Chapter Two: A Familiar Danger
"Woooh!" Ruffnut cheered loudly, seeing several fires lighting up Berserker Village.
"Let's get this party started!" Tuffnut shouted, pumping his fists as he was staring at the potential mayhem they could start.
After spending the day at the paradise of an island, the reunited gang made their way back to Berserker Island, where the real celebration was to start. Arriving at the twilight hours of the day, all the Riders were welcomed warmly, knowing the role they played in Heather's and Dagur's lives; as well as stopping the Shellfire that had destroyed their home to begin with. On top of that, everyone was under the impression that Hiccup Haddock was the literal brother to their Skrill Master, Matt Haddock.
"Brother! Er, brothers!" Dagur laughed out loud, seeing both Matt and Hiccup walk up to him. Grabbing them with both arms, he squeezed them in a massive hug.
"Hey, Dagur." Hiccup groaned, feeling choked at the given affection.
"Heather didn't beat you up too bad, did she Matt?" He continued to ask.
"Nah. No more than usual." He laughed, shaking his head as he turned to see Heather swarmed by villagers. "I know that she doesn't like all the attention, but it feels good to spoil her a little bit."
"Hah! Right?" Dagur laughed.
"Agh! Matt! Dagur! Anyone! Help!"
Smiling they all turned to see the crowd carry Heather towards a raised platform with seats and tables, with food laid out all over. It was clear she wasn't liking all the attention.
"Come on! Hiccup, you and your friends have a special spot with us! We want you to know we appreciate you guys too!"
Hiccup tried to argue with the offer. "That's not need-"
Matt then grabbed Hiccup by his shoulders and pushed him forward. "Come on, can't say no to a chief. Right, Dagur?"
Laughing, Dagur nodded with his usual insane look. "Your dragons are all being taken care of too! We have a special place for them!"
Hiccup turned to see Toothless, as well as all the other dragons including Wasatch and Windshear, being coaxed to a building that looked similar to the hanger at Dragon's Edge, making him smile at the mimicry.
"Yeah, we might have taken some of your ideas." Matt replied, seeing him inspect the building. "Why fix that which is already perfect?"
Shaking his head, Hiccup, along with everyone else, took their places on the stand. With Dagur at the center of the table, then Heather and Matt on his right, then Hiccup and Astrid on his left. The other dragon riders sat where they could at the table, though the twins were nowhere to be seen. As they sat down, the celebration officially began. People were parading flags and pictures of Skrills, Razorwhips, Night Furies, the Berserker crest, and any other design they thought that would be appropriate for the occasion.
"Ugh…did I tell you how much I hate being the center of attention?" Heather whispered, seeing a drawing of her, Dagur, and Matt being paraded on a banner made up by some kids.
"More than a couple of times. That's just today!" Matt laughed, helping himself to some pie being placed in front of him. "Relax, Heather. Do you know how much hope you brought here since you decided to stay? Think about it, the long lost daughter of their previous chief returns."
"Wasatch and Teton brought more hope than I ever will." She grumbled, thanking a villager serving her another helping of yak steaks.
"Because of you. Everyone knows that. I would have stayed with Hiccup back at the Edge if it hadn't been for you." He countered. "Besides, let them spoil you a little. It's the first time in a long time they've had a real reason to celebrate. It's good for them."
Shaking her head, she turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-oh. I know that look." He teased.
"Have you ever had this much attention before?" She asked. "You know, before you came to live here?"
Matt smiled at the question. "Well…yeah. I guess I have had something similar. It was after my first real competition snowboarding. It was a half-pipe run. Let's just say that…I won by a large margin. Near perfect run."
Heather smiled as she listened. Honestly, she didn't know a whole lot about him and his life before deciding to be a Dragon Rider. Mainly due to Darien blowing up his cave.
"The organization that set up the competition, put on a huge celebration after. Doesn't mean anything to you now, but it was a group called Red Bull. They're known to put on some intense competitions and such. It was a whole night of music, partying, girls, anything you could think of. Since I won the event, I was kind of the center of the entire party." He continued to list. "They had everything you needed to make it a live night. Including drinks too, though I was still underage."
