Reviews:

Little-anonymous-me: Thank you!

Creeper AW Mam: Saying that Hiccup isn't the antagonist isn't really that correct too. I'm sure that from the way Hiccup treats his enemies (stubbornness, etc), if we reverse the perspectives, Hiccup can really be an antagonist. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing! Means a lot to me.


Chapter 10: Defied The Odds

Jerrick's head pulsated harder than ever, as though the blood in his veins wanted to burst out of his brain. His tongue felt sour and dry. He had to have a concussion by now. How many times had he woken up like this in the last few days? The back of his head throbbed painfully. A groan escaped his lips. The light burned through his shut eyelids, trying desperately to reach his pupils. When he tried to block the light, something dug into his wrists and prevented him from doing so. Jerrick didn't need to open his eyes to know that he was tied to a chair. He'd awoken like this before. It was almost like déjà vu.

Muffled voices rang around like shrill bells tolling on a cold morning. Jerrick tried his best to listen to the voices. "...should we go… help…?" "...tried to kill… shoulder." "...chicken… not amused..." Jerrick couldn't make out what they were trying to say. Something snapped inside of him, telling him that he needed to be alert. Now.

The light stabbed his pupils as he forced them open against his own will. His eyes watered. As his vision cleared, Jerrick could make out metal bars in front of him. It didn't take a genius to guess that he was in a prison cell. The other three walls were made of wood. Jerrick kept looking around the cell until his eyes fell on something that sent cold shivers prickling down his back. Resting against the wall in the corridor was Hiccup's sword, casting flickering shadows against the wall behind it. A gleam of light bouncing off the blade reminded Jerrick grimly that it was a flaming sword.

Footsteps thudded down the corridor. Jerrick shook his head to clear the fog, just in time to see the ice demon incarnate reach his cell. Astrid glowered at him with such ferocity that he would've died, been forcefully dragged back from the grave, and then brutally torn to pieces again if looks could kill. Her eyes screamed bloody murder, and a fiery fury burned all around her. The other riders were nowhere in sight, as though the fire would envelope them if they tried to come near. Astrid unlocked the door to his cell and stormed in.

"Who are you?" Astrid demanded. She pulled out her axe and twirled it menacingly in her right hand.

"I'm just a boy," Jerrick spat.

"Don't play games with me," Astrid hissed. "I know you're not a normal boy. Let me ask you one more time, who are you, and what are you doing here?" She twirled the axe in her hand more aggressively. Jerrick didn't need another warning. There was no doubt that she was more than willing to use the axe. Might as well tell the truth and live than tell a lie and die. Jerrick felt his heart rise into his throat. He swallowed it back down before continuing.

"Jerrick. I'm here for revenge."

"Revenge?" Astrid scoffed. "What has Hiccup ever done to you?"

"He killed my father!" Jerrick yelled as he lurched forward as far as he could. The ropes dig into his skin. Astrid scoffed, louder this time.

"Hiccup's the most peaceful person I know." Astrid retorted.

"Tell me how is he the most peaceful person if he killed my father?" Jerrick snarled.

"He would never do such a thing," Astrid insisted.

"Well he did."

"He's always spreading ideas about peace."

"They don't seem to be working now, do they?"

"He'll never do something against these ideas."

"Then how about you take his ideas and shove it up your ass? Or does he do that for you when you're sucking his-" Astrid snarled and flung her axe. Jerrick flinched. A loud crack sounded from the wall beside him. Jerrick felt a few splinters land on him. He opened his eyes, and immediately felt the flat of a cold blade against his neck. Jerrick stiffened. He held his breath as Astrid leaned in close to his face.

"Last warning," Astrid hissed. "You better answer properly, or else."

"Or else what?" Jerrick said. "You're going to kill me?" Astrid removed the blade from his neck and strode out of the cell. She picked up Hiccup's fiery sword and came back in.

