A/N: Sorry, didn't manage to get that double upload out last week, I'll definitely put a double upload out this week! Thanks to all those who reviewed, your reviews really keep me going.
Enjoy some action at last!
Chapter 7: Under The Sea
Jerrick Brandt was hungry.
He hadn't eaten all day. Having not known when the rehearsal would start, Jerrick had stayed near the arena the whole day. The grandstand surrounding the arena loomed tall and large over Jerrick, as it had been doing for basically the entire day. The setting sun cast a long shadow over the vegetation behind the grandstand. Jerrick didn't want to enter the grandstand before the rehearsal began, and so he had stayed near the trees for the entire day. They were the best of friends by now. Tree 1, Tree 2, and Tree 3. Jerrick could draw them by heart.
The sounds of dragons flying around the arena broke Jerrick out of his reverie. Finally, the rehearsal was about to begin. A whole day of waiting had finally ended in success. Waiting sucked, Jerrick decided firmly.
The sun began to dip under the horizon, casting an orange glow on everything in the village. Torches were being lit all around, making sure the Berkians were still able to see where they were going in the night. Jerrick found it tough to believe that Hiccup and Stoick could care so much for their own people, yet kill others in cold blood. But that's how terrorists work anyway. Jerrick didn't need to remind himself that Hiccup was a terrorist.
Jerrick moved towards the entrance of the grandstand as the sun went down further. The gate was locked. Jerrick cursed. He should have checked earlier. He had had a whole day to check, and instead he had spent it getting to know the trees better. What a waste of time. Knowing that Tree 3 was a bit of a problem child wouldn't help him figure out Hiccup's plan.
Jerrick hurried around the arena towards the main entrance. The path was slightly downslope, but nothing he couldn't handle. Cautiously, he glanced around the corner and took a peek at what the dragon riders were doing.
He didn't expect to see what he saw.
For one, there were way more dragon riders than normal. The total number in the arena was around fifteen. There were six extra dragons too. There were many other riders as well, some old, some young, some bald, and one even had a bucket on his head. Jerrick spotted Gobber among the group. The others that he didn't recognise were hovering in the air, carrying two large nets between them. The main dragon riders were on the ground, setting up the arena. They were carrying target boards to the centre of the arena and lining them up in one straight line. Why they weren't using their dragons to help them baffled Jerrick. Maybe they wanted to work out a little. Flying on a dragon all day probably had some bad side effects.
Jerrick continued to watch as the riders finished setting up the arena. The arena was split down the middle by the target boards. Hiccup handed something out to the main riders. Jerrick strained his eyes, but couldn't see what it was. They took it and placed it in their pockets. The whole group descended down onto the arena floor and began to head towards the edge of the arena. Jerrick shifted himself to the other side of the entrance to take a better look. They gathered around a clipboard and Hiccup began to talk while pointing at the clipboard. He was probably explaining the plan to the group. Jerrick wished that he could listen to what Hiccup was saying. All he had were random bits of information that didn't quite make sense yet. It was like trying to solve a puzzle without an idea of how the end would look like. Maybe in the future there would be an invention that would allow one to hear further than before. For now, all he could do was wait for the rehearsal to begin.
The sun had fully set within the time they were preparing, and the village was in darkness, lit only by the torches that stood on the lampposts. Briefly Jerrick wondered if torches were edible. The village looked exactly like the first time he saw it, except that there was light in the arena this time. The stone guardians didn't look any more welcoming from the back than they did from the front. They still stood eerily in the sea, deterring any would-be visitors from entering Berk's waters.
A sound from the arena caused Jerrick to turn back to the entrance. The group had dispersed, and they all mounted their dragons. The main riders stayed on the ground, while the extra riders took to the sky. Gobber was among the extras. Weirdly, a young kid, probably around the same age as himself, seemed to be leading the extra riders. The brown-haired teen pointed and shouted commands that faded into the wind too quickly for Jerrick to hear. Upon command, the extra riders picked up the large nets and took to the sky. Two dragons held one net by the front two corners, and they carried a total of two nets. The two extra riders that didn't carry any nets were Gobber and the young leader. He nodded to Hiccup, and Hiccup nodded back. The main riders were split into two groups. Hiccup was with Astrid and Fishlegs, while Snotlout was with the twins. The two groups went to both sides of the arena. Hiccup raised his hand, and when he dropped it, the rehearsal began.
