Chapter Eleven: Infiltration, Extraction, Invasion, Departure
"Hiccup, are you sure about this?" Heather asked, gliding alongside of him. The lights from Thariin were already in view, and the black sky was getting hints of grey, signaling that it dawn was fast approaching.
"I'm positive, Heather. We need to do this."
"I'm not talking about going in to find them. I'm talking about doing this right now. Zekir's men will be distracted with an invasion that they won't care about guarding two prisoners. Especially when Auger starts his attack from behind!"
"We know Darien, Heather. We also know enough about Zekir. They won't let them be unguarded, especially during a fight. If anything, once they realize they're losing, they may…they may take them from us. If we hit them now, at least we have a chance of catching them flat footed so they don't do something that drastic."
"Hiccup, I understand, but-"
"Heather, he's right. Now is better than waiting." Matt interrupted, gliding Wasatch in-between them. "What would have happened had we not gone searching for you when Darien took you away?"
Letting out a long sigh, she simply replied. "I can take a guess."
"You would have been taken here. And probably killed here, since we know how well they took care of you." He answered. "We know Darien will use her to exploit Hiccup, and Fishlegs for some kind of scheme too. If not both! The sooner we hit them, the less likely they'll be able set something up for us, or hurt Astrid and Fishlegs."
Nodding in understanding, she simply looked to her right to see Stormfly looking around anxiously, still confused as to why Astrid wasn't with her. "I know, I just want to make sure we get them back too."
"And we will. That's why we're going right now." Matt pointed out.
"Alright, we're right above the village." Hiccup shouted, looking down below. "That's where the arena should be. Let's go! Quietly!"
"Alright, girls, follow us!" Heather called out, turning to Stormfly and Meatlug. "We're getting our friends back!"
Stormfly let out a joyful squawk, followed by an angry grunt from Meatlug as they banked themselves behind Windshear.
"Alright bud, nice and easy. No sparks. Not yet." Matt whispered, watching Hiccup closely.
Toothless then began to glide in a large circle, slowly descending and not making his legendary scream when diving at high speeds. Wasatch followed closely; as did Windshear, Stormfly, and Meatlug.
Slowly circling down, they could see torches from a few patrols along the wall of the village, with the arena being dark and lit with only a handful of fires. Hiccup then waved his hand and then pointed down at something. Heather and Matt looked to see exactly where he was pointing. In-between stadium like seating for the arena, and a smaller wall, it was barely visible with the torches lights posted around the area. It was a perfect place to land and hide.
Toothless then dropped straight down, careful not to create any noise that would tip off their arrival. With the other dragons following closely, they all landed at their designated spot. Freezing in place, they all waited to see if anyone was nearby or had heard them.
"Hear anything?" Matt asked quietly, slowly stepping off of Wasatch.
"Nothing. At least not yet…" Heather whispered back.
"Alright, bud. Stay here and wait for us. We'll be back…" Hiccup whispered, patting Toothless as he walked to the edge of their cover. Pulling out the Dragon Blade, he simply peered around the edge of the seating.
"Right behind you, Hiccup." Matt quietly assured, readying his hatchet and sliding right behind him. "Let's get them back."
Heather also slid behind him, only nodding to them that she too was ready.
"Alright, I see a single guard at the far end of the arena. Likely guarding the pathway to get in here."
"Do you see a tunnel or something that leads somewhere?" Heather asked.
"I see a doorway in the actual arena. Means we'll have to get creative to get out, but I'm willing to bet that's where we need to go."
"Alright then, move ahead and I'll cover your six." Matt whispered quietly.
Hiccup then jogged towards the pit that made the arena. Sliding under the chain net that lay over the arena, he let himself slide down the wall until he reached the ground. Freezing in place, he listened for anything that would signal that someone was either nearby, or had heard them.
"Gah!" Matt gasped out, landing next to him. Rubbing his leg, he clenched his teeth shut to keep him from shouting in pain. "That…really hurt!" He groaned through his gritted teeth.
"How bad is it?" Hiccup whispered, kneeling down next to him. Heather also slid down, landing quietly and smoothly next to them.
"It's fine. Just landed on it wrong." He huffed, shaking his head to shake off the rough landing. "Hmm, it's a pretty clean arena…"
He wasn't wrong. The floor was swept and smooth. Hardly a sign that it was even used. The walls looked polished, having the slightest hint of a reflection in them. The dragon cages on the opposite side of the arena were also very clean looking, as if the wood was freshly stained and the iron fittings were replaced.