"Or else I'll make it very painful for you," Astrid snarled. Jerrick understood. Torture. These brutes were going to torture him until he told everything. Anger bubbled in his chest like a babbling brook of lava. The ropes digging into his skin didn't help the cause. Jerrick glared at Astrid. Astrid's icy blue eyes glared back. The ice demon twirled the fiery sword. Jerrick got the message. He was trapped, she wasn't. Speak or be forced to speak. Jerrick huffed loudly.

"I've told you everything," he said miserably.

"As if," Astrid scoffed.

"It's the truth!" Jerrick protested.

"I don't believe it."

Suddenly Jerrick had enough. "Then how about you go fuck yourself." Jerrick spat out his words. Astrid's grip on the sword tightened.

"You're just making this hard on yourself," Astrid warned. "Tell me the truth and-"

"It's the truth, donkey-brain!" Jerrick yelled.

"We'll find out," Astrid said. She dropped the sword, grabbed Jerrick's tunic and reached for her dagger. Jerrick suddenly realised he wasn't wearing his armour. Astrid sliced open his tunic, leaving his bare chest exposed to the cold. He never felt so helpless before, hands tied and skin exposed. Jerrick watched with fear and dread as Astrid reached for the flaming sword. She raised the hilt of the sword right to Jerrick's face, and pressed a button. Immediately, a thick, pungent, green gas began to hiss out of the hilt straight into Jerrick's nose. The gas burned his lungs. He coughed violently. Jerrick inhaled sharply, but all he got was more acid in his lungs. Air. He needed air. Jerrick choked and spluttered. The fire in his chest spread. A murky blackness began to envelope his vision.

And then the gas stopped flowing. Jerrick gulped in the fresh air greedily. He coughed and hyperventilated, forcing the thick gas out and replacing it with clean, breathable air. That gas was horrible. It was only in front of his face for a few seconds, but within that short time he felt nauseous and faint already.

"Tell me the truth," Astrid snarled.

"That's-" Jerrick coughed. "-the truth." Astrid's frown grew even darker. She pressed a button, and the sword ignited with a loud whoosh. A few flames dripped off the sword and landed on the ground with a loud hiss. Jerrick's breath hitched. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Astrid glared at him. Jerrick felt the heat of the fire against his cheek. He never felt so cold and hot at the same time.

"One last time, why are you trying to kill Hiccup?" The fire crackled. A drop of the flame flew out from the sword and landed on Jerrick's stomach. Jerrick felt the burn shoot through his nerves. He tugged the ropes. They held fast. He gulped.

"I've told you already," Jerrick said in an unusually high voice.

"That's a lie," Astrid snarled. "Who sent you?" She brought the sword right beside his face. Jerrick whimpered. The flames were way too close.

"I don't know his name," Jerrick whined. "We called him Scarface. He had a large scar across his face."

"What does he look like?" Astrid yelled in his ear. The sword licked his bare chest. The flames singed the hairs on his skin. Jerrick backed into the chair. The ropes were too tight to do anything.

"I told you!" Jerrick yelled desperately.

"Hiccup doesn't have enemies like that!"

"It's the truth!"

"We'll see," Astrid hissed. She raised the sword in front of Jerrick's face. The flames jumped, heating Jerrick's face. It wasn't even touching his skin, yet it felt so hot. Jerrick's heart raced. The sword came closer to his chest. He gulped. Jerrick closed his eyes.

"Astrid! Stop!" A voice bellowed from outside the cell. Cold air struck his chest again. Cautiously, Jerrick opened his eyes.

And his jaw fell open in surprise.

Hiccup was standing there. Alive. A bloody bandage was wrapped around his left shoulder and stretched out to his elbow. The arrow must have struck him just above the heart. Jerrick never thought he would be glad to see Hiccup alive. The man had just saved him from certain torture.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked. He grimaced and inhaled deeply. Speaking seemed to be a challenge. The arrow must have hurt a lot.

"Why are you here?" Astrid asked. "You should be resting."

"I woke up and realised you were gone." Hiccup paused to take a deep breath. "The others told me you were here. What-" he took a deep breath "-are you doing?"

"Finding out what Jerrick is doing here," Astrid said. Her tone was so nonchalant. Was she going to completely overlook the fact that she was about to burn him for that?