"Underage?"
"We had laws that prohibit people from drinking alcohol before a certain age. Nothing like here."
"You really did come from a different world." She muttered, kind of taken off by the rule of not being allowed to drink.
"It wasn't that big of a deal for me. I didn't drink to begin with." He defended. "Thought it'd affect me with boarding. Anyways, in answer to your question, yeah. I was celebrated like this a couple of times. There was a reason why I was sort of famous."
Smiling, she then looked over the crowd of people, eating, laughing, dancing; or in the twins case, using Barf and Belch to set things on fire. Everyone did look happy to be celebrating. If Matt was right about one thing, it was that.
"Hey Matt…I meant to ask you this earlier."
Both Matt and Heather turned to Hiccup, who was looking over at them.
"What happened with Teton? Is he recovered yet from the Shellfire he took?"
Matt's face slightly fell at the subject as Heather instantly rested her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Yeah. He's definitely better. It's just…"
Hiccup and Astrid looked at him with concern, unsure of what he was going to say.
"You know how Toothless is permanently injured with his tail? Well, Tetons' got something similar. He'll never really be the same again. Part of his right wing is…well it was burned off. He can still fly; he just can't do what Wasatch does. He's a lot slower now and can't turn as sharp."
"I'm sorry, Matt…" Hiccup whispered, standing out from his seat and walking over to him.
"It's alright. He's enjoying the pampered life of being treated as a god." Matt quickly replied with a somewhat forced smile. "In fact, believe it or not, he and Dagur are getting along. He helps Dagur by walking with him."
"It's true! Teton likes to see the village." Dagur quickly added, smiling at the thought. "He gets some extra attention when he's with me, and it helps add some legitimacy to me being chief."
"I'm glad to hear he's still able to funciton." Hiccup commented. "And that he still has a purpose and is at least enjoying life."
"More than you know!" Heather cut in, laughing. "Wasatch hasn't really cared to be a symbol for our tribe. He's only cared about being with Matt. Teton helps fill that void. Honestly, it's probably the best scenario we could have hoped for!"
"Which is good for me." Matt replied, chugging a drink as he also stood up. "So long as he's happy, I'm happy. I guess I'll be happier when we end Darien though."
"Ah! Lady Heather and Master Matt! As well as all the noble riders! What a surprise!"
Shocked at the hail, everyone turned to see Trader Johann walking up to them with a wide smile.
"Johann! How's it going, buddy?" Dagur laughed, standing up to welcome their guest.
"Very well, Chief Dagur." He replied with a warm smile. "I was coming here to trade with you and your people, but it seems that's the last thing they want to do."
"Yup! It's my sister's nineteenth birthday!" He explained loudly.
"Truly?" Johann gasped, seeing Heather stand up and face him.
Heather nodded sheepishly, still not liking all the attention.
"Then let me bear you a gift for this momentous occasion!" He laughed, opening up a pouch and digging through it. "I found these gems as I was passing through the Britannic Islands. Rumors say they have beaches of these precious jewels! Which is just ridiculous. But they were more common than some would believe…"
Heather gasped as he grabbed her hand and forced it open. Placing a small diamond and two emeralds, he then closed her hand around them. "I can't take these!" She argued, trying to hand them back.
"But you must! It's my gift to you!" He laughed, forcing her to hold onto them. "Use them for yourself, or sell them to help your people!"
"…thank you…" She whispered, shocked at the gift. Matt smiled as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a hug.
"That was most generous, Johann." Dagur called out with a wide smile. "Help yourself with anything you need to resupply and repair your ship! In fact, join us in our celebration!"
"Aye, I might have to! I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to trade with your people." He answered. Bowing to Heather, he then turned to Hiccup. "Master Hiccup, if I may steal you and Matt for a moment…"
"Of course. What's going on?" He asked, surprised at the request.
