Greetings all!
Thank you all for your lovely comments. They make my day!
(To answer questions: This is going to be seven chapters long, and I know that there is another fanfiction entitled When In Rome, but even though I'm not particularly fond of the name, I really don't have an idea for another title, so When In Rome it will stay unless a better idea comes along.)
I realized that I didn't give a violence warning for last chapter...so...violence warning for this chapter as well, although not quite as...graphic.
Carry on.
Chapter Five
The door to the cell he had been dragged to whenever Cassius sadistic appetite had been filled slammed open. Hiccup was lying on the floor, curled into a ball. Instead of letting Cassius or whoever was there this time know that he was awake, he stayed in his position, keeping his breathing even as though he were asleep.
"Get up." Cassius' voice grated through his mind. Hiccup's head hurt, a pounding against his temple that made him want to really fall asleep. He ignored the order however, even when it was followed up by a kick to his head, which only intensified his headache.
"I said get up!" When he still didn't respond, he was hauled to his feet, although Hiccup still feigned unconsciousness.
"I know that you're awake, -" Hiccup didn't understand what Cassius had said; he wasn't sure that he wanted to. "You had better cooperate-you're only making things worse for yourself."
"Because things wouldn't be as bad anyway?" Hiccup said, opening his eyes a bit.
"I would have killed you faster."
"Somehow I doubt that."
That remark earned himself being thrown against the wall, a sensation he was beginning to become used to.
Tentatively, Hiccup looked up, flinching slightly. He took a deep breath before pulling himself to his feet. He was a bit unsteady at first, but pushing against the wall to support himself, he looked over at Cassius. The man was actually a bit shorter than him.
"I'll walk, thank you."
The other man raised an eyebrow. "Suit yourself." The two guards that always were by him each grabbed one of Hiccup's arms, securing him as he followed Cassius through the prison.
"There have been rumors of dragons in the area. A Night Fury, someone claims to have seen."
Hiccup's head shot up. "Really?" If there was a Night Fury around the prison...maybe Wrenlou hadn't been captured. Maybe he was trying to get him out.
A quickly as he had thought it, though, his hope faded. There was no guarantee that the dragon was a Night Fury, and it wasn't necessarily Wrenlou.
"Maybe I should just stick you out on the rooftop and let the dragons at you." Cassius continued.
Hiccup laughed a bit. "Maybe you should. I'm not afraid of dragons."
"As much as I would like to see you trying to back up your words, it would take away from my satisfaction knowing that it was a dragon and not me that finally claimed your life."
"At least dragons aren't cowards." Hiccup murmured, so softly he thought only he had heard it. Then Cassius whirled around, and stormed up to him, eyes blazing with rage.
He didn't say anything. Merely hit Hiccup hard across the face with a closed fist. Hiccup cried out a bit in pain, but that was only a precursor. Cassius pulled one of his arms away from the guard, twisting it behind his back. It pulled so hard, Hiccup thought for sure that something was going to break.
"Don't you ever call me a coward again." He gave one final yank backwards, and Hiccup's vision went white as he felt his shoulder slide out of its socket.
Falling to his knees, his facade of earlier confidence shattered, and Cassius spun around once more, the guards dragging him inexorably to the torture room.
~~~O~~~
Wrenlou sat in front of the fireplace, his arms folded and resting atop his knees which were pulled loosely against his chest. The farmer-whose name was Marcus-had invited him to stay for a bit, so that he wouldn't have to stay outside 'in the cold' although it felt pleasant to Wrenlou. Provided, of course, that the dragons stayed outside. Marcus' wife and two children hadn't reacted...well to the arrival of the three newcomers, and were still resistant, even after Wrenlou explained that they were essentially harmless.
The smallest child, a girl of six or seven, toddled over to him, and sat down on the ground, looking up at him with large blue eyes. "Are you sad, Dragon Man?"
Despite himself, Wrenlou grinned. The two children had taken to calling him that, and he didn't argue. It was accurate enough. "Yes, I am sad." He responded frankly, although he attempted to sound upbeat about it.
"Why are you sad?" She asked, and Wrenlou had to think a moment before he responded.
"I hurt. Inside." He gestured to his heart, although he wasn't sure that the little girl understood.
She tilted her head to the side. "Why do you hurt?"
So inquisitive, this one. Wrenlou didn't know how to reply to that question. She was too young to understand the deep throb of worry that pulsed inside of him. He couldn't explain his worry to her about Hiccup-he didn't even want to travel down that road. So instead, he replied simply "I think one of my friends is hurt, and that makes me feel sad."
She accepted the explanation with a nod. Opening her mouth, probably to ask another question, she was cut off by her mother approaching. Vera was a warm, maternal woman who didn't seem to object at all to having a complete stranger take up residence in her home. "Aelia, leave Wrenlou alone."
"No, it's fine." Wrenlou said, but Aelia had already stood up on her chubby legs and trotted over to her mother.
"The Dragon Man is sad, Mommy." She informed her mother solemnly.
"Okay." Vera said, trying to mimic her daughter's seriousness. Then, she guided the little girl out.
Wrenlou sighed, and stood up. Marcus' farmhouse was large-they weren't a poor family, by all means. His brother was a merchant, apparently, meaning that the family was not lacking for anything. Their house displayed this, with multiple large rooms. Wrenlou wasn't sure if he liked or disliked it, but he was content to suspend judgement.