"Astrid, you know what I think about… what you're doing," Hiccup said. He sounded disappointed. Another deep breath. "Let him go."

"Hiccup, he tried to kill you."

"I don't like to hurt people." Jerrick did a double take. Did he actually say that? It had to be a lie. How did someone who hates hurting people kill his father? Astrid was visibly torn between listening to Hiccup and continuing the torture. Jerrick wanted to tell her the obvious answer, but decided against it. Eventually, Astrid extinguished the fire and dropped the sword. Without the heat from the sword, the cold air struck his bare chest, and he shivered.

Snotlout and Fishlegs entered the cell and began to untie Jerrick. He stood up and rubbed some feeling back into his sore wrists and ankles. But he still didn't have a tunic. If it was already this cold in the prison, how much colder would it be outside? His torn tunic lay in a corner. There wasn't any way to fix that. There was a long cut down the centre of his tunic. Fixing that would just leave an ugly stitch mark. Besides, the sleeves were torn as well.

"Don't think I'm done with you," Hiccup suddenly said in a low voice. He took a deep breath. "Just because I untied you doesn't mean I'm letting you go." The cell door slammed shut, startling Jerrick. A key turned in the lock. Jerrick mentally cursed himself for not taking the chance to run while he could. Then again, where could he go? Hiccup drew in another breath. "I'll be back." With that, he turned around and began to walk away slowly, the other riders in tow. Jerrick vaguely heard Hiccup ask "Did you use the Zippleback gas? You know it's toxic" on the way out. That was probably the green gas Astrid shoved down his lungs. Jerrick heard Hiccup's deep breaths, and he could imagine the pained look on his face. He didn't know whether to smile or feel ashamed though. Hiccup had just spared him from torture. But he killed his father. But he didn't like to hurt people. But he's a murderer.

A shiver brought Jerrick back to the present. The cell was getting colder and colder, no thanks to the small hole in the wall that Astrid made when she threw her axe. He wrapped his tunic around his body. Was the sword still around? It would be a good source of heat. Sadly, Astrid brought it out with her. Hopefully Hiccup would bring a spare tunic or something that would keep him warm when he returned.

Something in Jerrick's mind clicked.

There was a hole in the wall.

How long would Hiccup take to return? He couldn't walk too fast, and Jerrick was certain Astrid wouldn't be back before Hiccup, especially after Hiccup stopped her. Jerrick glanced down the corridor. The other riders weren't around too. None of them stayed back to stand guard. Maybe there was one at the entrance of the prison, but there were none in the corridor. The corridor was of a decent length. If someone was at the entrance, they would be able to hear loud sounds like someone slamming an axe through the wood, but something about the volume of a soft conversation might not be heard.

Jerrick scampered away from the bars and examined the hole. It definitely wasn't large enough for him to go through. Yet. The hole was about the length of half his forearm, and at the centre it was wide enough to stick his forearm through. The wood planks surrounding the hole were weakened too. There were cracks in the planks. With enough force the cracks might give way. Jerrick placed his palm on the cracks and pushed. There was barely any movement. He was going to need a lot more force. Jerrick placed both his boots against the cracks and kicked as hard as he could. A few splinters fell off, but that was it. The cracks held firm.

What else could he do? He would need to drive something heavy into the wall with enough speed, like a battering ram. There was nothing heavy in the cell, in fact, all the cell had was a wooden chair. Using something wooden to break a wooden plank was not the smartest idea. What if he used his boots? Jerrick removed one of his boots and tied more of the discarded ropes onto the laces. The wooden floor felt damp and cold against the sole of his exposed foot. Jerrick aimed the boot and swung it into the wall. Small cracking sounds could be heard. Jerrick swung again. More cracking sounds, but the wall didn't break. He swung again, and again, and again. The cracking sounds grew softer and softer, only to be replaced by a disappointing thud. The wall wasn't breaking. Even tiny splinters were no longer breaking off. Jerrick knew there had to be a reason why this wood was used for the prison walls. It was surprisingly sturdy.