"It was like this when I was last here." Hiccup whispered. Pulling Matt up to his feet, he continued to say. "When we pulled Ukiah out of here…"
"Guys, maybe a later?" Heather hissed, pushing them towards the single door in the wall of the arena.
"Right, this way! Come on!"
"I hope the door's unlocked. Might be making a racket trying to get it open." Matt replied grimly, eyeing the sides of the arena for any sign of a guard.
Hiccup was the first to arrive. Grabbing the handle, he gently pulled on it. It slightly moved, but refused to open.
"Urgh, of course." Heather whispered angrily, looking at the crack between the door and the frame.
"See anything that could help us open it quietly?" Matt asked, walking up next to her.
"Not really. It's got a single latch on the inside. That much I can see." She huffed in an annoyed tone. "Not exactly helpful."
"What kind of latch?" He asked, kneeling next to her.
"A bar. Not big, but it looks like it slides back."
"Let me take a shot at it."
Stepping aside, both Heather and Hiccup watched Matt flip open his knife. Getting closer, he wedged the blade through; rocking it up and down, trying to get it farther in the crack. They watched anxiously as he pulled certain faces as he worked.
"…almost…that's right…" He whispered to himself. "…no, no, no! Don't do that. Yes…that's right…a little more."
"He gets that from you, you know that right?" Heather whispered to Hiccup with a teasing smirk on her face.
Hiccup simply rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Matt.
"Man, am I good or what?" He scoffed as he folded his knife. Grabbing the handle, he smiled as he pulled it open.
Ccccreeeaaaakkkkk!
Everyone flinched as the door echoed in the arena. What was worse was what they heard after: "Huh? What was that?"
"Quick! Inside!" Matt whispered frantically.
The three instantly slipped through the open door, barely big enough for them to pass through without needing to open it wider. Both Matt and Hiccup gently pulled it back, trying to keep it from creaking again.
"Hmmm…" A voice called out, sounding like it was just above where they were.
Holding their breaths, they all waited for something to signal that the guard left.
"Ugh, the invasion's got me wound up…"
All at once, the three let out a huge sigh of relief as they could hear the guard walk away.
"Let's not let you open up any more doors. Okay?" Heather whispered, glaring at Matt angrily. "That almost blew our cover!"
"My bad!" He quickly replied. "But I did get the door open. Can't get mad at me with that!"
"Shh. Come on. These tunnels head towards the same direction as the Keep…this has to be where they have their cells." Hiccup whispered, staring down the dark hallway. In the distance, they could see a handful of torches, keeping where they were standing dark and hidden. Next to the torches, were two guards, obviously looking bored with their post.
"Ten bucks that they're near where they have torches lit." Matt whispered, sliding his hatchet out of its holster.
"I'm guessing that's why there's guards posted outside of it." Heather whispered quietly, also grabbing her axe. "How do we want to get them without raising the alarm?"
Hiccup began to rack his head. "We can use the dark to run at them and hit them before they can react. They can't take three of us, especially since they aren't expecting anything."
"Ahem…I have a better idea."
Both Hiccup and Heather turned to Matt, who was simply smiling at them.
"Being…what then?" Heather asked, looking at him skeptically.
Matt let out one of his careless smiles grow on his face. Without saying a word, he reached for one of the cell doors and gently pulled it open, having learned his lesson earlier. "Seems they don't lock their cell doors. Perfect place to hide when the guards run past chasing after something."
"That…might work! We just need a distraction." Hiccup replied excitedly.
Matt shook his head as he grabbed the two of them and pushed them into the cell. "Wait here, and wait for the guards to pass by. I'll stop a little ways down so you can hit 'em from behind."
"Matt-" Heather tried to shout, though it was more of a hiss.
Too late. He was already jogging down the hallway with a skip in his step, though it could be his limp that he learned to mask when his leg was aggravated.
"I'm going to kill him." She growled, shaking her head as she watched him get closer to the guards.
"If the guards don't beat you to it." Hiccup whispered, also watching Matt with angst.
The two simply peeked around the door, watching him get closer and closer. Right until they could hear his voice.
"Sup! Can you guys be bros and tell me where to find a certain blonde, beautiful, strong Viking warrior? And a large, friendly man as well? I'm sure they're down here somewhere."
"You! Rider, halt!"
"Mmmmm…nah!" He teased, turning around and sprinting away from them.
"Come back here!" One of the guards shouted, as the two of them chased after him.
