A/N:Hello pals! Welcome to chapter 8! Sorry for the wait! XD
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors!
Chapter 8: Tijike...Again
Toothless,
"Hey!"
"Hello?"
"Wake up!"
"Wake!"
"He's unconscious, Bilbo."
"Wake uuuupppp!"
"Howling isn't going to do anything."
"Wake up!"
"For the love of-shut it."
"I COMMANDETH THEE: AWAKEN!"
"BILBO, SO HELP ME WE'RE GOING TO-!"
Screaming.
Fire.
Jink.
Unconsciousness.
Hiccup.
Is he okay?
I rip my eyes open snapping my head upwards a heavy metallic clang following. What? Where am I-? WHAT ON THE-? I yelp in surprise as I open my eyes and spot a neon yellow Terror staring into my eyes. He's clinging to my face. Smiling with contentment, the small dragon leaps away and scurries towards the edge of the cell the metal chain wrapped around his leg hissing as it's dragged across the wooden planks. Wait. No, no, no, no. Wooden planks? The ground rocks beneath my claws and I freeze.
"He's awake!" He declares happily.
Cell. Metal. Chain.
No, oh, please no!
My eyes quickly leap over everything. This is not the forest. The cell is dark, damp, and the floor is rocking beneath my claws. The wood is weathered and growing a fine layer of moss, everything is damp. A mussel is wrapped tightly around my jaw and I can feel a strap around my middle securing my wings to my chest. The saddle is gone. So is my tailfin.
I'm a prisoner.
Again.
Did Jink get Hiccup too? No, I won't go through with it again, I'll kill Jink, run my claws through his- "I'm sure you're confused." The high pitched irritatingly old man-like voice cuts through my thoughts and I growl lowly snapping my glare towards the small Terror.
"Not exactly." I hiss.
Oh, I am full aware of where I am.
Why? Why? Why?
I strongly, as childish as it is, want to scream out on how this isn't fair. Jink didn't even let us fight, just gave us the illusion he would then crippled it.
The Terror, true to their idiotic nature continues, "Myself is Bilbo." He greets. My eyes twitch with slight annoyance. Ah, this Terror must have more brains than most, usually they just speak in third person for eternity and drive dragons crazy with their speech incompatibilities. I sweep my eyes over the rest of the hallway.
It's dark, but I've adapted to the darkness. I can see almost perfectly fine. A Zippleback is in one cell glaring aggressively towards Bilbo, a Typhoomerang is shoved into another, and beside him is a Timberjack. Both dragons, akin to the Zippleback are glaring at Bilbo. Jink really has worked hard for his catch this time.
"Come on, don't be rude, do introduce yourselfs." Bilbo says voicing his request towards these other dragons. The Zippleback rolls her eyes in perfect sync. Bilbo, not put down in the slightest, growls happily, "That would be Ltia and Les. Between me and you, They're quite the rays of sunshine." Bilbo says and I hiss. I don't care!
"Shut it."
Where is Hiccup? What happened to the battle! What happened?
"Well, that's just rude." Bilbo huffs and walks towards the edge of the cell curling into a ball with an angry huff. I glare at him for a moment before turning back towards the hallway. Why would Jink take me back, again? He knows that no matter what he does, I'm going not going to break. The Red Death played games with me mentally for years and I always fought back. Hiccup just broke me free permanently. He's my wings, the key to the prison that was her reign.
Where is he!?
Jink didn't...no, Jink wouldn't kill him, Hiccup is of too much use to him. I hope.
Focus. You can panic later, T.
A pang of homesickness runs through me. I miss the simple days on Dragon's Edge, I miss Hiccup, Astrid, and how bad they are at being in love, Stormfly, the other dragons, Snotlout and his arrogance, Fishlegs and his always excited but serious nature and the twins. Tuffnut and his persistent carefreeness and Ruffnut and her wildness. I miss them.
I release a breath.
Everything was so colorful then, now it has again, faded to black and white.
Focus. Please, focus.
How long was I asleep? My best guess is a few hours, maybe a day tops.
Did Berk survive? Did Astrid? Stormfly? Frustration pulses through me at the lack of answers. Until I escape, I'm not going to know. Or if I find Hiccup, if he's even on this blasted boat. If he's not...I don't know where he is. Panic flutters across my chest. So many questions and so few answers. Agh!
If I escape, everything will be fine again. If I can find a way to get of this mess. Everything is clinging to the stupid little word: If.
If only I had fought back.
If only I hadn't been captured.
If only I'd seen that net coming.
If only I knew where Hiccup was- how he is.
If, if, if, if IF!
Something is wrong, very wrong. I can sense it, almost feel it. Something nagging at the back of my brain and assuring me I should panic and everything is warping around Hiccup. Something is wrong with him. I don't know what it is. DId something happen? Is he in pain, if so, I can do absolutely nothing! Agh!
I stare across my cell towards the empty one in front of me, trying to take in some deep breaths through my anxious lungs. It looks like it was recently used, there's scorch marks everywhere. I sigh through my nose but don't lift my gaze. A Monstrous Nightmare going on a rampage probably.