He slumped to the floor and wrapped his torn tunic around him. Cold air blew in through the tiny hole, taunting him with the prospect of being free. The grass rustled in the wind outside. The green world outside was so close, yet so far. He could literally reach out and touch the grass, but he couldn't go further than that. His feet could never touch the grass. Jerrick forced himself to think of something other than the diabolical interrogation methods coming soon. Maybe he would light him on fire with his sword. At least he would feel warm. Jerrick shivered. He wondered if his friends would've noticed if he was burnt. He hadn't seen them ever since he presented the plan. Even then, he had stormed off from them. What a great friend he was. Jerrick shivered again, more vigorously this time. The wind whistled a sorrowful tune through the tiny gap. A soft burp-growl-squawk sound came through the gap as well. Jerrick couldn't pinpoint what that sound was exactly. The wind was definitely taunting him now. The weird sound came through the gap, but louder this time. It was an oddly familiar sound. The wind must have taunted him when he was a child too, perhaps when he was on the boat to Breca. Jerrick heard the weird sound again. He glared at the hole, intending to tell the wind to shut up.

But instead he was greeted with shining yellow eyes.

"Rockcrusher!" Jerrick whispered loudly. The dragon barked loudly. "Shh!" Jerrick held a finger to his lips. "We don't want any guards to hear us," Jerrick quickly explained when Rockcrusher's face fell. How would they break the wall without any sound though? "At least not yet," he added. Rockcrusher wagged his tail at Jerrick.

That was it.

A rock-hard tail.

"Rockcrusher," Jerrick said, earning him a delighted leap from the Gronckle. "Could you break this and get me out of here?" The blue Gronckle glanced at the hole. He had a thoughtful look on his face, mouth closed and keen yellow eyes darting around. Rockcrusher looked at his tail, as though checking if it was still there. Finally, he looked back at Jerrick.

And then darted off.

Jerrick cursed loudly. Why did he trust a stupid dragon to free him? They were all animals anyway. Rockcrusher might have understood him that day, but clearly that didn't mean he was a friend. Saving a human's life was obviously very different from freeing one from prison. One was right, the other was wrong. Maybe Hiccup and his cronies had punished him for doing such a thing previously. Jerrick shrank back into himself. All he could do now was wait for Hiccup to come back with whatever interrogation techniques he had.

Suddenly, Jerrick heard chewing from outside the cell. The sounds got louder and louder. Jerrick peeked down the corridor. It was empty. Was someone eating outside the prison? He looked through the hole in the wall.

And saw Rockcrusher gleefully chewing away. Jerrick's anger rose.

"Why are you eating at a time like this?" Jerrick hissed. "Are you here to taunt me as well?" Rockcrusher ignored him. He kept chewing away. Jerrick huffed and wrapped the tunic tightly around him, trying to stop himself from shivering. The chewing persisted, and Jerrick tried to use his shoulders to cover his ears, but to no avail. He would simply have to bear with that idiotic dragon eating right outside his cell.

Speaking of which, Rockcrusher peeped through the hole. He smiled brightly at Jerrick. Jerrick glared back at him. One was definitely having a good time eating, the other was shivering in a cell. Rockcrusher burped…

And a mound of lava landed right on the hole. The cracked planks burnt away within seconds, making the hole much bigger, big enough for Jerrick to pass through. Black scorch marks lined the surrounding of the new, enlarged hole. Jerrick resisted the urge to shout for joy. Rockcrusher actually came up with his own plan to free Jerrick, and he did so without any noise. A pang of guilt rose in Jerrick's chest for thinking that Rockcrusher would leave him. He scrambled through the new and improved hole, clutching his torn tunic in his hand. Tiny splinters poked and prodded his bare chest and arms. But eventually, he landed heavily on the soft and cold grass outside.

"Thank you, Rockcrusher," Jerrick hugged the Gronckle's snout. Rockcrusher wagged his tail. Jerrick released Rockcrusher and looked around. Where were they? He hadn't seen the prison in the few days he was in Berk. But he knew that he didn't have much time to figure it out. Hiccup would be back soon. If he wanted to avoid going back to jail, he had to leave now. And not just leave this part of the island, he had to leave the island.