Both Hiccup and Heather sunk back behind the door, hearing Matt get closer. Heather gripped her axe with a death grip, waiting for the moment to help him. There he was! Running past the door, he kept on going! She could hear the guards approaching, thanks to the armor they wore. Gritting her teeth, she swung her axe as hard as she could, catching one of the guards in the chest.
"Gaghk!" He gasped, completely taken off guard from the hit.
The other guard stumbled over his comrade, crashing and rolling on the ground.
Hiccup was first to react, as he leapt past Heather and drove the hilt of his sword into the guard's head.
"Ooogghfff…" He groaned, falling limp at the hit.
"Quick! Hide 'em in the cell!" Matt replied, running back to them.
Heather was already on it. Grabbing the guard's hand that she…killed, she pulled him into the cell. Hiccup and Matt tag teamed with the other, dropping him alongside.
"I'll take these." Hiccup announced, kneeling down and taking the keys latched to one of the guard's belt.
"Come on! Let's go!" Heather growled, jogging out of the cell.
Both Matt and Hiccup followed, which Hiccup whirled around and began to lock the door. Heather took the moment to smack Matt in the shoulder.
"Grrrhhh…should I ask what that was for?" He growled, scrunching an eye as he glared at her.
"For being you." She replied with a small smile.
Hiccup then turned and ran down the hallway, towards the cell that the guards were protecting. Both Matt and Heather followed, with Matt favoring his leg a little bit. As they arrived at the door, they all stared at it in wonder. It was bigger, and didn't have any windows or slots in it to look inside.
"They're in here…Astrid has to be in here…" Hiccup whispered frantically, not helping his fingers as he fumbled with the key and the locked door.
Holding their breath and their weapons, Matt and Heather watched as Hiccup finally unlocked it. Not trying to be subtle, he pushed it open and ran in.
"Hiccup?!"
"Fishlegs! You're okay! Where's Astrid?" Hiccup cried out, running past all the torture devices, and to his friend's cell.
Not saying anything, he simply looked down and pointed to the side of the room.
Whirling around, they all gasped as they saw Astrid hanging there. Her shirt was stained red, with a small trickle of blood dripping from her cheek down her neck. Her hair was a mangled mess, with hardened blood sticking to her long strands of hair.
"Astrid!" Hiccup cried, rushing to her and holding her up.
Heather swiped the keys from Hiccup, using them to unlock the cuffs around her wrists while Matt rushed to where the chains were pulled tight. Letting out some slack, he watched as Hiccup gently laid her down, letting her head lay in his lap.
"I-I tri-tried to stop them!" Fishlegs said aloud. "But they wouldn't listen to me after I said I'd talk!"
Uncuffing her friend, Heather was the first to respond. "It's alright, Fishlegs…there was nothing you could do-wait. What did you tell them?"
Fishlegs swallowed. "About what we knew of the Dragon eye. And they took the Dragon book. I'm so sorry, but they were going to kill her!"
Matt and Heather looked at each other, knowing that Fishlegs really had no choice; but if Darien really had the Dragon Book, it might as well have been the Dragon Eye. Everything they learned was in there.
"I might have also said that Snotlout and the twins went to defend Bruvos' kingdom too…" Fishlegs added, still looking sheepish about the whole thing. "I don't think they suspect being attacked by them."
"It's all good, Fishlegs. We know that you didn't have a choice." Matt replied, kneeling down to help Hiccup with Astrid. "At least they won't expect Auger coming from behind."
Hiccup never heard the conversation. He could only stare at Astrid with fear and anxiety. The cuts, the blood, all seemed to make the sight even more nightmarish for him. "Astrid…" He whispered, careful not to bump or jostle her. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner…"
Matt was busy inspecting the long slash down her leg, grimacing as he felt how deep it was. "She's not walking out of here on her own. That leg needs to be stitched before she puts any weight on it."
"I'll carry her." Hiccup whispered, wiping the blood off her cheek to try and clean her up a little. Looking up at Fishlegs, he quietly asked. "Who did this?"
Before he could answer, Heather started to make way towards him. "Come on, we need to get out of here while we still have the cover of night! Then we can worry about finding who did this to her."
Looking away sheepishly, feeling bad about that he couldn't do anything, Fishlegs noticed something quietly slip through the doorway into the room. "Ah! Look out!"
Everyone whirled around to see a larger figure standing there. Glaring at them, the person slammed the door shut behind him and latched it, locking them in with him. The man carried a large, decorative kite shield and simple war axe. Even in the dim light, Hiccup instantly picked up on who he was. "Ugo…" He growled with a darkened expression.
