One Week Later

It has been a week since the battle and Hiccup was going on a trip with Johann. The trader was needing help with some cargo and asked for Hiccup's assistance. The Rider agreed and ordered the other Riders to remain with the Defenders of the Wing so they can reinforce the defenses with their other Allies on their way. Viggo may have destroyed the Northern ships, but he and Krogan were up to no good. Hiccup hoped that the Flyer would have gone back North and warn his boss of what happened here, but in reality, he was most likely getting the rest of the fleet. Viggo on the other hand would most likely try to find the King of Dragons himself to get an advantage over his enemies. As Hiccup strapped the last bag on, Heather walked behind him.

"Everything is ready. All defenses are on guard and we're adding more and more defenses." Heather reported as her Razorwhip Scale Armor glimmer in the sunlight.

"Okay, send a Terrible Terror if Krogan or Viggo attacks." Hiccup ordered as he jumped on Toothless's saddle.

"You got it. Just make sure you get back soon." Heather replied and Hiccup nodded. Toothless launched into the skies as they flew Southeast. To meet up with the trader.


One Day Later

"A pleasure to see you again Master Hiccup." Johann greeted as Hiccup and Toothless landed an old dock. Hiccup looked around to see a run down village.

"Where's the cargo?" Hiccup asked and Johann gave a nervous chuckle before rubbing the back of his neck.

"See Master Hiccup, the cargo is too heavy for me to move on my own and so it is in the middle of the island." Johann replied as Hiccup got off of Toothless.

"So that is why you need a dragon?" Hiccup remarked as the small group walked inland.

"I hope I'm not too much of a bother." Johann said in a soft voice and Hiccup put his hand on the trader's shoulder.

"You aren't Johann." Hiccup replied knowing the trouble the trader can get into and how the Riders got him out of it. As the group walked through the dark woods, a feeling of uneasiness came over the Viking. Toothless growled and Hiccup grabbed his sword. Before he could ignite it, a sharp pain struck his neck and the world went black.


Later That Day

Hiccup opened his eye to see that he was in an Iron cage with Toothless. The Dragon moaned as he rolled around. Hiccup looked at the surrounding area to see he was in an Hunter ship. He saw old weapons and dusty shelves. His sword, dagger, and shield were in the corner of the room. When he heard footsteps, Hiccup lay back down and closed his eyes to listen to any useful information that can get him answered and his freedom. When the door opened, he heard two men enter the room. One man banged something on the cage and Toothless moaned.

"What did you put in that dart?" Johann asked and Hiccup knew his suspicions were right. All the trouble the trader got himself in and the Riders nearly got killed saving him, was all a trick. Johann was a traitor and Hiccup fell for it. He gave too much trust in the trader. Now he was a captive to Johann and whoever he Allied himself with.

"The Rider should have been awakened by now." Krogan replied and Hiccup knew that the Flyer was planning to get revenge.

"Well he hasn't and we need him to be awake so we can get the location of the King of Dragons." Johann remarked and Hiccup knew why he was brought here. A crafty trap, which he needs to escape. Moments later, Toothless yelped and Hiccup kept his eyes closed and body limped. "How many more Dragon Root Arrows do we have left?"

"Enough." Krogan said as they walked out and closed the door. Hiccup stood up and walked to the gate to find a way of escape. The lock was a key lock which means he can't break it. It was clearly modified, which means that the lock will either be easy to bust down or difficult. Either way, he'll have one chance. So he grabbed a Monstrous Nightmare Gel canister from a pouch on his belt and emptied the small canister into the lock mechanism. As Hiccup emptied the canister, he heard the footsteps coming closer. He shoved the canister back in the pouch and pretended to be unconscious once more. When the door opened both men were arguing about coming back here so soon. Hiccup heard the gate shaking and tapping of the iron. Johann gave a short laugh.

"Monstrous Nightmare Gel. Nice try Dragon Champion but you can't fool me." Johann remarked and Hiccup opened his eyes. He stood up to see the traitor in the eye. "I'm sure you're surprised that I'm working with the Northern Alliance."

"Not surprised. Just wished I saw it sooner." Hiccup replied as Johann walked around the cage slowly.

"Where is the King of Dragons?"