"Come on Rockcrusher," Jerrick said as he mounted Rockcrusher. "We're going to find my friends." Rockcrusher flapped his wings and hovered for a moment. The prison block extended in a straight line in both directions. There were no bends on either side. It was just a long block of cells. The forest began right in front of him. On his right, Jerrick could see the village far below, and the sea was not too far on his left. The prison must have been located on top of a tall hill or mountain. Jerrick directed Rockcrusher into the forest. They stayed close to the ground. It would be harder to find where his friends were, but at least they were less likely to be spotted by any riders.

The Gronckle has the best maneuverability among all the dragons. It can change direction quickly and perform many other flying feats other dragons are typically incapable of. But Jerrick didn't know this. All Jerrick knew was that he had to hang on to Rockcrusher as tightly as he could. His tunic was blown away when he let go of it. If he fell off, it would hurt. Quite an understatement, in hindsight.

Heart pounding, Jerrick scanned the forest for anything. A feature that he recognised, another dragon, or even a rider hiding in the bushes. Jerrick didn't rule anything out. The cold wind beat against his back, and he shivered violently. It wasn't long before they reached a part of the forest that Jerrick recognised. The crescent shaped rock was one of the key checkpoints he always looked for. Jerrick tapped Rockcrusher's side, and he obediently flew in that direction. Up next was a small downslope where he had to turn left. There was a word for this terrain feature but it eluded him at the moment. Jerrick tapped Rockcrusher on the left side when the bank came into view. 'Bank' was still the wrong word for the terrain feature. After that, all they had to do was fly straight for a few hundred metres and they would meet the rest. Would they be alarmed by Rockcrusher's presence? They had never been close to a dragon before.

Jerrick instructed Rockcrusher to stop a distance away from his friends and completed the last part of the journey on foot. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to trap as much heat as possible. When they got near the campsite, Jerrick raised his hand. Rockcrusher stayed.

"Guys?" Jerrick called out as he rubbed warmth into his frozen body. Twigs snapped loudly when he pushed a few bushes out of his path. A few branches poked into his bare skin. Jerrick's heart raced. He spun to face the sky when he heard the sound of wings flapping. But there was nothing. Jerrick played it down as his overactive imagination. But there was no doubt that every single one of his senses were on high alert. He could probably hear colours at the rate he was going.

"Kari? Corey? Anyone?" Jerrick called again. The cold wind rustled a few bushes. Somewhere in the forest, a dragon roared.

"Jerrick?" Jerrick jumped when Kari's voice called out.

"I'm over here!" Jerrick replied. "Can you guys come here? I've something to show you." A few twigs snapped and the leaves rustled. Eventually a bush opened like a doorway to allow Kari to enter the fray.

Kari looked the same, bar the sleepless look in her eyes and her slightly disheveled brown hair. Her green eyes still sparkled brightly. The cute dimples on her cheeks appeared as she smiled. A warm feeling suddenly flowed through his body. Jerrick couldn't stop himself from laughing happily. He ran towards her and embraced her warmly.

"I've missed you," Jerrick said.

"It's only been a day, silly boy," Kari stated as she slowly broke the hug. "Also, why are you shirtless?"

A warm blush crept into Jerrick's cheeks. He'd completely forgotten about that.

"Long story," Jerrick said as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'll fill you in later. Where are the others?" He pulled a tunic that Kari fished out of her satchel over his head.

"They're getting water nearby. I stayed back to guard the camp. Do you want me to get them?"

"No need, there isn't much time." Jerrick paused for a brief moment. "How good are you with dragons?"

Kari looked stunned. "I don't understand, what do you mean?"

"Are you scared of dragons?"

"I don't think so, I mean-"

"I'd like you to meet someone." Jerrick interrupted her. He called Rockcrusher's name, earning him a confused look from Kari.