"Just as Darien predicted…you came. Almost all of you. The ones that matter at least." He growled, rolling his shoulders and letting a loud cracking sound echo in the room. "I'm going to have fun killing you. Those that might survive…well, this room will be where you'll be strapped to a rack and be tortured for the rest of your days. Or at least, the rest of Thariin's days."
"I'll kill you for doing this to her!" Heather shouted, dropping the keys and drawing her axe.
"That wasn't me, my dear…" Ugo growled in a cold tone. "That was all Darien and Zekir. It didn't take them long to break her or your friend there."
Fishleg's hung his head, hating the truth in his statement.
Matt's blood ran cold. Of course Darien did this. It shouldn't have been a surprise.
Hiccup gently set Astrid's head down as he stood up to help face the Champion of Thariin. "Either way, we can't forgive you…we never did anything to you!"
"So you believe." Came the swift reply. "You Riders ruined Zekir. Ruined Thariin. Our downfall has all been because of you!"
"After you invaded us! And exploited Bruvos to help you attack us! Not to mention what Strogg did to us! To me!" Matt scoffed. "Ooh, look at me! I'm the victim!"
"Enough! You die here, Riders!" He roared as he charged the three.
"Gah! Look out!" Heather shouted, rolling to evade the attack.
Matt quickly spun around a pillory, using it to block the strike from Ugo. The war axe smashed into the temporary cover, sending splinters everywhere!
Hiccup pressed the button on his Dragon Blade, letting fire rush down the blade. Gritting his teeth, he thrust the sword straight at Ugo.
Ugo responded by swinging his shield across, striking the blade and pushing it away from him. The move left Hiccup open, which Ugo began to swing his war axe back, ready to sink it into Hiccup's shoulder.
"No!" Matt shouted, thrusting his hatchet out and using the head to catch the axe. Turning away the blow of the strike, he was able to divert the attack away from Hiccup, but the force of the hit ripped the hatchet out of his hand and away from him.
"Grrr…" Ugo growled, pulling his arm back and back handing Matt in the face.
"Gah!" Stumbling back, he was able to get his senses back to know that Ugo wasn't following up another swing after stunning him.
Hearing Heather charge him from behind, Ugo swung his shield around just in time to stop the axe. "You die next, Berserker!"
"Hah! Good luck!" She replied with a smirk.
Suddenly the shadows shifted as a light moved behind him, making Ugo swing his axe back at Hiccup whose face was clear as day in the Dragon Blade's fire. It was dark and angry. The sight was a rare one for Hiccup, meaning he was angry.
Ping!
The blades bounced off each other, spreading fire and briefly making the dark room brighter.
Matt flipped his knife out and was flanking Ugo, as was Heather and Hiccup. The three circled him, all ready to strike at the same time. Heather spun her axe as she walked, glaring at him with hate and anger. "It's going to be harder than you think…" She growled, challenging Ugo's claim.
"You've gotten stronger, Hiccup Haddock…" Ugo growled, focusing on him. Bracing himself by raising his shield and readying his war axe, he continued to growl. "Stronger than when I first faced you and your friends."
Hiccup didn't say anything. He let his face darken as he prepared for Ugo to make the first move. The memory of Strogg attacking his home; almost capturing Astrid; followed with being captured himself as well as Toothless; and then almost killing Ukiah; had all resurfaced in his mind with a burning frustration.
"…but I'm stronger…stronger than you. Your friends. Even your dragons. After I finish you three…I'm going to kill Ukiah! For the sake of being born and being the downfall of my home…and there's nothing you can do about it. You should have killed him when you learned who he was…" He whispered coldly.
"And then been like you? Like Strogg?" He replied with a resolute tone. "Besides that, he's been more of a friend than you ever would. Even if he wasn't in our lives."
"Then die!" Almost instantly, Ugo swung his leg low, catching Heather behind her legs and tripping her onto her back. With the same momentum, he swung his shield at Matt, stopping him and hitting him directly with the force of a wall falling on someone.
"Raggh!" He shouted as he tumbled end over end, being sent rolling into the bars that made up Fishlegs' cell. Hiccup tried to thrust his sword again at him, but Ugo twisted his axe in a way that the sword's blade was locked under the axe head.
"Give me a moment to deal with you." Ugo whispered, shoving Hiccup away from him but keeping his blade locked in his axe. Without a second thought, he turned around and stomped on Heather's arm, forcing her to let go of her axe.
"Gah!" She cried out as she cradled it into her chest to help with the pain.
