Whoa... I must not be studying enough, I don't normally update this quickly multiple times in a row.
Thanks to my lovely reviewers! Y'all are too kind :D It's good to hear that you all feel I am hitting the characters right. That was the biggest thing I was worried about when I started this story. I also want to take the moment to apologize for some of my (incredibly dumb) errors in the first two chapters... I left out some words and reused the same adjectives WAY too much for my normal writing xD I'm glad it apparently wasn't too noticeable to point out, but they're there, those dumb mistakes... Haha.
Just me: I have this story taking place a good while after Gift of the Night Fury and whatnot, so I imagine the babies are grown up well enough to not need their parents' care quite so much. But maybe they're having the parents/children time right now, hm? As for your second thought, you'll have to keep reading to see what way this story will roll.
I'm sitting outside on a stone bench as I write these. There's a tree above me and a squirrel just threw some nuts down at me, nearly hitting me. I'm terrified of the stupid squirrels here... I just turned around and one is sitting there. Looking at me. I think he's plotting to eat me.
Chapter Three: Trust
Seeing that Hiccup would be true to his word, Alvin had decided they would begin the training the next day so that he could gather some men and more dragons could come. For now, he merely asked Hiccup to get the dragons to return tomorrow around the same time without attacking, but to do so down on the beach so that there was more room. The ledge seemed to practically shrink with the Nightmare's presence. Hiccup, reluctant to bring the poor dragons back, did as he was asked for the wellbeing of his friends. Looking at them now, he felt responsibility weighing heavily on his shoulders.
"This way," Alvin commanded as the Nightmare took off into the fading daylight. He motioned Hiccup to the door, which the boy then started towards.
The other three of Alvin's men each fetched the others. One herded the conscious Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Astrid after Hiccup and Alvin while the other two grabbed Snotlout and Fishlegs. The man carrying Fishlegs had to give up trying to lift the boy after a couple minutes and just grabbed his arms, pulling him across the ground inside.
"Where to, Alvin?" the man dragging Fishlegs' asked.
Despite the situation they were in, Ruffnut and Tuffnut had to chuckle silently at the sight. The movement was too much for Tuffnut's stomach, however, so he stopped after only a second or so to clutch his abdomen, Ruffnut having freed his hands from his bonds. His face contorted into a strong look of pain and even Ruffnut looked at him sorrowfully.
Alvin's fierce glare landed on the man like it was obvious. "The dungeons."
When Alvin had turned away, the man's face fell. Hiccup noticed this and figured this meant the dungeons had to be far down below the mountain. The man would have to lug Fishlegs all the way there. Served him right. He was the man that had punched Astrid and cracked Snotlout's head. Hiccup felt no sympathy for him as he turned to follow Alvin down the caves.
Berk and its surrounding areas were always cold. Even with it having been a sunny day out, barely any warmth was spread through the air. As they traveled further into the heart of the mountain, though, the outside world began to seem like a hot spring in Hiccup's mind. The damp chill of the mountain sapped every ounce of heat from his body and his breath curled around him as thick steam. He wrapped his arms around himself, his teeth beginning to chatter. He looked back to see Astrid, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut all struggling to stay warm, as well. Tuffnut had his hands buried up his armpits while Astrid and Ruffnut kept close to each other, trying to share what heat they had left.
Suddenly, the cave they were currently traveling down opened up. It was a large, somewhat circular room. A couple torches burned faintly, lining the walls and giving off only little light and barely adding any warmth. The worst part was Hiccup noticed chains against the back wall and knew instantly what Alvin was going to do.
"You're going to chain a bunch of young teenagers down here? Like we're some sort of threat?" he tried to demand, but was shivering too much for the words to flow out evenly.
Alvin turned to him, dark eyes penetrating and glowing somewhat from the torchlight. "Well, you're not an ally, Dragon Conquerer."
"Stop calling me that," Hiccup hissed. "I didn't conquer the dragons."
Alvin only laughed cruelly and reached out, snagging Hiccup's tender left arm. He yanked him forward and bent down, grabbing one of the locks of the chain. He snapped it around Hiccup's wrist, pulling out a key and locking it. He then shoved Hiccup into the wall.