The blue dragon in question had been busying himself with the scents in the air when he heard his name being called. There was one other scent apart from his rider's familiar one. He leapt out from behind a rock, wagging his tail in delight. Immediately, screaming filled the air. Rockcrusher's face fell and his eyes widened. Jerrick tried to soothe his friend.

Amidst the screams, Jerrick noticed Rockcrusher dart back behind the rock. He had to try harder to calm Kari down. Freaking out a dragon probably wasn't a very wise thing to do.

"He's friendly, calm down," Jerrick said urgently. Hopefully there weren't any riders in the air who heard her scream. Kari was no longer screaming, much to Jerrick's relief. Jerrick noticed a few tears slide down her cheek. Was she that scared? This was a bad move. "Calm down," Jerrick said again, more urgently this time. He held Kari in his arms. "He's a friend, he's a friend." He muttered a silent prayer. It felt like she was never going to calm down, but thank heavens she did. Kari took a few deep breaths. Jerrick wiped her tears with his sleeve and sighed a huge sigh of relief. They hadn't been spotted or heard. Hopefully.

"Promise me you won't freak out again," Jerrick said. Kari nodded warily. Jerrick called his dragon. "Rockcrusher, you can come out now."

A blue snout peeked out cautiously from behind the rock. Bright yellow eyes scanned the area, before locking onto Jerrick. Jerrick smiled at him, hopefully he'll take it as a good sign. Rockcrusher slowly inched out from behind the rock. His eyes darted between Jerrick and the other human. The Gronckle's mouth was clamped shut, as though opening it would make him more vulnerable. Jerrick took a few steps forward and stretched out his hand. The dragon crept by Jerrick's side, and Jerrick placed his hand on his snout.

"Kari," Jerrick said. "Let me introduce Rockcrusher." The dragon in question made a little sound as though confirming that he was indeed present. Kari had her eyes wide open and held her hands in front of her chest, like she normally did when she was fearful. Jerrick had only seen her do this twice before. The first time was when they were walking by the edge of a cliff. The second was when she tried to ask some guy out. The guy rejected her, Jerrick suddenly recalled. Jerrick turned back to the task at hand.

"Can she touch you?" Jerrick whispered in Rockcrusher's ear. Rockcrusher turned to Jerrick, bright yellow eyes wavering slightly. Jerrick never knew dragons were so capable of showing emotion too. "She's my friend." The blue Gronckle kept staring at Jerrick questionably. What was going through his mind? Hopefully nothing sinister. Maybe he was thinking of what non-human thing he should eat for lunch. Eventually, Rockcrusher dropped his stare. He wagged his tail for a split second. That meant yes. Jerrick smiled.

"Thanks, Rockcrusher." Jerrick headed over to Kari. "Kari, do you want to touch Rockcrusher?"

"Touch him?" Kari said incredulously. "What if he bites my hand off?"

"He wouldn't do such a thing," Jerrick said, holding back the urge to reply with a snarky retort. "I touched him just now, and I still have my hands intact."

"How do you know he's okay with it?" Kari asked softly.

"When he saved me from drowning, I talked to him a little," Jerrick explained. "I slowly understood what meant yes and what meant no. A tail wag is a yes."

"You drowned?" Kari said quickly.

"Yes, I almost did. I'll tell you the story later. For now, we have to hurry." Jerrick held Kari's hands. "Do you trust me?"

"Yeah, I do, but-"

"Well then, trust me. Rockcrusher isn't going to hurt you. Just a simple pat on his snout will show him that you trust him. Then he can trust you too."

Kari's emerald eyes flickered nervously between the blue Gronckle and Jerrick. "How do I do that?" Kari asked eventually.

"Let me show you." Jerrick held her hand gently and led her towards Rockcrusher. Kari's face had fear plastered all over it, all the signs were there. She was breathing heavily, her eyes widened, her lips pursed. Jerrick's heart raced. Was this the right move? What if Rockcrusher really did bite her hand off? He forced himself to calm down. He should trust the dragon more. After all, Rockcrusher did save him from the prison cell even when he thought he had run away. Jerrick guided Kari until she was right in front of Rockcrusher. He let go of her hand, and almost like a natural instinct, she raised it in front of her chest.

