Chapter Seventeen
A/N: Only about four more chapters to go, guys! The climax will either next chapter or chapter nineteen...!
In response to...
The Wolf Raven: Thank you :) And actually, it was a pretty long chapter... (1,980 words) Which is longer than I usually write...
Vika: Yay! :D Thanks!
LittleDragonRider: Yeah, now that we're back to the beginning, we have to figure out what happens AFTER it!
InfinitiumAce: It felt like a long time to get that explanation out there XD And I'll just go ahead and say that it's not going to go smoothly XD (Of course it won't, it's ME we're talking about!) Lol...
Breyannia: It just so happens you're going to see Toothless in this chapter :)
Yondaime Namikaze: I am honored XD *bows down*
"Hiccup...!" Astrid gasps when he suddenly arrives, seemingly out of the shadows. She knows she should be wondering what he's doing here, why he would risk capture...and why he's wearing such a strange cloak... But by that glint in his eye, she can tell he's here to free them. So instead of chastising her friend for his recklessness, she shakes the others awake and tells them to stay quiet while Hiccup fiddles with the lock on their cage.
"Hiccup!" The other teens cheer quietly as they hurry over to the cell door. "What's going on? Do you have a plan? Did you find Gobber?"
But he doesn't respond. Astrid frowns, silently dreading that something must have happened... He's never this cold.
"Be quiet, guys." She reminds them.
That's when the lock snaps open and falls to the floor with a clunk! Hiccup stands and throws the door open, stepping aside so his friends can come out. "No time to talk." He grumbles, his expression still sort of foul. "We're running low on time as it is."
"Where are we going?" Astrid asks him.
"The Arena. We're going to free our dragons."
Yeah, something is definitely wrong with Hiccup. That much becomes painfully clear to everyone as they follow their hooded leader down the seemingly-deserted streets of Berk. He doesn't seem as nervous as he should be, instead sprinting down the alleyways as if he doesn't care if he's caught. And on top of that, he hasn't uttered a word to any of them. Not even Astrid... His expression is almost unreadable whenever one of them glances over to see what he's thinking.
What in Thor's name could have happened to make him act this way...? Astrid wonders. It's probably the stress...everyone is counting on him and his father is going to be killed in less than three hours... But still, she has half a mind to stop him and demand to know what's bothering him. She would have too...if not for the ever-looming figure of the moon over their head, constantly fading from sight as the sun turns the horizon an early shade of dark violet... We can discuss this later. She decides. We're running out of time...
Just then, Hiccup motions for them to stop. The teens crouch down, ducking behind some wild brambles and tall grass that grow at the peak of the hill above the Academy. Far below them, the glow of lanterns pace back and forth, obviously guards making their rounds...
"How many do you think there are?" Fishlegs whispers uncertainly.
"Not sure..." Hiccup finally replies, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinizes the scene below them. "Maybe five...or six?"
"Hah!" Snotlout snorts. "Five or six? I can handle them on my own!" The loudmouthed boy flexes his bicep, offering a flirty wink to Astrid. ...who gags in response.
"Don't be stupid, Snotlout." Hiccup mutters. He rises from his crouch and carefully begins moving down the steep hill. Half-walking, half-sliding across its grainy, gravelly surface.
"Everyone be careful." Astrid reminds them as they begin to follow his lead. And soon, they've all reached the bottom and are stumbling to a clusmy halt as they try to right themselves.
Now, the Riders are practically pressed up to the enormous building's walls. They can hear the low voices of the soldiers as they chat to each other, sounding bored and probably complaining about how uneventful their job is...
Luckily for them, it's about to get a lot more interesting.
Hiccup raises a finger to his lips, signaling for everyone to stay silent. He absently reaches up to tug the hood further down over his face, drawing in a steadying breath before lifting his hand to the wall.
The Riders stare at him questioningly. What is he going to do...?
Three, gentle knocks later, Hiccup presses his ear to the wooden surface and waits. Through it, he can hear the growls of the dragons who he woke with his near-silent gesture. His heart gives a little, excited flutter when he hears that achingly familiar drone of a curious Night Fury...
