Author's Note: Hi there here with another chapter, although it may not be of Family Ties, this story is still being updated as it has been a week. I hope you all are liking this so far as I left you on such a cliffhanger. Well I don't want to leave you all hanging so go ahead and enjoy.

Chapter 6: After Effects

Silence filled the area as Hiccup waited frozen stiff, with bated breath, just waiting for something to happen. Mere moments passed after he released the arrow and it flew out, but with his eyes closed he could see what had become of it. He thought he could have heard a sound but couldn't be sure as he remained where he was. It could have been hours for all he cares as he couldn't see nor didn't hear anything, almost as if his body refused to respond. The arrow could have hit or missed, but he didn't know as he couldn't bring himself to look or listen and just waited for something to happen, but he put most of those chances on the Berserker tackling him to the ground…yet it never came.

*Thud!*

Finally something could be heard, something hard and heavy slammed into the ground, the sound still registering in his mind but his body remained frozen. The teen mentally cringed at the sound, but he didn't trust himself to look, not sure if he wanted to see what had made it or not. Seconds continued to pass as nothing happened, which prompted Hiccup to slowly open his eyes, head turning towards the source of the sound. So far as his vision returned, he saw nothing, and only heard the nightly crickets chirping. As he scanned the area in front of him his body stiffened upon taking in the form of the down Berserker.

"Oh Thor…" Hiccup breathed out in a frightened tone, his eyes going wide as shields.

His pursuer is laying before him, not moving at all, in fact he could see his eyes were still open. But as he peered right into them, no life whatsoever could be seen within them….he is dead. Below the eyes the boy could see the cause behind it as the same arrow he shot is now embedded right in his throat. The sight of it caused Hiccup's breathing to hitch as a bout of nausea started to hit him. Most likely the arrow cut through his windpipe and he started to suffocate…dying slow and painfully. Hiccup didn't look nor did his ears work after he released the draw string, so he wouldn't have heard him struggling to breathe, as the lack of air took its effect and he died.

Hiccup instantly looked away from the sight, not able to handle it and tried to fight the bile that threatened itself from coming up. He had to take a few breathes to compose himself, but it didn't help stop his body from trembling as the realization became apparent. He did it again…the second person he killed that night, yet he didn't want to do this. It was all a heat of the moment kind of thing, as his body just reacted. He saw the arrow and the Berserker quickly approached him…and he did the very first thing he thought off. The look of the man's dead face…it's imprinted in his mind forever.

"Get a grip…don't think of it…don't think of it," Hiccup told himself in a cracking voice, trying to keep his breathing under control and not get sick. Taking a big swallow, he prevented himself from throwing up, but that didn't stop the trembles he experienced. "This is war…this is what is supposed to happen…I had to…" he kept on saying himself, trying to make his actions justifiable. Still he couldn't believe it…he didn't want to…but this is for real, and this is what his dad was talking about…what would actually happen.

"Son, I know you may not want to, but if it comes down to it, you may have to kill more, it'll be the only way for you to survive,"He remembered what his father told him…something that is slowly becoming a reality.

"D-Dad is right…this is something I had to do or else…he would have caught me…or worse," Hiccup breathed softly, thankfully his nausea slowly leaving, yet sadly the memory is still there, and it left its impact, and he had to pick up the pieces the best he could. Sitting down on his knees he looked down at his hands, faded blood stains being seen on them from the first killed earlier. "A-At least…I didn't get any on my hands this time." That was the only positive out of all this as that familiar sickening liquid didn't stain him…but how long would that remain for?

"Where are you!?" the teen jumped as he heard an additional voice call out, making him remember about the other Berserker that was chasing after him. Both eyes widened upon realizing that he must have freed himself from the large tree branch. Obviously, he knew where they ran to and must be quickly approaching.

Gulping and looking over at the dead body, cringing again at the mere sight. There's no time to hide it like last time, meaning it's going to be found…and most likely reported to Dagur. He has no idea what consequences would come from this, and frankly he didn't want to know. What he did know is that he needed to get out of here now before he's spotted…but he wasn't sure where to go. He needed to go somewhere, anywhere that didn't have Berserkers or Outcasts, but nothing came to mind. Once more his body reacted on its own, as he looked around for his shield. Spotting it a few feet away, he bolted over and snatched it up, slinging it onto his back. He then made sure his satchel is still on him, and after confirming that that everything is still there Hiccup took off running in a random direction, distancing himself from the body…yet forever seeing the man's dead face whenever he closed his eyes.

To put it simply, Dagur wasn't happy at all. Many would say that he wasn't happy all the time, that he's always in this attitude, not that anyone would ever admit that at all. Yet, due to the current circumstances they all could see why. One moment he realized that Hiccup is in the village and was fanning out to find him. The next moment he is told that Berk's heir managed to elude them once more. Right now, a while afterward, he stood in the town square, a few of his Berserker men in front of him, all of them looking nervous, especially as the teen looked at one of them in particular.