"It involves the late Dragon Hunters, I'm afraid…"
Gasping, Hiccup turned to Matt, who caught his frantic look. Letting Astrid stand next to Heather to observe the gems, he then walked over to him. "Hiccup? Johann?" He whispered.
"Shh. Shh. I don't want to spoil the night for everyone. It would be a shame to stop celebrating the blessing that Heather has been in our lives." Johann whispered. Guiding them away from the platform, and the celebration, he finally stopped and squared up with them.
Hiccup was the first to ask. "What's going on, Johann?"
"I'm afraid your old nemesis, Darien, is back to her tricks again…" He whispered with a terrified expression.
This was the first that either of them had heard anything about Darien since their adventure at Thariin. Now even more alert, they simply listened to the warning.
"I'm…I'm afraid that she's rebuilding what is left of Viggo's empire."
"Do you know where she is?" Matt pressed.
Shaking his head, Johan quickly replied. "I do not. Though she has changed the Hunters quite a bit. From their crests, to their purpose. She actually helping islands and giving a portion of their gold to those that were razed by dragons."
"Making them look like good guys…" Hiccup growled.
"But there's something far worse than that, and the reason why I needed to talk to you alone." Johann whispered, shifting his eyes around nervously. "And it involves our dear friend Heather directly."
Matt and Hiccup's heads bolted upright, not liking the tone or topic.
Johann, very reluctantly, pulled out a folded paper. Handing it to Matt specifically, he quietly added. "I'm afraid it's not good…"
Unfolding the paper, Matt's stomach instantly twisted as he saw its contents.
There, in charcoal writing and a rough drawing, was Heather.
"A bounty?!" Hiccup hissed, shocked at the sight.
"I'm afraid so, Master Hiccup. There's no explanation as to why, other than she's wanted alive."
"Twelve-hundred gold pieces too." Matt growled, crumpling up the paper with a quite anger. Staring into nothing, he then asked. "How long has the bounty been out?"
"I'm afraid I don't know. But if I recall what happened to you and Hiccup…you were both taken during a celebration similar to this, were you not?"
Matt's and Hiccup's face paled. Whirling around, they could see that all the Riders were surrounding her, observing her gifts, with Snotlout trying to convince her he had a much better gift.
"We need to leave." Matt growled. "We both know from experience what happens if we don't head warnings like this."
"Thanks, Johann. You saved us a nightmare." Hiccup whispered.
"Of course, Master Hiccup. I'm glad to be of some assistance." He bowed, backing away. "Now…I might go help myself to some of the food here! It'd be a shame to not take advantage of such hospitality!"
Matt only nodded, staring at the crumpled paper in his hand. "Hiccup, can Heather and I go back to the Edge with you? At least, until we get a plan?"
"I was about to force you two to come with us. Come on, let's get our dragons."
The two instantly began to approach the rest of the Riders, peering for anyone that looked suspicious. Grabbing Heather by her arm, Matt then pulled her away. "Come on, we need to go."
"Wh-what? What are you talking about?" She asked, shocked at the force he had grabbed her with.
Turning to everyone, he showed them the crumpled paper. "She's got a bounty on her. And I'm not waiting to see if anything happens. I learned my lesson with that. So we're leaving right now!"
Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout all nodded, understanding to well why Matt was acting that way. Astrid herself drew her axe and started to walk ahead, while Snotlout stood on the other side of Heather to help escort her.
"Are you sure, Matt?" Heather gasped, staring at the drawing of herself.
"Even if it's a rouse, I'm not taking a chance. Come on." He growled, pulling her along to the hanger. "Dagur, we're going the Edge. Send a Terror Mail if you learn of anything, or need help."
"Trust me, brother. I'll be fine." Dagur growled, walking with them. "Just make sure she stays safe!"
Heather shook off the shock. Breaking away from Matt, she too drew her axe, ready to fight anyone that'd confront her or her friends. "I don't get it, why me? Why not Dagur? Why not you?"
"Because you're the sister to the chief." Matt huffed.
"It's true." Hiccup replied, turning to Heather. "I can't tell you how many times I was used to threaten my dad by other chiefs that didn't like his decisions or choices. Nothing came of it since I ride Toothless, but you're in a more dangerous position than Dagur. If they capture you, they control the Berserkers."