"Toothless...!" He whispers, knowing his dragon will be able to hear him.
When Toothless first hears the knocking on the wall behind him, he isn't sure what to think. Unlike the other captive dragons, he hadn't been sleeping. Honestly, he hasn't slept much at all in the past week... His mind has been buzzing with worry over his friend. Where is Hiccup? Is he okay? Is he even still...alive? That thought sends a horrible pain through the Night Fury's heart. No...no, his human is still alive. He must be...
Which is why, when he hears his little Rider's voice at that moment, leaking through the wall of his cage, he can't help but jump to his feet and shriek in joy! Hiccup is here! He really is alive!
"Toothless! Are you alright, bud?" Hiccup asks him.
And the dragon coos like mad in response, jumping up on his hind legs and leaning his front paws on the wall, where he can now even smell Hiccup's familiar scent! At the sound of the boy's voice, Stormfly, Meatlug, Barf, Belch and Hookfang raise their heads as well.
"I know, I miss you too, buddy." Hiccup whispers. "And we're here to break you out. All of you. But I need you to do me a favor first."
Toothless growls in consent. Anything!
"Make as much noise as possible. We need a distraction so we can sneak in without being noticed."
So Toothless lowers himself down from the wall and offers a quick look at the other dragons. They tilt their heads at him, none of them able to understand humans as well as he can. So as a method of demonstration, Toothless wiggles down into a deep stance. Parting his jaws, which are now shining with razor-like teeth, he lets loose a ear-piercing roar that shakes the chain ceiling of the Arena. Moments later, all of the other dragons join in as well...
"Come on, now's our chance!" Hiccup urges, standing upright and sprinting around the side of the Arena. The Riders follow suite, only slowing down once they reach the mouth of their former Academy.
"What's the plan, Hiccup...?" Astrid asks him.
The hooded teen stares intently at the distracted soldiers. There are exactly six of them. One for each Rider... "We have to knock them out. Otherwise, they'll attack us."
"Right...but how?"
Hiccup pauses. "Ruff, Tuff...do you remember those hand signals we learned a few months ago?"
"Yeah...!" Tuff responds immediately. "I uh...I think."
" 'Course we do!" Ruff answers, punching her brother's arm. "Uh...why?"
"Signal Barf and Belch to make a gas trail and light it. But quietly. We can't get caught." He explains.
"Got it!" The twins creep into the open doorway, waving their hands frantically to get their Zippleback's attention. And once the two headed dragon spots them, both Ruff and Tuff give their signals.
A second later, a flash of heat and light explodes in the Arena and the guards are thrown backwards with the intensity of the fire. They land in a heavy heap, unconscious on the floor as the Riders spill into the smoke-filled Academy.
Astrid grabs a key ring from one of the guard's belts and hurries over to the cages just as Hiccup kneels down in front of Toothless's cell, jamming the key Gobber gave him into the lock...and twisting. The door swings open and Toothless leaps out, free after more than a week of confinement.
And, of course, the first thing he does is tackle his beloved Rider to the ground, dragging his warm, slimy tongue across the boy's cheek. He purrs and nuzzles Hiccup with a suffocating amount of force.
But for once, Hiccup doesn't seem to mind his friend's overwhelming affection. He reaches up and wraps his thin arms around Toothless's neck, swallowing the threat of tears that sting his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Toothless..." He whispers. "I wish I could have come for you sooner..."
But the Night Fury only licks his cheek again and gently taps his forehead against Hiccup's, purring while they wait for the other dragons to be freed. It bothers him that Hiccup's eyes look misty, as if he's about to cry. Also that his clothes smell like dirt and smoke, not his human's normal smell... What has Hiccup been through this past week? Surely, by the tremble in his hands and the relieved way Astrid is smiling at him, it must have been rough...
But none of that matters now. Now, they're together. And nothing can stop them.
A/N: Finally a chapter that isn't all doom and gloom! And just FYI, I'd say we're about 80% through. I predict there to be at least three or four more chapters to go!