Hiccup felt the cold mountain greet him as a horrible force of solidness and chilled rock. His whole body, growing numb from cold and pain, finally gave in to wariness and he dropped, his body hitting the ground hard. He didn't even try to move as Astrid, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Fishlegs were all chained, as well. Astrid sat down beside him, placing her unchained hand on his back soothingly. She sent a hateful gaze up at the outcasts, but they only laughed. The three of Alvin's men filed out while Alvin turned to Hiccup's small form. Astrid tensed up, her fists bawling as she prepared to fight if she needed to.
"Calm down, little bitch," Alvin sneered, her eyes flickering from her to Hiccup, who attempted to sit up meekly. "I don't call you the Conquerer of Dragons, boy. I call you the Dragon Conquerer. Singular."
Hiccup, sitting upright with his back now against the wall, narrowed his eyes questioningly. If Alvin was speaking of Toothless, then the man was surely confused. Toothless was his best friend.
Seeing the boy's confusion, Alvin smirked. He bent down and tapped Hiccup's prosthetic leg. "How'd you get this, boy?"
Hiccup caught on. Alvin hadn't known that Hiccup had ridden Toothless to stop the Red Death. All Alvin knew was the Hiccup had somehow defeated the giant monster. That alone had been enough to assume that Hiccup then also knew how to defeat all dragons. That was why Alvin originally wanted Hiccup. Because he could defeat all dragons. Upon realizing the truth, Alvin had changed plans. Alvin didn't want to defeat the dragons that raided Outcast Island. He wanted to use them.
Hiccup was, essentially, his tool to mass destruction. Alvin was going to destroy Berk with dragons.
Alvin bellowed, howling with laughter as he saw understanding and misery dawn across Hiccup's face. The noise echoed around the cave like loud drums that warned of an oncoming army. It startled Fishlegs awake, who looked around, puzzled and uncertain of what was going on.
Hiccup felt his heart beating against his chest like it was going to explode. He empty stomach fought to relieve itself and he had to swallow multiple times to keep from throwing up anything his stomach could find up. His shallow breathing alerted Astrid that something was severely wrong and she pulled Hiccup close to her in a hug.
Shutting his eyes, Hiccup let himself drift away. The sound of Alvin's laugh faded into the background as darkness consumed him. He had no dreams, only nightmares. Fire blazed across his vision and the whole world rank of the dead or dying. He was standing at the center of it all, hearing his name being called as people begged him to help. Surly the hero of Berk could save them! Hiccup was panicking, eyes wide as he searched for Toothless, his dad, Astrid, or any of his friends.
Turning and weaving his way through the chaos and destruction, Hiccup eventually saw someone familiar.
"Dad!" he screamed, running forward. He bent down by his father, who was sprawled out on his back, face staring towards the heavens. Hiccup searched Stoick's face for any sign of life. Nothing. The man's eyes were open and soft, no gleam of life showing in their depths. Hiccup reached out tenderly, thinking maybe it was a trick. "Dad, no..."
A long wail of agony startled him awake and Hiccup's eyes flew open with the intention of finding Toothless to help him from whatever had just caused him to scream.
"Hiccup!" Astrid cried out in alarm, sitting up in a flash from where she had fallen asleep beside him.
Everything that had transpired the past many hours came crashing down on Hiccup as he realized that it had only been a dream. His father was not dead and Toothless had not just roared with pain. He was sucking in breaths, trying to regain his composure as he moved himself to lean back against the side of the cave. He let his head fall back, skull resting against the wall, eyes closing as he let his heart rate slow.
Astrid came up beside him, looking at him with blue eyes full of worry. When Hiccup reopened his eyes and looked at her, she asked, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Hiccup stammered. He felt burning hot, sweat beading his forehead. As he thought about how hot he felt, though, the icy grip of the cave began to rework itself on his body, plunging him into cold again. "Just a bad dream. How are you and the others?"
Astrid's eye was still swollen, but it looked like it had gone down just enough that she could see out of it again. It was a deep, dark purple, standing out against her pale complexion. It was large, encompassing her eye all the way out to her temple.
Turning to look at the others, Hiccup noticed they were all asleep. Tuffnut was curled up, still clutching his stomach like it hurt. Ruffnut was resting her side, the injured cheek away from the stone floor. The cut wasn't bleeding anymore, stopped by the blood that had dried along the outside of her skin. Fishlegs looked peaceful while Snotlout didn't look comfortable at all.
