A War Within 1
Episode 1 Act 1
Note: This will probably be the darkest httyd fic I've written to date and dedicated to a prompt sent to e-willis on tumblr on a two part episode (which will come to six chapters, 3 per episode) what if rtte was not rated for kids but rather grownups and how Stoick and the riders would react if Dagur captured Hiccup and turned him into a sex slave. I'm basing a lot of this around e-willis's response and traditions in Viking times. In case the disclaimer didn't cover it this is rated MA, not for the faint of heart, torture, abuse, noncon and character death(s). No flames, you've been warned.
There's times when the ones you trust with your very life are not the ones you need to count on when it most counts. Sometimes those loved ones can be the very one to break you and to save them and be able to stay strong they must be sent away for everyone's good. Of course when that time comes it's often harder to do what must be done than ever planned or practised.
It was supposed to be a routine trip to Berk for supplies. Maybe a quick visit with family and friends and maybe make sure Gustav and the other new riders – yep, Stoick the Vast had gone behind Hiccup's back and allowed a new group of riders to start dragon training – hadn't burned down the academy or village yet, although given how head strong Gustav was that was a very real possibility. The thirty-hour flight had become a norm once or twice a month as the original riders tried to adjust to being on their own at Dragon's Edge but what started out as a nice clear day with bright sunny skies took a turn the further north they travelled and a thick mist rolled in. Maybe that was why they missed the armada of ships down below.
They flew slowly together in a loose formation joking and talking rather loudly, each happy to be going home to see their parents. Hiccup was particularly happy. His Dad had a new dragon partner and while Stoick the Vast was an accomplished rider, Skullcrusher was not the typical dragon and was just as bullheaded as his rider. Hiccup was anxious to see how well they had learned to live together. At least his father was no longer alone in the great big hut. Bonecrusher might not live inside but an extension had been built so that he was right next to it and in easy reach of Stoick. That was what he and Astrid were currently joking about when a boulder came sailing between them and nicking Toothless's wing.
Hiccup gave a yelp and gasped his saddle tightly as his ebony dragon went into a temporary tail spin. The clamps connecting him to the saddle clanged, ropes taunt and threatening to snap. Wings flapped anxiously as Toothless fought to regain control as their friends and dragons above screamed and dove after them.
"Easy, bud…easy," Hiccup tried to sooth as he kept control over the prosthetic tailfin, keeping it shut until Toothless got control of his wings. Whether his words were heard was not known. The speed of their descent and wind whipping at them stole the words and it was sheer years of flying and falling that kept Hiccup from panicking and monitor his breathing as he coached Toothless and waited patiently until those large black wings billowed out and caught the wind and for a moment they were suspended in the air, both surprised by what happened.
That should have been it but a warning cry from the others came too late for Hiccup and Toothless to maneuver out of the way. They had fallen to within a hundred feet of the sea and smack in the middle of twenty heavily armed ships. The sounds of catapults and harpoons being fired filled the air. Toothless snarled and whirled toward one, just managing to dodge it and a second but there were so many coming from so many directions that not even with Hiccup's shield could they fight them all off. Not even with the help of the other riders.
"Stay back!" Hiccup ordered when Astrid and Stormfly dared come too close.
Dragon proof chains wrapped around Toothless's middle and Hiccup scrambled to untangle it without dislodging his prosthetic foot from its stirrup. Although at this point as long as Toothless had his wings he keep them in the air but he couldn't hold this position for long. A second chain just missed hitting Hiccup and wrapped around the Nightfury's neck.
"Bring them down!" a voice ordered from below. "Bring them to me!"
They were jerked downwards as Berserkers began turning the wenches of the chains. Hiccup looked down frantically. It wouldn't take long before they reached the ships. Nets were already being loaded for their final capture. The chains were heavy but Hiccup was stubborn and with his friends offering cover fire he was able to get the chain untangled from around Toothless's neck before the dragon was strangled or went into such a panic that Hiccup was thrown off, straps or no straps.
"It's okay, it's okay," he kept saying, a mantra of growing panic the closer they got to the ships and the manic laughter of Dagur the Deranged. Hiccup prided himself on not over panicking – although his friends may say otherwise – but now there was a tightness in his chest, adrenaline and fear making him abandon his position, knowing that if he didn't free Toothless controlling his tailfin wouldn't matter and yank as hard as he could at the chain tearing into his best friend's upper tail. A trail of bright red over black scales was beginning to drip down the dragon's lithe body and stain Hiccup's hands as he struggled with the heavy metal. "It's okay, bud, it's okay. I've almost got it."
A shriek exploded from Toothless as a harpoon went through his right wing and the chain connected wrapped around him, trapping the other wing to his body and effectively throwing Hiccup off him.
"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup screamed, reaching out to him even as he fell.
The Nightfury cried out as well, rolling midair to try and save him but there was no way to do that. Toothless was falling, too, his wings no longer of any use. He crashed into the water in between the gathered ships.
Hiccup wasn't so lucky. He hit the deck of one of the ships hard, tumbling across the deck and landing against a pile of crates that fell upon him and only attributed to what would become amounting series of injuries.
"Hiccup!" Astrid screamed from up above.
Her voice mixed with Toothless's panicked cries as he splashed about in the water was what jarred Hiccup. His head hurt and vision was slightly blurry. It was a struggle to push the crates off him and those he couldn't had landed in such away against the others that he was able, with a little wiggling, to crawl under. He had hit his head and his vision blurred and stomach rolled as he got to his feet. His shield was lost and his footing was not quite with him. Being injured and on a ship in the open sea was quite a different thing from being in the air. He had to walk and each time the ship lurched to one side of the other he felt as if he was going to fall or worse, be sick. Nonetheless he struggled toward the closest wench, intent on disabling it and somehow freeing Toothless. Already the other ships were letting go of their wenches as a net was aimed to gather the fallen dragon and other harpoons were fired at the rest of the dragons.