"So…you're saying you managed to allow Hiccup to escape you!?" Dagur condescendingly said to the man in front of him.

Said man happened to be the one that encountered Hiccup inside of the chief's home, Sten. Currently his right arm is being cradled as it's bandaged up, underneath happened to be burnt flesh due to the fire from the brazier his arm fell in. Part of his hand did escape this fate but thankfully, but it would take some time to heal, the bad news is that he wouldn't be able to use it as much without pain. After being found he was taken to get treated, yet despite the cream used to ease the pain it still throbbed. It was unbearable…that is until his leader confronted him about the issue at hand.

"H-He's a lot trickier than we give him credit for," he admitted, still wincing. His words true as he wasn't expecting to get kicked with that metal leg, hel he wasn't expecting to get burned at all!

"Either way, Sten, you still allowed him to get away!" Dagur took a threatening step forward, making the men in front of him take step back, fearing what he would do next, despite his anger being aimed at one of them. Yet…that is until he did nothing more, as both eyes scanned the man before him, body releasing and face returning to normal. "I would do something but considering what he did to your arm, that can be punishment enough."

Sten mentally sighed in relief, knowing he is avoiding his leader's wrath for now…but didn't figure getting his arm burned was worth it in any regards. Either way there was a saving grace as Savage came and interrupted, "Dagur, we have a problem."

"Again?! What is wrong with you all!? Are problems the only thing you can give me!" the young chief threw his hands up in the air in frustration. He is now starting to think that all his soldiers are incompetent of doing a simple order and is getting close to blowing a fuse with them. He wanted to say something, but his train of thought ended upon seeing another one of his soldiers walking up…carrying someone?

Everyone present watched as the carried soldier is then flopped down on the ground, prompting everyone's eyes to widen upon seeing that he's dead, most of all is that the arrow that is sticking out of his throat. The area went silent in surprise as they weren't sure what to say, it wasn't like this is something they were expecting as the village was under their contro. Fortunately for them Dagur looked at the one who carried him, being the first to speak, "What happened!? Explain!?"

Said Berserker spoke, not out of fear but out of shock, "We were chasing Berk's heir after hearing the commotion…the little twig is faster than we give him credit. He used that weird shield of his to knock a heavy branch down on top of m…I told my companion to go without me…and that was the last I heard or saw of him alive. After freeing myself I went down the path he went and came to a hill…he was dead when I found him and the twig nowhere to be seen…sir…Berk's heir killed him."

"What? There's no way," Dagur's eye widened in disbelief, there's no way to him that Hiccup could hurt anyone, let alone kill. The Hiccup he knew has always been weak and scrawny, there's no way he could do harm to anyone, but as he looked down at the body before him, the evidence speaks for itself. Looking down at the arrow, he instantly remembered the shield that Hiccup used back on Dragon island, how it managed to change into a weapon, so the story wasn't impossible as he saw it firsthand. Still, he couldn't believe it, nor did he want to…but if it was indeed true and the Hiccup, he knew is a lot different than he remembers, then chances are he could pose a threat of some kind.

"Sir…what do you want us to do?" Savage asked, not liking how the silence kept on going, everyone wasn't sure what their leader would do next as a result. Either way It might be bad, to Hiccup and maybe even them.

"Hiccup was here once, we can't let that happen again…make sure there are men covering the entrances into the village, we can't risk him doing that again. Lastly, have men combing the forest for him, it's a big place so there is a lot of ground to cover," Dagur instructed to everyone, irritated laced in his voice, and determination on his face.

"Dagur, just letting you know, that placing men at the entrance at the forest, as well as keeping some in the village won't leave many groups to search for him," Savage spoke out, thinking it was best to let him know about this instead of it coming back to bite him later on. Others knowing this was truth but were glad they weren't voicing that concern.

"I don't care, as long as we catch Hiccup, the rest doesn't matter. I don't care what you all do but I want him to be brought back alive!" Dagur shouted out at them, getting his point through even though it didn't require much effort. At this point it was no use arguing, as they had their orders, and were expected to follow it to the letter. "Now go and let everyone know this!"

They all nodded and hurried to leave, Sten being among them, and growling a bit under his breath, "Just wait till I see you again, I'll make you pay for my arm." The next time he sees Hiccup he's going to get some sweet vengeance.

"Someone take care of this body!" Dagur called out to anyone who was passing by. In a matter of seconds someone came by and picked the corpse up, going to do whatever with it. Soon all that was left in the were Dagur and Savage, the teen turning to the older male as his demeanor changed from anger to neutral. Something dangerous that the Outcast knew about, so he knew he had to tread carefully, as the attitude and actions could change. "Savage…any updates overall?"

