The waters surrounding Berk were cold. Rough waves batted the hulls of a group of longboats that were sailing in between two lines of rock structures. The Berserkers were hard at work setting up dragon traps under the eyes of their leaders, Ryker and Dagur.
Ryker–a large man with a brown goatee and bald head–thumped his sailors on their backs. "Put some muscle into it!" he ordered. The longboat's wooden deck creaked under his boots. Its sails flapped in the ocean breeze.
Ryker crept to the bow of the boat. He peered up to the enormous rock structures that pierced the heavens.
Only a little bit later, Dagur approached his back. The small but beefy red-headed man smiled wickedly.
Ryker sensed him. "Ah, Dagur." He placed his hands behind his back. "Tell me, how is our little puppet doing?"
"Oh, terrific!" Dagur straightened out his brown tunic. The Sun's rays warmed his exposed shoulders. He reached into his belt and pulled out another one of Naga's crystals. "We've got the crystal, and the trap is set. That Hiccup Horrendous Haddock won't know what hit him." Oh, how he enjoyed trying to destroy Hiccup and his friends, even though his men usually lost.
Ryker smirked. He rubbed his hand across his goatee and took the crystal out of Dagur's hand. "Why don't we ask our friend himself?"
Dagur mischievously rubbed his hands together. Being a villain was so much fun.
Ryker faced the open ocean beyond the rock towers. He held the crystal over his head. That allowed the Sun's rays to pass through it. Ryker called for Naga. "Come, Naga!"
The ocean started to shake. A few of Dagur and Ryker's men were knocked off their feet. The waves batting their ship's hull grew in size. Both Dagur and Ryker excitedly watched the ocean.
An enormous, bipedal figure leaped out of it. Naga revealed his true self to the Dragon Hunters. Under the light of the Sun, the prisms and crystals on his majestic body created rainbows. His long, spiky tail batted the ocean a few times, and he wiggled the claws on his upper set of wings. He stood at least thirty feet tall.
"Oh yes." Dagur tapped his fingertips together. "A beautiful dragon indeed."
"Naga," Ryker said, "you stand before Ryker, the leader of our clan. Tell me, how is your mission going?"
"Um, sir, I thought Viggo was the leader," Dagur protested.
Ryker glared at him. He flicked Dagur's nose and moved the crystal towards Naga.
His enormous, crystalline face appeared behind it. He spoke to Ryker telepathically. "Terrific. I've got the boy right where I want him. I will have him at Telemik in no time."
"Perfect," Ryker growled. "I'm proud of you, Naga. Do what you must. We have some things to finish up here."
"Yes, sir." Naga pulled his head away from his crystal. He remembered when Ryker found him. He had been injured and washed up on an island. Ryker promised he would get him back to Telemik, if in return he helped him track down Berk's heir.
The Light Dragon wrapped his wings around his body and dove back into the ocean. An enormous wave crashed onto the longboat's deck. Dagur fell onto his backside, but Ryker remained standing. He laughed evilly. "Isn't it incredible, Dagur? We are the owners of the most powerful dragon in the world. Hiccup and those pesky Dragon Riders don't stand a chance."
Dagur rose to his feet. He brushed himself down and said, "I understand your enthusiasm, sir, but…"
"But what?" Nobody said "but" when Ryker was present.
Dagur shivered. "Do you even know what that dragon is capable of? He can take away the Sun."
"And why do you care?" Ryker did not like the nervous tone in Dagur's voice. "I don't care what happens to the Sun. As long as we have the boy and his Night Fury, I am completely satisfied."
Dagur sighed. He dropped his hands. "I was afraid you'd say that."
Naga swam gracefully through the ocean. It was dark down there, but his eyes and prisms helped guide him. He thought about Hiccup and tried to come up with new strategies to get him alone. All Naga wanted were his crystals so he could return home. He wondered if Telemik looked any different than it did the day he left. He excitedly flapped his wings. So close, yet so far away. The Light Dragon could not let Ryker and Dagur down.
The walk back through the Chamber of Mystery was quiet for Hiccup, his friends, and dad, but then Hiccup noticed a small shimmer coming from one of the pillars. "What is that?" he asked himself. He looked over his shoulder to his friends and family. They did not notice that he had paused on his tracks.
Toothless stopped next to the boy. He gave him a confused look. "Let's go. I need to check something," Hiccup explained.
Toothless grumbled deep in his throat. He bumped Hiccup's peg leg with his nose.
Hiccup smiled sarcastically. "I know it's my last leg, bud, but what can happen up there that will damage it?"
Toothless wished that, for once, Hiccup could not give in to his curious personality. Besides, the others were getting smaller by the second. He also just felt like his Rider was in danger.
Hiccup tossed himself up onto his saddle. He dug his heels into his dragon's sides and aimed for the shimmer in the pillar.