Hiccup and Snotlout pulled out a small ball from their pockets. Together, they threw it on the ground in front of them and stayed where they were. A few seconds later, Astrid went past Hiccup while the twins flew past Snotlout. Astrid tossed a similar ball on the ground, whereas for the twins, one of the heads of the Zippleback opened its mouth, but nothing came out. Hiccup picked up the ball he threw while Fishlegs flew past him on a Gronckle. Its name was Meathead or Meatball or something along those lines, Jerrick couldn't remember. He did remember that it had a name just as atrocious as all the other Vikings on this island. Fishlegs did the same thing. He produced a small ball and tossed it in front of him. On the other side, Snotlout too picked up the ball, flew past the twins and tossed it in front of himself, just like what he did earlier. They seemed to be moving forward in a relay format. When one party moved forward and tossed the ball, the other would wait a while before doing likewise. After that, they would pick up their own ball and continue the pattern. The only exception was Ruff and Tuff on their Zippleback. Instead of throwing out a ball, their Zippleback would open one of its mouths. Jerrick couldn't comprehend why.
A twig suddenly cracked.
Jerrick whirled.
Reflexes kicking in, he ducked just in time to avoid being hit by the hilt of a sword. Using his crouched position, he quickly sprang up and launched his fist at his assailant. The man had equally fast reflexes though. He leaned backwards immediately and dodged Jerrick's attack. But he leaned back a little too far. Jerrick used this to his advantage. He sprang forward and threw more punches at the man, each punch coming immediately after the next. The best form of defense is offense, he recalled from his training in the academy. It proved to be true. The man eventually stumbled backwards and fell on the ground with a loud thump. That had to be audible from inside the arena. Without hesitation, Jerrick lashed out at the man's wrist. He yelped and the sword fell from his grip. Jerrick grabbed the sword and took off. Getting caught was not one of his goals. As he ran, he heard the man shouting "Hiccup!" His voice was quite high pitched, maybe it was a woman. He faintly heard Hiccup shouting back at him. His name, no, it's her name, was Phlegma. The names just got better and better.
Where should he run to? The village was probably not the best place to run to. He could be easily spotted by someone riding on a dragon. Cover from the top was necessary. He turned to his right and ran into the jungle. The foliage brushed against his pants as he ran. There was probably an obvious track being created through the forest as he ran. Hopefully the darkness of the night would be enough to conceal it. Wing beats could be faintly heard in the distance. Jerrick ran faster. He turned left to avoid the thick shrubbery up ahead. Was it even possible to outrun a dragon? Probably not. He had to do something other than run. The sound of large wings pulling back the wind was even louder now. He had to do something now. A few thick bushes lay on the ground in front of him. Just a few more steps and he would be able to reach it.
But the flapping of wings sounded too close for that. Jerrick ducked behind the nearest tree. He kept his panting to a minimum and tried to remain as silent as possible. His heartbeat drummed in his ears. His nerves jangled. Would it be enough?
A Monstrous Nightmare flew past him.
Apparently it was enough. He stayed behind the tree. From what he saw in the arena, he knew that they worked in teams. There were probably a few more riders coming this way. He was right. A Nadder flew past him, followed by a Gronckle.
Jerrick waited for a few more precious seconds, and then he took a deep breath and began to run back the way he came. Stick to the shadows. Where there was moonlight, there was a gap in the canopy, and any airborne riders above the forest might be able to see him through the gaps. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure to his right. Whether it was coming towards him or simply flying past him he did not know, but he didn't care. He banked left. He hadn't run this way yet. Thankfully, there wasn't much foliage this way. Jerrick was panting hard now. Sweat dropped down his chin despite the cold weather. His heart pounded his rib cage mercilessly. He was beginning to lose feeling in his legs, but he kept driving them forward, one leg after another. He had to focus on where to run and drive his legs too.
