Hello again lovely readers! This is a long one but we are starting to get into the action and I tend to get carried away.
So just a bit of a warning, this may be a bit graphic at the end. I tried not to go into a lot of detail but it may be border M so just be on the lookout.
Also, italicized quotes are an indication of the dragons speaking in their own language so none of the humans can understand them but Hiccup.
Other than that, the story is about to pick up action wise! YEAH!
Enjoy! XD
The three drove in silence as they headed home. Baymax had called his Aunt once the attack was over and was just as much of a shock to her as it was to Hiro. He could see that she was holding back tears and a bazillion questions she knew he didn't know the answer to and didn't want to stress him out even more.
He was more tired than stressed. Or maybe that added to the tiredness. He was able to grab a few winks as he waited at the Flynn-Fletcher household for her to arrive but it was an uneasy nap. He couldn't stop thinking about Tadashi and why he built Baymax. His mind was going in constant circles trying to wrap his mind around it.
"Who's that?" his Aunt asked, breaking the silence.
He looked up to see a minivan parked in front of their house. He became curious but also concerned. "Cass, no. What if it's the people that hurt Tadashi?"
Cass hesitated for a second but took a closer look, her tense shoulders relaxing. "It's okay, Hiro. It's Tadashi's friends from school." She pulled into the driveway, got out and the two approached the van.
He saw a tall, strongly built black man exit the driver's side, an thin Asian woman with short black hair exit the passenger seat, and from the back jumped out an extremely tall woman with glasses along with an energetic man in frumpy clothing. Hiro thought for a second that he was homeless and they had no idea he hitched a ride, but he called out to him as if he knew him.
"Hiro! My little man! You weren't horse-napped!" he exclaimed as he rushed up and picked him up in a tight hug.
"Um...thanks?"
"Ma'am," he turned to Aunt next as he bowed and shook her hand. "Sorry, for the impromptu check in."
"You're fine, Fred," she smiled. "Thanks for thinking about us."
"How are you doing?" the tall girl glided in next to Fred.
"Tired. It's late. You all should be headed home."
"Don't worry about us," the Asian woman stated. "We already checked in with our families and had a good once over with the doctors at our parents' insistence." She placed a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "Glad to see you still standing."
"No way!" Fred interrupted. "How could we forget to introduce ourselves to the little man? I'm Fred, the cool one!"
"Whatever. Keep dreaming."
"That's GoGo!" he leaned down and whispered. "She's the badass." Hiro giggled at him but quickly gathered himself when he saw his Aunt's arched eyebrow. Fred then proceeded to point to the black teen and then tall girl. "That's Wasabi, he has OCD, and the tall one is Honey Lemon. She's bonkers smart."
"Interesting names," he said as he waved to them.
"They're nicknames," Honey explained. "They were given to us by Tadashi."
Everyone went silent once again and Hiro could feel the atmosphere getting thicker and heavier as each second passed. He now wished he was older so he could have hung out with his brother's friends. They seemed like they were fun and like people he wouldn't mind spending time with. He still loved Phineas, Ferb, Dipper, and Mabel, but these were Tadashi's friends and he felt like they were all that was left of him.
"Whoa!" Wasabi broke the silence. "Is that Baymax?" Everyone turned to look at the large white, inflatable robot.
"He's active?" GoGo inquired.
"Yeah. One of the mares pinned me down pretty hard and I activated. He helped me and my other friends get to safety."
Honey began to circle the robot as she lowered her glasses to inspect him. "Tadashi said that he hadn't completed it the last time I talked to him. Maybe it was just some last minute programming."
"This guy looks amazing!" Fred ran over and gave him a big hug. "He's like a slightly roasted marshmallow!"
"Hello. I am Baymax. How may I be of service?"
"We're good for now," GoGo said as she gave him a thumbs up.
The robot looked at her hand and then at his, adjusting the gesture to match hers. "That is good to hear."
"Cute," Wasabi smiled. "He really put great care into this one. But we should be heading
back. I have to get up early tomorrow for my shift."
"Thank you for checking up on us," Cass smiled as she waved them goodbye and went into the house.
"Yeah," Hiro nodded as they began to pile back into the van. "Tadashi would have really appreciated it."
Fred stayed behind and knelt down by Hiro, his face suddenly getting serious. "Here is my number if you need anything. Tadashi called me personally a few weeks ago asking me to look after you and your Aunt if anything weird happened to him or in the world. I think his death followed by those horses fits the bill. I will check in with you at least once a week via text. You do have a phone right?" Hiro nodded. "Oh good. I had one ready to give in secret from your Aunt if you didn't have one."