"Y-Yes…all the dragons that we put the sleep are being kept in the kill arena here," Savage responded, part of him feeling ok that this is something that shouldn't make his leader mad.

"And the rest of Berk's populace?" the teen asked.

"Still in the great hall, we separated the kids from their parents, a good way to ensure no one gets any ideas in trying to fight back."

"Ah, good idea there, wish I would have thought of it," Dagur responded in a normal tone, turning and walking over to where the storehouse is. "If there are any updates on Hiccup, let me know."

"Yes sir, I will," Savage nodded and slowly started to walk back, knowing that he isn't needed anymore, and to be honest he would rather get out of here right now and calm down.

Dagur smiled as he walked further to the building in front of him, all the contents within had been removed and transferred to another place, as the building is being used for something else. Standing in front he grasped at the doors and pulled them open, a gleeful smile appeared on his face as the jangling of chains, thumps and muffled snarls could be heard within. Inside Toothless could be found, struggling and trying to free himself of his iron bonds. The Night fury is tied up in chains, multiple shackles were locked around his legs, wings were folded and wrapped up, and even his tail is tied down. A large muzzle on him, preventing any sound, or plasma blasts from being fired. For added measure the extra thick chains from the shackles were wrapped around the four, thick, wooden support beams in the storage house, which were doing a good job keeping him down and bound. This building had to be sturdy so it would be a huge struggle, even for a dragon, to pull them out.

All struggle stopped as a shadow casted itself on his face, prompting him to look up to see the Berserker leader's grinning face, "You! What do you want!" Toothless muffled out in a roar, the chains jangling as he tried to break free.

"Not so tough are you, Night Fury?" Dagur mocked as he walked in closer, getting right in front of the dragon's face

Toothless' eyes turned into slits as he tried lunging towards the human, but the chains prevented him from moving an inch in any direction. His mouth tried to part to fire a plasma blast at him, oh how he wanted to scorch him with his fire and watch him burn, "If I wasn't restrained, you would be so dead!"

"Wow, so much fight in you…No wonder you're such a rare and powerful dragon, as you would have been such a worthy opponent if you were free…but this is so much easier," he chuckled, amused at the Dragon's struggling and not getting nowhere. How he just wanted to end the lizard's life but had to use a lot of restraint to do so. His hand itching to reach for his sword but managed to refrain. "It'll only be a matter of time before we catch Hiccup."

The mention of his rider's name made Toothless freeze, his eyes widening as an expression of disbelief overtook his face. It was then his struggles started up again, thrashing against the chains wanting to get at the human before him, "YOU LAY ONE HAND ON HIM AND I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Whoa, such fire after mentioning his name…seems like your kind aren't as brainless as I thought," Dagur found amusement at the response he got, soaking it all up before he poured more salt on the wound. "This will make it even better once he's caught…he'll have a front seat in seeing me kill you."

"Not before I do it first," Toothless growled in anger, working his jaw overtime to try and free himself of the muzzle.

"Just wait Dragon, it'll be soon that I'll claim your head…I'll hang it up on my wall to admire for all time," Dagur laughed manically as he stood back up and turned to leave, Toothless struggling within his bond, wanting to maul the human. Toothless watched as the teen closed the door, enveloping him in darkness once more, and with that his struggles ceased. The dragon's head hung down in shame as he thought about his rider. He gave himself up to make sure he's safe, but now he's alone, the enemy possibly looking for him….no idea what he's doing right now. The dragon's mind worrying as his rider could be safe or hurt….oh how he wishes he was there with them.

"Stay safe…I can't be there to watch your back this time," Toothless said to himself as a bit of sorrow overcame him. "Just please…stay alive…"

Toothless then settled down, not knowing what would happen next, but would need his strength just in case.

Hiccup's shallow breathing could be heard as he heaved with every step, his legs could no longer take him any further as they started to burn with exhaustion. The teen had been running non-stop ever since he killed the Berserker, not caring where he went, but as long as he took himself as far away as possible. So far, no one had come across him, leaving him thankful as he could drop any moment now. Chances are wherever he is they haven't gotten this far into the forest yet, meaning he should be cleared for the time being. The bad news right now, is that he's running out of steam, as he approached a cluster of trees and bushes, legs weak and nearly about to give out. His back slammed against one of the tree trunks as his body slid down onto the thick, soft, grass.

The teen's head is dipped as he's continued to pant heavily, a shaky hand reaching up to wipe sweat from his brow, "D…Did I get far enough?" he asked himself, looking around and trying to figure out his location. "I…must be…beyond Raven's point…I ran a large distance from the village."