The same figure that he caught out of the corner of his eye drifted back into view on his right. It had a silhouette of a Gronckle, but in the dark Jerrick couldn't be sure. The sound of flapping wings closing in behind him interrupted him. Jerrick darted left again. The foliage was even clearer here. In fact, it seemed to be thinning. The trees were clearing up as well. The path went downhill a little, thankfully. He sprinted down the hill, and his eyes widened.
The edge of a cliff.
Dead ahead.
Jerrick leaned back. He pedalled his legs backwards desperately. His heart leapt into his throat. He grabbed on to the grass with his hands and yanked it frantically, tearing patches from the soil. He was sliding down the hill now. He dug his heels into the soil. His thighs were burning. There was no way he was going to make it. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst…
And came to a screeching halt right by the edge of the cliff. A few loose pebbles toppled off the edge of the cliff and plummeted to the choppy waters below. The sword he was carrying glinted in the moonlight as it tumbled to the sea below. The edge of his boot hung over the edge of the cliff. He was that close to joining the pebbles in the sea. He backed off and collapsed onto the grass. A few precious seconds passed as Jerrick took a few deep breaths. His heart continued to beat faster than a dragon in distress.
Suddenly, the faint sound of flying dragons could be heard again. Jerrick swallowed. The sounds came from the forest. There were no trees anywhere near him. He was on a small grassy plain that could double up as a slide into the sea. He wouldn't have time to run to the forest by the side as well. With his legs wobbling like jelly he wouldn't make it there in time. He was like a sitting duck, completely open with nowhere to hide. Capture awaited him, coming closer and closer to him as the wingbeats became louder and louder. Jerrick gulped. No choice he made would save him from capture and possibly torture under the hands of Hiccup.
Except for one.
Jerrick glanced over the edge. The moonlight illuminated the cliff face and the sea directly below. It wasn't that high, around the height of six or seven fully grown Vikings. But it was still high enough to cause some injury. Or death. The sea directly below was frothy, which meant that there were rocks directly under him. Falling on rocks was a guaranteed death.
But, if he ran and jumped, he could reach the deeper waters. It wasn't that far. Jerrick took one last glance at the forest. The sound of wing beats was even louder now. There was no other choice.
Jerrick backed up a few steps, and hyperventilated for a second. He mentally prepared himself…
And sprinted. Jump too early, risk crashing on the rocks. Jump too late, risk slipping off the edge too. The edge was right ahead. Ten steps, eight, six, four, two…
Jerrick jumped into oblivion.
He dove headfirst into the water and held both his arms in a V-shape in front of him. All he could hear was his heart hammering away. Jerrick desperately wanted to close his eyes, but he held them open. At the last moment, he remembered to hold his breath. Jerrick braced himself.
Then the impact struck. Cold water slapped his hands and his face, and all the air rushed out of his lungs as the sea punched him in the ribs. Saltwater stabbed his eyes. He was blinded. He groped at the water, pulling himself to the surface. Where was up? Air. He needed air. His lungs were screaming. Jerrick swung his arms frantically in the water and kicked his legs. His body forced him to take a breath. Wrong move. His lungs burned as cold water rushed in. Jerrick coughed. Black spots danced around his vision. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Memories flashed across his vision. He flailed his burning arms and legs, hoping for a miracle. He coughed again, and he feebly pulled upwards one more time, before the black claimed him. His arms and legs went limp, and he succumbed to the peaceful embrace of unconsciousness.
High above him, a blue creature that had been following him through the forest dived into the water. Barely a splash was heard as the creature entered the water, despite its large size. His eyes darted back and forth and his head snapped around the water wildly. Finally, he stopped looking around, and his gaze locked onto his target. He paddled his four stumpy legs and swung his tail as he swam towards the unconscious boy, and grabbed him in his mouth, being very careful not to bite down too hard. He continued swimming through the cold water. Eventually, when his lungs threatened to give way, he surfaced and began to fly just above the water surface. He looked behind him and saw many other dragons and Vikings searching for something at the cliff edge. He kept flying low around the island, and soon he was out of sight of the other dragons and Vikings.
And so was the boy clasped in his jaws.