Matt then spoke up. "Which explains the reason to have you alive."
Heather gritted her teeth. The fact that someone, no not someone, that Darien placed a bounty on her, made her rage silently. Matt might have a little competition in who ends her first.
Matt himself couldn't help but think of the same thing. Why would Darien put a bounty on her? As the party slowly died down the closer they moved to the hanger, he couldn't help but feel that this was personal. She was trying to hurt him by attacking those he cared about.
As the group arrived to the hanger, with the party now a distorted, incoherent noise, Dagur froze in place. "Where're all the guards and people? Didn't you assign anyone to take care of the dragons, Matt?"
Matt's heart stopped. He knew exactly what was happening. They walked right into a trap! "I did actually…"
"Well…I knew they'd walk right into our hands. You Riders are still the same fools I've grown to expect."
Everyone turned around to see a group of seven men, all bearing vicious looking weapons, being swords, spears, axes, and bows. The apparent leader though, made everyone flush in anger.
Savage.
"Well, can't say we didn't think you'd be trying to leave!" He lauded over them. "Now…before it has to get messy, why don't you surrender to us, Heather? Otherwise your friends and dragons..." He smiled evilly as he drew his finger across his neck to finish his statement.
No one said anything as they squared up to them, while Hiccup and Snotlout ran to the door of the hanger.
Savage simply smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't open that-"
Too late. As both Hiccup and Snotlout opened the doors, a flood of purple smoke rushed out, overwhelming both of them.
"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, seeing him collapse, as did Snotlout.
"You think I'm fool enough to let your dragons be? I flooded the hanger with Dragon Root gas!" Savage snarled, his cheerful demeanor being replaced with that of anger. "Now, give yourself up, and we won't kill all of you! I'm already annoyed, so I wouldn't push it!"
"I wouldn't push your luck, Savage." Matt growled, stepping next to Heather and acting like a shield for her. "You don't have a great track record when it comes to trying to beat us."
Savage's eyes narrowed at him. "Says the man who is a cripple thanks to me and Alvin…"
Matt's heart began to beat a hundred miles an hour, pumping his boiling blood. He wanted nothing more than to end the idiot in front of him.
"Now…like I was saying, Heather. Give up and make it easy for me, or I'll simply get rid of any reason for you to stay here." Savage snarled, waving his hand as a signal.
Three men then drew their bows, aimed at Astrid, Matt, and Dagur, while two with maces started to approach Fishlegs.
Glancing at all her friends, Heather knew what she was going to do. Tossing her axe down, she then raised her hands. "Then you won't hurt them?"
"Of course!"
"Heather! Stop!" Astrid shouted, not believing that she was giving in so quickly.
Ignoring her, she stepped towards the bounty hunters. "Seems too familiar, Savage…you capturing me…"
"No, you're wrong!" He laughed, holding up a pair of metal shackles. "I was trying to get Matt and Hiccup last time, and I ended up with you. However, this time no one will rescue you. And I still want to take your leg. The bounty says alive, not maimed."
"Matt, why aren't we trying to stop them?!" Astrid whispered, looking at him frantically. "We're just letting them get away?!"
"They're not going anywhere." He growled, looking up at the central mountain high above them. "Heather knows what she's doing."
Confused, she looked up to see what he was staring at, trying to see what he was seeing.
After Heather let her wrists get shackled behind her, she turned to smirk at Matt. "Think that's enough of a reason for him to rage?"
Savage looked at her with confusion, and then to Matt.
"Yup. Teton, now!" Matt roared, grabbing Astrid and leaping to the side. Dagur also grabbed Fishlegs, hurling them both to the other side.
All Savage could see was a blinding flash of bright light and heard a thunderclap that almost made him deaf. Stumbling at the shaking and sudden shockwave, he looked up to see what happened. He was terrified as he saw exactly what arrived. A large, lightning-lit dragon was standing right where Matt, Dagur, and the others were!