Astrid glanced over them before looking back at Hiccup. "We all talked a bit while you fell asleep and after Alvin left. After what Alvin said, I figured out what he was planning and told the others. Fishlegs nearly peed himself. He was happy to drop out of the conversation and just try to sleep. Tuffnut's stomach is rather bruised. Ruff says it's the same color as my face. Ruff's cheek stopped bleeding, as you can see. I think she'll be fine. She's just lucky to be alive. Snotlout's pretty out of it. I think he's suffering a massive headache."
Hiccup nodded, then turned and looked at his feet... er... foot. And the prosthetic. Suddenly, the Hiccup that had earned the fake foot, the hero Hiccup, seemed farther away than ever. Back with Toothless on Berk.
Astrid took his hand and squeezed it, trying to offer some solace of comfort. "Don't worry, Hiccup. We'll all get off this island and be back home before we know it. Maybe tomorrow. We're all tough. And you're amazing at leading us. You'll think of something."
Hiccup managed a dry chuckle, shaking his head at himself. "I'm about to teach Berk's greatest enemy how to ride Berk's former greatest enemy. I don't have my dragon here with me and my army is five other teenaged kids against an island of Viking men. I better think of something."
Toothless stood along the cliff edge, his claws digging into the ground hard. He remained there for many moments, even after Alvin's ship vanished on the horizon, taking his best friend and the other humans with it. He had let out a mournful cry, scared that it might be the last thing he would ever get to say to Hiccup. He needed to figure out something. If he didn't, he knew quite well that his owner might be dead soon.
Turning from the cliffside, he made his way back up the steep hill and to the path. Taking off into a bounding run, he charged his way through the fields, startling sheep and surprising some of the Vikings that were out enjoying the day. They watched him with wide, curious gazes, not understanding how they could possibly be seeing the Night Fury without Hiccup around. Toothless ignored them, only intent on finding one person. Stoick.
Finally, the main section of the village came into view. He slowed as her neared the Haddock house, sniffing and searching for any sign of the chief. When he couldn't locate the man, he decided the next best place to check would be the Great Hall. Feeling like his running was too slow, he jumped into the air, beating his wings hard and then gliding a short distance before landing and repeating the process. Without Hiccup, he couldn't get very far, but it was faster than just plain running.
As he climbed his way up the steps, he let out a loud roar, hoping that, if Stoick was inside, he would hear him. Worry pumped through his body as he came up to the large entrance, gazing up only for a moment. The doors were closed and he knew that he wasn't very good at opening the door, but had to try. He scratched at the handle until a claw hooked it and he managed to yank it open. As the door swung wide, he jumped in, eyes darting about before locating a small group of men, Stoick standing amongst them.
He let out a low whine and trotted over, pushing through the men and up to Stoick. He continued to growl lightly, trying to convey his worry and fear for Hiccup to the man. Stoick blinked at him, misunderstanding.
"Ah, Toothless. You upset because Hiccup's out playing with the other Vikings? It's okay, boy, he'll be around tomorrow," the man chuckled, hands on his hips as he looked at the dragon squarely in the eyes.
Toothless shook his head and snorted, whining again and trying to motion for Stoick to come with him. If he could take the man outside and point out across the ocean, maybe he could get the village leader to comprehend him. Stoick, however, couldn't quite figure out what Toothless was trying to tell him. He narrowed his eyes, shaking he head. "I don't know what you're trying to say, Toothless. Look, just tell Hiccup whatever it is later tonight, okay? He'll know what you need."
Toothless became frustrated and growled at Stoick, agitation flashing across his eyes. The Night Fury was about to reach out and grab Stoick to try and force him outside, but he was getting pushed back and shooed away by the Viking men. Figuring that Stoick wouldn't catch on until later, when Hiccup didn't come home, Toothless decided to find someone who would understand him for the time being. Maybe they could come up with an idea that they could use once Stoick was on board, or even better, an idea to let Stoick know what exactly had occurred.
Turning and fleeing the Great Hall, Toothless knew exactly where to find Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf, and Belch. The four other dragons (if you included Barf and Belch as one dragon) weren't always the brightest dragons, but they were trustworthy and Toothless knew they cared for their humans.