With the same speed as when he started the fight, Ugo kicked the axe away from her, sending it skidding to the other side of the room. Without needing to double check, he whirled around to face Hiccup, who was still trying to free his locked blade. Pushing him back, he overpowered and ran him over, sending him end over end and forcing him to drop his sword.
Finally stopping and pushing Hiccup away from his friends, he barked at him with a fury that was part of the reason why he was named a Champion of Thariin. "Stay down, welp! I want to make you suffer later!" With that, he kicked him in the side, leaving him there gasping for breath and stunned. "At least until I kill these two…"
"Urgh, Matt!" Heather shouted, rolling to her feet. "We need to work together!"
"You think?" He growled sarcastically, also stumbling to his feet. Checking his grip on his knife, he began to circle around a table laid out with multiple kinds of blades and small knives; clearly used for torture. Standing alongside Heather, he simply waited for her to get ready to receive the raging warrior. "Are you okay?" He followed up with, watching Ugo slowly make his way to them.
Heather snatched a knife from another nearby table, being the closest weapon she could get. Testing the blade, she frowned as she felt it was duller than she would have liked. "I'm fine, but I'm going to need a real weapon if we're going to win this."
"Then get your axe! I'll keep him busy!" He hissed, watching the champion close the gap between them The fire from the Dragon Blade lay behind him, making Ugo a black silhouette that was slowly approaching them.
"You sure-"
"Just do it!" He roared, grabbing the table next to him and hurling it over to slow Ugo.
Ugo used his shield to brace himself against the table, stopping it from actually hitting him. The knives and tools clattered all over the floor, creating a disorienting noise in the room. Ignoring the mess and obstacle, he planted his foot on the overturned table and kicked it, sending it sliding into Matt.
"Rrr…" He growled after getting pushed over by the force of the hit. Rolling away, he looked up to see Ugo glaring at him as he continued to walk towards him. "Bring it on…" He growled, flipping the knife in his hand. Holding it by the blade, he then hurled it straight at Ugo, sinking right into his stomach. At the same time, his leg felt like a lightning bolt had ripped through it. Brace or not, he was exerting a lot more than usual.
"Argh! Brat!" Ugo screamed, feeling the blade sink in him.
"Grrr…Astrid taught me how to do that. Poetic justice I think." Matt growled, staying on his knees and gripping his leg in agony. Behind Ugo, he saw Heather grab her axe, and already making her way behind Ugo. Dragging his leg, he kept on drawing Ugo's attention as he backed up. All he had to do was make sure he never saw her. To his surprise though, Ugo charged Matt like an angry bull, relentless and past feeling. Dropping his shield, he grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall behind.
"Aghk!" He choked out, trying to pry at the grip around his throat.
"Matt!" Fishlegs shouted, watching helplessly behind the bars.
"Do you feel it? That helpless feeling as you watch your life slip away?!" Ugo roared, almost in hysteria. Ignoring the fact that his eyes were starting to roll back, he tightened his grip around Matt's throat. "That's how I feel! Watching Thariin prepare for an invasion we cannot win! Watching us slowly die! Because of this, I'll send you and all your dragon loving friends to Helheim myself-Agh!"
"Let him go!" Heather shouted frantically, slashing her axe across Ugo's back.
Through fading vision, Matt watched Ugo get a wild look in his eyes before he dropped him. Whirling around, swung the flat side of his axe with all his strength to smash Heather's armor along her right arm.
Heather gasped at the hit, feeling the force shatter her Razorwhip arm guards and broke a piece of her shoulder guard off. Flying through the air, she crashed into a stretch rack, toppling her over as she rolled over it. Her grip on her axe loosened, as the pain from being hit riveted through her body.
"You'll die first!" Ugo roared, chasing her to where she landed.
Matt slowly rolled to his knees. Breathing deeply the rich air, he looked up to see Ugo grabbing Heather by her shoulder, he pinned her against the wall and held her out in front of him. Matt scrambled for something, anything! Then he saw it. His hatchet that was pulled out of his hands lay right in front of him.
"Good-bye…Rider." Ugo growled, resting his axe's edge across Heather's throat.
Heather could only glare at Ugo. Just as she felt the blade begin to rub against her neck, she was shocked to see Ugo cry out in pain. It wasn't hard to see why, as Matt's hatchet had sunk itself right into Ugo's shoulder, being the one holding Heather up. Dropping to her feet, she was pushed against the wall as he leaned heavily against her. Struggling to push him off, she saw the answer to her problem. Snatching Matt's knife still sticking out of Ugo, she jerked it out of him. With all the force she could muster, she then rammed it up Ugo's chin to push him off of her.
