Chapter 6 Revelations II
NO! he yelled internally as he's been, once again, fooled by Tyrad. The fake blade was there to force him to do something crazy to deliver his friends. Hiccup dropped to his knee, crushed by despair, overwhelmed by failure
During that time, the rest of the riders took the opportunity to run towards their dragons. But Eir was quicker. He took out two pairs of small bolas and swing them with deadly accuracy at Fishleg and Tuffnut feet. The two targeted Viking suddenly felt their ankles being tight together and fell forward, hands placed forward just enough to brace the impact. Eir then pulled out another bola, larger this time, and threw it at Ruffnut, catching her by the waist and pinned her hands. Snotlout managed to get to Hookfang and was ready to charge at the guard, but something hit the back of his knee, making his right leg collapsed and he fell just in front of the guard. He looked up awkwardly before the guard place a foot on his back before hauling him up, arms locked behind him.
Astrid, moving the quickest, had already managed to knock the guard of Stormfly cold in a blast of fury by leaping on him, tackling him to the ground before rolling back up and kicked him in the face. But as she was going to pull the muzzle off Stormfly, she saw a silver ray pass in front of her and lodging itself into the wooden pillar. She threw herself backward on reflex, only for her ankle the meet a boot, dropping her to her knees. In a blink, her arms were twisted above her. She looked to where the projectile was lodged and saw a Razorwhip spike, before looking back and saw Eir behind her.
Meanwhile, Tyrad reacted quicker than a dragon. He spun around and managed to catch two of the three spikes but wasn't quick enough to drop one to catch the third. The last spike scraped his palm, leaving a deep red mark on the inside. During all this time, Hiccup was frozen on the ground, looking void.
Tyrad growled in anger, muttering something like "weak" under his breath before yelling, as he unclasped the strange hide acting as his armguards and taking out a vial from his belt, using the sharp corner of the bottle to cut a small wound on his inner arm before pouring the antidote to Nadder poison into it.
"Anchor them" he ordered and Magnus and Eir quickly got to work as another guard took position behind Astrid to immobilize her.
They went into the wood before returning with five thick strips of metal, about a palm wide, with two end bend downwards and a hole in each end. Five crosses like shape with straps on the mid-section and a handful of short metal bars. One by one, they put the riders in a kneeling position, before placing the strip of metal hard just between the bend of their knee and their calf and hammered in a metal bar in each hole. The metal strip was crashed on their calf, effectively pinning them. Then, the Headless hammered the cross against their back, between their legs and attached their arm to the arms of the cross. Magnus and Eir worked effectively, and soon they got to Astrid, but Tyrad stopped them before they got the cross behind her.
Feeling incredibly vulnerable, the five pinned Hooligans looked towards Hiccup and only saw him dumbfounded. Tyrad gestured Magnus, and the tall Viking went by Hiccup and slapped him out of his though. Hiccup blinked a few times before he literally got lifted up and placed on the chair.
"Once again, you did a stupid decision," Tyrad said, "And now, you WATCH!" before he turned towards Stormfly and growled. "Bring me the whip."
Two guards promptly faded into the woods before returning with a wooden barrel, sealed with a hole in the lid that was filled by a handle. With infinite precautions, they removed the lid by separating the two parts and carefully laid the handle on the side. Said handle was continued by a large round guard, just like the ones commonly found on a sword.
"You shot me three-time, dragon; you will be whipped three times," Tyrad said to Stormflly before pulling out the whip. It was layered with a series of thin, slightly curved spikes and coating in a dark red, almost brown substance. "This whip is laid with Razorwhip tail scales and covered in a mix of Scorchberry and Gronckle blood."
"No, not the Scorchberry." Fishleg gasped, so terrified that the dragon-lover he was, overlooked the Gronckle blood.
"Fishleg, not helping, "Hiccup said
"You seemed to know what they are," Tyrad said, mentioning Fishleg. "How about you enlighten your friends?" he added with a menacing tone.
"Uhhh, legends say that Scorchberry burns fifty times stronger than the fire of the Fireworm queen, and mixed with Gronckle blood, makes the juice thicker, coating more." Fishleg said in a small voice before realizing the horror that this torture weapon was "YOU MONSTER" he yelled.