"Right, something I failed to mention." Matt scrambling back to his feet and helping Astrid up. "Teton doesn't stay in the hanger. He lives on the mountain so he can watch over everything. Since you 'captured' Heather, he now knows you're not a friend. So…you just pissed off a lightning storm that can hurl lightning at you."
The titan-wing Skrill screeched in a frenzy, looking like something that came from a nightmare. His scales were still charred from the Shellfire blast he took, and he was littered with scars and minor deformities. His right wing was missing about a foot off the tip, being reduced to a charred stub. His wings were torn and ripped up, being a miracle that he could even fly to begin with. The most haunting image though, was his glowing white eyes; his signature expression of telling everyone he was going to kill.
Panicking, Savage saw Heather had collapsed on the ground, having lost her balance with the dragon's arrival, to which he reached and grabbed her by the shackles binding her arms together and behind her. "Urgh…come on! Gagh! Protect me! I got Heather!" He screamed, turning to run away and pulling Heather behind him.
"Teton! Deal with the men!" Matt roared, seeing Savage still pull Heather along. "I'll get Heather!"
"I'm right with you, Matt!" Astrid shouted, running with him.
"Go, brother! I'll help Hiccup and Snothat! We'll get our dragons up!"
As Matt and Astrid chased after Savage, one of his men stood in front of them to stop them. Teton screeched something so loud and haunting, that even the celebration far below had temporarily stopped. With lightning running up and down his back, he fired a bolt of lightning, striking the man and blasting him out of the way for Matt and Astrid.
Savage checked his grip on Heather, who was fighting him every step of the way. Seeing Matt and Astrid making ground on him, he grit his teeth and jerked her along.
"Ugh! You're just fighting against your fate!" Heather shouted, trying to fight back.
Having enough of Heather's resistance, he swung his axe at her, striking her in the head with the flat side.
"Ugh…" She groaned as she fell limp.
Heaving her onto his shoulder, he then bolted towards the docks, running in-between certain villagers still celebrating and unsure of what was going on.
"Gah! He's going for the docks!" Matt roared, now feeling a fury inside himself after seeing Savage knock Heather out. "Where are the twins?!"
"Blowing up something probably! Come on! He's still slower than us!" Astrid shouted, pushing her way through the crowd.
The two bolted through the ever-shifting crowd, slowly making gains on Savage who was also struggling with the celebrating villagers.
"Out of the way!" He bellowed, pushing over a stack of barrels to act as a obstacle. He was getting closer to the docks, all he had to do was get to his ship!
Arriving at the barrels, Astrid nimbly leaped up some nearby crates and skipped past the tipped over barrels. Matt bit his lip as he jumped over the fallen barrels, already knowing the consequence of doing so. As he landed, his leg lit up with the expected pain. "Gah! Not now!" He roared, trying to ignore the needle-like pain that ran up his leg. "I'm going to kill you, Savage!"
Savage didn't hear him. Now on the docks, he could see his ship! He was going to make it! He could easily hold off Astrid and Matt from getting on his ship as he let it drift away! Just as he rounded a corner to run down the actual dock that his ship was moored on, his face fell in horror as a bright, orange flash erupted in front of him.
"Woooh! Now this is a party!"
Whirling around, he saw the twins flying their Zippleback, having lit a large track of gas on fire! An entire picture of Heather lit up the night sky, at least, and attempted portrait of her, which brought cheering from the celebrating villagers. However, due to the nature of the twins, the ships in the docks had all their sails erupt into fire, with how low some of the gas was.
"No!" He cried out. Turning around, he saw Astrid, followed up by Matt, square up to him. Astrid spun her axe, while Matt flipped open his pocket knife.
"Give it up, Savage!" Matt growled. "Dagur will give you a fair trial. So, don't give us more of a reason to put you down!"
"No! You'll find me a ship so I can leave!" He roared, spinning Heather off his shoulder. Holding her up, he held his axe at her limp hanging head. "Or she dies!"
Matt and Astrid held their ground, not giving him an avenue to escape. "Why does she even have a bounty? Who placed it on her?!"