Hiro rolled his eyes and shook his head at the older boy. "Yeah, right."
"No, totally!" He pulled a brand new phone out of his pocket and showed it to him. "I'll keep it handy in case you ever need a new one." He put it away and piled into the van with the others then rolled down the window and stuck his torso out as Wasabi pulled away. "See you around little dude!"
Hiro shook his head in disbelief at his brother's friends. They were definitely something and not the people he had envisioned to hang around Tadashi. Still, he shouldn't have been surprised considering his own friends. He turned to Baymax and motioned him to follow as he entered the house.
It still felt so foreign to him to not have Tadashi's presence there anymore. He sighed quietly, feeling Baymax suddenly place his hand on his shoulder. "I am here if you want to talk."
Toothless curled up contently around Hiccup, happy to see that the few bruises he had gotten the other day were starting to fade. He was also happy to see all of his friend's friends with him as well. Rapunzel had healed enough for her to heal Astrid and the others to perfect health and had joined them in the tree closest to the school.
He closed his eyes and lost himself in thought. He had quickly gotten used to the ensemble of kids surrounding him after so many years of it just being him and Hiccup. The dragon wasn't jealous but overjoyed to see his friend finally feel like he could make friends again.
The dragon growled deep in his throat. He thought it was quiet enough where Hiccup wouldn't hear but he felt his hand on his scaled head as he began to pet him. He grinned slightly at the touch but then remembered why he had growled.
Stoick.
Hiccup's father was alive and looked right through him. Toothless was so happy to see him at first but then became anxious as the two conversed and there was no spark of recognition between the two. Perhaps he suffered from the same affliction as Hiccup. It would be the only explanation because Astrid and Snotlout recognized him and seemed to be just as shocked.
Toothless' eyes shot open at the sound of a yelp and saw that Astrid had flipped Snotlout over her head and onto the floor, her foot on his back and she bent his arm backwards. The wild redhead that she hung out with gave an approving nod and a thumbs up. He recognized Astrid's scowl and assumed that Snotlout had made one of his not-so-pleasant remarks. The dragon laid his head back down on his paws and continued his trip down memory lane.
The blonde had always been there for his friend. He liked her and he knew Hiccup liked her too. He was confused and sad when she stayed away for so long, an angry and fearful aura emanating from her like pheromones but when she approached them the other day and sat with them for almost an hour, it was like nothing had changed.
The one called Snotlout, he was still unsure of. He had interacted with him a few times in the past but didn't have a good reading of him. Toothless knew he didn't really mean any real harm with his teasing punches but the dragon had scared the life out of him a few times to remind him to back off. Now he watched as the boy tried so hard to make amends but kept failing miserably over and over again. He could appreciate the effort.
Toothless opened an eye as his nose picked up the scent of a new person. It was a strawberry blonde girl about the same age as Rapunzel. He still wasn't sure of her since she was new but Hiccup had assured him that she was okay to be with them. He had explained her connection to not only the blonde but also to Jack so he allowed her to be close. The dragon looked at their happy faces, guilt gnawing at him. He looked at Hiccup who was smiling at the trio and nuzzled his head against his side.
"What's wrong bud?" Hiccup asked as he petted the top of his head.
"Nothing. Glad to see you're happy." Toothless lied. Hiccup smiled at him and gave him a big hug. He wanted Hiccup to be genuinely happy like those three. He wanted to see Hiccup's eyes light up when he saw his father again; he wanted him to mend the bond with Snotlout; he wanted Astrid to relax around them and not be afraid to walk on eggshells with every conversation.
He wanted them to be a family again.
Suddenly, Toothless' ears perked up at a familiar sound but he couldn't quite place it. He started to stand up at attention but he was quickly side-swiped by a large figure. He could hear the cries of shock and fear from the teens he was just with but he still tried to clear the disorientation in his head from being tackled.
"Toothless! I need your help!"
The black dragon's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the voice. His green eyes focused on the Stormcutter standing over him; he was breathing hard as if he had traveled a long distance as fast as he could, his yellow eyes screamed of fear, and his wings drooped to the floor. "Cloudjumper?" Toothless asked. He wriggled himself off of his back to stand in front of him. "I thought you were dead!"
"No. Valka and I went into hiding."
"She's alive too!" Toothless couldn't believe it. He looked at Hiccup who was running towards them, followed by the rest of the group. He was getting excited. Maybe one day they could get their family back together once again.