Everyone gasped at the fact, but Tyrad only chuckled and without warning, Tyrad whipped Stormfly, the spikes leaving a deep cut on her side and legs. Stormfly only whimpered in the pain of the initial blow, but that was all.
"And it takes time to act" Fishleg added in a smaller voice.
As the husky Viking's word were orders, Stormfly started to whimper in pain again, jerked furiously again her chains. This went on for a moment before she collapsed onto herself, eyes closed, and cries of pain fading slowly.
"Stormfly" Yelled Astrid. "Stormfly, are you alright girl?" She pleaded "Stormfly, can you hear me?" The Nadder opened a tired eye and crooned softly. Tyrad armed the whip again, ready to deliver the second blow.
"Wait" Astrid yelled, "I'll take the punishment for her."
"Astrid, no" Yelled Hiccup but she remained deaf to his shouts.
"I can't let you hurt her. She is unique to me. I'll take the next two whips for her. Please." She lowered her head.
"You will have done the same for Toothless" she replied, promptly shutting him off, before speaking to Tyrad again." Do it."
"Astrid, don't" Hiccup yelled one more time,
Tyrad walked towards her "Raised your arm above your head, and keep them there. If they are lowered, I will whip your dragon to death."
Astrid reluctantly raised her arms above her head and joined hands for more stability.
"I'm ready," she said, closing her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the blow.
The waiting was painfully long, every time she suspecting the blow to be delivered, it didn't come. And then suddenly, she heard air being sliced and sharp pain ran through her whole body. Tyrad didn't just whip her. He made a circular motion with his arm, making the whip draped around her two times before lashing onto her arm, awfully close to her eyes. Tyrad pulled on the whips, and another jolt of sharp pain shot through her body. The spikes left bright, red marks across her back, abdomen and arm and they were coated with a significant portion of Scorchberry juice. The liquid was irritating, and the spots on her arms being awfully closed to her face were making her eyes watery.
But she didn't yell out in pain, she just endured it. And as the sharp pain was starting to fade, she just waiting for the inevitable burning that will follow.
It started mildly, like a gentle touch, but that quickly evolved into a spark, then the whole fire. She was already swallowing cries of pain when the burn was reaching the ones of hot metal applied to bare skin. And it continued to raise. She now felt that her flesh was consummating itself in trails of smoke. Sweat began to trailed down her face, each drop taking away a bit of the Night Fury saliva that covered her wound and moisten it. And the pain became insupportable. She let out guttural, soft cries of pain. And her arms started to tremble from all the pain. I have to stay strong for Stormfly She repeated to herself Stay strong for Stormfly. The words were acting like waves of coolness but it wasn't enough. As the burn reached its apex, she felt her whole soul, her very being was one fire. Stormfly. Her mantra was now reduced to only the names of her dragon in almost inaudible gasps. Stormfly.
And tears started to pearl out of her eyes. They trailed down her cheeks, each one with a different fate. Some combined themselves with sweat, others wandered down her chin and dropped into the grass. Others disappeared into the wound on her cheek, as the protecting cover of dragon saliva had been washed away. All, until one lonely tear was being tired of being oppressed within a dark place, alone. Pearling from the corner of her eyes, dancing along the slope of her nose and traveled over the round, red mount of her cheek, before jumping over the red canyon, where he found a partner. Glistening over bright red flesh, that lonely tear trembled with joy at the sight of his companion. He didn't care about the difference, he just wanted to combine himself to it, joyous of being relieved from his loneliness. Taking within his embrace to continue his trip was a drop of blood.
Hiccup's mind went blank when he saw the diamond drop morphing into ruby. In a blink, he was transported into the world painted by the golden brush, where the two ocean blue eyes cried blood that spelled 'you never could'.
"Remarkable," Tyrad said "such strength, as if had its source in the dragon, mixing it with your own fighter spirit. Impressive. What a unique feature. Just like Hiccup, you have something that no one else has."
Just like something no one else has These words were said before to himself, Hiccup though. His mind trailed back to the very beginning of his life, how he met Toothless, to his conversation with Grim. And everything clicked.
Hiccup jerked of the chair before dropping to his knee.