It was a long journey when you couldn't fly. Toothless had to even swim a little ways to reach the small island just off the coast of the far side of Berk where his dragon friends met with other dragons from off the island. It was a dragon meeting place, so that Berk wasn't overwhelmed with the fire spitting creatures. Especially not with dragons that didn't particularly care to live with the Vikings. The dragons didn't hate the Vikings, not any more. They just had no desire to be among them like Toothless and the others did.
As Toothless began to pull himself onto the land of the small island, a Nadder looked up and noticed him, squealing loudly. The sun was beginning to sink by this time and the Nadder's colorful scales glittered in the fading daylight. She stomped up to Toothless, cocking her head at him, curious as to why he just swam all the way out to the island and Hiccup wasn't with him.
Toothless turned his attention to Stormfly, shaking some of the water off of his scales. The gaseous fire in his belly kept him warm despite the water's rather frigid temperatures.
Toothless roared softly about what had happened, informing the deadly Nadder and those listening.
Meatlug, Hookfang, Barf, and Belch all wandered over. The dragons they had been conversing with also watched on with amused expressions, unable to comprehend why the dragons cared so much for the teenagers. The onlookers included the mate's of Toothless' friends, as well as a couple of their children that had dropped by to visit. The once puny babies that were so little at Snoggletog many weeks ago had grown into adolescents, able to care for themselves and nearly full grown. Other friends and Berk dragons were gathered around and some of the other Berk dragons came forward into the conversation, thinking maybe they could help.
When Toothless had finished his story, Stormfly asked him what they should do. Toothless wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know where the outcasts lived and without Hiccup, he couldn't get there anyways. He hung his head, claws digging into the ground as he searched for anything to say. He eventually looked back up and mentioned that they needed Stoick, as the chief might have an idea of Alvin's whereabouts. Stormfly and the others nodded, concurring with the idea.
Toothless hopped aboard Hookfang and the group took off to the sky. The other Berk dragons followed, bidding farewell to their friends before they all soared for the village. As they approached, Stormfly looked back, motioning with her head towards the Great Hall. The other dragons followed her lead.
Darkness had fallen. The moon was a slice of light in the sky. Stars were splattered across the dark canvas of dark blue but the Great Hall was lit up, showing that much of the village was inside, perhaps having dinner together.
The Berk dragons pried open the door and entered. They dodged small children running around excitedly and sought out Stoick. They were able to locate him by the hearty cheer of Gobber. Approaching, Toothless roared a greeting to get their attention.
"Hey, Toothless," Gobber greeted, wiping the froth of his beer off his mouth. "How are all of you dragons today?"
Stoick turned and looked at them with more concern. He was standing beside Gobber, hands behind his back and face creased with thoughts. He began twisting some fingers through his shaggy beard as he watched Toothless and the others come forward. As Toothless looked from Gobber to him, Stoick sighed rather loudly.
"I suppose this is what you were trying to tell me earlier," the chief commented, narrowing his eyes at the dragon. "Where are Hiccup and the other teens?"
Toothless looked at the others and decided that maybe they could act it out. He asked the dragons to act like their owners, which got him some funny looks. Barf and Belch caught on first and start bickering endlessly. Stormfly stood straight and puffed her chest out, trying to act like Astrid. Meatlug didn't need to do much while Hookfang roared, trying to talk to Stormfly, who ignored him.
Toothless looked back at Stoick to see if the man was following what was going on. Then he slunk around and jumped out, landing on Stormfly and growling loudly at her. He pretended to threaten her and then drag her off. The others pretended they were frightened and followed. Toothless stopped at the entrance to the Great Hall and looked around. By now, the whole village was staring at him like he'd gone mad, but Toothless didn't mind at that moment. He jumped up and then began to shake himself wildly, wondering if he looked like he was in a boat.
"The kids were captured?" Gobber finally asked and Toothless nodded his head fiercely.
"Where were they taken? By who?" Stoick demanded, walking forward and pushing a few villagers that had come between him and Toothless to watch the dragon. He got up in Toothless' face and practically screamed, "By Thor, who took them?"
None of the dragons were sure how they could portray Alvin. They began to cry incessantly, all trying to get the man to know who they were talking about. Their fervent cries built up into a cacophony, flooding the Great Hall in a sea of noise. It was nigh deafening until Stoick raised a hand to quiet them. The hall then fell into such a deep silence that everyone went rigid, wondering that, if they spoke, if they would be yelled at.
"Was it a dragon?" Stoick asked softly.
Toothless shook his head.