"Not for long." His words made Toothless' stomach knot in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. "She went into some hidden door in the middle of a Snow Wraith blizzard and didn't come out. She told me to tell you so that you can tell Hiccup and he can send the Guardians."
"The Guardians?"
"North, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny. She said that they can stop him."
"Stop who?" Toothless asked.
"Bud? What's going on?" Hiccup asked now that he finally approached the two dragons. "Who's your friend?" Toothless' eyes widened in fear, his pupils shrinking to slits as he took a few steps back from the Stormcutter and growled. "What did he do to you?"
Toothless heard the defense in his friend's voice and turned to look at him to give him reassurance that it wasn't the other dragon. "He needs help. He believes his rider has been taken by the Phantom Reapers and held prisoner in that location Stoick and Kristoff found."
"Really? That's terrible! I'll go tell them now."
The Night Fury watched as Hiccup ran towards the school to inform North. Once out of sight and hearing, he began to speak again. "You will have to lead the way. I cannot risk bringing Hiccup close to that place."
"I don't expect you to but do you really think he will sit on the sidelines? He takes after Valka and Stoick too much."
"Yeah," Toothless snorted in annoyance. "The entire family is stubborn."
"It makes them amazing survivors."
"How long have you and Valka known our location?"
"Since the moment you arrived. We have watched over you and Stoick. Valka hurts to be with them again."
Toothless dropped his eyes in sadness. "I wish I could say the same for Hiccup."
"I know he doesn't remember, nor does Stoick. Something went wrong that night but she is using it to her advantage."
"Went wrong? What went wrong?" Hiccup huffed as he ran back towards them with North and Elinor in tow.
The dragons looked at each other and then back at the group in front of them. Cloudjumper bent down to get as even with Hiccup as possible and spoke to him directly. "My rider, my friend, had been tracking these people for a long time trying to find and free the dragons they had imprisoned. She went in alone and never came back. I knew Toothless could speak to you so I came to get help."
Toothless watch Hiccup's eyes widen with amazement at the dragon before him. "So they are using dragons as workers. We speculated when we saw the picture of the Monstrous Nightmares. I can't believe they have all the dragons enslaved like that." Hiccup passed the information along to the others. He was given a map with a location circled on it and showed it the larger dragon. "Is this where you were?"
The Stormcutter nodded at it. "I can lead them there but we must hurry. I don't know the condition of my rider."
Hiccup passed the information along once again. The two dragons watched as the group began to make travel plans. Toothless heard what he was afraid to hear but knew he would hear it, Hiccup saying that they would help lead the way. "No. I will not put you in danger. They all will be there and I will not-"
"I won't be alone facing off against all four," Hiccup comforted. "We're all going. Besides, with there being other dragons, they're going to need someone to speak to them."
Toothless looked back at Cloudjumper for some sort of support but he just shrugged and stepped back. He looked at Hiccup and then at the group behind him still talking about strategy, then back at Hiccup. He could see the need in his eyes, the need to help and not just be locked away while others helped. He couldn't blame him. The last time he sat on the sidelines while others fought was- NO! He wasn't going to think about it.
But Toothless couldn't knowingly take him near that vile human. He just couldn't. But he also knew that Hiccup wasn't useless with or without his friends. He was stubbornly loyal to them and would give his own life for them and that was a problem that would get him killed in the lion den they would be entering. If Toothless forced him to stay, he would only find a way later to be there without the dragon's knowledge and that would definitely get him killed.
With a grumble of defeat, Toothless walked over to his friend and rubbed his head across his torso. "Very well. We'll go but you do not leave my sight."
Hiccup hugged him back and whispered, "I never do, bud."
North beckoned for the others to follow him back into the school to prepare for travel. Elinor told Snotlout to fetch the twins and Fishlegs, their skills she believed would be invaluable for what they were about to do. Toothless watched as Elinor then kissed Merida's forehead and wished her arrows fly straight and true. She had decided to stay behind with Gobber in case they failed and they either died or were captured. Someone had to defend the school and keep running it if that was the case. Everyone slowly began to make their way towards where North kept his sleigh.
Rapunzel approached the two dragons with a basket of fish for the Stormcutter, not even blinking at his size or flinching as he got nearer. "Hiccup said you needed to eat to get some of your strength back. I hope you like cod, that's all I could find in the kitchen." She placed it down and walked away giving him a big smile.
Toothless still didn't like the idea of going but he would stand by his friend and what he felt was right. He knew he couldn't stop him from saving his mother, even if he didn't know who she was, but something deep in his gut was telling him this was all a bad idea.