He walked outside into the warm night air, and Snowflake was immediately at his side. "Sorry, girl, but I need to take Toothless this time around." She bobbed her head in what almost seemed a contrite nod. Snowflake was fairly used to not being taken on scouting missions-although having a white Night Fury was unique, she wasn't the most practical for stealth operations.
Swinging up onto Toothless' saddle (the dragon had become little more than despondent), Wrenlou had to encourage the dragon by murmuring "We're going to go find Hiccup, Toothless."
The dragon looked up sharply, and Wrenlou couldn't suppress a grin. A fire had come back into his eyes that had been lacking ever since Wrenlou had come back Hiccup-less the day before.
He had found the prison on the previous night's excursion, and was this time trying to figure out how best to carry out a prison break.
Toothless and Wrenlou launched into the night sky, the wind whistling around his ears and through his hair. In a few moments the were over the city, arcing over the buildings and lights. Despite the late hour, the city was still alight and alive. They had to stay up high in order to avoid being seen until they reached the prison.
Once they set down on the roof, Wrenlou slid off of Toothless, and guided the dragon across the top of the building. He wasn't sure where Hiccup was, but being able to get into the prison would be a good start.
Suddenly, a scream split the air, a sound so tortured and distressing, it sent chills down his spine. Then Wrenlou's eyes widened with recognition.
That was Hiccup's voice.
He sagged in relief that his friend was still alive, even as an internal panic exploded inside of him. What were they doing to him that could elicit such a sound?
He was about to slide down to the ground to investigate more when a shout rose up from the ground. "Dragon!"
A thrill went though him, and he froze in a moment of indecision. He couldn't just leave Hiccup there. But at the same time, he wouldn't be of any use if he were captured too. Regretfully, he swung up onto Toothless again. It hurt him to leave Hiccup-he was screaming at himself to do something, but there was nothing he could do. As they flew back to Marcus' house, Wrenlou tried to forget the sound of his friend's cries.
He shivered again, and leaned in closer to Toothless,
Wrenlou wouldn't be getting much sleep that night.
~~~O~~~
Hiccup could barely keep his eyes open. He wasn't sure how long he had been in the Roman prison, but it felt like an eon. He tried to move, and sit up, but his ribs, which he was pretty sure were cracked in some way, protested at the slightest movement. Inhaling deeply, he eased back down again, closing his eyes. He might as well try to sleep.
Swallowing, Hiccup noted the dry stickiness of his throat. He was so thirsty. They had given him barely any water at all, and no food whatsoever. Hiccup wasn't sure if he wanted to die from torture or dehydration-neither sounded pleasant. Of course, dying in general wasn't usually pleasant.
He smiled a bit, chapped lips cracking as he did so. How could he keep making jokes at a time like this?
The door of his cell opened, and he cracked an eye. Cassius was standing there, flanked by two Roman guards. "Bring him." The former ordered, and the guards none too gently hauled him up to his feet.
Hiccup had long since given up fighting, and simply allowed himself to be dragged to wherever his next punishment was to take place. It pulled on his skin though, which was covered with long strips of burns, knife wounds through his arms and shoulders and legs, and of course the long lacerations of the whip he was subject to daily.
It was pretty fair to say that he had had enough of this whole torture business.
There I go again with the jokes. He thought with mirth. Maybe I'm losing my mind. That simple thought on its own was enough to scare him. Was he going insane?
Then suddenly, he was outside.
Hiccup blinked, eyes trying to adjust to the bright light of the sun. He hadn't been outside since...since he had been arrested.
Dragging him out to a large pole stuck firmly in the ground, the guards, upon Cassius' instruction, tied his wrists to the pole, dragging him up so that he was barely balanced on his toes.
"You can just sit here, and think about what you've done." Cassius said tauntingly. Hiccup heard the sounds of the three retreating, and waited until the sounds had dissipated before daring to look around.
He was alone in a dirt courtyard. High walls surrounded him, and his only companion was the sun which quickly made his skin feel feverish.
The revelation hit him. This was his final punishment. He would stand here, out in the merciless Roman sun until he died of heat exhaustion or dehydration or both. His previous tortures of the past few days had been designed only to make his body weaker so he wouldn't be able to fight this. It had worked. His energy was sapped, strength gone, pain omnipresent in his body.
He vaguely hoped that Wrenlou was okay, was with the dragons.
No. He wouldn't just consign himself to this fate. He couldn't give up like that. Squinting up at the thick ropes binding his wrists to the metal pole, the heat of which he could feel against his hands, Hiccup tugged against them. They didn't budge.
He tried countless times before his precious reserve of energy was drained, and all he had succeeded in doing was rubbing his wrists red and raw.
Giving a long sigh of dejection, Hiccup closed his eyes, and leaned his head against his arms, repeating a mantra that had been consoling him to sleep these past few nights.
Perhaps this was all a dream, a nightmare, a hallucination, and he would wake up from this hell and be back on Dragoncity, Wrenlou teasing him gently, Broghan rolling his eyes at some stupid thing his brother had said. He could wake up from this, and forget it.
But of course, you can't wake up from real life.