"A Viking?"
Toothless shook his head, but then nodded. Then shook his head again. Then shrugged. Was Alvin still considered a Viking?
"An outcast?"
Toothless shook his head vigorously and came forward, nearly running into Stoick.
"Alvin?"
Toothless only managed to nod once before Stoick slammed his fists on a nearby table in absolute fury.
"Wake up, damn children," a voice grumbled, then Hiccup felt a boot to his back.
He rolled onto his stomach, trying to escape his assailant, but was only hefted to his feet as the man grabbed the back of his shirt and hoisted him up. Hiccup was exceedingly displeased to be looking into the face of Alvin. A face that looked quite unhappy. The man dropped him and Hiccup just barely managed to land steadily. Astrid stood up beside him while the others stirred and clambered to their feet, as well.
Alvin handed them each a plate of... something. In Hiccup's opinion, it looked like some sort of gruel that not even a dragon would eat. He sniffed it and it about made him barf. The others gave it much the same look he was.
"What is this? Stuff you picked from between your toes?" Tuffnut groaned, sticking his tongue out.
Ruffnut faked a gagging motion. Hiccup couldn't believe that the two were brave enough to still joke in front of Alvin. After what happened yesterday, he didn't think any of them would be brave enough to even speak.
Alvin turned and began to walk away. "I'll be back in a couple minutes."
He paused, his large form nearly taking up the cave he was about to walk into. He turned his head slightly and looked the twins up and down, both still snickering and staring at the food with devious grins. Alvin smirked, "I spent all night picking it out for you children."
As soon as he was gone and the sound of his footsteps could be heard no more, all six teens dropped their plates to the ground and slid them as far away as they could manage.
Hiccup, despite his stomach clawing viciously at his sides, demanding something to eat, found he didn't feel as hungry each time he glanced over at the gruel. He tried to keep his attention on his friends, who were all trying to occupy themselves so as to forget about where they were for the few precious minutes they had before Alvin's return.
"Thought of any plans?" Astrid asked, turning to him.
Hiccup sighed and shook his head. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed at his eyes, feeling weak and tired. It had been difficult to fall asleep on the ground. Not only was it like sleeping on ice, but it was just plain uncomfortable. He was aching all over his body, unable to determine whether it was from the sleeping position or Alvin throwing him about like a stuffed animal yesterday.
Astrid frowned. "Hiccup, we need to think of something.
Hiccup pulled his hands away, feeling exasperated. "Like what, Astrid? Even if we were to get off this island, we would need a boat. If we manage to take Alvin's boat, think about it. They'll come after us. They have weapons, Astrid. They'll just sink us."
Hiccup was prepared to die to protect Berk. He had proven that facing the Red Death. He couldn't bring himself to ask that of the others, however. Any sort of escape plan he had was tricky and had a greater chance of catastrophe rather than results. Plus, with the others being watched constantly, it was doubtful any of them could find the time to find a dragon that would let them ride them so they could fly away.
The minutes flew by much too quickly and Alvin was soon back. He and the three men from before, accompanied by two more, strode in with emotionless faces. Six men in total to watch six measly teenagers. The only teen who probably posed any sort of a threat was Astrid and that was if she could get a weapon. Fishlegs could have been a threat if he wasn't so scared. They were escorted outside to the beach.
The day wasn't like the previous one. Clouds rumbled overhead. They promised rain, their dark forms colliding with one another, tumbling as a giant mass over the island. Hiccup stood at the edge of the beach between the mountain and the sand, looking up at the sky, hoping that maybe the clouds would open up and it would storm for many days. Surly the dragons wouldn't return if it was raining?
"We have a couple hours before the dragons show up," Alvin cried.
When Hiccup looked out onto the beach, he realized something that, for some reason, hadn't stood out to him when he first walked out onto the beach. A couple scores of men were standing there, just before the water. They were all as large as Alvin, if not larger. They were dirtied and angry looking, seeming to blend together with their tangled beards and smeared skin.
"Shit," Tuffnut cursed from nearby.
Alvin turned and looked at Hiccup. "Begin teaching us, Dragon Conquerer."
Hiccup knew he could try and teach Alvin completely wrong. Then, when the dragons showed, the Vikings would only anger them and the dragons would attack. It was hopeless wishing that the dragons would be able to defeat the Vikings. The outcasts had been living the island for years and had defended themselves from the beasts. It wasn't about to change now. So he looked over at the others, who all frowned in defeat.