"Kneel down, close your eyes and dip your head," Jerrick said gently. Kari gave him a look. "That's what I did to show him I wasn't a threat," Jerrick explained. Kari glanced back at the large Gronckle directly in front of her. Rockcrusher seemed equally scared. Kari took a deep breath. She took a small step back, and kneeling down, she closed her eyes and dipped her head. Slowly, Jerrick held her hand and gently opened her palm with his. He let his hand linger there for a split second longer, and then he let go.

Jerrick watched with bated breath as Rockcrusher stared at Kari's hand. Rockcrusher glanced at Jerrick, and Jerrick gave him a reassuring smile - at least, he thought it was reassuring. The blue Gronckle glanced back at the kneeling girl, and then at palm outstretched in front of him. Jerrick began to worry even more. Rockcrusher was holding that look for a little too long. But eventually, Rockcrusher leaned into her palm.

Kari gasped when the thick, scaly snout pressed against her open palm. Jerrick sighed a huge sigh of relief. He hadn't even noticed he was holding his breath until now. Kari was standing up and patting Rockcrusher on the snout, who had his tongue hanging out like a little dog. Jerrick grinned from eye to eye. A huge wave of joy came to him as he watched Kari bond with his dragon. But time was still not on their side. Hiccup might have noticed his disappearance already.

"Hey boy," Jerrick said in a serious tone. The dragon perked up. "Can you get us all out of here?" Rockcrusher had thick skin and a sturdy shape, five teenagers could probably fit on his back. Rockcrusher looked at Jerrick, then at Kari, and then back at Jerrick. He wagged his tail briefly…

And flew off. Jerrick watched helplessly as the blue Gronckle darted through the trees deeper into the forest. What was he doing? For a moment, Jerrick felt the hopelessness build within him again, the same hopelessness when Rockcrusher first abandoned him in the prison. But the logical side of his mind told him that Rockcrusher knew what he was doing, and just like at the prison, he'll be back with a better plan.

"Where did he go?" Kari asked.

"No idea," Jerrick said. "But," he added quickly before she could say anything. "He's probably coming up with a better plan."

"You seem to trust him a lot."

"He saved my life and busted me out of prison."

Suddenly, the flapping of wings resounded from the forest. Jerrick's heart rose into his throat. The riders! "Hide!" He ordered urgently. She didn't argue. They hid behind the rock Rockcrusher was hiding behind earlier. He held his breath as the sounds came closer. Cautiously, Jerrick peeked around the rock. Leaves rustled from the wing beats. Branches cracked and some fell to the floor. Jerrick shrank further behind the rock. Eventually, the canopy gave way to the vicious dragons tearing their way through it.

Except that the dragons weren't vicious at all.

It was Rockcrusher.

And he brought his friends along. There were three other Gronckles besides Rockcrusher. Two were beige and one was a blue-green colour that was more green than blue. Jerrick couldn't contain his delight. He let out a laugh as he ran forward to Rockcrusher and hugged him on his snout. The dragon burped-growled-snorted happily. Even as he hugged Rockcrusher's snout, Jerrick could feel the power of his tail as he wagged it about.

"Thank you, Rockcrusher," Jerrick said as he released him. "Can we leave now?" Rockcrusher seemed to sense Jerrick's urgency. He dipped his head immediately and Jerrick mounted him. "Come with me," Jerrick said to Kari, holding out a hand to help her. Her warm hand grabbed his as she mounted Rockcrusher behind Jerrick. He gave her a moment to adjust herself. "Come on boy," Jerrick said to Rockcrusher. "Let's get my friends."