Savage began to let a low sinister laugh out. "You really don't know how bounty hunters work. We don't ask questions! I have no idea who put the bounty on her, or why! I found the bounty from a trader! I only care about getting paid!"
"You should care about other things. Like your health, your life. You know, the essentials." Matt growled taking a step closer to him.
"Nope! Stop right there!" He shouted, pressing the axe's edge against Heather's neck.
"Matt, back off. We need a plan." Astrid whispered, gently pulling him back.
"…I got one…" He growled just as quietly. Very slowly, he flipped the knife in his hand so he was holding the blade. Taking a step back, he watched Savage ease up slightly, giving him a perfect opportunity. Flinging the knife, he drilled it right into Savage's exposed shoulder.
"Gah!" He roared, stumbling back as the knife sank into him.
Astrid instantly responded to Matt's sudden plan. Sprinting at Savage, she tackled and laid him out on the dock, forcing him to let go of Heather, who fell on the dock.
"Grrgh! Get off!" Savage roared.
Astrid simply smirked at him, pinning him down. "Hmmm…nah." At that, she did exactly what he did to Heather. Raising her axe, she slammed it down on his head and rendered him unconscious.
Matt was already busy looking over Heather, checking her head. Despite a small trickle of blood from where she was hit, she seemed to be alright.
"Here, let me help you out." Astrid grunted, kneeling next to him. Using the key she liberated from Savage, she unlocked the shackles and tossed them into the water.
"Hey, what happened to Heather?"
Turning, both Matt and Astrid saw the twins sitting atop of their dragon, hovering above them.
"You guys were brilliant!" Matt shouted, smiling at them. "How did you know how high to do that explosion?"
Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked at each other, unsure of what he was talking about. "Uh…wanna explain what you mean?" Tuffnut asked, turning back to Matt with a raised eyebrow.
"Never mind that, why wasn't your dragon in the hanger?" Astrid followed up with, helping Matt lift Heather up.
"We can't have a party without Barf and Belch! They're key to anything we do to liven up the mood!"
Looking at each other, both Matt and Astrid shook their heads. "Just take care of Savage for us, 'kay?" Matt grunted, supporting Heather as he began to walk back.
Shrugging, the twins swooped down and grabbed Savage, flying away with him.
"Guess this means we're going on another adventure." Matt huffed. "Was hoping for something less dramatic than this."
"Yeah? Well I guess I can say cheer up! We all learned about it at the same time." Astrid replied, putting on a sheepish smile. "Just a reason for you two to come back and live with us!"
"I guess as good as any." He replied, looking at Heather with concern.
"So…where did you learn to throw a knife like that? I remember when you could barely throw your hatchet last year."
"Heather and Dagur took some time to teach me how to fight. Not to mention the Berserker Guard. I'm a lot better even from when I left the Edge." He answered, checking his grip on Heather. "Let's just say that I bet I can rival you with throwing axes and other weapons."
"Guess that's a challenge! I'll set up a course when we get to the Edge." She laughed, liking the idea of having a new person to spar with.
Matt focused on holding Heather up as he let his mind wander. He couldn't help but think of the possibilities of what could happen in the future. There was still a bounty on Heather, and they still had no idea where Darien was. Shaking his head, he focused on getting Heather to her house, and then officially get ready to leave at day break.
The next morning after the eventful night, just as the sun was starting to peak over the ocean; the gang was all gathered at the hanger, getting their dragons ready for the trip back to the Edge.
"Urgh…where is he?" Heather growled, holding her bandaged head as she walked to Windshear.
"Who? Savage?" Matt asked, finishing up tightening the saddle bags for her. He had spent the entire evening getting packed up for both him and her, and wasn't going to let her do anything for herself.
"Yeah, I want to return the favor."
"Don't worry. Astrid did it for you." He laughed, backing away from Windshear.
"No I didn't." Astrid called out as she walked Stormfly to them. "I hit him twice as hard. I returned more than the favor."
"Explains why he couldn't see straight when he woke up." He teased, helping Heather on.