"Go on," Astrid sighed.
Hiccup looked back forward and saw that Alvin was getting impatient. The man's fists clenched and he started forward. "Begin teaching, Dragon Conquerer, or your friends will face the consequences."
Hiccup nodded and picked his way out to the beach to be in front of all the men. He glanced back once at his friends, who had a couple men standing behind them, swords ready should any of the teens try to escape. Tuffnut rubbed his stomach, wincing, while Snotlout asked to sit down before he ended up just collapsing. Hiccup watched his cousin fall and knew that the boy was suffering because of the cracked skull. Hiccup wanted to beg for medical attention for his kin, but knew that no man here could truly give it.
"All right," he said, turning back to all the men. He flinched under their gazes. This would be easier if he had a real dragon around to demonstrate. "When it comes to dragons, its all about trust. You have to trust them to protect you and they have to trust you not to hurt them. It is also likewise. The dragon wants to know you'll be there for it while you want to know that it won't spray fire at your face."
The men exchanged looks and Hiccup knew, at that moment, that these men had about enough sense when it came to trust as Ruffnut and Tuffnut did about the word "peace."
"Odin, help me," he muttered.
Hiccup decided to try and waste time by getting the Viking men to try trust games, such as falling and letting the other person catch you. He did his best to relate this to dragons, but most of the outcasts scoffed at him. Alvin seemed irritated by everything and, after long hours of seeming to get nowhere, he approached Hiccup.
"Enough, Dragon Conquerer. Teach us to ride dragons now or your little blonde friend is going to lose her head," he breathed, grabbing Hiccup's shirt and pulling him close.
The rancid breath washed over Hiccup and he thought, for a moment, that he would faint. Alvin dropped him, though, and went back to standing amongst the other men. Hiccup recovered as fast as he could, sucking in fresh air before trying to figure out what else he could possibly teach without dragons around.
"Well, uh, one thing... you need to do... when approaching a dragon is... talk kind to him," he stumbled.
Many of the men laughed to themselves, giving each other glares and funny looks. Alvin growled under his breath and crossed his arms. The outcast leader simply didn't like the idea of speaking kind to the dragons. This wasn't what he signed up for.
Hiccup struggled to continue, "When the dragon is calm, you want to reach your hand out slowly. Don't try to be the one to touch the dragon, uh... Let the dragon come to you and touch your hand. This shows... uh, trust, between you and the dragon. If the dragon feels he can, er, trust you enough... he'll bow to you and you can... get on his back."
A moment of silence ensued. The sound of water lapping against the shore was the only audible thing for a while. Hiccup looked back at the others, who were sitting down by this point and watching with rather unamused expressions. When they noticed Hiccup staring at them, they all shrugged, unable to answer his curiosity as to why the Vikings were silent.
Then Alvin laughed. He roared with a laughter that nearly sent him tumbling to the ground. The other men burst into their own throaty laughs. Hiccup stood there, suddenly wishing for silence again.
Alvin pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, looking up and marching towards Hiccup. Hiccup took a step back, but felt his prosthetic foot sink deep into the sand, making it harder to move. He looked down at it, fear stretching across his eyes. He tugged at it, hoping to pull it back up before Alvin could pick him up and potentially rip it off his leg entirely.
The man stopped and the laughing died down. Hiccup turned and glanced up at him before looking right back down. Alvin was tomato red, eyes practically bulging with anger.
"That's it?" he demanded. "You speak nice to it and touch it and it'll let you ride it?"
His voice began to well with fury. That was when he reached out and grabbed Hiccup. He pulled the boy close and, luckily, Hiccup's leg came up out of the sand. Unfortunately, the horrible stench of Alvin's breath was rebathing him in a cloak of a horrible odor.
Suddenly, cries split the air. Forms began to appear in the clouds and then rain down. It wasn't water, though, but dragons. The creatures came sailing down, settling along the beach, amongst outcasts, and up along the side of the mountain. Their eyes peered down at the men and teens. Alvin released Hiccup and drew back, spinning around to see them all. A wicked smile appeared on his face as he looked at them.
"You said you were kind to the dragons?" he asked.
Hiccup nodded, but was a bit dazed and looked confused as he did so.