As Jerrick adjusted himself, he felt Rockcrusher's chest vibrate as he let out a deep roar. The other Gronckles roared back. The dragon entourage took off and flew towards a nearby stream. Jerrick felt Kari's hands tighten around his waist and her body pressed tightly into his back. Despite the situation, Jerrick couldn't dry the fact that he enjoyed having Kari riding behind him. It didn't take more than a few seconds to find the rest. They were busy collecting water in small jars. Jerrick pointed to them, and Rockcrusher read his mind. He roared, and the other Gronckles swooped down towards them. They glanced up, and immediately their faces were filled with fear. The Gronckles rushed towards his friends, mouths opening. The water jars fell out of their hands. They screamed. The Gronckles opened their mouths, grabbed his friends and flung them onto their backs without even touching the floor. His friends scrambled to adjust themselves on the Gronckles, all the while screaming out their lungs.

Jerrick rolled his eyes. They had flown before, why were they so scared. To be fair, the last time they had flown, they had more experienced people with them. Neither did the Singetails grabbed them by their mouths and toss them onto their backs.

"Please, stop screaming," Jerrick said. The way their screams started to die down was almost as though it hadn't occurred to them. Stop screaming, why didn't I think of that? Eventually the screams dissipated into hyperventilating, which, while not ideal, was way better than screaming.

"Jer-Jerrick? Kari?" Dustin finally squeezed out.

"Yeah, it's us. We're safe, these guys aren't going to eat you." Jerrick assured them.

"What's happening?" Dustin asked.

"We're leaving this dreadful place," Jerrick said flatly.

"To where?" Corey asked. "And why are we suddenly leaving?"

"They found me out," Jerrick explained. "We can't stay, they're searching for me. We're going back to the Northern Markets to meet Scarface."

By now they were off the island of Berk and flying over the open sea. The sun was on their left, slightly above the horizon. Was it morning or evening? The last meal Jerrick remembered eating was breakfast. He couldn't have passed out for a whole day, right? That meant they were heading south, which was the wrong direction. The Northern Markets were north, obviously. Jerrick told Rockcrusher to turn around, and he obeyed.

The dragon entourage flew towards Berk, staying close to the water to minimise their chances of being detected. The screams had stopped, thankfully. Now he didn't have to worry about being heard by riders. He only had to worry about flying past Berk. There was a very high chance they might get spotted.

"Do you know any way to get around Berk without being seen?" Jerrick asked Rockcrusher. The dragon narrowed his eyes. After a split second, he made a sound, and flew determinedly towards a tunnel in the side of the island*. The moment they entered the tunnel, the musty scent of dust and dampness filled Jerrick's nose immediately. He coughed. How anyone could live in an enclosed tunnel he didn't know. Musty smells built up way too fast for his liking. Thankfully, the air wasn't thick, like the Zippleback gas he inhaled in the prison.

The gears slowly turned in Jerrick's mind. All the clues he picked up were beginning to fall into place. Zippleback gas. Thick. Hiccup's voice saying Zippleback gas is toxic. Smells building up quickly. In tunnels. The twins' Zippleback opening their mouths. Throwing balls. Metallic cylinders. Masks. Zippleback gas. The map. Tunnels. Zippleback gas building up quickly in tunnels. Masks worn and metallic cylinders thrown as they flew together. Everything fell in place. The gears made their last turn and lined up perfectly.

"I figured out the plan," Jerrick announced as they burst into the open. They continued to fly low, close to the water surface. He waited for a response, but none came. Jerrick turned around. All his friends were plastered against their dragons, clinging on desperately for dear life. They obviously hadn't heard him, having been too preoccupied with trying to stay alive. Even Kari hadn't heard him. How was that possible? She was basically pressing her ear into his back. A small smile tugged at Jerrick's lips. Whether it was the fact that he could feel Kari's heartbeat against his back or the rather amusing sight of all his friends flattened on their dragons Jerrick didn't know. But either way he didn't care. They were off the dreaded island. The imposing stone statues that stood in front of Berk whizzed past them. They stood tall and menacing, striking fear into anyone who dared venture into Berk uninvited. They warned of a fate so cruel to those who dared to trespass. Well, he had done exactly that, and survived. He had broken out of prison and flown off the island on a dragon. He had defied the odds and made it out alive.


*: Tunnel in the side of the island: After the Screaming Death incident, there's a high possibility that there are many tunnels underneath Berk.