After resting against the tree for a bit Hiccup found that his throat is dry, an easy fix as a shaky hand reached into his satchel and pulled out the leather water pouch, uncapping it and taking a drink from it. A small cough escaped him as the refreshing liquid moistened his parched throat, yet also hurt some at the same time. He didn't drink that much as he needed to conserve what food and water he had, as he wasn't sure when he'll be able to get more.

A few minutes passed as he tried to calm down, heart rate slowing down some, as he started to get some feeling back into his legs. Yet now that he's no longer running…his mind started to wander and he couldn't help but think back to the man he killed. Part of him couldn't believe he did it again, nor that he was so accurate in where he fired the arrow, which was a gift from the Gods as if it wasn't for it, he would have been caught.

The more he mulled on it the more the nausea from earlier started to return, causing him to shake and swallow to keep the bile down. The image in his mind faded but not all the way as it could still be seen…along with the Outcast from earlier. Two people he managed to kill in one night…a shudder going through him as he realized that…they may not be the only ones, thus making him remember his conversation with his dad.

"Is…Is dad, right? Am I going to be forced to do this more?" he started to cringe at the mere thought of taking more lives. Hiccup wasn't sure how it was possible as he wasn't a killer, the mere thought made him sick to the point of nearly hurling. If he couldn't kill Toothless back before knowing him…then how could he expect to kill human? Yet…sadly enough he had done it already…but it was something he didn't want to repeat it at all. This only made the situation at hand even worse as his home is under Dagur's control, and now he's all alone without anyone to help him…even his best friend wasn't here to watch his back. How he would give anything to have someone here to help him, to talk to and expel these emotions in his mind, as they were getting to him. That wasn't the case sadly, as now he would need to survive until his friends returned, that would be his only saving grace…yet by doing so meant…which meant. He shook his head, not wanting to finish it. "C-Can't…no, I shouldn't…but…I'm a Viking, this is something that is apart of our lives…apart of mine, but…I have to survive until the others get back…meaning…it might be unavoidable…"

He shuddered at the mere thought, eyes closing on reaction…big mistake, as all those faces started to come back, every single lifeless face, with those dead eyes, staring right back into him. Both eyes opened with a gasp, the faces disappearing for a moment. He quickly scanned around and sighed upon realizing he's alone. The next thing that happened he wasn't sure why, but he reached into his vest and took out his notebook, glad to have this with him. Opening it he took out his Charcoal pencil and started to write it. "One…from the last attack…five…on Dragon island…" he spoke to himself yet cringing at the last thought, not wanting to relive that and kept going. "T-Two…tonight….e-eight…eight in total…I have killed." The charcoal pen fell down onto the note book as the realization hit him, both hands rubbing against his face as he can't believe that's how many lives he had taken so far, overall. His fingers clutching at his head as he tried to ride himself of the face once more.

Snapping the book closed he put it away before looking up he could see the sky starting to get bright, as the first colors of dawn were approaching. This surprised Hiccup big time as he had no idea, he was running out here all night…yet now that he thought about it, he suddenly started to feel the fatigue claiming him. The running taking the last of the energy away from his body, that and the adrenaline coursing through him is now depleting, allowing him to feel the exhaustion from running as his body demanded rest. Already he could feel his eyes getting heavy and body sluggish…not good at all.

"C-Can't…not here…n-not…I'll be open," Hiccup responded in a near panic, but it did nothing as his body wouldn't remain away. He knew he had to find a hiding spot before he passed out, If he fell sleep here, he would be in the open, helpless against anyone who came by. Looking over he saw the large bushes near the tree, only mere feet away. Mustering up whatever energy he could get he crawled on his hands and knees, moving towards the foliage slowly. His limps feeling with as the teen had to push his body to move, every single movement felt like it was sapping all of his energy. Thankfully his shield and bag remained on him as he finally made it into the bushes. Once covered by the foliage he collapsed, removing his shield and bag and laying them to the side, both items being covered up.

Once on the ground he curled up into a ball before his eyes closed and passed out, no idea if he'll wake up in the same spot or not.

A/N: Hope you like, Hiccup is going through a lot isn't he? He didn't want to kill again but it was unavoidable and necessary for him otherwise it would have been over. Now his mind is being plagued with thoughts and emotions and isn't sure how to sort through them. But now he's asleep, and is helpless if anyone comes across him. What happens? I can't say or it'll be a spoiler. Meanwhile Dagur is realizing Hiccup could be dangerous and is steeping things up. That and taunting Toothless, something I expected him to do. Plus, it's good getting the dragon's thoughts on the situation. Still I hope this chapter was good for you all. Once again if you have any comments feel free to ask and let me know how i'm doing. Till next time.