Cloudjumper walked next to him as they followed the group to the main hangar to prepare for travel. The larger dragon placed a wing gently on Toothless' back to stop him as he smiled down at him. "Don't worry. You will be able to protect him like you always have."
"And what if I can't? What if I fail this time? I almost failed last time. Drago almost-" Toothless growled and shook his head trying to shake the memory.
"You were young, he was young. You both have grown bigger and stronger since then. The bond you two share has grown stronger as well. It will be more than enough."
"Thank you," Toothless said as he gave him a gummy smile.
The Stormcutter chuckled. "It's nice to see that smile again. And to see Hiccup, too. It's been too long."
The two dragons stood off to the side as the group gathered together to load into the sleigh. Jack, Tooth, and Sandy could fly on their own so they didn't need to take up space but there still wasn't enough room for everyone. They talked of other ways they could make room and tried to see if someone would be able to stay behind.
"I'll fly with Hiccup and Toothless."
His ears perked up to hear his name being mentioned and saw Astrid starting to walk in his direction. He hadn't had anyone willingly on his back except Hiccup but he could make an exception for her and cooed in her direction to indicate to the others that he was alright with the arrangement. Secretly, he felt better knowing that there would be someone else close to Hiccup in case something were to happen to him.
Toothless lowered himself as close to the ground as possible to make it easier for her to get on, considering she had never flown before. He could feel the tremble of her body as she climbed on but she looked as confident as ever. When Hiccup approached them, she smiled confidently at him and patted the saddle to indicate she was ready to go. Toothless chuckled to himself when he felt Hiccup climb on, his body tense as well and he knew why.
"We are ready!" North announced.
Hiccup nodded and looked between himself, Cloudjumper, and North's sleigh. "Let's go, bud," he said as he patted Toothless' head. "Lead the way," he motioned to the Stormcutter. He then turned to look at Astrid and said, "Hold on tight. It's a bit of a scare your first time up."
Toothless crouched down and pumped his wings, launching them into the air. He heard Astrid yelp in surprise and he could feel her legs try to tighten around his body. He looked back to see she had wrapped her arms around Hiccup's torso and buried her face into his back. Once at gliding altitude, he felt her relax. He looked back again and saw that her arms were still around Hiccup but now she was gawking in awe at the world around her. At one point he saw her lift a hand above her head to let it skim the clouds.
"How close are we?" Hiccup asked an hour or so later.
"Not far," Cloudjumper answered. "You should be able to feel the change of temperature soon." As if on cue, the air got noticeably colder, forcing even Toothless to shudder at the sudden change. All around him were cries of surprise but they continued forward.
"Are you alright?" he heard Astrid asked.
Toothless had felt Hiccup tense and shift uncomfortably in the saddle. He knew the cause. He heard it too.
"Yeah, but the cries."
"What cries?" she asked. "I don't hear anything."
"I can hear so many dragons crying out in fear, pain, sadness, and heartbreak," he sadly said. "It's almost too much."
"I know," Toothless cooed. "But we'll free them."
Hiccup patted his side as he smiled. "That we will bud."
"Will what?"
"Free the dragons," Hiccup explained. "No more pain, torture, or imprisonment."
"That I can live with."
"We're here," Cloudjumper said.
Hiccup relayed the info to the others as they all looked down. They all saw a small area of land covered with a small hurricane of ice and snow but everything else around it was calm. It didn't move, didn't shift, nor did it seem to let up. Cloudjumper and Toothless led the group past the storm and to the far side behind a small bank.
Hiccup and Astrid jumped off his back and knelt down beside him as they looked cautiously over the snow bank, the others quickly following suit. The group stared at the phenomenon in amazement for several seconds before North spoke up.
"Alright. Listen up. Rapunzel, you and your hair will act like a string leading us back so we don't get lost. The dragon will lead the way to where this door is, if he can find it again, and once inside, we will split up. Myself and the other guardians will go after Pitch and the Phantom Reapers; Merida will take the twins and Fishlegs and search for the prisoners; Hiccup and Toothless will take the other dragon, Astrid and Snotlout to free the dragons."
"I won't be able to fit down the tunnel," Cloudjumper said. "I'll stay with Rapunzel for protection and can get her to safety if need be."
Hiccup passed on the information and North nodded in approval. "Very well. Jack you will sta-"
"Go with Merida," Jack sternly interjected. "I am going to find my sister, danger or not."
North sighed in frustration. Toothless understood that sigh all too well. "Very well. But don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger. Are you all ready?"