"It's me that you want. You want my dragon training skill. And you get a Night Fury as an added bonus." He yelled
"Took you long enough," Tyrad said cheekily.
"You have my loyalty, just give me the cure for that thing. I know you have it."
"I don't want your loyalty, I want Your oath, a blood oath from you," Tyrad shouted.
The Blood oath, Hiccup recalled, a relic from the path, born from war, made for war. More than a simple oath, it was witnessed by the gods. If Hiccup remembered correctly, it disappeared around the last Headless invasion.
"Fine, but you will let them go and leave Berk alone."
"You have a deal," Tyrad said. Before writing on a piece of parchment the content of the oath. "Coat your hand with your blood and placed it on the bottom page."
Hiccup glanced at the parchment, seeing that it was exactly what was previously said. His forever loyalty to Tyrad, for the freedom of his friend and Berk. If he were to break it, the Headless were in right to slaughter, enslave every single Viking that was on Berk, and he can't even kill himself or die willingly in a battle to escape it, as it was also considered to be breaking the oath. Hiccup grabbed the whip that was laid on the floor and closed his fist around it, hard. Blood poured from the wound, coating his hand, and he pressed his palm against the parchment, sealing the oath.
Tyrad rolled the parchment and put it back in a pocket before tossing over a small jar. Hiccup opened and saw a white, creamy substance. He first put a bit on his burning palm and the sensation of coolness was immediate. He dipped his fingers into it and started to rub it against Astrid's wound.
"It's not worth it." She managed to say as the cure was taking the pain away "I'm not worth it."
"Shh, you're worth everything to me, Astrid." Hiccup replied softly, "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you, I never did, and never could."
"Hiccup, this is a mistake, my mistake, I shouldn't force you down on the Lures, if only I listened to you, none of it would have happened. And we wouldn't be here."
"No Astrid, it was my mistake. If I listened to Viggo. None of it would have happened. Not killing Grim was my mistake, overworking myself if my mistake. Hel, even shooting down Toothless was my mistake. But I know for one thing that wasn't a mistake, well, at least one that I would never regret, is falling in love with you."
Astrid eyes widened by the statement, but Hiccup pulled himself apart. "Now what?" he asked.
"Now you prove me your loyalty."
"How?"
"Satisfy me," Tyrad said.
Hiccup eyes looked around, trying to find something that would show his loyalty, without physically hurting his friends. His eyes darted around when he remembered something that Astrid told him a couple of days ago. He knelt in front of Tyrad and presented his two hands without saying a word. Tyrad placed his dagger into the opened palm. The weapon was a lot heavier than he expected, and for a brief moment, he considered attacking Tyrad, but he quickly suppressed the urge, as he was already bound by the oath, and it will be another stupid decision. He had seen how fast Tyrad reacted and decided that he was no match.
Hiccup went back and knelt in front of Astrid. His fingers fumbling around her neck until they found a thin rope. Astrid's eyes darted in realization. Was he really going to do this? She though
"Hiccup, don't do this please" she pleaded
"I have to, so you can go free. I'm sorry." Hiccup answered heavily, making clear of the double-entendre.
"Then I'll go, I'll take your place. I also know how to train dragons." Astrid pleaded, scared as she understood the double meaning of Hiccup's sentence.
"No, Astrid, it has to be me."
"Please, Hiccup, don't go. Don't!" She shouted "You said that there would always be a Hiccup and Astrid, you said whatever we face, we will face it together. You PROMISED!"
Hiccup took a deep breath before saying. "Please forgive my selfishness, I'll make it up to you, if you'll allow it, in Valhalla."
Tears started to pour out of her eyes. "Hiccup don't" she begged guiltily, seeing that shouting at him "I shouldn't have forced you to stay on the Lures. It was my fault that everything happened. You were shot with that arrow because you saved me. And now I realized what breaking Toothless' tail fin meant." She looked up with big pleading eyes, only to see guilt within Hiccup's green gaze.
"It means that you were trying to protect me. Now I understand it. Be free Astrid." Hiccup said。
"No, it didn't mean that." Astrid said heavily, "it means that I have failed as your betrothed before, and know, I have failed as your second in command. So don't do this for me." She pleaded.
