whips around with her claws and wings, taking them down and pining them to the wall or ground with her spine shots. Once they were all down, Sparkfire came towards her rider and uses her claws to break the riders bindings.
"Thanks, Sparkfire. Good girl." Raeda thanks her dragon as she petted her snout as Sparkfire purrs from the touch and knowing that her rider and friends are now safe.
Eret avoids Ruffnut who was holding down by her brother and turns to Astrid. "So? Are we going to save the rest of your dragons and get out of here or not? Eret said politely as he now know that humans and dragons can coexist with one another after what Stormfly did. Astrid narrows her eyes, not knowing what to make of him.
But didn't last long with Sparkfire came to Eret's side. Eret turns to the Deadly Nadder as Sparkfire nudge his shoulder, as in forgiving him of the trap and for rescuing her friends. Eret responds by petting the dragon's snout as it purrs. The other watches in shock and relief, if Sparkfire forgives him, they should too.
"Check every trap. They're here somewhere." Eret told them as they went to do just that.
Before Raeda could go with them, she stop and mounted on Sparkfire as the group turns to her. "You guys get your dragons, I'll keep watch and wait for your signal when it's time." she told them as they nodded in agreement. Raeda and Sparkfire took through the air and hide from Drago's army when it's time.
Moments later on Drago's ship, the riders search through the ship for their dragons as they split up to check the traps. Astrid slips under a tarp and cranks open a metal trap. She peers between its massive iron teeth, discovering Meatlug within, bound and chained to its base as bait.
"Meatlug?" Astrid said as it got Meatlug attention as the dragon is relieve that she is safe, and if Astrid is safe, that means Fishlegs and the others are too as she snort in happiness.
In the other trap, Eret is carefully cranking another trap, wincing at the sound. The iron jaws of the trap open wider with every click while he is very careful on not drawing any attention to Drago's soldiers.
"Anyone coming?" Eret asked Ruffnut who is 'standing guard', fixated on Eret's rippling biceps.
"I don't know. You just keep doing what you're doing. Keep cranking'..." Ruffnut said dreamly as she watches Eret's biceps.
Eret squeezes between the cocked teeth, finding Stormfly within, muzzled and chained. She looks up at Eret, calming immediately. He pauses, then approaches slowly.
Eret carefully reaches out and strokes Stormfly's muzzle. "Thank you for saving my life." he said as Stormfly purrs from his touch as she closed her eyes. Eret then gives a determined look. "Now let me return the favor." he said to her as he is ready to make things right and help the riders stop Drago.