"…ugahahh…" He gasped out, stunned as his body slowly realized what had happened. Staring into nothing, the Champion of Thariin slowly slid to the side, falling over and crashing into the ground.
Heather continued to breathe deeply, recovering from the close call and fight. Gripping Matt's knife in hand, she shook her head as she started to stumble away from Ugo's lifeless body.
"Heather! Are you alright?!" Matt gasped, limping towards her while rubbing his throat.
"I'm fine…your knife saved me." She whispered, handing it back to him. "Go check on Hiccup. I'll get Fishlegs out. Then let's get out of here."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Heather simply nodded, leaning against a table to catch her breath. "Go help Hiccup. He's struggling to stand up. I'll get Fishlegs out."
Reluctantly, Matt turned to leave her and limped to where Hiccup was still trying to get onto his feet. Kneeling next to him, he grabbed his arm to help him up.
"Agh! Careful!" He cried out, flinching vividly. Gripping his side, he growled. "I think he broke a rib. It's hard to breathe…"
"Great. That's all you need right now." Matt huffed, being a lot more careful with him.
"Is he gone? Did you beat him?"
"He's dead. He was about to kill me and Heather. She's the reason why we won though."
Finally standing up, he looked to see Ugo's body lying on the ground. Frowning, he could only shake his head. "I wish it didn't have to come to that…"
"He wanted to kill you. All of us actually! He broke your rib, gave me a good strangling, and was going to slit Heather's throat open!" Matt argued, helping him walk. "We did what we had to!"
Hiccup didn't say anything. Limping along with Matt, he took his eyes off Ugo to see Fishlegs run up to him. "Hiccup! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Fishlegs. Let's just get out of here."
"I got Astrid." Heather replied, kneeling down to pick her up. "Our dragons are near the arena. We'll be able to slip out before anyone else notices us!"
"Oh Meatlug…I bet she's been worried! Was she?"
"Aside from all of us, yeah, she was." Matt huffed, checking his grip on Hiccup.
Looking sheepishly, Fishlegs turned to his three friends. "Uh…thanks. You know, for helping us back there."
"Fishlegs, come on." Heather grunted as she checked her grip on Astrid. "You're our friend. We'd expect the same from you."
"Come on, let's get out of this nightmare." Hiccup groaned, limping alongside Matt.
"You mean hell hole?" Matt grunted.
Fishlegs ran to the door, sliding the latches open and unlocking it. Opening it up, he peeked around the corners. "Thank Odin, it's all clear." He replied with relief.
The party slowly made their way down the hallway, with Heather being extra careful with Astrid. The closer they got to the door leading out, the more relieved they felt. At least, until they got close enough where they started to hear something just outside of it.
"Uh…what's that?" Heather asked, trying to focus on the sound and keep Astrid stable.
"Growling?" Fishlegs suggested, though looking confused.
"It…sounds like…cheering…" Hiccup whispered his face paling.
Matt had a pit in his stomach as he gently pushed Hiccup away from him. Grabbing the handle on the door, he slowly opened it up. The sight made his heart sink.
Standing all around the arena, were guards and villagers. As the door opened wider, they all erupted into cheering.
As the door continued to reveal the sight they could see the sky was dark grey, with a hint of orange in the sky; signaling that morning was very close.
"…Our dragons…" Heather choked out.
In the center of the arena, layered in nets, were their dragons. Wasatch was radiating lighting, with two guards' bodies lying nearby. However, they were still able to get him down there.
Hiccup slowly stepped out into the arena, limping and holding his side where he was hurting. The others closely followed, knowing that going the other way would be pointless, as the Keep was sure to send guards to push them out into the arena. Or lock them up.
Making their way to their dragons, they simply watched the crowd continue to cheer and shout at the apparent participants.
"Well, I guess it's kind of how I envisioned myself dying." Matt replied, spinning around to look at the crowd behind them.
"It is?" Fishlegs asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
Matt nodded. "Yeah, maybe a little less bloody, but I thought I'd die doing a snowboard competition. Breaking my neck trying to land a trick; being cheered on by hundreds of strangers. To be fair, I guess that should have changed when I decided to live here."
"A little grim, don't you think?" Heather whispered as she knelt down to rest Astrid.
Before he could reply, a voice called out above them. "Well, I guess we'll have an early morning show after all. I was afraid we were going to have to wait a while longer."