"I think you're lying," Alvin hissed.
"Wha?" Hiccup started, but then felt something crash into the side of his head. He was went spinning to the left before he came down in the sand. He could taste the disgusting beads in his mouth, but he remained there, enjoying the idea of being able to bury his face in them.
"Hiccup!" Astrid and Fishlegs called, but were grabbed before they could move to help him.
Alvin turned to the nearest dragon, the Nightmare from yesterday. He marched forward, hand reaching for his sword. He stopped, though, and dropped his hand.
"The boy lies," he called to his men. "I'll show you."
He continued to stare at the Nightmare, his gaze never wavering. Hiccup had mentioned earlier that being able to look a dragon in the eyes showered respect. He believed that it meant the dragon needed to respect him. He got closer, hand reaching out. The Nightmare looked at him, growling, teeth baring. It took a step back. Alvin bared his teeth and continued moving forward.
"Come on, stupid creature. Lets do this stupid trust thing," he muttered, stopping a foot from the dragon.
The Nightmare stopped growling, seeing Alvin had halted his approach. It relaxed and cocked its head, seeming to contemplate whether or not to accept the man. It looked past him, seeing Hiccup who it recalled from yesterday. The boy had pushed himself up, was sitting in the sand, and looking over with wide eyes and a hand held to the side of his head.
Alvin decided the Nightmare was taking too long. He thrust his hand forward to try and touch it. The Nightmare cried out in alarm and snapped out, attempting to bite off Alvin's arm.
Alvin roared. "See! The boy lies!"
The men on the beach tensed and gathered their weapons, each then turning to the nearest dragon and advancing on them. Many of the dragons cried out and flew to the skies, escaping before they could be harmed. Others turned to fight, their eyes blazing to protect themselves.
Hiccup had a splitting headache. He felt like the world was spinning, but he stood up. He jogged as fast as he could manage towards Alvin, attempting to dodge men and dragons that moved in his way. He stumbled many times, his clothes were becoming sand coated and gritty. He ignored it, though, and pressed forward.
Lightning then split the air and showered the world in a blinding light. Thunder drummed along after it, followed by the beginning of rain. The sand grew thicker, sucking at his metal foot and dragging him with each step. Hiccup spat sand out and wiped at the rain that tried to get in his eyes. His clothes clung to him, feeling absolutely filthy. He didn't stop, though.
"Alvin, wait! Stop!" he cried, bursting out to the scene where Alvin was facing the Nightmare.
He was too late, though. Alvin, having caught the Nightmare off guard, threw its head to the ground and it fell on its side. Before the creature could recoil or even think of dodging, Alvin's sword was out. The silver sparkled with a flash of lightning, then swung down. Blood splattered along the beach, sinking into the thick sand. Alvin snatched up the Nightmare's head and tossed it towards the sea, watching it land in the water. The spot where it sunk billowed crimson for a moment before the waves washed it away. Alvin was laughing wickedly, ignoring the blood that stained his clothes. He put a foot on the Nightmare's body and howled out through the night, competing with the thunder.
The remaining dragons fled, their wings beating furiously to get away. They vanished as fast at the could, disappearing either over the horizon or through the clouds. The men down on the beach chorused with shouts of joy.
Alvin looked over at Hiccup, his eyes locking onto his.
"Which one of your friends shall I kill for your treachery?" the man asked.
Hiccup's blood froze and the pounding headache got worse. He had sunken to his knees without realizing it and, at the thought of one of his friends being murdered, he found it difficult to breath. He was failing them. He was failing Berk. At this rate he would never see his home, his father, or Toothless again. His friends would never see their homes, their families, or their dragons either.
He looked back up, pleading with the man. "Give me another chance. Let me show you! Let me demonstrate! You didn't do it right. You didn't do it right..."
Alvin took his foot off the body of the Nightmare and come forward. His stern gaze was unyielding and Hiccup had to look away. The man reached down and forced Hiccup to stand.
"Fine then. One more chance. I won't be killing any of you tonight. But you will be punished," he said, his voice colder than any weather Hiccup had ever faced in his life.
Hiccup looked up at Alvin and nodded fiercely.
"I promise, if you give me this chance, you'll be riding dragons by tomorrow night."
It was a promise that, while he despised every word of it, he intended to keep.
I, uh... yeah...
o.o
Review?
Love,
Deyoxis