Hookfang is a star at doing that.
Time passes slowly. The rocking of the ship is an indicator for the howling storm outside, probably snow. It's getting worse as the minutes pass by, if it picks up anymore speed the ship is bound to rip apart and we're all going to drown. Or freeze. Either can happen.
In complete and honest study there was a hundred and fifteen ways that the battle could have gone wrong. Or better. I've been silently counting for the last few hours. Admittedly, I wish I'd done something. I stood, to the side, without moving doing absolutely nothing. Hiccup did all the talking, the threatening, I was sort of stuck in a trance of fear.
Fear.
I'm one of the deadliest dragons and I was afraid. The last thing I can remember is Jink's cold fingers sliding across my neck then nothing. I want answers but I'm going to have to suck it up and deal with what I have: nothing.
I grit my teeth in frustration.
"You look frustrated." Bilbo says calmly nearby. I resist the urge to sigh in annoyance and tilt my head slightly to look at him. He's a chatter. Yay? The obnoxiously colored Terror flashes me a toothy grin revealing missing teeth. "We're all friends here. What troubles you, oh mighty Night Fury?" He asks with a slight mocking tone. Ha. Friends. Right.
None of your business, good sir.
I turn away from him and glare at the wall across from me. I am not in a talking mood. I want to find Hiccup and get out of here that's pretty much it. Having a long conversation with this Terrible Terror isn't very high on the agenda.
"Ah, come on, you're going to ignore me? That's childish." Biblo taunts.
Yup.
A few minutes pass.
"Well alright, last chance…"
I say nothing.
"Ah, come on! It has something to do with the dead kid our captor was talking about earlier, doesn't it?" Bilbo inquires and I stop glaring at the wall my eyes widening largely. Dead kid? Dead kid?
I turn my head slowly towards him, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest. "What?"
Bilbo lifts his head happily looking on the verge of downright giddy that he got me to speak again. "Well, he was talking about the kid he stabbed a couple hours ago. Tossed the dagger over there." Bilbo says and jerks his head towards the opening of the cell leaning more towards the right. Oh, no. No, no, no.
I squeeze my eyes shut pleading with every sense within me that my intuition is wrong. I glance over towards the dagger and freeze. It's long and covered in a substance, it's too dark to see exactly what it is but a sick feeling settles in my chest. "...He...what?" I growl and snap my head around to look at Bilbo. Dead kid? Did Jink….no. He wouldn't. He couldn't.
But he might've.
Biblo tilts his head slightly, "Well, after he locked you up he threw the dagger right there and said something like, "He'll wake up and realize that he couldn't defend his precious rider and that, that will break him,"" Bilbo says flashing a toothy grin.
"Couldn't defend his precious rider,"
I freeze.
No, no, no, no, no.
Oh, no!
Hiccup was stabbed. He's dead or dying and I can do nothing!
Why?
I squeeze my eyes shut and lower my ears. Hiccup can't be dead. I can sense it. I would know if he was. Besides, Jink could be lying. He's a master of deceit. He's not.
I grasp onto the small string of hope and cling to it.
000o000
After a few more long hours, Jink and a handful of men unload me and the other dragons and drag us into their ring after I put up the best struggle I can. The wind is howling by in repetitive gusts and it's to the point of screaming. The blizzard is not one to be taken lightly. Weather is terrifying when it wants to be, it's like the storm, too is mourning.
The room is large and barren except for dragons. It reminds me vastly of when me and Hiccup were captured by the dragon fight owners a few months back. There's only a handful of other dragons that weren't on the boat in here already. Two Terrible Terrors, a Deadly Nadder and impressively enough, a Skrill.
The chain attached to my right hind leg is dragging across the ground in a scratch-like pattern as I pace. It's slightly annoying but I push it to the back of my mind as I press onwards. Minutes tick by.
Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back...and forth.
"You know," One of the Zippleback heads says idly, I think Ltia, "If you keep that up, Night Fury you're going to create a large ravin in that general area." She says dryly.
"Pfft, there's no way that's possible!" The other argues.
"I was being sarcastic Les, but still."
Both pair of eyes turn to look at me, followed by the other dragons. Frustration pulses through me.
"And why do you care?" I demand turning to look back at her, coming to a halt. The chain clanks as it stops moving. The heads glance at each other from their defeated position on the ground, seeming to be having mental communication.
"We don't." Les assures.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes and move forward again dragging the chain with me. Les and Ltia sigh and rest their heads against the ground idly watching me. Bilbo moves forward, the only dragon without a ankle lock. Probably because he's too stupid to do anything.
"Ah, none of you are gifted with instant friendship with the lad like myself." Bilbo says proudly and looks over at me fondly.
"Friend?" I snort. Friends?! My friends are on Berk. My friends could be dying and I'm confined to a stupid room pacing back and forth until I do dig a way out or Jink decides to pay a visit. This. Is. Going. To. Drive. Me. Mad.
"Ab-so-lute-ly." Bilbo assures. We are not friends. I send him a sharp glare.