Everyone turned to see a certain person, sitting on a throne like seat. Matt stared at him, unsure of who he was seeing. It…looked like Zekir, and then it didn't at the same time. He looked smaller, and was lacking…something.
"I'm excited. Been awhile since we've had fresh dragons. And fresh criminals." Zekir laughed as he settled down in his seat.
"I wouldn't say we're fresh." Matt yelled loudly as he limped alongside Hiccup. "Criminals is a bit of stretch too."
Ignoring him, Zekir continued to shout a narrative of the situation. "Dragon Riders and their pets, pitted against wild and angry dragons. Fighting to the death until either side runs out of contenders, can't wait to see how this ends." Looking at the crowd, he shouted. "Who else is excited to see this? The Riders responsible for our defeat at Berk, aiding our attackers; killed in our own arena, by the very beasts they would have used against us?"
The crowd erupted into a cheer, excited for the show.
"Get our dragons out of those nets." Hiccup replied, limping up towards the apparent leader.
"Hiccup! We can't hurt whatever dragons they send at us!" Fishlegs cried out.
"I know, Fishlegs. Just get our dragons free." Came the solemn reply.
Making sure Astrid would be alright by herself, Heather and Fishlegs went to do so. Matt followed Hiccup, staring at Zekir as if it would help him figure out what was off with him.
"We never wanted to fight you. You attacked us!" Hiccup began to call out. "We only wanted our friends back!"
The crowd instantly booed, shouting obscenities at the two.
"Which explains why you are helping those that would otherwise kill all of us." Zekir retorted, smiling down at Hiccup. "You're an enemy as much as Bruvos and his people are; regardless of who attacked first."
Before Hiccup could reply or argue, Matt then saw something that tipped him off. Or rather, didn't see someone. "Where's Darien? I thought she'd love to see us, especially me, get shredded by the dragons that she gave you. It's surprising she's not willing to do it herself actually."
"Darien? Sh-she's otherwise busy. Helping prepare for the assault." Zekir replied, choking a little bit.
Hiccup instantly picked up on what Matt was bringing up.
Matt shook his head. "Where is she, Zekir? She wanted to end me herself. She wouldn't want me to die any other way except by her hands, or her dragon, only."
"I-I…uh…"
"Do you even know who we are?" Hiccup asked, seeing the crowd slowly start to die down as the conversation continued on.
"You are Dragon Riders! Killers and murderers!"
The crowd roared in approval at the statement, clearly showing how eager they were to watch the fight.
"Who told you that? Darien?" Matt rebutted. Stepping closer to 'Zekir', he repeated Hiccup's question. "Who are we? Not just what we do. What are our names? Why does Darien hate me so much?"
A murmur ran through the crowd as they turned to wait for their chief to answer the questions.
Zekir simply swallowed, frantically thinking of what to say.
That nailed it for Matt. "You're not Zekir…are you?"
"Of course I am!"
"Then where are your two swords? Why aren't you in here gutting me yourself? Like you wanted to!"
The man on the throne started to shake at the accusation.
"I almost killed the one that you took in! The one that the real Zekir took care of at least." He continued to shout. "That's why I know you're not Zekir! Zekir would have let Darien kill me herself after what I did to her! They're not here, are they?"
The crowd began to shout in confusion, all looking at their 'chief' and leader. Or at least the one that sat in the chief's seat.
"They left! They left because they knew we were coming and couldn't fight us!" Matt shouted, turning to look at the crowd. He had them. He could make them turn on themselves until they escaped! "Look at him! Look at him closely! He's not your chief! Your chief abandoned you!"
Everyone began to shout. Some to Matt, for trying to turn them against their leader; others crying in shock as they began to see the truth.
Heather and Fishlegs finished pulling off the nets from their dragons, which roared angrily for being trapped. Each one then ran to their respective Riders, with Stormfly trying to help the unconscious Astrid.
"Sure, you can end us. Execute us even." Matt shouted to the crowd, limping to Wasatch. "But if your chief lied to you about staying and fighting for you, think of all the lies he spread about us!"
"Enough!" The fake Zekir shouted. "Archers! Just kill them!"
It was too late. People were all shouting at the imposter, creating a frenzy between them and the guards. Fights were breaking out between them, with most of the people running out of the arena. A few guards had heard the order though, who instantly began to notch some arrows.
"Take cover!" Hiccup shouted, getting shielded by Toothless.
Everyone's dragon covered their respective Rider, with Heather pulling Fishlegs under Windshear's metallic wings.