"Aye," Merida nodded. "Let's take these hackit bambots down!"
Rapunzel undid her hair, letting Hiccup grab the end and head towards the storm. "If I tug twice we're okay, if I tug three times, we're in trouble and bring us back," he said. After a nod of approval, he turned to Toothless. "Alright bud, let's go."
Cloudjumper started into the storm, him and Toothless using their wings as some protection, and then continued deeper. For a minute there, Toothless thought for sure they would never find the door but Snotlout shouted saying that he tripped over a ring. They had found it at last. Hiccup pulled on the hair twice and then let it go, turning towards the now opened door.
"I will see you both when you return," Cloudjumper bowed.
"You seem so certain. What if we don't?"
"I believe you will. If not with," Cloudjumper looked over at Hiccup and crouched down further to whisper to the black dragon. "If not with Valka, you will return with your lives and the rescued humans and dragons. I wish I could join you all."
"Keep Rapunzel safe," Toothless said as he touched his head with the older dragon's. He watched as Cloudjumper flew up into the storm and out of sight. He turned around and nuzzled himself between Astrid and Hiccup as they all looked into the dark tunnel.
"Do your thing, bud," Hiccup motioned.
Toothless let out a strange cry and listened silently for a few seconds. "It's at least half a mile before it exits into a cave. There are many people inside and there is only one tunnel that leads away, which then splits off into four different directions. I can't see beyond that."
Hiccup once again, passed on the information to the others. With a nod, North whispered, "Alright. Once we get to the split off, cover me and Toothless as we decide which tunnels to go down. With my mind reading, I should be able to find Pitch and the others and Toothless should be able to find the prisoners and the dragons."
"Let's go, mates," Bunny grinned as he brought out his boomerangs and headed into the dark tunnel.
Toby was forcefully pushed forward by one of the guards but he didn't say anything. He glanced to his left to see that Emma was still with him and hadn't been taken away by that deranged man. Dagur was terrifying even to him and he couldn't imagine what kind of fear he instilled in the little girl.
He turned to his right when he heard a yell and reacted in time to stop the thin, black girl from falling onto some small icicles protruding from the round. "Do you mind?" she raged at the guard. Toby smiled as she stuck her tongue out at them and continued walking forward.
"You good, Darci?" he asked.
"I'm fine. They're a bunch of impatient jerks!"
The redhead was ecstatic to find someone he knew among the other prisoners but also completely sickened. He knew Darci was tough and feisty, it was one of the reasons he really liked her, but he quickly saw that it could also get her killed quickly and he was afraid he'd have to watch her die. "That they are but they are jerks with weapons and no remorse for hurting or killing us so try and tone it down just a little."
"You're right," she sighed. "This is just so...so…"
"Wrong?" Emma finished.
"Yes! This whole situation is just so wrong!"
The three were shoved once again towards a large pile of ice that had collapsed and crushed several crates and tossed a thin pair of gloves each. "Clear this out quickly. Now," the guard directed as he stepped a few feet away to keep guard.
"Clear this out quickly," Darci quietly mimicked as she placed her hands on her hips and bobbed her head side to side.
Emma chuckled but proceeded to put on the gloves and reach for a piece of ice. She showed them what to do with it and where to place the recovered crate supplies. There was a tunnel that the ice was placed into and slid away to who knows where and for a second Toby thought it would be a great way to escape but the tunnel wouldn't even fit Emma. He groaned in disappointment and continued to clear away the ice and slide it down the tunnel.
After what felt like hours, he noticed that Emma and Darci had backed away from him and seemed scared. "What?" he asked.
Darci pointed and squeaked. "Black hole behind you!"
Toby turned around to see a large black whirlpool hovering right behind him. He backed away in surprise but smiled knowing what was about to exit the black and purple mass. "Claire!" he exclaimed softly as the dark haired girl peeked her head out.
"Tob-!" she started.
"Shhhh!" Toby interrupted. "Not so loud. The guard is right there."
Claire turned around to see him. "Sorry. And Darci! You're here too!"
"Claire-Bear," she stammered. "What? How?"
"I'll explain later," she said hurriedly. "Is there anyone else around? I can't keep the portal open for long and once you come back I won't have an anchor."
"We're the only ones in this room," Toby said. "Except for Emma here and I'm not leaving without her. Apparently these guys are using her for bait for her brother. They want to do some nasty things to him."
The black mass began to wane as Claire took a deep breath and grunted in effort. "Everyone, jump in, I'm losing control. I'm sorry I couldn't save more."