Luck was with him. All the Berserkers were so preoccupied with battling the others that they didn't notice him right away. He managed to dismantle the so called dragon proof wench. The gears whirled as wench spun in reverse, the chain unwinding so quickly it was a blur. It fell into the sea and with any luck Toothless would be able to untangle himself from it.
A sharp agonizing pain rang through the back of Hiccup's head and his vision bled to white as he staggered forward and against the ship's wall, instinctively reaching out for support. He heard a deep hate filled laughed behind him but before he could even consider defending himself a fist connected with his head and everything momentarily faded to black.
"If that dragon can't fly again I'll have your heads," Dagur bellowed as he paced the ship, watching his men's progress as they pulled the trapped Nightfury toward his ship. He anxiously looked toward the deck of each ship unsure where Hiccup had landed but knowing his rival was close. He could fell it. Besides, Hiccup would never abandon his precious Toothless. That name had to be changed as soon as he retrained. Oh he had big plans for this dragon…and his rider. Now where was Hiccup? A frown tugged his lips down at the yelling and chaos presented by the dragon riders as they fought to reach the fallen dragon and find Hiccup. They were becoming annoying. "Take them down," he ordered Savaged in boredom. "We might be able to use them as leverage. Or simply kill them, I don't really care. Oh!"
It was a pleasant surprise when one of his warriors crossed a plank between his flag ship and one of the lesser warships with a certain familiar Hooligan heir being shoved in front of him. He had never seen Hiccup in such a predicament, disheveled, bruised and arm twisted painfully behind his back to keep him moving. The soldier shoved Hiccup to his knees in front of Dagur and surprising there was no real resistance. Hiccup fell to his knees, blinking rapidly as if unable to see clear. Nonetheless he was defiant as ever.
"Let him go, Dagur," Hiccup wheezed, blinking owlishly as he tried to make eye contact with the Berserker chief.
"Oh?" Dagur asked in amusement and glanced over his shoulder at the flailing dragon dramatically. "Let him go? Are you sure? I wouldn't have thought you'd be the one to let him dragon. Oh well! If that's what you want. I suppose I could still use his skull for a helmet. I mean he is all tangled up in a net now so retrieving it won't be a problem." He looked back at Hiccup. "You're not still squeamish, are you? Maybe you should come here and say goodbye."
Hiccup gave a grunt as he was hauled back to his feet and shoved up against the side of the boat, directly in front of Dagur who happily blocked him in by pressing his front against Hiccup's back and hands on either side of the thinner man. It was the closest they had been to each other in years and Hiccup could feel just how happy Dagur was to have him there after all this time.
The battle had pretty much ended with his capture. The riders had flown back to a safe distance yet still posed a threat should they be needed and the Berserkers kept their focus split between hauling the Nightfury onto one of the boats and the surrounding dragons.
Dagur tut-tutted as he took in all in victoriously. "Did you count how long this took? I didn't. A few minutes maybe and look…here you are right where I always wanted you and your precious Nightfury is about to sink to the seabed," he purred in Hiccup's ear, one hand moving suggestively to Hiccup's hip. "Tell your friends to surrender now or I'll kill each and every one of them, starting with that pretty blonde you're so fond of. And I won't be gently…no…I'm thinking maybe I'll gut her slowly or…how about this…I make her my little play thing for a while? You two are an item, right?"
Hiccup said nothing, his eye sight finally clearing and getting a good view of the predicament they were all in. Toothless was going to drown. The others had to leave now if they had any how of escape. When he didn't answer Dagur brought a long knife to his throat and forced his head back.
"Tell them to surrender," the Berserker repeated, his voice taking on an annoyed edge. "Do it or I'll send you back to your daddy in little bitty pieces."
"No," Hiccup choked out. "You can kill me first."
Of course just because he said it didn't mean his friends would try saving him. Astrid let out a war cry and rushed toward them on her Deadly Nadder but one hard yank on Hiccup hair made the Hooligan heir cry out and the riders back down in real fear that Dagur might actually kill him this time. Even Astrid urged Stormfly back.
"Now, let's try this again, won't we, brother. Tell your riders to land on my ships and surrender to my men before I'm forced to do something you're really not going to like." Dagur yanked harder on Hiccup's hair. "Unless you want to watch them die."
The blade bit into Hiccup's throat drawing a thin line of blood. He let out a slow breath and glanced up at his friends. He gave Astrid only a passing glance knowing she would disobey any order he gave her right at this moment and made eye contact with his cousin instead who the Berserkers already assumed was his second in command. The net holding Toothless was released and the dragon began to sink. Hiccup's heart leapt into his throat but he kept his voice as calm as possible. "Snotlout," he called and he didn't need to say more.
His cousin and Monstrous Nightmare shot out of the sky in flames, shocking Berserkers and sending many diving to the deck fearing a blaze of fire. Hookfang shot a few blasts in distraction before diving in the water after Toothless. They came up outside the circle of ships, the net clenched between Hookfang's claws, and flew off in the direction of Berk. It took a moment but soon the other riders followed suit. They wouldn't be able to make it to Berk right away, not with Toothless's injuries. They would have to land on the nearest island to tend to his wounds but at least he would be safe and perhaps Hiccup could figure some sort of escape.