Below, Astrid looked over her shoulder. She finally noticed Hiccup and Toothless were missing. "Where's Hiccup?"
"Don't worry about me, Astrid," Hiccup called from above. "Toothless and I are just checking something out."
Hearing him, the others also stopped. Stoick glared at his son. "What are you doing, son? We don't have time for this."
"I'll be quick, Dad," Hiccup stated. "You guys go on ahead. Toothless and I will catch up." He pulled back on Toothless's neck collar so they could hover.
Stoick brought his hand to his forehead. "Okay, fine. Meet us at Gothi's."
"Sure," Hiccup sarcastically said. Although, he had a devious scheme in the back of his head. He waited until his friends and father started walking again before he carried on with his mission. Being close to the pillar, he realized how enormous and tall the room was. It was even larger than the great hall.
Hiccup stopped Toothless at the top of the pillar. They were right next to the shimmer. He leaned towards it and smiled when he saw a hole. Inside it was another one of Naga's crystals. "I knew it!" Hiccup excitedly stated. He moved his hand towards the hole and pulled out the mysterious stone. It was a little larger than the first one and a bit messier. It wasn't in as good as shape.
Hiccup took the first stone out of his saddlebag. He patted Toothless's neck. "And just like that, we already have two of Naga's crystals. If we're going to find the others, bud, then we need the Dragon Eye."
Toothless picked up on his scheme. He growled to show he did not approve of it. Hiccup was going to ditch his friends and try to find the other crystals himself. The dragon dragged his Rider back in the direction where the other Vikings went.
Hiccup turned his body the other way. "Now, now, Toothless. I know you're upset, but I can't risk putting the others in danger. After all, I'm the one the Light Dragon's tormenting."
"But you and Astrid are the Two Heroes!" Toothless roared in dragon language.
"Oh, come on bud. What happened to the good old days when I ditched training to be with you?" Hiccup hugged his dragon's neck.
Toothless snorted. He knew his friend was referring to when they first met. He may have not liked Hiccup's decision, but he was used to putting up with his curiosity.
The two friends discovered a large hole in the chamber's ceiling. It was the entrance to a tunnel that went to surface. The tunnel's walls were smooth, but it was rather dark inside. Toothless carefully flapped his wings. His ears twitched. A blue flame appeared in his mouth. He used it as a torch. He and Hiccup flew for a good few minutes before they finally reached the tunnel's exit.
Hiccup peered down to the ruined buildings and structures in the area. It looked like he and Toothless stumbled upon an old village. The forest's trees loomed over them like arches. The sound of a rushing stream filled Hiccup's head. He smiled at Toothless, asking, "Now, boy, was that really that hard?"
Toothless rolled his eyes.
Jackpot. Naga had found his victim. He was flying over the canopy of trees as gracefully as a swan. He meant what he said. If Hiccup refused to go with him, then he had no choice but to use force. His different-colored eyes landed on the lad and his Night Fury. With a quick flap of his wings, he zoomed in their direction.
Hiccup was unaware of the incoming dragon. He patted Toothless's neck, saying, "Come on, let's go get the Dragon Eye."
That was when Toothless noticed Naga. Instantly, his ears flattened, and he roared.
"Wha-What is it?" Hiccup inquired.
"Come with me, my boy." Without warning, Naga swooped in on the friends. He ripped Hiccup straight from Toothless's neck.
Panicked, the Night Fury screeched. He flapped his wings as hard as he could. However, no Hiccup meant no flying. Toothless plummeted towards the ruins below.
"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted. He flinched when he felt the unexpected visitor's claws dig into his shoulder pads. His eyes rolled up to the glowing dragon. "What in the name of Thor? Drop me! My dragon can't fly on his own!"
Naga refused. He tossed Hiccup into the sky and caught him on his head.
Toothless continued to fall. He crashed into a few trees which toppled under his weight. Branches tore his prosthetic tailfin. He slammed into the forest bed. The impact knocked him unconscious.
"Toothless!" Hiccup screamed. Without thinking, he leaped from Naga's head. However, the dragon quickly caught him in his claws again. Hiccup held his hand out to his friend. "Toothless!"
Naga zoomed out of the forest and into the beautiful, blue sky above it. There was a miraculous view of it, Berk, and the ocean.
Hiccup tried to pull himself out of Naga's feet, but he only tightened his grip. The bruise on the teen's temple glowed. A searing pain overtook his entire head when the dragon unleashed his terrifying roar.
SCREEEEEEECH!
Hiccup wanted to grab his temples, but he couldn't. He yelled with discomfort. The pain was so much that his vision blurred.
Naga soared towards the ocean and away from Berk. Yes! He had succeeded with capturing the island's heir, meaning that he was one step closer to getting home.