"Come on, guys. Let's get going." Hiccup called out, leading Toothless out of the hanger.
Making sure her saddle was secured, Heather let Windshear follow him. Waiting outside was Dagur and the rest of his council. Teton was also there, standing proudly behind Dagur and ensuring the area was safe.
"Well, sis…be careful! Until we find out who put the bounty on you, I suggest you don't stay in one place too long."
"We know who put it on me." She growled, shaking her head angrily. "Darien! That's who! The question is why…"
"We can theorize that on the way to the Edge." Matt called out walking Wasatch out. Wearing a white tunic and his snowboard pants, he smiled as everyone eyed the snowboard strapped to his backpack.
"It's the middle of summer, Matt." Astrid called out, shaking her head at the sight.
"Ah, but some islands have snow year round. I'm just being prepared." He teased, winking at her. Turning to Dagur, he then assured. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to her. We'll be sporadic and random with where we go. No one will be able to track us."
"Besides, it's not like I haven't done this before. I've been on the run most of my life." Heather added, looking at Dagur. "I know of a few islands that can hide me for a bit."
"Just be careful sis…" Dagur replied with a worried expression. "I'll be having our scouts sail to different islands just to try and find anything related to Darien and her Hunters."
"Don't worry, Dagur. We won't let anything happen to her if we can help it." Hiccup then assured. "Just like before."
Dagur smiled, knowing Hiccup would keep his word, as would Matt. "Then I suggest you get a move on, Hiccup! It's still a long flight to Dragon's Edge!"
Nodding, Hiccup then launched into the air, followed by everyone else.
Matt, who stayed behind to make sure everyone took off without issues, turned to Dagur and Teton. "Take care of each other, alright?"
"You got it brother!"
Teton roared loudly, flapping his wings to acknowledge the order from his former rider.
Smiling as he pulled down his goggles, he let Wasatch surge into the air and catch up to Toothless. Lining himself up with Hiccup, he then called out to him. "So…do you need me to tell you that Heather and I aren't planning on sitting around doing nothing?"
"Nope. Already assumed that. Especially when Heather suggested she was going to be hiding." He replied with a wide smile. "That didn't even sound like you."
"Good. You do know us." Heather shouted, obviously ticked off about the situation. "When I find Darien…"
"You'll have to kill her before me." Matt replied, turning to face her.
"I still don't get it. A bounty is something Viggo would have done. In fact, something he did do." Fishlegs commented. "Darien has more of a…"
"Dagur style approach?" Heather suggested.
Fishlegs nodded sheepishly. "She likes to confront the problem. Not hide behind something and have others do her work."
"I think there's a lot we don't know about." Matt called out. "For all we know, this might be Zekir's idea with getting back at me. I almost killed Darien, and he probably thinks if he gets Heather, he can hurt me the same as I did to him. But it doesn't matter. Nothing matters until we find them."
"Which I have an idea." Hiccup announced. "Tomorrow, we're going to the Northern Markets."
"Fishing for some idea and rumors?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow at the revelation.
"And to see where the bounty came from." He added. "If Darien is getting more active with her Hunters, then that's the place where we can learn what she's doing and possibly where she is. Plus the fact if she put the bounty out from there."
Matt nodded in agreement. Kneeling down to crouch on Wasatch, he gently rubbed the Skrill's head. "You and me bud. We're going to end this nightmare. Darien won't slip away again…right?"
Wasatch snarled, knowing full well what Matt was talking about. Darien was someone the dragon had learned to hate. Not just from being told by Matt, but from experience. Letting lightning arc from spike to spike, he silently told Matt that he wasn't going to fail in their mission.
Sorry for the long, past-due update. Sadly, as I said in the last chapter, I'm not going to be able to update as frequent as I'd like. Today (Being the 5th of March) I just finished a major accounting test, and man it feels so good to be able to breathe!
I hope it was an enjoyable chapter, and one that kind of sets the premise of the story. Hope all is well with everyone! 'Till I see/read/hear from you again!
-Dustnblood