"I don't know." Hiccup lied and Johann pulled a dagger from his sleeve.

"We both know that is a lie. You're not that good of a bluffer. Even if it is against Krogan." Johann remarked as he twirled the dagger in his hand. When he stopped walking, the traitor looked directly at the Rider. "Now tell me where is the King of Dragons is or say goodbye to Toothless."

Johann finished that question with strike the iron bars above Toothless with his daggers. The Viking studied the situation and knew he has few options. Refuse to tell them and lose his best friend. Tell them and lose everything. Escape wasn't an option yet. He had to make a decision quickly. No matter what he chooses, he losses everything. Johann lowed the dagger closer and closer to Toothless, reminding him of the little time he had left. Before the blade got to the last bar, he made his choice. "A cave on Berserker Island."

"Berserker Island. How amusing. I've been there hundreds of times and I was above the Dragon the whole time." Johann replied with a laugh. But he put his daggers back in his sleeves. The traitor turned to his fellow Hunter and they left Hiccup alone. The Viking ran to Toothless and tried to wake him up. As he shook the dragon, he saw that Johann disabled the mechanical fin, grounded the both of them to this ship. Hiccup raced to the lock and grabbed a flint and steel hidden in his shoe. He clicked both pieces together until the Nightmare Gel burst into flames. Hiccup felt the heat of the flames as he pulled his hands back into the cage. They were a little burned, but he'll be alright. He looked at the lock to see the flames burning and creating smoke. As far as ideas go this wasn't his best. But he was desperate at the time. As the room started to fill with smoke he looked around to see what he could use. Then several gusts of wind blew it out. Hiccup turned to see a weakened Toothless flapping his wings. The Rider rushed to his friend and helped the Night Fury up.

"You all right bud?" Hiccup asked and Toothless gave the Viking a smirk. The two looked at the gate and Hiccup grabbed a Zippleback Canister from his pouch and was willing to use a bigger explosion for the escape since Johann and Krogan know where the King of Dragons is. Before he unleashed the gas, he gathered some fabrics and sticks he could find to start a small fire to ignite the gas quickly. Once he was done, Hiccup walked over to the lock. He took a breath and opened the canister into the lock mechanism, then the latch before racing to the fire. When it ignited, Toothless gave him cover. from the explosion. When the Dragon moved its wing and the dust settled, the gate was still closed. Hiccup raced over and tried to push it open to no avail. The Viking used his shoulder to push against the gate and Toothless joined him in vain. Hiccup looked around once more and tried to think of what they could do. As he searched, Hiccup wondered why no one entered the room after the Zippleback explosion. One theory is that the Northerners thought that because he was in a cage, he can't do anything. But he knows Krogan is not to be underestimated. That left only one theory left. The ship was abandoned. Krogan and Johann were the only ones on the ship. Now Toothless and Hiccup need to get off as soon as possible. The two may have set Hiccup and Toothless adrift while they used Johanns ship to escape to Berserker Island.

If they are close to land, then Hiccup may be able to fix Toothless's tail. But if not, he'll have to sail the ship himself. But what hiccup wish right now, was his dagger. Then he might be able to jimmy the latch. Then an idea hit him. He rushed over to what remains of the mechanical tail and grabbed a metal rod. The Rider rushed to the lock and placed the rod between the iron bars and the lock itself, trying to get the latch undone. After several minutes of trying to find it and maneuver the rod between the small space, he heard it click. Hiccup ran to his gear while Toothless guarded the door. When Hiccup had his shield on his back and shield in the other hand, he turned to the door. Toothless looked at Hiccup and they nodded. Moments later they charged into an empty hallway before rushing to the top deck to find an abandoned ship. Hiccup ran to the stern of the ship to find the island far behind them. The Viking turned to the Night Fury. "Well bud ready for a swim?"