"Ha. You've got a temper." The Nadder says with a small snicker.
"Funny." I hiss.
"Whoa there, I don't want a rampage of Lighting and Death Itself running over me. Keep a cool head there, laddy." The Nadder says and backs up slightly his chain scraping against the ground. I sigh in defeat slightly guilt running through me. I'm stressed.
I want to know if Hiccup's okay, and I may never know.
"Lighting and Death itself? Please, he's more like a grumpy overgrown cat." Bilbo says with a hint of humor. I glare darkly at him. Is that a challenge? Because I will prove to you that I can live up to that name perfectly fine.
"Hold Toothless." Hiccup's voice echoes in my head. I clench my jaw. Calm. Down. You aren't helping anyone by tackling anyone. I release a deep breath.
"Heh." The Nadder snickers.
"Cat? Nah, I'd say kitten." Les says and both heads burst into laughter.
Kitten?
I glower at her with the most distaste I can muster.
"Don't test him, fools. I've seen Night Furies angered, it's not something to joke about, so shut it." The Skrill, a deep male voice growls and immediately all jaws snap shut looking towards him. His deep brownish scales are gleaming in the snowstorm. He looks terrible. I mean, terrible. His scales look off pattern and his crown looks a little crooked. His wings are tearing badly at the edges and his eyes hold a hint of ancient.
Even in the time me and Hiccup did spend on Tijike, I wasn't ever really taken to their ring. This Skrill must've been here for months before me. Maybe years. I stare at him inquisitively.
The Skrill shifts its position slightly and looks towards me, "You look tense. No worries, we'll all be dead soon." He assures. I give him a deadpan look. He's...just a cheery one.
"Thanks, that helps."
The Skrill squints, "You'll make the master very pleased." He says and I growl in disgust. Master? Oh, please tell me he's not talking about Jink? That man is not my "master" I belong to no one.
"Jink?" I murmur. "How long have you been here?" I demand. He's gone crazy! Downright mad! Jink is bloodthirsty, he's done something to this dragon. I will not let him repeat it on me. The Skrill pauses.
"A long time, Fury. Very, very long. I suppose you'll be the one to kill me." He muses with almost a sad tint. I doubletake.
"What? Why would I-there's always an alternative to killing." I argue. I'm not going to-no. No. I shake my head.
"Not here." The Skrill sighs. "You seem familiar with Jink but not his ways. I, myself, have fought many dragons. He takes the two strongest dragons here and makes them battle to the death, whoever survives is the champion and lives to fight another dragon. The guilt breaks you until to escape the pain you let him control you." The Skrill murmurs the last part and I freeze.
A battle of the fittest?
No.
Jink may try again and again but he will never break me.
"I won't do it." I promise. "There is alternatives to killing."
The Skrill stares at me for a moment before his eyes rest on my tail. His eyes widen and he looks up his eyes narrowing with hate. "Wait. I know who you are."
I still.
"You-you were captured by that boy! The VIking child. He cut of your tail." The Skrill murmurs. He rescued me. "T-the dragon without flight. The last Night Fury heir. Destroyer of our Queen." The Skrill growls the last part and I blink in shock. Queen?
What?
She was many things but a queen? That she was not.
"Queen?" Ltia snorts. "Where've you been for the three hundred years?"
"I was frozen in a glacier, when I escaped the Tijikes captured me, over two decades ago. I am Quinn, her second in command." Quinn says and lifts his bony chest up with pride. Bilbo's jaw falls along with mine, and the rest of the dragons in the room. Quinn. The Red Death mentioned his name once well I was there but it was never brought up again.
Second in command?
"He's crazy." The Timberjack hisses. "Someone knock him out before he drives us all mad."
"Wouldn't do much." The Nadder murmurs, subconsciously taking a step back. "There's something wrong that sleep won't fix."
Quinn looks at us all, offense ringing through his stance. "What? It's the only thing I've lived for! Traitors! Everyone is traitors to her!" Quinn cries.
"Are you insane!? The dragoness was a murderous witch!" I growl. Quinn laughs the sound is...wrong. It sounds scratchy and fake.
"Such disloyalty, though, I would expect nothing more from you." Quinn growls. A dry snort escapes me.
"She enslaved us." I correct.
"Aye." The Timberjack says.
"You claim me crazy but all of you are!" Quinn snaps. "And you," He says turning his bloodshot red eyes towards me, "You are a murderer. I know who your kin is. I promise you, NIght Fury, that when I am free I will hunt down every one that you care for and make you watch their torturous deaths."
I know who your kin is.
Hiccup.
No. I won't let this crazy dragon get to him. No, no, no, no.
I snort lifting my head up and hoping the panic fluttering through my heart doesn't show through my eyes. "Everyone I care for is dead." I lie through clenched teeth. Quinn laughs.
"Lies, Fury, all lies. They will all die, I promise." He hisses.
I know who your kin is.
I back up slightly staring at the insane dragon with what I can hope is the best glare I can muster.
No.
Not well my heart beats.
I know who your kin is.
