Chapter Fifteen

A/N: Okay, okay...so...DID ANYONE SEE THAT AMAZING TRAILER FOR THE SECOND MOVIE?! LIKE, OH MY GOOODDDDD! (Astrid: Get 'em BABE! ?! ASTRID?! XD)

Alright...now that that's out of my system...

PS: LAST CHAPTER FOR ACT 2!

In response to...

A random surprise: As long as you give credit, I don't mind :) Actually, it's kind of a compliment that you want to use it for your story. So...sure!

Yondaime Namikaze: Yeah, he's definitely going to need to rethink his idea. Aannndddd...not quite. I feel that you're over thinking that first chapter. It's a lot more straight forward than it sounds XD

Jo: I'M SORRY! XD

Bob: Again...I'M SOOORRRRRYYYY! XDDD

Aisha: Why thank you! :D

LittleDragonRider: But...but I AM sorry... XDDD

Secret love writer: As you probably should. XD

Berk's prison is especially dark today. And with all five of the teens cramped into one, tiny cell, it's also incredibly uncomfortable. The Dragon Riders are sprawled across the stone floor, trying not to get on each other's nerves.. Although that's a lot harder than it looks.

"Snotlout, move your leg!" Ruffnut snaps.

"Hey, that's my leg!" Her brother barks.

"OUCH! Well that was my arm!" Fishlegs whines. "Now I'm gonna have a bruise!"

"Oh come on! Don't be such a baby!" Snotlout sneers. "You're a Viking! Vikings don't cry over getting bruises!"

"I'm not crying!"

"Yeah you are!" Tuffnut mutters as he draws closer. "See? That's a tear!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Umm, yeah. Yeah it is." Snotlout confirms with a chuckle. "Why don't-"

"Guys!" Astrid suddenly hisses, causing them all to look in her direction. "Will you please just shut up for one second!?" The blonde girl is standing on the single cot in their cell, trying to look out of the filthy, barred window.

"Why?" Snotlout asks her in a rather loud voice. "What are you looking at up there?"

"Just be quiet!" She growls. But in a moment's notice, the other Riders are crowded around her, pressing her to the wall as they all strain to get a peek. Through the cloudy surface of the glass, they can see the town square... Muffled voices filter through as well... But they don't have to hear what the man is saying to know that it's Ymir.

"That son of a half-troll..."

"Attention, citizens!" Ymir shouts over the rumble of the crowd before him. The people there are mostly his, mingled in with a few Berkians. Although the Hooligan members don't seem very...content. They're looking at each other back and forth, as if contemplating this man's death right here and now. Of course, if they do that...they'll be sure to have the tip of a sword with their name on it... "This is a very important announcement!" He continues. "As you all know, the execution of former Chief Stoick the Vast is scheduled for tomorrow at sunset, as is tradition!"

Suddenly, Astrid goes very stiff. Yes. They do know. So...why is he making another announcement? Unless...

"However! There has been a change of plans. Due to the recent escape of Stoick's son and previous Heir to the throne, Hiccup..."

"Oh no..." Astrid whispers, reaching up to cover her mouth. Hiccup is there in the crowd somewhere...she can feel it. And what he's about to hear... It will ruin him.

"We have decided to move the execution up, to avoid any escape attempts. As of this moment, Stoick the Vast will be formally executed not at sunset...but at sunrise. In exactly twelve hours!"

As the disgusted crowd disperses, urged on by the angry points of the soldiers' blades, the teens fall back from their single window. Stumbling into various corners of the room, they sink to the ground.

"The Chief is...gonna be killed at sunrise?" Fishlegs whimpers. "But...but tradition states that-"

"Fishlegs," Astrid interrupts, her voice empty. "Ymir obviously doesn't care about tradition."

At that, all of them go deathly silent. At this moment, their cell seems more like a place of mourning than containment.

"This isn't about Hiccup at all..." She continues, bitterly. "Ymir will do anything to secure his place on the throne... Something tells me he's not going to stop at Stoick. ...Hiccup is going to be his next target."

As the crowd quietly shuffles back to their lives, Ymir steps down from his platform, arms folded behind his back as he gazes around the tiny village. There's an aristocratic air about him. As if, despite the armor he dawns in every battle, he's never seen real combat. ...Probably because he hasn't.

While Berk's new Chief is standing in the square, another man comes trotting up behind him. A short, bulky man with closely shaved head. He smiles at Ymir, his face almost appearing to strain when he does, due to the sheer amount of scars marring his skin.

"Ah, Oddvar. I was wondering where you'd disappeared to." Ymir greets.

And Oddvar, the man's personal assistant, nods. "Yes, I'm sorry, Sir. I hadn't meant to slip away for such a long time. Had business to take care of and everything. You know how it is...leave those fools-of-soldiers alone with dragons for two seconds and the whole Arena will go up in flames...!"

So the taller of the men snickers. "Yes, Minerva only knows why the High King allowed me such an...incompitent group of men for taking this place. Was it not a task of great importance to his Highness?"

Oddvar nods again, also gazing around the square with a dark look. "Is that doubt I hear in your voice, my Chief?"

"Of course not. You know me better than that. I only wish to serve our King."

"As do I." Oddvar agrees. "Which is why...I must ask..."

Ymir turns to him with a quizzical look.

"It's not that I'm questioning your orders, Sir. But I must know...why change the time for Stoick's execution? It's not like one boy can save him. Trying would a suicide mission."

"Oh, I know." Ymir assures him. "But you must understand, my friend... This 'Hiccup' is the man's son. If his loyalty doesn't warrant a rescue attempt, then his position among his people surely will."

But Oddvar clearly doesn't grasp what he means. "Sir?"

And now, Ymir's face is alight with the most deceitful of smiles. "Hiccup is their last hope. He knows that. If we can't find him in searches, then we'll have to draw him out. He'll come to save his daddy at sunrise...and we'll be waiting."

"But why go through the trouble for one child?" The other man presses.

"It's not the boy I want." Ymir sighs, shaking his head as if this should be obvious. "We can't run a proper Colony with feelings of rebellion. And rebellion rises from hope. As long as Hiccup is out there and he has allies, Berk will never truly be ours. We need to draw him out, show those still loyal to him that he's useless...and then kill both him and Stoick. Only then, will we be in charge."

"As brilliant as ever." Oddvar laughs. "Never in a million years would I have thought of such a cunning scheme!"

"It is not a scheme." Ymir tells him. "It is a strategy. And strategizing is one thing I've always excelled at..."

A/N: Short chapter but HEY! Act 2 is done and next chapter marks the beginning of the final act of his glorious adventure! Thanks so much, everyone, for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following!