Toby turned to Darci and Emma and smiled confidently as he held out his hands. "It's alright, we're going to get you both to safety."
They grabbed his hands shakily and followed him into the black mass which closed behind them. In the icy room, all that was left was the guard who guarded nothing but ice blocks and splintered wood. It took him several minutes to realize he didn't hear movement and turned to see that the three kids had gone.
The man walked nervously into the large room and looked to see Drago's throne was empty, same as the room in general. He was relieved because what he was about to do could get him killed. He began to walk over to a small alcove where Drago kept his special artifacts he had collected over the years; one was apparently an object that allowed the owner to see whatever and whoever they wanted.
"What are you doing, Eret?"
His body tensed and shivered at Drago's voice but turned around and put on a front. "Drago! I was looking for you. The prisoners have been organized into groups and put in cycles between creating nightmares and clearing out the collapsed caverns."
"That is good news," Drago nodded as he approached Eret menacingly. "But that is not why you are here."
"I don't know what you mean, Drago," Eret chuckled nervously as he took an uneasy step back.
"You want to see your village," Drago bluntly stated. "Now that my plan is underway, you want me to fulfill my promise to you."
"Well, now that you mention it," Eret shrugged. "That would be nice."
Drago smirked as he walked past the young man towards the alcove. He slid the door open and brought out a laptop and placed it on the nearest table. He opened it and clicked on a file. "Here. Take a look."
Eret cautiously walked in front of the laptop to see what Drago had pulled up. His blood ran cold, his heart skipped a beat, his muscles froze, and his stomach knotted to the point of nausea. He couldn't move, his brain refusing to accept what he was seeing.
In front of him was footage of his small town being burned to the ground; the residents screaming and running in terror only to be caught by Drago's men and killed on sight or burned alive by dragon fire; children ripped from parents and thrown into pools and kept down until they drown; pets shot or eaten by dragons. Nothing was spared. He then saw his own parents and younger brother brought before Drago who took his spear and plunged it through their throats, both dying instantly, their bodies tossed to the floor to soak in their own blood.
Eret could feel as if every ounce of hope he had to see them again drain from him, every thought and dream to be with them again flitter and die like fire in rain. He felt numb and empty. "How-why? You said that they would be invaluable."
Drago scoffed and rolled his eyes. "When I discovered you weren't the power I was looking for, I punished them. I could get the same resources and at a high quantity somewhere else and they were no longer needed."
"They were innocent. They didn't know."
"Doesn't matter," Drago shrugged. "In a few years I would have gotten rid of them anyway. The way I was depleting them would have made them loose ends."
The emptiness Eret felt was quickly replaced with anger and he lashed out at Drago but the large man anticipated the attack and moved out of the way. Eret saw that he wore a grin on his face as he dodged his attacks and it angered him even more. In his rage, the young man knocked over a plaque with an emblem of a sword sticking into a Monstrous Nightmare's head, Drago's emblem, into some burning coals by Drago's throne. He could care less.
But suddenly, he felt his anger being pushed aside. It startled him, scared him even. He didn't understand what was happening. His head now felt empty but something started to fill it. Grab the plaque, it repeated. As if he had no control over his body anymore, he walked over to the firepit, reached in and grabbed the fallen plaque. The next sentence that filled his mind was, Press it over your heart. Let it burn into your skin.
Once again, without control, he complied and screamed as the hot metal burned through his clothes and melted his skin. Drop it, was the next command and he did so happily. Eret then felt his mind flood with his own thoughts and feelings again. The anger had returned but it was now accompanied with fear, pain, and confusion.
He saw one of Drago's boots step into his peripheral vision and he looked up at the large man. Drago reached down with his good hand and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up off of his feet. Eret tried to claw at the man's hand but to no avail.
"You are mine," Drago growled. "You have been branded by me and therefore, no one will ever take you in if you were to run. And if for some foolish reason you still decide to betray me, I will ensure to bring you back just long enough to kill Elsa in front of you before killing you myself. I know how protective you have become of her." He threw Eret across the room as he began to walk out. "Don't be the cause of someone else's death."
Eret watched Drago leave the room and released the tension in his body, his head lying on the ice floor and not caring that he was probably getting freezer burn on his temple. He curled in on himself and softly cried to himself. Within minutes, he had lost everything he cared about, been controlled by Drago to brand himself, and then Elsa's life was threatened. The pain, mental, emotional, and physical, was too much. It was too much for him to handle all at once.
Here we go! Stay tuned for action!