"For you, Milady, everything." Hiccup said before closing his eyes and used to dagger to cut the rope. It was harder than he expected, but after some attempt, the leather gave. He pulled out a silver circle, with elegant carvings on it. His betrothal gift to Astrid.
"Hiccup…" Astrid pleaded one last time but Hiccup had already walked to Tyrad and presented the necklace as a gift. He inspected it, looked at Astrid with her cheeks wet from tears, and nodded, handing the necklace back to Hiccup.
Magnus looked toward Tryad questionably, "Is this enough?"
"I trust those tears," Tyrad answered.
Hiccup looked at the necklace one last time, lowered his lips to kiss before turning around and threw it full force into the woods. The small silver circle vanished into the tree lines. Hiccup slammed his visor down and stood beside Tyrad, who gave him back his weapon.
"Starting now, you will be using your grief to consume others, or it will consume you," Tyrad said and Hiccup nodded. "You'll be my own Inferno." Before making a hand gesture. The guards freed the dragon riders and escorted them to their dragons. After they mounted up and their dragon freed from their restrain, Tyrad said to them
"Hiccup and I have concluded a deal, you are free to go."
Reluctantly, the dragon riders took off one by one, under the void gaze of their leader. In the air, Astrid tried to dive back down in a surprise attack: Stormfly launched a volley of spines at Tyrad but the Headless warrior stood still, and it was Toothless, under Hiccup instruction that blasted the spines. Astrid hovered there, blind to the weapons that were pointed at her, solely focused on Hiccup. But she was blocked up by his mask, only seeing two tan green eyes, eyes that were voided from that very spark of life.
"It seems that your little lover right here needs a little help," Tyrad said smugly.
Hiccup looked at him with murder in his eyes, but again, he had no other choices. With his heart heavy, he raised his hand before lowering it, and Toothless fired, the plasmablast exploding just beside Astrid. Dumbfounded, Astrid looked back and forth between Tyrad and Hiccup, before finally settling herself on those green eyes again. Plead was what she saw in them. Forcing tears back, she swallowed hard before turning Stormfly around. "Let's go, girl, back to Berk" she whispered to the Nadder.
When the dragons disappeared amidst the cloud, Tyrad nodded with satisfaction and said something that struck Hiccup in place.
"How was I?"
"Crazy, dangerous, psychopathic, almost like them, the base," Magnus replied
"A perfect incarnation of the role, if it wasn't for the warning beforehand, I think I'll be fooled," Eir said with a slight bow.
"So, all that craziness, it was an act?" Hiccup muttered out, slowly. One more time, he had been played like a doll in Tyrad's hand, and this time, it had cost him his freedom, his tribe, his friends, his love. He looked down, letting the taste of total defeat hit him like never-ending waves.
"I had to improvise a bit after our game," Tyrad said. The Headless laid a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "First rule of maces and talon?"
"Never show your emotion, as they translate into the way you play." Hiccup answered.
"Naïve" Tyrad chuckled "it's the other way around. It's how you play the game that reflects who you are. And from the very first step, I knew that you are someone who will risk everything for your friends. Hence all the little act, to keep you in the doubt."
"You knew they were my friends," Hiccup eyes widened "and you knew that I brought love on the battlefield. Let me guess, you knew this before we even met. How?" he asked, muttering the question through his teeth.
"I had someone who worked for Viggo that told us everything he knew about you little group of dragon riders when he heard the report about the ship that you attacked in the first place. But from him, I only knew who you fight. But it was enough to know that you wouldn't kill me." Tyrad paused. "Remember the traps I laid out?"
Hiccup nodded
"The three pins on one side and one on the other were to indicated that the west side would be clear. See? Everything that happened in the past few days was carefully orchestrated. And that was only knowing how you fight. But now, thanks to our little game of maces and talon, I know how you think. So, don't you try and cross me." Tyrad approached the auburn Viking. "Remember your oath."
" Yes," Hiccup grunted, looking down. "Sir" the word rolled painfully of his tongue with any last hope of escaping. He had been read like a book by this man. Only know he grasped the terrifying side of the Headless tribe. But, it was only one side of it.
"Please, call me Tyrad" the Viking replied.
"So, what do you want from me?"
Tyrad chuckled again "I want you to teach us how to tame and ride dragons."