Matt fell under Wasatch, crashing onto the ground and being covered by him. Hearing some arrows fail to pierce Wasatch's hide, he shouted out loud so that the imposing chief could hear him. "Where are they?! Where did Zekir and Darien go?!"
The imposter stared at the purple dragon, who was simply ignoring the arrows that either bounced off or had very shallowly stuck to him. It was a nightmare! How were they to stop these dragons?!
"Hiccup!"
A single voice boomed over the crowd, making the few that were paying attention gasp in shock.
A single dragon with three tails hovered over the crowd. On its back was a person wielding a crossbow. They both look angry, seeing the dragons and Riders in the arena.
A single guard sent an arrow at the new dragon, pricking it in the leg.
Roaring angrily, the dragon blasted where the guard was with a cone like blast. Those in the crowd that werent' fighting instantly began to run away, leaving only those fighting the guards and the dragons in and out of the arena.
"Ukiah?!" Hiccup shouted, peeking out from Toothless' wing.
Staring at the new Rider in horror, the imposter was about to shout at his men to shoot down the dragon. Before he could mutter a cry though, a loud bell began to sound in the distance. It was shortly followed up with another, though sounding closer. And then again, and again, and again! Until the air was rich with panicked sounding alarms. The fighting had almost magically ceased as they crowds took a moment to realize what they meant. It even made them ignore the dragon flying above them.
They would have all stood there had a guard not shouted: "We're under attack! Ships are incoming! Get to your posts!"
The crowds panicked, realizing what was happening. Guards were rushing to their positions, all while ignoring the captives they had in the arena and the dragon above.
Having Wasatch step away from him, Matt watched as the fake chief ran away with a few guards with him. Shaking his head at the fact he couldn't get answers from him right then, he turned to look up at Ukiah. "Timely arrival! We ready to go?"
"Hold on!" Ukiah shouted. Pointing at the support beams holding the chain net, he then ordered Lasher to strike at it.
The Triple Stryke roared angrily as it fired another cone like fire blast at it, setting it ablaze and breaking it in half. An entire section of the net fell, to which the Riders in the arena guided their dragons towards. Ukiah himself had already landed there by the time they were near the opening.
"What happened? Is Astrid okay?" He cried out, shocked to see her carried by Heather.
"She needs some attention. I'll take her to Bruvos' ship." She replied wearily. "Thanks for the save, Ukiah. We were going to have to get creative to get out that mess you found us in."
Ukiah didn't say anything. Staring at all the slashes and cuts on Astrid, he couldn't help but feel a cold, angry, calm feeling rush over him. "…I'm going to rip them in half…" He growled. Grabbing Astrid from Heather, he began to take to Lasher. "I'll take her away. Then I'll join up with you guys. You should all work on destroying the catapults on the Keep. It'll help Bruvos' men down at the docks and divert attention away from them."
"Matt and Heather, you're with me." Hiccup quickly instructed as he tenderly climbed on Toothless. His face was dark and reserved, showing that he was ready to fight. "Avoid homes and houses. Only go for soldiers and catapults! Fishlegs! Go help Bruvos' men at the docks! Have Meatlug eat any boulders catapulted at them! Ukiah, take down catapults wherever you see them! Let's hope Auger and his men are nearby. We could use Snotlout and the twins."
"Got it, Hiccup!" Ukiah yelled as Lasher rocketed into the air, followed by Stormfly. Fishlegs also chased after them, knowing he needed to go help Bruvos as soon as he could.
Matt also nodded in understanding with the instructions. It was supposed to be a battle for Zekir and Darien, who were obviously somewhere else. Killing people would be the last thing they wanted to do, even Bruvos would have to agree with that. "I'm ready when you are, Hiccup!"
"Then let's go win a battle!" He roared, launching into the air.
Both Matt and Heather followed after, leaving behind a burning arena that remained abandoned.
As the three leveled off, they could see Bruvos' fleet just outside of the harbor. Fire catapults were being launched by the attackers and defenders, already creating a smoky sky.
"Alright! On me! This is for what they did to Astrid!" Hiccup shouted, letting Toothless dive down at a large catapult below.
Without saying anything, both Matt and Heather also dove down after him, chasing the screaming Night Fury. And like that, they entered the fray.
Man, I don't know why that chapter was so hard to write. Sorry for the long awaited update, I was slammed with work, school, and writer's block. Not a good combo to put out chapters. Also, forgive me for any grammatical errors. I've seen so many in the past chapters I posted that I know this will have a few as well. Thanks for the support and hope you enjoyed it!