Hiccup and Toothless walked on the beach exhausted. Johann was still getting away and Hiccup needed to build Toothless a new tail. The two traveled up to the abandoned village through the woods. Minutes after entering the woods, Hiccup heard a clang and he looked down to see a small dragon trap smashed into his prosthetic leg. Lucky for the Viking, it was only made of metal, but he will need to repair the leg as well. So to avoid more traps, Hiccup jumped on Toothless's back and they jumped from tree to tree until they reached the village. As Toothless walked down the pathway, Hiccup saw burned wood, broken arrows, and other tools left from a battle. When they reached a forge, Hiccup limped inside to see if it was operational. He saw the forge tools he needed, scattered on the ground so he picked them up and placed them on a workbench. The Viking checked the storage closet to see scraps of metal which Hiccup could use to create the new tail. But the problem was that there wasn't much leather for the saddle. But it was a start. As Hiccup put wood in the forge, Toothless stuck his head in to watch as the Viking worked. Hiccup put some logs and coal in under the forge before putting Monstrous Nightmare Gel on the logs. He lit the gel and the wood burst into flames. Hiccup gathered the metal together and waited for the Forge to heat up. When it was heated, Hiccup began his work.


Sunset

Hiccup put together the new metal components of the tail on the workbench before looking at the other side of the Forge to see Toothless asleep. The Viking smiled knowing his bud was safe, but thoughts of how Johann is on his way to the King of Dragons or if Krogan managed to force another dragon under his control, they could be there in a week or hours from now. Either way, Hiccup needed to finish Toothless's tail soon. But he needs to fix his prosthetic leg first. He tried to work with the slightly damaged leg, but it won't be able to switch between flight and walking. So, Hiccup sat down on a bench, disconnect the leg, and examined it. Wasn't much damaged. A few bent metal pieces, but easy to repair. The Viking grabbed a chisel and hammer and began his work.


Next Morning

Hiccup woke up to daylight and he looked out of the forge to see if the Riders arrived to help. But no dragon was in the sky. So Hiccup grabbed some dried fish from a pouch on what remained of Toothless's saddle which wasn't much. It was torn apart and several key features of the saddle were gone. As Hiccup ate, Toothless yawned. Hiccup tossed the dragon some food and he ate it happily. After Hiccup ate, he searched the Forge for whatever he can use to build a new saddle. There wasn't much, but it would be a start. So he began to measure the leather and fabrics out. But he will need additional materials to finish it. But for now he has a good start.


Elsewhere

Heather searched the huts back at what remains of the Edge. As she searched Hiccups hut, she found a helmet that covered the entire head of the wearer. It was of Hiccup's own designed for when he flies Toothless at high altitudes and high speeds. It was only recently when she got a Terrible Terror from Hiccup telling the Riders that he was going to be gone for a bit to help Johann. But something didn't sit right for here. But she went to the Dragon's Edge to what they could salvage and rebuild. But as the morning turned to afternoon, that feeling grew.


Three Days Later

"Okay bud. Final test flight and if it fails, then we lost the war." Hiccup said to Toothless after getting the new saddle and tail done up. For the past several days, Hiccup has gathered supplies and refit the tail. Now it was time to see if it would work. Because Johann and Krogan were almost to the Berserker if they stayed on their ship. When Hiccup got on the saddle, Toothless looked back at his friend and Hiccup nodded. They launched into the sky and Hiccup looked back to see the tail was stable. They sped Northwest to save the King of Dragons and the entire world. As they flew, Hiccup reminded himself of the mistake he made. He was glad Toothless was safe, but if Johann get the King of Dragons, no one would be safe. All Hiccup did was buy time for Toothless. As they flew a Razorwhip stopped in front of them. As the two stopped, Hiccup saw Heather on top of Windshear.

"What happened to Toothless's tail?" she asked.

"Johann is working with Krogan. This whole time he's been spying on us and now he knows where the King of Dragons is." Hiccup replied and Heather's eyes widen.

"How?" Heather asked as she followed Hiccup and Toothless.

"He threatened to kill Toothless. So I told him where. Now we're all doom." Hiccup answered as the wind sped past his face.

"Where are we going?" Heather asked.

"Berserker Island." Hiccup asked and Heather stared at him. "I know, not the best of places to go. But it wasn't my choice."

"Here." Heather said flying close. She handed Hiccup, his Flight Helmet and he put it on. The war was a turning point with the two Riders going against an island of Dragon hating Berserkers, a traitor, and a Dragon Flyer. Not to mention trying not to get the King of Dragons to kill them. A rough match against the odds. But he doesn't have a choice. It's defeat or enslaved to some warlord.